Author: J

J is a DJ at WKNC and a staunch enjoyer of dark and moody music.

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Band/Artist Profile

Obscure Artists Spotlight: Soma Cake, Datura and They Feed at Night

This may be surprising, but I really like music.

Partly as a function of being a DJ and partly as a function of being neurodivergent, I spend a lot of time “crate diving” through sprawls of Spotify playlists and recommendations.

While these efforts usually lead me to simply find more songs by artists I already know (for some reason, the algorithm really wants me to listen to Joy Division’s “Disorder”), there’s also the rare (but cherished) occasion that I discover an artist unknown both to me and by many others in the scene.

This week, I’ve put together a small selection of “obscure” artists I personally enjoy in the hope of growing their listener base and giving them some much-deserved recognition.

Soma Cake

With only 900 monthly listeners, this band is probably the most obscure on this list.

Based in Reynosa, Mexico, Soma Cake walks the line between the realms of darkwave, post-punk, dreampop and jangle rock.

The band hit the scene in 2018 with the release of “Manual Para los Reci​é​n Fallecidos” (“Manual For the Recently Deceased”), which features tracks recorded between 2016 and 2017.

Cover for “Manual Para los Reci​é​n Fallecidos” by Soma Cake

This album has a distinct gothic tone, though with jangly — rather than consistently distorted — guitars.

The presence of live drums, rather than a drum machine, is also an interesting touch. And while the band makes use of synths, their end product has more of a nostalgic deathrock feel.

While “Manual Para los Reci​é​n Fallecidos” is technically the band’s first release, they consider their first “real” album to be ”Girls Bite Harder.“

Released April 2018, the album is a stark turn from its predecessor’s clear goth influence. Rather, the album is a font of dreampop, jangle and shoegaze.

My first encounter with Soma Cake came with their 2022 album “Senza,” which blends the band’s dual atmospheres — gothic and dreamy — in beautiful harmony.

Recommended Tracks:

Datura

With under 4,000 monthly listeners, Datura is a gothic rock band from Wentachee, Washington.

Datura draws inspiration from goth legends like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Chameleons.

This influence can be clearly seen in their work, which has a staticy retro feel and upbeat, though still moody, vibe.

Cover for “Arcano Chemical” by Datura

The band released two EPs in 2020, followed by several singles before “Arcano Chemical,” the band’s first album, came out in 2022.

While some tracks on the album have more of an “alternative” than goth slant, there’s a consistent goth influence — distorted guitars, spectral ambience and dark lyrics — throughout.

Recommended Tracks:

  • “Phantasma”
  • “Chase”
  • “Sapphire”

They Feed at Night

Of the three artists I’ve presented, They Feed at Night is probably the most niche.

I’ll start out by saying that this band probably isn’t for everybody. Of all the goth subgenres, I find that deathrock is typically the least palatable for people new to the scene.

Experimental deathrock, by this summation, is even stranger.

As a lover of strange music, They Feed at Night captured my very heart with their frigid, weeping and harsh sound.

Cover for “Deprivation” by They Feed at Night

Though apparently no longer active (the band’s latest release was in 2016), the band started its career all the way back in 2009 with their debut demo “They Feed at Night.”

Taking a very literal approach to the term “deathrock,” each of the band’s tracks are angsty, frenzied and dramatic. Rough, screaming vocals meld with an accompaniment of distorted guitars.

Recommended Tracks:

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Miscellaneous Playlists

I Played Baldur’s Gate 3. Here’s What Music I Think the Companions Would Listen to:

Photo by Marcela Laskoski on Unsplash

I made the choice (a poor one, perhaps) to finally purchase Baldur’s Gate 3 last month. I have a lot of opinions about it.

But since WKNC.org is, at its core, a music-based platform, I will sublimate my obsession interest in the game into something music-related.

While the plot and gameplay of BG3 is all well and good, what I find to be the most important is the blorbofication of the game’s characters.

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash

For those unfamiliar with Baldur’s Gate 3, the game allows a player’s PC to travel in the company of several companions who seem specially-tailored to be both intensely likeable (excluding Gale) and intensely attractive.

Through gameplay and interaction, the player can learn more about these new friends (or enemies — or lovers — depending on how you swing things) and build plot-relevant relationships.

That’s all well and good, I suppose.

But beyond all the hours of carefully crafted backstory and world-building infused into BG3’s gameplay, I’m interested in imposing upon these characters my own pretentious personal ideas about music.

