Audio Overflow is written entirely by Cale. Cale will gladly listen to your music and review it for you, but not without prior solicitation. To get in contact with Cale, send him an email: audiooverflow (at) gmail (dot) com.
Please understand that Audio Overflow is a "part time" blog, and Cale may never get a chance to mention your music. That's a risk you're gonna have to take. Hint: your chances are better if your music is good. Read around the blog and discover what Cale likes. If you think your music is similar...send it in!
For those of you who may be a bit new to the blog, I used to run this feature called Myspace Music Mondays in which I would profile talented artists who I totally found on myspace. On January 21, 2008 I profiled a young woman from Norway who I felt had what it took to be the next, oh I don't know, Bjork. Her name is Hanne Kolstö and she sings with several different groups.
As it just so happens, Hanne and the guys from Love:Fi will be performing at this year's SXSW festival in Austin, TX on March 18. Now I know that for many of you attending the festival, hearing some little known group from Norway is no big deal, but trust me, you're in for a treat!
There's no word yet on specific times or location, but do yourself a favor and try to discover something new. Who knows? You may even get to say "Yeah, I heard them before they got famous" to all your friends a few years from now. Just a thought....
Can you believe it's only been two weeks since the last myspace music monday? It feels like a lifetime! So I know you're sitting on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating this article. That's why I won't waste any more of your time with fancy-shmancy introductions. Just read.
Sleeping In the Black Light
Genres: Alternative/Progressive/Experimental Location: Manchester, United Kingdom Band Members: Gav - Vox, Guitar, Piano, Sax / Matt Webb - Lead Guitar, Percussion, B Vox / Junior - Bass, B Vox / Jay - Drums, B Vox Influences: Too many to name. Highlights include: Sigur Ros, Radiohead, The Walkmen, and Led Zepplin. Sounds Like: "Going for a lovely picnic, sitting in the grass, staring at the sky, and eating a sandwich, only to find that you have forgotten to pack a drink. You finish the sandwich regardless and try to enjoy yourself. Nevertheless you are constantly plagued by the feeling that things could be a lot better."
The Short of It: The best way to describe the band is by stealing their above statement. You try to enjoy yourself, but are constantly plagued by the feeling that things could be a lot better.
Songs: "Mexican Standoff" - To be 100% truthful, the reason that I am featuring this band today has little to do with my admiration of their talent. The band went splitsville over a year ago but are still being promoted by Net Label, The Gack Factory, who contacted me about doing a write-up of the band. In their letter was a line that grabbed my attention and forced me to listen. Comparing their "mini-album" to Muse, Radiohead, and System of a Down, they wrote that "Mexican Standoff" is the "pinnacle of the band's recorded work." If that's the case, then the best thing to happen to Manchester, England in some time was this band's dissolution. "Mexican Standoff" sounds like a high school band's attempt at Audioslave, with amateurish vocals and a somewhat bluesy, but mostly ballsy, guitar line. If this is the pinnacle, then the rest of this articles really ain't worth writing.
"Shadows in the Headlights" - The production on this song is the best of any of their recorded work, as it sounds legitimate as opposed to the other songs' garage-style recordings. Gav's vocals aren't half bad here, and his falsetto sounds natural and unforced. Hearing the two guitar parts play off of each other is very nice. Also, I'm really struck by the band's ability to tone things down. The other songs sound like a mess of guitars, drums, and vocals, but this one is well-balanced and easy to swallow.
"Been Killing Wasps" - To be honest, this is really the best that the band at it's best. That's not including Gav, of course, who can't sing a lick. He spends most of the song going back and forth between awkward yelling and a castrati-like falsetto. The instrumentation, however, is quite solid and makes the song worth hearing.t
"Diplomatic Malice" - Comically bad vocals really ruin anything else that this song may have going on for it, which isn't a whole lot. Gav's voice is reduced to a nerdy growl thoughout the song's length. The fact that this is the final version of the song and not some bedroom demo is the most shocking revelation I've dealt with in some time. The song's instrumentation picks up a bit towards the end (once the vocals have gone away), but it's not enough to redeem the song. Not by a long shot.
"Crows on Telephone Wires" - Not a terrible song by any means. The 6/8 time signature used by the band makes for an interesting listen. Guitar-driven, the only thing one could really complain about are Gav's vocals which are downright pitiful. It sounds like he recorded the song after a night of heavy drinking, which can never bode well.
The Long of It: You know what the sad thing about this is? The band probably could've made a few decent songs if it weren't for their lead singer. The guys sure are familiar with their instruments, and aside from the low fidelity, their recordings aren't all that terrible. But there's that Gav fellow who just flat out doesn't sound good. Hopefully the rest of the band has moved on to other projects. As for the singer, well, I hope he has come to terms with his lack of talent and tried to occupy his time with other activities - like water polo! Who doesn't love water polo?
For tomorrow's release of Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs, I've decided to make all posts this week Death Cab-related. So for today's myspace music monday, I browsed through all the artists who listed Death Cab as either an influence or a "sounds like." The result? People are liars! None of the dozens of artists that I heard even resembled DCFC. So we're left with the best band that I stumbled during today's browsing. It may not sound like Death Cab for Cutie, but it's still pretty decent.
