“Silence” by Ships Have Sailed – A Song Feature

 

     It has been 10 years since Indie Obsessive first praised the television series Grey's Anatomy for its unequalled ability to select music that intensifies the emotional impact of its scenes. To be clear, we were not the first to recognize this ability, the show's strength for discovering and matching music to a scene to increase a viewer’s emotional investment is widely recognized. The show flexed that muscle again by matching “Silence” to a reunion scene during the first of a two-episode finale of season 19.
 
     The song by Ships Have Sailed is primarily used in the Grey’s Anatomy scene that is included at the bottom of this post. The match is not merely in the emotions, it is also in the timing. After the actress explains herself, she turns the scene in a more positive direction by momentarily pausing after “…but…” (at 0:52 of the video) and “Silence” guides that turn with a kick drum-driven upswing. Later, a false stop in the song (at 2:02 of the video) signals that the relationship has been repaired.
 
     Ships Have Sailed was founded by Will Carpenter, who is now joined by drummer Art Andranikyan. They are based in Los Angeles. Carpenter describes the band's moniker not as a pessimistic reference to the renowned idiom "that ship has sailed," but instead a fresh, positive perspective on the unexpected outcomes of unforeseen circumstances.
 
     In explaining the title and the meaning of “Silence,” Carpenter said:
  “As humans, one thing we have in common is the experience of loss. We begin to realize that our moments are never promised, and that can be both sad and empowering. I wrote ‘Silence’ as a reminder to find those moments of peace and calm amidst all the noise, and it is such an honor to have it used in such a powerful way to support a pivotal moment in someone else’s story.”    
 
     Carpenter has experienced loss. Events of the past several years brought a significant amount of grief. During the creation process leading to the 2022 album “Ages,” Carpenter’s mother-in-law (an early musical mentor) succumbed to cancer. This traumatic event combined with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic opened Carpenter to a new perspective on life and its consequential choices. His creative pursuits, as always, have been greatly influenced by everything happening around him, so it’s no surprise that these poignant personal losses (his mother-in-law and then his grandmother) resulted in his mind being “noisy.” Combatting that noise led to the powerful song “Silence.”
 
     The release of “Silence” was timed with the episode of Grey’s Anatomy. That partially explains why it was shared in the same month as a live album by Ships Have Sailed. “Live from Ojai” was released on May 5, 2023. It is available via most streaming platforms or can be purchased through Bandcamp – CLICK HERE.
 
     “Silence” by Ships Have Sailed

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shipshavesailed
Webpage: https://www.shipshavesailed.com/
Bandcamp” https://shipshavesailed.bandcamp.com/track/silence

Lyrics of “Silence” by Ships Have Sailed
The mirror falls
Broken shards
Find your calm and carry on
 
The house is dark
The shadows long
Whispered words to keep us strong
 
A fire burns
The candles glow
Quiet songs that give us hope
 
Close your eyes
Embrace the sound
Trust the silence when it gets too loud
 
Trust the silence when it gets too loud
 
Close your eyes
Embrace the sound
Frozen oceans of time
Trust the silence when it gets too loud
 
A final word
The curtain falls
Silence will embrace us all

“The Basement” and “Beautiful World” by Blondes – Song Features

     Blondes are sharing singles as they approach the release of the EP “In Separation” (July 14). This post features two of the six songs from the EP. “The Basement” and “Beautiful World” are fundamentally different from the perspectives of melody and personality. However, the lyrics to both are socially aware and engaging guitar riffs populate the pair.

 

     Blondes are based in Nottingham, UK. In fact, the band formed at the University of Nottingham in 2017. The members are now Will Potter (vocals), Dan Stroud (“Stroudy”) (guitar), Alex Davison (guitar), and Dave Annis (percussion).

      It is always gratifying when a band that is enjoying a surge in recognition gives a tip of the cap to music history. Almost 60 years ago, Bob Dylan released a promotional film clip (today called a “video”) with his song “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” The amazingly young Dylan (1965) flipped cue cards as the song played. The first card was the word “Basement.” In the official video of “The Basement,” the first cue card bears the same word.

