Category: Blog

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Ganser – Band Spotlight

Album cover of Ganser's 2020 album, Just Look At That Sky. Pictures a oman in sunglasses surrounded by a yellow border.

One thing I love about music is the constant stream of new ideas and art that musicians release to the world. There is so much to explore that it can be overwhelming, but when you find a band or artist that clicks, the wading through that stream feels worth it. That’s what makes me appreciate Ganser.

Ganser was formed in Chicago, Illinois and is still based there. Their music falls under the post-punk genre with heavy guitar, bass, and reflective vocals. Alicia Gaines (bass and vocals), Nadia Garofalo (keyboard and vocals), Brian Cundiff (drums) and Charlie Landsman (guitar) make up the band.

Each person brings their own distinct sound and perspective to Ganser, and all of their perspectives synthesize really well. Gaines and Garofalo’s vocals mix together in tracks like “Told You So” to create a healthy blend of airy-ness and down-to-earth sounds that are accompanied by thick guitar riffs and piercing drums. 

I have found their music to be an interesting variation to modern post-punk. Having two women be the front of the band adds a lot of character and distinctiveness from the rest of the punks out there.

I’ve been digging bands that have their bassists be lead vocals for the past few months, and Gaines does a great job of leading the songs and blending her instrument into the core of all the tracks. 

Right now their discography is limited, but that’s only because they are just getting started. Their first LP, “Odd Talk”, released in 2018, and it has some of their more accessible tracks if you’re not into the grime-y riffs that take root in their second LP. 

“Just Look At That Sky” was released two years ago, and I have found that this album represents what the band hopes to sound like for the foreseeable future. Gaines’ vocals mix with a more distinct blend of instrumental sounds that emphasize each of the member’s talents they bring along to the band. 

They are releasing a new album this year called “Nothing You Do Matters” as stated by their website. Ganser has released one track so far “People Watching”, and it makes me excited to listen to the whole project in a few months. 

Here is a list of some of my favorite tracks so you can get listening:

Also, here’s a cool interview with Alicia Gaines about “Just Look At That Sky”.

Keep eatin’

-DJ chef

Categories
Miscellaneous

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong – Book Review

On This Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Cover
Cover photograph by Sam Contis

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is a letter dedicated to Ocean Vuong’s mother, in which the speaker of the novel explores his intimate past, beauty in the aftermath of hate and desperation and cultural identity.

Ocean Vuong was born in Saigon, Vietnam and at the age of 2 came to America with his family to be raised in Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Brooklyn College with a BA in Nineteenth Century American Literature, and later graduated from NYU with a MFA in Poetry as stated by his website.

“On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” has an outstanding number of accolades attributed to Vuong and his words. This book is Vuong’s first published novel. He has two published poetry collections, “Night Sky with Exit Wounds” and “Time is a Mother”, both of which I now have a strong desire to read. 

SYNOPSIS

I am a big hater of novels and stories that are in a letter format. Books like “Dracula” and stories that have clippings of information usually take away from the personality a book can offer, but Ocean Vuong puts so much of his voice into this novel.

Little Dog, the narrator and speaker of the novel, is an immigrant from Vietnam who takes us through his family’s past, his own sense of love and what family means to him. The scars the narrator presents us are deep, but Vuong is able to explore their divots with a perspective of beauty and hope rather than solely pain and sorrow. 

Each word of this letter carries the emotion of someone who has lost so many people they have loved, hated and feared. The story weaves in and out of the present and past. Actually, the letter rarely focuses on a central time frame. Instead of being centered around a moment in space, it centralizes itself around the various feelings that stem from love. 

We read through neighborhood myths and stories of war crimes separated only by a few spaces. The novel flows impeccably. Vuong threads emotion throughout all the memories that resurface in the letter. 

Despite the unimportance of chronology in this book, it is a journey for Little Dog. He comes to terms with losses in his family, and he must learn the importance of loving people deeply. What makes this book so great is in attempting to write about it, I am utterly failing to convey the appropriate amount of grace and insight that can be gleaned from a single page.

TAKEAWAY

Good art makes you appreciate how other forms of art shape the way we experience the moments and people around us. “On This Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is a tremendous novel on its own, but adding its perspective to the multitude of words, eyes and lips that exist in the modern artist leaves me wanting more art and beauty to devour. 

