L.A.-based alt-rock band Disciples of Babylon are one of my favorite indie bands, and I’ve featured them numerous times on this blog. They’ve just released a superb new video for their fantastic single “Without You,” which came out almost exactly a year ago, at the end of July 2017. (You can read my review here.) The song was a huge hit on my Weekly Top 30, peaking at #1 for two weeks at the end of December into early January 2018.
The video shows the band performing the hard-hitting song in a warehouse setting, and really showcases the raw power and charisma of front man and lead vocalist Eric Knight as he belts out the biting lyrics. Making the music are Ramón Blanco on lead guitar, Gui Bodi on bass and backing vocals, and Chris Toeller on drums. The video was filmed by Marco “Toma” Tomaselli and edited by Knight.
Brett Vogel is an immensely talented and hard-working singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. We’ve followed each other on social media for nearly three years, and I find Brett to be a warm, kind and gracious guy. He was one of the very first artists I featured on this blog, way back in January 2016, and you can read that post here. Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, he grew up listening to his father’s records and became a fan of music at a very young age – something that I closely identify with, as I was listening to my parents’ Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Elvis Presley records as soon as I was able to walk.
Brett describes his passion for music: “Music is within every fiber of my being! I sincerely believe without music I’d be doomed. Music has kept me alive. Music, I believe, has saved my life. Music is love to me. Music helps people heal. It’s what connects people, and for that I’m grateful!” Blessed with a large vocal range and beautiful tone, Brett showcases his sweet and soaring falsetto in many of the wonderful songs he writes.
Brett released his first album Lonely Traveler in 2004, and subsequently moved to LA. He eventually became discouraged about the music industry and returned to Illinois, but after three years he decided to move back to L.A. and give music another go, and has never looked back. In 2015 he released his second album Never Giving Up, a superb effort featuring 11 beautiful tracks that are a celebration of his passion for – and dedication to – his dream of making music. Since then, he’s released several singles and remixes, the latest of which is his delightful new single “Superwoman Sway,” which dropped July 20th.
It’s an upbeat, happy tune with an infectious reggae/dance beat that aims straight for the hips. The carefree guitars, lively synths and snappy drums transport us to a sun-kissed tropical beach, making it a perfect song for summer. Brett’s earnest vocals are lovely as he sings of his devotion for a loved one who brings so much joy to his life:
There you go brightening up my day You wouldn’t know it but it’s true What you’ve got is that Superwoman Sway I wouldn’t have any other
Through the thick and thin when I’m dashed upon the rocks You stay close to me and give me all you’ve got Through the lightning clouds The sorrow and the rain You take away my blue, brighten up my sky To see the light again
Every little thing you do is so so you I couldn’t have it any better no Every little thing you do is so so you I couldn’t have it any better
1. HUNGER – Florence + the Machine (2)
2. UNWIND – John Defeo (3)
3. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (1)
4. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People (4) 41st week on chart
5. SUCH A SIMPLE THING – Ray LaMontagne (6)
6. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (5)
7. FOUR OUT OF FIVE – Arctic Monkeys (9)
8. COLORS – Beck (11)
9. LIFE TO FIX – The Record Company (12)
10. GOLD RUSH – Death Cab for Cutie (20)
11. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (7)
12. RED MOON SKY – Face of Stone (13)
13. 44 – Oli Barton & the Movement (14)
14. HI HELLO – Johnny Marr (16)
15. QUARTER PAST MIDNIGHT – Bastille (17)
16. ZOMBIE – Bad Wolves (8)
17. BROKEN – lovelytheband (10) 23rd week on chart
18. KAMIKAZE – WALK THE MOON (19)
19. JUMPSUIT – twenty one pilots (N)
20. BLOOM – Troye Sivan (23)
21. GIVE YOURSELF A TRY – The 1975 (24)
22. HUMILITY – Gorillaz featuring George Benson (28)
23. FLAWLESS – Dorothy (29)
24. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (15)
25. CLOSER – IAMWARFACE (N)
26. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (18)
27. TRANSITION – The Winachi Tribe (30)
28. FEVER PITCH – Rainbow Kitten Surprise (N)
29. LIVING IN THE FUTURE – Dawes (N)
30. LASH OUT – Alice Merton (N)
Luna Rosa is an outstanding Alternative/Psych/Indie rock four-piece formed in 2015, and hailing from Corby, Northamptonshire, UK. Making the music are Rory McDade (guitar, lead vocals), Aidan Furey (guitar, moves), Jack Connolly (drums, howls) and Charlie Thorneycroft (bass, noises). They released a superb self-titled EP Luna Rosa that same year, and followed up in 2017 with a fantastic double single “Mercurial Man/Vessels.” They now return with a powerful new single “Fear, Filth, Dirt & Death.”
