Riffs, riffs, riffs! If you like riffs, then Zombies in Suits’ debut LP Hell Rock-Dirge Pop is for you. Want to dance a bit? They’ve got you covered. Need a little soul? It’s here. Horns? Electronica? Check. This Montana-based group has delivered a well-written, well-produced album that draws from a variety of styles. And did I mention the riffs?
One neat thing about Hell Rock-Dirge Pop is that every instrument gets its chance to riff away over the course of the album. The title track starts with a chiptune-like sound on a blues riff, and then the guitars come roaring in for their turn. Once the drums really kick in, “even the coldest of hearts [get] pumping,” as the band says. It’s a fun start to the record. Across the nine tracks and forty-five minutes of music, there’s something for everyone to identify with. “Tangerine” is a slower, yearning, atmospheric ballad with a nice finish. “I Don’t Give A Good Goddamn” combines electronic sounds and horns, and pushes the edge of distortion by the end of the track. Hell Rock-Dirge Pop moves towards soul and funk on “The Deuce” with layered organs and electric pianos. The saxophone handles the riffs this time. Zombies in Suits’ members have a theatrical background, and you can hear this work its way into the vocal arrangements here--I can envision the full cast onstage dancing during this number. The musical-theater vibe hits its peak on “Not Ready to Break Curfew, Ready to Die For Love,” which feels like a send-up of a Meat Loaf track of a similar title length. It’s so well done that I looked at the production credits to see if Jim Steinman himself worked the knobs here (he didn’t). Lyrically, the group is funny and smart. They write from a number of different perspectives, and incorporate a number of literary and movie references. Any group that can work “soylent green” in gets an extra rating point from me. Zombies in Suits has delivered a sprawling sonic treat. As they say, “I got the EP / Believe me / It’s gonna bruise the needle.” No kidding!
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ZenarchY is a studio project by David Robertson and David Jack of Edinburgh, UK. They’ve previously played in the bands Magicdrive, Mogwai and Iglomat. Songs were tracked in both professional and home studios with a mixture of virtual and vintage instruments. They get help on the drum kit from Jeff Hallam on four of the eight tracks.
ZenarchY explains that their self-titled album ZenarchY was an attempt to sonically "…recreate the feeling of listening to classic epic rock like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Queen, Queens of the Stone Age and Jellyfish, but with contemporary production values.” They’ve set a high bar for themselves: no one can argue that albums by Floyd, Zeppelin, or Queen are anything but production master works. If by “contemporary production values” they mean they have access to more tracks and processors via computer-based recording, those changes aren't necessarily improvements. What I hear is a homegrown attempt to emulate those artists’ sounds. While it often hits the mark, Roy Thomas Baker and Jimmy Page won’t be losing their producing crowns any time soon. That bit of hubris aside, ZenarchY has produced an album to be proud of. Their influences are obvious but not reductive; you can’t help but go along for the ride. The songs may remind you of your favorite rock or metal artists (I’m adding Soundgarden and Blue Oyster Cult) but they easily stand on their own. “Feel The White Flame” serves as the album’s overture, so to speak. Glorious introductory chords lead into a hardcore riff which almost exactly mirrors “Let The Sky Fall” by Ten Years After. Hard rock-style vocals wail along but are pushed WAY back in the mix. Regardless, I already like where these guys are going. “(Drinking the) Kool Aid” features leisurely feedback riffing with fairly monotone vocals that sometimes conjure up AC/DC. “You want to stand in line," they sing. "You want to bow and scrape / just like drinking the Kool Aid.” The allusions to the Jim Jones suicide cult are chilling, even with the sweet fuzz harmonics on display. “Toe The Line” is the first of many songs that show the influence of Black Sabbath in both the vocals and in their slow fuzz riffing; think back to the deadly cadences of “Iron Man.” There’s an unexpected addition of early Genesis mellotron in the middle section, before slamming back in with some John Lennon “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” circular fuzz picking. “The Kingdom” is a shorter ditty that evokes Blue Oyster Cult in their "dark romance” mode. “Yellow Sign/Empty Hand” borrows the Zeppelin “Dazed and Confused” March Of The Dinosaurs template, including a fast middle section. The lyrics are appropriately creepy. The final track “Taco Shell” begins with start-stop fuzz riffs with more unsettling lyrics: “Like sand in the bedsheets / like nails on a board / like a frog in the blender / Or the lump you ignore / Stuffed and broken like a taco shell.” The song then introduces those Beatles descending Leslie guitar chords so prominent on Abbey Road, and obviously cherished by these guys. None of these songs are going to change the world like their antecedents did, but I found this album totally enjoyable from start to finish. I also love the cover concept, which appears to be a silent movie still tinted to look like a newly created photo.
