Vocalist Nona Hendryx and guitarist Gary Lucas – delightfully known as Hendryx Lucas – have combined forces to create a tribute worthy of the indelible Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. A band that achieved cult status after their rise to existence in 1966, Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band was led by the great musical mind of Don Van Vliet and released 13 albums before its retirement. They focused on a blues and jazz, yet somehow always had a punk rock flare and the ability to produce brilliant, poetic lyrics.
Taking a variety of songs from different areas of his extensive catalogue, Hendryx Lucas has somehow seemed to perfectly capture both the expanse of his musical prowess and the simplistic way with which his music could profoundly enhance your environment. And they waste no time, a “start at the top” with “Sun Zoom Spark” – buoyant and entrancing in its delivery, much as its original – adding in a bit of punk flare to differentiate it just enough. They continue through the remaining eleven selected tracks in the same fashion, putting their own unique mark on each song just obvious enough to let you appreciate the individual musicianship of the two incredible artists who are doing us this fine service. What is perhaps the most endearing aspect of this release, however, is how you can begin to see how Hendryx’s funk/soul background actually enhanced her vocal abilities to be able to cover such range as Don Van Vliet. Add in the fact that Van Vliet was a huge inspiration to later generations of punk rock and those musicians are now recreating that same music with a more progressed punk sound, and it almost feels like kismet.
The World of Captain Beefheart is out now via Knitting Factory Records.
Earlier this week, London-based 19 year old singer/songwriter Chloé Bodur released her debut single, a glowing track by the name of “Glory”. Slowly and steadily, the track unwinds into this incredible, soulful experience, from the robust singing chops of the stand-out up-and-comer, to the smooth intensity of the lyrics. Her vocals have a delicate rasp to them, just enough edge to allow the track to blend equal parts rock, funk, jazz into its peaceful and enticing soundscape.
Winston-Salem-bred indie rock/alternative collective Foxture – comprised of Marlon Blackmon (Piano/Keyboard, Vocals), Eddie J Reynolds (Guitar), Andrew Irving (Drums), and Ross Barnes (Bass) – is showing us some pretty incredible chops with the release of their E D E N EP, a sparkling, six track collection that seems to bounce right out of the speakers with its energy. From the very beginning, there is no other way to describe what E D E N does better than to call it “groove-inducing,” as your hips are immediately swaying from the time you push “play.” Smooth percussion blends perfectly with Marlon’s ethereal vocals, and you’re transported to another place entirely.
In honor of the release of E D E N, we got a few words with Marlon, and a couple with Eddie. Check it out below, and let us know what you think of the EP!
What is the first song or album you ever remember hearing, and who introduced it to you?
Marlon: The first album I remember hearing was a Greatest hits compilation by the Temptations. I was very very very young, but they were my dad’s favorite artists collectively. I have always lived at least 25 to 30 minutes away from.
I guess there wasn’t really a striking moment beyond the first impression but after listening to those songs over and over, I began to learn the lyrics and their song “My girl” was the first song I learned lyrics to. From that point on I realized that I liked music, and became curious of what else was out there.
Eddie: Outkast’s song “Roses” from their The Love Below album was the first song I remember hearing. I heard that piano drop and 3 stacks yell out “CAROLINE” , and it changed my view on music with how it’s made and how versatile and unique it can be. My brother actually introduced be to it when I was nothing but a few years old. He pulled out a book of CDs, his full collection and asked me to select one of them, and that album stuck out to me. The second I heard it, my eyes lit up.
What is the Foxture origin story like? Was it a meet-cute?
Marlon: Well, Ross (bass) Eddie (guitar) and Andrew (drums) had already known each other from being in a band called Oceans Apart. I (Marlon, vocals and keyboard/synth) had been posting songs that I had recorded in my bedroom on bandcamp and Soundcloud, and people started contacting me for shows. I was just not interested due to stage fright and more specifically, the fear of not being able to replicate the layering of various parts and sounds from the recordings to a live setting influenced my interest on playing shows. So a few days after I released a solo version of our song “Surrealism” a friend of mine, who had been keeping up with what I had been working on, asked if I would be interested in playing her benefit concert for Louder Than Words, which is a benefit to help kids follow their music related dreams no matter their financial status. I thought about it, said yes, and took to a Facebook group for musicians in the area, and made a post asking if anyone wanted to help me out with full versions of songs that I already have (about 4 or 5 songs at this point). Eddie immediately responded and said, “Yo I have a bassist and a drummer” and we met up for practice and have been a band ever since.
