Tag: Surf Rock

RUSTY SHIPP – Album Review: “Capsized Empire”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments
Cover artwork by Hein Zaayman

Few acts I know of have mined a novel theme as successfully and consistently throughout their career as has Nashville rock band Rusty Shipp. I’ve previously featured them numerous times on this blog, but to summarize, the band is the brain child of singer-songwriter and guitarist Russ T. Shipp (his actual birth name is Russell Thomas Shipp), who call themselves a “Nautical Rock’n’Roll” band with a sound influenced by “the melodic chord progressions of The Beatles, the surf guitar of Dick Dale, the grunge rock of Nirvana, and the heavy metal of Led Zeppelin“. As their name suggests, their music is characterized by a dark, immersive sound, unforgettable melodies, electrifying guitar work, and Shipp’s vibrant tenor vocals. Like many bands, they’ve undergone numerous personnel changes since forming in 2014, and now consist of the aforementioned Russ Shipp on guitar and vocals, AJ Newton on drums, Dave Gajda on lead guitar, and Doug Webster on bass.

Band photo from their Facebook account.

In keeping with their name, all Rusty Shipp albums have been concept albums built around nautical themes, starting with Mortal Ghost in 2017, followed by Liquid Exorcist in 2019, Dark Side of the Ocean in 2022, and now their fourth and latest album Capsized Empire (its official title is Cosmic Innuendo, Vol. II: Capsized Empire), released on June 27th. (I reviewed both Liquid Exorcist and Dark Side of the Ocean, which you can read here and here.)  Whereas Vol. I: Dark Side of the Ocean explored the balance between dark and light, descent and ascent, and men and angels, Vol II: Capsized Empire tells the fictional story of an evil band of pirates who set sail on a sinister mission, dismissing the prophetic warnings of an old sailor on the pier who warns of a worse fate for them than the gallows if they stay on their course. The band further states that the fictional story “is ultimately a masked philosophical message warning of people living their lives in a self-inflicted apocalypse.” 

To accompany their ambitious album, which features 17 tracks – ten full length songs and seven interludes that drive the story forward and provide a connection between the primary songs – the band has also written a detailed narrative for the story, some of which I’ll include here:

“The story of ‘Capsized Empire’ is actually two stories. One is clearly told through this album’s narration and imagery-laced lyrics, and picks up where ‘Cosmic Innuendo Vol. I’ left off: when the warrior sea angels with the royal title ‘Nautical Sea Lords’ ascended from The Dark Side of the Ocean up to its surface to find out why the souls of men are sinking down to their kingdom with increasing frequency. And what do the Nautical Sea Lords find when they reach the land of men? Probably the worst example of man there is, which leads to the second story…

The other story is the more covert one that’s told through the philosophical lyrics of each song, creating a parallel undercurrent to the surface-level fiction story. This story addresses the problem of evil in the world. Each song responds to this problem from a different angle – as we hear from the voices of those grappling with the painful consequences of evil, as well as from those inflicting the pain. As the album progresses, philosophical layer is built upon layer to expand the intellectual understanding and emotional empathy to all affected by this problem (which is ALL OF US) to hopefully stir up outrage that leads to activism, but also to filter that justice through the ultimate solution (which is love and grace).“

Back cover of the album

The album opens with the slowly-building and ominous 40-second-long instrumental track “What The Tide Washed In“, quickly followed by “All Aboard!“, which I featured on a Fresh New Tracks post in February. As I wrote then, the song is a wonderful hard-driving rocker, with a roiling torrent of grungy guitars joined by blistering surf guitar solos in the second half, and nicely accompanied by AJ’s aggressive drums, a terrific organ and Russ’s dynamic spine-tingling vocals. The band calls this their first theme song, as expressed by the lyrics “All aboard this hallowed, rusty ship. Won’t you join us on our voyage away from suffering, into our destiny? With love and spirit pointing us true north, we’ll make it through the storm and build a kingdom we can call our home.“

Next up is “Espionage“, another hard-hitting track fueled by gnarly guitars and thunderous drums, detailing the sea angels’ efforts to observe the ways of mankind: “Call it Espionage in ocean camouflage, spinning up and down between two kingdoms, searching for a sign of intelligent life. Find out what these men are made of.” Their search leads them to a pub where they find a group of salty sailors singing the old traditional sea shanty “Spanish Ladies“: “Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies. Farewell and adieu you ladies of Spain. For we’ve received orders for to sail for old England, and we may ne’er see thee fair ladies again. We’ll rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors. We’ll rant and we’ll roar all on the salt seas until we strike soundings in the channel of old England. From Ushant to Scilly is thirty-five leagues.“

“On The Docks” explores the dichotomy between men who inherently strive to be good people and make a living through honorable means with those who choose a darker path of thievery and exploitation of others: “The difference in a sailor and a pirate is their consciences. And if his conviction is growling louder than the howling of his stomach could it be that a pirate’s greed is the same old thing as a shark’s instinct? Who didn’t have the pedigree or luck to evolve into a sailor’s breed. ‘Cause on the docks we swim with sharks, trying to get a bite. ‘Cause who has time to tread the lines between the dark and light, But if you would pay my daily wage, then I’ll put away my net. Show me something I need more than food and I’ll fish for that instead.” I love the song’s breezy melody and the wonderful mix of twangy and surf guitars.

“Black Market Jam” is a spoken word track describing some of the sailors engaging in nefarious activities like black market trade and human trafficking beneath the pier, followed by “Neck Breaker“, a bluesy and grungy rock song of warning to those sailors by an old prophet who predicts the harrowing fate that awaits them: “You’re wanted dead or alive, up to you which one they decide. So ride, but you gotta land sometime, and when you do, oh, you fool, the gallows will be waiting for you. You’re gonna hang from the head until you’re dead, dead, dead. Make your bed with the fishes.” The prophet then issues a curse on their captain on the spoken word interlude “The Curse of Robert Williams“, in which he warns him to turn the ship around and not proceed with their evil mission.