Petro is the alias of Harley, a musical artist based out of Sydney, Australia. This year has been a busy one for Harley. He released his first album earlier this year entitled Club Insincere. And has been spending the past year studying for a diploma in music performance to continue to grow in his music and expand his horizons for genre experimentation. The year also saw the release of Harley’s second album Love’s Dead, a huge undertaking of 15 tracks that explores the often bereft themes of love through three segments.
When I saw the album title, I was not too shocked by the statement. While artists focus on all aspects of love from its beginning stages, love at first sight and the first moments you share, a large number of them also cover the moments when love starts to fizzle from the beginning signs of disinterest to resentment and then finally the dissolving of a relationship. In this body of work, Harley focuses on the latter. From what I can see, Love’s Dead grasps the darker side of love whether it be “platonic, romantic or even self-love” with the tracks engaging audiences in a soft, mellow ride through affection’s more treacherous path. Without wasting any time, Love’s Dead dives right into its dire themes with “Are You Out There,” where airy synths sound out with the trickling in of keys. The sound is atmospheric. Harley’s vocals come in awash in melancholy. The mourning tones could be felt in his voice right from the start. The stark sounds of piano and Harley’s vocals makes for a startling first impression. The music felt overall very soft and sad. A somber piano melody makes itself known on the beginning of “In My Veins.” The tune is melodic followed up with the chilling sounds of cello. The sounds of strings add a touch of underlining drama to the track. The song felt soothing and soft. I greatly enjoyed the choral-like background vocals. A poignant piano melody meanders for a bit in the intro of “Again.” The vibes overall felt very hushed and expectant. A departure from the previous section, the title track “Love’s Dead” felt more rock-based. The guitar makes its first appearance here. The movement to the track changes up mid-way with a more electrifying feel with a fuller band vibe energizing the sounds. The second half of the song felt more enlivened and dynamic musically. “I HATE YOU” is powered by guitars and piano. The instruments lend a compelling vibe. The vocals are distorted by effects and this gave a robotic-like feel to the recording. This felt like a darker track with grittier sounds. Covering rock, indie rock and grunge, this felt like the heaviest song thematically. Rumbling bass and guitar riffs are heard on the ethereal sounding “Drowning.” The vocals come in with reverberating results. They echo the disparaging message of the lyrics. On “Lately,” piano and Harley’s voice sung in falsetto sets the tone to this moody piece. The sounds of cello are a nice accompaniment. Next, more beats give this music a move moving feel. The electronic nodes add another pressing element. On “I’ll Still Wait,” the electronic beats and synths create a soundscape that sounds like something from a Tim Burton film. The movement of music here seemed more exciting and expansive as the artist explores more electronic-driven sonic environments. The sounds of a haunting piano melody play itself out on “Bleed.” The strands roll across the song, meandering for a bit. Next, some beats struts in. The sounds of strings add a dash of theater. The music keeps to the melancholy and somber vibes. Harley keeps the frequency going with this lush and airy closer. Split into three sections, the album covers three separate products of love: tracks 1-5: Loneliness, tracks 6-10: Bitterness, tracks 11-15: Fear. Each section is designed to have a distinct sound both sonically and tonally. Harley uses the different movements to further explore different modes of music-making as well as expanding his palette genre-wise. And I think he is successful in doing so.. Harley attaches interludes as a marker connecting the movements. I think this was a nice addition. It allowed for a smoother transition from idea to idea. The album overall felt very together and cohesive in that sense. In terms of the music, the sounds were soft and melancholy, based primarily on synths. Harley also goes on to experiment with more organic instruments such as piano, guitar, bass and cello. In terms of tools, Harley uses a wide array of instruments from technological to acoustic in rendering his sound. Because mood and atmosphere play a large factor in this album, the soundscapes wouldn’t feel out of place in a movie somewhere. The album felt very cinematic and I could see a filmmaker picking this up to use in the soundtrack. For those who enjoy dark, haunting sonic landscapes revolving around mood and feeling or for those heading into the ambience genre for the first time, Love’s Dead is something worth enjoying with your headphones on. It looks like the artist is only getting started and I look forward to seeing what new exciting things he dreams up next.
