The Folk Monsters of Yellow Red Sparks

21 Jul

Yellow Red Sparks

Speaking about the self-titled debut album of his folk band Yellow Red Sparks, Joshua Hanson said, “I don’t believe that it’s possible to share everything a writer is feeling or trying to convey within 3 ½ minutes of a track.” Wise words from a singer/songwriter who comes close to doing the impossible with each of the emotion-packed pieces on the album. Hanson, and fellow band-mates Sara Lynn Nishikawa (upright bass/vocals) and Goldy (drums/vocals), pack in so much Indie/Folk goodness in each song that hitting play is much like popping the cork of an expensive bottle of champagne.

Yellow Red Sparks originally started as the moniker of Hanson, a solo musician from California. After adding two members – which accentuated the Indie sound – the band released its debut album in January of this year. In the Spring, Hanson was notified that his song “Monsters with Misdemeanors” won the Grand Prize in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). The song was selected from more than 20,000 entries. High praise for a rising folk songwriter – and a totally deserved reward for a folk song saturated with raw emotion.

A soft acoustic riff sits over light percussion and Hanson’s mature vocal. Hanson’s style hits with a similar force as singer/songwriters like Greg Laswell, Ben Gibbard, and Joshua James. The strings help add to the song’s powerful melancholy. The song’s melody, which has a DeVotchKa feel, climaxes during the bridge in a similar manner – with rising strings and crying vocals. It would be a crime to not discuss the award-winning lyrics of the piece. The lyrics tell a story of relationship turbulence, but do so in an original manner – almost minimalistic in the short verses that feature such gems as “there’s a parked car that won’t let me over
And there’s one thing I’ll regret, but you’d be the last.” The song is true tour-de-force.

Make sure to check out the rest of Yellow Red Sparks’ excellent debut release here. You can track the band on its Facebook, Twitter, and Website.

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“There will always be a place for rock music!” – Carousels and Limousines Interview

19 Jul

Last week, we brought you Carousels and Limousines, a British rock band with an American heart. This week, their lead singer Sam Gotley tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the band.

 

You’re a British band with a very American sound. Was that a conscious decision?

No, not at all. We just write songs similar to music that we love which are bands like The Doors, Springsteen, Gaslight Anthem and the Rolling Stones. I guess when you listen to a lot of one type of music a bit of it rubs off on you!

 

What inspired your band to start making music together?

A mutual love of music and to be honest I think we were pretty bored in our early twenties. Finn moved in with me and Jay when we lived in Manchester and we started jamming and having a good laugh so we decided to start a band.

You say you’ve started writing songs for your next album; how will these be different from your songs on Home to Andy’s?

Well it’s early days yet, but we think our new stuff will be more characteristic of our live sound, and perhaps a little rowdier in places, also expect some big drum beats!

 

Are you more confident playing live shows know you have a whole album out?

Probably, we’ve played the songs enough times in the studio that we should be! But it’s also nice to know that fans have been listening to your album and know more of your songs when you turn up and play.

 

Looking at the Top 40, it is mostly filled with hip hop and boy bands; is there still a place for traditional rock band in today’s music scene?

There will always be a place for rock music. People blabber on about rock being dead and no good bands being around, but look at festival line-ups over summer and I guarantee 80% of the headline acts will be rock bands, because they’ve got the songs and the stamina to play long shows into the late evening. You ain’t gonna find Carly Rae Jepson or Bieber doing a 3 hour set to close out Glastonbury!

 

Finally, which song would you say you’re most proud of and why?

Probably ‘Greasy Hands’ because you really need to listen to the lyrics to work out what it’s about – it’s fun hearing people’s interpretation of it. And it’s also a bit of a challenge to play live.

If you want to know more about the band, you can find their website here or their Facebook page here. They will be playing a variety of gigs around London and Bristol this summer.

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Song Dogs on the Prairie

17 Jul

Song Dogs

Is it wrong to get giddy when I come across new bands like Song Dogs? Well, if it is, I don’t want to be right. Ok, I admit that was a cheesy lede, but the sentiment it expresses is not facetious. Song Dogs’ throwback brand of true Americana blues elicits visions of The Band, The Allman Brothers, and Neil Young. The music is as pastoral America as Hardee’s and Apple Pie. By the time you are finished listening to Song Dogs’ debut LP Wild Country, you will be fully satiated and Americanized!

At first listen to the whining guitar in “Buffalo Crossroads,” you may be inclined to think that the 6-piece rock band resides in Missouri or Tennessee, but the dogs of song reside in the City of Brotherly Love. Yes, the Song Dogs have brought the open prairie sound to the Liberty Bell. The band successfully blends southern blues, western twang, and northeastern rhythm into a smooth sound that carries each of the album’s 10 tracks.

