Category: Bands/Comps/Splits
The Callouts video for ‘Amelia’
The Callouts – Give Up
75OL-284 The Callouts – Give Up CD
Digital download and streaming available here
$7.00 S&H Included
Track Listing
- The Rabbit
- Reverse Clooney
- Chain Reaction
- Amelia
- California
- Hot Tuesday
- Underground Giraffe Fight
- Downtown is Dead
- Heartfelt Mixup
- Shutter
- Sweep the Leg
Keith A/B – Without Grievance
75OL-290 Keith A/B – Without Grievance CD
Digital download and streaming is available here
$7.00 S&H Included
Track Listing
- Hey Kelly
- I’d Be A Success
- Candle Wax
- No Black Magic Required
- Kids
- Future-Proof
- Triple Deckers
- Celebration
- Alligators Chased Me Home
Keith A/B is a Providence area singer-songwriter. For fans of Jeff Buckley, The Walkmen, Tame Impala, Deerhunter, Polvo, Cobra Verde, and Guided by Voices.
Powerpopaholic reviews Minky Starshine’s “Dirty Electric”
Rob Anastasi’s Minky Starshine has a new LP produced by Ken Stringfellow and has enlisted the support of Mike Musburger, Ducky Carlisle, Corin Ashley, Fernando Perdomo, and Phil Aiken. The album starts with the laid-back “Art School” as the lead lyric seems pessimistic; “I went to school for art but ended up pushing papers” however it comes around to the upbeat “everywhere is going to lead somewhere.” But the darkness creeps in on “Everybody Loves to Party” despite the catchy chords and “London Metropole” focuses on the pain of loneliness.
The notable “Good Company” is a bright spot, with its hopeful melody and layered guitars. The production is artfully done, as Anastasi’s songs are emotional and resonate, but the edge seems much softer now. Especially on the apprehensive “Go!” which mixes a fast paced verse with a big arena-friendly multi-tracked chorus. Unfortunately, many other songs just didn’t stick in my head, which seems a long way from the brilliant Womanity. This is still music that deserves to be heard, and Anastasi is a world-class talent. Check it out.
David Tessier ‘Dreams in Hyperspace’ review in Motif
David Tessier – Dreams in Hyperspace
I first saw David Tessier and his backing band when they staged a production of the rock opera Hedwig and The Angry Inch. Since then they’ve done everything from tackling Jesus Christ Superstar to doing a run of shows as a Monkees cover band. On Dreams in Hyperspace, Tessier and his band, The All-Stars Stars, move somewhere between and intergalactic hybrid of Radiohead meets E.L.O. with a nod to ’70s Pink Floyd. Dreams in Hyperspace has a lost-in-space concept feel, but I guess hence the title, right? “The Good Afternoons” reminds me of Pink Floyd meets Spacehog. “Hey Mary” starts like Radiohead’s “Creep” before blasting off into something more operatic, which was how E.L.O. came to mind. The instrumentals between songs serve to move the narration of long and can vary from old school video game vibes (“The Dream Begins”) to spacey noise (“The Colder Still”). The closing “Edge of Contact” wraps on the story where unlike Ziggy Stardust, Tessier and The All-Stars Stars seem to find a home in space.
The Low Cards at Metal Nexus
State Of The Art: Rhode Island’s THE LOW CARDS
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, The Low Cards are a bluesy, swamp-rock three piece band led by frontman, singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Baker. Baker has been writing music himself for some time; he has three solo albums where his first was released back in 2008. The Low Cards came to be when Baker joined up with bassist Brian Jablonski, who actually plays an upright bass, and drummer Matt Slobogan. Their debut, self-titled album dropped on November 29, 2017 and was recorded entirely live at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, RI. They did this with the intention to capture the raw intensity of their sound, and boy did they ever accomplish that. The audio was mastered together by West West Side Music out of New Windsor, New York. At first glance, The Low Cards have some musical resemblance to The Black Keys and in one track off the record I’m pretty sure they really wanted to be Johnny Cash, but the more you listen, the more you realize that these guys have a genuine sound of their own that I can’t seem to get enough of.
