In 2018, songwriter/guitarist Dang Anohen, drummer Lip Molina, guitarist/singer Grace Bergere, rhythm guitarist Jesse James, and bassist Mike Coe formed the NYC rock band, Sallies. Taking their inspiration from Nirvana, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Ramones the group congregated around Dang’s songwriting and labored on More of the Same for years leading up to its release in May 2020.
More of the Same opens with “Ain’t My Speed,” which premiered April 6, 2020 as a promotional track for the album. The initial lyrics “Can we pretend that nothing is there, say it offhand be more indirect, everyone’s clad in who gives a fuck, everything passed off with a laugh, can we just look the other way” fits well with the interpreted theme of the lyric video in that modern social media culture is vain and ineffectual. In opposition to this culture, the track continues “I’m going away out of this rat cage where I’ve catered to your every need.”
The second track “Driftwood” is a well-executed cascading manic rant where the influence of Nirvana is palpable. “Substance” is a grinding alternative rock song and in this writer’s opinion a critique of another aspect of our culture, consumerism. This becomes especially apparent with the biting lyrics “Everybody works for their cars.” While “T.V. Dinner” slows down the pace from previous tracks initially, but quickly rises in tempo to continue the album’s critique of entertainment culture and its “Hallmark wisdom.”
“Every Whim” is a track that brings the patina of garage punk to the album. Keeping with the cultural critique tradition of punk, the track speaks on the government with the lyrics “Ill get my paycheck, Don’t care who I’m Stepping on.” The following track “Sunny-Side Up” builds with instrumentals and lyrics that summarize the frustration of an individual fed up with being told how to be, “You gave me water, it never turned to wine, Hey that doesn’t Matter, Waters just fine.” “Touching” also taps into the frustration addressed in “Sunny-Side Up” but with more aggression on the track. The following song “Make Way” provides a solution to the frustration of previous tracks, “I’m in a bad way, I’m gonna make way” and serves as an inspiration to jump off whatever bad track you’re on.
“User-Friendly” represents a jarring protest of organized religion. “Id really like you to change me, Id really like you to brand me, Id really like you to savage me, You know me I’m User-Friendly”. The remaining lyrics paint the church, not as a provider of absolution, but a manipulative entity, a “User”. “Ill Be Fine” is another slow starting track that jumps right into a wave thrashing instrumental sequence. The final track “Half Mast” is a well-executed crescendo that both reinforces the anti-establishment position and talent of the Sallies.
Miserable Chillers’ new album Audience of Summer has been released today, Friday, August 7. Chillers’ songs primarily deal with growth and exploration, especially as climate change irreversibly alters our natural landscape.
Miserable Chillers is a baroque pop project created by Miguel Gallego. While Gallego previously released three EPs, Audience of Summer is his full-length debut album. Its release was preceded by three singles: “La nave del olvido,” “The Glass,” and the album opener, “Saga’s Sword.” Made up of nine short tracks, Audience of Summer is a deeply pleasant listening experience that floats right by.
Despite Gallego’s gloomy pseudonym, many of the songs are cool and upbeat, especially early on in the album. “Saga’s Sword” in particular has a beachy quality (further accentuated by the album cover), whereas vaporwave influences reign supreme on “La nove del olvido.” This is most likely intentional: vaporwave tends to satirize consumerism, and the track is about finding wrappers, plastic bags, and other eco-unfriendly debris on the ocean floor. The album track “Card Captor” is also a standout, in which Gallego’s vocals channel Imogen Heap over mesmerizing synths.
Although a Brooklynite, Miguel Gallego grew up in suburban New Jersey. His fascination with nature began with a “bizarrely bucolic” creek in the woods beside his house, which he later discovered was man-made. “[Audience of Summer] is a document of where I was before things changed permanently and abruptly,” Gallego said in a press release. “I feel a personal affection for myself growing as a person and as an artist as I made this.”
Audience of Summer is now available for streaming, as well as on digital album and cassette. 50% of proceeds for the latter formats on Bandcamp are going to Bed-Stuy Strong through August 7. Bed-Stuy Strong is an organization that provides food assistance in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.
For more information, see Miserable Chiller’s Bandcamp page.
Keytracks: Saga’s Sword, La Nave del Olvido, Card Captor
An Albany passion project amongst friends has evolved into a molecular musical composition, otherwise known as Bendt. The four-piece rock group strands undoubted rock heritage with a meticulous nuance of modern yet technical tangents. In their most recent, and debut full length, Bendt tells a story that clearly roots deeper than their sonic surface.
Bendt’s nine track album, Brightness in the Barrens, is sequenced in such a way that provokes the ear. With each track comes a new tone, walking you up a spiral staircase. It’s that moment where you inch closer, adjust your ear and grow more curious with each step. “Encumbered,” marks that sonic threshold where you’ve now entered Bent’s world – The Rock n’ Roll egg has been cracked and mutates before your own eyes.
A Lonely shadow wearing down
The flooding ends but the flames abound
With knowledge worth its weight in gold
Encumbered minds best left unsold
“Encumbered” – Bendt
Notably, Bendt has made an effort with the albums opening track “Symptoms.” It debuted as a single in January and paired with a play-along music video. You can’t knock a band that leads with their musical foot forward. The opening hook is gritty with drum licks that make the listener jump more than once. Lead guitarist, Carl Blackwood, is impressive as he takes the bridge to atmospherical heights. Each instrument colors the piece in their own right, but Bendt is just getting warmed up.
Bendt has that iconic rock sound, but thrives in their subtle textures. Tracks like “Dire Elevation,” “13th” and “Don’t” start at utter ends of the spectrum and contrast each other brilliantly. It’s a physical fitness test of the musical minds. Nothing yields way. Everything is continually changing.
Bendt @ Sonelab Recording Studio 12/16/18 – Bryan Lasky
Without ample background, Bendt punningly plays on the notes between the notes. Highlighting on a personal favorite, “Knife” cuts right through the bullshit. Downright gritty rock that highlights the strength of each player. Continually throughout the album Blackwood and bassist, John Longo push and pull against Matt Plummer’s lead vocals. Drummer Cody Bingham doesn’t play like an outright rock drummer. His nuance captures the intricate textures that non-chromatic instruments often miss – taking what’s his and bolstering the energy in the room. Then roaring on the floor tom, sharpening the band back into the hook.
Album outliers “Open Spaces” and “Something” round out this debut and make way for a suspenseful setlist if weaved carefully as interludes, or stacked as dreamy encore.
Bendt is a hip rock band that plays outiside the box. My guess: their live performances will keep the eyes and ears on edge, trying to absorb what’s actually going on. Gridlocked by the pandemic “Brightness in the Barrens” has not had its chance to bloom.
Be sure to check out Bendt’s 2017 self titled EP that holds its own against Brightness in the Barrens eye for eye – or mixed on shuffle. “Odyssey” is a mysterious harmonic that lurks in the musical mastermind of Bendt – giving way with long-winding strums – so you can take it all in once again. It grows.
You’ve likely read the comment, “This album is ahead of its time,” but what does that even mean?
Just before the Talking Heads created their most critically acclaimed album, Remain in Light, the group was getting sick of talking to each other. David Byrne was considered “too controlling” by the other 75% of the band and like all rising rock stars, hinted at leaving the group in early 1980 to pursue his solo career. Lucky for music enthusiasts, art prevailed over war. The ‘70s are proof that tension in the recording studio has a track record of birthing masterful albums. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and The Beatles’ Let It Be, stand the test of time in terms of compositional and lyrical genius, but nothing foreshadowed our current social and economic COVID-19 pandemic like the Talking Heads fourth studio release.
Remain In Light transformed a new-wave, post-punk quartet into a 10-piece worldbeat-funk band in just eight African-inspired tracks. And where there’s polyrhythmic improvisation, there is prophetic intellect. Evidence of Talking Heads time travel can be found in the album made public on October 8, 1980. Nearly 40 years later, the 40-minutes body of work speaks to our society more than ever.
BORN UNDER PUNCHES (THE HEAT GOES ON)
David Byrne greets the listener with, “Take a look at these hands,” an ode to obsessive hand washing during a time of paranoia, uncertainty, and cleanliness.
All I want is to breathe. I’m too thin. Won’t you breathe with me? Find a little space, so we move in-between. In-between it. And keep one step ahead, of yourself.
