SubmitHub – Page 124 – Queen City Sounds and Art

Mercvrial Illuminates the Root of the Poisonous Seduction of Social Media Validation on “be that someone”

With a brisk pace and expansive, ethereal guitar melody over a steady urgent rhythm “be that someone” by Mexican post-punk band mercvrial is a surprisingly incisive commentary on the deleterious effect of social media. In the music video for the song we see people looking at their phones for the brief validation of likes on various social media platforms and how it syncs up so well and so insidiously with the work culture in late capitalism wherein people need to show they’re grinding for increasingly diminishing rewards and settling for truly ephemeral benefits. We see in the video the ways in which people advertise for themselves by posting a cultivated image of success and performative presentation of living their best lives all the time when anyone living in the real world knows can’t be true or certainly not sustainable. What makes this commentary accessible even as it shows how a system of technocratic rewards and punishments self-sustaining by our participation is eroding our collective psyche is how upbeat the song comes off and how the video shows the supposed good times posted to social media can convey a false picture of psychological health and vitality. At least until the end when a couple that seems to be getting along but there’s the dating app showing a match so on to the next exciting thing even if there’s no way of knowing it will be exciting. It’s easy to see people as interchangeable and as an option when the illusion of such is at your fingertips. The reality is probably more complicated than that but we’ve all seen that dynamic and perhaps even been or are a part of it to varying degrees. And yet we all know we can do better than this even if the instant dopamine shot from these micro brain stimulations of social media engagement give us is hard to let go. This song is about that and the lyric of “be that someone that everyone loves” sums up the root of the issue perfectly. Watch the video for “be that someone” and follow mercvrial at the links below.

mercvrial on Instagram

Battle Ave’s “I Saw The Egg” is a Gentle Coaxing to Wake Up to the Life You’re Living

The softness of “I Saw The Egg,” the title track from Battle Ave’s new album, hearkens back to turn of the century indiepop and the psychedelic alt-country of Sparklehorse. Spare percussion, likely electronic, accents the informal rhythm of the simple keyboard figures that intertwine and trace the outer edges of the song’s introspective daydreaminess. Guitar stretches to fit the flow and spike of mood in the last half of the song like Adrian Belew guesting on a particularly delicate Modest Mouse single. It fits in well with an album that sounds like it’s from another time that utilizes elements of musique concrète with traditional pop songcraft informed by a gentleness of spirit that makes the record easy to take on as a whole with songs about reorienting one’s life and priorities to make room for aspects of lived existence neglected while you’ve been putting all your energy and momentum into a professional pursuit or some other personal goal without as much attention paid to the things that make doing so sustainable. Balancing adult responsibilities with one’s creative life needn’t be diametrically opposed, after all, and requires a simple adjustment of one’s habits and cognitive orientation which this song alludes to with poetic imagery. Listen to “I Saw The Egg” on YouTube, check out the rest of the album on Bandcamp where you can also purchase the cassette and download and follow Battle Ave at the links below.

Battle Ave on Facebook

Battle Ave on Twitter

Battle Ave on Instagram

Salarymen Frolick on the Shore While Contemplating the Proper Priorities of Life in the Video for “Rerun”

The winsome strains that introduce Salarymen’s single “Rerun” sound like a portal to a place outside of normal time. Its nostalgic melody reaches into the same emotional realms that made the songs of Tennis, early Beach House and Snail Mail so appealing. But Salarymen wax into an Alvvays-esque flavor of indiepop that seems as personally mythical as it is imbued with an immediacy that refreshens the mind. The video depicts the members frolicking around the shore of a body of water that looks like a lake but could be big enough to be the ocean which, intentionally or not, serves as a metaphor for the colorful swirl of the song’s appeal as something that feels like a peek into private musings about life but a commentary on the nature of human existence and the importance of our own little corner of all of that beyond our utilitarian role in society. Watch the video for “Rerun” on YouTube and follow Salarymen at the links provided.

Salarymen on Instagram

Salarymen on Apple Music

Salarymen on Facebook

Keith Monacchio Humorously and Affectionately Examines Strongly Held Questionable Beliefs on “Survivalist”

