Since their inception in early 2012, London-based alt-rock band Brain Ape has consistently pushed the envelope, both musically and thematically, to create music that’s innovative, unorthodox and thoroughly original. Now a duo consisting of Minky Très-vain (a descendent of both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Christopher Wren) on guitar & vocals and Sol Alex Albret (descended from the Vikings) on bass, they’ve released music rather intermittently over the years, but their discography includes three albums, Dara O’ in 2014, Auslander and Ausländer, an all-acoustic album featuring five tracks from the original plus three new tracks, both in 2017, along with several singles. I reviewed Auslander, which you can read here, as well as several singles, most recently their unusually-titled “mcmx. drawing room”, which you can read here.
Whereas their earlier sound was strongly influenced by grunge acts like Nirvana, their newer music is now influenced by contemporary pop and hip-hop acts like Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, and Denzel Curry. They’ve also never shied away from tackling cultural and sociopolitical issues, and as such, over the past two years have released a series of singles exploring the rise of nationalism in the West and the glorification of false icons. Beginning with “mcmi. fenchurch king”, followed by “mcmx. drawing room”, Brain Ape has now released the third installment or chapter of songs within this narrative, “mcmx. downing street“, which will be included on their forthcoming third album SHREWD, BRITANNIA, due for release in November. They purposely released the single on the 3rd of July, on the eve of the July 4th General Election in the UK.
The band states the song is “an attack on corrupt modern politics, whilst keeping a keen eye on history, legacy, and accountability.” With a title named for the famed London street where the official residence of the British Prime Minister is located, as well as references to George Orwell and his dystopian writings, the song’s lyrics dive deeper into the story of Eric Tunglsson: son of the Auslander first introduced in “mcmi. fenchurch king”.
Curious about these characters, I asked Minky for clarification. He responded “the characters are a selection from a cast of people we’ve been writing about since the very beginning. Way back in 2012, the first mention of these people was included in the ‘Dead at 20’ EP that we were a part of all those years ago. Since then we’ve dropped a plethora of ambiguous material about these people, most notably on our second album ‘Auslander’. All the clues are there, and there’s plenty for people to sink their teeth into, but over the coming years we’ve decided to release more details with lesser ambiguity. When we release our third album, ‘SHREWD, BRITANNIA’, a lot more will become obvious, but even then we have plans to release more information after that. Like with everything Sol and I do, it’s a slow game but it’ll all pay off once the stars align.”
Like all their music, “mcmx. downing street” is a fascinating and trippy song, and more melodic than its two predecessors. The song kicks off with Minky singing the opening verse, with his seductive voice ending with an almost menacing breathy “ha” as he sings the words “Brittania” over a thumping bassline, accompanied by spritely synths. Then a sensuous throbbing dance beat takes over, overlain with extremely gnarly psychedelic guitars and sharp percussion that erupt in the delightfully edgy choruses. Everything turns darker at song’s end, when Minky’s echoed vocals turn downright savage over a fearsome backdrop of shredded guitars, grinding bass and crashing cymbals. It’s an incredibly impactful and most satisfying sonic feast for the senses!
Run, rum, run
He is Britannia Run, run We shall Lionise him
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind when he lusts (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can we trust? (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind all the greed (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can he bleed? (Shame) Oh well, Orwell, we never did read
Tension rising, air is blinding, he's igniting, costs are climbing Sun is setting, still they're betting on the Lion Is he lying? Ha
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind when he lusts (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can we trust? (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind all the greed (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can he bleed? (Shame) Oh well, Orwell, we never did read
Son of the Auslander He is our king We rule Britannia God save the king
Brain Ape have also included a seven-minute piece “mcmi. fenchurch king, drawing room, downing street”, a seamless combination of their last three singles, as a B-side to “mcmx. downing street”.
Also curious about the unusual video, which stars Minky as Eric Tunglsson, Sol as Wyn Pfaird and former bandmate and The Kid and I band frontman Jacob Powell as Trin O’ Gealach, I asked Minky about what they are trying to convey. He responded: “Sol and I put a lot of planning into the video for this single. Originally, we had floated the idea of shooting various location shots, some footage of the band performing in studio, some live footage, as well as the footage that has been included in the final video. But when we sat down with some trial edits we felt as though a busy video countered the blunt nature of the single, so we made the decision to strip back the music video to let the lyrics breathe more. It also helps balance the b-side which we released in tandem with this single, where the singles ‘fenchurch king’ and ‘downing street’ book end the busier, more conceptual ‘drawing room’. In many ways, the structure of that b-side mirrors those of classical symphonies’ first movements, which is not a coincidence.”
Here are “mcmx. downing street” and “mcmi. fenchurch king, drawing room, downing street” on Spotify:
Hailing from Grimsby, England is HEALER, an alternative indie rock band comprised of Steve (lead vocals), Kirk (guitar), Dave (guitar), Tony (bass), and Jazz (drums). Since forming in 2022, the talented five-piece have already built a strong following in the British music scene on the strength of their outstanding songs and riveting live performances, as well as garnering recognition and airplay on BBC Music Introducing and Amazing Radio UK/USA. Since the release of their debut single “Hurricane” in December 2022, the busy guys have followed with seven more singles, two of which – “Bones“ and “Wake Me Up” – I’ve previously featured on this blog. “Bones” spent three months on my weekly top 30 and ranks #67 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.
