New Music Review – Captain Baby – Sugar Ox

Band: Captain Baby
Album: Sugar Ox
Genre: Indie-pop
Social Media: Bandcamp/Facebook

Captain Baby is a musical project of musician/street artist Asher Rogers, who has previously sung for the Nashville group, The Smartest Monkey. Today, I bring you his newest musical project and said projects debut album, Sugar Ox. I wonder if the ox has become the animal of choice for indie-rockers? It’s been the buffalo, now it’s an ox?

Sugar Ox sounds impressively loud with its drums and basslines, all of which can convey a sense of industrial music. I mean, the music sounds loud and snappy, quite punchy and hard hitting, but as soon as the guitar and vocals come in, you’re taken to a new place.

Forest Charm shows off some very weird and poignant rhythms and some, what I’ve decided to call, ‘dizzy guitar’. The guitar on this album always seems to sound incredibly dizzy, when I say this; I’m trying to that it always sounds very light and distant.

There’s this consistency to the sound and songs throughout the album, which is fine, it builds up this assemblage of little indie-pop numbers. That being said, there are brief moment where Captain Baby dips his little toes into other sounds.

For example, the surf guitar on Bury Your Head, the blissfully atmospheric intro on Climb Your Tree and the subtle wavering strings in Row On. These little details really bring out Rogers’ adventurous creativity notably well.

These bits of clever song-writing really break up the album; it would have just nice to see these prolific snapshots perused for some variety in the material. Some of the songs and vocal patterns can seem repetitive, with not much change to be seen.

At the same time, you could also say that this is where Captain Baby shows off. Slight changes in these ceaseless tunes can bring very interesting sense of unease that hints at a darker side of Captain Baby. Said side, should be flirted with and then taken home to be romanced or just plowed like a bad mofo.

Lost myself in the analogy there.

The point is, is that I’d like to see Captain Baby expand their creative output because I think this band could be something genuinely special. There needs to be more contrasting to what we hear in the majority of the tunes.

Row On understands this concept, adopts a slower pace and has those moments of contrast in them which makes this song a real corker. Olive In The Ocean is rather cool too. The dizzy guitar stumbles around combined with a strong beat and catchy vocals, this is one for the summer playlists.

I’d like to see more from Captain Baby, preferably some tweaking around, but as it stands, Sugar Ox is a pleasing album that cements its sound in the beach with loud crashes and subtle shifts in sound.

Kerretta Stream New Song From New Album

Rockerilla Stream New Kerretta Song ‘Warnlands’.

A week or so ago, we checked out a sneak preview of the post-rock band, Kerretta and their new album Pirohia. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to comment on, however, there is now a song, in it’s entirety online for folks to listen to. The kind gals and guys over at Rockerilla are also streaming it exclusively!

This is something that I will be reviewing very soon, so keep your hats on kids! However, it has to be said: it sounds swanky through a nice pair of headphones; really fucking clean.

Keep your eyes peeled for a full review of Kerretta and their album Pirohia, which is out on September 5th, soon.

New Music Review – Parachute For Gordo – Ten Metres Per Second Per Second

Band: Parachute For Gordo
Album:Ten Metres Per Second Per Second
Genre: Math-rock, post-rock
Social Media: Facebook/Bandcamp

Recently, I reviewed a release by the killer gents from TwoThirtyTwo, a bunch of indie-rockers that dabble all over the shop in fun experimentation. More recently, a band on the same label got in contact with me about their new album. Who was I to say no? And especially after they asked so nicely too!

Parachute For Gordo are difficult to pigeon-hole from the start thanks to an experimental ethic that can easily throw off the majority of people that might want to label it. With their music, you get elements of post-rock, noise-rock, experimental music and even some spoken word. In their newest release, Ten Metres Per Second Per Second, which came out on March 15th 2014, it sounds like they’ve still managed to avoid being pinned down to a single distinct sound, but is that a good thing?

I’d say so, yeah.

Ten Metres Per Second Per Second sounds incredibly ambitious through the recordings, but even more so when you consider how this album was made.

