Tag: Alternative

JOHNNY RITCHIE – EP Review: “JAWKNEE”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

As a music blogger who writes about a lot of independent and unsigned artists, I’m continually impressed by the number of creative and talented people who are making some truly innovative music. One such artist is Johnny Ritchie, an intelligent, personable and wildly imaginative young singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in Indiana and is now living in Spokane, Washington. I’ve featured him several times on this blog (you can read some of my reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post), but will reiterate a bit of his background.

With a lifelong love for music, he began learning to play piano and drums as a child, then went on to study Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music at Columbia College Chicago, ultimately earning a B.A. degree in Music at Western Michigan University in 2020. He now has his own business teaching others to play piano, keyboards and drums, as well as giving lessons in music theory, songwriting and improvisation. He also writes and records music in which he fuses alternative and experimental rock with neo-psychedelia and contemporary jazz to create incredibly fascinating and sophisticated soundscapes for his often provocative lyrics addressing relevant and timely topics like political corruption, intolerance and our troubled and conflicted relationship with social media.

Johnny released his debut single “Social Robots” in March 2021, a song exploring people’s behavior and social media consumption in response to the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL in 2018. He’s since followed with 11 more singles, and in keeping with his penchant for continual experimentation and pushing his musical boundaries, each sounds totally different and distinctive from the rest. His most recent, “walking anomaly”, was released on July 14th in advance of his debut EP JAWKNEE, which drops today. With a title that’s an endearing phonetic spelling of his first name, JAWKNEE is a work of self-exploration and discovery for Johnny, which he says is “a way of reclaiming who I am, what I am, what I believe and what I want to believe.”

Unlike most debut EPs and albums put out by a lot of musicians and bands, where they include some or all of their previously-released singles, Johnny has instead written all new material for JAWKNEE. The EP features eight tracks, three of which are instrumentals lasting a minute or less. Johnny graciously explained the background and/or meaning for several, beginning with opening track “twelve tone jawknee“, which “started as an experiment beat on a video call with my best friend Charlie Petralia. We wanted to create a lick that used all 12 tones in the chromatic scale in western music. I became obsessed with this lick and ran with it. Some of the speaking parts you hear were provided by Bill Davies, a friend of my uncle’s. He sent me audio recordings of poetry for another project we’re working on. I decided to splice some of his testing phrases, and this helped set the tone for the rest of the EP.” The result is a trippy fantasia of skittering spacey synths, layered over a deep, pulsating bass groove and accompanied by Johnny’s clipped, otherworldly vocal repeating the words “Jawknee” and “what’s going on inside of your head?” This track is followed by “majik“, a 47-second long instrumental that sounds like a fractured and twisted reimagining of the melody in “twelve tone jawknee”.

The song that resonates most with me is “bologna“, where Johnny focuses his anger on leaders and those in society who scapegoat others they don’t like, degrade the environment for their own personal gain, and refuse to pass legislation to protect us from real dangers, not invented ones. He elaborated on his sentiments: “the song hits on a lot of themes typical in my other songs, however it has a heavy emphasis on protecting our young people and empowering and emboldening them to have agency and to be conscious of their actions unlike the generations before them. I feel a heavy burden personally and socially to make a better world for our young people. They are too often used as political pawns for the ruling class’s money games all while being the ones who suffer the most. The ugly truth is that the USA is a country that has politicians trying to ban books about LGBTQ+ lifestyles because of this preposterous myth that transgender people are pedophiles and groomers, yet actively refuse to pass safer gun legislation to prevent more school shootings even going so far as to suggest putting MORE guns in schools- all so they can get a bigger paycheck from the NRA and gun-lobbying corporations. It’s absolutely disgusting to me and I’m tired of our government’s inability to lead due to their own selfish and greedy desires.” I couldn’t agree more!

Musically, the song has a languid hip hop vibe, with a deep, undulating bass groove and gentle airy synths, over which Johnny, in electronically-altered vocals, rap/sings his biting lyrics. I love them all, but will quote just a few: “I wanna see some change, I wanna see some action./ Want the kids to grow old, maybe they’ll help save us. What the hell do we know, been gluttonous for ages./ Focus on your money, convinced we can’t do better, but that’s just straight boloney.”

With its hypnotic, almost menacing beat, spacey industrial synths and eerie, otherworldly voices, “mandible patella” would be great for a sci-fi movie soundtrack. Johnny explained “this song is actually a sample from the first song “twelve town jawknee”; I did some splicing and editing, threw some FX on the track, and that’s how the beat was born. The speaking parts are my grandpa, taken from an audio interview I did of my grandparents back in 2018, in which he was describing his thoughts on death. I spliced up and rearranged the words to reflect what I wanted in the message. After that I just needed to added a cool hook melody that wrapped it all together.”

Johnny wrote “deestrukt” and “walking anomaly” in February/March of 2022, when he was still living in Great Falls, Montana, “during a period in which my family and I were the victims of abuse from church officials, congregation members, and wealthy small-town-Montana politics. During this time of injustice I felt very ostracized, manipulated, exploited, traumatized. I’ve been working through these issues, but these two songs were my initial reactions and expression of what was happening in my world. I was angry, but I used it as a catalyst to become a better version of myself. I’m proud of who I am now, I wouldn’t be this person without that chapter in my life. I don’t hate boomers responsible for it, however I feel immense sadness for their stunted worldview and vast ignorance, it is a waste of the human consciousness.”

