Looking back at 2015

2015 seems like a distant memory but there are several releases I feel as though were...short shafted a bit and not given proper attention.


Number 1 being....

Shipley Hollow "Normal Soup"

       In all things, having the physical representation in front of you is pudding proof of failure or success. In 2015 I had the excellent pleasure of watching these guys move through this album essentially in its entirety. Then wont this be skewed? biased? Nah just have your band come play Ithaca NY sometime :)

      Its true I've been following Shipley since 2012 with varying degree's of brightness. With 2015's "Normal Soup" you'd be a fool to ignore the effortless power these cats command. We find them easily at the top of their craft. Its math as filtered through the sieve of indie, emo, post hardcore lite breakdowns and pop song craft. If that sounds at all run of the mill then.. you might need some prescribed medication.  

    

      Vocal's are just as important as any instrument here, done emotionally, with varied delivery and something honest to say. A lot of people have pointed to Delta Sleep's last release vocally...which I don't disagree...but musically? please...there ain't no candle holding betwixt...Shipley breaks bread first. For proof check out the break at the end of "Slouch". Its confounding and delightfully dense as a skating boarding terrier kick flipping a gap.

    

      It's easy to point to cool time changes and awesome break downs...believe me there is enough to fill your Easter basket here. Really what impresses me are the rhythmic choices that are made. A lot are latin based in nature and occasionally plays to that melodically. It adds flavor and spice to a genre that is crowded with young imitators. If you take each song as a whole you will find that their pop songcraft has been so razor sharpened that you will be humming each song at different points of your day. I cant honestly remember a progressive rock album doing that in a good long time.  

   

     Keyboard should just be an instrumental choice all bands discuss. A few other albums I enjoyed from this year present them in meaningful ways and Soup is no exception. It fleshes out and colors the songs here providing space for the guitars. It never dominates the proceedings but knows how to interject a valuable counter to the other instruments.

    Why pick as my top this year? several reasons.... Truly I have spun this album more than any other. It also has memorable hooks that keep you coming back with an emotional intensity that reveals new layers upon each listen. Song lengths are fair and never out stay their welcome. Drums and bass? I could write an entire article on how Patrick and Seamus Hamilton have crafted what amounts to a perfectly balanced rhythm section.

When asked specifically what picks the folks in Shipley appreciated in 15 they were more than happy suggest the following

The Quaaludes - This Is Your Future We're Talking About

Seasons - Help Me Help You

Tawny Peaks - Tawny Peaks

Dance Gavin Dance - Instant Gratification

and of course: Professional Rapper by Lil Dicky

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Others I enjoyed:

Delicious Death - Still Death

(Bob Baxter) arose from the depths to re-launch his sonic assault. Having 5 years between releases gives you time to really hone your attack and leave us needing more..more MORE!!



Del Paxton / Gulfer - Split

These two can seemingly do no wrong. I would have included Gulfer's June release as well but this feels just right. I dont normally enjoy splits...the whole.. an album as a story thing but it works and showcases two bands that apart may not have a lot in common but each flirt with the others strengths  It honestly feels like the start of a beautiful relationship. Having seen them play together its really a no brainer. Paxton's power trio has only become more laser focused in their approach since their last release.  A slight up tick in aggression and a bit more jagged edges while never eschewing their fantastical melodic side.
 

PoS TOP TEN: Bob Baxter (Delicious Death)

     Another hair raising installment of our top ten album series is upon us and I've invited Mr. Bob Baxter (one man math show Delicious Death) to...dish on some of his favorites. Delicious Death dropped a killer release this year and i figured it only fitting to ask the man....What are some of your favorites?

10.Jonny Classic and the Classic Johns:Your New Favorite Record:

This is the brainchild of Brendan Bell.  I've been listening to him since the early Gruvis Malt days and this album equally plays on my loves for video game music and the art of writing nontraditional ideas into palatable music.  One day I'd like to release an album that follows in the footsteps of this one.

