“Lost Souls” by Portrayal – A Song Review

     Portrayal describe their sound as Electro-Shoegaze-Post Punk. Many self-descriptions cause some head scratching, but this one is appropriate. “Lost Souls” includes elements of all three genres, with the greatest emphasis being on Shoegaze. 

     Portrayal are Rob Tranter (guitars, bass, synths,,,) and Joe Crook (vocals, guitars).

     “Lost Souls” by Portrayal 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/portrayalmusic

Bandcamp: https://portrayal.bandcamp.com/

“Difficult” by Billy Raffoul – A Song Review

     Another vacation post. So, while we highly recommend the song, this is a quote from the email submission:

  Singer, songwriter, and musician Billy Raffoul releases new song “Difficult” today, November 24, on Interscope Records.   Written by Raffoul and MoZella, and produced by Mike Crossey, “Difficult” follows the release of  his debut single “Driver” and “Dark Four Door” and sets the tone for his debut album.

   The 23-year old Raffoul’s signature sound is rough-hewn, low-timbered rock and roll that is powered by his gravelly, soulful voice and deeply felt lyrics.  Raffoul released his debut single “Driver” in May of 2017 to rave reviews with NPR stating “Billy Raffoul has stepped into the spotlight with a strong debut single that foreshadows a promising career as a songwriter and singer.” Raffoul has spent most of 2017 on the road sharing the stage with Kings of Leon, Mondo Cozmo, Judah & The Lion and  NEEDTOBREATHE to name a few. Raffoul will spend the rest of 2017 on the road playing a handful headline shows before he gets ready to support ZZ Ward on her 2018 tour. See below for a complete list of tour dates. Tickets on sale now at www.billyraffoul.com/tour.

     “Difficult” by Billy Raffoul 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillyRaffoul

Website: http://www.billyraffoul.com/

 Below is a list of 2018 Billy Raffoul tour dates supporting ZZ Ward:

Jan 30  Salt Lake City, UT The Depot

Feb 1  Fort Collins, CO  Aggie Theatre

Feb 2  Englewood, CO  Gothic Theatre

Feb 3  Boulder, CO  Fox Theatre

Feb 5  Omaha, NE  The Waiting Room

Feb 6  Madison, WI  Majestic Theatre

Feb 8  Minneapolis, MN First Ave

Feb 10  Louisville, KY  Mercury Ballroom

Feb 12  Columbus, OH  Newport Music Hall

Feb 13  Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts

Feb 16  Washington DC  9:30 Club

Feb 17  Boston, MA  Paradise Rock Club

Feb 19  South Burlington, VT Higher Ground

March 3 Seattle, WA  The Showbox

March 4 Portland, OR  Wonder Ballroom

March 6 Sacramento, CA  Ace of Spades

March 7 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom

March 9 Phoenix, AZ  Crescent Ballroom

March 10  San Diego, CA   House of Blues

March 11 Los Angeles, CA  The Fonda

“Subway Surfer“ by Fruit & Flowers – A Song Review

     It’s a travel week, so the posts will be low demand features. Quoting: 

  "Fruit & Flowers is a surfy garage rock band fronted by the trio of Caroline Yoder, Ana Becker and Lyzi Wakefield. Their dreamy jams incorporate elements of pyschedelic rock, punk, and indie into a noisy, melodic concoction best heard on speakers at full blast. Fruit & Flowers have been grinding in the Brooklyn scene for a while now, but have steadily stepped out into larger tours to spread their colorful rock across the nation."

     The members are Caroline Yoder (lead vocals, bass), Ana Becker (lead guitar, vocals), Lyzi Wakefield (rhythm guitar, vocals), and Jose Berrio (drums).

     “Subway Surfer“ by Fruit & Flowers 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fruitxflowers

Website: http://www.fruitxflowers.com/

“Charms” by Vivian Fantasy – A Song Post

     Vivian Fantasy is the performance name of Danny Bozella. He is based in the D.C./Richmond, Virginia area. “Charms” is a track from Taken from “Deep. Honey,” which was released via Hush Hush Records.

     Quoting content about Vivian Fantasy and "Charms:"

  “Vivian Fantasy is the alias of Richmond, VA-based musician Danny Bozella. He makes kaleidoscopic bedroom pop that carries a fuzzy, dreamy, magnetic charm. Finding inspiration in the video game and anime soundtracks of his childhood, a teenage love for the alternative rock of the 90s, and the ear-opening use of synthesizers by groups like The Flaming Lips and Boards of Canada, he's been fusing a passion for the guitar with a fascination for electronic soundscapes since his late high school years.

