MELTED MAGAZINE

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AN INTERVIEW WITH CAMP HOWARD

    FROM THEIR LAID BACK TUNES TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE HIGH ENERGY DIY RICHMOND MUSIC SCENE, CAMP HOWARD IS UNSTOPPABLE. COMPOSED OF NIC PEREA, WES PARKER, BRIAN LARSON, AND MATTHEW BENSON, THE FOUR PIECE HAVE SOLIDIFIED THEIR STATUS AS ONE OF RICHMOND’S BEST BANDS ON THEIR LATEST EP, JUICE. CLEAR CUT AND GLOWING WITH ENERGY, THE BAND DEMONSTRATES THE MORE AGGRESSIVE “FUCKED UP” TO THE SOMBER CHILLWAVE “I WILL.” GOT TO TALK TO EM BOUT THEIR LATEST RELEASE AND INFLUENCE OF EAST COAST DIY CULTURE....

THE EP IS NAMED AFTER THE TITLE TRACK “JUICE.” WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS?

    Juice seemed like a fitting title for the whole EP for several reasons. “Juice” is the strongest track on the EP and ended up being the single. We knew we wanted to name the EP after one of the tracks and it made sense to name it after the best one. Conceptually, “Juice” also has a refreshing element. In a way this EP was meant to be a refreshment after our first record. The overall sound of the EP and the quality of the recordings felt crisper and sweeter than our last record as well.

YOU HAVE SOME SPANISH INFLUENCES ON JUICE THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN “MISMO.” WHAT DOES INCORPORATING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE INTO YOUR MUSIC SIGNIFY?

    The Spanish influence comes from my family and my background. I was born in Mexico and have a Mexican father and Spanish mother. Writing/singing in Spanish is a way to preserve and embrace the culture/language that I come from. I think writing in Spanish gives me a bit more creative freedom as well.

YOU ENDED JUICE WITH “I WILL.” WHAT WAS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT LEAVING THAT AS YOUR FINAL THOUGHT?

     “I Will” ended up being the last track on the EP because it was the least popular among the band. There was talk about leaving “I Will” off the record during the early process. Really it’s just a slower/sadder song and I think the other guys didn’t feel it as much, which I get. It’s a bit of a  downer. So really the reason it’s the last track is just because we decided it was the last track we wanted people to hear on the EP.

WHAT PARTS OF YOUR DEBUT EP DID YOU CARRY OVER TO JUICE?

     I don’t think there was much intentional carryover from the last record. If anything I’d say we learned from our mistakes of making the first record and were able to approach the EP with a bit more experience. The only intentional bridge that I can think of is that “Haircut”, the first song on the EP, was the first song we wrote after we put out our first record. So in that sense there is a linear carryover if you see it as a timeline.

“SHE DOESN’T MIND” HAS A PRETTY PESSIMISTIC VIEW. HOW DO YOU CONVEY THAT PERSONAL PAIN WITHOUT IT COMPLETELY CLOUDING THE WHOLE TRACK? WHAT’S THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE SUBJECT MATTER AND ACTUAL SONG?

    I admit that there’s a disconnect between the lyrics and the music. Part of that is due to the fact that I put off writing lyrics a lot (usually months), which means I come back to the original piece of music with a new inspiration. I think sonically the song is fairly pleasant/catchy, so that itself balances some of the lyrics. I wasn’t worried about “clouding” the song though, I just wrote what came out.

YOU WORK A LOT OF YOUR SONGS OUT BY WRITING THEM PRETTY QUICK AND JUST SEEING HOW IT GOES LIVE. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS PROCESS THAT’S SO APPEALING? HOW DO YOU THINK THAT ALTERS THE END RESULT?

    It’s appealing to have new material to play frequently. We get a high out of playing new songs because we can really feel them. It’s a rush to be able to show a room of people how you feel at that moment.  In the end it prevents us from recording songs we may not care about and decide which ones we really like. It also means we occasionally throw a half finished song into a set, but that’s alright with us.

