Neur – Untitled EP

In this industry you run into music you would normally never have discovered or even looked into on your own, so it’s not uncommon to be pleasantly surprised by a unique indie band every so often. However, pleasantly surprised is an altogether different feeling from what I have right now. To be as unbiased as possible, Neur excites the hell out of me and this is definitely a band to look out for.

The sound that will soon emanate from your speakers is something I was not prepared for, and by proxy I think you will also be bemused or amused – either way this will leave a lasting impression.  Sorry to sound so self assured but this EP manages to take parts from some of my favorite bands and meld them into something that stands as a unique thing on its own.  Untitled ends up sounding like bits of Circa Survive, Emarosa, The Mars Volta and Monster Machismo. You have the ambient instrumentation coupled with some elements of progressive and math rock with a unique soulful croon. All of these elements combined left me nothing short of impressed with this band’s potential and talent. Lyrically, the band is succinct and strange. Each of the six songs on Untitled has maybe a paragraph of lyrics. However, this weirdness is to be expected and the lyrics aren’t merely accentuating the track – it’s merely left up to us to explore the themes throughout. The music feels like it begs the listener to explore with it the heights of sound.

“Golden Thimble” is a heavy and heavenly vocal driven track, which balances the sense of urgency and tranquility in the right places. The next song, “Start Saving” has a more Post/Math sound to it, as the vocalist says a few words and lets the rest of the band showcase their skills.  “There is No Captain” has a Surf/Ska vibe going for it and it still manages to fit in with the rest of the songs somehow. “Neur Saves Time” is a number after the Dillinger escape plan’s own heart as it travels from Math Rock to Math Core intensity, relaxing just before it blasts your eardrums to the ceiling. “Zebrah” is my favorite track on the album next to “Golden Thimble”. It’s a more subdued effort that comes off sounding moody and affecting, but builds into a faster more urgent song all together.  Lastly, “Warrior” is a song not unlike the previous one in that it goes from up to down, rising and falling as it so chooses.

Neur manages to accomplish more in a six song EP that many artists can’t do on a full length, which is to capture your attention for the entire duration of the album. The other refreshing thing about these guys is that the music is ambitious but never overblown. What I mean by that is the music is aptly timed and never overstays its welcome. My overall impression is that the music on Untitled is challenging, in that you never quite know what to expect from each track, yet accessible because no matter your taste in music you are sure to find something you like as these guys pull from so many sources.  If this band lives up to any of the potential that it has on display here they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Whirl – Distressor

Taken literally, the idea of a wall of sound has always been a misnomer. Walls don’t move, but sound and music always do. Walls are barriers, while “wall of sound” music is immersive and inclusive. Taken literally, it seems a wall of sound would be the antithesis of music. Even with dubious descriptive accuracy, wall of sound is still the most popular terminology for loud, full music which is arranged with elements of layered unison. The recording Distressor by San Francisco band Whirl is loud, full music which is arranged with elements of layered unison, and not surprisingly has racked up its fair share of wall of sound descriptions. The description feels apt even though the music doesn’t really exhibit any of the literal characteristics of a wall. So why does wall of sound still ring true?

Before attempting to answer that question, a better description of what’s going on in the music is due. There are loud guitars, loud drums, buried vocals (a female and male singing in unison), and bass thumping away at one note per measure. There are a few uptempo numbers and intros, but overall, the songs follow a lumbering, languorous pace.  This all puts this squarely in shoegaze territory, more the Ride variety than the My Bloody Valentine type. Despite all of this, it feels a little less frivolous and a bit more confessional (even with nearly indecipherable lyrics) than what I’ve come to expect from shoegaze. The ripping chords of the intro and break of “Blue” and “Child” are more reminiscent of second wave emo bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Jawbreaker. Recorded live, these seven songs are lent a gimmickless purity, and the whole project fondly reminds me of my mid-90′s late musical adolescence, off at college in a bullshit Midwestern city, hitting basement shows when I could and taking in a lot of overdriven but earnestly melodic music similar in tone to this, always descending in order from high notes to low notes, or high clusters to lower clusters.