Days Like Stars
Genres: Indie/Rock/Pop Location: Sydney, Australia Band Members: Billy Coleman (Vocals, Guitar), Adrian Sheather (Lead Guitar), Toby Shain (Bass and Keyboards), Anthony Layton (Drums) Influences: Death Cab for Cutie, Motor Ace, Bluebottle Kiss, Snow Patrol, Explosions in the Sky, Deloris.
The Short of It: More Snow Patrol than Death Cab. More contemporary Christian than indie rock.
Songs: "Pale Signs" - Ok, so when I say they sound like Snow Patrol I really do mean it. "Pale Signs" is almost a dead ringer for that other band. But the song is good, and you know because it was featured on Love My Way, a now-cancelled Australian TV drama. For all of the American readers out there, think of the kind of song you'd expect to see at the end-of-show montage at the end of a Grey's Anatomy season finale. You get the idea. A very energetic and empowering track.
"Devoted Youth" - Snow Patrol comparison clear? Check. CCM comparison? Coming right up! Now I grew up in church, and I grew up hearing a lot of Christian music as a result. This song sounds a lot like late Audio Adrenaline or even Chris Tomlin to some extent. But as is growing to be the theme with this band, the song is very uplifting. "Devoted Youth" gives its album Fight the Sunset its namesake with the line, "If we ever wake up again, we'll fight the sunset to the end." Good stuff, really.
"Thunderstorm" - Billy has quite the voice, and his lyrics aren't half bad either. Granted, he's no Ben Gibbard (his voice is stronger, but his lyrics are a little more cliche'). His vocals on this song are some of the most impressive on the band's myspace page. Unfortunately, the song itself isn't as interesting as the rest of the music. It all seems quite cookie-cutterish and it never really affects you as much as the band probably would've liked. "City" - This is an awesome song that starts out with a very funky rock sound in the line of Maroon 5. Of course it eventually transforms into another Snow Patrol-esque anthem in the chorus. Billy passionately sings, "In light of night/ we'll stand and watch/ over the city as it weeps/ cause I just though/ we should know/ that our hearts don't sink alone," over the band's emphatic instrumentation. It's a great song, and probably my favorite on the page.
"Afterthought" - If there was ever a song where the band truly sounded like Death Cab for Cutie, it's not on the page. But this one is as close as they come. A solid, solemn piano ballad, Billy's vocals are the centerpiece of the song, singing, "Though we may touch/ I'm only an afterthought." Hearing the band tone things down a bit and take on an entirely different feel is extremely welcomed. The song barely features any instrumentation at all, and what is there is either brief or so far off in the distance that it's more atmospheric than central. "Afterthought" is more than its title suggests. It is an undeniably gorgeous song.
The Long of It: Days Like Stars may not be the most original band on the planet. But what they lack in originality, they more than make up for with passion and energy. None of the songs featured on the band's page come off as forced or faux, and all of them have the ability to make an impact on an unsuspecting listener. The band is incredibly talented, and their sound is polished beyond belief. They may not be equivalent to Death Cab for Cutie, but you'd be hard pressed to find a band that is. For what they do, though, you really couldn't get much better than this.
Several months ago (like, October), I was sent an email by a fellow named Gerard asking me to play his music on my radio show. Well, I don't have a radio show, but I listened to his music and told him what I thought of it and we sent a few more emails back and forth before I totally forgot all about him. Well when I was looking around for myspace music today, I happened to remember this correspondence and decided to feature the guy's music on today's myspace music monday. I'm such a nice guy!
NanKama Music Project
Genres: Experimental/Electro/Afro-beat Location: France Members: Gerard Sounds Like: Nothing else!
The Short of It: Electronic music that is trippy, soothing, and sometimes downright strange! Songs: "What's the Rush v2" - This song should give you a good idea of what his music is all about. There is a lot of strange ambient noise going on, but at the same time it all seems to fit in rather well. There's a catchy bass line that runs the length of the song that is only interrupted by the song's constant drop-outs (its only real downfall). I also really dig the flutes that come in as well.
"Interlude 1 Kitties" - Honestly, one of the weirdest things I've ever heard, but really really cool. The guy uses at least a dozen samples of cats making noises and pairs it with an extremely bouncy beat. Not much else, only a few seconds.
"And We're Off" - The most uptempo song I've yet to here from Gerard. The bass line is once again persistent, but the sounds of fast, crescendoing hand claps are the only thing you're likely to notice. I really can't see anybody dancing to this anytime soon, but if they ever remade "Run, Lola, Run," this would probably fit on the soundtrack pretty well.
"I Have Never Wanted" - Gerard actually sent me an unfinished version of this song back in November, and I'm pretty stoked to here it again, here. Back then the song was called "Dun Du Son" and had this annoying cymbal line that just wouldn't quit. My exact words: "The only thing I would change would be the cymbals. They don't seem to blend in very well. Everything sounds kinda tribal, and they just sound like a bad cymbal sample that shouldn't be there. Other than that, don't change a thing." It seems like he took my advice, and the end result is nothing short of fantastic! Best song on the page, by far.
"Interlude 2 Belles" - Another short interlude, but he uses various types of bells this time rather than cats. Fair trade, I suppose.
"The Yodeler" - This song needs to be on the next iteration of Lumines! It's a tremendously enchanting track that uses different types of tribal and foreign sounds to add to its distant feel. There are some drum parts towards the end that sound a bit louder than they should, but overall, it's a pretty solid track.
