Author: Hüttemeister

Howdy, I'm Hüttemeister. I write blogs and co-host a country, bluegrass, and folk show on Friday mornings from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. called Saloon Tunes.

New Album Review

“Icarus” by Cryalot EP Review

Post author By Hüttemeister
Post date September 5, 2022

Cryalot, "Icarus" album art

Kero Kero Bonito‘s Sarah Midori Perry released her first solo project, “Icarus”. According to an interview with DIY, Perry created her solo project, titled Cryalot in 2018 as an outlet to express herself in a space separate from KKB.

Cryalot was used for DJ sets until this year when Perry, along with producer Jennifer Walton, began releasing singles for the EP in June.

Flying Into the Sun

This EP leans heavily into an electronic pop sound that is reminiscent of KKB’s 2018 album, “Time ‘n’ Place”. This EP does stretches the boundaries of electronic pop, stepping into areas like spoken word and metal.

Five tracks in length, this EP is solely focused on the Greek myth of Icarus. Usually viewed as a cautionary tale, to Perry, Icarus is about the “beauty of human beings pushing themselves to become something more.”

Perry’s sweet voice mixed with the brutal beats from Walton make this EP truly memorable. Both Perry and Walton are firing on all cylinders to create a sound that complements both of their talents extremely well.

Falling Into the Tracks

Starting off the EP, “Touch the Sun” is a great introduction. The song uses perspective to tell the flight of Icarus from his perspective with a bassy, rythmic beat behind it. I felt this was a great starting track because each song following it seems to build on the sound used in this song.

“Let me touch the sun, wanna have it all / I don’t care if I fall, I accepted it all”
Cryalot, “Touch the Sun” post-chorus lyric

The following track “Hurt Me” is about the fall of Icarus, still in the perspective of Icarus. This song has the same appeal as the first song to me but I still enjoyed it. While listening to this track, I couldn’t help but picture Pieter Bruegel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus“.

“Hell Is Here”, the third track, is the heaviest on the EP. This was probably the song I will continue to go back to in the future. Perry experiments with metal-inspired vocals in the chorus which really worked for me.

Following “Hell Is Here”, “Labyrinth” is much calmer. Starting with a calm piano and stepping away from the heavy bass-beats, it puts Perry’s voice in the spotlight. The chorus to this song is super catchy, and utilizes glitchy sounds very well.

Finishing the EP, “See You Again”, is more of a spoken-word song than anything. The production carries this song, but in my opinion it ran on a bit too long for me to want to come back to it.

Conclusion

“Icarus” was a really enjoyable listen. Tracks like “Hell Is Here” and “Labyrinth” will definitely be on repeat in the coming weeks. This EP very effectively tells the story of Icarus from a different perspective, one that I had never considered.

My only problem with this EP is I think some of the songs run a bit too long for my liking. “Hell Is Here” perfectly utilizes it’s length and does not have any fluff which makes it very easy to come back to.

I look forward to future work from Cryalot. This short EP is a very promising start to this project and I can’t wait to see what Perry does next with the project.

Tags Cryalot, EP Review, WKNC

Band/Artist Profile

Profile of the Week: Jerry, at the Beach

Post author By Hüttemeister
Post date September 2, 2022

Self-proclaimed “fastest band in the world”, Jerry, at the Beach is a ball of fire blasting you away with every track. High-energy and raucous, singer Josh Russell and drummer Ethan Flynn create a sound that can only be thought of as “surf emo.”

I discovered these guys at the beginning of the summer and I have not stopped listening to them since. Upon each listen, I find something new that keeps bringing me back. Within their discography, there are consistent themes of youth, death and love captured with as much angst as you can expect from an emo band.

Jerry currently has two albums: “Jagerbomb” released in January 2021 and “Ketamine” released in June 2022. They also have an EP titled “Jerry, at the Beach” released in 2020 available on their Bandcamp.

Cranberry Run and Before

Their self-titled EP is a very different sound than anything released since. Much slower and more melancholic, this release is clearly a very personal piece of art, coming with a 32-page booklet. The laid-back instrumentals and vocals with jazz influence are reflective of a sad summer night.

“I sail / I sail everyday into the dawn”
Jerry, at the Beach, “Jerry, at the Beach” lyric

While different in sound, their following release, “Jagerbomb” maintains many of the reflective themes expressed in their eponymous EP. This album is a whiplash of tracks that mix slow and fast pacing, building slowly before crashing back down in an explosion of sound.

