Hello and welcome back.
Let me begin by stating that this group has produced the greatest version of "Beat It" I have ever heard. For one thing, Memphis Khan, the group in question, are a modern folk duo.
So, this recording has guitars and banjos and layered background harmonies, coupled with a sentiment evoking a sort of resigned determination, like the guy really does not want to have this conversation again. The result has its own unique power to it, and I don't think anyone can touch this.
I was first introduced to the music of Memphis Khan this past September ('08), at a gathering of about 20 people in Fox Point, in Providence. I managed to talk to both Ryan and Patrick that night, and decided that if I liked what I heard I would pick up a copy of the The Merchant EP, their six-song demo containing the aforementioned version of "Beat It". And it was in that spirit that I handed over a few dollars for a copy.
The next day I went downstairs and put the disc in the stereo, and was able to truly appreciate what I had seen the other night. This was due to significant differences between the live and recorded versions of the songs I had just heard.
Whereas the live set was Patrick and Ryan with no backup, the disc is a much more orchestrated experience. Not that the live set was lacking. Not true. In fact, it served to demonstrate the pairs' talent. The ensemble was tight and fluid. The songs were musically expressive and they managed to convey a lot of sonic information with a very limited personnel.
It helped me to put the demo in context. I would love to hear those arrangements live. The use of distortion on the banjo is an intriguing bit of orchestration, and brings out the natural metallic quality in its' tone-color. The use of overdubbing to layer the guitar and beef-up the arrangements in general is really interesting. The end result is some sort of electric folk music.
It was explained to me that there has always been an interest in American folk music, that "at some point you realize that the music made in the first half of the twentieth century in America had a raw, elemental power and heaviness." We agree with this assessment. What is great about this bands' conception is the way they inject electricity into the folk tradition. There is a certain aspect of noise rock in the proceedings. My personal favorite is "Criers On The Phone", with the slight bit of feedback at the beginning and then the clean banjo layered on top of distorted banjo following that. The form of the piece has a strange, assymetrical shape to it as well. It seems that they are using a harmonic sequence of some degree of regularity coupled with irregular phrase lengths and syncopated cadences, which evolves into an A-transition-B-coda type of form.
These guys definitely have carved out their own niche. There is something about the demo versions that reminded me of Smog, not in a specific way, but in the spirit of the proceedings.
Memphis Khan was born in the summer of 2008, after a homeless man stole one of the bandmembers' shoes and bet that person that they couldn't start a band called "Memphis Khan". They decided to take up the challenge in earnest, having a great love for those shoes.
The band plans on having a full-length release available in spring of 2009, and The Merchant EP has been picked up by an indie label called Reverb Worship (www.reverbworship.com), where it can be found for sale on the labels' website. They will be posting new tracks on their MySpace page, and will be appearing on the radio in Sydney, Australia on January 28. (www.sidewaysthroughsound.com)
check 'em out at www.myspace.com/memphiskhan
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Hey Lovey Dovey
The focus of this blog is a band from the Garden State, Hey Lovey Dovey. These guys are relatively young in terms of their members ages, but they perform with a musical depth that puts them in league with their older contemporaries. Their expressive emoting is tempered by a sense of humor, which adds nicely to their style.
One of the interesting facets of their sound is the incorporation of certain aspects of grindcore in the writing, juxtaposed against a more melodic sound containihng quite expressive basslines (courtesy of Ian Eckstein). It calls to mind early Mr. Bungle and An Albatross, the Wilkes-Barre madmen.
One of the things that is quite interesting about this band is the fact that Brian Berman, the singer, has never fronted any other bands. The only track he has contributed vocals to at this time that I know of is "On a Glass Bottom Airplane", but it is obvious that the boy has talent. He has a strong sense of intonation, which imbues the lyrics (which are a collaborative endeavor) with a melodic expressiveness that enhances the abrasiveness of his tone. Another interesting thing is the fact that the drummer (Brandon Lipman) is only thirteen years old. This kid shreds. I mean he kills. His hits are dead on and he drives the hell out of the beat. His sense of pulse is real strong. He is tight-yet-flexible.
As I sit here writing this and listening, I cannot help but think that while what I said was true, at the same time I hear the talent of everyone involved. These boys can play. Everyone locks into the pulse and drives the beat from beginning to end.
The two guitarists (Justin Lipman and Dan Stone) and the keyboardist (Nick Potters) create interesting structures over the drum/bass complex. There are countermelodies underneath the vocals buried in the riffage and the changing textures of the keyboards and guitar effects enhance the sense of phrasing, which is strong and well articulated, culminating in songs which create highly unique music that still has tons of thrash and backbeat. It is music you can bug out to live, and it is hoped they stick around to become known by all.
