Category: Single Review

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Brat’ya is the brainchild of Azerbaijani-born and Buffalo, NY based electronic music artist and producer Alek Ogadzhanov. “Call Me,” the title track and first single off Brat’ya’s forthcoming Call Me EP reveals that the Azerbaijani-born, Buffalo, NY-based producer and artist specializes in a retro-futurtistc sound that some have initially compared to contemporary electro pop artists such as Metronomy, Chromeo and Miami Horror — although to my ears I’m immediately reminded of Yaz‘s “Situation” as the song pairs cascading layers of shimmering synths, a propulsive motorik-like groove and falsetto vocals singing lyrics about waiting for a potential significant other/significant other to show interest in you — with the song’s narrator lamenting over the fact that he has no idea if or when his significant other will reach out and why it’s taking so long.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Earlier this year you may recall that I wrote about Joshua Tree, CA-based psych rock quartet Sugar Candy Mountain. Comprised of founding member Will Halsey (vocals, guitar), Ash Reiter (vocals, guitar), The Beehavers‘ Bryant Dennison (guitar) and The Electric Magpie‘s Peter Maffei (bass), the psych rock quartet can trace their origins to when Halsey, who has had stints as a drummer in renowned Bay Area-based bands like The Blank Tapes, fpodbpod and Ash Reiter‘s backing band, began the project as a bedroom recording project in which Halsey initially wrong songs in the vein of of Montreal and The Beach Boys. Shortly after Halsey began the project, Reiter joined him and the duo began writing songs together. And interestingly enough, there was a brief period in which they experimented with electro pop songs before they had gone on a decidedly psychedelic direction after Reiter had started obsessively collecting effects pedals. Denison, who also was a bassist and former bandmate in Ash Reiter’s backing band with Reiter and Halsey, joined on as a guitarist (which was interestingly enough, his first instrument).

The band’s recently released album 666, the Joshua Tree, CA-based quartet will further cement their burgeoning reputation for a sound that has been described as being indebted to Jacco Gardner, Tame Impala and the classic psych rock sounds of 60s Laurel Canyon. The album’s first single, album title track “666” possessed an uncanny attention o dreamy melody with the band pairing Reiter’s gorgeous and chilly crooning with gently fuzzy guitar chords, soaring and ethereal organ chords with gentle almost minimalist drumming. Yes, it sounds as though it could have been  was recently discovered in a used record store — perhaps one like Last Vestige in Albany — but with a subtly modern production sheen. 666‘s latest single “Windows” is a slow-burning and contemplative track that features some gorgeously shimmering guitar work, gently padded drumming and jazz-like xylophone with Reiter’s ethereal vocals floating through a mix that will further cement the band’s burgeoning reputation for a classic psych sound straight out of 1966.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Although little is known about up-and-coming Los Angeles, CA-based electronic music production unit and electronic music act The Dedbtz; they  recently collaborated with up-and-coming electro pop artist BRĒZY, who the Southern California-based production unit discovered on Spotify’s Weekend Buzz playlist and quickly reached out to collaborate with for their latest single “How Much I Need You.” Consisting of a buoyant and club-rocking production consisting of handclap-led percussion, layers of wobbling and shuffling synths, glitchy background electronics, tweeter and woofer rocking low end along with BRĒZY’s expressive vocals. Lyrically, the song focuses on a relationship between complete opposites that the song’s narrator recognizes is confusing and unusual and yet is something she feels inexplicably pulled towards — and in a way that’s both frightening and thrilling. Combined with the production, the song evokes the swooning confusion and self-doubt filled days of a newfound love in a way that feels and sounds familiar.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Perhaps best known as the co-founder of Department of Eagles, multi-instrumentalist Fred Nicolaus’ solo, side project Golden Suits quickly won attention with the release of a self-titled full-length album that thematically focused around a breakup and an obsession with a collection of short stories by John Cheever. And as a result, Nicolaus developed a reputation for crafting contemplative, folk-leaning indie rock; however, with the release of “Is It Wrong” the multi-instrumentalist reveals a subtle change of sonic and songwriting approach as the song manages to sound like a breezy and mischievous version of The National covering the likes of Tom Petty and Paul McCartney.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Sibling is a somewhat mysterious Los Angeles, CA-based electro pop duo who first came to the attention of the blogosphere with the release of their debut “Easy” earlier this year. Building on the buzz they’ve received so far, the mysterious Southern California duo’s latest single “Westside” has the duo pairing an atmospheric production consisting of industrial clang and clatter, sparse yet shimmering cascades of synth and pop star belter vocals with an rousingly earnest, anthemic hook — but just underneath the song’s breezy and radio-friendly air is a swooning and bittersweet longing as the song lyrically is based on lead vocalist’s Elodie’s estrangement from her sisters.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past few months, you may recall that I’ve previously written about Melbourne, Australia-based Latin music nonet San Lazaro. Featuring band members, who claim heritage from all over the Spanish speaking world — including Chile, Cuba, Catalonia and elsewhere. And as result, the Australian act have developed a reputation for a sound that draws across the Latin Diaspora as it possesses elements of reggaeton, salsa, Cuban son, 70s New York salsa and 60s Peruvian cumbia in an effortlessly seamless fashion; in fact, the band has simultaneously developed a reputation for being Melbourne’s preeminent Latin acts, as the band’s 2012 release Clave contra Clave helped the band win Best Australian Latin Band, and their single “Muchacho Tranquilo” was included on the 2014 Rough Guide to Psychedelic Salsa compilation.

