“Cults of Failure by Grandeur - Free Friday/Saturday (“FL&R”)

     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 are songs that qualify as Free, Legal and Recommended (FL&R) downloads.

     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.

Grandeur is a post-punk duo “from betwixt the shadow of NYC and the haunted shores of New England.”

“Cults of Failure” (On One Knee) by Grandeur

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandeur_official/

Rob Drabkin and AKINE – Related in Genre, Not Message

     The songs use the same POP vehicle, but the demeanors of the passengers bear no resemblance. “It’s a Beautify Day” is an upbeat self-lecture to appreciate the positives of life. It has some of the characteristics of an Imagine Dragon gem. The song belongs to Rob Drabkin, who is based in Denver, Colorado.

     In contrast, “Pray For The Prey” denounces beliefs that keep others moving forwardly. The track was written by AKINE while enduring difficulties that most of us will never know. She was born Nicole Kozina of Kiev, Ukraine. She wrote the song four years ago, when her country suffered multiple dimensions of turmoil. At the time, she was 13 years old.

     “It’s a Beautify Day” by Rob Drabkin

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

Website: https://www.robdrabkin.com/

     “Pray For The Prey” by AKINE

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

Website: https://www.akinemusic.com/

Lyrics of “Pray For The Prey” by AKINE

I don't believe in God

Nor his angels, nor his disciples

He's a stranger, he's a criminal

Not my father, not my leader at all

Leaves the dirty to get dirtier

And wipes the clean

Speak to him closer, he knows what you're wondering

Tell him you love them, he'll shield you from everything

When will your life begin?

Tell him your secret, he'll scare you to death with them

And we pray and we pray and we pray

All because we don't know what to obey

And we pray and we pray and we pray

Heart of this foolish masquerade

Not your husband, your father, your daughter, your sons

Can ever fix the damage done

You think you're blessed and the best because of God

(Because of God)

Speak to him closer, he knows what you're wondering

Tell him you love them, he'll shield you from everything

When will your life begin?

Speak to him closer, he knows what you're wondering

And we pray and we pray and we pray

All because we don't know what to obey

And we pray and we pray and we pray

Heart of this foolish masquerade

This hate is man-made out of ancient paint

This hate is man-made out of ancient paint

This hate is man-made out of ancient paint

This hate is man-made out of ancient paint

Oh, we pray and we pray and we pray

All because we don't know what to obey

And we pray and we pray and we pray

Heart of this foolish masquerade

Who will save them?

Who will save them?

This hate is man-made out of ancient paint

This hate is man-made

“Lambs” by Trope – A Song Review

     “Lambs” is a weave of both the power of the lyrics and the force of the melody. At times, the instruments respect the importance of the message by stepping back. For example, at the start of the single from Trope, one guitar plays a gentle repeating pattern, while another creates a slightly-below-surface layer of whines and wanes. Still, the instruments show no resistance or bashfulness during times when jumping forward is appropriate, as best heard during the final minute of “Lambs.”

      Lyrically, “Lambs” is impactful. The song speaks of the realities of bullying - “Don’t make me hate the world like you do, although I’m hurt and bruised.” Then, returning from the guitar intensity of the bridge, the message evolves (at 2:41) into a description of the individuals who present themselves as the innocent, but are only focused on their entitlements:

“Dress like lambs, but wolves with teeth

Caring for no one else, other than themselves.”

     Trope states that “Lambs” also “addresses the expectation of returned kindness, accumulation of pain from the lack of reciprocation and the cyclical damage to self that results from ignoring your own behaviours, and the subsequent projection of blame on to others.” The lyrics of the song are included in this post.

      The members of Vancouver-based Trope are Dave Thompson (guitars), Diana Studenberg (vocals), Reggie Hache (bass), and Aleks Amer (drums). “Lambs” was two years in the making. In 2016, Thompson showed Studenberg the embryo what came to be “Lambs.” Hache and Amer were added because of their abilities to handle music with time signature changes and other complexities (“Lambs” is in 15/8).

     Trope is currently filming a documentary of the making of their debut album, “Eleutheromania” (a manic zeal for freedom). The documentary is under the direction of renowned cinematographer Stewart Whelan (Metallica – Some Kind of Monster, The Flash). The band is also playing shows locally and internationally in support of “Eleutheromania.”

     “Lambs” by Trope 

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

Website: http://www.tropeband.com/

Lyrics of “Lambs” by Trope

You scraped corners

For kinks in my armor

Does it make you feel good

To know that you’re not welcome anymore?

