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The True Barry

2 Aug

Never underestimate the power of music and brotherhood. The Barry brothers are proof of this sentiment. The band, Barry, was founded in 2011 by three brothers, who, despite having other commitments – like families, jobs and school – gathered in their self-made studio in Western, New York, and cut a fresh folk-rock album that oozes with such a cornucopia of sounds that I’m not sure how to label the music. The best I can do is alternative-inspired folk churned with harmony and a pleasant hint of country. I believe this description is suitable, but this is music you just want to lose yourself in. You can make your own judgment after experiencing their debut EP Yawnin’ in the Dawnin’ which was released on May 19. You can take a listen to some tracks below.


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The Barry brothers are from Hume, New York. Just for some perspective, Manhattan is close to six hours away from Hume. New York. That is how far west they are. And I do think their location has an influence on their sound. It is agrestic, taking on the feel of rich farmland and open skies. Music like this cannot be created in a big city. This natural, old-time folk needs to bake in a town where the cacophony of screaming taxis and rumbling subways is not pervasive, and where when night falls true dark blankets the town.

The band is made up of Patrick Barry (Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica & Keys), Benjamin Barry (Bass, Vocals) and Bradford Barry (Drums, Vocals) and their musical maturity is on display throughout their first EP.

If I had to pick a favorite song it would be “Carnival(e).” The song combines two awesome elements. The verses are odd, but they match the carnival lyric well. The music moves up and down like a bouncing ball. The chorus strikes and the rhythm of the verse is replaced by a fast-paced rhythm and vocal harmony. This transition is skilled and much respected. “Three Years in Carolina,” another exciting song, displays Barry’s country influences. The chorus emits a southern effervescence and the well-placed harmonica helps carry the five-minute Carolina ode.

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The Boom of Heidi Klum’s Bangs

24 Jul

Heidi Klum's Bangs

The popularity of the full-length LP has vacillated throughout history. Before the British Invasion and Psychedelic revolution, A-B-side singles were preferred. Then the concept album was born and numerous 1960’s bands created full-length albums (10-12 songs) that oozed with artistic creativity and musical intelligence. But that faded, and the individual song took over once again in the late 1970s into the 80s. Then the turn over happened again. The 90s brought grunge, alternative rock, and the nascent stages of indie music. All of a sudden people were asking if you had listened to Nirvana’s new album or dove into the heavy sounds of Neutral Milk Hotel. Today, though, the album has been superseded by the single for the most part. The influence of music downloading and purchasing sites like iTunes, where individual songs cost 99 cents (or more at times), has been tremendous. Yes, albums are being created and some indie bands like Arcade Fire are still dabbling in the art of concept releases, but creating albums is not the current popular choice. Albums, in more cases than not, act as mere folders, just created to hold all the singles in one place. The question that can be posed today is whether or not that modern album is dead? Perhaps more specifically, has the concept album perished?

“I think the album is still alive, and I have absolute faith in it, and I know that there are artists out there who still want to make true albums and people who enjoy hearing a cohesive or unified work,” said Zach Beck, multi-instrumentalist and singer for indie/concept band Heidi Klum’s Bangs (the subject of our new band profile today!) “I mean, not that singles are inherently bad or anything, but personally, I would easily take a unified 11 or 15 or 27-song album — even if there may be a (couple of) song(s) on it that I’m not really crazy about but that are still a necessary part of the overall theme or are integral to the story as a whole or that advance the narrative or provide another frame in the film strip or whatever — over a mix of 12 perfectly executed, flawless singles.

Zach, 22, and his brother Dylan, 17, make up the Mountain Home, Arkansas band Heidi Klum’s Bangs, and their quasi first release Palace Pier (released May, 2011) is good evidence that the draw of a concept album is still alive and well. A linked album is like a good novel while singles are more like flash fiction (short prose that ends in four pages or less). A novel needs time to plan and form. There needs to be plot, theme and message. The concept album needs this as well. The best linked albums carry an organized message through both music and lyrics. I believe Zach says it best:

“In my view, the album remains the best and most wonderful way to make something beautiful and/or meaningful and/or emotionally moving and the best and most wonderful way to connect with others. And to connect others with others, too. And that was basically the goal of Palace Pier.”

Zach and Dylan have been creating music for around three years in several formats. First, the brothers created a “post-rock / experimental / ambient band called Thee Children of Light,” and from there Heidi Klum’s Bangs was conceived. They have been working under that name for about 16 months at this current point.

When I interviewed Zach, I needed to ask where the name Heidi Klum’s Bangs came from.

“The story behind that sorta has to do with this girl I had a thing for at the time,” he said. “I mean, I thought I had a thing for her, even though I didn’t know anything about her, but I started writing something to her anyway and ended up writing just line-after-line about her hair. And then some at point soon after, I somehow found myself watching Project Runway, you know, and there was Heidi Klum, and I thought, “Wow! This girl has just about the exact same hair style as Heidi Klum!” And of course the aspect of it that drew the majority of my attention were the prominent bangs. So that ended being the title of the song-that-wasn’t-really-a-song. And it felt right for how I imagined the sound of our band, so I remember vividly just saying to Dylan, ‘The name of the musical endeavor that I am going to pursue is Heidi Klum’s Bangs. Feel free to hop aboard if you’d like; if not, see you later.’”

