ESM Rating: 9/10 |
Listen if you like: Heavy duty rock ‘n’ roll mixed with a splash of bluesy riffs, a touch of shit-kicking traditional metal, and a sprinkling of spaced-out stoner-rock lethargy.
First impressions: Thick as a brick — I’ve never heard of The Midnight Ghost Train before finding Buffalo on my desk, but damned if these guys don’t rock hard, fast, and furious. And I don’t mean that in any sort of lame way. Opener “Henry” combines thousand-pound riffs and tortured basso profundo howls from guitarist Steve Moss, an obliterating bottom end from bassist David Kimmell, and thrashing drums from Brandon Burghart, pretty much setting the scene for everything to come on Buffalo.
The nitty-gritty: First incubated on Moss’ 500-acre ranch in rural Kansas and recorded with R.E.M. veteran David Barbe in Athens, GA, The Midnight Ghost Train’s soundscapes are just as wide-open as those Midwestern and Southern states. And for every bit of stoner-rock titans like Kyuss and Dead Meadow on offer here, there’s also plenty of rip-roarin’ action that’s straight out of the old-school heavy metal canon. And although the guitars on “Foxhole” and the running time on “Tom’s Trip” are knotty and supreme for head-nodding, zoned-out introspection, The Midnight Ghost Train brings it a lot more direct than most noodling jam-rock bands. That latter song’s slowly unfolding trajectory was my favorite moment on the album, although Moss’ throat-shredding vocals didn’t quite fit in with the track’s ambling auditory aspects.
Other recommended tracks: “Spacezone” continues Buffalo’s supersized instrumental assault, while the last three songs on the album definitely prove that The Midnight Ghost Train is no one-trick pony. “Cotton Fields” is an a cappella rendition of Leadbelly’s famous ditty, while “Southern Belle” tears through two-and-a-half minutes of down-home, Baroness-meets-ASG sludge metal. And just when you thought Buffalo might ease up, album closer “Into The Fray” showcases Moss, Kimmell, and Burghart’s impressive technical chops as they race through face-melting, head-banging time changes, solo riffs, and pure, dirty rock power. If you’re looking for a hard rock to jam out to, you’ve found your savior in The Midnight Ghost Train’s Buffalo.
East Coast tour dates? Everywhere from Pennsylvania to New York to North Carolina to Florida to Alabama to Louisiana to Mississippi to Kentucky from August 4th to September 1st. Visit www.TheMidnightGhostTrain.com for more info. By Nick McGregor
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ESM Rating: 9/10 |
Listen if you like: The National, The xx, Beach House, Wild Nothing, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Twin Shadow, Nick Drake, Bruce Springsteen.
First impressions: Where did this guy come from? Out of the blue, evidently, because Trevor Montgomery, or Young Moon, is one of the best male vocalists since The National’s Matt Berninger.
The nitty-gritty: San Francisco’s Montgomery, the blue-collar working man behind the moniker Young Moon, has an incredibly intimate, baritone croon that is instantly intoxicating. Backed up by slow-jamming chill synth, retro drum machines, and somber acoustic strums, Navigated Like The Swan, his sophomore effort, hauntingly laments life, love, and death while romanticizing their darker tones. At times he sounds a bit like The Boss, at others “Pink Moon”-era Nick Drake with hints of ‘80s nostalgia. There are also a few dreamy, twangy indie moments, a la Beach House on Navigated Like The Swan, particularly on tracks “The Crystal Text,” which sounds familiarly contemporary, and lead single “Winds Light.” Though it feels pretty melancholic throughout, this is an earnest, chilling, authentic, and exemplary record from Young Moon that’s sure to put Montgomery on the radar.
Other recommended tracks: “A Reason” will break your heart, “March” feels almost like a Springsteen anthem, and “On The Verge” has a slightly more uptempo heart-on-your-sleeve crescendo. Meanwhile, “Summit And Blue Air” is a hopeful contentment-inducing moment of positivity on the album.
East Coast tour? Nothing posted yet, but you can follow Young Moon at www.YoungMoonYoung.com. By Peter Viele
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ESM Rating: 8/10 |
Listen if you like: James Brown, Sly Stone, Parliament Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye, Defunkt.
First impressions: Oh funk me, baby. Rhythm Machine brings the funk like few, if any, bands can today, probably because this band is no longer active. Now-Again has re-released Rhythm Machine’s self-titled, full-length album from 1976 for the enjoyment of funk aficionados, record store junkies and random passersby alike.