Rocks in my face

Oh how you got me

Kicking, screaming, standing still

We’re finally climbing up the hill

Don’t make me hate the world

Like you do

Although I’m hurt and bruised

You are blind for

He sits among us

I’m not here to start a war

What we all need is something to adore

You’ve allowed them

To take over

Poison seeping through your veins

And now’s the time to cleanse them from your brain

Don’t make me live the past

Like you do

Although I feel it too

It don’t matter

Shapes getting smaller

Forgiveness we may all deserve

But I’m just gonna focus on the verve

[Bridge]

Turn your back

Self-focus

Get what you need

Wasted space

On all these entitled thieves

Dressed like lambs

But wolves with teeth

Caring for no one

Other than themselves

I’m no good

I just add weights to the shelf

Covered in rain

And I’m at it again

Cycle the blame

Till you come to an end

Time wasted years pass me by

Fighting to tell you why

Voices still linger unheard

Screaming to tell you why

Craving in gold

Seeking control

And allowing the vapid

To strangle your soul

“Overgrown” by machineheart – A Song Review

     Based on “Overgrown,” there’s nothing underplayed about machineheart, other than the capitalization in the band’s name. From the impassioned, echoed power vocals to the unexpected tranquility of the outro, the first single from machineheart’s upcoming album is a masterpiece of conception and execution.
     
     At the start of “Overgrown,” the vocals are accompanied by an attractive combination of upper and lower frequencies, with the deeper pitch notes provided by keys on the left side of a piano keyboard. At the 1:21 mark, toward the end of the declaration of independence that is the chorus, a synthesized sound equivalent to fanfare trumpets “announces” entrance of another phase of the dynamic track. Instrumentally this phase is characterized by whirlwind percussion, which is first heard at 1:36.

      In a Facebook post by machineheart, they explained, "'Overgrown’ is significant to us. We wrote it during a time of figuring ourselves out... a time of desperation. you can hear that in the song, and we hope you love it as much as we do.” As further understanding of the track, frontwoman Stevie Scott said, “'Overgrown,' more than anything, is a feeling; it’s a place I pictured in my head. During the writing process, we intentionally escaped to try and figure ourselves out. And what we found creatively was so much open space. There was a pensiveness brooding that was honest and tangible; you can hear that in the song."

     In addition to Stevie Scott, machineheart comprises Harrison Allen (drums), Carman Kubanda (electric guitar) and Jake Randle (bass). The LA-based band recently signed with Nettwerk Music Group. They are scheduled to open for The Horrors at The Independent in San Francisco on Friday June 29 (CLICK HERE for ticket information) and at the Regent Theatre on July 1^st (sold out).

     “Overgrown” by machineheart

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

Website: http://www.mchnheart.com/

Overgrown – digital: http://smarturl.it/MHxOVERGROWN

Lyrics of “Overgrown” by machineheart

Someone crying in the dead of the night

Was it me or was it just in my mind?

Reaching deep into the soil I find

I'm stirring awake a fury

Maybe I'm the only one who survived

Crawled out of the dark and into the light

As I turn my face and look to the sky

A tear in my eye is forming

Shaking off all those heavy chains

Now I will find my own way

Turning the ground underneath me to show what I am

Pushing and breaking my way from the hand of the man

Nothing to fear being here, now that I'm overgrown, overgrown, overgrown

When they try to lay me low

Down into the dirt I go

But don't fight it

They were just giving me

The very thing I would need

Try to tell me what I can and cannot do

Who to be and do not be

It'll drive me to the brink

Any dead ended road

One step closer to home

Shaking off all those heavy chains

Now I will find my own way

Turning the ground underneath me to show what I am

Pushing and breaking my way from the hand of the man

Nothing to fear being here, now that I'm overgrown, overgrown, overgrown

And I've hiding for so long

With only darkness everyday

I'm gonna crawl to the morning sun

And let it warm every part of me

[Repeat]

Turning the ground underneath me to show what I am

Pushing and breaking my way from the hand of the man

Nothing to fear being here, now that I'm overgrown, overgrown, overgrown

“High Above” by Seaside Heights – A Song Review

     “High Above” has an energizing steady drive sitting below vocals that inspire trust. The drive is engineered by guitar and percussion, but receives a synth-assist in the second half of the track.

      Seaside Heights a five-member band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their Facebook page only identifies first names - Mattias, Vasilios, Oskar, Jonnie, and Sandy. “High Above” is one of the four tracks on the band’s EP “Made Up Minds And Bad News.”

      “High Above” by Seaside Heights

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

Cleanin’ Out My Closet (of Deserving Songs) - June Version

     We periodically look at the songs that have been listed for mention, but have undeservedly remained on the list for too long. Assuming we still find the songs blogworthy, we dedicate a post to them, although they may be in very different genres. Today, it’s time to clean out the closet.

     In this post, the songs were all discovered via the SubmitHub site.

     WYO is from Wyoming. But the band is now operating out of Los Angeles. WYO is a rock band that originated in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with lead vocalist and keyboardist Andy Sorge, and multi-instrumentalist Scott McKay Gibson.