Bound and determined to go forward with their piracy, the sailors are self-proclaimed “Tough Guys“, blinded by their bad-ass bravado as they snarl “Yeah, we’re bad dudes, rockin’ tattoos, with our black shoes. Yeah, we’re tough guys, giving black eyes, as we’re cruisin’ by. Blame it on our daddy issues, blame it on whatever you want. Glad you got us figured out ’cause now we’re gonna come burn down your town!” Over a powerful chugging rhythm, the band layers some blistering guitar work, accompanied by gruff vocals that nicely convey their menacing message. Next up is “Aquamoto“, a terrific little instrumental tour de force of killer surf guitars that would make Dick Dale proud, making it one of my favorite tracks on the album. This is then followed by the spiritual track “Don’t You Grieve Us“, ostensibly sung by the kidnapped trafficking victims huddled in the hull of the ship.

Every Rusty Shipp album includes a cover of a classic rock song by a famous band – Mortal Ghost featured the Beatles song “Helter Skelter”, Liquid Exorcist featured Audioslave’s “Show Me How to Live”, and Dark Side of the Ocean includes a shortened cover of Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them“, from their masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon. For Capsized Empire, the band chose Paul & Linda McCartney’s “1882“. I wasn’t familiar with this rather unusual McCartney song, which tells the story of an impoverished boy of the servant class who faces stern consequences for stealing a loaf of bread from the big house upstairs. Rusty Shipp has reimagined and elevated the song into a darkly beautiful and gut wrenching number that here applies to slaves freed by President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, but who were unlawfully kidnapped and taken to Cuba where slavery was still legal at the time – sadly echoed by the cruel and unlawful deportations now being perpetrated by the Trump regime (my opinion). The guitar work and Russ’s impassioned vocals are stunning.

Russ unleashes the fury of his wrath for those who would prey on the innocent on “Nefarious“: “You, you are so despicable. Herding little girls like some kind of cattle, but you’re the animal. You have all devolved into a primal impulse. No trace of a soul, you’re nefarious.” The song is sonically magnificent, though, with haunting piano keys and a grandiose arrangement that reminds me of a few songs by English rock band Muse. And in fact, Russ’s fervent falsetto seems to channel Matt Bellamy when he really lets loose. I love this track!

“Scallywags” is another gorgeous and powerful rock song, with intense reverb-soaked guitars, throbbing bass and thunderous percussion creating an explosive, yet highly melodic soundscape. The lyrics speak to the ideas that evil is inherent in all of us to some degree, who are we to judge others, and that only through grace can we overcome our sins: “Scallywag buccaneers, black market blackbirders. So easy pointing fingers at the Neros and Blackbeards. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was its tyrant. It took centuries to make a culture to enthrone them. Love these enemies, and turn your cheek till they nail your hands and feet. Grace alone can save the world by breaking the chain of revenge. But I’m seething, can’t hardly see a thing except this blinding rage. Don’t wanna give the Lord all the revenge. ‘Cause I hate you, but I create you when I treat them the same way you were treated.” This immediately segues into “Counsel of Sea Lords“, a brief interlude featuring spoken word vocals of multiple Shippmates detailing the findings and judgements against the pirates by the Nautical Sea Lords.

The interlude track “Upside Down Kingdom” continues with the theme laid out on “Scallywags”, that so long as humans continue their endless cycle of retribution and revenge for wrongs committed against them (sound familiar to a certain evil President?), the world and mankind will never fully recover: “Ooh, Hell and Heaven are two kingdoms waging war within us. And every choice you make builds one, either death or life to come. When you repay good for evil you pull a brick out from the wall of Hell to build up the kingdom of Heaven. A step closer to Shalom.”

The album closes with “Sinners In The Hands“, a raucus rock song that brings everything full circle, that we are all sinners in the hands of a loving God who through his son set an example for us to follow of giving love and forgiveness to the sinful people in our lives, lest the world topple over as a capsized empire: “So never judge an evil man, for the greatest of all saints were once the vilest sinners who got a taste of saving grace. The same grace is calling out, reaching out for you right now. And has been for all your life to make you fully alive!“

To sum up, Capsized Empire is another epic, brilliantly-executed concept album by Rusty Shipp. As with their previous albums, everyone involved in its recording and production did a masterful job creating a work that’s flawlessly arranged and beautifully crafted on every level. But most of all, a great deal of credit must go to Russ Shipp’s incredible vision, imagination and talents as a songwriter, musician and vocalist.

Here’s Capsized Empire on Bandcamp:

And on YouTube:

Rusty Shipp Socials: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / deezer / YouTube

RUSTY SHIPP – Album Review: “Dark Side of the Ocean”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews16 Comments

One of the more uniquely interesting acts I’ve featured on this blog is Nashville rock band Rusty Shipp. The brain child of front man Russ T. Shipp (his actual birth name is Russell Thomas Shipp), Rusty Shipp is a self-described “Nautical Rock’n’Roll” band, with a sound influenced by, in their own words, “the melodic chord progressions of The Beatles, the surf guitar of Dick Dale, the grunge rock of Nirvana, and the heavy metal of Led Zeppelin“. As their name would suggest, their music is characterized by a dark, immersive sound, unforgettable melodies, electrifying guitar work, and Shipp’s vibrant tenor vocals. Like many a band, they’ve experienced numerous changes in lineup since forming in 2014, and now consist of the aforementioned Russ Shipp on guitar and vocals, AJ Newton on drums, Dave Gajda on lead guitar, and Doug Webster on bass.

Photo by Chad Fenner

Rusty Shipp released an EP Hold Fast to Hope in 2014, then followed in 2017 with their highly-acclaimed debut album Mortal Ghost. They dropped several singles throughout 2019, which culminated in the release that November of their phenomenal second album Liquid Exorcist, which I reviewed. In keeping with their nautical theme, the album is a concept work built around the subject of sea mine terrorism. This past January, starting with “Bottom of the Barrel”, they began releasing what would become a series of nine singles at the rate of one per month. All of those songs and more are featured on their latest album Dark Side of the Ocean, which dropped October 28th.

