Sasha & The Bear and the deeply electronica grooved, hope lined two way mirror of "7.5 Years"

 

"I wanted you to choose me / over the dream you chose..."

The deeply electronica grooved, hope lined two way mirror of "7.5 Years" by Brooklyn NY born Sasha & The Bear, comfortably wraps around you like a heavy blanket full of sadness and two fisted resolve. The cleanly deep bass grooves and machine beats punctuated by tubular synth lines and swelling synth strings makes for a totally dreamy but sad framework. A perfect framework for singer-songwriter Sasha Daniel's evocative vocal countenance that might lean as somber but not depressive. The lilt in her voice, the character screams a resolve of things that happened, an acceptance of outcomes not wanted but feels steely eyed at the same time especially against the electric guitar lines that rise up while other production embellishments pull back a bit. The production flourishes, the universe building by 'The Bear' aka songwriter, producer, singer Dov Igel feels pitch perfect. An exercise in not doing too much.

LINER NOTES: (bracketed)

[This song was written in the aftermath of a breakup, capturing the grief of losing a profound love. The lyrics reflect a deep yearning to be chosen for who you truly are and reveal the raw struggle of navigating the feeling of being lost.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4EiQ7nB2HocY11jkvyriLY

https://soundcloud.com/dov-685570596

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCie_VE39QZDeoyKKVF5Tzgg/featured

https://www.instagram.com/dovisnotabird/

https://x.com/dovisnotabird

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sasha-the-bear/1174165261


Sasha & the bear Was formed in Brooklyn NY in 2016 by the good friends Sasha Daniel - singer, songwriter, producer and Dov Igel - songwriter, producer and singer.

The pair made their own music and wanted to create something new under a different name that will operate separately from their individual projects.

They started by releasing a couple of indietronica songs in 2016 that immediately caught the attention of Spotify playlists.

in 2021 Dov lost his mother under tragic circumstances and the pair’s friendship became even stronger.

They decided to travel to Scandinavia together to write music inspired by nature, loss and friendship with minimal equipment.

In 2023 the due met again in the suburbs of Madrid Spain to finish their debut EP Due to be released by the end of Dec 2023.

In 2024 the duo met in the Netherlands to record their 2nd EP 7.5 years to be released later this year.

Sasha & The Bear, indie electronica, duo of Sasha Daniel and Dov Igel, singer songwriters, vocalist, producer, "7.5 Years", Brooklyn NY, Madrid, The Netherlands, 

Ogrom Circus and the gothic persuasions, darkly entrancing and mysterious glimpses around corners of "I Felt so Happy"

 

"if you look / close into the sky / watching the clouds / how they're passing by / I felt so happy / watching them fly..."

The gothic persuasions, darkly entrancing and mysterious glimpses around corners of "I Felt So Happy", by German progressive alt rock / psych rock band Ogrom Circus, takes you on a trip over it's nearly 7 minute run time and this is the thing, afterwards you want to hear more. Like an opera of sorts, the vintage psychedelic keys and sort of Western pop rock noir guitars had me thinking of the kinds of sounds I might associate with 70's Italian Horror movies, the so called Giallo movie aesthetics. Within the mystery and darkly dramatic sound that Ogrom Circus crafts there is a sense of traveling gypsies and stately manors that hold dark or even bloody secrets. I love vocalist / guitarist Hannes Fröhlich's songwriting penchant for grand gestures and existential dread as the earth and skies turmoil as a metaphor for our own or maybe a reflective mirror itself. 

Everyone in this band, in concert doesn a stunning job of manifesting Fröhlich's universe building like Florian Wenzel on keys / synth, Cornelius Hütter on bass, Wenzel Fröhlich on drums and Maxim Richter on vocals / guitar. The ride, the trippy trip is so cinematic, so absolutely vast in scope. If you don't believe me, I have a fun exercise for you. Below I have a the first nearly 6 minutes of Dario Argento's 1977 masterpiece 'Suspiria'. I want you to mute the audio on it and push play on Ogrom Circus's "I Felt so Happy" and "Suspiria" at about the same time. It is a wonderful pairing, if you ask me. After that you can check out the LIVE on tape recording session of this wonderful track. 

-LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[Fourth Single from the upcoming Vinyl EP "the world barely makes a sound". Recorded in a filmed live tape machine session. Video available on YouTube. The song was composed and arranged by Hannes Fröhlich and was later adapted and arranged to the bands full line-up. Over a decade of making music together, the formation has bonded as an intuitive live session band. This live session experience was now ritualized in an analog way at Virtuose Vibes Studio, where the band recorded the upcoming EP live to an old Tascam multi-track tape machine in september 2024. The warm tape compression gives the song its very special energy.]

-Robb Donker Curtius 

+ + +

+ + +

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1XpWIxe96M1aM80e5VrjBk

https://www.instagram.com/ogromcircus/

https://www.facebook.com/OgromCircus/

https://ogromcircus.de/



Heartbreaking vocals harmonies, soulful atmospheric folk and some psychedelic space trips … with a bluesy breeze of soul.“

Ogrom Circus, alt rock, psychedelic rock, art rock, gothic, operatic, progressive, eloquent, grand visions, Germany, "I Felt so Happy", stunning track, upcoming Vinyl EP "the world barely makes a sound",

SEE NIGHT and the exceptional, glorious rock storytelling of "Being Good Is Supposed To Be Easy"

 

photo by Evelyn Shafer

The exceptional, glorious rock storytelling of "Being Good Is Supposed To Be Easy" by SEE NIGHT, the indie-rock project of L.A.-based singer-songwriter Linda Sao, feels like a massive formidable piece of sonic marble, veined with folk, with gothic rock, post punk, baroque pop, indie rock and 60's girl torture pop. In this way, the song merely by it's cross pollination of genres is a wicked surprise. On top of this blistering, compelling framework is Sao's beautifully endearing vocal personna singing her words.