Photo by Misha Warren
Their songs explore themes of love, loss, and hope, wrapped in infectious melodies and beautiful arrangements, and delivered with ace instrumentation and Steve’s wonderful distinctive vocals that make HEALER’s songs immediately identifiable as theirs and no one else’s. This is nicely showcased by their latest single “War”, released on June 21st. Though my initial impression was that the song describes a person’s devotion to their partner or loved one, and that they’d go to war to defend and protect them, I reached out to the band to see if I was even close in my interpretation. Lead singer and songwriter Steve responded with an eloquent explanation that I’ll just quote in full:
“The meaning of war can be different for every person. Being a hero for instance could be as large as a soldier in the grand scheme of things, but individual people just enduring the repetition of everyday life and work can make them a hero in their own story. To the characters that walk, their own story arcs with them. I do what I do for my sons and my partner and you will do what you do for somebody or something; it doesn’t make any one of our struggles or efforts bigger or smaller than the other because they exist by themselves within our own little worlds. I would do anything for my family and that is what war is about, and my family started with the girl I reference in the song. The line from the song that sums it all up is ‘I’ve given all I have to give you but I could always find some more’. Even when we have nothing left we will always get up and go out and do whatever we have to do for our kids or the people we need to support.“
“War” starts off slowly, with Steve’s warm, vulnerable vocals accompanied by a gently-strummed guitar. Twenty seconds in, the song expands into a beautiful rock song with colorful guitars, Tony’s thumping bass and Jazz’s spirited drumbeats, Steve’s vocals growing more impassioned along with the music. Kirk and Dave’s dual guitars are a gorgeous mix of jangly and twangy chords, nicely complemented by Jazz’s wildly crashing cymbals. The guitar riff in the anthemic chorus is fantastic, and one of the finest, most memorable hooks I’ve heard in a while, boring itself into our brains, but in a good way. With “War”, the guys have another hit on their hands.
HEALER always makes interesting and compelling videos for their songs, and the one for “War” is no exception. The heartwarming video, shot by the photography and cinematography team of Lola and Joel, was filmed on location at several local sites, including The Number 1 Pub in Cleethorpes, Transpennine Express in Grimsby and Cleethorpes Stations, and Andy’s Seafoods in Grimsby, and stars Lisa February, Thomas Humphreys, David Snook and Andrew Crane.
Upcoming Healer Shows:
July 6 –DocksFest, Cleethorpes (withLottery Winners, Feeder, Frank Turner & Razorlight)
July 25 –BelladrumTartan Heart Festival, Inverness (with Ocean Colour Scene & Jake Bugg)
July 27 –Scartho Fest, Grimsby
September 20 –Heal Fest, Shrewsbury (with Embrace, The Farm, Tom Meighan)
Anyone having even a cursory knowledge of the music industry knows that the UK is blessed with a plethora of talented music artists and bands, ranging from legendary acts to independent ones known only to a local following, and everything in between. One of my personal favorites is London-based singer-songwriter Oli Barton, an exceptionally talented and creative guy who’s been making music for nearly eight years, both as front man of his backing band the Movement, and more recently as a solo artist. Oli’s music, released via his independent label Coke & Dagger Records, has been featured many times on BBC Radio, and he’s supported such acts as Starsailor, Kid Kapichi, and Baxter Dury. I’ve been following him since early 2017, and over the past seven years have featured him eight times on this blog, most recently in February when I reviewed his single “It’s Over Now”, which has become his most popular track in terms of streaming numbers.
Photo by Alice Denny
His eccentric yet sophisticated style of alternative rock is a colorful mix of post-punk and psychedelia, fortified with touches of funk, pop and grunge, and I can honestly state that I’ve loved every single one of his songs. Five of them have appeared on my Weekly Top 30 charts – the provocative 2017 single “Kinky”, which went all the way to #1, as well as “44”, “Martyr”, “Just Like Always” and “Paid Off”, all of which reached the top 5. Now the dangerously charismatic charmer is back with “You Just Played My Mind“, which is also being released as a B-side to “It’s Over Now” in a limited edition 7-inch vinyl pressing of 100 copies. The vinyl copies, which will become available on September 24th, can be pre-ordered from his Website.
For recording of the song, Barton was joined by former bandmates Jamal Aggoun on guitar, Marco “Fuzz” Paone on bass and Josh Needham on drums, all of whom he complimented “I really wanted to make a more aggressive, gnarly track and I think the lads smashed it out here.” The track was produced by Alex O’ Donovan, who also played additional percussion, arranged and tracked by Jules Gulon, engineered by Luke Ferrero, mixed by Cenzo Townshend and Robert Sellens, and mastered by Barry Grint.
Drawing inspiration from doomed romances plagued by extreme incompatibility, Oli’s lyrics explore the conflicting emotions of two people who just don’t work together. “Well it’s been a while since I’ve seen a style that’s quite like yours./ Well the way you spoke, well it broke my heart. And you know that someday I’ll be calling you, and know that you just played my mind.”
Musically, the song is an exhilarating rock banger that’s every bit as good as “It’s Over Now”. I really like the opening dark and ominous reverb-drenched gnarly guitar riff, and how the song quickly explodes into a raging beast, courtesy of Jamal’s distorted guitars, Marco’s powerful driving bass and Josh’s explosive drums, before settling down to sultry verses, beautifully sung by Oli’s distinctive accented vocals that I adore. I’ve long admired the ace musicianship of the above-named musicians, but they really take things to the next level here. Jamal’s multi-textured guitar work is fantastic, and the strength and dexterity of Josh’s drumming are a thing of wonder. As always, Oli’s colorful vocals are incredibly satisfying, running the gamut from sensuous croons to spine-tingling impassioned wails. Also, I must compliment the engineers and producers who contributed their respective talents on this track for the outstanding clarity of the instrumentation and overall sound quality.
“You Just Played My Mind” is much more than your typical B-Side, and those who purchase the 7-inch vinyl copy will be getting two equally great songs in one package.
One of the finest acts to emerge from the crowded New York City music scene in recent years is Brooklyn-based trio Gooseberry. Originally formed as a four-piece in 2019, the band now consists of the very talented Asa Daniels (guitar, vocals), Evin Rossington (drums), and Will Hammond (bass). Together they blend indie rock, R&B and light jazz to create their own distinctive and sophisticated style of alternative rock. On the strength of their outstanding music catalog and high-energy live shows, the charismatic trio have built quite a following of loyal fans throughout greater New York region and beyond.
Photo of Will, Evin and Asa by Alex SK Brown
Gooseberry has released a fair amount of music since 2020, including two EPs, Broken Dance (2022) and Validate Me (2023), as well as numerous singles. I love their music, and have previously featured them twice on this blog. Two of their songs, “Sleep” and “Orbit”, spent many weeks on my Top 30 chart, with the former ranking #29 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list and the latter, which has been streamed more than 300,000 times on Spotify, ranking #95 among my 100 Best Songs of 2023.