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The Long of It: I'm impressed for two reasons: 1.) I know from speaking with Gerard that he uses FL Studio to make a lot of his music on. I have about 6 years of experience working with that program and I can still make nothing close to this. 2.) If you could've heard the stuff he sent me 8 months ago (technically you can, as I still have the MP3s and can upload them...but won't), you'd know the amount of improvement that he has shown in just that very short period of time. His music is very, very cool and kinda unique as well. It's not stuff that I can listen to for days at a time, even hours. But if I ever need a musical background to my day-to-days, this stuff would work perfectly. Please head over to his myspace page and support his music with a listen. I'm sure he would greatly appreciate it!
So apparently I'm in this band with this guy who has something to do with this band called "Snow Friends." What better way for me to weigh in?
Snow Friends
Location: Houston, TX Genres: Pop/Indie Sounds Like: A Party?
The Short of It: Not bad for a couple of guys playing around...but kinda bad.
Songs: "Everything" - Question: what do you do if have a vocoder and a copy of Zero 9 - Pro Samples: Future Beats 1 (from Chemical Beats)? Well, you make this song, exploiting those two things the best you can. The thick, heavy synth and unrelenting drums give off a very Joy Electric vibe to me, and I totally adore the sound. But past that, what you have are some lame lyrics and annoying vocal performances (enhanced by the vocoder, but would be downright intolerable without it).
"The Night Never Ends" - The best song on the page, by far. The verse synths are amazing, while the chorus synths are a bit more obtrusive. The lyrics are cut from the same, "Baby, I want you" pie as the first song, but this one has a much stronger groove and more solid vocal melody throughout. There's this odd, out of place breakdown in the middle of the song (where else, right?) that just doesn't blend well with the rest of the song and that dissonance is heightened by the terrible "explosion" sample that brings it back into the song proper.
"Make it Snow" - Clearly the first song that these guys made, and totally hilarious. This short, Justin Timberlake-lite song is filled with such lyrical gems as,"My name is the only thing that I'ma let you scream all night / and then when I am done with you, you won't be able to sit right." Of course, that pales in comparison to hearing one of the guys say, "My ear pussy just got raped," after the song concludes. Of course, the guys are still using the vocoder, even when unnecessary (like when talking). But if ever there was a way to be completely charming while also being ridiculously crude, this song would be it.
The Long of It: Keeping in mind that the majority of Snow Friends' music is completely ridonkulous and probably not meant to be taken seriously, it ain't all bad. As long as you don't expect greatness from two guys with a vocoder, synthesizer, and drum machine (we can't all be The Postal Service, right?), you should find their music to be an interesting little diversion from your "case of the Mondays." Listen to it. Smile. Forget about it. Maybe not the most conventional choice for myspace music monday, but I could certainly do worse.
So occasionally I like to go back and revisit some of the artists that I've profiled on myspace music monday, just to check in and see how things are going. Maybe you're interested too. Maybe you're not. Maybe you feel like the person who recently told me, "You know, I read everything on Audio Overflow...but I just don't care about that myspace thing." But all that's irrelevant, because I'm posting it anyways. So onward!
Hanne Kolstö Unfortunately, finding new music for Hanne is difficult because most of her work is done with other bands and groups. I did manage to uncover the fact that she filmed a video with the band, Post, for their song, "Slow Song." It's a good song, so it's good to see that they've managed to film a video for it. What's more, from the images on Hanne's page, the video looks to be rather awesome! I can't help but think of that scene from "The Descent" where the main character [spoiler]bursts through the ground and makes a run for it [/spoiler]when seeing the second picture here. Lookie! Sadly, I can't find said video anywhere on the interwebz. Hopefully, a diligent reader will pick up the slack on that one.
The Sailor Sequence The Sailor Sequence has had some pretty cool stuff happen recently; namely being featured on One Tree Hill. According to their blog, the episode aired last week and featured a poster of them in a record store. Nothing too exciting, but the band designed it themselves, specifically for that show. Cool beans.
They also managed to add a new song called, "ATC Remix" which I would assume is a remix of "Around the Corner," an already-stellar song.
The band will be playing a few dates in Kansas soon. So if you're in the area, be sure to check them out.
The Cyanide Valentine There's not a whole lot of new stuff to report on here. The band will be playing a handful of shows in New England (Maine, Massachusetts, and New York) in May, and judging from their studio recordings alone, I'd say they'd be an awesome live band! Also, the band was kind enough to give Audio Overflow a shout out on their myspace blog, and official blog. Looking at my analytics report, that resulted in about 4 new visitors! Sweet action!
Bicycles and Gravel The band has added two new songs to their page since I profiled them back in January. The first one is called "Trees and Fruit" and is pretty...cute. This song totally reminds me of The Boy Least Likely to or I'm From Barcelona (two great bands). There's a drum loop that seems a bit out of place, despite the fact that it sounds cool. Overall though, it's a very charming song that I recommend to fans of either of the two above-mentioned bands.
The other new song is a live recording of "Best Dressed." There's a voice at the beginning of the recording that sounds exactly like me, which freaks me out. Thankfully the rest of the song doesn't, because its mostly awful. That's all. You can hear for yourself at either of their two upcoming shows.
