Spiral Rocks is a terrific rock band based in Widnes, England, situated on the River Mersey between the vibrant music cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Their fun, high-energy music is retro, yet fresh, drawing from classic rock, punk, rock’n’roll, blues and even folk influences. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Antony Shone (vocals/guitar), Dave Baker (guitar), Stephen “Rowy” Rowe (bass) & Danny Hall (drums). They’ve known each other for years and even played together for a while as teenagers, but took a hiatus for several years to tend to the demands of life (jobs, marriages and children).
Wanting to get back to doing what they love, they resurrected Spiral Rocks in summer 2018 and have been recording and releasing lots of new songs like madmen, as if trying to make up for lost time. Many of these tunes are certified bangers, and I strongly urge my readers to check them out on Spotify or YouTube. One of the best of the bunch is “Know Your Weapon“, which the band requested that I review.
It’s a great, hard-driving track, with a barrage of fuzzy reverb-soaked guitars, deep, throbbing bass and pummeling drumbeats, augmented by an abundance of crashing cymbals. Antony and Dave are skilled guitarists, delivering some really sensational blistering riffs in the choruses that give the track a gnarly psychedelic vibe. Antony has an intense and spirited vocal style that reminds me at times of Mick Jagger’s, though I can’t quite make out very many of the lyrics that he practically shouts on this song. But who cares, really, when the music sounds this good.
When I last featured the wickedly talented and undeniably charismatic UK band Heist at Five on this blog in October 2018, they had released their fantastic single “Finish What You Started”. I reviewed the song and also interviewed the band, which you can read here. Based in London, but with an international pedigree, the electro/hard rock collective plays an aggressive, innovative style of alternative rock that borders on experimental, with complex melodies, intricate chord progressions and brilliant electronic and guitar-heavy instrumentation. Making the music are Oskar Abrahamsson (vocals), Jozef Veselsky (guitar), Marco “Fuzz” Paone (bass) and Josh Needham (drums), with assistance from production guru Kim Björnram. They released their impressive debut EP The Blacklist in early 2018 (which I also reviewed), and now return with an exciting and introspective new single “Falling With Style“, and it’s one of their best songs yet.
The band states “the song is about fully embracing the idea of failure and finding comfort in it”, and it’s message is delivered with a glorious soundscape of elaborate instrumentation and sounds. Jozef is an amazing guitarist, dazzling our senses with incredibly intricate riffs and spine-tingling power chords. Marco and Josh keep the rhythm with a deep, throbbing bass line and powerful drums, backed by swirling moody synths and otherworldly but beautiful electronically-enhanced soaring choruses.
Oskar’s fervent vocals are spectacular, raising goosebumps as they go from sultry purr to tender falsetto to emotionally wrought wails as he sings:
Now we’re fighting for our life just to get our balance back How we see the world shakes, under attack The sky is caving as its weighing down these skinny legs We’re slowly getting close to the edge
It’s all been shattered, torn apart Burnt to pieces, right from the start It all falls But does it matter, for us at all When all you need is, to fall with style
The song has been translated into a brilliant and surreal video that tells the story of a young woman who sees moments of her life in flashbacks, which ends up changing her perspective about life, and in the process breaks her old pattern of decision making. The video was written, directed and edited by Oskar, and filmed by James Kiberu at IPuzzle Digital Media Video. The woman was played by Anoushka Rava, and the lead girl by Julie Rabesahala.
