Month: September 2022

MOUNT FAMINE – Single Review: “Offcuts”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

Mount Famine are a British post punk/synth-infused indie rock’n’roll project based in Derby. Formed in 2019 as a collaboration of seasoned musicians with a shared love of such bands as The Cure, The Psychedelic Furs, Pet Shop Boys, Manic Street Preachers, Pulp and Suede, they aim to create music that, in their own words, “produces the adrenaline-fueled highs of indie disco dancefloors.” Hallmarks of their vibrant sound are infectious melodies, lush soundscapes and soaring vocals. A rather enigmatic band, they have no photos of themselves on any of their social media, nor do they list their members’ names. Band front man and vocalist Martin Stanier, who I know of from his having reached out to me on Instagram, explained that they’ve steered away from photos, wanting the focus to instead be on their music.

Beginning with their debut single “Faith” in January 2020, they’ve released a string of excellent singles over the past two and a half years. This past March, I included their fourth single “Distance” in a Fresh New Tracks post. The song garnered support from BBC Introducing East Midlands and Louder Than War, as well endorsements from actor Robert Carlyle and British broadcaster Terry Christian. I liked the song so much, it spent 11 weeks on my Weekly Top 30 list. Now they’re back with a new single “Offcuts“, a rousing anthem that calls to mind some of the great songs by New Order, Manic Street Preachers and The Killers.  

The song storms through the gates with an exuberant soundscape of swirling synths, roiling guitars and driving rhythms. Martin’s sparkling keyboards have a wonderful cinematic quality, and the layered shimmery and grungy guitars are quite marvelous. Also outstanding are the humming bassline and emphatic thumping drumbeats, both of which add great power and depth to the track. And, as always, Martin’s resonant vocals are incredibly pleasing, rising with a commanding force in the choruses. 

The song’s lyrics touch on the drudgery of executive management, work hierarchies, and the disposability of workers. Martin elaborated further: “It’s about a moment I had recently where I doubted myself. I spent some time in the company of some very senior managers in my job who weren’t nice or kind and treated others lower on the food chain really badly. And all the others treated them with adoration and respect that to my mind, they didn’t really deserve. I wondered if I had got it wrong and that doing this was the way forward. I mean, it didn’t last very long because of course that isn’t how to be or to treat people, but it also echoed the behaviour of a lot of our world leaders of late.” 

I am the new normal in rock and roll; discos
Kiss me, between the sheets
You're so discreet, discreet

Maybe I misunderstood
And dreams and schemes are not as fun 
As real life, through office doors
We are Offcuts on director's floors

Maybe I misunderstood
And dreams and schemes are not as fun 
As real life, through office doors
We are Offcuts on director's floors

Fast cars, high class bars
Now you are stars, all stars
Diamonds and dollars
Now you look down on us, on us

Maybe I misunderstood
And dreams and schemes are not as fun
As real life, through office doors
We are Offcuts on director's floors
 
Maybe I misunderstood
And real life is Hollywood
And Sundays walking through the malls are the best days, best times of all

Funny, you're so funny
They laugh with you
But money and power have made you sour

Maybe I misunderstood
And dreams and schemes are not as fun
As real life, through office doors
We are Offcuts on director's floors
 
Maybe I misunderstood
And real life is Hollywood
And Sundays walking through the malls are the best days, best times of all

“Offcuts” is a fantastic radio-friendly song that’s certain to be a hit.

Follow Mount Famine:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud 

Top 30 Songs for September 11-17, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's18 Comments

One of the most hauntingly beautiful songs I’ve heard this year is “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE, the solo music project of singer-songwriter, composer and producer Nathan Evans. The prolific and hyper-talented musician creates gorgeous and dramatic music incorporating a broad array of genres and styles, including alternative electronica, rock, ambient, trip-hop, orchestral and dark wave. He’s also front man for alternative rock band Native Tongue. He wrote “Broken Record” to address the powerfully addicting allure of social media and its impacts on our emotional and mental health. Nathan states “‘Broken Record’ focuses on the like, follow and share society we have transitioned into over the past decade. Likes release dopamine like a drug and we become addicted to the validation, attention and acknowledgment of our successes or happiness. We hide behind filters and fake smiles to show an inaccurate reality we wish was real.” The song is stunning, with mournful, contemplative piano keys overlain with arresting percussion, swelling strings and mysterious vocal effects. I love male singing voices in the higher ranges, and Nathan’s is especially captivating here. Not only is “Broken Record” a gorgeous song, it also resonates very strongly with me, and I’m thrilled to place it at the top of my list this week.

In other notable chart developments, The Killers‘ uplifting anthem “boy” leaps 17 spots to #4, Cafuné‘s “Tek It” advances a notch to enter the top 10 at #10, Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit” jumps 11 spots to #18, and Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” climbs nine spots to #21. The lone debut this week is the delightful “Party4One” by the brilliant Canadian artist dwi, which enters at #30.