"But what do you do, what do you say? / Where do you hide at the end of the day? / When nothing makes you more afraid / Than that timeless debt you can't repay..."

From LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[The song was recorded in one day in July 2024 at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, known widely for the Alabama Shakes debut album. It is the first single off the upcoming February 2025 album "Just Another Life" which Pavement/Silver Jews' Bob Nastanovich (who released the See Night "Eloquence" vinyl) calls "glorious." The song was written in response to the sudden death of Sao's father this past year and the subsequent feelings of guilt and unresolved generational trauma she felt as a caretaker and daughter.]

I truly adore what Sao and collaborators bring to the table here. Compositionally, the big broad downbeats and swelling build ups, feeding back guitars and drops out to just Sao and her guitar bloodletting is a stunning thing. Kudos to the propulsive bass lines and free wheeling drumming. In the end, in it's stunning totality, "Being Good Is Supposed To Be Easy", is full of quiet tears and wailing bravado, pummeling sadness and two fisted survivorship. 

Credits:

Written by Linda Sao.
Linda Sao: vocals, guitars.
Cory Aboud: drums.
Chris Tench: guitars.
Tres Sasser: bass.

Produced by Tres Sasser and Linda Sao.

Engineered by Jack Tellman at The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, TN.

Mixed by Joe Costa.

Mastered by Brian Lucey.

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[See Night is the indie-rock project of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Linda Sao, who tours solo and with band—drummer Cory Aboud, guitarist Patrick Andrews, and bassist AJ Marquez—creating cathartic rock and pensive ballads infused with dream pop, shoegaze, and psych elements. Andee Connors (drummer of A Minor Forest) wrote for Aquarius Records that See Night sounds like "...equal parts Pixies/Breeders pop smarts and shoegaze-y Mazzy Star haze...slow building to something much more epic, maybe like a girl pop Godspeed You! Black Emperor...with a lush sonic palette and a propensity for epicry." After two self-released EPs layering haunting vocals with dynamic guitars and swelling drums, Pavement/Silver Jews's Bob Nastanovich released See Night's "Eloquence" vinyl on his Brokers Tip Records.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1KyYUepHDcwe26xSLWHIYI

https://www.instagram.com/seenightmusic

https://www.facebook.com/seenightmusic


February 2025 sees an upcoming album, Just Another Life, which Nastanovich describes as "glorious," and it features drummer Brad Pemberton (Ryan Adams & The Cardinals) and violinist Tania Elizabeth (The Avett Brothers) on several tracks. With six songs written and recorded during pandemic, and two spontaneously added opener tracks written in 2024 after Sao abruptly moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Just Another Life reflects on the many lives one can lead—whether in isolation or on tour—within one lifetime.

With a show that's been described as both hard-driving and dreamy, See Night has opened for Bonnie Prince Billy, Widowspeak, Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit), The Pack a.d., John Vanderslice, Rogue Wave, Lady Lamb, Shana Falana, and more. Sao has DIY-toured the EU/UK solo five times and also performed solo alongside acts ranging from Brooklyn’s explosive psych-jazz ensemble Sunwatchers to Epitaph surf-punkers Ariel View to acoustic troubadour David Dondero.

SEE NIGHT, indie rock, shoegaze, alt rock, gothic, folk, post punk, "Being Good Is Supposed To Be Easy", personal storytelling,  upcoming album "Just Another Life", L.A.-based singer-songwriter Linda Sao, 

Ambient Living and the raw politico punk throwdown of "Miners on Strike"

 

"all these union men / sheriff's Pinkerton / a scuffle at the mouth of the pit / somebody slips / tumbling down down down / can't help but look / can you seem them??"

The raw punk throwdown of "Miners on Strike" by Oakland, California's three piece Ambient Living, feels potently feral and consciously aware. The rumbling bass and drums, stabbing guitar shapes on the very edge of dissonance and a politico sort of Sprechgesang vocal attack, telling stories, painting thoughtful pictures. I thought of iconic old school punk favorites like The Jim Carroll Band and Wipers and more contemporary art punk / feargach punk / outfits like Dry Cleaning and Squid. I truly love the sound that feels absolutely live and in your face, sparse and bold so you can feel the space between the words and sounds, the sonic tension between the punches.

"Miners on Strike", with music and lyrics written by Sam Hill, Wil Gilbreath and Michael Viera, exists on their latest full length album "Underneath", you can check it out on their Bandcamp. If you love what they are doing support them. Outa here.

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/46pwYX7oS0BrpL3qXCNbba

https://www.instagram.com/ambientliving_/

https://ambientliving.bandcamp.com/album/underneath

Ambient Living
Oakland, California

Ambient Living, alt rock, punk, progressive rock, feargach punk, art punk, hard rock, new album "Underneath", Oakland California 3 pc, "Miners on Strike", Politico punk, Sam Hill, Wil Gilbreath, Michael Viera, 

august for dawn and the chased modern dime store novel stories of "Methanol"

 

"reminds me that we're due back home / I'll keep my eye on every road / you said you'd find someone / that looks like me..."

