☨ WEEK OF MANSON ☨ – DAY TWO
Glam Rock’s Twisted Son
Marilyn Manson, the king of controversy shifts gears more than any artist in his field. He is able to blend like the chameleon, able to hide behind the veil of genre and create true masterpieces of stylish artwork. Manson is a true genius behind his craft and his step into Glam/Industrial Rock, Mechanical Animals was the first real true musical love that I faced, the teeth being sheathed behind a pale grin; the beautiful instrumental pieces that would draw me in and make Marilyn Manson a household name for myself. Mechanical Animals is the first album that I truly felt wrapped inside and totally immersed within.
From the Antichrist Superstar, to the strange outer-space being simply named Omēga (Oh Me Ga), Manson adapts to an entirely new persona and with it comes a new style of being. Mechanical Animals opens with “Great Big White World”, a disassociated and dislocated track that follows the outsider who looks into the society with wide eyes. The guitar that suddenly plucks in seemingly iconic with the album as it sets the first, strange turn that Manson took with the production of the album. Taking in everything he can, the protagonist that “Great Big White World” shadows is one that does not truly understand the surroundings; Manson explains, “I’m not attached to your world, nothing heals and nothing grows. Because it’s a great big white world, and we are drained of our colors. We used to love ourselves, we used to love one another”. There are moments of real beauty behind Manson and the band that plays behind him, from the synths that are the heavy focus of most of the tracks, to the riffs of the bass and guitars that create ringing harmonies of glam glory.
While Marilyn Manson took a much different sound with Mechanical Animals, he still does feature some of the grinding industrial style that was present on Antichrist Superstar, with “Rock Is Dead”, Manson takes the shrieking guitars and pounding percussion to a new level as he shouts “Rock is deader than dead, shock is all in your head. Your sex and your dope is al that were fed, so fuck all your protests and put them to bed…Anything to belong.” It is the first track that takes a more up-beat clash of cymbals and noise that crash like waves and then suddenly fall into “Disassociative”, a track that entirely switches the style of sound once again and becomes a confessional piece behind an exaggerative and dramatic reading of slowed instrumentals, along with Manson describing, “I can never get out of here, I don’t wanna just float in fear, a dead astronaut in space.” Manson’s lyrical styling on Mechanical Animals is much less shocking, but feels as impactful for the way that it captures the total feeling of isolation. The feeling of being an outsider and never being able to fully understand the society around his character is unbelievably relatable, and when paired with the downright magnificent sounds that come from Manson’s backing band is just incredible. It feels like a movie that is being played with the vast world of imagery and dialogue that Manson delivers with each following track.
With the large commercial hit, “I Don’t Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)”, Manson adopts a nice funk groove that plays behind his 1970’s love letter to David Bowie’s Young Americans, Manson becomes a stumbling mess as he describes, “There’s a hole in out soul that we fill with dope and we’re feeling fine”, with a chorus of soul style singers behind him that repeat, “Don’t like the drugs, the drugs, the drugs”. This then floods into “New Model No. 15 where Manson takes to chanting and becoming more straight-forward as the synths play a catchy little riff before letting Manson describe, “Like-life and pose-able, hopeless and disposable, I’m the new, I’m the new, new model, I’ve got nothing inside.” Manson begins to move faster as he hits three tracks in rapid succession. Each track becomes a quick transition from “New Model No. 15”, “User Friendly”, and the suddenly slow “Fundamentally Loathsome” where Manson adopts to an Amy Winehouse styled crawl where the final act begins to show its head.
Mechanical Animals creeps toward the close like a slithering snake full of passion, “Fundamentally Loathsome” becomes one of the most impactful and memorable tracks off the record for the way that the instrumental production just shines as a beacon amidst the darkness that clouds Manson’s discography. This can also be said about the closer, “Coma White” which was not only a huge success for Manson, but it also a wonderful closer that captures the spirit and style of Mechanical Animals with a sullen, almost sunken track that is nearly bleak behind the beauty. Manson describes, “You were from a perfect world, a world that threw me away… A pill to make you numb, a pill to make you dumb, a pill to make you anybody else”. The feedback from the instruments then drowns the noise and becomes a silent journey into the AIDS of Space.