The Eastern Sea Things are going well for my old friend, Matt Hines. He's got a couple new bandmates and is working on an EP to release to the world. Keeping that in mind, he's decided to upload all new songs to his myspace page. All of them are clearly labeled "Preproduction," but that doesn't stop them from being good. In the interest of time (and taking into consideration that you probably stopped reading this post after seeing Hanne Kolstö's pokey nipples), I won't write about each one of them. I will, however, point out that these songs show Matt taking his music to an entirely different level. "The Sea" showcases this point particularly well. You can't miss it! Now I just have to find a way to score some copies for review or contests. We'll see how that goes.
Teacups They say that people remember what you write first and last more than what you put in the middle. That's why I started this post and ended it with Teacups. It's no secret that this band totally rocks my world, and while they haven't added any new songs since I profiled their site back in November (!), they have added a few things to get me excited. Like this:
Ok, you probably can't read that. I'll help.
dear friendlies, ('specially felix)
we are currently working on our debut E.P. We want it to be delicious so it's taking a tad longer than expected (honest, we checked the middle with a knitting needle and found it's still not quite cooked all the way through).
Anyway, once it's done just say the word and we'll have liz deliver it right to your door along with a kiss on the cheek (thats her job in the band).
Love, Teacups xo
That's good news right? Well if that wasn't enough, they also left us with a short clip of them opening for Jose Gonzalez. It's short, but it's nice.
Other than that, hell, I guess we're finished for the day. Thanks for reading, and please send any myspace bands that you'd like to see profiled in to me. I always love hearing new music...except the bad stuff. Keep that to yourself!
The last time we took a virtual stroll through New Zealand, I wound up hearing a little band called "Teacups." Well, Teacups is still the bomb, but I came across someone else with an entirely different sound that also happens to be awesome. Check it out.
Dictaphone Blues
Genres: Indie/Electro/Pop Location: Auckland, New Zealand Band Members: Edward Thomas Castlelow Influences: People that listen more than they talk, Morgan Schroeder, Christine Castelow, Sandringham Rd traffic on a wet day, The Jubbley Spufflewupps and anyone that is nice to me.
The Short of It: Charming indie pop music with jaw-droppingly awesome vocals.
Songs: "Your Eating is You" - The actual title to this song should be "You're Eating is You," which, honestly, should've been enough for me to leave this dude's page and forget it forever. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that until I had already fallen in love with it. Edward sings passionately and confidently, and his vocals are probably a bit too front-heavy. Still the song is a blast to listen to, with a catchy, sing along melody and harmonies that challenge the likes of Field Music or Queen. This song is somewhere between the former and Belle and Sebastian. I can't download the song to place on Audio Overflow, but you should totally listen to it!
"Lantern" - Edward's vocals are once again the best part of this song, most notably in the chorus when he's playfully singing "I won't ever see until I hold a lantern." The song has a very groovy vibe to it that makes me want to compare it to some of Spoon's music...like "Rhythm and Soul." I'm totally digging this one.
"About 8 Hours" - This song is the only ballad featured on the page. After about 3 listens, I've decided that I'm not the biggest fan of it. It features some pretty decent production, but Edward seems less sure of his vocals, probably because a decent vocal melody never really enters the picture. It's the polar opposite to "You're Eating is You."
The Long of It: There's a ton of potential here, and even more potential that has already been realized. I think that Dictaphone Blues has a fairly marketable sound and I wouldn't be surprised to find Edward picked up by a label in the near future. Whether or not I actually hear his music on a grander stage than his myspace page really depends on how said record deal works out. I do think he deserves to be heard though, so here's hoping for some good luck and smart decisions!
I've been kind of spoiled over the last month or so. Whereas I normally spend my Mondays scouring myspace music for a hint of something listenable, I've actually had artists or labels sending me stuff to go to and most of it has been good enough to feature. This week though, the well has gone dry and I was forced once again to brave the harsh myspace music world alone. I think I did pretty well for myself.
My Reminiscence With a Stranger
Genres: Indie/Electronica/Experimental Location: Larnaca, Cyprus Band Members: Denis Novojilov
The Short of It: Somewhere between elevator music and Jimmy Tamborello-esque glitch.
Songs "Raindrop Voices" - The song proper, which is a very mellow composition that is complemented by some very cool glitch drumming, ends at about the 4-minute mark. After that, there's an additional 4 minutes of raindrops and whispery pad synths that is at once compelling and soothing. It's really a very well-done song despite the fact that its length and second half could be deemed unnecessary by some.
"Adult Conversations" - This song can get a bit repetitive, but thankfully it's entrancing enough to where I don't mind it. Denis uses the piano, and later a guitar, in pretty unconventional ways and even manages to squeeze in some vocals here and there. They're not the sharpest, which makes me glad that his stuff is mostly instrumental. Towards the end, there's a very neat snare-heavy drum line that is made all the better by heavily distorted, harmonizing guitars. This is probably the most-solid of his three songs.
"Love in Marlboro Country" - This, I believe, was the first real song that Denis did under this name. It shows all the signs of a first work. You can tell that a lot of labor went into it to get it to sound exactly right. It is the least repetitive of the three songs, and it's constantly evolving into something greater. He does a little bit of singing again, but not too much. Overall, it's a really good song that is very chill, relaxing, and inspiring.
The Long of It: I really enjoy this music in small doses. I can picture listening to it on the drive home from work, or using it as a soundtrack to the winding down of my day. It's not something that I could picture buying a whole album of and listening to for 60 minutes at a time, but I really do enjoy what I've heard to some extent. I totally recommend it for people who need to unwind or relax, especially if you have one of those nifty little water fountains running in the background. Sadly, if you're looking to rock out with your Charlie Browns out, you may need to apply elsewhere.