 

      The intro for “The Basement” features skillfully layered relatively “clean” guitars. Then, the first verse begins, and the bass grabs the instrumental spotlight, while the vocals show that there is no backseat in a song from Blondes. The band explains that the song:
  “This is a song that started as a demo during the first lockdown, and it was written pretty much completely remotely by emailing it to each other and adding parts! Fittingly, it’s a song about feeling isolated and looking for a way out, which I imagine was a very well known feeling for everyone at that time. I love the energy of this track and the way it dials up in the choruses. We returned to work with Rich Turvey on this one, who produced the majority of our first EP. He helped take the demo we’d made and step it up into the thumping single-ready track it’s become.”

     “The Basement” by Blondes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blondesband/
Website: https://bio.to/blondesband

     “Beautiful World” is more melodically charming but more vocally melancholic than “The Basement.” It is a positive indication of the quality of an EP when a favorite song is difficult to select or shifts depending upon the current mood of the listener. That’s our situation with Blonde’s upcoming EP “In Separation,” even before all six songs are available.
 
     While speaking about "Beautiful World," Alex Davison said: 
  “It’s my favourite that we’ve written so far. It’s about our relationship with our environment and each other. We wrote it to speak not just for ourselves but to anyone that finds themselves looking around at our world and wondering just how we’ve become so disconnected from one another and the planet. We hope you like it.”

     “Beautiful World” by Blondes

“ARP” by IS MA – A Song Feature

 

      For the first 20 seconds, “ARP” is disguised as something other than a percussive showpiece. In fact, the single from IS MA showcases such a strong array of musical contributions that singling out a single element seems inappropriate. However, even when the guitar reaches its peak attractiveness at 2:29, it’s the tribal drumming that is our focus. After the guitar's appeal gives way to the vocals, the percussion persists, marching forward with uncompromising energy.
 
     “ARP” is the second release from an upcoming debut album from IS MA. The first release was the title track, “Herron.” The three members of the band exercised their creative muscle while spending three days together on Herron Island, a remote island not far from Seattle, Washington. While IS MA is most closely associated with Seattle, the members have ties to Nashville, Los Angeles and other U.S. cities.
 
     The members of IS MA are Jesse Taylor (vocals, bass), Ryan Williams (guitar, vocals), and Jesse Spring (vocals, keys). All three lived and did music in Los Angeles prior to moving to Seattle. For Jesse Spring, Seattle was a homecoming. For Jesse Taylor (LA) and Ryan Williams (Santa Cruz), Seattle was a new place to call home. In 2019, JT introduced Spring and Ryan:

  “The time on Herron proved not only to bond us creatively, but inspired what would be the skeleton of songs for this album of recordings. There are many sounds/parts/vocals/moods which we weren’t able to replicate in any other studio or environment, and so they remain, tucked into the fabric of each song.” 
 
      “ARP” by IS MA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isma.band/
Bandcamp: https://ismaband.bandcamp.com

Mother's Day Songs - Currently Relevant Indie

 

     This is a quick post, since today should be spent with Moms. It has been 10 years since our last Mother’s Day post.

     “Mother” by Tablefox

      “Hello Mama” by Kid Travis

     “You Were Born" by Cloud Cult - This is an older one, but we love the verse that begins "Love your mother, yeah she's a good one."

     "Mommy by Miya Folick

     “Sad Dumb Game” by Single Mothers - Only the band name is mother-related, but we like the song.

     "Bang Bang" by Momma - Another one that qualifies only because of the band name.

     "Moon Mother" by Richard Farrell - The choir is the magic.

“Sleepwalker” by Hooked Like Helen – A Song Feature

 

       The song begins with elegantly layered guitars and continuously features intelligently arranged instrumentation that enhances the emotion, but the vocals play an even more significant role in making “Sleepwalker” powerful. Nikki Stipp is the wife half of the power pair that forms Hooked Like Helen, with Jon Stipp being the husband half. They explain that their song is about being willing to lend a hand to others who are in a struggle with addiction. The lyrics are included at the bottom of this post.
 
     All within the first minute of “Sleepwalker,” Nikki’s vocal demeanor takes on three distinct roles, each adding depth and nuance to the narrative. First, a quick-tempo vocal presentation describes the circumstances of the person in the struggle. Then, a more empathetic and calming tone presents the poignant lines “But I know you just want peace // You get close when you go to sleep.” That calming understanding is followed by the authoritative explanation of the expectations:

Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet

Come back to me

We got a pact to keep

Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet

I’m screaming don’t you stay asleep

My sweet sleepwalker

How did you get so high?