Fast forwarding through the month that we had to prepare and learn all 5 songs, the show itself was the most awkward I have ever felt LOL. It was in this gorgeous concert hall at UNCG, under bright, bright, bright fluorescent lights. This was my first ever show, so I was super awkward and uncomfortable and we messed up pretty bad. But I remember walking fast backstage after that performance, sitting on the floor, and saying, “We need to book more shows.” I refused to let THAT performance define us and wanted to overshadow it so badly.
Your EP Eden dropped recently. If this collection of songs were a Thanksgiving meal item – whether it be an app like fancy cheese, the stuffing or cranberry sauce or turkey, or dessert – what would it be and why?
Marlon: Hmmm, I would have to say, red velvet cake. The icing would be reminiscent to the effects that we put into the album, and when you cut into the, soft, fluffy textures that seemingly melt in your mouth, its very satisfying.
Eddie: Mac & Cheese. Get lost in the gooey and cheesy goodness.
The music you make has always had a lightweight feel to it, but Eden has this almost translucent, otherworldly feel to it. Was this a noticeable and purposeful step in your sound, or did it just kind of happen organically?
Marlon: So, this is the sound that we have been trying to hone in on from the beginning. Emotions and feeling can be very abstract things, therefore we want our music to be as dreamlike as possible. We want people to have no choice but to fall into a lucid, hypnotic sense of thinking, and experiencing our music in general.
Any fun anecdotes from the recording process?
Marlon: We often laugh at the fact that I wrote “Understanding pt. 2” before I met the guys, and way before I wrote “understanding pt. 1”. Before I decided to change the name to Foxture, I recorded solo projects under the name “Lock & Key” and after realizing that a million bands and artists had that same name, I wanted something that was my own, that didn’t exist anywhere else. I liked the way foxes carry themselves in the wilderness, so because “Fox posture” didn’t roll off the tongue how I wanted it to, I merged the 2 words into “Foxture”, and “understanding pt. 2” was the first thing that I posted under that name.
What are you most looking forward to about this release?
Marlon: I felt like whatever the understanding series was going to be, THAT would be the second part of it. There was also a creative challenge of looking back at previous instances that inspired “understanding pt. 2” and trying to connect them for my own development as a person. We tend to understand (HAH) things better in hindsight anyway and, at that time, I was experiencing some serious writer’s block and that was a perfect way to open up and articulate the series more accurately.
With this release, we are looking forward to being able to communicate our vision more effectively and accurately. We are more than happy with this record and we had a lot of fun making it as well. I would say this ep is a perfect setup for a full length album, which we are currently working on.
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And we can’t wait to hear it! E D E N is available now. Keep up with Foxture here.
In The City of Angels, one often finds themselves in taxicabs with strangers. One such chance encounter led to the conception of pop duo Thunder Jackson. And we’re in luck, as their debut single “Guilty Party” – which has already hit #1 on the main chart on Hype Machine – now has its own official music video.
Made of what seems to be random, old, pieced together clips, we get to witness a lot of people dancing and rocking out from past years. In fact, it seems to be made exclusively of those scenes from 80s movies where the protagonist has to “dance it out” and, quite surprisingly, we adore the energy it brings to the table. Set with the backdrop of the smooth sounds of “Guilty Party” – which, even at such a sassy mid-tempo, still makes you want to get up and dance – these are some dance moves you’ll want to emulate very soon.