If you are able to recall several weeks ago, I wrote about a young man by the name of Nick McKerl whose music showed promise, but was still lacking severely. Well, Nick has been kind enough to keep in contact with Audio Overflow, and has introduced me to some new music that he's created.
After the Ground and You
Genre: Electro/Lounge Location: Ile-de-France, France Band Members: Nick Influences: Phasmophobia and Scotomaphobia
The Short of It: Instrumental, electronic music that can be both soothing and invigorating.
Songs "Jumping Ghost Runways" - A very relaxing electro song that mixes glitch production with very rich guitars and other instrumentation. There are smatterings of Jimmy Tamborello all over the place on this one and Nick mixes things up consistently to where the song never gets too boring or repetitive.
"Mercury Fields" - This one sounds like something that Chris Walla could've worked up had be been chosen to produce a Sigur Ros album. The guitars are especially reminiscent of the band's sound from the "( )" record. There is a moment at about the 3:30 mark where the melody comes back in from a haunting piano "solo" where I felt that it would've just been best to leave it as is. But it's still an impressive number.
"Curtain Call" (Sample) - As the name would suggest, this is just a short sample of a longer song (perhaps it's not finished yet?). So far things are looking good, but I'm not making a definitive judgment until I can hear the entire thing.
"A Copper Film" - Again very reminiscent of Sigur Ros, this one sounds a lot like Song No. 3 from th "( )" album, especially the pianos. It's a short, solemn song that doesn't really go anywhere, but the musicality of it is enough to make me somewhat appreciative of it.
"For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" - I can't honestly give this one an unbiased opinion seeing as how Sufjan Stevens is one of my favorite artists, and this is one of his best songs. The cover doesn't come anywhere close to doing the original justice, but do they ever?
"Olson Read" - There's a really annoying vocal track that talks over the entire song, which is a huge disappointment. The production and music is actually very impressive, but I can't think of a song where a person talks through its entirety that I've ever been totally into.
The Long of It: Nick, I'm sorry to say that I enjoy your music a whole lot more when you're not singing. That's not a mean-spirited comment either, just an honest one. Your work in composing all of these songs proves your talent and leaves me entirely impressed. If you want my honest opinion, I'd focus on this aspect of your work and really aim to make it better than it already is. If you do need to add vocals (some songs just need vocals, you know?), don't let them overpower the music. Let them be complementary and subtle. Good luck to you in your musical endeavors and keep me, and the Audio Overflow readers, posted on your new stuff.
Now that I am finally able to listen to music on myspace, it's time that I profile a band that I meant to do weeks ago. Sorry it took so long, guys.
Springfactory
Genre: Powerpop Location: Stockholm, Sweden Band Members: Lina Cullemark, Peter Gunnarson, Daniel "Våldet" Holmström, Magnus Svedjebratt, and Mikael Hall Influences: Music and people and hot stuff.
The Short of It: A lo-fi pop band with hints of greatness.
Songs "It's a Relief to Give Up" - A pretty simple song without anything that really stands out. The guitars, coupled with Lina's vocals give off a very early-No Doubt vibe.
"No More" - A delightfully playful tune that features all sorts of instrumentation, including a trumpet and a skittery child's piano. Lina's vocals are spot on, and she is backed up by some wonderful harmonies. Definitely one to check out.
"Peggy Pear" - It's got a very Of Montreal-ish composition, complete with an electronic stutter throughout. There's also this sound that reminds me of a sound that plays when you lose a life on Super Mario World. The song is an absolute blast to listen to and really portrays a band that knows what they're doing in the studio.
"Back of your Bike" - Another carefree tune about a 4am bike ride. The band stays away from complicated arrangements and opts instead to just have fun with it without being overpowering. Not the best song on the page, but definitely not the worst.
The Long of It: Lina Cullemark's vocals are nothing to write home about, but her voice is still relatively charming. The band carries a distinctly lo-fi sound over all the tracks on their myspace page, but songs like "No More" (by far the best track on the page) show that the band is definitely destined for more than tinny garage recordings. I totally enjoy the fact that the music is as playful and carefree as it is, and I look forward to hearing more from the band soon. I may even resort to buying one of their CDs. I haven't decided yet, but you should definitely check them out.
When I was contacted by email last week by hip hop artist, SumKid, he made a very astute observation. He said, "Just at first blush, it looks like you guys might be primarily into Alt. Rock, but I get the feeling you're genuine lovers of good music...and I think I have some of that." Well, Sum's feeling is right. We are genuine lovers of good music here at Audio Overflow. Whether he "has some of that" or not, I'll leave up to you to decide. Here are my thoughts:
SumKid
Songs
Sum's myspace page has several songs, and samples of songs for you to check out. The very first one on the playlist is named, "Chuck Norris On Drugs." (My undying love of Chuck Norris "facts" compels me to mention that Chuck Norris is literally on top of drugs...his boot that is.) Sum does a sort of back and forth on the track, calling out and then answering himself. It's hard to explain. The lyrics are a little silly to be completely honest. A lot of them just seem like random statements like "I chop off my legs so I can kick you with the nubs."