The band started in October of this past year as a fourpiece, acquiring the keyboardist and vocalist by December. The resulting six-piece line-up is just a result of the fulfillment of the needs of their sound.
I was given to understand that the hardcore scene in New Jersey is not so unique and that this band wants to inject something fresh and new. They are living up to their intentions nicely. This music is, as above stated, thrashy yet strange, and the combination keeps you on the edge of your seat. The sense of storytelling, of drama, that they inject into the music, imbues the songs with a compelling aspect that simultaneously heightens the intensity and the musicality. Support this band, they are going places.
check em out at: www.myspace.com/heyloveydovey
One of the interesting facets of their sound is the incorporation of certain aspects of grindcore in the writing, juxtaposed against a more melodic sound containihng quite expressive basslines (courtesy of Ian Eckstein). It calls to mind early Mr. Bungle and An Albatross, the Wilkes-Barre madmen.
One of the things that is quite interesting about this band is the fact that Brian Berman, the singer, has never fronted any other bands. The only track he has contributed vocals to at this time that I know of is "On a Glass Bottom Airplane", but it is obvious that the boy has talent. He has a strong sense of intonation, which imbues the lyrics (which are a collaborative endeavor) with a melodic expressiveness that enhances the abrasiveness of his tone. Another interesting thing is the fact that the drummer (Brandon Lipman) is only thirteen years old. This kid shreds. I mean he kills. His hits are dead on and he drives the hell out of the beat. His sense of pulse is real strong. He is tight-yet-flexible.
As I sit here writing this and listening, I cannot help but think that while what I said was true, at the same time I hear the talent of everyone involved. These boys can play. Everyone locks into the pulse and drives the beat from beginning to end.
The two guitarists (Justin Lipman and Dan Stone) and the keyboardist (Nick Potters) create interesting structures over the drum/bass complex. There are countermelodies underneath the vocals buried in the riffage and the changing textures of the keyboards and guitar effects enhance the sense of phrasing, which is strong and well articulated, culminating in songs which create highly unique music that still has tons of thrash and backbeat. It is music you can bug out to live, and it is hoped they stick around to become known by all.
The band started in October of this past year as a fourpiece, acquiring the keyboardist and vocalist by December. The resulting six-piece line-up is just a result of the fulfillment of the needs of their sound.
I was given to understand that the hardcore scene in New Jersey is not so unique and that this band wants to inject something fresh and new. They are living up to their intentions nicely. This music is, as above stated, thrashy yet strange, and the combination keeps you on the edge of your seat. The sense of storytelling, of drama, that they inject into the music, imbues the songs with a compelling aspect that simultaneously heightens the intensity and the musicality. Support this band, they are going places.
check em out at: www.myspace.com/heyloveydovey
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Our Great Golden Man
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Our Great Golden Man revels in noisy self-expression. What sets them apart is the element of surprise and seeming chaos they inject into their Salem, Oregon thrash. Guitar timbres tumble from clean to distorted, and when you expect growling or screaming from the vocal department, you get semi-shouted singing that actually has melodic shape. it's a nice distinction.
The band have been friends since high school, and three of the members are currently enrolled in college. They want to make a living doing this, so lets give them a hand.
Their sound is highly diverse, while at the same time encompassing all the prevailing trends at work in the sounds of good bands, namely, high rhythmic diversity relating to phrase structure, changing guitar tone coloration and a sprawling-yet-tight sense of organization in relation to the form. They have a very confident sense of ensemble, which shows through in the execution of all the myriad transitions, time, and feel changes these guys pack into a small space. Everything is tied together by a highly imaginative approach to songwriting, which seems to be the key to pulling it all off.
The band formed in 2008, two of the members having played together in a previous band. Knowing one another as friends has probably been key in terms of their rapid growth, as the songs they have released so far are tightly constructed. This would probably translate even better live, as I could easily see myself slam-dancing to this at a show.
In their friends I see the Locust listed, and I can definitely hear elements of that type of thinking at work in Our Great Golden Man's writing. This band seems to prefer a more relaxed pace however, as the oppressive tempos are largely absent here, and the fracturing is, as stated before, achieved as much by timbral (clean-to-distorted) changes as by rhythm. One thing that is interesting about the rhythmic approach is the way they change accompaniment styles seemingly with each new phrase.