The chased modern dime store novel stories of "Methanol" by august for dawn, the solo project of New Zealand's Charles Everley Ryder (Yumi Zouma), feels at once vast and intimate drawing you in and wondering about the back stories, the seeds behind it all. I love Charlie's voice laced with introspection and sadness and the way he constructs his melodies. "Methanol" is the kind of song you want to hear performed and even figure out and sing yourself. It has one of those curious elements about it that feels like if you sang and played it on guitar you would purge something... sadness, little demons, something. The torn atmospheres are even made more so by the sparse framework enhanced by dark orchestrations of sounds and perfectly echo laden atmospheres. 

I hope this song ends up in a theatrical movie or the next Netflix or Hulu binger because it deserves to be. 

-Robb Donker Curtius  

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/341FERpUs67dsJTZBHAX9Z


https://www.instagram.com/augustfordawn/

https://x.com/augustfordawn

https://www.anniversaryrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/augustfordawn



I can barely navigate the hellish vortex between breakfast and dinner let alone the labyrinth of the hockey field



august for dawn, New Zealand, solo project of Charles Everley Ryder, member of the band Yumi Zouma), "Methanol", dark folk, indie rock, ballad, busker punk, dark orchestral sounds, diaristic storytelling, 

Hilke and the alluring, mysterious and diaristic tapestries of "Tree"

 

"like teenagers secretly in the woods / buying time from the sacred trees / bending down on our knees / but what's the cause of your despair?"

The mnemonic tapestries of sound, alluring, mysterious and diaristic of "Tree" by Hilke, the solo incarnation of Belgian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Hilke Ros, draws you inward in both imperceptible and stark ways. There is a glacial sweeping sadness, deeply resonant piano runs and ebbs of strings against ambient pulls, a sense of wandering through hallways and around corners of an old cluttered house, maybe cluttered with things but mostly memories. All this as a wonderfully evocative framework for Hilke's beautiful vocal countenance telling poetic intimate stories like memories in English with the chorus in French, 

"ma belle, tu me raconteras tout

tu me raconteras tout, quand tu seras prête"

which translates to 

"my dear, you will tell me everything

 you will tell me everything, when you are ready"

And so this illusory sonic story goes, floats into your senses. If you are so inclined you might see an indie movie in your head, or at least, a trailer for one and wonder about the depth or seeds of this song. I love songs that feel like curious come ons. Songs that might inspire your own stories or memories. 

Hilke Ros offers up vocals, piano, cello, sound design with viola by Gina Eté.   

LINER NOTES:

[Hilke is a former member of the Belgian dream pop outfit Amatorski and released some electronic tracks under the moniker Hroski. Now she shows herself in all honesty under her own name: Hilke.]

It crackles. It ripples. It creaks. And the melancholic piano melody swells. But when Hilke’s gentle and rich vocals enter, the mood shifts — almost imperceptibly. Faint glimmers of hope and reassurance shine through like the light between branches. Tree, the first single from Hilke’s upcoming album, Am I Angry Enough?, is a captivating love song that intertwines English and French. Hilke’s voice, more nuanced and multifaceted than ever, reveals an impressive range of timbres and textures that invites listeners to surrender completely — and be swept away.

The Tages-Anzeiger once described Hilke as sounding “like the sorrowful half-sibling of Jay-Jay Johnson and ANOHNI — a voice that speaks of vulnerability, of questioning one’s own gender identity, a voice that both unsettles and enchants.” On her new album, Hilke continues to explore and demonstrate musical diversity while inspiring audiences with unique feminist and genderqueer perspectives. Am I Angry Enough? will be released on 7 February 2025 on Red Brick Records.

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dcrMnF3byxJ0yJRKm1HPO

https://www.instagram.com/hilk.eu

https://www.facebook.com/hilkeu


Hilke is a former member of the Belgian dream pop outfit Amatorski and released some electronic tracks under the moniker Hroski. Now she shows herself in all honesty under her own name: Hilke.

In the heart of the pandemic winter, she made a profound choice: bringing back the acoustic piano. After immersing herself in the electronic sounds of 'Silent Violent,' her debut album, Hilke rediscovered the emotional depth of the piano. The intimate sessions of dreamy piano improvisations set the stage for 'Piano Feroce,' an upcoming album that goes beyond mere acoustic renditions. It's a new chapter of musical introspection, showcasing Hilke's evolving artistry and the profound connection between her voice and the piano.

Hilke, neo modern classical, dream pop, memories, diaristic, alluring, mysterious, melancholia, singer songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Hilke Ros, "Tree", upcoming album "Am I Angry Enough", 

WES SP8 and the darkly romantic weeping guitars and mercurial pop noir of "Grey"

 

"Who taught you to steal in the dark / I wanna know how we got here..."

The darkly romantic weeping guitars and mercurial pop noir of "Grey" by WES SP8, the solo project of Tennessee bred, Seattle based singer songwriter Wes Speight, feels like a sultry lit indie movie about a torturous love affair or lust affair. The sweeping collision of a kind of 70's tragic Americana or Western pop noir, as cinematically drawn and bruised as Lana Del Rey or Emile Haynie, Speight crafts a universe that feels steeped within lost weekends and the kind of existential dread left dripping red down your face after an ass whipping. 

"Grey" with it's heightened sense of drama punctuated by a truly gripping cool propulsion of sounds, love the bass push, the orchestral drones that feel somehow like a mix of instrumentation and ambient tones, the squealing surfy guitar sustains and the absolutely sad stacked vocals feels like an indie movie as directed by David Robert Mitchell or Rose Glass. So potently lovely. 

