Tom Emlyn (vocals/electric guitar/keyboards/harmonica/melodica/analog radio), Will Evans (bass), Emlyn Cai Hinton (sax/guitar/flute/clarinet/violin) and Jack Patrick (drums/cajon/egg/vibraslap/spring drum) are News from Nowhere. Apparently the band has been has been around for a while and already has a couple of albums out. Their latest ...and the human had half was written after an around-the-world backpacking trip and is about the line between dreams and reality.
The band plays indie rock in one form or another with some deviations which were quite surprising. They open with “Lost in a Dream” which is straightforward indie rock. With their clean, reverb-laced guitar I was reminded of the band Real Estate. It wasn’t just the guitar tone but the whole feel of the song. All things considered it is a good opener that is pretty catchy. One of the highlights was the second track “Kathmandu.” The song has a playful rock vibe and has a great instrumental second half which has some noteworthy sax. “Stranded at The Border” was the song that made me wonder what type of vibe they were trying to paint. The song is atmospheric, hypnotic, ethereal and was a much more serious sounding song overall. It was an odd juxtaposition from the first two songs that threw me off. The band goes back to sounding more like a band on “Coming up on Love” and has some of the best rocking on the album. “Odysseus” has a funky, jangly vibe to it and for some reason the inflection in his voice this time around reminded me of Morrissey. Next up is “Empire” which has a ’60s singer/songwriter quality. “Moonlights” is the centerpiece at over seven-minutes long. The song feels more like a jam session than anything that came before. “Speaking in Tongues” is the closer which has way more energy and aggression than anything else on the album. It had a similar type of energy to the album They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top by Liars. ...and the human had half has some good arguably great songs on this album. The band was obviously ambitious but perhaps a little too ambitious. It seemed obvious to me that the band was trying to make each song distinct from the next. That’s a good thing for the most part but they seemed to be stretching a little far at times. It's a bit of a double-edged sword. What the songs gain in being distinct have to be weighed against how cohesive the album feels as a whole. Overall, I wouldn't pass up this album. Despite feeling a little scattered the songs still shine and t when the band hits they really hit the bullseye.
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After listening to the EP Carry Me Back by Kyle Sherman I read the a quote of his that said “A lot of my music is inspired by the natural world, and when I'm not playing music I'm usually out rock climbing, hiking, swimming in frigid lakes, anything to get me out in nature.” I can say that the word “natural” popped into my head right away. The music feels incredibly organic from the production, to the sound of the acoustic to the percussive elements. He points to Justin Vernon, Nick Drake and The Tallest Man on Earth as comparable artists but I felt his music had more in common with early Animal Collective before they got a deep low end. Think “Sung Tongs” era.
He opens with “Carry Me Back” which is indicative of the sound of the remaining songs. It exudes a calming effect with the instruments feeling effortless and light. His vocals are the main focal point here. He sings, “Carry me far from here / The lonesome wind is seldom near / Sites and all the memories sharing eyes / All the nights we stared at the skies.” The song doesn’t have many distinct sounding sections but the song was good enough to keep my interest. He continues to have success with “Time Won't Heal You” which feels like a seamless extension of the first song. The song has the same soothing effect as the first effect as he laments that “time won’t heal you.” I was again impressed with “Memories” and “Walk You Past” but I thought the closer “Let Go” was the highlight. His vocal melody is infectious this time around when and I just liked the flow of the song from beginning to end. Carry Me Back EP isn’t perfect but has a lot to offer. I’d like to hear a slight boost in production next time and a clean up of the occasional sour note. With that Carry Me Back is a good listen that builds a foundation with some memorable songs.
Brian Huffman (vocals), Chris DeVona (guitar), Derek Medina (guitar), Eric Lindahl (drums) and Jacob Blanchet (bass) are Throne Of Saturn. That’s a great band name in my opinion but what's up with that album art on their self-titled EP Throne of Saturn. It’s the kind of album art you look at and ask what the hell am I looking at. It seems to be the same old trope of a giant eating a human corpse. I was reminded of the anime series “Attack on Titan.” Anyway I was intrigued after the album art.
