It Begins

Artist: Thunderboogie
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Label: Independent


"The journey from idea to reality."

Earlier this month, Thunderboogie let their second release, It Begins, loose. Clocking in a little over 20 minutes, each of the three tracks on It Begins displays a different aspect of what the group is capable of. Kicking the album off is "The Call" with an intense speech about risking our lives today for the future, traveling towards that time, and accepting the call. We then travel to a beautiful sanctuary while in-flight with "Quarky the Galaxy Bird." Then we safely land in the grooving grounds of "Geejam," the concluding track, that climbs musically through many different zones.

A neat aspect of this album is all you are hearing was, at one point, a live take. When recording these songs, Thunderboogie would play it from top to bottom without stopping to take the best cuts. Bassist Jake Downey said the fun in recording this was seeing "which jam told the best story for each of these songs." The chosen cuts for It Begins display these excellently. For a release with only 3 songs on it, you get more of a musical satisfaction then you would anticipate. You can partially thank the trumpet for that; it always adds such a distinct sound, especially when it is the only given horn in a group.

"The Call" opens It Begins. The 5 minute 26 second Middle Eastern influenced song simply drags you into this work. Justin DiLuiso, a long time friend of Downey delivers the thesis of It Begins altogether, compact into one eerie speech pushing the point that "for the future we must risk our lives. But when we get there, all shall be created." This song brings some of the most prominent funk on the album due to dominance of the rhythm section and the bass-in-your-face style of playing, a beautiful and recurring aspect of this album. When it boils down to horns, the given lines the trumpet delivers are a bit lackluster for the track. This, though, is due to the fact that in the recordings he is not nearly loud enough comparatively to the remainder of the band.

Do you ever find those songs that, even on the first listen, strike you in a certain place? A place very solemnly touched upon musically. For an indescribable reason, you feel an urge to give it another listen, and every time you do so there is a new feature flourishing in your ears. Personally, this is what I would have to describe "Quarky the Galaxy Bird" as. Every given aspect of the song delivers to its fullest potential. This beautiful tale tells us of Quarky and his journey from Earth to Outer Space. He begins this journey shortly after he realizes that he shouldn't fight the air with his wings, but that he must reach the height where he floats harmoniously like the clouds. Every time this beautiful ballad is played, the improvised segment of the song displays Quarky's journey from Earth.

Not long after we have begun this trip through music we escalate towards the finale, "Geejam." An (almost) instrumental that spends 9 minutes and 10 seconds on a musical journey that transitions from beautiful soaring dynamic areas, to the house of what seems to be a lesser experienced spawn of Page McConnell and Ray Manzarek with piano tickles galore, to a Jimi-influenced land where the four on the floor dance party the rhythm section is throwing gets coated by echoing guitar work and bulletproof trumpet accents. What better way to end a nice musical journey then with a beautiful vocal cadence repeating itself a couple times as the band slowly pulls the song to a halt?

Look at this album as a sandwich. There are a top and a bottom bun, and delicious contents in the middle. Without the essential buns, the structure that holds the sandwich together and makes it complete, it would be a mere single that had no conversational value. A bun-less burger. When all together though, you have the entirety of the meal, buns and all. The main focus of the sandwich may be on what is in the middle, yet it would not be nearly the same without the components that made it all one piece. That is how I look at It Begins. You can find serenity in "Quarky the Galaxy Bird," but that is not to say that "The Call" and "Geejam" aren't excellent pieces. They both collectively complete the work and make it what it is at this very moment.

- Woocci

Show Review: Dads

Energy was the word of the night at Cambridge’s Elk Lodge Saturday. There were two men on “stage” (which was really just a cleared out area of the floor), John Bradley and Scott Scharinger, the respective drummer and guitarist of punk/emo outfit Dads. For being a two piece band, they bring a lot of sound. Scharinger’s multi amp setup and guitar manipulation would have one thinking the band had at least two guitarists and a bassist had they not been able to see the performance. He manages to fill huge spaces with his one instrument; chugging away at massive, foundation shaking chords, head whipping about, his Replacements shirt drenched in sweat. All the while Bradley ruthlessly batters the drum kit into a well controlled cacophony. Both members sing, but Bradley does the majority and his vocal performance was quite consistent. The vocals were at times difficult to hear due to the sheer volume of the guitar, but his shout-singing style came across well and only added to the liveliness. Bradley’s ability keep his voice going strong throughout the set was remarkable, never backing down or petering out.

The audience was equally, if not more, frenzied than the band; jumping, moshing, and crowd surfing galore. At one point between songs Bradley said to the audience “You guys are sick,” and it was hard to tell if he meant it or if he was just poking fun. It seemed everyone in the room was having a great time. It wasn’t all high-octane partying though. Dads’ songs also hit points with tone-downed drums and beautiful spacey guitar lines, giving the show some quieter more romantic moments. Overall it was a very energetic, communal, and strangely intimate show that was downright blast to be at. They have a great vivacity live that their recordings, unfortunately, fail to capture. I would certainly recommend seeing these guy’s in the flesh to anyone.