One of the most impressive aspects of the band is the talent of each member. With three lead vocalists, every song has a particular style – both vocally and musically – and this establishes variety. The band features Michael Southerton (vocals/guitar), Ryan McCloskey (vocals/guitar), Sam Conver (vocals/bass), Dan Cooper (Drums), Mariama O’Brien (Percussion), and Emily Southerton* (Keys – Emily is currently away from the band as she is traveling the country teaching poetry)

“Buffalo Crossroads” is carried by a persistent pop/rock rhythm and southern-style electric guitar. Much like Tom Petty, Song Dogs makes the bluesy sound mainstream accessible by implementing a catchy rhythm and melody. It’s a neat, content song that makes you smile about returning home.

“Careless” immediately strips the pop feel with the opening bass riff and the granular vocal that is so southern soul it’s scary. While the classic blues vocal clearly carries this piece, the electric riff, intelligent percussion, and effective soloing allow the song to thrive. Let’s be frank. The song kicks ass. It’s Allman blues at its very finest.

Make sure to keep tabs on Song Dogs by following the band’s Facebook and Twitter. You can buy the full album on the band’s Bandcamp

It’s the Time of the Season for the Zombies

15 Jul

The Zombies

It’s not everyday that you can see a couple of British music legends play a free concert at Ellsworth W. Allen Town Park in Farmingdale, New York, but, thanks to the generosity of the Town of Oyster Bay and sponsors, last Wednesday presented this rare opportunity as part of the Music Under the Stars concert series – a neat calendar of free summer concerts in Town of Oyster Bay parks.

I had seen Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, and the reformed Zombies once before at a Hippiefest several years ago, and I remember thinking just how cool it was that I was able to see the creators of the infectious, somewhat unsettling (in a good way), 60’s Summer of Love call-and-response classic “Time of the Season.” In the years that have passed since that performance, the members of the Zombies, defiant of their band name, continue to perform jubilant shows that delicately mix a wide diversity of material and humorous, intelligible conversation with the crowd. As my mother said during the show, you almost feel like you are in the living room of one of their homes listening to a private performance among friends.

Now on the heels of the Zombies’ 2011 album Breathe Out, Breathe In, the band continues to perform with a high level of passion and energy. It was not difficult to recognize the band’s sincere love, respect, and knowledge of music. Played to a relaxed crowd of Long Islanders under a hazy blue sky, the concert featured a diverse trip through the Zombies’ brand of psychedelic pop/rock. The band – which also consists of Tom Toomey, and Jim and Steve Rodford – was crisp all evening, and Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone demonstrated their overwhelming talent. As unique and strong Colin Blunstone’s voice is, Rod Argent’s keen keyboard stylings match it.

As the night drew to a close and the fireflies provided white sparkles that flashed like cameras painted against the masked, aphotic sky, the Zombies played an energized version of the Argent classic, “Hold Your Head Up,” and their classic “She’s Not There.” For a finale, the band aptly played a pleasant cover of Gershwin’s “Summertime” to a well-deserved standing ovation. Great end to a great summertime evening.

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Carousels and Limousines

12 Jul

One of the big curses of British music is that home-grown bands too often ignore British [influences] and became infatuated by American sounds. It makes commercial sense in an entertainment world dominated by America, but the hybrid sound too often forgets what makes bands both sides of the Atlantic great, and ends up impressing no one. However, every so often a band comes along that embodies both the American influences and the British spirit. Carousels and Limousines are one of these bands.

Carousels and Limousines

Despite coming from Bath, they sound uncannily like classic New Jersey blue collar artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Gaslight Anthem. It’s in everything from the singer’s rough, world-weary voice to their weary optimism and gritty urban rock. They have the same talent for conjuring up a place, and every song feels like the story of a night on the town or a lost love.

‘One and Only’ displays the band’s hopeless romantic side, as the singer asks for a kiss from his true love. The band have described their transatlantic musical lovechild as garage pop, but when it’s this fun a label hardly matters. “How about a kiss for your one and only?” the infectious chorus goes, with more than a hint of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’. Some of the lyrics are a bit corny perhaps, but it’s so upbeat you won’t be able to resist the urge to dance with it. The sense of euphoria ties in perfectly with the cover artwork of a neon tornado tearing through a black and white carnival, suggesting there’s fun in this bleak world we live in if you only go and look for it.

‘17’s’ slows things a bit as the singer lusts after an unavailable girl, musing “Your hips that sway and your eyes that say things good girls never should.” It is classic 70’s rock and will struggle to believe it was recorded outside of the States. The band’s transformation since they performed as Grace has seen them create a much rougher, less polished sound, which makes this lovelorn anthem sound more believable.

There are no two songs that sound the same, as though the band is urgently trying their hand at every possible style in case they don’t get another chance; ballads, acoustic guitars and harmonicas are all utilised. However if this record is anything to go by, we will be hearing a lot more from them.

Read next week for an interview with the band.

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