Musically, the band plays slower moving metal somewhere between Black Sabbath, Sunn O))), Joy Division and Alice In Chains. The guitars are warm but ominous while the vocals lay low in the mix usually with a good amount of reverb attached. The rhythm section holds down a steady foundation that serves the melodies. The band opens with “Beard Burner.” Root notes drip with distortion that rings out before the next note hits. The song is dark, foreboding and also changes tempo in a natural transition. As the song progresses the intensity grows into full-fledged panic. The lyrics are fitting to the music. Huffman sings, “You’re the right kind and it's not you baby just feels like I've been buried alive.” I couldn't help but notice some similarities to Joy Division on “Cemetery of Spent Hours.” Huffman not only sounds similar to Ian Curtis but the music is similar as well. “Intrepid Bastard” veers more towards metal. You could make an argument for Black Sabbath or early Metallica. The song has the most energy with some pretty badass riffs. They close with “Sludge Lord” which contains an eerie breakdown and some riffs that certainly sound like sludge metal. Throne of Saturn EP has a sound but it felt like different strains of influence on each song. I like what they are going for but don’t quite feel like they have landed on a signature sound that defined Throne of Saturn. I think they are close but might need to dig a little deeper to really stand out from the crowd. Overall, this is a minor gripe because the songs are well-written and the band can deliver. If you like any of the aforementioned bands this is an EP you will want to check out.
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Nick Howell is an artist from Barrie, Ontario who released an album entitled Traveller. It’s a long album with twelve songs and one song going over the nine-minute mark.
Howell plays a blend of different styles. The White Stripes came to mind at first but there were some interesting deviations as well that left me wondering what else would be around the corner. Musically, I was really attracted to what was going on within most of these songs. This is an album that begs for a certain brand of recording quality. Unfortunately that is the area this album doesn't excel in. The production and recording quality varies from song to song. Most of the issues with recording quality come from the low-end. It simply isn’t defined and muddies up the mid and high frequencies. The album opens with “She's Trouble” which sounds most aligned with The White Stripes. It has a bluesy/rock swag and the type of song you would want to see live. After this song Howell goes into other areas some of which I wasn’t expecting. “Rabbit in the Cloverfield” has a distinct Eastern feel which feels mystical. The lyrics fit the mold of the song. He sings, “There's a rabbit waiting out in the cloverfield / a ring around the moon and a pocket full of gold.” The centerpiece of the album is the title track as he mixes a Led Zeppelin-esque chorus with a mystical sounding Eastern vibe. “Swift Turtle” was one of my favorite tracks. The song rocks and had a ’70s classic rock feel. “Look At The Stars” is another track with a distinct feel. This time around he rides a contemplative singer/songwriter vibe. My personal favorite song was “The Angry Moon.” For whatever reason the recording quality was better with the bass having some definition. I also really enjoyed the female accompaniment. Howell has some serious talent but the two things he needs to focus on are production quality and trying to find a particular style which can get him to the next level. He jumps around the map and I think it behooves him to combine some of these disparate influences and find a sound that can define him. There is no denying Howell is ambitious and prolific. Traveller is a solid effort but I think his best work is yet to come.
Damien Ellinghaus (guitars/vocals), Jon Antonik (bass) and Luigi Rueda (drums) are Transience. The band recently released an eleven-song album entitled Skyward.
First things First. I not sure if this was supposed to be funny or not but it struck me as humorous. On their Bandcamp they say verbatim “Debut album! Songs about anxiety and hating yourself! Overwhelming and all encompassing darkness forever!” I mean I love songs about hating yourself and the encompassing darkness we feel in the back of our minds just as much as the next guy but what’s up with the exclamation points. At least the band is excited about these grim topics. Good times. The band plays rock but I heard elements of pop punk, ’90s alternative,and more. Their sound is quite diverse or scattered depending what connotation you want to imply. The band has a good amount of hits and some misses along the way. Up first is “Transcend.” It’s a pretty tight song in the vein of a band like Foo Fighters. There is an undeniable energy that is adrenaline inducing. The demonic growl around the one-minute mark seemed out of place. It seems like the band has a second singer. You know that thing some bands do when one guy sings a lead in kind of a more standard singing voice and the other sounded ridiculously pissed as if someone just slapped his mother and pulled down his pants at the same time. “Wreckage” is another fast-paced, high energy. There were different elements of pop punk in the song. Although I would argue this song is better than the majority of pop punk, why oh why does the band starts “But Have You Considered the Implications?’ with a one-minute sample that sounds like they ripped from some movie. Ten seconds max. People will want to skip that part every time after the first time they hear it. It's unfortunate because the song was one of my favorites. It’s hardcore and is reminiscent of a band like Blood Brothers. As the album progresses the songs feel pretty consistent and have a similar feel with a lot of energy with distorted guitar leading the charge. The one deviation was “Absent” which revolved around guitar and vocals. Although the singer was trying as hard as he could to make this acoustic song as loud and dynamic as possible. Transience hits a lot more than it misses. This is a type of band you want to listen to if you need a boost of energy and don’t have any Red Bull lying around.
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Randy Williams (vocals/guitar), Wes Frank Norman (guitar), Robert Justin Seawell (bass/vocals), Charlie Fuson (drums), Michael Dorsett (synths/electronics) and Sarah Barker (keys/vocals) are Mightier Than Me.