“deestrukt” is a super grungy, mostly instrumental track, with harsh, rather menacing psychedelic synths and sharp percussive sounds painting a macabre nightmarish scene. Johnny’s vocals convey a visceral anger as he shouts “Who am I to challenge reality?” The track ends with a staccato of what sounds like gunfire, bathed in discordant reverb. On the other hand, “walking anomaly” is more languid and melodic, featuring watery chiming guitars, a throbbing bassline, swirling synths and very crisp percussion, all of which give the track a distinctively sharp sound. Johnny sings of embracing his true self, not giving a fuck what others may think: “Grew my hair down to my waist. Some people called me a hippie. Really I am just depressed. Some called me a Jesus. Really I am just super pissed. Some called me a hooligan. You’re damn straight I am one of them, so stop trying to ignore who I really am. I’m damn glad to be out of my mind. I would sure hate to be in it. Walking anomaly.“

Dividing the two aforementioned tracks is “ponchi“, a quirky and fun little minute-long instrumental piece Johnny says is an homage to Chopin’s “Nocturne in Eb”. The delightfully spacey 46-second-long closing instrumental piece “nif” brings the EP full circle, with Johnny’s otherworldly-sounding voice repeatedly chanting “Jawknee”.

While JAWNEE is an unusual and unorthodox work that probably won’t appeal to everyone, I think it’s artistically brilliant, lyrically compelling, and thoroughly unique. I love that Johnny continues to expand his musical horizons through fearless experimentation and willingness to speak his mind on important issues of the day.

Connect with Johnny:  Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

Fnd his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp / YouTube

KIFFIE – Album Review: “The Product”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews18 Comments

British artist Kiffie (the music moniker of Daniel Paul Kiff) is a creative and fascinating singer-songwriter, composer and producer of electronic music based in Norwich, England. Drawing from a wide range of music genres including electronica, hip-hop, rock, folk and classical, his arresting songs are inspired by current events, as well as the oft-covered topics of love, lies and betrayal. Kiffie records and produces all his own music at home using hardware instruments, synthesizers and drum machines. In a space of less than three years, the incredibly prolific artist has released an astonishing 13 albums, six EPs, two compilation albums, two CDs, and numerous singles. His songs have received critical acclaim, and garnered airplay on BBC Radio 6 and other internet radio programs.

His latest album, The Product, which he released exclusively on Bandcamp last Friday, July 21st, really struck a chord with me. In his remarks about the album, Kiffie wrote: “Evil things happen when good people say nothing. This album asks a lot of questions…. it’s up to you to work out the answers.” Accordingly, the songs touch on such timely issues as creeping authoritarianism, income inequality, misinformation and fake news, anti-science/conspiracy mongering, and political corruption – all things of great concern to me. He originally wrote the songs for his participation in the Lights & Lines Album Writing Club, and the album represents the final updated version.

The album opens with “Thank You For The Hope“, a melancholy, yet almost cinematic track, with introspective keyboards and wobbly, atmospheric synths. The spare lyrics are directed to a loved one who’s support offers a glimmer of light in the darkness: “Although the sky looks dark, the future looks grey for us, and it no longer feels like home, it doesn’t mean there is no hope! You are with me!” “New Enemy” speaks of cynical, soulless politicians who seek to divide us by scapegoating others, making them into our enemies: “History, it teaches you to be a little wary, of men, who’ll say anything to convince you to vote for them. History, it teaches you to be a little wary, of them, who blame anyone to create a new enemy.” Kiffie’s ominous soundscapes nicely convey the sinister forces at work here.

On “Leadership“, he laments about those who only want to hear what they want to believe, whether it’s truthful or not: “I don’t think I can deceive you, the truth is on my side. And I won’t lie to try to save you, what is there to hide?” The songs starts off with a simple piano riff, but eventually builds into an unsettling track, accompanied by Kiffie’s somewhat disconcerting, echoed droning vocals. And on the melancholy “Small Boats“, he sings of refugees of political unrest making the hazardous journey across the sea (the Mediterranean, I assume), in search of a better life, encountering resentment and hate by some, but empathy and assistance by others: “You’re welcome to stay. I promise you wont be a burden on the state, but don’t read the headlines today.“

“Being Patriotic” touches on how some politicians use ‘patriotism’ as a cudgel to keep us in line while claiming that government cannot afford to provide public services, yet are eager to give tax breaks to the wealthy: “They don’t know how to speak the truth, they only need to mesmerise you. They don’t have a lot of money to look after you, but they’ll find it when their friends ask them to./ They cant keep a single promise if it means their shares go down in value. They count on you being apathetic. they count on you being patriotic.” Musically, the track has a rapid, skittering trip hop beat, overlain by a droning synth bass groove.

“Independent Examination” speaks to those who subscribe to fake news and conspiracy theories, refusing to accept scientific verification: “Truth is based on fact. It doesn’t rely on lies, I can assure you of that./ Science follows an enquiry process. Your ideals might not align with that. Facts aren’t open to interpretation, they stand up to independent examination.”

The title track “The Product” is a dark and unsettling instrumental piece, featuring ominous buzzing synths accompanied by a repetitive percussive beat, creating a palpable sense of impending doom. “Reparations” addresses income inequality, and how the rich and powerful strive to maintain the status quo: “How did you come to be so powerful? How did things come to be so unequal?/ Should you pay back the profits? Should you recompense? Should you give up the titles? And should you start again, With nothing, like we did, like we did?” The hauntingly beautiful track is dominated by contemplative piano keys and a mournful keyboard organ riff, punctuated by languid drumbeats, all of which create a kind of dirge-like atmosphere. Kiffee’s droning vocals are at once both soothing and accusatory.

On “What Was Promised“, Kiffee ponders about our purpose and role in this world, and whether our actions and efforts make a difference: “Why do we try to change our lives? Why do we want the world to be better after all? Could it be we don’t see what was promised anymore? Could it be it’s time for love to rule forevermore?” The minute-long instrumental piece “Resolution” closes the album on a rather portentous note, with droning, ominous-sounding synths.

While not always an easy listen, given its bleak subject matter and instrumentation, The Product is compelling nevertheless, offering us glimmers of hope and beauty throughout. Kiffie makes a bold and impactful statement with this album, and I for one am glad to see artists having the courage to speak out about these issues facing society today.


