New Music – Page 214 – Queen City Sounds and Art

“Tired Love” is Rowe’s Soulful Ballad About Finally Letting One’s Outworn Past Attachments Fade From Your Psyche

Rowe1_crop — Rowe, photo courtesy the artist

The production on the Rowe song “Tired Love” begins with a slightly distant tonality like a sepia toned filter over a view into a music box or a snow globe containing all the bittersweet memories of one’s past. Becky Filip’s soulful vocal delivery too begins wistful but along with the song the vocal tone changes around the one minute thirty second mark into something more vivid and full as though shedding the past and coming to terms with how it impacts her now and revisiting those memories again before moving on. The textural beats and fuzzy synths is the sound of those past attachments dissolving. And as if to state that she’s already in the next phase of her life personally and creatively the chorus of “Now all I see is how I’m better off without you” leaves no question. The somber tone of the song suggests a weariness of going over the memories again and processing what it all meant but now being at the point of being tired enough to let those feelings go. Listen to “Tired Love” on Soundcloud and follow Rowe at the links provided.

soundcloud.com/roweofficial
twitter.com/rowesings
instagram.com/beckybird

Mora Mothaus Creates a Genre Bursting Reflection of Inner Life on “Memori”

MoraMothaus2_sm — Mora Mothaus, photo courtesy the artist

“Memori” by Mora Mothaus sounds like the imagery reflected off a shiny surface of a world outside a nearby window on a cloudy day. At points the melancholic tones are bright and distinct, at others there is a tiny bit of warping and obscuring and blending of details. The fragile guitar shimmer, the synth wash and the vocals both the most coherent and focused presence in the song and one that seemingly effortlessly passes into the abstract drones mid-track before coming back in out of the flood of sound like a cherished memory emerging through the crowd of thoughts of present concerns. It is the sound of one’s inner life projected onto a funhouse mirror. Fans of Like A Villain and Grouper will appreciate how Mothaus is operating beyond genre and using her various musical tools to craft an emotional experience informed by aesthetics beyond songwriting. Listen to “Memori” and follow Mothaus at the links below where you can listen to the rest of her new EP Overture to a Dream.

mmothaus.wixsite.com/moramothaus
moramothaus.bandcamp.com
open.spotify.com/artist/6WfC2fzu5xzRdnsG9Nq7uv
twitter.com/MoraMothaus
facebook.com/MoraMothaus
instagram.com/stories/moramothaus

Conrad Clifton’s Remix of POLARSEN’s “How” is a High Contrast Enhancement of the Song’s Textures and Immediacy

POLARSEN1_sm — POLARSEN, image courtesy the artist

Conrad Clifton brings to his remix of POLARSEN’s “How” an ear more for the textural possibilities of the song. The original is more contemplative and ambient. Clifton maintains the dream like sensibility but one where the feelings and the tactile quality of the sound is more in the foreground than a background in which to get lost. With Clifton’s treatment the dream feels more present and vivid and urgent. It takes the abstraction of the tonality of the original and gives a kind of high contrast aesthetic and one that engages your feelings directly rather coax you into that moment. Both the original and the remix combine modern hip-hop production with IDM showcasing the inherent expressive versatility of the genre blending. Listen to Clifton’s remix of “How” on Soundcloud and follow POLARSEN at the links provided.

residentadvisor.net/dj/paulursin
soundcloud.com/p-ursin
facebook.com/paulursin
instagram.com/paul_ursin

Behold Bad Flamingo’s Slinky, Psychedelic Spaghetti Western Song “The House Is on Fire”

BadFlamingo2_crop — Bad Flamingo, photo courtesy the artists

“The House Is on Fire” by Bad Flamingo sounds like something that will be in the inevitable Jim Jarmusch haunted rural town where a secret society of dentists that practice mummification in their “health cult” undergoes a power struggle for the leadership of the group that changes its membership and mission forever. Just plug “dentist mummy cult” into a search engine and have at it. But this song, slinky, spaghetti western psychedelia, downtempo and sensual would fit a montage when the whole thing goes upside down and the final conflict is afoot. Simple guitar accents, soothing vocals and spooky bell tone and synths conspire to give the song a feeling like something out of 60s garage rock and Peggy Lee’s weirder songs. Listen to “The House Is on Fire” on Soundcloud and follow Bad Flamingo at the links below.

badflamingomusic.com
facebook.com/badflamingomusic
instagram.com/badflamingomusic

DefByMisadventure’s “rabbit” Captures the Oddly Tranquil Beauty of a Moment of Great Terror in Slow Motion

DefByMisadventure2 — DefByMisadventure, image courtesy the artist (cropped)

There is an elegance of style in DefByMisadventure’s “rabbit.” The project’s preferred image is a Goya and the cosmic/existential/spiritual terror that may imply. And the image for the song itself is of the titular rabbit escaping the jaws of a greyhound by a pace. The implied tension in that creative background is perhaps reflected in how the song, though downtempo and essentially chill, brings together textural beats and organic string sounds accented by pounding bass reminiscent of an MPC. And the sonic forces are balanced, none dominating over the other, giving the song a taught yet fluid quality. The guitar/string sounds and background synth work give the mood an uplifting sonic architecture while the rest grounds it to an irresistible groove. If it has indeed been assembled by samples backed with drum machines and electronic bass, it is in the vein of DJ Shadow in that it sounds like samples recontextualized and used as a compositional element to make something fresh and original. The track implies the visual grace of movement captured in slow motion as though the image of that rabbit and the hound slowed down shows us some of the beauty of what is spurred on by the instincts of a carnivore toward its prey and how that prey’s own instincts and abilities gives it a hope of escaping death. The beauty of that interplay outside the context of having to be there is almost undeniable. A metaphor for entirely too much of life. Listen to “rabbit” on Soundcloud.

“Black Truck” by Q-bizm has the Swagger and Cool of a Song Opening a Guy Ritchie Film

Q-bizm1_sm — Q-bizm, photo courtesy the artists

Q-bizm’s “Black Truck” sounds like something that should launch the opening scene of a Guy Ritchie movie. It sounds like some hybrid of futuristic funk and Madchester cool. The song established a momentum and groove with a heady mood. The fluid bass line ripples up and down the scale as guitar accents stretched at times by wah and free-jazz style sax takes the song into outer space. One can imagine some plot afoot carried about by charming scoundrels who are confident in the efficacy of their plans looking like they consulted with style coaches before meeting up to discuss the details. This music is the montage to their individual days leading up to that momentous occasion. Listen to “Black Truck” on Soundcloud and follow Q-bizm at the links provided.

qbizm.net
facebook.com/pg/qbizmmusic
instagram.com/qbizmmusic

Dragondeer Invokes the Lighthearted Spirit of Rural Dance Parties on “Max Patch”

Dragondeer_ScottMcCormick_sm — Dragondeer, photo by Scott McCormick

Dragondeer’s “Max Patch” deftly weaves together blues and funk with nicely crafted changes throughout. Eric Halborg’s voice has always been expressive but on this track its like he’s mastered the art of hitting the perfect emotional coloring and a broad dynamic range. Which jibes well with a song that not only has a nice groove with masterful syncopation but which showcases the talents of all the band’s players with a broad diversity of sounds and textures without overwriting. There is a spontaneous and fresh quality to the song that could be given to going over the top but Dragondeer lets the musical spool out just enough to indulge a tasteful bit of psychedelically-tinged improvisation and musical experimentation. Does the song reference that mountain in North Carolina? It certainly references good times to be had in the hinterland and dancing at the hoedown. Listen to “Max Patch” on YouTube and follow Dragondeer at the links below.

dragondeer.com
www.instagram.com/dragondeer
facebook.com/pg/Dragondeer

Siv Disa Explores the Mysterious Complexity of Instinct and Our Aspirations on “Moths”