An ambitious work, Dark Side of the Ocean (its official title is Cosmic Innuendo, Vol 1: Dark Side of the Ocean), is another nautically-themed concept album, this time exploring the balance between dark and light, descent and ascent, and men and angels. About the album, Shipp explains: “While it was written and recorded during the pandemic, instead of following the natural response of the world to react to the crisis with fear by retreating into our comfortable “Us and Them” sects and blaming “Them” as the problem and the bad guys, this album tried very hard (as challenging as it was at the time) to focus on the commonalities and good that still exist in all people and the hope that still exists for our world to bring us all together and get all our needs met.“

Shipp wrote the lyrics, co-wrote the music with band drummer Newton, and did the arrangements. The album was produced by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studio in Nashville, and mastered by Alex McCollough. The gorgeous artwork was created by Hein Zaayman.

With a few nods to Pink Floyd, including its title, the album is divided into two parts: The first half (consisting of 21 ½ minutes), called “DESCENT”, follows the descent of a drowned sailor, sinking past undiscovered creatures and mysteries to the bottom of the ocean, where his soul is intercepted by a group of sea angels and taken to their underwater kingdom. The 2nd half of the album (also 21 ½ minutes long) is called “ASCENT”, and explores this angelic kingdom, ruled by Poseidon, the king archangel of the ocean. After debating the danger involved, the angels decide to ascend and discover why men’s souls are sinking from the ocean’s surface with increased frequency, with feelings of duty to help these men in the world above the waves, which the angels ironically call “Heaven.” Read the full story here.

The album opens with the title track, a 33-second-long spoken word introductory piece accompanied by eerie underwater sounds and a building guitar riff, informing us that the ocean contains 99% of Earth’s living space, yet 80% of it has never been mapped, much less explored. We have better maps of the surface of the moon than of the ocean floor, and with scientists estimating that there are as many as 90% of ocean species still undiscovered, one has to wonder what else could be down there at the bottom of our planet…the dark side of the ocean.

Those grungy, jagged riffs are quickly joined by a torrent of aggressive drumbeats as we’re launched headlong into “Living Waters“. Shipp passionately sings of the life-giving power of water, despite the fact that it’s also taken the life of many a sailor: “Let the living waters flow and bring the world to life. Trickle down the darkest cracks that never get the light. Weaving in and out of every creature on the Earth. Pull us all into the harmony that we’re created for.”

This immediately segues into the 49-second-long interlude “What Blows Up (Must Come Down)“, a fantastic barrage of raging surf guitars. Like their previous album Liquid Exorcist, Dark Side of the Ocean contains several instrumental interludes that serve to connect the tracks and move the narrative forward. That interlude then becomes “Bottom of the Barrel“, a gnarly but melodic track sung from the perspective of the drowning sailor, whose soul is reborn into a magical undersea world: “Down at the bottom of the barrel. Still your love is bottomless. The weight of the world is crushing me to a pulp, but it brings my soul to the surface. If I make my bed in Mariana Trench, I’m welcomed to a city that’s lit. Bioluminescence.” The cool video was directed by Shipp’s wife Joy Soleil.

Though Rusty Shipp is not a Christian band per se, Shipp is up-front about his faith, as is evident in many of his lyrics. The 36-second-long track “The Bloop“, which serves as an introductory piece for “Tanninim“, a song about undiscovered sea monsters, includes spoken lines of scripture from Genesis, interspersed with Shipp’s own lyrics: “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life. And God created great Tanninim and every living creature that moveth. Which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind. And God saw that it was good, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas’.” “Tanninim” has a wonderfully eerie vibe, highlighted by a bold reggae beat driven by Newton’s brilliant drumming, and accompanied by Shipp’s spooky vocals that sound like he’s singing while underwater.

On the hard-driving grungy rocker “What’s Kracken?“, Shipp uses the mythical sea monster Kracken as a metaphor for the truth in a divided political environment where what constitutes the truth is often elusive and up for debate: “A tentacle washed up on shore. The TV says there’s something more ‘Was it just a giant squid or evidence of Leviathan?’ Can anybody out there say ‘What’s Kraken?‘” 

One of the many things I love about this album is how every track sounds uniquely different, with a wide variety of music styles and genres represented. “Fish in the Sea” is in the style of a sea shanty, a traditional work song once commonly sung aboard large merchant sailing ships, while “Angel Aquarium” fuses ska with frantic guitar-driven rock. “DESCENT” ends with “Bioluminescence“, a brief hauntingly beautiful piano ballad reprising the chorus from “Bottom of the Barrel”.

Opening the “ASCENT” half of the album is “King of the Deep“, a funereal-sounding sea shanty that’s one of the most powerful tracks on the album, and also one of my favorites. With verses alternately sung by sailors, angels and Poseidon, the song seems to be an ode to Poseidon himself. I like how the vocals and instrumentals are presented differently for each: the sailors’ are delivered with deep, baritone vocals accompanied by pounding drumbeats and fuzz-coated gnarly guitars, while the angels sound…well, angelic, with Shipp’s near-falsetto front and center, accompanied by lovely synths and delicate guitar notes. And as Poseidon, Shipp’s vocals are more commanding, of course. The song ends in a dramatic chorus of all three entities singing in glorious harmony.

