New Music – Be Gone
To capture that rawness of emotional distress and atmospheric dread, then to be mixed with the overpowering rush of clashing percussion and stringed instruments takes craftsmanship. It relies heavily on ability and the shifting tides of creating intrigue without becoming drowned out, but Oceans of Slumber makes waves on their newest release, The Banished Heart.
The Texas progressive metal band is formed by Cammie Gilbert who leads on vocals, Sean Gary on guitar and deeper, more growl centered vocals. Along side is Anthony Contreras who works with Gary in similar fashion of guitar and vocal performance. There is Keegan Kelly on the bass and backing vocals, leaving Dobber on the keys, guitar, and percussion aspects. The concept of having a clean vocalist that works over the quite harsh instrumentation that often uses splashing percussion, focuses on the snare and rolling fills, can encase the listener in this consistent movement. With then being paired over the frequent blitzing and headstrong strings in a hydra formation makes for one of the more conflicting bands in music today.
Frequently, there is Gilbert who speaks gently over the flying instrumentation, providing these senses of fulfillment without any gaps in between Oceans of Slumber’s sound. Especially on The Banished Heart where the instrumentalists are impressive without being overbearing. Opening with the just shy of nine-minutes track, “The Decay of Disregard”, the piano works to build this glimmering effect before the storm of movement. It is one of the more impressive displays on The Banished Heart as the sudden shift into the rising guitar and eventual openness and space behind the music is inspiring. Production-wise, The Banished Heart is a masterpiece that feels polished and clean beyond belief. The only real dirt in Oceans of Slumber’s sound is the topics covered, the ugliness of truth and questioning.
Gilbert explains, “Did you even try to find me, did you even care for one last chance at reconciliation? Do you know how long these veins have ran? Remnant of red that stains your hands.” Tapping into the personal factor, while keeping it open enough to have the music develop behind the message; Oceans of Slumber are a building crew and wrecking force in equal aspects. Shown well in the entirely instrumental and synth heavy piece, “The Watcher”, there is a focus on creating the backing of an eerie heaviness behind The Banished Heart. Often times direct, “The Watcher” plays with that format and shifts to find Oceans of Slumber in a different light than what is shown before it. Sticking out for the short style, “The Watcher” is one of the shortest tracks on The Banished Heart, only reaching into two-minutes and twenty-five-seconds.
Usually, tracks of The Banished Heart reach into five-minutes or more but never outstay their welcome. On the following “Etiolation”, there is a focus on the destructive aspect of Oceans of Slumber that somehow feels comforting through the rush of instrumentation. Oceans of Slumber can create a positive push of emotion even behind the very heavy lyrical and musical style of The Banished Heart. Dobber is excellent throughout the The Banished Heart on the percussion, but shows such an immense talent behind the rolling and cascading fills of “Etiolation”. The entire band follows this movement and begins a rapid attack with the guitars and bass filling in the gaps over the growled vocals.
The Banished Heart is a free, unconstructed animal of both rising and falling action. Oceans of Slumber function incredibly well as a team that creates progressive metal to the core and changes into a more adaptable sense of ability over the glorious instrumentation, beautiful leading vocals, and experimentation with atmosphere that pays off in adding more to the already packed journey.
Listen To The Banished Heart Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Album) Pachyderm – “Verge”
Performed by Pachyderm, whose personnel is:
Ethan Mackowick – acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
Max Klemmer – bass guitar, vocals
Jaxon Stunden – electric guitar, vocals
Remy Erkel – drums, acoustic guitar on “Spend The Night”
Nico Sleator – keys
With help from:
Augie Bello – tenor sax
Sugah Cat – trumpet
Talisman St. Charles – band manager
All songs written by Pachyderm
Recorded in a variety of basements and bedrooms
Mixed by Nico Sleator (check out www.nicosleator.com )
Mastered by Alberto Sewald
Special thanks to Max Rayschich for recording help and advice
Special thanks to Leon Sleator for lending us your nice microphone
Art by Peter Zurawsky
//
Listen Here – BandCamp
STREAMING // (Video) CZARFACE X MF DOOM – “Bomb Thrown”
Directed by: Kendra Morris
Concept by: Esoteric & Kendra Morris
Photography: Lewis Holiday
Art: El Ultimo Codice
Action figures: Killer Bootlegs
Visual effects: Josh Mac
Effects supervisor: Jeremy Page
//
Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
STREAMING // (Video) Queens Of The Stone Age – “Head Like A Haunted House”
Produced, Edited and Directed: Liam Lynch // Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
STREAMING // (Track) Germ – “BODYBAG”
Prod. By: Don Krez // Soundcloud
Misc. Day – To Fall and Stagger
Music can transport a listener to a million different places in a short amount of time, with the metallic corridors of the deep dungeons, the high flying birds in the sky, or the smoke filled room of a jazz bar. Dreams and Daggers by Cécile McLorin Salvant takes the listener to the 50’s and 60’s where Jazz was in the golden age, where it flooded the streets and was more booming than ever.
