Liquid [Hip]

In Review: Tess Parks, The Lumineers, and more...

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 20:18:00 +0000

Toronto-born, London-based artist Tess Parks will be out with her long-awaited new album ‘And Those Who Were Seen Dancing’ on May 20. She pieced these songs together in London, Toronto, and Los Angeles with friends and family over three years.

The first track released, 'Happy Birthday Forever' balances some alt-psych vibes with shoegaze influences. If the rest of the album is like this track, expect ‘And Those Who Were Seen Dancing’ to make your favorite playlist. LHRS: 7.9

On Apple: Tess Parks - And Those Who Were Seen Dancing
On Amazon: Tess Parks - Happy Birthday Forever

Denver-based American folk-rock band the Lumineers are out with their fourth album, Brightside. It's a bit more mellow than their usual outings and the addition of electric guitar. Some people don't like it, but the addition adds a bit of an edge to an otherwise consistently great album.

Overall, what works is the tone of the album even if a few of the repetitive choruses fall short. It's going to play great on the road where the band can hit fan favorites and then drop in the nine tracks from Brightside with a looser performance than the studiocut. That might even be why they are asking people to leave their phones at home (or check them at the door). LHRS: 6.8

On Apple: Lumineers - Brightside
On Amazon: Lumineers - Brightside

Rising Cork trio Rowan is off to an explosive start with their visceral new single 'Irish To My Bones.' The track features some thundering riffs with vocalist Dylan Howe howling the lyrics to pierce what he calls a modern perspective of suppression and shame.

Cut from the upcoming May release of their debut album, Does It Make You Happy, the band should be attracting plenty of attention. Last year, two other tracks were championed by alterative rock reviewers who clearly see something special here and so do we. LHRS: 5.8

On Apple: Rowan - Does It Make You Happy
On Amazon: Rowan - Does It Make You Happy

We're always looking for a mix of music on Liquid [Hip] so we're adding 'Spineless' by Ovtlier as a hardcore nu-metal pick this month. The track is not only powerful and personal — written by Joey Arena after losing his grandmother to cancer, but taps the talent of Danny Leal Jr. of Upon A Burning Body.

From a broader perspective, it hits on an all too common theme that we're always at risk of being disillusioned by the actions of those we once believed in. The single is so good it will leave you wanting more from the band, especially with Leal on board. LHRS: 6.2

On Apple: Ovtlier - Spineless
On Amazon - Ovtlier - Spineless

'Forever' is a brand new single taken from Stereophonics' new album 'Oochya!' out March 4. It's their third installment from the upcoming album and easily one of our favorites with its kick-back, drive-with-the-top-down alternative rock vibe.

If you feel a sense of nostalgia, it's probably because the band is feeling it too. They've already delivered a quarter-century of music as a cornerstone of modern British rock. And there is no doubt anymore that Kelly Jones has cemented his place amongst the great British songwriters of all time. LHRS: 6.1

On Apple: Stereophonics - Oochya!

On Amazon - Stereophonics - Oochya!

Those are the top track from January, but we'd also to give a nod to 19-year-old artist from Rockport, Mass. Sofia Mills for Wish I Would (Apple | Amazon). The track pulls off the impossible task of sounding strong and vulnerable at the same time and remind su exactly why her debut album Baby Magic will be memorable. Oh, that and it's coproduced by John Mark Nelson.

A Time Machine Look At Six Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 18:38:00 +0000

Technology has made some pretty big changes over the past 50 years. Most of it comes and goes — stuff you don't even remember. Unless, of course, their coolness earns some iconic status you'll never forget.

Thanks to new research from Ebuyer, we were recently treated to how much six classic gadgets would cost in today's dollars and how much some of them are going for in mint condition today. Here's a summary of the six picks they covered, and we'll share their price tags at the end of the article.

Nokia 3310. This was a piece of tech that reimagined the way people thought about mobile phones and is one of the most iconic gadgets ever created. Praised for its great durability and long-lasting battery life, it became a bestseller for Nokia, selling over 126 million units1, and who can forget playing the game Snake on one of these bad boys when it was released in 1999.*

Sony PlayStation. The original PlayStation was released by Sony as a "console for adults" to rival Nintendo's gaming consoles during the 1990s. From there, they released four iterations of the console, with the PlayStation 2 holding the record for best-selling gaming console of all time. Classic games released in the UK with the console in 1995 included: Crash Bandicoot and Spyro.

Sony Walkman. This gadget easily earns the "godfather of portable music player" moniker. It was the first of its kind in terms of simplicity and affordability. It welcomed the common use of headphones in public spaces, and it ran on AA that allowed it to travel fair distances between power sources. The success of the Sony Walkman in 1979 and beyond, selling over 400 million units, led to the creation of other iconic portable music players like portable CD players and even the iPod.

Polaroid Camera. Possibly the most iconic camera of all time, Polaroid allowed people to take instant snapshots of their lives in an easy-to-use, affordable way. This gadget is so iconic that there are modern-day imitations (almost 40 years after the first release!) and apps on smartphones that attempt to replicate the off-color effect of the Polaroid in 1977. It's still cool.

Nintendo Game Boy. No other gadget revolutionized the way the gaming industry would move forward, freeing players from having to play games at home. With its own power source, the 1989 release of the Game Boy led to a massive shift in gaming that inspired the Sony PSP and even Apple's iPhone. Including the updated model, the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo sold over 200m of these chunky handheld devices, and it was an absolute bestseller throughout the 90s.

IBM Model 5150. Sure, there were personal computers before its release, but the 515 was a home computing pioneer. This piece of historic tech was the starting place for all modern home computers, apart from Apple computers which have all been developed from the original Macintosh. Can you imagine? Its release wasn't even that long ago — 1981.

So how much did they sell for then? How much would that be today? And what's the value if you kept it?

Pretty cook. Special thanks to Ebuyer for reaching out with this classic gadget lineup. To find out more about Ebuyer or check out the modern-day versions of these classic gadgets, visit them here.

Five Memorable Books For 2021

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 18:09:00 +0000

Liquid [Hip] may have been on hiatus, but that doesn't mean we aren't reading books and listening to music. While we're working out some kinks to resurrect how we can share more music again, you can always find a fresh selection of songs sent to us for consideration by following Liquid [Hip] on Twitter.

Books are another matter. With only one person really reading books, I can only cover ground on about 45-50 titles a year. And since I'm also a Goodreads author, I tend to post all my reviews there. The reviews are more personal than the full-length writeups we've shared on this site, but the collection is still cool. You can take a look at all of the books I've read this year on Goodreads or scan the list below for the five more memorable reads between Oct. 2020 and Sept. 2021 (plus one bonus title).

Keep in mind, I chose these books looking back over everything I've read in the last year. Looking at them through this lens, I omitted several favorites like Rabbit Is Rich by John Updike, Devil In A Blue Dress by Walter Mosely, and The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas in favor of books that felt more like surprise discoveries to me. Not all of them are new titles, but they were new to me. Not all of them were even five stars but were memorable for one reason or another. Maybe you'll feel the same.

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby (9.4) - five stars

By turning his attention to one of his best-drawn characters of writing his career, S.A. Cosby delivers arguably one of the best crime noirs put out last year. Blacktop Wasteland is well crafted, tightly written, and carries a cast of characters with backstories miles deeper than what Cosby ever puts down on the page. As a husband, father, and car mechanic who finds himself on the edge of hard times, protagonist Beauregard “Bug” Montage is immediately likable. [Full Review on Goodreads.]

Spearhead by Adam Makos (9.2) - five stars

Spearhead is a compelling book that sheds light on the courage, sacrifice, and humanity of American and German tank soldiers during World War II. Told as an inspiring truth-life adventure, author Adam Makos paints portraits of the men forced to face each other in the liberation of Europe and into Germany. The book begins in occupied Belgium, 1944, as Corporal Clarence Smoyer — a 21-year-old from Penn. — shuttling a 75mm shell to the loader. The tension is set from the onset. [Full Review on Goodreads.]

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (9.1) - five stars (but not for everyone)

Alas, Babylon is one of the first apocalyptic novels of the nuclear age and there are plenty of reasons it remains popular. Pat Frank is set in a fictional 1959, with events that do not seem so fictional — two years of escalating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union for dominance in the Middle East and in the Mediterranean Sea. He capitalizes on the temporary space supremacy the USSR obtained with the launch of Sputnik, but ups the ante to include a massive fleet of militarized Sputniks — casting a sinister foreshadow to what most people saw as a triumph for the United States. [Full Review on Goodreads.]

The Last: A Novel by Hanna Jameson (6.2) - four stars

Hanna Jameson surprises with an easily digestible and entertaining novel about conference attendee Jon Keller during the outbreak of a nuclear war. Two months before the start of the book, Jon is in the lobby of the Swiss L’Hotel Sixieme when he begins to receive push notifications on his phone: nuclear bombs hit Washington, DC, New York, London, and Berlin before the world goes black. [Full Review on Goodreads.]

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (4.0) - four stars

Interior Chinatown is both darkly funny and painfully tragic in its portrayal of the plight of the generic Asian male. Through his protagonist, Willis Wu, Charles Yu tells the tale of Hollywood's penchant for promoting clichés about Asians and Asian-Americans with a character who both plays the generic Asian male (hoping to be Kung Fu guy one day) and treats the narrative of his life in much the same way — as playing a role in a movie. [Full Review on Goodreads]

50 States by Richard R. Becker - your call

50 States: A collection of short short stories is a bonus title. I wrote it so I won't review it, but I'm happy to say that purchases are moving closer to thousands instead of hundreds thanks to some growing word-of-mouth support and some solid reviews. Here is what Kirkus Reviews had to say: "A cleverly conceived, character-driven, if overstuffed, anthology sure to delight and enchant." [Full Review on Kirkus Reviews]

These are our picks for the year. Perhaps we'll move to a quarterly call out next year. But if you don't want to wait, then I would suggest following me on Goodreads. The site has been a great place for me to keep a book diary of sorts and, more than that, was extremely supportive when I became a Goodreads author. Maybe you'll have the same experience there too.

A New Q&A With Writer Richard Becker

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 18:10:00 +0000

Last year, American writer Richard R. Becker set out on an ambitious story writing project: write 50 short, short stories in 50 weeks, sharing one a week on his Facebook page. What emerged was a cross-genre exploration of the human condition. The collection, called 50 States, is also a composite of periods and places, with each story set in a different state.

