One of my favorite thing about bands is the fact that many of them start up playing in garages and basements. These oftentimes dingy spaces where among forgotten junk and dust and any number of odd looking bugs and other creatures are crawling around looking for sustenance and trying not to get themselves eaten or stomped on. It is in a space like this that the West Covina, California hard rock outfit Solar Haze came up. The band was started by two brothers; guitarist and vocalist Stephen Falla and drummer Ryan Falla. The brothers have been playing music together for nearly a decade. Joining them on their rock n’ roll pursuit is bassist Jason Hernandez and guitarist Patrick Morton.
The band’s eponymous debut effort opens with the in your face hard rock and metal stylings of “Hawk in the Wind” which the band wrote shortly after the death of the iconic front man Lemmy. It has a catchy groove to it that pulls you in like a rock n’ roll tractor beam. The drums are blunt and sound like literal pots and pans at time, while the vocals are loud and the words are drawn out but it never sounds like an angry song despite its punchiness. Next up “Eyes of Strangers” takes a more metal feeling with classic metal guitar riffs that keep the ears listening with delight as they singe through the song rising and falling like fanned flames. The band changes it up on the six-plus-minute “Stoned to Death” with long and heavy fuzzy sludge rock that rolls out at the pace of lava flowing down a cliff. The momentum of the song peaks minutely near the end with a bit of a screeching solo, but afterwards continues to roll on by the force of gravity alone. The highlight here is definitely the nearly eight minute hard rock sludgefest that turns into a crescendo of rock before slowly cooling and coming to do a down and dirty rock out close. It definitely showcases the talents of the band’s songwriting abilities and how they’re trying to stretch the boundaries of hard rock to its very limits. But they opt for good old fashioned goodbye on the records balls out rock closer “Solar Haze.” Though I grew up in the ‘80s and was definitely aware of the presence of heavy metal bands of the time I feel I was a bit too young and awkward and probably scared too, of the genre. Now some thirty years later I have come to love the sounds of filthy metal blaring through my speakers. I love fuzz and sludge. If you feel the same way Solar Haze is a record you’re going to want in your collection.
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Mike & the Y-Tones is a three-piece rock band from Reading, Pennsylvania. The band is made up of Mike Yesconis on guitar and vocals, Matt McCarty on drums and Adam Coffinberger on bass. The band’s debut record Words in My Head is a twangy alt-country take on everything from politics to failed relationships.
So it fits the mold of the genre perfectly. I wouldn’t say that this is what I’d call a healing record, written by Yesconis to come to grips with things from the past, but it definitely has a personal, diary-like feel to it. Take the politically minded opening track, “You’re Not Like Me” for instance. Here amongst a jangly guitar, a slightly grumpy bass guitar and swishes of drums Yesconis laments “Stars and stripes / You've got a lot to hide behind / Your whole life / You pissed on the ones / That you're not like.” The lyrics however are not delivered with anger, but rather a tone of disappointment, which to me feels like it hurts more. Anyone can shout angrily about a cause but Yesconis and company deliver this tune with a quiet meekness that in the end stings more than an all-out assault of anger. Next comes the soft spoken rambler of a country tune “All She Said.” With its classic twang and pitter patter of drums the song sounds like it comes from the cannon of sad country love songs. They add a bit of surf-rock element to their sound on “Divide & Conquer” and then slip into the slow burning pop balladry of “Fine Line” which sounds like a very intimate affair that the listener is overhearing as Yesconis delivers his vocals with a gruff, prayer-like whisper. They pick it up on the upbeat and semi-funk intoned closer “Words in my Head/Cross-Eyed Chicken.” As a whole Words in My Head seems to reflect its title. It seems to me as though these are songs for something bigger that is to come in the future. I think with that Mike & the Y-Tones is just getting started on making some very interesting and polished contributions to the alt-country genre.
Can you guess what type of music O.D.D. plays from their album cover on The Disorder? Hip-hop you say. I’m sorry you’re wrong. Jazz? No, you couldn’t be more off base. Classical? Haha thats a good one. If you guessed hard rock that veers towards the aesthetics of the ’90s and late ’80s then you guessed correctly.