B-Film Etc. is a bedroom rock duo from Hobart, Australia. They formed in 2013 and have been consistently making great records. Their latest entitled Maybe In The Next One focuses on a more acoustic sound and this felt like their best release yet. The album contains fourteen songs and runs forty-five minutes.
The album, although acoustic, is in a lot of ways still very indie rock based. Some of the songs even have more of a power pop type of quality. There are other songs however which felt more Americana based. Bands like The National and Wilco came to mind. The music is great and I thought the vocals were fantastic. I just really enjoyed their tone, inflection and delivery. There was very little sense of pretense but also tons of emotion. The album was consistently good but there were some songs which not only felt repeat worthy but had a timeless kind of quality. “Butterfly Clip” is an absolute gem of a song which contains fantastic lyrics about growing up but doesn't feel contrived.. It’s a pretty sparse song revolving around acoustic guitar, tambourine and piano. The vocals are so on point. The very next song “Half Flex” is also a gem. This felt more indie rock infused and more atmospheric. It’s catchy and has some warm energy that builds with dynamic peaks. There are also some anthems like “Carpet Ride” and “Overkill.” My favorite moments however were the more cerebral and contemplative ones. On “Big Shot” we are greeted with another vocalist who knocks it out of the park. That same vocalist crushes it on the cover of “Something Stupid.” “Nether” is the arguable highlight. The hook is one of the best I’ve heard. I was addicted the first time I heard it. “Sunburn” is another really strong song and they end with “This Impulse” which reminded me of some of my favorite alternative bands from the ’90s. B-Film Etc is a band that needs a lot more attention for how talented they are. This is an exceptional album. Highly recommended.
Holy Roller came together as a side project, made up of various North Carolina metal and rock bands (Wretched, the Pretty Ugly and Thru World Aggression). From the get-go, the band’s focus was writing stoner rock with touches of hardcore and metal. They formed and wrote their debut EP by the same name Holy Roller, roughly at the same time, in the summer of 2019. The band consists of Adam Cody (guitar/vocals), Jay Ovittore (drums), Jim Mayberry (guitar/backing vocals) and Jason Kincaid (bass/background vocals). The EP was tracked, mixed, and mastered by Jamie King at Basement Studios in Winston-Salem. The EP is a collection of demos Holy Roller wrote in an effort to write music that was more on par with what they listen to. Bands like Red Fang, Elder and COC were some of their major influences – “showing our metal roots while maintaining catchy songs and a layer of fuzzy overtones.” The recording was done all live with Jamie King adding “his amazing EQ mixing & mastering.”