1. SIGUE CON EL AMOR – John Defeo (3)
2. CHLORINE – twenty one pilots (5)
3. TRAMPOLINE – SHAED (1)
4. READY TO LET GO – Cage the Elephant (2)
5. VOLCANO – Feather Weight (4)
6. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen (8)
7. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar (9)
8. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish (14)
9. HARMONY HALL – Vampire Weekend (10)
10. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (11)
11. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (13)
12. ASSUME FORM – James Blake (6)
13. POWER OVER ME – Dermot Kennedy (7)
14. TIME – Morosity (16)
15. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (17)
16. HURT – Oliver Tree (18)
17. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose (19)
18. LO/HI – The Black Keys (20)
19. STILL FEEL – half alive (23)
20. GENERATION Y – Guide Dog (24)
21. SUPERPOSITION – Young the Giant (12) 19th week on chart
22. BELOVED – Mumford and Sons (26)
23. SEVENTEEN – Sharon Van Etten (27)
24. EXITS – Foals (15)
25. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (28)
26. BAD LIAR – Imagine Dragons (N)
27. I’LL BE AROUND – Morning Fuzz (N)
28. MISSED CONNECTION – The Head and the Heart (N)
29. NOT WORTH IT – The Only Route (N)
30. OLD MAN’S WAR – Roadkeeper (N)
As I’ve noted previously in other posts, one of the best things about being a music blogger is getting to know a lot of really wonderful artists and bands. One of my favorite indie bands is London-based alternative rock outfit From the Cave. With a singularly unique and eclectic sound drawing from a broad range of influences, including punk, pop, shoegaze, blues, funk and ethnic folk, they have a distinctive sound like no other band I’m aware of. I love their music, and have featured them on this blog several times over the past few years. They’ve previously released two EPs, their self-titled debut From the Cave in 2016, and Medieval two years later, which I reviewed last September. Now they return with their third EP City Life, which drops on 30 April, and which I’m pleased to introduce to my readers.
Comprising From the Cave are the wildly creative front man Kristian Møller-Munar, who plays guitar and sings most lead vocals, Mikaela Lindgren on vocals, keys and percussion, and Joshua Scriven on guitar and vocals. Each of them is a major talent in their own right, actively involved in all aspects of the creation of their music, including songwriting, playing instruments and singing, and as they continue to mature, so too does their music. As its title suggests, the songs on their new EP have an edgier, more sophisticated vibe, and deal mostly with topics that are current and socially relevant. City Life was written and produced by the band, and expertly mastered by Tim Debney. The songwriting, instrumentation and arrangements are all superb, sounding better than ever, and all three band members’ vocals and harmonies are marvelous.
The first track “Get a Life” is a scathing take down of someone who’s always complaining and whining, yet doing nothing to solve any of their problems, and you’ve had just about all you can take of their bullshit.
It’s just mind games and control It’s just plain dumb lack of soul Get a backbone, get a grip Your self-importance makes me sick Get a life! (Cause I’m really fucking tired of your shit though)
Besides the great, brutally direct lyrics, the song’s really interesting from a musically standpoint too, with a catchy, trap-like beat and an exotic Eastern European folk vibe in the chorus. The spacey synths and jangly guitars are great, and I love Kristian’s deep vocals with his Danish accent, backed by the all three members’ harmonizing choruses. The clever and colorful animated video was created by Kristian, who does a fantastic job on all their videos.
“Freedom” seems to suggest that freedom comes with a price, enabling us to fall victim to our darker instincts. The song starts off on a fairly light air with a funky beat, but eventually turns more menacing, with sinister synths and a harsh, almost foreboding drumbeat. As always, the guitar work is brilliant.
“Have a Nice One” really showcases From the Cave’s impressive musicianship, with an enchanting strummed mandolin taking a starring role, and once again, their vocal harmonies are absolutely sublime. The positive song lyrics advise us to not beat our heads against the wall trying to change things over which we have no control, and instead just try to enjoy our lives:
Don’t worry about the things you can’t change anyway They float as they like, and then they go away Don’t try to fix anything Have a nice one, have a nice one
The band changes things up a bit with “City Lights“, a gorgeous and sultry song that’s my favorite track on the EP. From the opening zing of spacey synth, I love everything about this breathtaking song – the shimmery chiming guitars, ethereal synths, entrancing drumbeat, and most of all, Joshua’s captivating vocals, backed by Kristian & Mikaela’s dreamy backing harmonies. Thought I’m not certain about the song’s meaning, to my mind it seems to celebrate the allure of the city and the romantic spell it casts upon those who surrender themselves to its possibilities.
The rousing, uptempo track “Justice” sees the band taking a political stance, calling for people in our sharply divided society to open their minds to a broader point of view, and try to find common ground so that we can hopefully solve some of the problems plaguing society.
You hate the news and you hate a long a drive You don’t like the things that will waste your time You love your mum, and you love your son You love your dog, and you keep your gun We’re not alike, we’re still the same We shouldn’t have to feel ashamed We feel so wrong, we feel so right A common ground is worth the fight
Forgiveness is missing It’s like it’s been beaten to pieces And the middle, and justice is kicking and kicking Living for the living, for the living right now
City Life is another fantastic release from this amazingly talented band, and proof that their creativity and musicianship keeps growing ever better and stronger. That makes me very happy, as I hope they continue making music for a long time to come.