Nobody asked, but I will deliver.

The Selection

I digress with a brief disclaimer to highlight that this is, primarily, a joke. However, I stand wholeheartedly by all of these claims.

I also will only be covering the “main cast” of companions, so if anyone was expecting to see what kind of music Scratch or Minthara would listen to, they’ll have to decide that for themselves.

My criteria for making these assessments comes from four main factors:

  1. Personality
  2. Style
  3. Canon
  4. My personal opinions

As an English major, I have a lot of practice in the art of character analysis. As a music fan, I have a lot of experience being force-fed other people’s music opinions.

The intersection of these two realms will yield something interesting, if not accurate.

Lae’zel

Lae’zel is a Githyanki Fighter with a Soldier background. If you’re not familiar with DND, those words will mean next to nothing to you. That’s fine. All you need to know is that Lae’zel is the modern man’s tsundere.

If I’m being honest, I struggled the most with this one. Lae’zel is characterized as being both strictly no-nonsense and highly repressed, coming from a highly militaristic society.

At the same time, however, her culture has a strong musical and artistic foundation. Githyanki music is defined as highly variable, though consistently centered around metallic, harsh and strident rhythms.

Cover for “20 Jazz Funk Greats” by Throbbing Gristle

From this perspective, I think Lae’zel’s music taste would follow similar lines. I can see her enjoying weird industrial music as well as brassy jazz.

Bands I can think of that fit this kind of idiosyncratic harshness and experimental irregularity include:

  • Xiu Xiu
  • Throbbing Gristle
  • SEATBELTS
  • Maynard Ferguson

I also think she’d like insanely hard, vigorous metal. Perhaps jazz-metal fusion, like Agabas.

Shadowheart

Also known as “God’s Favorite Princess,” Shadowheart is a half-elf Cleric with an Acolyte background.

I was pleased to find that despite my first impressions of her, Shadowheart has proven to be a well-written female character. I adore her, and if it wasn’t my goal to make all the companions fall in love with me, I would probably romance her.

Cover for “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers

All the same though, I don’t think her music taste would be all that spectacular. Though her outward personality projects pragmatism, I think she’d find music as an important emotional outlet. So, obviously, she’d be very into girlcore.

I can see her appreciating female artists, specifically. Such as:

I’m definitely taking this too seriously.

Gale

i will preface this by stating that I am not a misandrist.

Gale is a human Wizard with a Sage background. He’s also from Waterdeep, as he’s particularly keen on mentioning.

I don’t dislike Gale, per se, but he definitely gives off an air of instability that reminds me of several uncharismatic and overly-confident men I’ve met in my life. While I’m sure that Gale is far from the “fantasy incel” I like to pretend he is for laughs, I do think he’d listen to The Smiths.

Cover for “In the Court of the Crimson King” by King Crimson

As someone who also listens to The Smiths, like recognizes like.

Gale also seems like the kind of person who would give over his heart to enigmatic, long-winded sprawls of progressive rock.

He’d probably smell like patchouli — and another fragrant herb — in real life.

Astarion

Oh, man. I really do enjoy this mean, fruity little man.

Astarion is a high elf Rogue with a Charlatan background. He’s also a vampire, which despite being extremely obvious, is somehow a surprise to all the other characters.

I consider whether or not someone likes Astarion to be a sort of litmus test. For what exactly, I will not say.

Cover for “Getz/Gilberto” by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto

Maybe it’s trite to think this, but I see Astarion as being an appreciator of classical music and soft, smooth jazz. I like to think he may even appreciate bossa nova.

He’s 200 years old and probably sick to death of the whole music business, prefering instead just to listen to what “feels nice.”

And yes, I’m fully aware that Neil Newborn has his own Astarion playlist, and that it has “Even Flow” on it.

Wyll

This is my little brother’s favorite character (because warlocks are cool.)

Wyll is a human Warlock (The Fiend) with a Folk Hero background. He has a stone eye with a heart-shaped pupil, which to me signals to the fact that he’s probably the most well-adjusted companion (and character, perhaps) in the game.

Cover for “Badmotorfinger” by Soundgarden

Though he defines himself as a warrior and monster-slayer (the “Blade of Frontiers,” which is a name he apparently gave himself?), he’s inherently kindhearted and subtly dorky.