“Man Myth Legend” is a roiling punk rock gem fueled by marvelous psychedelia-tinged surf guitars. Man, this band knows how to rock! The lyrics speak to looking beyond our pre-conceived notions about people, keeping us locked in eternal conflict, and instead try to see them as humans not all that different from ourselves: “Tradition tries to demonize what we don’t understand. We need to see them through the love that covers all our skins. Until we’re dining in their homes, these men will be as good as myths and legends. They say the issue’s black and white, but aren’t we all just different shades of gray? If it makes us black and blue, then we’re going the wrong way. But we could bring in an age of peace, joining both our worlds into one. We could be the heroes that make a new end to the legend.“

Each of Rusty Shipp’s three albums includes a cover of a classic rock song by a famous band. Their first album Mortal Ghost featured the Beatles song “Helter Skelter”, Liquid Exorcist featured Audioslave’s “Show Me How to Live”, and now Dark Side of the Ocean includes Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them“, from their 1973 masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon. While honoring the song’s compelling melody, Rusty Shipp’s version shaves a little over four minutes off the original, and gives it a harder rock treatment, with a bold mix of jangly and gnarly guitars and more emphatic vocals. The lyrics speak to the stupidity of war: “Us and them. And after all we’re all just ordinary men. Me and you. God only knows, it’s not what we would choose to do. Forward he cried from the rear. And the front rank died. The general sat and the lines on the map moved side to side. Black and blue. And who knows which is which and who is who? Up and down. And in the end we’re spinning round ‘n round.“

The darkly beautiful instrumental interlude “Waking Braves” is a playful reimagining of their song “Breaking Waves” from Liquid Exorcist. This is followed by the grungy “Untouchable“, a terrific Nirvana-esque song about a soul with eternal life, free from earthly worries: “I am untouchable ‘cause nothing in this world can touch my soul. I am unconditionally loved, more than my heart could ever hold. I am a part of a plan where I am taken care of forever. I have eternal life, so tell me what is left to fear?” The grungy rock vibes continue on the raucous minute and a half long instrumental interlude “Up the Waterspout“.

The album closes with “The Other Side“, where so many of the elements that make Dark Side of the Ocean such a great album come together into a grand finale. The songs starts off as a slow acoustic ballad, then erupts into a celebratory feast of rousing surf guitars and frenetic ska grooves. The lyrics speak to what I think of as my own definition of Heaven, which is not some magical ‘perfect’ place in the clouds, but rather a sense of happiness and contentment that exists as a state of mind: “People always look for Heaven in the wrong places as if it’s just somewhere you go on retirement vacation. But a wise man once said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within; try looking there and let me know when you find it. We’re going on a search for the real Heaven. A Heaven we don’t have to wait for till our lives are through. We’re finding out the real meaning of salvation, and finding out it’s better than anything we thought we knew.”

I’m not sure what more I can say about Dark Side of the Ocean, other than to reiterate how marvelous it is. Not only are its concept and storyline brilliantly executed, it’s sounds damn good too! The musicians and sound engineers involved in the album’s recording and production did a masterful job, and the result is a work that’s flawlessly arranged and beautifully crafted on every level. Finally, a great deal of credit must go to Russ Shipp’s incredible vision, imagination and talents, both as a songwriter and vocalist.

Connect with Rusty Shipp: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / deezer / YouTube
Purchase on Bandcamp 

30 Day Song Challenge, Day 17 – “Seasick” by The Rare Occasions

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

The subject for Day 17 of my 30 Day Song Challenge is “A song released this year“. This was another tough one, as there are literally thousands of songs to choose from. To help narrow my list of possible choices a bit, I decided to choose a song I like by an artist or band who follows me on Twitter, and who I’ve not yet written about in 2022. And the very first act that popped into my head is L.A.-based trio The Rare Occasions, and their terrific new single “Seasick“. I love their music, a glorious cornucopia of colorful melodies, sparkling arrangements, exuberant instrumentals, compelling lyrics and endearing vocals. With songs that are immediately memorable and delightfully addictive, it’s not surprising they’ve earned a massive following, with over 5.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

I first wrote about them in September 2020 when I reviewed their fantastic single “Alone”, so I won’t repeat a lot of background information about them that can be found in that article. But to summarize, with origins in New England, and based in Los Angeles since 2017, The Rare Occasions now consists of three very personable and talented guys: Brian McLaughlin on lead vocals and guitar, Jeremy Cohen on bass, and Luke Imbusch on drums. They’ve been putting out great music since the release of their debut EP Applefork in 2013, and last summer (of 2021), they released their outstanding second album Big Whoop. When I wrote about them two years ago, their song “Notion” had garnered approximately 1.7 million streams on Spotify. But after the song went viral on TikTok late last year, it’s now racked up more than 237 million streams! With their explosion in popularity, nine of their other songs have earned between 1-9 million streams.

Their latest single “Seasick” is a fun romp, with a bouncy, lighthearted groove set to Jeremy’s galloping rhythm, and highlighted by Luke’s thumping drumbeats and Brian’s exuberant surf guitars. Brian’s plaintive vocals are wonderful too, rising to electrifying wails in the lively choruses. The lyrics, which feature lots of nautical metaphors, speak to struggling with fears and insecurities that hold us back, preventing us from moving forward in life, living our truths and reaching our goals: “I can’t keep pushing back the plans I got, impersonating something that I’m not. / We get caught up in the little things, displaced from what we know. Though I’m not too fond of traveling, there’s a long long wake behind me.“

The animated lyric video, with sweet artwork by Rhea Hanlon of Lost Lines Studio, and animation by Arianna Soto & Mamasoto Design & Media, shows the band floating in the sea on a small inflatable raft.

Follow The Rare Occasions:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase:  Bandcamp

New Song of the Week: RUSTY SHIPP – Breaking Waves”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews1 Comment

Rusty Shipp BW Single

I’ve been following Nashville rock band Rusty Shipp for two years, since the release of their highly-acclaimed monumental album Mortal Ghost in June 2017. Over the year following the album’s debut, the band produced a series of superb and fascinating videos for several tracks off the album, two of which (“Treading Water” and “SS Naronic”) I featured on this blog. (You can read those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the bottom of this page.) They now return with a fantastic new single “Breaking Waves“, the first release from their forthcoming album Liquid Exorcist, a concept work about sea mine terrorism due out later this year.