It isn’t explicit when you’re just listening to and feeling the music, but this high-low game is a can’t lose melodic strategy that makes this music “emotional”-sounding (“emotional” being equated with brooding and melancholy, as usual), and aside from “Child”, Whirl never go low-then-high. This tonal organization ensures that things end bleaker than they start, and depending on the notes used, allow for some great riffs that end with a “leaving-things-hanging” feeling. The best of these is the hummable riff for “Leave” – introduced by a kickass “at-attention” snare crack – which goes over the top but doesn’t resolve so much so much as it beckons, and is one of the best riffs I’ve heard in years. Final song “Sandy” even starts off strumming acoustic, but comes up with a lethargically winning chord progression which alternates high-low only to split the difference, with the album ending on an ambivalent sustained chord.

Getting back to the wall of sound, a more figurative interpretation allows one to get more out of the wall metaphor. If you think of this loudness as precluding communication, you can start to see how the wall is being put to use by the artist. Certainly the inability to discern the lyrics above the roar of the music formally embodies such an idea, and is another way that the band communicates feeling. Another way the wall is put to use is as something that privileges one side over the other. It’s no surprise then that much “wall of sound” music, especially of the more emo-leaning variety, is concerned with the airing of one-person’s viewpoint and allows for a great catharsis, even as it manifests itself in the turmoil of unresolved melodic lines. You’re always on your side of the wall when you’re alone, after all.

It’s not that all of these elements are unique to Whirl. If anything, they feel like a bit of a throwback to me. It’s just that they execute all of these elements so well that they become the specimen most illustrative to study, the example which represents the archetype. And though something so well done can provide explanations of genre mechanisms, on Distressor this is only secondary to providing a listening experience which sucks you in and doesn’t let you go, tugging at your heartstrings with swirling guitars and lilting melodies. When it’s done, the silence is almost too much nothing. Better to flip it and start again, getting back behind that powerful, protective wall.

Whirl

Bridgetown Records

Bing Ji Ling – Shadow to Shine

Shadow to Shine, the newest record by funk/soul/pop musician Bing Ji Ling, is an extremely enjoyable and impressive work. Full of lush music, catchy melodies, inspiring singing, and a fun vibe, it’s consistently varied and entertaining; in fact, it’s an album you could almost never get tired of.

Bing Ji Ling is the nom de plume of NYC-based singer/songwriter, Quinn Luke. With several other solo pieces under his belt, he is also a member of the Phenomenal Handclap Band, Incarnations, and Q&A, to name a few. Featuring members of the Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Antibalas, and PHB, one can imagine that the recording of Shadow to Shine was as much a party as it was a serious endeavor; either way, they produced some truly great tracks.

The Northern Soul template is immediately introduced with “Move On.” With funky percussion, flutes, horns, harmonies, staccato guitar playing, and Ji Ling’s cool, soulful voice, it faithfully and expertly captures every nuance of the original 1970s music. As an opening track, it successfully hooks the listener and puts him or her into a pleasant place immediately; it’s tempting to sing along and smile, and that holds true for the whole record.

“Hold Tight” is easily one of the albums more addictive tracks. With fuzzy guitar riffs, enticing bass lines, some powerful singing, and an explosive guitar solo at the end, it’s a heavy and hypnotic classic. Elsewhere, “Like We Used To Do” is a great funk love song, “Dreamin’” is a lighter, more poppy affair, and, with its simple, poignant approach, “Where Am I Gonna Go” is definitely the best songwriting on Shadow to Shine. The album concludes with a reprise of “Move On,” called “Untitled,” and it brings a nice sense of conceptual continuity to the album. Essentially, every track on here offers something interesting and commendable, and the “Interlude/Welcome” segment (where Ji Ling, similar to the old antics of Todd Rundgren, breaks the fourth wall) is a nice touch.

What’s more remarkable about Shadow to Shine is how authentic it feels; rather than merely impersonate vintage styles as second-rate emulation, Ji Ling and his band feel 100% genuine. The album bursts with inspiration and colorful sounds, and just about every track would fit in a Spike Lee or Quentin Tarantino film (which is to say that if you know the type of music they use, you can anticipate with Bing Ji Ling sounds like). Shadow to Shine is an album that transcends age or genre preferences; just about everyone can find something to dig with Bing Ji Ling.

Check out “Move On” here!

The Tunnel releases new album

If your favorite drinking songs are fierce and darkly romantic ragged tales of lust and loss but you’ve already played all your Birthday Party, 16 Horsepower, and Swans records to death Fathoms Deep will be your new favored drinking music.

Fathoms Deep is the second album from San Francisco trio The Tunnel. The album was recorded at Studio SQ in San Francisco, produced by the groupl and engineered by Chris Crawford (drummer for French Miami, the Downer Party). Fathoms Deep was hammered out in various San Francisco dives and warehouses, but it draws its lifeblood from the darkness of the surrounding, still-remote Northern California coast. The sounds are akin to the art-damaged noise coming out of 1970s New York noise rock ala Swans, or 1980s London-via-Berlin power goth of Nick Cave’s Birthday Party.

The Tunnel formed in 2006 in San Francisco. Pat Crawford and Jeff Wagner had met a couple of years before at a  San Francisco Punk/Goth dance club called “Death Rock Booty Call” and quickly realized they had common interests in cult B-movies and the Birthday Party. Jeff had been performing some abrasive, Foetus-eque cabaret music as the “Tunnel of Love,” solo and with the avant-theater group Circus Proboscis, since he moved to San Francisco in 2000. Pat had been drumming in metal and hardcore bands in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh (Aus Rotten, White Gold).

http://www.thetunnelsf.com

http://www.myspace.com/thetunnelsf

http://www.youtube.com/user/jwagnerwagner

Dag För Dag – Boo

Tagged as something ‘American-Swedish’, brother-sister duo Dag För Dag is probably well aware of the misconceptions their brand of music receives. For Sarah Snavely and brother Jacob the music is a firm representation of their swirling time together and, with their debut album Boo, the music is a solid documentation. Although the music is definitely influenced by an international vibe, the focus begins with keyboard-driven melodies that align with massive walls of noise for a reception of thunder. Through it all the tandem ends up creating an eclectic blend of songs on their debut LP for a promising effort.

The band’s name directly means ‘day by day’ and the Snavelys are embellishing their music with a day by day nature that calls for a broad array of styles. Some songs like “Boxed Up in Pine” feature strings and a driving bass line as Jacob’s leading vocals are paired with Sarah’s soft harmony in the background. Surrounding the tones with an atmospheric pressure that calls on layers of guitars and synths, the songs contain an almost ethereal quality. Other times, as on the Warpaint-like “Light on Your Feet,” the duo scales back to reveal a lonely guitar and Sarah’s evenly lonely vocals. But on both dissimilar songs, each voice carries through and shares a fair amount of the spotlight for what is definitely a combining effort.

Although there are times when the bonding of their two voices is nearly misaligned, like on the clunky “Silence as the Verb”, where Jacob is left sounding awkward against an almost country chug of a guitar. The song passes by as if it never happened and, although the repetitive aura lingers in the back of one’s head, “Seven Stories” propels forward with a song that almost sounds like a new version of Garbage. It’s obvious Sarah’s vocals are the ones with the widest range and, thus, they mark far more momentous occasions; fortunately, they’re taken advantage of for the most part.