La Despedida (which translates from Spanish to English as “The Farewell”) the Melbourne-based nonet’s latest effort, appropriately focuses on some familiar themes to all of us — breakups, loss, insomnia, political protests and more. And adding to the emotional weight is the fact that the material is also deeply informed by the fact that the band has broken up and reconvened several times. Now, you may remember that “Amor De Despedida” was a propulsive song that balanced swooning heartache with a bitter, kiss off to someone who made the song’s narrator feel ambivalent and confused emotions, “La Ola” the album’s latest single is a swinging and bouncing bit of cumbia that has the band pairing twangy country music-like guitars with a propulsive and insistent rhythm and an enormous horn line to craft a song that’s inspired by the Chica cumbia sound of 1970s Peru — while the song’s narrator tells a woeful tale about a fickle love that seems to to come and go as she pleases, and as you listen to the song, the song’s narrator expresses a frustrated, bemused and ambivalent bitterness over it while admitting that they seem hopelessly pulled into a situation they can’t quite control.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised Anna Haara Kristoferson (vocals, melodica), Joanna Curwood (guitar, vocals), Moa Papillon (guitar, vocals), Raissa Pardini (bass, vocals) and Ruth Nitkiewicz (drums), London, UK-based indie rock quintet Yassassin can trace their origins to the members of the band spent time in The History of Apple Pie and LUST, and with their first single “Social Politics,” the London-based quintet specialize in 90s alt rock inspired indie rock that sounds as though it draws from Sonic Youth, The Breeders and others as shimmering guitar chords are paired with a propulsive groove and shouted lyrics — but with a subtly political bent. As the the band notes within press notes that the song “ is about standing up to the bullies, both in personal life and in today’s society. It’s about not always fitting the norm but daring to go your own way. It’s about rebelling against the ‘zombie scene,’ which could be either a social clique where only certain people are accepted, or a society where racism is becoming more glaringly visible.” Based on how things are going, we need more songs and art that encourage people to be individuals and to go their own away.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

25-year-old producer and classically trained multi-instrumentalist Paul Dixon, best known as Fyfe, first caught the attention of the blogosphere with the release of “Solace,” a single that topped the Hype Machine charts and gained a number of renowned fans including Childish Gambino and London Grammar — all without the support of a label, manager or publicist. Building on the buzz that he’s received, he released his full-length debut, Closer, an album that thematically was about having a stronger sense of who you are and what you want.