The song is a scathing attack on the negative aspects of Capitalism that helped make the fire at Grenfell Tower all the more deadly. (The cheap – and highly flammable – insulating cladding used for the building renovation in 2017, just prior to the fire, is now believed to have caused the fire to spread much more rapidly.)
Musically, the track starts off with a galloping drumbeat and a scratchy guitar note, then explodes into a furious barrage of roiling guitar riffs and thunderous drums that seem to channel The Clash. The hard-driving music perfectly fits the harsh lyrics:
Fear Filth Dirt & Death There’s fucking nothing left The rest is left for the one percent at best Look out for yourself Prisoners of the State
Fear Filth Dirt & Death You take away our NHS It’s cause we matter less and less I know It’s in your best interest
Heroes are buried in paupers graves The money worth the morals you trade? How come the ivory towers ain’t burning? Grenfell fell for your earning Prisoners of the State
The band explained their intent behind the song: “All money generated from the single as well as merchandise sales will be going to the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster. We are under no illusion that we can give these people what they need or deserve, but we feel the need to make the gesture and let them know that we stand with them. Although dubious on whether to release this, as we didn’t want to cause anymore hurt, we thought there’s no better way to bring people together and show support than music.”
Hailing from Rotherham, England, the music project known as Random… (Random dot dot dot) creates multi-textured synthesized music that ranges from dark and politically topical to catchy EDM. Born Ben Ellison, the enigmatic Random… describes himself thusly: “Random… is reclusive, innovative and slightly insane. Those lucky enough to have met him will testify that his view of the world is warped, dark, but always entertaining.” Who am I to argue with that?
In May 2016, Random… released an EP Headspace, which featured spoken words by poet Wayne Dyson, and in April 2017 he released a remarkable full-length album Out of the Strong Came Forth Sweetness, an ambitious work released through Velvet Moron Records. The album was produced with contributions from two poets, Gav Roberts and Wayne Dyson, along with guitarist Mr Jiggs. I reviewed the album, which you can read here. Now, Random… is set to drop a new album Long Ago When Tigers Smoked Pipes, also to be released on the 20th of August through Velvet Moron Records.
The new album is once again a collaboration, this time with poet Gav Roberts. They explained their working relationship and creative process for the album:
“Random… met rather, well, randomly and they clashed heads from their two very different fields of creativity almost instantly. Having a mutual respect for each other’s work, Ben appreciating Gav’s poetic ramblings and Gav in turn enjoying the unique sounds that Ben creates. They are very much 50/50 doing their own thing and not interfering in each other’s work. Ben doesn’t like writing words and Gav can turn any musical instrument into something with the musical quality of your average Ikea table.
Indeed, the vast majority of what Gav records are poems that would otherwise grow old in notebooks, never to be opened, so he is overjoyed that Ben wraps them up in music. Both of them are neither precious nor pretentious about their work, both believing that creativity is an entirely selfish process that a human must go through in order to ease the mental passage through this mortal coil. ‘Long ago when tigers smoked pipes’ is the Korean equivalent of ‘Once upon a time’ and that is what Random… have created, a story, a journey through their lives.“
OK, so let’s get into the album, shall we. The first track “The Possibility of 0 or 6” opens with spacey, sci-fi sounding synths and a monotone piano chord, then a pulsating beat ensues. The instrumentals expand into a melodic soundscape as Roberts describes a scene on a platform of a train station, where a woman becomes fascinated with a man pacing back and forth counting. “To wait, on a platform alone with him she feels cursed. Just her and the crazy finger-counter, counting numbers backwards, forwards on his fingers he counts. / So on and so on, til the initial fear she had when she first saw him turns to passive intrigue. / Eventually, one cancellation and several delays announcements later, a full 45 minutes after fear forgot … she observes the pacing man. He’s a friend of hers now. / She’s totally transfixed with the possibility of 0 or 6.” It’s a fascinating and mesmerizing track that seems shorter than its 4:11 minute length, holding my attention from start to finish.
“Gingerbread” is a dark track about a doomed relationship in which the woman tried to make the man into something he wasn’t – the opposites that initially attracted them to each other now repel. The ominous synths beautifully convey the biting resentment expressed in the lyrics: “Within months, I was on a choke-chain of my own making. Wearing clothes that you had bought me, dressed up like some kind of mannequin… I started looking like a really ugly ken doll as the gingerbread-cutting phrases came thick and fast. ‘You drink too much, you smoke too much.’ So Julie I drank less, and I smoked less, but what you didn’t realize was that the opposites were attracting less and less.”
“Supernova” is a hauntingly beautiful and epic track, with dreamy, otherworldly synths. Roberts speaks of going against all common sense and good judgment, submitting himself fully to the passionate urges of love: “I am carefully turning supernova. Here, in the rain. For I have stood here a time or two, thinking of you with a wish or two, chanced away upon a fellow shooting star. I must congratulate you. And I must conclude that I am joining them in their letting go of the ability to hold on to anything, never mind, everything, never mind plans. The scientists have advised against it, and they have done extensive research and they have told me to stop thinking of you this time or two. But, I don’t want to. I’ve told them to fuck right off.”
The lively title track “Long ago when tigers smoked pipes” has a rapid EDM beat that has a sort of African jungle vibe, replete with animal-sounding synths – but of course! It’s predominantly instrumental, but halfway through Roberts says “This party isn’t over, it’s merely changed form.” Then, toward the end, we hear an echoed voice state “Long ago, when tigers smoked pipes, there was a world that lived in harmony. Without war, disease.” It’s a great song.
“We Occupy” is a hard-hitting protest song of sorts, encompassing many aspects of the human condition from suffering to triumph, and everything in between. Here’s a sampling of the compelling lyrics: “We occupy the shit jobs, the shop floor shelf-stocking rat race. / We occupy fragility in nursing homes and hospitals. / We occupy the uniforms that treat our dying loved ones with respect. / We occupy lives senselessly lost to war. / We occupy an education system manipulated to manufacture robot people with robot souls. But we will not listen anymore. We have given up on your promise of a house on the hill at 2.4. We occupy free thought, free religion, free love, freedom of any kind.”
Roberts assures a friend or loved one of his unconditional support on “Let Me Know,” a brief track with a languid beat and wobbly synths that feels more like a soothing interlude. Next up is “Sometimes making something leads to nothing,” one of the more unusual and arresting tracks on the album. The track begins with strange, sci-fi synth sounds, then the music settles into a synth-driven melody with guitar, strong bass, and sharp percussion, the eerie synths continuing throughout the song.
The equally unusual and engrossing video shows a man pushing a large block of ice for what appears to be miles through the streets of Mexico City. As he continues on his journey, the block of ice eventually shrinks down to a small chunk, which he nudges along with his foot, until it completely melts away.
The final track “It depends on YOU” is a dire warning about the growing trend toward authoritarianism now happening in many parts of the world, including Europe and the United States. The dark, sinister-sounding synths really make the disturbing words seem all the more chilling:
In our world, there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph and self abasement The sexual instinct shall be eradicated We shall abolish the orgasm There will be no loyalty except loyalty to the party But always, there will be the intoxication of power Always and every moment there will be the thrill of victory The sensation of trampling on an enemy that is helpless If you want to picture the future Imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is a simple one Don’t let it happen. It depends on YOU
It’s a pessimistic end to a album that at first glance seems rather pessimistic on the whole, yet there are several glimmers of hope and optimism to be found. Random…’s masterful synths are the perfect accompaniment for Roberts’ dark but poetic words, and together they’ve created an enthralling and deeply contemplative work. The album will be available soon on many streaming and download platforms. Random… will give all of the profits from sales of the album to charity and is currently talking to a local independently run charity that helps people with mental health issues.
Hanover is an electronic pop band based in Liverpool, UK that I had the pleasure of discovering through Tom Taylor, drummer for fellow Liverpudlians Wide Eyed Boy (who I’ve featured several times on this blog). Hanover consists of Calan Nickle, Joel James, Dan Hancox and James Rookyard. They’re quickly building a name for themselves in the Liverpool music scene, having opened for such bands as Saint Motel, Peace and Saint PHNX, and getting airplay on BBC Merseyside. In late May, they released their debut single “Saw You Alone,” a beautifully-crafted track that sets a high bar for the four-piece.
It’s an uptempo, synth-driven song with a captivating melody and pulsating beat that compels your body to sway to the music. The sparkling electronic synths are really lovely, but there’s a hint of sadness too, reflecting the bittersweet lyrics that speak of seeing an old flame and having all the feelings you once had for them come flooding back, hoping that love might perhaps be rekindled again and you can make another go of things. Calan has a smooth vocal style that’s incredibly pleasing, and sings with a subtle vulnerability that conveys the poignant emotions expressed in the lyrics, without becoming maudlin. It’s a terrific song and a fine debut for this promising band, and I’m eager to hear more from them soon!
Hanover will be appearing with Wide Eyed Boy and Milpool on Thursday, July 26 at Buyers Club, Liverpool
I think everyone who loves music will agree that one of life’s supreme pleasures is hearing a song for the first time and having it move us in some powerful way – which could be to bring chills, tears, joy, laughter or make us want to dance with abandon. Chills were what I felt when I first listened to the new single “Dizzy” from Chicago rock band The Million Reasons, which dropped July 13. Wow, what a powerful and gorgeous song it is, and I was so moved that I had to feature it on this blog.
The Million Reasons is comprised of Scott Nadeau (vocals and guitar), Ken Ugel (guitar), Mike Nichols (guitar) and Colin Dill (drums). Their dynamic sound – which they refer to as “rock and roll for summer nights and long rides” – draws influence from such legendary bands as Led Zeppelin, Queen, Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith, The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner and Rush. The guys released their debut EP The Runaround in 2017, featuring six outstanding hard-hitting tracks that I highly recommend my readers check out. But with “Dizzy,” they’ve really struck sonic gold.
The track opens with an enthralling guitar riff that immediately pulls us in with the promise that something really beautiful is about to unfold. As the song progresses and the music expands with added layers of intricate guitars and percussion into a soaring anthem, we’re not disappointed. The guitar work is simply amazing, and by the time the chorus arrives with jaw-dropping riffs of screaming guitars and thunderous drums, we’re left gasping for breath.
With his raw, earnest vocals, Nadeau passionately sings about a relationship in which both are blinded by an obsessive desire for one another:
If you’ve got something to say I wanna hear you speak Because girl You’re gonna be the death of me
And you make me dizzy You confuse me And I make you dizzy Because you don’t know what to do with me
“Dizzy” is a magnificent song from start to finish, and even at 5:41 minutes in length, it seems over far too quickly. I love it, and I love this band! I also love the beautiful video that was directed and edited by Stephanie Battista. I usually prefer videos that show the band or artist performing the song, instead of an acted-out story that sometimes has little to do with the actual song.
Catch The Million Reasons at one of these upcoming shows:
Saturday, July 28 – House of Blues, Chicago w/Young Pioneer + 2 others Wednesday, August 22 – Emporium, Chicago w/Shiver + 1 other
1. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (1)
2. HUNGER – Florence + the Machine (3)
3. UNWIND – John Defeo (7)
4. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People (6) 40th week on chart
5. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (5)
6. SUCH A SIMPLE THING – Ray LaMontagne (9)
7. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (2)
8. ZOMBIE – Bad Wolves (4)
9. FOUR OUT OF FIVE – Arctic Monkeys (10)
10. BROKEN – lovelytheband (13) 22nd week on chart
11. COLORS – Beck (14)
12. LIFE TO FIX – The Record Company (15)
13. RED MOON SKY – Face of Stone (17)
14. 44 – Oli Barton & the Movement (18)
15. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (8)
16. HI HELLO – Johnny Marr (21)
17. QUARTER PAST MIDNIGHT – Bastille (22)
18. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (16)
19. KAMIKAZE – WALK THE MOON (24)
20. GOLD RUSH – Death Cab For Cutie (30)
21. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (11)
22. CELEBRATE – Dirty Heads, The Unlikely Candidates (12)
23. BLOOM – Troye Sivan (26)
24. GIVE YOURSELF A TRY – The 1975 (27)
25. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (19)
26. &RUN – Sir Sly (20) 22nd week on chart
27. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (25)
28. HUMILITY – Gorillaz featuring George Benson (N)
29. FLAWLESS – Dorothy (N)
30. TRANSITION – The Winachi Tribe (N)
Cerebral Desecration is an amazing death/thrash metal band based in San Marcos, Texas. Founded in 2010 by guitarists David Machado and Javier Zamora, the band also includes Kobey Lange on vocals, Joe Muniz on bass, and Collyn Rios on drums. Their brutal sound is heavily influenced by bands such as Testament, Obituary, Hatebreed, Sepultura, Pantera, Whitechapel and Lamb of God, to name a few. They released a debut EP Immortals in 2013, and now return with a face-melting new single “Peel of the Rotten.”
The guys waste no time getting right down to business, unleashing from the get-go a juggernaut of raging buzz-saw guitars, crushing basslines and gut-punching drums. Having two lead guitarists gives their sound extra heft, and Machado and Zamora nicely deliver an unrelenting barrage of furious jackhammer riffs that will satisfy any metal head. Zamora plays a beautiful little melodic riff in the bridge that momentarily draws our attention from the relentless onslaught. Muniz nearly blows the speakers with his supermassive bass, while Rios pummels his drums with awe-inspiring fury.
My ears are bleeding, and I haven’t even gotten to the vocals yet! Lange is quite honestly one of the best death metal vocalists I’ve heard in a long while. He sings with a ferocity that boggles the mind, like a rampaging beast stomping through the streets, laying waste to everything in its path. He seems to effortlessly transition from guttural growls to savage screams and back again without skipping a beat.
It’s a fairly long track, clocking in at 5:16 minutes, but there’s not a single throwaway moment or note. It’s a magnificent death metal song from a totally badass band! Take a listen and see for yourself:
Fun fact: I love that the track was recorded at the Dead Room Recording Studio.
IAMWARFACE is a London, UK-based electro-rock project formed by singer/songwriter and producer Matt Warneford in 2016. Though they’ve released only a handful of songs, they already rank high among my favorite UK bands. Their aggressive name is a fitting metaphor for their bombastic high-energy, groove-based sound – an awesome name for equally awesome music. Besides Warneford, the current line-up of band members include Lou Matthews (guitars), Tom Howe (DJ synth), Mike Smith (bass) and Adam Stanley (drums). Their sound is influenced by many peers such as Depeche Mode, Gary Numan, Kasabian, Muse, Big Black Delta, Nero, Queens of the Stone Age, Tears For Fears, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Keys and MGMT – all artists & bands that I also happen to love.
IAMWARFACE released their debut single “Say My Name” in 2016, a phenomenal track that literally left me speechless the first time I heard it. In my review of the song, I likened the effect to being “hit by an atomic blast of music greatness.” I loved it so much it ended up at #14 on my Top 100 Best Songs of 2016. This past February, they released another fantastic single “You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” and today, Friday the 13th of July, they drop their latest single “Closer,” and once again, I’m completely blown away!
The track opens with a mysterious throbbing synth chord that slowly builds into a stunning and dramatic soundscape that envelops us as Warneford implores to someone with whom he seems to have an obsessive and destructive relationship:
Who, who am I? I’m just living to die This old night when it comes I’ll be free of these old bones And I don’t know what I’ll do It’s this old dog holding me down Cause I used to have a soul I just lost control And I’ll move, move closer Yes I’ll move, move closer to you
With that, the music explodes into a maelstrom of tortured but gorgeous wailing synths, fuzzy guitars, buzz-saw bass, and thunderous percussion, punctuated by almost violently crashing cymbals that emphasize the feelings of desolation expressed in the bitter lyrics. Warneford’s passionate vocals seem filled with despair and resignation over a love affair that now lies in tatters. “Feel I’m walking on shattered glass. This romance just has to end, to reset, erase, begin again.”
My body is covered from head to toe with chills by song’s end, as I sit dumbfounded by the fierce beauty and power of this monumental track. IAMWARFACE continues to astonish with their superb skill for creating incredible high-caliber, epic-sounding music, and I can’t wait to hear more from them!
Those of you in the UK can see IAMWARFACE live at one of these upcoming shows:
July 21 – Cricketers, Kingston
July 29 – Crown’s, Brighton
July 31 – Live Acoustic Session
August 27 – Fiddler’s Elbow, London
September 7 – Verve Bar, Leeds
September 12 – Aatma, Manchester
September 13 – Santiago Bar, Leeds
September 14 – Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham
September 15 – Maguires Pizzabar, Liverpool
September 16 – Fiddlers Elbow, London
October 27 – London Stone, Staines
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 