Tag: The Orphan The Poet

Fresh New Tracks, Vol 13 – The Orphan The Poet, Gooseberry, Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments

After devoting my previous two Fresh New Tracks posts to artists and bands from the UK, I’m back in America to shine my spotlight on three great new singles by four acts I’m particularly fond of – The Orphan The Poet, Gooseberry and Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster. So, without further ado…

THE ORPHAN THE POET – “Feelin’ Good (Could Be Better)”

Alternative pop-rock duo The Orphan The Poet are one of the most delightful acts I’ve come across in a while. Based in Columbus, Ohio, they consist of vocalist and guitarist David Eselgroth and bassist Jake Floyd, both lifelong friends. With a winning combination of irrepressible charm, high energy and zany playfulness, they leave a trail of joy and color in their wake. Plus they make some pretty terrific music too! I first featured them on a previous Fresh New Tracks post in February 2021 when I reviewed their electrifying single “The Moxie”. Now they’re back with a new single “Feelin’ Good (Could Be Better)“, and it’s catchy, upbeat and fun, which is what their music is all about.

Written and recorded by David and Jake, with assistance from their producer and long-time collaborator Matthew Bach Squire, and musician Jacob Virgil, the song is about feeling generally okay about your life, but not allowing yourself to settle, instead always striving to do and be better: “Don’t stop, now or never / Call up my fortune teller / On top, but it’s whatever / Feelin’ good, but could be better.” Musically, the song is an exuberant stomper, with bouncy riffs, driving bass and snappy drums, accompanied throughout by a jaunty organ riff that adds some great texture. David’s fervent vocals, backed by his and Jake’s soaring harmonies, dial up the song’s overall energy.

The guys will soon be embarking on a national U.S. tour with Weathers and Moontower, so click here for dates and cities.

Follow The Orphan The Poet:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

GOOSEBERRY – “Broken Dance”

And speaking of irrepressible charm, Brooklyn, New York-based Gooseberry have it in spades. Formed in 2019, and comprised of Asa Daniels (guitar/vocals), Sam Rappaport (keyboards/vocals), Will Hammond (bass) and Evin Rossington (drums), together they blend indie rock, R&B and light jazz to create their own distinctive sound that’s both incredibly pleasing and sophisticated. And having two lead singers is another big plus, as both Asa and Sam have wonderful voices. I first learned about them late last summer when Sam followed me on Instagram, and I quickly became a fan of both him and Gooseberry. Their immense talent, strong charisma and playful sense of humor won me over. Besides, how can you not love these guys after seeing this photo of them with their heads together?

I wrote about Sam last November when I reviewed his terrific solo single “Journeyman’s Ballet”, and am now thrilled to feature Gooseberry’s new single “Broken Dance“. Their fifth single, it follows “Sleep”, which they released only a month ago, and is the title track from their forthcoming debut EP Broken Dance. (“Sleep” recently debuted on my Weekly Top 30, and is assured to have a long run.) It’s beautiful and contemplative, with a languid, jazzy vibe, highlighted by Sam’s lovely, melancholic piano keys and pensive, beguiling vocals, and nicely complemented by Asa’s sparkling guitar notes, Will’s subtle bass and Evin’s perfect drumbeats. 

“Broken Dance” touches on ambition, failure and regret. Sam further elaborated to me: “The song is the tale of an idealistic young artist who sets off with a romantic partner to find success on the horizon. What unfolds is not only an account of the failure of those dreams (‘We tried to make it, but somehow time was taken away from me.’), but also an admission that the pursuit of those dreams came at the expense of someone else (“….and I never let you breathe…This dance, let’s break it. The dreams we shared were all mine anyway.”). [It’s basically] a song about the man who sets out to be someone, and the woman who finds herself but a prop on which to lean.” It’s another superb song from this great band on the rise.