My sweet sleepwalker

(Open up your eyes)

Open up your eyes

Open up your eyes

 
     It’s the third “voice” that is comparable in power and passion to Amy Lee during the early releases from Evanescence. The passion is real. Nikki and Jon Stipp are admirably open in explaining, “As a band in recovery, we’ve felt the dark depths of addiction and the hope and gratitude of sobriety.” They expand by noting, “’Sleepwalker’ is a plea to our friends and loved ones who are struggling. If you are alive, you can get better. You’re worth it, you’re loved… open up your eyes.”
 
     When “Sleepwalker” is performed live, members in the audience who have never heard of Hooked Like Helen are chasing down the band after the show to thank them for writing such music about survivors, addiction, and trauma. The song was written by Nikki and Jon Stipp (Hooked Like Helen), and was produced and co-written by Noah Henson (Pillar, Brantley Gilbert). Hooked Like Helen recently signed with international booking agency, TKO (The Ataris, Soul Asylum).
 
     Hooked Like Helen is based near Cleveland, Ohio. For possible tour dates, go to https://www.hookedlikehelen.com/live.
 
     “Sleepwalker” by Hooked Like Helen

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hookedlikehelen/
Website: https://www.hookedlikehelen.com/
Bandcamp: https://hookedlikehelen.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of “Sleepwalker” by Hooked Like Helen
Silver spoon
Distant stare
Slumping over in your chair
Never seen your eyes so empty
Two dark wells
 
Darkened room
Lonely place
In my hands I hold your face
Never seen your eyes so empty
Two dark wells
 
But I know you just want peace
You get close when you go to sleep
 
Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet
Come back to me
We got a pact to keep
Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet
I’m screaming
Don’t you stay asleep
 
My sweet sleepwalker
How did you get so high?
My sweet sleepwalker
(Open up your eyes)
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
 
Stay with me
Stay awake
Hold you as you start to shake
The kitchen floor is spinning
I can’t make you live
 
Trauma bonded to pain
It’s your gun, it’s your game
Cylinder is spinning
I can’t make you live
 
Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet
Come back to me
We got a pact to keep
Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet
I’m screaming
Don’t you stay asleep
 
My sweet sleepwalker
How did you get so high?
My sweet sleepwalker
(Open up your eyes)
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes
 
This obsession is killing you slowly
And I don’t have the strength
I keep folding
So it’s time to wake up and keep going
 
I know you still want peace
 
Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet
Come back to me
We got a pact to keep
Sweet dreams but baby not too sweet
I’m screaming
Don’t you stay asleep
 
My sweet sleepwalker
How did you get so high?
My sweet sleepwalker
(Open up your eyes)
Open up your eyes
Open up your eyes

“Thousand Yard Stare” by Conor Miley – A Song Feature

 

     Similar to the flow of a river that sweeps through various terrains, “Thousand Yard Stare” has a continuous forward flow, but the current varies spectacularly. The atmospheric intro for the song from Conor Miley is characterized by a gradual build to purposeful vocals describing a distressing scene. Then, just before the one-minute mark, “Thousand Yard Stare” gradually crescendos to a percussion-driven change in course – specifically, the instruments drop away as the song morphs into an a cappella chorus.
 
     The chorus is the “testimony of a thin man,” which is presented in a vocal presentation that is not easily understood, but is worth the effort. Fortunately, the Bandcamp site of the song includes the testimony:

"I'm a helmsman plotting out a course through a raging cyclone in a dreamland,

I'm a nomad rambling in a wasteland,

A conman singing from a bandstand,

A programme of temperamental plans neatly wrapped in my pocket,

And the Tin Man's living in a world of pain."

 

     Conor Miley provides some insight into “Thousand Yard Stare” by explaining that it is "about the anxiety felt by someone living with an anxious attachment style in a romantic relationship." He expands:
  “This song was originally written on a guitar. I set about creating a dramatic composition built on 13th chords and orchestrally influenced percussion. Referencing the manic inner talk that anxiety creates, I performed the choruses as a cappella vocal harmonies. The gospel-influenced finale to the song provides an optimistic and hopeful conclusion to the emotional turmoil that has come before.”
 