Keith Monacchio, photo courtesy the artist

“Survivalist” is the lead track from Keith Monacchio’s new album, his fifth as a solo artist, Under a Nightlight Sky. It has a lively beat and sounds like something you’d expect to hear at a honky tonk though it’s more rock and roll than country but would fit in either context. As the title suggests it’s a song about one of those people who has way too much faith in their own independence and efficacy as a human being. The kind of preppers who are paranoid about “communists” taking over the USA, of BLM and Antifas [sic] launching widespread criminal violence, critical race theory ruining public schools in which it’s not even taught and the whole host of conspiracy theory fueled, conservative wingnut beliefs that get fools to horde guns, ammunition, food, water and medicine in bunkers under the supremely misguided belief that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and a right to bear arms means you can and should have as many guns as possible in case a tyrannical government is in charge when, really, a functioning, robust democracy and a just society with equitable economics would stave off most problems and result in a stronger country. And besides, a tyrannical federal government could just send in supersonic drones to drop more ordinance than any militia group and certainly more than any individual can handle, no Ruby Ridge or Waco style stand-off required. But Monacchio handles this subject with humor and with some concerned affection for someone who might actually be in his life who has gone off the rails with the hope this person can be coaxed back from the ledge. And it’s Monacchio’s hope that gives the song the proper, non-judgmental but not indulgent tone that the subject deserves. It’s a great introduction to an album of introspective songs about the nature of familial relationships between parents, children, one’s role in those situations and where it all intersects with political tribalism and hoping beyond any current signs otherwise of a future in which there isn’t so much conflict and existential crises that push people into strange types of acting out and adopting deviant beliefs under the assumption that holding those ideas dear will protect them from what they think threatens their lives and senses of self. Listen to “Survivalist” on Soundcloud and follow Monacchio at the links below where you can listen to the rest of the album on Bandcamp.

Keith Monacchio on Instagram

G.U.N.’s Single “Fucker” Rages Against Internalized Elitism

The level of rage in G.U.N.’s single “Fucker” is palpable but also directed and not generalized, which is what makes it seem so focused and thrilling. The layers of distorted drones, pulsing tones, caustic guitar washes, Killing Joke-esque dub bass and desperate but controlled vocals have more in common with bands like Preoccupations, Protomartyr and Pop. 1280 than a darkwave industrial band yet the sonic elements here will appeal to anyone whose tastes have developed beyond obvious big names and perhaps taken in a bit of Test Dept. and Einstürzende Neubauen. The lyrics seem aimed at the very foundation of the cognitive framing of internalized elitism with the chorus of “There’s only one degree of separation between you and everything else and that’s the idea that you’re separate.” It’s not a brutal take down so much as a critique of a mindset that perpetuates systems of inequality from a very root level perspective making the song fascinating for its ideas as well as its creative musical composition. Listen to “Fucker” on Bandcamp and follow Australian, industrial post-punk band G.U.N. at the links provided.

G.U.N. on Instagram

Colatura’s Wistful, Jangle Pop Song “Kids Like Us” is a Vivid Portrait of the Legacy of Family Dysfunction

Colatura demonstrates a gift for layering melody and atmosphere on its single “Kids Like Us.” The music video perfectly reflects the hazy quality of the song like the musical equivalent of an old Polaroid capturing a moment in time and resonating with the memory of that time for anyone that recognizes the event or in this case the emotional portrait of the song. Intricate guitar melody brought into focus by gritty rhythm guitar and buoyed by bass and drums create an irresistibly wistful and melancholic yet upbeat mood. Visually the use of what looks like photo and video collage is the perfect vehicle for the overall aesthetic and for a song that seems to be about family legacy and how the curated aspect of childhood photo albums try to show the best of times but always accidentally reveal challenging times and little details many people later find shameful or odd. When Meredith Lampe sings the line “promise you won’t have kids like us” it’s with the same warmth and tone as the rest of the song but with words that sum up what sounds like a song where someone is thinking about the ways in which she had to overlook numerous unpleasant situations and possibly abuse just to get through and how those habits manifested in acting out and the long term impact on the rest of one’s life. And yet the awareness suggests a person can move beyond the dysfunctional family mindset. Watch the video for “Kids Like Us” on YouTube, follow Colatura at the links below and look out for the group’s debut album And Then I’ll Be Happy out April 22, 2022 digitally and on black and translucent green vinyl.

Colatura on TikTok

Colatura on Facebook

Colatura on Twitter

Colatura on Instagram

colaturaband.com

Adam Yas’ “Mosquito And The Iron Bull” is Like the Post-Script on the Fall of a Deep Friendship Gone Awry