The nitty-gritty: Pieced together by leftover former members of the defunct touring band The Highlighters, Rhythm Machine continued that reputation for oozing bravado during live performances. Unfortunately, the band spent little time in the studio and only recorded this self-titled LP along with three singles. Now-Again has updated the sound of Rhythm Machine and slapped those three singles on the back end, offering listeners the band’s entire catalog… which is 11 songs. But what a damn fine 11-song catalog it is. The band’s overlooked achievement “Put A Smile On Time,” should have been a major hit with its easy listening essence and boogie-down groove. A clean guitar riff imposes an underlying funk to “Put A Smile On Time” while piano and synth date the song with disco and ‘70s dance club themes. Meanwhile, the falsetto harmony vocals prove too classic to handle at times for the modern listener.
Other recommended tracks: Rhythm Machine finds funk gold with “Everybody’s Chippin.” The Indianapolis band hits that party funk band sound further pursued by the likes of George Clinton and the various interpretations of his megaship band Parliament. Meanwhile, the bass-driven, horn-enhanced “Lil’s Place” sounds like a lost track from Curtis Mayfield’s swansong Superfly. The band also handles more traditional R&B structured songs just as well. “You Make Me Feel Right Think Right Do Right” has the heaviest R&B influence, with a touch of dramatics adding zest to heartfelt vocals in the style of Al Green, and wrenching blues guitar. Other tracks like “Thought My Love Was Fine” hit an even more exquisite note by balancing funk and R&B in a way few others had. In sum, Rhythm Machine presents a band firing on all musical pistons that simply never had its day.
East Coast tour dates? Ya, not so much. No telling where these guys are today, but I’m guessing chances of any reunion shows are slim to none. By Alex Lemonde-Gray
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ESM Rating: 7/10 |
Listen if you like: Toro Y Moi, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tobacco, JEFF the Brotherhood, Beach House.
First impressions: When I listened to Wild Quiet for the first time, I was mowing the yard, and my iPod started to do a digital skip from the heat. It sounded really awful, and I wasn’t prepared to write a basher with a migraine attached. I’m glad the sound that I thought was record scratching, as a transition from song to song, was actually just a really expensive technology box dying.
The nitty gritty: Deepak Mantena has worked loops and samples into his solo project channeling the calmer side of all things electronic. The sound isn’t meant to be entirely soothing, but it pretty much is. Sleepy, sleepy electronica. Junk Culture scrambles for a concept of calm versus turbulence, Life versus death, love versus hate, and the recognition of age. I don’t know if an LP can ever capture the full scale of such grand ideas, but the effort put forth by Deepak Mantena is notable. He tackles a grand idea and scales it down into a comprehensible realm. Wild Quiet is a placid way to end one’s electronically soaked day, and the effort heard within each of Mantena’s meticulously chosen beats represents something profoundly personal to his progression as an artist.
Other recommended tracks: “Oregon” and “Growing Pains” are pretty clear representatives for the album tone, and each song showcases a slightly different skill set.
East Coast tour dates? Nothing scheduled yet, but keep an eye on their tour dates as they arrive at http://www.pitchperfectpr.com/a_junk.html. By Will Tunstall
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ESM Rating: 6/10 |
Listen if you like: Sonic Youth, Animals and Men, Spiritualized, punk/electro with a girl-band vibe.
First impressions: I’m not a fan. The opening track of the album screams out at you to “Get Up Or Get Out,” and quite frankly, it makes me want to sprint for the nearest exit sign. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t find much to like about Future Twin. It’s not innovative, it’s not pleasant or catchy, and it doesn’t really inspire any sort of emotional response. Now don’t get me wrong, it could be worse. But it’s not good either.
The nitty gritty: These are my specific complaints: The vocals sound bored, the synths come across like cheesy video game music and distract from the overall sound instead of adding layers of interest, and the melodies are weak. With that said, there are some cool things about this band. Future Twin evolved out of an all-girl San Francisco moped gang called the Lockits that has since spread worldwide. And on those grounds, they’re worth a listen, even if for no better reason than just sheer, morbid curiosity.
Other recommended tracks: I wouldn’t go as far as to call anything on this album good, but there are some tracks that show promise. “Lockits” is trying to be fun, and it almost succeeds, but thanks to its repetitive nature, it’s obnoxious in equal measure. “Situation” and “Yuka” are bearable because they tone down the synths and attempt a bit of emotion, and “Landslide” has interesting percussion.
East Coast tour dates? Not for now. But they were in Brooklyn this June, so it’s possible. Keep an eye out at www.FutureTwin.com. By Allison Arteaga
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