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Gaining Transmission – The Creative Pop of Jon Samuel

3 Jan
Jon Samuel

Jon Samuel

Jon Samuel understands the key to creating mellifluous pop music. It doesn’t involve overused synthesizers, vocal effects, or complex sound. That would be too easy. Da Vinci wrote, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” and this quotation accurately describes Samuel’s ability as a singer/songwriter. Don’t get me wrong, some bands are able to find an electronic balance and create elegant music, but stripped-down pop music requires a certain level of simplicity that is, well, sophisticated. Such artists are handed the arduous task of creating easy, inventive pop that is not pablum. Artists must be subtle in a completely unsubtle way. The greatest artists/writers (like Da Vinci and Shakespeare – who wrote “Brevity is the soul of wit”) will stand by the belief that conciseness and guilelessness is difficult to achieve but ultimately effective. Clearly, Samuel agrees, and his debut solo release First Transmission plays to that sentiment.

Some may know Samuel as one of the musicians in the 2008 Juno Award-winning band Wintersleep. Samuel acted as a composer for Wintersleep’s new album Hello Hum, which was released in June of 2012. Samuel’s solo album followed two months later. The album was recorded in the Spring/Summer of 2011 with Wintersleep bandmates Tim D’Eon and Loel Campbell. Rah Rah’s Erin Passmore provides vocals to two tracks.

“First Transmission,” the album’s title track, is an effervescent ode to SETI scientists who search for signs of intelligent life in space. First off, awesome concept for a song. I just want to get that important note out of the way before I discuss the music. Samuel’s clean and composed vocal is a delight. His voice is soothing, and, to stick with the space theme, is equatable to an astronaut experiencing a weak gravitational force; it floats, but with composure. Underneath Samuel’s airy vocal is an elementary drum beat and few chords. The song, though, does not come off as jejune despite its absence of complication. It is aided by its bubbly simplicity. Some well-placed harmony and call-and-response parts help carry the song even further.

“To Love” similarly starts with an easy riff. Samuel’s vocal follows the chords in rhythm. It’s a pleasure to listen to. Like in “First Transmission,” Samuel’s effortless vocal shines. The song also features atmospherical strings and creative harmonies that add to its cherubic effect.

The entire album is worth a listen, and I urge you to check it out.

You can learn more about Jon Samuel and buy his album at his website. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter

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Bringing Soul Back – David Lee

21 Dec
David Lee with his mentor, Willie Mitchell

David Lee with his mentor, Willie Mitchell
Photo by Antoine Sanfuentes

Willie Mitchell knows soul music. In 1969, a little known R&B singer named Al Green came into contact with Mitchell after struggling with his first release. After hearing Green’s voice, Mitchell quickly scooped him up as a vocalist. His instrumental piece of advice? Find your own voice. Be unique.

David Lee is unique. Born in South Korea in 1986, Lee and his family moved to Virginia when he was eight. After voraciously diving into new music, Lee borrowed an acoustic guitar from a friend and played it until his fingertips were frayed and the guitar was worn. He devoted his time to writing and recording several songs, but, like Al Green, he had difficulty defining a sound after years in the studio. Enter Willie Mitchell, who almost 40 years after discovering Al Green, was inspired by Lee’s smooth voice and perspicacious sense of melody. Mitchell took Lee under his wing as one of his last projects before his death in 2010.

Without Any Guard, the culmination of five years of labor (three with Mitchell), will be released in February 2013.

David Lee’s endearing voice carries his tunes. In “Stay Away From You,” the last song on his 11-track debut, his sweet John Mayer-like croon washes over a tranquil blues rhythm. There is a coffee-shop quiescence to the track; a touching sentimentality best suited for a quiet venue. It’s an impressive song despite seeming so effortless. This is one of Lee’s best attributes. He makes good music seem so easy. And as any wise musician will tell you, this is not an effortless task.

“Happy Birthday” begins with a picked riff – comparable to a bit of a Pachelbel’s canon/Always on My Mind mixture – proceeding into the main rhythm, a toe-tapping beat. The vocals are laid-back, but they remain subtly powerful and delicate. Lee balances power and control. His singing is skillful. In the CD version of this song, Lee is joined by a chorus that echoes “don’t let your heart down” and adds even more power to the piece without ever seeming overdone.

Lee’s music is engaging, melodic, and bluesy. He is a soul singer with his roots now fully embedded into a soul culture that Willie Mitchell first thrived in more than 40 years ago. Lee is an exciting new artist, and I fully endorse his new album. Don’t miss out!

Pre-order Lee’s debut album at: www.davidleetunes.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

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The Wall of Boolfight

17 Dec

Boolfight - Album cover (cover art by Klara Domröse)We are crossing the Atlantic Ocean today to become acquainted with Boolfight, a French Indie-rock outfit that successfully blends beat-driven synthesizers with Killers-like rhythms and melodies. The band released their new album, Feral, in November, and the inventive spread of tunes benefits from a collaboration with Nicolas Fromageau, who many of you M83 fans might know as the musician that created the band’s first two albums with frontman Anthony Gonzalez. After leaving M83, Fromageau founded his current heavy-electronic group, Team Ghost, which will release its second album next year. Adding Fromageau’s proclivity for an effective electronic sound helps elevate Boolfight’s music in the new release, but Boolfight provides a far tamer sound than heavy shoegaze electronica.