The rockers behind the band are HDS (vocals/guitar), Gunny (bass/vocals) and The Muffer (drums/vocals). With clear aliases established let’s get into the tunes. The band plays pretty straightforward hard rock that has been around for the last thirty years or so. Think Alice In Chains, Anthrax, and other like minded bands.. Having grown up in this era and being thoroughly invested in the grunge scene I was able to appreciate what the boys were bringing to the table. There is also no denying their music doesn't sound the least bit contemporary. They aren’t reinventing the wheel here and it felt like an homage to bands from a different era. But hell it’s almost 2018 and with every type of music imaginable available within a couple of clicks why not feed a popular niche that never completely went away. There are four songs here all which are well written and well delivered. They kick things off with “Executive Order” which has an almost early NIN type of feel during the verse. The vocal harmonies with vibrato had me thinking hair metal. “Label Killer” is more just straight hard rock/grunge. Killer lead guitar here. “Loud Fighter” dips into somewhat classic ’80s metal while the closer “The View” is a fast paced adrenaline rush. I’m willing to bet this EP is based upon the bands that O.D.D. grew up listening to as teenagers. The band wears their influences on their sleeves and it is easy to spot presuming I grew up in the same decade as they did. The Disorder is an enjoyable listen for fans of this style. No more, no less. I’m sure by this point you know if this is your cup of tea or not.
Adam Ainsley, Ed Hoult and Michael Sorby are Breaking Point. The band just released Nightlife which is five-song EP that embraces straightforward rock and ambient atmosphere depending on what song they are playing.
Up first is the title track which is a straight down the center type of rock song, The song revolves around a couple of distorted major and minor chords, 4/4 time and not many surprises. To the band’s credit the chorus has a good hook but at the same time their sound was very broad and could be compared to countless bands. The vocalist sings “I'm blending into the Nightlife / On top of the skyline / With the whole world at my fingertips.” “Fury” is another rocking effort that could bear comparison to Queens of the Stone Age. They switch direction with “Fractured Memories” which is a moody, atmospheric piece. I enjoyed the vocals here but there is a distinct change in flavor. The go into “Wolfblood” which was a well written rock song and “Echoes” which felt like the grandiose closer. NIghtlife is by all accounts a very lo-fi sounding demo that I can say is not competitive with comparable acts like Queens of the Stone Age. The production held back the songs’ potential. The other thing the band needs to be aware of is staying in the pocket. There were numerous times where they get off time together and that is something that really separates the pros from everybody else. Those are the two things that I think the band should work on before releasing their next effort. On the plus side the band can write a hook and the songs in general felt well written. I would like to hear the band define their sound a bit more but I think this built a solid foundation for them to go forward with. Breaking Point fits into a case of wait and see for right now. There is potential here and I hope to hear their evolution.
Richie Colosimo and Aaron Mook are Flower Crown. The band from recently released Glow which is a nine-song album. Glow for the most part embraces the aesthetics of dream pop and shoegaze. The band falls in line with bands like Slowdive, Wild Nothing, DIIV, Auburn Lull and Windy & Carl.
I’ll admit I’m a sucker for this type of music but I have been asking myself a question. Would I love this music as much if it didn’t sound like a cloud of reverb? And does it matter? I ask this with Glow because reverb is such an integral part of their sound. It practically defines them. Glow is like an ethereal, floating ball of serenity, psychedelica and space. The aesthetic outweighs the melody but it’s not one sided. I have no misconceptions about that. I think what I really loved about the last Slowdive record was how the melodies drove the music as much as the textures. It took a little time for the melodies to emerge for me with Glow but there are some memorable ones scattered throughout the album which is ultimately why this a very satisfying album. The album opens with “True Blue” where the guitars make a slightly dissonant dream like haze that is supported by a steady drum beat that works really well in the mix. In typical shoegaze fashion the vocals are way back in the mix and feels more like another element than a lead. The band has more success with “Web.” Towards the end of the song, hits one of their most inspired moments with a notable melody that evokes feeling of hope, nostalgia and melancholy. Beautiful. There were times where the vocals were too buried for me such as on “Bloodshade” where I couldn't’t make out much more than a reverb tail. A song like “Moon Water” felt more a short interlude or introduction that built mounds of warmth to “Frame By Frame”. As the album comes to a close the band slows down to a crawl for “Rearview (Sept) and almost overwhelmingly tranquility of “Lady Of The Lake.” Glow is ultimately a shoegaze album that embraces warmth, harmony and clarity as opposed to bands like My Bloody Valentine or A Place to Bury Strangers that prefers white noise, distortion and dissonance. For what they do, they do it quite well and by all accounts is an album worth checking out.