"Pretty Girls With Flyers" is much cooler, with a cool, hip groove accompanying Sum's deep seductive vocals. His rapping sounds a lot more like talking, sort of in an "A Witch's Invitation" kind of way (very few people will get that reference). It's a short song, but very effective. The refrain of "Pretty girls with flyers, man they get away with murder" is really driven home, and - well - I agree. "King Kong In A Suit" has a really cool beat and features some of Sum's more explicit vocals. I definitely like the line, "What Kanye's doing, I did in '03," and the whole feel of the song. It definitely reminds me of some older Outkast tunes, which is a huge complement in my book. It's also the first lyrically impressive song that I've yet to hear, which is also nice.
"Paranoid" is easily the best, most "real" track on the page. Sum goes over a bunch of subjects here: his upbringing, people he doesn't trust, his inner turmoil ("When will I find my peace?"), and it all works. It never feels like he's trying to do too much, which is really surprising. "Devil Shoes" has an unbearably hip beat, complete with organs and jazz flutes. At this point I'm highly impressed with the amount of pop culture references that Sum is able to cram into every song. From Chuck Norris to Theo Huxtable, Marlon Brando or the Ninja Turtles, everything is fair game and makes for a very entertaining and interesting listen. This is a pretty catchy track ("Boom Boom. Click Clack. Least he coulda done is wipe his shoes on the mat."). "September" is Sum's most mainstream-sounding song. The easy-going beat gets mixed up a bit in the chorus, and I found it to be pretty effective. Again, really cool lyrics. Conclusion
My apologies to Sum. Though I do enjoy some hip hop, the artists that I actually like are few and far between. My lack of in-depth knowledge of the genre definitely has a lot to do with my lackluster write-up of his music. The bottom line is that I think Sum is a pretty talented MC. His rhymes are inventive and different in a genre that is too often populated by the complete opposite. There are a few missteps to be found on his myspace page, but for the most part I'm fairly impressed with what I've heard. I highly recommend that you check it out, especially the tracks "September" and "Paranoid."
Talk about perfect timing. I'm sitting at my computer, getting ready to start my weekly scouring of myspace in search of an artist worth listening to. I check my email --nothing of note-- go to check my sites (Engadget, Pitchfork, The Superficial), and then decide to swing back by my email once more. What's waiting for me but an email from Jake Zavracky, lead vocalist and guitarist of Boston-based The Cyanide Valentine, asking me to review a downloadable copy of their new album, The Three Sides of The Cyanide Valentine. Unfortunately, it has always been a policy of Audio Overflow to not review non-physical copies of CDs. But I downloaded it, liked it, checked out their myspace page, and then decided to feature them on today's myspace music monday. It's funny how things work out...
The Cyanide Valentine
I was informed in my brief correspondence with Jake that "it isn't emo despite what everybody seems to expect from the name," to which I responded to myself, "Yeah right, these guys are totally going to be emo." But I was proven wrong from the moment I headed over to the band's myspace page and began hearing the first song, "Neanderthals." The band's sound is heavily electronics-based, and gives off a sort of Cibo Matto circa Viva La Woman vibe. Of course, I'm also hearing a distinct Radiohead influence as well, perhaps even just a touch of Flaming Lips (though I'm far less sure of myself on that one) and Death Cab. The song is perfectly executed by everyone in the band. Jake's vocals seem a little out of place at first, but by the time that the chorus rolls around and he's shouting, "They won't make us crawl, they're all neanderthals," he's right at home! Kate Papineau provides backup vocals here as well, and she sings very delicately, never giving it more than she should. Overall, the song is flawless. Really.
"Nosferatu" is another great song, utilizing a funk disco groove to great effect, complete with Bee Gees-esque "aahs" in the background. Jake sings, "You may be invincible, but inside your heart you're dead." Just as "Neanderthals" was virtually perfect, "Nosferatu" shows a band who is completely focused with a clear direction. Everything is so perfectly executed, so polished, that it becomes difficult to not get into it. The refrain of "Inside your heart, you're dead," is simplistic, but equally effective and poignant. The band set the song to a video about the infamous Jonestown Massacre and it winds up being a surprisingly decent match for the tragedy.
"Sugar Coma" is an all-around softer song. Here, Jake swoons, "Give me just one kiss before I am washed up on the shore," over soft, minimalist synths and guitars. It's not my favorite song on the site. It's far from bad, it just doesn't really hit the spot for me. The final song on the band's myspace page is called "Milk in the Gutter," and it's another softer, more somber song. This one is a bit more effective though. While Jake may have been trying to convince me that The Cyanide Valentine is, in fact, not an emo band, something tells me that a lyric like "Smear my blood all around like the lipstick and makeup that touch your mouth," isn't going to work in his favor. Still, the song is a nice, touching track that is (again) well-executed by the band. It ends with some very cool, spacey peripheral vocals that I absolutely love. I guess if there's a good last-impression to leave on someone who may visit your myspace page, that would be it.
Conclusion The conclusion is this: head over to cyanidevalentine.com and download their album. Listen to it. Prepare yourself to hear a lot more from this band. It's inevitable. Their music is unbelievably polished, undeniably irresistible, and unquestionably talent-ridden. I don't consider myself a lucky person. Quite simply, things don't always go my way. But I consider myself extremely lucky to have decided to recheck my email less than a few minutes after The Cyanide Valentine's Jake Zavracky emails me about his band. And you should consider yourself lucky that I have good enough music sense to write about them and introduce them to you. You're welcome, by the way.
Why hello there. How are you doing today? Me? Oh I'm fine. Thanks for asking. It's Monday, so that means it's time for yet another myspace artist. Who do we have today? Hmmm....
The Sailor Sequence
Today's band comes to us from Olathe, Kansas, as if you know where that is. The Sailor Sequence (not The Helio Sequence, apparently) have a very solid, straightforward adult alternative/soft pop sound. As much as I hate to say it, the genre of music I equate it most with is contemporary Christian. But don't stop reading there! This group of guys are loaded with an immense amount of talent that goes far beyond my mediocre genre-placement exercise. To put it bluntly, if you were to skip out on listening to The Sailor Sequence, you really would be missing out. Songs The first song on the band's myspace page is entitled "Why Would You Bring," and features some very cool electronic programming and gentle guitar plucks. It's an instrumental, so don't expect some inescapably cool vocal melody to pop in, it never happens. What does happen, quite unexpectedly I might add, is a loud, thudding synth line that sounds entirely out of place. When I first heard it come in, I literally thought that something was wrong with my computer's speakers. It's unfortunate, because the rest of the song has a very mellow Dntel-ish vibe going on that is completely ruined by the time this part of the song comes along. Still, it's a good introduction to the band.
"Find Yourself" finds lead singer, Dave, noting, "When there's nothing left to hide behind, that's where you'll find yourself," in the chorus which is another brilliantly produced piece of music . By now the Contemporary Christian influence is at full force, so much so that I found myself combing through the lyrics to find something that was blatantly religious. While the song is definitely inspirational, it's ambiguous in it's religiosity. Again, the song is very calming and relaxing and the band fully displays their talent here. "Light From the Window" keeps the same style as its predecessor, adding in some uptempo, glitchy drum synths, light guitars, and perky bells to accentuate the near-flawless vocals. The song's coda adds layers upon layers of instrumentation, building quickly and forcefully before collapsing just in time for Dave to gently sing, "The curtains pull back and there is no sound." It is quite the beautiful ending.
"Around the Corner" is another instrumental track, this time being lead by an acoustic guitar and a less glitchy, more traditional electronic drum beat. Unlike the instrumental song that precedes it, however, this one is chill throughout and the guys do a good job of not overdoing too much of anything. It is approached gently, and it sounds fantastic! The page's last track is called "Anchor" and at this point I'm completely convinced that these guys have at least a tiny bit of affiliation with Christianity, or Contemporary Christian music. It's an inescapable comparison and if they aren't, they should really consider it. They are way better than a lot of the stuff that's out there.
Conclusion I'm actually pretty impressed. Though I'm not the hugest fan of the genre with which I have (perhaps unfairly) assigned The Sailor Sequence to, I haven't really heard anything that I'm completely turned off by. And even if I was, these guys still have too much talent to care. If you're into calming, atmospheric pop music, I think you should check out The Sailor Sequence. You could definitely do worse.
We're back, once again, in Scotland this week. However, unlike last week's artist, this week's manages to rock your socks off while sounding both old and new, all at the same time! Ladies and germs (oh, how I miss the 3rd grade), I present to you, Projekt A-Ko.
Projekt A-Ko
Despite a name that would lead you to believe that you are about to listen to a late 80s hip hop group, Projekt A-Ko in fact has more in common with indie music from the early 90s. More often than not, the sound that the band creates is something that is surprisingly raw, yet somehow a lot of fun to listen to. I've made myself clear on numerous occasions that I'm not the biggest fan of this particular style of music (I really do hate Sonic Youth, after all), but most of what I've heard from this band so far is very good, and I strongly encourage you to give them a listen.
Songs The first song "Supertriste Duxelle" is an unapologetic dog pile of distorted guitars and second-hand vocals. The whole early-90s indie rock aesthetic is in full force as each member of the band gives everything they have to make the music louder, nastier, better. It's very Pavement-ish. Yet despite my so-so feelings towards that band, I find myself strangely compelled to like every second of this song. It's a very cool, very raw rock track.
"Hey Palooka" boasts a similar sound, complete with infectious guitar riffs, missed notes, and enough distortion to make you question whether or not you're listening to the final version to the song or just some back alley cassette that's been recorded over one too many times. As is typically the case, it could possibly polarizing. But for those who are able to look past it all and dissect the song down to it's brilliant little parts, it's hard to be completely turned off.
"New Confusion" and "Ichiro on 3rd" follow the same path that their predecessors traveled, the latter, however, is a bit more gentle; with a relatively quiet verse and a sing-along chorus. In fact, it isn't until "Our Teenagers Need Healthy Touch" that the band's really mixes things up, or rather, slows things down. The result is really a mixed bag. While the instrumentation is a tamer, though no less impressive version of itself, the vocalist's lack of a refined voice weighs pretty heavily. When the band is playing louder, dirtier songs, it fits in perfectly. Here, it just sticks out like Kanye West at a hockey game ("sore thumb" just doesn't suit me). Fortunately, the band cranks things back up for their page's final tune, "Otaku Blues," a catchy and undeniably impressive song that features what is arguably the best vocal performance on the site (complete with gentle female vocals complementing all the surrounding madness).
