Browsing Tag

Frank Zappa

Denim Dan falls slowly in their 70s-tinged pop-rock serenade, Santa Maria’s Dome

Posted on 11 December 2023

Santa Maria’s Dome, the eponymous single from Denim Dan’s latest LP, is a captivating piece, rich in both emotional depth and musical charm. This track, set against the backdrop of the band’s established dusted with 70s pop-rock tones, offers listeners a heartfelt narrative wrapped in a nostalgically magnetic soundscape.

The song tells the story of a budding May-December romance, exploring themes of connection and age difference with a poignant yet optimistic lens. It speaks to the universal experience of meeting someone you want to share life’s journeys with because going it alone would only make you feel far from home.

The vocal warmth adds a layer of affability, creating a balance between the potentially tear-jerking subject matter and a more light-hearted, playful air. This juxtaposition is meticulously handled, ensuring the song remains emotionally engaging without becoming overly sentimental.

Denim Dan, hailing from Boulder, Colorado, has been a consistent presence in the music scene since their formation in 1996. Their journey from the debut album Your Foreign Town to their internationally acknowledged sixth album This Way That Way The Other Way showcases a band that has matured and evolved while maintaining its core musical identity. Santa Maria’s Dome, their seventh studio album, continues this trajectory, offering both long-time fans and new listeners a deeply engaging experience.

Stream the Santa Maria’s Dome album in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christo Mondavi reversed the laws of gravity with his psychedelically transcendent single, Daisy’s Gone Electric

Posted on 15 July 2023

Christo Mondavi firmly implanted psychedelic soul back into rock n roll with his latest single, Daisy’s Gone Electric; the hazily lofty single brings brand-new and literal meaning to the concept of dancing on the ceiling.

With the colourful melodies and Mondavi’s honeyed harmonies resonating as though they have been pulled into this atmosphere from a far higher plateau, Daisy’s Gone Electric isn’t a single you can slip into; it is a single that instantaneously reverses the laws of gravity while paying homage to the tones popularised by The Doors and The Beatles.

For an extra lick of authenticity, there are also touches of Bowie to the spacey Odyssey-esque progressions and Zappa to the zanily pure vocal and lyrical presence, which proves Mondavi has a soul of solid 60s psych pop gold. Perfection may often be seen as an unattainable ideal, but if anyone can claim to sonically come close, it is Christo Mondavi.

Daisy’s Gone Electric is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tim Lukic orchestrated the soundtrack to love & loss in the grungy alt-indie single, YOU WERE HERE

Posted on 13 October 2022

‘YOU WERE HERE’ is the latest grungy lo-fi single released by the Swedish alt-indie artist Tim Lukic, which melds the ennui of Nirvana with the melodic style of Grandaddy to provide the soundtrack to the complexity of love and loss.

The rhythmically composited single, influenced by the likes of John Maus, Frank Zappa, and John Frusciante, allows bitter-sweet gratitude to transpire from the world-tilting loss of someone that provided stability in an endlessly giving relationship.

Lyrically, it’s a deeply personal cry into the void left behind, but one that is sure to hit anyone that has experienced loss will resonate with. The sense of loneliness that permeates our psyches artfully echoes in the intricately woven instrumental layers in YOU WERE HERE. It’s an evocative ride, but there’s some comfort to be found in the knowledge that you’re not alone in even the most harrowing emotions.

YOU WERE HERE is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Walking Trees have made their psychedelically despondent alt-rock debut with ‘SOUTHSIDE aLIVE!’

Posted on 5 March 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElQG9ES4f2Q

Racking up over 10k streams and garnering major airplay with a debut release is the dream for many aspiring artists, The Walking Trees first single ‘SOUTHSIDE aLIVE! is equally as ethereal.

By channelling post-punk despondency vocally, infusing Depeche Mode-style atmosphere and exuding frenetic Black Keys-style blues through the guitars and keys, SOUTHSIDE aLIVE! drips with Marlon Brando-level cool.

The Frank Zappa-Esque. Spoken word verse was so much more than a nod to an icon, the serpentine canter of the poetry is utterly transfixing as it affirms the amount of artistic intellect behind The Walking Trees sound which carries reminiscence from everyone from Gorillaz to the Cramps.