Look up symptoms of COVID-19, and find “shortness of breath or difficulty breathing” at the very top of the list. How can we prevent the spread? By creating a safe space (six-feet to be exact) between us.
Don’t you miss it, don’t you miss it.
Some ‘a you people just about missed it! Last time to make plans!
Well I’m a tumbler… I’m a Government Man.
The government men across the globe have canceled social gatherings to prohibit the spread. Before everyone had a chance to say their last goodbyes to each other, bars, restaurants, college campuses, sporting arenas, public parks, coffee shops, and libraries were closed down until further notice.
Never seen anything like that before.
The nation is under attack as we fight an overwhelming and unprecedented battle. Quarantined citizens are emotionally drained, sick patients are physically deteriorating, workers are financially crippled and hospital works are most of the above.
All I want is to breathe. Won’t you breathe with me. Hands of a Government Man. Find a little space so we move in-between. And keep one step ahead of yourself. Don’t you miss it! Don’t you miss it!
As compassionate people come together to praise essential works, conservative Americans are unable to face themselves at home as they fight to reopen and build a wall around logic. “Born Under Punches” describes a government turning a blind eye to human suffering, a lack of air, social distancing and unprecedented events. And that’s just the first track.
CROSSYEYED AND PAINLESS
David Byrne now plays a man gone mad from media.
Lost my shape
Trying to act casual
Can’t stop, I might end up in the hospital
Some die and some are asymptomatic, but all are impacted by COVID-19. Emotionally, physically, or socially. For the majority of Americans, a privileged, everyday life came to a screeching halt as cases began to skyrocket.
They’re back, to explain their experience.
In the age of social media, many stories are told, most are fake news. This disease was considered to be extremely deadly in some circles, yet many citizens have recovered, and even more may have had it without knowing.
I’m ready to leave I push the fact in front of me Facts lost Facts are never what they seem to be Nothing there! No information left of any kind Lifting my head Looking for danger signs
No right answer. Scientists and reporters are doing their best to report facts, but the paranoid public isn’t confident they are moving in the right direction.
The island of doubt It’s like the taste of medicine Working by hindsight Got the message from the oxygen Making a list Find the cost of opportunity Doing it right Facts are useless in emergencies
The White House ridiculed New York’s Governor Cuomo for asking about respirators. The cost of respirators was said to be too high as the governor tried preparing for the rising curve. Regardless of the emergency, egos and economics got in the way, deeming the facts useless.
Friends. Live Music. Incomes. Lives. Society as we know it. We are all “still waiting” to understand the next moves. “Get the message from the oxygen.” Speaking of curves, let’s move to the next track.
THE GREAT CURVE
Sometimes the world has a load of questions
Seems like the world knows nothing at all
The world is near but it’s out of reach
Some people touch it, but they can’t hold on
Who do we believe are the experts as the disease is studied more every day? Exiting our front door can be deadly. Our neighbors live next door, but it is against the rules to interact with them. Some ignore the rules and socially gather only to contract the disease and lose everything.
She is moving to describe the world Night must fall now-darker, darker She has messages for everyone Night must fall now-darker, darker
Byrne draws a connection between a woman and Mother Earth. Across the world, we see positivity and optimism from an environmental perspective. As we focus on the COVID-19 curve as a human race, there is a much bigger picture we are not concentrating on. The woman in this song is part human and part Earth and we need to protect her. She is shifting as some of the most densely packed cities in the world react to COVID-19.
A world of light, she’s gonna open our eyes up
For the first time in decades, densely populated cities like Punjab, India are experiencing the positive impact of global lockdown as the human-influenced smog lifts. They now open their eyes to the Himalayan Mountain peaks for the first time this millennium.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
One of the Talking Heads most popular tracks might also be one of their most 2020 quarantine-relevant.
And you may find yourself
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you may find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
With a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well
How did I get here?
Remember in 2019 when people were not forced to remain inside and reflect? It was okay to be on autopilot and walk the streets or fields or cities in between and just be without being. In quarantine, we are tasked with the most impossible job of all—learning to cope with ourselves with little outside influence.
