Queen City Sounds and Art

Richard Swingle Brings Fire Down on Local Greed and Corruption on the Passionate “Gravy Train”

RichardSwingle1_crop — Richard Swingle, photo courtesy the artist

Richard Swingle’s “Gravy Train” single from his new EP Older Bones starts off sounding like a typical Americana blues track with the shuffling percussion and borderline bluegrass if not for the slide guitar putting some atmospheric touches at the edges. As the song progresses the vocals become more intense and the guitar work and rhythm unfurl in bursts of emotion. The raw quality of the song at that point is reminiscent of Sixteen Horsepower and the way that band held the fire in check until it was time to let it out. Thematically the song is a pointed critique of greed and the assumption of dignity and respect one has when moneyed even when that wealth is at the expense of those that helped create it. Swingle punctures that bubble with some choice rhetoric delivered with passion. Listen to the song on Soundcloud and follow Swingle at the links below.

open.spotify.com/artist/3Qy8eg9VXUgZ9x8T58ZbvD
richardswingle.bandcamp.com

Drug Hunt Blow the Lid Off the Foundations of Modern Conformity With “The Tower”

DrugHunt1_crop — Drug Hunt, photo courtesy the artists

“The Tower” by Drug Hunt fools you a little with the warping grind of the opening stretch of music and when the vocals come in like they might in a Kyuss or Sleep song it evolves during the course of its nearly six and a half minutes into raga-inflected art rock passages circa the weirder ends of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, fiery yet fluid runs and majestic, crushing, dark blues. The title of the song is interesting given the lyrics outline a situation happening in the world today when the vested authority structure is crumbling in America and beyond and many people cling to what they know rather than embrace change and thinking for themselves outside their usual cultural and political affiliations. Of course in America this has been helped along by a figure whose policies boost and support the power of his own oligarchic class and the establishment generally but whose cognitive ability is so lacking he is destroying the foundations at the same time. The Tower in the Tarot is a card signifying both the destruction of the established power structures and authority, turning the existing order upside-down, it represents revolution and instant enlightenment and illumination in the eruption of the top of the tower. The card correlates to the astrological sign Sagittarius and thus a Bill Hicks connection that would suit the psychedelic sound here as well. The song itself escalates to that moment and brings the symbolic flame out to a satisfying denouement. Listen to “The Tower” on Soundcloud and follow Drug Hunt and their experimental and conceptual psychedelia at the links below.

facebook.com/drughuntband
instagram.com/drughuntband

Possimiste Bridges the Quantum Gap to Sing a Love Ode to Her Alternate Self on “Unseeable”

Possimiste_Unseen1_crop — Possimiste, image courtesy the artist

“Unseeable” by Possimiste strikes one as a beautiful synthesis of The Space Lady and Kate Bush. It’s pop music but one from some alien civilization that isn’t inundated with bad examples of how it should sound. The glockenspiel, twinkling synth swirls and Possimiste’s unique vocals straight out of the realm of Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter. In its lyrics it’s like an ode to a twin from another quantum reality connected by a kind of magic mirror or psychological technology that bridges the cosmic chasm. Somehow Possimiste combines tones wistful and bittersweet in equal measure making for an enchanting listen that promises more strangeness ahead for this Estonian songwriter. Listen on Soundcloud and follow Possimiste at the links below.

possimiste.com
soundcloud.com/possimiste
instagram.com/possimiste

The Video for Ros Gilman’s “Fresh Air” is a Dynamic Graphical Representation of the Meeting of Mathematics and Imagination

RosGilman1_crop — Ros Gilman, photo courtesy the artist

Ros Gilman’s song “Fresh Air” unfolds and expands like the images in the music video. Simple piano melody joined by sampled vocals and layers of percussion. Later joined by horns and all represented mathematically by a dynamic EQ meter on screen throughout the song whether in mirrored top and bottom, down the middle, in various arcs like geographical features in the musical world presented. Playful bell tones are reminiscent of The Art of Noise though the track is well within the realm of a deep house aesthetic informed by a free jazz sensibility and a flowing free association employment of sounds to suit each moment while remaining thematically coherent. Fans of Future Sound of London and IDM of that ilk will find much to like here as organic sounds are mixed in so well with the electronic composition and sound design. Watch the video and follow Ros Gilman at the links below.

rosgilman.com
open.spotify.com/artist/4encGefmC48XGvJod2eBr2
youtube.com/rosgilman
twitter.com/rosgilman
facebook.com/rosgilman
instagram.com/rosgilman

Broughton’s Aching “R.I.P. Joyce” is the Heartbreaking Tribute to Struggling With the Passing of a Loved One

Broughton2_crop — Broughton, photo courtesy the artist

Somber echoing piano, minor chord progression synth drones and a sampling of rain serve as the evocative backdrop of Broughton’s “R.I.P. Joyce.” It’s about the artist’s struggle with the passing of his grandmother due to cancer. The ache in his voice as he spits bars like graffiti poetry on the walls of his psyche and tries to make sense of the loss of a woman in his life who was such an important figure and presence who shaped who he is, who supported him and helped him to see things in his life more clearly. Presumably she encouraged his creative endeavors and his development as a human being yet never got to see him perform his own music in front of an audience. Broughton consoles himself, to the extent possible, with the hope that his Nan looking down on him from the afterlife with a sense of pride. It’s a powerful composition that at close to four minutes feels like more like half that because Broughton conveys so well that moment of sorrow that may never go away but also always means your poignant appreciation for your loved one lost never goes away as well. Listen on Spotify and follow Broughton at the links below.