  The romantic "Charms" is a crystalline slow-motion pop gem, wonderfully reminiscent of 'Andorra'-era Caribou with its delicate backdrop and tenderly sweet lyrics.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chemistsva/

Bandcamp: https://vivianfantasy.bandcamp.com/

“Isolation” by The Racer – A Song Review

     At the risk of upsetting those in charge of determining political correctness, we’ll describe “Isolation” as a “frog boiler.” According to the parable, if a frog is placed in room-temperature water that is slowly heated, the change in conditions won’t be recognized. “Isolation” is a song in which the intensity increases, but it’s only after a careful and thoughtful focus that a listener appreciates the beauty and genius of how the steady increase is accomplished.

     “Isolation” begins with the distant-sounding vocals of a Lord Huron track. Soon, the lead vocals enter with a sound more closely aligned with a calm Eddie Vedder. At 2:23 the increase of intensity is more perceptible and “Isolation” slowly moves into a vibe that The Racer own outright.

     The Racer is a band from Monroe, NY. The members are Pete Marotta (vocals, keys), Mike Esserman (guitar, keys), Steve Kondracki (guitar, keys), Eric Sosler (bass, keys), and Mike Perri (drums, percussion).

     “Isolation” by The Racer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theracermusic

Website: http://www.theracermusic.com

“Dirty” by AnastasiaMAX – A Song Review

     In the debut single from AnastasiaMAX, the power and passion of Anastasia Brenner’s vocals soared above the other attractive features of “All Went Black.” The band’s sophomore release shows that Anastasia is not the only member of the family with vocal skills. Her older brother Maxamillion carries his share of the load during “Dirty.”

     “Dirty” is skillfully arranged, particularly the vocals. It’s typically Max who begins the thoughts, which Anastasia either completes or joins her brother to reinforce the message. Anastasia's voice is better at communicating emotion, but the driving guitar belongs to Max.  

     The official video of the song is embedded below. It shows the other two members of the band - Sage Duvall (drums) and Steph Pino (bass). They are based in Boca Raton, Florida. 

     The promotional material for "Dirty" explains:

  “The song describes the terrible experiences we all encounter with guilt and self-loathing, detailing the moments we simultaneously hate ourselves and our lover. AnastasiaMAX surpasses their age in their writing and performance, their latest string of releases are receiving highly impressive acclaim."

     “Dirty” by AnastasiaMAX 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamanastasiamax/

“My Way” by The Like Violence – A Song Review

     Free and Legal Downloads? Yes, at least temporarily. Bands often temporarily permit free downloads of their releases.  The end of an offer may be based on the expiration of a set period of time or on a limited number of downloads.  But at least for now, here is a song that qualifies as a Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) download.

     Finding songs that can be legally downloaded is easy. The difficult task is to find legally downloadable music that we recommend. Our plan is to post at least one FL&R song each Friday/Saturday. 

     It is an anthem of independence – “They can try, but I run this show.” The Like Violence unleashed their debut single, “My Way,” and it’s not sheepish.

     The Like Violence is based in Marietta, Georgia. It is the project of singer/songwriter Dustin Phillips (formally of The Escape Frame). The online information about The Like Violence is sparse, but that will change if the project continues to release tracks that are as attractive as “My Way.”

     “My Way” by The Like Violence 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Like-Violence-1346377622155291/

Lyrics of “My Way” by The Like Violence

Don’t matter what they say to me

I made my own destiny

I can feel it in my bones

I can feel it in my soul

They can try, but I run this show

I’m always gonna to it my way

Yeah, I’m always gonna to it my way

I’m always gonna to it my way

I said, I’m always gonna to it my way

Don’t question my authority

You’ll create a catastrophe

Walking barefoot through the blaze

It’s the price you pay to play

Everybody gonna know my name

Put your money where your mouth is

I’m always gonna to it my way

Yeah, I’m always gonna to it my way

I’m always gonna to it my way

I’m always gonna to it my way

[My way, my way…]

I’m always gonna to it my way

Yeah, I’m always gonna to it my way

I’m always gonna to it my way

I said, I’m always gonna to it my way

“One More Whiskey” by Broke Down Rodeo – A Song Review

     Americana is the genre most likely to have you zealously drumming the surface in front of you while listening to somber lyrics. “One More Whiskey” is a prime example. The track has an infectious energy as you listen to a story about using drink to wash down the soul that’s being mishandled by a woman.

