I’m a sucker for a hook and punchy guitar riffs. Which is why I was buzzing to get a mail from my pal Andrea Caccese of Italian band Dead Rituals. Last March I covered the release of a killer acoustic track from the band called ‘When The Lights Are Out’. They have just dropped their latest single ‘Sober’. Of the band Caccese had this to say.
“Dead Rituals is a band with a focus on creating music that blurs the lines between punk, dream-pop and shoegaze. The group’s music is often notable for its darker, angsty tones, but this new track dives into a brighter, uplifting vibe. “Sober” is no-frills, colourful and fun, embracing the band’s yearning to just get out there and play music.”
I couldn’t wait to dive in.
The track opens on delicately picked guitar and gently sung lyrics. It’s not long though until the song explodes with ricochet drums and powerful guitars. Then there’s the chorus.
Wow! It just takes off and soars! The backing vocals of Brita Penfold adding that extra something that just lifts the song even higher. ’Sober’ just screams hit! This track deserves to be charting all over the globe.
Check out the video here then head on over to Bandcamp and buy the song and while you’re there check out Dead Rituals back catalogue.
El Paso Texas is a simmering hotbed of musical talent. I seem to be mentioning the town more and more in my blogs and radio shows. Hailing from the border town come two amazing shoegaze bands, joining forces to release a split EP.
First up we have Get Well. I’ll let them introduce themselves.
“Get Well are a four-piece band fronted by Julian Martinez. Julian’s themes of growing pains and heartbreak drive the songs that don’t sound familiar, but feel familiar.
This family filled band distinguishes genres of Midwest emo and Shoegaze to an organic blend of music.”
Secondly, we have the power quintet Intentions. Here’s what they have to say.
“Intentions combine slow, incoherent tones and warm embraces of reverb to artfully establish the link between heavy guitars and heart-breaking nostalgic themes. With the crashing undertones and gloomy melodies, Intentions builds a distinctive connection that pushes the envelope of Shoegaze and Slowcore.”
Ok guys I’m sold. Let’s dive in and see what this EP sounds like.
Get Well get us underway with the percussive gaze of ‘Death Floatz’. Drawing influence from the Relapse Records stable of bands like Nothing and Cloakroom this is reassuringly heavy. The blissed-out fuzz washing over the breathy vocals. The rifle crack drums and muted bass, it’s all that good stuff. We’re off to a great start.
‘Bleed With You’ draws more on The Jesus and Mary Chain as influence. That said, it’s a gloriously strident song. Triumphant in parts even. The song makes great use of dynamics to keep the listener on their toes. Without doubt my favourite of their two songs on show here.
They hand the baton to Intentions with their song ‘Home’. This band have a dreamier approach with the song opening over heavily modulated guitars and softly sung vocals. That calm is quickly punctured in the choruses with an onslaught of fuzz and distortion. I absolutely love how the song builds and builds in intensity.
Intensely is how their second number, ‘V’, opens. Sludgy and gloomed out chords ring out before receding and the gentle flow of the verse takes over. It’s only temporary though as the chorus brings the noise. This song is paced beautifully. Everything has its space and there’s absolute clarity in the mix. Even though this track clocks in at over six minutes, it just doesn’t seem long enough. I loved this track, definitely my favourite of the two.
These two bands really complement each other’s styles and if heavy gaze is your jam, then this EP will make you very happy indeed.
The Intentions // Get Well EP is out on June 3rd and is available over on Bandcamp.
You will undoubtedly know Rosie Varela from her outstanding band Eep. Now she has stepped into the spotlight with her solo album What Remains. A native of El Paso, Texas she has drawn on the musicality and creativity of her band mates and friends to help her realise her vison. Joining her are Ross Ingram, Sebastian Estrada, Serge Carrasco, and Lawrence Brown III from EEP with the addition of Aldo Portillo on guitar and keys.
About the process of creating the songs for What Remains Varela has this to say.