Connect with Kiffie on Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

The best place to find all his music is Bandcamp, but some of it is also available on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

NATIVE TONGUE – Single Review: “Dark Green Eyes”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments

Now I turn my attention back to England to shine a spotlight on Native Tongue, an alt-rock band from Bournemouth. Fronted by the prolific singer-songwriter and producer Nathan Evans on lead vocals and guitar, Native Tongue also includes Arron Bennett on drums and Jake Waters on bass. Nathan also writes and records music as a solo artist under the moniker NAVE, and this past February he released his monumental 31-track album God’s Waiting Room (which I reviewed.)

Native Tongue’s sound is darkly beautiful, edgy and melodic, with thought-provoking lyrics delivered by Nathan’s captivating tenor vocals. They began dropping singles in early 2022, which culminated in the release of their debut five-track EP Hiding In White Light. That September, they released a beautiful short film with the same title which they wrote and directed. Hiding In White Light features four of the tracks from the EP, and tells a dark story of mental illness, hallucinations, loneliness and depression. The film is available for viewing on YouTube.

Now they’re back with a powerful new single “Dark Green Eyes“, accompanied by an unusual video that would make David Lynch proud. The song is the first single from their forthcoming second EP Sodium. When Nathan first sent me the song and video, I was immediately blown away by the song’s complex and jarring music that starts off with a melancholy acoustic guitar, then evolves into an explosive maelstrom of grungy and screaming riffs, smashing drums and crushing bass. There’s beauty to be found too, particularly in the melodic gnarly guitar solo in the bridge. Nathan’s vocals also start off with his signature plaintive tenor croon, but turn emotionally-wrenching and raw with the music, until he’s literally frightening us with his impassioned wails, leaving us drained by song’s end.

Nathan told me he originally intended for “Dark Green Eyes” to be a Nave song, but decided to turn it into a full band song with live drums and bass to creating a more powerful dynamic. About the song’s meaning, he explains: “I wanted to create a character that seems so desperate to be in the spotlight and wants to know what it feels like to be adored. I love the line ‘I wanna know what it feels like to be yours’ because it twists it as you expect it to say ‘I wanna know what its like to be you’. To me, this implies the character doesn’t even feel worthy enough to imagine himself as this successful person and instead he wants to know what it would be like in their shadow. It is tragic to see someone wishing they were anything but themselves and needing validation from others to make them feel good. He is a victim of society who is encouraged to compete and compare himself with others constantly.”

Both song and video are simple yet profound, beautiful yet disturbing. In the video, Nathan portrays a man performing the song on stage, baring both himself and his soul in front of everyone in a raw, unflinching manner.

Connect with Native Tongue:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube / Bandcamp

MISSIO – Single Review: “Good Vibrations”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews13 Comments

Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO, made up of singer-songwriter and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler, have been one of my favorite music acts for the past five years. Not only do I love their great songwriting, edgy, thoroughly original sound that’s an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes, and Matthew’s beautiful emotive vocals, I also have mad respect for them. With an openness and honesty shown to their fans they’ve affectionately dubbed the ‘MISSIO Mafia’ (of which I proudly consider myself a member), they exude a genuine coolness, yet aren’t afraid to share their anxieties and vulnerabilities.

I’ve written about them numerous times on this blog, and in fact, featured their hauntingly beautiful “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” exactly one year ago today, as one of my entries of a 30-day song challenge I did last July. Today, I’m thrilled to share their latest single “Good Vibrations“, along with a terrific video that dropped last Friday, June 29th.

MISSIO has consistently produced an exceptional catalog of music, beginning with their brilliant debut album Loner in 2017. They’ve since followed with three more studio albums, The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 3,100 views, making it my most-viewed album review ever), Can You Feel The Sun in 2020, and VILLAIN last September (which I also reviewed). 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, three of which – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – reached #1. This past February, the guys released an EP I Am Sad, featuring six deeply impactful songs touching on anxiety and emotional pain, then followed in early June with their mellow trip hop single “Easy”, which along with “Good Vibrations”, will be included on their forthcoming fifth album.

According to the guys’ discussion of the song on their first episode of #MissioMonday, livestreamed this morning on YouTube, “Good Vibrations” started out as a demo written by Matthew a few years ago. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, and also had misgivings about releasing it, given the fact it shares the same title as the iconic Beach Boys song. But he thought that, given all the bullshit and negativity bombarding us these days, we could use a little more love and positivity. Besides, their drummer Jaydon really loved it, exclaiming “That’s a hit!”, so they decided to record and release it as a single. David also noted that he’d be honored to have their song even mentioned in the same sentence as the Beach Boys’ classic.

One of the many things I love about MISSIO’s music is that no two songs sound alike, and that’s especially true with “Good Vibrations”. The song hits hard, fueled by a powerful synth bass groove and Jaydon’s muscular drumbeats. It’s not a dance song per se, but I defy anyone to sit still when hearing it. My entire body is bopping to the beat as I write this review! To my ears, the song has a few echoes of 80s songs by Depeche Mode and Thompson Twins, but still sounds exciting and fresh. The combination of those heavy, pulsating beats, explosive percussion and colorful spacey synths create a bold, cinematic backdrop for Matthew’s sultry, impassioned vocals as he sings “What you need, What you need is my love. And some good vibrations.”

Jaydon is correct in his assessment of “Good Vibrations”, as MISSIO has another hit on their hands.

For the wonderful music video, they wanted to have a good time, so 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, and was directed by Matthew, filmed and produced by Ima Leupp, and edited by Joe Hassage.

Follow MISSIO:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find their music on Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube / Amazon

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 29 – Jigsaw Sequence/Machina X, Johnny Ritchie, Novus Cantus, Thunder Fox, Western Jaguar

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews14 Comments

Friday, May 26th was one of the biggest days for new music releases I can remember, at least in terms of artists and bands I follow, and from what I could tell, at least nine of them released new singles. Because I like all these artists and their songs and want to show them support, I’ve decided to feature them all in a Fresh New Tracks post. To make it easier on me, as well as not overload my readers with too many songs all at once, I’ve broken them into two separate posts. I published the first one two days ago, and this is the second, which includes a collaboration betweeen Scottish synthpop artist Jigsaw Sequence and British electro-pop artist Machina X, American singer-songwriter Johnny Ritchie, American Baroque pop duo Novus Cantus, Australian soul-funk-pop-rock band Thunder Fox, and Canadian alt-rock band Western Jaguar. I’ve previously featured all these acts on my blog, with the exception of Jigsaw Sequence. And true to my blog’s name, each of these five songs couldn’t be more different from one another.

