Tag: Quentin Tarantino

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Initially started as a loving homage and tribute band to legendary Japanese guitarist Takeshi “Terry” Terauchi, the Montreal-based collective TEKE: TEKE – Yuki Isami (flute, shinobue and keys), Hidetaka Yoneyama (guitar), Sergio Nakauchi Pelletier (guitar), Mishka Stein (bass), Etienne Lebel (trombone), Ian Lettree (drums, percussion) and Maya Kuroki (vocals, keys and percussion) —  features a collection of accomplished Montreal-based musicians, who have played with the likes of Pawa Up First, Patrick Wilson, Boogat, Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra and others. The Montreal-based act quickly came into their own when they started to blend Japanese Eleki surf rock with elements of modern Western music including shoegaze, post-punk, psych rock, ska, Latin music and Balkan music. Adding to a bold, genre-defying sound, the band’s arrangement meshes rock instrumentation with traditional Japanese instrumentation.

Last November, I caught the Montreal-based genre-bending act play at an M for Montreal showcase at the Cafe Cleopatre, one of the oddest venues I’ve ever been in — and while playing one of the most energetic sets I had seen in several months, the act’s sound reminded me a bit of The Bombay Royale; in other words, mischievously anachronistic yet cinematic sound that somehow seems to be part of the soundtrack of a Quentin Tarantino.

Since the release of their debut EP, 2018’S Jikaku, the Canadian genre-bending act have melted faces — including mine — at festivals across Canada. Recorded and mixed by Seth Manchester at Pawtucket, RI-based Machines with Magnets Studio and mixed by Heba Kadry, the band’s self-released latest single “Kala Kala” is the first taste from the band’s highly-anticipated full-length debut. Roughly translating to clattering, “Kala Kala” captures the band’s frenzied energy and difficult to pigeonhole sound: the song features distorted, rock-based guitar power chords, gorgeous fluttering flute, trombone blasts in  a slow-burning and atmospheric intro before quickly turning into a full fledged psychedelic freak out, centered by Maya Kuroki howling and crooning in Japanese.  The end result is a song that feels simultaneously familiar and alien.

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Playful 60s-Inspired Visuals for Pom Poms “123”

  If you had stumbled onto this site at the end of last year, you would have likely come across a couple of a posts about Los Angeles-based duo Pom Poms. Comprised of singer/songwriter Marlene and Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Guaranteed that if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past month or so, that you would have come across a couple of posts on the Los Angeles-based duo Pom Poms. Comprised of singer/songwriter Marlene and Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler, who is probably best known for his work with Awolnation, Liz Phair, Kelly Clarkson, and Macy Gray, the duo have been thrust into the national spotlight for a sound that owes a debt from classic garage rock and pop such as Connie Francis, Pasty Cline, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, the girl groups of the early 60s and others —  but with a subtly modern (and anachronistic) twist that makes the sound seem as though it could have been part of a a Quentin Tarantino film.

The duo’s debut single “Betty” first gained the attention across the blogosphere for a subtly scuzzy, lo-fi-like garage-based guitar rock sound that would make you think of the aforementioned Roy Robison and Buddy Holly the song possesses a similar urgent and swooning Romanticism. The heartache expressed by Marlene’s aching vocals is a heartache that we all have known at some point — being desperately in love with a fickle and thoughtless lover, who you know will inevitably break your heart. Following up on the buzz from “Betty,” the duo released a hushed and spectral alternate version of Betty that featured Marlene’s vocals paired with a sparse arrangement that includes a subtly Bossa Nova guitar line. Sonically, the alternate version channels Patsy Cline — in par — in particular, “Crazy” and “Walkin After Midnight.” And as a result, the alternate version aches with a similar desperate loneliness and longing.

Pom Poms latest single “123,” is a swinging and swaggering 60s-inspired soul song in which the song’s narrator describes playing a cat-and-mouse game with a potential suitor, who the song’s narrator sets upon having as hers and hers only. And as a result, Marlene’s sultry and soulful vocals possesses a come hither and stop wasting my damn time quality. Sonically, the song pairs Marlene’s vocals with period specific staccato bursts of organ,  propulsive rhythms and some funky guitar chords; thematically (and to my ears), I’m reminded of several songs including Amy Winehouse‘s “Rehab,” and Nancy Sinatra‘s “These Boots Are Made For Walking,” as the song possesses a similar brassy confidence.

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Pom Poms’ Super 8 Film Channeling Video for “Betty (Alternate Version)”

  If you’ve been following JOVM over the past two weeks or so, you may recall that I’ve written about Los Angeles-based duo Pom Poms. Comprised of singer/songwriter Marlene and Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler, who is probably […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

Video Review: The Surreal Video for Space’s “Strange World”

Currently comprised of  founding members Tommy Scott (vocals, guitar), Franny Griffiths (keys), along with Phil Hartley (double bass, bass) and Allan Jones (drums), the Liverpool-based quartet Space can trace their origins back to 1993 when […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Spectral and Aching, Alternate Version of Pom Poms’ “Betty”

Comprised of singer/songwriter Marlene and Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Billy Mohler, who is probably best known for his work with Awolnation, Liz Phair, Kelly Clarkson, and Macy Gray, the Los Angeles-based duo Pom Poms have […]

New Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Introducing the Swaggering, Bluesy Sound of Melbourne, Australia’s Kingswood

Comprised of Fergus Linacre (lead vocals), Alex Laska (guitar and backing vocals), Jeremy “Mango” Hunter (bass and backing vocals), and Justin Debrincat (drums and backing vocals), the Melbourne, Australia-based quartet Kingwswood formed in 2009. And […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Formed by musical director, Andy Williamson, The Bombay Royale has prided themselves on paying homage to 60s and 70s Bollywood, long considered by critics and fans the genre’s golden era, as it was a riotous […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Oxford, UK-based duo of Vienna Ditto can trace their origins to when members Nigel (production) and Hatty (vocals) met and bonded over a mutual love of Chicago blues, psychedelia and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

The Grand Rapids, MI-based trio of HEATERS can trace their origins to when high school friends Andrew Tamlyn and Nolan Krebs relocated to Grand Rapids to start working on a music project together. And in […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Andrew Tamlyn, Nolan Krebs and Joshua Korf, the Grand Rapids, MI-based psych rock trio of HEATERS can trace their origins to when high school buddies Tamlyn and Krebs relocated to Grand Rapids to […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3333069609/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/ If you’ve been following JOVM since the very beginning you’d probably remember that I’ve written about the San Francisco-based collective, Afrolicious. Originally the ensemble began as one of the Bay Area’s premier dance parties before […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Founded in 1997 by French DJ, producer and musician Arnaud Rebotini, Black Strobe was a part of the French electronic rock movement, releasing a number of prominent singles between roughly 2002 and 2007. The band’s full-length debut, Burn […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Founded in 1997 by French DJ, producer and musician Arnaud Rebotini, Black Strobe was a part of the French electronic rock movement, releasing a number of prominent singles between roughly 2002 and 2007. This was […]