Words by Jonathan Stout
When not doing freelance writing, Jonathan Stout is heavily involved in the NKY and Cincinnati music scenes as the Marketing Manager for Kentucky based venue The Southgate House Revival and founder of DIY Recording label Lo Fi City Recordings. He’s also an active musician, performing and recording with Sleepy Drums, Mutt Fuzz, Burnt Cabins and gewgaw.
To help ring in the spooky season, we’ll kick this edition of Head Space off with Nell’ Ora Blu (Rise Above Records), the new album by Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats. There’s always been something relatively cinematic about this band’s presentation – from the album art to the grand nature of some of their compositions – so the decision to make an album based on the movie score concept automatically makes sense. And even though they’ve proven time and time again that they can deliver (whether it’s going full metal or far out psych) it’s a lot of fun to hear them stretch out even further throughout the course of Nell’ Ora Blu. From the slowcore of the album’s title track to the crackling fuzz of the fried psych nugget “Tortura al telefono,” to the unexpected jazz composition “Pomeriggio di novembre nel parco – Occhi che ossevano”, this album covers many moods and nuances just as a true movie soundtrack would. Paired with classic Giallo samples, the compositions slowly build suspense throughout, with the listener easily picturing the adjoining scenes playing out. I’ll be honest, I haven’t looked into what the storyline is supposed to be, or done translations of the samples, but speaking from a music standpoint alone, Nell’ Ora Blu serves to elevate and at least partially alter their course, as they’ve now proven how much more they’re capable of.
The Drin, a Cincinnati super group of sorts (featuring members of The Serfs , Choncy and Sorry Eric) recently released their newest offering, Elude the Torch (Feel It Records). Whereas all of the familiar touchstones of post punk influence (The Fall, Wire, etc) are still present, there’s a lot more opium and incense involved in the creation of these songs which pushes it more into psychedelic territory. The members really musically stretch out with this project and a thrilling spirit of experimentation is present throughout. The blending of punk, dub and driving psych rock mixed with the incorporation of more acoustic instruments than before gives Elude the Torch a strong feeling of growth and depth. Hopefully the band can continue with this level of inspiration for future releases.
Up and coming garage rocker Jake Borgemenke recently self-released his newest offering, Mask Theory, which takes more of a laid back approach than some of his previous releases. Employing concisely executed arrangements on his strong compositions, the collection often takes inspiration from breezy neo psych pioneers like Mac Demarco but Jake is able to spin this inspiration into his own vision, sounding different and yet still remaining consistent with his past work.
Left at Orion, the new project featuring past members of Slow Glows, have released Radiowaves (Rose Hill Records), a collection of spiraling shoegaze psych that picks up where their previous project left off. Their dreamy sound proves to be quite hypnotic over the course of the track list – from the bass driven “Radiowave,” to the radiantly celebratory melody of “Iridescent,” and the Brit-Pop/shoegaze of “Blue,” which I’m convinced could’ve been a huge hit had it been released in the mid 90s. One of the biggest developments with this band’s sound in comparison to that of Slow Glows is the embrace of noise- as layered, reverb soaked guitars often build to intense levels, creating very impactful compositions as a result.
It’s a few months old now, but I keep returning to Passe (Transfusao Noise Records), the newest release by Oruã of Brazil. I discovered this band when I saw them open for Built to Spill a few years back. For those who don’t know, they actually served as Doug Martsch’s backing band on the terrific return to form When the Wind Forgets Your Name. Oruã’s sound bares more musical resemblance to Duster, however, who’s members coincidentally also spent some time backing Martsch for a while. Passe picks up where previous material left off, but ups the sonic clarity a bit and occasionally takes breaks from loose jams to rock quite hard, like on album opener “Real Grandeza” and on “Analise de Conjuntara.” An air of ominous mystery surrounds all of these tracks, but especially on “Caboclo.” Passe’s biggest strength is how much it really grooves, with head bopping beats and hooks abundant on “Miragem,” “Me Acontece” and “Escola Construtivista.” It feels like the band is truly entering a stride of confidence, presenting a collection of songs that are perhaps more focused than any other in their growing discography.
Speaking of Duster, they also made a return with their third album since reuniting – In Dreams (Numero Group). Also taking a sonic leap forward from their previous release, Remote Echoes, In Dreams finds the band as spacey and melancholy as ever on tracks like “Aqua Tofana,” “Starting to Fall” and (the aptly titled) “Space Trash.” But a lot of these compositions feel more deliberate and fleshed out than some of their previous outings, and the incorporation of synthesizers helps to subtly update their sound without sounding like they’re pandering to younger listeners. All of these aspects aside, In Dreams delivers with some really solid songs that are destined to be fan favorites. From the instant slowcore classics, album opener “Quiet Eyes” and “Poltergeist,” to the thumping distorted bass riff of “No Feel,” and the almost balladry of “Isn’t Over,” this is the kind of album that will likely appeal to both old fans as well as new ones, which is what every band (and record label) wants.
Goat made their highly anticipated return on October 11 with a self-titled release on Rocket Recordings. Although this collective strives to keep their identities guarded, they’ve suggested there have been some personnel changes behind the masks, which may explain the self-titled release – a move that bands often do when trying to enact a reset. Long time fans need not fret, however, because Goat does nothing but keep their insatiable groove rolling, in splendid creative form no less! Instant classics “Frisco Beaver” and “Goatbrain” are the kinds of songs that automatically make any situation they soundtrack feel that much more badass – whether it’s a dance floor showdown, high speed car chase or… cooking dinner on a weeknight. “Fools Journey” takes a break from the automatic intensity of other tracks and instead serves as a moment of beautiful meditation. “Dollar Bill” rips with enough unfettered fuzzed out wah and 60’s proto-psych metal glory that any biker gang would collectively drop their joints and solemnly bang their heads in acceptance upon first listen. Don’t be shocked by the sight of only 8 tracks on this record- many songs stretch to 5-7 minutes and a lot of musical ground is covered throughout. Besides, as the phrase goes, “Always leave them begging for more!” As long as Goat keeps the heat pumping this hot, the demand for more will always be present.