On Night Fiction, Cian Nugent creates the exact kind of long-flowing, pastoral melodies one would think of when picturing the green Irish countryside. Be they fast and rolling or slowly minimalist, the achingly beautiful sounds display a bucolic quality that lets the listener absorb every detail of the deep audio reflections.
For years, TW Walsh was a member of Pedro The Lion alongside his collaborator, David Bazan. With Songs of Pain and Leisure (2011) and now this, his latest upcoming record, Walsh proves to be a singer/songwriter of equally talented proportions who for reasons unknown, seemed to take a back seat to Bazan.
Trance-inducing quasi disco beats; cold, monochromatic vocals and “drippy” synthesized bleeps and dots characterize “You Are Mine,” the first single from Daddy’s upcoming record “Let Me Get What I Want.” The spring 2016 release is a part of a multi-media project consisting of a record, poems, individual music videos and an hour-long film with no beginning or end.
Apollo LTD’s obvious understanding of what makes a good “pop” song is highlighted in “What Are You Waiting For.” All elements are present from bouncy dance beats to hook-laden vocals (which include falsettos) that will make this song fit in at parties as well as on mainstream radio.
Washington, DC-based Vandaveer take predictable Indie folk/roots rock and give it a majestic sheen. “But Enough On That For Now,” the first single off their upcoming release The Wild Mercury waxes philosophical on the mortality of humans to the sound of Coldplay-meets-Emmylou Harris vocals.
The Mantles paradoxically take somewhat tired musical genres and give them their own spin to make them fresh again. Walking that line is something many bands try to do, without success. With blends of new wave, neo-folk and other classic musical tones, singer Michael Oliveras wears his influences not just on his sleeve, but boldly emblazoned across his shirt.
I have never been one to blindly follow the lead of celebrities; just because they are who they are. Acting and singing abilities do not necessarily make people experts on politics, relationships or any other life situation, anymore than the average, non-famous person. Quite often, the opposite is true and we have uninformed pop stars being trailed by fans who cling unquestioningly to their every word.
Who says there’s nothing new under the sun? I do. In an era where truly original idea are all but completely exhausted, the best we can hope for is an act that is doing things in a less common, if not a groundbreaking way. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis’ musical approach on “The Third” is one road that has seen considerably less traffic than most.
Shadwick Wilde, frontman for Louisville, Kentucky’s Quiet Hollers seems like a man who immerses himself in a number of things. These things may include books/poetry, multiple musical genres and likely, booze.
An acoustic guitar and a voice can be a beautiful thing. In 2015 however, a time in which the Internet is saturated with acoustic and neo-folk singers ad-nauseam, an artist has to have something special to stand out within the sea of mediocrity.
Fans of Pure Bathing Culture’s 2013 record, “Moon Tides,” will find “Pray For Rain” a vast departure from the former’s sounds of vaguely perceived dreams washing out into the ether. While vocalist Sarah Versprille still has a voice which could be mistaken for The Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser (sans the unintelligible lyrics of that band’s ’80s period), gone is the targeted production style that defined the band as purveyors of…
With a name like Jeremy Loops, one might expect to hear the sounds of someone manning the controls of electronic music production or turntables. Quite the opposite.
Jessica Zambri -known in musical circles by her band name, Solvey- is a woman with “otherworldly” sensibilities. The first track, “Solvey” from her latest record of the same name starts off in a “dreamy” yet accessible sound that hints at the more haunting, meditative songs which follow. Zambri’s unique, almost subconscious-sounding-voice falls somewhere between a more enigmatic version of Sara Mclachlan and Miki Berenyi, the singer of a great nineties…
“Holographic Violence,” the latest record from Seattle’s Grave Babies rides the waves between traditional cold, monochromatic goth music and later forms of the genre which incorporate sonicly brighter and -dare I say- catchier sound elements.