In short, Dylan said yes to the name and the brothers started dreaming up the concept album Palace Pier. The end result, after six months of recording in their basement, was a dreamy psychedelic release of 13 tracks most similar to the beautiful rawness of late 90s experimental acts out of the Elephant 6 Recording Company like Neutral Milk Hotel and Elf Power. Zach and Dylan are both talented multi-instrumentalists and the sound they create is a well-produced low-fi blend of indie and experimental rock. Zach writes, sings and plays guitar, trumpet, bells, keyboards/piano. Dylan completes the band with drums, bells, keyboards and marimba.

Let’s look at the introduction to the album, “The Window.”

The song begins with drawn-out keys under a tranquil, halcyon sample of seagulls and children at a beach. It lulls you into a state of comfort. The background drops out in favor of rising drums and keys. It gradually rises in sound and then falls into acoustic guitar and then into the combination of instruments that forms the song. When the voices drop I feel like I have just taken a time machine back to the experimental 90s. The harmony and the trumpet are so much in the vein of those releases that this opening track is actually somewhat freaky to a fan of Elephant Six. Freaky in a good way. The lyric is enigmatic, but certainly related to the sounds.

Painted waves
Changing shape
That smooth tattoo
Pulsing through
The beams of light
In soft cascade
To silver night
Let’s watch it fade

Descriptive but succinct and that is effective. “The Window” is my favorite track from the album. I believe the male/female harmony works well to establish the concept album. I asked Zach about the point of the full album.

“The theme of the album has to do with the transience of things – like coming to grips with the undeniable certainty of the passing moment and striving to find some way to keep it with you.”

He cites Virgina Woolf’s To The Lighthouse as a big inspiration for the sea imagery and, well, that makes an English major like myself very happy, so kudos to Zach!

Currently, the band is working together on new material and they hope to play some shows in the near future. But most of all, Heidi Klum’s Bangs wants to continue to create music with the hope that they can share a passionate message to listeners.

“We’re just trying to make people feel something,” said Zach. “We’re hoping and striving to touch and move people and bring a bit of healing into people’s lives, because I think we all need that at the moment. All we want to do is put some good in the world.”

Check out the band’s Bandcamp to listen to more songs. The album is available for purchase, but, like In Rainbows, you pay what you want to pay (even if that is nothing, but, come on, give the band a few bucks). You can also follow the band on their Facebook page

The Bands of Summer – Mind The Gap

19 Jul

Mind The Gap

“A Korean, a Sri Lankan, a Mexican, and a Jew from Cleveland. four musicians from four corners of the world aiming to shotgun blast through the insipid airwaves of current music using acoustic harmonies fused with modern technology.”

The beginning of Los Angeles based Indie band Mind The Gap’s introduction on their short biography page on their website sounds like the premise of a bad joke. But this neat band objective effectively explains the band’s sound in few words. So why I am I needed here? Good question. Just listen to this:

Before I proceed with my flowery praise for Mind The Gap, let’s celebrate the second week of The Bands of Summer. I know I said it was only a week special, but I have decided to make it an every Tuesday post. There are so many great new bands to profile. Today that band is Mind The Gap. I’m sure by now you have listened to the song above.

Mind The Gap has to be one of, if not the most ethnically diverse indie foursomes in the world (as you have read above). The band is a melting pot of diversity and mature rhythms, acoustic and electronic. Put the pot on a stove and after just a few songs on their debut 12-track album the intense laid-back creativity of Mind The Gap begins to boil over.

Mind The Gap’s debut release The Good Fight (released May, 2011) is one of those rare albums where every song is not only enjoyable, but also different. The album is like a good mystery film, there are just so many twists and turns that you are not sure what the next song will bring. The first two tracks are a good example of this. “Fall,” track one of the album, plays like an alt/rock hit with a fast-paced guitar riff carrying the verses with underlying electronic sounds. And then track two, “Smile Back At You” introduces itself with basic chords and manipulative keys and the alt/rock of track one fades away and is replaced by a blissful, effervescent pop song carried by lead vocalist Greg Cahn’s melodic voice and the band’s choral harmonies which are soft like a cool pillow. This is a diverse album. The band is composed of wonderfully talented musicians, each who makes their voice heard in their tremendous instrumentation. Whether it is Cahn’s magical vocal, Ozzy Doniz’s moving bass and rhythm guitar, Ruwanga Samath’s significant keyboard work, or Alex Yang’s skilled lead guitar and piano work, the band works together to create music that knocks down the walled conventions of pop/indie/electronic/acoustic music and blends them together into a high-quality, low calorie shake, one that you just feel good about drinking.

I will leave you all with “Once You Leave” which has a little more fun with modern electronic sounds. But while electronic sounds often seem tasteless and gratuitous in music today, Mind The Gap uses them with precision and they are vital to the advancement of “Once You Leave” which, when completed, is a fine indie/pop track.