The band recently released a seven-song self-titled EP Mightier Than Me. It’s a pretty straightforward rock album that veers towards popular ’90s rock and alternative. I can't say the band is reinventing the wheel by any stretch of the imagination but the songs are well produced, delivered and written. The thing that I thought was odd was that they decided to include two remixes of two of the songs as well as a radio edit. It seemed superfluous and I am not sure why they didn't include the remixes on a different EP. You typically want an EP or album to have cohesion with the songs. The two remixes have such drastically different styles that it gives the entire EP an uneven experience if you want to listen from beginning to end. The band opens with O.L.E. which is a highlight. It’s a fun rock song that goes down easy. You can sing-a-long with the melody after the first time you hear it. There Is a good amount of energy with the combination of warm, distorted guitar, country style bass line and tight drumming. I thought the lyrics avoided cliches and were well thought out. Williams sings, “I sat along the sandy banks of Tuscaloo / Those rippling waves just left me wondering what to do.” “Get Gone” is another solid track. The song felt more reflective than the opener as he sings about life lessons and the past. Up next is “To Be Determined.” They introduce a prominent synth but it doesn't change the vibe of what they were developing. It felt like a natural extension. They close their first set of songs with “Howling At The Moon.” This song was the other highlight to my ears. I thought the vocal melody on the verse was memorable and the chorus rocked. After this is where the remix songs start. The “Get Gone” is now straight up hip-hop with a smooth R&B beat. I really didn’t even know what to think after this track. It’s a drastic remix but it felt so incongruent. Up next is “To Be Determined” which is remixed into a run of the mill techno/club style. The last song radio version of “O.L.E” is nearly identical to the other version. My advice to the band is not to include remixes on the same release with their standard versions. The main reasoning behind this is that we are in the day of streaming. There is no arguing that people in general don't listen to albums from beginning to end as much as they used to. Someone who is discovering their music might not notice there is remix version and play the rap version first. That might not be the style they prefer and because of that they don’t even sample the other tracks which they may have preferred. Other than that I thought the EP was a solid effort. The band showcases some potential and talent.
Apparently, Hand-Me-Down Adventure spawned from the ashes of a college rock/jam band. The band was sick of what they were doing and decide to start anew. Sam Brinkman, Travis Knight and Austin Davis are the members and they released a complete DIY effort entitled An Introduction to HMDA. Well there’s no ambiguity in that name.
There are four songs and I thought the tunes were a bit scattered but showcased a lot of potential. You can hear jam band elements in there but I was most reminded of the band Ween which is a band that is embraced by the jam band community. The recordings are about average for DIY with the usual culprits sticking out that gets musicians time and time again. Some of the songs are at different volume levels which isn’t great if you want to listen from beginning to end. The other dead give away is the drum sound but even more specifically the treatment of the cymbals which needed a LPF (low pass filter). The band starts with “Branch For Me” which is the highlight by a pretty wide margin. It’s a great, original sounding song and I hope the band's future releases are based on a similar style. This is the song that reminded me most of Ween but the band still has their own thing going. The instrumental work is great with the bass catching most of my attention. That being said the vocals are what make the song. There are some catchy hooks which I would gladly revisit. “Somethin' About Some-Thing” felt more aligned with garage rock at least in terms of the grove. The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand came to mind. The bass was again a prominent feature of the song and the vocals were almost as effective as the first song. “Don't Miss Mine” is another solid song and has more of jam band type feel. The last song “Fading” felt superfluous to me. The production wasn't on par with the other songs and it felt like a rehearsal tape from a band like Hum or another like-minded alternative band. As far as introductions go I can say I was happy to meet them. They showcase some potential so let's see where they will be on their next release. Great start.
I have to admit I was expecting a lot of tropes when I was informed I would be reviewing a “Christian/country songwriter” who goes by the name Martin X Petz. Just take a look at those two genres in the mainstream. Almost all the country you hear on the radio sounds exactly the same. Switch over to the Christian station which I wouldn't do but my ex-girlfriend would do and so many of those bands sound the same.
