Tag Archives: Indie

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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Forever Finding Oren Lyons

20 Aug

Oren Lyons

Oren Lyons is a Native American faithkeeper who is widely recognized for his advocacy for indegenous rights. Oren Lyons is also a band, whose nostalgic mix of cinematic Western symphonic rock is a musical “return to the land” and a true pleasure to listen to.

Oren Lyons formed this past January in Silver Lake, California, a Los Angeles neighborhood known for its modernist architecture and hipsters. It combines the work of composer and multi-instrumentalist Gueorgui Linev with guitarist/producer Peter Potyondy, singer Kristianne Bautista, violinist Dannon Rampton, drummer Randy Wagner, and bassist Ian Anderson.

The end result of this combination is an ambient sound that refreshingly transforms the genre of progressive rock into a calm, ethereal, dream-like sequence of delicate string arrangements, soft vocals, and excellent rhythm. “Forever Found,” the band’s debut single, can be streamed on their website. The effort reminds me of Rome, the 2011 album written by Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi, featuring Jack White and Norah Jones. That album featured musicians who recorded spaghetti western soundtracks in the mid-60s. “Forever Found” is cut from the same mold, a track that could have easily found itself on a Western sountrack, and this old-fashioned styling is far from outdated.

The song begins with strings that fall into percussion and an introductory bass line. The bass work in this song is notably good. With a name like Ian Anderson, you almost certainly have to be talented. Kristianne Bautista’s voice can be best described as haunting. It elegantly dances with the music, oscillating with the strings skillfully. The song continues to rise, taking a step up for the second verse, and this leads to exciting string work. The strings are certainly one of the main elements of the song, and they do carry it. I must say though, when the song descends at the 2:40 mark, Peter Potyondy’s guitar introduces a new element to the piece, providing it with an infectious folk-esque riff. The ending is wonderfully constructed. It also provides the listener with a most important conclusion – I want to hear more!

You can explore the band’s Facebook and Soundcloud

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A Window to Honduras – San Pedro Sula Sessions

1 Aug

What happens when you combine Americana beats with troubadour inclinations, take the intriguing combination to the warm, mountainous highlands of Honduras, and base lyrics off of historical narratives that you just happen to be teaching to children in the country. Well, much in line with the album cover above, you get this odd mixture of brush strokes and colors that form a piece of artwork, both delicate and brusque, almost Hemingway-esque.

The Blind Window is led by multi-instrumentalist Brian Katz, a semi-finalist in the 2011 International Songwriting Competition, who created this blend of inspired music while working as a history teacher in Honduras from 2010-2012. In his surroundings, he found enough isolation to devote time to developing his craft. In his subject, he found ideas that he molded into songs of pain, expired youth, and loss.

His music is endearing. It mixes the midwestern Americana branded by Tom Petty and Neil Young with modern Dylan-inspired folk created by bands like Fleet Foxes.

San Pedro Sula Sessions is The Blind Window’s first EP. Released in mid-July, the album is being toured in the Toronto area. I want to target two tracks that I think you all will like, both of which (like the entire EP) are available for free download at The Blind Window’s Bandcamp.

In order to understand the lyric of “William Walker” it is first important to understand who Mr. Walker was. Let me brush up a bit on my history, and, Mr. Katz may need to help me a bit. Walker was a filibuster (idea of conquering Latin American land and creating new slave states to join the Union) who became president of the Republic of Nicaragua in the mid-19th century. He ruled until he was defeated by a coalition of Central American armies, and was executed by Honduras in 1860. Ah, so now the lyric, “Shot at the firing wall by Honduran guns,” makes sense. The song’s introduction combines a staccato acoustic rhythm with synth. It would be a disservice to just say it’s Indie. I catch a noticeable scent of modern Mountain Goats. The band layers elements before the vocals begin.

Katz’s vocal is certainly Neil Young-like. His voice can get up there and it rises in the verse skillfully and melodically. I absolutely love this crescendo. He possesses a vocal talent much like some of the better folk artists, and this elevates the music to an excellent level.

Now, with William Walker’s history in your mind, read the lyrics of the piece. In a small frame, Katz speaks on Walker’s last days, reminiscent and nostalgic. And, there are gem-lines like, “When I am freed, from this penitentiary, I will reach, my divine finality.”

“Lost Between the Lines,” begins with soft ahs much like Iron and Wine’s “God Made the Automobile.” This continues and rises over a guitar riff until it fades into a perfect harmonica. Gosh, Katz’s voice really does remind me of Neil Young. Sorry for repeating it, but I really think he has a similar voice. The song moves at a great pace, the harmonica fill my favorite portion. It is not difficult to recognize the talent of The Blind Window, and I look forward to hearing about them more soon.

Follow the band on Twitter, Like them on Facebook, or Visit their website

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The Fast Romantics Sing Their Funeral Song

17 Jul

The Fast Romantics are one of Canada’s most prominent new acts. Their fresh brand of Indie Rock has driven the Calgary band to several festivals, live tours, MTV Live, and television shows like Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, and Pretty Little Liars…all in just five years. Perhaps we should add the title of hardest working into this brief description. They have set the course to tour with abandon and complement time on the road with the creation of their sophomore LP Afterlife Blues, which the song I am reviewing below finds itself on.

Three former members of the Calgary-based band The Mood formed the Fast Romantics in 2007 – Matthew Angus, Matthew Kliewer, and Jeffrey Lewis. The band quickly added a drummer (Alan Reain) and hit the tour circuit before cutting an album in 2008. In 2009, the band was selected as one of the finalists of Spin Magazine’s “Free the Noise” competition and hit New York to perform at CBGB. Since then the band has added Laurna Germscheid on backup vocals and keyboards and John de Jesus on lead guitar. The resulting combination has produced this sound.

It is very easy to like the Fast Romantics. Let me explain. Actually, I don’t need to explain. The music is simply exciting, productive, infectious, and just plain good. All you really need to do is press play and enjoy the song – even if it is their funeral song. But I am going to go a little more in-depth here so stick with me. The beginning features an intriguing mixture of compounding noises. I am absolutely gaga over the immediate piano and lead guitar play. I love the split riff and pretend disorganization. It accentuates that indie bar feel, as if you hear the piece and immediately pick a partner and prepare to dance. A whistle prefaces the main riff’s rhythm that leads into the vocals. Perhaps my favorite part of this song is the create use of harmony. The line-finishing blend of voices is beyond fun, it’s skillful, a true sign of a band that knows what they are doing. I’m also loving the excellent bass guitar work. Comparison seekers, I will say I hear a blend of Arcade Fire, Bell X1, and Talking Heads, but I mostly just hear the advancement of the sound that the Fast Romantics depicted in their first album. It is now more expansive, but despite the additions, tighter and well-formed.

For more information on the Fast Romantics and their new album check out their One Sheet, Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter

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