“These are songs that didn’t quite fit the shoegaze genre of EEP and in fact, they weren’t meant to be genre-specific at all. This is a fusion not just of musical influences, but of life experiences.
At its core, The Project is about simplicity – simple song structures that leave room for free studio experimentation and innovation.”
Knowing the calibre of this team’s song writing makes me eager to dive in, so let’s do that now.
We open on the gentle sway to and fro of ‘Louise’. The tender musical backing belying the dark subject matter of a sabotaged relationship. Straight away we are hearing a band at play. Living in the creative moment. The textures and sounds effects around this song are there because the creators understand that sound affects. Everything has a place and purpose.
We segue neatly into ‘Wound’, a heartfelt cry from an America on fire. The rise of the divisive right, the splintering of society, racial abuse, school shootings. This is a deeply affecting song. You can feel the helplessness in Varela’s delivery. The band do a wonderful job of giving that feeling room to express itself in the song. Of ‘Wound’ Varela says
“This is a song about someone who feels helpless, crying out for a miracle to change the fear, and hatred that the narrator is witnessing and experiencing within themselves as they spiral downwards emotionally. The last two lines offer hope as the narrator comes to grips with saving themselves by saying, “give me your hand, I think I can pull you out again.”
‘Night Sky’ blooms on the speakers next. Like a beautiful flower it slowly unfurls and shows us its gorgeous multi-coloured, multi textured form. There are songs you instantly connect with and for me ‘Night Sky’ is one of those songs. We’ve all gazed up at the starry sky in awe and pondered our place in the cosmos. This song perfectly captures that feeling. From the stunning call and response of the verses to the overlapping vocals in the latter sections of the track. We are transported.
Next is the deeply harrowing lyric of ‘What Remains’. This song, the intensely personal exorcism of the emotional damage from childhood sexual abuse, is profoundly moving. You cannot help but feel the hurt and despair of the child. That then turns to rage as you know you cannot help them. The song is quite a sparse arrangement allowing Varela’s vocal performance to deliver the emotional punch that floors you every time. Full credit to the band for their parts here, particularly Brown’s wonderfully beguiling drums.
The sound of the desert is all over ‘Leave Me Alone’. Like a lost Eagles or America track it brings to mind a woman walking out of the desert of a bad relationship into the sun. Again, this genius band take the simplest of structures and add in textures and lovely harmony singing to elevate it to something really quite beautiful.
‘Fault Line’ comes in like a Bond theme. Incredibly cinematic and boy does it get widescreen in scope. This track has a Beatles level recording story involving reverse tracking, learning to play the song backwards and of course, mellotron strings. The song is about being able to spot the red flags around toxic people (mainly men). It’s sung with a steely determination and you can sense this comes from lived experience. As the song heads into its final stretch, it explodes into bloom. Full on psychedelia follows with reverse guitars and Beatle-esque strings like Strawberry Fields Forever. These aren’t the sounds we’re used to hearing from Varela but she owns it. The creativity and sonic dexterity on display could only have come from her heart and head.
‘My Sunshine’ tries to fool us with its subdued, melodic intro. As the vocals kick in, we hit the accelerator and we’re off. There are some glorious musical flourishes on show here. From the various synth tones to the western influenced guitars. It all comes together beautifully to lift the song all the way to the conversation style outro. You just never know what’s coming next and that’s a major strength of this band.
There are so many points on the album where you can identify with the lyrics. None more so I’m sure, than on ‘Foolish Things’.
“He came to me. A wolf in wolf’s clothing. But I couldn’t see. I was naïve. And love makes you do. Foolish things”
Of the song Varela says
“’Foolish Things’ is about that destructive relationship, that crazy love that you can feel for someone that nearly destroys you. I experienced a relationship like that that devastated me to the point of a complete nervous breakdown and a failed attempt to end my life. The abrupt ending of the song reflects the moment in which I cracked.”
The song has a woozy, off kilter theme throughout putting you straight into the writer’s head space. This is a where superb songwriting meets an arranger who knows exactly how to extract the most emotion from each and every note.