Musically, this translates into a style of expressiveness that ties the music to the words in a highly emotional unity. You have to hear it to truly understand. As the singer delivers his lyrics, the band seems to comment on and draw out the feelings expressed by actualizing the sentiment in the music. The songs seethe and recoil, shimmering with life. The result is similiar to the songs of the nineteenth century composer Hugo Wolf. His accompaniments were so richly imbued with the internal life of the texts that you don't need the libretto to get the gist of the lyrical intent. That's the kind of thing at work here. The band has plans to expand their touring/fanbase area, but don't expect them out here on the East Coast any time soon, as they need to become more exposed in the area near the Pacific Ocean. As tight and inventive as they are, I see a bright future for them, and think that people, given exposure to their sound, will be won over.
Check 'em out at www.myspace.com/ourgreatgoldenman
The band have been friends since high school, and three of the members are currently enrolled in college. They want to make a living doing this, so lets give them a hand.
Their sound is highly diverse, while at the same time encompassing all the prevailing trends at work in the sounds of good bands, namely, high rhythmic diversity relating to phrase structure, changing guitar tone coloration and a sprawling-yet-tight sense of organization in relation to the form. They have a very confident sense of ensemble, which shows through in the execution of all the myriad transitions, time, and feel changes these guys pack into a small space. Everything is tied together by a highly imaginative approach to songwriting, which seems to be the key to pulling it all off.
The band formed in 2008, two of the members having played together in a previous band. Knowing one another as friends has probably been key in terms of their rapid growth, as the songs they have released so far are tightly constructed. This would probably translate even better live, as I could easily see myself slam-dancing to this at a show.
In their friends I see the Locust listed, and I can definitely hear elements of that type of thinking at work in Our Great Golden Man's writing. This band seems to prefer a more relaxed pace however, as the oppressive tempos are largely absent here, and the fracturing is, as stated before, achieved as much by timbral (clean-to-distorted) changes as by rhythm. One thing that is interesting about the rhythmic approach is the way they change accompaniment styles seemingly with each new phrase.
Musically, this translates into a style of expressiveness that ties the music to the words in a highly emotional unity. You have to hear it to truly understand. As the singer delivers his lyrics, the band seems to comment on and draw out the feelings expressed by actualizing the sentiment in the music. The songs seethe and recoil, shimmering with life. The result is similiar to the songs of the nineteenth century composer Hugo Wolf. His accompaniments were so richly imbued with the internal life of the texts that you don't need the libretto to get the gist of the lyrical intent. That's the kind of thing at work here. The band has plans to expand their touring/fanbase area, but don't expect them out here on the East Coast any time soon, as they need to become more exposed in the area near the Pacific Ocean. As tight and inventive as they are, I see a bright future for them, and think that people, given exposure to their sound, will be won over.
Check 'em out at www.myspace.com/ourgreatgoldenman
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Global Crash
Hello again and welcome back. This next review is about the music of an old friend of mine who goes under the moniker of Global Crash. This music is what would be categorized as "electronica". Unfortunately, I am not a fan of that term. At all. But you get what I am driving at. This man's conception is highly eclectic, encompassing a wide variety of styles ranging from trance to progressive house and breakbeat techno. It strikes me that the trance ethos pervades the whole thing, because of its overall hypnotic quality and broad rhythmic structure. Sonic events, once unfolded, will persist in the airspace for a while. Usually there will develop a matrix of sorts that will be comprised of a few of these sonic events. From that point on this grouping will be subject to myriad subtle nuances in terms of rhythmic structure, timbre, etc., that will eventually move the grouping to another place entirely, securing a type of "perpetual development", eventually arriving at a new point of departure. On and on this process persists, creating broad canvasses painted with large strokes.
The resulting picture is one of zen-like simplicity, seeming at times to revel in the sake of its own existence, existing solely for itself, quiet, introspective.
The area where Global Crash and its creator Paul Holder reside is near the ocean. I have spent alot of time living near the ocean and something about this music makes the same impression on me, one of deep, unfathomable space, uniformity of space, timelessness. There is a sense of gravitation, the feeling of looking out into the ocean late at night and seeing no clear division between land and sea, only a black, endless uniformity. Standing too long staring, one feels the pull of the tide, as though it might suck you into its void, string you out in its limitless blackness. This is the type of impression Global Crash has on me. As if I might possibly get caught up in its aural net and sucked in by its subtle, imposing gravity.
I do not want to give the impression that this music is dark or negative in any way, as there is nothing "evil" about it. The forgoing bit of exposition is simply an attempt at describing the overall effect of this musical impression. It is "quietly active", and pulses with a life all its own. One could possibly dance to this music, but it possesses such a contemplative, meditative quality that it seems better suited for those types of activities. It would translate even better live. We feel that this would be great "cool-down" music at a rave or something similiar, as its broad rhythmic conception, though supported by traditional "techno" drum sequencing, is so gradually paced that one never feels frantic or jumpy, but rather lulled.