Salvant takes innovation and vocal jazz into a synonymous, handshake of range and ability. Recording both through studio and live performance, Dreams and Daggers becomes at times a lengthy journey through the clear headed strut of Salvant and her band. Shown for the plethora of production and instrumentalists that specialize in making the mixes feel more genuine than felt before, the senior album of four by Salvant where she is at the helm feels right. Dreams and Daggers adjusts for her, create a conflict of both the glorious instrumentals and the heart-stopping vocal performances that border between elegant and abstract.
Discussion on marriage, solitude, and the ability of a free-thinking woman, Salvant is backed by Aaron Diehl on piano, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Paul Sikivie as the double bass and string arranger, as well as the Catalyst Quartet on strings. Percussion is handled by Lawrence Leathers, and with a direction that is laid out by the band as each track feels as a continuation of the last through tempo management and overall sound. The music is such a vital piece to aiding Salvant into a triumphant, emotional attachment to her own sound. It becomes a traditional jazz flaunt, but then devolves into the beauty and glory of experimentation with the sound by using changing tempos, the forming of audience noise, and even what becomes mostly covers on Dreams and Daggers.
The emotional stance and impact becomes quickly attached to Salvant as she displays more than just a beautiful voice on Dreams and Daggers, she displays vocal range and the ability to be a real threat as an artist. She moves in an elegant manner in certain forms, behind the soft spoken voice in between tracks. But more importantly, can understand a sense of what makes her beauty stand out, and that is the conflicting lower played and sung notes that bounce throughout the record in an effortless fashion. Salvant makes the impossible seem approachable, she holds a twisted shift that works immaculately in her favor.
Even as Dreams and Daggers begins to move through the total near two-hour mix, Salvant keeps the music feeling adaptable and easily digested through the intermissions of instrumental and vocal performances. The record is longer, but for good reason and gives Salvant a substantial platform to display her manipulation from both up-close and afar.
Listen To Dreams and Daggers Here!!! – Salvant’s Website/Soundcloud/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
New Music – Underground Elegance
Pouya, the five foot five destroyer comes hailing from Florida, or rather Flawda as he describes it. He has a sense of cultural pride behind his home and flows with that southern style as Bone Thugs, but changes it to fit a new modern format.
On his newest record, FIVE FIVE, Pouya emerges from a break of touring and his last album, Underground Underdog, to reinstate his position as one of the faster, more breakneck rhymers of hip-hop. His work with $UICIDEBOY$, Ghostemane, or even Night Lovell who makes a feature on FIVE FIVE, Pouya shows his adaptability to both production and different lyricists on a near featureless masterpiece. The production which is handled exclusively by Mikey The Magician compliments Pouya incredibly well and has this elegance behind it. Pouya and elegance has never been two things in one sentence, but on FIVE FIVE he flips a script completely and rides these shifting piano heavy tracks that make for a new style to Pouya.
He moves swiftly, making FIVE FIVE feel as a new artist and something that is a more mature cut than Underground Underdog. “Aftershock” is a fairly vivid look into this new style of Pouya where he shifts behind this classy percussion and thumping bass line. Pouya explains, “I got a thousand enemies and yet they all wanna rip me, but even if you kill me I will never die, my words will live forever. I thought this money was suppose to make my life look better, but now this money got me dancing, dancing with the devil. Heavy metal, got my pants sagging like a 90’s rebel, I can never settle, I need my settlements lately. Been around the world but Miami is where my grave be”.