LINER NOTES (bracketed): 

Wes Speight (stylized as Sp8), a Seattle singer/songwriter originally from Tennessee, has played many of the venues in Seattle WA and Nashville TN and has toured to places such as Vancouver BC, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Texas, New York, Spain, Italy and France. His music varies widely from Americana to Bluesy to Rock with a weirdo punk attitude. Speight is the frontman of the Blues-Punk trio Wes Sp8 & the Apollo Proxy and is in newly formed bands WaterPenny and Aline & Wes.

"Who taught you to steal in the dark
I wanna know how we got here
Out of the dark and into the
Grey in the middle of change on top of the fence
Safe from the hinders of fear free from desire

Who taught you to deal blackjack in heals
I wanna know how we got here
Blinded by light and into the
Grey in the middle of change on top of the fence
Safe from the hinders of fear free from desire"

Damn, this song burns like whiskey. "Grey" exists on WES SP8's latest 2024 EP "Salad Paintings".

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/38SnA8RQUGKhdjzGSpqo9u

https://wesspeight.bandcamp.com/album/tessitura

https://www.instagram.com/wesspeight/

https://www.facebook.com/wessp8


Wes Speight (stylized as Sp8), a Seattle singer/songwriter originally from Tennessee, has played many of the venues in Seattle WA and Nashville TN and has toured to places such as Vancouver BC, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Texas, New York, Spain, Italy and France. His music varies widely from Americana to Bluesy to Rock with a weirdo punk attitude. Speight is the frontman of the Blues-Punk trio Wes Sp8 & the Apollo Proxy and is in newly formed bands WaterPenny and Aline & Wes.

WES SP8, indie rock, alt rock, folk, pop noir, Western, Americana, torture pop, darkly romantic, 2024 EP "Salad Paintings", single "Grey", singer songwriter Wes Speight, 

Dymer and the melancholy persuasions and sophisticated constructions of "Prosthetic" (Lyric Video)

 

"And I awoke from a dream / Where we're amputees / Who love the limbs we leave..."

The melancholy persuasions and sophisticated constructions of "Prosthetic" by Albuquerque indie band Dymer, glimmers and punches in magnetic ways. Hearing the shiny guitars, the emotional passion play inherent in the vocal countenance (and story between the lyrical lines) and the percussive and progressive musicality had me (off the top of my head) feeling a blend of indie rock and subgenres of indie pop like twee, like power and noise pop. I, in fact thought of artists like Hunny, Los Campesinos!, Bears in Trees (to name a few) and also, for me, seeds of 80's / 90's artists from Haircut 100 to The Cure. There is an emotional depth / eloquence here that feels like the kind of music that comforts you during hard or thoughtful times late at night while thoroughly satiating your hunger for something artful at the very same time. 

Love this. Enjoy the lyric video. 

-Robb Donker Curtius 

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/31uajf71LLM3lkx3jG05Tv

https://www.instagram.com/dymerband

https://www.facebook.com/dymerband


"The most impressive and genuine element about Dymer, is that they have found a vehicle to deliver their message. They rage without screaming incessantly into the mic; they bring you down to a pleasant and melodic sway, then strap you to the ACME rocket that launches you into the stars, all while smiling and reassuring you everything is gonna be ok. " - Joe Smith Stringer Unmarketable Alt-Rock from Albuquerque NM Jonny Mouchet, Mark Vasquez, Tom Burton, James Alexander

Dymer, Albuquerque indie band, indie rock, indie pop, noise pop, twee, alt pop, lyrical depth, sophisticated pop, emo, "Prosthetic" (Lyric Video), progressive pop, 

Heavy Feelings and the stabbing alt punk assertions of "Alright Go" from the "Anatomy EP"

 

"I can help you / I don’t think you understand / I’ve got all day / to sit around and hold your hand..."

The stabbing alt punk assertions of "Alright Go" by Bristol, UK's captivating Heavy Feelings invades my head with subversive, angular guitar attacks, brilliant tonal shifts, saturated in angst and artful confusion. And quite frankly, it sounds just so radical, so bad ass. I actually hate to revert to saying a song sounds bad ass but this certainly does. I love the constructions, the feral drumming and songwriter singer Nadia Garofalo's magnetic vocal countenance. Her edgy performance, her snarl and measured bits of aloof entangled tones and dismissive power plays and double fisted punches has me feeling (attitudinally) an amalgam of artists like of Debora Kay Iyall (Romeo Void), Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), PJ Harvey and Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth).

"It’s not your fault
It’s just the way that it goes
swallow your feelings they get caught in your throat
It’s not your fault
It’s just the way that it goes
choke on your feelings
they get caught in your throat"

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[After taking the summer to focus on other projects, Heavy Feelings return with their second EP of 2024. Building on the sonics of that self-titled release, the ‘Anatomy EP’ fuses post-punk, goth-rock, trip-hop and no-wave over its four timely and zeitgeist-defining tracks.]

Of the new EP, singer Nadia Garofalo says:

“While writing I was thinking a lot about feelings of not belonging, feeling like an extra limb in your own life. That can be so hard to contend with, but it could also be transformative, if you let it. I loved working with these songs, this project has really become a long-distance communication art piece. We have our different lives and time zones and yet manage to effectively collaborate and inform each other's process from a distance.”

[The EP was recorded in Chicago (Altered States) and Bristol (guitarist Ben’s house) and mixed at Axe & Trap Studios in Somerset by Ben Scott Turner (Part Chimp, Hey Colossus, Holy Scum, Wolfer). Drummer Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey, Anna Calvi, Bat For Lashes, Torres) contributes to ‘Alright Go’ and ‘Conveyor’. Finally it was mastered by Shawn Joseph at Optimum Mastering.]