For the sake of disclosure let me state that Paul and I went to high school together. We skateboarded and also listened to a lot of similar music. Among the shared interests musically was Skinny Puppy, Ajax, Ministry and many others. But in the foregoing list it is clearly seen that seeds were planted.
Global Crash eschews traditional musical norms. In response to my round of questions, I was given to understand that he considers himself to be more of a sound engineer than a musician, but I feel that the proof of his intuitive musicianship indicates that he is more of a "musician" than he may realize.
In my questionaire, which was posted as a seperate blog on Myspace, I inquired as to musical schooling. The answer I received was most telling, which pointed out a mentality that has confronted my very existence forever. The fact is, that as much as I am glad to be "trained" in this art, too many academic musicians ruin the experience with their snobbery. It was put to me that Paul was told that his style is not real music. As if being knowledgeable confers upon one the right to DECLARE what is valid in art. How is this not real music? It is sound organized through time, hence music.
The production is of a type I have heard referred to as "continuous mix", meaning that there is no break in the songs, no silence between tracks, so those interested in specific track divisions and the like need to pay real close attention to the track numbers. It seems to me that this relates to the type of production that occurs live, and also supports the broad rhythmic conception nicely. The primary instrumentation is keyboard/drum machine, with enough sampling and secondary instrumentation thrown in to provide variety.
Paul's long-range plans for Global Crash are to keep expanding, to continue on for as long as possible, distributing his music himself until he finds a bigger outlet. His other goals are to do soundtrack music for films, etc. He is also interested in securing a DJ gig at a club and doing live performances for fashion shows, art exhibits and the like. Anyone interested should look him up.
check him out at: www.myspace.com/globalcrashmusic , also at www.facebook.com/home.php/pages/GlobalCrash/34560838866.
The resulting picture is one of zen-like simplicity, seeming at times to revel in the sake of its own existence, existing solely for itself, quiet, introspective.
The area where Global Crash and its creator Paul Holder reside is near the ocean. I have spent alot of time living near the ocean and something about this music makes the same impression on me, one of deep, unfathomable space, uniformity of space, timelessness. There is a sense of gravitation, the feeling of looking out into the ocean late at night and seeing no clear division between land and sea, only a black, endless uniformity. Standing too long staring, one feels the pull of the tide, as though it might suck you into its void, string you out in its limitless blackness. This is the type of impression Global Crash has on me. As if I might possibly get caught up in its aural net and sucked in by its subtle, imposing gravity.
I do not want to give the impression that this music is dark or negative in any way, as there is nothing "evil" about it. The forgoing bit of exposition is simply an attempt at describing the overall effect of this musical impression. It is "quietly active", and pulses with a life all its own. One could possibly dance to this music, but it possesses such a contemplative, meditative quality that it seems better suited for those types of activities. It would translate even better live. We feel that this would be great "cool-down" music at a rave or something similiar, as its broad rhythmic conception, though supported by traditional "techno" drum sequencing, is so gradually paced that one never feels frantic or jumpy, but rather lulled.
For the sake of disclosure let me state that Paul and I went to high school together. We skateboarded and also listened to a lot of similar music. Among the shared interests musically was Skinny Puppy, Ajax, Ministry and many others. But in the foregoing list it is clearly seen that seeds were planted.
Global Crash eschews traditional musical norms. In response to my round of questions, I was given to understand that he considers himself to be more of a sound engineer than a musician, but I feel that the proof of his intuitive musicianship indicates that he is more of a "musician" than he may realize.
In my questionaire, which was posted as a seperate blog on Myspace, I inquired as to musical schooling. The answer I received was most telling, which pointed out a mentality that has confronted my very existence forever. The fact is, that as much as I am glad to be "trained" in this art, too many academic musicians ruin the experience with their snobbery. It was put to me that Paul was told that his style is not real music. As if being knowledgeable confers upon one the right to DECLARE what is valid in art. How is this not real music? It is sound organized through time, hence music.
The production is of a type I have heard referred to as "continuous mix", meaning that there is no break in the songs, no silence between tracks, so those interested in specific track divisions and the like need to pay real close attention to the track numbers. It seems to me that this relates to the type of production that occurs live, and also supports the broad rhythmic conception nicely. The primary instrumentation is keyboard/drum machine, with enough sampling and secondary instrumentation thrown in to provide variety.
Paul's long-range plans for Global Crash are to keep expanding, to continue on for as long as possible, distributing his music himself until he finds a bigger outlet. His other goals are to do soundtrack music for films, etc. He is also interested in securing a DJ gig at a club and doing live performances for fashion shows, art exhibits and the like. Anyone interested should look him up.
check him out at: www.myspace.com/globalcrashmusic , also at www.facebook.com/home.php/pages/GlobalCrash/34560838866.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Lolita Black
Back in 2003, a guitarist and drummer were jamming together, writing dark, punk influenced heavy rock. The drummer was female, and as the guitarist watched her play her drums with a severe intensity, he thought to himself, "Lolita Black!" Thus was born one of the great up-and-coming bands in Providence, Rhode Island.