Free-shifting and shape-forming as the songs come and go, Boo is never as its title depicts: a bad time. Instead, the music is rung through such a rigid ride of energy that the duo seems to supply an infinite amount of diversity. By the time you get to the heart-spouting, fire-breathing stomp of “Cry, Cry” and its pounding percussion, the album has already taken you on a relentless journey that, like those drums, pounds with intensity. The growling guitar is a fervent support system to Sarah’s singing of “Cry, cry, nobody wants you.” In the most peculiar of ways, the album’s closing song is a rush of blood to the head with a depressing nod and, although the murkiness comes tenfold, there wouldn’t be any other way to end it.

Ceremony Recordings

Kingsley Flood – “I Don’t Wanna Go Home”

Ever since the spring 2010 release of their superb debut album (Dust Windows), Boston-based Kingsley Flood has been reaping the benefits of a rekindled nationwide interest in Americana music.  Bands like the Low Anthem and the Felice Brothers have been stoutheartedly composing roots-flavored songs for a few years now, but thanks in large part to the recent mainstream success of London’s Mumford & Sons, the Americana genre seems to be gradually shedding its parodied pomade-and-knickers image in favor of one that underscores the music’s earnest sentimentality, arresting vulnerability, and convivial atmosphere. Rock bands that disguise their mediocre songwriting with a barrage of effects pedals, electronic accoutrements, and ubiquitously edgy chic have become something of a boiler plate phenomenon in this age; it’s no wonder that Americana’s unadulterated aesthetic has struck a chord with the public as of late.

For Naseem Khuri and his Kingsley Flood bandmates, this surging adulation for American roots music has translated into an appearance at this year’s Austin’s venerable South by Southwest Festival, coverage by the tastemakers at NPR, and a “Best New Artist” win at the 2010 Boston Music Awards.  Dust Windows was every bit deserving of the press it received – an irresistible cocktail of Dylan-esque storytelling, Clash-inspired rowdiness, and pop-approved melodicism, buoyed by the raspy drawl of Khuri’s voice.

A year later, the newly minted six-piece is dropping the MP3 single “I Don’t Wanna Go Home”, an irresistible three-minute jam packed with the same kinetic presence as the band’s live sets. Sporting a drumbeat not unlike Dust Window’s “Cul De Sac,” the song tells the story of a stubborn and foolish man who, with Kingsley Flood’s characteristically vivid imagery, decides to ditch a life of comfort and pecan pie for the open road in a Ford sedan of questionable quality. “Leaves wife in the doorway cause she understands / even packs his lunch like a good wife can / 96 Crown Vic half a gallon of gas / and a gold road with the ghosts of poets past,” sings Khuri in a ragged yet resolute tenor. Despite the ace lyrics, it’s the tenor saxophone – being given a road test by resident fiddler Jenée Morgan – bluesy solo licks from guitarist George Hall, and choice handclaps that give this track its road warrior bluster.

Until their next LP arrives sometime in 2012, “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” should satiate Kingsley Flood’s burgeoning fanbase; if nothing else, the track’s paean to blind ambition and tenaciousness is a fitting reminder of just how close this enterprising band is to the realization of its own dreams.

SuidAkrA – Book Of Dowth

Nine albums in 14 years is no mean feat by anyone’s standards, especially when strong consistency has lined every release as well as being some of the best folk metal heard. Now the creators SuidAkrA have set loose their tenth and arguably best album Book Of Dowth. Since their formation in 1994 the German Celt Metallers have delivered some great melodic black metal/folk fusion with intriguing ingenuity and pagan tales and legends of epic proportions. The new release is no different as it tells the mythology of a race of demonic beings, the Fomor, and the story of the rise of this dark horde chronicled within an ancient book discovered at the excavation of Dowth, thus the title (meaning The Book of Darkness). Told over ten tracks that swing from dark and heavy driving black metal to stunning and wonderful melodic, atmospheric Celtic folk, often combined, the tale is as mesmerizing as the music and never lets a moment pass that is not meaningful in telling the myth.