The album closes out with the meditative ‘Surrender’. This improvised piece, set against a series of loops and bass, feels like the warm embrace of goodbye, for now. Certainly not final but the closing of a chapter. It’s the perfect end to this album.
An album of songs this definitely is. You may enjoy dipping in and out to savour your favourite tracks however, if you will accept my counsel, this is an album made to be listened start to finish. It’s an experience and one that rewards repeat listens. Varela bares her soul to us, trusting the listener with her very heart. In doing so she allows us to join her and her band mates, collaborators and friends on a journey of self-discovery. I wonder what you’ll find.
What Remains is released via Hogar Records on 3rd June. You can grab a copy on 180g translucent red vinyl, CD and digital. Head over to Bandcamp or, if you’re in the UK you can grab a physical copy from Plastic Head Megastore.
UK-based producer/musician Jamie Duddy has been quite prolific of late. You’ll remember I covered his Asleep EP back in January. That was a woozy, dreamy trip of an EP leaning heavily into shoegaze and dreampop. Now he’s back with a new single and a whole new vibe too. I was really keen to hear the results so let’s dive in.
Immediately in the introduction to ‘Sometimes’ you know this is a different type of Dreamback song. Whilst retaining that dreamy drone behind the song the first thing that strikes you is, this is a pop hit! It’s sugary, and addictive and most importantly, it’s an ear worm. It’s also a true duet from start to finish with the vocals of Duddy’s wife, Laura Beth, adding her sparkle to the mix.
There was a feel of latter-day Primitives about the production I really liked. It’s a very summery track, buoyant and uplifting belying the darker subject matter of the song (liars and sunburn).
Make no mistake this is drastic change in direction for Dreamback, but one that has paid off in spades. If Duddy decides that this is the path he’ll be taking Dreamback in I’m sure the Top 40 beckons!
Perpetual Void is a shoegaze/dream pop band creating ethereal, emotive soundscapes. Originating from Glasgow, Scotland, the band solely consists of Scottish songwriter and guitarist Graeme Gray. I first encountered Gray back in 2020 when he released his debut single now the lead track on this album. I remember being struck at the time by the ambition shown and was keen to hear more. Two years later here we are with his debut album The White Room. Let’s dive in and see what delights are in store.
As I said the album kicks off with his debut single “The Sea”. It’s a richly textured, reverb-soaked wash of bliss. The programmed drums, reminiscent of Cocteau Twins, sit behind the simply stunning guitars and Graeme’s impassioned vocals. Melancholic yet hopeful, sounds evoke pain and struggle while the lush reverberating guitar invites the listener inwards, leaving them with a sincere sense of optimism.
We next relax into ‘Dream’, aptly named as its warm, inviting soundscape evokes that moment of deep sleep where you dream your most vivid dreams. I would urge you to close your eyes to fully soak this one in.
The second single, ‘Trapped’, follows and brings some gorgeous chiming guitars to the mix. They punctuate Gray’s ambient vocals restlessly. At around the halfway mark we start to hear more layers of sound building to crescendo which crashes like waves on the shore and ebbs away.
‘Icicles’ is a true ambient piece, evoking a frozen landscape, jagged and unforgiving. You can almost feel the wind on your face. Gray is a master at creating moods and pictures using his music.
Speaking of which ‘Everyway’ whilst starting sombre and quiet soon blossoms into this joyous noise. I just got lost in this track and I found myself skipping back and listening a few times to its hypnotic charms.
‘Climb’ taps into that Slowdive, atmospheric sound. Expansive guitars play off a steady and steadfast drum beat before evolving into the soundtrack for your favourite sci fi movie. The transition is fleeting and we return to the peaceful sound of the intro again. Just a beautiful track.
‘Awaken’ arrives with its joyful sunrise. The guitars feel like the warmth of the sun’s rays on your face. The first rays as you pull back the curtains on a summer’s morning. Gray taps into your imaginations at every turn leaving you with a smile a mile wide.