Rusty Shipp calls itself a “Nautical Rock’n’Roll” band, with a sound influenced by the melodic chord progressions of The Beatles, the surf guitar of Dick Dale, the grunge rock of Nirvana, and the heavy metal of Led Zeppelin, among others. Their music is highlighted by a dark, immersive sound, heavy riffs and haunting vocals. Like many bands, they’ve undergone some changes in lineup since forming in 2014, and now consist of singer/songwriter and front man Russ T. Shipp (literally his birth name) on guitar and vocals, Elijah Apperson on lead guitar, AJ Newton on drums and Andrew “Speedy” Speed on bass.

Rusty Shipp2

“Breaking Waves” is a grunge-surf-rock song in keeping with the band’s nautical theme and, as explained by front man Russ T. Shipp, “was meticulously crafted to get stuck in a human being’s brain. The song sounds like Nirvana trying to play a Beach Boys song right after hearing ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’. Shipp adds “‘Breaking Waves’ is the catchiest song we’ve ever made. Lyrically, it’s more philosophical and describes the battle between technology and nature in a tortoise-and-the-hare-like metaphor where mankind’s mightiest technology won’t stand a chance in the long run against the simple, steady erosion of the ocean’s immortal waves (i.e, nature) breaking it down. I think that’s for the best, and humanity is better off not waiting for centuries of erosion before it’s returned to what’s immaterial and most important – its soul.”

The powerful track features the band’s signature heavily-textured guitar work, with layered riffs of gnarly and distorted guitars, all combining to produce an intense, dynamic soundscape for Shipp’s resonant vocals. Newton and Speedy keep a solid rhythm with pounding drumbeats and a humming bassline, while Apperson and Shipp deliver scorching-hot riffage. He was right about crafting a catchy melody, as this one remained stuck in my head long after hearing the song. It’s a great song, and is accompanied by a wonderful music video shot on an actual submarine. The video was produced by Ashley Henry, directed by Aaron Scott, filmed by Jason Hassell, and edited by Jonathan Terry. It features scenes of the band performing the song, interspersed with scenes of them trying to stem water leaks that imperil their safety.

Breakers on the sea, advancing steadily
Little by little taking territory
The armies will erode till Pangaea’s covered over
And the Earth is once again formless and void

Breaking waves crashing on your accolades
Break you down, water torture down the drain
One by one till your soul is what remains
Break you out, breaking from the breaking waves
Break it down and wash it away
Breaking from the breaking waves

Simple H2O crushing your machines
Ships and submarines breaking down to smithereens
The breakers won’t desist clinging to your wrist like exorcists
Feeling for the pulse of a human being

Connect with Rusty Shipp: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Soundcloud / Reverbnation / YouTube
Purchase: iTunes / cdbaby / Bandcamp

LOUD HOUND – Single Review: “Youthful Stranger”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews1 Comment

Loud Hound Youthful Stranger

I’ve featured hundreds of artists and bands on this blog over the past three-plus years, and it seems half of them have released new music since the first of the year! Today I’m writing about LOUD HOUND, the music project of Tommy Florio, a talented young singer/songwriter from Ventnor City, New Jersey. The self-described “beachy boi extraordinaire” fuses elements of garage, surf and psych rock to create wonderful songs filled with catchy melodies, honest lyrics and irresistible guitar grooves.

In early 2018, he released his debut single “Fine By Me” – a lo-fi, high-energy, surf rock gem, then followed that May with the outstanding introspective single “Runnin’,” which I reviewed. Now he’s back with a great new single  “Youthful Stranger“, delivering a somewhat moodier dream pop vibe than his two previous singles. It really showcases his skill at writing songs with diverse melodies and instrumentation, and keeping his music sounding fresh.

Starting with a mix of strummed acoustic and jangly electric guitars as the primary drivers, LOUD HOUND adds some distortion, fuzzy bass and low-key percussion to create an intriguing backdrop for his slightly seductive echoed vocals. The music and vocals build as the song progresses, with some nice riffage in the chorus, then slows back down toward the end, with an interesting watery reverb effect on the guitars.

The lyrics seem somewhat ambiguous, but my take is that they speak to depression in a young adult who takes drugs to make it through life, feeling invincible once they take effect:

Youthful stranger watch as your dreams fall apart
Little blue pills keeps your friend up at night
The lonely dreamer survives the night
The lonely dreamer survives the night

Youthful stranger watch as your dreams come to life
Let’s pretend and play God
My life ready to stand tall
The lonely dreamer survives the night
The lonely dreamer survives the night

https://soundcloud.com/loudhoundmusic/youthful-stranger

Connect with LOUD HOUND:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  iTunes / Bandcamp

BOOGIE BOARD – EP Review: “Rippers Only”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

boogie board ep art

Last year, I wrote about Chicago-based surf/garage rock artist Boogie Board and his album Ferric Tape Noir, along with two extra singles (which you can read here). Boogie Board is the music project of guitarist and composer Stephen Denning, who describes his music as “fuzzy midwestern garage/ psych/ surf rock.” He writes, performs, records and masters all his music directly onto a 4-track tape machine in order to achieve a gritty lo-fi sound. I’m a big fan of surf guitar and all it’s permutations, so am pleased to feature him once again, with his latest release Rippers Only.

Screen shot 2018-04-10 at 1.13.52 AM

He’s produced quite a lot of music the past couple of years, starting with his debut 12-track album Surf N Turf in May 2017, followed by a five-track EP Dream Telepathy that September, then Ferric Tape Noir in late January 2018, and a double single Portal Window & Infinity Stairs two months later. On January 19, he dropped a new EP Rippers Only, delivering four new pieces of grungy surf rock candy for our listening enjoyment.

Most of Boogie Board’s tracks are on the short side, generally running approximately two minutes, give or take. At a total of only seven minutes, the EP comes and goes in a flash, but it’s a fun ride! The first track “Slow Roller” is catchy as hell, with a peppy drumbeat and a deep, gravelly riff that feels like bass, except it’s not. Denning likes to occasionally run his guitar through a bass amp to achieve a heavier sound. His vocals are as heavily distorted as the guitars as he chants “Slow roller. Go slow gonna take a drive. Slow roller. Gonna take my time.” Next up is “Keep It In Line“, with dense, grungy riffs set to a driving beat. Once again, Denning chants lyrics in heavily distorted vocals, however these I can’t make out. The track closes with lots of reverb.