Though the music I’ve written about on this blog has more often than not involved various forms of rock, folk, electronic or pop, as EclecticMusicLover I do like to feature other genres as well, especially from countries outside the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Today I have the pleasure of featuring singer/songwriter Grace-Attalie, a young woman with one of the most amazing and distinctive vocal styles I’ve heard in a long while. Originally from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and now based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Grace uses her soulful voice like a musical instrument, producing exquisite vocal sounds and textures with such incredible depth and emotional range that they leave me speechless.
In December 2018, she released her marvelous debut EP Polluted, featuring three excellent songs drawing from soul, jazz, Latin and African music influences. Now, she’s released a new medley of the three tracks, entitled simply “Polluted: The Medley“, along with a video of her performing the song with musicians Ngwato Mapalakanye on guitar and Joe Simoz on drums. The video was beautifully filmed in subdued light with cool blue tones by photographer and cinematographer Ryan Jarrett.
Though each of the three songs – “Eggshell”, “Standards” and “Sombre Storm” – are distinctly different, they’re artfully melded together seamlessly in the medley to flow as one flawlessly smooth and gorgeous composition. Simoz taps out the sultry tempo that hovers somewhere between a Latin and African-flavored jazz beat. Backed by airy synths and a sensual bass line, Mapalakanye’s strummed electric guitar notes are sublime, and a perfect complement to Grace’s lush vocals that go from breathy purr to deep smoke. It’s an absolutely captivating track.
To more fully appreciate Grace-Attalie’s astonishing vocal talents, spend a few extra minutes and listen to the three wonderful original songs here:
1. TRAMPOLINE – SHAED (3)
2. READY TO LET GO – Cage the Elephant (1)
3. SIGUE CON EL AMOR – John Defeo (4)
4. VOLCANO – Feather Weight (5)
5. CHLORINE – twenty one pilots (7)
6. ASSUME FORM – James Blake (6)
7. POWER OVER ME – Dermot Kennedy (2)
8. LONGSHOT – Catfish and the Bottlemen (9)
9. DISAPPEAR – Western Jaguar (10)
10. HARMONY HALL – Vampire Weekend (12)
11. FEAR THE FUTURE – IAMWARFACE (15)
12. SUPERPOSITION – Young the Giant (8)
13. DARK PLACES – The Frontier (16)
14. BURY A FRIEND – Billie Eilish (17)
15. EXITS – Foals (11)
16. TIME – Morosity (19)
17. ESCAPE – Ships Have Sailed (20)
18. HURT – Oliver Tree (23)
19. LOVE CRAZY – Karolina Rose (21)
20. LO/HI – The Black Keys (22)
21. S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun) – The Glorious Sons (13)
22. HOME – morgxn featuring WALK THE MOON (14)
23. STILL FEEL – half alive (25)
24. GENERATION Y – Guide Dog (26)
25. MOVEMENT – Hozier (18)
26. BELOVED – Mumford & Sons (29)
27. SEVENTEEN – Sharon Van Etten (30)
28. PATIENCE – Tame Impala (N)
29. SECRET THAT LIES BEHIND – The Gear (27)
30. CHANGE – The Revivalists (24)
Derek Schmidt is an imaginative and talented queer composer, songwriter, and sound designer based in San Francisco, and he’s created one of the most uniquely wonderful and ambitious musical works I’ve ever come across. With over 15 years experience working and performing in the Bay Area in solo performances and as front man for three different acts – folk band All My Pretty Ones, queer electronic band Adonisaurus, and Oakland electronic band Partyline – Derek has produced numerous albums across many genres, and has been a featured composer on independent film and performance art projects, including the feature length film Home And How To Break It. Most recently, on March 1st he released an opus concept album Major Arcana, a monumental 22-song interpretation of the trump cards (or major arcana) of the tarot deck.
The album was a five-year-long undertaking made possible through the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Individual Artist Grant, one of the city’s most prestigious awards for individual artists. Each song explores one of the 22 trump cards, from 0 The Fool to 21 The World (Universe). As Derek explains: “Each card is a meditation on the symbolism within that card, as well as my own personal relationship to the card. Utilizing samples as a form of sympathetic magic, a mixture of both personal and more transcendent lyric writing, acoustic and electronic arrangements in combination with lush harmonies, Major Arcana has become a set of exploratory rituals attempting to capture the wisdom of each card, for myself and for everyone.”