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down Letting the days go by, water flowing underground Into the blue again after the money’s gone Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
We stand over the sink, hands under the water, repeating the birthday song in hopes of resolving and removing the one-in-a-lifetime virus from each finger. We would love to return to a same as it ever was time, but it will likely be a new normal. Will we remain in our houses forever or return to the world we once knew? Or will it be a hybrid?
HOUSE IN MOTION
The second half of the album must disprove the notion of a sonic COVID-19 quarantine conspiracy, right? If you are currently pacing in your home, reading, thinking, moving, and wondering more than usual, then this one is for you.
I’m walking a line
I’m thinking about empty motion
I’m walking a line
Just barely enough to be living
Get outta the way (no time to begin)
This isn’t the time (so nothing was done)
Not talking about (not many at all)
I’m turning around (no trouble at all)
You notice there’s nothing around you, ’round you
I’m walking a line
Divide and dissolve
Good news, you get to leave your home and walk around the grocery store in a paranoid state. The aisles are blocked off, forcing you to treat your neighbors like Neanderthals. Saying hello isn’t the same without a mask and we can barely say goodbye without wondering what level of COVID-19 they left on us. The same beautiful house that was written about in “Once in a Lifetime” is the same place you escape to wash the outside-world filth from your potentially pandemic-covered hands.
I’m walking a line I hate to be dreaming in motion I’m walking a line Just barely enough to be living Get outta the way (no time to begin) This isn’t the time (so nothing was done) Not talking about (not many at all) I’m turning around (no trouble at all) I’m keeping my fingers behind me, ‘hind me I’m walking a line Divide and dissolve
Does this scare you? We are social creatures. We are supposed to be fully living and interacting with peers according to our elementary schooling. The narrator is crushing the idea of social contact and, instead, inviting the paranoia of his peers. Full-blown, introverted paranoia.
SEEN AND NOT SEEN
He would see faces in movies, on T.V., in magazines, and in books…
He thought that some of these faces might be right for him…
And through the years, by keeping an ideal facial structure fixed in his mind…
Or somewhere in the back of his mind…
Are we spending too much time streaming music, watching Netflix or staring in a mirror? The focus of this spoken-word-by-Byrne reflective track is post-pandemic physical appreciation. Who cares about what happened in 2019 if it’s possible to reinvent in 2020? We finally escape out of quarantine, but what is stopping us from impulsively mistaking our own identity? Should we redefine our social, physical and emotional selves, or is this a good spot to restart?
They may have picked an ideal appearance based on some childish
Whim, or momentary impulse…
Some may have gotten half-way
There, and then changed their minds.
He wonders if he too might have made a similar mistake.
Is the narrator saving face for the previously mentioned government man or is he just trying to act casual?
LISTENING WIND
What happens to people in countries that lack access to 5G or vaccines or respiration or clean water? Is Mother Nature watching out for her children or is it the lack of tourism that prevents their people from the global disease?
Mojique buys equipment in the marketplace Mojique plants devices in the free trade zone He feels the wind is lifting up his people He calls the wind to guide him on his mission He knows his friend the wind is always standing…by. Mojique smells the wind that comes from far away Mojique waits for news in a quiet place He feels the presence of the wind around him He feels the power of the past behind him He has the knowledge of the wind to guide him…on.
A return to nature. The wild is calling. What were the redefined terms of survival of the fittest in 1980 (or 2020)?
THE OVERLOAD
A dark, eerie, Brian Eno-driven piece closes the album with an apocalyptic exclamation point.
A terrible signal Too weak to even recognize
A gentle collapsing The removal of the insides I’m touched by your pleas I value these moments We’re older than we realize In someone’s eyes
Free healthcare was the topic of debate less than two months before 2020 changed America. Who is this “someone” Byrne speaks about? What is the underlying ignorance that haunts us throughout an album recorded in 1980?
A change in the weather A view to remember The center is missing They question how the future lies In someone’s eyes
We are reminded that Mother Earth is slowly healing during human dormancy, yet the pessimistic power of the composition reminds us that there is a serious problem. Midtown Manhattan’s Times Square is one of the most photographed locations in the world. A central hub of a global city. Currently, it’s empty and missing.
The gentle collapsing Of every surface We travel on the quiet road …the overload
The closing lyrics of the album are about as poignant as the opening. As local and state governments look for ways to reopen a social society, they call for extra hands to sanitize surfaces, and open up roads for people, not cars. Has Mother Nature finally forced us to abide by her rules or is our society too ignorant and self-centered to protect one another? Either way, the answer is overwhelming.