With all 50 stories complete, Richard is exploring publishing options for the collection while simultaneously starting work on two more writing projects. So, we decided to catch up with him and ask a few questions about the projects.

Q: What inspired you to start writing 50 stories in 50 weeks?

A: I’ve written short fiction on and off all my life, but never gave it the serious attention it deserved while focusing on my commercial business. Advertising and marketing are very deadline-oriented, so when new clients, communication projects, or marketing campaigns demanded my immediate attention, I sidelined any personal projects.

One of my good friends, Geoff Livingston, told me how to remedy the challenge. You have to work for yourself first, he said. It’s excellent advice, but it took another couple of years before the graphic designer and illustrator Stefan Bucher showed me how to set project parameters. Bucher is the author and illustrator of the Daily Monster, an art project he started by illustrating one new monster every day.

I knew I couldn’t write a new story every day, so I settled into writing one short story, somewhere between 30 and 2,600 words, every week. Once the parameters were set, I revisited Livingston’s advice and dedicated the first part of every Monday to do the bulk of the work.

Q: What can you tell me about the stories?

A: As a collection, 50 States plays out like visiting an art museum. You never know what painting you might see when you round the corner — a slice of life, drama, thriller, experimental, or supernatural — partly because I wasn’t always sure what I wanted to write from week to week. And partly by design because I didn’t want to settle down on this project.

Writers are often told to stick to a genre, but I wasn’t convinced doing so would sustain my interest over 50 weeks. If there is a common thread beyond each story taking place in a different state, I would say it’s found in the psychological and sociological components.

I’ve always enjoyed exploring how people with different perspectives and backgrounds cope with experiences, problems, or transformations. It can be incredibly insightful when people challenge what we might expect from them, or if we’re left to wonder what we might do when faced with the same problem.

Q: Where did you get your ideas?

I’ve been asked this question dozens of times as a commercial copywriter, content marketer, and speaker. I often tell audiences and students that our job as a commercial writer is to find a passion and purpose in whatever we’re writing about — no matter how mundane the topic might appear on the surface. I have a few tips for inspiration.

I found writing fiction to be a bit different. Coming up with a story every week came from holding a few creative sparks in mind at any given time, and then fanning each one to see what ignites. As I developed one of these sparks into a story, a few more sparks might take their place.

Sometimes they would come from something I might see in passing (like a harassed girl taking a chance on a passerby to rescue her), current events (like people fleeing wildfires or environmental protests), research about a particular location (like a non-customer inexplicably wandering into the back room of a restaurant), or a sliver from my past experiences (being dared to cross a creek on the outside of a bridge). Not every spark will develop, but I learned how to become more alert to them once I was in the habit of collecting them.

Q: What did you learn from the 50 stories in 50 weeks project?

A: You can listen to a hundred writers tell you to just write. It might be impossible to fathom when you aren’t wiring, but it’s true — writing is the secret to writing. If you can write one decent sentence, even if you rewrite or cut it later, the second will be easier.

The importance of immersion cannot be understated. Robert Greene, author of Mastery, considers this actively engaging dimensional mind the key to reaching our creative potential. David Lynch talks about creativity in much the same way. Once we move from the trappings of a conventional mind, we can be led to a fantastic place where trillions of ideas are waiting to be caught.

It made me realize that I should have done this much sooner. Whereas before I always looked at writing fiction as something that would take away from commercial work, the opposite turned out to be true. Being in this dimensional space has lent something to my commercial work.

Q: Did you face any challenges along the way?

A: My biggest challenge has been the same one faced by everyone on the planet. Regardless of how we feel about it, the pandemic has a nasty way of keeping us grounded in conventional thought. It pushes negativity, scarcity, regulations, and the mundane to the forefront while diminishing access to and the importance of creative thinking — even if creative, positive thinking is what we need the most right now.

Before the initial shutdown in our state, I was ahead of schedule with up to five stories written and ready for publication on my page. After a few months of the shutdown, I found my stockpile of finished stories diminishing as it was harder and harder to find sparks that had nothing to do with the pandemic. I also didn’t want it to seep into the stories.

In the end, two stories touch on the pandemic (and one is directly related to it) as I learned how to navigate around it. But what was lost in the process was my ability to keep ahead of my weekly schedule, and sometimes I finished stories the night before the deadline. Ultimately, not having 10 weeks off from writing pushed my original publishing dates out the window.

Q: What’s next for 50 States and any new projects?

A: I always wanted to self-publish 50 States, so I’m currently exploring my best option. I’ve already narrowed it down to three paths and plan to start production in the next few weeks. Whether the initial offering will be a small run or something like a Kickstarter campaign will depend on how many people sign up for my newsletter.

If you sign up, keep in mind that the sign-up page was initially meant to provide production updates. Plans change. I’m using it for my future quarterly newsletter, including an original long format short story — maybe 3,500 to 8,000 words — every three months. It will also include any updates on 50 States and some other surprises.

I’ve also restarted another collection of short, short stories called 50 Threads but won't be publishing them on Facebook. Instead, I'll share them elsewhere and announce them on Facebook, byRichardBecker, and other social networks like Twitter, Linkedin, MeWe, and maybe a few other places.

As the name 50 Threads suggests, most of these shorts touch on or tie into those that made up 50 States. What’s different is that my publishing schedule will be slower so I can focus on production and other projects. 50 Threads will present 50 stories in 100 weeks, published every other Thursday. If you aren’t following already, I’d love to see you there!

50 States by Richard R. Becker will be on our watch list.

It’s always great to see someone kickstart their storytelling career, and this effort is especially interesting because it came out of a personal challenge. It will also be interesting to see how his next project pans out. The first story in 50 Threads, The Beige Door, was published on Facebook. Future stories may not be.

This Week In Music: Jan. 27, 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 15:00:00 +0000

Influenced in part by the gritty industrialization of Van Nuys, Calif., The Knitts have finally got around to producing a full length debut that digs deeper than their previous Brit Pop musings. The new record, Retreat, pushes past previous outings by capturing the energy of performances.

Nowhere is this more apparent than their single "Sorry Sonny," currently representing Retreat on Soundcloud. The track makes a bold impression, an easy harmonic groove and catchy refrain. Look for it on digital formats March 3 via Knitting Factory Records. In the interim, enjoy some their grittier works from Simple Folk EP. LHRS: 3.2

On Apple: The Knitts - Simple Folk EP
On Soundcloud: The Knitts - Sorry Sonny Single

Los Angeles post-hardcore veterans Senses Fail are releasing their new acoustic EP, In Your Absence on March 3. Two of the five tracks are already making the rounds with "Jets To Peru" especially promising. "Lost and Found is a much quieter classic, sad and sappy vocals that will make you long for the original.

Overall, what really works is that the band has come full circle, putting out songs that are throwback to their older style. Somehow they manage to connect with mostly the same weight as the original cuts, especially "Jets To Peru," a perfectly cast post punk acoustic ballad. LHRS: 3.2

On Apple: Senses Fail - In Your Absence
On Amazon: Senses Fail - In Your Absence

Since their formation in 2012, Dangerkids has dished out a dynamite blend of rock, post-hardcore and rap. Five years later, the band has come an even longer way from their roots in Dayton, Ohio to produce some catchy alt-metal tracks that are sometimes reminiscent of the stuff other bands put out a decade ago.

Blacklist_ is enjoyable — especially for fans who waited too long for a followup — and maddening — in that they don't always feel original. The opening track "Kill Everything," "Things Could Be Different," and "blacklist–" are the best. Check out "Summoner's Rift" too. LHRS: 3.2

On Apple: Dangerkids - blacklist_ - Dangerkids
On Amazon: Dangerkids - Blacklist_

Japandroids released something steadier and more mature anthem-heavy album, but not so much that they can't carry on their reputation for being in tune and accessible. The more punk-commited mixes are missed, but these eight crushing stadium-sized tracks will complete their shows in ways their older material never did.

Many people will tell you to start with the opening track "Near To The Wild Heart Of Life" because of the party-anthem chorus, but its "No Known Drink Or Drug" that earned our admiration. Even so, every track works well enough, start to finish. LHRS: 3.2

On Apple: Japandriods - Near To The Wild Heart Of Life
On Amazon - Japandroids - Near To The Wild Heart Of Life

These make up four our frontrunners, but there is plenty of more music out there this week. Honorable mentions with links: Lady in Blue by Color You, Things Are Right with You by Cloud Nothings, The Trigger Complex by - T.S.O.L., and Modern Ruin by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. All on iTunes.

This Week In Music: Jan. 20, 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 17:00:00 +0000

The first few weeks of new music setting the pace for 2017 seem promising enough. Poison City Records delivers a must-listen split from the Melbourne indie rock trio Camp Cope and their more boisterous and gritty Philadelphia counterparts Cayetana.

The 4-track pairing works as well as lime and salt, after the bands had a chance to bond on tour in Australia. While fans of either band will already be familiar with two of the songs, both wrote originals to round out the experience as raw as their trek together. All four tracks are gems, especially the bouncy roughness of "Mesa" by Cayetana and measured ebb of "Footscray Station" by Camp Cope. LHRS: 6.1

On Apple: Camp Cope & Cayetana - Split - EP
At Poison City Records: Camp Cope & Cayetana - Slipt 7

Although not nearly as boisterous as the aforementioned, there is a addictively relentless undercurrent in the new single "Down To The Sea" by Brooklyn singer-songwriter Christina Rubino. Lush and smokey vocals make for a more anthemic indie rock aesthetic.

The track is the first release off Godspeed and Guns, which carries the same contemplative meanderings but not always the same moodiness of the dusk cut to "Down To The Sea." Check out the title track, "Orbit," "Feather," "Ha Ha," and "Lullabye" for the solid cross section of progression. "Irish Blessing," with its bagpipe accompaniment, is something to hang onto as well. LHRS: 4.1

On Apple: Christina Rubino - Down To The Sea
On Amazon: Christina Rubino - Down To The Sea

Changing gears, Dune Rats is all about keeping the buzz alive as a stoner pop indie band that hails from Brisbane. There is a certain surfer vibe to their restless suburbia existence that eventually manifests itself into a collection of lo-fi party songs.