“Play It Cool” features very gnarly guitars over a repetitive frantic beat. Denning adds tasty little guitar flourishes to the mix as he shouts “I’m feeling good! Got to slow it down. I’m playing it cool!” The track leaves us feeling pretty good too. He closes things out with the title track “Rippers Only“. It’s very brief, running only 45 seconds, but it’s a gritty little banger overflowing with pulsating distortion. I really like it, but wish he’d made it into a more substantial track, as there’s a lot going on for him to work with.

Connect with Boogie Board:  Facebook / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify
Purchase on Bandcamp

LAZY QUEEN – Single Review: “Apocalipstick”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

I’m back in Norway (having just featured the band Vöödöö) to now shine my spotlight on alternative rock band Lazy Queen. Three months ago I reviewed their brilliant single “Turn From Void,” and am now thrilled to present their provocative new single “Apocalipstick.” The genre and gender-bending band pushes boundaries with their identity and music, and is “for the disenfranchised, the outcasts, the queers, the allies, the feminists, for the pissed off, for the isolated and lonely, the weirdos and the freaks.” Their music is boisterous mix of noise rock, grunge and punk – the sonic equivalent of a car crash, as another writer so eloquently put it.

Lazy Queen was formed in 2013 by Henrik Søberg, who’s Norwegian with Colombian roots and gender fluid, while living in Brooklyn, New York. The band then consisted of Søberg and three American musicians, and they released four singles and the excellent EP Drift to critical praise from both national and international press. Søberg had hoped to settle in New York, but a bureaucratic snafu at the Norwegian embassy forced a return to Norway. Once back in Oslo, Søberg reformed Lazy Queen with Norwegian musicians Jonas Røyeng, Jon Bernhard Hunskaar, Peter Mortensen and Petter Anderdal.

Lazy Queen
Photographs by Anine Desire

“Apocalipstick” is the second single off their forthcoming EP A Sigh So Deep, and details Søberg’s experiences as an non-binary person. They explain: “Even through society is slowly becoming more aware of the challenges of trans and non-binary people there’s still a long way to go. ‘Apocalipstick’ is a nail polish painted middle finger to any and all transphobes and a big, bearded kiss from a pair of lipstick covered lips to all non-binary and trans folx who fight every day for the right to exist without the threat of murder, violence and discrimination all over the world.”

The song blasts through the gates, instantly slamming us against the wall with a thunderous assault of shredded and distorted guitars, crushing bass and speaker-blowing drums. Søberg fervently sings of both self-empowerment and anger over being negatively judged:

I wear my mother’s lipstick ’cause it makes me feel pretty!
I can’t talk to you cause it makes me feel shitty
Now you wonder, oh you wonder am I still you’re son?
Oh believe me, oh believe me no you’re not the only one

Oh I wear my girlfriend’s dress because it makes me feel fucking hot
Like I belong in this world and it’s never ever gonna stop
I feel like I, feel like I, feel like I’m floating
And your side-eyed stare doesn’t do me nothing

The relentless aural onslaught continues unabated, slashing the airwaves with jagged riffs of ear-splitting distortion and hammering percussion. Søberg ‘s screams can occasionally be heard amidst the cacophony, and despite the intensity of the music, it’s still incredibly melodic. They ultimately express their exasperation over the transphobia they’ve had to endure, defiantly shouting: “You make me feel fucking broken! You think it’s just a fad. I really don’t care. I really don’t!” The band unleashes all the sonic fury they can muster in the last 30 seconds as the track comes to an explosive and dramatic finish, leaving me spent. What a fucking fantastic song!

Take a listen and see if you don’t agree – and be sure to turn the volume all the way up!

Connect with Lazy Queen:  Website / Facebook / Instagram
Stream their music on Soundcloud / Spotify / Apple Music
Purchase on  iTunes and Drift may also be purchased on Bandcamp

ITHACA BOTTOM BOYS – Album Review: “Ithaca Bottom Boys”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

Ithaca Bottom Boys album

Being EclecticMusicLover, I love discovering interesting new music, so it was my lucky day when I was contacted by Leo Maniscalco, a member of the band Ithaca Bottom Boys, about reviewing their album. Hailing from the bucolic college town of Ithaca, New York, the five-piece formed seven years ago while still in high school, and ever since have been honing their craft by playing together and writing songs. On September 1st, they dropped their eponymous debut album Ithaca Bottom Boys, and what a delight it is! Their infectious eclectic sound is refreshing, surprising and lots of fun as they weave stories about the travails of life, love, substance abuse and relationship hell.

Comprising the Ithaca Bottom Boys are Tenor Caso (drums, vocals, aux percussion, acoustic guitar), Tristan Ross (guitar, vocals, aux percussion, piano ), Leo Maniscalco (guitar), Joe Hayward (banjo, vocals) and Abel Bradshaw (bass). In introducing his band, Leo had this to say about their music:  “Its difficult for me to describe our sound in a concise way, and no one song fully gives a representation of it, but here’s a go: we have four singers and songwriters, do a lot of vocal harmonies, and the songs are very dynamic with many changing parts and moods. They are also highly textural, featuring five musicians (two guitars, banjo, bass, and drums) each with unique yet congruous playing styles. It’s kind of folk and country meets rock and punk meets funk and soul, with splashes of other things thrown in, like hip-hop, jazz, psych, and prog.”

After listening to the album, I’d say his description pretty well nails it, and I love their eclectic music. I always try to include a few lyrics in my reviews, but the Ithaca Bottom Boys’ lyrics are so colorful and hilarious that I’ll be quoting them a lot.