YOU CAME TO SOUTH CAROLINA RECENTLY AND PLAYED A SHOW AT MAKEOUT REEF. HOW DO YOU THINK HOUSE VENUES LIKE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC SCENE? ARE THEY CHANGING THE WAY WE EXPERIENCE + ENGAGE WITH MUSIC?  

   Makeout Reef is a lot of fun. I think house shows are a good way to reach people who don’t know about you. People tend to loosen up a bit more at house shows too. One of the most valuable aspect of house shows is that they bring people together in a more comfortable space.

WHAT IS THE RICHMOND, VA MUSIC SCENE LIKE?

    The music scene in Richmond has a really nice respectful community feel. We’re lucky to be a part of it. There’s a lot of great artists in Richmond and we’ve made some good friends in the past few years.

LISTEN TO CAMP HOWARD HERE

interview by SAMANTHA SULLIVAN

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LOSE BY EVA ROSS REVIEW

   Eva Ross’ Lose is an unflinching and chilling debut solo EP, and while it’s only approximately 25 minutes long, the soundscapes of bedroom guitars and Ross’ sirenic vocals seem to stretch much longer, painting scenes of lost love and embraced loneliness. Not an album for a sunny day, but an uncompromisingly stark vision of what it’s like, rather,  to stay inside and make yourself remember your regrets. While most singer-songwriter records don’t have much flair between tracks and often end up as a muddled mix of the same voice and the same instruments, each track on Lose gives a different perspective, ultimately, of loss.

   The title track is actually the most drab of the bunch, offering a pleading account that undermines the rest of the album. Stay for the ride, however, as once Eva Ross actually lets her losses pile up and uses them to turn toward darker themes on the latter half, things get interesting. “Go On” is cold and jealous, and the very opening words are accusatory- “You, go on, go on without me.” Chills.

    Transitioning to “It’s Fine,” we come to reflection- Ross knows how to paint nostalgia, and everyone can understand the evocative power of memory that she nails. She sings “it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine”, exactly as we all lie to ourself when we find ourselves in the dreaded “after,” after the relationship, after the boy, after everything becomes solely about you again.

   Thus we come to “Nightmares,” which is, in my opinion, the real gem in the album. Haunting and deliberate, the ability to translate tension and grimness into music is not to be overlooked. “Nightmares” calls from the loneliness, but evokes something undoubtedly sinister.

   Let the drifting soprano voice wash over and to the next track, “Walk Away.” Relatively simple, from the account of someone still reeling from events so, so long ago, it takes nearly the entire song to get to the punchline- “it’s better this way.” Simple, but surprisingly biting.

    “Last Page” is, ironically the second-last song and cages within perhaps the best melody on the album. “Heart is weak, my mind is numb/ Blue ink bleeds out from/ The last page you left me with,” is perhaps the greatest sung lyric on the album. Also, can you apply the word heartbreaking to a chord progression? If so, nothing else comes to mind-- it’s a shame this is the shortest song on the album.

    “Black Shade” is the ultimate ending track here. Words don’t quite do it justice when it caps off the rest of the album, and while it loses its punch once separated, it manages to call upon an overpowering sense of finality. As far as finality goes, Eva Ross’ first album seems almost like the last crushing whisper of an old, world-weary folk artist, and with this in mind it’s curious to wonder what direction she will go next.

    All things considered, “Lose” by Eva Ross is an impressively concise, if slightly linear first attempt at marketable music. It fails only in its lack of diversity and the rare sluggish tracks, (cough, “Walk Away” & “Lose”) but those complaints mostly end up as givens on these kinds of albums. Hopefully, Ross, if this ends up in front of you, you’ll take that to heart, and it should hurt-- if only so it can fuel your next somber creation.

LISTEN TO LOSE HERE

REVIEW BY ELIJAH MERCHANT

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ARE YOU GOING TO DESERT DAZE 2017?