The opener “Axe of Abraham” has got a fantastic “chug-chug-chug” guitar riff to start with. The catchiness of that riff reminds me of a heavier, early ‘70s version of KISS, but the gritty meanness of the band’s sound and delivery has got so much more power behind it that it’s hard to put into words. Think of this song like, newer metal meets stoner, meets classic guitar solo all in four minutes. “RumRunner” has got a faster rhythm with great melodic bass lines by Kincaid and some damn, fine sounding ride cymbal and cowbell playing by Ovittore. Not to mention, another catchy riff by Cody and guitar solo by Mayberry. If this album was done live with mixing and mastering – man, this is insane! So good. “Killer Whaler” has a more stoner metal feel to it with a little psychedelic mixed in. And yet again, another catchy guitar riff with a bit more fuzz effects added. The jam at the end with its stops and starts and drum fills by Ovittore was awesome. And the lyrics offer resignation and a plea “This winter’s got my soul again / Can someone make me whole again?” Next up is “Port Royal” which sounds heavy and sinister with plenty of great “chug-chuggin” guitar riffs. The delivery of the chorus with its chanting has a punk feel to it but the band’s music style is a cross between, I’d say, death metal and goth with just a sprinkling of Sabbath’s darker tones. The title to “Day the Country Died” may give you a clue as to what this song is about. Musically, it’s the bands punkiest, perhaps most energized and angry with plenty of sing-screaming by Cody. What I liked best about this one, was that the band mixed different styles, changed tempo and put in one hell of a guitar solo by Mayberry. Don’t pass this one up. “Scoundrel” features another catchy guitar riff and a spine-chilling delivery of words by Cody, especially on the chorus. Pretty cool psych rock guitar solo on this one, and I liked the way the band ended, too. The last track is “The Shrew” and it’s a pretty straightforward metal rock song, not too heavy, not too light. Mayberry’s guitar riff immediately reminded me of a Jimmy Page riff, albeit heavier and darker sounding, but it you’re a Led Head, I think you’ll know which one I’m talking about. Ovittore was really giving the hi-hats a workout here. What can I say? – Holy Roller’s explosive EP doesn’t hold anything back and I think there is a little bit of something for everyone. This Winston-Salem foursome delivers the goods in a strong, self-titled debut.
Moon Remains, Seasons Change is the debut effort from Bobby Tarian. When asked what the album is about he mentions, “A culmination of real and imaginary experiences, Bobby Tarian navigates vulnerability through the lens of love, death and the gradual wearing down of one’s psyche from the ups and downs of life.” In a nutshell that seems to be a brief explanation of the human condition.
The EP contains five songs and is around sixteen-minutes long. It goes by fast but fits in a good amount of music. There isn't much in terms of fat and the songs felt refined, polished and they don’t linger unnecessarily long on certain sections. The first song is called “Close My Eyes” and is a catchy song that felt similar to some indie rock bands. I was reminded of Animal Collective as well as some material from Deerhunter. Some of the vocal harmonies reminded me of The Beach Boys and I say that as a huge compliment. Great song. The next song is called “Ghost” and is a little more melancholy and pensive. I liked the emotional shift and it didn’t feel too drastic. The tones and textures felt similar to the first song in a good way which made it feel cohesive. I would say this song is also extremely catchy. “Hold Me Close” is the arguable highlight. This song unfolds like a memorable single. It’s sort of the line between indie and pop which I think will attract a lot of listeners. “Remember” is certainly the most melancholy yet with warm piano, acoustic guitar and even rain which adds to the mood. Last up is “Seasons Change'' which gives some renewed energy and is a clear highlight. The more experimental electronic percussive sounded great and felt motivational and hopeful. This is a strong debut. The production, songwriting and delivery is on point. Take a listen.
Joyfriend is a project led by Tommy Russell. Born and raised in Park Ridge, IL, he has been making music since he was 15, however, Joyfriend formed about a year ago. Russell has lent his hand in many DIY projects around the Chicago music scene and only now is he exploring a more personal and intimate side to his music with his solo endeavors. Dog Fight EP is an introspective journey through the mind of an artist who is struggling to deal with all that life has thrown at him. His mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer towards the beginning of lockdown, and the EP is his way to manage all the worries and buried feelings he had inside. In this aspect, the music becomes very cathartic coming from an unresolved place and weighty issues. As a part of the audience I thought the music was very emotional and felt very much like a release from all the heaviness that is currently going on right now.
A one-man-band, Russell fills in all the gaps on this album, making this work as a true DIY effort. He shows undeniable talent on the guitar and vocals. The vocals very much were another apparatus for him to use to color in his music. The other instruments (drums/keyboards/percussion) are all performed by him, as well as all the writing, mixed and mastering. On “Dog Fight,” dynamic guitar riffs jam out to the forefront. Russell’s vocals are equally dynamic. The evocative tones are simply rendered with acoustic and electric guitar interwoven. The combined vocal layers proved to be one compelling listening experience. Melodically shimmering guitars, adamant drumming beat and fuzzy vocals brings the distortion to full effect on “Mush.” The results are a buzzy concoction. Humming with full melodic force, like the intro, this felt like another highlight to my ears. More moody sounds get relinquished on “Plath / You Just Killed A Deer.” The dissonance on this song felt very apparent. The warbling guitars evoke an off-kilter vibe. Russell’s vocals also feed into that distortion, progressing the off-centered feel. On “Volunteer Of The Year,” airy guitar riffs spiral and felt very atmospheric. Followed by a short conversation, the sounds slowly ease in and take some time to evolve. On “Las Prevention,” a steady drumming beat keeps time as guitars and Russell’s vocals settle in. The music feels less dark here with a catchy drumming beat and driven melodic vocals. This definitely felt the most pop-oriented out of the bunch. Sounds of birds chirping add a natural element to the strumming on guitar and Russell’s heavy vocals resonating with dark riffs on “Champion.” Centered on simply the guitar and vocals, Russell takes the sparse route in rendering this stripped but emotional closer. At times moving and poignant, the music slowly builds and eases listeners into the haunting soundscapes made all the more tender from Russell’s vocal harmonies. Sounding both mournful and bleak, Russell holds back the tides of sorrow and solitude with great restraint. Yet you can hear the range of emotions from his vocals that will go on to persuade you to invest yourself further into this EP. The melodies on this album last with a mix of bittersweetness to see it end so soon. With only six-tracks, the EP is worth repeatable listens to further uncover the depths of Russell’s emotional and personal journey. Be sure you have a listen today!
Calendar Pages is a new acoustic solo project of Kevin Clancy from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He recently released a self-titled three-song EP Calendar Pages and mentions, “I had always wanted to release solo, singer/songwriter style songs—like Julien Baker, Elliott Smith, etc.,—and this project is dedicated to that endeavor.”
The music to me felt very much influenced by pop punk, that's at least the feeling I got. It is very coming of age and the sort of self-reflection about pain and sadness that only seems appropriate coming from a young person. The EP is also very short with three songs and coming under twelve minutes. The first song is entitled “Nothingness” and you are greeted with a couple strummed chords and vocals. There were points where he sounded a bit like Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie. The song quickly changes and just basically he strums much harder and sings more aggressively. He emotes and laments dramatically about bad memories and the ephemeral nature of reality. This felt like the highlight. Up next is “Tribeca” and it is very similar to the first song. The lyrics are very depressing. There’s just no way around that aspect. He sings about nostalgia, unrequited love/obsession and salvation. Last up is “Suffocation” which is perhaps the most dismal yet in terms of the lyrics but enjoyed the vocal melody. Musically, there just isn’t much to latch onto. The chords are mostly major and minor and no other instruments create other melodies, percussive elements, dynamics etc. This release is more about storytelling which from my interpretation revolves around despair, depression and sadness. I think the minimalism worked in this case because the EP is only around twelve minutes. If this EP were longer lets say around twenty minutes I probably would have started to want some other accompaniment here and there for variation. I remember listening to Bright Eyes about twenty years ago now and really connecting with it. This music stems from a similar disconnect that some youth continue to have with themselves, others and their relationship to meaning. The music at its best often creates a distress signal to others listening that they are not alone. I thought this was solid effort and certainly points to an artist with a ton of potential. This EP is hopefully just a taste of what's to come and look forward to hearing more.
