by Meredith Schneider | Nov 21, 2018 | albums, review
Kansas City, Missouri-based garage rock psych pop band Eggs on Mars – comprised of Brad Smith (vocals, guitars, keys), Justin Longmeyer (bass), and Mason Potter (drums, percussion) – recently released a 10 track album titled Mama Pancake. As absurd and wonderful as the title is – and the name of the band – the album itself is so much more. First track “Sod is Good” is all types of amazing, from the realness of the track’s name to the calming mood that passes over us as we dwell in its slow, mellifluous glory. While “Placeholders” speeds up a bit and gives us a very 60s psych punk vibe, “Many Minds” brings more of a 90s feel to it. “Red Haired Darling” slows it all down a bit, a love song for all of the red headed beauties in our lives.
“Doing Fine” gives off a bit of a melancholic feeling sonically for the first half, and the title isn’t quite convincing if you ask us. It gains momentum, though, and leads pretty nicely into simplified instrumentals with “Not to Regain”. The sentiment given off in the lyrics of “A Song” makes it feel a little more than “just a song”, while “Don’t Listen” speeds it up, giving us something fun to move our hips to. “Prayer for a Troubled Son” continues in that vein, a fun guitar riff to keep us on our toes throughout.
Eggs on Mars rounds out the album with “Meet Me in Hannibal” – Hannibal is a small town in Missouri where Mark Twain grew up, for those of you wondering – and anyone who has been carried away by a long(er) distance relationship can relate. It’s a beautifully bittersweet love song, slowly and carefully concocted to give us starry eyes as the music fades.
Mama Pancake is available now. Keep up with Eggs on Mars here.
by Christie McMenamin | Nov 20, 2018 | snapshot, visual
Everyone’s new favorite supergroup is Boygenius, the (no less than) GENIUS collaboration between incredible songstresses Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. We were lucky enough to have photographer Christie McMenamin on the ground for their show at Brooklyn Steel on November 7th. Peep those photos below!
Keep up with Boygenius here.
by Phlis | Nov 19, 2018 | show review
Arriving at the venue I didn’t know what to expect, I was very familiar with Frozen Nation’s music. I should be, Alteria Anarchy was the first radio show to air Frozen Nation’s first single I Failed for you and I was the first journalist ever to interview them. I had become very good friends with Idris but this is the first time I would have met him in the flesh. The venue itself was a very artistic place, one side where the music happened and the other a very arty bar.
The first person who I met and recognised was Moss, the frontman of Frozen Nation. A tall handsome man who when I said Moss I’m Phill his face lit up and I was greeted with a big hug for a welcome. Frozen Nation are one of the very few bands I have a very close affinity to, a band like only a couple more that I have seen grow and followed. It felt like meeting someone I have known all my life but yet I was meeting in the flesh for the first time. After Moss greeted me he introduced me firstly to my great friend Idris of whom again I was met with a big hug and a smile, then to Dorian of whom I had never actually spoken to but yet he like Moss and Idris just seemed like part of my extended family.
As the night rolled on Idris, Moss and Dorian were there making sure we had a great night. They introduced us to people and the whole air of the gig was very much a personal one, to say we were made welcome is truly the understatement. It was a perfect night with great friends, but to my honour my great friends were also the headline band. Dorian chatted to me and told me the very intricacies of the music and told me stories of Elvis. Me being a Jethro Tull fan I was wowed by this.
Swan Death came on and they were very Goth Rock in style, their style mixed with their visuals blended well and was a great opening act.
Perverted By Language had more an attitude, slightly punkish and again really great live.
But I was waiting, waiting to see my friends, the headline band. The lights were dim and then the music started and so did the visuals in the background. As the music began the crowd just started to move. I had listened to Dark Belgian Disco so many times so when I heard Genghis Khan my body also started to instinctively move, the music just put you under a spell and you just couldn’t help yourself. Then in the background the silver spinning disco ball led to the title track of Frozen Nation’s album, Dark Belgian Disco which was played with perfection.
I personally was waiting for one song, the song that has been on my alarm since the first day I heard it. The song people have heard so much on Alteria Anarchy, my favourite song. And as I heard the start of I Failed For You, Idris shouted “This is for you Phill”, to say this was a true honour was an understatement. One of my favourite bands, my friends, dedicate my favourite song to me was just unbelievable. I couldn’t help myself move and then following I Failed For You was Come On To The Ride which is another song that is just so funky with such a great feeling.
As they played more yet another familiar favourite played, Give Me The Perfect Song. I was singing and dancing, I just couldn’t stop myself and neither could the people at the gig. Then followed Alone In Berlin, I couldn’t believe just how much perfection had been given to us. I love the sound of Frozen Nation, it’s just pure and funky. Dark but yet the lights shinning from that disco ball just shine brightly.
The night ended and I couldn’t thank Idris, Moss and Dorian enough. We had a long day so that’s where the night ended for me, but that’s not where this story ends.