     Highlights of the song include a trumpet-featured segment. Miley is a multi-instrumentalist based in Dublin, Ireland. For “Thousand Yard Stare,” he provided the vocals, electric guitars, piano, synths, organ, percussion, claps, and sampling. Paul Kiernan contributed the trumpets, while Niall Honohan added drums. The song follows “Father’s Day” as the second song that will be on an album scheduled for release on September 29, 2023. The promotional materials explain:
  “The single is an ideal snapshot of what’s to come on the album. The genre-bending, multi-layered compositions are of a spine-tingling quality, packed with dramatic twists and turns and scattered quiet moments that draw the listener in. A piece of work that could easily be regarded as his magnum opus and one of the best Irish debuts in some time.”
 
      “Thousand Yard Stare” by Conor Miley

Bandcamp: https://conorjmiley.bandcamp.com/
Significant links: https://linktr.ee/conorjmiley

     The mesmerizing video was directed by Michael-David McKernan whom Conor had previously worked with on the Father's Day video.
  “For Conor’s second video we had the distinct pleasure of working with Dr. Count Evil who is simply an incredible performer. There is such an amazing energy and pain in the performance that resonates beautifully with the song. Conor’s music has a wonderful theatricality and grandness to it, so coupling that with Dr. Count Evil’s imagination made for a perfect match. There’s a feeling of entrapment and restlessness that pops off the screen, which mirrors the themes of heartbreak that Conor’s song explores."

Lyrics of “Thousand Yard Stare” (“Testimony of a Thin Man”) by Conor Miley
I was singing here when the hangman came,
He coloured his eyes sloe-black,
Arranged a lasso from a web of tangled chains,
Poured a drink in the recess of the bar,
And took aim.
 
And in the midst of all this chaos she idles in,
Like some divine show,
And everything explodes in me,
I'm a loony bin,
I'm a bumbling drunk on a carousel.
 
But then something stirs, something jars the scene,
I wasn't looking for Death but Death found me,
He was hanging out from a cypress tree,
Heaving scorn down upon me like some hazing ceremony.
 
Testimony of a thin man:
"I'm a helmsman plotting out a course through a raging cyclone in a dreamland,
I'm a nomad rambling in a wasteland,
A conman singing from a bandstand,
A programme of temperamental plans neatly wrapped in my pocket,
And the Tin Man's living in a world of pain."
 
So, my lover took a blade to the doctrinaire,
The phony saint with his heart ensnared
In the haze inside a thousand yard stare,
It was the final act of a love affair.
 
She wasn't looking for Death but Death still came,
It was a sorry show,
It's a crying shame
That she lost her mind,
But she found her faith
In some safe sanctuary,
Wild and free.
 
Testimony of a thin man:
"I'm a helmsman plotting out a course through a raging cyclone in a dreamland,
I'm a nomad rambling in a wasteland,
A conman singing from a bandstand,
A programme of temperamental plans neatly wrapped in my pocket,
And the Tin Man's living in a world of pain."
 
Well, they told me to sell my rack and woe,
(Sell it down the river)
Sold to the meddling crowd in the bordello,
(Sold down the river)
And they told me to sell my dearest friends
(Sell them down the river)
To a coterie.
 
See, now and then
(Sell it down the river)
I will sell my heart and I'll sell my soul,
(Sell them down the river)
I'll sell my will, I'll sell my home,
(Sold down the river)
But I'm not selling the part where I keep her whole,
(Sold down the river)
That's my own sanctuary,
It harbours me.

“Connected” by Low Hummer - A Song Feature

 

     Low Hummer accomplished the increasingly more difficult – they released an interesting commentary on the irony of today’s world in which the many opportunities for social connectivity increase the likelihood of feeling isolated. Yes, it has been said before; but “Connected” brings it home with a driving beat and a Post-Punk vocal delivery. The band confessionally explains, “We stare at screens in silence / Paint our shadows on the pavement / Never once think to look up.” 
 
     “Connected” has an energy that is somewhat misaligned from a message of feeling alone. The song features a duet, but not in the sense of an expression of love. Instead, female and male voices cooperate in driving the point of simultaneously feeling connected and alone.
 