The core duo are:

Nadia Garofalo - vocals, synth
Ben Shillabeer – bass, bass vi, guitars, programming, synths
with Ben Scott Turner – drums, percussion

Dipping into the ‘Anatomy EP’ and I can tell you that it absolutely kills. Apart from the stunning "Alright Go", the whole EP draws you in all the way, from the darkly romantic, cagey rhythms, twisted stomach ache vastness of "Design Flaws" to the punk rager diatribal powerhouse of "Breather" to the gothic melancholy baroque post punk shape shifting dreaminess of "Conveyor", wow, wow, wow. 

-Robb Donker Curtius  

Heavy Feelings · Alright Go

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/38OJ5COCP1plx2kGPqfuRm

https://soundcloud.com/heavyfeelingsmusic

https://heavyfeelings.bandcamp.com/album/anatomy-ep

https://www.instagram.com/heav_yfeelings/

https://amazingradio.com/profile/heavyfeelings



Post-Punk Duo based in Bristol & Chicago. Self-titled EP - March 2024, Anatomy EP - December 2024.

Heavy Feelings, alt rock, post punk, gothic punk, baroque punk, hard rock, songwriter / singer / synth Nadia Garofalo, Ben Shillabeer - bass/ guitars, programming, synths, "Anatomy EP", 

The Underwater Believers and the 80's pitched oscillating fuzz and art rock bending light of "Passengers"

 

"I found a hole inside my own imagination / we made love to it with real commiseration / Its not your fault, but I've become your hostage / Love, I tell you, is a weapon that they use on you..."

The 80's pitched oscillating fuzz and art rock bending light of "Passengers" by Phoenix, Arizona based The Underwater Believers codes differently depending on your musical knowledge, depending (probably) on how old you are. As I often do, listening to what I consider to be interesting music, interesting as pieces of art that transport you back or forward or both, that transcends precise genre typing, or music that makes you imagine odd things. In this case the bold push of sounds, the slapping drums that help propel, such a wonderfully warbled dirty, fuzz synth sound, a sound that feels layered and thick and monstrous and cinematic but also kind of 80's funkified had me thinking (yes) some weird things. 

The combination of sassiness, sultriness, angst, kind of romantic desperation had me thinking of two stellar icons who coincidentally were both born in 1958. In short, I imagined that after releasing his eponymous album in 1979, if Prince took a departure into proto punk / electronica / new wave and collabbed with Gary Numan (and his Tubeway Army) after the release of their album "The Pleasure Principle" (also in 1979), that the resulting sound would approximate "Passengers". I mean even the lyrics have a kind of Prince / Numan bent.

"I found a hole inside my own imagination, we made love to it with real commiseration.
Its not your fault, but I've become your hostage.
Love, I tell you, is a weapon that they use on you.

So I'm becoming a passenger moving away before your reins take control of my heart.
Wanna find a way out.
Haunted by my lover
Now they've got someone who parades for what?
I'm never waiting for you.
Watch me get out.

Finally someone who shows what must be done, my life-force is gone.
I'll never run, take anything that comes, there's no use trying to fight.
I wanna run to Canada, if only, I'm always saying that I'll run and hide.
If you run to Canada take what you must, just don't take my pride"

The lyrics have sparks of romantic, sexual tensions while feeling very retro-science fiction or maybe, quite possibly I am just fucking seeing things again. 

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

["This is the first track off of the new 6 song EP '1983' which releases on 12/14/24. Passengers is a blend of genres ranging from alternative rock to dream pop, new wave, post punk, and everything synthy in between. Maybe a little Brian Jonestown Massacre falling in there. The song is a power progression explaining my frustration and feeling of weakness and fatigue at dealing with being in bands over the years. It explodes initially to sink down into ASMR territory, and then begins a dante-esque journey from hell on up. It is heavy on synths and pitch shifted guitars and is an ever-evolving journey of beautiful opportunities that incorporate the self-destructive tension that defines the life of every artist. How can you love and hate something so equally?"] - - - - -  The Underwater Believers

MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

[In December of 2024 Underwater Believers is releasing its third album entitled, 1983.

[UB is based in Phoenix, Arizona--far from any water that is not crowned in dust and thorns. UB plays shows often and is the brainchild of a flight attendant who is grounded only by the music of the spheres.]

[ugh...did you know that jellyfish just dissolve on the beach and fly away into the air. organic spaceships...don't you think its about time that we learned from some other creature?]

That's all I have got. There are some sonic aspects of "Passengers" that (ironically) feel kind of underwater but setting some production or mix aspects that might fall a tiny bit short, the song (to me) feels not only inspired, and poetic but seeded from iconic sonic DNA. I really dig the vocal sounds as well, a lot. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0DqWcFORsxBVhnfFhXz0tU

https://www.instagram.com/underwaterbelievers


The Underwater Believers is defining a new genre of sound best described as Immersive. Kind of like ambient in its enveloping aspect, but without the need of a couch. Think more caffeine than red wine. And then, if you threw out the cringe of pop music but left the good stuff behind, drenched it in synthesizers and pitch shifted guitars that masquerade as distorted organs, you'd have half the recipe for the style. Add to it heartfelt lyrics and a penchant for the transcendental nature of the jellyfish, as well as a cassette tape endlessly churning out new wave, post-punk, synth pop, gothic, and almost anything 4AD-styled and you'd have the Underwater Believers.

