Artist Interview: Phillip Foxley

For this week’s interview, we have guitarist/songwriter/composer Phillip Foxley with us. Phillip’s Sound Cloud channel is alive and thriving with tons of listens and the comments crowd each one of his tracks.

MW: Phillip, thank you for being here!

PF: Thanks for the opportunity and great to meet up here.

MW: So, right off the bat, the first thing I notice about your tracks is that whether they are vocal or instrumental, there is such an outstanding melodicism to the songs. Is that something you consciously aim to achieve or does it just come naturally?

PF:  Thanks for that awesome comment. Any melodicism is entirely natural – so natural, I didn’t notice it lol. I just put simple melodies together whilst running through random chord sequences. The songs come together almost from nothing really.

MW: You’ve worked with some amazing singers; how do you go about selecting your vocalists?

PF: Well, I listen to a lot of unsigned music and I’m stunned at the genuine talent out there. In fact, the talent pool is so good I actually questioned what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. In the end, I put it down to the sheer enjoyment of creating and producing original tracks that I’m actually proud of. I digress … sometimes I hear a great vocalist and approach them directly, other times I get approached myself. It’s a bit ‘hit and miss’ but it seems to work out.

MW: Personally, my favorite tracks of yours feature Anna Yanova-Cattoor; can you speak about how you got hooked up with her as a collaborator?

PF: Anna is a gift from heaven. She is such a great vocalist with a real emotional depth that you can hear on each of the three tracks. Her natural talent really brings my simple tracks to life in a way I didn’t think possible.  Anna is one half of a professional duo called 'Two Cities One World' and we actually collaborated via the Fiverr website.

MW: I noticed in your bio that you also do film and TV scoring. Do you find that you have to compartmentalize your music creation between songwriting and scoring or do you have a similar approach for both?

PF: Good question – I actually treat them both the same, in fact, this came about almost by accident. To explain; When I re-started writing music after a long hiatus, one of my main concerns was that, because I write songs ‘on the fly’ and therefore anything or any style of music  can come out, it became pretty obvious that I didn’t fit into any specific genre. I perceived this initially as a huge ‘career’ weakness. In other words, where would any fan base come from if I constantly chopped from one genre to another?  This still haunts me today! The answer (for me) was to pitch my music to film & tv opportunities where musical variety is welcomed – in fact, encouraged (and you get paid by the second J).

MW: Can you tell us about some of your early influences?

PF: How long have we got? My influences vary greatly – just like my music. From Zal Cleminson (Sensational Alex Harvey Band), Yngwie Malmsteen (in small doses), Mick Ronson and David Gilmour etc.

MW: Is there anyone out now who you really enjoy?

PF: There are a couple of superb local artists/bands that I really enjoy listening to. First is the ‘Jamie Porter Band’, the second is an acoustic artist called ‘Daniel Williamson’. Both write excellent, original music and are at the top of their game right now.

MW: Where can people go to hear more of your music?

PF: 

https://soundcloud.com/phillip-foxley

http://www.reverbnation.com/phillipfoxley

https://facebook.com/phillipfoxley

http://www.twitter.com/foxleyinfo

 
https://phillipfoxley.bandcamp.com/releases 
http://www.factoryfastrecords.com/#!sing-to-me/cesc 
http://www.factoryfastrecords.com/#!we-roll-alone/c1qmr 
http://thepitunsigned.bandcamp.com/album/struggles-from-the-pit

David Bremner: Gentle Healing

Scottish singer and songwriter David Bremner has a fantastic new release titled “Gentle Healing,” if you haven’t heard this one yet, let me assure you it is a lovely ballad. The song has such a soul-searching quality, something that I desperately relate to at this stage of my life (I’m always on the lookout for sympathetic music and this one doesn’t disappoint). The strummed guitar and ethereal background are perfect backdrops for the slide guitar that cuts through the mix. It reminds me a little bit of the dissonances in Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” – something so pure and empathic but still there is pain we can hear. Of course, Mr. Bremner’s voice is powerfully emotional, it’s mature and strong yet so wonderfully capable of delivering the gentleness for which the song calls.

For anyone interested (and you should be) you can preview and purchase the song through http://vibedeck.com/shineonrecords/gentle-healing

Serge Bulat: Queuelbum

If you read the introduction to a project and you find these words describing it, you're bound to be intrigued:

…a shifting realm of sound, visual art and philosophy; your ultimate race against time and limitations. The experience requires maximum involvement: challenge your imagination and be willing to break the rules of logic. Use your imagination - this is the only force that fuels evolution. Get ready for the journey!