9.  Keaton Henson - Birthdays:  

I love when I can introduce this album to fans of similar artists (e.g. Daughter and older City and Colour) because Keaton's songs change people.  The content in this album is dark and heavy and hits you in those spots that you tend to keep to yourself.  His music is like a masterclass in expressing yourself in song.  I'm a very rigid writer, so Keaton's songs are a reference I like to come back to every now and then to help me break out of my stiff style.

8.  Grammatics - Grammatics:

This album is densely packed with complex instrumentation, interesting song arrangements, and sometimes odd time/feel; however, you could simply just listen to it for the catchy vocal melodies.  Every time I come back to this album I feel like I take something away to use in my latest music project.








7.  Proceed - Curious Electric EP:

Proceed released this album in 2010 and it completely flew under my radar.  I found it about a year or so ago and I feel like the music they wrote is still relevant today.  The vocals and musical direction take me back to older Dance Gavin Dance material and the drums have a faint resemblance to Beloved.  I'm a massive DGD fan, yet this EP bumped them off the list for me.

6.  A Wilhelm Scream - Career Suicide:

This is their melodic thrash punk masterpiece.  I love all of their albums, but this one has it all.  It's technical, the production is very high, the guitars are blazing fast yet so crisp (especially that bass!!!), the album flows well with no lulls, the vocals are dead on, and the content is clever.  This record changed punk music for me.  It completely shifted me towards raspy vocalists in the genre.

5.  Plini - Sweet Nothings:

I've always been a fan of instrumental music, but this release unlocked something new for me in writing for the genre.  The structure, the voicing, the instrumentation; this album was a huge influence on my latest EP.  I wish I had his talent a decade ago when I was his age.  It totally excites me that he has gained enough traction to start playing live and continue writing for the project.






4.  Circa Survive - Juturna:

I feel like Circa opened up a niche for higher ranged male vocalists within the post-hardcore scene.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel many good bands like Closure in Moscow, Hrvrd, and Vela Ceras are pulling a lot of influence from Circa.  As for this particular album, I can remember some of my first times listening to the record and trying to deconstruct it.  I love that it's simple, catchy, and at that time they were doing something that no one else had done before.





3. Counterfit - Super Amusement Machine for your Exciting Heart:

I found out about this album from a local college radio station.  My sister would record the radio episodes on cassette tape and we would listen to them on repeat.  For years I would try to replicate the things they did on this album.  Three of the four members played their instruments left-handed, which was the catalyst for me to start playing drums left-handed myself.  Lucky for me, the Allen brothers are still writing fantastic music as Helen Earth Band.








2. Damiera - M(US)IC:

Dave Raymond is a beast of a musician.  What I love about M(US)IC is that it's raw and fast yet well planned out; logical writing and visceral execution.  My best friend showed me this record back in 2007 and I'm still using it as a reference for my latest tracks.  I feel like I'll forever be trying to write songs as well thought out as the ones on this record.








1.  Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness:

Three out of four times people will tell me that my music sounds like Coheed, and I have no shame about it.  They've been my favorite band since the first album was released and I remember being on the message boards when In Keeping Secrets was in production.  I feel like Good Apollo One was their pinnacle; it was also the last time the four primary members recorded together.  Even though I like Zach Cooper more on bass, I still have a sentimental attachment with the writing direction of the original members.  With every new release following Good Apollo One I go through a period of 'Eh, I'm not sure,' but then within two weeks I know the whole thing.

Year End Round Up (Part 2)

Part Deux....
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Sodalane
as far as I can tell is a one man affair that skirts the line between some pastoral indie rock, math rock and even a dash of post-hardcore lite. Really an incredibly solid release and has just the right amount of originality to set it apart from the pack. Always interesting with some pretty unpredictable moments in their for the ADD crowd. Myself included. 

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Delicious Death
Have I mentioned this one man effort before? Its been a favorite of mine since I first heard. A really great continuation of Damiera style songcraft. An instrumental version however. Must hear.
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Willow
Super energetic math rock to get you moving. Strong and busy sound for a three piece. These Rhode Island Native's newest on their bandcamp has added some more textural dynamics and singing which only makes them all the better for it