The Underwater Believers, Arizona, synthwave, electronica, alt rock, art rock, industrial punk, post punk, dream theater, art rock, "Passengers", new 6 song EP '1983', 

Hauntu and the massive heaviness, emotional turmoil of "Sadist Sun"

 

"it's like the movies / when I curse you and everything / watch out I like to throw things / that break inside / so go ahead and have a nice life... "

The massive heaviness, emotional turmoil of "Sadist Sun" by San Diego, California based Hauntu is the kind of dense alt rock sound the hits you in the gut. The sensation for me (anyway) is less of a wild abandon feel but a tighten your core, inner trauma possession, eyes closed, shoulders curled forward, fists clenched. You, of course, might feel something different. It could also be that I still have horrible imagery / tensions from "Blink Twice" in my head this morning. "Sadist Sun" would, in fact, be the kind of song that would have fit absolutely perfectly within Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut at the point in the film when all hell breaks loose.  

I absolutely like the kind of rock / punk classicalism here. The chunky rhythms, the sound of the sinewy alt rock noir guitar string bends and they way they wrap around the vocal melody is so magnetic. Speaking of the vocal melody, at the center of this track is Rebecca Antuna's powerful vocals. I love the character of her voice, there are female singers that are able to tap into the nature of the song in sort of psychic ways. Formidable, iconic singers like PJ Harvey, Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, Patti Smith and other possess this ability and Antuna absolutely does as well. I love the feeling she exhibits within her vocals, sung, of course, but purging as well.

I am feeling sonic reflections of Pixies within the fluidity of the screaming guitar lines, the raw soul punch of Nirvana, I am also feeling the massive pounding of METZ and Eagles of Death Metal. Hauntu craft a forever sound, a timeless wail for bodies to head bang to, flail around in and lose themselves. 

"it's like the movies / when I curse you and everything / watch out I like to throw things / that break inside / so go ahead and have a nice life... "

As LINER NOTES reveal, Hauntu features current and former members of the bands: Tulpa Luna/Warsaw, Holy Tears, Island of Thieves, Sleeping Ghost, Ilya, Kata, Goodbye Blue Monday, The Dropscience, Like Millions, The Old in Out, Fluf, and more. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://hauntuhauntme.bandcamp.com/album/i

https://www.facebook.com/hauntuhauntme

https://www.instagram.com/hauntuhauntme



Immediate. Dangerous. Real. These were the first words uttered to describe Hauntu. A product of pandemic isolation, these initial tracks from Hauntu were written as a reaction to what’s become of the world these last few years. The weight, the panic, and the dread that living through post-pandemic capitalism and imperialism has placed upon humanity. There is a fine balance between the urgency for action, and the need to escape to seek solace throughout these songs. Hauntu’s sound is dark, heavy, and straight to the gut with hints of metal and goth strewn throughout its garagey undertones. But not all is bleak - Hauntu’s message is also filled with beauty and hope. Songs like “Panic” show a slightly lighter side, with a somewhat satirical take on late night panic attacks in contrast to the harsh realities conveyed through “End of Days.” Taking inspiration from bands like Wipers and Hot Snakes with a very immediate, in your face approach to fast down-stroked guitars, and infusing layers of lush, pretty, and dare I say catchy melodic female vocals. Vocals that give Hauntu their true identity, separating them from all others. This isn’t your run of the mill guitar band, this is something new, something we haven’t heard before. It’s immediate, it’s dangerous, it’s real, and it’s going to leave a mark. Hauntu features current and former members of the bands: Tulpa Luna/Warsaw, Holy Tears, Island of Thieves, Sleeping Ghost, Ilya, Kata, Goodbye Blue Monday, The Dropscience, Like Millions, The Old in Out, Fluf, and more.

Hauntu, San Diego California, alt rock, metal, post punk, heavy rock, post apocalyptic, "Sadist Sun" (Official Video) , rage rock, history in disarray, classic rock, 70's psychedelic, collab rock, ,evocative vocals, 

Golden Tiles and the stripped back, raw indie rock punkery of "100%"

 

"The debut from Portland, Oregon basement indie-rock trio Golden Tiles"

The stripped back, raw indie rock punkery of "100%" by Portland, Oregon basement indie-rock trio Golden Tiles and from their debut collection, aptly named, "The First EP", feels like the personification of many things, youthful abandon, tender joy, ID spawned art, free associations and friendships that you will remember forever based on creating things together. At least, that is what "100%" fuels in my mind and for me personally, this kind of sound, equal parts 80's power pop / 90's punk / indie rock feels like freedom. While Golden Tiles' sound is obviously it's own, certain tones and aesthetics made me think of The Replacements, Eels and Chelsea Light Moving. I couldn't tell you why except that they and these kinds of bands, to me, might share the same kind of sonic DNA. 

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[In 2021, Golden Tiles resurfaced in the basement of a small home in Portland, Oregon. There they transformed into a three-piece indie rock band featuring Oliver Stafford on guitar and vocals, Joshua James Amberson on bass, and Justin Hocking on drums. Their eclectic sound incorporates elements of post punk, jangle pop, garage rock, and lo-fi indie. Supported by the Antiquated Future label, they released "The First EP" on 11.10.24.]

-Robb Donker Curtius   

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3jgVuSrXi76XjNgyCfgkYI

https://antiquatedfuture.bandcamp.com/album/the-first-ep

https://www.instagram.com/antiquatedfuturedistro/

https://linktr.ee/antiquatedfuture?



Workers first unearthed Golden Tiles from deep beneath the Place De La Concorde while building the Paris Metro in January 1899.

Golden Tiles were lost for a period between 1902 and 1912. In late September 1912, Golden Tiles materialized within a crypt below Barcelona's Sagrada Familia cathedral; traces of Golden Tiles may have been used to decorate the Basilica's ornate ceiling.

After 1913, the whereabouts of Golden Tiles remain unknown, though they were rumored to have been smuggled into America on board a British passenger ship. Sightings of Golden Tiles were reported in the New York City subway, in a lake near Olympia, Washington, and beneath a freeway underpass in suburban Los Angeles.

In 2021, Golden Tiles resurfaced in the basement of a small home in Portland, Oregon. There they transformed into a three-piece indie rock band featuring Oliver Stafford on guitar and vocals, Joshua James Amberson on bass, and Justin Hocking on drums. Their eclectic sound incorporates elements of post punk, jangle pop, garage rock, and lo-fi indie. Supported by the Antiquated Future label, they released "The First EP" on 11.10.24.

"Slowly moving in and out of delicious little melodies and distorted waves of joy . . . The First EP is chock full of really great moments that keep you circling back." -Austin Town Hall

"A bright, laidback brand of basement rock which combines playful melodies, fuzzy textures and reflective vocals . . . A trio to watch for sure." -Various Small Flames

Golden Tiles, three piece indie rock, post punk, single "100%", the debut "The First EP", Portland Oregon, Oliver Stafford, James Amberson, Justin Hocking, 

Blood Lemon and the stalking nature, emotional bloodletting, massive attack of "Perfect Too" (Official Video)

 

"I see the world for you / You see it different from how I do / I've heard it all before / Through your screen time / An open door..."

The stalking nature, emotional bloodletting, massive attack of "Perfect Too" by Boise, Idaho based alt rock three piece Blood Lemon and from their upcoming 2025 EP "Petite Deaths", feels like self reflected existential dread manifested as a brawl, maybe to the death. I love the heaviness here, the opening so exquisitely heavy metal, so f*cking gothic, hammers of sound slamming down against Lindsey Lloyd's stoic anchoring drum beat with bassist Melanie Radford handling vocals with supporting vocals by guitarist Lisa Simpson. I am loving Radford's vocal character, the emotional persona that had me thinking of an amalgam of PJ Harvey (circa To Bring You My Love) and Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde (circa bloodletting).   

"I see the world for you

You see it different from how I do
I've heard it all before
Through your screen time
An open door

Rip and rip apart yourself
Listen to nobody else
I'm here to tell you what is sin

Self-indulge in self destruction"

Midway, "Perfect Too", becomes still but still brooding and then moments later explodes into a runaway, full throttle alt rocker with a thumping bass line and pounding drum beats as a framework for Lisa Simpson's evocative lead guitar work, sonically tubular, sinewy notes hanging in time and space. Love the arc of this song, the emotional weight.    

"What's the matter with you?
Aren't you perfect too?
What's the matter with you?
Aren't you perfect too?"

LINER NOTES (bracketed excerpts):

[This is the first single from Blood Lemon's forthcoming EP, Petite Deaths. The band features current Built To Spill bassist/vocalist Melanie Radford, guitarist/vocalist Lisa Simpson, and drummer Lindsey Lloyd. Working alongside esteemed fuzz lord Dave Catching (Desert Sessions, Queens of the Stone Age, earthlings?) at the storied Rancho De La Luna studio, the band treated the sessions for the EP as a retreat rather than a routine visit to a recording studio. Blood Lemon, a mainstay of the Boise scene despite Radford’s recent move to nearby Seattle, received plenty of praise for their eponymous debut released in the throes of the pandemic. NPR Music, A.V. Club, SPIN, and other outlets of repute lauded their debut that garnered comparisons to other beloved female-fronted influences like Sleater-Kinney and The Breeders. Following celebrated appearances at Treefort Music Fest in their hometown as well as dates supporting avant-garage heavy hitters The Shivas and viral goth-punks Vision Video, the band crafted a collection of songs with widened emotional registers when Radford was on break from serving as the current bassist Built To Spill.]

[All three of Blood Lemon’s members are classically trained musicians, with decades of experience between them — so yeah, they’ve been around a while. As they live and work within Boise’s scene, which is re-energizing while also responding to the lessons of #MeToo, they take pride in the representation they embody. “It’s important that music not only be about The Youth,” Simpson says. Radford talks glowingly of first seeing The Breeders live, “not caring about anything onstage other than having fun — not being cute, not showmanship, nothin’.”]

- Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PI4LiRSZck4SUcQMOBchK

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY_LZgZ0qN5GiP6ergjPyYA

\https://bloodlemon.bandcamp.com/album/petite-deaths

https://www.instagram.com/bloodlemonmusic

https://www.facebook.com/bloodlemonmusic

https://x.com/BloodLemon3

https://www.bloodlemonmusic.com/


When Boise three-piece Blood Lemon — singer/guitarist Lisa Simpson (Finn Riggins, Treefort Music Fest), singer/bassist Melanie Radford (Built to Spill, Marshall Poole) and percussionist Lindsey Lloyd (Tambalka) — formed, in 2018, out of a medley of mutual admiration, a cover band called Mostly Muff and a unanimous love of Kim Deal and 90s Riot Grrrl music, they had no idea they’d be writing a perfect soundtrack to kick off 2021. What they did know was that they were eager to play music with their fellow womxn; they wanted a sound informed by 90s stalwarts like Pixies, Hole and The Breeders; and they were ready to get political.