A favorite album will transport you to a time when you needed the music most. But an iconic album encapsulates the present, whether you like it or not. Remain in Light was written during the political, economic, and social injustices of the late ‘70s, yet it connects the same unprecedented, introspective, unusual feelings we have during a global pandemic – mask off and same as it ever was.
A trio of brothers came together to form the band, Council. Now, they have a powerful new EP under their belt, Haunts Me.
Cover art for Council’s new EP Haunts Me.
From Farm Life to Musical Talent
Pat, Doug and Andy Reeves hail from Baldwinsville, just outside of Syracuse, where they worked the fields on their family farm. While they worked during the day, they had time to practice at night.
The three musically educated themselves by listening to their father’s record collection. They say they were athletes growing up, so they never performed as kids. They decided to perform together nine years ago at a local library.
“We were so nervous we asked them to not record us, as we were expecting the worst,” says the band.
Council band members Pat, Doug and Andy Reeves.
Family Knows Best
The idea of working and playing music with family might mean fun all the time, but that’s not what the guys say. In their experience it could be very difficult at times.
“We have 3 different opinions about everything and have no issue with arguing over everything. We often times find two of us huddled together creating secret pacts against the third so an idea gets passed or someone catches more of the blame than the others,” They say.
That doesn’t mean a family band is bad, though. The trust between the three of them is strong and they all grew up with the same musical past. They say if anyone tries to join the trio, it never ends up well.
The First Council Release was a Success
The Reeves brothers continued to work on their musical career over the years, with their first release of, “Rust to Gold,” that both American Idol and the Winter Olympics featured.
Haunts Me Empowers Internal Battles
While “Rust to Gold,” symbolized an introduction to their band, they say Haunts Me is “internally based”. One of the tracks, “Born Ready,” came out of their personal struggles they were dealing with at the time. It embodies the idea of being able to handle whatever life throws at you because you are born ready.
The current state of the world made many feel a bit detached from society. Haunts Me guides not only the listener, but also the mind to a more powerful outlook on how life has become.
Council expanded their live streaming from their website to BOSE, Twitch and Sessionslive. Because of the global pandemic they are currently on tour, so live streaming will be their outlet to perform and connect with fans. Haunts Me is set to release on Aug. 4.
Evan Alexander Moore dropped his debut album The Perennial Millennial is a defining snapshot of our time on May 22, 2020. A quirky social commentary on the American millennial experience in 2020, it’s a concept album through and through. In its sprawling length of 70 minutes, the NYC singer-songwriter tackles capitalism, the ruling class, and most entertainingly, “millennials are destroying x industry” clickbait.
Despite his varied influences from Bob Dylan to Kendrick Lamar to Joni Mitchell, Evan Alexander Moore sounds fully original. While it’s easy to spot the aforementioned artists’ impact, he retains his own unique style. One of the album’s strengths is that the sound mixing is crackly and distorted like an old record from the 60s or 70s—a comforting contrast to its intense topical lyrics. It’s also quotable from start to finish: the opener, “Millennial,” has the line “I feel like Atlas with all this school debt on my shoulders.”
Standout tracks on The Perennial Millennial include “Our Time,” “Grand Little Symphony,” and “The Price of Cereal.” And while not full songs, its two interludes offer some of the album’s most genius moments. On “Brian’s Interlude,” Moore remarks that “pitting generations against each other is just fucking clickbait shit.” He also pays homage to Bob Dylan on “Hey, Mr. Zimmerman!” The album admittedly feels long at times—the title track “Perennial” is over 14 minutes—but it’s certainly ambitious for a debut effort.
After pondering what legacy millennials will leave, Evan Alexander Moore ultimately concludes that “our generation will grow out of the cement that has been paved over us.” For younger generations, The Perennial Millennial is an inspiring, reassuring, and guilt-free experience.
Stream The Perennial Millennial here:
For more information visit Evan Alexander Moore’s website.