In'ere is a band from Pittsburg, Kansas that is comprised of brothers Ryan and Justin O'Toole. They recently released Fuzzy which is a dense fifteen-song seventy-two minute album. The duo often play bass heavy, dark rock songs.
They open with “Mr. Bernays” which is a seven-minute-plus song which starts with a number of different samples and flourishing guitar. A beat starts to establish itself around the one-minute mark and the song finds a groove. The bass heavy groove reminded me of Joy Division and I immediately was drawn to the vocals. As the song progresses the song get more intense with Tool like tendencies with devilish vocals. A song that has to be mentioned is “Pilgrimage” which is a rocking song that also explores artistic experimentation. I give them an A for effort here and was impressed by where it went. “Impassioned,” “Mad” and “Butchers” all relied on bass heavy grooves. The first deviation came with “Into” which is an enjoyable ambient piece that really doesn't change much direction for its four minutes. The songs after that blend a range of bass and drum heavy songs that I thought were well performed and delivered. There were a lot of inventive melodies like the eastern models on “Puzzled” or the submerged swampy vibe of “Slaying.” I prefer to listen to albums like god intended. On vinyl from start to bottom. Although Fuzzy was not on vinyl I did listen from beginning to end. As much as I appreciated what the guys were doing I was wiped out after seventy minutes. This album could have easily been done as three EP’s or held off a couple of songs which I think would have made a powerful product. I think their ten strongest tracks which have had a more impactful effect on me. The album is a DIY lo-fi effort and contains a lot of the issues that go along with something done at home such as not enough separation, tinny cymbals and lack of dynamics. I realize that having a pro studio isn't a privilege everyone can have but I would encourage the band to compare their mixes to bands like Lighting Bolt and Death From Above 1979 that have a similar sound and see if they could get a little closer to that recording quality next time around. Despite some issues there is a lot to appreciate here. The band has a raw, visceral vibe that I appreciated and even more importantly has a cohesive sound. This is a solid start and I hope to hear more soon.
The Mourning Persons is the recording project of Sam Landry, a Vancouver-based musician. The Mourning Special is the project’s first full-length. An almost entirely solo undertaking, including even the album art, the record was made at home in popular DAW software Reaper. Despite the in-the-box production, however, the record is decidedly organic, using acoustic instruments and a folksy compositional vocabulary in pursuit of something quirky and, above all, honest.