     Have you got your tickets yet? October 12- 15, Melted will be at Desert Daze 2017 to bring you coverage of one of the best festival lineups this season. For garage and psych lovers, Desert Daze is a lovely trip into Joshua Tree. Iggy Pop, Ty Segall, John Cale, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Ariel Pink, La Femme and more will take the stages.     I’m very excited about the more “rare” or smaller acts. Bands such as GOGGS, DRINKS (Tim Presley of White Fence and Cate Le Bon) and The Babe Rainbow are super anticipated- all with new or recent album releases and incredible reputation for their live show experience! Visit http://desertdaze.org/ to learn more about the festival and tickets.     Stay tuned to Melted for reviews, photo coverage and more. See you in the desert!

by RAEGAN LABAT

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PALEHOUND IN ASHEVILLE by AUDREY KEELIN

LISTEN TO PALEHOUND HERE

PHOTOS by AUDREY KEELIN

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FOXYGEN IN PITTSBURGH by ALEXANDRA PASQUARELLI

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FASTEST ANIMAL REVIEW by MADELYN DOVER + AUDREY KEELIN

Currently on their Swish Tour, jamming throughout the east coast, Aunt Sis is an indie rock band based in Asheville, NC. They’ve been rocking since 2013. On August 25th, 2017, “Fastest Animal” was released, along with a masterful video by Zach Romeo. 

The guitar work in this newly-released single is so lovely. The first half of the song seems to emulate the sounds of the 1970s extremely well -- the end of the Poppy Surf Rock era and the beginning of an entirely new musical endeavor for the world: largely popularized Rock n’ Roll. 

This song, like most of the greatest songs, has multiple parts; the beginning, with energetic riffs, prompts listeners to dance, while the middle is a super mellow, slowed down period. Eventually it starts back up and the singing kicks in, creating an amusing presentation of 8 lines of lyrics, referencing the universal visceral distaste of dieting, the carefree connection between drugs and sports, and admiration for the band’s local music venues. 

Honestly, I don’t think this song needed to have vocals all the way through it to be good, although the short chapters of the song, including the lyrics, complete a story for listeners to interpret on their own. The music by itself painted its own masterpiece and the lyrics at the end gave it a complete conclusion.

 This song sounds so timeless and wonderful. I enjoyed the entire two minutes and thirty-nine seconds. . . although I do wish it was longer. I can’t wait to hear more from this band!

LISTEN TO/ WATCH FASTEST ANIMAL HERE + HERE

REVIEW by MADELYN DOVER + AUDREY KEELIN

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NE-HI IN CLEVELAND by TRICIA STANSBERRY

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AN INTERVIEW WITH BBQ POPE ON THEIR SELF-TITLED LP

    With an album cover reminiscent of a cleaned-up middle school graffiti doodle, BBQ Pope, a garage-psych-punk band of three from Toronto, Ontario, bring you their self-titled debut LP: BBQ Pope. Named after, you got it, the Butthole Surfers' song “Bar-B-Q Pope”, the band is comprised of Reid Millar on bass, Sean Hackl on guitar, and Duncan Briggs on drums. Both Reid and Sean contribute vocally, though Reid takes the lead in both singing and lyric writing. On opening track “Welcome to My Hell”, you can hear  Green Day inspired guitar riffs, and drum licks bearing resemblance to that of Queens of the Stone Age. A few of their biggest influences include: together PANGEA, Fuzz, and Stone Temple Pilots.

     This album helped me rediscover lost memories of the Santa Barbara Bowl; Duncan brings full-bodied and area rock-like drumming, which reminded me of sitting in the outdoor concert hall where I enjoyed some of my very first shows. Feelings channeled and messages related throughout the album are very much of a young peoples' honest experience. By my third listen of “Sad and Stoned”, I was hooked in - ready to sing along - anticipating the lyrics and even mistakenly a bit earlier than queued: "I'M SAAD ANND STOONED!!!". “Cry” is a total lullaby. Young adulthood and, well, life, can put you in a state of utter apathy - these guys get it - and they make it sound notsobad, too. Taking a short break from the more heavy and hearty lyrics, “All My Friends Smoke Cigarettes” conveys a straightforward message: "I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!" - whether or not they're smokin' stoges! “Make it Happen” is an ode to a lover or a friend with a twist; unconditional happiness under one circumstance. Closing out the album with “Blank Screen”, (which was stylized and improved upon tremendously since the first version on their Squid Vicious EP) I couldn't help but think that during the second half of the chorus, I was hearing a punk-rock version of Beck's “Broken Drum”. Anyone?

