Rhett Repko - Thnx For The Ride (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://www.rhettrepko.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/rhettrepko/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RhettRepko

Written by Jason Hillenburg, posted by blog admin

Rhett Repko’s recording output reaches a new peak with the release Thnx For The Ride. The seven song EP release opens with the deceptively ambitious title song. The song’s subject matter is common fodder for popular music, but Repko and his band move from acoustic flurries, a forceful rock stomp, and near reggae inflections with surprising seamlessness. There’s some interesting electronic laced textures near the song’s conclusion, in lieu of a traditional guitar solo, and the song succeeds thanks to how familiar, yet individual, it comes across. “Please Don’t Laugh” is an extraordinarily strong follow up foregoing the stylistic experimentation of the title song, retaining the same commitment to a strong vocal presentation, and comes barreling out of speakers like an emphatic roar. There’s an especially good guitar solo near the end from Stefan Hauer benefitting, just a little, from some post production gloss.

“It Ain’t Coming From You” begins with a nervy rave up, propelled by the two guitar attack of Repko and Hauer, and given added urgency thanks to the rhythm section of bassist Dan Gallagher and drummer Tom Bryant. The touch is lighter here than Repko serves up on the first two songs, but the third song nonetheless has tremendous energy. Repko continues maintaining his rock edge with the song “Maybe I’m Weak” and it’s hard, if not impossible, to ignore how well his plaintive emotional voice resonates with this singer/songwriter oriented songwriting. The powerful vulnerability behind these songs creates a nice contrast with the rock posture he takes on and the vocal harmonies are particularly effective with this tune. His love of toying with tempos returns with the song “And I Told Her So”, but the song also works as a lean, muscular rocker shorn of the raucousness we hear with earlier cuts.

“Learn Your Name” opens with a fleet footed bass line from Dan Gallagher segueing into a thrashing and churning guitar attack that never risks being too heavy handed and has a stylized gait throughout.. The same passion burning brightly in the earlier songs glows just as fiercely with this number and, increasingly, Thnx For The Ride sounds like a condensed, explosive statement of purpose rather than just some run of the mill rock release. The EP ends on a hard hitting and uptempo note with the track “Make Me Right” and the pop strengths and rock swagger Repko can summon finds ideal expression in the finale’s combustible attack. Rhett Repko proves himself a master of pouring old wine into new bottles, but the seven songs included with this EP proves he’s, likewise, a songwriter and performer with an intense personal stake in his art. Thnx For The Ride never strains credibility, feels immediate, and crackles with genuine inspiration.

Blue Apollo - Light Footed Hours + Circles (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://blueapollomusic.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/blueapollomusic/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BlueApolloMusic

Written by William Elgin, posted by blog admin

It’s rare when a modern indie band impresses me and let it be none right off the bat that I usually head for the hills whenever someone even introduces a group or artist as “emo” to me.  So much to my surprise Blue Apollo have large shades of both emo and post-90s indie rock on their first release, the Light-Footed Hours EP.  I’ll never fault honest to goodness quality songwriting and good melodies no matter what type of music I’m dealing with and there are plenty of them to go around on this slick little package. 

This Dallas, Texas three-piece benefit from balancing the right amount of tuneful rocking to the right amount of indie ballad melancholy on this release, striking a balance that works and sets up instrumentally and vocally sound verses into infectious, sonorous chorus hooks that definitely showcase a band that’s ready-made for FM radio airplay…  I can see fans of Bright Eyes, Jimmy Eat World and Saves the Day coming through the mix at times but despite proudly waving the banner of their influences, Blue Apollo muster up their own original take on the genre throughout Light-Footed Hours’ 6-song run. 

“Walls” lays into a rousing beat full of big bubbly tom drum thunder that pounds into place the rippling melodic guitar riffs and minor-key indie leads, deeply plunging bass lines and the breathy beautiful vocals of Luke Nassar’s expressive range.  The tempos drift from crackling and precision mid-pacing to higher-octane pop punk bounce before sinking into some ebbing soul completed by baroque keyboards and bluesy instrumental passages.  It’s a superb opener that raises the bar high for the remainder of Blue Apollo’s work on the EP.  Not only does the band meet the bar set but I daresay that they elevate it on several of the forthcoming tracks.

