by Meredith Schneider | Feb 5, 2019 | albums, review
Indie Psych trio Lost Cousins – comprised of Cam Duffin, Thomas Dashney, and Lloyd McArton – has released their full-length, an album titled In Scenery. There is not a moment of disappointment with this album, as they make sure to ignite it in its entirety with an undeniable energy, starting with the establishment freeing, intense reverb in “Stay”. Crashing cymbals and whirring guitars lead us through “Mindmaker” and “City Escape”, while “Seajets” is presented as far calmer, perhaps a hint of Coldplay playing at its core.
“Trails” is an absolute ballad, slow and steady compared to – but just as powerful as – its predecessors. “Montreal” really gets your hips moving again, with instrumentals that make you feel like actual glitter. “Forest Floor” is the most ambience-inducing track, the pace picking back up with the incredibly danceable “Shores”, Beginning with simplistic piano chords, “Nothing” rounds the album out with the most melancholic song – sonically and lyrically – of the collection.
Lost Cousins has proven their chops, and we’re all in.
Keep up with Lost Cousins here.
by Ian Schneider | Feb 1, 2019 | albums, review
The Moth & The Flame have returned to the forefront of alt-pop with the release of their new album Ruthless. The Provo, Utah natives have channeled immense depression and anxiety into their new release, and it comes through in waves of pop synths and harrowing vocals. Brandon Robbins (vocals, guitar), Mark Garbett (keyboards/vocals), and Andrew Tolman (drums) have been together since 2011, pushing their sound further and further with each release. With the release of Young & Afraid in 2016, which defined the trio by NPR Music as “channeling a pop sound, the group shows its resilience” while maintaining “a wonderful moodiness to the music that always lands right in the sweet spot”, the fans clamored for more from the musicians from Utah.
After a successful kidney transplant in 2016 between Robbins and Corey Fox (founder of Provo’s all-ages music venue, Velour) the band felt at the top of their game and began to release single after to single. All these releases led to the culmination of Ruthless, which embodies the fighting spirit of the group. The ebbs and flows of the album are intriguing to say the least. The opening track, “The New Great Depression”, has a lot more poppy feel than the title would suggest, but the lyrics behind said pop sound suggest otherwise. It is rare these days to listen to music that constantly forces you into contemplation and in-depth thought, and Ruthless is chock full of this thought provoking music. The use of voice distortion is used perfectly on the track “What Do I Do”, catching you off guard about half-way into the song, but it is a pleasant surprise. “Lullaby IV”, the closing track, is reminiscent of punk, but with a dash of voice distortion and a soft-pop outro.
Robbins had this to say about how the album came together through so much strife: “What we wanted to show people was the journey through anxiety and depression,” he says, “not just the lows but the highs as well.”
Ruthless is out now! You can also get more information about The Moth & The Flame here.
by Meredith Schneider | Feb 1, 2019 | albums, review
February 2019 is off to a wild start, especially with today’s release of You Found Me, the full-length from Cody Votolato’s latest project JR Slayer. “JR Slayer in its current form is a sacred home for me,” admits Votolato. “It is a safe space to start new conversations with art and music and understand how I relate not only to it, but myself. Not one where I am trying to receive as much as I give to it, but one that allows me to fully realize myself while being able to step out of my comfort zone.”
Starting with the meandering pace – but huge impact – of “I’ll Never Leave You” featuring Jenny Lee, the album rolls into the slower, more delicate harmonies of “There is Nothing Else Around Me” before picking up for the slightly quirkier and more danceable “Half Lyfe”.
“Nothing & Nowhere to Hide” brings a more polished, pop sound with a vulnerable bed of lyrics, while “This Is Alone” really simplifies – and induces melancholy into – the soundscape. “I Think I Might Die” has, perhaps, the most directly morbid of titles in the collection, though at its core it is a simply beautiful love song. “In A Sea Of Anonymity” slowly layers itself, as the lyrics address fate and hope in a very wonderful way.
By this time, it’s clear that JR Slayer has a way of taking things that seem joyful, and sprinkling them with melancholy. On the flip side, he is fully capable of taking something seemingly negative and brutal (like the titles), and adding a flare for the positive. Either way, he’s managed a very tactical balancing act across the whole of the work, and we’re very impressed that it carries into “How Could Love B So Cruel?” with its lush and trudging instrumentals, and straight into the last track, “40 Extra Minutes in Heaven”.