Jigsaw Sequence + Machina X – “Late to the Party”

Jigsaw Sequence is the music project of Scottish synthpop artist Richard Tracey, and Machina X (aka Annie James) is an electro-pop artist based in Yorkshire, England. The two talented individuals have been making music both as solo artists and in collaborations with others, and recently teamed up to write and record a great new synthpop dance single “Late to the Party.” The song and collaboration marks a resurgence for Annie, after she experienced a bit of a slump, as she recently acknowledged on Twitter: “In the last 6 months I’ve thought a lot about closing the door on making music because it feels so much harder than it did. Thank you Jigsaw Sequence for believing there was more inside, and collaborating with me.”

In contrast to the exuberant, pulsating dance beat and luxurious retro 80s synth grooves, the lyrics are rather bittersweet, speaking of living in denial about a relationship that’s breaking apart, hoping things will turn around. Machina X’s lilting vocals are wonderful and heartfelt as she sings “Behind a mask where no-one sees. Hiding for the sake of sanity, ‘cos hearts like mine bruise easily when they’re washed up on the shore. Late to the party. Always early to leave. Scared by the truth, but always wanting to believe.”

Johnny Ritchie – “Chirp”

Johnny Ritchie is an engaging, intelligent and wildly imaginative young singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who I’ve previously featured three times on this blog. Originally from Indiana, Johnny’s now living in Spokane, Washington. With a lifelong love for music, he began learning to play piano and drums as a child, then went on to study Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music at Columbia College Chicago, and in 2020 earned a B.A. degree in Music at Western Michigan University. He now has his own business teaching others to play piano, keyboards and drums, as well as giving lessons in music theory, songwriting and improvisation. He also writes and records music in which he fuses alternative and experimental rock with neo-psychedelia and contemporary jazz to create incredibly fascinating and sophisticated soundscapes.

Ever-creative and continually willing to push musical boundaries, every new release of his sounds totally original and distinctive. His latest single “Chirp” is an unusual instrumental piece that couldn’t be any more different from his previous alternative psychedelic hip-hop single “Elite Deviance”. Already his fourth single of 2023, with another one on the way in a couple weeks, “Chirp” is the first that Johnny’s both recorded and produced entirely by himself. Featuring a relaxing synth groove, accompanied by deep bass and punctuated by a sharp percussive beat and beguiling piano trills, the song also features delicate bird chirps throughout that lend a charming atmospheric air to the proceedings. Johnny never fails to dazzle my senses with each release, and I cannot wait to hear what new experimental sounds he comes up with next!

Novus Cantus – “Caterpillar”

Novus Cantus is an innovative music act comprised of brothers Alexander (vocals and guitar) and Christian Herasimtschuk (drums and percussion). Based in the Hudson River Valley roughly halfway between Albany and New York City, the duo draw from a broad and eclectic mix of influences ranging from traditional ethnic music like flamenco and Hungarian folk, to classical Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, to alternative rock, in the creation of their uniquely enchanting and exotic sound. They’ve been performing and recording together since 2010, and have released a fair amount of music. I’ve written about them four times over the past five years, most recently when I reviewed their hauntingly beautiful Civil War-themed song “Georgia”. 

Now they’re back with “Caterpillar“, a bewitching song originally written for a children’s concert last year that the brothers decided was too good to not release as a single. The lyrics tell the story of a humble-looking caterpillar who starts out crawling upon the ground and feeding on plants (“and I walked in the cool of the night“), then climbs into the trees to become a chrysalis (“and I slept in the cool of the night“), finally emerging as a beautiful butterfly (“and I flew in the cool of the night“). The most striking aspect of the song for me are the beautiful sounds from a Wot, a Thai pan flute played by Christian. I love how his fluttering notes evoke the sounds of a butterfly’s wings unfolding for the first time. Of course, Alex’s lovely acoustic guitar and warm, emotive vocals, accompanied by Christian’s percussive beats, are really wonderful too.

Thunder Fox – “Feels Like Forever”

Mere words cannot express how much I adore Australian band Thunder Fox. The Sydney-based five-piece is one of the most creative, wickedly funny and insanely talented – not to mention sexiest – acts I’ve ever encountered, and have gushed about them and their music numerous times on this blog over the past four years. Now comprised of the charismatic and silky-voiced Sam Dawes (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Travers Keirle (Sax/Vocals/Rhymes), Jesse Tachibana (Trumpet/Vocals/Synths), Max Vallentine (Drums), and Casey Allan (Bass), they skillfully blend generous helpings of funk, soul, blues rock, hip hop, jazz and pop into their delectable music stew. And while their often bawdy lyrics and playful antics would seem to indicate a juvenile zaniness, their music has a stylish and jazzy sophistication, thanks to their great songwriting and musicianship, including having both a saxophone and trumpet player in their lineup.

They’ve released an impressive amount of music since 2015, including three terrific albums – Mother Machine in 2016, Love at First Sniff in 2019, and Sanctuary in 2021 – the most recent two of which I’ve reviewed. One of the singles from Sanctuary, “Head in the Clouds” reached #4 on my Weekly Top 30, and ranks #47 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. On their new single “Feels Like Forever“, Thunder Fox channels Prince, Morris Day & the Time and James Brown to create a rousing slab of old-school soulful funk. I love the song’s stomping groove, courtesy of Casey’s deliciously funky bass and Max’s spirited drumbeats, and fortified with Sam’s gnarly riffs, Travers’ hot and jazzy sax notes, and Jesse’s bold trumpet blasts. It’s one of the most exuberant songs they’ve released in a long while, and I love it!