“Better Man,” Dixon’s latest single is a collaboration that features Peter Greyson and The Iskra String Quartet is a mournful single that pairs sparse, electronic production featuring skittering percussion, shimmering synths paired with a gorgeous string arrangement and achingly plaintive vocals to craft a sound that sounds as though it were inspired by Bonobo’s The North Borders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Gary, IN-born, New York-based (by way of a lengthy stint in Nashville, TN), emcee, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Harold Simmons II, best known as FYUTCH can trace the origins of his musical and performance career to when he first starting to gain attention as a young public speaker, who had given speakers at a number of public events — including Mayor Scott L. King’s campaign banquet and on the steps of Congress. When Simmons (alto sax and lead vocals) was 17, he formed Legendary Biscuits and Gravy along with several friends Eric Sexton (keyboard), Brandon Holt (drums), Wesley Winfrey (tenor sax) and Brady Surface (bass), and the quintet quickly came to regional acclaim — they were nominated for Southern Entertainment Awards Best Indy R&B Artist of the Year in 2007 and over the next two years, the band performed at the Next Big Nashville Festival on bills that included several nationally recognized bands including The Pink Spiders, Sam and Ruby, as well as opening for Kanye West, GZA and Nappy Roots.

In 2009, under the moniker of Future the Artist, Simmons released his self-produced, solo debut The Sci Fly EP which was nominated for a Nashville Music Award for Best Urban Recording of the Year. He followed that up by the Overnight Mixtape series in which he recorded and released six mixtapes, recording each mixtape during an overnight studio session and releasing it for a free download the next day — and the mixtapes caught the attention of Nashville Scene, who wrote that the emcee, singer/songwriter and producer was dominating the local, indie scene; in fact that fourth mixtape of the series features collaborations with Bun B and GLC. And with the attention he was receiving, Simmons opened for the likes of Wale, Pharrell, Little Brother and Afroman.

After graduating from Belmont University, Simmons along with fellow Nashville-based artist Chancellor Warhol recorded “Bonus Lvl/Fly Away,” which appeared the HBO Canada series Less Than Kind and E!’s Khloe and Lamar, adding to a growing national profile, followed by an appearance at 2012’s SXSW.

By late 2012, Simmons changed his name to FYUTCH (pronounced Fuetch) after discovering that there was another artist by the name of Future, who was starting to receive national attention. Since then he has had a number of releases — the Mr. Flaptop, which was executive produced by DJ Rob “Sir” Lazenby and featured guest spots from Mike Stud, Futuristic, Mello Rello, Whitney Coleman and production by G-Pop, Wick-it the Instigator and The FANS; a psychedelic hip-hop concept EP Peace, Love and FYUTCH which was produced by G-Pop and featured deeply obscure samples and world music percussion.

Simmons’ latest single “Funked Up,” produced by Solar Shield is a Dam-Funk inspired jam that pairs twisting, turning and shimmering synths, a sinuous bass line, a propulsive motorik groove and Simmons rhyming a hilarious tell off to a lover, who has fucked with his head and heart and yet still is attracted to — and throughout the song, the song’s narrator expresses frustration, bemusement and lust simultaneously in an incredibly slick, dance-floor friendly song.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

If you’ve been frequenting this site over its six year history, you’ve likely made yourself familiar with New York-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and long-term JOVM mainstay artist Rene Lopez. And over the years, Lopez has uncompromisingly refused to be pigeonholed into one particular genre. Over the years, Lopez has managed to mesh salsa, boogaloo, old-school hip-hop, meringue and electronica into one cohesive whole on E.L.S.; salsa and 7os Brazilian music on his most deeply personal effort Paint the Moon Gold; and slinkily seductive synth-based R&B and funk, inspired by Prince, The Gap Band, Rick James, Chic and others on Love Has No Mercy and its subsequent releases.

Now, much like The Raveonettes and several others, Lopez has spent the past year on a single of the month series that he’s dubbed the Jam of the Month. The last and latest single of the series “Who Stole Your Heart” is a swaggering 80s freestyle and hip-hop inspired track that pairs Lopez’s silky smooth vocals with big wobbling, tweeter and woofer rocking 808s and layers of cascading synths to craft a dance floor ready party jam that sounds as though it drew from Herbie Hancock “Rockit” and others.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Although they’ve gone through a number of lineup changes and members relocating to various locations up an down the Pacific Coast — with members currently based in Seattle, Vancouver and Oakland — Happy Diving is a indie rock quintet that initially formed in the Bay Area back in 2013 and within a short period of time, the quintet developed a reputation regionally for high-energy live shows and for being remarkably prolific. Building on the buzz that they’ve received, the quintet reconvened to write and record the material that would comprise their forthcoming full-length Electric Soul Unity which is slated for an August 19, 2016 through Tophself Records.