Lolita Black are a four piece, comprised of Bob on guitar, Kaleigh on drums, Jacob on bass, and Jessika on vocals. I had the pleasure of watching them at AS220 this past May opening for The Chinese Stars, and they killed. Straight out. Their sound is a throw back to oldschool riff-based rock, tempered by a thoroughly contemporary sensibility. Jacob and Kaleigh have the bass/drum nexus locked down tight, and from my memory banks I can still recall that Kaleigh beats the holy hell out of her drumset, playing with focus and conviction. Her sense of time is dead solid, and her phrasing is straightforward and right on top of the beat. As much as everyone is in love with Gabriel Serbian,(and rightly so), hearing good straight-up thrash can be refreshing, especially when the drummer in question possesses a time sense as solid as she does. I personally feel that she will be inspirational for many young women who want to rock out as hard as they can. She plays as though exorcising something dark and evil.
That's actually a great word to use in relation to this band. Not literally, but in a Geezer Butler/Bill Ward kind of way. Think of Black Sabbath, and songs like Children of the Grave or War Pigs but with more thrash, and you can start to get it. However, the presence of a female vocalist completely changes the texture. Jessika has a great vocal tone for the music they play, and tons of attitude. She seems to vocalize from her chest voice and head voice equally. Her chest voice adds a fullness to her tone, giving it a dark and rounded quality. When she changes registers, as in "Hollow", the quality of her tone becomes more biting and urgent. No matter which aspect of her range she is using, she acquits herself nicely, really bringing out the drama as though tortured by some long-held misery.
In some ways, however, Bob is the real revelation. Those "in the know" are already acquainted with his stage presence and crushing intensity as the frontman for DropDead. But, the world now has the chance to discover him as a guitarist. Maybe this was known already. I do not know him personally, so I cannot say. At any rate, his riffs are tightly constructed and rhythmically "in the pocket". He has absorbed a lot of great influences, and it shows through in his approach to riff writing. Not that his playing is derivative in any way (which it isn't), but his personality as a guitarist displays a deep knowledge of the tension and release necessary to any good music making. Also, he has a muscular right hand that pushes slightly ahead of the beat, heightening the intensity.
This brings us to Jacob. The bass player is always the "hidden weapon". With out a solid bassplayer, a great band will totally fail. Unless it is Arab On Radar or Yowie or some such, but that is a different style altogether. The style that Lolita plays in necessitates a tight bottom end, and in Jacob such is to be found. He has great rhythm and a fat, fuzzed-out tone. As I stated, he locks in with Kaleigh to form the "undernet" of the rhythm section, nailing all the downbeats with precision. He also locks in with Bob and glues the bridge between guitar and drums nicely. When doubling the guitar riffs, Bob and Jacob are seamless in their unison playing.
Though he has fronted DropDead for close to twenty years, Bob stated in response to my barrage of questions that he wants Lolita Black to stand on its own two feet, and he doesn't "see the need to use the DropDead name as a launching point". With songwriting this solid, there will be no need for such associations. On top of that, Lolita sounds nothing like DropDead.
As of this writing, the band has just finished its first release, entitled "Inside The Wasteland", which I was given to understand is in the vicinity of 23 minutes. I have only been fortunate enough to listen to the songs on myspace (about 50 times), so I am looking forward to picking up a copy of the album. They are also in the process of printing shirts and pins, and have some shows lined up for the coming months. I didn't verify, but listings could probably be found at Lots of Noise (www.lotsofnoise.com), which contains listings for most of the goings in the Providence area. Support this band!! They are going places.
Check 'em out at: www.myspace.com/lolitablackprovidence
Lolita Black are a four piece, comprised of Bob on guitar, Kaleigh on drums, Jacob on bass, and Jessika on vocals. I had the pleasure of watching them at AS220 this past May opening for The Chinese Stars, and they killed. Straight out. Their sound is a throw back to oldschool riff-based rock, tempered by a thoroughly contemporary sensibility. Jacob and Kaleigh have the bass/drum nexus locked down tight, and from my memory banks I can still recall that Kaleigh beats the holy hell out of her drumset, playing with focus and conviction. Her sense of time is dead solid, and her phrasing is straightforward and right on top of the beat. As much as everyone is in love with Gabriel Serbian,(and rightly so), hearing good straight-up thrash can be refreshing, especially when the drummer in question possesses a time sense as solid as she does. I personally feel that she will be inspirational for many young women who want to rock out as hard as they can. She plays as though exorcising something dark and evil.