Moving through the gun smoke and debris in a glimmering, triplet and shifted fashion, Pouya feels personal and has a better ear to his style on FIVE FIVE. There is still a strong clash within FIVE FIVE where the tracks become much stronger and move in a more destructive fashion. Especially on the self titled track, “FIVE FIVE” where the punching bass moves Pouya into a power stance, rhyming “So put some respect on my name, my flame is reigning with no label. Momma said ‘Get that bread and lay low’, while you sippin’ on your Faygo, 45 Blow off your halo”. It is the same raw tenacity behind Pouya’s voice that made crowds and mosh pits fall in love with him from the beginning, but now he moves with a stronger, more forward and flowing approach.
It is this violence that Pouya portrays however that makes his sound feel rough and as he is not a target but instead an assaulter. “Bitch back off of me, mac on my hip when I bust I turn you obsolete. Don’t bother me, iPhone buzz if I don’t get it once what the fuck you think. I’m not the type to think before I act, you can bust a 1000 rounds, I’m still intact”. Pouya raps over “Back off Me” where the foreboding instrumentation and eventual church bell chime conflicts with the rattling and twisted hi-hats to form a production that is fit for a king.
Mikey The Magician destroyed every bar here with the production and he quickly showed that he can be a driving force behind a great lyricist and move the pieces to fit this overarching puzzle piece. FIVE FIVE is important, a new stepping stone in Pouya’s career, and one that lives on through the beauty of the sunshine, but also the dark underbelly of Miami.
Listen To FIVE FIVE Here!!! – Soundcloud/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Classic Day – Twin Convulsions
(The) Melvins are a separate entity of sound entirely. There is not a single band that replicates the droned, broken sludge metal quite like they do. The heavy hitters in the grunge era come hot with the release of their fifth studio album, Houdini as a first major record label release; a turning point that would ensue on the Melvins’ career.
The percussion is a vital participant of Houdini and makes a substantial point to incorporate and smash the listener in a rage throughout each pulsing track. Houdini has these moments of broken, near crawling tracks that break the flow of action up and instead make the listener succumb to this overarching heaviness. Then other moments with “Night Goat”, Melvins are furious and driving behind their sound with the gut-wrenching screams of ”Buzz” Osborne who is known for his wild, and almost esoteric style that reached a broad audience. The Melvins is a band of pure experimentation that somehow managed to run the thin line of having a rhythmic back bone; finding immense success in the audacity.
Houdini even recruited Kurt Cobain as a producer, but Buzz later stated “We did a bunch of sessions with Kurt Cobain [producing], but it got to the point where he was so out of control that we basically fired him and went our separate ways, which is unfortunate, because I think that would have been fun.” The sound does not have a directly influenced style by Cobain in any way either as it focuses more on the underlying pulverizing of sound rather than any punk influence. Even as Buzz stated that the Melvins began as a hardcore punk band, the roots of the album are much deeper and involves a larger grasp of genre defining style. Not only is their ability stretched from the KISS cover “Goin’ Blind” or on “Honey Bucket”, two entirely differently styled tracks. But, there is a maintaining a general forward progression no matter the sound or style that Melvins adopt.
They are strange, off-putting at times, but ultimately entertaining through Houdini as it takes a variety of shape shifting forms before finally falling back into the comfort zones of “Sky Pup” or “Pearl Bomb” where the instrumentation is a little more direct and focused. The tracks still have that occult Melvins’ sound, but adapts and becomes something more bass focused than previously displayed.
Even as a three-piece, Melvins are fairly raw after being dug open from the top to bottom. They move as a giant in the core of genre, one that smashes the boundaries and adapts to their own personal style. They throw the rules out the window, become illicit bandits, and make one of the more attention grabbing albums of the 1990’s.
Listen To Houdini Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Video) 21 Savage X Young Nudy – “Since When”
Slime Season, PROD: KIDD HAZEL // Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
LIVE EVENT – TODAY’S GONNA BE MINE ARCADE PARTY
SATURDAY, MARCH 24TH, 2018
10:00 P.M – MIDNIGHT
LIVE DJ, ARCADE GAMES, SICK GIVEAWAYS
COME KICK IT AT THE TODAY’S GONNA BE MINE ARCADE PARTY.
