It’s debut album time for London-based band Tempesst with their release of Must Be a Dream that was brought to life at Pony Recordings; the band’s label in Hackney, London. The ten track album is filled with generous servings of psych pop and stylistic nods to the band’s influences of Joni Mitchell, Al Green, Wings, and Electric Light Orchestra. The core of the band is made up of twin brothers, Toma and Andy Banjanin, who’s musical journey spans across the cities they lived in and life lessons they learned along the way. Rooted into a musical family and playing in a church band as teenagers, the brothers left Noosa, Australia for a short stint in Brooklyn, New York during the bustling indie scene of the late 2000s. Inspired and full of the DIY tactics and ideas they experienced, they took to London and began culminating the band, their label, and the album. Rounding out the lineup with guitarist, Swiss-American Eric Weber and old friends Kane Reynolds and Blake Misipeka, the keyboardist and bassist, Tempesst hunkered down in the studio they built while meticulously working on their sound. “These days artists are expected to do so much themselves and we have always been slight control freaks anyway”, states Andy. “DIY is part of everything that we do, so that extends to our label, the studio, the videos, all of it and really it’s just how the indie music scene has evolved.”
Must Be a Dream allows listeners to transport musically and explore dense, emotional themes, all while being comforted in the juxtaposed moments of sun-kissed melodies and angelic synths. “Better Than the Devil” stands as the opening track, where Andy on drums showcases a steady kick drum beat in the beginning before really opening up with the rest of the arrangement. The background vocals on the title track are church choir melodies that serenade the metaphorical idea of the song; that the perfect woman in front of you couldn’t possibly be real; couldn’t possibly exist in your reality. Tempesst dives into identity faceting in “High on My Own”, through judgmental lyrical undertones about other’s self-acceptance, and a contrasting upbeat feel that leaves the listener with hope of following one’s own path. Tackling the haunting struggles that love can bring, “Mushroom Cloud” dramatically lays out the spite and pain sometimes felt for the ones we fall deepest for. Toma’s simple chorus guides the listener through the struggle, and ends with a lyrical punch to the heart “When sorry’s a worn out sleight of hand / good love is a dried up wilderness / you’ll know where to find me / on the fallen horizon.”
Complete with harp instrumentation, and “oh la la la la la” vocals, “Walk on the Water” is a euphoric transitional track to different themes of the album. A mashup of vocal harmonies on top of deep instrumental reverb, “On the Run” holds stories of death, substance abuse, and the forever loss of innocence. Explains Toma:
It’s about a close friend who disappeared for a decade and returned as someone completely different, and it’s an ongoing trauma. When I connected the music to the lyrics to try and finish the song, it felt like it had a rolling rhythm, so the chorus fell into place from there. For me, this song carries a lot more emotional weight.
The final album tracks explore themes of modern day society in relation to getting older, boredom within the digital age, and the paralleling question of what life is supposed to mean through all of it. It’s the juxtaposing ideas of sound and song meaning in this debut album where Tempesst really invites the listener to their psych-rock wonderland – where storytelling and sweet melodies will meet you at every riff.
They’re genre expansive, gender expansive and multi-instrumentalists. They’re LE FOMO and they’re back with their new album Swallow Me Whole. The electro thrash pop duo is releasing nine tracks that are bound to get you out of your seat and onto your feet. The driving bass lines, catchy guitar riffs and punchy vocals will give you a feeling of nostalgia, but still giving a new and fresh sound. Ess Nelson (Vocals, lyrics, synths, bass, beats, arrangement) and Kai Hofius (guitar, drums, lyrics, bass) are based in Oakland, CA.
Swallow Me Whole was recorded and mixed by Maryam Qudus at Tiny Telephone and Best House Studios and mastered by Piper Payne at Infrasonic Studios. “NOTDF (Nip on the Dance Floor)”, is one of the three singles off the album and has been gaining traction through the press and from fans. “Tiny Anchor” at the core is all about loving someone, while letting go of the fears it might bring along. The song was accompanied by an animated music video that ends with the sailor letting someone in.