The wonderfully titled ‘Cloud Paddling’ is the sound of the air. Light and ever moving the track carries us high into the heavens to live among the clouds, if only for a few minutes. This is the very definition of ethereal.
The next track is titled with my favourite word. ‘Hope’ is a warmly subtle tone poem. As it chords slowly cycle Gray introduces more and more heavenly textures. He never loses that relaxing dreamlike quality, just enough to delight your ears.
The album closes out on the epic ‘FND’. Clocking in at nearly ten minutes it’s an adventurous composition, unnerving at times and comforting at others. Surrendering to the journey is the only way. Enjoy its many surprises, twists and turns. What a gloriously heady way to end this collection of ambient odysseys.
If you are looking for music to calm your soul and lift your spirits look no further. In The White Room Perpetual Void have created another world. A world where you are safe and alone but never lonely. A place where you can be yourself and explore your own mind. Gray seems to accomplish this with consummate ease, so what are you waiting for. The White Room is waiting, the doors open.
Head on over to Bandcamp to grab your copy of the album now.
Back in August 2020 when I started Static Sounds Club, the first band I wrote about were Par Ásito who come from Guadalajara, Mexico They combined space rock, post rock, shoegaze and a passion for space exploration into something quite unique for their album Singularity. I love that album to this day and so you imagine how happy I was to hear from Fabriccio De la Mora from the band about his new solo album.
Grand Unified Theories is De la Mora’s first solo effort. Of the album he says…
“These compositions are characterized by the spatial noise extracted from Par Ásito, with conceptual and structural details typical of my interest in astrophysics, the search for the theory of everything and its possible tonal implications.”
Now that’s what you call an intro. Let’s get into this album and see what’s what.
The opener ‘Causal Fermion Systems’ is named for an approach to describe fundamental physics. It’s a pacy and spacey ride through the cosmos. The drums lead the way with a steady pounding whilst a sci-fi keyboard motif picks out the gaps. Soon they are joined by edgy guitars providing a satisfying foil to the drum’s rhythm. The wonderfully off kilter lead guitar line completes the soundscape and we are off and running. This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.
‘Technicolor Models’ takes the pace and volume way down and presents us with something quite different. It’s a gentle float through the universe observing the sound and listening to the song of suns and stars. A gently picked and muted guitar plays a beautiful lullaby as the various whirrs, bloops and bleeps pass our field of hearing. This is a very relaxing experience and one I will enjoy time and time again.
We are back up to pace for ‘String Theory’. Sounding like the theme tune for a lost sixties sci-fi serial TV programme this track opens with an air of familiarity. Fans of Singularity will adore this one, with its groovy aesthetic and fresh take on space rock. It’s what I’d call a palette cleanser of a track. Really fresh sounding, I can imagine a sea of bodies dancing along to this at live shows.
At the midway point we are introduced to ‘Little Higgs’. This is a brutalist sound experiment. A heavily compressed guitar struggles to be heard through the sonic void and collapses over its own event horizon.
We head into heavy psyche territory next with ‘M-Theory’. De la Mora’s obsession with physics manifests again, the title a unifying theory in that world. This is a glorious wig out jam that transports us away on the tail of a comet, blasting through the cosmos. I love how nimble the drums are on this track. They really take the opportunity to fill every corner of the song right up until the last note.
We stay in the physics class for ‘Loop Quantum Gravity’. This is a theory that postulates that space and time are composed of finite loops all woven together. The intro has us leaping from loop to loop as the song seeks to find its feet. It isn’t long before we find our way in. Two guitars, one chiming, the other featuring the heaviest, scuzziest fuzz ever play off each other. Meanwhile the drums are off playing the most complex time signature ever, almost like jazz but good. This is such a treat, there’s so much to explore and revisit on this track.
We close out the album with ‘Causal Dynamical Triangulation’. No surprises that this is another approach that attempts to show how the spacetime fabric itself evolves. Another spacey jam with the catchiest riff being played out over his signature interstellar hyperspace soundtrack.