This, combined with his red-and-black fashion motif, leads me to think of him as a big fan of dad rock. He’s into alternative sounds, but only really familiar with the more topical names.

Karlach

An unequivocal representation of peak female character design, Karlach is a Tiefling Barbarian with an Outlander background. She’s also got an infernal engine in her chest, which honestly only adds to her abject hotness.

Cover for “away” by Fromjoy

Karlach is a beacon to angsty ADHD girlies everywhere. While I think she’d honestly just enjoy listening to anything upbeat and fun, I also see her as particularly drawn to heavy music a la Doom Slayer. But perhaps with an emo or nu metal twist.

A special mention goes to the track “Hyperviolence” by Omerta.

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist Profile: Agabas

Photo by Sam Moghadam Khamseh on Unsplash

Agabas is a 6-piece Norwegian metal band that hit the scene back in April 2023 with their debut single, “Skamklipt.”

When I first heard the track, I found it fabulously raucous. A cacophony of extremity, both through vocals and instrumentation, the single proved a striking debut for the band.

Once the song hit around the 1:40 mark, things changed when from a flurry of energetic and extreme metal, a saxophone emerged like a swarm of tweaked-out wasps.

I’ve always loved a good saxophone solo, but I never fully grasped just how sublime a marriage of rock aggression and experimental jazz would be.

Cover for “Skamklipt” by Agabas

The result was intoxicating, and not just because it scratched the itch in my attention-decifit-hyperactive brain.

Agabas doesn’t pretend to be a regular metal band.

Clad in neat slacks and buttoned-up 70s-style floral shirts, the band’s image clashes severely with its unrestrained and often hellish sound.

This fusion of aesthetics translates into the band’s work, producing a fusion of genres as the band’s extreme metal foundation is infused with experimental jazz.

The result is a “disgusting harmony” the band has called “deathjazz.”

Deathjazz

While some may argue against the band’s marriage of jazz and metal, likening deathjazz to a musical Frankenstein’s monster, I disagree. If anything, it’s a perfect match.

Anyone who really listens to jazz is fully aware that the common perception of jazz as inherently smooth and delicate — the kind of music one listens to while reading a book at a coffee shop — isn’t wholly representative of the genre.

Cover for “A Hate Supreme” by Agabas

Jazz can get wild, blurring the line between order and utter chaos, completely unrestrained by rules and stricture.

With that kind of framework, I can’t think of a better match for jazz than metal, a genre which pioneers itself on the basis of its vibrant sensations.

The allure of Agabas’ music lies in its saxophone, which takes the place of the classic “metal breakdown” to lay out a convoluted and often (pleasantly) ear-piercing slurry of notes.

Final Thoughts

Since their start in early 2023, Agabas has produced two albums.

“A Hate Supreme” came out in September while “Voluspå” was released in mid October. Both albums present a rich landscape through which Agabas continues to develop their deathjazz style.

While some people may see deathjazz as gimmicky and unoriginal, I see it as an interesting opportunity to witness the intersection of two highly elastic genres.

I look forward to seeing how Agabas changes over time, as I’m sure they will, and what this will mean for the future of metal, jazz and their newborn child.

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist Profile: Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows

Cover for "In der Pal​ä​stra" by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows

Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows is the musical brain child of Anna Varney Cantodea.

From the moment of its conception in Germany in 1989, the musical project defines itself through its basis in the “sacred trinity” of music, poetry and visual appearance.

Though arguably underrated in the goth scene, Sopor Aeternus is unequivocally striking both musically and visually, making it (in my opinion) one of the most important projects in the subculture today.

The project is best enjoyed holistically, affording appreciation of both its music and its stunning visuals.

Cover for “Mitternacht” by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows

Sopor Aeternus, or Eternal Sleep

While Varney exists as the self-proclaimed “sole protagonist” of the band — the Sopor Aeternus, if you will — she credits much of her inspiration to the “Ensemble of Shadows,” whom she describes as the “spirits” who deliver her the ideas for musical compositions.

Varney also claims that the influence of this “Ensemble of Shadows” dissuaded her from suicide following the production of her second album, “Todeswunsch – Sous le Soleil de Saturne” (“Deathwish – Under the Sun of Saturn”) in 1995.

Cover for “Have you seen this Ghost?” by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows

Though infused with elements of classical, baroque, medieval and even electronic music, Sopor Aeternus continually roots itself in a starkly “gothic” sphere.