Western Jaguar – “Better Daze”

Hailing from the picturesque Fraser River Valley of British Columbia, east of Vancouver, alt-rock act Western Jaguar was born in 2012 when singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor turned to music to get him out of a low point in his life. With the help of an evolving lineup of musicians, Western Jaguar released three stellar EPs and several singles between 2013 and 2019, including their beautiful song “Disappear”, which went to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 in 2019. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, bringing things to a halt for just about every musician and band, the social isolation gave Jeffrey time to reflect on how unhappy he’d become as a musician. He’d become fixated on, in his own words, “likes, a following, positive feedback…and became hyper focused on making music other people liked.” By the end of 2020, he decided he didn’t want to make music anymore, essentially walking away from Western Jaguar, which he conveniently blamed on the pandemic.

Thankfully, after a long break he came to realize that, just like in 2012, music could once again lift him out of his slump. He decided to resurrect Western Jaguar as essentially a solo act, and beginning last November, went to work writing and recording songs in his home studio for what would become his new album Oblivion, scheduled for release on July 7th. For the recording of the album, Jeffrey sang vocals and played most instruments, though his former Western Jaguar bandmates Davis MacKenzie Zand played bass and AJ Buckley played electric guitar and drums, and sang backing vocals on two tracks, and KC Roces played electric guitar on a third track.

The first single from the album is “Better Daze“, a poignant song about going through hard times after a tragedy and trying to get back to better days. Musically, the song has an upbeat dream pop feel, with a breezy melody, beautiful chiming guitars and snappy drums. Jeffrey’s clear, pleasing vocals have a hint of sadness as he sings the lyrics about a woman named Suzie, whose fiance Harold died suddenly after a fall in the shower just before they were due to be married. Suzie falls into a deep depression, and with the best of intentions, her father insists she take medication to help improve her mood. Unfortunately, the drugs only make her feel worse: “Suzie’s felt worse since the medicine. Her lungs are burning and she can’t breath in. Her father insists on the vice, it’s the only way for a normal life. But a normal life was lost last June when Harold fell in the bathroom. She hasn’t taken them for 6 weeks. If only it was that easy. Her father asks if she’s feeling well. She gives him a smile though she feels like hell. She wants him to think that she’s okay, even though she’s thinking of better daze.”

It’s a wonderful, albeit melancholy song, and it’s great to have Western Jaguar back. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the songs on Oblivion.

WISE JOHN – EP Review: “The Mr. Love Sunset Show!”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Wise John is a talented, amiable and relentlessly charming singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who’s originally from Southern California and now based in Brooklyn, New York. I learned about him last fall when I read a post on the Audio Mirage Studios blog about his wonderful song “Marry Another Man”, and became in instant fan. I love his pleasing, laid-back style of soulful folk-rock, characterized by memorable melodies, colorful instrumentation, and intelligent, relatable lyrics delivered with his beautiful warm vocals.

Though he’d long had a love of music in his veins, Wise John pursued a career as a computer/aerospace engineer. He still kept one foot in music, however, and in June 2021, released his terrific debut album A Wonderful World. The following January, finally realizing that the life he’d planned out for himself and worked so hard to achieve was making him miserable, he took a leap of faith and quit his engineering job to pursue music as a full-time career. Since then, he’s released more music, played gigs around the New York area, and has continued to build a base of loyal fans.

On May 5th, he released a delightful EP The Mr. Love Sunset Show! which he calls “a retro love song EP designed to heal your heart and sharpen your soul, rendering the feelings, failings, and fallings of romance from four very different angles.” Featuring four tracks, the EP was written, composed, and performed by Wise John with the help of producers Quinn Devlin and Alex Strahle, mixed by Sahil Ansari, and mastered by Joey Messina-Doerning. The various songs feature contributions from an array of guest musicians and vocalists, including Elise Trouw on vocals and drums, Daniel Chae on strings, Kumara Robideau on bass, Shaun Valentine on drums, Quinn Devlin on bass, drums, piano, electric guitar, alto saxophone and percussion, James Wyatt Woodall on pedal steel, Andy Shimm on bass, Dylan DeFeo on organ, Justin Garcia on guitar, and Keara Callahan, Berit Bassinger, Daniela Silva on backing vocals.

The first track “Afterglow” is a lovely but sad song, with bittersweet lyrics about falling for someone who’s not interested in becoming involved in a committed relationship “You made me say I wouldn’t get confused. It’s only play, I shouldn’t feel so used. A love vacation, a toy you didn’t choose to sleep with. Feeling sick in the afterglow.” The arrangement and instrumentation, highlighted by Daniel Chae’s achingly beautiful strings, create an enchanting backdrop for John’s incredibly vulnerable croons.

“Atlanta“, with captivating dual vocals by Wise John and Elise Trouw, tells the true story of how John’s parents got married. Elise sings from the perspective of John’s mother who, frustrated by his father’s (who was then her boyfriend) inability to commit to her, leaves him “I got way too much to lose to let you walk on me that way. So now I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia towards my peace of mind. Oh I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia, to leave your halfway love behind.” John sings from his father’s perspective, who after two years has a change of heart: “I’ll speak honestly and tell you I can’t stand being left behind. So now I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia towards my peace of mind. Oh I’m ridin’ down the road to Atlanta, Georgia to leave my halfway loves behind.” Musically, the song has a soothing guitar-driven melody, and the marvelous pedal steel by James Wyatt Woodall gives it a lovely country folk vibe.

My favorite song on the EP, “Marry Another Man” is a poignant and beautiful love letter to the one that’s getting away. Wise John implores his girlfriend to reconsider her plans to marry someone else: “We could get married in the springtime, or tonight for all I care. Long as I have you for a lifetime. I would speak the vows in city hall with no one there. All that matters is I’m the one to take you home. I’m the one to hold you when we’re finally alone. So please darlin’ don’t marry the other man.” The official video shows Wise John performing the song in Quinn’s living room along with Elise Trouw on drums, Andy Shinn on bass, Dylan DeFeo on organ and Justin Garcia on guitar.