Their latest single, which dropped Friday, June 14th, is “Dying To Meet You“, which follows their provocative ripsnorter “Kikiyon”, a song “challenging the absurdity of debating trivial matters and calling for prioritizing unity over frivolous disputes, also exploring the deep personal connection to Jewish culture and the significance of owning one’s name, rejecting attempts to control their identity.” Both songs will be included on their forthcoming debut album All My Friends Are Cattle.
“Dying To Meet You” is both sonically stunning and savage, a dangerous combination that makes for a very exciting listen. Written by Asa Daniels, the track was produced and engineered by Colin Bryson, with drums engineered by Jimmy Meslin, mixed by Phil Joly and mastered by Jennica Best. The song opens rather tentatively, with Asa’s beautiful gentle vocals accompanied by his shimmery strummed guitar. The music quickly expands with an ominous drumbeat, which is soon joined by Will’s throbbing bassline, Evin’s assertive drums and Asa’s gnarly guitar notes, all of which transform the song into a glorious and grungy psychedelia-tinged tour de force. Asa’s normally soothing vocals grow more impassioned along with the music, rising to fearsome screams in the choruses, courtesy of a tiny handheld distortion mic their producer Colin brought into the studio for Asa to scream into, which he says was very cathartic. It’s cathartic for us listeners too, leaving us speechless and spent by song’s end. I love this song and I love this band!
About “Dying To Meet You”, Asa elaborates: “With the obvious disclaimers that 1) art is whatever you make of it, and 2) I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about nearly 100% of the time, here’s my take on the song: It’s about death. Or maybe life? Certainly one of the two. Maybe both. Look, none of us knows much about what happens next, but some of us certainly feel a lot more confident in their answer than others and that never made much sense to me. I’ve always been fascinated by the human need to know about what happens after all this. In prior centuries, there were whole industries built around guaranteeing salvation (and to some extent, there still are)! That this song is mysterious and eerie is the point. It should feel like something beyond explanation is peering over your shoulder waiting for you to turn your head around because it is! I wanted the song to sonically convey the sense of unease we all feel when thinking a little too deeply about closing our eyes for good.”
When the curtain starts to open
And everyone is gone
You feel so damn cold
You burn like the sun
Keep your head above the water
Keep your eyes beneath the gun You’ll never be so certain
I’m pretty sure I am
But who could ever bend
The will of a man?
Keep your eyes up to the heavens
Like you’d ever understandYou’re here for a lifetime
Then you’re not I, I’m dying to meet you
I, I’m dying to meet you
Again, I am
So come out of the shadows
I know that’s where you live
Because it’s easier to steal life
Than it is to give
Keep your eyes down to the heavens
Like you know just where it is
You’re here for a lifetime
Then you’re notI, I’m dying to meet you
Well I, I’m dying to meet you
There
I am dying to meet you
Well I am dying
I am dying to meet you
AgainYou’re here for a lifetime
Then you’re not
I, I’m dying to meet you
Yes I am
I, I’m dying to meet you
Again, again, again
I, I’m dying to meet you
Well you know I am
I, I’m dying to meet you
The single cover art was created by Charlie Chalkin, Asher Reed and band bassist Will Hammond, and the colorful and trippy animated video was created by Austin Koenigstein and Melissa Morrissey.
DeltaWulf is the music project of English singer-songwriter, producer and engineer James Booth. Based in Lancashire, his lively style of rock is influenced by the music of artists like Tom Petty, Eddie Money and Bryan Adams, as well as R&B rhythms and hooks. He’s previously toured with such artists as The Struts, The Pigeon Detectives and New City Kings with his former band Titans Troubadours, and in late 2018, decided to pursue his own sound by forming DeltaWulf. From what I can tell, he records all the instruments himself, and has released a handful of songs on and off over the past six years, including the lovely and heartfelt “You Came at a Time” in 2021 and the hard-driving “Game Changer” this past March.
His latest single is “I Will Do The Same“, a dynamic rock song about falling out of love, with bitter lyrics describing two people who’ve made the painful decision to split up and go their separate ways. It appears DeltaWulf originally released the song back in November 2018, but decided to re-release it on May 19th. The song is both catchy and melodic, and to my ears has a compelling guitar-driven indie rock vibe reminiscent of some of the great songs of the 90s by acts like the Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Goo Goo Dolls.
Booth’s guitar work is really outstanding, featuring a vibrant array of textures running the gamut from beautifully-strummed twangy notes to shimmery guitar runs to reverb-soaked gnarly riffs, all of which are accompanied by driving bass and lively percussion. His earnest vocals are pleasing, yet imbued with a rawness that conveys feelings of exasperation and a sad resignation expressed in the lyrics:
Back here, where we have been before I open up the door, and you come rolling in There was a time when I would have been glad To give everything I had just to lay beside you
A dignifying feeling, elevated breathing, anxiety decreasing, freed you from me I watch you from the ceiling I'm no longer breathing Now's the time for leaving Would you not agree?
Absolution from the chaos in my brain Finally I find some shelter from the rain There was a time I thought of giving you my name But you can't take your part that I will do the same
This is a very long post, so grab your favorite adult beverage, get comfortable and enjoy!
As a blogger who writes primarily about current music, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know quite a few musicians and bands, at least online. Needless to say, it’s especially gratifying when a more widely-known act acknowledges me by liking or commenting on some of my social media posts, or even going so far as to follow me! One that ranks pretty high is Austin, Texas-based MISSIO, who’ve been one of my favorite acts for more than six years.
The exceptionally talented and absurdly creative duo consists of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and musician David Butler, as well as their silent third partner, producer and frequent collaborator Dwight Baker and their drummer Jaydon Bean. Not only do I love their great songwriting, uniquely original and edgy sound that’s an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes, and Matthew’s distinctive tenor vocals, I also have mad respect for them. Exuding a genuine coolness, yet unafraid to share their anxieties and vulnerabilities in their music and social media posts, they’ve earned a legion of loyal fans they’ve affectionately dubbed the ‘MISSIO Mafia’ (of which I proudly consider myself a member),
Photo of David Butler and Matthew Brue by Ima Leupp
Starting with their brilliant debut album Loner in 2017, MISSIO has consistently released an exceptional catalog of music,. They followed with three more studio albums, the magnificent The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 3,300 views, making it my most-viewed album review ever), Can You Feel The Sun in 2020, and VILLAIN in September 2022 (which I also reviewed), as well as numerous singles and “Skeleton” EPs, consisting of stripped-down versions of some of their songs. In 2020, they also dropped a gorgeous soundtrack album for their film Love Me Whole. Several of their songs have charted on my Weekly Top 30, four of which – “I See You”, “Underground”, “Can You Feel the Sun” and “Time”– have reached #1.