     The track is from Broke Down Rodeo, a six-member band from Summit County, Colorado. Vocally, the attractiveness begins with Larry Lacerte. But it’s the selective harmonization from Anna Welcher that makes the difference. Her voice is heard during all six occurrences of “One more whiskey,” as well as a few other lines that leave the impression that the female half of the song’s couple also benefits from the drink.

     Instrumentally, the attractiveness of the track is the accumulation of contributions. The bridge that begins near the one-minute mark is particularly noteworthy. The members of Broke Down Rodeo are Matt Lovas (guitar/vocals), Nick Slaton (drums), Bill Ryan (bass), John Burk (banjo/dobro/mandolin/vocals), Anna Welcher (lead vocals/guitar), and Larry Lacerte (guitar/vocals). The band’s bio is long, but interesting. So we pasted the bio below the lyrics.

     “One More Whiskey” by Broke Down Rodeo 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokedownrodeo/

Website: https://www.lacertemusic.com/brokedownrodeo/

Lyrics of “One More Whiskey” by Broke Down Rodeo

One more whiskey

Be good for me

Drink it down

Then we’ll see

She looks like trouble

But I just gotta know

One more whiskey

For my woozy brain

Drench my troubles

Wash her away

I got a woman

Tearing at my soul

One more whiskey

To stain the day

Give it colors

One new frame

One hand in my pocket

One hand on my throat

One more whiskey

Be good for me

Choke my worries

Set me free

One more whiskey

To wash down my soul

Better make that one more whiskey

To wash down my soul

ABOUT BROKE DOWN RODEO:

  Born of the mountains, Broke Down Rodeo is an Americana reflection of blues, country, folk and rockabilly following the inspirations of lead vocalists and song writers Anna Welcher and Larry Lacerte. What started as the Copper Mountain Ski Patrol holiday party band grew and grew to go beyond the hill to spread the glories of it’s sound to the valleys and flatlands below. Anna came to join together with the band by way of a a mutually realized passion for good music discovered via a steamy rebound make-out session with multi-instrument threat Jonathan Burk. Nick Slaton and Bill Ryan joined up, by strictly platonic measures, bringing the heartbeat of the band with their lively percussion and thumpin' stand-up bass, respectively.

  Anna is just about as down-home midwest gone mountain-mama-wild as it gets, her voice has a rich soul that takes over a room and her lyrics are deeply rooted in her own vicarious experience. Raised on a pig farm in rural Iowa, she learned music and persona from her larger than life father and the cast of characters in her surrounding community. Traipsing about to festivals with the family, throwing tomahawks and knives into stumps between jam sessions, she grew to be a force to be reckoned with, inspiring her to travel the country in search of good times and stories from the Rockies to Appalachia. She eventually landed in the role of den-mother to a rare tribe of characters at the Foam Dome in Silverthorne, CO where she was the rock that kept a community of artists together, forwardly pursing their dreams amongst the backdrop of beautiful mountains. Her sound, dreads, and character are driven by the femme fatale likes of Nikki Lane, Stevie Nicks, Carry Anne Hearst, Valerie June, Janis Joplin, Tanya Tucker, Margo Price and Gillian Welch with a strong dose of the modern American west and her travels peppered throughout her performance.

  Larry’s ambitions grew beyond ski bummin’ and powder houndin’ leading him to quit the slopes to pursue his musical dreams full-time. Adventuring from Colorado to Alaska, he filled his life with stories and song, developing an extensive rolodex of genuine original music along the way. The band always came back together when the seasons came around and everyone was in town to play for friends at the local breweries and bar halls of Summit County, Colorado. In this time they began exploring their sound, eventually leading to CCM Studios in Denver in early 2017 to begin recording their debut album.

  Jonathan and Nick both grew up outside Fort Worth, Texas where the two were raised on original Texas Country artists and the new wave Red Dirt Country sound. Like most smart Texans, they went quick for the cooler weather of Colorado and have been Ski Patrollers at Copper Mountain while the band grew and the sound came together. The Beast from the East, Bill Ryan, brings the wisdom of the years and the sounds of playing local bar ear-candy throughout the country. A ski-bum with an MBA, Bill loves making music, deep pow, and slappin’ the bass. When not dangling from a rope on high alpine routes across the Rockies and Sierras, Matt ‘Sunshine’ Lovas, is yet another former Copper Patroller who brings his San Diego raised, firebird shred-style lead guitar to the band. Trucking about the western US in his ’87 Dodge Creeper/Climbing Bum van named Mr. Barnes, Sunshine follows the winds where they may blow. You might catch him at our next show, you might not — all depends on the forecast for pow, barrels, and ideal alpine conditions in the 100 mile radius from which he currently exists.