Long Island jam band veterans, Cousin Fungus, have a long history of strong live performances. Some even credit them with contributing strongly to the establishment of a much more vibrant jam band scene today. With the release of 22, Vol.1, the band has released its best recorded material to date. With Volumes 2 and 3 promised to be right behind, veteran as well as new fans are in for quite a sonic treat.
The band is made up of three brothers: Thomas (bass guitar, vocals), Christian (drums, percussion) and Henry (guitar, vocals) Stanziale. Good friend, Dennis Belline, Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), rounds out this group of stand-out musicians. The tight knit bonds between the members are on display on here in the cohesiveness of their sound. The collaboration just feels natural and easy.
From the opening keyboard notes on 22, Vol.1 evoking the Who, the songs sound both nostalgic and yet contemporary. This volume clocks in at just over forty minutes and the seven songs included are positive, almost celebratory. As bands and fans gear up for the return to live music shows, keep an eye out for Cousin Fugus. They are at the top of their game and ready to get back to the jam!
Key Tracks: Embrace, Black Cat Black Dog, Caravan
With the release of 22, Vol.II, the Cousin Fungus crew unleashes their first album of live tracks. These seven songs have been honed and developed over the years, crafted with audiences watching. The guitar work is as steady and solid as you’d expect from these jam band veterans. And the keyboard contributions really stand out, sometimes as featured solos, but also as a connective agent between all of the pieces assembled here.
Cousin Fungus doesn’t shy away from exploring different styles of music either. There are bluesy elements, funky stylings and straight ahead roaring guitar riffs.
The final installment of the “22” trilogy will be released in the coming months.
Kids These Daze is a detailed description of the world’s musical genres, interpreted by Casey and the Comrades. It’s as though they’re telling you about their worldly travels, but this time, you’ll actually want to hear about someone else’s vacation stories. Casey Cranford (of BIG Something) and friends, have fused a wide variety of sounds together that add spice to their jam band undertones – and strung together, it makes for a very exciting album.
In their press release, they say “listeners will find a completely original sound” Completely original? No. But when you step back and look at the big picture, then yes – the execution of the album is fairly original. Special guests like, Nick MacDaniels, Becca Stevens, Paul Hanson, Billy Cardine, Saxton Rose, Nate Werth, and Lucy Woodward, bring their impressive musical talents to the table, which makes each track unique and dissectible.
One thing that allows them to be so eclectic is the EWI (electronic wind instrument) played by Casey Cranford. His instrument can emulate the sounds of most winded instruments, allowing the group to morph into different genres. The saxophone is the most prominent sound we hear throughout the album, which can be heard playing the extremely memorable licks on “H1N1” and “ExciteBikeRack.” Speaking of – these tracks are the most interesting and energetic of the bunch. In “H1N1” We’re thrown straight into, what feels like a sandstorm raging through the Arabian deserts. We dive and fall into a fast paced race through memorable licks and avant garde solos. Then we’re seamlessly dropped into heavy, dense breakdowns that keep things spicy. The whole track is 7:39 second roller coaster of sound.
In “ExciteBikeRack,” we feel this sense of constant forward movement, coupled with hard hitting left and right turns, which allows for an ideal space to solo over in a live and studio setting. The hardest hitting turn is the rap break by TommyBlaze336. Not something we hear often in a “psychedelic space fusion” band, as they have proclaimed themselves to be.
Aptly named, “Fall” is the jazziest of the album. We feel like we’re free falling through space, with our attention being gently directed to the wide array of solos from a lush saxophone and bright keyboard, brought to us by Julian Sizemore. The track does drone on a for a while but as it ends, we feel ourselves “surviving the fall” as the lyrics go, and finally reaching the ground, entering the next song of the album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdRiAnF3T3k
So is this a “completely original sound” as proclaimed? In the grand expanse of time, no, it’s not original. So many key aspects go into making a sound that is distinguishable and different from anything else. Someone’s very unique voice, guitar tone or production tactics, are what give a band a unique sound. Somehow, we’ve heard these songs before. We’ve seen cooky instruments in a jam band, we’ve heard a jam band use Middle Eastern/ Arabic tones and scales, we’ve seen the concept album about how technology is double edged sword, and we’ve experienced the psychedelic space jam band. But again this should not undercut the fact that this album is interesting, impressive, full of creative licks and hooks.