Resonating within the social commentary of Manson’s drug-filled peers and even a mirroring opinion on himself, Mechanical Animals becomes a still-relevant discussion today through the topic of fame, narcotics, and how people are perceived. He is a diverse character that can create new worlds from his pen; as one chapter closes, yet another opens.
Listen To Mechanical Animals Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Documentary) Wiki X Boiler Room – “The Mayor: Five Borough Tour”
THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK // Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
STREAMING // (Track) BONES X EDDY BAKER – “NightmareGalore”
HEALTHYSESH // Listen Here – Soundcloud
☨ WEEK OF MANSON ☨ – DAY ONE
A Star Is Born
Marilyn Manson is a controversial figure in Rock n’ Roll’s long, but distorted history. There is no one sound for rock music anymore, the lines are blurred and scattered; Marilyn Manson is an artist that entirely destroyed genre through his career and managed to create an incredible amount of attention for his second studio release, Antichrist Superstar. The harsh lyrics, brash imagery, and no compassion for the audience left Manson in a continual spotlight for his intelligence, bravery, and fear of none.
With an album titled Antichrist Superstar, some sort of hellish imagery has to flash in the mind of the reader, the cover art which features a heavily disturbed imaged of scabbed wings, distortion around the face and eyes, and the words, “Heart”, “Mind”, “Complacent”, and “Malice” in a four-part directional map for the album. Manson begins this masterpiece with “Irresponsible Hate Anthem”, a track that is by no means as shocking as it was when it was released in 1996; but the stings of the blitzing guitar and smashing percussion that is accompanied by a somehow charismatic lyricist that shouts and yells his approach directly into the microphone. His lyrics as stated before, are simply brash and animalistic, Manson sees the American public as a target for his musical bullet and without warning dives into discussing homicide, death, rape, and society in a quick daze of poetry. His chorus describes, “Everybody’s someone else’s nigger, I know you are, so am I. I wasn’t born with enough middle fingers; I don’t need to choose a side”. In a display of what can only be described as a fireworks display of chaos, Manson wastes no time moving into the following track, a grinding example of how productive talent can create a catchy, but sadistic cut.
“The Beautiful People” takes a similar approach as it moves between the consistent yelling of Manson, and the odd, but smile-inducing chorus that plays behind him. The twisted imagery that the iconic drum beat and the awe-inspiring bass riffs that still to this day play over and over again on stereos everywhere as an Industrial Rock anthem. Manson paved a way with his style that many artists would try to follow, but have a troubling time being as cutting edge and as sharp as Manson. It is apparent throughout all of Antichrist Superstar, but it is especially true on how he can take the production from Trent Reznor, and shift it into something completely unforgettable as both a piece of music history, and as a piece of controversial shaping of society.
It is on the later track, “Kinderfeld” where Manson reveals another side as he takes a slower approach, but still keeps the same stabbing style of his earlier tracks. It is explained through the chorus that Manson’s main character in the storyline of Antichrist Superstar that there is a serious transformation happening, “Then I got my wings, and I never even knew it. When I was a worm, thought I couldn’t get through it”. As the main character is pictured in this helpless villain, to a now sprouting animal of malicious intent, The track eventually becomes a chanting display of “This is what you should fear, you are what you should fear”. Which, then transfers Manson into the self-titled track, “Antichrist Superstar”, a deviously exciting ride of political-esque chants that reign into the chorus and verses of, “Prick your finger, it is done. The moon has now eclipsed the sun, Angel has spread its wings, the time has come for bitter things. Repent, that’s what I’m talking about, I shed the skin to feed the fake. Repent, that’s what I’m talking about, whose mistake am I anyway?”. Behind this hydra of sound, comes the operatic chorus that plays throughout the track and shines on the final moments where a robotic vocalist repeats in multiple voices, “When you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you”.
In a final moment of retribution, Marilyn Manson takes Antichrist Superstar into a moment of peace with “Man That You Fear”, a slowed, deep cut that closes off the pages of the story of the Worm, the Angel Re-born, the character that Manson portrays so well. It is a social commentary on society and while Manson is a musical legend that has made a career in the shocking; he can also be quite beautiful and impactful as well.
Listen To Antichrist Superstar Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Album) Pachyderm – “Tired of Being Alone”
A little break // Listen Here – Soundcloud
New Music – Tubular Times
Samiyam is simply prolific in the way that he can manage to create timepieces with his music, a stance that is glitched and warped at a glance; but at most times is a auditory journey of themes through sound. Samiyam’s newest work, Pizza Party is much shorter in length than his previous piece, Animals Have Feelings and touches upon a little bit different of a style.