“Deluxe” has a simple 80’s feel to the opening of the piece. It’s refreshing. This is one of Boolfight’s greatest attributes. The music is not cumbersome. It is electronic easy listening. The melody is clearly defined and refreshing. The vocals, too, are clean – reminding me of a subdued Brandon Flowers. The end employs a wall-of-sound technique, but the music remains composed. At no point does it fly off the handle. There is almost a subtlety to it, and I am a fan.

“Majesty” starts similarly. The buzzy synthesizer at the song’s inception reminds me a bit of M83. Enter in some percussion and concurrent synth and the song transforms into Keane on electronic steroids – an elegant combination of pop melody and synthesizers. “Majesty” is my favorite track, and I believe that it, if introduced to the American public, it could go far. I mentioned the Killers and M83 in this post, and Boolfight molds these influences into a graceful track.

Check out the rest of Boolfight’s album

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Rocking Babies to Sleep…Musically!

11 Dec

Beatles Baby

Let’s face it, babies just do not understand good music. While we adults turn on Beatles’ tunes and pretend we are Paul or John, babies are content with any mellifluous sound that distracts them from the poop they just made in their diapers. Why pick any old pleasant sound, when you can show your baby what “good music” is before they even have the opportunity to grow up and shriek at some teen idol with meticulously practiced dance moves and vocal manipulation?

Meet Rockabye Baby, an extraordinarily creative music project that since 2006 has created CDs of instrumental lullaby versions of popular rock bands. Since the first releases in 2006 (Coldplay, Metallica, and Radiohead), Rockabye Baby has put out nearly 50 albums, the latest a tribute to U2. So, parents, here is the perfect opportunity to introduce babies to “Enter Sandman” without traumatizing them. “Enter Sandman” goes from advising babies to ignore the voices they hear from the beasts under their bed, closet, and head, to an instrumental that, while also rather freaky, is significantly more baby-friendly than Kirk Hammett’s guitar. Hammett, by the way, bought the Metallica version of Rockabye Baby for his son.

Not a Metallica fan. No worries. Bathe your baby with Beatles music. Here is a lullaby version of “All You Need is Love.”

I am caught between singing along and falling asleep. The version is just…so…relaxing. I *yawn* think I am going to just rest my eyes for a little bit. Forget about the baby, I want this as the soundtrack of my nighttime snooze. A parent (supposing the lyric is appropriate) can sing the song to their baby while rocking them to bed. “All You Need is Love” is certainly appropriate. I might not suggest singing the lyrics to the rendition of “Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd. Even though the baby may not understand what you are saying quite yet, it is probably unwise to alert them of the lunatic in the hall.

The Pink Floyd CD (and The Beatles) will certainly be in my future child’s music collection. Start them young, right? Don’t laugh, a child’s impressionable ears are a horrible thing to waste. My father would play “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” by Franz Liszt when I was a baby. I consider it one of most incredible pieces of music I have ever heard. It was hardwired into my fledgling brain!

Talking about Rhapsody, why not introduce your baby to Queen. The lullaby version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” may be the best of all the albums.

Buy the CDs at Rockabye Baby.

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Merry Fitz.mas and Happy Caves

6 Dec
Fitz

Fitz

 “Twas the advent of Christmas,  And all through the land,  Not a creature was stirring,  but one festive band” – Fitz.mas

Fitz, a London-based collective of musicians led by Singer/Songwriter Sam Fitzpatrick, has brought new meaning to the Christmas advent calendar. Instead of a little pieces of candy, Fitz is providing listeners with a variety of song nuggets from popular Christmas movies. FOLLOW THE CALENDAR. The audio/visual tidbits are released every other day, with the other days of the month devoted to giving visual clues of the song that will be released next. It’s creative, different, and fun. It also just demonstrates the talent of Fitz.

Yes, Fitz is far more than an advent calendar. He is an uber-talented singer/songwriter with a penchant for sweet vocals and skillful acoustic melodies. His talent is only outweighed by his subtlety. Fitz’ music creeps up on you. It’s soft, even pastoral, and it is vast – a wide-open field of wonder and tenderness, like the bright green field depicted in the video for his song “Caves,” which was released back in October.

Fitz’ British Americana style – yes, I understand the contradiction in that sentiment – is that of a folk troubadour. The music is comfortable, low-key, and relaxing. But, at the same time, there is a vivacity in his tunes, a strength in his voice that calls out to listeners. Fitz understands how to mold a song, and he does so with wonderful precision.

The video of “Caves” tells the story of a young boy who leaves home to explore a verdant world. It is a true coming-of-age video, as the characters suggest. The boy in the video takes a picture of the “tallest tree” and then tosses it in a stream after he sees an even taller tree. In his exploration, he grows. It is a story of adventure and aging – with the universal color for growth, green, as a backdrop.

I want to provide you with one video from the advent calendar. Here is an enthusiastic, albeit self-deprecating version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Merry Fitz.mas!

Check out more about Fitz at the website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

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