In February 2023, they began releasing a series of EPs and singles that would continue over the next 14 months for what would ultimately become their fifth studio album I Am Cinco, a monumental work consisting of 26 songs that dropped May 3rd. The album is divided into five EPs or chapters, each containing between four and six tracks focusing on a different human emotion: I Am Sad, I Am High, I Am Awesome, I Am Angry and I Am Crazy.
To gain a bit more insight into the album and their creative approach, I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing Matthew and David via Zoom. Idiot that I am, I neglected to hit the ‘record’ button at the beginning of our conversation, so have no record of what we talked about for the first five minutes or so, which was essentially about how they met and began working together as MISSIO. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of discussion.
EML: One of the things I really love about your music, and I think you do it better than almost any act I know of, is how you draw from so many different genres and styles of music to create your own sound. You have beautiful, heartbreaking songs like “Time” and “I See You”, which you know I love, to raucous, hard-driving songs like “Fuck It”, and everything in between. No two songs of yours ever sound the same, which I think is awesome. What are some of the bands or artists you guys loved growing up or love now, who influence your sound?
David: It’s interesting, because so much of it has to do with a couple of random things that just are who we are. First of all, I don’t think either of us identify as, like, “I’m a guitar player, or I’m a bass player, or I’m anything other than a songwriter”. We still like to rock, and both grew up on very heavy music, and for me a lot more punk rock. We both loved Korn growing up, though I grew up idolizing older stuff like Led Zeppelin, which is the reason I started bands to write songs.
Matthew: To me, it’s a yin and yang, where David brings a lot of the technical side of the older music that I didn’t really listen to. I’ve always been more into the exploratory side of what’s next or what’s coming, and I think the meshing of the two comes together in a really cool way where we bring old school and new school, and create this thing in the middle. Bands like Korn, System of a Down, Missy Elliott, Gorillaz, Cage the Elephant… we listen to so many different things, and I don’t think we’ve ever gone ‘hey, let’s try and write this type of song that sounds like this type of band’. I think it’s more us not being afraid to fail.
David: Unless you’re pretty sophisticated musically, you probably wouldn’t get that Matthew comes from classical music; he grew up in choirs from an early age, and is an incredibly gifted classical piano player. And so you hear voicings and harmonies in the chord progressions you don’t typically hear in rock music, because there’s a level of sophistication that Matthew has in his ear that’s pretty incredible. And then you combine that with me, who likes to fuck shit up – and he does too – and I think that’s what he likes about me. So I bring this punk rock spirit to the engineering; I hate electronic music that sounds like it was made with a lab coat on. This does not move me as a human, so I’m trying to distort, to move it off the grid, to make it human.
Matthew: I’ll be honest, it doesn’t work for everybody, which is the cool thing. Our fans who get it, fucking get it. And that’s what I love, as we have die-hard fans who love what we do. But we will frequently hear, ‘dude, I don’t know what the fuck you guys are doing over there’.
EML: What you were just describing is perfectly encapsulated in your song “Underground”, which I love so much. It’s got such hard driving beats and synths, and yet there are moments of incredible beauty, especially in the way your voice rises and falls. It’s just a fantastic song. That contrast that makes for such an exciting song. Same thing with “New Gold” from Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. What a great mix of artists; you’ve got the rapping, a beautiful melody…
Matthew: I wish more artists knew this, but you can do anything you want in this day and age, but I think people are afraid of failing. Just try some shit and see what happens.
EML: You’ve touched on how you guys collaborate, but do you generally collaborate on all of your songs, or in some cases one of you come up with a concept or a melody or beat, and go from there?
David: It varies quite a bit. We both will start ideas on our own, then come together and do a show and tell. There will be a group of songs where we’re both, ‘that’s cool, this is the best of this bunch’, then we’ll finish them together. We sort of fall into roles we’re comfortable with; Matthew will take a bunch of the lyric and melody writing that’s left, because he’s the singer and that’s also one of his incredible gifts. I’m doing a lot of the arrangement and piecing of songs together. Matthew being the keyboard player that he is, is seated in front of the midi controller, and I am either controlling the synth or pulling up sounds, and he’s finding things as the sound is changing. There’s also a third process where we start from scratch, with either just us or us and a third person or even fourth person, and those are always wild and fun, because you never know what’s gonna come of it.
Matthew: And actually a fourth. A lot of times, I may pull up the bass and play some part that’s super non-sensical and that works, or sometimes David will hop on the keys and play some part that maybe I wouldn’t play, and that’s cool. Sometimes we’ll both get on the drums and do some weird shit. There’s a really fun element of that too, where you never know who’s gonna play what.
EML: I would guess that not sticking to certain defined roles gives you more artistic freedom to try new stuff.
Matthew: There’s a reason why I chose to be an artist and musician, and it was to get away from the monotony of corporate bullshit. What the fuck are we doing if we’re not having a good time? And part of having a good time is getting weird and exploring and being a fucking artist and getting messy with it.
EML: That’s a great segue into your latest work ‘I Am Cinco’. I think it’s brilliant how you guys have approached it, and decided to release it in chapters or installments. Partly because it’s so monumental, and rather than just wait until releasing a 26-track album, you’re giving your fans snippets every few weeks or months, which whets our appetite and keeps us drawn in for what’s coming next. It’s an interesting concept how you’ve also chosen to focus on different human emotions in each chapter. You’ve guys have always been very open about your interest in emotional well-being, and have shared your own frustrations and issues, and also your artistic honesty and how that plays into your music. What actually inspired you to create this work?
David: Part of art for me, is there’s an inspiration, and in the process something comes out and it’s like ‘whoa’, and I assign some meaning to it. The inspiration for this was, eight to ten songs in, recorded toward this unknown fifth album that we’d done randomly over time, plus 20-30 demos that we had piled up, we wondered ‘what are we going to do with this fifth album?’ There began to be a natural grouping, where it was like, ‘hey, these songs feel like they go together.’ I would say that was the inspiration moment, where we thought, what if we do five EPs, each with its own specific emotional theme and genre? We’re going to showcase one of the things that we love and are proud of with this band, that we’re prolific songwriters. We wanted to do a major fifth album that’s a statement.
Matthew: One of our collective gifts is doing the business side as well, and in this day and age, it’s incredibly important as artists to be involved. We want our music to be heard, and what is the strategy behind this? If you’re a MISSIO fan, and you really want to be on this journey, what would you want to see, hear, feel? And to your point Jeff, rather than waiting to drop some giant album, we also realized that attention spans now are so short, and it’s really hard to get someone to sit down for almost two hours and listen to this whole thing. So let’s do an EP, EP, EP, and drop some singles to give it to people in chunks, because we want every song to be heard.
David: Music is therapy. I want the world to rediscover the power of music, and not just by listening to MISSIO songs, but music in general. We’ve minimized its role in our lives to just a playlist in the background while you’re doing the dishes. That’s why we broke this up. This is also a medicinal thing that you can say, ‘I can connect in this emotional state and address some emotional shit’, with music as your friend. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was an angsty teenager.
EML: That’s what I think makes people relate to your music so deeply, and why your fans are so loyal and fervent in their love for you guys, because your music really does touch us. I have a question about the whole nature of needing to be so present on social media, and how exhausting and frustrating that must be, as it’s a necessary evil. I’ve heard a lot of artists that I follow complain about how much time they must spend on social media, when they’d rather be creating music. What are your thoughts about this and how do you keep it from driving yourselves crazy?
Matthew: There are two schools of thought about this. One is, it’s the best time to be alive in regards to getting your music heard, because you can share it with anybody in one click of a button. Which is different from the 80s and 90s where you had these gatekeepers who ran a few magazines or MTV, and it was virtually impossible to get your music heard. But now the overwhelming thing I hear is that there’s too much, so it’s hard to actually poke through. But I’d rather be on this side where you at least have a chance. But also, people need to learn self-discipline, and if you start to notice that social media is having an effect on your mental health, have the discipline to put it down for a second. Your fans will be OK if you don’t post for a week. I’d rather focus on the art and music itself and make sure it’s the best it can be, and post however and whenever we can, and take care of our mental health and have a good time.
David: You need to basically have a plan and be able to live with the results. I find beauty in that. We’re not going to win at this because we’re great influencers. That’s not our gift, our gifts are in music, in songwriting and performance. Social media is an agreement we have to make and have to use. Matthew and I are both willing to be vulnerable and share as much as we can about our personal lives that help to point people back to the music. My goals are never gonna be ‘we got to do our Instagram to this number or nothing’.
Matthew: We even had somebody comment the other day ‘Do you even care about what your fans have to say, comments-wise?’ The harsh reality is ‘no’. We hardly read the comments, and I’m honestly learning to tune some of that shit out. We do what we do, we love what we love, we’re gonna write music because we love it.
David: It inspires me greatly seeing so many people resonating positively with our music. It encourages me as an artist who got into the business for the reason I was on the other side of that. I am still many times the fan in the crowd that gets blown away. Frankly, all the bands I like would be saying the same shit we’re saying. You can’t create from a space of wanting to be a Walmart band, the most generic version that you could sell to the most people with the least amount of jagged edges. That’s just not fun for us.
EML: Your first two albums ‘Loner’ and ‘The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man’ were released through RCA, but then you left. Are you now you’re independently releasing your music?
David: We did the third album on BMG, then released independently, and now recently, we’re on a label named Nettwerk for this album. We’re always learning more about the business, and ultimately, we’ve taken back massive creative control. With RCA we had creative control, but it was hard to accomplish the business goals through their machine. There’s so many layers, nothing happens fast, and we’re DIY, entrepreneurial spirits. We don’t like having guys telling us what to do. So far so good with Nettwerk, and we’re really enjoying working with them.
EML: That’s pretty much all I had, and don’t want to take too much more of your time. I really appreciate you guys talking with me, and it’s an honor again to interface with you and talk about stuff. I do plan to review the album when it comes out.
Matthew: Thanks so much man. I know for a fact that you’re one of the people that will sit down front to back and listen to ‘I Am Cinco’, which is awesome. I’m really excited to hear what you have to say; you’re always an elegant writer.
OK, let’s get to I Am Cinco, shall we! Given the album’s enormous number of tracks, I won’t be discussing them all, but will touch on all five distinct EPs that comprise I Am Cinco, highlighting my favorite songs from each one. The EPs are arranged chronologically in the order they were released beginning with I Am Sad, which was released on Valentines Day 2023 and features six tracks exploring various aspects of anxiety, sadness and depression. When they dropped the EP, they remarked on Facebook “If you’re a little extra lonely because Valentine’s Day is a hard day for you, then this E.P. is for you. If you’re struggling, depressed, experiencing loss, or honestly feeling fucking nothing at all, this E.P. is also for you. It’s helped us personally heal by being able to write out some of our own sad feelings & we hope those same feelings resonate with y’all.”
The first track, “I’m Sad and I Can’t Speak“, encapsulates this overall theme of how when you’re in the throes of depression, you feel nothing but emptiness and desolation, emotions I’ve experienced myself, unfortunately. The song is melancholy, yet strangely beautiful, with unsettling woozy synths accompanied by some lovely piano keys. Matthew’s vocals sound especially vulnerable and fragile as he somberly laments “I’m sad and I can’t speak. I’m scared and I can’t think. When I can’t speak I write out the things that mean a lot to me. At times I feel nothing.”
Though I love all six tracks on I Am Sad, I think my favorite is “Read Your Mind“, another hauntingly beautiful, downtempo song that’s also incredibly melodic. Here, the lyrics are directed toward another person who’s hurting: “I don’t need to read your mind now, I can see the pain in your eyes.” The surreal video, which has a pretty spooky vibe, was directed by Matthew and filmed in his house and edited by the band’s frequent photographer Ima Leupp of Seamless Loop Productions. They used six cakes in the production of the video, which they smashed into their faces to symbolize the foolish or irrational behavior people sometimes engage in to draw attention to their pain. The guys were cleaning cake residue out of their beards, hair and ears for days.
The saddest song of this group is “What Can You Say“, which was inspired by the suicides of both a friend of David’s and a friend of Dwight’s, who left a wife and two children behind. Matthew was overwhelmed with sadness that someone could feel so despondent and hopeless, they would take their own life and leave loved ones behind, expressed in these heart-wrenching lyrics: “What can you say to a man willing to throw his life away? What can you say when you can’t always come to save the day?” The acoustic guitars and piano are particularly beautiful, and Matthew’s vocals are steeped in sadness.
Well, I wasn’t going to talk about every track, but damn, they’re all so good I can’t help myself. “Ring Ting” is a cool trip hop song calling out those who become slaves to material possessions and money in an attempt to fulfill their definitions of success, losing their humanity in the process. The sixth track of this series, “Monsters (Inside of Us)“, is positively gorgeous, with a soaring orchestral soundscape forming a dramatic backdrop for Matthew’s plaintive vocals as he sings “You’re not a monster. I’m not a monster. But we have monsters inside of us.”
Opening the second chapter of EPs, a collection of six feel-good songs grouped under the appropriately-titled I Am High, is the delightfully celebratory “Good Vibrations“, which I reviewed last summer. With its powerful synth bass groove, heavy, pulsating beats and colorful spacey synths, it’s is one of my favorites of the entire album. Though Matthew had some initial misgivings about releasing “Good Vibrations”, given that it shares the same title as the iconic Beach Boys song, he thought that with all the bullshit and negativity bombarding us, we could use a little more love and positivity. The song spent several months on my Top 30 chart, peaking at #3. For the wonderful music video, they gathered a few skater friends together and shot the video at a skate park in San Marcos, Texas. The video features Matthew and David, along with skaters Kat Frances, Mason Lapena and Abel Rodriguez.
MISSIO let their freak flag fly high and proud on “Big Stacks“, a collaboration with British rapper Jelani Blackman. The song is a celebration of the joys of stoner culture, as well as an assessment of the challenges of living the good life and getting high: “Big stacks and big racks.If you got that shit you better light it up. It’s 4:20 and we ‘bout to take a puff. Wait, I think I’m out of options. I gotta’ solve this. Guess I gotta work hard, try to get these options.” With it’s heavy trip hop beats and rapping vocals, the song sounds about as different as could be from the songs on I Am Sad. The guys had a lot of fun making the trippy and hilarious video, and consider it their favorite of all the ones they’ve made.
Other standouts in this chapter are the mellow love song “Easy“, the Latin-flavored hip-hop romp “Thang Thang“, featuring L.A.-based artist DEADFOOT, and the lovely and mesmerizing “I’m Coming Home“.
The third chapter of songs, grouped under I Am Awesome, explore self-affirmation and healing from past traumas and abuse. Case in point is “Not My Fault“, an anthemic pop-rock song calling out someone who’s belittled and disrespected you: “I don’t like how you took my heart, and you burned it down on a funeral pyre. Where the ashes rise from the darkest days, this is not my fault. No it’s not my fault it’s you.” On the exuberant “Heart Made of Dynamite“, Matthew sings of breaking free from another’s control and negativity, and not keep your feelings bottled up inside: “I’m like a body with a heart made of dynamite. Won’t be long until it explodes.” And on the delightfully upbeat “Making Me Nervous“, he tells his love interest of the spellbinding effects she has on him.
My favorite track of this group is “Say Goodbye to the Old Me“, thanks to it’s wonderful melody, dramatic instrumentation and uplifting vibes. The lyrics speak to letting go of negative energy and stress that keep holding you back, and embracing a healthier, more positive outlook: “Say goodbye to the old me. The future is too bright. Just say goodbye, this time I’m gonna’ get it right.” The beautiful video, featuring dancers Kornelia Klys, Julia Trelka, and Agata Weirzcholowska, was filmed in Gdansk, Poland.
Next up are the I Am Angry songs, of which there are five. And as their titles would suggest, these are some of the heaviest, most aggressive songs on the album. “Fuck It” is a perfect song for when you just want to break some shit and sound off on an asshole who’s stepped on your very last nerve. MISSIO definitely tap into their darker side on this one, with a barrage of tortured industrial synths and pummeling trap beats, overlain with wailing sirens and grinding bass. Matthew sounds downright menacing as he snarls “You’re a fuckin’ problem, did you know? I don’t think you do. I think I can solve it, did you know? You don’t get to choose.” The video, filmed in black and white, is pretty dark too, and YouTube is making us do a bit of extra work to watch it.
The best track of this bunch, to my ears at least, is “Aztec Death Whistle“. The song hits hard in all my dark side feels, both sonically and lyrically, as I love that savage chugging beat, those gnarly instrumentals and Matthew’s dangerously seductive vocals as he rails about the reasons why his soul is so dark: “Cast out by sixteen when I was just looking for home. I felt fucked & abandoned. Gave up by twenty and thought God had saved my dark soul. Stop fuckin’ with my head.” Bordering on metal, the song has a bit of a Nine Inch Nails vibe, but sounds distinctly MISSIO.
“This World Is Better When It’s Sick” is a fine example of how MISSIO expertly mixes up different styles and sound textures in a song. The track is brutally aggressive and spooky for much of its three and a half minute run time, except for beautiful piano interlude lasting 20 seconds in the bridge that makes for a dramatic aural constrast. The fifth track “Go Fuck Yourself” is the ultimate kiss-off song to someone who’s treated you badly and spread lies about you. Against a harsh backdrop of grinding industrial synths and ominous vibes, Matthew’s vocals are dripping with venom as he practically spits the lyrics “You’re talking shit. Can’t let it go. You gotta’ know I can hear your filth. Can you hear your filth? Go fuck yourself. I’ll be fine.”
The fifth and final chapter is I Am Crazy, featuring four tracks touching on various aspects of mental health, more specifically, trying to keep one’s sanity amidst all the surrounding craziness. The punkish “Fall into a Blackhole” is a denunciation of someone who’s been gaslighting you, wishing they’d disappear by falling into a blackhole, while “Pulled Down Low” seems to describe a dysfunctional and toxic relationship: “You might be crazy, I know you are. That look you’re given’ me is sure bizarre. You stab with knives, I stab with my words. You’re so damn beautiful it fucking hurts.”
“The Higher You Climb” sort of continues on the theme introduced earlier by “Ring Ting”, namely that achieving the success and acclaim you crave may come with serious downsides you hadn’t anticipated: “They say on top is where you find the freedom that you’re looking for. The higher you climb the farther you fall. They say, you got what it takes but you gotta throw your friends away. They say, if you want to be rich then you gotta learn to play the game.” The aggressive stomping beat and blaring synths make for an exhilarating listen, and the video’s great as well.
Closing out the album is “Time“, my favorite track on I Am Cinco. With its achingly beautiful arrangement and Matthew’s powerful, heartfelt vocals, “Time” now ranks among my very favorite MISSIO songs, and currently sits at the top of my Weekly Top 30 chart. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties the guys have experienced over some of the issues facing our current world and society. They explain: “We spend our lives chasing things in our futures that don’t even exist in reality yet. We all want to think and believe that everything we desire will eventually come to fruition, but sometimes it never does. Time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment. Live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow. No one is.” It’s a perfect and fitting end to a monumental, flawlessly crafted and supremely impactful tour de force.
Here’s the album on Spotify:
In June, MISSIO will embark on a nine-city European tour:
The other day, while listening to the weekly Tweetcore Radio Hourmusic podcast, hosted by the inimitable Marc Schuster and available on the Audio Mirage Studios blog and elsewhere, one of the songs he played immediately jumped out at me. It’s not often I stand up and take notice when first hearing a song, but this one hit me right between the ears. At first, it sounded like it might be an old Oasis song I’d never heard, but I knew that couldn’t be right, as Marc plays only newer songs by lesser-known independent and unsigned artists. It turned out to be a song titled “For Us All“, by British artist AsgardRaven. With a name like that he sounded vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t quite remember where or when I’d learned of him. After doing a bit of digging, I found the interview Marc did with Asgard two years ago for his own blog Abominations, which I’d read.
With a name inspired by Norse mythology, Asgard Raven is the musical moniker of Joe Bickerton, a singer-songwriter and musician based in the southwest London suburbs. Drawing from an array of influences, including punk, rock, blues, folk and indie, as well as the music of some of his favorite acts like Midnight Preachers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Embrace, Puddle of Mudd and the aforementioned Oasis, he plays a “melodic-anthemic” style of alternative rock reminiscent of 90s brit pop and rock, or as he put it in his interview with Marc, “anything with guitars in it to be honest“.
According to his bio, Joe learned to play guitar in the 1990s while posted in Cyprus during his time in the army. Inspired by Oasis and motivated by his distaste for radio music, he took his guitar everywhere, covering 90s classics all over the world while on deployments. During the early days of Covid lockdowns when he had plenty of time on his hands, he picked up his guitar again after a long hiatus, and began writing and recording songs inspired by his life experiences, “reminiscing on memories that we can all relate to“.
Raven records his music at Sunrise Sound Studio in Hampshire, where it’s produced by his frequent collaborator Marc Burford, of British rock band Echotape, and mixed by Mat Leppanen at the Animal Farm studio in London. He’s also had support from legendary Oasis manager Alan McGee, mentoring him around the direction of the project. He released his outstanding debut single “Until Another Day” in September 2021, and has followed with three more singles, his latest of which is “For Us All”, which he released on March 22nd. (He’s also uploaded an extensive number of excellent demo tracks worth checking out on Soundcloud.)
Raven calls “For Us All” “an energetic rock’n’roll song highlighting the challenges, barriers and loneliness people can often face when trying to get on in the world, especially if they don’t conform to the ’norm’. It looks at how we can’t always see when people are struggling, and how by being there we can support those we care about.” The song opens with a wonderful stomping drumbeat, which is soon joined by melodic rhythms and vibrant, multi-layered guitar work by Raven and Burford, featuring a lush array of reverb-soaked jangly, grungy and acoustic textures, accompanied by a driving bassline and outstanding drumming by Nathan Read. And not only does the music seem to channel Oasis, Raven’s vocals even sound a bit like Liam Gallagher’s here, his strong British accent shining through as he offers support to a friend who’s struggling: “The world can be a lonely place sometimes. And no one can see the pain behind your smile. Come on my friend, lean on me. Take my hand, let it all be.“
I like pretty much everything I’ve heard by Asgard Raven, and I think “For Us All” is his best song yet. I’m confident we’ll be hearing lots more great music from this talented artist.
pMad is the solo music project of Irish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer Paul Dillon, a lifelong lover of music who’s been involved in songwriting and performing for many years. Based in County Galway, Paul was previously a member of the bands Starve the Barber and The Suicidal Dufflecoats, and currently a member of The Greeting, as well as his project pMad. Heavily influenced by some of his favorite acts like The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, Sonic Youth, Suicidal Tendencies, The The, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Tom Waits, his dramatic sound is an arresting blend of darkwave, post-punk, alternative and goth rock, with even a touch of indie metal thrown into the mix for greater impact. He’s also a strong advocate for social justice, emotional well-being and the environment, which he freely expresses in many of his songs.
Since December 2021, he’s released an impressive amount of music, including numerous singles, two EPs and two albums, his latest of which, I in Power, drops today, along with one of the album’s tracks “Missing“, which I’ll be writing about. I’ve previously featured him twice on this blog when I reviewed two of his singles, “Broken” and “Sisters”, the latter of which spent three months in my Top 30 and ranks #73 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
On “Missing”, pMad explores the human tendency to sometimes take our relationships for granted and not fully value people while they’re with us, only to realize too late how much they meant to us after they’re gone from our lives. He elaborates “pMad is about embracing the imperfect nature of existence and delivering powerful messages through music. ‘Missing’ is a reflection on the importance of cherishing relationships before it’s too late.“
The song kicks off with a somber bass groove accompanied by a rapid thumping drumbeat, which are soon joined by a jagged guitar riff and pMad’s haunting vocals. Eventually, the music expands into an electrifying soundscape of beautiful swirling guitar notes and sparkling synths, that ever-present dark bassline and gnarly guitar keeping the song’s overall brooding feel fully intact. His vocals become more fervent in the choruses as he laments “Nobody’s out there, Nobody’s waiting. Times are tough. It’s not just a hole in the ground.” It’s another superb single by this creative and talented artist.