I cannot wait to see where Ocean Vuong will take language in his writing, and I hope he provides the best inspiration for the future of voices and language.

Keep eatin’

-DJ chef

Categories
Miscellaneous

Remastered: Covers that transformed the original song

WKNC 88.1 blog

Kacey Musgraves’ cover of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley

Musgraves recorded her rendition live at Spotify House for Spotify Sessions 2016. Her live version is stripped down and authentic to her country roots, something the song had certainly not seen before. Her use of minor chords and harmonica align with the anger and sadness of the lyrics, giving the song a more sinister sound than the original.

The Civil Wars’ cover of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson

The alternative country duo recorded their version of the classic “Billie Jean” in 2011. Complete with a constant fingerpicking guitar and raspy harmonies, this cover could not be more different than Jackson’s original upbeat tune. The Civil Wars’ Joy Williams and John Paul White alternate solos and ad-libs, giving new life to the lyrics and presenting a refreshing view of “Billie Jean” as a duet. Their risky decision to totally revamp a beloved Michael Jackson super-hit paid off.

Cake’s cover of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor

Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 iconic disco hit sounds different here. Cake’s alternative rock version with electric guitar changes everything. Vocalist John McCrea’s blunt tone and F-bombs give the breakup song a wonderful, bitter feel. It’s a must-listen.

Nirvana’s cover of “The Man Who Sold The World” by David Bowie

Nirvana performed a version of the Bowie song for their MTV Unplugged album in 1994. The whole album is a masterpiece and features covers and originals, but this one takes the cake. Kurt Cobain’s vocals are melancholy and chilling, perfectly matching the lyrics. The crowd erupts at the end of the recording as Cobain credits Bowie.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Wet Leg “Chaise Longue” Song Review 

I just recently discovered the band Wet Leg a week ago and the concept behind them is still a bit confusing to me. Not only their song’s names but their identity as a band and their music.

The name of their band itself is actually British slang that means a self-pitying person, though I’m not sure if that has any connection to the duo.

Wet Leg really epitomizes what an indie band is. Their song “Chaise Longue” like most of their music is indie-rock and post-punk and it’s far from mainstream. 

A chaise longue is apparently a type of lounge chair and takes a central part of this song. It was a chair given to one of the band members by her grandpa and she wrote the song while sitting on it.

While typically I write about artists I am a huge fan of,  I wanted to try something new out for a change and listen to something more outside my comfort zone. 

The song itself is honestly pretty good and I might have misjudged how odd their live performance of this song compares to their pre-recorded version. The instrumental intro of “Chaise Longue” is catchy and sounds like a typical drum and electric guitar composure found in most indie-rock songs and the instrumentals of this entire song are fairly upbeat and infectious. Instrumental-wise I can most certainly see the appeal of their style of music.

An aspect of this song that makes me feel conflicted is the verses of their music. It is a lot more of speak-singing than actual singing and the smoothness of speak-singing is more difficult to reflect in a live performance than it is in a recording. I enjoy the recording more than the live version of this song and that is something I rarely say about most music. 

The lyrics are full of innuendos and underlying jokes that are amusing at times and tie in well with the fresh melody of the song.

A few lines that I found quite unique were from the first verse “Mommy, daddy, look at me | I went to school and I got a degree | All my friends call it “the big D” | I went to school and I got the big D | I got the big D”. Of course, these lyrics are clearly not talking about a grade. The duo often uses what we call tongue-in-cheek lyrics that they write in an ironic manner and it does come off that way. 

Another set of lyrics that follow this mocking serious manner of songwriting is seen later in their song. “Is your muffin buttered? | Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?” I find this line amusing because it is a dialogue said by a character from the 2004 hit movie “Mean Girls”. 

Followed by the repetitive chorus of “On the chaise longue, on the chaise longue, on the chaise longue | All day long, on the chaise longue.” The repetitiveness of the chorus causes this song to inadvertently be likable and is meant to be listened to in a chill, playful way. 

A similar setup to these lyrics makes a tie in with this movie quote after the chorus sings “Is your mother worried? | Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?” This was my favorite line of the entire song.