Which makes sense, as the project’s basis lies in its purpose as an expression of “extreme, intense pain.”

On her website, Varney describes her musical project as “magic(k)al, spiritual work … a perpetual stock-taking … a constant analysis … crisis & observation … invocation & exorcism.”

According to her philosophy, “life” and “art” are inexorably linked. Each musical release represents Varney’s process of coming to terms and moving on from events in her life.

Discography

Many artists, especially in the goth scene, liken their musical process to ritual. Varney, however, takes this a step further by conceptualizing music as a deeply personal, intimate experience.

As such, she refuses to engage in live performances and claims to record all her songs in a single take, never revisiting them after leaving the studio.

Cover for “Vor dem Tode tr​ä​umen wir” by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows

Varney’s current discography consists of a vast assortment of music, including three demo tapes, 16 albums, eight EPs and 11 singles.

My personal favorite of Varney’s works is her 2020 album “Island of the Dead,” which draws from her experience as a trans woman dating a married man.

Possessing a blend of humor and heartwrenching honesty, the album is theatre in its purest form, a prolonged dialogue between Varney, her lost love, and herself.

Final Thoughts

It’s difficult to describe Sopor Aeternus, because it stands as something so artistically rich.

Trying to confine it within the stricture of words is like trying to summarize the totality of a play or novel in a single sitting. It’s impossible to capture everything.

What I’d say is the best thing to do in order to gain even a sense of what Varney brings to the table is to listen through one of her albums with the awareness of its personal nature.

It’s not uncommon for artists to infuse their work with aspects of themselves. Especially in music, it’s a common practice.

But it’s less common to see the practice represented so holistically — the intersection of gender, sexuality and mental health made manifest — in an overarching musical “universe.”

Deeply philosophical, irreverently gloomy and subtly witty, Sopor Eternus & The Ensemble of Shadows is a “project” in the most literal sense, and one I highly encourage anyone with a taste for the avant garde to explore.

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Concert Preview

Concert Preview: Citizen with Narrow Head and Modern Color

Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash

There’s no better time to go to a show and listen to moody, angst-filled music than mid-to-late November, that sweet spot nestled right between midterms and finals where reality is at its most existentially crushing.

Cat’s Cradle, one of my favorite venues for its ease of parking *cough cough* Raleigh needs to do better *cough cough*, will be hosting a trio of excellent bands on Wednesday, November 15.

With a lineup consisting of Citizen, Narrow head and Modern Color, the night will be a sepia explosion of wrenching post-hardcore and shoegaze ballads.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to slap on your used Carhartt jacket and favorite knitted beanie, this might be the perfect opportunity for you.

Citizen

Michigan-based punk-rock-emo band Citizen has been hard at work, having released their most recent LP back in early October.

In celebration of this release, the band the US with Narrow Head and Modern Color (and will tour the EU with Drug Church) and will stop in North Carolina on the 15th.

If you’re not familiar with Citizen, they’ve got a classic summery sound that leans more in the direction of emo than punk and with distinct post-hardcore roots.

Cover for “Calling the Dogs” by Citizen

While I wouldn’t consider the music “moshable” per se, it’s definitely good music to nod your head to.

“Calling the Dogs,” Citizen’s latest LP, is a contemporary take on shoegaze and indie rock.

Consistently upbeat and occasionally beachy, the album is exactly the kind of music I’d imagine coastal hipsters drink IPAs to at bonfire get-togethers.

While the album only gives me subtle shoegaze or emo vibes, it’s an interesting representation of the band’s stylistic development since their early 2012 album “Split.”

Some of the LP’s tracks, like “Dogs,” take on a gritty post-punk slant akin to Viagra Boys. Others, like “If You’re Lonely,” lean more towards indie rock.

Narrow Head

Where Citizen’s music is fast and upbeat, Narrow Head traverses swirling rivers of molasses.

Slow, grungy and riddled with distortion, the music of Texas-based Narrow Head is an echo of the 90s in some places and a glimpse into an unseen future in others.

Cover for “Far Removed” by Narrow Head

With their most recent albums and LPs all having been released in the same year, 2020, it’s unclear where the band will be sourcing their setlist materials.

All that’s guaranteed is that the music will be perfectly smokelike, its hard rock edge blunted by the ambience of the concert hall.

Modern Color

I’ve mentioned Modern Color on this platform before.