The artwork for the single features an original painting by Lasma Dublane-Dillon.
And here’s the full album, featuring eight outstanding tracks, on Bandcamp. Besides “Missing”, other standout tracks for me are “Down” and “Opinion”.
Since forming in 2019 after the breakup of their prior bands Saint Apache and Katalina Kicks, Amongst Liars have become one of the most exciting acts on the British rock music scene. Drawing from the best elements of alternative rock, grunge and punk, they play a melodic and fierce style of aggressive modern rock that’s earned them a loyal and passionate following, me included. Based in the Brighton/Eastbourne area on the South England coast, the band consists of Ian George (lead vocals, guitar), Leo Burdett (guitar, backing vocals), Ross Towner (bass, backing vocals), Adam Oarton (drums), and James Brumeo (keyboards and piano).
Photo by Vic Payne
I first learned about them in early 2020 and was intantly blown away by their explosive debut single “Over and Over”, which along with their third single “Burn the Vision”, ended up on my Top 100 Songs of 2020 list. Since then, they’ve dropped many more outstanding singles, several of which I’ve also reviewed on this blog (you can read some of them by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post). Their single “Black Days” earned a spot on my Top 100 Songs of 2021 list, and “The Shameful” did the same on my Top 100 Songs of 2023. In July 2022, they released their self-titled debut album Amongst Liars, an outstanding work featuring 11 tracks.
Last September (of 2023) Amongst Liars spent two weeks touring across the UK in support of Canadian hard rock band Theory of a Deadman. They then embarked on another tour last month, this time with American blues/grunge rock artist Ayron Jones (whose sound reminds me a bit of Lenny Kravitz) on his 15-day French tour. It was their second time touring with Jones, who they supported on his UK club tour in November 2022. Here’s a photo of the band at one of their French shows:
Photo by FloRiane F.
Now Amongst Liars are back with their latest single “You Are Not a Slave“, and once again, they’ve gifted us with a fearsome ripper of a tune. As with all their music, the song was produced and mixed by David Radahd-Jones at Red City Recordings in Manchester, and mastered by Grant Berry at Fader Mastering. While they don’t consider themselves a ‘political band’, they certainly don’t shy away from expressing their anxieties and opinions about personal challenges and world events. As band vocalist Ian George has stated in the past, “We’re not preaching at anyone or trying to change the world. We’re just saying these are the things that affect and concern us.”
About “You Are Not a Slave”, Ian explains it’s “all about personal metamorphosis; not conforming to unreasonable demands and not allowing yourself to be controlled or devalued by people who don’t have your best interests at heart. This song comes from recent lived experience where I was subjected to passive aggressive and toxic behaviour in a work environment, which really fucked with my psyche–but ultimately, I wasn’t prepared to accept it. I channeled this frustration into the song, which was actually the last song to be recorded for our second album, and I was really pissed off when I sang this in the studio, so I guess everything happens for a reason! It also relates to personal development in general, especially with the constraints being put on people. The message is: ‘Be yourself, break the mould and don’t be afraid to follow your dreams.’“
Amongst Liars are all great musicians, adept at pushing their respective instruments to the limit to create an explosive wall of sound. On “You Are Not a Slave”, they unleash their formidable arsenal of sonic weaponry, delivering a furious onslaught of raging sludgy guitars, pummeling bass and thunderous drums, laying waste to the airwaves like a rampaging velociraptor. Leo and Ian shred their guitars nearly to the breaking point, while Ross and Adam keep the hard-driving rhythms blasting forward with a breathtaking intensity. Ian has a powerful, commanding vocal style that turns downright fearsome when he needs to get his point across. Here he summons his inner beast, nearly spitting the lyrics as he rails against those who try to dictate how to live your life.
The track will be included on the band’s forthcoming second album Design, planned for release on July 4 via Earache Records.
The fantastic video features arresting footage shot by Duncan Tyler, Vic Payne and others at some of their performances on their recent French tour with Ayron Jones. The brilliant editing was done by JR Lewis of Mediabite Group.
Like for all their singles, the terrific surreal artwork for “You Are Not a Slave”, showing three large cocoons in a dark and dingy room, was created by the brilliant artist Pierre Engelbrecht. Pierre’s works are often bizarre and sometimes disturbing, but always amazing, and you can see more of them by checking out his Instagram account.
Hailing from London, England is The Kid and I, an alternative indie rock band originally formed as a solo act in 2020 by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Powell, but later expanded to include Minky Très-vain (guitar, backing vocals), Daniel Malek (bass) and Elvis Quagliotto (drums). Très-vain is also front man of scratch rock band Brain Ape (who I’ve featured several times on this blog over the past six years), of which Powell was once a member. Influenced by an eclectic mix of acts ranging from Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters and Blink-182 to Tyler, the Creator, Sam Fender and Phoebe Bridgers, The Kid and I serve up a fresh blend of energetic rock and indie vibes, infused with heartfelt lyrics reflecting the struggles of modern life.
Starting off with the single “White Feather” in November 2020, they’ve now released a total of 10 songs, the latest of which is “Good Times Go”, a song Powell says is “an exploration of toxic masculinity, taking accountability for oneself and wondering what went wrong along the way.” The song is their first single to be released since signing with London-based independent label Scratch Rock Records on February 24. The song is a hard-driving garage rock banger, delivered by a full-frontal assault of super-gnarly guitars, powerful thumping bass and explosive drums. I love that aggressive stomping beat and those reverb-soaked wailing riffs, and both Powell’s fervent soaring vocals and the guys’ spirited backing harmonies are glorious. I think it’s their best song yet.
A live version of the song, recorded at a performance at London’s Temple of Art and Music, dials up the song’s already impressive energy levels to even greater heights, those stomping beats, furious guitars and Powell’s impassioned, almost feral vocals nearly breaking the speakers. It’s rock’n’roll the way it’s meant to be played – heavy, loud and in your face! The video nicely captures the guys’ unbridled passion and deft musicianship, though I wish it had been filmed in wide screen.
Here’s the video of original version of the song, which I find quite charming:
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 