The Walking Trees is everything a modern alt-rock act should be. From their image to their experimental intrigue, everything points in the direction of success for The Walking Trees. With their forthcoming single due for release in late February, they are well-worth having on your radar.

You can check out the official music video which premiered on January 23rd via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

 

Julian Fulco Perron lays the sludgy despondent psychedelia on thick with “Swamp Stomp”

Posted on 13 September 2020

If your playlists are lacking in swampy bluesy despondent psychedelia, and let’s face it, they probably are, hit play on the gorgeously sludgy latest single Swamp Stomp by Julian Fulco Perron.

There’s a Mike Patton-level of experimentalism on offer, and Julian Fulco Perron’s vocals may just be as versatile. From sinister snarls which could rival Marilyn Manson’s to endearing playfulness which gives the track a Frank Zappa feel, it’s all on offer. Even more impressively, Julian Fulco Perron was boundless with their creativity and eccentricity and still orchestrated a stylistic feat of Alt-Rock that even the snobbiest of musos couldn’t turn their noses up at.

It’s practically a polyphonic wet dream mid-way through as the eccentric synth lines ensure that Swamp Stomp is a track you’ll never forget.

You can check out the official video to Swamp Stomp by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Telamor – Wild Wild Weekend: Avant-Garde Party Rock

Posted on 9 April 2020
https://telamor.bandcamp.com/track/wild-wild-weekend-metal-mix

As a staunch Frank Zappa fan, it was impossible not to instantly fall in love with Boston-based up and coming artist Telamor’s latest single Wild Wild Weekend (Metal Mix).

The eccentrically experimental track fuses sleazy Party Rock with artfully inventive elements of Avant-Garde Blues to create a supercharged infectiously playful track. I live to write the words ‘you’ve never heard anything quite like this before’, and they’ve never been more accurate.

Telamor may not take himself all too seriously, but the nuances in the sound and the quality of the production prove that he takes his sound incredibly seriously. If you’re looking for a sticky-sweet riff-soaked aural pick me up, look no further than this insanely refreshing taste breaker.

You can stream and download Telamor’s latest release by heading over to Bandcamp.

Keep up to date with the artist’s new releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cole Lumpkin – Furious: The Soundtrack to Insanity

Posted on 30 December 2017
https://youtu.be/5ltH8_Oxue0

Feeling angsty? Cole Lumpkin’s new feverous track Furious offers a perfectly pacifying sound.

It’s impossible to exaggerate just how much passion the charismatic artist Cole Lumpkin has put behind this masterpiece of a track; from the intro you’re dragged along with the hook of sporadic chaos of the arrangements which have been orchestrated to perfection. Through the lyrics he captures his contempt so succinctly, it’s impossible not to get caught up in his enigmatic allure as he spits out his vocals with angelic resent.

Even after the 10th time of me listening to the track, I was transfixed on the dramatic uplifting composition of creativity. With influences such as Frank Zappa, Rush, Jethro Tull & Talking Heads, it’s no surprise that this sound is so painstakingly beautiful.

Furious is the latest track from the New York based experimental artist who offers contemporary lashings of Art Deco Pop, curtesy of his finely tuned percussion ensemble.

Head on over to YouTube to check out the official video, I can personally guarantee you won’t be disappointed in the sound that unravels with infinite melody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ltH8_Oxue0

Head on over to Cole Lumpkin’s website for more details on their upcoming tours and single release:

http://www.colelumpkin.com/

Video Premiere: Damn The Witch Siren – ‘Feelin’ Myself’

Posted on 30 August 2017

Imagine if Frank Zappa had made experimental dance music instead of existential rock. Then imagine if he was also a multi-media artist working in the realms of dance and visuals. Now imagine if he spent his creative life on a permanent sugar induced rush. Oh, and there are two of him. Even that gives you just a glimpse of the world of the wonderfully named Damn The Witch Siren.

It’s always great when you come across artists who invent their own genre and become a musical religion of one. Bobbi Kitten and Z Wolf do just that blending hi-octane EDM with glitchy, staccato pop, Day-Glo club sounds and rave attitudes. It is brighter than the sun, hotter than hell, saccharine sweet and wonderfully demented.