Ithaca Bottom Boys 2

The album kicks off with “Blues in a Bottle,” a bluesy Rockabilly romp that sets a light-hearted tone and plants a big smile on my face, even though the lyrics address the guy’s messed-up woman who’s into some bad shit: “Blues in a bottle, blues in a bottle. Where do you think you’re at pretty mama. You went and kicked my dog, and now you drown my cat./ Goin’ to silly-putty, goin’ to silly-putty. Sorry I can’t take you pretty mama. I don’t abide no woman, who goes round sniffin’ glue.” The song immediately segues into “Gasoline n’ Kerosene,” a very catchy tune with very morbid lyrics about how he killed the woman who double-crossed him, burned down her house, and was hung for his crime: “When I went to that house you said that you’d be, you took one look into my eyes, and you began to flee. And I said gasoline n’ kerosene you owe me money for. You bad ol’ broad you shot me down, and now you’ll be no more. / Well… Just before that lever did let my gallows swing, I saw my aged mother a weepin’ after me. And I said gasoline n’ kerosene I can’t believe my sin, My soul shall burn as you have done and never…Will I see your sweet face again.”

“Winter Biking” sees the singer riding his bike into town on icy roads, taking a spill, and wishing he’d listened to his momma about taking the bus instead – all metaphors for the risks we take in life. “Thirty bellow but I’m still sweatin’. The devil only knows what I am gettin’ into. Well up a hill down a hill the struggles that I’ve been through. The thing about life is the road always continues.” The guys’ vocal harmonies on this track are especially wonderful. The guys change gears (pun intended) to an R&B vibe with the delightfully soulful love song “Baby.” The opening bass riff that continues throughout the track reminds me a bit of The Temptations’ classic “My Girl.”

One of my favorite tracks is “Hail to Dale,” which humorously takes on the perils of heavy drinking with a rowdy mix of music styles ranging from blues to bluegrass to funk. The lyrics are both funny and poignant: “Well… if I don’t dale a beer tonight, I might as well start a rowdy bar fight. Cause I hate myself and I hate my life. Pain and pleasure’s the same to me, and that all started when I was three, ’cause my daddy switched the bottle.”

Continuing with the theme of substance abuse, the guys veer off into psychedelic madness on the marvelously trippy “Salvia Apple.” The zany track sounds like what we’d expect from the bastard children of Frank Zappa and Dr. Demento, with all sorts of melodic change-ups, quirky instrumentals and crazed vocals. The lyrics are hilarious yet deeply poetic, as if from a fractured Shakespearean comedy: “Salvia apple and a bottle of jack. All I’ve had to eat or drink and that is a fact. Don’t care if I go hungry I’m just lookin’ to get smacked. Pass out in the jungle by the railroad tracks./ I’m a derelict, no one cares if I’m recked or sober. Grown colder, shouldered at the might of a globe wide society. So deprived of life yet so maniacally living. My state be so squalor I take whatever I’m given.”

“Flip That Record Jhonny” is a rousing Bluegrass/Rockabilly mostly instrumental tune that makes you want to kick up your heels. The guitar work and vocal harmonies are really terrific. And speaking of Dr. Demento, the guys get downright scandalous on “Demented Family.” The highly provocative lyrics seem to poke fun of a certain demographic, calling out incest and religious fanaticism: “Well my family tree’s got lotsa knots, and I get a lot o’tention from the cops, Cause incest on the ranch is plain to see. Pappy loved his sister and that made my daddy. And my daddy loved his sister too and that made little ol’ me. Well I never had no sister so I just loved my niece. I lessend my genealogy by stickin’ my D in her crease.” Oh my! They turn mellow as they sing the virtues of toking up on “Reefer Makes Everything Better,” a funny ditty with an early Lovin’ Spoonful vibe.

Perhaps the wildest track is “Summer Beavers,” the title being a play on the leading lyrics “Some are beavers, some are people…and most don’t really understand.” This long track is a real tour de force, with a mix of genres that go from blues to punk to country to funk to rap – sometimes all in the same stanza, kinda like The Red Hot Chili Peppers have done on some of their songs. The guys go crazy with bizarre lyrics that sound like being on an acid trip: “Rippin’ and a skippin’ like a minnow in the river. Susquehanna wit’ yo mama, catchin’ tuna on a canoe. Hock at me I’ll lock you in a rock up in Chautauqua. Yo hablo con Jorgito, necesito mucha agua. Pappy’s down the road in a jalopy popin’ poppy seeds, cruisin’ past the stoppers, coppers crackin’ down on acid droppers. Baller all are things, some are beavers. Tall like cedars, small like skeevers. We be eaters, feeders, bleeders, breeders, breathers, and beasts like golden retrievers, whaddap? ha-ha-ha.”

The guys seem to channel The Red Hot Chili Peppers again on the languid “No Regrets,” with jangly guitars, funky bass and vocals that sound a bit like Anthony Kiedis. They then abruptly change things up again on “Surfer NY,” an exuberant tune with awesome surf-rock guitars and a frantic punk beat. The explicit lyrics speak for themselves: “Surfin’ New York, yes I’m surfin’ New York. Havin’ sex on the rocky beaches. I’ve got lotsa rocks in my breeches. No I don’t know how they got in the laundry. No I’m not doin’ the nasty momma. No mama no mama no mama no. No those aren’t crack rocks don’t be silly. That’s just some crusty jizz from my willy. No mama no I’m not abusin’ myself. No mama no don’t kick me outa the house.” It’s an insanely wild trip from start to finish!

I must say that Ithaca Bottom Boys is unquestionably one of the most unusual and enjoyable albums I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, and I love this crazy band! If you like unique, eclectic and unorthodox music, then this album should be in your collection!

