New Music Roundup
Achromata – Aesthesys
Aesthesys, an instrumental quintet from Moscow, Russia, will drop their sophomore album this spring. It’s called Achromata. Aesthesys’ sound blends post-rock and neoclassical into what is basically ambient music moussed up with scintillating orchestral radiances. Achromata contains eight tracks of pretty, flowing music. The production is excellent and the band obviously has talent. Still, the songs tend to become a bit monotonous and flat because of sheer length, like listening to Wagnerian opera devoid of leitmotifs. It moves from tedious to asphyxiating rapidly.
“(You’re Better) Than Ever” – illuminati hotties
Illuminati hotties is the musical project of Sarah Tudzin, a producer/engineer hailing from La La Land aka Los Angeles. Referred to as “tenderpunk pioneers,” the debut album Kiss Yr Frenemies, drops May 11. “(You’re Better) Than Ever” is the first single/video from the album. Essentially, the song merges bubble-gum pop and new wave with punk-lite, giving the tune a sunlit SoCal skater-girl flavor akin to the The Go-Go’s on performance-enhancing drugs and without the fluff. The rhythm pulses contagiously and the doo-wah vocal harmonies infuse the song with luminous waves of sonic sunshine. Sweet and muscular, “(You’re Better) Than Ever” is worth listening to.
“Billionaire” – Lisa Stansfield
With a new album ready to drop April 6, British soul-singer Lisa Stansfield released “Billionaire,” the first single from her eighth studio album, Deeper. “Billionaire” amalgamates flavors from R&B, pop, and soul into a pop-laced tune full of bright colors and a soaring diva vocals augmented by streaming background harmonies. Although her vocal chops are potent, her delivery comes across as desperate and overly inflected. The towering, escalating tones rocket up like Elon Musk’s launch of the Falcon Heavy, only to tarnish the sonic atmosphere. Too much oomph and not enough nuanced sonority.
“Everybody’s Lonely” – Jukebox the Ghost
“Everybody’s Lonely” is the first single off Jukebox the Ghost’s forthcoming album Off To The Races, slated to drop March 30. The band, made up of Ben Thornewill, Jesse Kristin, and Tommy Siegel, will be on tour with The Greeting Committee this spring, finishing up at BottleRock in May. “Everybody’s Lonely” opens like a baroque prog-rock tune (think Queen), and then flows into a funky pop groove with a pounding, sparkling piano. The rhythm throbs with shiny energy, while the high-pitched vocal harmonies coruscate with yummy textures. A searing guitar adds lustrous accents and lights up the solo. Jukebox the Ghost definitely deserves to be checked out.
“Backfire” – Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown
“Backfire” is the latest single from Nashville’s Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown. The single is off the band’s self-titled album, just out, in support of which they will hit the road in March. “Backfire” opens with heavy guitars and a crunching bassline traveling on a full-bore rock and roll groove. Bluesy and thick with Southern rock flavors, the dirty guitars rumble and growl with hypertrophic dynamism as the drums pound like Thor’s hammer. That being said, the vocals lack the buff potency necessary to complement the music. So they beef them up with galling reverberations that dilute rather than boost the vocals. “Backfire” isn’t great, but it’s not bad.
Greenbah – Billy Roberts & The Rough Riders
Released at the end of 2017, Greenbah constitutes one of the overlooked gems, probably because the band hails from the Land Down Under, “Where women glow and men plunder.” The band is scrumptiously tight, blending country rock with grimy garage rock. The album contains eight songs, and not a dud among them. “Old Friend” features a SoCal rock melody replete with tasty jangling guitars and a sparkling piano. “No One Knows Me” delivers potent country rock, as well as vocals resembling a fusion of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen; rough and ready and righteous. There’s an edge to the music, like a serrated knife. Don’t miss Greenbah.
I Want to Believe – Nathan Kalish
If you’re into good-old-boy country music embellished with hints of rock and Americana, then Nathan Kalish’s latest album I Want to Believe is just what the doctor ordered. Kalish’s drawling, twangy voice touches the right chord on songs like “Bar Fight,” a measured tune swelling with Merle Haggard-meets-BuddyMiller ambiance. Or “My Best,” which smacks of early Eagles with its SoCal soft rock radiance and smooth harmonics. And then there’s “Roswell,” emanating a hoe-down-rocking energy that’s infectiously superb, as Kalish drags out the vowels in his distinctive tenor. This album will make you a believer in the power of country music.
“Bitch I’m the Shit” – Yaysh
Yaysh, who hails from Denver, but ditched the snowy Rocky Mountains for sunny Los Angeles, recently released “Bitch I’m the Shit,” combining ascetic flavors of R&B with ramped-up hip hop. The song opens with the aroma of sophisticated R&B, as Yaysh’s clear as crystal tones waver overhead. Then the flow changes to a nastily tight trap groove riding a cavernous bass and chomping percussion. Skanking guitars add a suggestion of reggae while Yaysh’s tones mutate from angelic to femme fatale wicked, giving the lyrics Cruella Deville maliciousness. Mixing R&B and trap flavors gives the song a curious field of suppressed energy, a bicameral sensation that’s reckless and effective. Yaysh has it going on.
Split – Holler House / Technician
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjyqKOIsMnZAhUM6YMKHT-nDdcQuAIIKjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DFeSUigZWp8k&usg=AOvVaw2HnoHjf7APrWC22QnVlv8w
Two Minneapolis punk bands, Holler House and Technician, recorded a split together. Appropriately called Split, the six-track EP is slated to drop March 3. Stylistically, Holler House and Technician fall at opposite ends of the punk spectrum. Holler House’s sound showcases dissonant guitars and mesmerizing clout, while Technician harks back to the '90s, featuring toothy melodies infused with robust dexterous tones. Holler House’s “End” rides jarring guitar tones allied with crunching drums and frenzied energy. Defiant, raging vocals emanate animosity. Technician’s “Cuppa” delivers punk laced with grungy alt-rock discharges of heavy, grimy get-up-and-go. Both bands come in at industrial-strength levels. If potent punk is your thing, check out Split.
Palmares Fantasy – Sean Khan ft. Hermeto Pascoal
On May 11, one of the world’s premiere saxophonists, Sean Khan, will drop Palmares Fantasy, nine tracks of cool, bluesy jazz. The album features Hermeto Pascoal’s passionate, off-the-cuff vocals, as well as drummer Ivan "Mamao" Conti’s avid 10/8 rhythms, and the luscious nu-bossa voice of Brazilian songstress Sabrina Malheiros. Khan’s sax highlights the album with scintillating tones and frosty textures glowing with moody sonority. One of two covers on the album, “Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser,” simply ripples with gorgeous colors and delicate nuances. Palmares Fantasy is yazum!