      Low Hummer are based in Hull, UK. The six members are Daniel Mawer (vocals, guitar), Aimee Duncan (guitar, vocals), Stephanie Hebdon (keyboards), Jack Gallagher (bass), John Copley (guitar), and Joseph Gray (drums). Quoting information about the band:
  “They write about feelings of alienation in a modern world of consumerism and societal pressures. The East Yorkshire band released their debut album ‘Modern Tricks For Living’ and follow up singles ‘Talk Shows’ and ‘Panic Calls’ via independent Leeds label Dance To The Radio. These tracks throw together classic Indie songwriting, anthemic noughties Garage Rock and more than a little 80’s inspired synth sounds.”
 
     “Connected” by Low Hummer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowhummer
Website: https://www.lowhummer.com/

Lyrics of “Connected” by Low Hummer
I'm drowning in a daydream
We disengage, it's human nature
Does every decade have this feeling?
A time, and a place
 
We stare at screens in silence
Paint our shadows on the pavement
Never once think to look up
A time, and a place
 
Do you ever overthink things?
Do you have trouble sleeping?
Are you in a state of conflict
All the time?
 
Shame lasts for a little while
But scratching the itch prevails
 
I’ve never felt so connected (and alone)
I've never felt so effective (and alone)
I can't sleep, I don't eat, I’m alone, alone
 
I’ve never felt so connected (and alone)
I’m losing track, of the time (I’m alone)
I’ve never felt so connected, and alone, alone
 
It's so late but
You still answer
Head so restless
Crying for more
[Repeat]
 
I’ve never felt so connected (and alone)
I've never felt so effective (and alone)
I’m losing track of the time, I’m alone, alone
 
I never felt so connected (and alone)
I don’t sleep, I cannot eat (I’m alone)
I’ve never felt so connected, alone, alone
 
I didn’t feel so obsessive
There's no one there, who wants to talk
I never felt so awake, and alone
 
I never felt so connected.
Connected to what?
Connected to nothing
Connected to what?
I've never felt so connected (and alone)
Alone
 

“The Sea” by Say Anise – A Song Feature

 

     Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Say Anise have written songs in which the lyrics include at least two points of view and at least one claim of being blameless. Dylan wrote “Who Killed Davey Moore,” a 1963 song that centered upon a boxing death of the same year. In each verse, a different party steps forward and explains why he is free of culpability. In “She’s Leaving Home,” The Beatles (1967) wrote lines about actions of the daughter running away and other lines from the perspective of the mother. The mother doesn’t understand – “We gave her everything money could buy.”
 
     This year, Say Anise released “The Sea.” She explains:
  “’The Sea’ is a song about the European refugee crisis, written from two different points of view. The verses are written from the perspective of a mother and child who have lost their home, and the chorus is from the point of view of the western observer, portraying their conflicting feelings of guilt, powerlessness and apathy. Cheery, I know.”

      As in the songs by Dylan and The Beatles, there is an assertion of blamelessness. The western observer says, “Blame it on the sea, Blame it on the crowd, You were not around, So don’t blame it on me.”
 
     Say Anise is the performance name of Emily Barnett, who is based in London. She is the vocalist and the acoustic guitarist on “The Sea.” Other contributions came from Melisande Yavuz (violin) and Adrien Latgé (backing vocals). Emily said about the writing of “The Sea:”
  “I did a little digging because I couldn't remember when I actually wrote it, and I think it was late 2016 or very early 2017. So it's been around a long time! I have tried to record it a couple of times before, but it never quite felt right, until I found my magical producer Joey Walker who seemed to know exactly what to do with it.”
 

      “The Sea” by Say Anise

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sayanise/
Website: https://sayanise.com/
 
Lyrics of “The Sea” by Say Anise
This is not our home anymore
It lives across the sea
Somewhere out there
It waits for you and me
 
Do not be afraid of the waves
They break but they can heal
The rise and fall
Is all part of the deal
 
I try but I can’t seem to understand it
I try, I try
I try but I can’t seem to understand at all
 
Blame it on the sea
Blame it on the crowd
You were not around
So don’t blame it on me
 
It won’t be too long little one
Til we are free
There’s so many more
They won’t just leave us here
 
I try but I can’t wrap my head around it
I try, I try
I try but I can’t make any sense of this
 
Blame it on the sea
Blame it on the crowd
You were nowhere to be found
So don’t blame it on me
Don’t you blame it on me