New Music – Page 274 – Queen City Sounds and Art

Mazeppa’s “Storm” Evokes the Grandeur of Maurice Jarre’s 1960s Soundtracks

Mazeppa1_sm — Mazeppa, photo courtesy the artist

From the opening strains of “Storm” by Mazeppa you can tell you’re in for something different from the realm of modern psychedelic rock. The instrumentation and sweeping dynamics is cinematic in a way reminiscent of Scott Walker’s solo albums Maurice Jarre’s soundtrack work for Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. It is not in that long form but the creative vision behind the track is aiming for something more than just a four minute fifty-six second psych rock song. The rich emotional colorings and the impression that you’re getting a glimpse into more mythical human experiences. Side note: Maurice Jarre is the father of synth pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre. The Israeli band named itself after a Lord Byron poem about the Seventeenth Century Ukrainian leader Ivan Mazepa so there’s bound to be a bit of myth making and grander than average storytelling. That and the fact that singer/musician Michal Perez Noy started the group to write songs by Rainer Maria Rilke. None of these details and speculations are necessary to appreciate the lush gorgeousness of the song that seems to sound timeless in a period when there is a lot of imitation in psychedelic and modern progressive rock and few as orchestral as Mazeppa. The group is planning for a debut album release in September 2019 but for now you can sit back and let your imagination engage with “Storm” below. Links to follow the band its goings on below the song embed.

youtube.com/channel/UCDvEt7UN4sSojx_UKyqiVpw
mazeppa.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/MazeppaBand

Prudence’s Elegant Melancholy Incandesces in the Emotional Fog Through “Sound of Your Voice”

Prudence1_crop — Prudence, photo courtesy the artist

Tom Crandles (also of Au.Ra) has been writing music under the moniker Prudence of late. The new single “Sound of Your Voice” from the Major Tom EP has an utterly entrancing decadent, world-weary quality reminiscent of pre-post-rock Mark Hollis with Talk Talk and Mindbomb period The The. The subtle bass line works to accent the downbeats in a way that gives the song a heaviness that could be gloomy but instead accentuates the emotional complexity of a song that seems to be about resignation at thwarted yearnings and a rare admission of male vulnerability in a rock song. The rest of the EP has a similarly beautifully melancholic quality but an undeniable crackle of energy underneath a layer of introspective moods. The Major Tom EP recently released as a cassette and digitally through prudenceprudence.bandcamp.com/album/major-tom. If you’ve been a bit jaded by the wave of same-y darkwave and minimal synth-laden post-punk but looking for something that satisfies what the best of that music supplies, listen to “Sound of Your Voice” below and then give Major Tom a good listen. Its richness of layers, textures, tones and modes will not disappoint.

Franc Cinelli Evokes 70s Daydream Vibes on His New Single “Horses”

FrancCinelli_SilviaLadespa_sm — Franc Cinelli, photo by Silvia Ladespa

On Franc Cinelli’s new single “Horses” the songwriter creates not just a wistful emotional snapshot for the listener, he evokes a time in North American musical history when the the rules for art, film and music was less bound to strict styles and sounds. The spaces Cinelli leaves in the music aren’t all occupied and when they are it’s a fleeting and transporting mellotron line that both makes the melody transcendent and let’s you back into the feeling of reverie, romance and acceptance of love lost that Cinelli conveys so well throughout the song. Cinelli will release his new album Night Songs in September 2019 and until then will release a new song every two weeks. For now you can listen below and follow Cinelli’s progress toward the new record/explore further the songwriter’s work at franccinelli.com.

“People Can Change” by Troy Meadows is Like Bill Callahan after a Beefheart Bender

TroyMeadows2_crop — Troy Meadows, photo courtesy the artist

Troy Meadows is the project name for the songwriting of D. Klein from North Jersey. The song “People Can Change” is remarkable for its unusual arrangements and insistent percussion, which can be an odd listen at first but the textures have a charm that jibes well with the almost shouted, clipped vocal line. In some ways it’s like if the Minutemen had done a Bruce Cockburn cover or Bill Callahan after a Trout Mask Replica bender. The guitar cadence initially seems at odds with every other element but the masterfully accented, interlocking rhythms gives the impression of compound time also giving it hypnotic quality that is so not obvious it’s only after listening to the song at least a couple of times that it hits you. The album from which “People Can Change” hails is 2018’s Adelaide and you can delve more into Klein’s unique musical vision at troymeadowsmusic.com and troymeadows.bandcamp.com.

Tash’s “Dreaming” is the Perfect Song for Introspective Rainy Afternoons

Tash1_crop — Tash, photo courtesy the artist

Who can’t relate to Tash’s words in her new song “Dreaming” in which she sings of regret wishing the mysterious experience in question had only been a dream. The song is introspective and smoky, Tash’s expressive vocals are mildly breathy and reminiscent of Fiona Apple-esque at her jazzy best. The musical accompaniment a sort of progressive, smooth jazz with plucked, minimal guitar lead underneath a gentle strum that holds the rhythm almost as much as the beautifully accented drumming. The subtle phasing in the ultra tasteful processing of sounds gives the song a timeless quality like Tash could have been touring with Sade in the 80s or performing in a hip after hours club at the space port of an intergalactic hub. Exotic yet familiar, this downtempo gem seems like a perfect song for a spring afternoon post-rain shower. With the song produced and arranged by Mark J. Feist (who has produced for, oh, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Tyga and many others not to mention his impressive songwriting credentials), it will hopefully find a wider audience outside Tash’s home country of Australia. Take in the song for yourself below.

Kin Capa’s “Sum1” is a Bracing Power Pop Gem in an Age of Uncertainty

KinCapa_TheAmericanOperaActOne_crop — Kin Capa, The American Opera, Act One cover (cropped)

Lee Capa is a multi-instrumentalist and singer whose band Kin Capa recently released its debut album in March 2019. Titled The American Opera Act One, the record isn’t just a sampling of urban American experience with its complexities and challenges rendered with a spirit of yearning to comprehend one’s place in the great big mess while maintaining one’s passion and integrity. The song “Sum1” (listen below) caught my attention because it’s simply a great, jangle-y power pop song that takes some sonic chances with established form including an almost background guitar sound in lightly distorted phasing that gives the track a sense of disorientation but one in which one can let go and trust in one’s instincts and the impermanence of every situation in a fast-moving world to carry the day. The punchy percussion and Capa’s emotive quaver reinforces the perfect impression of bravery in the face of seemingly never-ending uncertainty. Fans of The Raspberries and Dave Edmunds may enjoy this one greatly. The American Opera Act Two is due in the summer. Visit kincapa.com to follow the band’s future adventures in imaginative, finely crafted pop.

Take In Sail By Summer’s Gift For Transforming Personal Gloom Into Beauty with “Fetch You Roses”

SailBySummer_FetchYouRoses_crop — Sail By Summer, “Fetch You Roses” cover

“Fetch You Roses” by Sail By Summer has a power and elegance like a late 70s Giorgio Moroder song transmogrified into a melancholic modern pop song. The bright synths, the luminous melody, the emotionally soaring melody and Casio tone arpeggiation recall Neon Indian’s evocation of nostalgia and reverie in “Fallout.” If “Fetch You Roses” is any indication, William Hut and Jens Kristian of Sail By Summer have created a vehicle for transforming personal gloom and regret into uplifting music without dishonoring the feelings and experiences that inspired the song in the first place. Follow and explore the duo’s work further through any of the links below the song.

sailbysummer.com
soundcloud.com/sailbysummerofficial
open.spotify.com/artist/1KLprSWhIYjqkoLCJ88SLv
youtube.com/channel/UC6KlhkVT56sFlClxrZz7nLg
hqindie.bandcamp.com/music
twitter.com/SailBySummer
instagram.com/sailbysummer

Ghassan’s “Break Some Shit” Erases the Line Between Industrial, Americana and Post-punk

Ghassan1_resize — Ghassan, photo courtesy the artist

The beginning of Ghassan’s song “Break Some Shit” has that kind of shimmering bass tone that sounds like you’re about to hear a version of Tricky’s “Black Steel” (which is, of course, a masterful cover of Public Enemy’s “Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos”) but the meditative/metronomic percussion, wind-like, gritty synth swells and expansive dynamics underlying the dark poetry waxing frustrated nearly to the point of nihilism is a bit what it might be like to hear Tom Waits collaborating with MC 900 Ft. Jesus. Industrial, post-punk Americana? With the rippling soundscape, accented beat and expansive sounds, an impending existential, maybe literal, beatdown has rarely sounded so contemplative.

The Simple Charms of Lofi Legs’ “Dreamin” will Soothe Your Heart

LofiLegs_Dreamin_crop — Lofi Legs “Dreamin” cover (cropped)

On “Dreamin,” San Francisco’s Lofi Legs leave out all sonic distractions from the brilliance of its spare composition. Just Maria Donjacour and Paris Cox-Farr harmonizing with minimal guitar accompaniment. Its charm rests in part due to how it recalls stripping 90s indie pop to the bare essentials, or Low’s more intimate songs or even “After Hours” by The Velvet Underground. It is a prime example of how a few elements can articulate so much with creative arrangements and unvarnished emotional honesty and an elegant delivery. The group has an album called Lamb in the works and you can check out more from Lofi Legs and keep up with their happenings at the links below the song.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lofilegs/?fref=ts

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NSKTNhAAE9RTo3NrGBQu2

Bandcamp – https://lofilegs.bandcamp.com

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lofilegacy

Witness the Spare, Soulful, Doleful Americana Noir of Raygun Carver’s “Jesus He’s Right”

RaygunCarver_JesusHesRight_crop — Raygun Carver “Jesus He’s Right” cover (cropped)

Raygun Carver is the moniker under which singer/songwriter Michael Soiseth has been releasing some of his music of late. The latest single is “Jesus He’s Right.” Not a religious song, the tune sounds like something that came out of being on the outs and staying up until dawn trying to come up with the right words to say to the object of one’s love and ditching at least a few hundred couplets before you realize you have to stop trying to overdo it and outsmart yourself. The evocation of tarnished glitter in the lonely, echo-y guitar and the doleful horn in the middle elevates this from the usual folk pop crowd into the realm of urban Americana noir minus the skullduggery.