Book Of Dowth starts off the tale with opening instrumental “Over Nine Waves”, an onslaught of driving dark guitars and melodies over a resonating bagpipe call, causing a feeling of part jubilant calm countered by an edge of something dark coming forth. The track transforms into “Dowth 2059” a black metal flavoured track entwined with Celtic overtures from guitars and keys. The growling vocals of Arkadius Antonik relating the moment the book was found and myths and times unknown, discovered. His guitar creates a kaleidoscope of swirling sounds – from heavy driving surges to soulful melodic pieces within the track, combining and countering depending on the moment; with the forceful bass of Marcus Riewaldt and commanding drums of Lars Wehner. This continues into “Battle-Cairns”, the telling of when humans fell and lost their sacred land to the Fomorian horde. With most bands this approach would be the substance of all tracks, dark heavy rhythms and sound underlayed with the emotional folk music slant, but SuidAkrA do not think or play like most bands. Instead they bring a track like “Biróg’s Oath”, a track so different and unexpected it at first throws the listener off guard. The song features the mesmerizing talents of Tina Stabel on lead vocals, backed wonderfully by the clean voice of Arkadius, over melodic yet darker sounds for a base. One can envisage a flame haired woman narrating the situation of the people and demons below, watching from a hilltop as it all unfolds. This leads into “Mag Mell” an almost reverse track with the great clean vocals of Arkadius leading with soft female’s tones supporting wonderfully. Musically it is soft and semi-acoustic, and the song is a beauty. The next two tracks, “The Dark Mound” and “Balor”, switch back to more traditional black/folk metal, but still with many surprises coming and much going on to intrigue – especially in the latter track as the rise of the ultimate evil is told. These lead into the best track on the album, “Stone Of Seven Suns”. Sounding like a darker, more aggressive and twisted version of 70’s band Horslips, who also worked with the Celtic sound, the track flips from black bitter sounds to melodic tuneful counters and back, portraying the battle between demon and man cleverly through sound. The Book Of Dowth ends with the death knell of humans in “Fury Fomoraigh” and another instrumental to finally close the book/album with the sound of crashing waves and haunting wind, the last memory of the recording and man.

Many bands approach the folk metal genre and most, though good and more than competent, create music that is fun but with the element of tongue-in-cheek. And, whether intentional or not, usually resorting in the telling of many barrels of beer and bellies to match. SuidAkrA bring credibility to the music from the lyrical content and general feel; yes they are fun but never do they invite people to laugh at them. Instead they create, as in Book Of Dowth, releases that stand out above most others and make listening an event and a pleasure.

AFM Records

tUnE-yArDs – WHOKILL

Yes, the name looks absurd. That’s because this is a soundtrack to the theatre of the absurd.  The calculated cacophony of Oakland songstress and producer Merill Garbus is some of the most oddly attractive yet puzzling music I’ve heard recently.  No wave / post-punk / indie / dance pop that Laurie Anderson and the ghost of John Cage would drunkenly dance to.

The first track verbally introduces us to the character that she is, an anti-diva, anti-M.I.A and anti-inhibition personality with impressive instrumental talent and an incredibly commanding vocal range and presence.   A sort of “I am awkward, hear me roar’ mystique.  Gifted and unbelievably different, she dispels any attributes of her initial outing Bird Brains.

The first four tracks,  “My Country”, “Es-so”, “Gangsta” and “Powa” bang out bizarre but rocking dancefloor numbers.  Then with “Riotriot”, she eases into a delicate ballad that seems timely, only to twist the mellow vibe a couple minutes in, creating some kind of psychological carnage.

“Bizness”, the proverbial hit of the record, showcases a beautiful horn section with a very soulful and passionate vocal delivery.

“Doorstep” delivers with one of the most avant-garde vocal cuts on the album.  “You Yes You” is essentially a cryptic funk track complete with discordant electric guitar rhythms.

Then there is is finally rest for the weary listening traveler.  “Wooly Wolly Gang”  is a somber and sweet lullaby admirable for its simplistic line-up of vocal track, acoustic guitar and drum machine, but one that still has a haunting and somewhat disconcerting nature, in keeping with the rest of the record.

