Niclas Tamas "Interstellar Surveillance"

Everyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE synthesizers and what's more I love ambient compositions featuring all the lush textures that a good synth can produce. As a kid, I listened to Jarre, Vangelis, and even Stockhausen alike and marveled at the beautiful sounds all produced mechanically and so full of life (and I don't play favorites either, I love FM, analog, Wavetable, Granular, PCM, and every other form as well). So when I came across an extraordinary composer writing for some of my favorite sounds, I just had to let you all know. 

Niclas Tamas is out with "Interstellar Surveillance," a six-minute overtone-laden soundscape that is gorgeously transitioning between major and minor tonalities all the while giving us everything his machines have to offer. The piece is slow and features string-sounds (some acoustic) entering and exiting - basically, all the sounds are rather slow on the attack which gives a beautifully meditative quality. It's very cinematic in its approach and would fit rather well in a piece of multimedia (I wonder if Mr. Tamas has ever written for ballet). It will be interesting to see where he takes us in his next venture. If you're interested, his BandCamp page is here. 

Chris Poulson "Can't Let Go"

Let's face it - relationships have always been hard. If we look back through human history we see that whether or not you're family, friends, or lovers forming and holding cohesive bonds is difficult. That being said, our modern world offers young people challenges in achieving long-term cohabitation or marriage almost too many challenges to count. I appreciate that these struggles are reflected in modern art, and we're talking about Chris Poulson's "Can't Let Go" today. 

The first thing that we have to mention here is Paulson's voice is masterful, he's got amazing control, especially over his upper register. The arrangement is simple, but I kind of prefer that when we're listening to real vocalists (like, let's let the singing shine in this one). We should also note the accompanying video, where he gives one hell of an impassioned performance. Overall, it's a heartfelt-from-the-soul kind of song that ought to have ten times the views it does, but it's still doing pretty well. 

Lo Trillinger "U Remind Me (of my Slab)

We've all thought of Port Arthur, Texas's hip-hop scene as being dominated by Pimp C. Sadly his demise in 2007 left a vacuum of notable artists hailing from that area of the US. Now we're fortunate to see a few new talents on the horizon including today's subject: Lo Trillinger and his new track "U Remind Me (of my Slab). I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of the track and there are more than a few things to say about it. 

First off, the beat - I'm really glad that the funk/soul aspects that were the sound of a generation (especially in the West Coast varieties) are still alive and well. The squealing synthesizer in the ether with thick laid-back chords gives for an ultimately sexy vibe. Lo Trillinger's voice is gruff and powerful, his lyrical chops on full display with rapid lyrics and passion permeating every bar of this track. It's more than worth a listen. I'm not sure if this track is out just yes - but luckily there is a thriving YouTube page here. 

Doug Cash "Child Alone"

I'm going to make the least controversial statement I've ever made in this blog: that a healthy society prioritizes the well-being of its children. Therefore it's hard to think that our society is doing well when our young people are facing so many problems - now, I don't want to get political in this post. Still, it is worth having a conversation about why the litany of things affecting youth are happening. Luckily, art has a great knack for getting such conversations happening. This is why I want to talk about Doug Cash's new track "Child Alone."

Lyrically, it's a tough subject matter rolled up in a simple message "leave that little child alone," in effect, saying "let kids be kids." The sentiment, however, is fleshed out through blues-refrains and stunning vocals. One thing that grabs the listener instantly is the instrumental track with laid-back distortion tones and a beautiful flat II chord. Bass and drums accentuate between the vocal parts to hammer home the song's message. It's the kind of song that takes years of work, to make it seem so effortless and Doug Cash has definitely put his time in. I'll be curious to see if he continues in this vein of social criticism, I for one, think the music world could use a few more songs like this. 

The Undecideds "Broken Trophy" (Chloe Solo)

There are a few acts that I keep coming back to, and the more I think about why, the biggest reason, I think, it saves me from being too much of a curmudgeonly old man. I've made no secret that I believe the music artform is in crisis; however, the young people who keep me inspired to write these articles give me hope that the future of our discipline is in good hands. That's what I'm writing about today - of course, I really enjoy the band "The Undecideds," and for this one, the sister-half of that duo (Chloe) gifts us with a song "Broken Trophy." 

There's a spontaneous quality to this number, and I believe (from the video's title) that our young songstress showed it for the first time in the recording above. It's such a simple, sweetly-sung, moving, melodic, and balanced work, but that's not necessarily where the magic resides. I don't know where the "secret sauce" is that makes some performances utterly captivating - other than to say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The religious person in me says that humanity's creative spirit is evidence of the divine (I'm getting off track). I guess the overall point is, I listen to songs like this and I feel good that beautiful art can be made in spite of the world around us. I really hope these folks continue to put out original music.

August is Falling "The Simple Plan EP"

I was sitting in my hot tub the other night while listening to an old mix CD of Train, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Three Doors Down, and Kid Rock (you could say it was one of those days). And it dawned on me that I hadn't looked through any of my more obscure bands from my (remote) youth. I remember hearing August is Falling a long time ago and just loving the sound - how authentic it was, like, even though these guys obviously have a sense of humor, it wasn't like the band was some kind of joke. The problem is, as far as I know, AIF had never really released anything commercially.

That is until just this past week - yes, for all of you AIF fans, it's finally here. The Simple Plan EP features five kickass tracks. I wouldn't have known about it, had I not been watching Rick Beato rave on Instagram about how awesome the song "B.T.G.G" was. He was speaking eloquently about how brilliant the suspended plagal cadence following the 2nd inversion of the quartal harmony leading to canonic interpretations of what was obviously a "Dies Irea" a la Berlioz was.  If you have a chance, "The Simple Plan" EP is more than worth your time.