Although their beats may be lively and easy to lightly listen to, if you really pay attention to the lyrics, they are very clever and full of emotion. The title track, “Swallow Me Whole”, is a prime example of this especially with the verse, “Infuse your bloodstream / infuse your heart / bathe every organ, every soft weathered scar / won’t you swallow me whole, so I can sing to your guts / fill your tenderest parts, and rub up on your heart.” In “We Were Never In Control”, there’s a great combination of elements that are reminiscent of something that you might hear in the 80s. “Heedless Velvet Moonshine Rocket” is a nice transition in the middle of the album, it is a prime example of their smooth production and arrangement. “Corkscrew Hourglass” continues this sound but with Nelson’s vocals flying high over the song. Things slow down slightly with “Parabolic Rinpoche”, but still continue with the upbeat tempo that they are known for. On a less serious topic than pain,“Spoon Revolt” is about switching up who is the big and little spoon. The album wraps up with “Hot Whiskey”, it’s a slow burn that stands out on the album. It ends how it begins, with original style. LE FOMO has created an amazing piece of art inspired by pain and healed their wounds in the process. With diversified musical influences from artists like Prince, Karen O, Devo and Janelle Monae, they have created their own unique sound. Swallow Me Whole calls on us to become our fullest, most expansive selves and to find authentic human connection in that place, together. It goes beyond just an album and is a piece of the journey for LE FOMO.
A darling of charts and critics alike, Bette Smith is back with her wonderfully ferocious new album, The Good, The Bad And The Bette. Intrinsic to the wild rock and soul singer’s music is the connection that she made between the gospel she heard in church and the soul music she heard on the corner growing up in the rough Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Throughout her childhood, Smith was steeped in gospel music. She remembers, “My father was a church choir director. I was singing since I was five years old. I take it to church. I just break out, start speaking in tongues.” She also heard gospel around the house every weekend. “My mother listened to nothing but gospel,” she recalls, citing Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland. “Every Sunday morning, she would get up and put on these records while dressing and praising the Lord.” In The Good, The Bad And The Bette, Smith and producers Matt Patton and Bronson Tew explore the power of soul and match it with the edge of rock music, going for a Southern rock soul/Aretha Franklin/”I once was lost but now I’m found” vibe. Sure enough, this album feels very much like rock, but with a blues/gospel attitude, with tracks embodying various feelings of comfort, anger, passion, friendship and even vulnerability in the form of rock-centric bangers, powerful gospel anthems, and even a few tracks that have the taste of a ballad.
But before we can delve into the tracks, we must take a moment to praise Smith’s lustrous vocals. She is gospel, through and through, and you can hear it in the way she sings, but more than that you can feel the years of immersion in gospel and soul that she experienced growing up. Her voice is rough, raw, and absolutely delectable.
But it’s amazing to hear the ways she can apply those vocals to so many different emotions. There’s the groovy comfort in lines like “Don’t be afraid, all is well, I’m here” in “Signs and Wonders” that guides you through the classic blues-rock harmonies, which are revitalized by fresh guitar sounds and colours from the brass. But there’s also the touch of anger that emanates from “Fistful of Dollars” that then diffuses into the passion of the sparkling “Whistle Stop.” Smith sprinkles some sweetness in “Song for a Friend”, complemented by the satisfying backing harmonies in the chorus. But even in the vulnerable, stripped back state of “Don’t Skip Out On Me” she maintains the attitude that can be so central to both rock and soul music, which is quite admirable.
Even in the softer songs, The Good, The Bad And The Bette has this incredible energy to it. This is an album of dance songs, and its magnificence desperately calls out to be heard live (please, COVID…) . Smith herself values the redemptive experience that touring has given her. “It’s amazing, like a dream come true,” she says. “It’s very spiritual and I go into a trance when I’m singing. The fans are like family. I feel very loved. They are very present. I went through all of this so I could sing and now that I can sing I’m finding the love that I’ve been looking for all my life.” Some of the anthems like “Pine Belt Blues” and “Everybody Needs Love” also hold some of the greatest lines that one could belt out with Smith as you watch her on stage. The sultry gospel singing in “Everybody Needs Love”, along with its anthemic harmonies and lines like “Everybody needs love, just like they need the sun and moon and stars above” create a beautiful and totally universal sentiment that would be so powerful in a live setting.
To finish things off, Smith offers “Don’t Skip Out On Me.” The track slows things right down, beginning with just Smith and some acoustic guitar. As more instruments are threaded in, touches of effects create this resonance that makes the space she’s singing in feel so much bigger. Midway through the song, there’s an echoing trumpet solo, which takes individual segments, offsets them and then weaves them together to make beautiful patterns of sound that ring out in their own world before joining the rest of the music once again. It’s this gorgeous interlude that comes as a surprise yet fits in perfectly with the album as a whole that makes the final track on this album the standout. At first the choice to end off with a slow song was surprising, but after listening through, the majesty of this track proved to make perfect sense as an ending.