Mind The Gap stands true to their band objective. They are skillful mashers of acoustic instrumentation and electronic sounds. They are definitely a band to follow.

Enjoying the music. For another 13 hours you can obtain the whole debut album for $5 on GroopEase where Mind The Gap’s album is being offered at a discount price. I bought it. Here is the link.

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The Bands of Summer – Common Grackle

15 Jul

GroopEase has a creative approach to selling albums. They feature several new artists a week and allow viewers to purchase the artist’s material for special prices for one or two days. It is the Groupon of music. I found out about this site a few days ago. So, naturally, I went prowling for cool new bands. And, even though I missed the special, I found Common Grackle, a hip/hop, indie blend. A what? I said the same thing. I pressed play. Out of my laptop speakers came the dopest Indie music I have ever heard. Why did I just write dopest? Because, I’m bemused, I have no clue what to call it. The music is a hugger-mugger of mashed-up rhythms and depressed lyrics. There is a slowed-down keyboard beautifully juxtaposed with lyrics about not wanting to die at a grindcore show (I’ll explain later). There are imprecations and rapping over spacey synthesizers. Then there is Gregory Pepper’s remarkably passionate voice that mixes witty sarcasm with true pain. It is an amalgamation of so many musical elements that my ears explode when I listen. But it’s a good thing. Let me make one statement before I move on.

Common Grackle is one of the most exciting indie acts to come out of the wide world of music in a while. And I think lead-singer Gregory Pepper has a response for my observation and it comes straight out of the lyric of “Down With The Ship,” track six of Common Grackle’s debut album The Great Depression (I bought it on Amazon for $5. Yeah, I’m cheap and poor). The line? “Told them all to take care but I don’t care a bit.”

The band formed at the suggestion of record label Fake Four Inc founder Ceschi Ramos (who raps in two of the songs including “The Great Depression” which is featured below). Singer/songwriter Gregory Pepper and hip/hop producer Factor were label mates and they began making music together in 2009. What formed was a magical combination of creative beats, hearty lyrics, intelligent instrumentation and one powerful vocal that sounds like it was chained up for years prior to this album. That is how effective Pepper’s voice is. Pepper and Factor churned out tracks with the help of Pepper’s band and a memorable 12-track album was created.

So where do I start with the music? There is bluegrass rap, a short dubbed ballad about a violent brawl at a laundromat. I think I am going to profile two of my favorite songs on the album, “The Great Depression” and “At The Grindcore Show.”

Oh, so I see where they were going with the title. How do you like that psychologically unstable video? How about the music and the lyrics? The music can best be described as indie/psych/pop/hip-hop fusion. Factor dreams up this swooning rhythm that hugs the rapped lyrics like a blanket. There is just so much sound and then, at the end, harmony. Harmony. Really good harmony, at that. The lyric is dark. “Dumb sh*t spilling out of his stupid f*cking mouth, I’m sorry mom and dad but I had a bad year, keyboard cut out hanging on the walls of heads of ex girlfriends.” It is downtrodden, melancholic and defeated. But, even with the rhythm, it works well.

This little ditty is hilarious, but scary. The melody itself is like a kid who just got ice cream, small and gleeful, but the lyrics are about how our protagonist is drugged and scared at a grindcore show where everyone is fake and he is lost. Sad but happy. Barret-esque. A lot of the music takes on this psychedelic quality and I am loving it. Keep rocking Common Grackle, it’s working well.

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The Bands of Summer – Marcus Foster

14 Jul

Marcus Foster

Marcus Foster has soul. No, not that superficial junk that is sometimes played off as soul today, but that true guttural, passionate soul. Only a few artists are capable of creating this sound today (i.e. Ray LaMontagne) and Foster’s powerful crooning makes the 24-year-old London musician a part of this exclusive club.

Foster has released one EP thus far in his burgeoning career. The link embedded in EP brings you to a page where you can purchase the four-song release in full or individually. If folk singer/songwriters are your thing, then give Marcus Foster a listen.

“Shadows of the City” is the first track on Foster’s EP Tumble Down. The song’s introduction features Foster’s robust voice demonstrating its impeccable range. The main draw for every singer/songwriter is their voice. When it comes down to it, only those with great, original voices survive in the cutthroat world of singer/songwriters. There are far to many creating similar tunes for everyone to succeed. A singer/songwriter is judged on their voice first and then their music. Foster easily passes the voice test. It is his clear strength. His voice is vigorous, but trained. Foster knows when to unleash it to its full potential. At the end of “Shadows of the City,” a melancholic percussion-driven piece with pleasant acoustic rhythms, Foster impressively displays a controlled scream that is shocking, but interestingly refreshing.

With the above acoustic home recording of the EP’s title track “Tumble Down,” I wanted to express Foster’s folk roots. He is clearly most comfortable in stripped down string-heavy folk recordings. The song is over six minutes, but it does not lose its charm. The additional acoustic instrumentation is nice, but I even feel that the song would succeed with only Foster and his acoustic guitar.

Soon, Foster will release his first full-length LP and if you like what you listened to on this post feel free to click this and pre-order his album Nameless Path.

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