“Head Spell,” the latest single off Electric Soul Unity is a slow-burning 90s alt-rock inspired ballad consisting of enormous, buzzing and sludgy power chord and anthemic hook that sounds as though it draws from the likes of Pavement, Dinosaur, Jr. and others — while also firmly adding their names to a growing list of 90s alt rock inspired contemporary acts, including Brooklyn-based trio Dead Stars.

The band will be on tour throughout the summer and it’ll include an August 8, 2016 stop at Shea Stadium. Check out the tour dates below.

 

TOUR DATES
JUL 23 – Oakland, CA @ The Rat’s Nest
JUL 24 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Arlene Francis Center (w/ Gun Outfit, Tony Molina)
JUL 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hi Hat
JUL 26 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
JUL 27 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
JUL 28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Small Engine Gallery
JUL 29 – Oklahoma City, OK @ TBD
JUL 30 – Ft Worth, TX @ Purple Palace
JUL 31 – Houston, TX @ Vinyl Edge Records

AUG 1 – New Orleans, LA @ Saturn Bar
AUG 2 – Nashville, TN @ Two Boots
AUG 4 – Richmond, VA @ TBD
AUG 5 – Raleigh, NC @ Pinhook
AUG 6 – Baltimore, MD @ TBD
AUG 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Lava Space
AUG 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium (w/ Ovlov, Patio, Peaer)
AUG 10 – Providence, RI @ Tommy’s Place
AUG 11 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott (w/ Kindling, California X)
AUG 12 – Amherst, MA @ TBD
AUG 13 – Montreal, QB @ Poisson Noir
AUG 14 – Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha
AUG 15 – Detroit, MI @ TBD
AUG 16 – Milwaukee, WI @ High Dive
AUG 17 – Bloomington, IN @ Jan’s Rooms
AUG 18 – Eau Claire, WI @ TBD
AUG 19 – Duluth, MN @ Northern Isolation Fest
AUG 20 – Minneapolis, MN @ Dead Media (early show)
AUG 21 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag
AUG 24 – Calgary, AB @ Tubby Dog
AUG 26 – Vancouver, BC @ Antisocial Skate Shop
AUG 27 – Olympia, WA @ TBD
AUG 27 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos (w/ Chastity Belt, So Pitted)
AUG 29 – Portland, OR @ TBD
AUG 30 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill (w/ Creative Adult, Never Young, Plush)

 

Electric Soul Unity is Happy Diving‘s forthcoming album, out August 19 on Topshelf Records. “Head Spell” is the west coast band’s version of a ballad — tender yet loud, the inescapable wall of riffs pummel any shred of sentimentality into a fist-pumping scorcher. The album’s brilliant first single, “Holy Ground” is an onslaught of in-your-face rock.

Formed in the suburbs of San Francisco’s East Bay in 2013, Happy Diving has gained notoriety for their blistering, high-energy performances and prolific release output. Though the band has seen various member and location changes (now with members living in Seattle, Vancouver and Oakland), the five-piece reconvenes this summer for their first ever North American tour, playing shows with Tony Molina, Ovlov, California X, Chastity Belt, So Pitted, and Creative Adult along the way.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of brothers Andrew (guitar) and Steven McKeller (bass, lead vocals and keys), Richard Wouters (drums and percussion) and Kevin Dailey (keyboards and backing vocals), indie rock quartet Civil Twilight initially formed as a at trio in Cape Town, South Africa influenced by The Police, early U2, Muse, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead before recently relocating to Nashville, TN.  And with the release of their critically applauded Story of an Immigrant, the newly constituted quartet have quickly developed a reputation for a soaring, anthemic and broodingly atmospheric songs that sound indebted to The Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree-era U2 — with a subtle bit of shoegaze thrown in.

Building on the buzz that Story of an Immigrant received, the Nashville-based quartet will be re-releasing the album through Wind Up Records on July 16; however, this time with all acoustic versions of the album’s material. And to celebrate both the re-issuing of Story of an Immigrant and the announcement of a headlining tour throughout the Midwest, the band released a bonus track from the re-issue,  a hauntingly spectral, slow-burning cover of Billy Idol‘s “Dancing With  Myself,” which manages to give a completely different reinterpretation of a familiar and overplayed 80s mega-hit, turning the song into a lonely, late night ballad that you’d slow dance to with a lover — or as the song says, by yourself.