Dune Rats isn't nearly as sharp as the Wavves, it's still pretty clear they can accompany Nathan Williams anytime with their new album The Kids Will Know It's B******t. The craziness inspired by the stories stolen weed and drug-themed house parties makes for a pleasantly enjoyable mess. LHRS: 3.3

On Apple: Dune Rats - The Kids Will Know It's B******t
On Amazon: Dune Rats - The Kids Will Know It's B******t

After eight years of growth and evolution in the unlikely city of Las Vegas, female-fronted metal band .bipolar. is ripping their blistering 4-track EP Seven. The band, now consisting of bassist Chris Kmit and guitarists Kevin Lemus and Jaisen Hinds along with Charlie and drummer Brian Hanks, has finally found the right technical mix to make something remarkably listenable for DIY metal fans.

Expect to be left breathless form the very first track "Ernest" as Charlie dispenses with her new found sense of savagery. All the same, don't expect it to let up as the band pounds out "Pyrite" chugs "Habitual" or flys by with the instrumentally lighter "Overnighter." LHRS: 7.3

On Apple: .bipolar. - Seven - EP
On Amazon: .bipolar. - Seven - EP

These outings round out our top four this week. Honorable mentions: "Sheep" off Astrovan by Mt. Joy, Nosebleed Weekend by The Coathangers, and Machines of Our Disgrace by Circle of Dust on iTunes. "Keeping Hope Alive" by The Two Tens via Bandcamp is also worth a listen. A few more tracks caught our interest over the last two weeks. We'll drop them in when and if we can.

This Week In Music: Jan. 6, 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 17:00:00 +0000

This week breaks with a nod to 2016 releases, leading off with the retrospective Rude Boys of Bar Rock LP by Steady Hands. The 20-track album pays homage to the band's previous contributions.

The first gem, of course, is "Under The Rug," a punk-laced folk rocker that feels like the single Steady Hands has been working toward all along. After that, everything beyond the first track proves what began as a side project of Sean Huber (Modern Baseball) now has a timeless quality like the singer-songwriters that inspired him. LHRS: 5.8

On Apple: Steady Hands - Rude Boys Of Bar Rock
On Amazon: Steady Hands - Rude Boys Of Bar Rock

The Flats Ohio-based addiction to chaos still resonates with the dream-pop hit "Machinery," as the alternate indie-pop band braces for another EP due out today. Auburn In The Everlast rolled out three new singles and videos over three days before today's release.

The first of the three, "Unviable In Your World", is an up tempo gentle alternative pop ballad about shadows left behind — good, bad, and indifferent silhouettes when everything is over. "If this is war, we are all unviable and you are flawless," sings Chris Kerekes (brother of Citizen singer Mat Kerekes). LHRS: 3.9

On Apple: The Flats - Machinery
On Amazon: The Flats - Machinery

The reunion of singer-songwriter Autumn Wetli with rhythm section Shelley Salant and Amber Fellows revives Rebel Kind's stripped-back meanderings of discontentment, paranoia, and hazy confidence. Some attempt to channel Crow and Phair for flair— is infectious, even if the lyrics never reach the same complexity.

Where it works at getting under the skin is in its fuzzy punk poppiness. The undertones of UK’s Dolly Mixture and New Zealand label Flying Nun are a nice touch. No track disappoints, even if "Billy Broke His Mind," "At The Party," and "Kiss You" are the big crowd pleasers. LHRS: 6.1

On Apple: Rebel Kind - Just For Fools
On Bandcamp: Rebel Kind - Just For Fools

For something harder, it is impossible not to give a nod to Austin-based Ritual Damage. Adoration Destroyed is a solid industrial alternative rock outing with "In Elegant Decay"serving itself up as an excellent introduction to the 13-track debut. The band calls them raw, visceral chronicles.

"Count Torn Apart," "Voices Carry," and "Here To Bleed" are your first pick listens for a cross section of the dark pop ambience and industrial electronic. It is a sound that the band has been chasing for years. There isn't any question Erik Gustafson (vocals, synth), Jon Gilyeat (bass), and Elrik Ashe (live drums) caught it. LHRS: 7.0

On Apple: Ritual Damage - Adoration Destroyed
On Amazon: Ritual Damage - Adoration Destroyed

Those albums round out our top four out the door for the first week in January as a warmup for what promises to be a great year for music ahead. Most weeks we'll feature three new albums and one throwback to last year or earlier and drop in a few mentions along the way. Enjoy the exploration.

Bombay Harambee On The Dotted Line

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Bombay Harambee has grown to appreciate its status as post-punk underdog. The band originally began to coalesce in 2012, shortly after Alexander Jones (guitar/vocals) and David Aspesi (bass) started jamming together on a regular basis.

They didn't have much at the time — just a few tunes to toss about and a couple of venues willing to let them set up in around Little Rock, Arkansas — two hours from Memphis and five from Nashville or Dallas. But somehow it all started to click after getting over their first false start, especially when they added Uh Huh veterans Trent Whitehead (guitar) and Jason Jones (drums).

That's not to say it all clicked perfectly well. Listing to their self-produced You Know Better EP can feel like a bit of a chore at times. And then again, listening to it also demonstrates how far the band has come in the short span of a single year. Their newest release is an enigmatic gem.

Bombay Harambee puts out a double-sided 7" vinyl debut.

Hoping to gain some momentum for their first proper LP after putting out a hodgepodge tape-only collection of remastered work, the four tracks that make up Check, Check, Checkmate/Dotted Line encapsulate some of the band's best work. While it's still nowhere near perfect, it doesn't need to be.

This double-sided release from Wiener Records opens with Check, Check, Checkmate (a fuzzier version of the track titled CCCM on the Wolfman Fellowship collection). The post-punk track immediately feels one part messy and another part throwback. It's also not the greatest showcase of vocals from Jones, who mostly rambles though the lyrics before opening it up to something bigger.

Although he has been compared to Michael Stipe before, it seems the matchup might be more convincing if it were filtered through John Darnielle first. There is a mildly cracky unpleasantness to it that is also oddly interesting and even compelling. It really sticks with you after the third pass.

Dotted Line is a bit different. Jones sounds great, slightly gravelly, with significantly more confidence, making this the one that truly catches the direction. It's the track that says to listen up.

Alongside Check, Check, Checkmate and Dotted Line, the band is playing its retitled party rocker Blue Ballon and Enjambement, a piano piece that plays out a melody over instrumental ghosts in under two minutes. The contrast is decidedly effective. It ends the single and teases the album.

Overall, Check, Check, Checkmate/Dotted Line is a convincing introduction in that it refines some of the band's past work while introducing what could be a more haunting and heady album as Dotted Line suggests. Given Dotted Line is lyrically sharper in talking about the choices we have to make and also a better match for Jones as a developing vocalist, the full length has some real promise.

Dotted Line By Bombay Harambee Signs On At 5.7 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The four piece from Little Rock is very adept at writing crunchy party rockers but it's the turn toward a headier post-punk vibe that had piqued our interest. Prior, Jones had said the band was looking to write post-punk songs with a pop songwriting sensibility so they stick in your head. Now it seems they want to do one better than getting stuck there. Some of it is starting to noodle around.

The band's upcoming LP, Goldmine, is slated to be released in the months ahead. In the interim, the band is taking its first mini-tour outside Arkansas with stops in Tennessee up though New York before returning home. The new double A sided 7" vinyl is available via bandcamp. You can also catch the self-produced You Know Better on iTunes.

On And On Is An Emerging Artist Pick

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Some time in the spring of 2012, three musicians found themselves at the tipping point — not as their band Scattered Trees — but as a new indie trio splitting their time between Chicago and Minneapolis. Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci, and Ryne Estwing are now charting a stronger course as On And On.

The result was something of a creative jolt with accomplished producer Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Super Furry Animals) at the helm of a new approach to writing and recording. Their previous pursuit of polished pop has been thankfully put behind them for something infinitely more listenable.

"We really wanted to get away from the sterility of our previous approach to recording," says Eiesland.

The change up plays nowhere better than the latest single, Drifting, from Roll Call Records. The track, which was recorded as part of a new album with legendary producer Joe Chiccarelli (Spoon, White Stripes, The Shins) shows something considerably more haunting than anything the band had done before.

Drifting was inspired by falling asleep behind the wheel while trying to forget unforgettable things. The band calls the song the most "naked" sound they have ever produced, pushing the sonic bar set by their debut album Give In when the band was trying to establish a new sound.

The result was something of an enigma — experimental pop compositions loaded up with synthesizers and scattershot electro beats. The guitars, bass, and drums were often included only as ambient afterthought.

One of the notable exceptions was their pace-setting single Ghosts, which de-emphasized the electronic splash of the album and pushed the instrumentals as well as Eiesland's vocals to the forefront. And if Drifting is any indication of what to expect from the sophomore album, then the evolutionary split seems to occur with Ghosts in mind.

Ghosts, much like Drifting, underpins the band's insight into coming to terms with the traps that life frequently springs upon the unsuspecting. And it's often in these themes that the band sizzles with a fresh electricity and unnerved openness.

Where Drifting and the upcoming album sets itself apart is in the year-plus of experience that the band picked up on tour and at festivals all over Europe and the United States. When they returned to Minneapolis to begin writing their new album, they knew precisely how they to expand and where they wanted grow sonically and as a band. Much of the new album features collaborative writing and experimental live tracking, and perhaps a little less reliance on filling every stitch of space.

Drifting By On And On Goes On And On At 7.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

On And On can be a little trickier to pin down than some artists. Give In was largely discovered on SoundCloud, where fan listens drove several singles to the top of the Hype Machine Popular chart. It was their success on SoundCloud that prompted music producers to invite the band to play at various festivals around the world.

Drifting is currently being offered as a free download from the band's website. An email address is required to download the track. To hear a sampling of songs from their debut album Give In, visit Roll Call Records. The band also supports a Facebook page, which lists upcoming show dates with Big Data.

The tour will likely be the first opportunity to hear the sophomore album in full. The release date is currently to be determined. The best guess is that it will land in the summer, a few months after the band makes an appearance at SXSW.

Red Rising Series Shines In Golden Son

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:00:00 +0000

The Red Rising Trilogy by newcomer Pierce Brown shows no sign of slowing down in its second installment. Golden Son: Book II of the Red Rising Trilogy is everything the immersive debut was and then some as the theater expands beyond the academy and spreads across the solar system.

The trilogy is the story of a miner who is part of a space faring civilization built upon a color-coded caste system that is dominated by genetically enhanced and augmented leaders called Golds. Miners, in contrast, are considered the lowest of the lowest caste of the civilization or Reds. They work as slaves beneath the surface of Mars, believing they are among the planet's first settlers when, in fact, the entire planet was terraformed several generations ago.