Los Angeles-based surf rock quartet Kat Myers & The Buzzards – comprised of namesake Kat Myers, Elliott Beenk, Johnny Elkins, and Jeff McElroy – recently dropped debut five track EP Owe Everybody Money. Riddled with music that was conceptualized after a sharp turn in her career path, Owe Everybody Money grants us a peek inside the mind of someone who grabbed life by the reigns when she realized it wasn’t going the way her heart wanted. Kat has developed a sound with her band that feels rugged, at times twangy – “Reluctant Love”, for instance, boasts more of an americana feel to it -, and pure rock at its core. (I mean, have you HEARD “Under The Rug” yet?) But it’s a completely genre-bending project, as her vocals do house a bit of a country vibe to them, but also feel similar to the crooning abilities of Mary Ramsey.
Third track “The Things I Love” begins with Myers capturing the listener’s attention by singing slightly off-key, giving the song a real kick of that independent, badass feeling that Myers looks to be establishing with the development of her sound. What is particularly curious is that the track was written as a commentary on Myers’ own religious upbringing, and is actually quite introspective if you slow down a bit to listen to the lyrical content. While “So Kind” has the lines that house the title of the EP, it is also a love letter of sorts, a country ballad at its finest. The band rounds out the EP with a slightly slower track, “Another Town Live At KCSN”, allowing the guitars to drive it in a way that is 70s psychedelia at its core. It’s a beautiful, enchanting way to end the work, and we can’t wait to show this one off to the family all weekend.
Owe Everybody Money is out now. Keep up with Kat Myers & The Buzzards here.
As if they’re not already beginning the narrative with a pretty intense band name, Sweden-based psych garage rock collective Baby Jesus – comprised of Fredrik Kristoffersson (guitar/vox), Elis Jäghammar (bass/vox),Svante Pålsson, and Rasmus Högdin – took it a step further earlier this year with the release of their full-length album titled Took Our Sons Away. Clearly developed with a different frame of mind than their 2015 self-titled debut, the guys of Baby Jesus have somehow managed to bottle their live show energy into their sound, something that many bands never have the knack – and perhaps not even the want- for.
Starting with “Feel For You Girl”, you’re looped into this false sense of nostalgia with the rough production and beautiful, lush ambiance to the instrumentals. It makes you just want to prep for a progressive/badass sock hop, and we’re pretty sure you’ll know what we mean when you hear those first chords. While “Over and Over Again” really goes wild, waning guitars and the mostly-yelled-but-sometimes-delivered-with-finesse-vocals that Baby Jesus has really become known for allow you to settle into the sound. “All Out” and “Down South” carry similar toe-tapping beats, while “That’s All Right” carries an album slow down that we were starting to need. Really, the track has the same freeing garage sound as its predecessors, though it feels more like a garage ballad if we were to categorize it.
But those first five tracks don’t even begin to scratch the surface of what there is to enjoy about Took Our Sons Away. A delectable collection of diverse and captivating moods, whirring instrumentals, and a pension for the spotlight drive these four men into our hearts as they take us on a fourteen-track journey through parts of the last two years of their lives. From the 50s doo-wop feels of “Hold My Hand” to the hint of 13th Floor Elevators in “Ain’t Got No Place To Go” (among others), to the eerie static sounds of “Baby Jesus – The Beat”, we’re floored by the band’s ability to keep us on our toes for this long.
But that’s not all. At the time of release, the masters for Baby Jesus’ 3rd full-length were being prepped, and we’re expecting new music in early 2018 already. So consider yourselves spoiled. We know we do.
Took Our Sons Away is out now on Yippee Ki Yay Records. Keep up with Baby Jesus here.
This weekend, Gainesville-based alternative rock/indie collective The Forum – comprised of Michael Higgins, Nick Wheeler, Jacob Farrell, and Alex Klausner – dropped a surprise 6 track EP into our laps, and we cannot tell you how thrilling it’s been to dig into it. Illuminate initiates its journey with the undeniably upbeat track “Father Hunger” – despite its quirky, almost existential, lyrics – that lures you charmingly right into mid-tempo track “My Chest Is Your Dance Floor”. The title itself is captivating, the song following the narrative of giving someone permission to, for lack of a better term, stomp all over you.