  1. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (2)
  2. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (1)
  3. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
  4. BOY – The Killers (21)
  5. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (5)
  6. VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (8)
  7. BONES – Imagine Dragons (9)
  8. BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (10)
  9. CLOSER – The Frontier (4)
  10. TEK IT – Cafuné (11)
  11. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (14)
  12. LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (7)
  13. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (6)
  14. SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (12)
  15. WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (13)
  16. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (19)
  17. PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (20)
  18. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (29)
  19. SEASICK – The Rare Occasions (22)
  20. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (15)
  21. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (30)
  22. FREE – Florence + the Machine (23)
  23. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (24)
  24. SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (26)
  25. GREY – Holy Coves (18)
  26. GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (27)
  27. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (17)
  28. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (16)
  29. COMPLIANCE – Muse (25)
  30. PARTY4ONE – dwi (N)

VAZUM – Single Review: “Double Stellium”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments

VAZUM is a deathgaze duo from Detroit, Michigan, consisting of Zach Pliska (vocals/guitar/drums) and Emily Sturm (vocals/bass). Combining elements of deathrock, goth, post-punk and shoegaze, they create their signature dark, haunting and melodic sound that sounds vaguely familiar, yet totally unlike anyone else I’ve heard. Since forming in 2017, the highly imaginative and prolific duo have released an impressive four albums, three EPs and nearly a dozen singles, all of which they produce, record, engineer and mix independently at their own Light Echo Studios.

I’ve followed VAZUM for over a year, and am finally featuring them on this blog on the occasion of the release of their latest single “Double Stellium“. Stellium is an astrological term that refers to when someone has at least three planets in one zodiac sign or house in their birth chart. Having a double stellium can be very intense with a lot of energy focused in specific areas. Both Zach and Emily have double stelliums in their astrological charts, hence the song’s theme and title.

The song blasts open with a jarring onslaught of shredded psychedelic guitars and explosive pummeling percussion, then settles into an eerily beautiful and melodic soundscape of industrial synths, those shredded guitars ever-present in the background. Halfway through, the music returns to the same intensity we heard at the beginning, before quickly calming back down, only to rev back up at the end for a final bombastic flourish. Zach and Emily’s echoed droning vocal harmonies are perfectly suited to the goth-flavored instrumentals, nicely enhancing the song’s overall haunting feel.

The lyrics are probably open to interpretation, but my take is that they speak to loving those close to us and living life to the fullest in the here and now, given the eventual certainty of death.

Soon it will claim us all
Drained, pale porcelain dolls
Swept in a sanguine pulse
Dark dreams, nothing else
Doesn’t really matter who we were
All that really matters

I’ll lie here with you till nightfall
I’ll bleed here in you till nightfall
I’ll lie here with you
There’s no end
I’ll bleed here in you
There’s no end

VAZUM also created and produced the trippy video for the track.

Connect with VAZUM: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music: Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

Purchase on Bandcamp

Top 30 Songs for September 4-10, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's16 Comments

Not a lot of changes from last week on my latest Weekly Top 30. Stephen Sanchez‘ beautiful retro love ballad “Until I Found You” holds the top spot for a second week, while “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE, and “SUPERMODEL” by Italian band Måneskin, each move up a notch to second and third place. “Bones” by Imagine Dragons and “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé enter the top 10 at #9 and #10, respectively. The biggest upward mover is “Boy” by The Killers, which climbs seven spots to #21.

Debuting this week are the charming funk-pop song “Bad Habit” by Southern California artist Steve Lacy – the song has already reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and is at #3 on the Hot 100 – and the enchanting “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” by Massachusetts alternative pop-rock band Beach Weather.

  1. UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (1)
  2. BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (3)
  3. SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (4)
  4. CLOSER – The Frontier (2)
  5. FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (7)
  6. MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (5)
  7. LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (8)
  8. VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (9)
  9. BONES – Imagine Dragons (11)
  10. BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (12)
  11. TEK IT – Cafuné (14)
  12. SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (15)
  13. WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (16)
  14. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
  15. ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (10)
  16. THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (6)
  17. LIN MANUEL – Onism E (13)
  18. GREY – Holy Coves (17)
  19. PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (21)
  20. PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (22)
  21. BOY – The Killers (28)
  22. SEASICK – The Rare Occasions (24)
  23. FREE – Florence + the Machine (25)
  24. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (26)
  25. COMPLIANCE – Muse (25)
  26. SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (27)
  27. GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (30)
  28. UNCONDITIONAL I (LOOKOUT KID) – Arcade Fire (23)
  29. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (N)
  30. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (N)

ART BLOCK – “White Horses EP”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews18 Comments

Art Block is an alternative folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in East London, England. A prolific artist, he’s been making beautiful music for a number of years, and has released an impressive number of singles, EPs and remixes since early 2015, beginning with his debut L.A.-inspired single “Los Feliz”. I’ve featured him three times on this blog, the first time in November 2019 when I reviewed his enchanting song “The Basement”. The song has become his most successful to date, amassing over 290,000 streams on Spotify, which is notable in light of the fact he not represented by any label or management. A year later, I reviewed his lovely single “Borderline”, then this past March, I included his single “Pilgrim” in a post about my having been a moderator for Tom Robinson’s Fresh On The Net blog.

Now he returns with a new EP titled White Horses EP, featuring three tracks he says were “inspired by the beauty of nature but also touching upon war, themes of death, loss and the bitter sweet nature of human existence.” The EP was recorded at Super Symmetry Studios in Hackney, utilizing a mix of both analog and digital sounds that give the songs incredible texture and depth. William Robertson aka Wheeliemix produced, mixed and engineered the EP using Moog synthesizers, as well as played acoustic guitar, Raphael Bouchara played drums, and Sandra Brus played violin. Mastering was done by John Webber (David Bowie, Duran Duran). Art Block created the beautiful cover artwork for his EP using a photo he’d taken of the English countryside.

In addition to beautiful melodies and captivating arrangements, a defining aspect of Art Block’s songs are his tender, heartfelt vocals. With his incredibly emotive singing voice, he has the ability to convey a deep sense of sorrow and despair, which is on full display on all three songs. The first track “Saviour” speaks of a relationship that saved him at first, but ultimately ended because of the hurt and pain they inflicted on each other: “It was a travesty. Unjust unliberty. Hurting those around you. Building walls between ourselves. We knocked our brains out cold. Drank from the cup untold. Floored by passion and the drink. Makes us do what we don’t think. You were a precious stone. Now I am all alone. I’m fading, yeah I’m fading. We dug our grave too soon.” It’s a melancholy but lovely song, highlighted by Art Block’s stunning piano and Sandra Brus’ mournful violin.

“White Horses” is another hauntingly beautiful piano-driven song with a somewhat similar vibe as “Saviour”, except Art Block’s vocals are more emotionally-wrought in the choruses. He says the song “was inspired by a beautiful place in England, but also by the attack in Mariupol Ukraine which was in the news, where I imagined I was going through the devastation there. Perhaps ‘White Horses’ is a metaphor for something else, greater, perhaps mystical or mysterious? The place I visited in England certainly had a mystical feel even though the White Horse itself etched into a hill was not ancient.” His lyrics are poetic and deep, touching on the terrifying randomness of death and suffering: “We bear our own cross. And the people may wonder why God’s left them alone? The wind is burning. There’s so much smoke cos’ you’re coughing up blood now. The poem has ceased. And the soil is all over me, I’m six feet deep.“

The bittersweet “Low Light” is both captivating and melancholy. Art Block’s vocals are downright heartbreaking here, perfectly conveying the intense pain and heartache of a relationship or friendship that’s falling apart, but not wanting to come to terms with it just yet: “A friendship ooh has crumbled. Ooh we’ve stumbled, as we break into dust. A fear I don’t wanna see. A light I don’t want feel. A low light I don’t wanna see. A change I don’t wanna make tonight.” Art Block’s piano is sublime, accompanied by airy synths, William’s shimmery guitar notes, Sandra’s subtle electric violin, and Raphael’s gentle drums and cymbals that evoke waves crashing upon rocks at the sea’s edge.

While it’s subject matter is decidedly bleak, White Horse EP is nevertheless a gorgeous little work. With its flawless arrangements, production and performances by everyone involved, the three songs are among Art Block’s finest yet. The EP was released exclusively on Bandcamp today, September 2nd, and will be released on most streaming platforms on the 23rd.

Follow Art Block:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  Bandcamp

WILD HORSE – Single Review: “Bitter”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Hailing from East Sussex, England is the talented and charismatic young pop-rock band Wild Horse, consisting of brothers Henry and Jack Baldwin and long-time friend Ed Barnes. Now in their early 20s, the guys are seasoned musicians who’ve been writing and recording songs since forming in 2013, when they were barely teenagers. Both Henry and Jack are multi-instrumentalists who play guitar, bass and keyboards, as well as sing vocals, while Ed plays drums and percussion, sings backing vocals and plays guitar on a few tracks. The Baldwin brothers are also prolific songwriters who’ve penned hundreds of songs over the years, with five albums, three EPs and numerous singles to their credit. I’ve been following them on social media for nearly five years, and have reviewed two of their albums, DANCE!! Like An Animal in 2019, and When the Pool Is Occupied this past December, which you can read here. 

Always keeping busy and productive, Wild Horse has recorded a number of new singles which they plan on releasing this year, starting with “Joy Ride” this past June. They now follow up with a second single “Bitter“, which drops today. The song explores the emotional minefield of casual romantic relationships, in which one partner desires a ‘no strings’ arrangement with the freedom to see other people, leaving the other partner feeling dissatisfied, insecure and generally unhappy.

I really like the song’s breezy, guitar-driven melody, which nicely contrasts with the poignant, rather ‘bitter’ lyrics. As always, the guitar work is first-rate, accompanied by a lively rhythm section that keeps the toe-tapping groove going, while allowing the guitars and vocals to shine. Jack’s endearing, heartfelt vocals sound better than ever here, and we feel his sad resignation as he plaintively laments “A little bit of feeling’s what I need. And just a little bit of pleasure’s all you want. And now I’m stuck here in the middle, playing games. I really thought we could have talked this out by now. I’m just a little bitter.”

“Bitter” is a wonderful track, nicely showcasing Wild Horse’s continuing growth and maturity as a band.

Connect with Wild Horse:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / Reverbnation
Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon