Shofar - s/t (2017)

BANDCAMP: https://shofar.bandcamp.com/releases

BROADJAM: http://www.broadjam.com/shofar

Written by Mike Yoder, posted by blog admin

Minneapolis’ Shofar has returned to action with a six track self titled EP that finds the Larry Hagner led outfit revisiting the glories of their initial run with a new found perspective that represents a real advancement from their older releases. The songwriting definitely stands apart, particularly lyrically, from standard rock fare, but it’s distinguished with a number of light touches emphasizing its melodic aspects and the recording belies their indie status with its polished, even sophisticated sound. This is a collection rife with accessibility and authenticity alike while they punctuate every track with an intelligence and idiosyncratic flourish that’s all their own. Shofar’s return to active ranks definitely fares a lot better than other such “comebacks” from acts big or small and, even if the musical landscape has changed a great deal, they sound poised to build on their long-standing reputation.

“Running” sets an early desperate tone. Even the more muted verses, with sketched out electric guitar weaving tense melodic lines around Larry Hagner’s voice and lyrics, crackle with unsettled energy. It occasionally erupts into some ferocious riffing quite unlike anything else on the release. “Powerman”, however, is a complete shift into acoustic influenced pop rock harkening more to the classic British rock side of the spectrum with a little California sunshina-via snowy Minneapolis tossed in for good measure. The addition of backing vocalists makes it an all the more enjoyable musical ride and the six string jangle coming through on the tune is a little reminiscent of The Byrds as well. Hagner’s lyrical acumen remains at a high level for the song “Shades of Grey” and the musical mood finds him asserting a little more rock edge without ever exploring any of the harsh power we heard from the EP’s first cut. “Hands Down”, however, should be offered up as Exhibit A that, given the right inspiration, Larry Hagner has conclusively mastered the art of writing a top shelf rock gem. The chorus of this tune makes it priceless and it’s invigorating to hear the band seamlessly shift into a higher gear.

“Countdown” and the EP closer “The Coming” are more overtly introspective and thoughtful material than much of what we hear from this Shofar release/ The first of those two songs is particularly fascinating as it’s essentially a depiction of the world ending and rife with details that show Hagner’s eye for specificity is quite powerful. “The Coming” is a little more poetic minded, but it’s an ideal marriage of music and lyric with, arguably, Hagner’s best vocal performance on the EP. Shofar’s first run didn’t last nearly long enough and we can only assume, based on the strength of this release, that this time they’ve returned with the aim of fulfilling that early promise.

Blue Apollo - Light Footed Hours + Circles (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://blueapollomusic.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/blueapollomusic/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BlueApolloMusic

Written by Jay Snyder, posted by blog admin

Dallas, TX trio Blue Apollo work up an admirable alt-rock sweat on their debut EP release, Light-Footed Hours.  As jangling, angular guitar lines rooted in minor-key chord phrasings brush shoulders with hard-hitting tribal tom rolls, deep diving bass lines and breathy higher-register vocal melodies in the title it’s clear that the band were raised in a school that taught John Mayer, Stevie Wonder, James Blunt and maybe even a little Slint.  It’s a rousing opener with a very casual flow but some nice tempo jolts thanks to Jeremiah Jensen’s punchy snare runs in the second half and guitarist/vocalist Luke Nassar’s scalding lead licks.  This is simply a well-put together rock track and it’s got the vocal magic to mold it into something special.  A great singer can carry an average band but a poor singer can’t carry a top-tier unit, graciously, neither is the case here. 

Groovy funk rhythms especially felt in those throbbing bass lines collide with reggae flavored guitar ska as Nassar breezes through a free-form scat in the hyper catchy “Feeling Right.”  Dramatic musical stops n’ starts lend the cut some jarring sonic expositions.  Jensen’s drums flex nothing but steroid pumped muscle throughout (his snare-work deserves special mention) while bassist Rodman Steele anchors down the groove with dense, fluid bass lines that weave in and out of the main guitar melody.  Luke’s lead guitar runs are yet again a highlight; even adding some classic rock style squeal, scorch and flair to the way they slowly, deliberately uncoil.  A touch of organ accompaniment further enriches the music in a golden 70s aura that enraptures the eardrums and keeps the listener involved for the long haul. 

“Therapy” kicks off with a simultaneously subdued and rocked-out lead guitar riff that picks up the pace as the drumming cautiously ratchets up the intensity.  Soon the rhythm section takes over with tidal ebb n’ flow of gorgeous sound as the guitar occupies an atmospheric role until it swells noticeably in volume during the tune’s show-stopping chorus.  James Blunt fans should be able to get down with the alternately indie and alt-rock tendencies going down in this cut (which so happens to turn out to be one of the EPs greatest highlights).  A melancholy, moonlit piano arrangement opens up “Avalanche.”  This piece provides a showcase for Nassar’s massively expressive pipes and a wonderful singer/songwriter showcase that focuses on the absolute most stripped-down structuring available.  Jensen integrates a sparse kick-drum beat with some cello wrapping around the twinkling ivories.  Layer by layer the song builds into something truly grand.  The bass creeps in carefully with sparse notations that rest within a bed of sparkling, crystal clear guitar melodies.  Surprisingly the music builds to a full band climax with some of the EP’s most frenetically rocked-out instrumentation contained within.  “Meant to Be” adheres to a similar format but pairs Luke’s soothing voice with mainly desolate guitar lines that eventually gives rise to another entire band climactic shuffle which sounds great and delivers the appropriate amount of impact. 

Bonus track turned single “Circles” closes out the record with spacey, high-energy buoyancy rippling in waves of effortless tom-tom pulsations, ever-flowing bass grooves, ambient electric guitar twang, a handful of bluesy riffs and soaring vocals.  It’s a perfect endnote to an EP that traverses many varying modes over its brief 6-song trajectory.  Honestly, the quality and satisfaction delivered by the material hear makes this record feel like a full-length.  At any rate, this is really good stuff and well-worth your time and hard-earned dollar.

Man Called Noon - Everybody Move (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://mancallednoon.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mancallednoon/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ManCalledNoon

Written by Laura Dodero, posted by blog admin

The third outing from Chicago’s Man Called Noon represents a substantial leap into the future for the Windy City eight piece and Everybody Move finds their brand of intimate, yet intensely physical, music more alive than ever and, potentially, ready to commercially take off in a significant way. However far Man Called Noon takes their dreams, they will always be able to say that they didn’t compromise themselves to reach their goals. The three songs on Everybody Move indulge in a relatively wide cross section of sounds for such a short EP and the band convincingly pulls off that stylistic balancing act. Their music brings singer/songwriter level intimacy together with a soulful, robust approach to arranging along indie alternative rock lines. One of their unique signature, multiple voices exerting some sort of effect on each of the cuts, elevates these already fine songs to a higher realm.

The title song has an ambitious, melodic texture despite its condensed length. James Marino and Anthony Giamichael’s guitars rein themselves in for a fill and rhythm focused performance only occasionally bursting into brief melody laced passages from lead guitarist Marino. Giamichael’s vocals lead the way for Man Called Noon, but Erin Myover-Piotrowski and Jacqyelynn Camden’s contributions are important in this song and the remaining tracks. Much of the Americana touches creeping in on their earlier releases are, largely, missing with this EP, but it doesn’t lessen the impact of the band’s presentation on the title song. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” has similar results. This is far removed from Americana and, instead, the funk and rock mix powering this cut is topped off by a superior vocal from Giamichael. The song is a little busier than the title number, but never threatens to overwhelm you. Instead, it has fiery rhythms and a rock attitude that captures you quick.

“One Last Ride” does a much better job of bringing a rock sound into the EP and it’s never inaccessible. Marino’s lead guitar is a pivotal part of what makes this work, naturally, but the rhythm section performance from bassist Dave Aitken and drummer Josh Fontenot keys much of its fireworks without ever sounding too heavy handed. Giamichael’s upper register bent is credible tackling a straight rock track and the lyrics are among the most effective on Everybody Move. Man Called Noon’s EP recording carries the band’s creative vision a significant step forward without ever losing sight of its foundational strengths. Anthony Giamichael and his band mates sound fully engaged with this material and it’ll surely ignite even hotter during live performances.

Slow Burning Car - Defection (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://www.slowburningcar.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SlowBurningCar/

Written by Raymond Burris, posted by blog admin

Slow Burning Car offers up a 10-track, hard rockin’ groove fest on their 4^th record Defection.  This twin guitar, energetic group mixes grand melodies with a rough, unpolished edge that is sure to ignite a spirited little mosh-pit at one of the band’s many concerts.  With airplay on 130 stations, this Los Angeles bred quartet has made quite an impact since their inception. 

The aesthetic Slow Burning Car settles on is as follows; not too heavy but certainly not too light.  Songs toss and turn between punk-fed melodies with a lot of pop phrasings and white knuckle guitar heroics where riff and rowdiness are king.  Lead-in number “Alpha Duplicor” is a prime example, the cut settling into a meaty, drop-D groove that allows the 2^nd guitarist to add leads and insert melodic indentations.  Bassist/vocalist Troy Spiropoulos constantly pushes the riffs into action with his bouncy, clearly felt bass lines lifting up from underneath as his voice’s well-contained anger never crushes any of the melodic intentions.  “Soul Crimes” is just as loud but ups the pacing by several clicks and weaves some harmonies into the vocals.  They’ve got a cool, breezy punk vibe that culls from goodtime punkers like Pulley or even Avail.  The mix of hard and soft mainly, not the exact dynamics of those bands; that’s one of Slow Burning Car’s biggest strengths, the fact that they really only sound like themselves. 