It’s always impressive when people master their instruments, when groups of six or more can collectively agree on a vision, and make it come to life in a well executed and precisely produced manner. But being one of a kind doesn’t mean adding layers and layers of instruments and fussing every known genre together. It’s something that comes naturally, even accidentally, over years and years. We hope this group reaches that threshold, where we the listeners can hear a song, a lick, or vocalist, play something that is quintessentially Casey and the Comrades, because it’s obvious these men and women have the talent to make it happen.
Albany-area heavy rockers The Erotics are no longer a new band or young pups, having been at it for over two decades now. They first released “Get Drunk Again” on Cacophone RecordsUltra Swank compilation in 1999, so we can reasonably call these lads veteran heavy rockers by now.
Let’s Kill Rock ‘n’ Roll is a live record of all-new songs – I remember Central New York heavies The Rods doing this in 1984, but this is not common in the heavy rock world. However, it’s no crappy live-in-a-club recording – the band recorded this in front of a small audience of hardcore fans in an actual studio, so the sound is fantastic, the guitars are up-front and face-removing, a great balance of clarity and rawness. The small live audience gives it a vibe not unlike the legendary promo-only live 1977 AC/DC record Live from the Atlantic Studios, which was recorded in similar fashion.
Before getting to the tunes, one thing that has always set The Erotics apart from your typical Albany-area “plays the local clubs and occasionally some other Northeast city” band, is that these guys have built a following well outside the local area. No doubt, there have been Albany bands who have done the same – Troy heavies Stigmata and Brick by Brick developed national followings and have performed in Europe; Albany ska-crunch heroes Can’t Say have toured nationally and released records in Japan; and legendary area greats Blotto were on MTV on Day 1 and toured the States opening for Blue Oyster Cult.
When I’ve seen The Erotics in local clubs, there always seems to be someone there down from Canada or over from Europe to see the band. Having toured the UK several times, last year they played a British festival opening for one of my favorite bands ever, The Wildhearts; the reach of this band extends far beyond the 518.
Anyways, the music: this record rocks. A killer old-school heavy rock record, with no pretensions to alternative rock or punk hipster-ism. I know other reviews and articles brand these guys as punk, but I don’t hear that – this band is firmly in the tradition of 70s (Alice Cooper, Bon-era AC/DC) and 80s hard rock. They invoke Appetite-era Guns n Roses, maybe first-two-records-era Motley Crue (but without the shitty singer) ‘Electric’-era The Cult and, again, AC/DC. Great riffs, great songwriting, and lyrics about things real rock bands sing about (fighting, drinking, rocking, women & hell). The record starts off with a short instrumental, “Nothing to Sing About”, with chugging riffs and Thin Lizzy-style harmony guitars, into title track “Let’s Kill Rock N Roll,” killer riff, memorable chorus, a truly great heavy rock tune.
There’s mighty, hefty riffs everywhere and some excellent choruses, as with “Monday Morning Meltdown” and “Head of the Low Class.” Mike Trash’s vocals, always good, are top-shelf here, in the region of a more whiskey-soaked Axl. “Lie My Way Into Hell” is excellent, maybe the best track, great, swaggering stuff. Not much to criticize here – “Wrong Kind of Love Song” maybe reminds me a bit of those 80s power ballads I fucking hated back in the day, albeit without the candy-corn production, and as you get into the latter half of the 14 tracks, there’s a blending-in-together feel. But the record ends on a high note with “Fighting Like Cats and Dogs,” full of high-speed, fast, heavy, crushing metal. Great stuff indeed.
All hail Let’s Kill Rock’n’Roll, a top-notch hard rock record, released on July 20, so go get yourself a tall glass of this now. Check it out on Bandcamp.
Key Tracks: Let’s Kill Rock N Roll, Lie My Way Into Hell, Fighting Like Cats and Dogs
My Morning Jacket announced on Tuesday July 7 that their new record THE WATERFALL II would be released the following Friday with a special live stream the night before. This record had been teased over the last five years since THEWATERFALL was released in 2015, as they recorded enough material for a follow up. The first record was a break up record and THEWATERFALLII continues that theme, enrolling a dreamy southern rock as if the Beach Boys and Allman Brothers birthed a new cosmic force that is the ever evolving style of MMJ from album to album.