After the show we got the chance to do a quick interview Dads:


Here’s a bit of footage we caught from the set:

You can check out some great photo’s from the show (like the one above) taken by the folks at Future Breed here.

And here is Dads’ bandcamp page.

-Liam Beaudoin

The Redeemer

Artist: Dean Blunt

Release Date: May 1, 2013

Label: Boom Kat



The Redeemer by Dean Blunt is an album of contrasts. Coming from the experimental pop duo Hype Williams, Blunt's third solo album comes with little fan-fair or pretense, despite still being a "pop" album. Sweeping harps, strings and orchestrated melodies dance along side hip-hop beats, eccentric samples and droning, evocative vocals from both Blunt and contributor Inga Copeland. Its the kind of instrumentation one might see in a Kanye West album, even though Blunt has said his favorite record is still What's the Story Morning Glory and that he hates hip-hop (Source)

The whole album's production is in stark contrast to Blunt's previous work in Black is Beautiful where mid-range frequencies failed to exist and infra bass caved in speakers. The Redeemer is almost a boastful album in this respect. Genre boundaries are jumped over and over again. Walls of Jericho paddles off with wave samples and tension-filled violins, only to be succeeded with Make it Official, a sappy, guitar solo driven R&B track. Its clear Dean Blunt doesn't care if his music makes sense, often switching between synths and recordings of the same instruments between songs. Even with all the poppy experimentation, Blunt still finds room for sincerity and meaning. Raspy voicemails and crooning songs about lost love scatter a very intimidating, but not hostile, album. Despite its origins in detached, classical art made from trashy music, The Redeemer is an interesting experiment with the structure of music and of an album.

-Justin Healy

Track Review: "We've Always Been Here"

Artist: Worthless
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Label: Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records


"Worthless is Curtis Godino, Skyler Toski and Nicole Zamfes. We make sounds for the soul. We are Worthless."

A little over a month from now, Worthless will put out another album called Keep Sleeping. At this time we only have access to the second track, "We've Always Been Here." Unlike their previous self-titled release, "We've Always Been Here" has its grasp on a far eastern influence. The lo-fi, hard to decipher vocals seem to be a common trait of the group. It gives it an eerie feel to fit in the puzzle with the desert rock progression of the song. A comfortable blend between twang and persistent fluid motion is found here, and can easily satisfy your ear. There is a soothing acoustic melody holding the song from the ground up. More complex percussive features start to add a bit of sophistication here and there. Worthless strategically uses the aspect of Start-Stop in this song to tie from one part to another smoothly and confidently. Not nearly as confident as the ending of the song though, where a multi-part harmony carries the ship to a safe docking. I look forward to seeing what the band will pull with the remainder of Keep Sleeping.

Worthless is also releasing this album in a limited edition cassette format of 100 copies. For only $8.00 you can pre-order this and also get a fold out poster with it. Items ship around the 21st of June.

-Woocci

10"

Artists: GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! and Goddard

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Label: Boiler Room Records

10” is a split featuring one track from math-rock duo GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES!, and two from the genre-blending group Goddard. The first song, “In the Middle of the Night Someone Tore Off the Ceiling and Sucked Me Into the Sky / Before My Eyes Began to Boil I Saw Billions of Tiny Webs Connecting Everything” is a ten minute tour through headspaces ranging from acrobatic upbeat punk, to desolate reverb-washed riffing. At times, it seems like there were too many ideas for any one section to truly grow but, as an overall piece, the pacing was good, with satisfying transitions from foreboding to exuberance or quiet to chaos. The sheer volume of ideas and the ability of the band to transition between them with ease are impressive, but at no point is instrumental athleticism the focus. In a style that’s been known to put complexity above all else, “In The Middle of the Night” is noteworthy because GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! use their extreme instrumental talent only to develop the track to its fullest potential.

Goddard presents an interesting mix of musical styles. They sit on the mathier side of post-punk, and two versatile vocalists help keep their songs interesting throughout. On “Midwest 95”, a light opening and sarcastically vivid lyrics take a sudden detour into a half-time jam and repetitive, building shouts. “Thrush” has a similar quality, with a dark, brooding section suddenly becoming completely undone. In both songs, there’s a lack of buildup to the more intense sections, and they feel a little awkward in context. However, the abruptness isn’t enough to take away from the atmosphere of the songs, and in some ways adds the aggressive energy. Like their partners on the split, Goddard know their ways around their instruments, and use this to flesh out far more than two tracks worth of ideas. 10” is, by its nature, a release that will be appreciated by lovers of the rhythmically complex, but it’s never bogged down by the talent of its musicians and it has a wealth of content and a high replay value that anyone will appreciate.

