After another brief (long) hiatus, this feature is making another appearance so I can praise one of my most treasured EPs of all time. A band until recently, I had completely forgotten about, mainly because I’d lost the EP and my music library, so as the years went on, the name faded from my memory.
However, I discovered it again through Last Fm; I’d not used my account properly for a while, but it had a lot of my old scrobbles and stuff on it, so I searched through there on a particularly slow day. Much to my joy (har har), I found the band.
Today, I want to talk to you about Serena Joy. These guys are a seven-piece band that have taken band members from a whole lot of real underground (at the time) bands like andtheywillriot! and Missiles of Uncertain Destinations. As a band in 2007, these chums created one of the most incredibly cinematic and unforgettable experiences of music I have ever had the luxury of listening to, Ours Will Be A Lonely Battle.
The EP is split into four songs that span over several genres, including: post-hardcore, post-rock, slowcore and folk (right at the end). Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how you describe the sound of this music, nothing compares to actually listening to it.
What really got me on this EP, however, was the sing-along at the end; such an incredibly perfect way to end anything.
Since then, I haven’t heard or seen anything. In fact, it seems like it’s almost impossible to get hold of their material through any means besides ‘searching’, or buying it from someone that doesn’t look like the right label? I could be wrong.
Band: Nothing More Song: This Is The Time (Ballast) Genre: Progressive metal Social Media: Facebook/Twitter/Official Site
First impressions are an affair that all aspiring music journalists and, well, the rest of society should do away with. That being said, I was unfortunately, slightly influenced by first impressions when I first heard the intro to the New Orleans progressive metal band, Nothing More and their song, This Is The Time(Ballast).
The over-produced and artificial sounding intro turned my fixation elsewhere as I browsed through my emails and social medias. Then it happened: the guitars kicked in the door without warning and turned this simple case of “boring”, into “this could be better than boring.”
When it all kicked in, I was left with the thoughts of Mars Volta, Coheed Cambria and TheSet, all dashing around in my mind.
This quartet has been making tunes for over ten years now and this is the third album they’ve put out. Judging from what I’m hearing from This Is The Time, I can’t see why they haven’t hit it big yet; there’s a compelling mixture of almost djent metal, but at the same time, accessible and exciting alternative rock.
I think what’s turning me on most about their music is how much like TheSet they actually sound, with blends of post-hardcore with progressive rock and such.
Jonny Hawkins throws down some mad vocals on this track, showing off the fact that his range can jump and splatter all over the room. There are the shrill highs and the rusty low growls; the fact that he pulls these off without sounding too cliché is incredible. The amount of control this guy excersises is also impressive. Obviously, it is a studio release, but it’s easy to see where you could let a vocalist like this get carried away, but Hawkins restrains and pulls off a consistent and powerful performance.
Also, I just need to put this out there: the breakdown is absolute filth and I adore every second of it.
Which brings me to the guitars and bass of this song: they’re strong, punchy and varied enough to keep the listener interested for longer than a period of 4 minutes. Meaning: I want to hear more!
I will be heading to my local music shop/place of work to pick this CD up next time I’m in. If you like prog metal, or any vein of alternative rock/metal, I recommend you check these guys out. Nothing More’s self titled might prove to be one of 2014’s most exciting and progressive releases so far.
Give them your time and, if you feel strongly with this music, your money.
Instrumental London based rockers, Rumour Cubes, are set to release their sophomore LP, Appearances Of Collections, on August the 18th.
For me, this is very exciting; Rumour Cubes were the first band that I ever reviewed when I started this blog, back in February. What a way to start as well, The Narrow State was joyous ride around the epic and masterful world of post-rock music. To see raring up to release new material is always invigorating. Speaking of which, they’ve given everyone a chance to have a listen to one of the new tracks off the new album.
Hiyat, is a wild track that is hopefully, a sign of things to come from Appearances Of Collections. If everything can be this powerful and moving, then they’ll be on to another winner.
I really like the way that this track is mixed, everything breathes organically and nothing feels just pasted in there for the sake of it. What really makes this song great, is the moment after the intro where the bass comes in and plays this sweet rhythm, it works with the electronic sparks and the major string work here.
Hopefully there’ll be more guitar work on the rest of the album, but this isn’t really a worry, just something I was thinking while listening to Hiyat.
So far, Rumour Cubes are sounding as cinematic and awe-inspiring as ever, be sure to check out their previous album, The Narrow State, which is here. You can also read about it, here.