The upbeat good vibrations and positive, surf-y guitar jangle of “Feeling Alright” feels like a lost 60s/70s track with a modern indie update.  I’m hearing some of James Blunt’s soul inspirations here with the dynamic and dazzling rise n’ fall of Luke’s golden vocal chords against a tensely uplifting mid-tempo full of hard-edged snare swerves, walking bass lines and even a fiery, totally wound-up guitar solo imbedded deep within the tune’s sizzling second half.  It’s easily one of Light-Footed Hours most poignantly performed, arranged and produced numbers.  Elsewhere, “Therapy” is a trip down summery pop punk and school’s out fun ala The Ataris, the dual balladry of “Avalanche” and “Meant to be” dial down the mood into one of total calm with heavy use of piano and acoustic guitar, respectively whereas closer “Circles” walks a tightrope fine line between the twinkling keyboards and pianos of the ballad tracks while beefing up the pop punk and emo aesthetics with a lot of cranking energy.  Light-Footed Hours is nothing short of a smashing success.  There’s a good mix of diverse tunes on hand that render this EP an engaging listen with plenty of replay value.  For anyone into this particular sound, you absolutely must pick up a copy of Blue Apollo’s stellar debut release. 

Shofar - s/t (2017)

BANDCAMP: https://shofar.bandcamp.com/releases

Written by Jason Hillenburg, posted by blog admin

Minneapolis based five piece rockers Shofar’s new self-titled EP release ended 2017 on a strong note for the band and seems poised to position them for an impressive 2018 run. The six song collection is a well produced affair belying its indie status and presents the band’s songwriting and musical strengths in warm, visceral surroundings certain to engage their audience with ease. The songs are, obviously, stage ready compositions as well and distinguished by a level of intelligence that matches up well with the passion and attitude they bring with this recording. The EP cover is illustrative, in some ways, of the band’s primary strength – a focused avoidance of any self indulgence and, instead, a muscular invocation of everything that makes rock music such an urgent vehicle for communicating with listeners. It's an auspicious return for the band and singer/songwriter Larry Hagner since their last studio recording 2005's Turn. The playing, singing, and songwriter surge with the same passion and sense of purpose perpetually defining the band's work.

The first track “Running” commences with a smattering of synth sounds before transitioning into a crushing guitar driven groove. The band quiets things for the individual verses and the vocals come through with an unusual amount of clarity and musicality for typical entries in this style. Shofar’s talent for alternating passages of light and shadow sets them apart from many contemporaries and “Running” quite clearly illustrates that skill. The chorus packs emotional, bone-rattling punch. Guitar is important to the EP’s second song “Powerman”, but this performance finds Shofar employing a very different style than we encountered on the first track. The guitars eschew the pulverizing power chord crunch of “Running” in favor of airier, more melodic playing that isn’t nearly as claustrophobic. The absence of that white-knuckle quality from this tune is the aural equivalent of giving listeners a moment to catch their breath. They continue in a similar vein with the track “Shades of Grey”, but they vary the approach some with more of an emphasis on vocal harmonies. Studio confection or not, the harmonies are on point and the guitar work nicely complements them. It’s definitely the EP’s most radio-friendly moment thus far.

They echo the synth-laden opening of the EP’s first song for the introduction to “Hands Down” but soon shift into another heavy guitar track. Shofar builds the song around a slashing, simple riff that’s nonetheless very effective, but the song falters slightly with a chorus unfortunately hitting with none of the wallop we experienced on the earlier “Running”, but the lead vocal is the EP’s best to this point. The band explores more melodic territory than before on the EP’s final two cuts. “Countdown” benefits from the presence of piano laced throughout the track while there’s a more atmospheric edge, courtesy of synthesizer touches, on the finale “The Coming”. Both tunes, together and separately, make for a logical ending to the album as they deemphasize the guitar heavy aspect of the release’s first half in favor of a more nuanced, considered approach while still seamlessly sounding like the same band we’ve come to know over the previous four tracks. Shofar might have mixed things up with at least one uptempo number, but their self titled EP firmly establishes them as one of the indie scene’s more promising rock acts and blazes a trail to an even brighter future ahead.

Man Called Noon - Everybody Move (2017)

OFFICIAL: http://mancallednoon.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mancallednoon/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ManCalledNoon

Written by Jason Hillenburg, posted by blog admin

The new EP from Chicago based eight piece Man Called Noon, Everybody Move, is a startling three song release serving notice that a major new indie alternative rock band is emerging from the pack. This third release from the band promises a fuller, more realized line of musical attack than ever before and even a cursory listen to this trio of songs bears out that the band brings an idiosyncratic mix of dramatic arrangements and soulful vocals to the table. Despite the obvious brevity of the collection, Everybody Move definitely announces a new dawn in Man Called Noon’s evolution and will garner much deserved attention thanks to its relentless musical quality. Band re-inventions seldom come better than this and they sound confident at every step.