GAMES, DRINKS, AND TREATS WITH AN
EXCLUSIVE MOVIE GIVEAWAY AND EXCLUSIVE GEAR TOO.
MEET US IN THE OASIS.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
STREAMING // (Video) Ramirez – “100 Bars & Gunnin”
Prod: Kendrick. , Cinematographer: Calikeo // Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
Misc. Day – Young Varg
Black metal and hardcore hip-hop, two entirely different sides of the musical coin. In a strange, almost perfectly twisted manner; the two can combine and create one of the most intriguing, Frankenstein monsters of atmosphere and assault through sound.
In a black metal fist fight, Ghostemane emerges crowned in black mage robes and white face paint on his hellish 2017 release, Hexada. A crowd favorite by my father, Hexada taps into the sick and delusional vein of heavily distorted, bass focused rap music that is more than abrasive at the first jump. But then when mixed with the acoustic instrumentation of pounding drum sets, the synthesizers, the flurry of noise becomes aggravating and creates a wall of sound.
From the opening pure noise track of “Intro.Decadence”, Ghostemane spawns these revving and warped synths, odd vocal sampling that speaks of “Damnation,” and a final intro with the self-titled “Hexada”. It is just an ugly, clicking and assaulting piece of instrumental freedom that ignores the guidelines of hip-hop and becomes something much more sinister. Ghostemane is a vicious animal, but is reflective of how music can shift the emotional mood within mere seconds and transpose the symphony of the night as his own. The sudden punching of bass and the rattling triplets of his signature voice, Ghostemane explains, “Speaking up will get you locked up like religion, Pillage everything about a woke up mind”.
His lyrical style of combining that darkness with a sense of message comes quick and is often missed behind the buzzing bars that Ghostemane delivers on. This is common behind his conduction and constantly manages to invoke this sense of overbearing movement through his delivery. He can light up a room through the flames and become this ten-foot tall figure made of ash, Ghostemane compares well with the competition if there ever was any in this style of music.
There are iconic moments throughout Hexada and “Squeeze” is one of those tracks that manipulates the listener and forces them to move about with the dance-heavy piano, but crushing bass. Through Ghostemane, there is something that leaves the rude and sex driven lyrics to a full sprint when paired with some of the most innovative production in hip-hop today. It takes extremes and balances the lows with the incredible heights, moving the music in a constant fashion of never halted hell.
Not only is Hexada a well produced and lyrically entertaining album, but overall it has this factor of being multi-faced. It straps on the wood block and clicking for Ghoste’s classic style, but moves mountains with his adaptable mix. He continually moves forward, without forgetting his past.
Listen To Hexada Here!!! – Soundcloud/Spotify/Amazon
STREAMING // (Track) Vince Staples – “Get The Fuck Off My Dick”
Do Him a Favor… // Listen Here – GetTheFuckOffMyDick.Com
New Music – Time Traveling
Hardcore takes an incredibly exhausting amount of forms that branch out into everything from power violence to black metal. There is the punk, the rock, the hard rock, the comedy, but there is a real sense of a new leaf that switches with Turnstile. Especially on their newest album; Time & Space, which is a flurry of rampant vocals and instrumentation that borders on the destructive and equally uplifting.
Turnstile has always had this sense of mystery and intrigue behind their sound and with each record there is always something new that is introduced and worked upon. For Time & Space, there is a focus on creating the march style and rolling with the mosh pit inducing rush of each incoming track. Each progression works as an attack that rolls with the listener and takes them through a rugged, but perfectly cut piece of steel.
Rarely is there a band that can work with the popularity of rhythmic, higher-pitched vocalization and the experimentation of abstract atmosphere to combine together. Showcased first through “Real Thing”, Turnstile’s grouping of two guitars, bass, percussion, vocals, and piano is substantial enough to come stringing together in a whirlwind of quick moves. But somehow, they can also work through Time & Space in a barrage of genre-jumping boundaries. “Real Thing” is a fairly standard hardcore sucker punch that acts as ferocious as any beast that Turnstile has produced before. There is then the track “Generator” which begins with a harder stance, but eventually breaks down and becomes muddled through the instrumental effects on the strings.