Opening with a short intro, a skit set at a diner where we hear two customers order, the album quickly settles into “Cup of Coffee,” the first proper track. With dry acoustic guitar and an immediate, in-your-ear vocal, the song opens up into a driving acoustic-rock feel, punctuated by slide-whistle and sheer screaming. Though only two minutes long, “Cup of Coffee” articulates much of what The Mourning Special is about—simple progressions and lighthearted lyrics with the occasional moment that totally defies expectation. “Ride the Corn” has a sprightly organ sound as a lead, but otherwise is a similarly silly love song. The chorus lyrics, “I wanna show you my world / I wanna call you my girl / I wanna see you naked / Those eyes of yours amaze me,” have a directness that seems almost juvenile. It’s clear Landry is aiming for an outsider-art vibe, which makes it easy to overlook the intermittent rough spots in the mix or slip in tempo. “My Best Friend” has a classic bass note strum as its backbone, giving it a more polished air of traditional folk, though Landry brings it right back into his stable with the opening lyric: “My best friend is a girl / Who I sometimes make love with.” The simplicity of the statement might elicit a chuckle at first, but the total sincerity and emotional affect of the progression make the song seem almost precious. It’s got a similar vibe to the White Stripes’ “I Can Tell That We’re Going to be Friends” only with more jokes about sex and LSD. “Dirty Basement Tub Blues” plays as a counterpart to “My Best Friend,” a mournful ditty about a lost past and a broken relationship. Though only barely more than a minute long, and using no more mature a vocabulary than the earlier tracks, the song is nevertheless almost brutal in its plain statements. For all the record’s whimsy, Landry is still playing with potent emotional themes, a point that’s not driven home any better than on this track. Turning swiftly to an almost triumphant mood, “They call Me Sam” implements a chiming mandolin and some proud lyrics about identity and lessons learned. Discussing the humanity of Jesus and the Buddha, along with some reassurances to keep looking forward, the track is compositionally quite simple, but its message lands easily. “Sensation” is a reserved track, sticking to solo acoustic guitar alongside Landry’s contemplation of the myriad possibilities of a relationship. Despite the thrill of what could be, though, the lyrics return to a more cosmic understanding: “Any love that we gain / Will surely rust / And will be taken from us.” This seems like the crux of The Mourning Special’s thematic core, the difficulty of reconciling such big ideas about time and space with the simple, childlike joy of spending time with the people right there with you. The record ends on the track “When You’re Right” with the narrator giving his son life lessons in a tidy summary of the big questions of the record. His conclusion? Enjoy yourself, don’t waste time being uptight, never hesitate to show people that you care about them. Though the track is somewhat sloppy, the message lands easily, wrapping up The Mourning Special with the same ramshackle charm displayed over and over. Though you may find it cute, or silly, or even sometimes a bit unpolished, the breezy atmosphere is undeniably infectious. Hopefully The Mourning Persons will have even more joy to bring in the future.
Even though the old days of recording a professionally sounding record inside a four walled, sound proof studio is not the norm anymore that doesn’t mean you can’t have a respectable and very nice piece of music to listen to. That’s just what the four members in the LA based band Lyell Likes Rocks did on their self-titled EP Lyell Likes Rocks. The result is a very clean, honest sound. The band describes their effort as eclectic with the songs expressing a move to Los Angeles and the “loneliness it ensues.” They are also self-proclaimed spaghetti enthusiasts according to the band’s Facebook page.
On the opener “Inside Walls” you’ll hear that ‘clean sound’ of unfiltered instruments, if you will. I’m not sure how else to describe the way in which the EP sounds. All I know is that I like it. The bell chimes are a nice touch and the vocal harmonies are fantastic. If you listen to only one song on Lyle Likes Rocks listen to “Roots.” The band states that it’s a song about stepping outside one’s comfort zone only to be dragged back by the ‘predictability of life’ – I know the feeling all too well mates! Featuring a beautiful balance of guitar melodies and musical structure, complete with organs and once again great vocals, it’s a tune that will stick in your head for some time but not in an annoying way. “Nous” is a very quiet, reserved number with a slow tempo at first and haunting guitar licks, but then about midway or so the pace of the song picks up. The lyrics on the band’s Bandcamp site suggest that this song might be about someone battling a sad situation and/or a sense that nothing can ever truly stay the same forever. “Simple Sound” has a funky, pop rhythm with an excellent guitar solo; a tune about a love interest that turned out to be just a waste of time. Overall, I would have to agree with the band’s eclectic label that they give themselves and their lyrics have a sort of sophistication about them, or…perhaps intellectual? Judge for yourself – I think that we’ll be seeing more from this LA quartet in the coming years.
Enni Lou currently operates out of Berlin but came from a small seaside town along the Baltic Sea. The album Little Noise and Cosmic Echoes was recently recorded during 2017's summer. The album is inspired by the innocence of childhood and the inevitable transition into adulthood. I'll say this, it does not sound like your typical coming of age story. I would say the story is somewhat personal in that I can hear the narrative of someone moving from a small, seaside town to the bustling city of Berlin.