“Eventually Silence” by Tuvaband – A Song Review

     Tuvaband excels in purity. The vocals in “Eventually Silence" undergo processing, but the charm, beauty and clarity remain in full display. Similarly, the quiet strength and elegance of the minimalist guitar make it is easy to visualize the vibrations of the guitar strings. 

     The lyrics of the song are penetrating. "Eventually Silence" is about the mental anguish of working through a traumatic experience. At times, the description is uncomplicated, “I can’t seem to turn off my mind.” But there are also times when the interpretation is left to the listener, “My fear is a lasting drizzle of rage eroding; what’s left, with no turning back.” According to Tuvaband:

  “'Eventually Silence’ is about the after-effects of a traumatic situation. It’s about how the situation echoes and feels more intense and closer than the experience itself. When it’s all at a distance one can see it more clearly and suddenly release how crazy it all was.”

     Tuvaband is the Norwegian/English duo of Tuva Hellum Marschhaüser and Simon Would. “Eventually Silence” is a track from their debut EP, “Mess.” 

     “Eventually Silence” by Tuvaband 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tuvaband

Website: https://www.tuvabandmusic.com/

Bandcamp: https://tuvaband.bandcamp.com/album/mess

     In a description of the official video of “Eventually Silence,” Tuvaband stated:
“The music video captures the feelings and atmosphere from the song, rather than telling the story of the song. The creators behind the video, Marius Mathisrud and Oscar Juul Sørensen, knew what the song was about, but had the freedom to create their own storyline when trying to express these feelings and the right atmosphere. The video was shot in the Sierra Nevada in Spain, where we had lot's of fun, sweated loads, and slept in the open air."

Lyrics of “Eventually Silence” by Tuvaband

When there is eventually silence

The suspense is breathing

As echoes in the walls

It seems it’s time to break

My footsteps seem to be a red thread of apathy

Been following me ever since

Under the illusion of a body armor

There is marks from every day

The distance to the madness

Undresses their mind

Force me to see where my mind

Force me to see what I shut off

And I can’t seem to turn off my mind

I, I can’t seem to turn off my, my mind

And I can’t seem to turn off my mind

When there is eventually silence

The surface gets hit by frequently portions of rage

It seems we’re not familiar

I fear I’ll be wiped out by a big burst of accumulation

When I least expect it

My fear is a lasting drizzle of rage eroding

What’s left, with no turning back

The distance to the madness

Undresses the mind

Force me to see where my mind

Force me to see what I shut off

And I can’t seem to turn off my mind

And I can’t seem to turn off my mind

There was no sign of an increasing heart rate

So to show my human trait it had to rise eventually

It feels unnecessary now

Now, now when it’s all over

“Darker” by Typhoon – A Song Review

     “Something’s gotta give when the water keeps on rising; and the walls are closing in.” Desperation arrives from a one-two punch. “Darker” is another installment of a four-movement concept album that explores the emotional and mental phases of a man as he slowly loses his memory. The album, “Offerings,” is set for release on January 12, 2018, via Roll Call Records.

      While the story is centered around one man, frontman Kyle Morton explains that the reality of the main character is a way of understanding cultural memory loss and the chaos that takes the place of that loss. The fourteen tracks are divided into four movements - Floodplains, Flood, Reckoning, and Afterparty. Morton explains:

  "'Darker' is a song from the third movement of our new record, Offerings, detailing the final stages of our character's memory crisis, in which he loses those distinctions separating self from other. Naturally, chaos ensues."

    Typhoon will tour in early 2018 to promote “Offerings.” The tour schedule and the links to ticket information are included at the bottom of this post. The schedule includes a performance at The Independent in San Francisco on February 13.

     The members of Typhoon are Kyle Morton (lead vocals, piano, guitar), Toby Tanabe (bass, vocals), Dave Hall (guitar, vocals), Shannon Steele (violin, vocals), Pieter Hilton (drums, vocals), Alex Fitch (drums, vocals), Tyler Ferrin (horns, guitar, piano, vocals), Devin Gallagher (percussion, ukulele, vocals), Jen Hufnagel (violin, vocals), Ryan McAlpin (trumpet, vocals), and Eric Stipe (trumpet, vocals).