     “You and Me”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wyowyowyo/
Website: http://wyowyowyo.com/

     “On My Own” is the debut single from Jeffrey Piton, a singer and writer in Montreal, Canada.

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

Website: http://jeffreypiton.com/

     

     Leeroy Stagger was born in Victoria, British Columbia and raised on a little island on the very west coast of Canada. He is currently based in Lethbridge Alberta.

     “Love Versus”

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

Website: https://www.leeroystagger.com/

     Swan Levitt is from the Isle of Wight, UK. Speaking about his song “Alive,” Swan said, “Alive is a song about loss. It's primarily about a close friend who battled with cystic fibrosis. However, it has wider meaning. Family, friends, memories (good and bad). I think most people can relate to some kind of trauma, so “Alive” should resonate with them.”

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

Website: http://swanlevitt.com/

     Ed Vallance is a London-born musician and travel journalist (New York Times; Los Angeles Times; London Evening Standard) based in Los Angeles.

     “Poison Apple”

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

Website: http://www.edvallance.com/

“Moved” by Reverend Shawn Amos - Free Friday/Saturday (“FL&R”)

     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.

     Reverend Shawn Amos released “Moved” this year, but an almost duplicate older version is available at the below Bandcamp site, which permits downloads on a name-your-price basis.

     Shawn Amos is a Blues singer in Los Angeles. In “Moved,” the harmonica is as soulful as his voice.

     “Moved” by Reverend Shawn Amos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawn.amos

Website: http://www.shawnamos.com/

“This Affliction” by Kate Vargas – A Song Review

     For us, reviewing “This Affliction” is like attempting to logically explain the basis for the selection of our favorite color. The attraction for the song was immediate, and it continues to grow in strength. But a rational, logically understandable explanation for the attraction is difficult, because it’s rooted in the emotional affect.

     The vocals are throwback. As in Melanie’s 1971 track “Brand New Key,” there is a child-like quality to the voice and an ease on the instrumental support. But unlike Melanie’s song about trying to capture the attention of a boy with her brand new rollerskates, the lyrics of Kate Vargas’ “This Affliction” have a sophistication. The lyrics are included in this post. Our favorite verse defines a hierarchy of likelihoods in how she stands for her beliefs:

Well, you gotta stand for something

I would die for my beliefs

I would shout 'em from the rooftops

I would take 'em to the streets

Or more likely I will sit at home and type them ‘til my fingers bleed

Or more likely I will kill for them and blame it on society

     “This Affliction” is a single from the upcoming album “For The Wolfish & Wandering.” The album is scheduled for release on July 27, 2018. According to her bio:

  A reformed wild child, in recent years Kate Vargas has traded the party for meditation, yoga, clean eating and a renewed focus on what she values most—her music. The New Mexico-raised, NYC-based artist is building ever more mindfully on her sound, and the music press is taking notice, Vargas receiving praise from a variety of respected outlets including Impose, The Boot and the Huffington Post, the latter assessing, “There is an unlimited amount of potential in this superstar on the rise.”

  Vargas has packed houses from Ireland’s Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival to The Troubadour in London, The Mansion on O Street in Washington D.C. to New York’s Bowery Electric. Her upcoming album, For The Wolfish & Wandering (out July 27), features her singular folk-style storytelling. The songs are grounded in a darkly melodic, reverb-washed sonic palette of dreampop, dusty folk and junkyard blues, all carried by Vargas’ rough-hewn vocals and guitar playing. In equal measure, she channels a surprising array of artists, from Tom Waits and 16 Horsepower to Lana Del Rey and K. Flay.

     “This Affliction” by Kate Vargas 

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

Website: https://www.katevargas.com/

Lyrics “This Affliction” by Kate Vargas

Ah…

It’s a calculated crumble

May it rumble through the night

Mr. Mark-my-words ain’t crazy,

He just sworn he seen the light

And my insides are all ragged from the work that I been doing on myself

Oh my insides are all ragged, but they tell me that it’s good for my health

For my ah… affliction

Well, you gotta stand for something

I would die for my beliefs

I would shout 'em from the rooftops

I would take 'em to the streets

Or more likely I will sit at home and type them ‘til my fingers bleed

Or more likely I will kill for them and blame it on society

Blame it on this ah…

Call it what you wanna, just say it with conviction

Ah… this affliction

It’s a crooked combination

Of grandeur and grief

Pick apart my lonely heart

It’s morbid motif

But I look pretty from a distance and the rest is history

Won’t you paste my face under my name in Georgia and call it breaking?

Call it ah…

Call it what you wanna, just say it with conviction

Ah… this affliction

Ah…

Call it what you wanna, just say it with conviction

Ah… this affliction