If you don’t believe us, try it on for size. Either way, let us know what you think in the Facebook comments!
Keep up with JR Slayer here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 28, 2019 | albums, review
On Friday, acid rock trio Protovulcan – comprised of Deric Criss, Will MacLean, and Nick Ammerman – released a new 8-track EP titled The Split. From the very first chaotic chords of “Pine for You”, the listener is drenched in this gorgeous, layered rock n’ roll sound that stands out among the rest. Though Protovulcan’s songs are void of human vocals, we are provided muffled robotic ones, along with a heightened sense that the past and future met on this work of art. While “The Force Remains the Same” is a party song instrumentally, “Snake Legend” has a sound that seems to layer into itself, a kaleidoscope perhaps less so in any type of vintage origin, and more so in its progression. The texture alone is something to write home about, and this is one of our favorite tracks on the release.
“Waking Up Dinosaurs” lands itself in that psychedelic area that we assumed its predecessor would take us to, a bit belated but equally as impressive. “Purple Sky” is, in reality, a glittering, chaotic cacophony of sound for the most part. By the time “Celestial Slingshot” hits, the robotic vocals are so prominent that they lead the track, sounding like a clash between an electronic keyboard and a accordion. The Oscillator Bug Remix of the same adds more lightweight instrumentals into the soundscape, bringing it to an even higher ethereal level than the original. We’re especially smitten with the way they placed the two tracks back-to-back, so a layman could identify the differences and insane progression from one into the next. By track eight, we are being dragged back into “Purple Sky”, though this badass track is an Odd Nosdam Remix, so there are ver important details that have been manipulated from the original, making it a standalone track on its own and the perfect way to round out the EP.
Keep up with Protovulcan here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 25, 2019 | albums, review
New York City’s favorite rock band Sunflower Bean – comprised ofJacob Faber (drums), Julia Cumming (vox/bass), and Nick Kivlen (vocals/guitar) – just released their latest EP – King Of The Dudes – and we’ve got some thoughts. (Yes, we understand the level of our claim, but try them on for size if you haven’t yet and you just might agree!) Starting with the title track, the EP introduces some pretty great guitar parts before the vocals are even introduced. As the song sets the tone to the EP with its badass edge, the fact that it serves as such strong social commentary is simply entrancing. “Come For Me” is no exception, and preceded the release of the EP with flying colors, attracting the attention of the music industry in an intense and fun way.
“Fear City” has more of a 90s rock feel to it instrumentally, a sunshine-y disposition to start. but delves into nooks and crannies of vocals that don’t necessarily reflect that positivity. And that’s OK, because this band has somehow mastered a heightened use of distraction with their soundscapes, intricate and beautiful in their existence. Of course, Sunflower Bean pulls off a vintage flare with last track “The Big One”, leaving us all tapping our toes and feeling like we can take on the world.
Keep up with Sunflower Bean here.
by Meredith Schneider | Jan 22, 2019 | albums, review
KONGOS ‘ groovy appeal is almost enigmatic. Their fun melodies and the band’s chemistry might stem from the fact that the four-piece is comprised of brothers Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Danny Kongos. Now based in Arizona, the band released their latest full-length – a 10-track project titled 1929, Pt. 1 – on January 18th. “Something New” speaks of things we can all relate to, whether political, music-wise (And if you are, this new album hits that spot!), or in our relationships. With a percussion-led instrumental section, “I Am Not Me” is a self-reflective song, infused with a fun beach feel, despite its melancholic lyrics. While “Stand Up” has more of an ethereal soundscape, “Pay for the Weekend” reeks of rock n’ roll.
“Wild Hearts” slows it all down quite a bit, simplifying the landscape for us and injecting every line with the deepest intention of emotion we’ve yet to be exposed to. Ever. While “Real Life” speeds the pace up a bit, “Keep Your Head” is the obvious party track of them all, working guitar licks in and around a pop-rock vibe we are 100% on board with. “Everything Must Go” goes into a very obvious U2 direction. A ballad, if you will. “When You’re Here” breaks it all down into an easy breezy soundscape – worthy of the warmest of weather – and the album is rounded out nicely with the robust, intense sounds of “4543”. Quirky enough to keep our ears perked, we’re probably going to be spinning this title for the remainder of the day.
Keep up with KONGOS here.