The Good, The Bad And The Bette is a vivid marriage of rock and soul music that displays Smith’s rich background in the genres and envelopes the listener in a variety of emotions by means of colourful bops and sentimental ballads that are united in their unrelenting attitude and firepower. One can’t help but yearn for the day that these tracks can be heard in their full glory, on stage.
Twenty-year-old Caroline Culver’s new single “I Went Out With A Man” is an ironic lesson in enjoying disappointment in the form of a mesmerizingly moody anthem. Culver recounts her experience going out with a man in his late twenties and finding that her expectation that he would be any more mature or exciting than a boy her own age to be unfulfilled. Recorded and produced by Jason Cummings at the Cutting Room Studios in NYC, “I Went Out With A Man” uses Culver’s foundation as a singer-songwriter as a jumping-off point, exploring stately vocal lines superimposed on top of introspective soundscapes. The resulting atmospheric sound echoes that of bands like Alvvays and Soccer Mommy, but the distorted guitars and crashing cymbals give Culver a bit of an edge. Her powerful voice perfectly encapsulates the saturnine disenchantment of this song both in the softer verses and the grandiose choruses. Each melody line is surprising, compelling the listener as Culver’s voice flits upwards at the ends of words.
About the song, Culver says “Ultimately, this song is an anthem for single girls dating around in their twenties and all the excitement it brings.” So while the underlying emotion behind “I Went Out With A Man” is a sense of disappointment, it’s also a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the exhilaration that comes with a young girl finding her way.
Rising anti-pop star Dava is once again enchanting her listeners, channeling her unique brand of offbeat pop in her new single “Papercut”, the latest off her upcoming EP, Sticky. The left-of-center pop newcomer turned to music after her mom passed away when she was only 8, finding solace in writing songs on a guitar that her mother gave her. She grew up between Texas and Oklahoma, but has since moved to Colorado to build her career. Releasing tracks on SoundCloud and taking advantage of coffeehouse open mics earned Dava a substantial grassroots following, her warm R&B sound appealing to a wide audience. With “Papercut”, Dava further explores the sonic space she has created for herself. Its soulful and tangible pop sound feels like a cozy blanket wrapped around the listener. Dava’s vocals are delicately produced in a way that serves to augment her natural talent. As a whole, the track has this soothing, relaxed vibe to it. The verse melodies gently propel you along while the echoing choruses envelop you in static, yet infectious layers of the phrase “you’re just a papercut.”
Dava’s music is eccentric, yet feels instantly familiar when it hits your ears. It’s no wonder that her two previously released singles, “ASOS” and “Right Time”, have highlighted the emerging artist as one to watch. Sink into “Papercut” today.
Home Remedy tackles current issues, but gives you feelings of nostalgia with their sound. This album is the first release for Sundressed under their new label Rude Records. The indie-punk band has a sound similar to Modern Baseball, Weezer and All Time Low. The 11 tracks LP follows the 2017 release, A Little Less Put Together, and is a fresh, new sound for the band. Produced by Mike Pepe (Taking Back Sunday, Wasi), the highly anticipated album is finally out. Frontman Trevor Hedges said, “Home Remedy is a record about getting better by any means necessary. Despite many setbacks, I truly believe we were able to make our most authentic and honest record yet.”
Hedges along with AJ Peacox (guitar), Vic Chan (drums), Matthew Graham and Justin Portillo are putting their best foot forward with “Home Remedy”. The title track is everything you would want from the band and more. It is a cathartic release that is meant to be put on at full volume. Fans have been quick to praise the other singles, “Oh Please” and “Size of my Heart”, off the album. “Is This a Drug?” is the song that caught my attention the most. The lyrics are begging to be heard and belted back at the track; you can envision how this track would perform at a concert.
The Atlanta-based band rock out on “The Facts” and “Explode! (Into Pieces)” with strong guitar riffs and drums. Things get serious on “Cash Out”, which tackles the issues of money, insurance and mental health; “Is this the reason why we’re dying? / it’s probably more affordable so just stop trying”. Hedges explains that “Your Frequency”, “is about the “side-hustle” culture. How it’s never okay to relax, how something always comes up when you’re almost ahead. This song is about the desire to have less worry about essential needs and have more time to be human.” All the tracks are honest and catchy at the same time, without being cheesy. Listening to Home Remedy it is easy to see the effort and time put into crafting these tracks.
What started as Hedges project in 2012 to help maintain his sobriety has turned into a place for others to find comfort in themselves. The band tries to make an impact with their music and pushes listeners to keep moving forward. In this record, Sundressed focuses on topics like frustrations with money, hustle culture and mental health issues. While being relevant with the lyrics, there is something about their sound that isn’t forced and feels warm. If you are looking for a sign to listen to Home Remedy, this is it. This is the sign.
Local Nomad took to our virtual stage for A Night w/ One in a Million Media: Imperfect Fifth’s Anniversary. With minor microphone problems and a lot of passion, the performance is what music is all about. With just a guitar in hand and a microphone, there was a feeling like you were at an intimate, acoustic concert. Watching an artist perform takes you out of the moment and transported to a different world, which is what happened here. If you weren’t a fan of Local Nomad yet, you definitely are now. Starting out with “Love is Gone”, off the EP LOCAL NOMAD, it is easy to tell that Mike Desmond loves what he does. Throughout the set, there is a fire behind his voice that ignites the lyrics and brings the songs to life. He plays three more songs, and talks about his decision not to play a Leonard Cohen song. With the help of his friend James, the set was a real success and gives you that feeling you might be missing from seeing live shows. If you have around 20 minutes and missed the original stream, check out Local Nomad’s performance below.
I count live music as one of the great pleasures in life. People from disparate backgrounds getting together in one venue, all brought together with a common love of the music. I went to live shows often and already had plans, in some cases purchased tickets, for shows through 2020. Whoops!
During the first weeks of quarantine and isolation, I kept myself busy with all the unfinished projects around my house, waiting to be called back to work. Six months later, I find myself without a job, returned tickets and cancelled plans. I am grateful for all that I have, including my health and the health of my family, and live music.
While the music industry has suffered greatly during this pandemic, art will never be stopped. We see this with street murals, short form videos, soaring interest in crafts and cooking, and all the performance art that is available on your computer, in most cases free of charge or for an artist tip.
Imperfect Fifth celebrated their 3rd anniversary September 7 – 13th and viewers got the gifts – six nights of performances along with seven days of Instagram takeovers that included performances! Here are a few highlights from Day #1!
Instagram takeovers on September 7 included Austin Archer and Griffin Holtby. Austin Archer is a Los Angeles based artist with plenty of great music under his belt (“Sweet Rejection”, “Dangerous Liaison”), as well as acting, writing, and directing credits. Griffin Holtby calls Texas home and gave us a tour of sites in and around Dallas where he would be creating his newest video. The Blues guitar will reel you into his music.
The headliner on FB Live on Day #1 was Eric Dash. The New Jersey native, now living in Los Angeles, played a spirited 40-minute set that covered older material as well as songs he is getting ready to release (“Jealousy” and “I Just Need to Get Away”). Although he hasn’t played a live show in awhile, he sounded fresh and very excited to play. Dash broke out with an acoustic version of the Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender” that was higher energy than you might imagine with just a guitar. The second song he covered was “Lithium” by Nirvana and he made it his own. My favorite of the night was “Stay Arms Reach,” a ballad with energy.
Make a plan to watch the replay of Eric Dash’s show below!
In the midst of all the excitement surrounding Imperfect Fifth’s third-year anniversary event, Evelyn Cools cooled things down with her cozy and beautiful live performance on September 8th. Live streaming is different from recorded music, but it’s also not quite the same as true live performance either. In many ways, it feels like a kind of hybrid between the two, with the excitement from the live aspect, but still feeling intimate in the same way that listening to a record can feel. Evelyn’s performance emphasized the latter well, performing songs from her EP Misfit Paradise with only a guitar and her spectacular voice. The shining star of this performance, Cools’ vocals, were so incredibly striking live, inducing chills at least once on every track she sang. Not only that, the melody lines themselves were so well suited for live performance; their sweetness and beauty radiant amongst the bare musical background. They adapted to the tone of each song Cools performed, sometimes dulcet, other times haunting, but always gorgeous.
Aside from the enchanting sonic aspect of this performance, the visual was also fun to watch. Cools was open and humble, and it felt like she was simply just trying to share her wonderful music with us all. She often made eye contact with the camera, giving it that personal feel that is so elusive when at a live concert; wishing, hoping, and praying that the headliner will notice your face in the sea of the crowd.
It’s safe to say that Evelyn delivered an exquisite performance that engaged her entire audience– if you need proof, know that even her dog was compelled to sing along (and made a brief and adorable appearance on camera)! If you’re disappointed that you missed it, don’t fret! You can find the performance on Imperfect Fifth’s facebook page.