Personally, I wouldn’t listen to this song or other Wet Leg songs if I was actively listening to music. I would prefer to have it on in the background if I’m doing homework or lost in thought.

Suppose it’s good to step outside of your comfort zone sometimes, I might leave this song review as a fan after all. 

If you’re interested, check out the “Chaise Longue” music video.

Categories
Miscellaneous Music Education

What makes Indie music Indie?

WKNC 88.1 blog

Before you get the wrong idea reading this blog, I want to preface that I most definitely don’t think there will be a definite answer at the end of this post. I got the idea of writing this based on the concept of indie music and just how vast and diverse it is as a phenomenon.

As indie music has become increasingly popular, I wanted to research what has attracted a large following to this type of music. What makes it stand out from traditional music genres that are easy to pinpoint such as pop, hip hop, R&B, and jazz. 

Historically, what we call indie or indie-rock music now emerged from an era in the late 1970s in the United Kingdom when post-punk, new wave, and alternative music was being released by UK record labels to go against the manufactured mainstream music at the time.

You might have heard of the band The Smiths who first came on the indie scene in the 1980s and now exemplify not only what indie music is on a musical basis, but on a cultural basis as well.

Starting off, Indie is not necessarily a genre although it has sort of developed into one just recently. Indie is short for independent and indie artists are just artists that self-produce their music and are not signed under a major label.

This ‘indie’ title starts getting harder to define once these indie artists and indie bands become famous enough to be signed under a major label. If they are signed by a label such as Capitol Records, the artists themselves are not ‘indie’ or independent anymore yet they still have that indie sound to them.

An example of a major label would be something like Universal Music Group (UMG) or Sony BMG that of course have subsidiaries of their own like Atlanta Records and Columbia Records, to which these more famous artists belong. 

What stands out in a lot of work done by indie artists is their usage of a variety of instruments in their music and most of the time indie music is instrument heavy. If you look at more of the rock and alternative side of indie music the most prevalent instruments are the electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums. These instruments together create this “indie sound’ that has caused a ‘genre’ around this aspect to develop. 

Of course, as I mentioned, indie is not really a genre in itself because the music could be new wave, jazz or punk, or pop too. However, a common theme I find about indie music is the strong sense of individuality you can experience in the work made by the artists. They strive to focus on a single emotion or experience instead of a full narrative.

Often when you listen to music by an indie band there is a distinct piece or component of their composition or lyrics that immediately lets you know it’s by band XYZ or by artist XYZ. Having control of their own music is what allows indie artists to put their identities into their music and take full creative control over what they produce compared to the more controlled music released by mainstream artists and record labels.

What started as a term to define independent artists has culminated not into a genre but a culture of its own. Music that actively rivals mainstream music and is best consumed in its raw form of instrumentals and chords. 

Categories
Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 5/31

#ArtistRecordLabel
1FLY ANAKINFrankLex
2HIATUS KAIYOTEMood ValiantBrainfeeder/Ninja Tune
3LITTLE SIMZSometimes I Might Be IntrovertAGE 101
4DENZEL CURRYMelt My Eyez See Your FutureLoma Vista/Concord
5EVIDENCEUnlearning Vol. 1Rhymesayers
6ILLISMFamily Over EverythingThe CRWN
7LAVA LA RUE“For You” [Single]Marathon Artists
8MILAN RINGI’m Feeling HopefulAstral People/PIAS
9REDVEILlearn 2 swimSelf-Released
10ROBERT GLASPERBlack Radio IIILoma Vista/Concord
Categories
Weekly Charts

