posted by kara on May 12, 2012
Lost Lander is the latest project of the singer/songwriter Matt Sheehy, making music out of Portland, Oregon and doubling as a forester for Northwest Forestry Services by day. The debut album “DRRT,” produced by Brent Knopf (formerly of Menomena), consists of eleven tracks of folk-pop, mostly of the haunted, introspective persuasion. It’s not exactly slow, but there’s nothing at all upbeat about it either.
“DRRT” is rooted in folk, so it features acoustic guitar, which is about the only string that ties all of the songs together. Well, and, most of the songs seem to be Matt Sheehy baring his soul in some dramatic way, not the least of which is in the single (and for many, the first introduction to this band) ‘Afraid of Summer,’ where Sheehy muses unreasonably “I’m afraid of summer, because I know I can’t swim.” But I assure you, this is not some singer-songwriter being sad for the sake of being sad and thinking the world will care. Despite the dark feel, Matt Sheehy comes across as down-home and genuine, never whiny or down.
The album moves quickly, and it is far from boring, mostly thanks to creative bells and whistles unique to each song. Beautiful vocal harmonies grace the opener ‘Cold Feet,’ operatic sounds spring up about halfway through ‘Dead Moon,’ stringed instruments are highlighted in ‘The Sailor,’ among others, and sax and horns are sprinkled throughout the album. Piano is a fairly consistent element, as well; it’s never the focus, but it is rather brilliantly incorporated, especially in ‘Kangaroo’ and ‘Belly of the Bird.’
Lost Lander released their first official video in March – for the song ‘Cold Feet.’ It’s an interesting, fast-moving comment on modern culture through random clips taken from the panoply of screens that dictate most of our lives. Also fun, motion graphic designer Stefan Nadelman recently made an animation for Lost Lander’s ‘Wonderful World.’
I’m not sure where this band will end up. Matt Sheehy seems more than content to live a double life as a regular guy keeping his day job, finding the energy to capitalize on his musical talent in his spare time. But if music is what he eventually intends to pursue in the future, “DRRT” is a solid step.
Lost Lander – Afraid of Summer (Downloaded 59 times)
Lost Lander – Dead Moon (Downloaded 49 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
No ratings
Loading ...posted by Patrick on May 9, 2012
{photo courtesy of chromewaves.net}
South By Southwest is a treasure-hunter’s dream: 2000+ bands, spread over a hundred stages and venues, with nothing more than a handbook in six-point type to guide you through the maze of obscure names and faces. At its best, the festival is an opportunity to watch terrific new bands before the masses overwhelm them. One of those hidden gems was an all-female band from Norway named Razika. Razika caught my attention while slogging through a sampler of tracks from 1,400 bands expected at SXSW. Most of those were mediocre or worse, but Razika’s sound really stood out. It starts with an upbeat, jangly, poppy rhythm that took a while to identify: it was ska, something you never hear anymore. Razika isn’t really a ska band, but ska influences most of their tracks. Razika is also unique in that they sing in both English and Norwegian. Somehow it doesn’t seem to matter which language they choose; their lyrics are more like an instrument than a means of communication. Most importantly, Razika was pure fun. On stage they harmonized, smiled shyly, and powered through a set of brisk, infectious tracks. There were tighter acts, with more serious sounds, but for one hour on one night, Razika was a guiltless pleasure. If they ever escape Norway again and tour near you, definitely give them a shot. Treasure abounds.
Razika – Nytt Pa Nytt (Downloaded 46 times)
Razika – Eg Vetsje (Downloaded 38 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
» Meaningless labels: Catchy • Female vocal • Happy • Poppy • SXSW2012 • Upbeat
(5 votes) Loading ...posted by Loren on May 6, 2012
LA-based Francisco the Man has been trying to break through the proverbial wall into mass appeal. Just ask lead singer Scotty Cantino. On the band’s tumblr, via an interview with the music blog yvynyl, Cantino says the band went through a guitarist quitting, touring, graduating, and a variety of life’s travails, all in the last 5 years. But when life threw them lemons, FTM made guitar riffs. Exploding through the underground indie scene in L.A, Francisco the Man has established themselves among hipsters and the anti-rock-god following with their folk-meets-garage songs. The city has a knack for fusion; it’s a staple in the most paradoxical and confused sort of artistries. It is music transcribing heavy influences of psychedelic rock alongside hints of post-punk, manifesting a gauntlet of wavering sing-alongs and power chords. They whisper their pain as not to awaken yours, too.
Copy and paste the cornerstones of Lower Dens guitar tabs; now cut and paste doses of Beach Fossil and Rogue Wave influences. Understanding songs like ‘Rain Drops’ and ‘Broken Arrows’ requires conjuring the images of these rock-pieces and then quickly rinsing your mind with any type of sativa. The shreds of amped-up guitars and willowing lyrical fantasies embody the addicting ballads of a very fledgling discography. Much as the source in which the band name derives (Marquez’s novel 100 Years of Solitude), the lessons in both the band and the novel are about transcending generations. Much as the music spilling from their EP evokes, lay back and allow the time travel. Listen in and tune it up, you’ll like it.
“Broken Arrows,” released in April 2011, is the band’s latest release. The song of the same name (below) is one of my favorites.
Francisco The Man – Broken Arrows (Downloaded 103 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
(7 votes) Loading ...posted by kara on April 29, 2012
File this one under “bands to watch.” Conduits is a mostly unknown band out of the increasingly prominent Omaha, NE indie scene. Their self-titled debut, which came out in March 2012 on Team Love, is somewhat dreamy, but mostly melancholy and more than a little depressing. They never get loud or energetic, just mesmerizingly intense.
At first listen, Conduits sounds like a darker, more spellbinding version of Beach House. But that’s just a loose frame of reference for the uninitiated. I’m hesitant to compare Conduits to any other band, or frankly, place them in any genre or label them at all. Even though
they’re playing music, they walk a fine line between appealing to audio and visual senses with their characteristic dark, and quite vivid, swirling sonic journeys. I’d just as soon compare their music
to a painting, or some other highly visual art form. Think, for example, of a dark-toned, very detailed, life-sized painting of war-torn land. Or any visual display that captivates your interest and
reels your heart straight into the scene.
Each song is an elaborate braiding of slow drones, heavy beats, and dark guitar sounds, forming the backdrop for the haunting, feathery vocals of lead singer Jenna Morrison. Not surprisingly, their influences span genres and time periods, ranging from Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin to Spiritualized and Portishead. They have a real maturity about them; they embody a unique style and a distinct sense of direction with their music, almost like they’ve been working their whole lives just to release this one masterpiece.
And yet in reality they are babies on the scene. Though they formed a few years ago, and most members came from other bands, Conduits barely has a website, and their tour schedule is sporadic. But their brief month-long tour with Cursive and Cymbols Eat Guitars was a big step into mainstream indie. Conduits was well-received on this portion of the tour, perhaps because absolutely nothing is lost in translation from album to stage. Now they’re back in Omaha for while. Hopefully they’ll be on the road again soon.
Conduits – The Wonder (Downloaded 103 times)
Conduit – On The Day (Downloaded 72 times)
» To download, right-click title & “save as”
» Love/Like/Hate it? Please rate it.
(6 votes) Loading ...