The wonderful lyric video for the song, filmed by Berit Bassinger, shows John as Mr. Love, forlornly walking the streets of New York at night.

The final track “Mr. Love” is a delightfully upbeat ode to Wise John’s alter-ego that, in his own words, “offers a bird’s eye view of the landscape of love from the pits of loneliness to the sunny meadows of romance.” The song is pure pop goodness, with a breezy melody, sunny instrumentals, exuberant vocals and hopeful lyrics: “Who ate all your sad day sorrows? Only Mr. Love can do. Took an endless tune of blue tomorrows, wrote the hook to a dance for two.  When it’s cold outside, you’ll feel warm in the light.”

The lyric video, also filmed by Berit Bassinger, shows Wise John as Mr. Love, walking along the seacoast and spreading his positive love vibes.

I could keep gushing about this great little EP, but since I’ve already overused the words ‘wonderful’, ‘marvelous’, ‘beautiful’, ‘delightful’, etc., just give it a listen and hear it for yourselves. Better yet, fork over a few dollars and buy it on Bandcamp!

Connect with Wise John: Facebook / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

PHILIP MORGAN LEWIS – Single Review: “When You’re Shattered”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments

British singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Philip Morgan Lewis is a creative and engaging artist who’s long been a favorite of mine. Drawing from an eclectic range of music genres and influences, including alternative rock, blues, R&B, soul, jazz, garage rock and folk, the London East Ender crafts his own unique sound. That unique style, combined with his distinctive unusual and raspy singing voice that sounds like no one else, makes his music instantly recognizable as only his. And, as I’ve noted on previous reviews, I like how each of his songs is uniquely different, with every release surprising us with a totally new vibe. Moreover, he isn’t afraid to address the darker side of humanity and the emotional wreckage of failed relationships, love gone bad and our sometimes self-destructive ways, while also offering glimmers of hope and redemption.

Over the past decade, Philip has released quite a lot of music, including his 2016 EP Karma Comedown, two albums, the brilliant Grief Harbour in 2017 (which I reviewed), and the ambitious 18-track opus work Now + Then in 2021, as well as over a dozen singles, a number of which I’ve also reviewed. Two of my favorites are “Come Find Me Back”, which ranks #88 on my 100 Best Songs of 2021 list, and “Redchurch Street Blues”, ranking #63 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

Now he’s back with “When You’re Shattered“, the first single from his upcoming EP, due for release on June 20th. Philip says the song was quite cathartic for him. “I have written a lot over the past year as I was going through a very rough time. I realised that even though I was struggling, I kept on answering “I’m alright mate” when asked how I felt. This track is about that- don’t even try to hide [your feelings], just let it out and help might come.”

Philip wrote, produced, recorded and mixed the track, played guitar, bass, percussion and keyboards, and sang vocals. His 12 year old daughter Annick, who’s sung on all of this records since she was four, sang backing vocals. The track was mastered by Fred Miller in his Copenhagen studio. Released via Philip’s own label TX2 Records, a cool-looking special limited edition 7-inch 45 rpm red vinyl pressing of the single is also available.

To drive home his point, Philip starts with a strong driving beat, fueled by a bold, thumping bassline. He then layers a marvelous array of blues-soaked grungy guitars, snappy drums and mysterious swirling synths, creating a dark, cinematic backdrop for his emotion-packed vocals that range from sultry croons to fervent entreaties. Annick’s lilting backing vocals, which sound far more mature than a 12 year old, are wonderful, and the perfect complement to her father’s raspy croons. “When You’re Shattered” is another gem in an unbroken string of superb releases by this uniquely talented artist.

Your body’s torn to pieces
Your mind is drifting free
You seek blue ladders
That’ll take you to the sky
Well I tell you baby
Your heart is sick and tired
Keep on pretending sugar
This love will never die

When you’re shattered
When you’re shattered
Shattered deep inside
When you’re shattered
Oh baby when you’re shattered
Don’t even try to hide

Now keep on moving baby
Push on through the crowd
When you think of what you’ve been through
This shuffle brings you down
People tell you what to do
They sell you dirty lies
Say everything's all right
And you know that everything’s all wrong
Cause’ when you’re
Six feet buried deep babe
You sure just waste your time

When you’re shattered
Baby when you’re shattered
Shattered deep inside
When you’re shattered
Baby when you’re shattered
Don’t even try to hide
Don’t even try to hide

When you’re shattered
When you’re shattered
Shattered deep inside
Don’t even try to hide
When you’re shattered
Baby when you’re shattered
Shattered deep inside
Don’t even try to hide
You’re shattered baby

Oh you’re just shattered babe
Oh you’re just shattered babe
Oh you’re just shattered babe

Connect with Philip: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find his music on Spotify / YouTube / Apple Music / Amazon / deezer / Tidal

KOYAL – EP Review: “Joyride”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews10 Comments
EP art by David Harris

Koyal is an Atlanta, Georgia-based band I recently learned about when one of their members Noah Weinstein reached out to me about reviewing their new EP Joyride, which dropped November 11th. Formed in 2018 while they were still in college, Koyal create pleasing pop-rock infused with an eclectic range of elements, including indie, alternative, rock’n’roll, blues and jazz. In addition to Noah, who plays guitar, drums and sings vocals, as well as recorded and produced the EP, the band consists of Pooja Prabakaran (lead vocals), Henry Wallace (drums & piano), Cooper Billsborough (lead guitar), Ethan Hunt (bass) and Sultan Sayedzada (keyboards).