Pizza Party is instead a change of pace that takes to mostly a laid-back, more zoned-out grouping of instrumentals that consist of off-beats, experimental sounds, and a focus on creating the strange through his fingertips. Samiyam is an instrumental mastermind that opens with “Slime”, a shrilling and eventually warped vapor-wave-esque style of percussion and synths come stumbling in. There is almost an immediate sense of beauty behind the keys as Samiyam takes the fantastically detailed level of production to immaculate heights, where it can soar, replicating the spreading of wings. The synths are Samiyam’s main weapons here as he is able to manipulate them, shifting them into these bending-styled levels of range. He focuses heavily on creating lots of space between himself and the listener, a great amount of distancing and fading is used as the second track, “Saturday Morning” begins to flood into frame.
Trading the warping for instead a straight-focused instrumental, Samiyam uses pianos and an Atari-esque sample of revving synths that begin to fade into the background as the clasping hi-hats take over the majority of the sound. Samiyam seems to take a serious interest in vintage sound as Pizza Party feels as though it had stepped right out of the 80’s in full, neon glory. Especially with the self-titled track, “Pizza Party” that has a real smooth introduction that eventually leads into what sounds more like a villain’s theme music. Samiyam is less destructive as a producer and instead works on using ambiance and grace to put his messages across to the audience. Even as the synths click along, and the pads play this ominous shine through the backing, Samiyam still keeps the pressure on with the rapid string ensembles that chatter, creating one giant monster of sound.
The closest thing to an actual true hip-hop track instrumental is “Dog Sweater”, which features a level-headed call to arms of balancing snares and bass that never truly overpowers or over-encumbers. Instead, Samiyam keeps a steady pace as he moves through the twelve track beat-tape, never skipping on the variety of instruments as it begins to feel as though he had an entire orchestra of sound to work with from the various chord progressions and diversity that comes through. As the final moments begin to approach, Samiyam releases some of the more memorable, harmonious tracks on Pizza Party, both “Rough” and “What Can I Do” which features Jonwayne are stand-alones that work well as closers. “Rough” is quite the opposite of its name as Samiyam takes splashing cymbals, claps, and cascading synths to a new level of tranquility.
His style is incredibly eloquent and it is apparent that the closers are a finale of fireworks, putting Pizza Party on a new level of adaptability and replayablility from Samiyam. He manages to create a sense of alluring classiness, but also a modern spin on the older, retro days. Samiyam is a producer to watch for his golden touch and for his unique stylistic approach to his projects. Pizza Party is just another stone in his discography that illustrates just how sensational he can be.
Listen To Pizza Party Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/iTunes
STREAMING // (Track) WESTSIDEDOOM – “2Strings” (Prod. By: The Alchemist)
The Artist is killing it // Listen Here – Soundcloud
STREAMING // (Album) Jimmy Wopo – “Back Against The Wall”
BACK AGAIN // Listen Here – DatPiff
STREAMING // (Track) Mars Jackson – “Sad Feat. Chalk Dinosaur”
ART BY: Yung Mulatto // Listen Here – Soundcloud
Classic Day – L.A. Woman
A door is a moving mechanism used to block off, and allow access to, an entrance to or within an enclosed space, such as a building, room or vehicle. Doors normally consist of one or two solid panels, with or without windows, that swing on hinges horizontally. These hinges are attached to the door’s edge but there are also doors that slide, fold or spin. The main purpose of a door is to control physical access.
Doors are significant in preventing the spread of fire and as a barrier to noise. Many doors are equipped with locking mechanisms to allow entrance to certain people and keep out others.
When open, doors admit people, animals, ventilation or light. The door is used to control the physical atmosphere within a space by enclosing the air drafts, so that interiors may be more effectively heated or cooled. When closed, a door normally impedes the transfer of air from one side to the other. Similar structures that do allow air to be transferred through some form of a grillwork are called gates.
Doors may have an aesthetic purpose in creating an impression of what lies beyond; for example, keeping administrative and factory areas of a building separate. In less formal settings, doors may also be seen as a sign of the desire for privacy. As a form of courtesy and civility, people often knock before opening a door and entering a room.