Follow Gooseberry:  Facebook / Instagram

Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster – “Kids”

Brian Lambert is an engaging, thoughtful and prolific singer-songwriter and musician based in Denton, Texas. He’s been writing and recording music for many years, and according to his bio, he’s “reinvented himself more times than he can count.” He even tried his hand at country music for a while, but came to the realization that it just wasn’t for him. More recently, he’s been making indie rock music inspired by some of his favorite acts like Spoon, Gang of Youths and the Replacements. He used to play gigs all over the DFW metroplex, but beginning in 2021, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for a year.

Marc Schuster is an insanely creative and multi-talented renaissance man. Not only is he an educator, author and literary critic, he’s also a prolific songwriter and musician, recording both as a solo artist and as part of multiple music projects and collaborations with other musicians. He’s also a pretty decent visual artist, and if all that wasn’t enough, he’s also incredibly generous, funny and kind. I first got to know him several years ago through blogging (he has a terrific WordPress blog called Abominations), and he’s been among the most consistently loyal supporters of me and my blog. I’ve featured him three times on my blog, most recently last month when I reviewed his wonderful EP There Is No Down.

Supportive of other artists in his own right, Brian was recently inspired to write his latest song “Kids“, after hearing “This Can’t Be It”, a moving song by Oklahoma country singer-songwriter Matt Moran, with spare lyrics addressing the struggles of trying to make it as a musician. “Kids” further explores those struggles, urging us to hold onto our youthful sense of innocence and wonder, expressed by the lyrics “And when everything went wrong, we sang a brand new song. I want y’all to sing along, like we did when we were kids.”

After writing the song, he felt something was missing, so he reached out to Marc, asking for advice and thoughts as to whether his song needed synthesizers or something else. Marc came up with a great synth accompaniment for Brian’s fine guitar work, as well as some backing vocals that enhance Brian’s plaintive vocals, nicely filling out the song and giving it a wonderful anthemic rock vibe. I think it’s one of Brian’s best songs yet.

Marc also created a fantastic poster for the song, which Brian used for its cover art. 

Follow Brian:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Follow Marc:  Blog / Twitter / Instagram

Fresh New Tracks Vol. IV

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

It’s time for another installment of fresh new releases, and today I’m featuring three songs by (in alphabetical order) Ronnie the Bear, Tarraska and The Orphan The Poet.

“Moon Eyes” by Ronnie the Bear

Ronnie the Bear is the music project of Joshua Rukas, a charismatic and silky-voiced singer/songwriter from Grand Rapids, Michigan. A talented and versatile musician, he’s also drummer for punk/emo rock band MUSCLEMAN, as well as a former member of alt-rock band Dancing On Pluto, who I reviewed a couple times prior to their splitting up in August 2018. Last September, he released his stunning debut single “Do You Feel That?“, which I love so much that it ended up on my Top 100 Songs of 2020 list. He followed up at the end of October with his wonderful EP Lucid Dreams, and on February 14th he dropped his latest single “Moon Eyes“, a sweet song of young love that’s the perfect tune for Valentine’s Day.

Josh’s music is a pleasing blend of lo-fi alternative pop-rock, hip hop, psychedelic, synth pop and emo that he describes as ‘bedroom pop’, as he composes, performs, produces, mixes and masters all his own music at home. Over a lovely humming synth that sounds like a mellotron, he layers a colorful mix of swirling keyboard synths, crisp percussion, guitar and xylophone to create an enchanting backdrop for his soft, comforting vocals as he tells a lover of his strong feelings of devotion for her: “I want to melt into your arms / Your eyes are bigger than the moon / I’ve got a blanket built for two / I know I’ll find some warmth in you.”