Sizzle on, BBQ Pope, and come visit us down here in America, too!!

What brought you guys together? 

    Sean and Reid have been friends since grade 4 and started their first band way back then. Duncan and Sean met at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts through the music program, in the summer of 2015 BBQ Pope started after Reid came to Sean with an idea for a new band with better songs. . . Sean brought on Duncan because he knew he was a cool guy.

Who are a few of your biggest influences? Is your name, which I assume so, derived from the Butthole Surfers’ song “Bar-B-Q Pope”?

     A few of our biggest influences in terms of songwriting are bands like: Together PANGEA, The Meatbodies, FIDLAR, White Reaper, Fuzz, and classics like Nirvana, Greenday, and Stone Temple Pilots. Yaaa our name is from the Butthole Surfers song, we love when our grandparents ask how we got our name!

Who’s doing the lead singing?

    Reid is doing the lead singing on all tracks except “Make it Happen”, which Sean sings.

What do you think influenced the distinct difference in/maturing of your sound in what we hear from the Squid Vicious EP, to what we hear now on your self-titled LP?

     Early on we loved bands like No Parents and Pangea, so our first EP is very reminiscent of their styles and has a less serious tone because of that. We were excited by their themes of partying and that it was music that was also fast and fun, so we adopted those elements into songs like “I Wanna Soda” and “Star Crossed Stoners”. However by the time we recorded Squid Vicious, which was a year into our existence, we'd written “Blank Screen”, which is a song about online sexual predators. We realized with that song that we were capable of writing songs about more complex things, and we were also at that time experiencing more changes in our lives, such as relationships ending, starting at new schools and seeing our friends move away for university, so we had a broader range of experience to write about, which we realized could be therapeutic. We still write songs about partying too though, cause it's fun. It was really just a weird time in our lives when we wrote the songs.

Are you generally pleased with the Toronto music scene? Are you looking to relocate any time soon?

    The Toronto music scene is something we're very pleased with. We have lots of amazing friends making awesome music. There's a super strong community of psychedelic bands revolving around acts like Possum, Kaleidoscope Horse and Hot Garbage. There's kickass hardcore/punk from Prom Nite, S.H.I.T., and The Boys. And of course there's awesome garage rock revolving around Fried Records from Goodbye Honolulu, Luna Li, Passport Radio, and The A-Listers. There's a lot of important work to create safe spaces happening from groups like Fried and Black Siren, as well as individuals like Zoe Smith who are all putting on great all Ages events in the city. The only bummer is how much alcohol sales go into how the scene works with a lot of big venues like The Horseshoe only doing 19+ shows. But there's great alternative venues like The Smiling Buddha and Faith/Void working against that. We're very happy here and don't want to relocate. Are any of you doing any solo or side projects, and might BBQ Pope have anything new in the works?

     Sean and Duncan both play in a band called Fade Awaays, which is a garage rock band they formed with our good friend Reid MacMaster. Our singer Reid has started a hardcore band called Transit Cops recently. We as BBQ Pope are writing more songs currently, so perhaps an EP is on the horizon. Also every October Fried Records puts out a compilation of its artists for Halloween, so we'll be contributing a song to that most likely as well.

