by Meredith Schneider | Dec 16, 2019 | albums, review
On December 13th, Irish-Canadian collective The Orange Kyte unveiled their latest offering, Carousel. Resplendent in nature, the album is a well-rounded ball of energy, bringing the band’s specific brand of psych to the masses without missing a (literal) beat. Impressive reverb, charming percussion, and a rock mentality drive this album from the start with upbeat tracks “Masquerade!”, “The Modern Dar Saints”, easing into the more moderately paced “Distractions”. The song itself feels like a mild distraction, melancholic in sound, but is just as gorgeous as its predecessors.
“C.O.P.” picks it back up, injecting a certain amount of surf rock influence into the guitar. “Little Death Balloon” also operates quickly, though you almost expect it to come in with more of a My Chemical Romance-leaning rock ballad sound. Nope, it’s very 60’s and very alluring. “Demonstration Garden” is the leisurely track to follow, a song best suited for the background of your next dinner party. “Sea of Love/Ocean of Hate” comes in frantically, a true toe-tapper if ever there was one.
If the saxophone intro in “Infinity Rope” were any indication that the gorgeous climax of an 80s rom com were about to take place, we wouldn’t be surprised. The song itself is one of our favorites on the album, so definitely take a moment to appreciate its layers. Though “Downfall” has a very heavy title, the soundscape is light, experimental almost in nature. The opening sounds very other-worldly, and constant whirring in the background makes it all feel very technical and almost futuristic as well.
“Captain Ron” keeps the party going, slowing the pace a bit in the middle of the track, so that your heart rate can revert to its normal pace in time. So much excitement in one album is a lot to handle, but is an absolute pleasure to experience.
Keep up with The Orange Kyte here.
by Ashleigh Lee | Dec 16, 2019 | snapshot, visual
On December 13th, Boston Manor headlined an energetic show at Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club in Kansas City, MO. Photographer Ashleigh Lee caught some highlights exclusively for us!
Keep up with Boston Manor here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 13, 2019 | albums, review
It’s been out for a hot second, but Stimmerman — the songwriting project of storied bassist and producer Eva Lawitts — recently released their debut 12-track full-length, Goofballs. High energy — even scattered, at times — this collection of tracks feels experimental, cutting edge. While Stimmerman plays with sonic boundaries and far-reaching, impactful vocal abilities, we get a look into the mind of no less than a genius.
Stimmerman has been quoted saying:
The album is more or less about loss and survivor’s guilt- it’s a meditation on a friend’s fatal drug overdose at a young age through that lens.
Side A of the album focuses on looking back at the environment in which our friendship started- pressures imposed on children to be successful, growing up too fast in all the wrong ways, and the often-debauched nature of our great and terrible adolescence here in Brooklyn. Side B, which is home to the song ‘Painted Smile,’ centers me more as an unreliable narrator, and features songs about grief and culpability in a close friend’s death some of which are, I believe, misguided.
With that very specific and captivating take, we dive in to what proves to be one of the most insightful and impactful albums of 2019.
Its story is unique and emotional, and with that Stimmerman brings her own brand of vocal rawness to each track. “Child’s Play” has a soundscape led by crashing cymbals, while “Elaine” builds to that point, beginning almost hesitantly in its pace. Even with the heartbreaking subject matter, Stimmerman only truly slows it down for eighth track “Long Formal Letter”, keeping us on our toes, just guessing where the musical progression will take us next. Single “Painted Smile” has perhaps one of the more chipper sounding ambiances to it, however its bittersweet truth ends the album with an almost cliffhanger feel to it.
It seems we shouldn’t be taking all words at face value. For those of you who haven’t gotten the reference yet, Goofballs isn’t to be seen as a group of silly friends this go around. And that’s OK. Not everything can be carefree. And to take such an intense life experience and be so vulnerable with it? It’s rare to be this seen as an artist, and we’re on board with Stimmerman’s delivery 100%.
Keep up with Stimmerman here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 3, 2019 | albums, review
As if last week didn’t give us enough to be thankful for, the week ended with a stunning EP release from Lilla Vargen, titled We Were Thunder. (As an Irish singer/songwriter, Thanksgiving meant nothing outside of the continental United States, but we’re still reeling about how perfect the timing was on this release.) Beginning with the powerful, building ballad that is “The Shore”, Lilla sets the bar high with her strong — yet ethereal — vocals commanding the voyage. Heart-wrenching, the lyrics speak of torment over past love. But the song’s gorgeous melody holds with it hope for the future. “Solitary” brings another tortured love to the forefront, as Vargen sings of a relationship that feels cold even when those involved are together.
The idea of drifting apart and feeling “solitary” matches the soundscape perfectly, which is something that is so uniquely Vargen. She continues to rip our souls apart with “Why Wait”, where she sings of the loneliness of unrequited — or perhaps not yet realized — love. This one hit home. “Trouble” plays with the notion of timing always being off between two flames. Another highly relateable — and infinitely gorgeous — track to center yourself in knowing you’re not truly alone in this. She winds down the EP with “On My Mind”, leaving the open ended question asking why her love interest is always on her mind.
We are clearly going to have this magical EP on repeat for a while. But it begs the question, will there be a resolution in coming work to this heartbreak? Or will it be like your new favorite indie film, leaving you with a cliffhanger that keeps it cult status for years to come? Let us know what you think on Facebook!
We would tell you to catch Lilla with one of our favorites, Dermot Kennedy, on December 17th at the O2 Academy Leeds, but the event is sold out. And we get it.
Keep up with Lilla Vargen here.
by Meredith Schneider | Dec 2, 2019 | albums, review
If you’ve been looking for instrumentals that will touch your soul simply and evoke emotion before the vocals even hit, check out Steven King‘s new full-length Steven King on Ice. In fact, try on the first track “Water” for size, and you’ll already see what we mean. Not to mention the fact that King’s pace switches pretty fervently between slow ballads (“Seams Are Splitting”, “Fly to the End”, “Run to the Back”, “Wine”) and a relatively danceable pace (“Water”, “Black Mood”, “Champion the Idiot”, etc.) throughout the nine track album.
Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, King has crafted melodies that make most of these tracks streamlined for television and movie placement. We are floored by the talent on Steven King on Ice. “Champion the Idiot” has pulled some obvious inspiration from 60s favorites, while songs like “Milkshake” have a bit more of a 90s appeal to them. And — even though there are a myriad of topics addressed in the album and, in that way, it can feel kind of scattered — it all seems to come back around to introspective thoughts, highlighted with lines like, “What’s this world to you?” in last track “Wine”.
We’re very into this album in its entirety, and will probably be championing it all week on Spotify. Take a listen below, and let us know what you think on our Facebook page!
Keep up with Steven King here!
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 25, 2019 | snapshot, visual
On the chilly evening of Thursday November 21st, Chase the Horseman and Whoa Dakota entertained an enthusiastic crowd at The Brick in The Crossroads district of Kansas City, MO. To experience either is an absolute joy, but we will always sing the praises of Whoa Dakota. The project — championed by singer/songwriter Jesse Ott — is so much fun to watch. In fact, this is an act we urge you to see live. Though the song recordings are incredible, they still give no justice to Ott’s far-ranging, angelic vocals, the true instrumental leader of the project. If you get a chance, check them out next time they’re through town!
Keep up with Whoa Dakota here.