It feels as if the song’s second half was created by an entirely different band, keeping Turnstile feeling adaptable and strong. And that follows as “Bomb”, “Moon”, and “Disco” as they are able to throw major variation to Turnstile’s sound on Time & Space. Between the aggression and experimentation lies a serious frontline of animation and energy on tracks five to nine, then ten to thirteen as Turnstile commands with the gripping nature of the reverb and external modulation on the instruments. The changes between tracks can feel quite subtle at moments and this all gets wrapped under the guise of Turnstile
They are mean and almost ill-tempered on “Can’t Get Away”, or “Right To Be” where there is a serious spotlight put on the backing vocals and progression of the track. There is no such thing as a dull moment with Turnstile as they always move into the attack formation without revealing their cards all at one. It is the mechanized workings of aggressive, but progressive instrumentalists and vocalist.
Time & Space is not going to build a new genre itself, but it does more than enough justice for hardcore and also for the slower, more spaced out tracks. In a wide shell, Turnstile is stand offish, but more broad than ever and moves with a strange, almost comforting shriek into the pits of fire.
Listen To Time & Space Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Classic Day – Strange Fires
Methodology is an important factor in music; involving delivery, appearance, style, and even sound as all what makes music tap into the emotional boundaries of a person. There are major factors and popular music that avoids the boxes of music, and adapts to their own mold in a rapidly changing way. Matt Johnson of The The is that visionary on his 1981 release, Burning Blue Soul.
Reissued in 1993, Matt Johnson would be the leading influence behind the direction, instrumentation, and vocalization on the experimental flood of Burning Blue Soul. There is not much direction behind it, but the messages that Johnson describes are layered behind the looping instrumentation and production that taps into several different lands before coming to a final stopping point.
The opening of the album, “Red Cinders In The Sand” is an entirely instrumental track that uses slight vocal sampling and remixing to form the backbone of the track. “Red Cinders In The Sand” acts as an introduction to the madness behind Johnson and moves him about in such a way that is focused on the atmosphere and the fog that rolls in beneath his feet. He is creative, able to manipulate, but ultimately a storyteller through these sounds and can range anywhere from a futuristic jungle, to the primitive and authentic. Especially with these large grasps on the timpani-esque drums that pound on the opening, illustrating a sense of foreboding danger behind the 1981 playground.
The impervious nature of lacking direction sets The The into a non-specific time zone that can incorporate organs, tambourines, guitars, blitzing percussion, drum loops, and hundreds of other factors into Burning Blue Soul. It is a musicians dream as the rhythm can still be followed without becoming a chore or work. It is not even close to simple though, as the constant layers that drive the album deeper and deeper are important and describe a scene. It paints this abstract mystic entity of sound that strikes through different chord progressions and sounds.
It is a tale of genre blending proportions that eliminates the struggle of creating a commercial sound, to instead gravitate toward a less understood stance. Burning Blue Soul moves like water and confides without any structure to enhance the almost droning sound that comes from Johnson. Without fail, The The comes shuffling in and distributes out through the airwaves in a soon, manipulated piece time and time again by sound.
The album also transitions incredibly well and each track rolls into the next with no dead air between them. The track fades out and incomes the next, it is a boosting power that comes from The The as the band, (which included only Matt Johnson at this time) and how it forms together.
Even if structure or form is not the most memorable thing for Burning Blue Soul. The production and style is what keeps The The stay interesting and engaging even more than thirty-five years later.
Listen To Burning Blue Soul Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Track) Suspect – “One Way”
Feat. Jesse James Solomon and Skepta // Listen Here – Spotify
THIS IS A LIST OF THE MOST RECENT STREAMS...
The complete list of all past streams can be accessed here as well
(Click Here)
MATT'S MUSIC MINE - MERCH FOR SALE
VIDEO REEL 2
LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY – JESUS PIECE AT BABY’S ALL RIGHT, DECEMBER 6TH, 2022
SUNDAY SAMPLER // (Playlist) “12/04/2022″
(Track) Jake Mason Trio – “Rib Eye”
(Video) Lightning Bolt – “Dead Cowboy @ TAICOCLUB 2014”
(Video) The Velvet Underground – “After Hours”
(Video) Mac Miller – “10 Years Of You”
(Video) A$AP Rocky – “Same Problems”
The complete list of all past streams can be accessed here as well
(Click Here)