Adam Yas’ voice sits slightly behind in the mix on “Mosquito And The Iron Bull” while his delicately intricate guitar work carries the melody in sync with the subtle rhythm. At least until a third a way through the song when the song elevates dramatically and layers of synth hover in and out to accent the emotional build that Yas commandingly marshals like natural forces to boost the climax of the song where his own voice rises to declare what feels like both praise and criticism of the object of the song’s lyrics: “Breathless/No one is/As charming/Or as starving as you are/No one will be half/As charming/Or as starving as you are.” It’s the kind of song that sounds like something from a super hero comic or an epic fantasy, written by one of the more poetry-minded characters commenting on a friendship that has hit the rocks. But earlier in the song it sounds like maybe there was more than a friendship being described when Yas sings “I ain’t following you home/I’ve been leaving you alone/I want no part of your fantasy/Please go.” Was there a romantic relationship there that ended with the two people remaining friends until one can no longer fool themselves into being under the spell of a seductive charm that maybe be enchanting at first but whose luster fades even as the appeal lingers? Difficult to definitively say what the inspiration behind the song might be but it has the flair of a lively flamenco song and it conveys a sense of horns playing out in Flamenco style but it’s a trick of hearing and expectation. In that way this song is reminiscent of something DeVotchKa might do but with more electronic components that give the mood a kind of momentum and lends the song an air of the mythological. Listen to “Mosquito And The Iron Bull” on YouTube and follow Adam Yas on Spotify.

KOKA Invites You to Discover Your Mythical Inner Life on “Falling Star”

The spare piano figure that leads us into KOKA’s new single “Falling Star” is a taste of a song that sounds like a music theater piece in miniature. But a theatrical production about a futuristic pop star who was shown the ropes of the music industry but her imagination and personal ambition took her to where she wanted to be rather than where other people might have set their sights for her potential. The use of space in the song and the way KOKA has structured how it unfolds and reveals its various flavors and moods is orchestral in scope and thus reminiscent of The Sensual World-period Kate Bush especially in the expressive ways KOKA’s vocals execute to great dramatic effect. It also brings to mind the later era Tori Amos whose own knack for deeply personal yet theatrical songwriting hits you like a glimpse into a more mythical personal experience that can’t help but feel like a brush with the possibilities of life we can often ignore in our own psyche. Listen to “Falling Star” on Spotify and follow KOKA at the links provided.

KOKA on Facebook

KOKA on Instagram

Lex Holmes Brings Clarity to the Messy Emotions of a Bad Break-up on “Right Now, Other Side”

Lex Holmes makes a lot of spare elements with just her resonant and introspective, reflective vocals, an evolving yet elliptical guitar riff and a touch of atmospheric keyboards in her songwriting generally. And on “Right Now, Other Side” she brings forth the state of mind and heart she was in after reflecting on a breakup with some with whom there’s no going back, no repairing what was damaged, only grieving that loss and one’s own role in what broke down an important bond that lingers in with you long after. When you’re in the deep down shades of the post-breakup period the self-doubt, the melodramatic thoughts that when you’re creative can lead you to write really intense and often bad poetry. Holmes indulged that impulse but rather than bad poetry she gives us a line like “I think I’ll miss you even after I die as a ghost haunting myself” which is very emo but who hasn’t felt like that but didn’t think to put it so succinctly. Later in the song, as part of the extended chorus, Holmes sings about how she’s going to “create a horror movie trailer of the stuff I said when I ran to hide and I’ll haunt it myself” which speaks to the ways we often try to punish ourselves over our own guilt even though no one’s asking you for that kind of self-flagellation. And it is a way you can haunt your own psyche with mistakes and thoughts of what you did wrong. But by writing a song that’s so raw and confessional in its imagery maybe Holmes worked through some of that anxiety and sadness that can stay trapped inside you when your brain can’t help but returning to the memories of when things went wrong. If the title of the song is any indication maybe Holmes has moved on from that dark place of the heart and in listening to the song maybe it can help other people by really articulating messy emotions with the rare clarity and honesty Holmes does here. Listen to “Right Now, Other Side” on Spotify and follow Lex Holmes on Instagram.

PODEROSA Calls for Reclaiming Your Humanity by Embracing Your Dark Side on “Nubes Oscuras”

If not for the lyrics in Spanish, when you listen to PODEROSA’s “Nubes Oscuras” its vivid yet lo-fi production style, its song dynamics, tones and processional structure is reminiscent of Russian post-punk and darkwave from the late 80s to the present. The icy synths and lingering cymbal strikes and pulsing low end electronic bass and sense of ambient desperation is there. But the vocals are more forceful in making declarations of spirit and intent. The title in English is “Dark Clouds” and the band has commented that the song is about embracing your dark side. And you hear it in the song, the striding directly into those hidden parts of the psyche that are supposed to stay obscured when they’re not so bad or shameful but in a culture where there is some shame assigned to vulnerability, sensitivity, not having all your everything figured out even though very few people really do and otherwise coming up short compared to unrealistic expectations heaped on us and often by ourselves. But when you can recognize those things in yourself that might otherwise be considered a dark side by everyday society that are simply part of a full human life you may as well embrace them and if they’re “flaws” show them the compassion they deserve and come to terms with their expression. “Nubes Oscuras” celebrates that process. Listen to “Nubes Oscuras” on Spotify and follow PODEROSA on Instagram.