Follow Ronnie the Bear on Twitter / Instagram

“Renegade” by Tarraska

Tarraska is a rock band based in Bournemouth, England. Influenced by some of their favorite bands like Alter Bridge, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Van Halen, Tremonti, Five Finger Death Punch and Guns N Roses, their music is a blend of classic and modern hard rock, characterized by heavy riffs, hard-driving rhythms and aggressive vocals. Originally formed in 2014 by lifelong friends Jack Lande and Ben Parker as a primarily acoustic cover band, the duo began writing their own songs in 2016, incorporating more electric guitars and heavier bass into their sound. They started touring around the UK, performing their own songs, and by the end of 2019, they had played more than 300 gigs in all manner of venues – pubs, clubs, restaurants, festivals and at private events. Jack plays rhythm and acoustic guitar and sings vocals, Ben plays lead, rhythm and bass guitar. Shaun Brown assists the duo on drums.

The guys released their excellent debut single “Trailblazer” in May 2020, and followed up in December with their second single “Renegade“. The two singles will be included on their forthcoming debut album, due out later this year. Both songs were recorded and mixed at Absolute Studios and GMMix in Bournemouth by Gareth Matthews, and mastered by Grant Berry at Fader Mastering in Manchester. Like a rampaging beast, “Renegade” storms through the gates with a barrage of fiery riffs and thunderous rhythms. Jack and Ben dazzle our senses with their strong musicianship as they unleash an unrelenting arsenal of guitar power, while Shaun shatters the airwaves with his powerful drum fills. Jack’s commanding vocals hold their own throughout the track with the hard-hitting instrumentals.

Jack told webzine Rock Regeneration that the song “deals with the emotions felt for a forbidden love and serves as a warning against lowering your guard in the face of real but ephemeral desires”. He further elaborates on the song’s press release: “For me, ‘Renegade’ is our most ambitious and musically expansive track to date, incorporating so much of the music we love and outlining what we want the band to become in the future. As for the song itself, the lyric tries to capture the intense and confusing emotions felt when caught up in a whirlwind love that, whilst genuine, may have or lead to destructive consequences.”

Follow Tarraska:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

“The Moxie” by The Orphan The Poet

The Orphan The Poet is an alternative rock two-piece from Columbus, Ohio consisting of vocalist and guitarist David Eselgroth and bassist Jake Floyd. Though we follow each other on Twitter and Instagram, I don’t know a whole lot about them, other than that they’ve been putting out great music for around five years, and seem to have a hell of a good time doing it. They released their debut EP Terrible Things in 2016, and have followed up with number of singles and a second EP in the years since. Two of their singles have garnered more than a million streams on Spotify: “Terrible Things” with over 1.8 million and “Queen Cobra” with over 1.1 million.

Their latest single “The Moxie” was released on February 12th. The song was written and produced by David and Jake, with the help of frequent collaborator and music producer Matt Squire, mixed by Joe Costable, and mastered by Mike Kalijian. According to a feature article I found in Earmilk, the guys wrote the song over Zoom during the early days of quarantine. The lyrics were inspired by their feelings, their positive outlook on life, and determination and self confidence that are the very essence of the word “moxie”. David confided “There were times when growing up I very much identified as a nerd to be honest. At the same time, I was a confident nerd. Looking back at the song now I’m like ‘oh, that’s what it’s about. This is what it means to me. These are the times that I’ve known I was a big dork but that didn’t change the strut in the step or whatever it was. I could see so much of myself in the lyrics just from my own experiences of being the nerdy kid. He wasn’t in the cool crowd, but he thought he was cool.”

The song is a tasty slice of exuberant alt-pop, highlighted by swirling synths, thumping bass, bold hand claps, and a riotous cacophony of fuzz-coated wailing guitars. David’s intense, spirited vocals are every bit as fun as the music. The lyrics are basically nonsensical, but speak to having a joyous, unabashed confidence: “Crash my car just to cause a scene / I’m gonna flip my spliff like I’m Steve McQueen / Soak my shoes in gasoline, I got these Motown moves from a magazine / (And all I wanna do is) Two step, marmalade, fever shake / I’m like a juiced up, tidal wave, every day (I got it) The Moxie.”

Follow The Orphan The Poet:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram