EP Review: The Natural Shocks ‘Kobayashi Maru’
The state of indie pop/rock, always in a constant flux, seems to be trending towards the sounds of synths and other electronic additions in 2012. Hell, one band this year even ditched their entire sound in favor of a drum machine and tweenish vibes, and in the process, their own fans. But you know what…electronic additions for the sake of adding depth is really no way for a band to approach raising their craft. If the glove doesn’t fit, don’t wear it. And for the love of all things music, let’s not lose the edge of the rock side for the sake of trying to appeal to 14-year-old dubby steppers.
The Natural Shocks are a breath of fresh air for me in the early fall. Led from the mind of Jim DeLuca who hails from Toronto, his sound not surprisingly seems heavily influenced by a band that mastered the art of indie pop/rock with an edge. That band of course is fellow Toronto born Broken Social Scene, but Jim’s sound really only takes on the brasher BSS sound heard on their self-titled album with songs like “Superconnected”. The Shocks four-song EP opens up with heavily distorted vocals and a stepping guitar riff on “Change”. “Chosen Ones”, my favorite track, adds group vocals to go along with what appears to be a cello led bass line. The strings make the vocals, which are already laced with emotion, stand out that much more. “Daydream”, an ethereal track featuring a slick little drum machine beat, and “War of Attrition”, showing off more even distortion close off this extremely solid debut.
Stream Kobayashi Maru below and be sure to grab a digital copy via the group’s Bandcamp page for whatever price your little heart desires.
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Written by Greg Dahman
EP Review: Illogic & Blockhead ‘Preparing for Capture 2’
Within the not-so-friendly confines of the modern music industry, making good music often isn’t enough. It seems that being prolific and learning how to market one’s self are almost equally important, as there’s always something new over the horizon to take hold of our limited attention spans and distract us from something possibly more worthy. Illogic and Blockhead have traditionally been the type of artists to focus on tightly crafted albums rather than one off projects and mixtapes, and thus haven’t had to release music at the rate the modern music fan is becoming accustomed to. The large amount of music they have recorded over the last couple years though, has allowed them to promote their upcoming album Capture The Sun with a series of EP’s and videos, keeping their name out there and making sure their full length LP will get the proper attention without sacrificing quality for quantity’s sake.
Not only have Illogic and Blockhead’s promotion and presentation been excellent for the previously featured Preparing for Capture EP and the newly released Preparing for Capture 2, but the music’s been pretty darn good as well. While the first EP was more contemplative and introspective in tone (in both Illogic’s rhymes and Blockhead’s beats), Preparing for Capture 2 has a raw edge to it that’s not really the norm for either artist. Blockhead’s beats thump particularly hard, but maintain his excellent use of texture shifts and subtle ambient touches. The three song run of “A Mile From Dead”, “Uncharted Path”, and “Wing Span” is a perfect example of why Blockhead is one of the best hip hop producers around. It’s not the instruments or sounds he samples, but the way he arranges them and makes the compositions his own that truly sets him apart. All three songs have similar elements, but each has its own unique feel and rhythm that always keeps his production fresh.
Illogic’s rhymes on Preparing for Capture 2 find him playing the role of observer more often than not and sounding more than comfortable over Blockhead’s up-tempo production. Illogic hinted in an excellent interview he and Blockhead did with Hardwood Blacktop that the EP was a little darker and more political in nature, which explains my sense that the outside world was his primary inspiration for the majority of these songs. “Dreamin” serves as the lead single and speaks on the economic machination of the world, featuring top notch wordplay from Illogic- “they got us burning books and Kindle Firing” (video). “Heartless” and “A Mile From Dead” are especially sharp lyrically, the prior taking people to task for materialism and a lack of compassion “you got your favorite cardigan, but tell me where your heart has been” and the latter serving as a calling for people to strive for a better life and to defy expectations and stereotypes.
Just like the first EP, which featured a stellar appearance from Rob Sonic, the guests are kept to a minimum on Preparing for Capture 2. Thoughts on Tracks favorite Open Mike Eagle and Has-Lo are the lone guests on the posse cut “From Scratch” and both deliver standout verses. Illogic ends the EP with the killer song “Past/Future”, tabbing Matisha Worthy to sing the hook. He uses the first verse to look back on his life to this point and the second verse to look towards the future. It’s a fitting way to end the EP, as the future looks very bright with Capture The Sun on the way. Listen to the release below. Name your price for a digital download or pick up a physical copy of Preparing For Capture via Bandcamp.
Written by John Bugbee
Album Review: She Does Is Magic ‘My Height In Heels’
Today marks the arrival of one of my most anticipated local releases of the year: She Does Is Magic’s debut LP My Height in Heels. The project is led by Bloomington’s Chad Serhal. The album is Serhal’s second release of 2012, following his solo effort Golden. Listening to My Height in Heels, you get the sense that what Serhal enjoys most about She Does Is Magic are those moments when it really feels like a band. Those opportunities to get lost within and expound upon a solitary guitar riff that simply are not possible as a solo artist.
Every other of the eight songs found on My Height in Heels is an instrumental. But these tangents never distract or bog the release down. Serving instead to propel the work forward, the tracks function as the sonic equivalent of transition sentences – closing one thought and introducing another seamlessly.
Songs about girls are staggered between the instrumental interludes. Which, at the end of the day is what most good rock bands should be writing about. The opposite sex is a subject that fascinates Serhal. A subject, if we may read into the band’s name, he finds magical. It’s a healthy obsession. One that allows him to lucidly recall subtle details of lovers past, and recognize the shadow a relationship can cast upon a former favorite record.
I initially found myself irked by SDIM’s decision to recycle three of the tracks from the band’s self-titled EP, released digitally last year, but soon realized those emotions were selfish. All of the tracks on the EP were worthy of wax and shine brilliantly here – polished, remastered and in the case of opening track “Means Nothing,” stripped down and revamped.
My Height in Heels is a straightforward rock release that should give Hoosiers a sense of pride. Listen to the album in its entirety below. A release party will be held this Thursday at The Melody Inn where SDIM will be joined by Hotfox and The Broderick. Grab your copy of My Height in Heels in person or order it on CD or vinyl today from Flannelgraph Records.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 