That's actually a great word to use in relation to this band. Not literally, but in a Geezer Butler/Bill Ward kind of way. Think of Black Sabbath, and songs like Children of the Grave or War Pigs but with more thrash, and you can start to get it. However, the presence of a female vocalist completely changes the texture. Jessika has a great vocal tone for the music they play, and tons of attitude. She seems to vocalize from her chest voice and head voice equally. Her chest voice adds a fullness to her tone, giving it a dark and rounded quality. When she changes registers, as in "Hollow", the quality of her tone becomes more biting and urgent. No matter which aspect of her range she is using, she acquits herself nicely, really bringing out the drama as though tortured by some long-held misery.
In some ways, however, Bob is the real revelation. Those "in the know" are already acquainted with his stage presence and crushing intensity as the frontman for DropDead. But, the world now has the chance to discover him as a guitarist. Maybe this was known already. I do not know him personally, so I cannot say. At any rate, his riffs are tightly constructed and rhythmically "in the pocket". He has absorbed a lot of great influences, and it shows through in his approach to riff writing. Not that his playing is derivative in any way (which it isn't), but his personality as a guitarist displays a deep knowledge of the tension and release necessary to any good music making. Also, he has a muscular right hand that pushes slightly ahead of the beat, heightening the intensity.
This brings us to Jacob. The bass player is always the "hidden weapon". With out a solid bassplayer, a great band will totally fail. Unless it is Arab On Radar or Yowie or some such, but that is a different style altogether. The style that Lolita plays in necessitates a tight bottom end, and in Jacob such is to be found. He has great rhythm and a fat, fuzzed-out tone. As I stated, he locks in with Kaleigh to form the "undernet" of the rhythm section, nailing all the downbeats with precision. He also locks in with Bob and glues the bridge between guitar and drums nicely. When doubling the guitar riffs, Bob and Jacob are seamless in their unison playing.
Though he has fronted DropDead for close to twenty years, Bob stated in response to my barrage of questions that he wants Lolita Black to stand on its own two feet, and he doesn't "see the need to use the DropDead name as a launching point". With songwriting this solid, there will be no need for such associations. On top of that, Lolita sounds nothing like DropDead.
As of this writing, the band has just finished its first release, entitled "Inside The Wasteland", which I was given to understand is in the vicinity of 23 minutes. I have only been fortunate enough to listen to the songs on myspace (about 50 times), so I am looking forward to picking up a copy of the album. They are also in the process of printing shirts and pins, and have some shows lined up for the coming months. I didn't verify, but listings could probably be found at Lots of Noise (www.lotsofnoise.com), which contains listings for most of the goings in the Providence area. Support this band!! They are going places.
Check 'em out at: www.myspace.com/lolitablackprovidence
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Bring Me The Head Of Orion
Hailing from Austin, Texas, Bring Me The Head Of Orion offers a musical experience as large as the state itself. This music contains a sprawling, open-ended quality that confounds expectations by being simultaneously evolutionary and completely static. The formal architecture is built on simple, clear cut melodic ideas and a minimalist type repetition that moves from idea to idea with a refreshing clarity. Depending on your point of view, you might consider the sonic result to accompany the beginning of the world or its end. As or myself, I relate more to it as a soundtrack to the eschaton, and frankly would be worried as to what type of world would produce these sounds from its point of origin.
This musical unit is one man. According to information I was made privy to, this project started in September of this year, after a run in a string of bands. Feeling the need for unfettered self-expression, Orion was born. The gentleman in question is driven by a type of mysanthropy which expresses itself in the music, a "deep-seeded" disgust for humanity in general.
The music itself is entirely instrumental, devoid of lyrics. There is a curious "symphonic" quality that runs through each of the songs, a sort of digital post-tonal "orchestration". The pacing of the songs is quite gradual, each unfolding within the confines of its sonic space with a quiet self-confidence, requiring the respective listener to actually listen to the music itself. What novel thinking, that music should be listened to.
Godflesh and Sunn O))) were listed among the influences called upon in the production of this work, and we can see the connection. The riff work itself calls to mind Streetcleaner at times, and the pacing of the songs definitely drives home the Godflesh association. Where Orion differs from Godflesh specifically is in its orchestral quality, and the fact that the architecture has a "sectional" feel at times, with each idea in a particular song being self-contained while giving impetus to the next. As I stated before, evolutionary yet static.