Top Charts 5/31

#ArtistRecordLabel
1ASTRAGALPure CashmereThe Nothing Song
2BIG ORANGE“Love’s Not Enough” [Single]Self-Released
3POST ANIMALLove GibberishSelf-Released
4SEA POWEREverything Was ForeverGolden Chariot
5SUNFLOWER BEANHeadful Of SugarMom+Pop
6DEAD RITUALSPrisonersHideout
7GIRLPOOLForgivenessAnti-
8GUERILLA TOSSFamously AliveSub Pop
9PUPThe Unraveling Of PupTheBandRise/BMG
10RAAVI“Lazy Susan” [Single]Self-Released
11SOCCER MOMMY“Shotgun” [Single]Loma Vista/Concord
12SOUND OF CERES“Arm Of Golden Flame” [Single]Joyful Noise
13PARK HYE JINBefore I DieNinja Tune
14BRAINSTORYRipeBig Crown
15COMMONA Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1 & 2Loma Vista/Concord
16ELUJAY“1080p” [Single]OneTime!
17HATERSincereFire
18IDK“Taco” [Single]Warner
19ILLISMFamily Over EverythingThe CRWN
20KHI INFINITETake What You NeedArtist Partner Group
21KIPP STONEFaygo BabySelf-Released
22KWAMZAYMotherland! [EP]Corner Store Art House
23LANCEDAYUNGIN“Slide” [Single]Trap Illustrated/Playbook
24NOSO1O“Fallin’ Out” [Single]Self-Released
25PAPERCUTSPast Life RegressionSlumberland
26REDVEILlearn 2 swimSelf-Released
27SEEYOUSOONVIDÉSelf-Released
28SHA MONEY XLChain On The Bike, Vol. 2TeamWork
29SHADTAOSecret City
30SILAS SHORTDrawing [EP]Stones Throw

Top Adds

#ArtistRecordLabel
1VEROUnsoothing InteriorPNKSLM
2GIRLPOOLForgivenessAnti-
3PUPThe Unraveling Of PupTheBandRise/BMG
4POST ANIMALLove GibberishSelf-Released
5TOPSEmpty Seats [EP]Musique TOPS
6CURLS, THESmothered & CoveredTruth Zone
7SKY FERREIRA“Don’t Forget” [Single]UMG
8BAKERS EDDYLove Boredom BicyclesIvy League
Categories
Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts (5/31)

Blue backkground with a silver metallic check mark in the center of the image. Album art for TOO by Hvob
#ArtistRecordLabel
1HVOBTOODifferent/PIAS
2FLUMEPalacesFuture Classic
3POLICAMadnessMemphis Industries
4CONFIDENCE MANTILTHeavenly/PIAS
5HAAIBaby, We’re AscendingMute
6KY VOSSThe AfterPlay Alone
7PVA“Untethered” [Single]Ninja Tune
8ALICE GLASSPREY//IVEating Glass
9GABE GURNSEY“Push” [Single]Phantasy Sound
10FLOATING POINTS“Grammar” [Single]Ninja Tune

Afterhours Adds

#ArtistRecordLabel
1HVOBTOODifferent/PIAS
2FLUMEPalacesFuture Classic
3POLICAMadnessMemphis Industries
4CONFIDENCE MANTILTHeavenly/PIAS
5HAAIBaby, We’re AscendingMute
6GABE GURNSEY“Push” [Single]Phantasy Sound
7PVA“Untethered” [Single]Ninja Tune
8FINNEverything Is AlrightB REAL
9JESSE MAC CORMACKSOLOSecret City
Categories
Music News and Interviews

Conan Gray “Yours”: Song Review

Conan Gray’s latest single titled “Yours” was released just last week and I could not write about this song sooner. Between his previous single released this year titled “Memories” and this new song, it’s evident how Conan’s songwriting and music production skills have matured in contrast to his older work. 

Not only his appearance is maturing as he is finding his personal style in fashion but it seems as though he has finally found his personal style in music as well.

What I love about music in general as a musician is the ability to hear distinct instruments in a song and be able to pick them out or the ability to hear a song and be able to tell which artist is playing that instrument based on the style of chords and composition.

The aspect of Conan’s music I have enjoyed time and time again is his piano playing and that is really the highlight of this single. The song starts with a soft piano intro that is joined by Conan’s soft vocals and the feeling of longing is something that is easily identifiable. Conan is not one to flex his vocals in his music, but this song does a wonderful job of encompassing his talent as a strong vocalist. It’s another track that undoubtedly highlights his passion as a singer-songwriter.

The song is a ballad about unrequited love for a friend. About never fully belonging with his friend in a way that he wants to even though he has put his entire self into that relationship. There is almost this running theme that has become part of Conan Gray’s identity as a musician, that he’s been hurt time and time again and honestly just wants to feel the degree of love that he has been a witness to his entire life. 