Conclusion Overall, I'm pretty impressed with what I've heard so far. The band definitely does an amazing job of recreating the sound of indie music in the early 90s, and bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement, or Sebadoh (all cited as influences, mind you) would be proud. The fact that I have found it to be rather enjoyable surprises the hell out of me, due to the fact that I really do loathe a lot of those same artists. For that reason alone, I can't help but recommend that you check out Projekt A-Ko and decide for yourself. The band also has a limited edition split 7" record with another band named Horowitz that releases today. It features 2 songs from each band (sadly, none of the ones mentioned here though). What're ya' gonna do?
Good day to you fine people out there amongst the series of tubes! I am thy seeker of obscurity in the form of audible enjoyment. Thou mayst call me thine writer of blog posts, or Cale. I have no preference as to what I am called, as long as I am called something. This week, you could perhaps call me "desperate," which, after last week's rather uneventful myspace music monday should come as no surprise. So this week, I have not found you an artist who is without flaw or quirky, but rather one that shows promise despite some glaring weaknesses. Enjoy!
Nick Mckerl
Nick comes to us either from Paris or Glasgow. His profile says both, so it's difficult to determine. Based on his English skills, I would guess that he is based primarily in Scotland. Now, Nick's skill as a vocalist is debatable. He can, at times, sound an awful lot like Ben Gibbard, which is a huge complement in my book. There's also other times when he's an unabashed Tom DeLong wannabe, complete with varying levels of bad hair-dos and emo sensibilities.
See what I mean?
With that being said, you'd really be doing yourself a disservice by not listening to the first song on his page, entitled "Regulating Air Traffic." It not only shows Nick's talent as a musician (he plays everything himself), but also his talent as producer. This stuff literally sounds like it has been done by someone who has been producing for years. It's a rich, layered song that is constantly evolving and always interesting. Unfortunately, there's not any way for me to download the song and upload it to Audio Overflow, so you're forced to visit his actual page if you wish to hear it.
His lyrics are strange, and more often than not it seems as if the music is at the will of what is penned. In other words, it feels like this is poetry that a song has been written to after the fact. Sometimes this can be good, and other times it just doesn't work. "Regulating Air Traffic" is an instance in which this plays out to our favor. "Bluebird?" Not so much. Due to his unquenchable need to sound mimic Tom DeLong, I can't recommend listening to any song other than "Regulating Air Traffic," unless you suffer from bulimia and need some sort of motivation to vomit (ouch).
So why then did I feature Nick Mckerl? Well, I do think that there is a lot of talent hidden underneath all the teenage angst nonsense. There are a lot of electronic things going on in all the songs, as well as some pretty cool guitaring and pianoing (trademarked words, I'm afraid). He's definitely a talented musician. It just seems that a lot of that is going to waste. If he stopped crying for a few minutes and wrote something that didn't make 15 year old girls crave the razor, I think that he could be a very entertaining and impressive artist. "Regulating Air Traffic" is proof of this. Until then, though, we are left with hope that such a thing will occur. The sooner the better...
Please, for the love of Dog the Bounty Hunter hook me up with a sweet myspace artist to cover. I'm hurting here. If you happen to know of one, leave a comment below or email Audio Overflow at audiooverflow@gmail.com. Thx!
No, that's not the name of an artist. You see, I logged onto myspace today, fully prepared to find the next big thing in music. Lo and behold, I am treated to a big helping of suck. Unable to find a single artist of note after about an hour of browsing, I decided to call it quits and instead revisit some past artists that I've featured. We'll see who has updated their page with new songs, and I'll rank them according to my own personal tastes. Sounds fun right?
Who's Updated?
Well, The Beams were the last band I featured before breaking for the holidays and they have since added two new songs to their page. Neither of them deviate from their "Hey, we're kind of like The Killers" approach to music-making. "Chemical Wisdom" is an unrelenting and upbeat dance rock/new wave track with group vocals and a really nice groove. The vocals are a little "meh" in my opinion and the song does go on for far too long, but if you're in the mood for a pure rock out session, it should be a good fit. Their second new song, "Watch" is just a mess. The guitars are way too prominent in the mix and far too skittery to feel infectious. The lyrics can be a bit humorous, but the song itself is completely uncatchy and borderline unlistenable. Skip it.
Of course, the group I most wanted an update from was Teacups. Alas, they have failed me. They did, however, get to open for Jose Gonazalez in New Zealand, which I'm sure was a great honor for them. I just hope that turns into some added exposure for them, because they need to be heard. Check out this sweet picture.
Swede-supreme, Sebastian Orre added two new songs to his page. The first, "Koschka" is a simple, but charming song. Staying true to his past music, his lyrics are very simple yet somehow poignant. He sings, "You saw me walking. Not much for talking, no." Clearly Sebastian. Clearly. The second song is called "Walking" and features some really excellent production. His accent adds a certain amount of innocence to the already childhood memory-inducing song. Again, the lyrics are simple but still effective. It may be the best song of his that I've yet to hear, which is a great thing. Both of these new songs show more depth from his songs that I previously reviewed, especially when it comes to adding layers on top of one another.
Ranking Them
So who do I like best out of all the artists I've featured on myspace band monday. Well if you read last week's feature the answer would be pretty clear. But to see where all the other artists stack up, just cast your gaze downward.
I know that you're a lazy bum and all, but you should really consider checking out all of the above mentioned artists. They are all pretty diverse and unless you only consider Linkin Park, 50 Cent, and Nickelback to be valid musicians, you should find something to your liking.
And hey, make my job easier by recommending a myspace artist for me to feature for next week. Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure what I'll come up with.
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