With a running time of one hour and 38 minutes, listening to this album is an immersive experience. If you allow yourself the freedom to do so, you can easily get lost in its enthralling soundscape of electronic dream pop magic. Musically, the album features a bold array of synthesizer sounds and textures, complemented by Derek’s enchanting ukelele. I’ve never fully appreciated just how beautiful music from a ukelele can be, but Derek draws forth sounds that are exquisite and utterly charming.
I generally tend to discuss or at least mention every track on my album reviews, but with 22 of them on Major Arcana, doing so would turn this review into a thesis. So, I’ll instead touch on some of what I consider to be highlights or my personal favorites. The album opens with “0 The Fool”, named for the first card of the tarot deck. One of my favorite tracks on the album, it perfectly showcases Derek’s skill at using synthesizers to create richly complex musical compositions. He employs all sorts of exotic and quirky synths, pulsating drumbeats and clicks, over which he layers his lovely strummed ukelele, and the result is an absolutely captivating song. Derek’s pleasing vocals have an earnest vulnerability as he sings: “Before I begin, and after I’m gone. That’s where I’ll be. That’s where I belong. Not afraid anymore, my arms open wide./ What is real, always was. And cannot be destroyed. And a fool for me. I’m a fool for you.”
Derek continues to explore each card in the tarot deck, artfully tailoring the synth sounds and song lyrics to the card’s themes. Swirling spacey synths highlight “I The Magician” and “II The High Priestess”, with the latter featuring sharp thunderbolt-like sounds that conjure up images of spells being cast. The exuberant horn synths at the beginning of “IV The Emperor” symbolize the power and majesty of the position, and Derek’s ukelele riff later in the song is sublime.
On “VI The Lovers”, Derek uses sunny, whimsical synths as a backdrop for his lyrics extolling the joy of his love affair: “I love to love my lover so. To understand all that I don’t. It’s his fluency, won’t scare me. We laugh like kids, we find out things./ Where I am and where do you begin?” “IX The Hermit” sees him pondering loneliness and isolation: “It all comes down to a room of one’s own./ And all I need is a little more time. A few more hours in the day, and then I’ll turn to everything I’ve put aside. / Rearrange the furniture and open windows, give yourself some air.” And on the gorgeous “XI Lust”, he expresses ardent desire and passion through dramatic, soaring synths.
As would be expected, “XII The Hanged Man” is dark, with moody synths, a mournful backing chorus and a pensively strummed ukelele, accompanied by a funereal march drum roll. Derek sings of things from the point of view of a man about to be executed: “Hanged man sees it differently. Upside down, blood rushing to my head. Unfriendly faces become smiles instead. How many times have I been here before? Caught up, emotionless and always wanting more.” “XIII Death”, on the other hand, is not at all depressing, and in fact is one of the more beautiful songs on the album, with glittery, uplifting synths and Derek’s soaring ethereal vocals. He envisions life’s end as a new beginning: “A great unknown, behind the door. The ocean floor. A mystery yet to solve. The ones unmet. The tears unshed.”
A standout track is the mesmerizing and powerful “XIV Art”, for which Derek has created a fantastic video with the help of visual artist Video Hole (J Mason Buck).
Another of my favorites is “XVI The Tower”, one of the more musically complex tracks on Major Arcana. It’s a rather melancholy song, yet contains many beautiful and melodic passages that continually surprised and held my interest at it unfolded. And “XVII The Star” is pure delight, with its spacey sci-fi synths, sweeping melodies and lovely ukelele. “XVIII The Moon” is another highlight, and was the first song Derek wrote for the card cycle. In an interview with webzine Out Loud Culture!, he explained: “I was inspired by the meaning of the card, which usually involves ideas around intuition, illusion, and a general mystery. To me the moon is an ever present set of symbols like all of the cards that capture some aspect of the human condition. It’s a playful card but it can be bewildering, and I loved writing a song about that mystery. It was like a meditation.”
Closing the album is “XXI The Universe”, an appropriately epic six and a half-minute-long fantasia of glorious sound. Derek pulls out all the stops in creating a song of such incredible beauty and nuance that it takes my breath away. He uses a dazzling array of intricate synths ranging from glittery keyboards and shimmery strings to sharp industrial, sci-fi and atmospheric sound effects. All of this is of course accompanied by his beautifully strummed ukelele and richly-layered ethereal vocals. It’s one of the most spectacular tracks on the album, and a fitting conclusion to this magnificent and monumental work.
