Today, Louisville, KY-based musician Jim James releases his new 11-track stunner of an album titled Uniform Distortion. From the very first guitar riff of “Just A Fool”, you get a sense that this man has put every ounce of emotion he has into this work of art. Excuse us if we’re wrong, but to start with a riff so energy-infusing and raw is something that doesn’t happen often enough. And while he sings about being “just a fool getting by,” we’re certain that’s a bit of an understatement.
If you don’t see what we mean with the initial track, try the nasty guitar lick that introduces “You Get To Rome”, or the riff that underlies “Out Of Time”. It is only with fourth track “Throwback” that the pace slows for a more intimate and introspective five minutes and nineteen seconds of nostalgia. (Though we have found that James’ lyricism doesn’t lack an introspective quality, something we yearn for when seeking out new music to enjoy.) And while “No Secrets” keeps to a slower pace – and properly displays a little more of James’ vocal range – “Yes To Everything” might be one of our favorites on the album. His laughter, his sense of self, the upbeat way with which he addresses change. We’re here for it.
If you don’t realize by seventh track “No Use Waiting” that this man is – at his core – probably a rock god, “All In Your Head” will serve to prove you wrong. It is with the last three tracks – “Better Late Than Never”, “Over and Over”, and “Too Good to Be True” – that slight bouts of that truly upbeat Partridge Family feel hit you unexpectedly. It blends perfectly with the era his music seems to come from, an era more lush and filled with warmth.
And that’s how you’ll feel after encountering Uniform Distortion. It brings you to that warm, comfortable happy place while introducing more and more insightful lyricism with each track. So hit play, and see what this new release evokes for you!
Relatively new duo Broken Baby – comprised of Amber Bollinger and Alex Dezen – is hitting the Los Angeles music scene hard with their unique and energy-inducing brand of post punk-rock. They’ve already brought social commentary to the forefront in first single “Year of The Fat Man”, in an endearing way that gets you moving, even if you aren’t necessarily a dancer. But their new single “Pass The Acetone” is set for release this week, and we’ve got your exclusive premiere of the upbeat, sassed-up track right now.
Of course, we had to throw a few questions at them as well. So while you enjoy the new tune, check out our quick interview below!
What was your first musical memory, or the first album or song you heard? Do you think that has any bearing on who you are as an artist now?
Alex: I don’t know if I can remember that. I think it was probably hearing Saturday Night Fever coming through the walls of my parents room. The next thing I remember is a vinyl copy of Let It Be by The Replacements that I broke. It was my sister’s. She was pissed.
What is the conception story of Broken Baby? Was it a meet-cute? Give us all the details!
Amber: We were on tour for Alex Dezen’s second solo record and we were bored in a van driving across the country. Alex suggested we started a band together. I thought it was a joke, but when we got back to Los Angeles we followed through. Yep. The EP was done two weeks later.
A recent post on Facebook gave us a glimpse into the raw beauty of being empowered, woman or man. What spurred on this beautiful and open post about double standards?
Amber: Alex and I have so many talks about music and life, and we agree that this is a very interesting time.
Alex: Someone had asked us about it, so we answered.
We have until September to wait for your next official release. While we wait, how do you think your sound has evolved since the beginning of Broken Baby? Has your process changed at all?
Amber: Actually, you only have to wait about a week until our next song is released. PASS THE ACETONE will be out June 29th!
I think our sound is constantly evolving and moving forward. In ways that I don’t care to analyze yet. It’s been spontaneous so far, and that’s been a good thing.
Do you believe in aliens? Why or why not?
Alex: No.
Amber: Hell YEAH, I do! You’d be a dummy to think we’re the only ones to exist in this ever expanding universe. Come on!
Keep up with Broken Baby and their new music (HELLO “Pass the Acetone”!) here!
Immigration Unit – formed in April 2017 – is comprised of four musicians that are sporadically located between Basel, Torino, Geneva, and Caracas. In such a short amount of time, they are already independently releasing their debut EP Sofa Heroes on June 29th, 2018.
This premiere – which we are hosting exclusively – will absolutely shake your soul to its very core.
Let’s get this straight. I’m not telling you to go out an do drugs. You don’t need to. Save your money. “Immigration Unit” is not only the drug itself, they are the trip, the atmosphere, the sights, and the sounds. Their brand of experimental psychedelic alternative unpredictably teases and borderlines loungey, intense, melodic stoner rock. In a way they’re comparable to Beck, but less spastic. Way less spastic. You could actually chill to Immigration Unit even though there are at times just so many sounds and things going on.
The title track, “Sofa Heroes” is subtly electronic and dreary. Its start may seem abrasive and noisy but just wait. The bass line has an off-key groove while the vocals just slowly weave in and out. From a spoken word to an overdriven noisy pre-chorus. Capturing every emotion the way a year holds 4 changes of season.
“Wasting Mornings” travels an unknown winding road. Anticipatingly frightening as without warning turning the corner and sustaining a bumpless cruising speed. Unblemished vocals radiate so delicately. being accompanied by a droning silky smooth guitar line. The only predictable aspect of “Immigration Unit” is their unpredictability. as another abrupt change from subtle becomes overtaken by a drab tone that sees the vocals evolve like the wind commanding the storm to commence.
The remixed version of “Sofa Heroes” hesitantly departs from the trippy original and has a much darker texture. A trap beat is later consumed by an almost industrial feel with the utilization of thicker electronics and dirty percussive sounds.
Overall the EP is a manic mix of an unmedicated rollercoaster, This has got to be one of the better releases I’ve heard this year. Why? Well, it’s original. It’s obscure. It’s not thrown together. It literally has a directional purpose and allows you to travel with it.
Get all the details about the official release of Immigration Unit, “Sofa Heroes” by visiting their website and don’t forget to follow them on Facebook.