An example of this is track two of the demo, named "contagion Rite". The song begins with a distorted, ambient, lower register tonal wash that is accompanied by a repetitive figure of keyboard squelches. This gives way to a two part interplay between keyboard and bass with a highly minimalist drum beat, which eventually coheres into a more consistent beat driving the bass line. Eventually, after some melodic and rhythmic development in this section, everything dissolves into guitar and keyboard drones, which then coalesce into a more "metal" type feel. This last eventually dissolves into cadential keyboard figures, and the whole thing ends. Mind you, this whole process, which has been so imperfectly explained, expands for over eight minutes, and unfolds in that mood of slow and deliberate self-confidence described above. Your undivided attention is definitely required.
Overall, there is an intersting balancing of textures and solid architecture. At times it feels like a more somber version of the Residents, especially in the choice of keyboard timbres. Albeit, a version of the Residents in which all the playfullness has been exchanged for sober ruminations on life and death.
One of our personal favorite aspects of this man's vision is in the use of drums. There is an elemental, "on the beat" quality that suits these proceedings perfectly.
One might even go so far to say that the "primitivistic" quality of the drum beats forms the entire backbone for each of the songs. A more overt style of drumming
would interfere with the proceedings. This should make for some interesting discussions amongst the Gabriel Serbian fans in the world. We know it did for us, as we are big fans of The Locust. At times the drums fall out completely, which induces feelings of severe entropy. When the drums come back, so does the sense of forward motion.
check em out at: www.myspace.com/bringmetheheadoforion
This musical unit is one man. According to information I was made privy to, this project started in September of this year, after a run in a string of bands. Feeling the need for unfettered self-expression, Orion was born. The gentleman in question is driven by a type of mysanthropy which expresses itself in the music, a "deep-seeded" disgust for humanity in general.
The music itself is entirely instrumental, devoid of lyrics. There is a curious "symphonic" quality that runs through each of the songs, a sort of digital post-tonal "orchestration". The pacing of the songs is quite gradual, each unfolding within the confines of its sonic space with a quiet self-confidence, requiring the respective listener to actually listen to the music itself. What novel thinking, that music should be listened to.
Godflesh and Sunn O))) were listed among the influences called upon in the production of this work, and we can see the connection. The riff work itself calls to mind Streetcleaner at times, and the pacing of the songs definitely drives home the Godflesh association. Where Orion differs from Godflesh specifically is in its orchestral quality, and the fact that the architecture has a "sectional" feel at times, with each idea in a particular song being self-contained while giving impetus to the next. As I stated before, evolutionary yet static.
An example of this is track two of the demo, named "contagion Rite". The song begins with a distorted, ambient, lower register tonal wash that is accompanied by a repetitive figure of keyboard squelches. This gives way to a two part interplay between keyboard and bass with a highly minimalist drum beat, which eventually coheres into a more consistent beat driving the bass line. Eventually, after some melodic and rhythmic development in this section, everything dissolves into guitar and keyboard drones, which then coalesce into a more "metal" type feel. This last eventually dissolves into cadential keyboard figures, and the whole thing ends. Mind you, this whole process, which has been so imperfectly explained, expands for over eight minutes, and unfolds in that mood of slow and deliberate self-confidence described above. Your undivided attention is definitely required.
Overall, there is an intersting balancing of textures and solid architecture. At times it feels like a more somber version of the Residents, especially in the choice of keyboard timbres. Albeit, a version of the Residents in which all the playfullness has been exchanged for sober ruminations on life and death.
One of our personal favorite aspects of this man's vision is in the use of drums. There is an elemental, "on the beat" quality that suits these proceedings perfectly.
One might even go so far to say that the "primitivistic" quality of the drum beats forms the entire backbone for each of the songs. A more overt style of drumming
would interfere with the proceedings. This should make for some interesting discussions amongst the Gabriel Serbian fans in the world. We know it did for us, as we are big fans of The Locust. At times the drums fall out completely, which induces feelings of severe entropy. When the drums come back, so does the sense of forward motion.
check em out at: www.myspace.com/bringmetheheadoforion
Monday, November 3, 2008
These Modern Times
In the spirit of the times comes These Modern Times, a group composed of Swedes and Yanks. Hailing from Sweden and The United States simultaneoulsy might be a geographical impossibility, but now thanks to the advent of such technologies as Skype, international communication has a decidedly local flavor.
This is the deeper purport of the name. The world wide web has made this band, a sort of sonic cyborg in which technology has fused with human beings to allow information to flow across oceans, cultures, and lives.
First conceived in the winter of 2007-08, after a chance meeting between Carly and Ola in a jazz cafe located in the beautiful nothingness of Second Life, the core of the group is composed of three Swedish men and one American woman. And yes, the men are all beautiful in that roguish model way so naturally peculiar to Swedish men that would probably attract me as well if I were a woman or a gay man. Carly is pretty hot as well.
