Tag: Echo and the Bunnymen Heaven Up Here

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Dreamlike and 80s MTV-Inspired Visuals for Radar Eyes’ “Community”

Featuring Anthony Cozzi (vocals, guitar), Russell Calderwood (guitar), Nithin Kalvakota (drums) and Lucas Sikorski (bass), Chicago, IL-based quartet Radar Eyes initially received attention for a fuzzy, garage rock sound, and with Cozzi’s relocation to Los Angeles, the quartet’s forthcoming effort Radiant Remains was in some way meant to be a swan song for the band — while being a sonic change in direction as the band’s material took on a decidedly 80s post-punk rock sound that channeled the likes of Crocodiles, Heaven Up Here and Ocean Rain-era Echo and the Bunnymen, Starfish-era The Church and others as you’ll hear on the album’s moody and shimmering first single “Community.” And much like the material that influenced it, “Community” reveals that the band has the ability to write material that possess an incredibly anthemic and rousing hook.

Directed by Laura Callier and featuring desert footage shot by Jason Ogawa, the recently released music video for “Community” manages to mesh the feel, spirit and imagery of contemporary videos with that of videos from MTV’s heyday — including a Peter Gabriel “Shock the Monkey”-like motif, in which the lead singer sits in front of screen in which various images are projected; sequences in which the band’s lead singer, dressed entirely in black is wandering around the desert, followed around by an equally mysterious man dressed entirely in white; along with some introductory sequences in which the band are hanging out with a bunch of folks at an outdoor bar. The video itself possesses a dreamlike logic while hitting upon the song’s sense of longing to fit into someplace.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Introducing the Post Rock/Post Punk Sounds of San Francisco’s The Soonest

Led by San Francisco, CA-based singer/songwriter Young Lee and featuring a rotating cast of collaborators including members of indie rock bands such as WATERS, Hazel English’s backing band, Doe Eye, There’s Talk, and Elsa y Elmar, The Soonest have released a handful of EPs at traditional recording studios that have won attention both locally and regionally for a layered and moody, 80s post-punk/post-rock leaning sound; in fact, Lee was asked to write the score to the documentary Weaving Shibusa.

Mixed by Greg Francis and mastered by TW Walsh, the project’s recently released full-length debut effort, Doors to the City was recorded in an empty Bay Area church, and the high wooden ceilings helped create the enormous, wall of sound like sound that you’ll hear on Doors to the City’s first single “Start a War,” a single that pairs Lee’s lilting and dramatic vocals with layers upon layers of angular guitar chords, a forceful, motorik-like groove consisting of a sinuous bass line and propulsive drumming, and an anthemic hook. Sonically, the song manages to channel Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here-era Echo and the Bunnymen — including deeply urgent and visual lyrics that describe an uneasy and fraught relationship.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Last month, I wrote about Brooklyn-based indie rock/shoegazer act Dinowalrus. Currently comprised of frontman Pete Feigenbaum, who has spent some time as a touring guitarist in Titus Andronicus; Max Tucker; Meaghan Omega; Dan Peskin; and John Atkinson, who joins the band as a touring member, the members of the band have received attention for a  sound that possesses elements of post-punk, krautrock, shoegaze, synth pop and psych rock — i.e., much like the single I wrote about last month “Tides” off the band’s forthcoming full-length FAIRWEATHER. The album’s second and latest single “Light Rain” is a shimmering and swooning track — thanks to shimmering guitar chords, ethereal synths and a propulsive groove– that sounds as though it cribs from Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here-era Echo and the Bunnymen and Starfish-era The Church.

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Led by its founding member and creative mastermind David Eugene Edwards, Wovenhand much like Edwards’ previous projects have a long-held reputation for intense and anthemic music that showcases Edwards’ Romantic and incredibly dramatic crooning — and for a relentless experimentation and reinvention. His previous project 16 Horsepower  was well-received for a sound based around antique Americana while Wovenhand’s earliest incarnations specialized in hushed ballads; however, with the newest and most current lineup, featuring Planes Mistaken For Stars‘ Chuck French (guitar) and Neil Keener (bass), Ordy Garrison (drums) and Crime and The City Solution‘s Matthew Smith (piano, synth) the band has written and recorded some of the heaviest and most forceful material to date on their latest effort Star Treatment slated for release on September 9, 2016 through Sargent House Records globally — with the exception of Europe.