Don’t forget to also follow these guys on all the usual suspects to stay up-to-date, if you’re interested in what you’ve heard: Facebook Twitter BandCamp
Band: nnord Album: Orbital Genre: Ambient, drone, soundscape Social Media: Facebook/Bandcamp
nnord are a French ambient, soundscape project that put out their debut LP, Orbital, on June 16th through the newly founded record label, Winter Alternatives Records. nnord claim influences from bands like Sun O))) and Tangerine Dream and off the bat it’s easy to see where these influences come into play with the feel and sound of the LP. There’s a lot of work with textures and droneing going on, sometimes I even think of Solar Fields.
This is WAR’s first release on their label, so it’s important for themselves and nnord, to thrust themselves out there and although I do think Orbital does a decent enough job of this, it could be done better one.
Orbital is very much an ambient/soundscape and droney release and what makes these genres interesting, for me at least, is the textures used. nnord make fantastic use of textures in some points of this LP but I feel, that they could be infinitely more daring with their music.
There is an adventurous spirit that’s adopted on specific songs, but on the first track, which is also the longest, it’s left behind. Said first track, Arrival On The Great Plains, takes a long time to get anywhere and even when it does, it does not show nnord at their most brilliant moments. There are some pleasurable sounds on this track though, which make the slow pacing forgivable. The subtle changes in the synths at the 3min mark onward are all very pleasing, especially with headphones on.
There’s also this outro in Arrival On The Great Plains and it sounds majestic and elegant; the instruments sound powerful and, ultimately, it does make this track worth the listen.
The next track, Black Sky and Cosmic Dust, didn’t grab me either at first, until I heard something very strange; a synth that made me think, instantly, of that very plastic sounding, jelly-like synth sound from the 80’s. Now, this is something that has been used again sparingly throughout, Orbital. Again, it was this moment that broke up the slow droning of this song, which is what this project is all about; subtle surprises hidden in a thick world of noise.
This 80’s style of synthesiser is used again in Beyond The Orbital River and, my personal favourite track, The Last Bison. It works well in both of these tracks and explores a lot of new ground for nnord. At points in Beyond The Orbital River, it sounds like you could paste the track into The Terminator or possible Blade Runner and no one would bat an eyelid.
I think the song, Asteroid Tomb, does the best job of portraying nnord as an ambient act; the clean synths are incredibly satisfying and I adore the way that the track slowly evolves into a barrage of harsh noise. This track may also be the one that is spaced out and paced the best, as some of the songs feel a bit too long and could do with trimming just a spell.
The Last Bison remains my favourite song on this LP though, with its angelic synths at the beginning and the tiny little flares of something so gorgeous, I can’t put words to it. It’s also like this song is the most well thought out; everything has its place and, like Asteroid Tomb, seems well paced. It does turn around rather quickly into that 80’s movie soundtrack vibe again, but I like that and it suits nnords sound in my opinion.
nnord’s debut LP, Orbital didn’t grab me at first and I’m not sure it has yet, but there are definitely some well thought out ambient music on this record.
It’s by no means a bad LP and I’m pleased to have had the opportunity to listen to it, but I’d love to see nnord break some experimental ground; don’t be afraid of cutting things short.
Orbital is available through Bandcamp at a ‘name your price’ price and I think it’s worth your time, especially if you dig ambient and droning music.
Former members of math-rock outfit, You Slut!, have banded together to create another outlet for their creative juices: The FourFours. The band have previously toured with some big names in the UK rock scene, including: Bloc Party and MaybeSheWill, both, top bands.
The band have uploaded their first song as a band, Count To Ten, to Youtube and it seems to be slowly picking up pace with the online community. The song itself is rather punchy and has a chantable chorus that could rile up a crowd of fans in all the right ways. It’s rocky, infectious and paves the way for this bands future.
The look is rather cool, then again, I’m a sucker for masks and loud music.
The band formed after a creative ‘session’ that took place to write their song, Count To Ten, which was written over the course of a single week. Now, I have no idea what being in a band is like, but I’m almost positive that a song a week is productive.
Count To Ten has been receiving a large amount of praise from both online and offline sources with it gaining airtime on radio-shows like: Rocker’s Dive Radio (US), Code Zero Radio (US), Lonely Oak Radio (US), Rock 101 Radio (US), Hull Online Radio (UK), EGH Radio (UK) and UN.radio (UN.sung magazine‘s internet radio show).
Following the success of Count To Ten, they band are preparing to release Messing With History, another catchy and jaunty little tune that is expected to be released later this year.
TheFourFours are hoping to eclipse their other success’ with this new project. All I have to say is: ‘Keep the music as fun as You Slut! material and we can all play nicely.’
Count To Ten will be released on 14th of July for all the usual suspected outlets.
Secret Cities are a indie-pop trio that come from throughout the USA. Instead of doing that thing that bands usually do, come together and record material, these three have produced music without ever actually living together in the same city. They’ve made two albums and singles via email, but for their latest release, Walk Me Home, the band came together to record and play together in San Francisco’s Tiny Telephone Studio.
Walk Me Home at first glance feels like a very personal release from this trio, with the instrumentation sounding very intimate and warm; the vocals are all as sweet as a honey trickle, the guitars and keys are bright, the bass is suitably from the 60s and the beats are minimal and perfect.
The vocals are a rather clever mixed bag of the sweet and chilling. On the track Paradise, the male vocals often sound like that of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, which was really striking, considering the rest general up-beat mood of the track. It’s on tracks like Paradise and Purgatory that we see some very western, soul like influences, with the lonely guitar and the flashes of strings in the distance.
This sound has rather divided me on what the album actually sounds like; with it’s sparks of desert-rock even creeping in, side by side with a bit of surf-rock. It makes for an interesting release, to say the least. The tracks where the piano is dominant take you off to a saloon in the middle of the desert; it’s tracks like Rooftop, Thumbs and The Cellar that break up what you’d expect from a band like Secret Cities.
Speaking of Thumbs, I love the instrumentation of this track, the way it grows with the plucks and vocals building the song up and when the cello comes in, forget about it. Thumbs grows in a very cinematic way, without feeling cheap or over-the-top, it gives you an atmosphere and again, it’s very well crafted. There’s also this killer bridge that comes in, about halfway through; some guitar starts strumming away, massively restrained in production, but this is good, it isn’t played so obtusely and aggressively that you lose the atmosphere that is built up through the rest of the song.
The title track, Walk Me Home, is utterly sublime the piano chords over-the-top of the stripped backed guitar makes for a very simple but striking combination. The vocals on this track carry the main melody and work fantastically, especially with the minimal backing vocals that hum away with it. The climax of Walk Me Home is well suited and, like the rest of the album, not overstated.
I love the rockier moments in this album, The Cellar has this groovy bass riff that plays over the piano, which makes a suitable change from all the piano, but it only sticks around for awhile. At this moment, I begin to think that maybe the album could have been broken up a bit better, had there been some more rockier dominant moments.
The tracks, It’s Always Winter and It’s Always Summer, work together to create, what I’d say is the signature sound of Secret Cities; a cinematic work of art that combines elements from unlikely sources to create a unique sound. Also, I really dug the ambient track at the end, Sun Enclosure. I’m not sure why, but this feels like the perfect way to end this album; something so ambient and peaceful that it feels like a field-recording. Bliss.
Walk Me Home is a beautiful album that showcases the many talents of three people that have created music over the challenges of daunting distances. This distance has helped them become aware of what makes each of them unique and how they should play to their strengths. This knowledge, overall, has led to much respect in a traditional recording environment and means that their chemistry can blossom and flourish into a beautiful album.
Secret Cities‘ third album, Walk Me Home, will be available on the 23rd of June through Western Vinyl. Check it out!
Band: Fate Vs Free Willy EP: Every Human Was A Child Genre: Noise, rock, punk Social Media: Facebook/Soundcloud/Label Website
Fate Vs Free Willy are a noise/punk outfit from Finland that combine noise elements into a very punk way of making music. Fate Vs Free Willy are releasing their debut 7″ EP titled Every Human Was A Child in July or August, exact date to be confirmed, on behalf of growing indie label If Society Records.
The band themselves seem to have fit themselves into this niche of sounds, the aggressive mix of punk and fizzy noise, all held together with ritualistic drums and sounds. The overall sound makes me think that I should be joining a cult or sect of some description. It’s all very infectious.
What I’ve noticed with this record is, is that it is one that you have to have up really fucking loud to appreciate; the sounds and noises that are being produced are thick and overwhelming to the ears. However, it’s this loud and proud nature that leads me to think/know that these guys would be incredible in a live situation, with crowd interaction galore.
In terms of what the songs bring to the table, Hearts, has the most graphic of drum beats that get the heart and instincts pumping. There are also these little flurries of guitar bends that are just, so vicious.
This very general sound of noise and catchy, if indistinguishable vocals, are constant throughout the EP. Swallow is the best example of this: you’re given a riff, beat and the simplest of vocals just to bash your head along to and enjoy.
For a 7″ EP, this is an interesting start for Fate Vs Free Willy and i’m dying to see where else they take their material. Give me more angst and huff in the songs and some more content to sing along to.
Check out the debut EP Every Human Was A Child next month or in August; stay tuned for more details from graphic noise heads, Fate Vs Free Willy.
Months ago, back in April, a test pressing of Richard David James’ album called Caustic Window, surfaced online. Since then, it has been placed on Discogs for the low price of $13,500, thankfully though, before it was sold, a Kickstarter was launched where fans could pay for a digital copy of the album. This was all obviously approved of by Richard and Rephlex Records.
The Kickstarter successfully achieved it’s funding and made $64,424 which is obviously more than someone like me could even imagine. Today, is now a red-letter day for Aphex Twin fans, as the people that supported the Kickstarter get their digital copies.
And because people are saints and random acts of kindness do exist, the album has also been uploaded to YouTube to stream.
Caustic Window contains the sort of material you’d expect from Aphex Twin in the early 90s; that enriching, vicious and fist-thumping blend of IDM.
Whilst this may not be the newest work from Aphex Twin’s Richard David James, it is indeed what the freshest of stuff might feel like.
There are reams of post-rock just exploding from the world around us these days, but who is taking that fancy today?
Litro are a Italian post-rock band that released their debut album, Art Is Freedom: Free Yourselves, in June last year and have just recently put out a video for the song CLOE. Litro are an interesting band that were, according to their Facebook, born from several other arts and this does, to an extent, show in the video and song.
The song itself is a very strong sounding, if a little typical post-rock track. However, I do feel like the amount of sound going on in this piece sets it apart; there are these hazy and ethereal vocals that glisten through the track while the instruments dance around them.
CLOE offers up some stunning textures that feel polished and glazed to a near mirror sheen, it’s also awful nice to see the bass sounding so prominent and leading in these circumstances. It feels that the bass is infact holding this piece together with it’s tight beats and really bold tone.
Check Litro out for some no punches held art-post-rock.
Recently, I received a kindly email from the dear indie rocker, Daisy Victoria, asking if I would check out her EP. And with such lovely words, who was I to say no?
Daisy Victoria is an indie rocker that’s been jiving in the scene for a few months now and back in March, she released her debut EP, Heart Full of Beef. Said EP, has made a rather grand splash with critics; BBC introducing have got their teeth into it and now I get to!
Heart Full Of Beef on the first listen gives you a very basic idea of what to expect from Daisy Victoria, however, I think it’s with the consequent listens that you get ‘the real idea’. By ‘real idea’, I mean you can get a better sense of what this musician is all about: vocal delivery, incredibly well produced material and clever lyrics.
One might think of the famed Anna Calvi when listening to Daisy Victoria, but the latter’s music is not as darkly and sinister as Calvi’s discography.
Why go straight for Anna Calvi? Have a listen to Love Of My Life and tell me I’m wrong. Having said this, it’s clear to see that Daisy sets out to distinguish herself in a different way.
The title track Heart Full Of Beef is as chunky as its title and incorporates this raw garage rock-band sound; the guitar that sloshes along in the lower registry is thick and lays it on with the riffs. Everything on this track fits together nicely; when the chorus comes along, you need to make some noise and move your ass; dance you fool!
The guitar rawness/high gain is something that occurs regularly on this album; it does give this very garage rocky and I think that’s intentional, but the luxurious sounds of this EP give a very different picture.
Take for example the song Secret Garden Path, it offers two very contrasting sides of the beauty and the not so beauty. It’s this mystique and contrast between the luxuries and grit that really sets this EP apart from other releases of a similar nature.
Despite Macbeth To My Lady sounding infinitely more sedate than Beef, it still has no problem getting into the louder bars. I love how present the bass and drums are on this track; they hold this track together with their constant and sick beats, whilst the guitar shines away like a crazy diamond.
Cloth fits very well together and has bang on pacing, where everything slowly enters and exits quietly without straying from its strict plan. In fact, it might be possible to say that this would be my favourite from the EP. There are oodles of sounds in this sound and they all sound incredibly unique. It’s just an incredibly interesting listen. And the mini string-thing solo at the end just amplifies that.
The closing song on this EP ties everything together wonderfully. Tree blends the loud, the proud and the awareness that Daisy Victoria’s music is becoming known for. It’s a slow bloomer that doesn’t mess around for too long before it’s up on its feet and prancing around like a drunken parent at a school disco; a parent that dances well, but still, a parent.
Daisy Victoria’s debut EP is a gentle rocker that grips you with initial unease and uncertainty, but soon cuddles you into the contrasting oil painting of her world; worth a listen and more after that to get the full effect of her music. So grab a copy on Bandcamp and indulge.
Heart Full of Beef is a name you price album and you should check it out.
Music Gleaner 