Lead singer and guitarist "Lars" has a nicely rounded vocal tone that gently underscores the quiet beauty of the proceedings. Overall the songs are nicely written, with each part unfolding logically into the next. I sense the possibility of a bright future.
The one area where some necessity of improvement is perceived is within the ensemble. Not being physically present with one another seems to obscure the rappour at times, and the downbeats do not always line up completely. Ultimately, however, these "feel" to be nothing more than growing pains exhibited by a group of obviously talented musicians learning to collaberate in a new and cutting edge environment.
Apart from the core of the group there are three other auxiliary members listed as "talented friends and inspirations". Their presence nicely enhances the group by providing more "orchestral color" of the type utilized by bands like Belle and Sebastian, with whom they seem to share certain aesthetic sympathies. This will definitely appeal to fans of Tigermilk, etc.
As of this writing, the Myspace page has a player containing six songs. Two of the songs so far posted deserve, in our opinion, especial mention. The first, La Vague, is an experimental work composed for what sounds like two basses in different registers playing melodic figurations underneath Isabelle, who is reciting something in French against sounds of the ocean lapping against the shore. All in all, it creates a very delicate and introspective atmosphere. And no, we are not even remotely fluent in French.
The second "standout" track is the last on the player, "Ysabel". In our opinion, this is the strongest and most clearly defined of the set. It is a song of lost loves, a lament for what may have been. Ah, the sweet sorrow of a woman's love.
The layering of guitar parts, bass and Lars voice with Carly on backing vocals is poignant and haunting. The song itself is nicely streamlined and moves towards its own destiny with a clearly defined internal logic.
As of the present moment this band has no other form aside from its incarnation online. It would be very nice to see this collaboration come to true fruition. However, this would more than likely require Carly to go to Sweden, as EVERYONE else is Swedish. Did we mention that already?
In short, while definitely needing some more time to mature and cohere, this "e-band" has great potential. As they grow and become even more tightly defined in terms of their collective vision and voice, they will acquire more and more interested people.
Check 'em out at: www.myspace.com/thesemoderntimesmusic
This is the deeper purport of the name. The world wide web has made this band, a sort of sonic cyborg in which technology has fused with human beings to allow information to flow across oceans, cultures, and lives.
First conceived in the winter of 2007-08, after a chance meeting between Carly and Ola in a jazz cafe located in the beautiful nothingness of Second Life, the core of the group is composed of three Swedish men and one American woman. And yes, the men are all beautiful in that roguish model way so naturally peculiar to Swedish men that would probably attract me as well if I were a woman or a gay man. Carly is pretty hot as well.
Lead singer and guitarist "Lars" has a nicely rounded vocal tone that gently underscores the quiet beauty of the proceedings. Overall the songs are nicely written, with each part unfolding logically into the next. I sense the possibility of a bright future.
The one area where some necessity of improvement is perceived is within the ensemble. Not being physically present with one another seems to obscure the rappour at times, and the downbeats do not always line up completely. Ultimately, however, these "feel" to be nothing more than growing pains exhibited by a group of obviously talented musicians learning to collaberate in a new and cutting edge environment.
Apart from the core of the group there are three other auxiliary members listed as "talented friends and inspirations". Their presence nicely enhances the group by providing more "orchestral color" of the type utilized by bands like Belle and Sebastian, with whom they seem to share certain aesthetic sympathies. This will definitely appeal to fans of Tigermilk, etc.
As of this writing, the Myspace page has a player containing six songs. Two of the songs so far posted deserve, in our opinion, especial mention. The first, La Vague, is an experimental work composed for what sounds like two basses in different registers playing melodic figurations underneath Isabelle, who is reciting something in French against sounds of the ocean lapping against the shore. All in all, it creates a very delicate and introspective atmosphere. And no, we are not even remotely fluent in French.
The second "standout" track is the last on the player, "Ysabel". In our opinion, this is the strongest and most clearly defined of the set. It is a song of lost loves, a lament for what may have been. Ah, the sweet sorrow of a woman's love.
The layering of guitar parts, bass and Lars voice with Carly on backing vocals is poignant and haunting. The song itself is nicely streamlined and moves towards its own destiny with a clearly defined internal logic.
As of the present moment this band has no other form aside from its incarnation online. It would be very nice to see this collaboration come to true fruition. However, this would more than likely require Carly to go to Sweden, as EVERYONE else is Swedish. Did we mention that already?
In short, while definitely needing some more time to mature and cohere, this "e-band" has great potential. As they grow and become even more tightly defined in terms of their collective vision and voice, they will acquire more and more interested people.
Check 'em out at: www.myspace.com/thesemoderntimesmusic
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