All I can picture when I listen to the music of Fabriccio De la Mora is barrelling through the galaxies in a rocket ship. It’s a real skill to be able to paint such vivid pictures in your listeners imaginations. For De la Mora it appears to occur so very free and easy. That’s something I really admire.
Grand Unified Theories is available now over at Bandcamp and all good streaming sites.
This week I was on the hunt for some new tunes when into my inbox dropped Josh Calisti with news of the release of his band’s new maxi single. Hailing from Olympia, Washington Waves Crashing are a post wave / shoegaze quartet featuring the aforementioned Calisti (guitar, vocals), Bryce Albright (drums), Luke Ogden (bass, backing vocals) and Landon Young (lead guitar).
The band have released a number of singles over the last two years to much critical acclaim, my DKFM sister Krissy Vanderwoude has also played them on her show. So, with that pedigree I just had to dive in.
The high / low maxi single kicks off with the title track. There’s a real Bossanova era Pixies vibe about this track. Off kilter chords with a gentle vocal performance exploding into sublime instrumental passages. It’s a great taster for what’s to come.
‘in my head’ comes in next on a powerful uppercut of an intro. Drums pound while guitars soar and fill your ears with the most stunning soundscapes. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the chorus and verses.
The single concludes with a reworking of a track from 2020. ‘Capsized (reimagined)’ is a song painted on a big canvas, proper widescreen music. Built on a foundation of a purring fuzzed out guitar the song plays with some glorious textures. Glacial lead guitar, haunting backing vocals, pulsing bass and it all comes together beautifully.
The single high / low is available now over on the groups Bandcamp page. While you’re there check out their extensive back catalogue.
I have made no secret of the fact I adore Dundalk’s finest musical export, Just Mustard. Out on May 27thHeart Under is the long awaited follow up to their landmark debut album Wednesday. I had reported last month on the stunning teaser single ‘Still’. A dark affair, with massive bass and raging guitars it blew my mind!
Today they have dropped another single from the album. ‘Mirrors’ with its watery, swelling guitar chords showcasing the softer, dreamier side of the band in contrast with the aggressive industrial tones found on ‘Still’.
Guitarist and ‘Mirrors’ co-vocalist David Noonan says of the single: “‘Mirrors’ was one of the final songs to be written for Heart Under, the lyrics and music arrived together in what felt like one moment and we wanted to keep the feeling of one thought or moment constant throughout the song”.
Right now, Heart Under is stacking up to claim album of the year by a country mile.
You can pre-order the album now from the band’s website or your choice of indie retailer.
The band are out on tour throughout 2022. Check out the dates below to see if they are playing near you.
1. 23
2. Still
3. I Am You
4. Seed
5. Blue Chalk
6. Early
7. Sore
8. Mirrors
9. In Shade
10. Rivers
Just Mustard Live 2022
Apr-21 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club *
Apr-22 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts *
Apr-23 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar *
Apr-25 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club *
Apr-26 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel *
Apr-27 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel *
Apr-29 – Columbus, OH – The A&R Music Bar *
Apr-30 – Cleveland, OH – The Beachland Ballroom *
May-2 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre *
May-3 – Toronto, ON – The Phoenix *
May-5 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall *
May-6 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre *
May-7 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue *
May-9 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre *
May-10 – Salt Lake City, UT – Soundwell *
May-12 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall *
May-13 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre *
May-14 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo *
May-16 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom *
May-18 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater *
May-27 – Rough Trade East – London, UK (in-store)