-Alex D'Alfonso

Make Me Stay / No More

Artist: Sander Mölder
Release Date: April 29, 2013
Label: Independent


Sander Mölder's newest single Make Me Stay / No More contains two (soul dance?) tracks featured clearly in the title.. On both tracks, Mölder displays his excellent craftsmanship and creativity when it comes to the use of vocal samples in his music. "No More" is easily the better of the two tracks, being both club-ready and having the most progression. Overall, it's the more interesting of the two tracks. Jittery percussion and choice synth tones create an instant soul-infused banger. DJs will eat this track up. Stylistically, it fluidly and successfully channels "Satin Panthers" era Hudson Mohawke. The main feature of "No More" is what sounds like some pitched up dirty talk, moaning "I need more" over and over. Most of the vocals on this track come from this one sample, but are chopped creatively (see 1:26).

This isn't to say that the first track isn't any good; but it is not something that will make it to a DJ's set, something that appears to be Mölder's end-goal. His vocal manipulation is again spot on with "Make Me Stay," it is comparable to Burial at points. The main turn off of "Make Me Stay" is that it relies on the hook too much. The song doesn't end up going anywhere, but only back to where it started. Combined with the cheesy 80s brass sounds, it can get a bit tiresome. Despite it's flaws, Make Me Stay / No More is a single worth remembering, plus, look at that album art.

-Owen Bolas

Feather Weight Soul Tape

Artist: Robin Mitchell
Release Date: April 28, 2013
Label: Independent


Summer time is near and feel-good music is beginning to fill the air. You may want to lean towards the upcoming, feel-good release if you find yourself pleased with innovative genre blending. Feather Weight Soul Tape takes aspects of indie music and branches from that to dream-pop and moderately psychedelic territory. Over all of this though, the album is coated with acoustic guitar, electronic sounds similar to that of , and very on point vocals. The album sticks to a airy pop influenced style yet throws in some spice here and there, keeping it fresh and funky.

Consisting of 6 tracks, Feather Weight Soul Tape is a rather quick listen, clocking in at 19 minutes, 16 seconds. Mitchell, who recorded all the songs on this album in his basement, kicks off the album with an extremely catchy instrumental called "Purple Tide (intro)." Although under two minutes long, this opening track displays some of the most creativity on the album. From the extra-terrestrial sounding synths to the foundation that is the tight knit bass line, "Purple Tide" plays not only as an excellent starting point, but and excellent lead into the second track "Wide of the Mark." This track sees the albums first exposure of words, and they are pretty powerful ones at that (see: "and I wonder, do my good parts outweigh my faults?"). Electric guitar too can be heard for the first time on the album, complementing the main melody. If you're looking for some grooving time, this has the most to give off the entire genre-hopping album.

"Summertime," the third track on the album shows a fun side of beach pop. This track sounds a lot like something that would come out of a combination of Dion and the Belmonts and "Twistin' by the Pool" era Dire Straits. "Summertime" displays arguably the most indie sounds off the entire work, which would work a whole lot better if the lyrics didn't seem to be a jumbled up narrative with excellent harmonization. A recurring theme for this album the third track displays is the rip-chord endings when the songs just seems to fall off to an abrupt finish.

Return of the extra-terrestrial synths in the beautiful duet "Nothing Personal," the fourth track on the album in which Mitchell brings in Chloe Newnham. The wobbly lick that is used as the songs staple almost seems to have been torn from the Nintendo game Animal Crossing, it has a deliciously unique sound that you hardly ever hear. One of the strongest parts of Feather Weight Soul Tape is the recurrence of certain sounds placed in different environments. Sounds that Mitchell used as a hook in "Nothing Personal" are seen frequently on the album and strongly in the album opening track.

Following suit of the second song on the album, "Trapped in its Teeth" is a moderately upbeat ballad with heartfelt lyrics and a twangy guitar rhythm that would sit well on a Ukulele. The song tells a story of a man who is feelings stuck within where he currently is and is not satisfied with the lack of seclusion. Along with this is him trying to show his love-interest he "exists."

Continuing this tale is the album closing track "Homecoming." This song is written almost like three separate letters. Starting with Mitchell seemingly returning to his hometown after a long absence. Followed by him telling the city he loves it wasn't replaced by another, and he still loves it intently. Feather Weight Soul Tape's final track concludes with a letter of his leaving even though he still feels for the location, and he says he will return. It's a power ballad with the same looping organ pattern over again that drags on and on. For the impact that the lyrics put off, the instrumentation on the track is rather lackluster, and leads to a disappointing dead stop to the album.

All in all, Mitchell put out a pretty mellow album for us to begin to bring in summertime with. The album covers much ground in its just short of 20 minute run time without going too far astray for the message he is trying to convey. Vocalization on the album is beautiful and an extreme highlight of the piece all together. Don't go into this expecting the next big indie-pop sensation, but more so go into it for some easy listening, floaty feeling and dreamscape creating tunes.

- Woocci