The band seems to be a pretty cool, well-grounded bunch, with a positive and healthy outlook and realistic approach to the music business. In an interview last month with Shoutout Atlanta, the band explained “We are best friends first and are very kind, motivated, and passionate about music! We manage ourselves, which involves a lot of the less glamorous behind the scenes marketing, booking, planning strategy, producing the music, etc., but all those hours of work helped us transition from a college band to one known in the Atlanta music scene. We really enjoy networking and meeting other creatives! It’s led to so many friendships and helped us be a part of the Atlanta music community.”

They’ve released quite a lot of music over the past three years, beginning with their debut single “Yesterday” in February 2020, just prior to the pandemic outbreak. They followed up that April with their four-song EP Rooftop Hues, then more singles in early 2021, culminating with the release of their debut album Mountain City that July. Their latest release Joyride features four tracks with a jazzier feel than their previous works, and I like it!

Kicking things off is “Past Life“, an upbeat song with an exuberant groove, fortified by gnarly guitars, snappy drumbeats and lots of crashing cymbals, along with a delightful undercurrent of trilling piano keys. The lyrics seem to be about yearning for a simpler time: “I think I knew you in a past life. And I want to know you like I did last time. / And I want to go somewhere unknown. Where it’s you and the moon and me alone.” Most of the vocals are beautifully sung by Noah, while Pooja sings the pre-chorus in the bridge, followed by their dual harmonies in the final chorus. It’s a terrific song.

“Tumbleweed” is a jaunty, piano-driven tune, with vocals nicely sung by Pooja. Henry’s piano work is so good, and I love how his notes are in perfect sync with the galloping drumbeats and swirling guitars. I also like how the song changes tempo at 2:30 to a sultry interlude, only to ramp back up at the end to a lively finish, highlighted by a flourish of jazzy saxophone. The song seems to be about two people supporting each other through good times and bad: “When I’m down you put your arms around me. When you’re down I do the same. You’ll see, you and me, and we’ll keep rolling on, rolling on, like a tumbleweed.”

As the EP progresses, each track becomes longer and more melodically sophisticated. “Open Window” has a cool, breezy vibe that reminds me a bit of the late 1950s/early 1960s bossa nova/jazz pop sound of João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim. The high quality of the instrumentation, particularly the piano, guitars and percussion, are evidence of the strong musicianship and impressive technical skills of these young band members. Pooja’s smooth, emotive vocals are wonderful, though I found it hard to understand some of the lyrics she sang.

The final track “I Wanna Believe” is a musical tour-de-force, with a heavier rock sound than the other three songs. The track was mixed for free by Greazy Wil (Wil Anspach) a Grammy winning engineer who ran a competition on TikTok that Koyal entered and won. The song reminds me a bit of “Stairway to Heaven”, in that it starts off slowly then gradually builds in intensity to a roaring crescendo, with three distinct melodic movements.

It opens with the sound of magical synths, followed by delicate chiming electric guitar chords and gentle percussion as Pooja sings to an unseen alien, wanting them to take her away from her earthly problems: “I look up to you. I wish you could take me away. Don’t know where we go, but you’ll help me leave this place. Why can’t I see you? A better version of myself.” Eventually, the music erupts with jagged guitar riffs, heavy thumping bass and aggressive drums as she wails “I wanna believe, in something bigger than myself. I wanna believe! There’s something out there, I know.” The music continues to grow ever more intense with scorching riffs, accompanied by a screaming torrent of psychedelic distortion and explosive percussion, before calming back down in the final 40 seconds to a lovely contemplative piano interlude. Wow, what a spectacular song!

Though it contains only four tracks, Joyride packs quite an impactful punch into its 16 and a half minute run time. The broad range of musical influences, combined with outstanding songwriting, top-notch musicianship and skillful arrangement and production values, all make for a high quality work that’s a joy to listen to. I must say that I’m very impressed with Koyal and their marvelous little EP.

Here’s the EP on YouTube:

And Spotify:

Connect with Koyal: Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

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

MISSIO – Album Review: “VILLAIN”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments

“Am I a villain or a saint?” MISSIO asks on the title track of their brilliant new album VILLAIN. It’s an aural and emotional roller-coaster, encompassing the yin and yang of evil and goodness that exists within most of us. As regular readers of this blog know, I’m a huge fan of the Austin, Texas-based duo, which consists of singer-songwriter and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler. On the strength of their exceptional music catalog, as well as their honesty and openness with their fans and followers, they’ve earned a place among my favorite music acts of all time, and I’ve featured them several times on this blog. Their edgy, thoroughly original sound is an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes. Matthew’s beautiful, deeply emotive vocals add to their distinctive sound that’s totally unlike any other act.

David Butler and Matthew Brue

Beginning with the release of their debut album Loner in 2017, they’ve consistently put out a tremendous amount of outstanding music, including their magnificent second album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 2,900 views, making it my highest-viewed album review ever). They released their gorgeous fourth album Can You Feel The Sun in October 2020, and their fifth and latest album VILLAIN dropped September 23rd. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my own Weekly Top 30 chart, with “I See You” also being my #1 song of 2019 and #10 of the entire decade of the 2010s.

Though most of MISSIO’s songs are inspired by personal experiences, both good and bad, VILLAIN is perhaps their most deeply personal and introspective: “This is the first album we’ve chosen to release independently, and we poured our hearts into it. We always aim to write vulnerably about what we are feeling in the moment, and honestly, the last few years have been filled with a lot of difficult moments for us. Therefore, this album was written and inspired from some of the darkest spaces / heaviest emotions that we’ve experienced. It’s an album cultivated over hundreds of hours of internal/external dialogue within ourselves and each other about the meaning of the world and our place in it.“

The ten tracks touch on such topics as the conflict between good vs. evil, feelings of self-worth, anger and resentment, and the need for love and acceptance. The title track “Villain” seems to encapsulate all of these: “Complicated and a mess, slightly OCD. Take for granted many things that mean a lot to me. I know, I’ve got a lot to learn. I was raised as a scorpion. Being pulled by the moon in a high tide. That’s why I’m broken. I know, this hurts a lot. It’s not my fault it never was. And I know, I’m tough like stone. But right now, please hug me, I feel alone.” Musically, the song alternates between pensive, atmospheric moods and urgent, beat-driven grooves, nicely conveying the inner conflict touched on earlier.

Here’s a video, released in January 2023, of MISSIO performing the song.

On the menacing trip hop song “Demons“, Matthew starts off lamenting of his shortcomings “I feel I am letting go. And that makes me angry because I’m not who I want to be. It seems like I’m fading. And that makes me terrified because I’m not who I want to be.” But then he seems to take on the persona of the devil as he malevolently snarls, perhaps in reply to himself “Ay boy, what the fuck you think you’re doing here? This is Hell, don’t you know that you were coming here? I’ve been playing with your demons all day.”

MISSIO summon their inner beast on the bombastic “Say Something” and “#gimmeakiss“, which according to Spotify streaming stats are two of the most popular tracks on VILLAIN. Both tracks last barely two minutes, but blast through the speakers like a sonic battering ram of grinding industrial synths and pummeling beats. It’s clear the guys had a lot of fun recording these bangers, which are more frantic than their usual style, and both need to be played at full volume!

“I Wanna Fight And You Know It” is an eerie, aggressive song in which Matthew speaks to his darker, more combative side: “People tell me that I may be the disease. Like I’m the crazy bitches in the sea. Maybe all of ’em are right when it comes to being shady. I wanna fight and you know it. I got my fists up tonight and you know it.” And on the anthemic “We Are Who We Are“, Matthew addresses the importance of being true to ourselves, and accepting our imperfections in order to live a life that’s honest and real: “Why do we try to live a lie? It isn’t worth it. Who you tryna please? ‘Cause if it’s me, it isn’t working. We are who we are. That can be hard to accept. We are all fucked up human beings.”

One of the more enjoyable tracks on the album is “Does Anybody Love Me“. I love the infectious upbeat vibe and hearty piano and bass-driven groove. The lyrics speak to overthinking and worrying too much about what others think of you, but also cognizant of the fact that many others do the same: “Does anybody love me? I don’t know. Is everybody lonely? I think so.”

The final three tracks on VILLAIN are more contemplative and melodic, beginning with “Failure to Comply“, a beautiful, powerfully moving song about a narcissist who’s unable to love or show empathy toward others: “What is it you’re looking for? What is it that leaves you wanting more? Will you ever fight for me? Will you ever love someone other than you?” The mournful piano and dramatic, sweeping instrumentals are gorgeous, as are Matthew’s deeply heartfelt vocals. My favorite song on the album, it’s spent the past three months and counting on my Weekly Top 30.

“Picture in My Pocket” is a beautiful love song, with a languid, almost jazzy feel. The warm piano keys, subtle percussion and strummed guitar are positively sublime, and Matthew’s gentle vocals have an enchanting ethereal quality as he softly croons “Hang on to love if it’s real. I want to believe. I have this picture in my pocket of a peace I won’t grieve. And then I saw you. And you saw me. And suddenly the world wasn’t as bad as once before.”

VILLAIN closes on a positive note with the stunning and cinematic “To the Universe“. The lyrics speak to living life with an open mind and an open heart, unafraid to take chances and follow your dreams: “Open your mind to ideas that you don’t like. It’s a beautiful world if you quit puttin’ up a fight. You can let your walls down and be who you want to be. ‘Cause it’s a beautiful world, you can scream it when you don’t believe. To the universe, to the universe. It’s where we’re headed.”

Their previous albums are all so exceptional, I wasn’t sure how MISSIO could possibly keep matching their quality, let alone top them. But how shortsighted and wrong I was to doubt them, as once again they’ve gifted us with a phenomenal album in the form of VILLAIN. Every single one of its tracks is outstanding, which is not something that can be said about very many albums. I remain a faithful and devoted fan.

Follow MISSIO:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music on Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube
Purchase on Amazon

dwi – Single & Video Review: “Party4One”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

One of the most fascinating artists I’ve come across over the past year is dwi, the music project of Canadian singer-songwriter Dwight Abell. He’s also bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas, who recently completed a tour of Canada and the U.S. Though he’s a devoted husband and father of two young boys living in the suburbs of Vancouver, he lets his creativity and imagination run totally wild with his zany alter ago, making outstanding music that’s innovative, quirky and fun. Last October, dwi released his brilliant debut album Mild Fantasy Violence, which I happily reviewed. One of the album’s tracks, “Good Friend”, spent four months on my Weekly Top 30, going all the way to #1 this past January.

Now he’s back with a marvelous new single “Party4One“, accompanied by a delightfully wacky video. He says the song is “about falling in love with yourself during an intense state of cabin fever. Love yourself, make out with yourself, and for the love of gawd, scare yourself. The weirdos are in charge now!” The song’s a blast from start to finish, with an infectious bouncy groove, highlighted by a chugging bass line, a lively mix of jangly and crunchy guitars, crisp, thumping drumbeats, and swirling psychedelic synths. dwi’s quirky vocals are relentlessly endearing as he sings “Hey reflection, I really like you. Don’t want your friends. Hey man, I think it’s pretty funny given who I am. Nothing can stop me, I’m living in a single player game. You can’t stop me, it’s a party for one.“

The hilarious video was directed and produced by Canadian musician and film director Andrew Huculiak, and filmed in a house on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish), and Tsleil-Waututh nations. It stars dwi as an eccentric guy dressed in goth-punk black leather and a plaid skirt, with his hair featuring two tufts molded into devil horns. He enters an old house and proceeds to indulge in all sorts of childish antics, including playing video games with a giant stuffed teddy bear, overdosing on bowlfuls of Froot Loops, covering his face with lipstick in front of a bathroom mirror, and engaging in S&M pretend with the teddy bear. Haven’t we all wanted to run amok and do weird shit by ourselves at one time or another? I love it, and I love him!

Connect with dwi:  Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

Stream his music:  Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube