SubmitHub – Page 235 – Queen City Sounds and Art

Kendra & The Bunnies’ “Figure 8” is a Tone Poem of Personal Liberation From Social Conditioning

KendraAndTheBunnies3_crop — Kendra & The Bunnies, photo courtesy the artist

“Figure 8” by Kendra & The Bunnies comes in like impressionistic sketches of a melody that is given context when the vocals come in about a free spirited girl who doesn’t want to be penned in my conventional notions of how to be. The guitar work can be challenging at first but its own logic and improvisational style, given to going off the rails here and there, makes perfect sense in the entire arc of a song that feels like free verse poetry set to a folk song written by someone who had to figure out how to write one having read about that music and having access to a guitar without ever hearing it before making some of her own. It’s not outsider music but has a similar appeal because Kendra Muecke’s approach to songwriting seems to be one as immersed in poetry, biographical storytelling and constructing expectations of identity as a path to healing the trauma of the identities and values imposed on us by a culture that values efficiency and material value over humanity. Maybe when you hear the song you won’t find it so very different but in the realm of folk-inflected singer-songwriter music the subtle and distinct differences are striking. You may even dismiss it as a bunch of hippie nonsense but it is exactly those kinds of left-field ideas we need in a world filled with turmoil. The song comes from Kendra & The Bunnies new album of Vinyl and you can listen to the single on Spotify and follow Kendra and the band at the links below.

kendraelisabethmuecke.com
soundcloud.com/kenbunny
youtube.com/user/thepoliticsofkendra
instagram.com/kenbunny

AxMod Pays Tribute to Northern Disco Idol Todd Terje on “Bounce 808”

AxMod_Bounce808_cover_crop — AxMod “Bounce 808” cover (cropped)

AxMod pays tribute to Norwegian nu-disco star Todd Terje on “Bounce 808.” Referencing the classic drum machine, the Roland TR-808, that has been a staple of house music and hip-hop since the 80s the song is simple in its beats but that aspect of the composition allows the other elements to shine more as the track evolves from a basic melodic synth line into expansive arpeggios and bubbling flourishes of tone. AxMod brings in synth swells as an element to indicate urgency and give the song some momentum with tones while ever so slightly bringing up the BPMs before tastefully bringing things back without an abrupt drop as happens all too often in electronic music. The orchestration of elements is what is most impressive with the song as AxMod employs atmosphere, texture, dynamics, rhythm and melody to craft a song that works as a not so minimal synth tune and as a dance track. Listen to “Bounce 808” on Soundcloud and follow AxMod at the links below.

soundcloud.com/axmod
open.spotify.com/artist/3UlxLrm4Nt8Ga2eLv4RoN2
facebook.com/Axmod
instagram.com/axmodmusic

Inner Oceans Ponders a Maze of Life Options On the Dark and Experimental “The Cause”

InnerOceans_SecretsOfLife_cover_crop — Inner Oceans *Secrets of Life* cover (cropped)

“The Cause,” Inner Oceans’ latest single, finds the band going off its usual map of dreamily transporting pop into noisier territory. Griffith Snyder steps in and out of a near falsetto seemingly singing to his higher self for guidance to almost whispered darker passages in self-comfort as though in debating with himself about what path to take in an existential conundrum. The layers of sound, white noise, disorienting tones, melodic drones shimmering like steam down a dark alley and the phased percussion reflect an internal confusion while also working as an unconventional, intuitive guide through a maze of options. It’s impossible to say if there’s a definitive resolution by the end of the song but that’s the point—life rarely presents you with a clearly defined route through to where you want to be in your heart and in life. Not only that but maybe you don’t even know anymore where you want to be because your internal compass of your dreams and desires has shifted as well. Yet the song is oddly comforting in its inconclusiveness. It’s a signal post in Snyder’s evolution as a songwriter who was inventive and talented to one confident enough in his ability to take chances with more challenging aesthetics.

soundcloud.com/inneroceans
open.spotify.com/artist/1u7T9riTxt6jCQsZTJX6nR

Haruhisa Tanaka’s “1110” is a Musical Modeling of the Interference Patterns Formed Between Ripples of Raindrops on the Ocean and Clouds Drifting Together

HaruhisaTanaka2_crop — Haruhisa Tanaka, photo courtesy the artist

Drifting in on clouds of billowy drone, Haruhisa Tanaka’s “1110” from his album Gone sounds like what patterns of ripples from drops of rain impacting each other endlessly might sound like if abstracted into sound. Or of the aforementioned clouds passing into and over each other in the night. The interference patterns that result from natural, everyday phenomena that we experience and note but rarely take conscious note of is what Tanaka embodies in this composition. The louder, distorted sounds are those interference patterns as the frequencies intersect in the track. By giving voice to these cycles of the natural world Tanaka’s “1110” is like the musical equivalent of a Zen garden capturing the simple and comprehensible nature of the universe if only we can quiet the mind enough to take it in in its proper measure. With the tranquil mood of this song that openness to the sort of revelation the Buddha believed could be had if one could look properly into a blade of grass and attain a deep understanding of all things and their interconnectedness might just be possible. Listen to “1110” on Soundcloud and follow Haruhisa Tanaka at any of the links below.

purre-goohn.com/haruhisa-tanaka
soundcloud.com/haruhisatanaka
open.spotify.com/artist/4ZTlbJ3KHGs7wuvdtouuIw
haruhisatanaka.bandcamp.com
twitter.com/hhtk0
ja-jp.facebook.com/haruhisa.tanaka.758
instagram.com/haruhisa_tanaka

The Acoustic Version of Party Favor’s “Be OK” Featuring EZI is an Unvarnished Declaration of the Need for Internal Peace and Acceptance

PartyFavor1_sm — Party Favor, photo courtesy the artist

Party Favor released stylistically eclectic album Layers in April 2019 and recently issued the music video for an acoustic version of “Be OK.” The original was accompanied by trap and future bass beats but the acoustic version truly highlights collaborator EZI’s emotionally vulnerable vocals. It’s a treatment that suits a song that speaks to a sense of overstimulation and emotional exhaustion. And to being in a place where you don’t want extremes of feeling, but an easily sustainable place of being OK, or in another way, in a state you find acceptable with no complaints. It’s the ultimate state to be if you listen to a lot of Lou Reed and his songwriting for The Velvet Underground because it’s something that is often easily achievable or the best one can hope for in troubled times because it means you’re no longer at the bottom end of your life. It’s not about settling but finding internal peace and personal equilibrium. Watch the video below and follow Party Favor at any of the links provided.

soundcloud.com/partyfavormusic
open.spotify.com/artist/7yPPzu5UdAK7yagQqjEZQm
twitter.com/partyfavormusic
facebook.com/PartyFavorMusic
instagram.com/partyfavormusic

“Where You Left Me (My Lonely World)” Finds the Secret Chord Sketching the Contours of a Broken Heart Waiting for the Pain to Pass

TheSecretChord1_crop — The Secret Chord, photo courtesy the artist

Nathan Hui-Yi as The Secret Chord has tapped into a palette of sound for his single “Where You Left Me (My Lonely World).” It is downtempo with a lead piano melody tracing an impressionistic emotional sketch of a broken heart waiting for the worst of the pain to wriggle out and dissipate into the mists of time and new experiences. The soft bass line accents and propels the song in an organic progression that flows smoothly with a flare of guitar as a second melody with the piano. Like some of the most interesting music of the past forty plus years the song blurs the line between jazz, hip-hop and the avant-garde. The dusky soulfulness of the vocals speak to a soul weariness having come from dark places ready to move forward again. The track comes from the album Journey to the Soul and Back Again out March 2019 and you can listen to the rest of the album on the project’s Bandcamp page. Listen to the single below and watch its beautiful music videos comprised almost of water colors as animation. You can also follow The Secret Chord at any of the links provided.

thesecretchordmusic.com
soundcloud.com/thesecretchord
open.spotify.com/artist/5QitTXV9bbuIyOtskyctG2
youtube.com/c/TheSecretChordMusic
thesecretchord.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/TheSecretChordMusic
instagram.com/thesecretchordmusic

The Claremonts Channel The Second Summer of Love and Inject Attitude Into Its Single “Clearer Than Ever”

TheClaremonts2_sm — The Claremonts, photo courtesy the artists

There’s more than a touch of Pills ‘N’ Thrills and Bellyaches period Happy Mondays in The Claremonts’ new single “Clearer Than Ever.” You know, the kinds of melodies and songwriting that seems, if you’ll excuse the reference, loose but undeniably appealing and accessible. Like being a blatant weirdo but likeable enough to get the pass into mainstream normalcy somehow. The jangle-y guitar and the drivingly funky bass line and just enough grit and attitude so as not to be simperingly friendly. Halfway through the song the band sends the song into a dynamic flare-up of sound and energy before letting us back down into the groove. In that way its reminiscent of Public Image Ltd. when the late, great John McGeoch was in the band. “Clearer Than Ever” makes its mark in your brain at two minutes twenty-two seconds and leaves you wanting more especially if you’re a fan of its Madchester-esque flavor. Listen to the song on Soundcloud and follow The Claremonts at any of the links below.

soundcloud.com/the-claremonts
open.spotify.com/artist/69JF5ZDoKfk1Rke9ETZT5g
facebook.com/TheClaremonts
instagram.com/theclaremonts

The Wistfully Romantic Mood of Catch a Dinosaur’s “Maybe You Just Wait” is the Perfect Song For These Dog Days of Summer

Catch a Dinosaur captures that perfect moment as you’re drifting off into a nap and and your mind wanders mixing contemplative reflection and a dreamstate with its single “Maybe You Just Wait.” The shimmering tremolo sound of the guitar and the vocals are reminiscent of Luna’s more chill moments and the way Dean Wareham can say so much with a pithy observation that is neither self-deprecating or aggressive in its analysis of a situation. There is a bittersweet flavor to the song once it gets into the main groove but the mood doesn’t get stuck there and brief guitar solos flare up that propel the song back into its wistfully romantic mood and again before the outro. There are angry breakup songs, this is more a hey maybe things aren’t working now and we need a break sort of vibe. Follow Catch a Dinosaur on Spotify.

Wallfly’s “Bad Habits” Has a Title That Reflects its Constantly Evolving Weirdo Stream of Consciousness Avant Garde Jigsaw Pop-Rock

Wallfly1_sm — Wallfly, photo courtesy the artists

Wallfly’s album Somethings has been out since April 2018 but its’ single “Bad Habits” recently came to our attention which was welcome for such an unusual and sonically challenging rock song. You never have time to get to used to a sound or a dynamic across the song so calling it “Bad Habits” is genius. Like the band or its members spent some time making music that got stuck in a rut or conforming to some style that bored them. Like when young musicians in recent years think they discovered something new and exciting with the fifth or seventh wave of garage rock or psychedelia like so many do thinking it’s adequate to sound like “Anemone” by The Brian Jonestown Massacre and that simple reverb works to be trippy because delays are for pretentious “art” bands. Wallfly seems to disregard these considerations completely. Somewhere someone cited Deerhoof as a comparison or an influence which seems apt as that’s another band that doesn’t really sound like anyone else unless someone could be said to sound like Melt Banana collided with Alice Donut and Brainiac. The fact is that this song that melds together electronic sounds with rock sounds and an avant-garde sampling aesthetic while creating a song that at its heart speaks to and articulates a desire not to be hemmed in even by one’s own internal task master. If Guerilla Toss is touring through the band’s hometown of Provo, Utah, throw these people on the bill just for weirdo solidarity’s sake. Listen to the song on Spotify and follow Wallfly at the links below.

facebook.com/pg/wallfly.music
wallfly.bandcamp.com

Calcedon’s new single and video “Ice in the Desert” is a View Into the Hubris of Humanity’s Presumptions About its Ability to Adapt to Anything

Canadian singer Calcedon’s new single “Ice in the Desert” is an ethereal meditation on what the future may hold for our species if current climate trends continue. The music video above is a harrowing, all-too-near future science fiction themed scenario set after the collapse of world civilization in the wake of dramatic climate change. It’s a peculiarly human hubris to think we can make the technology to solve all our problems and our ability to adapt to any and all change and that failure to do so is somehow a more failing as well. But, in fact, there are forces beyond our control at play all the time and we as humans often fail at dealing with our problems that seem obvious when other considerations take precedence like temporary benefits in the way of profit, national politics, ego and loyalty to outmoded ideas and ideals. The gently soaring melodies and billowing dynamic of the song, though, suggest not judgment so much as compassion for human folly but one informed by a firm knowledge that “thoughts and prayers” and “good intentions” won’t be enough to stave off our extinction. Rather that we must take action while also not forgetting the nurturing and benevolent side of our collective humanity. Fans of Zola Jesus and the more dreamy side of Myrkur will appreciate Calcedon’s use if vocal tonality and atmosphere to convey powerful emotions. follow Calcedon at the links provided.

soundcloud.com/calcedonmusic
open.spotify.com/artist/0vrPFzt9Jy9I9NV3XGDg3M
twitter.com/calcedonmusic
instagram.com/calcedonmusic