May-30 – Resident – Brighton, UK (in-store)
May-31 – Rough Trade – Bristol, UK (in-store)
June 1 – Rough Trade – Nottingham, UK (in-store)
June 2 – Jumbo Records – Leeds, UK (in-store)
June 20 – Banquet @ The Fighting Cocks – Kingston upon Thames, UK (out-store)
Jun-3 – Dublin, Ireland – The Academy
Jun-4 – Dundalk, Ireland – Spirit Store
Jun-8 – Cork, Ireland – Cyprus Avenue
Jun-10 – Berlin, Germany – Tempelhof Sounds Festival
Jun-11 – Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands, Best Kept Secret Festival
Jun-13 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – Limelight
Jun-15 – Limerick City, Ireland – Dolans Warehouse
Jun-16 – Galway, Ireland – Roisin Dubh
Jul 17 – Cologne, Live Music Hall DE*
Jul 18 – Munich, Neue Theaterfabrik DE*
Jul 20 – Berlin, Astra DE*
Jul 21 – Gruenspan, Hamburg DE*
Aug 23 – Longhorn, Stuttgart DE*
Aug 24 – Wiesbaden, Schlachthof DE*
Sept 11 – Ramsgate, Kent, England – Ramsgate Music Hall
Sept 13 – London, England – Village Underground
Sept 14 – Bristol, England – The Exchange
Sept 15 – Brighton, England – Patterns
Sep 16 – Southampton, England – The Loft
Sept 17 – Norwich, England – Voodoo Daddys
Sept 20 – Liverpool, England – Jimmy’s
Sept 21 – Nottingham, England – The Bodega Social Club
Sept 22 – Manchester, England – Band On The Wall
Sept 23 – Glasgow, Scotland – Broadcast
Sept 25 – Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club
Oct 5 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
Oct 6 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Merleyn
Oct 7 – Utrecht, Netherlands – Ekko
Oct 10 – Munich, Germany – Orangehouse
Oct 11 – Vienna, Austria – Das Werk
Oct 12 – Leipzig, Germany – Moritzbastei
Oct 14 – Berlin, Germany – Privatclub
Oct 15 – Hamburg, Germany – Molotow
Oct 16 – Cologne, Germany – Artheater
Oct 18 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rotondes
Oct 19 – Brussels, Belgium – Botanique
Oct 21 – Paris, France – Hasard Ludique
Oct 23 – Winterthur, Switzerland – Albani Music Club
Bellshill boys Teenage Fanclub have, arguably, had a tempestuous few years. The departure of songwriting genius and core member Gerry Love, two polarising albums, Norman Blakes marriage coming to an end and all the problems Covid has brought with it, it’s been hard for our boys.
That’s why it was so heartening and uplifting to open my inbox this morning to see the new single ‘I Left A Light On’. Written by Blake during the Endless Arcade mixing session, the band didn’t record it at that time as the album was pretty much finished at that point.
Instead, they returned to the studio to record it recently, and boy I’m glad they did.
Starting like a lost Beatles track on piano the song blossoms gently. It is a very gentle song. You can draw comparisons to the band during their Songs From Northern Britain era. It builds to a warm hug of a ending leaving you wanting more of the same. Thankfully it sounds like this is in plan with Blake being quoted saying “As a band we’ve already started thinking about another new album, this song is the first signpost towards that”.
Grab a brew, sit back and enjoy ‘I Left A Light On’ by Teenage Fanclub.
If the name Rosie Varela sounds familiar, you’d be right. Rosie is the primo mover and shaker from Texas based gazers Eep. She’s now launching her debut solo album under the name The Rosie Varela Project. What Remains is up for pre order now over on Bandcamp however we’ll circle back to that in another blog very soon.
Varela has released the single ‘Fault Line’ as a taster of what is on offer. Opening on a simple acoustic guitar and vocal line the song quickly blossoms. Drums beckon in a chiming xylophone and lush complimentary backing vocals.
As the song heads into its final stretch, it explodes into full bloom. Full on psychedelia follows with reverse guitars and Beatle-esque strings like Strawberry Fields Forever.
These aren’t the sounds we’re used to hearing from Varela but she owns it. The creativity and sonic dexterity on display could only have come from her heart and head. The musicians (and close friends of Varela’s) who play on this track have given us a tease of the magic that’s ahead of us on this album.
I’ll be back with a full breakdown of the album soon (spoiler alert…….it’s amazing). Until then head on over to Bandcamp and get it pre-ordered. While you’re there check out her albums with Eep too.
Static Sounds Club 