Astronomique - Sharp Divide (2018)

OFFICIAL: http://www.astronomiquemusic.com

FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/astronomiqueband/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Astronomiques

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/astronomiques/

BANDCAMP: https://astronomique.bandcamp.com

Written by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin

Led by lead singer and synthesizer player Logan Andra Fongemie and guitarist Sean Hogan, Minneapolis’ Astronomique are sure to impress many with the release of their ten song collection Sharp Divide. There’s an overarching coherence defining the release shared by few albums in any vein and the four piece lineup plays with enormous chemistry reflected in the relatively sterile nature of a studio recording. There are certain consistent points sustaining the release, but Astronomique is quite at home with surprising their listeners as well while never going so far overboard as to make such efforts unrecognizable. Sharp Divide is cut to just the right length as well and the band’s confidence never seems to slip during the entirety of the release. Rather than coming off as talented young musicians, Astronomique comes off as a talented assemblage of veteran musicians near or reaching the peak of their artistic powers.

We are treated to a shot of that confidence, up close, with the album’s first song. “Forefathers” has an internal drive that’s impossible to ignore, focused largely on the work of bassist Preston Saari and drummer Mitch Billings, but the contributions from both Fongemie and Hogan offer much as well to this stellar track. “We Disappear” is another powerful potential single and Saari’s sternum shaking pulse is the heart of the song. Fongemie’s synthesizer flourishes are also particularly effective for adding color to this piece. Song construction is one of Sharp Divide’s strongest merits and few of the songs on this collection are more solid than “We Disappear”.

The songs “Losing Our Control” and “Sharp Divide”, however, raise the standards by which we evaluate this album. Astronomique burrow their best songs in the album’s midway point and both, specifically the title song, sound fully fleshed our and ready for the stage. The small hop Billings gives the song with his percussion is a stylistic note he strikes again on Sharp Divide, but never with the same sort of positive effect Billings achieves bringing it into “Losing Our Control”. “Smoke” is more cluttered, in some respects, than the earlier and later songs, but attentive listeners will appreciate the band’s willingness to mix things up for their listeners rather than remaining content to churn out variations on a theme for the entirety of Sharp Divide’s ten songs.

“Bleed Me” is another of the album’s more ominous numbers, evidenced by its title, but catches your ear in large part thanks to the unique contrast between its lyrics and engaging, likable musical content. Fongemie’s vocal is especially emotive here. The drum patterns for “Heading Nowhere” establish a patient, slightly busy groove for this mid-tempo album finale and the throb of Preston Saari’s voice gives the song a resonant center than never goes away. It seems like Fongemie’s vocals are laden with more echo than ever before, but it shouldn’t dampen your enthusiasm for the track or this stunning studio release.

Sky Orchid - Oculus (2017)

OFFICIAL: https://skyorchid.net/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/skyorchidofficial/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/skyorchidband

Written by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin

Hailing from the small town Midwestern town of Manhattan, Kansas Sky Orchid takes a page from Deadboy and the Elephant Men, The White Stripes and early Big Business in terms of keeping their membership succinct.  They’re a two-piece fronted by mainly vocals/guitar and drums (keyboards/piano/percussion for the auxiliary sounds heard on this record).  Sky Orchid one-ups the competition, going a step farther and being a pair of blood-born brothers.  There’s a definite degree of musical telepathy involved whenever you get musicians from the same family bond in a singular project together and it’s all over the group’s debut album, Oculus. 

Oculus packs a lot of variety into its musically ambitious core.  Fragments of rock, indie, industrial, electronica, post-rock and gothic music all emanate from its sonically glowing mass.  Not only does the tight playing shine, the overall production is pristine and powerful giving even the softest songs a bottomless depth and immeasurable weight that crashes over the listener with force and subtle flicker erupting oftentimes within the course of one song.  “The River” proves this thesis true immediately; relying on brooding piano lines and a witch’s brew of bubbling drums that explode into spires of heavier guitar riffage later on.  Gabriel (vocals/guitar) has a solar croon aimed for the sky, giving this material both malice and menace throughout even when his lyrics reflect on the positive side of life and love. 

“Sneakers” meditates on trance-y, Euro-style electronica in its early half (though bare bones and atmospheric as opposed to house music’s bounciness) and turns into a full-fledged, mid-tempo electro-riff rocker during its latter moments.  Though “In the Fire (Part 1)” is an indie glimmer charmer for the largest part of its duration, the song is unafraid of some climactic, power-chord scaling when it crescendos and fiery-titled counterpart “Wildfire” trots along on a bluesy acoustic guitar melody before again unleashing some riff-centric finish work.  Elsewhere, “I’ll Stop The World (Part 2)” hurries the pace and goes for a 90s sort of riff-scorch ballast that meets in middle-ground with the keyboard enhanced goodness of recent acts like The Killers or Canada’s Econoline Crush circa The Devil You Know.  “Lex” is a crunching, drum-beaten psychedelic work that launches into the 1-2 bass-y grooves of “Breathe Easy (the duo’s oldest composition at 7 years’ aged)” and the downright positive “Take It All’s” cleanly woven guitar melodies.  “Yesterday” and album round-up number “Fortify” plunge more space-y and thoughtful textures in their droning, trippy electronica washed rock guises. 