The above passage is the artist Serge Bulat’s remarks about his newest release titled “Queuelbum,” and it is absolute sonic genius. It’s a large work which clocks in at eleven tracks. Many of them are odd and beautiful soundscapes which take a somewhat minimalistic approach but in the best possible way. It’s strange, but tastefully and incitingly strange.

My piece of choice from the album would have to be number six “Interqueue,” a very cinematic piano-scape that transforms into stunning sound design (almost like the kind you’d hear in the background of David Lynch’s “Eraserhead” but way more beautiful – although still pretty creepy). Of course, although this is my favorite, all the other tracks measure up just as well.

I strongly recommend you check out Serge Bulat’s website and read about this wonderful project, you won’t be disappointed! www.sergebulat.com

Francis Bowie: Superblind Forever Free

All of my friends who know me well, know that I love quirky. Other things I love: synths, abstract lyrics, instrumental intros, and distinct singing voices. Frances Bowie has all of these and more; the new album titled “Superblind Forever Free” is a psychedelic-synthy romp through worlds of desperate sonic reality. The themes are catchy and the mood is futuristic and still so familiar.

The album begins with the instrumental track “Are You Hungry?” it’s a sort of electro-prelude featuring a semi-orchestral approach to synth composition. It’s part electric-light-parade and part vintage indie-rock. Probably its biggest strength is the subtle evolving nature of the track, it’s very cohesive but at the same time never boring.

“It’s in the Way” is next up – octave voices soar over thin synth lines. Melodically, it seems like it could be right at home with a late 1950’s early 1960’s slow dance scene from a movie. On the other hand, the drums and instrumentation make it decidedly modern.

The third track is “Fit In” (also featured in the above music video) is a song with a very slick guitar line accompanied by whistling. These vocals are way more rock-belty a la the “other” bowie. A song about not being accepted is nothing new to indie music, but again, the instrumentation and arrangement makes for an extremely original sound. A Hammond organ is also featured prominently in this number which scores big points with me.

“Cathedral” has probably the most orchestral intro of the whole album. To me, it is reminiscent of The Blue Nile’s song “The Downtown Lights” (a song I adore by the way) in the way the chord progression is simple but very lush. This stands in contrast to “Forever” with a piano loop along with what sounds like a found-sound drum loop. The vocals soar in this one; they are dreamy, reverbed and beautiful. The chorus employs a little more of that 1950’s flavor which seems like a minor theme in this album.

I’m skipping over the track “The Idea is Always Free” (not that it’s not great – it’s got a lot of spoken word qualities – which is cool) only because I love the title track “Superblind” so much which is next.

Sad and upbeat is tricky to pull off well, I think no one did this quality better than The Flaming Lips, but Francis Bowie makes a pretty strong play for equality with those guys. The piano in "Superblind" is played beautifully and with background vocals are so ethereal it sounds very cinematic. All of this serves as a soundbed for the aforementioned dreamy vocals. The chorus sounds an anthem of “Leave your things behind, trust the superblind” is about as catchy as I can write. 

Tracks 8, 9, and 10 offer a lot to round out the sound of the album “Don’t Fucking Tell Me” is just aggressive enough to be sympathetic if you are feeling irritated. “Alea Lacta Est” lets me use my college-Latin for once in my life (the die is cast), it’s a very short track but makes for a nice interlude. “Fuck Education” has much the same mood as “Don’t Fucking Tell Me” but it takes quite a bolder stance in a “damn the man” type mentality. As a college professor, I really wish they had been more specific with the chorus sounding “fuck formal education” but the syllables probably wouldn’t work that way.

To me, the winner in the last half of the album (other than the title track) is number 13, “Rollercoaster” a quick song featuring hard hitting pop rhythms, a terrific electro-funk bass line, and a catchy melody. I think fans of late Sneaker Pimps would appreciate this song greatly.  Like so many other songs in “Superblind Forever Free” the vocals are helped along by a doubling at the octave – something that is pulled off expertly on this album.

Overall I can say honestly that in my 5-7 listenings of Francis Bowie’s newest release I was able to hear something new and beautiful each time. It’s a remarkable work of indie sounds and I’ll probably have it in rotation for a while still. I’ll look forward to the next release, in the meantime, you should check out “Superblid Forever Free” on Spotify and hop over to the website here: www.francisbowie.com

Janna Pelle: Key Change

In what is quite possibly the most wonderful exploration of keyboard instruments since the famous "Switched on Bach" by Wendy Carlos, Janna Pelle has given us yet another reason to love the ivory and ebonies. Her new (ambitious) 2016 album titled "Key Change" is a grand tour of keyboard instruments including the Harpsichord, Wurlitzer Organ, Piano, and many others. Luckily for the audience, there are also a series of videos exploring the individual instruments - such as the one below featuring the Harpsichord. 

It's nice to know that in our current time of limitless keyboard opportunities for sound (though sampling and synthesis) there are artists keeping alive the tradition of acoustic instruments thought not to have a place in the recording world. For that reason, we can all applaud Janna Pelle. To learn more (as well as hear samples of music) please visit her website at www.jannapelle.com

Gotham Theory: Why'd You Break Up With Me?

Sometimes it’s just got to be noisy. Rock n’ roll (especially the kind that traces itself back to the blues) ought to be gritty, loud, and beautifully unkempt. This is how I feel anyway, and it’s good to know that Baltimore boys “Gotham Theory” agree with me. Direct from the bio section of their website they note firsthand:

Gotham Theory is jumping on the train to strip rock back down to the basics. Mixing big riffs and bluesy solos is a sound that may seem familiar based on their influences, but with groovy rhythm section Gotham Theory evolves from those influences to craft a unique sound.

I would add that there is an artistic sensibility present in the music as well. Maybe it’s the pop-art cover (reminiscent of Roy Lichtenstein) of their newest studio album “Why’d You Break Up With Me?” (which may be ordered at the band's website gothamtheory.com) that indicates there is going to be a lot of meat on this intellectual bone. The album clocks in at 11 tracks and while the sound is distinct to each number, there is a common thread of time-tested ruggedness that runs through each song (two of which: “Angry Boy” and “Stepping Out” can be heard on their website).

“Angry Boy” pays homage to distorted guitar blues from the rifts right down to the story-oriented lyrics. It hits the ground running with in-your-face repeating melodies and doesn’t let up for the duration. The vocals are fantastically melodic and yet, they are gruff and scream-oriented which is not an easy nuance to pull off, but here it is done masterfully. “Angry Boy” is not only a declamation of a life gone wrong – it is a sympathetic call to the audience which says “feel this with me!”

“Stepping Out” is no less aggressive than “Angry Boy” but it is quite a bit more optimistic in its sound. At its best, it has an almost disco-quality, that is, if disco could be played with only distorted guitar, drums, and bass (ahhh, I’m missing the slide drums). The lyrics couldn’t be any better, a song about proud cheating is so wonderfully assertive with masculine energy. In a world populated by emasculated betas trying desperately to downplay their testosterone, it is good to know that we can still enjoy art not catering to the modern political climate.

Visiting their YouTube channel is also worthwhile for the acoustic covers - only one up right now, but it's a performance which demonstrates this is a live band (no disrespect to their studio work which is incredible). Here in this cover of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” we get to see Sam Brewer belt passionately while Josh Sunderlin strums beautifully in support. It’s an incredible rendition of a great song – hopefully, we’ll see more of these in the future.

I think if John Lee Hooker could have developed precognition and been able to see down the generations to acts like Gotham Theory, he’d be happy. It’s nice to know that younger musicians are maintaining a strength of character, writing engaging lyrics, and just playing the shit out of their instruments for the sake of rock. The band, made up of Sam Brewer on drums and lead vocals, Stu DePoy on Bass, Zach Mason on guitar, and Josh Sunderlin on guitar and lead vocals make for a very powerful sonic quad. Do yourself a favor while you’re downloading “Why’d You Break Up With Me?” – make sure you also listen to it with a pair of headphones just to get every lyric and grungy guitar chord. 

Winner: Phil Joseph for Best International Artist

We are pleased to announce our first winner in the category of Best International Artist: Mr. Phil Joseph!

An ambition of ours here at Current Music Thoughts was to bring to our readers excellence in music making within the independent world - and I'm sure you know how many artists there are to hear. That being said, there are individuals who are making music that just jumps out and screams to be acknowledged. Such an artist is London-based Phil Joseph and his unique, tasteful, and masterful rendition of the classic Ben King tune "Stand by Me." It has upbeat dance and reggae elements which breathe new life into the track as if giving it a second-wind during the midnight of the original's popularity. 

Featuring the rapper Malik on the verses it is original and yet at the same time such a beautiful homage to classic American music. This reason, more than any other, is merit enough for the award as in a period of waning interest in the USA Mr. Joseph gives us a positive nod. It's a love song - but at the same time we're all wondering if there is a dual meaning saying "stand by me and everything is going to be OK" and from this side of the pond, we appreciate it. Congratulations Mr. Joseph on an outstanding achievement, we will be anxiously awaiting many more tunes!