What makes “Yours” stand out from Conan’s typical Indie-Pop style of music is the melancholic and simple instrumentation behind the song. There are no embellishments or anything flashy besides a continuous piano melody and drums, that are introduced in the bridge.

The catchy pre-chorus “Oh, all I really wanted was that look in your eyes | Like you already know that I’m the love of your life | Like you already know you’re nеver saying goodbye” builds up this feeling and is almost reminiscent of a tune that from a musical. This catchy aspect of the song ties in well with the repetitive chorus and is quick to get stuck in your head.

It’s a pre-chorus that pulls you into this angsty chorus of Conan addressing this conflicting issue “But I’m not yours | I’m not yours, I’m not yours| I want more | I want more, but I’m not yours | And I can’t change your mind” This chorus of this song is what pushes this theme of unrequited love. That no matter what he does he won’t ever be able to convince his friend.  The way he says the line “And I can’t change your mind” is so satisfying and cuts so perfectly. 

Finally, the entire song snowballs into the bridge where he lays out his feelings and his truth in the lines and swells to embrace this perpetual ache.

In contrast to most songs where the bridge is used to connect the verses to the chorus, Conan makes the creative choice to end the song on the bridge. Allowing the listener to sit there and recollect. He sings “ I should’ve known that it was dumb love | Fifteen dozen roses | All the things that I’ve done | For you not to notice | Can’t believe I chose you | Over all my best friends | What the f*ck did I do | In the end? | Just not be yours”. Ending the song off on its climax forces the audience to feel this rise of emotion that Conan experiences himself.

Like most of Conan Gray’s music, this song is a perfect song to listen to while walking in the rain or whenever you feel down about your own misfortunes in life. What Conan has done a good job of coining is his relatability and the skill of capturing a feeling that a lot of people experience but aren’t able to identify. 

Yours is the second single that has been released for Conan Gray’s upcoming sophomore album “Superache” out on June 24th.

You can check out the “Yours” music video on Youtube.

Categories
Classic Album Review

“Drive My Car” Soundtrack Appreciation

Drive My Car movie poster

“Drive My Car” has an outstanding list of accolades that would blow most films (besides “Parasite”) out of the water. Most of the achievements of the film are focused on acting, cinematography and best foreign film, but not nearly enough give love and credit to the composition of music that flows so beautifully with the pictures on the screen. 

The director, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and screenplay writer, Takamas Oe, adapted this film from a collection of short stories by Haruki Murakami. The collection, in my opinion, features some of Murakami’s best works, so I was naturally excited to see this film introduced to the world. 

Eiko Ishibashi, the composer of this film and independent musician, has a prolific career collaborating with different artists to make “acclaimed singer-songwriter albums to film scores for film and television to improvised music settings” according to her website.  

In this film, Ishibashi conjures emotions with simple, soft sounds. One of the benefits of movies with softer soundtracks is how unaware the audience is that music (in combination with cinematography) feeds into their emotional attachment to a scene. 

The track, “Drive My Car”, has light pianos and strings to allow viewers to take in the scenery and picturesque beauty of the film rather than watch an awkward silence encompass two people talking to each other. The soundtrack itself has sounds from the movie recorded in it, so the film is inescapably part of the soundtrack.

One note about the OST is that almost every song’s name is a different version of the original. By that I mean each song is a variation of its predecessor, which I think is a neat way to make a soundtrack. Each song is noticeably different, but every variation still holds true to their original. 

One more track that I hold dear is “We’ll live through the long, long days and through the long nights (SAAB 900)”. I consider this track the ode to the gorgeous car, the SAAB 900:

Red 1983 SAAB 900 GL on a street with shrubbery behind it.
Photo by Niels de Wit of a 1983 SAAB 900 GL. Creative Commons license.

The song has the heartbeat of a car, and makes me feel like I am driving with smells of old leather and sunbaked seatbelts. I love how Ishibashi made this car into a song. Usually, I don’t care for cars, but the combination of the film and music made me fall in love with this machine. 

If you haven’t seen this film or heard the music, make sure to check it out if you feel inspired to. 

Keep eatin’

-DJ chef