Of the three performers at this show, I can guarantee Modern Color will be the moodiest.

Cover for “From the Leaves of Your Garden” by Modern Color

If their setlist pulls at all from their 2021 EP “Now, Life is Living You,” the audience will be transported by a swell of pure emotion — yearning, melancholy and other abstract feelings — as soon as the first song starts.

Based in California, Modern Color defines itself as alternative rock, post-hardcore and punk. While I see their discography as more post-punk than punk, there’s a strong post-hardcore influence throughout.

Of the three bands, I think Modern Color will bring the most raw energy to the stage and audience.

Categories
Blog Playlists

Anything But the “Monster Mash” – A Halloween Party Playlist

Photo by Sabina Music Rich on Unsplash

I’m not gonna lie, the “Monster Mash” is a classic.

But like most classics, it’s been absolutely done to death, and the odious stink of its corpse is unbearable to me.

At some point the public decided that the “Monster Mash” was The Only Halloween song, and they proceeded to totally murder it.

Photo by Sabina Music Rich on Unsplash

In response to the public’s brutal slaying of the Monster Mash, I’ve compiled my own selection of retro and campy Halloween tracks for this year’s litany of costume parties.

The Playlist

  • “Dracula’s Daughter” – Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages
  • “Evil” – 45 Grave
  • “Drac the Knife” – Gene Moss & Fred Ross

From the album “Dracula’s Greatest Hits,” this track is Dracula’s cover of Bobby Darin’s 1958 “Mack the Knife,” but specifically if Dracula was like the dad from Hotel Transylvania.

  • “Absinthe” – The Damned (specifically, this version)
  • “Jekyll and Hyde” – Jim Burgett
  • “Buried Alive” – Radio Werewolf

A musical collective active from 1984 to 1993, Radio Werewolf amassed a cult following (called the “Radio Werewolf Youth Party”) during its highly controversial ritualistic theatrical performances.

The collective’s strange activities led to its placement in Classic Rock Magazine’s “The 25 Weirdest Bands of All Time.”

  • “The House is Haunted” – The Phantom Chords
  • “Dracula Hates Photoshoots” – Messer Chups
  • “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” – The 69 Cats

“Bela Lugosi’s Dead” is a classic. Originally performed by (my beloved) Bauhaus, this cover by The 69 Cats has a jazzy psychobilly slant, making it highly danceable and perfect for a Halloween hootenanny.

Categories
New Album Review

New Releases: Tears For the Dying, Modern Color and Buzz Kull

Photo by Evelyn Bertrand on Unsplash

Music-makers have been hard at work putting out new music, and I”ve been hard at work listening to it.

Here are some highlights from this month:

Tears For the Dying

Based in Athens, Georgia, Tears for the Dying produces music in the vein of deathrock, post-punk and dark punk.

With a corpse-cold sound and the richly plaintive vocals of Adria Stembridge at their disposal, Tears For the Dying puts out consistent bangers.

The band’s latest release, “Heterochromia,” is straight up arctic.

Cover for “Heterochromia” by Tears for the Dying

Compared to other releases, the band’s deathrock style appears restrained, creating a vacuous and frigid atmosphere. The song’s lyrics only compound this effect.

I’ll rip you apart from everything you love

Slithering from beneath black waters

The rotting carcass splits and sprouts

Fertile ground of rot and death

Efflorescence of drifting mist

Tears for the Dying, “Heterochromia”

What is the driving force behind such tortured and melancholic lyrics?

Adria Stembridge, frontwoman and founder of the band, draws inspiration from her experience growing up trans and autistic in the American south.

Subjugation, alienation and victimization — and the inner darkness stemming from these influences — contribute to the band’s vivid sound.

While this isn’t my favorite song by the band (that award belongs to “Go Die” from their 2021 album “Epitaph“), it’s a solid track.

Modern Color

Modern Color is a beloved band of mine.

Their sound ranges from nostalgic and idyllic shoegaze to vigorous post-hardcore, and I look forward to seeing them when they make their way to Cat’s Cradle next month.

Cover for “Fortress” by Modern Color

Modern Color’s newest single, “Fortress,” definitely embodies more of the band’s emo and shoegaze sound. It’s a warm and summery track with more upbeat energy than some of the band’s other releases, such as “Pale.”

I definitely prefer the band’s earlier music, especially their 2020 album “From The Leaves of Your Garden,” and hope they continue to experiment with the post-hardcore aspect of their style.

Buzz Kull

Buzz Kull is the musical project of Sydney-based artist Marc Dwyer.

I’ve played Buzz Kull on air several times before. His sprawling darkwave and EBM beats are transfixing.

Cover for “A Place (That’s Meant To Be)” by Buzz Kull

There’s an attractive bluntness to his work, a gothic apathy that commands focus to a more emotional and complex synth and drum machine arrangement.

Buzz Kull’s most recent single, “A Place (That’s Meant To Be),” is strongly electronic. Highly danceable, this EBM track is both fast-moving and languid, with staccato beats overlaid by ringing tones of brass.

It’s the kind of music you can lose yourself in on the dancefloor, best enjoyed amid the smoke-scented bustle of the goth club.

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album Review: “Ruler Rebel”

Photo by Joseph Hersh on Unsplash

This album fundamentally changed me.

I don’t often talk about it, but jazz is vitally important to me. While my affinity for other genres is often transient and ever-changing, my love of jazz remains constant.

Jazz feels like home to me. It’s pure jubilation and pure comfort.

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

“Ruler Rebel” is no exception to this standard. Listening to this album, as well as its companion pieces, was transformative.

The album manifests jazz with a staunchly contemporary voice, drawing from a wealth of influences.

Though it’s been years since I first listened to it, I still find myself excitedly offering this album to my friends and loved ones.

A Sobering Assessment

“Ruler Rebel” is the first installment of the Centennial Trilogy, proceeded by “Diaspora” and “The Emancipation Procrastination.”

Produced by jazz artist Christian Scott, “Ruler Rebel” pays homage to Scott’s native New Orleans.

Cover for “Diaspora” by Christian Scott

The multifaceted, deeply contemplative and tactile album presents a “re-evaluation of the social political realities of the world through sound.”

The album itself is relatively short as jazz albums go, with its eight tracks adding up to around 35 minutes.

Though a quick listen, the album is unignorable in its impact. An expert craftsman, Scott weaves the ebullience of hip-hop into the jazz tapestry to establish an accessible narrative voice.

Stretch Music

Christian Scott dons many hats — a jazz trumpeter, a producer, a composer, a multi-instrumentalist — in his pursuit of musical innovation.

A staunch experimentalist, Scott’s shirks the confinement of the “jazz” label in favor of something more elastic: stretch music.

Cover for “Stretch Music” by Christian Scott

Stretch music pays respect to jazz traditions while also exploring the fusion of the genre with other stylistic frameworks. While also the name of Scott’s 2015 album, the term expands to encapsulate his novel approach to music.

In “Ruler Rebel,” the marriage of jazz and hip-hop stands as a prime example of this. The music is distinctly jazz, but the warmth of its hip-hop slant cultivates a menagerie of vibrant moods and tones.

Final Thoughts

“Ruler Rebel” strikes listeners right between the ribs.

The album’s opening track, “Ruler Rebel,” is a magnificent vehicle for the butter-smoothness of Scott’s trumpeteering, which stands out amid a dreamlike chorus of musical conversation.

The song is both vibrant and agonizing, beautiful like shards of glass. It’s remix is even more striking (and is one of my all-time favorite songs).

Cover for “Ruler Rebel [X. aTunde Adjuah Remix]” by Christian Scott

Another track on the album, “Rise Again [Allmos Remix],” has a strong hip-hop influence with its rhythmic backing beat.

“Phases” introduces female vocals provided by rising vocalist Sarah Elizabeth Charles, creating a sense of wispy ephemerality.

As a whole, the album represents a multitude of voices. Unflinchingly unpretentious, “Ruler Rebel” presents itself in steadfast allegiance with the common person and in opposition to musical classism.

Categories
Band/Artist Profile Concert Preview

Concert Preview: Xiu Xiu

Cover for "Ignore Grief" by Xiu Xiu

October is proving to be a great month for live shows.

In the aftermath of midterms week, I’ve been keeping an eye out for the local musical happenings. The latter half of this month promises an awesome assortment of live shows, some of which I may attend myself.

Among them is an upcoming performance by Xiu Xiu on October 19 at Kings.

What is Xiu Xiu?

Named after the 1998 Chinese drama film “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl“, Xiu Xiu is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart.