Doors are often symbolically endowed with ritualistic purposes. For example, being granted access to a door, including the guarding or receiving of the keyto that door, may have special significance.[1] Similarly, doors and doorways frequently appear in literature and the arts in metaphorical or allegoricalcontext, often as a portent of change.
In most cases the interior side of a door matches its exterior side but, in some other cases, there are sharp contrasts between the two sides, such as in the case of a vehicle door.
I mean let’s be honest…
If you don’t know who The Doors are then there is about no hope for you…
Their legacy is one that I could only hope to see in my dreams…
Listen To Their Masterpiece Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
Continue reading this article here – Wikipedia
Misc. Day – Hellraiser
The Single Mothers are a collective from Ontario, a quant little place filled with more hate than ever with their 2014 release, Negative Qualities. Like a fire-cracker from Hell; Single Mothers come in swinging in full fury on a ten-track, twenty-three-minute dive into the the nastiest parts of punk rock.
From the first seconds of blitzing guitar on “Overdose”, Negative Qualities hits like a ton of bricks, launching from first-gear into fifth without warning. Single Mothers are the very definition of punk rock freedom and animalistic ability flooding directly into expression. The drums from Brandon Jagersky are airborne weapons that conflict with the aggressive string sections of Evan Redsky on bass and Mike Peterson on guitar, then layering the screaming vocals from Drew Thomson over the entire mess of sound makes for a recipe of pure destructive entertainment. Single Mothers will carry no bars on their music, blasting the glass ceiling above them in a frantic crash-and-grab. Even the transitions are angry as “Overdose” floods into “Marbles”, a track that displays the raw, emotional detachment from the surroundings. Thomson describes over an aching bass and percussion combination, “I don’t care about your first editions, I don’t care about your typewriter ribbon; I don’t care about your punctuation, puncture wounds you’ve been trying to inflict me with”. Single Mothers makes the outsider become the focus, making the journey feel brash, but realistic and incredibly catchy.
While catchy may not be a word that is frequent in punk music, it does have a place with Single Mothers as they move on to the track “Feel Shame”, a rather instrumental focused narrative that follows a much slower styled tempo with a chorus that continues to echo even as they move into the bridge and final moments. The guitar and percussion take the main focus however as they make for a Wild-Western sounding picture book of heavy drum fills and a reverbed string section that floats above the layers that “Feel Shame” happily produces. The track is a nice step away from the constant screaming, trading the frontlines for the back in an order to create a solid mix of sound on Negative Qualities. Single Mothers is the hidden gem of punk, they shake quickly on the sudden bass drum hits of “Crooks”; creating a sense of confusion once again with the abrasive yells and instruments.
The guitars begin to fold in over themselves and make for a gas-fueled explosion of punk rock, the drums are fast and merciless, the break down is just a rephrase of the constant straight-minute assault. Single Mothers waste no time moving between tracks and creating fire from the finger tips with each passing moment. From the anthems of “Ketamine” where Single Mothers write continual choruses that love to be repeated, or to the final instance of “Money” where the track becomes an instant rock classic that dares to be a hybrid of genre.
In any instance, Single Mothers are a wrecking crew that steals your heart away, pulls you closer with each track, and lights a fire in the blaze of glory that they create. Negative Qualities is by no means a perfect album, but it is pretty damn close.
Listen To Negative Qualities Here!!! – BandCamp/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Album) Antwon – “Sunnyvale Gardens”
REAL TURF // Listen Here – /iTunes
New Music – The Beauty of Difference
Kamasi Washington taps into the unfiltered nerve of soulful jazz music; keeping a modern twist on old love. Washington moves to a modern, purely instrumental session with his newest release, Harmony of Difference. From the beautiful Golden Ages of Jazz in the 1920’s, to the now modern age, Kamasi Washington makes his own golden era, lighting fires with his saxophone.
Harmony of Difference is gentle to beginnings, the first track, “Desire” is a harmless dance of subtle horns and slight experimentation with progressive instrumentation. Washington takes a backseat driver approach as he lets the other instruments play the foreground, including an upright bass played by Miles Mosely, the keyboards by Brandon Coleman, and the piano played by Cameron Graves takes the spotlight for the introduction. The percussion played by Ronald Bruner Jr. and Tony Austin are played much faster than the rest of the band, but it fits well as it keeps the constant style of conflicting rushes and pauses in frame. Harmony of Difference is a record of conflicting periods as Washington directs to both the full sprints of sound, but also to the grace-filled strokes of genius behind the more down-tempo sections. The sheer talent and immeasurable craftsmanship behind the compositions are overwhelming at times as Washington leads like a mighty train to the following track “Humility”, which features a much speedier and up-beat style.