Oculus is a powerful work from a young band that’s grown far beyond their humble garage beginnings.  With touring runs taking them all through Kansas, to Houston and Nashville (mainly for recording purposes), they’ve grown this project into something that the world needs to hear.  The brothers’ inventive take on songwriting and locked-on musical dynamics have rendered them a debut that’s all killer and no-filler.  Even the atmosphere-oriented compositions are of a highly quality and never devolve into boredom or tedium.  Oculus should please a wide berth of music fans of all styles and genre interests.

Shofar - s/t (2017)

BANDCAMP: https://shofar.bandcamp.com/releases

BROADJAM: http://www.broadjam.com/shofar

Written by Daniel Boyer, posted by blog admin

Shofar’s return to the musical arena with a six song self-titled EP will likely stand, by year’s end, as one of more successful releases in the band’s admittedly slim discography. It marks their first studio work since 2005’s Turn, but the time away hasn’t dulled their musical acumen in any appreciable way and, indeed, it seems lead singer and songwriter Larry Hagner has further matured during his time away from the microphone. The band’s religious/spiritual based message hasn’t been secularized, per se, but rather subsumed into an accessible vehicle that presents it alongside recognizable sounds and avoids any hint of hectoring or sermonizing. This is far, however, from a glorified solo vehicle for Hagner – taken as a whole and on an individual basis alike, the songs on this self-titled EP are clearly the product of a cohesive unit with each member making important contributions to the overall whole.

There’s a nearly progressive, quasi-classical intro kicking off the EP opener “Running” before a wall of pulverizing guitars falls on the listener’s head. The chaos clears for Hagner’s vocals to enter the mix and the nicely melodic qualities of his voice contrast nicely with song’s recurring raucousness. The indie nature of the band’s recording doesn’t hold them back at all; everything has a high level of production polish and an obvious ear for instrumental balance. While the rock histrionics of the opening track afford Hagner a chance to flex his hard rock muscle, we get an opportunity to hear his more classic melodic strains on “Powerman”. There’s some backing vocals sweetening things here at key points and some steady, unspectacular, but wildly successful guitar work. “Shades of Grey” is, like the aforementioned tune, more modulated than the EP opener, but it has a strong alt-rock stride that gives it some added urgency over “Powerman” and there’s a wider vocal presence on this tune that helps the tune come off quite nicely.  

“Hands Down” is more about observing a specific character than any particular message and one of Hagner’s best writing jobs on this collection. It’s a hell of a rock track as well that percolates with real rock power and an appealing “sweep” carrying listeners along. “Countdown” and the finale “The Coming” are much more in keeping with the band’s earlier material, but there’s an intensely human quality to these songs that keeps them tethered to relatable qualities instead of sounding unduly preachy. Shofar’s self-titled EP is a great musical mix that’s equally capable of overwhelming listeners as it is beguiling them. This is a talented band that we need to help redeem challenging times in the world of rock and roll. They bring great music to the table along with first class lyrics that draw you in.

Blue Apollo - Light Footed Hours + Circles (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://blueapollomusic.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/blueapollomusic/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BlueApolloMusic

Written by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin

The members of Blue Apollo’s (a group of Dallas, TX pop/indie rockers) history stems back to their paths crossing at the Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts.  During their time at the school the future band mates formed a strong bond that encompassed similar musical and artistic tastes which led to the formation of project.  Though now a four-piece, most likely due to the fact that their debut EP Light-Footed Hours requires several segments of piano/organ/cello in addition to basic rock n’ roll instrumentation, this trio rocks hard and sinks deep into subtlety on this flagship six-song offering. 