As Edwards explains, the soon-to-be released album’s title isn’t a reference to our contemporary obsession with celebrity; rather it’s a reference to the concept of astrolatry — or humanity’s enduring interest in the stars of the night sky. “It’s ethereal in its concept,” Edwards says. “There are many layers, as always. I’ve been paying attention to the stars in the sky and in literature, and it’s a theme throughout the album.” He adds, “There’s more love song style on this in general, which is nice. The idea of what love is and how it’s expressed and all these different atmospheres.” Star Treatment‘s first single and opening track “Come Brave” finds the band pairing a propulsive, rumbling and rolling drum beat, enormous power chords, Edwards crooning vocals, a swooning and urgent Romanticism and rousing, arena rock friendly-like hooks with celestial hooks in a song that sounds as though it drew from Crocodiles and Heaven Up Here-era Echo and the Bunnymen, complete with a dark and mysterious fury.

The band will be embarking on a world tour to support the album. Check out tour dates below.

Tour Dates:
08/26   LAS VEGAS, NV @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Psycho Las Vegas 
09/12   COLOGNE, DE @ Gebäude 9 *
09/13   FRANKFURT, DE @ Zoom *
09/15   BERN, CH @ ISC *
09/16   ZURICH, CH @ Bogen F *
09/17   VIENNA, AT @ Flex *
09/18   BUDAPEST, HU @ A38 *
09/20   SALZBURG, AT @ Rockhouse *
09/21   MUNICH, DE @ Ampere *
09/22   LEIPZIG, DE @ UT Connewitz *
09/23   BERLIN, DE @ Heimathafen *
09/24   HAMBURG, DE – Reeperbahn Festival
09/26   ARHUS, DK @ Train *
09/27   OSLO, NO @ John Dee *
09/29   HELSINKI, FI @ Tavastia
09/30   STOCKHOLM, SE @ Nalen *
10/01    LUND, SE @ Mejeriet *
10/02    COPENHAGEN, DK @ Vega Jr. *
10/04    EINDHOVEN, NL @ Effenaar *
10/05    AMSTERDAM, NL @ Melkweg *
10/06    LEUVEN, BE @ Het Depot *
10/07    GENT, BE @ Handelsbeurs *
10/08    CHARLEROI, BE @ L’Eden *
10/10    LILLE, FR @ L’Aéronef *
10/11    PARIS, FR @ La Maroquinerie *
10/13    ORLEANS, FR @ L’Astrolabe *
10/14    GRENOBLE, FR @ La Belle Electrique *
10/15    FEYZIN, FR @ L’Epicerie Moderne *
10/16    TOULOUSE, FR @ La Rex *
10/18    LONDON, UK @ The Dome *
* w/ Emma Ruth Rundle
Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

September Girls, who derive their name from a Big Star song – interestingly, via the Bangles – formed in 2011 and quickly recorded a number of demos and began booking gigs across both their native […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Formed in Dublin, Ireland back in 2011, the quintet of September Girls, who derive their name from a Big Star song via the Bangles, quickly recorded a number of demos and began booking bigs both […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Released a few months ago, Bootblacks‘ Narrowed EP was initially released as a limited release cassette tape through Modern Tapes – and it  quickly sold out. It was followed by the vinyl release of the album through […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Formed in the aftermath of the breakup of Sweet Bulbs, the Brooklyn-based quintet of Heaven’s Gate released a 7 inch single last year, which (quite naturally) showed a change of sonic direction for the new […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Indiana-based quintet TV Ghost’s forthcoming album, Disconnect will see a September 3rd release through In the Red Records. “Elevator” is the first single off the new album, and the track has a melodic and atmospheric feel, […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

With the end of yet another year, in some way we all can’t help but be a bit nostalgic. We can’t help but think about the loved ones who are no longer with us, the […]