The tragic protagonist, Darrow, learns the truth shortly after suffering a great personal loss in the first book Red Rising and an underground insurgence called the Sons of Ares recruits him for an impossible assignment. The Sons persuade Darrow to be biologically retooled and mentally trained to blend in as the Golds he has come to loathe so he may infiltrate their ranks as part of a bigger plan.

An unpredictable thriller where loyalties are made, bought, and broken.

Two years after successfully infiltrating the elite academy and earning his place among the Golds, Darrow is still playing war games with the various families and factions that rule the solar system. This time the games take place in space as maturing Golds aim to prove themselves as fleet commanders capable of increasing the prestige of their family.

Although Darrow is a brilliant academy commander, a single misstep causes his patron to withdraw their support and eventually strip him of his affiliation For Darrow, it is a double loss in that he not only loses his hard-won post as a peerless commander, but also his growing influence that he planned to one day wield as a weapon against the cruel, brutal and decadent society that reigns over mankind.

But just as all seems to be lost for Darrow, two major houses begin a feud that quickly erupts into a civil war, providing him an opportunity to once again earn his place as an indispensable commander. But even as he does, Darrow is forced to confront other challenges as different Golds set new agendas in motion, the Sons of Ares splinters, and Darrow forces those closest to him to pass the ultimate test of loyalty by asking them to accept and guard his greatest secret.

In a story that sometimes mirrors the unexpected alliances and betrayals that occurred during the collapse of the Roman Empire, Golden Son navigates wars being waged between families, within families, and the internal struggles people face in choosing friend or foe, kindred spirit or nemesis. Even Darrow, though steadfast in his convictions, is continually tested to choose between his head and his heart — the interests of the those who put him there or those who now surround him.

A few more graphs about Pierce Brown and his inventive world.

From a brief stint as an NBC page to his work as an aide on a U.S. Senate campaign, Pierce Brown had just the right life experience and determination to bring his trilogy to life. The self-described science fiction nerd who used to fantasize about ruling kingdoms as he and his friends built forts and set traps as part of their own war games leaves few details untouched to create an immersive world.

The caste system in Red Rising includes fourteen different castes that were originally created to improve labor efficiencies but then were reinforced through genetic and surgical manipulation. The result was a color-coded society ranging from unskilled laborers, slaves, servants, and soldiers to the ruling class alongside businessmen, bureaucrats, and ritualistic leaders. In addition to the caste system, Golds have different houses and hierarchies, each with its own characteristics.

Golden Son By Pierce Brown Crosses 9.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While many people will no doubt look fondly on the first book, Brown has come into his own with the second book by doubling down on Darrow as a dramatically flawed hero who is just as capable of making immeasurably costly blunders as well as achieving seemingly impossible feats. And yet, it is his most pronounced flaw — an insatiable need to trust those who are untrustworthy — that also makes him an endearing character.

Golden Son: Book II of The Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown is on Amazon. You can also find Golden Son and other Brown books on Alibis. The novel is also available for iBooks and as an audiobook for iTunes. Tim Gerard Reynolds continues to narrate the book, giving Darrow a consistent flavor with which listeners can identify.

River Whyless Get Lost With A New EP

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:00:00 +0000

After navigating the waters of the long and laborious DIY process to produce their first album in 2011, North Carolina's River Whyless elected to decamp for a single studio session in Louisville, Kentucky, this time out. Holing themselves up with Kevin Ratterman (Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket) at La La Land Studio, the band set out to capture their new chemistry and intuitive nature.

"In an atmosphere like La La Land, you can eat, sleep and breathe the music you're working on without the distractions of everyday life. I enjoy that," says Ryan O'Keefe (guitar/vocals). "We recorded mostly live with just a few overdubs. Kevin likes to move at a good clip in order to capture that magical, synchronistic moment."

Something certainly happened in the studio. River Whyless laid down five tracks that incorporated every member's writing style in less than four days. Most of it was recorded live, with very few overdubs. The cohesiveness in this indie folk EP is evident.

River Whyless gets lost in five tracks of indie folk bliss.

The eponymous EP immediately captures the creativity and cohesiveness of a band that been touring heavily and steadily since their debut album, A Stone, A Leaf, An Unfound Door, four years ago. Unlike the debut, it is clear the band has laid down a direction of delivering lyrically rich harmonics and relaxed, contemplative instrumentals that build beyond its four-piece foundation.

Along with O'Keefe, Halli Anderson (vocals/violin), Alex McWalters (drums), and Dan Shearin (bass, vocals) blend together their talents to form a singular sense of purpose. The album leads off with Life Crisis, a wise and wistful indie folk composition that leans heavier on its percussion and vocal echoes than this brilliantly simple and stripped back tiny desk version.

Life Crisis is followed up with Maple Sap, a self-reflective metaphoric song that conjures up images of a lonely soul contemplating life while finishing off everyday chores like tapping trees for sap and collecting firewood. The beauty of the piece comes in as the band connects the dots between nature and the human experience.

Bath Salt is decidedly different as the band showcases Anderson's vocals alongside a loping, fantastical rhythm. The near six-minute track soars through a variety of pace change-ups, pausing for Anderson to sing her story between climatic swirls and violin runaways.

Miles Of Skyline takes a different approach by laying everything down on the machinery-like precision of the percussion, bringing in clock-like guitar patterns and violin rolls to company Shearin's vocals. While the track lacks the same depth felt throughout most of the album, its buoyant, celebratory nature delivers some diversity to the lineup.

It's the closer, Fine Companion that will eventually win listeners over. Although shorter and starker than anything else on the album, the weeping guitar and strident world-worn but hopeful lyrics bring the entire EP back to the beginning. The beginning is where most people will want to be on this album. Life Crisis is the most dynamic offering added to the band's extended repertoire.

A Self-Titled EP By River Whyless Soars 6.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Some people will size River Whyless up as experimental folk rock or indie folk pop, which both seem to be a catch all for anyone who can harmonize a few lines over infectious rhythms with an interesting assortment of instruments. This band is something more enigmatic as traditional folk artists with an experimental edge. The result is casual confidence eclectic listeners relate to other genres.

Where River Whyless stands out is in its ability to compose informed music, narratives that immediately connect with one's psyche. It doesn't just sound right. It feels right. You can find River Whyless on Amazon or download the new EP from iTunes. To get to know the band better, follow them on Facebook.

Bradford Morrow Inks The Forgers

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

As the character study of an unreliable narrator, The Forgers by Bradford Morrow presents a slow burn suspense that relies on unease over mystery, atmosphere over action. It opens with the murder of a reclusive rare book collector named Adam Diehl — the scene of the crime described by the narrator about four days after the fact.

Diehl was found clinging to life on the floor of his home in Montauk, surrounded by valuable books, original manuscripts, and inscribed literature. Most of it has been destroyed, but that fact isn't the most striking detail about the crime. Diehl was found without his hands. They had been cut off.

Astonishingly plausible insights into rare books and expert forgeries.

The narrator, only named Will once in the entire book, learned about the horrid incident from Diehl's sister and his girlfriend Meghan. He immediately offered to meet her at the hospital, a proposition she appreciated since the two men didn't like each other much.

The mutual dislike between them (or more accurately mistrust) fell squarely on Will's shoulders. He had once unashamedly and triumphantly been a forger. When he was caught, everyone who had trusted him with the utmost confidence to appraise certain books (Conan Doyle especially) were now questioned for having unknowingly passed along fakes and forgeries. Diehl was one of them, sort of.

Adding "sort of" is to suffice that he was not like many of the other victims because Diehl, like his future brother-in-law Will, was a practiced forger too. The only difference is that Diehl had never been caught until, or so it seemed, his grizzly murder. Will, on the other hand, had been caught.

As a convicted but unrepentant literary forger, Will both struggles to come to terms with the murder and the implication that he may have been involved. And when he begins to receive threatening handwritten letters penned by long-dead authors like Henry James, he slowly discovers that he was involved in the murder indirectly, if not directly, despite his ignorance of it. Or was he ignorant?

As a character who possesses the ability to simultaneously prove his honesty and duplicity in the same paragraph, Morrow keeps his readers teetering between his guilt or innocence. At the same time, the author takes readers into the insular world of rare books and the compulsion to forge masterworks.

A few more graphs about author Bradford Morrow.

Although born in Baltimore, Bradford Morrow grew up in Denver before traveling the world. He traveled through Honduras as a medical volunteer. He attended a foreign exchange program in Cuneo, Italy. He took time off from his studies to live in Paris for a year.

It was these experiences and his graduate work at Yale that informed his early work. After working as a bookseller in Santa Barbara and founding the literary journal Conjunctions in New York City, Morrow started writing novels and joined the faculty at Bard College in 1990, where he is a professor of literature and a Bard Center Fellow.

Since, Morrow has taught creative writing at Brown, Columbia, and Princeton Universities, as well as the Naropa Institute. He is currently divides his time between New York City and upstate New York while working on his eighth novel, The Prague Sonata.

The Forgers By Bradford Morrow Fakes 6.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The writing is exceptional and the character study admirable. The real shortcoming is the story's inability to capitalize on its most thrilling moments, which is a by-product of being told through the eyes of an arrogant and manipulative protagonist who is rarely willing to admit he is not in control. In sum, it's the novel's greatest strength — an acutely over analytic protagonist — that is also the novel's biggest weakness.

You can find The Forgers by Bradford Marrow on Amazon or download the novel for iBooks. The audiobook is narrated by R.C. Bray who lends a convincing tone to the novel, delivering the story with a conviction as convincing as the prose. For more Bradford Marrow titles, visit independent bookseller Alibris.

Sleater-Kinney Finds No Cities To Love

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Just when everyone was growing used to the idea that Sleater-Kinney was on a permanent hiatus, leaving room for Corin Tucker;s eponymously-titled band to release 1,000 Years, the peerless and cohesiveness of Janet Weiss (drums), Carrie Brownstein (vocals/guitar), and Tucker (vocals/guitar) are back. No Cities To Love is the long-awaited triumphant return of S-K.

The whole of it includes 32 minutes of punk-tinged rock with sneers, jeers, and masterful songwriting with dramatic shifts, hairpin changeups, and a harmonic cohesiveness that defies conventional composition with its oft staccato delivery. No Cities To Love is one of those rare albums that allows listeners to discover new depths with each pass, opening the complex brevity of each track like a rare and exotic blossom.

No Cities To Love is a triumph return for a timeless favorite.