Baker’s lyrics, for the most part, focus on life and death. He’s a great storyteller about life and seemingly welcomes the idea of death. Being from a small town myself, his words and stories definitely hit home. For example, the first track, “Townie” is about just that; being born, raised, and dying in a small town. Baker does not hold back with his vocals. You can feel the emotion and inflection he uses to create his own sound, and when the rest of the band kicks in you know you’re in for something special. The second track, “Closer” is kind of like nothing I’ve ever heard before. The goofy guitar riff paired with the perfectly timed accent of Slobogan’s cowbell give this song the feeling of what you would expect to go along with a circus act. However, the lyrics go way deeper than that, as Baker talks about putting your ego aside and coming to grips with the nature of reality. I don’t want to focus too much on the individual tracks in this article, so I’ll leave that with what is probably my favorite line on the album. The third track and first single, “Suffer”, Baker says, “I don’t care if there ain’t no god. Though you might find it odd. I do suffer.” Between the context and the way he sings it, this part is just simply badass. The only problem with this band is their following is so small that it’s hard to find much information about them. They seem to tour rather locally around Rhode Island, which is ironic that a band with such a small notoriety is playing in a state smaller than most counties. They definitely deserve some publicity, which is the whole reason I’m doing this article. Hopefully we’ll see them grow and put out more music in the near future.
Minky Starshine – Dirty Electric
75OL-285 Minky Starshine – Dirty Electric
$9.00 S&H Included
Digital download and streaming is available here
Track Listing
1. Art School 03:03
2. Everybody Loves a Party 03:33
3. London Metropole 03:52
4. Good Company 03:57
5. Do You Really Need Me? 02:39
6. Queen of the Highway 03:53
7. Camp Heaven 03:37
8. Go! 03:15
9. Yesterday’s Always Goodbye 03:58
10. Whisky in a Teacup 02:03
Produced, engineered and mixed by Ken Stringfellow
Recorded at M.A.R.S., Bothell, WA and Le Son du Ble, Tours FRANCE
Additional recording on 4 & 10 by Ducky Carlisle at Ice Station Zebra, Medford MA
Mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Services
Rob Anastasi- vocals, guitar, keys, ukulele
Ken Stringfellow- vocals, guitars, bass, keys, drums
Mike Musburger- drums
Fernando Perdomo- guitar on 4
Corin Ashley- bass on 4
Ducky Carlisle- drums on 4
Aden Stringfellow- vocals on 2
Paul Ahlstrand- string arrangement on 4
Jets Can’t Land ‘As The Earth Shakes’ Review in Motif
Jets Can’t Land — As The Earth Shakes
The sophomore EP, As The Earth Shakes, from Jets Can’t Land picks up where their debut, You Can’t Linger On, left off and pushes the barrel over the cliff with seven sci-fi tales set to indie guitar swing pyrotechnics. You want rock, well on “Dc-10” and “Your Boyfriend Godzilla,” Jets Can’t Land deliver. The former has a bit of a Sister-era Sonic Youth vibe while the latter comes off as an ’80s hardcore played by aliens from the future in an after-hours joint on the edge of Tokyo. “Stranded On The Moon” and the closer, “Bones of You” both have a cool lost in space yearning that just makes me yearn for more Jets Can’t Land. You can get lost in space with Jets Can’t Land by catching them in their first ever all acoustic show.
Jets Can’t Land As The Earth Shakes
75OL-287 Jets Can’t Land – As The Earth Shakes
$7.00 S&H Included
Digital download and streaming available here
Track Listing
1. Song for Yona
2. Children of the Train
3. The Wreckage of Us
4. DC-10
5. Stranded on the Moon
6. Your Boyfriend Godzilla
7. Bones of You
The 2nd EP by Jets Can’t Land includes songs about old monsters, sci-fi movies, miscalculated romances and the affected events that occurred (but can’t be proven) in an alternate universe.
Recorded in Spring 2018 at Plan of a Boy studios in Providence, RI.
We Own Land – Plan B
75OL-292 We Own Land – Plan B
$7.00 S&H Included
Digital download and streaming available soon
Track Listing
1. Crescent City
2. American Screw
3. Deserae
4. Down the Road
5. When You’re Not Around
6. Mexico