It opens very in a very bizarre sort of manner with "Hey Feeling." Lots of wobbling and fuzz, I can't be for sure if this is meant as the adult end or the childhood end. For me personally there is a sense of youth to it, but definitely infant youth, when everything and anything is new and foreign. The music definitely gave me a sense of wonder and caution. Next up was "Light" which was an original arrangement of ambient sounds. The album unfurls a little bit, getting colder and darker in spots and then reverting back to greener pastures. One thing I appreciate is their ability to touch a dark or trippy area and the listener might think they're about to go too far, but for me they found their perfect line in the sand. I would say the album is a fully rounded out story that holds within a healthy amount of depth. The twelve tracks come together nicely in a cohesive arrangement that creates a nice flow through different emotions. I enjoy that the music inspired me to slow down and reflect. While attempting to focus on the album itself, I did manage to get lost in my own thoughts, and I would say that's a very positive sign. I also have to commend Enni Lou on their diverse choice in samples and sounds, which presents a dichotomous sound of soft and organic versus hard and cold. The album also finds a way to isolate trippy and dreamy moods from one another in certain tracks and then slam those two back together for others. I think there is a lot of potential in the music and I personally feel one of the ways the music could be elevated is with a higher end touch of audio engineering. The album was GarageBand project head to toe and what was achieved is commendable. However, I think a fresh set of hands from an outside party could help pick up nuances in the music that are left in want of attention. I think some added production polish would highlight the interesting sounds created that should be shown off. I like Enni Lou. I can tell a lot of thought and care went into this album and for the most part I would say it's a success. It's not easy sticking out in a crowd when it comes to this kind of music, especially with me. I think a keen ear for unique sounds and willingness to get very personal is a big part of what worked. Color me curious for what's next.
Troy Spiropoulos (vocals/bass), Adam Idell (drums/percussion), Jesse Damon (guitars) and Tommy Marcel (guitars) are Slow Burning Car. The band just released their fourth album entitled Defection. Just by looking at the titles of the songs and the album art, the band tries to establish some kind of image right away.
There is some kind of sci-fi fantasy theme they have going on here. Somewhere between the actual metal inspired music, delivery and art work I started to think of when Spinal Tap wanted to sing about Stonehenge. I honestly couldn’t tell if Slow Burning Car was being tongue-in-cheek or taking themselves completely seriously. Maybe it's somewhere in between like Alice Cooper. The song “Alpha Duplicor” definitely has a late ’70s and ’80s vibe. I can’t say the song sounds contemporary but it certainly has its charms. The music is fairly straightforward with distorted guitars, a steady beat and vocal harmonies. “Alpha Duplicor” does establish the type of vibe you can expect from the next five songs. I felt that they really were feeding a very specific vibe. “The Sunday Derby” and “You Can't Stay Here” were standouts with an almost KISS type anthemic vibe that I really could get on board with. Once the band gets to the seventh song they go in directions that were perplexing and unexpected to say the least. It felt like a different band or album. First is “Bedtime” which is an experimental ballad of sorts. I really have no idea what to make of the psychedelic, nightmarish spoken word part. “Chrysanthemum” is a more straightforward acoustic balled that evoked mystical and magical imagery. The band then drops “Polar Warden” which is a slow moving almost nine-minute ambient piece that unfortunately disrupted the momentum of the album for me. The fun, intense rock songs felt like a fleeting memory and was in a different headspace. They close with the anthemic “Clouds” which goes back into the rock based song they deliver in the first six songs. After listening to the album sequentially I started to think about Brian Eno. He is a master at creating albums which have a flow to them whether it's Ambient 1: Music for Airports, Another Green World or Here Come the Warm Jets. As cool and enjoyable as some of these songs were individually I was having a harder time understanding where I was going and forgot how I got there. Suffice it to say I think the band should have concentrated on the rock based anthems and saved the other material for a different release. That's my subjective experience but it might not be yours. Despite the jagged journey I still encourage you to take a listen. There are a number of standout tracks here and I’m sure people who appreciate old school rock will enjoy what Slow Burning Car have to offer.
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