The flamboyant horns that suddenly take the sound are more lively, existing well with the piano that is fiery and jams along with the percussion. The synonymous nature of Washington and his band is just simply immaculate; the way the band can perfectly dissect sections and create these flying moments where the music takes over and becomes one giant wall of sound. The action never seems to stop either, as Washington deliberately puts other members in the spotlight on Harmony of Difference. He is a team player behind his music here, and this only continues to make Harmony of Difference feel like a fresh and crisp experience every time. The shifts where each member becomes the highlight then transfers into the track “Perspective”, where the members instead become a conglomerate collective of horns, percussion, keys, and strings that create a smooth, ode to 70’s style that strikes the mobility of funk music. Kamasi Washington creates supersonic settings with his musical ability and listening to his sound alone is like taking a journey to another planet. With the entire band playing behind him, it is an experience like no other.
This moves into the final track, “Truth” is outstanding as it is the longest, running almost into the fourteen-minute mark, but also in the way that it starts to slowly rise and rise until the tension is felt through the sound. It is explorative in the way that it plays through emotional stress of the horns rising and the vocal choir behind the instrumentalists that shines brighter than a diamond. Washington’s masterpiece is both gentle in the opening approach, but also shows the signs of being able to rush without becoming sloppy. “Truth” is a prime example of how artistic vision can be reimagined through practicing, and a goal to bleed through an instrument.
The final moments of Harmony of Difference are just as beautiful as the beginning, releasing a strong sense of emotional attachment behind the raging instruments and the calm waves. Harmony of Difference is a substantial set piece from start to finish, from the moments where Washington takes the helm and dawns the director position, to the moments where he steps back and plays a supportive role, Washington creates beauty behind his finger tips. The new jazz age is set, Harmony of Difference sets the standard for craftsmanship and just how incredibly emotional jazz becomes.
Listen To Harmony of Difference Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Video) King Krule – “Half Man Half Shark”
KINGSMAN // Listen/Watch Here – YouTube
Live footage by John Gittens, Nigel Rubinosa, Reuben Bastienne-Lewis
Editing and animation by Theo Chin
New Music – Steel City Parade
Pittsburgh’s hip-hop scene has been more than just major scratches on the surface, there are vast levels of both independent and mass mainstream artists that make hit after hit. Choo Jackson might not be a Pittsburgh native, but he sure does show the hospitality and the craftsmanship that the City of Champions is known for. From tours with Riff Raff, sold out shows nationally, and the modern, reinvention of the hippy, Choo Jackson is about making moves, creating action, and he illustrates that perhaps becoming a prince of the city is easier than it seems.
His newest album, Parade is released in conjunction with ID Labs production studio; two heavy-hitters that know their way around the city of bridges and with hip-hop. The pair make an inseparable wrecking crew of both melodic and punching hip-hop tracks, kicking things off with “Wake Me Up”. The first impressions are always most important, to Choo Jackson, he runs with the sun-filled production and charming sung and spoken vocals to create multiple layers behind Parade. From the spotless production that is handled primarily by ID Labs, to the mostly gentle Jackson who fulfills with lines that describe, “Look at me, I stayed the same. They said I wouldn’t make it; chain look like a chandelier…”. Choo is an instantly recognizable figure in Pittsburgh hip-hop, his voice is iconic as he mixes styles and continues to adapt to each track he steps foot on. With the break-downs and the consistent flow of energy, Jackson becomes a threat on the following track, “Right Away”.
Jackson’s production is truly impressive as the styles he chose relates incredibly well with his own lyrical style. He is witty, but still stays level-headed as he explains, “Scotty beam me up, I’m working hard as fuck, cause I need that bimmer truck,” in a blaze of glory as the booming instrumental follows along perfectly. The moments where Choo Jackson shines the brightest is where he takes the instrumental and decides to attack, but then switch styles and become more passive with his lyrics. He does this well on “Dinnertime”, where Jackson starts with a focused verse that eventually folds into a compromising, ego-boasting poet that rhymes through impressive production switch ups as well. He seems fearless as he attacks on “Redbull – Interlude” that proceeds almost effortlessly into “Talk” with Rob $tone. The interlude makes for a quick switch up that leads into Jackson happily explaining, “My outfit still cost your whole rent”. With the sudden bass drop and the stumbling hi-hat that snaps along with the snares and booming 808s that makes for an instant movement creator.
Jackson’s Parade can be shown as a dualistic record as he goes from the more turned-up hip-hop track, “Talk” to the then momentous cult-classic “Neighbors”. Jackson outdid himself on “Neighbors”, illustrating a sense of suburban, garage-rock beauty with overlaying backing vocals that create a waving sense that complies with cascading synths that resemble strings and the use of a more authentic styled percussion. “Neighbors” is a track off Parade that instantly clicked as it makes the contrast between the straight-forward hip-hop and the strange, more experimental style of Choo Jackson.
From the second his voice lines the track, Jackson is an instant marvel and one of the nicest guys you can ever meet. He is welcoming, but also creates hits from the flash of his finger tips. Parade is a full realization of how much power Choo Jackson holds in his hands, all it takes is a little push behind him.
Listen To Parade Here!!! – Spotify/iTunes
STREAMING // (Album) BONES – “FAILURE”
Heavily Awaited // Listen Here – Stream – Soundcloud/Download – TEAMSESH
New Music – Antique Shop
From the living dummies to now the bulls of punk rock, together PANGEA is a band that raises eyebrows and stomps feet from the cheerful, grasping, but still realistic style of surf that transcends the standard check-list of other groups. Where together PANGEA succeeds is in their fun, beach moving waves and ability to create a reason to dance behind the rugged, but never rough style they protrude.
Their sound has changed; they have evolved slightly, but together PANGEA is still that same lovable misfit in the music world from the past releases. They open their newest record, Bulls and Roosters with “Sippy Cup”, an instant percussion clasping, guitar rising, harmonic vocal performance that sets the tone for Bulls and Roosters. Even into their now fourth studio release, together PANGEA can still strum and play along to a child-esque style of wonder as they collectively gather to sing choruses together and play like a loose, but still bound machine. William Keegan is the lead vocalist and guitar player on Bulls and Roosters, while Erik Jimenez leads the percussion and Denny Bengston rips on the bass, backing vocals, and keyboards. Together PANGEA also features a mystery fourth member on their cover, who can be identified only as Roland Cosio who grinds along on the guitar on both Bulls and Roosters and on their tours where together PANGEA can be seen jumping off stages and doing national shows. The band has never seemed to be tighter musically and each track is consecutively a hit after hit.
Going from “Sippy Cup” to the more melodic and slowed “Money on It” is a drastic change, but together PANGEA uses each track as a transitional phase where they can be screaming and pounding their instruments in one moment, then entirely switch to a graceful flaunt where everything seems to click into place. “Money on It” is one of the tracks that displays how the mood can be drastically changed, even multiple times throughout the cut and still have the Earth-shattering, bring a tear to the eye chorus that is just simply beautiful behind the writing. Keegan explains in an angst-ridden cry for help, “We can talk until we talk it out…when we talk it’s always screaming, we can wait until we’re bleeding”. These lines, when paired with the build-ups of vocal harmonies and percussion makes for one of the more-memorable tracks coming from together PANGEA. The instruments have a certain loopy feeling with high notes that play elaborately, but also delicately as they channel into the following, “Better Find Out”.
Ditching the close and tenderness of “Money on It”, together PANGEA decides to leap head first into the pool, guns-a-blazing with a focus on the abrasive nature of their previous styles that not only is incredibly energetic, but has abrupt endings as the track is by far the shortest cut on Bulls and Roosters. The short distance is needed as “Better Find Out” is a feedback-ridden rush with crashing cymbals that reign over the multiple layers of backing and foreground instrumentation that makes together PANGEA seem like a bull in a china shop. The sudden destruction is more than welcome to stay, but together PANGEA takes multiple approaches on Bulls and Roosters, never staying in one place too long as they fluctuate between the breakneck aggression of surf punk, to the relaxed style of indie rock legends. “Southern Comfort” is another track that shines well with the abrasive style of how together PANGEA’s older style rears its head in a manner of instantly recognizable style. Their music is best experienced with five other people crammed into one car before the night even begins, blasting their music and screaming in what seems like an area to small to even breath. The random nights of cemetery runs, house shows, or just simply breaking and entering.
Together PANGEA is a band that is adaptable within themselves and show areas of progression in just how incredible the mixing is, the production that shines like a beacon, and the charm that together PANGEA always had. The final moments of Bulls and Roosters is just as entertaining as the beginning stages and together PANGEA never shows a sign of becoming fatigued, or having tracks of filler. Each cut is a unique, and highly re-playable track that captures the fun of turning the record up to eleven and jumping out the window in the dead of night.
Listen To Bulls and Roosters Here!!! – Spotify/Their Website/Amazon/iTunes
STREAMING // (Video) NO WARNING – “HELL REALM (Dir. By: Tristan C-M)”
Torture Culture Comes Soon // Listen/Watch Here – Youtube
New Music – Alligator Blues
Dee Dee Bridgewater is an American Marvel; performing back to the 1960’s, working with modern day and yesteryear Jazz heavyweights, as well as working now at sixty-seven to continue to release and perform around the globe is no small feat. Her soulful style and continual efforts move like a steam-powered locomotive using nothing but will-power and raw emotional authenticity to pave a path for Jazz newcomers of the future. Her bold voice that is now captured on her newest 2017 record, Memphis… Yes, I’m Ready, only brightens and inspires with each listen.
The closest thing to a gospel, Dee Dee Bridgewater has a Southern Charm and resembles an older style of Jazz/vocal performances that strikes into an untapped nerve that has not been exposed in the mainstream in what feels as centuries. Her voice is of pure siren-esque beauty that begins with “Yes, I’m Ready”, a loving tale of coming to acceptance that is played behind church organs, gentle piano, and percussion that is both enthralling and capturing as it fills the background in one incredible mix. Dee Dee Bridgewater’s sound is most similar to a vocalist that had been trapped in time, never losing that spark that made Jazz vocal performers so immaculate and worthwhile. The style is never a simple, one-dimensional flow, but is instead multiple layers of depth that consistently switches the emotional backing from Bridgewater in an effort to illustrate sides of the same coin in entirely separate fashions.
As she moves to “Giving Up”, she uses a plethora of haltered, but angelic backing vocalists that boost Bridgewater and her uplifting exclamation of lyricism that explains, “But it’s just no use; giving up, it’s hard to do. I tried, but I can’t break loose”. Bridgewater then moves on as harmonic organs blare in the backing, “Whether he knows or not, he really needs me too. Love, he’s all I got, and giving up, it’s so hard to do”. Bridgewater is simply beautiful in her displays where she screams and the emotion can be felt through the recording. She is a powerful vocalist that can accompany conflicting styles of music as she does in the following of “The Sweeter He Is”; where she describes in a much more uplifting instrumental, how she is still exploring the same lyrical themes, but in a drastic tone change. The horns are present that create an avant-garde explosion of sound, with the percussion and organ that works simultaneously behind Bridgewater’s spoken-word sections.
Her vocal range is the most important weapon in her arsenal, but her band is second-nature as they are a wide range of horns, percussion, and key players that only continue to build Dee Dee Bridgewater up on Memphis… Yes, I’m Ready in an incredible display of stamina and technique. Through the trials of emotional distress that Bridgewater expresses through her vocal performances where she goes into incredibly vivid detail to put Memphis… Yes, I’m Ready into a box-breaking, soulful record that ends on a graceful note. “Try a Little Tenderness”, a cover of an Otis Redding track is the final catalyst for her finale of a send off that goes faithfully into the night, shining a light for the future of Jazz everywhere.
Dee Dee Bridgewater is a treasure, her performances in both her early career and her later moments on Memphis… Yes, I’m Ready are just simply fantastic. She maneuvers like a graceful swan in a reflective pool of both the darkest sides of life, but also the moments of beauty that last forever. She wastes no time illustrating a Midas-touch in her vocal storytelling and styling that have reigned for nearly forty-years. A true Queen of Jazz, Dee Dee Bridgewater is fantastic in every element and produces an insightful, but also touching look into the raw emotional aspect of music.
Listen To Memphis… Yes, I’m Ready Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes/Youtube
STREAMING // (Track) Kamasi Washington X WeTransfer – “Desire”
WASHINGTON // Listen/Discover Here – WeTransfer
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)