And crash this album does, with constant allusions to cars, violence, and death. The two-track lineup “I Am Not Responsible” into “Cranberry Run” highlight the uniqueness of the LP.

The Basement Floor

Their latest release, “Ketamine”, builds perfectly on the sound created in “Jagerbomb” with the intensity turned up to 11. In this LP, Jerry, at the Beach isn’t only a ball of fire, they are the sun.

“One look at the basement floor / Tells you everything you need / To know / Don’t go”
Jerry, at the Beach, “I’m Hurting” lyric

Starting off explosively, “I’m Hurting” has been stuck in my head for at least three months. The song perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album with allusions to unreturned love, youth and pain. The second track, “I Love You”, slows the tempo before exploding into “Ketamine”, the titular track.

Each song on this 40-minute album provides something new while maintaining the sound that makes listening to Jerry so enjoyable. This album is a great starting point for Jerry, at the Beach and perfect for a listen while it’s still summer. Each song flows directly into the next, inviting you to continue listening until it’s done.

Beyond the Year 2022

The powerful sound created by Josh and Ethan over the past three years is very inspiring. Heartfelt and emotional, I am excited to see what Jerry, at the Beach does next.

On their Spotify page, they say, “Jerry, at the Beach has lots of music coming out throughout the year 2022. Beyond the year 2022 they will also have lots more music coming out.”

I hope that they continue building on their sound, increasing the intensity to 12 on their next project and continuing their legacy as “the fastest band in the world”.

Tags Band Profile, Jerry at the Beach, WKNC

Miscellaneous

Exploration of Themes in “House of the Dragon”

Post author By Hüttemeister
Post date August 31, 2022

Promotional image from "House of the Dragon." Image from HBO, used under Fair Use.

“Game of Thrones” Sundays have officially returned. After the massive let-down that ended the HBO pop-culture phenomenon, fans have been awaiting a return to the world of Westeros. “House of the Dragon” promises the return.

Set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones”, “House of the Dragon” takes a dive into Westeros with House Targaryen at the height of their power. From the first episode alone, “House of the Dragon” will explore themes of succession, sexism and classism.

Fantasy as a genre allows for the exploration of themes in a way that is not possible through regular media. Fantastical settings and events allow the creators of these stories to explore themes hyperbolically. “House of the Dragon” uses the Westeros to give perspective and insight into real-world problems that viewers may deal with.

A Prologue

The first episode of the show focuses heavily on succession to the Iron Throne. From the first scene, all three major themes are put on display. In a scene that takes place 15 years before the following scenes in the episode, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen elects a council of mostly male lords to decide who will be his successor to the Throne. The two primary candidates are his two grandchildren, cousins Rhaenys Targaryen, eldest living descendant to the Throne, and Viserys I Targaryen, eldest living male descendant to the throne.

In this scene, while Rhaenys is the eldest, giving her precedent to the Throne. However, Viserys is elected to inherit the throne by the council of over a thousand lords of Westeros. This biting undercut to the succession of the Throne made by this council sets the tone for the rest of the episode and surely for the rest of the series.

A Battle on Two Fronts

We are brought many years into the rule of King Viserys later in the episode. His wife, Aemma Targaryen, is about to give birth to their second child. The king is certain the child will be male. To celebrate, he holds a jousting tournament to celebrate the coming birth of his male heir. As the bouts begin, Aemma begins to give birth.

During a brutal interweaving of scenes, we watch Viserys’ brother, Daemon Targaryen, use his royal status to cheat his way to the final bout of the joust while Aemma struggles in labor. In the final bout, Daemon is beaten by a man who was otherwise unknown before this tournament, Ser Criston Cole. Criston’s defeat of Prince Daemon is a satisfying scene, highlighting that the only thing separating Daemon from anyone else is his rank.

In this world, much like our own, a man’s choice has the power to override a woman’s. This is put into horrifying effect in a scene at the end of this inter-splicing sequence. King Viserys chooses to sacrifice his wife in order to save his male heir, unbeknownst to her. Their son lives for mere hours before dying anyways, leaving Viserys with only his eldest daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Viserys, only after sacrificing his wife, realizes the foolishness in the precedent of a male heir. A precedent that won him the Throne. At the end of the episode, Viserys goes against a 200-year tradition to name Rhaenyra his heir. This sets up what will be a primary conflict for the episodes following the premiere.

A Promising Premiere

Those were only the biggest highlights of the major themes throughout the episode. However, many other scenes and sequences beautifully portrayed the key themes which will hopefully remain present throughout the entirety of the show.

