Maria Lewczyk

While attending the University of Georgia for magazine journalism and music business, Maria still finds time to binge watch The X-Files and collect art socks. The proud owner of a floor length fur coat, Maria plans to Throwdown with Bobby Flay and finally stop procrastinating, eventually. Her passions include black clothing, petting other people's cats and making blanket forts in her apartment, but she is also above-average excited about horoscopes, bento boxes and emo music.

Artist to Watch: Post Death Soundtrack

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

The Unlearning Curve

 

Founded in 2007, Post Death Soundtrack is a music collective based out of Toronto, Canada. The group consists of Kenneth Buck, Steve Moore and Jon Ireson, and cites influences ranging from Bowie to Skinny Puppy. After the release of its debut album, Music as Weaponry, Post Death Soundtrack went on a brief three-year hiatus in which the group redefined the intention of their music, and ended up with something really cool.

Sounding more like a heavy experimental band from the ‘90s than a modern-age collective, Post Death Soundtrack explores depth and a variety of synthetic textures in their sophomore release, The Unlearning Curve. With swooning choruses and thick electric guitars swirling into a mash of music, The Unlearning Curve introduces a psychedelic, industrial landscape.

The true gems of this release are “You Can’t Go Back” and “Beauty Eyes I Adore,” tracks two and four, respectively. Something about the chanting on “Beauty Eyes” reminds me of Beatles-esque harmonies, and the sudden devolution into arpeggios of electric sound is a clever, robust touch.

Overall, The Unlearning Curve bites, chews and spits out the listener with walls of thick, jagged noise. The lyrics go into ideas of redemption, introspection and self-discovery which pair nicely to the heavy atmosphere of the album itself. My only complaint is the slight repetitiveness of the album, especially with tracks that have two minutes (or more) of the same lyric. That aside, The Unlearning Curve establishes Post Death Soundtrack as a true artist to look out for.

 

Artist to Watch: Gideon King & City Blog

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

gideon king

 

All about bringing together musicians that have a passion for jazz, Gideon King & City Blog is straight out of New York City with a modern twist on the classic jazz genre.  With elements of jam bands and big band sound, Gideon King & City Blog released a full length album titled City Blog that is a sultry love letter to the city that never sleeps.

More interesting than the name of the band itself are its members.  Boasting some of the most diverse talent available, Gideon King & City Blog managed to get together James Genus, the bassist from Daft Punk and the Saturday Night Live band, Carolyn Leonhart, a key member of Steely Dan’s vocal team, and many other notable musicians.  With such a wide variety of members, the sound can only be described as a collective.

City Blog grabs you by the hand and drags you onto the dance floor with its creative and smooth style.  City Blog is a rainy date night in Manhattan, where your date offers you their umbrella after a delicious meal at an upper scale restaurant.  The album as a whole can only be described with scenarios, because it gives off more than just words.  The feelings are present in every improvised piano part, while skillfully crafted with a surreal-sounding mash of backing instruments that all get their separate time to shine in solos.  

The title track “City Blog” displays the album clearly and honestly: it’s cool to the touch and easy on the ears.  The good thing about jam bands and their derivatives are that the music can never get repetitive as long as you have a decent pairing of vocals, which Gideon King & City Blog have excelled at.

“Friendship Cliche” takes on an alternative indie rock spin, if you consider having a horn section and wind instrument section as rock.  All the combinations of instruments result in such a visceral experience that can only enhance surroundings.  The only criticism on City Blog stems from the slowness of some of the tracks, particularly “What Say You” which drags on for the full four minutes.  

Aside from a couple misses like that, the funk is alive and thriving in New York City among lots of different aliases, but Gideon King & City Blog is a name to remember.


Gideon King & City Blog can be found on its Facebook page, here.

Artist to Watch: Idiot Grins

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

grins

Recent trends in music have revolved around synth pop and overproduced albums, so it is rare to find a big band sound in the mix.  Idiot Grins, a five man soul rock band from Oakland, California, has managed the impossible.  By getting musical help from Johnnie Bamont, the saxophone player from Huey Lewis and the News, and Mic Gillette, the trumpet player from Tower of Power, Idiot Grins lends a homage to the greats of years ago.  Big Man transcends the line between old and new by making a soulful big band swing that sounds like it belongs in the ‘60s, but was made in 2015.  The best part, it makes you want to sing along too.

The 11 track album hits all the right notes with each song being reminiscent of the last, without sounding exactly the same.  “How To Get To (Baltimore)” is classic and upbeat, with a chorus that sounds almost exactly like the chorus from “Science Fiction Double Feature” in Rocky Horror Picture Show.  That isn’t a bad thing, either.  The call-and-response element of the music makes the listener want to croon along.

Another standout from the album is the second track “Poppy Piss”.  A swing tune that is simple (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is a good indication for the style of Idiot Grins.  The song is two and a half minutes of almost the same beat, which seems repetitive, until you get to the wild vocal ups and downs of lead singer John Hansen.  The variation is necessary in a track of the same melody, but Idiot Grins has the whole change game under control.

A complaint would be that the majority of the album is ballad-style, with slower melodies dominating the flow and energy of the initial three tracks.  That’s not to say that those songs aren’t good in their own right, seeing as “One Reason” and “Paso Robles” are excellent representations of versatile styles.  “Paso Robles” utilizes a country croon while “One Reason” is the stereotypical “down-up” beat from the ‘60s with clean sounding horns that really make the track special.  Instead of a slow-down near the end of the album (with an exception for the tangy “Ovaltang”), a much needed pick-me-up would have been a better way to seal the deal on Big Man.  

Despite minor issue with maintaining a cohesive flow of energy and rest within the album, Idiot Grins puts a modern spin on classic instruments minus the grainy quality.

Big Man was released on April 6, 2015 and is available for purchase or download at the Idiot Grins website.

Basement: “Aquasun”

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

base


Basement, a five piece melodic hardcore band from Suffolk, England, is back with a new album.  After releasing their first and second albums I Wish I Could Stay Here (2011) and Colourmeinkindness (2012), the band went on hiatus without any foreseeable reunion.  Luckily for fans, the band released an EP titled Further Sky in 2014 along with a slew of tour dates, indicating a reunion for the band.  

The reality is that Basement is back, with the highly anticipated album Promise Everything to be released through Run for Cover Records on January 29, 2016.  To promote the album and create excitement for the new record, Basement has been slowly releasing singles from Promise Everything with tracks “Promise Everything” and “Oversized” already available for streaming and purchase.  

Today, Basement released a music video for the single “Aquasun”, which is track four off of the new album.  Check out the video here, and look out for Promise Everything coming out soon.

 

 

The track listing for the upcoming album is as follows:

1. Brother’s Keeper
2. Hanging Around
3. Lose Your Grip
4. Aquasun
5. Submission
6. Oversized
7. Blinded Bye
8. For You The Moon
9. Promise Everything
10. Halo

Artist to Watch: The Boy From The Crowd

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

bftc

 

From London, UK, The Boy From The Crowd is made up of Vinny Placa and Vegas Ivy.  With Placa on vocals and guitar while Ivy manages drums and percussion, The Boy From The Crowd creates a blues-infused rock sound that walks the line between cult favorite and top 40s, resulting in songs that are eclectic but still make you bob your head to the beat.  Their most recent release titled Where the Bees Come to Die introduces the band’s mechanical and lyrical skills, while also allowing room for improvement.

The first track, “Revelator”, showcases The Boy From The Crowd’s London rock flair with bluesy influence. The sound is catchy, upbeat and progressive throughout despite the repetitive lyrics, while the differences in the song are shown through the changing instruments and the evolving bass and guitar riffs.  The use of backing vocals is spot on, especially with its use in the chorus as more of a shout and as a quieter, more intimate repetition for lyrics within the rest of the song.

“All I Need” shows a musical style similar to a combination of earlier Kings of Leon, the White Stripes and The Arctic Monkeys but with a scruffier lead singer (if that was even possible with Kings of Leon).  Halfway through the song it cuts to silence with the lead singer still singing, allowing a really nice change of pace.  Overall it flows very nicely, however for a five minute song some differences in instrumentation and vocals are necessary.

 

 

Different than the prior two tracks, “The Road” sounds more drowned out and surf rock-esque, giving much more of a pop sound.  An interesting inclusion to the album, “The Road” really showcases the versatility of the band in terms of genre experimentation, but the guitar hero solo about halfway through the song indicates that some further tweaking is needed to perfect a cohesive sound for an album.

The final two tracks are “All I Need (Single Edit)” and “Where the Bees Come to Die”, both of which have issues.  “All I Need” is on this album twice, and with only five songs total that is unnecessary repetition without much change between the two versions (although the second “All I Need” cuts out about a minute and a half of useless jamming).  “Where the Bees Come to Die” has a bluesy steel guitar introduction that sounds too blues-influenced to be surf rock but still retains intrigue.  The entire ending track is an instrumental, which is a strange choice considering there are only three true songs on the album.

Overall, The Boy From The Crowd has the chops to create something exciting and catchy, but falls short in delivery on Where the Bees Come to Die.  The lack of cohesiveness on the album indicates some indecision in terms of the style of the band, which can either be a good thing or a bad thing for the future of the band.  However, the interesting style of blues and rock is definitely something that holds promise.

 

The Boy From The Crowd released Where the Bees Come to Die on December 7, 2015 and is currently available for purchase on its Bandcamp, here or on The Boy From The Crowd website, here.

Artist to Watch: Bad Reed

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

bad reed ep

With only one official musical release, Bad Reed is transcending genres.  The four piece jack-of-all-trades band from Brantford, Ontario shows their versatile chops on the Bad Reed EP.  Over the course of three songs, Bad Reed manages to capture elements of psychedelic funk metal, rhythmic southern blues and synth rock in a way that is reminiscent of the ‘90s.  

“Punch It”, the first track off of the EP, introduces refreshingly clear vocals to the hash-mash of instruments going on in the background.  The song builds up, gradually including more guitar parts and more synth patterns until the lead vocalist is slowly lost into the mix.  Whether or not that effect was intentional is unclear, but if the purpose of the track is to have the listener melt into their surroundings, then it works very well.  

A personal favorite, “Slackjaw Romance” creates the perfect balance of calm and cool.  It sounds like something you’d hear in a jazz nightclub around 12 a.m., and commands the same attention from listeners (no matter where they are).  The combination of dark lyrical content and swanky yet collected vocals results in a track that is both memorable and catchy.

The final track “Cassava” sounds like a lost Incubus track, allowing singer Sydney Sollazzo to showcase her range and smooth delivery.  About halfway through the track is a mini acoustic session that is a confusing break from the previous progression, but segways nicely into the remaining two minutes.  Using acoustic guitar parts and drowned out synth as a build up and the reintroduction of electric guitar and drums is made possible by the consistent nature of the straight-forward vocals, which tie the tracks together where they otherwise would have fallen apart.

 

Bad Reed released the Bad Reed EP on June 13, 2015 and is currently available for free download (or suggested donation) on its Bandcamp.  More information about the band Bad Reed is available on their website, here.

Sorority Noise: “Tiny Rick (Let Me Out)”

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

noise

All musicians love doing covers of other songs, but these guys have taken the cake.  Sorority Noise, a four-piece emo band from Hartford, Connecticut, recently released a single on their Bandcamp website that is none other than “Tiny Rick (Let Me Out)”.  For fans of the wildly popular television series Rick and Morty, this is a homage to the episode “Big Trouble In Little Sanchez” in season two where Rick transfers his consciousness into a younger-bodied version of himself.  While at a party, the newly-dubbed Tiny Rick grabs a random acoustic guitar and breaks out into song about his body trying to control his switched consciousness.  At least it wasn’t Wonderwall.

In a time where artists are pushed to be their most creative, who would have thought to make a post-rock version of a song featured in an Adult Swim show?  Sorority Noise definitely deserves a high five and pat on the back for this one.

You can listen to the ridiculously awesome “Tiny Rick (Let Me Out)” and Sorority Noise’s most recent release Joy, Departed here:

Tiny Rick (Rick and Morty Cover) by Sorority Noise

Penny Lame: ‘Penny Lame’

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

lame

 

Girl-pop is getting a makeover.  Athens singer and songwriter Jianna Justice is cultivating a sound that stands entirely on its own, starting with her act Penny Lame.  With only two EPs and eleven songs total, Justice hits all the right notes with a sweet voice, minimalistic and upbeat.  Penny Lame, released on Nov. 4, 2015, is already a must-listen for those of any age.  The tropes of teenage troubles combined with elements of sarcasm and deprecation reflect a very honest image of millennials growing up in a college town surrounded by people that may or may not be growing up with them.

Starting off with the light “Party Song”, Justice says all the things that everyone has been thinking but not saying out loud.  The combination of simple pop guitar riffs and lyrics like “I’m the saddest girl at this party” set the tone for the rest of the album: sad acceptance for how things are, with resilient optimism for better things to come.

“Boys & Girls” shows playful comparisons between girls and boys, that create interesting back and forth dialogue between expectations and cold realities of young romance (or lack thereof), while being put down by the even harder reality: “that’s just how it is, cause boys and girls are just kids”.  

Sounding like a stripped down Radiator Hospital, Justice is a venus of the avenue with “Penny Lame”, a personal favorite from the EP.  With soft backing vocals accompanying the initial lyrics, “Penny Lame” stands out for the growing genre of girl-pop.  

“Night Swimming” brings a slower and darker angle towards the pop, then “Slushies In a Target Parking Lot” picks up the pace and offers flutters of the ‘what if’s.  To end the EP, “Scumbag City” is refreshing and honest.  Billy and Joey do sound like scumbags, and are pretty much relatable to most of the ex-partners we’ve all had.

Without gushing on too much about how great this release is, a quick summary: Penny Lame shows the best and worst of being a teenager or young adult, while navigating that line between growing up and staying young.  Penny Lame strikes a chord not just because it’s catchy as hell, but because it’s chronicling a place we’ve all been.  


Penny Lame can be found on Bandcamp here: http://pennylame.bandcamp.com/releases

Foxing: ‘Dealer’

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

foxing

Calling the St. Louis band Foxing an indie band doesn’t even begin to do them justice.  Starting from humble beginnings in 2010, Foxing released their first album The Albatross in 2013 and was immediately put on artist radar.  The Albatross was a success, with notable favorites from the album being “The Medic” and “Rory”.  Their sound can be described as many different things, but I like to group them in with what I call “New Wave Emo”, which combines elements of math rock, emo and post-rock with additional instruments that aren’t the typical guitar and drums.  Foxing fits right in with the likes of The World Is A Beautiful Place, Algernon Cadwallader and The Hotelier, all of which have claimed stakes in the Emo Revival of the 2000s.

Dealer, the second studio album by Foxing, is bound to follow the same standard set by The Albatross, meaning more punches of emotion and more lyric confessionals.  Dealer also brings forth a heavier, darker sound than prior recordings.  The album carries a weight that guarantees the listener will remember it afterwards.  

“The Magdalene” was released ahead of the album, and it was met with praise.  Foxing tackles the intricacies and difficulties of balancing religion and human impulses.  Conor Murphy elevates his falsetto to higher heights and keeps it bouncing up and down with the bopping guitar riffs.  For such a pretty voice, it’s ironic that the lyrical content is so dark.  Met about halfway through the track with soft choruses in the background, guitars and drums take over allowing a harsher, more in-your-face tone for the remainder of the track.  

“The Magdalene” can be used to summarize Dealer in the best of ways: it starts off with smooth and concrete vocals with instruments slowly inkling into the mix, but never diluting what Murphy has to express.  Although the album starts off sounding similar to The Albatross, it changes about halfway into something completely new.  With more ballads and less filler songs, Foxing is blending into an all-consuming sound that hits home runs more than it strikes out.  The changing sound allows Foxing to explore a new territory with Dealer that it hasn’t done before: a surreal, existential side.  While still retaining the heart-breaking depths shown in The Albatross, Dealer manages to have moments of tenderness, self-revelations and gut-wrenching pain.  


Dealer was released on Oct. 30, 2015 and is available for $8 download on Bandcamp.

The Best of “Hotline Bling”

Posted on by Maria Lewczyk

Ever since Drake released the music video for “Hotline Bling”, the Internet has exploded with parody videos and mashups.  The now-famous “dad dancing” has made Drake the butt of a lot of jokes, but it’s being proven that the 6 God can match beat with any song.  With top contenders from almost every form of social media, here are some of our favorite “Hotline Bling” remixed moments:

 

1.  Hotline Bling: SVU

I like to think that Olivia Benson would approve of this.

 

2.  Mario Bros

https://vine.co/v/e9F63wYahKj

It’s easy to pick up that this theme is from one of the Mario Bros games, but hard to tell which one.  After close inspection, it’s the Overworld theme from Super Mario World.

 

3.  Dragonball Z

https://youtu.be/5lC1NH8Ypp0

I never thought I’d live to see the day when Drake and Dragon Ball Z are mashed up, but it does make sense to see the 6 God and Shenron the Dragon God together.

 

4.  Drake’s Cakes

https://vine.co/v/eVdFlejWUJ3

The Canada cake is a nice touch.

 

5.  Legend of Zelda Bling

https://youtu.be/ER4obhht_0I

This is it.  This is where modern technology has led us, being able to edit old school N64 video game characters into a 2015 Drake music video.  What a time to be alive.

 

6.  Twin Peaks

Although this mashup is a bit longer than most, fans of the cult series Twin Peaks will definitely appreciate the time.

 

7.  Bob’s Burgers

Being an avid fan of Bob’s Burgers (and Jimmy Jr.’s dancing) this mashup is pure gold.  His moves are almost spot on, too.

 

8.  Hotline Pug

https://youtu.be/3d17JIK7jUI

Last but not least, the best of the Hotline Blings.  Someone took the time to dress up their dog in OVO-approved outfits to match Drake’s from the video.  This video is only 15 seconds long, but don’t fret!  There’s a replay button.