INTERVIEW + REVIEW by EVA MONTOYA

LISTEN TO BBQ POPE HERE

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THE MISSING STARES + KITTY TSUNAMI IN ASHEVILLE by AUDREY KEELIN

LISTEN TO THE MISSING STARES HERE AND KITTY TSUNAMI HERE PHOTOS BY AUDREY KEELIN

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SKETCHES OF BRUNSWICK EAST REVIEW by ANTHONY COZZARELLI 

    King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has consistently been delivering "experimental psych rock something or other" for the last couple of years and at very high rates. Whether it be the acoustic aesthetic of Paper Mache Dream Balloon, the mindfuck loop concept on Nonagon Infinity, the experimentation with microtones on Flying Microtonal Banana or the narrative driven Murder of the Universe, KGATLW has been successfully executing amazingly creative album ideas with good songwriting. Sketches of Brunswick East is King Gizzard’s return to writing beautiful music you can't mosh too. Personally, all my favorite King Gizzard tracks are "unmoshable" and it fills me with joy to see Alex Brettin a.k.a Mild High Club bring out the more melodic side of the ol' Gizz this time around.

     It is beyond astonishing to see a band with such a busy schedule managing to record so many albums. With 3 albums released within the last 8 months there is still plenty more to come before we see the dawn of 2018. Sketches of Brunswick East is a fun little collaboration with Mild High Club a.k.a Alexander Brettin. Mild High Club's latest full length, Skiptracing, was definitely a highlight from last year featuring a very refreshing bossa nova jazz psychedelia fusion sound and a track list featuring some of Brettin's best songs yet. Mild High's debut album Timeline was also one to adore with George Harrison sounding vocal melodies complemented by a very eclectic warped sounding instrumentation. After giving Sketches of Brunswick East a good couple of listens I am convinced that everything Alex Brettin touches is, in fact, gold. Sketches of Brunswick East, which’s name was inspired by an old Miles Davis project, has a very eclectic sound, to say the least. I am glad to hear that Mild High Club was able to get King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard to channel their more melodic songwriting capabilities that I particularly admired on Paper Mache Dream Balloon, but this time with their instruments plugged in and an even more prevalent jazz flavor. I love the flute sections and the sexy, atmospheric keys heard throughout the album. The tracks with the heaviest jazz influences always seemed to be my favorites such as “The Spider And Me”, “You Can Be Your Silhouette”, and “Tezeta”.

    “Tezeta” is actually such a standout track for the great use of juxtaposition in the songwriting. I love how the “Tezeta” hook gave off a very sinister vibe only to be followed by verses that were characterized by a very easy going, feel good yet complicated sounding melody and chord progression.

    The bold and juicy sounding melody on “The Spider And Me” is yet another highlight on this album and the “Sketches of Brunswick East” interlude jams are nice too, although it feels like they were included just to add another 10 minutes to the album to reach that 40 minute full length benchmark, unless there was a conceptual purpose that flew over my head. Tracks such as “D-Day” and “The Book” do well in bringing a little tension to the track list but honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if these songs were outtakes from their last two releases. “Journey To (S)Hell” is a bit of a headache of a track, but I suppose the tension brought to the listener's ear is deliberate and is to be relieved by the loveliness of the following track “Rolling Stoned”.

    Overall, I would recommend this album to any fan of psych rock, jazz, groovy bass lines, and bossa nova. The songs on this album may have been written in a spontaneous 3 week span, but they really grow on you the more time you listen to them.

REVIEW BY ANTHONY COZZARELLI

LISTEN TO SKETCHES OF BRUNSWICK EAST HERE

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DOG PARTY IN PITTSBURGH by ALEXANDRA PASQUARELLI

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WATER TRASH SELF-TITLED ALBUM REVIEW by AUDREY KEELIN

I began with blasting Couch Party, the first track on Water Trash, as any old fan of Crafted Sounds would do if they had received an email notification of a new tape release (effective September 1st). Three-piece punk surf band Water Trash comprises of Carter Vannoy on not only vocals, but guitar and bass, and Cheyenne Raithel on drums. Carter, closely resembling Ty Segall or Mikal Cronin with his frequent usage of wails, has the ability to maintain a beautiful balance of lamentations and soft, sweet riffs and words of kindness and comfort throughout the album. This can be heard throughout Casper and Prom Song. On the other hand, more frequent anger, comparable to together PANGEA, unearths itself throughout tracks like White Trash or Lucy. A perfect mix, if I do say so myself.