Connect with the Ithaca Bottom Boys:  Facebook / Instagram
Stream their music on Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music
Purchase on Bandcamp / iTunes

BOOGIE BOARD – Album Review: “Ferric Tape Noir”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments

Ferric Tape Noir

I’m a sucker for surf guitar grooves, and am really enjoying what seems to be a resurgence of surf rock in all its variations, whether it be garage, psychedelic, punk or even grunge. So I was pleased when the musician Stephen Denning reached out to me about his music project Boogie Board, and his latest album Ferric Tape Noir, which dropped at the end of January. Denning is a solo artist from Chicago who describes his music as “fuzzy midwestern garage/ psych/ surf rock.” He writes, performs, records and masters all his music directly onto a 4-track tape machine in order to achieve a lo-fi sound, and I after listening to the album, I’d say he succeeds quite nicely.

Screen shot 2018-04-10 at 1.13.52 AM

Before getting into the music itself, I’ll provide a bit of background about music tape. Curious about the words “Ferric Tape” in the album title, I Googled it and learned “ferric” refers to ferric oxide, one of the oxides of iron that happens to be magnetic. That quality makes it an ideal coating for tape that allows both the recording and removal of sound. The tape coating on most cassettes sold today as either “normal” or “chrome” consists of ferric oxide and cobalt mixed in varying ratios. According to the website Cassetro, “ferric tape offers deep booming bass, warm mid-range and excellent high frequencies up to 16 kHz (the upper end of most people’s hearing range).” Now I understand why Boogie Board would choose ferric tape to record his music.

He’s been a busy guy the past year, releasing his debut 12-track album Surf N Turf in May 2017, then following up with a five-track EP Dream Telepathy in September. He dropped Ferric Tape Noir at the end of January 2018, then two months later released a double single Portal Window & Infinity Stairs.

Most of the tracks on Ferric Tape Noir are brief, generally running one and a half to just over two minutes, with the exception of “Moon Waves,” which is three minutes long. Also, many are simple instrumental compositions, beginning with album opener and title track “Ferric Tape Noir,” where Boogie Board delivers a repetitive gritty bass-like riff to a rat-a-tat drum beat. I say ‘bass-like’ because though the heavy, gravelly riffs on his songs sound like they come from a bass guitar, he told me they’re all actually only guitar. He added that one track is guitar run through an amp and another features guitar through a bass amp, with the remaining tracks dedicated to drum machine and vocals.

“Moon Waves” is more fully-developed, with an intricate little surf guitar riff flitting over another sustained gravelly riff and frantic drum beat. His extremely distorted vocals add an interesting, rather spooky dimension to the song. The psychedelic “Flying Shadow” is a lively romp, with jangly and fuzzy guitars following a bouncy punk dance beat. We can hear Boogie Board’s distorted repeating chants of “flying shadow” in the background. One of my favorite tracks is “Magic Swamp,” with dense, gritty riffs and a hypnotic beat. I love the bluesy guitar riff in the song’s second half.

“Cowabunga” and “Abyss With Me” are straight-up lo-fi surf rock at its best. The latter track has more distorted vocals of him repeatedly wailing the song’s title. “Night Walk” is very short, basically consisting of a repetitive riff over a gentle tapping drumbeat. Another favorite of mine is album closer “Spectral Glide.” It’s one of the more melodic tracks, with an intriguing guitar riff floating above what sounds like a very gritty bass line and muffled drumbeat.

I thought I’d also touch on his latest two tracks. “Portal Window” has a great little riff along with his highly distorted vocals that are basically unintelligible, but highly effective in giving off a mysterious vibe he seems to want to achieve in his songs. “Infinity Stairs” delivers a fast-paced tempo with rapid thumping drums and more of his awesome fuzzy guitars, along with some tasty added side riffs. I can hear him sing “infinity stairs” but can’t quite make out the rest of the lyrics.

Overall, I like Boogie Board’s interesting style of lo-fi surf/garage rock, and the roughness of his sound. I think he’s a talented guitarist, and would like to see him try some more fully developed melodies and guitar riffs that would make his songs even more intriguing.

Stephen is also a talented graphic artist. You can check out some of his work on his Instagram page.

Connect with Boogie Board:  Facebook / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify
Purchase on Bandcamp

RUSTY SHIPP Release New Video for “SS Naronic”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments

Nashville rock band Rusty Shipp released their monumental album Mortal Ghost in 2017 to wide acclaim. Over the past several months they’ve been producing videos for different tracks off the album, and last November they released a terrific animated video for “Treading Water,” which I reviewed. They’ve now released an amazing new video for another track “SS Naronic,” a dramatic song about a ship that sank on February 19, 1893. The band chose today for the release to commemorate that fateful event.

Rusty Shipp calls itself a “Nautical Rock’n’Roll” band, with a sound influenced by the melodic chord progressions of The Beatles, the surf guitar of Dick Dale, the grunge rock of Nirvana, and the heavy metal of Led Zeppelin, among others. Their music is characterized by a dark, underwater sound, haunting vocals, and heavy riffs. The band consists of singer/songwriter and front man Russ T. Shipp (literally his birth name) on guitar and vocals, Elijah Apperson on lead guitar, AJ Newton on drums and Michael Craft on bass.

Rusty Shipp2

The SS Naronic was a steamship built in Belfast for the White Star Line. Eight days after leaving Liverpool for New York on February 11, 1893, the ship was lost at sea, along with all 74 people on board. According to Wikipedia, the exact cause of the ship’s sinking was never determined. However, messages found later that had been written by passengers and placed in bottles once they realized their ship was sinking seemed to indicate that it hit an iceberg. Rusty Shipp based their lyrics for the song on some of those actual messages. A particularly poignant line is “Oh god please tell me there is more than this, that this cold abyss is not the end.” Another is “Cattle and charcoal jettisoned to save the boat. But we won’t stay afloat.”

The hard-hitting song features intense, gritty guitars, heavy bass and lots of crashing cymbals, perfectly conveying the horror of the awful tragedy. The superb illustrated animation video was created by Hein Zaayman of Vohnic Music LLC, the same artist who illustrated the Mortal Ghost album cover. The brilliant use of sepia tones gives the video an historical feel.

Connect with Rusty Shipp: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Soundcloud / Reverbnation / YouTube
Purchase: iTunes / cdbaby / Bandcamp