My friend Robert Horvat, who has a wonderful blog Rear View Mirror, has an equally eclectic taste in music. I love the passion and exotic beauty of this song he recently posted by Turkish band Light in Babylon.
Ted Kennedy is a producer/composer of electronic music based in Toronto, Canada. He’s been producing and recording music for several years, and released his first EP Late in 2014, and followed two years later with a second EP Lost, both of which contain some very solid tracks. He also curates a weekly live show called Frequencies, featuring live sets from forward-thinking electronic artists, producers, and MC’s. The shows take place on the third Thursday of every month at Handlebar in Toronto.
After a bit of a hiatus, Ted is once again recording more songs, and released a new single “Forty” earlier this year. Now he returns with another single “Not Enough“, which dropped on April 12. About his latest single, Ted told me “Like a lot of music I have been writing recently, ‘Not Enough’ is inspired by the sounds of Toronto’s underground electronic music scene. Curating Frequencies, I’m constantly blown away by the amount of talent here. It’s tough to be an artist in this city; rents are high, venues are closing, and platforms big enough to give artists any meaningful exposure are nearly non-existent. Everyone has day jobs, roommates, and bedroom studios. Despite the challenges, artists put in the work and create great things. This song is inspired by those artists, their sounds, their creativity, their energy. I just hope I did them justice.”
On “Not Enough”, Ted employs a strong thumping EDM beat and moody, pulsating synths that give the track a bit of a Depeche Mode vibe. In fact, his deep, sultry vocals even sound a bit like Dave Gahan’s here. The driving dance beat is hypnotic and seductive, compelling us to move as it carries us away to a dark, yet dreamy place. Throughout, Ted uses deep bass and fuzzy, otherworldly synths to give the track added texture and depth. I found myself getting lost in the music, not wanting the song to end.
The lyrics speak of a love affair in tatters, in which the love they had is no longer enough to sustain the relationship:
Damn taste of love is all I know
It’s always on, not enough
Your love is my own ruin
A quiet knot undone
Our love is all in cinders Our love is not enough I’m always in the windows I’m always on the run
Ted will be performing “Not Enough” at Handlebar on Thursday, April 18 as part of his Frequencies series.
As I’ve noted in some of my recent posts, a great many artists and bands that I’ve previously featured on this blog are releasing new music in 2019, and another is the Scottish alternative rock band Made of Eyes. I last wrote about them way back in November 2016, when I was blown away by their gorgeous emotionally-charged single “Wishing Well” (you can read that review here). They subsequently released their EP Bonds in 2017, which included “Wishing Well” and three other excellent tracks. Following that release, the Glasgow-based act went through a period of transition due to the departure of two of the band’s four members, resulting in a what front man JR refers to as a ‘mental hiatus’. In 2018, they acquired a new bassist, so the current lineup now consists of JR Campbell on guitar & lead vocals, Jason Stewart on lead guitar & vocals, and Liam Browne on bass.
Made of Eyes has just released their first single “Room to Breathe” as a newly-configured band. With their new single, the band states they “aim to mark a new direction, delivering a pop element, experimenting with dreamy chords, electronic sounds and memorable melodies.” Listening to “Room to Breathe”, I say they succeed quite nicely. The song is somewhat more pop-oriented than their previous harder-hitting songs, though it still features their signature dynamic guitar work and strong percussion. Opening with an airy synth, the song quickly expands into a beautiful soundscape of chiming guitars and lush, shimmery synths, backed by a pulsating bass line and galloping percussion. The layered guitar work is really impressive, threading its way among the sweeping synths and powerful drumbeats. JR’s resonant vocals are filled with raw emotion as he sings to a loved one about trying to recapture the spark that initially drew them together, in the hope of saving their troubled relationship:
It’s been a weight on my shoulders for days It’s been the choices we failed to make We’re like a book with a missing page Unless we find it, we can’t be saved
And I believe in you And I believe in us, I believe in trust And it’s you and I tonight And these moments will pass by And just remember the promises That you made to me We needed room to breathe
It’s a great song, and an excellent harbinger of more great music to come from Made of Eyes. Nice work guys!
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 