“In typically obtuse and independent Parachute for Gordo style, it was recorded live in the space of three hours and represents the band exactly as they are, intense and violent and beautiful with bruises and scraped knees entirely intact.” – From the press release.

What I like about this method and the album as a whole is how this DIY ethic comes about during the execution of their music. The instruments sound incredibly cherished and the songs themselves sound very real. I Offered You A Small Dog In The Kitchen, sets the perfect example: the instruments have that same kick that they’d have during a live show, the quiet bars of this song have a fantastic intimacy to them. Also, the turnaround in this song is glorious.

The short attention spans and experimental nature of these three makes for some lively and amusing songs that work for this band. What I mean by work is just… make something eclectic and excitable flow, without feeling forced.

I think the two best examples of this would have to be,

I think the two best examples of this would have to be, Bandage Of Scat and 10,000 Bay Leaves In A Koala Bears Mouth. The former, being the first song, prepared me for something entirely different than I got; the drum machine makes the track and again, surprises. While 10,000 Bay Leaves In A Koala Bears Mouth, (mother of god, that’s a mouthful) sounds like it could be a run-of-the-mill post-rock song, but makes use of exciting tempo changes and volumes to sound like an ever changing surprise.

It’s this experimentation and short attention span that makes these guys, Parachute For Gordo. The monolith that is The Labrasaga – Part I: Labrador Deciever, Part II: LabraDoodlebug, is testament to how much these guys can weave between the harsh and the polite in just a few short seconds.

Just also going to say that the vocals on this track, “The blood on the wall, the hole in my head, well I just blew my mind, pardon the mess”, is so fucking cool. It really straightens a path for them to go down with this song, even if the path is twisted and dangerous along the way.

The bonus tracks on the digital version are the most ordinary songs on the release. This isn’t a bad thing however, I believe that the singers really tie the songs together and add enough to make this release an even more varied bunch of musical sweeties.

I think it’s fair to say that Ten Metres Per Second Per Second is a must listen to for all of you fans of music out there. I mean, if you enjoy music that lapse at your eardrums like a tongue to a… lollipop, then you’ll love this persistently surprising album by the guys and girl over at Parachute For Gordo.

French Noisers, Pord, Present New Album Trailer

Pord are a noise-rock band that aisle from Lozère, some lovely place in France, and these guys are renowned for their hard-hitting noisy-rock assault. However, these lot have, from what I’ve seen not put out an album for three years, so it’ll be interesting to see if that lends a hand in a change of sound.

Judging from the trailer though, I doubt it.

You can buy that album,Valparaiso, through a link on their Bandcamp, you can also stream it if you’re feeling cheap.

Pord’s upcoming album is called Wild and will be released on the 8th of September 2014 through Solar Flare records.

Hold on to your seats and headphones ya’all.

Asturias Leyenda by Norman Gatzke

There’s nothing quite like music with enriching and alluring history behind it. For example, Asturias Leyenda, is a musical piece written by Spanish composer, Isaac Albéniz and it has been transcribed and changed so much over the years. However, it has always been noted for it’s versatility as a piece of music; it’s quite, it’s loud, engaging and even quite delicate, when it comes to the later bars.

Check out this interpretation.

Anyway, I think I got a little lost in what I was saying… History!

15 years ago, a concert guitarist, named Norman Gatzke and producer Martin Grimm begun their first music project. As time has gone on, they have both gathered gleaned (hah) experience in different genres and despite doing their own thing, every year they meet once.

This year they begun working on the classical piece, Asturias Leyenda. What did make this special, is that they were finely tuning this piece of work whilst writing their thesis’ for their final year at university. Pretty heavy times, as you can imagine. They eventually managed to finish this piece thanks to the support of their fellow students and friends Helen Schmidt and Oliver Sorg. And here are the fruits of their labour.

I don’t really think that I need to say much else, just have a listen again and I’ll see you next time kids.

Crust Punkers Protestant Reveal New Track

Crust-punkers from Milwaukee, Protestant, have debut a new track from their upcoming album, In Thy Name. The track is called Vengance, and this track is a brutal sonic barrage on the ears with it’s relentless crust-punk playing and loud production.

Vengance will give you everything you need from a crusty track. It has the intensity and direction of someone that takes no prisoners and instead, makes examples of those prisoners, with crushing showmanship. Prepare yourself for a barrage of blackened crust punk.

In Thy Name is set for release on the 15th of July through the Halo Of Flies label and then on August the 15th via Throatruiner Records.

Check out Vengance, below.

If you like what you hear, give them a like on Facebook, or buy their records when it comes out.

Facebook
Bandcamp

Updates #8

As of Monday, I’m going to be away for the better part of a week, cause I’m going on holiday and it’s going to be wonderful. I have managed to queue up a few news posts for you all, so you don’t get too lonely whilst I’m gone.

People should still feel free to submit their music, news, pictures, whatever, I will get around to them eventually, scout’s honour!

In other news, I think I really want to expand this site and see if I can bring you guys a consistent plethora of new artists and posts to keep you all interested. So yes, please keep submitting your music as it means the world to me.

I guess this would also be a great time to thank everyone that has also already sent their music in… Thank you! You are the wind beneath my wings, or something like that. The point stands, I owe a lot to you guys and dolls.

New Music Review – TwoThirtyTwo – The Hope We Had (EP)

Band: TwoThirtyTwo
EP: The Hope We Had
Genre: Experimental-rock/Indie-rock
Social Media: Facebook/Twitter/Bandcamp

Today, we get a crystal ball and take a peak into the future release of Aldershot rockers, TwoThirtyTwo. This lot put out an several EPs now, all being ranted about and as such, helped this motley bunch some loyal followers. We’ll be looking at their upcoming release, The Hope We Had, due out on the 8th September 2014, through Rose Coloured Records.

At first listen, I’ll admit, I was dubious to the sound of TwoThirtyTwo and thought it sounded like another indie-rock band, but I continued to listen (because I’m a professional) and what I found was so much more rewarding than a typical indie-rock band.

The Hope We Had is a consistent album, it’s full of unique sounds that remain the familiar throughout the listen. In other words, the guitar one one track sounds close to the one from the last track. Still, these sounds are unique to the band and this growing sense of familiarity is well used.

The instrumentation is also very rich here, it feels like the guitars are rippling in front of you, while the bass grooves along and the drums all snap and pop with suitable zest. Bones is obviously the best example, being the first track and all, it just sounds so alive and full of colour. The chorus is also super catchy and feels incredibly big, as if it could fill a field of sound and festival goers.

I also found the vocals on this track, and the rest, to suit the music perfectly. I’m trying to decide if lead singer’s voice reminds me more of Lou Reed or Brandon Flowers of The Killers. Not that it matters, the vocals remain consistently empowering. I swear though, on the track Wolves I had to double-check that I wasn’t listening to some Lou Reed.

Wolves is stunning by-the-way, it’s another track where these guys come to fruition in the small details of their work. The small chimes and floruishes of the drums are beautiful and to end with those gentle little harmonics? Lovely job.

The Reprieve was also an enjoyable track, it shows off how great these guys are at songwriting. All the instruments give each other space expand and play their parts; the little silences between a few bars adds a lot to the depth and fun of these songs. The backing vocals in this track are also really grand and subtle enough to not feel overbearing.

The real gem on this EP is the track that caught me off guard; the title track, The Hope We Had. This track takes what you’ve heard from the EP so far and turns it’s on it’s head and then throws it out of the bar; it’s sinister, heavy and rather progressive if you ask me. it almost feels like an old Muse track. There’s this guitar picking that goes on throughout and it just adds this horrible sense of unease at the start. Then there’s this quiet moment, followed by feedback, pretty keys and more heaviness. It’s just a real gem of a track that you need to listen to to understand.

Also those marching drums. Brilliant.

What I feel that TwoThirtyTwo seem to be doing very strongly with this EP is trying to carve a more complete sound since they already have the main ingredients: talent, the curiosity to experiment and above all else, the desire to grow. I think once they find a concrete sound and put forward something larger, we’ll see a much more complete TwoThirtyTwo, demonstrating their capabilities for the bombastic and wondrous that they have already shown in small doses.

TwoThirtyTwo and The Hope We Had are worth your time and if you live in England, like me, you can go and see them! They’ll be promoting The Hope We Had at a few venues:

Mon 8th Sept – Brixton – Windmill
Tue 9th Sept – Guildford – Boileroom
Wed 10th Sept – Basingstoke – Sanctuary
Thurs 11th Sept – Bristol – The Thunderbolt

I may be heading down to the show in Guildford, so if you end up there, you could see a rare sighting of me.

Remember, The Hope We Had is out on the 8th of September and you should get it, through Bandcamp, at a show, just get it.

Until next time kids x

New Music Review – Champion Lover – Self Titled

Band: Champion Lover
Album: Self Titled
Genre: Noise-rock, punk
Social Media: Facebook/Bandcamp/Twitter/Official site

Champion Lover is the scuff and hardiness of a good pair of boots. These guys are an Ontario based quartet that plays loud, scrappy and noisy punk and today, we’re looking at their debut self-titled LP that was released back on June 20^th. They’re also preparing to release the vinyl itself on the 18^th of July (tomorrow), so that’s something to be excited about if these guys arouse your ears.

To get a very basic idea of the noises that these guys make, think of Fugazi, in a way. Although I think that these guys do stand by themselves as musicians, I see a lot of similarities to Fugazi. They’re both very typically aggressive, I mean, the way that lead vocalist, Edward Masuda, belts out his vocals on tracks like Vacant and Bad Day are really desperate and mean. The way that Champion Lover play is also extremely agitated, the vast majority of these songs feel incredibly intense with the way that the rhythms are put together.

The tracks build and shift always keep you on your toes. Shooter, is this really driving song, the bass and drums gel so well together and it’s not hard to imagine bolting down a highway listening to this. However, you also have, Read My Mind, which is energetic, has fantastic drumming and really puts across this sense of urgency that can make decent punk sound like good punk.

Which reminds me, the drumming in this album is really stylish. I love the jazziness during Could You Be Mine (I know it’s not jazzy, but I like the word and sound), similarly, the drums are incredibly punchy and effective during She Likes Wu-Tang. The bass in the intro to this tune is also colossal and I’d love to hear it in a live setting at some point. The drums and the bass work together to create this overwhelming sense of urgency in a lot of the songs.

From this sense of urgency, and often in the vocals, I picked up a strange taste of Nirvana as well. It was mostly in the guitar and vocals of Bad Day and Just Hollow, it’s hard to explain, but I can definitely hear it.

I would have liked to have seen the vocals be turned up, just a smidge in the mixing. Mainly because a genre like punk owes itself to playing loud and shouting louder, but it’s also nice to be able to understand what the vocals are rapping on about. That’s not to say these vocals are indistinguishable, but just a bit difficult to make out sometimes.

Champion Lover’s debut self-titled is a thickly intense album that sounds great; it offers very little in terms of a break whilst listening and comes at you, track after track. It flows well, it’s well produced and at times, it feels catchy with How Will I Know and I see You.

Don’t have a Bad day, Read My Mind and support Champion Lover, or you’ll be Lost and have a Vacant Heart.

 

 

Playlist #5 July 2014

July’s Playlist:

• Chet Faker – I’m Into You
• Ametsub – Muffled Blue
• Caustic Twin – Mumbly
• Masafumi Takada – Blackburn
• Submotion Orchestra – Perfection
• Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill
• Oceansize – Pine
• Wintersleep – Insomnia
• Nirvana – Dumb
• Sufjan Stevens – Romulus
• Eels – I like Birds
• The Cranberries – Linger
• Yoav – Where Is My Mind
• UFO – Doctor Doctor

Relatively quiet music playlist this month, due in part to the fact that my new digs are absolutely boiling this time of year. Because of this, I’ve been monging around at a snails pace. However, I am back to posting regularly and I’m trying to get a queue set up for my trip to Paris, which I will detail more in an update.

Besides that, it’s all been rather quiet, busy, but quiet.

So, if you’re a regular reader and have stuck with me, thank you.