“The Orb” uses punk as a foundation but messes with some new wave, FX-dabbed vocal harmonies in the chorus.  It’s an unusual track from the beginning.  Drummer Adam Idell smashes out the intro solo with a syncopated, madman fill and the tune goes tumbling into down tuned riffs and angry, rhythmic vocal jabs.  They combine at least three different elements of genre and mash them up into a seamless barrage of sound.  “Devil in the Room” has got the kind of pop punk smarts that could easily land these guys a record deal with Epitaph; it’s no-nonsense and harder than the stuff that radio plays.  “The Sunday Derby” might stop for some catchy lyrical turns of phrase but this song feels like some twisted, gussied up version of really rocked-out 90s indie that is sandwiched in by another couple chord rocker, “You Can’t Stay Here.”  “Bedtime” is a fine acoustic guitar ditty, a sort of couplet alongside the equally sublime “Chrysanthemum.”  Just when you think the record is going to settle into a singular vibe, the band again pitches a curve in the form of “Polar Warden,” a psychedelic rock piece with a tapestry of loops, sound FX, molten bass riffs and sporadic vocals floating like vapor from your stereo speakers.  “Clouds” brings the album home with some epic, skyward guitar riffing, overcast drumming and stormy low-end yielding an emotionally stirring hard rocker that couldn’t have found better placement as a final number. 

Defection is really in its own league as an album.  It’s fresh, original and pretty rocking with a challenging songwriting approach that skips across several rock genres.  You can tell the band really enjoy and get down on their sound and this plays out to the listener’s advantage while listening to the record.  This album rocks hard and is a lot of fun; well-worth a buy for rock, punk, indie, grunge, and even hardcore fans. 

J.Briozo - Deep in the Waves (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://www.jbriozo.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jbriozo/

Written by Daniel Boyer, posted by blog admin

Jeff Crandall’s work over two studio releases and numerous live appearances with Minneapolis’ Swallows has positioned him as one of the indie scene’s best vocalists on the rise, but his first solo album as J.Briozo, Deep in the Waves, should gain him further renown as a songwriting powerhouse and compelling performer away from the auspices of his full time band.  He tries his hand at multiple forms with this collection and achieves across the board credible results without ever straining listener’s acceptance. There’s a rare level of confidence coming off this release for a debut solo album and one can only ascribe that to the likelihood that Crandall began recording these songs with a sure idea of what he wanted the final results to sound like. There’s little question that he’s pulled that off with considerable aplomb.

There’s obviously a lot of thought and consideration given to these thirteen songs, but there’s ample evidence of a loose, spontaneous approach as well that’s capable of capturing true studio magic. This balance is heard strongly in the album opener “Blind” with its keyboard propelled arrangement and the measured duet-like aspects between Crandall’s voice and the artful instrumentation. There’s none of the acoustic musing in the opener that we hear in the album’s title and second track “Deep in the Waves”, but it also features a much cleaner and accessible approach than Crandall adopted with the first tune. The folksy strum of the song’s foundational acoustic guitar pairs up very nice with his voice. The alt rock confidence coming from “Spinning Out” makes good for Crandall and his listeners thanks, in no small part, to how much the mileage the song gets from its title and the steady fundamentals that enable the track to go deeper than most. It’s one of the few tracks on Deep in the Waves to show off some lead playing, as well, and it punctuates the song to magnificent effect.

“The Big Parade” betrays some bluesy influences while still following the acoustic template that’s been established a few songs in on Deep in the Waves. It’s one of the album’s most involved lyrics and comes off well, colloquial yet eloquent, yet the language manifests a rough and tumble quality we don’t get from the stylish and satisfying arrangement. There’s just enough hint of the epic in the song “Catalonia” that helps it stand out from the pack and the obvious work put into realizing the vocal arrangement leaps out as one of the song’s true highlights. Influences from psychedelia rear their head at various points during the recording and one of the best examples of that strand in Crandall’s musical tapestry comes to life with the song “Firefly” and its focus on atmospherics never plays strained. The tune “Santa Cruz” opens with a mix of ambient electronica before spartan acoustic guitar swells out of the mix alongside Crandall’s dreamlike, smoky mid-register singing. It’s one of the album’s shorter tracks and pairs up well with the next song and album closer “Sun Sun True”, a practically raga-like electric guitar workout with big, ringing chords and an inspired vocal from Crandall. This song closes Deep in the Waves with much of the same individual air surrounding the songs from the first cut onward. Anyone who appreciates fine, stylistically diverse songwriting will find much to admire on this release.