While this episode was not the bombastic start of “Game of Thrones”, “House of the Dragon” begins as a slow-burning, highly thematic cousin to the show which first aired over 10 years ago.

May the luck of the Seven shine upon you,

-Hüttemeister

Tags Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, TV

Concert Preview

Preview: Red Hot Chili Peppers with the Strokes and Thundercat at Bank of America Stadium

Post author By Hüttemeister
Post date August 30, 2022

Red Hot Chili Peppers 2022 Global Stadium Tour flyer.

Off their latest release, “Unlimited Love”, rock funk legend Red Hot Chili Peppers announced a global tour across North America and Europe. Touring with other legends such as the Strokes and Thundercat, they are offering a promising tour across the Atlantic.

The Strokes and Thundercat are the musicians opening for them in Charlotte. I credit the Strokes with introducing me to “good” music and have been itching to see them for years. Them opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers seemed like the perfect opportunity. I would get to see them live and delve deeper into Thundercat’s and the Chili Pepper’s discographies.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Unlimited Love” is the first Chili Peppers album in 6 years. After 35 years of making music, they still capture the simple pleasures their music has always been about. This classic sound is what has made them so legendary, able to fill any given stadium anywhere in the world.

As the headliner of the show at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, fans can expect a mix of classics and deep cuts as well as a dabble of songs off their new album. Following this will be an encore of “Give It Away” and “Under the Bridge” which have been encore staples of the Chili Peppers for years.

The Strokes

Fans of the Strokes, known for their garage rock sound, will not be disappointed by their setlist at the show. The Strokes have one of the most consistent discography’s ever and they will be putting that on full blast before the Chili Peppers come on.

Fans can expect to hear songs from every release besides “Angles” and “Comedown Machine”. I am personally most excited to hear “Reptilia”, “Juicebox”, “The Adults are Talking” and “Hard to Explain” live. Each of their albums provides something new with the same instantly recognizable sound they are known for.

Thundercat

Known for his mastery over the bass and his spacey funk sound, Thundercat will kick off the show with a quick seven song setlist before the Strokes come on. Fans can expect him to finish off with “Funny Thing” followed by “Them Changes”. Other songs such as “Dragonball Durag” and “How Sway” will be performed.

Setlist information provided by setlist.fm.

Enjoy the show,

-Hüttemeister

Tags Red Hot Chili Peppers, the strokes, WKNC 88.1

Playlists

Five Songs for the End of Summer

Post author By Hüttemeister
Post date August 29, 2022

School has finally started back up and with that, summer is coming to an end. Over summer break, there were songs that really stuck with me. Songs that are perfect for riding around with the windows down or jamming out with friends. With fall less than a month away, I wanted to share these highlights of my summer with you to enjoy before sweater season.

“Tek It” by Cafuné

At the beginning of summer, Cafuné’s second song off their 2021 album “Running” went viral. It became the song of the beginning of summer. The catchy, lighthearted instrumental perfectly riffs off of singer Sedona Schat’s vocals. While the summer breeze is still blowing, this song is perfect for riding with the windows down.

“I Don’t Wanna Fight Anymore” by Similar Kind

Ever since I discovered Similar Kind after they opened for Hot Flash Heat Wave in April, this song has been on repeat. As the days have become hotter, this song has only gotten more plays. The fun, indie-pop instrumental and sound in contrast to the melancholic lyrics seem designed to be listened to on a warm summer evening.

“Easy On Your Own?” by Alvvays

Another great song for a warm summer evening, “Easy On Your Own?” is Alvvay’s second single for their upcoming album “Blue Rev”. With Alvvay’s classic dream-like indie sound and reflective vocals, this song gives the listener space for introspection during this transitional time between summer and fall.

“TVI” by Surf Curse

“TVI” is the second single released for surf punk band Surf Curse’s upcoming album. With this single coming out at the end of July, it marked the beginning of the end of summer. This is a song about trying to stay out of trouble, the perfect motivation for getting back into your normal school or work schedule before the leaves change color.

“NBTSA” by Joyce Manor

During the last week of summer, I saw Joyce Manor at the National in Richmond, VA. Awaiting the concert, I had this song on blast non-stop in the prior weeks. This short burst of energetic instrumental and vocals exude the feeling of change on the horizon with the chorus being simply five repetitions of “And I may never be the same again.” Being the first song I’ve moshed to since before the pandemic, this song has a special place in my heart.

Happy jamming,

-Hüttemeister

Tags Summer Playlist, WKNC 88.1