“Neurons” is led by an intricate and fun percussion section, the sound swirling into a relatively upbeat song with more of a veil over it, which can be found in the twinge of darkness in the vocals. By “Stop Singing”, we’re enveloped in bewitching guitar chords as a jazzy feel to the instrumentals appears and continues right into fifth track “Aftertaste”. In fact, there is something about the vocals that keep us playing this one on repeat, so it might take a minute for you guys to catch up as well, but last track “Blue Jay” is this intricately concocted layered track, beginning delicately and then tumbling into a cacophony of crashing symbols and passion. It’s presented as though the song begins as a timid, introvert of a specimen and slowly develops its ability to speak up and completely annihilate the environment around it.
Though his musical prowess spans years of experience in the Los Angeles music scene, Spencer Robinson’s latest indie/alternative folk project – Spencer Robinson and The Wolf Spiders – focuses on a darker sound. And they’re preparing to release a new eight track album on November 24th, so we sat down to listen to it so you can get a feel for what’s to come.
It’s a lot of darkness, but a lot of fun.
Steady percussion begins first track “Drink Gasoline, Spit Fire”, splintering into a 70s rock feel. Once Spencer’s vocals hit, the tone of the song becomes more mysterious than before, as he sings with a jaded attitude – it is essentially a Sons of Anarchy drinking song – that would suggest a true old soul might live “beneath the surface.” While “Killer on The Farm Tonight” might have a title that seems a little off-kilter, it can be a very real fear for people who live in rural areas. (Especially after viewing particularly scary movies.) Still, the lyrics allow it to be a little bit more of a fun song. “Bleed Me” gets pretty vulnerable, as Spencer sings of pulling poison out of his body, a process that can get intimate. Really, if we’re looking for a widely translatable approach, he’s singing about ridding himself of demons and negativity of the past.
But don’t allow yourself to get enveloped by talks of blood, as you’ll soon have to come up for air just to “Enter the Void”. An introspective track, lines like “Are you lost inside your head?” and “What’s it all about?” allow you the distinct pleasure of pondering those thoughts as the song slowly meanders along. And though “September” is now long gone, we don’t have a substantial answer for Spencer’s question as to where it actually went. He goes on to sing about darkness – the coming of shorter days, it seems – and the loss of time, which he spins into having a lack of his own faculties before an abrupt end as he takes his “last breath.” And you won’t be finding any warm fuzzies in “Take Me To The Killing Floor”, but you will find yourself intrigued with the details as the track unfolds. Seventh track “10 Years of Fire” lightens the entire album up instrumentally, replete with chimes. He’s taken ten years of transgressions and thrown them on a contrasting backdrop, while simultaneously allowing even the most ethereal sounds to spin you wildly out of control. He rounds it all out with “Teenage Supernova”, a track that feels slower, like it retrieved more inspiration from California surf rock than a grunge or folk scene. The guitars match that feel, and almost gives off a positive – certainly less-than-jaded – feel of confidence.
If only we could all be Teenage Supernovas…
Beneath The Surface is out November 24th via Rusty Knuckles. Keep up with Spencer Robinson and The Wolf Spiders here.
A few weeks ago, Los Angeles based punk project ExSage (led by Kate Clover) released a three track EP titled Total Devotion. A work that seems to bring out the listener’s inner badass, it focuses on rough, dark guitar riffs and soul-infused vocals that ooze a mature and wide-reaching understanding of the music landscape of the last few decades. “Under Your Spell” is a track that vilifies the residual effects of a love interest’s pull on Clover’s heart strings. What Clover really does well is transports you with that vocal talent, bringing out the psychedelic, kaleidoscope-tinged feel of bluesy 70s rock, simultaneously worthy of modern play and beige leather fringe jackets. While “Come Alive” provides a truly toe-tapping beat that pulls from clear 80s rock with a little Madonna flare, “So Intertwined” really plays with synth and reverb to create a track that almost bounces from decade to decade with each new stanza, drawing the most party-ready sound into the fold just in time to amp you up for whatever life brings your way.
Total Devotion is out now. Keep up with ExSage here.