SivDisa1_sm — Siv Disa, photo courtesy the artist

The video for Siv Disa’s “Moths” suits the hazily luminous melodic drone that draws us into the song. Visually it’s reminiscent of late 70s/early 80s psychotronic cinema or of Kate Bush’s 1980s music videos—dreamlike and symbolic. Disa sings in dynamic lines akin to those of Bush but her music is more modern in the processing of sounds. Electric piano and quivering synth drift in space amid minimal guitar work with Disa’s vocals guiding the paces, notes trailing in their wake. The image of the moths in the windows is an interesting detail as moths aren’t long lived and by instinct drawn to the light, distracted from living hinting at the song’s other lyrics wherein Disa sings about the subtly seductive powers of her own instinctive infatuations and how we can all get sidetracked from where we want to be by what we think we want in the moment when the right stimulus hits our nervous system. Watch the video on YouTube and follow Siv Disa at the links provided.

facebook.com/sivdisa
sivdisa.com
open.spotify.com/artist/1DMhuX8DGsngDnjpNECYSm
instagram.com/sivdisa
sivdisa.bandcamp.com
soundcloud.com/siv-disa

People Person’s “Bound” is the Sound of Someone on the Verge of Their Personal Breakthrough

PeoplePerson_LookOutsideWatchClosely_cover_crop — People Person *Look Outside, Watch Closely* cover (cropped)

“Bound,” the debut single from People Person sounds like it was conceived on a long walk on a sunny yet cold winter day in the middle of January. The chorus of “I’m ready” sounds like the mantra of a person who has been endlessly preparing for a big personal feat. The Bjork-esque vocals, the spare, ethereal guitar work, the low key but very present bass and the pull and push dynamic is reminiscent of early 2000s dream pop group Denali. The song’s dynamic has a great and subtle momentum like a slow moving river. But the vibe of the song, as mentioned before, is of someone who has spent long enough incubating her own life and ideas and is ready to unfurl them now. The whole song feels like a long build up to something without feeling incomplete. In the context of the whole 2019 People Person album Look Outside, Watch Closely (which was released on November 1, 2019) it is the second step of a grand journey of self discovery that challenges notions of constant progression that stand at the core of the American psyche but stands well on its own. Listen to and watch the video for “Bound” on YouTube and follow People Person at the links below.

peoplepersonca.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/peoplepersonca
open.spotify.com/artist/7iyh9UD70SUjrLRBpugcB0

Alvinos Zavlis Takes Us to a Journey Through an Avant-Garde Jazz Club in an 8-Bit World on “Falling”

AlvinosZavlis_TimeTravels_crop — Alvinos Zavlis *Time Travels* cover (cropped)

Alvinos Zavlis’ “Falling” rewards your attention as it goes from low end pulse to distorted drone framing gently soaring vocals. Elements come in like percussive, syncopated tones that become rapid arpeggios, electronic strings, synth washes, rapidly ascending sounds and then silence as the song takes a very different turn around the two and a half minute mark. Then you feel like you’ve entered a realm of 8-bit video game music like you’ve been transported to some kind of arcade in the 80s but you’re in the game navigating some digital landscape guided by articulated blips and rhythms. Then the tones become muted and blur the line between that 8-bit aesthetic and techno. Near the four minute thirty second mark you exit that realm into one incorporating elements of jazz structure in the low end but surrounded by 8-bit sonic figures to dodge as you travel with Zavlis through an abstract realm drawn along by the haunting vocals at one point pitched high into a childlike falsetto before the fadeout. Impossible to categorize genre-wise but a fascinating listen whether being drawn into the strange, fanciful world of the song or as something in the background to chase away the mundanity of everyday life. Listen to and watch the music video for “Falling” on YouTube and follow Alvinos Zavlis on Soundcloud. Look for the full-length album Time Travels due out in 2020.

soundcloud.com/alvinos-zavlis