The day after we met Frozen Nation, they took us to this amazing Belgian restaurant and treated us to lunch and beer. We just chatted more about the music of Frozen Nation. Dorian, Idris and Moss were just so passionate about their music and from what I heard & felt from the gig it shows. The guys spoke and Dorian said “Would you like to see our studio, would you like to meet Elvis?”, how could I refuse? After a pleasant walk through the streets of Brussels with the guys showing us the wonderful sights and telling us the stories and folklore of where we were walking we arrived at the studio. I was in awe, all the old analogue equipment that gave Frozen Nation their unique and wonderful sound. Dorian showed me where they record and how they do it, then in a smaller noise proofed room there he was there was Elvis. Dorian told me how they use him and how he is just like a person and the stories that made him feel that way.
We sat and chatted more, Idris and Dorian stayed in the studio to do a little work and Moss took us for a beer before we had to leave. Big hugs from Idris and Dorian, I felt sad in a way as I was leaving two of my close friends. We left for the pub with Moss. Nice beer too, traditional Belgian beer. Well you can’t go to Brussels without tasting the amazing beer now can you? As the time came close that we had to leave to come home Moss even walked with us to the tram station. We bought tickets and with one last hug from my friend Moss we were on our way.
The whole experience is one I will never forget, Frozen Nation themselves and the wonderful city of Brussels. I cannot thank my friends Idris, Moss and Dorian for an amazing weekend and for the amazing music. Thank you for letting me introduce the world to that wonderful Dark Belgian Disco sound and also for your friendship.
Frozen Nation we will be back, thank you.
___
by: Phill Bruce
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 19, 2018 | albums, review
At a very important time, Kansas City-based alt garage rock band The UK’s – comprised of Noah Bartelt (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Scott Combs (Guitar/Vocals), Katelyn Miles (Bass), and Tarquin Eugene Kellough (Drums) – has released a 5-track EP, affectionately and poignantly titled American Way of Death. From the very first, melancholic sounds of “Why Don’t You Go” – which hits a stride that makes you want to add it to your “walking the streets of the city like a badass” playlist – through the 60s punk-influenced soundscape of “Wake Up”, all the way through third track “AWOD” which follows suit, there is an electricity that makes you realize that incredibly underrated music comes from the midwest. (Hello, Holy White Hounds and Mess!)
Cut to “The Poison Squad” and you’ve got a track we could easily find ourselves barbecuing to on a chilly autumn day, dancing to at a sweaty basement party, or driving to down the Kansas City streets. It all comes to a head with fifth and final track “Other Team”, which brings in that fun, vintage, upbeat feel again. If you’re not careful, you just might find yourselves on the ceiling too…
Keep up with The UK’s here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 16, 2018 | albums, review
Chicago-based shoegaze/pop collective Lightfoils releases new five track EP Chambers today, and we’ve got your first listen below! (Or fourth, or fifth, or twelfth… who’s counting?) The five-piece – comprised of Zeeshan Abbasi (guitar), Jane Zabeth (vocals), Cory Osborne (bass), John Rungger (drums), and Neil Yodnane (guitar) – wastes no time getting into the psych feels with the kaleidoscope intro to first track “The Bitter Over”, which layers into a cacophony of sound that seems to envelope your senses. “Duende” brings the same level of otherworldly vocals to it, a little more depth to the guitar parts than its predecessor. While “This Time Is Up” brings with it a punk garage band instrumental soundscape, we’re still left wondering how Zabeth can reach such insane places with her vocals. But I digress.
“Summer Nights” might, at first, make you feel a little bitter about the warm evenings being long behind us, but it also provides that whirring nostalgic feeling that makes it feel like summer might not ever end. (And it doesn’t have to if you don’t want it to!) Last track “Honeydew” brings with its title the same lust for warmer months, though we know we can relive those nights with this as the backdrop any time we damn well please.
Pick up this EP. It’s well worth it.
Keep up with Lightfoils here.
by Meredith Schneider | Nov 16, 2018 | albums, review
The world has waited since 1997’s RAPT to hear a follow-up from folk singer-songwriter Rebecca Blasband. Having spent some time producing sound design and music for television and film, she clearly has a knack for what works with her audience, a fact evident within the tracks on Here. Rebecca wastes no time, jumping right into gorgeous ballad “Love Is”, getting a little more primal with the percussive instrumentals. The title track seems to slow the pace down a bit, a lot more introspective than its predecessors. While “Walking On Water” is a song you could see yourself singing around a fire with your closest friends, while “Who The Hell is Peter Brown?” might get a little more attention at a karaoke bar. (It’s got an edge to it a crowd can’t deny!)
“Those Happy Days” picks the pace back up of course, quirky and fun in its existence, while “Ghost Song” slows it all down a bit more, getting very real with lines like “Sometimes I think I’m just gonna disappear / Waste away / In thin air.” If you feel a little out of control of your life right now, this track will resonate in its entirety. “Way Of The World” is a slap of reality, while “Gotta Work It Out” reintroduces that edge we fell for earlier. “Target” is soulful, psychedelic and perfection in most situations, though you might want to be careful about playing the beginning of it while driving. “Long Distance Love Affair” rounds it all out in a bittersweet and beautiful way, as mention of a long distance love affair brings a level of melancholy to an already meandering and blues-y song. It’s the perfect end to the album, as it makes us all feel a little detached by the end of it.
Here is available now. Keep up with Rebecca Blasband here.