On June 22nd, punk rocker Lenny Zenith released his highly anticipated album Whatif the sun. His influences are from New Orleans an New York City. The twelve track journey is one for the ages; my personal favorites are “Sunday Dress”, “WhatIf The Sun”, “Whatever Stella”, and “Suddenly Someone”. This selection was made since they all have amazing guitar arrangements. “Sunday Dress”, with its indie rock feel, has a special twist with Spanish vocals. “What If The Sun” has a spectacular intro and hypnotic lyrics to jam to, as you ponder thoughts like, “Whatif the sun fell out of the sky?” Some cool guitar skills and a percussion-heavy track can be found in “Whatever Stella”. “Suddenly Someone” cools it all down for us, with lyrics talking about a lover that we can all get behind. Each single described has the possibility to relate to all audiences.
Lenny’s genre-bending style is well exposed in each song, a style he’s been harnessing since he got his start in music fronting the band RZA in the 80s. His musical prowess has further developed over the decades, as he’s lent his expertise to several incredible musical projects. What If The Sun holds clear influence from some of his own personal experiences, as well as from some of the acts he has worked with over the years.
ShamanElect just released their 13-track debut album, Mind The Ether. The Brooklyn-based alt-electro-psych-rock collective has some smooth feel on “Woman in Black”, very expressive about specific feelings. The band has the electric guitar in gear, striking a cord with listeners quite literally as the lyrics take hold. My personal favorite, “Ships Ahoy”, has a quick beat to it, and expresses the thoughts of a woman waiting for her love. The cool vibes with a rock feel make it worth listening to again and again.
Check out Shaman Elect on soundcloud where you can find 4 released singles, all of which have caught the attention of music seekers all around the world. Their rich rhythms and inspired performances lead the listeners to enjoy and experience a release through music.
SunGhosts‘ band members compiled some of their keystone musical influences. These songs and artists helped to shape the way they channel their energy into their instruments and create something new & completely original on an individual basis. Once you listen to what has inspired each band member, then you can see how SunGhosts’ sound is like sedimentary rock n’ roll (geology pun!) Be sure to pick up our album which is due out next week. It is available here.
Based in Leeds, skillful band Krrum mixes the likes of alternative style music along with electro-rock based instrumentals. In the songs “Still Love” and recently released song “Phase”, Krrum brings out not only alternative and electronic style music, but also hints of pop to where their music can appeal to all tastes.
In EP Evil Twin, they created a masterpiece using all different rhythms such as upbeat, slow, and even moderate, which allows you to feel an array of different moods based on each song. Following Evil Twin, Krrum will be releasing their new album Honeymoon which is projected to be even better than their recent releases, so if you are on the lookout for new music, be sure to check out Krrum in order to have all of your music desires fulfilled!
While Colorado-based indie/blues rock group Dream Feed – comprised of Miguel Dakota (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Ryan Wagner (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Will Gaines (Bass), and Brian Nolan (Drums) – is busy crushing it, they’ve somehow found time to create a playlist just for Imperfect Fifth. We’re digging the vibes, and hope you integrate this one into your “must listen” list.
“These are songs that inspire us to be more creative writers, performers, and musicians. And they‘re just straight up jams!” – Miguel Dakota
I think it was 93 or 94, I must have been seven, we lived in an old mill town on the Willamette River, outside of Portland, Ore. It rained a lot. It was melancholic and beautiful.
I had my own CD player, I loved it, I painted it with glitter nail polish. I had two CD’s only at first. One of which deserves no mention (some Disney movie BS) and the other, Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles. I remember buying them at the mall.
Listening and playing music inside while it rained outside was a big part of my childhood. I remember feeling like my CD player and my CD’s were gold. They were sacred. I would save up my allowance and go to the Mall and buy CD’s. My brother was always trying to sell me things. Once he sold me a nearly dead Lizard, it died within hours of me buying it. But when I could dodge his tempting sales pitches, I bought CD’s.
My Dad was a classic rock guy all the way. He was an elementary school music teacher, and mostly a pianist. When my brother and I were young though, I remember him listening to music more than playing. He would spend weekends rearranging the garage or the living room in our old farmhouse, listening to Fleetwood Mac or The Band or The Beatles or something at top volume. Our house was always uncluttered and I was exposed to a constant stream of really killer music.
I was taught to worship the Beatles at an early age, but my choice to go with Magical Mystery Tour over another record was partly the influence of a friend, and the fact that it was probably the only album my Dad didn’t have. Surely he had every other Beatles Record.
I can’t remember the name of this said friend, but my memory of her is like something out of a David Lynch film – but a kid-friendly non-violent David Lynch film. Play dates at her house were always unsupervised and bizarre. We would sit in her basement listening to her copy of Magical Mystery Tour. I think it was a tape. She was the only other 8-year old around who also dug the Beatles. I remember The Hanson’s and The Spice Girls being all the rage amongst my friends. I only knew her for that year, was it second or third grade? I can’t remember. She claimed to see ghosts and wore a lot of black for a seven or eight year old. I thought she was the coolest, jamming out to the Beatles in her basement, hoping for the ghosts to come.
My Dad (Like so many others) regarded the Beatles as the best band EVER; Of course I was massively influenced by them, I think it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been influenced by the Beatles. I think it’s important to mention how into black music they were – John Lennon was the one who named Chuck Berry “King of Rocknroll”. Was it appropriative? Sure. Rocknroll was, as we all know now, created by black people. Some of their songs feature some sexist language. You have to see them in their context, growing up in post-War England. But what they did with it all – using the Indian music and western classical, all woven together with the power and magic of this Black American idiom. With acid! So in 2018 I could look at some lyrics and think they are less cool… But their musical genius is undeniable, and their work is canon.