soundcloud.com/nqh-x-dbds
open.spotify.com/artist/1ZgfHlEOqu1zHd3PoK14aa
youtube.com/channel/UCFJKu3mvFZ3Pz1XeRXK2u0w
twitter.com/BroughtonNQH
instagram.com/broughtonnqh

Legendary Acid House DJ or Not, Klaus Blatter’s “(I Find Myself Surrounded By) The Lunatics of Acid House” Sounds Like a New Classic of the Genre

The mystique, perhaps manufactured, behind Klaus Blatter is only enhanced by the unusual and dryly humorous and surreal single video for “(I Find Myself Surrounded By) The Lunatics of Acid House.” The story goes that Blatter is an influential figure in the world of Acid House (which started in Chicago, of course, and developed further in the UK) but whose name doesn’t appear in histories of or articles on the genre. That he’s allegedly from Dortmund, Germany may go some way to explain his not being included in the official record. But whatever his exact origins or place in the family tree of Acid House, Blatter’s track is both an eccentric celebration of and documentation of the spirit of an era that changed the course of electronic music forever as well as a fine example of the art form. Blatter reportedly performed at the most recent Glastonbury Festival so there may be something to his story so follow Blatter on his Twitter page as his story further unfolds.

Tweets by BlatterKlaus

“No Music No Peace” by Shinji Kaneko is a Song About the Barrier Transcending Power of Music

ShinjiKaneko1_crop — Shinji Kaneko, photo courtesy the artist

Shinji Kaneko’s lyric video for “No Music No Peace” works so well in its simple charm and explicit spelling out of its message of how music connects and bonds people. Kaneko also talks about how at the root of human psychology and well-being and international understanding is that bond of music that can transcend the usual barriers of language, politics and culture. Kaneko is based in Japan but the lyrics are in English and not the awkward variety one sees on t-shirts in markets in the Ginza. Rather, the kind of language that may seem quaint to some but which speaks to universal truths in a relatable way that requires no knowledge of hip references or familiarity with the rich American and Japanese folk traditions to grasp. It’s simply a refreshingly earnest and catchy pop song aimed at bringing people together through a shared appreciation for music. Watch the video below and follow Kaneko at the links provided.

soundcloud.com/shinjikmusic
open.spotify.com/artist/6I67i3PFoodl0xVF6YMd3n
youtube.com/shinjikanekomusic
twitter.com/shinjikmusic
facebook.com/shinjikmusic
instagram.com/shinjikmusic

Hayden Everett’s Debut Single “Color” is a Song About Freeing Yourself of Harmful Habits of the Mind

HaydenEverett1_sm — Hayden Everett, photo courtesy the artist

Hayden Everett’s debut single “Color” ebbs and flows with clouds of melody that wrap themselves around his brightly resonant vocals. He sings about the ephemeral rewards he thought he was supposed to chase only to find attaining them not as fulfilling as he had once thought. And that often when we reach a place we think we need to be or reach a goal that seemed so important it’s never enough and the bar is raised even higher. It’s a song about the folly of that rat race and letting go of the habit of the chase without considering if any of it’s what you really want out of life. Everett recognizes the difficulty of breaking those habits because they are so ingrained in us from a young age and this song is written in compassion for the struggle of freeing oneself of psychologically harmful patterns. Listen on Soundcloud and follow Everett’s future musical endeavors at his website below.

haydeneverett.co

“Julie Wants To Go To War” is Flagship Romance’s Ode to the Right of Transgender Folx to Serve Their Country

FlagshipRomanc1_crop — Flagship Romance, photo courtesy the artists

Many artists with good intentions aim to use their art in an attempt to illuminate the plight of an assailed minority group or a worthy cause or both and end up making a work that is, if not bad, wack. Flagship Romance, fortunately, uses its talent for warm, relatable folk rock to bring a level of detail and basic human understanding to the song “Julie Wants To Go To War.” The key lines in the song talk about how the main character Julie struggles with her certainties about her own gender but not so much with her ideas about wanting to serve her country in the way her grandfather did with honor and sense of service. But only to have such aims thwarted by the recent Trump administration ban on transgender people serving in the military. The latter of which inspired the writing of the song and the donation of 100% of the streaming royalties going to benefit the Trevor Project which provides counseling and support services for at-risk youth and teens in the LGBTQ community. Listen on Spotify and follow Flagship Romance at the links below.

http://www.flagshipromance.com
http://www.facebook.com/FlagshipRomance
http://www.instagram.com/FlagshipRomance

“Amor Solo Te” by Gina Brooklyn is Both a Sense Memory and an Ethereal, Tender Love Ballad

GinaBrooklyn4_sm — Gina Brooklyn, photo courtesy the artist

Gina Brooklyn sounds like she’s singing from some distant sea shore to a love far away on “Amo Solo Te.” One needn’t understand Italian to take in the emotional tenor of the song which is that of day dreamy yearning and longing. The simple guitar melody is ethereal like something out of a Cocteau Twins song and the sample of water flowing conveys a sense of the tide coming in. The short song works as both a gentle folk ballad and as a sense memory giving it more dimensionality than the song, already compelling enough, would have on its own. Listen to “Amo Solo Te” on Spotify and follow this promising young songwriter at the links provided.

linkedin.com/in/ginabrooklyn
soundcloud.com/ginabrooklyn-music
open.spotify.com/artist/1xswzC6LnLbD13DfNDmQOc
youtube.com/ginabrooklyn
twitter.com/ginabrooklynn
facebook.com/ginabrooklynnmusic
instagram.com/ginabrooklynn