Conjuring the image of a flower, however, is not meant to suggest that No Cities To Love is delicate. It's anything but. The first outing in a decade from this acclaimed trio sets new sights for the punk’s political insight and emotional impact. The 90s riot grrrl scene that was sparked out of the Pacific Northwest suddenly sounds relevant not because this is a revival but because it is a reinvention.

"We sound possessed on these songs," says guitarist/vocalist Brownstein about the band's eighth studio album. "Willing it all — the entire weight of the band and what it means to us — back into existence."

The separation of Brownstein and Tucker has clearly brought the two artists closer together, writing songs that are more self-aware than the band's once disruptive nature. Instead the band brings together something significantly more modern, crisp, and clear.

Take a track like A New Wave that the band played on Letterman. It very clearly is a track that tugs on where the band sees itself artistically today. One of the lines even jumps out, declaring that they are "inventing their own kind of obscurity." The lyrics are very telling in that S-K no longer wails against not understanding where society is but rather they understand it all too well and realize it is sometimes better to rise above it (or be amused by it) because it's almost impossible to change it.

In some sense that is the theme of the title track, No Love For Cities, too. The song itself tackles how people identify with cities even if cities are mostly the same. Sometimes the weather or the landmarks or the people might be a bit different. But aside from those elements, they're not different at all.

Price Tag is very much like that too. It indicts the 9-to-5 drudgery of civilization, but doesn't call for any change or disruption like they might have done in the past. Instead, they serve it up as how it is.

Following Price Tag, S-K becomes a little more complacent in its production of Fangless. While not nearly as sharp as the songwriting throughout the rest of the album, the lyrical work demonstrates a certain sophistication they strive for, alluding to the rise and fall of fatherly failure.

No Anthems attempts to ward away the mediocrity of fame, with the band recognizing that they were once trying to be something monolithic but nowadays they mostly want to avoid it. They might not be able to, but even that accomplishes their objective to cover topics without any apparent exit.

"The three of us want the same thing," says Weiss. "We want the songs to be daunting."

No Cities To Love By Sleater-Kinney Strikes Hot At 7.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

No Cities To Love will not disappoint anyone as there are ample standout tracks, including the dueling vocals of Bury Our Friends, brilliantly upbeat but aggressive chorus of Hey Darling, and down tempo closer Fade. The latter might lack the finesse of the rest of the album, but it succeeds in bringing in some experimentation on an album that feels more back to basics than inventive.

You can find No Cities To Love (Deluxe Edition) (Limited Edition, 2-LP, White Vinyl, Includes Download Card) on Amazon or download it from iTunes. You can also find No Cities To Love and the entire library of Sleater-Kinney on independent reseller F.Y.E. For upcoming shows and tour information, visit them on Facebook.

Another Look At Rubblebucket Brass

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

With the release of the Tiny Desk Concert series via NPR Music, it seems more than fitting to give Brooklyn-based Rubblebucket another listen. Those who do will not be disappointed. The Tiny Desk version of Carousel Ride provides a smart and smashing introduction to anyone unfamiliar with the quirky alternative pop exuberance and big band swoop of their music.

As off putting as that may sound to read, the party-friendly attitude of this band — made possible by as many as a half-dozen players — is surprisingly addictive as Kalima Traver sings her cleverly wrought lyrics and her founding partner Alex Toth plays the trumpet, flute, or whatever is handy.

It has been this way since 2009, when the original duo met up while attending the University of Vermont and decided to stick with the band after graduation. It wasn't long before they were joined by by Adam Dotson (trombone, euphonium, vocals), David Cole (drums) and Ian Hersey (electric guitar) to release a self-titled album.

Carousel Ride and the band's last album, looking back.

What the Tiny Desk version of Carousel Ride does that the original release didn't explicitly capture is an unforgettable intimacy as you lean in to listen to the words rather than allow the studio cut to simply wash over any understanding. Traver's vocal delivery notwithstanding, the song becomes as painful as it is beautiful as the artist always intended internally.

Once you've listened to the concert series cut, returning to the studio version makes the entire listen different as if you are somehow informed by the artist like never before. It only makes sense to feel that way. You really are informed by her and the band.

Carousel Ride isn't the only striking song included in the concert series. The band also perform On The Ground and Sounds Of Erasing. On The Ground, which is the opener of the studio album, plays almost like a pleading prayer to higher forces that mortals are fragile things. Don't shake us too much. Most of us are already damaged goods but she delivers it with a love of life nonetheless.

The other track, Sounds Of Erasing, is a clean slate story about being human and erasing all the demons that most of us carry around with ourselves. Traver splits the difference between making it sound heady and hopeful. On the studio version, the composition is a dynamically charged rollick.

The balance of the album drift in and out of alternative pop and art noise. The band occasionally relies too heavily on the synth and sound effects, never realizing how much more powerful their sound can be stripped down and laid bare.

When they do keep it simple on tracks like Shake Me Around, Origami, and portions of My Life, they have more impact. But they might know that now. The band is giving up a free download of an acoustic version with any pre-sold concert tickets for this year's springtime tour.

All together, the album becomes sort of a heady celebration of life, made poignant by Traver's own life experiences. She is a recent cancer survivor. Right on. Not all the brass in this band are horns.

Survival Sounds By Rubblebucket Picks Up 6.7 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Survival Sounds is the third full length by the band, but their first label release. The band is well worth the investment, keeping them alive to continue producing a unique sound that touches people who are down, relates to them, and then lifts them up regardless of it all. Not many bands do that.

You can find Survival Sounds on Amazon or download it from iTunes. For more news and updates, hook up with the band on Facebook. They are currently playing the homemade acoustic version of Young And Old on their page. Like the Tiny Desk concert cuts, it opens up a whole new way to think about this band.

Decemberists Divide The World In Two

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Four years seems like a long time between albums, especially for a talent like Colin Meloy and company, but The Decemberists didn't squander a minute of it. While bandmate Jenny Conlee was diagnosed with breast cancer (now in remission), Meloy explored his relationships at home and took time out to be a father.

The exploration proved to inspiring for the musician/writer. While working to provide the best possible education for their eldest child Hank, who is autistic, he wrote the bestselling Wildwood series of children's novels. His wife illustrated it.

More than that, the hiatus also provided Meloy with ample time to reflect on the last six albums and come full circle. Expect comparisons to their first album more than any other. The storytelling in the new album is more fantastical amidst a backdrop of alternative rock with Americana, British folk, and pop influences. And the return to these roots has been therapeutic in a sense, with Meloy being open about his work beginning to feel too much like a career and not enough about self-expression.

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World.

There is no mistaking this seventh album as more expressive as Meloy embraces the best and worst of the human experience capsulized into pop songs ranging from three to five minutes. And yet, some of it is surprisingly intimate too, with the opener an explanation for the album set to music.

"We know you grew your arms around us in the hope we wouldn't change," sings Meloy. "But we had to change some, you know, to belong to you."

The directness of it is almost off-putting in its expectedness, yet Meloy manages to deliver it with a conviction that is both sad and authentic, bold and truthful. The spell is quickly broken, however, by Cavalry Captain and Philomena. Both carry an uptempo pop punch, with the latter bringing in some elements of whimsy into the lyrics and composition.

While this whimsy may represent the beautiful side of the world that Meloy has chosen to write about, The Decemberists still seem to be a band better suited to the deeper complexities of Portland. It's tracks like Make You Better and Lake Song that provide addictive glimpses into the soul of the songwriter.

It's also on this track, Lake Song, where the album takes a turn toward the deep and intricate tones that the band is so adept at expressing through Meloy's melodies and the musicianship of Chris Funk, John Moen, Nate Query, and Conlee. Till The Water's All Gone, The Water Year, and Carolina Low all conjure up the unique musical complexities that have put the band on the map.

While there are some bleats of happiness between those and the end of the album, The Decemberists build upon their brooding seriousness, reading a crescendo with the song 12-17-12. The band captures the horrific school shooting at Newtown, Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School with a startling but sensitive sobriety. It's one those songs you don't expect to appreciate for its subject matter, but you will anyway. The conclusion, A Beginning Song, offers an uplift and to leave on a note of recovery.

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Drifts 7.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World contains some sensational songwriting with elements that are recognizable from across their career, with an emphasis on their earlier work as it might have sounded with the experience they possess today. Although the subject matter makes the album sound uneven if played from the top down, the net sum is far greater than that one annoyance.

Still, the variance (loved or not) is an indication that the band hasn't become a commodity. They are songwriters, composers, and masterful musicians who have something to say. The shock of it.

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World by The Decemberists is available on Amazon. You can also download select songs or the album from iTunes. For this album and the band's entire catalog, visit independent entertainment store F.Y.E. The Decemberists will be on tour to support their album. Visit Facebook for their upcoming tour schedule.

Ty Segall Puts On A New Mr. Face

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Much of the buzz surrounding the four-pack EP Mr. Face dropped by Ty Segall is that it doubles as the world's first pair of playable 3-D glasses. (The album artwork can be viewed in 3-D when you press the 7-inch records to your face and peer through them.)

It's almost a shame too, but only as it undercuts one of his more intimate moments as a musician. But then again, that is part of the charm of Segall. He makes music like kids draw pictures — scribbling lines with such wild abandon that they can treat most of their creativity as cheap throwaways because they're all too busy in the business of producing more, never looking back.

Then again, there is something of the statement in giving the discs a dual purpose. It suddenly makes the physical form relevant in an age when most music is relegated to a digital download or (worse) random streaming from a collection arranged by someone else.

So perhaps the physical production does break though in that regard. Segall isn't content to be heard through headphones alone. He wants to be played with purpose in the living room, his music filling up the space around you. Mr. Face does that very well too.

Mr. Face is an intimate take on Ty Segall.

For someone who never stands still — bouncing around various underground bands, creating some, and circling back — Mr. Face is surprising settled, anchored mostly by an acoustic guitar on the front half of the EP before it drifts more toward the rhythmic back half (when he does deliver several doses of always welcome solos). Much of it is subtle by comparison to his standard fare.

Without sacrificing any of his vitality, Segall eases into the EP with the title track and sings about how individual valuations often revolve around money. He doesn't judge it as much as he dismisses it with whispery vocals and pulse quick acoustic rhythm.

The tone of it tells you that he is still taking it slow (in comparison to the frantic pace that defined much of his early career and not slow in comparison to other artists), offering up the EP as holdover until he commits to his next album or project. Fans will most likely think of it as a step back toward the midpoint of his career when mid-tempo indie rock characterized most of his work.

Circles is something else. It carries a bit more of Segall's distort and squelch, which comes across even stronger as part of his live performances. The studio cut is considerably clearer than his live performances, but this clip captures the track nicely.

After Circles, Segall delivers the lyrically sparse and guitar solo heavy Drug Mugger, a garage glam rocker that alludes to medicated trade-offs. The main pained moment is warning people away from wondering where things come from, making the feel of it ominous and oppressive.

Segull ends the EP on The Picture, which is the most personal and meaningful. The Picture is a song about learning to say goodbye. It's sad and freeing at the same time, converting some understanding that saying goodbye can help you see those you miss in a new light.

Although rife with loss and foreboding, Mr. Face ends on a note of resolution. Things can work out in the end, even if that sometimes means finding inner peace. And somehow, it might help you settle in without settling.

Mr. Face By Ty Segall Plants 7.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Overall, Mr. Face showcases Segall returning to and mastering his mid tempo indie rock meanderings in between albums. At the same time, Mr. Face seems to suggest that something great will come from being more resolved with the loss he once endured. Good for him.

Mr. Face can be found on Amazon or downloaded from iTunes. The songs are striking enough to include on a playlist, even if the intent here is to hold it in your hands (and up to your eyes). The first pressing, by the way, was sold out.

The Farm Toils Perception And Paranoia

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

When Daniel first received word from his father that his mother had been hospitalized, he suddenly felt dizzy, a wave of nausea overcoming him as he dropped his grocery bag. He immediately knew something was wrong, but as his father continued to cry into the phone, hardly making sense, the details grew even darker.

His father recounted how his mother had been imagining things, terrible things, for several months until she had finally suffered a psychic break. He had no choice, he continued. For his safety and hers, she had to be committed.

A psychological stint into perception and paranoia.

The news was especially shocking to Daniel as his parents had just recently retired to a farm in Sweden. Everyone had considered the move the adventure of a lifetime, especially because his mother had been born there. She had told him so herself, sending him emails rather regularly.

She did, that is, until the last email. All it had said was "Daniel!" and nothing else. Daniel had explained it as a glitch. He had even sent her a quick response back, asking her to resend it. She never did, but he assumed she was too busy with whatever one might expect on a farm.

He was wrong. And when he had finally come to terms that he was wrong and booked his flight to join his father in Sweden, he turned out to be wrong again. His mother wasn't at the hospital, but on a flight from Sweden to London. She called to tell him and warned him not to believe his father before the call cut off.

Unsure of what else to do, he did the only thing he could do. He met her at the airport, brought het back to his apartment home, and listened to her as she began to outline a conspiracy to cover up a crime, one that his father had been complicit in and, if not, an active participant.

The initial accusation was almost more than he could believe, compounded by her insistence that he listen to her story not as a summation but in sequential order while she produced scraps of evidence and her own journal entires to corroborate not only her story, but also her sanity. Even more pressing, she needed him to listen before his father and the men who had coerced him found her again.

Her story titters back and forth between plausibility and paranoia. But even as those odd and inexplicable details give Daniel reason to doubt his mother, evidence and events provide enough proof that he is compelled to believe — much like the doctors at the hospital she had fled.

While the conclusion may leave more than one reader wondering why Tom Rob Smith would end on whimper compared to the terse and gripping tale told by an untrustworthy narrator, The Farm revives the author's gift at bringing anxiety to life. As a study into how much perception plays in the reality we make, Smith also entertains with a slow burn story that swirls between trust and disbelief.

A couple graphs about the author Tom Rob Smith.

After his sensational breakout novel Child 44, based on a real Russian serial killer known as the Rostov Ripper as seen through the eyes of his fictional MGB officer Leo Stephanovich Demidov, Tom Rob Smith delivered two more novels that took readers deep inside Russia. While the sequels were welcome, the trilogy sometimes suffered as reviewers continued to hold each book up to Smith's smashing near-perfect debut.

Where The Farm becomes an exceptional win for the author is when it treads some new ground, shaking off the trappings of the trilogy. While some similarities remain — Smith's vividness in describing the bleak wilderness of the mind as well as the landscape — the subtlety of this Cambridge graduate's craft has grown tenfold.

The Farm By Tom Rob Smith Steals 8.7 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

As long as readers are willing to forgive the whimper of an end in advance of starting the book, they will discover that the ride can indeed be better than the destination. This is an amazing portrait of justifiable paranoia that resurrects the old saying — it's not paranoia if it's true.

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith is available from Amazon. The book can also be downloaded for iBooks or ordered as an audiobook. You can also search for The Farm at independent bookseller Alibis and take free shipping on select titles.

The Growlers Play A Chinese Fountain

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

The laid back surf punk sound of The Growlers is seeing a renewed uptick in attention as the band takes a victory lap for the album they released last September. They will be touring for another two months, playing in 14 different venues from Los Angeles to Brooklyn in about 30 days.

So while Chinese Fountain may sound like a holdout from last year, their self-described beach goth vibe makes for an excellent way to ease into a new one. The reverb heavy post-punk anglings meander through 11 tracks of throwback gypsy folk and spaced out psychedelia.

So while the overtly consistent pacing can grow wearisome as an album, The Growlers hit half a dozen standalone tracks that sound near perfect amidst a more diversified playlist. Collectively, the album is at once a triumph in producing some of the band's strongest material in years and a disappointment in being one of least varied outings since the band came together eight years ago.

Where The Growlers make a splash on Chinese Fountain.

Evidence of a great album starts with the increasingly familiar track Good Advice. The track smacks of everything that makes the album alluring, including the downbeat lyrical licks at life — "There's nothing as depressing as good advice," sings vocalist Brooks Nielsen.

Good advice is arguably the best track on an album that was demoed out in Topanga after two weeks, assembled at their manager's Claremont home in one week, and then recorded in less than two weeks at Sea Horse Sound Studio in Los Angeles. Nielsen said it works best that way, with him and guitarist Matt Taylor responsible for most of the writing on all of the tracks.

Chinese Fountain is the second try to record a proper studio album. The last one, attempted in 2012, was scrapped. The new one works, even if it is missing the charm of being produced on the fly.

That's not to say that the band wasn't rushed to get the job done. Manager JP Plunier jumped in to produce it when the band became hung up on their attempt to channel reggae hitting the English punk scene in the 1970s. The title track, Chinese Fountain, comes closest to capturing that concept thread before breaking into a punk funk.

The opener, Big Toe, is more indicative of what to expect from the album. The jangle they used to be known for is understated. The relaxed surf punk vibe is always punctuated by Nielsen's pleasingly rustic and swooning twang.

Other standouts include the remorseful Dull Boy, the dusty ballad Going Gets Tough, and the sarcastic doo wop ode to love in their home own. Purgatory Drive seems to stall instrumentally as a composition, but the lyrical sharpness more than makes up for it. The track touches on someone stuck in the drive between their mediocre job and broken home. Expect shivers if you think about it.

"This is my chance to let it all out," Nielsen says of these songs. "I kind of bottle things up and don’t really get emotional. But I think if I don’t open up, I’d be a really stale person."

Chinese Fountain By The Growlers Takes Out 6.9 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Overall, the album features brilliant songwriting by Nielson and Taylor, and tighter playing by them and the balance of the band that includes Scott Montoya, Kyle Straka, and Anthony Perry. Even the best tracks seems to overshadow too much whimper and not enough growl as an album. See them live if you can. It's well worth it.

Chinese Fountain by The Growlers can be discovered on Amazon. You can also download the album from iTunes. You can find Chinese Fountain and more from The Growlers at Barnes & Noble too. For show listings, visit the band on Facebook. They play 150 shows a year on average.

Cathie Pelletier Beams Sonny Home

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 14:00:00 +0000

"You're not going to believe what he's done now," Rita said to her mother as she frantically punched at the channel numbers on the remote. "...because what Sonny has done this time takes the cake."

Mattie Gifford dropped down on the sofa and clasped her throat. Sonny, her son, had been the cause of a great deal of throat-clasping over the years. And now, at 66 years of age, Mattie would have to wonder if she could stand the shock of it. Sonny was on television and for all the wrong reasons.

Her boy, the only person in the world who hadn't directly added to the mountain of regret and grief that Mattie carried around with her, had robbed a bank and taken two women hostage. The three of them, and a poodle, were now held up in a trailer that belonged to Sonny's estranged wife. The police had the trailer surrounded, waiting for a statement. Mattie, her heart fluttering, waited with them.

Beaming Sonny Home is a surprisingly poignant story about relationships.

Despite providing the novel its pivotal piece of tension, the bank robbery and subsequent hostage taking is only a backdrop to account for the life of Mattie. While Sonny had been in trouble before, she saw him as the only one who had managed to keep their relationship intact.

The rest of them had only caused her heartache. Her mother had committed suicide. Her husband slept with her best friend. Her three daughters are selfish busybodies who spend most of their time judging each other, arguing, and throwing jealous barbs at the one brother their mother liked best.

The three of them had plenty of fuel to add to the fire this time. Sonny had claimed to have seen John Lennon's face in an apparition and believed that robbing the bank and taking hostages would be the best way to reconcile with his wife and get his life back on track. The mere thought of it made his sisters cackle in horrific delight as they munched pub pizzas, gulped diet soda, and chain smoked cigarettes.

Mattie can't help but to wonder what she had done in her life to find herself here. And mostly, that is what Beaming Sonny Home is really about. While she never set out to choose this life, a series of events shaped her relationships, with her daughters taking more after their father than her. In its totality, the quick and witty read digs deep into a small town life with limited possibilities and an infinite supply of challenges that range from ubiquitous gossip to evaporating employment.

Originally published in 1996, a reissue reviews one of the best sardonic character studies contributed to literary fiction by Cathie Pelletier. Mattie is unforgettable for her blind love for an underachieving son who has been in and out of trouble with the law for the better part of 36 years. With equal parts humor and vulnerability, Pelletier brings to life a woman who still managing to hold out hope despite feeling like she has completely failed at life.

A few more graphs about Cathie Pelletier.

Author Cathie Pelletier has written twelve novels, ten of which are under her own name, beginning with The Funeral Makers, published by MacMillan in 1986. She also wrote two books under the pseudonym K.C. McKinnon. Both of those novels, Dancing at the Harvest Moon and Candles on Bay Street, were made into television movies.

Pelletier's career unexpectedly began as a student who showed exceptional aptitude and was advanced two grades. At sixteen, she was accepted to attend the University of Maine at Fort Kent. At seventeen, she was expelled for breaking curfew and pulling the fire alarm. Following her expulsion, she hitchhiked across the United States before returning to school to become a songwriter. While several of her songs have been recorded, Pelletier eventually found fiction as a creative outlet.

Beaming Sonny Home By Cathie Pelletier Hits 8.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

While readers seem to both love and loathe this particular novel penned by Pelletier, Beaming Sonny Home survives the test of time. In more ways than one, it may have been written ahead of its time as today's audiences are even more likely to relate to a story of someone who measures their life by living vicariously through the people around her.

Beaming Sonny Home: A Novel by Cathie Pelletier is available on Amazon. The novel is also available for iBooks or as an audiobook on iTunes. Narrated by Erin Moon, Mattie comes across as a younger, more vibrant version of herself. Check Barnes & Nobles for other Cathie Pelletier titles.

Gang Of Youths Is An Emerging Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Expect to hear more from Gang Of Youths frontman David Leaupepe in the upcoming year. The talented singer/songwriter from down under is fresh off being named one of the best live music acts of the year out of Sydney and winning bronze in The Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition, which raises funds for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia.

The song that gave Gang Of Youths the win is Poison Drum, one of several singles recently released stateside. Instrumentally, the track is underscored by punchy percussion and even-handed rhythm. But what makes it stand out is Leaupepe's raspy vocals, which give it a nostalgic concept rock feel.

The lyrics are smartly written for six-plus minute track that lends both hope and morbidity to standing on the front end of your entire life without having any money. It immediately resonates with a struggling middle class crowd, even if there is an irony in that Leaupepe doesn't relate to it like some of his listeners might.

While much of the inspiration has been siphoned out of his and his band's personal experiences (and perhaps influenced while they took in the hipster fringe of Nashville), the lyrical mysticism in the writing comes from a broad range of sources. The title, for example, was taken from a documentary on Chernobyl. It fits so well because it brings in his feelings of being disconnected and even alienated.

Gang of Youths drops Benevolence Riots into the mix.

In keeping with his heady lyrical themes, Benevolence Riots is a song about trying to cope when your own mental faculties are under siege. To hear Leaupepe describe it, Benevolence Riots is about meeting morality with defiance and beating grief by grabbing onto life with real urgency.

The song was inspired by a girl he fell in love with when he was 18. She was very sick and forced to move back home to receive specialized care. While the song is surprisingly courageous, it ends abruptly, like many of those stories do. Not everything has a happy ending. Sometimes it's haunting.

Other tracks that make up the band's growing repertoire are the beautifully brooding Riverlands and the lesser known pop rock Evangelists that was released last year. The latter misses out on the grit that is quickly becoming an identifiable trait to the music that Leaupepe and company continue to work (and rework) again.

Case in point: Gang Of Youths originally relocated to the United States to record their debut album The Positions with producer Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Swans) before mixing with Peter Katis (The National, Frightened Rabbit). That was in 2013. The album will be released in March 2015, several months behind schedule, unless Leaupepe pulls it back again for yet another pass.

In sum, McMahon and Katis aren't the only ones with their fingerprints on the work. Aside from Jack Moffit (The Preatures) who produced The Evangelists and Poison Drum before the album work, Chris Collins (Tigertown) is also credited on Benevolence Riots. There may be more tweaks too.

And then there are a few unreleased tracks floating around too. Overpass is one of those rarities that is worth a listen. The raspy acoustic ballad makes for a compelling listen, even in its demo state. It wouldn't take much to transform it into a sing-along show closer with bandmates Joji Malani (guitar), Max Dunn (bass), Jung Kim (guitar, keyboards), and Samuel O'Donnell (drums), It won't be long before we see what, if anything, comes of it.

Benevolence Riots Rankles 8.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Take your pick between Poison Drum or Benevolence Riots. Either one is a promising introduction to to what ought to be a memorably addictive alternative album in March 2015. What makes it all the more compelling is that this band has only been together since 2012, which means most people thought of them as a scrappy inner-city band just a few short months ago. No one thinks so anymore.

Benevolence Riots, Poison Drum, and Evangelists are all up on iTunes. Riverlands is also available, but only as a video. You can also find the band on Facebook. Follow them if you can get past the ALL CAP madness. The band will begin an Australian tour in January. We'll cover the album too.

Front Porch Step Plays Whole Again

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000

There aren't many holiday EPs that can preserve their shelf lives after the season, but that is what makes Whole Again by Front Porch Step a stunning four-track set. Only one of the tunes, I'll Be Home For Christmas, is a cover of the classic and brilliant original by Bing Crosby. It's a no-nonsense solid showcase of Jake McElfresh's vocal talent. He joins some cover greats.

Aside from the classic cover, it's the remaining three acoustic originals put out by McElfresh to kick off his first headline tour that are timeless. The emotive musician from Newark, Ohio, reinforces his ability to deliver impassioned lyrics accompanied by the twang of well-played punk acoustic.

Whole Again is a sharply written set of acoustic originals.

The EP opens with A Lovely Mess, an unapologetic admission of trying to be a better person for the one he loves. Like the title suggests, the lyrical imagery isn't idealistic. He sees neither himself nor her as perfect — just perfect for each other — to make their union a lovely mess.

The song does a solid job at capturing the sentiment without being sappy. It also tempers some of the helpless infatuation and devastating loss that made up much of the material in his debut album Aware. All in all, McElfresh is all about punk intensity with a classic singer-songwriter consideration.

In this one song, McElfresh also proves that he has much more material waiting in the wings. Sure, he might only know a little more than six chords, hate playing acoustic, and consider most of his music as poems put to a chord progression, but he also manages to be authentic when he sings about human frailty, missteps, and longing for something better.

The second track, Heaven Sent, underscores what he does best — matching a light acoustical melody with heart-wrenching lyrics. It's a breakup and regret it track with some teeth, made even more memorable with the addition of guest vocalist Ace Enders. The delivery between the two vocalists turns the track into a duet of understanding loss.

Whole Again is considerably stronger, starting off as another sorrowful tale about a relationship reaching a crescendo of completion. The sorrow on the front end is empathy over what the girl endured as someone who attempted suicide. But what makes the track truly stand out is the awareness that as much as he helped her through a difficult time, it was she who really helped him become whole.

At times, Front Porch Step feels like blues brought into a modern format, and there may be some basis to it behind the music. McElfresh was first introduced to blues and country by his father before his parents split. The separation took a toll on what he describes as an especially troubled childhood.

Eventually, he found straight edge as a means to find direction in his life. But where his wholeness truly seems to have taken hold is when his Island Of The Misfit Boy video introduced him to hundreds of kids who feel the same way and an equal amount of kicking him in the ass to say life isn't nearly as hard as they have it.

Whole Again by Front Porch Step Hits 6.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

McElfresh clearly has some growth ahead to diversify his material and delivery, but that isn't the real point of his music. What makes him such a worthwhile listen is that you can hear that he truly loves life now even if he had to come through some hardship to do it.

The idea that he is still wants to write about where he came from, giving other wayward kids someone to relate to and perhaps find some hope for future, is admirable. But perhaps even better, McElfresh never thought for a moment that his record would sell. Pure Noise rightly felt otherwise.

You can download Whole Again from Front Porch Step from iTunes. Whole Again (EP) is also available from Amazon. You can find the Front Porch Step library of music at FYE. For upcoming shows, visit Facebook.

Red Rising Ascends As A Sci-Fi Thriller

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Every civilization experiences four periods within its life cycle — rebellion, ascension, decadence, and decline. The Golds, the genetically enhanced and augmented society that dominates a future caste system civilization, have enjoyed several generations of ascension and decadence after shrugging off Earth's dominion and then conquering it. The worlds they have made afford them every luxury.

To stave off decline, they have also created an academy that accepts the only the finest of their children with the intent to prime them as future sovereigns. With little explanation or instruction, the teens are taken to an expansive countryside where they are divided into feudal houses. There, they will establish their own criteria for leadership within their house and work to conquer all other houses.

The stakes are impossibly high. Those who thrive during these barbaric and often brutal trials will be given the most coveted positions within their government. Those who do not risk being shunned, mutilated, or even killed. That latter point is made on the first day, when half of the students are purged.

Red Rising is an immersive debut destined to become a classic.

The oppressive society created by author Pierce Brown provides the perfect backdrop for a story that is even more compelling. What sets the novel soaring is that it doesn't follow just any Gold teen through the trials and tribulations of the so-called academy. Instead, it follows Darrow, a tragic protagonist from the lowest caste — tribes of miners who work far below the surface of Mars under the mistaken belief that they are planetary pioneers toiling away for the good of mankind.

What they don't know that is that the Golds have long since terraformed and populated not only Mars, but also virtually all life-sustaining planets and moons in the solar system. In fact, it is the material that Darrow's people mine that has helped fuel the outward expansion of the civilization that had long declared democracy and equality among the greatest lies ever invented.

Shortly after Darrow suffers a devastating personal loss, he is thrust into the hands of a secretive underground insurgency backed by high Reds — people who belong to the same caste as Darrow but serve the Golds above ground. Hand picked for his uncharacteristic tenacity, he is then biologically retooled and mentally trained to blend in as the Golds he has come to loathe. Once inside their ranks, his mission is to become a manmade Messiah capable of toppling the oldest and most powerful civilization in human history.

The task is easier said than done as Darrow discovers that he not only needs to stand out to earn an influential position after the academy, but also survive a cruel and unforgiving test that resurrects the feudal system. Not only will his physical prowess and mental acuity be tested, but also his faith in himself and loyalty to his own cause as he struggles under the pressure of duality.

A couple graphs about author Pierce Brown.

Like many would-be writers, Pierce Brown found himself taking on any number of jobs that were one off from what he really wanted to do. This included working as a social media manager at a startup tech company, toiling on the Disney lot at ABC Studios, doing time as an NBC page, and giving up sleep as an aide on a U.S. Senate campaign.

All the while, Brown also invested most of his free time writing a science fiction fantasy that seamlessly blended his fascination with building forts (and setting traps) as a youth and his insights into the oddities of the political system that only paid campaigners are exposed to. The self-described science fiction nerd is now in a position to become a science fiction super star for a story that creeps up on you for its storytelling.

Red Rising By Pierce Brown Captures 8.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Although sometimes criticized for its violence, the novel successfully straddles the young adult/adult science fiction market with a protagonist who is a teen but rarely seems like one (beyond his bravado). Never mind that the story sometimes gets bogged down in self-analysis or that the writing isn't always all that crisp — it's the well-drawn characters, page-turner story, and willingness to sacrifice characters who become fan favorites that will eventually hook most science fiction or fantasy fans.

You can find Red Rising: Book I of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown on Amazon. Red Rising can also be found on Barnes & Noble or downloaded from iBooks. The audiobook is narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, giving Darrow a Scottish accent. Best of all, there is no wait for the second installment. It's slated for January.

Cracker Cuts Berkeley To Bakersfield

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Berkeley To Bakersfield overcomes some unevenness across 18 tracks as David Lowery splits the difference between creative tugs into equal parts. One side covers hedonism and hypocrisy, giving Cracker its historic alternative bite. The other side moves its country underpinnings into the foreground, making what would otherwise be called a standalone country album only one part to the whole.

Much like the album's title cities, Berkeley and Bakersfield don't have much in common other than existing in the same proximate space. Even the lineups are slightly different. The Berkeley half of the new album from Cracker sticks with the band's Kerosene Hat lineup with David Lowery, Johnny Hickman, Davey Faragher, and Michael Urbano. The Bakersfield half mixes in guest musicians that include the likes of the Matt "Pistol" Stoessel and Luke Moeller.

It's difficult to say which is better at points, even if Lowery puts more passion into the country side of the package. It's either that or perhaps the album merely hits upon the great divide between the pinch of urban living and possibilities of rural openness. It's almost hard to say.

Berkeley To Bakersfield splits its punk vibe with country roots.

What isn't hard to say is that Lowery and company have become masters of writing and recording songs with little regard to who might listen to them. Don't get me wrong. It's not that Cracker produces music with a blatant disregard for its fans as much as its fans know they'll only produce music that they enjoy performing day in and day out.

And what makes Berkeley To Bakersfield so ineffable is, with the possible exception of Waited My Whole Life, that the underlying lyrics split right along with their respective styles. One is clearly more populist while the other is libertarian. The only tie that binds is how many are built on characters.

El Cerrito, for example, was inspired by a taxi driver rant in San Francisco. There is Almond Grove guy behind second track on the Bakersfield side too. The album is loaded with them, different voices that complement and contradict each other while the band delivers them all faithfully with judgement.

Highlights from the double album include the folk rock opener Torches and Pitchforks and punk-infused Beautiful on the Berkeley side, country-rock roamer Almond Grove and sentimental Where Have Those Days Gone. After pulling up those four, dig into the more polarizing moments delivered up by songs like March Of The Billionaires, which is semi-satirical stab at the super rich, and California Country Boy, which dispels the Golden State's stereotypes with pedal steel.

The one track that lands in the middle is Waited My Whole Life. Not surprisingly, it originally started out as a Bakersfield track until the band shifted the instrumentals to have more soul. The resulting track seems to straddle the line as effortlessly as many California county borders do.

Through the entire double album, Cracker does what few bands could by running a gauntlet of topics, tones, and styles tied together by a couple of guys who have known each other for 35+ years. The effort makes the album a tribute to their respective influences and summarizes the band's illustrious career.

Berkeley To Bakersfield By Cracker Crunches 7.5 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Alternative fans will find a few gems on the Berkeley side while the country crowd will have a slightly easier time on the Bakersfield side. But mostly, the people who will find real merit in the music are open-minded Cracker fans who have always appreciated the band's split punk-country sensibilities.

You can find Berkeley to Bakersfield by Cracker on Amazon or download the double album (priced as a single album) from iTunes. You can also find Berkeley To Bakersfield and other releases at F.Y.E. Find out more about Cracker on Facebook.

The Eeries Roar Past Some Cool Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000

Maybe one of the hardest things about being a musician is knowing when to start over and, more importantly, who to start over with. There are dozens of breakout bands that bust up out of the starting block because some members aren't ready to wreck themselves on the road most take to get there.

It's also why singer-songwriter-guitarist Isaiah Silva didn't want just anyone who was trying on the musician moniker for the first time when he founded The Eeries. After investing 16 years in music, some of it as a cathartic sense of self-expression to help him survive a turbulent childhood, he wanted to surround himself with seasoned players. Who can blame him?

"We've all had our bands and worked our assess off touring and sleeping on hardwood floors for 120 days out of the year in a shitty band, in snowy weather, with a trailer driving from fucking Colorado to fucking North Dakota for 15 hours, drinking NoDoz," says Silva. "We've all done session work for other bands. We've all been hired guns. Each of us has done it all. That's how I knew these were the right guys."

Those guys include guitarist Brandon Sweeney, drummer Nadir Maraschin, and bassist Eliot Lorango. And not only had they lived music, each of them was also keen on reviving the golden era of guitar-driven alternative rock with an urgent swirl of punk-infused dream pop. It's a great wake up.

After spending two years together, their first real break came when alternative rock radio station KROQ sampled Cool Kid as a new music feature. The initial spin landed it on another prime time spot where listeners voted it up to earn a place on the station's official playlist. It was just like that until Interscope scooped them up (but not before they already finished recording a self-produced debut).

Cool Kid has turned plenty of ripples into waves. Check out this live session via Jam In The Van or live via Late Night with Seth Meyers. Either cut will easily prove the band deserves a deeper listen.

The track tackles the common angst-filled inspiration of being on the outside looking in — a relentless feeling that is especially poignant in an era when it's cool to be uncool. Or maybe it hits home simply because nobody really knows what cool means anymore. It's all as artificial as Aspartame.

Not wanting to miss out on the momentum of the lyric-light but pointedly poetic single, Interscope green lighted the first five tracks (including Cool Kid) on self-titled EP. The four new tracks make the case that The Eeries aren't one-trick ponies. The self-titled EP rips through an impressive set of perfectly balanced rockers that were recorded analog style, live to 2-inch tape in Los Angeles.

The tracks all stem from personal events, ranging from what happens when you live most of your life on the road or fall in love with someone or unexpectedly break it off. Silva writes down whatever life throws at him and then matches it to the right melodies. And then they lay it down raw, flaws and all.

The rundown on the EP is inspired, with no wasted minutes. Girlfriend fires up some prickly dance punk with a nod to the 80s. Love You To Pieces resurrects some garage grunge with an art pop twist. Shine On, a favorite track contender, blends in some psychedelics. Overrated dances around a Beatlesque inspired mashup of melodies, making the perfect bookend to a memorable EP.

The Eeries EP Rocks Out 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

The Eeries EP is easily the best EP debut of the year. The band makes it even better because they self-produced it before they were signed. Add in some old school production savvy and it isn't hard to see why The Eeries haven't cut an EP as much as they have a career. It will likely get better from here.

You can find The Eeries EP on Amazon. The tracks can also be downloaded from iTunes. Interscope Records was smart to snap them up, adding a little more indie diversity to their growing alternative rock roster. The full-length album is anticipated to land in early 2015. The band is currently putting the finishing touhes on their work.

Kim Zupan Buries Up The Ploughmen

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 14:00:00 +0000

The Ploughmen by Kim Zupan is a bleak and haunting novel that brings together a brutally adept and aging killer with a venerable and lonely sheriff's deputy in Copper Country, Montana. Between the bars of a county jail cell, these two men forge an unlikely bond as killer John Gload begins to tell his guard Valentine Millimaki about his sociopathic tendencies.

Millimaki, surprisingly introspective and thoughtful, initially begins listening to the 70-something killer as a means to draw out confessions and close open cases that had plagued Montana and other law enforcement agencies for years. But as time wears on before the killer can be brought to trial, Millimaki begins to seek counsel from the wise and unflappable man.

The Ploughmen seizes on an uneasy bond between a criminal and jailor.

After Millimaki draws the night shift as the sheriff's newest recruit, he discovers that Gload's insomnia is the only place he will find any solace during the the long hours of solitude. And as the two men exchange stories, they eventually find common ground in their appreciation for both farming and nature.

On one hand, these two men could not be more different. Gload, who confesses to committing his first murder at 14, turned away from farming and toward a life of crime after deciding he never had to do a day's worth of honest work again. Millimaki, on the other hand, turned away from it to escape a haunting memory of his mother hanging herself in the family barn. And in other, they recognize one in the same as ploughmen — one who tills the earth to bury his victims and the other who digs them up.

As the two men draw figuratively closer, Millimaki begins to confide in Gload about his failing marriage. Without missing a beat, the old man begins to give the deputy advice on which deputies to be weary of for one reason or another. Such exchanges become increasing valuable to both men until it becomes increasingly unclear whether or not Gload is sincere in his sentiment or indoctrinating an impressionable young deputy much like he did the boy who accompanied him on a series of murders that open the book.

Eventually, the novel does take a turn toward violence. All the cards are laid out: whether Gload is baiting or protecting the deputy, whether Millimaki has begun to envy the prisoner as a man of action, whether this person or that person will be brutally murdered for their carelessness in crossing paths with either man.

A few more graphs about author Kim Zupan.

A native Montanan, Zupan lives in Missoula and grew up in and around Great Falls, where much of The Ploughmen is set. For 25 years, he made a living as a carpenter while pursuing another passion — writing fiction.

Zupan has plenty of experiences to draw upon for his work. He has also worked as a smelter man, pro rodeo bareback rider, ranch hand, Alaska salmon fisherman and teacher. He currently teaches carpentry at Missoula College and holds an MFA from the University of Montana.

As a debut novel, Zupan hits the mark in allowing the relationship between the two men to happen on its own terms. Where he misses a beat or two is the opening chapters when Zupan sets the vastness of Montana at the feet of his readers with passages that meander on beautifully but not poignantly. It isn't until a few chapters in where he finds the right pace to the story as well as the stories that lead up to this one.

The Ploughmen By Kim Zupan Buries 7.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Kim Zupan tackles the last remnants of the American West at a time when civilization wanted to master its vastness and outlaw highwaymen like Gload no longer had a place. And he tackles it with an exerted command for the language and fully realized, masterful characters who are equally capable of earning sympathy as much as disdain.

The Ploughmen: A Novel by Kim Zupan is available on Amazon. You can also download the novel for iBooks or listen to the audiobook via iTunes. The story is narrated by Jim Meskimen, who brings both characters to life within the rugged landscape of Montana. Barnes & Noble also carries The Ploughman by Kim Zupan.