Cheyenne absolutely annihilates those drum riffs and fills. This is more apparent in more punky songs, but keeps a nice beat throughout more dream-pop tracks.

They make a great team as Water Trash. Not only because of their relatable, dancy, almost poppy jams, but because of their obvious unity that shows through every track. In fact, this album is a perfect example of a mix that wonderfully places pop with punk, in a less obvious, more garage-centered way. Because of this, I immediately imagine The Orwells and Thee Oh Sees getting together and having a baby: little Water Trash!

LISTEN TO WATER TRASH HERE

REVIEW BY AUDREY KEELIN

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WYLA + SHAKEN NATURE IN ASHEVILLE by AUDREY KEELIN

LISTEN TO WYLA HERE

LISTEN TO SHAKEN NATURE HERE

PHOTOS BY AUDREY KEELIN 

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AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BINGERS

     The Bingers’ Facebook page describes the Chicago-based band to be “two guitars, drums, whoa-oh-ohs, and ooh-la-lahs,” and, in essence, that's a pretty good summary. The group is composed of Ronnie Appert, Teddy Appert, and Jack Callahan, all of whom rotate instruments. Their sound is a particular one, as they combine surf rock and garage rock with a bit of punk influence. Not to mention, their latest LP, Stay Satisfied, was recorded on tape, giving a lo-fi quality that adds to their unique, DIY sound. Melted recently got the opportunity to pick The Binger’s brains about the complexities of the band.

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So you guys all switch between guitar, drums, and vocals, before starting the band were you all respectively capable of doing the three or did you not experiment until the band?

    I could play a little drums when we started from experience in a previous band, but it was completely new to Jack and Ronnie. So to start, we chose to make things simple-- Floor tom/snare. Just more or less keeping tempo with the groove.  Strangely, Jack didn't know he could play until we first practiced a song I wrote called “Cheetah High Heels.”  I presented the chords and structure, and then the first time actually playing it through it was like "Shit, that's exactly how it's supposed to go!"

What's it like having full time jobs but still being fairly successful with music on the side? Do you think that, if you reach a certain point, you would ever make music a full time thing?

     It's pretty cool, but has its ups and downs like anything else.  At times we'll wish we could tour more. I think that's a great way to grow as a band, and also a really fun reason to travel around. But on the other hand, having a full time job allows music to be our outlet vs our job, and I think that impacts the creative process a little. We're not dependent on music for our income, so we don't necessarily have to cater to marketable tastes, or turn ourselves into a brand and then have to maintain that- or self promote like our lives depend on it.  

    There are so many sides to music being your full time thing too-- like, are you a full time band? How long does that success last today?  Do you produce in your downtime? Start a label of your own?  Open a restaurant? How is your thing any different than the other bands/ labels?  It's possible, but to be full time there's definitely a hustle. And I don't think people get into making the kind of music we make today for the purpose of making money on it.  

     As someone who likes to spend a fair amount of their off-time creating music, I  think being acknowledged and compensated for that time is rewarding.  It'd be nice if one day, that allows any of us more free time to enjoy other things as well.  But for now it's sort of what we'd be doing anyway. A labor of love.

Your newest LP, Stay Satisfied, was recorded on tape rather than digitally, why that medium? How did this make the production process different than what you're used to and did you find it to be beneficial/worth the effort?

    We recorded our last two EPs to tape as well, just 1/4" cassette tape vs 1/2" reel to reel.  So it was really the just machine that was different, not the process. But for the kind of music we make in this band, tape seems to be the better fit.  It has a nice way of sounding with traditional instruments, even before any mixing is done.  It's the science behind the way the sounds are actually captured.  There's a natural compression that happens that makes the loud instruments blend really well. They kind of bleed into each other vs being too isolated and borderline sterile.   

    It degrades a little bit too with every take. You kind of have a pressure to get it right, the sooner the better. It lends a sort of urgency to the performance you're trying to capture. Also, since all of the touchstone albums of Rock n’ Roll were recorded on tape, it helps to use that medium if that's the overall sound you want to achieve.

I read that you guys started writing and recording Stay Satisfied back in 2015, given the gap do you feel any sort of disconnect with any of tracks? Do you feel like you are different people than when you started the LP?

    We started recording in winter of '15-'16 and finished that spring. So it took about a year after that for everything to come together in a physical release.  I wouldn't say we feel disconnected to any of the tracks since the themes are all pretty universal/ongoing stuff.   We didn't write any breakup songs and then get back together or tie any song too directly to any particular newsworthy event.  Still, a quick turnaround time always helps. It's tough to perform a song if you're not into it anymore.

A song/album/artist that makes you feel a heavy dose of nostalgia?

    Probably most likely bands we listened to in high school, which was early stuff by Alkaline trio, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Belle & Sebastian, Elliot Smith

What's it like being a band in the 21st century? Is the amount of technology overwhelming? Does social media play a crucial role in sharing your music?

   You really need to hone in what you're creating as well as how you promote it now too. But it depends on what route you wanna take too. There's a different level of commitment to social media/self promotion for someone striving for big pop stardom. But social media definitely helps to organize a show or tour, and it's fun to see when someone across the country or world likes what you're doing.

LISTEN TO THE BINGERS HERE

interview by LYDIA VELAZQUZ

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DATENIGHT IN ASHEVILLE by AUDREY KEELIN

LISTEN TO DATENIGHT HERE PHOTOS BY AUDREY KEELIN

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SLOTHRUST + TANCRED AT ROCK N ROLL HOTEL by RAVEN DES JARDINS

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LOCKET BY CRUMB EP REVIEW

     It makes sense that Crumb would chose to release their latest EP, Locket, just as the haze of summer begins to set in. With the day's melting into a saccharine daydream, this EP provides the perfect soundtrack. A product of Boston but thriving in New York, Crumb never expected their music to extend beyond their inner circle, the internet however had other ideas. Composed of Lila Ramani (guitar and vocals), Jesse Brotter (bass), Brian Aronow (synth/keys/percussion/reeds), and Jonathan Gilad (drums), the four piece are attracting attention from some of the biggest names in the scene including Homeshake and their latest touring partner Alex G.

    The band's first self titled EP was released about a year ago featuring the much discussed ‘So Tired,’ with Ramani’s lounging vocals verging on conversational as she takes you through the narrative of her life. The tempo change keeps the song from becoming monotonous even as Ramani seems too tired to even feel the nostalgia that is saturated into every word. ‘Bones’ shows the dynamic of the band as they dip their toes into the waters of synth whilst still keeping their heads in the lo-fi realm. This three track EP was the ideal way to introduce the band.

     It was on Locket however that the band really dove head first into their jazz infused psychedelia. ‘Plants’ sets the tone for the whole EP with Ramani's sultry vocals flitting over the synth drenched track. The song embodies the sensual side of jazz while integrating funk elements. An easy flow, heavy reverb, and a velvety tone makes ‘Plants’ so mesmerizing. ‘Thirty-Nine’ has that same hypnotic charm laced throughout the album. The song transforms even mundane tasks like washing the windows and impatience into an otherworldly experience. Soft vocals and soft melodies melt together through the song concluding with a momentous guitar heavy outro redolent of dream pop.

     The EP concludes with ‘Locket’ which emulates the retro influences with its analogue air that makes you feel like you’ve just hit play on a cassette tape. Even the track itself is reminiscent of the 60’s new wave of far out celestial sounds. The first half of the track feels like it’s been recorded in outer space and it’s not until after the first couple of verses that Ramani’s vocals reclaim their clarity and touch back down to Earth. The ambiance perfectly mirrors the lyrics about isolation and yearning to get out of the city as it feels far removed and like you’re stepping out of reality and into the void.

     Shimmering and entrancing, Locket takes a surrealist eye to the normalities of the day. The entire EP radiates a mellowed out magic that keeps you wanting more. Making a follow up to Locket is no easy task, but with the pure genius of Crumb there is no doubt that they will prevail.

LISTEN TO LOCKET HERE

written by SAMANTHA SULLIVAN