Well I ate my thoughts when I started listening to his album Broken Man. The album has more of a traditional country vibe that was immediately enjoyable to my ears. Lyrically, the album revolves around the title of the album. His lyrics are straightforward and aren't exactly poetic but are direct and sometimes hit your emotional nerves. The album starts with the title track which is a great song. He has an aesthetically pleasing voice and I liked the mix of melancholy and triumph. The thing that was the cherry on top was the horns. As the album progresses the songwriting is consistently strong. “Noble Blues” has a tinge of ’90s alternative music thrown in there while “Fall” is a somber yet emotionally resonant song. Some of the tales are familiar topics such as “Run Ride Leave” which flirts around the topic of the “one that got away.” As the album progressed I thought the close “Chained” was the other highlight. As enjoyable as Broken Man is it's not an album that is breathing fresh air into the country genre like A Sailor's Guide to Earth by Sturgill Simpson. That being said how many albums actually can do that. Broken Man is nonetheless an album that I think will be enjoyed by true lovers of actual country music rather than country pop. It feels authentic, honest and straight from the heart. Something that seems all too infrequent these days from what the radio passes for country these days.
This Can’t Be Real is the solo project of Dalton Geyer, who formally played bass with a band called Quixote’s Revolver. Whether you’ve heard of them or not, it is clear that he has kept that band mentality and tried to create a multi-layered piece with a sound seemingly larger than one man. He is currently living in Huntington Beach, California where this project was conceptualized in September 2015.
The four-track Prayers EP opens with “On Your Knees.” An ominous, atmospheric guitar line echoes across a hazy soundscape. A chipped, cracked drum beat supports the music madness, driving it ever onwards along with Geyer’s reverberating, soothing singing. Alongside these sweet, dark sounds comes the occasional bout of dissonance, bordering on that fine line between twisted beauty and out-of-tune noise. What’s most interesting, I think, is that Geyer has nailed a unique sound without being different for the sake of it. “Tested Faith” takes a different route after the distorted, blurry, shoegaze-esque noise of the opener. Acoustic guitar, and a tempered, quiet drum beat drive this melodic, sweet little tune. Geyer opts for the same stunningly-soft vocals. There’s no point in changing what already works perfectly, so I definitely dug the consistency, yet difference between the first and second track. “Tested Faith” is a bluesy atmospheric journey with hints of darkness, in the same way as the first, but offers more of a driven, straightforward rock sound. The most hauntingly beautiful melody, however, comes on “Lucy,” which combines ethereal, otherworldly, distant noises with a driven drum beat, acoustic guitar and the faintest hint of strings. Geyer’s vocals sink deeper into gloomy, soothing tones. He multi-layers his own vocals, self-harmonizing and doing so incredibly. At the climax of the song, the softest cacophony of noise I’ve ever heard builds behind vocals promising ‘You won’t take me alive’ and this ending couldn’t be more perfect. “Benediction” is an intriguing close to an EP which is beautifully consistent, but strikingly varied. This sweet, instrumental melody comes in at five minutes and boasts elements of Radiohead influence, much like the other tracks. The key similarity, of course, is Geyer’s love for unique sounds and dissonance throughout the EP. If you like your music peculiarly beautiful, then this is something worth listening to.
Jay Clark hails from good ‘ole Ohio and has been making rock music for quite some time. He spent most of his musical days playing in cover bands and gained his style, sound and vibe from the many different bands and influences he and his mates covered. He recently decided to put down his own lyrics and compose his own songs, and head down to Nashville, Tennessee to record his first album, titled Never Too Late.
Never Too Late features a nice set of rock songs that vary a bit in sound and style. Overall, the album gives us a pop-rock and southern-rock sound that is fun to listen to and head-bang away with. Jay Clark likes to write songs that tell a story, from real life experiences that make this album relatable and fun to listen to also. The first track “Freight Train” opens up with a very traditional pop-rock, southern-rock sound. The electric guitars come in dancing away with a whiney, twangy southern rock sound. The vocalist has a confident but calm voice, like a more subdued Kid Rock. The vocalist takes center stage, but doesn’t overbear with a high range or loud voice. The guitarists showcase their talent, too, in this first track. They are obviously very talented, and shred an awesome, badass solo right around the bridge of this first track. The band has great chemistry, the songs flow well with good transitions, which make this album easy to listen to. The next couple of songs, like “Shakedown” for example, are pretty similar to the first. They feature the same “boom, bap” rhythm and sound from the drums in the first song. The lyrics in the album are pretty straightforward with classic storytelling, like the old Offspring songs. This makes the album engaging, sometimes a bit cheesy, but it’s fun to listen to and dive into the story. The album does change pace a bit, like with the song “The River”, and which slows things down and is also a highlight. This track has a calmer, more unique sound. I think this type of sound and style fits the vocalist better than the southern-rock style of song. This track showcases the vocalist’s talents more and is a really nice listen. The production of the album is great overall, very clean drums and the voice is easy to hear at all times. At times, the album arguably felt too personal and the southern-rock, pop-rock guitar riffs can get a bit repetitive, but overall it’s a fun album with a storyline that’ll keep you engaged with a band that knows how to rock. |
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