This new record was recorded seven years ago in Stinson Beach, CA and though three of the tracks had been heard as part of a Holiday release (“Welcome Home”), a soundtrack (“The First Time”), and a single (“Magic Bullet”), they fit so well into this psychedelic pop record that after 20 years as a band, it continues to showcase and highlight all the members. The back line of Tom Blankenship and Patrick Hallahan are tight and true, letting Jim James explore with his incredible vocal range, while Carl Broemel’s guitar work weaves pattens through the record like birds in flight across a melting Pacific sunset. Bo Koster really shines on these tracks as well with his fantastic work on keys and backing vocals adding a radiant shine over the entire piece of art. Brittany Howard of The Alabama Shakes also lays down back up vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28twddwXhJc
THE WATERFALL II opens with “Spinning My Wheels,” which the band performed on Jimmy Fallon July 15. “Hypnotized from doing the same old thing, It don’t matter where you settle down, It sure don’t matter where they put you in the ground, they only point of things is to break the spell and to love another day and live to tell,” sings James. What a fitting way to start this very hypnotizing track. As mentioned, the theme of breaking up lingers, but in this writer’s opinion, the message is one of peace and tranquility in discovering that change is what you needed most. Track two, “Still Thinkin’,” starts out almost as a bouncy pop song and then delves into a wondrous cave a la Pink Floyd or “Dondante” from MMJ’s album Z 15 years prior. “Climbing The Ladder” has some amazing tempo changes that keep the listener on their toes and remains very upbeat. One could potentially see this as a fun opening song when live music comes back or first encore song.
The second act of the record begins with “Feel You” and this is where the album starts to move into that dreamy phase, with a sentiment sung wonderfully and guitar interludes that drift like wind across the waves. It soars and moves as the band feels so tight but so loose at the same time. This is sure to be a fan favorite. “Beautiful Love (Wasn’t Enough)” hits with biting lyrics and guitar solos, and that dreaminess turns into a locomotor chugging through. One could almost see this track on the Dylan album Blood On The Tracks. That driving force comes through again on “Magic Bullet,” reminiscent of MMJ’s work on Evil Urges’ “Highly Suspicious” or Circuital’s “Holding Onto Black Metal.” If we still had Prince, this might be the music he would be making.
The third act as part of one gorgeous record begins with “Run It.” The song itself is a meditation, a call for self discovery and a call for healing, the perfect song for a global pandemic, a Sunday morning, a drive through the country, and anyone searching for a bit of peace in their life. “If you ain’t to kind, you ain’t my type, I’m gonna run you out the door, Don’t need that, Don’t need ya anymore…” Koster’s keys over the beat, Jame’s warm voice, Broemel’s sly guitar might make this the song of the summer. As the song drifts away, don’t take your eyes off the road because you will get hit by what will most likely become a barnburner at live shows.
The first two minutes of “Wasted” set up a groove that Koster and Blankenship start turning up the dial on until it becomes a full on rocker. Just when you have spent every emotion you have on this record, and being floored by the penultimate track, “Welcome Home,” centers you again. The song is like the last kiss of sun across the ocean as night sets in. The placement of each song on this record will keep it flying off shelves at vinyl stores as it is truly a full album. “Send bad habits on their way, let a new year start today, open arms are saying to you, welcome home, and as the snow glazed all the trees, I let my thoughts flow of the breeze, and the air rushed in my lungs saying to me , welcome home,” sings James with another sentiment of being born again. Everyone is hoping for a new beginning in a new year where all people are welcomed home. The final track, “The First Time,” reminds this writer of THEWATERFALL song “Only Memories Remain” which has found new life as a live track and has become part of some amazing sets these gentlemen put on.
THE WATERFALL II is a breath of fresh air, a surprise in these times of seemingly endless bad news. It serves as a bright spot for fans of the band and also came with an announcement that there is another album entirely done, awaiting a release date, hopefully be followed by a run of shows. New listeners of the band will find a group that has been at it for 20 years, from driving in vans, to playing Madison Square Garden on New Years Eve in their first 9 years, and sometimes having to take a breath for themselves. Though their styles keep evolving, the message has always been clear with My Morning Jacket from Louisville, KY – love always wins and in this case can set your mind free.