QuaranQueen is the recent debut release of Erin Power. It’s another “corona” album coming from being isolated which you can read more about on her Bandcamp page. The album combines seven songs.
The album starts with “Woke up Today” and it revolves around guitar and vocals. I thought the guitar picking was solid. The strength of the song ultimately comes from the lyrics and not hooks. She weaves in popular spiritual phrases like “today is a gift /that’s why it’s called the present.” It felt like a lot of phrases you hear from spiritual teachers. “Moss and dew” is a little more dramatic and perhaps melancholy. There are slight shades of Joanna Newsome and Devendra Banhart here and there. “Love yourself” sort of continues to graze spiritual phrases that have been recycled in one form or another whether it’s pop culture or teaching. “Power eyes” felt more personal and seemed to be about the trials and tribulations of a romantic relationship or even just a personal relationship. “Not Sorry” on the other hand seems to definitely be about the woes of a romantic relationship. “Skull for a skull” is a solid track that continues to solidify her style. The next song “Say my name” is basically the same song in terms of melody which I have to admit I thought was a little odd. A number of songs have a very similar picking pattern which made it hard to differentiate the tracks. There also aren’t any other instruments that provide additional dynamics or textures. On one hand this made the album feel cohesive but I wanted just a little more variation especially as I was approaching the end. Being an engineer myself, I so wanted to assist with the recording to give her a little more of that studio sheen - a couple of warm mics that were placed close up to her guitar, along with some light compression and boosts around 150 - 300 hz. This would have added to the intimacy and nuance of the performances. First of all I would say she is very talented. She has some skills on the guitar and she is very strong in the songwriting department. My only critique would be once we are free to visit studios again to perhaps work with an engineer and also maybe work with a couple of other musicians for occasional accompaniment. I think xylophone, orchestral strings or even another guitar would be a welcome addition once in a while. Overall, this is a strong release and I hope to hear some more of her talent in the not too distant future.
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Legitocracy is the solo effort from Patrick McCarthy. He recently released Day 122. The thing I found very unique and interesting about this album was the process. McCarthy mentions, “The album Day 122 was written, recorded, mixed and mastered by me live on Twitch for 163 streams totaling 480 hours from the dates of February 13, 2020 until release day October 2, 2020. The commenters in my Twitch chat were heavily encouraged to critique and suggest changes to my songs starting from the first day of this project.” I do love this. I’ve been producing bands for over twenty years and this type of creative process is one I haven’t heard of before and although seems like it could be a mess if you’re receiving too much feedback I have to say I really thought it was cool.
In the mid ’90s I was in high school and back then MTV was the way new music was received and I remember there being an influx of pop punk. There were a lot of bands that came on the scene that had a youthful spirit that other young people found appealing. Legitocracy sounded very close to bands like New Found Glory and Blink-182. The songs on Day 122 have such a similar emotional quality to those pop punk groups and others of their ilk. In fact the singing has that inflection that I always hear and is so easy to spot in this style of music that seems to be a staple. I think Blink-182 may be most responsible for this style of singing. I would say the main difference is that the songs on Day 122 sound like lo-fi bedroom recordings instead of studio recordings. On that note even though these songs were definitely lo-fi to my ears, I thought the artist did a good job with the recording quality. I feel like a broken record but sending your DIY mixes to a professional mastering engineer is well worth the money even if you have to save up to do so. I thought, from a songwriting perspective, the songs were consistently good. There are a ton of hooks and they really seemed to deliver what people enjoy about the genre. A lot of the songs make me feel like I just graduated high school and am attending a kegger at my best friend’s parents house. On top of that the delivery and technical ability also felt top notch. There are twelve songs total and more or less they seem to revolve around coming of age topics like the trials and tribulations of romantic love, a hopeful but uncertain future and the paths our lives take. The target audience for this album isn’t hard to figure out. If you’re a fan of any of the aforementioned bands or pop punk in general I have little doubt you will appreciate this album. |
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