Points of comparison are difficult to come by but the individual players’ list John Mayer and Maroon 5 for starters.  One could also say that they draw from the 90s indie-rock scene, catchy pop music, a touch of hard rock and a little bit in the way of orchestrated chamber music.  It’s a unique and entertaining mix that keeps the listener guessing throughout.  Jeremiah Jensen’s lays right into lead-in number “Walls” with a shaking, trembling beat that’s heavy on the snares and tapping rim shots.  Musically, the tune shoots right into perpetual motion with the percussion being joined by an aquatic bass line, stream of consciousness melody vocals and glowing electric guitars with nearly all of the distortion pared down.  Immaculate layering and building continually piles on numerous jangle-pop guitar lines and polyrhythmic backbeats in an infectious take on The Cure’s contagious post-punk minus the goth intentions.  Eventually sizzling bits of electric guitar and rabid jazz cymbal ghosting lend the cut everything it needs to become the multifaceted musical monster it strove for from the first note.  “Feeling Right” allows guitarist/vocalist Luke Nassar to mix several guitar styles into a distinctive whole; from tuneful, highly melodic indie-licks that are quickly picked to funky down-strum to wailing old school rock leads, Nassar is able to run the complete gamut of expression in this hip-shaking, mid-paced rocker.  The rhythm section plays with flash and panache but never speeds up too much, valuing tight, compacted playing in favor of speed thrills.  Though classified as indie-rock, this band proves that they are much more than any label could tag them with.  Wraparound guitar licks render “Therapy” an immediate standout as a melody-intensive pop rocker that hits all of the right chords and sends the hook-riddled chorus arrangement right out of the park with a grand slam homerun.  “Avalanche” and “Meant to Be” are a superb couplet of tracks and make for an interesting pair to analyze while the EP plays through.  Both more or less begin with a lengthy passage of Nassar singing back by a solo instrument (in “Avalanche” it’s piano and in “Meant to Be” it’s the singer’s own acoustic guitar), but once both pieces progress beyond their middle waypoints it’s an exercise in no-holds barred rock where even the instrumentation is tougher than any of the other tracks on the EP.  Closer “Circles” returns to the symphonic pop swagger of “Therapy” and couldn’t end this recording on a better note. 

Though Blue Apollo wears certain influences on the band members’ collective sleeves, they still manage to come up with a sound that’s quite eclectic and original.  They have zero trepidation about combining disparate styles into a single song while making it work to boot.  Fans of edgy pop rock should definitely make room in their collection for Light-Footed Hours.   

Man Called Noon - Everybody Move (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://mancallednoon.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mancallednoon/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ManCalledNoon

Written by Jay Snyder, posted by blog admin

Windy City alt-indie rockers Man Called Noon return with a brand new EP, Everybody Move.  Adding a new member in Nathan Crone (keys and auxiliary instruments) has deepened the band’s pulsating, dance-y grooves tenfold and the three tracks here exhibit much growth from their second full-length The Bad Guy.  Each cut thrives on spirited and highly energetic instrumentation led by a punchy rhythm section and a low, buzzing new wave synth frequency that pushes the band’s big chorus hooks to the forefront to make it all the more memorable. 

The title track starts thing off with a steady ready upbeat guitar riff played out over a lockstep drum beat and taut bass lines.  Lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Anthony Giamichael’s higher register croon fills the song with a smooth focal point melody that builds up to a stellar chorus pay-off that’s made even sweeter thanks to Erin Piortrowski’s slick harmony vocals.  Lyrically, the message celebrates life, love and good times by inciting the listener to move and live to the music and the overall human experience.  A searing late game guitar solo explodes like dynamite atop drummer Josh Fontenot’s rousing forward pushing beat.  There are touches of pop punk, new wave, indie, dance music and r & b.  The mixture brewed in the songwriting always goes for a fresh and original approach to the type of music that the group favors.  A ragtime piano is the icing on the cake of this excellent track.  “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” relies on a bass-y, fuzzy lead keyboard riff that alternates with the cascading guitar licks and a driving low end throb.  There’s little time for balladry, boredom or slow tempo drudgery as the band is always operating on high octane.  Again the sugar sweet, dueling male/female vocal counterpoints craft a song that you’ll immediately want to sing-a-long to.  The guitar work even incorporates influences as disparate as jangly funk pattern into this rich sonic melting pot.  Closer “One Last Ride” runs a catchy punk rock guitar hook up and down the fret board.  It collides into a bass groove that’s got energy and bravado to match its 6-string counterpart.  Giamichael attacks the vocal line with some gritty snarl and drawl while the music’s pounding, hypnotic repetitions give way to full-fronted aural charge that keeps the pacing on high and the vocal trades in the limelight of the band’s palette.  The formula maybe simple on this tune but simple formula’s applied and layered effectively make for great pop music and although pop might be a huge influence on this music, Man Called Noon deliver their material with an edgy panache that never lays back (Piortrowski’s soulful howling back-up vocals are a serious aggressive high-point).  These cats know how to attack and strike; it makes their songwriting far more memorable than lesser bands of a similar ilk.

Everybody Move is an excellent EP with three great songs that you’ll have on repeat for quite some time to come.  It showcases a band at the height of a serious growth spurt.  Man Called Noon just keeps getting better and better with this quick platter containing some of their very best work to date.