The title song begins the release with tasteful flourishes from both lead guitar and piano. James Marino’s guitar playing reverts to some staccato rhythm accompaniment during the verses and has a warm, echo/reverb laced sound for the recording that complements its airy ambitions. Nathan Crone’s shimmering keyboard playing provides him with a nice counterpoint, particularly how he structures his fills around Marino when his guitar assumes a more prominent role. Rhythm guitarist Anthony Giamichael lays down some unobtrusive but essential second guitar and his highly melodic, emotive lead vocals are ideal for the arrangement. The multiple voices filling this song and others gives them a pop sheen that never comes at the expense of sacrificing their identity or cheapening their presentation. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” has a more jagged, funkier edge and crackles with its own peculiar inner light. The same uncompromised commerciality we hear in the opener is present here, as well, and it’s pepper with an added playfulness missing from the EP’s opener. There’s a number of transitions in the song that change the feel a little while never veering off course and Dave Aitken’s bass playing is a particular highlight of the performance.

“One Last Ride” begins as the first outright rocker on Everybody Move and both Marino and Giamichael lay down sinewy guitar lines with real teeth. It’s, arguably, the EP’s best piece of songwriting in some ways as Giamichael’s lyrics embody the same urgency and streamlined focus we hear in the arrangement. There’s definitely a classic fatalistic rock song air surrounding this song that gives it some bonus appeal. Man Called Noon has the rarest of things with this EP release Everybody Move – a fresh start and a substantive musical statement indicating it won’t take them long at all to outstrip their previous achievements and blaze a more personal trail than ever before.

Michael Askin - Road by the River (2017)

REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/michaelaskin

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelAskinMusic/

Written by Jay Snyder, posted by blog admin

EP number three from New Jersey born singer/songwriter Michael Askin is a sultry blend of country, rock and folk that hits the bullseye on every genre it draws from.  Askin formerly cut his teeth in the band environment with groups like Divine Sign and My State of Attraction but he has chosen to strike out on his own.  Even more impressive he composes every note and word himself for a home-cooked flavor that really has an original vibe inserted into a well-worn sound.  Additionally, he plays every instrument and performs the entirety of the Road by the River EP himself. 

The title track kicks things off with a trotting acoustic guitar licks, roots-y bass work, precision vocal harmonies and tapping snare drumming that sounds as if the beats were played by brushes.  Slight electric guitar inflections ripple over the acoustics and Askin’s dusty croon crashes free flow verses into a simple, memorable chorus that sticks in the brain long after the song finishes playing.  An energetic tempo drives the tune along like a wagon train on the run from a gang of gunslingers.  Thanks to the stellar production job of Kurt Reil, each individual instrumental texture sticks out tall and proud for a careful ear examination. 

A plucky, Pure Prairie League styled shimmering twang opens up the delicate, graceful swing of Nashville.  Slide and pedal steel are interwoven with the acoustic transcendence as a harder backbeat, tougher bass grooves and some fiery electric leads enrich the aural atmosphere in numerous countrified brushstrokes that makes for a complete, appetizing whole.  Askin’s vocals ring of the belated legend Tom Petty and more recently Kurt Vile, both of which I consider to be very high compliments.  Glistening acoustic guitars give away to rugged bluesy riffs on the 70s-tinged, organ-kissed heft of “Sun’s Going Down.”  This track features Michael’s grittiest performance on the album, as well as the EP’s down n’ dirtiest instrumentation; making for a powerhouse of a song that sounds straight out of the golden age of bluesy rock n’ roll. 

Hymnal organ melodies also play a part in “Hard to Make a Living” which trades the greasy blues for a country gallop and Bob Dylan-inspired folk.  Fuzzy, ol’ Americana riffs could win over some fans of 16 Horsepower but the main focus is firmly placed on twinkling, starlit acoustic guitar swagger and subtle rhythmic nuances.  Closer “Last Train” couples a swirling, Ennio Morricone soundtrack feel to steadfast country music slither.  Again organ mingles with acoustic guitar while the rhythms play more of an atmospheric counterpoint role instead of stepping out in front to lead the way.  It’s a bewitching finale that ends this EP on a seamlessly cohesive note. 

Road by the River is a mature, immaculately composed third outing for Michael Askin.  Upper echelon songwriting, textured production, rock solid vocal delivery and dynamic instrumentation come together for a satisfying listen that is sure to quell the hunger felt from all fans of authentic, old school grooves.  There’s not a bad track in the bunch as each tune spends sometime in the limelight with its own unique, individualistic sound.  All in all, Road by the River is five cuts of the finest country-dipped blues rock around.