Xiu Xiu band member Jamie Stewart in Aarhus Denmark 2017, uploaded by Hreinn Gudlaugsson, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

The band’s sound is esoteric and bleak, unspooling into sprawls of distortion. There’s a heavy air of pessimism and melancholy throughout, though with a more industrial (think Throbbing Gristle) than gothic slant.

Xiu Xiu hit the airwaves in 2002 with the release of “Knife Play,” an 11-track album of experimental desolation.

Stewart’s vocals are consistently plaintive, his lyrics blunt and sobering. The instrumental arrangement oscillates between rhythmically restrained — receding into the background amid simple drum beats — and wholly unleashed.

Jamie Stewart de Xiu Xiu, Adventures in Modern Music 2004, uploaded by Seth Tisue, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0

Xiu Xiu’s second album, the 2003 release “A Promise,” also contributed to the band’s acclaim.

Produced in the aftermath of the death of Stewart’s father, “A Promise” can be interpreted as a depiction of personal despair.

Xiu Xiu went on to release 11 more studio albums as well as three cover albums, two compilations and two EPs.

Their most recent release, the 2023 album “Ignore Grief,” will likely feature in their upcoming performance.

While I haven’t had the chance to peruse the entire album, what I’ve listened to thus far has been nothing short of chilling.

There’s a dark, borderline obsessive cynicism in this album; an ice-cold horror slant that rings perfect for the bittersweetness of October.

Categories
Miscellaneous

Film Review: Stop Making Sense

Movie poster for "Stop Making Sense"

October 19 marks the 40-year anniversary of “Stop Making Sense,” a 1984 American concert film centering around the rock band Talking Heads.

In anticipation of the film’s upcoming anniversary, studio A-24 returned “Stop Making Sense” to theaters in crisp 4k.

Musical group Talking Heads; left to right: David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, in a promotional photo for the album Remain In Light. Distributed by Sire Records. Image in the public domain.

After putting it off for weeks, I finally went to see it on October 7 with DJ Claymore.

In short: it was excellent.

For the longer version, look below:

The Film

When I go to live shows, the onstage performance is only part of what contributes to the experience. A good show has atmosphere, with energy diffused from the performers to the audience below.

Despite taking place on the big screen, thus severing the connection between audience and performer, “Stop Making Sense” manages to cultivate a vividly energetic and intimate experience that moves and transforms.

David Byrne onstage with the Talking Heads, October 1, 1977 Jay’s Longhorn Bar, Minneapolis, MN, uploaded by Michael Markos, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

The Cinematography

The film’s methodical construction is in part largely responsible for its massive acclaim, as it transforms “concert” and “cinema” into something dynamic and soul-touchingly imaginative.

Though shot across four concert performances at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre, the film maintains a sense of temporal continuity.

In fact, set design, costuming and camera positioning were specially-tailored to create the illusion of the film taking place across a single performance.

And while wide-angle shots serve to capture the magnitude of the band’s stage presence, the use of closeups and tracking shots adds a sense of dynamism and intimacy, taking full advantage of the cinematic medium.

As a result, one could argue that “Stop Making Sense” is more than a concert. It’s a documentary; it’s a glimpse into something methodical and artistic and special.

The Sound

“Stop Making Sense” was filmed during the band’s tour to promote their 1983 album “Speaking in Tongues.”

The soundtrack has an unraveling effect, with each track coinciding with the addition of a new band member to the stage.

Cover for “Speaking In Tongues” by Talking Heads

The film’s first song features Byrne performing an acoustic version of “Psycho Killer.” Next, with “Heaven,” bassist and guitarist Tina Weymouth joins the stage.

All band members appear for the climactic performance of the band’s new hit “Burning Down the House.”

There were several points during this film that my skin erupted in goosebumps or I found myself compelled to kick my feet, to bob my head, to move in some capacity to actualize the energy I felt buzzing all around me.

After the first couple songs, the audience — those of us moviegoers — seemed to forget that that it wasn’t 1984 and that David Byrne was not, in fact, dancing and weaving and gesticulating upon a stage in front of us.

They began to clap, cheer and laugh with abandon. If we weren’t seated, I expect that they would have swayed and danced, too.

Final Thoughts

I went into this film knowing next to nothing about it, only that I loved Talking Heads and loved David Byrne’s flagrant and unabashed eccentricity even more.

Even for those unacquainted with the band, this film is a great experience and possibly a great introduction to the works of Talking Heads.