      “Darker” by Typhoon 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearetyphoon/

Website: http://wearetyphoon.com/

Bandcamp: https://wearetyphoon.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of “Darker” by Typhoon

I tried, you know, just to tow the line

Love all the neighbors

And live in the light

Sure I stumbled sometimes

Self-contained, a convenient lie

Every source of pain

Every sting of pride

Had to come from the outside

But you

You won't even fight me fair

Wait for the darkness, catch me unaware

Yeah, you pull me close

Then you twist the knife

I don't wanna live with the kinds of trouble

I keep finding myself in

Mirror to my left

A mirror to my right

A void stretching out on either side

Is it your face or mine?

Try to leave a mark

We carve our names

All cornered animals behave the same

Then get eaten alive

So that's it

I wash my hands

Cut my ties to the world

And it's vicious appetites

Yes I am ready to die

Yeah I’m ready, Yeah, I’m ready to die

I don't wanna live with the kinds of trouble

I keep finding myself in

Yeah, something’s gotta give when the water keeps on rising

And the walls are closing in

How long can I keep this tired act together?

It's a short ambulance ride

And then the waiting room forever

Tell me how do I make the right move now?

Prepare me for the moment when my mind goes out

I am trying hard to follow the sound

You won't even fight me fair

Wait for the darkness

Catch me unaware

Then you twist the knife

2018 TOUR DATES:

01.10 - URBAN LOUNGE - SALT LAKE CITY, UT (TICKETS)

01.12 - GOTHIC THEATRE - ENGLEWOOD, CO (TICKETS)

01.14 - THE WAITING ROOM - OMAHA, NE (TICKETS)

01.17 - TURF CLUB - SAINT PAUL, MN (TICKETS)

01.18 - MAJESTIC THEATER - MADISON, WI (TICKETS)

01.19 - THE METRO - CHICAGO, IL (TICKETS)

01.20 - EL CLUB - DETROIT, MI (TICKETS)

01.23 - LEE'S PALACE - TORONTO, ON (TICKETS)

01.25 - PARADISE ROCK CLUB - BOSTON, MA (TICKETS)

01.26 - UNION TRANSFER - PHILADELPHIA, PA (TICKETS)

01.27 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG - BROOKLYN, NY (TICKETS)

01.31 - 9:30 CLUB - WASHINGTON, DC (TICKETS)

02.01 - CAT'S CRADLE - CARRBORO, NC (TICKETS)

02.02 - TERMINAL WEST - ATLANTA, GA (TICKETS)

02.03 - EXIT IN - NASHVILLE, TN (TICKETS)

02.06 - THE MOHAWK - AUSTIN, TX (TICKETS)

02.08 - THE CRESCENT BALLROOM - PHOENIX, AZ (TICKETS)

02.10 - MUSIC BOX - SAN DIEGO, CA (TICKETS)

02.11 - TERAGRAM BALLROOM - LOS ANGELES, CA (TICKETS)

02.13 - THE INDEPENDENT - SAN FRANCISCO, CA (TICKETS)

02.16 - THE CROCODILE - SEATTLE, WA (TICKETS)

02.23 - CRYSTAL BALLROOM - PORTLAND, OR (TICKETS)

02.24 - RICKSHAW THEATRE - VANCOUVER, BC (TICKETS)

02.28 - THE DEAF INSTITUTE - MANCHESTER, UK (TICKETS)

03.01 - BROADCAST - GLASGOW, UK (TICKETS)

03.02 - THE LEXINGTON - LONDON, UK (TICKETS)

03.07 - LE PETIT BAIN - PARIS, FRANCE (TICKETS)

03.08 - BOTANIQUE - BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (TICKETS)

03.09 - PARADISO - AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (TICKETS)

03.10 - KNUST - HAMBURG, GERMANY (TICKETS)

03.13 - VEGA - COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (TICKETS)

03.14 - MUSIK & FRIEDEN - BERLIN, GERMANY (TICKETS)

03.15 - FLUC - VIENNA, AUSTRIA (TICKETS)

03.16 - GARE DE LION - WIL, SWITZERLAND (TICKETS)

03.18 - ROYAL - BADEN, SWITZERLAND (TICKETS)

03.20 - ARTHEATER - COLOGNE, GERMANY (TICKETS)