Wrapping things up is “Killa”, a peppy and positive fly-girl number that reaffirms Garbus’ female confidence and audacity, one that again confuses by feeling as if its as comfortable in the Caribbean as it is in the club.

African pop, funk, R & B, and jazz are all homogenized with honest acoustic folk pop; however, the lyrical material is ripe with extremely relative themes of self-image, race and gender issues.  She takes nothing as lightly as it sounds.  This is heavy and intense music that I find difficult to call pop.  She deserves better.

Lohio – Family Tree EP

No they’re not from Ohio, as their name might imply, they’re from Pittsburgh. And this quartet play a surprisingly upbeat blend of folk-pop and indie-rock.

Lohio use a diverse mix of instruments (guitar, bass, piano, drums, organ, mandolin, bells, trumpet, piccolo, accordion, clarinet and french horn) to create a sunny, sing-along pop sound. Their pleasantly breezy blend of music springs to life with choral vocals similar in style to The Polyphonic Spree and I’m From Barcelona.

With a subtle mix of homey dream-pop and original indie-twee that reminds one of Sufjan Stevens or the quieter moments of Yo La Tengo, the 5 tracks on the Family Tree EP are adequately complex with simple, playful hooks. The arrangements are tastefully crafted and the sweet-flowing choruses delightfully ride the swells of delicate and orchestrated melodies.

It may require a few spins before the quaint peculiarities become charming, but eventually the EP will evoke feelings of comfort, hope and cheer.

Helado Negro – Canta Lechuza

For musician Roberto Carlos Lange, music has now taken many different forms. Also combining music as Epstein, Lange has now delved back into Helado Negro’s nervy, worldly touch. On Canta Lechuza – which directly translates to ‘sing owl’ – Lange fuses the sounds that he grew up with, along the support of electronic beats and synth rhythms. Often Lange is able to transform songs into something worldly and like the title implies, there is a mysterious glean to it. So while Lange continues to flex his many weapons, the black ice cream he’s created continues to flourish.

Songs like “Cenar en la Mañana” are tranquil settings where tapping floor drums and escalated tones are subdued to reveal a soothing swoon. Between a delicately placed vocal line that places Lange under the basking light and the syncopated drumming in the background, is the grinding electronic blend that comes at the end. Twisting the song into something downtrodden – perhaps for the seamless transition into “El Oeste” – it introduces the focus onto electronic music. For its betterment, the latter burps with a jagged beat that is melodically sweet. It’s during these sorts of melancholy sections, Lange asks “Donde estas?” (Where are you?) in a sad tone, that allows for the synths to shape the feel.

The feel of the album is definitely one of its chief standouts, allowing for smooth changes and modifications that end up creating lush orchestrations. On “Regresa” the mood is reflective and always transfixing but it never shades the fragile tension between the beats. Intersecting from synth taps, to the splash of a frozen pipe, Lange takes hold of the passages with a careful attention to harmony. The thickness of the sounds sometimes reminds of TV on the Radio and while Helado Negro will probably be most compared to someone like Twin Shadow, there is a worldliness touch to the music that evokes a fashionable style and flair. Through working with people like Guillermo Scott Herren and Bear in Heaven, Lange’s sound has definitely risen to a new high.

Through songs like “Calculas” – that just happen to find the perfect balance between slow and fast, smooth and hard, and all other interesting blends – Canta Lechuza is always aided through the music’s atmospheric fusions. “Calculas” features an advising Lange in a chanting stance, back-dropped by keyboards and synths. And the opening “Globitos” is fitting in depicting the image of various balloons lifted in the air. The songs that allow for his all-encompassing sound to take over – thus allowing for the spectrum to be fully covered – always supplement the album better. This type of lifted attitude in being able to reach for the heavens while firmly staying grounded is one that Lange apparently has mastered.

“Regresa” by Helado Negro

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Asthmatic Kitty Records

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