As I mentioned earlier, the band will be on tour throughout July. Check out tour dates below:

TOUR DATES:
* with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness 

7/03 National Cherry Festival – Traverse City MI
7/05 Adado Riverfront Park – Lansing MI
7/07 The Intersection – Grand Rapids MI *
7/08 Blissfest Roots Music Festival – Petoskey MI
7/14 New Daisy Theatre – Memphis TN *
7/19 The Old Rock House – St Louis MO
7/20 Schubas Tavern – Chicago IL
7/21 Wooly’s – Des Moines IA *
7/22 The Blue Note – Columbia MO *
Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Initially formed in 2011 by its founding duo and childhood Brodie J Brummer and Gemma O’Connor, Melbourne, Australia-based indie rock act Flyying Colours first exploded into the national scene with the release of their debut single “Wavygravy” and two critically acclaimed EPs  for a sound that possesses elements of shoegaze, psych rock and grunge. With the recent recruitment of Melanie Barbaro and Andy Lloyd Russell to flesh out the band’s sound, the Australian quartet are set to expand their profile with the forthcoming release of their full-length debut Mindfulness which is slated for a September release through Club AC30.

Mindfulness‘ first single “It’s Tomorrow Now” is a noisy and towering squall of sound in which the band pairs buzzing power chords and incredible guitar pyrotechnics, a propulsive motorik groove and an anthemic hook with an uncanny sense of melody submerged into a song that sounds as though it channels The Jesus and Mary Chain — but with a dreamy sensibility at its core.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Comprised of four singer/songwriters Adrian Olsen, Alexandra Spalding, James Mason and JL Hodges, along with multi-instrumentalist Charlie Glenn, the Richmond, VA-based quintet Avers first caught national attention with the release of their 2014 debut effort, Empty Light, an effort that had them opening for Foo Fighters and J.  Roddy Walston and The Business, along with an appearance at last year’s SXSW that was praised by a number of major outlets including Esquire and The Daily Beast. Building upon the buzz they’ve received, the Virginia-based quintet’s anticipated sophomore effort Omega/Whatever was written,  recorded and self-produced at their unofficial headquarters Montrose Recording — and the album, which is slated for a July 29, 2016 release through Egghunt Records reportedly focuses on struggling through life in the modern world; in fact, the material covers divorce, how technology influences our lives, changing societal norms, corrupt politicians and more. And interestingly enough, the material also manages to continue the creative process that the band established for the sessions that comprised their debut effort — each songwriter brought in sketches and ideas with the entire group then pitching in to flesh out the idea into a song and quickly recording the material that same day, whenever possible. As you can hear on the album’s 90s alt rock-channeling single “Insects,” the result is a song that feels at times hushed and improvised and rousingly anthemic wall of sound-channeling song that captures a sense of powerlessness over the things you can’t control — while saying “Well, that’s life sometimes. Get on with it.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of two EPs and their full-length debut Consent released last year, the Vancouver, BC-baesd post-punk trio Lié, comprised of Brittany West, Ashlee Luk and Kati J, have developed reputation for a sound that draws from both early post-punk and noise bands, their hometown as well as each individual member’s own creative side efforts — West’s darkwave project Koban, Kati J’s trash punk band SBDC and Luk’s electronic project Minimal Violence; but perhaps much more important, they also developed a reputation for politically charged material — last year’s Consent was a barbed commentary on rape culture. However, the Canadian trio’s follow-up Truth or Consequences reportedly turns inward to the deeply personal, focusing on the dichotomy between the destructive and fragile elements of the ego. And as a result, the album’s first single “Failed Visions” is a tense, maniacally anxious song that evokes the fucked up inner dialogue we maintain within our heads — the sort in which you may vacillate from cocksure confidence to self loathing. Sonically and structurally, the band pairs slashing, angular guitar chords, a propulsive rhythm section and rapid fire tempo changes and in some way it makes the song sound as though it draws from L7 and Bikini Kill — or in other words it’s abrasive and furiously cathartic.