The resulting record, Blood Lemon’s self-titled debut, is a flinty 40-minute affair that tackles subjects like the inner journey of one song’s narrator toward becoming a whistleblower (“Whistleblower”) and running a toxic person out of town (“Burned”) with equal clarity and musical chops. Throughout, environmental (in)action is a theme that recurs. “Leave the Gaslight On” was inspired by Greta Thunberg’s speech at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit and the political and economic realities (i.e. capitalism) that have led America not to take it seriously. “Black-Capped Cry” — a deft, heavy track that includes a bass riff inspired by the call of the black-capped chickadee — skewers both the lifestyle of limitless consumption and white colonialism. That tightness of focus in songwriting is well matched by production from Z.V. House of Boise’s Rabbitbrush Audio, a collaborator whose understanding of genre and ear for sonic layering burnished the band’s post-Riot Grrrl sound.

All three of Blood Lemon’s members are classically trained musicians, with decades of experience between them — so yeah, they’ve been around a while. As they live and work within Boise’s scene, which is re-energizing while also responding to the lessons of #MeToo, they take pride in the representation they embody. “It’s important that music not only be about The Youth,” Simpson says. Radford talks glowingly of first seeing The Breeders live, “not caring about anything onstage other than having fun — not being cute, not showmanship, nothin’.”

Listening to the record, it’s clear the ladies of Blood Lemon have brought that same ethos to writing and recording their debut. Their emphasis on reveling in each others’ company while bringing A-level musicianship is the perfect counterweight to the record’s headier themes. They seriously shred through tracks like “Master Manipulator” — which the band mapped on a whiteboard while recording to make sure they didn’t forget any of the collection of Mel’s riffs the song is constructed from — without ever sinking into self-seriousness. If you, too, find yourself ready to get political, you couldn’t ask for a more apt soundtrack than Blood Lemon’s cathartic good time.

Blood Lemon, Boise Idaho, Seattle, alt rock, metal, sludge pop, fusion, blended, post punk, "Perfect Too" Official Video, upcoming 2025 EP "Petite Deaths", Melanie Radford, Lisa Simpson, Lindsey Lloyd, 

Strange Process and the transient oddness, hyper dreaminess and mind bending permanence of "Unexpected Hero" (Official Video)

 

"The sense is definitely futuristic but as imagined in the 80's (is that weird?)."

The transient oddness, hyper dreaminess and mind bending permanence of "Unexpected Hero" by Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) based enigmatic multi-disciplinary artist/musician/director/programmer Strange Process, feels literally out of this world, both vintage and futuristic, both a head trip and a spiritual divination of the body. Apart from the very odd beginning that sounds like a record skip, the song has you falling into a wonky world of cool grooves and electronic world building. I love the bass sound with a sort of phazed distortion, the dirty compressed beats and the synth building from casio-esque proto punk transmissions to tubular drones. The outro is a lovely surprise and feels like an old movie fading away. The sense is definitely futuristic but as imagined in the 80's (is that weird?).  I felt remembrances (tonally) of artists like Starfucker and early MGMT and Animal collective which is super nice and warm. 

A quote from the artist about this track:  

"A brand new song in the dream-pop-bedroom-indie-psych zone, inspired by such things as: everyday heroes. Techno-Nostalgia. Dream logic. Cults. Brain Rot. Taking the perfect action in the perfect moment."

LINER NOTES Excerpts (bracketed):

 [My work often focuses on exploring experimental image making methods, and combining old and new tech to make engaging visuals.

I have contributed live visuals to the likes of Taylor Swift [Eras Tour], Paris Fashion Week [2023], Labrinth [Coachella 2023], and Kid Cudi.]

[December 6th 2024: I have a new song I've released called "Unexpected Hero". Out now on all streaming platorms. Spotify / Apple / Bandcamp / YouTube / Amazon. Mixed by Jeremy Greenspan at Barton Building. Mastered by Graham Walsh. Cam op for video by Cameron Veitch.]

[Some recent work for film & television include creating the intro title sequence for Crave's "The Dessert" and animations/video art for Netflix's "Song Exploder" episode on Nine Inch Nails (2020). It's hard to confirm, but as far as I can research I believe this may be one of the first instances of Machine Learning based animations used on a major streaming (or broadcast) show.]

Nice, really nice. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rnvIxVhFGwg1QuGpm7zVr

https://www.instagram.com/strangeprocess

https://strangeprocess.bandcamp.com/track/unexpected-hero

https://www.strangeprocess.com/



The hiss of cassette tapes unraveling in the dark. Teeth. Sink in. Release. The sound of the snow plough blades scraping against the roads during a still winter night. The last packet of information being transported through your oldest synapses. You were there?


December 6th 2024: I have a new song I've released called "Unexpected Hero". Out now on all streaming platorms. Spotify / Apple / Bandcamp / YouTube / Amazon. Mixed by Jeremy Greenspan at Barton Building. Mastered by Graham Walsh. Cam op for video by Cameron Veitch.

Hello. I'm a Hamilton-based multidisciplinary artist/musician/director/programmer. My work often focuses on exploring experimental image making methods, and combining old and new tech to make engaging visuals.

I have contributed live visuals to the likes of Taylor Swift [Eras Tour], Paris Fashion Week [2023], Labrinth [Coachella 2023], and Kid Cudi.

Some recent work for film & television include creating the intro title sequence for Crave's "The Dessert" and animations/video art for Netflix's "Song Exploder" episode on Nine Inch Nails (2020). It's hard to confirm, but as far as I can research I believe this may be one of the first instances of Machine Learning based animations used on a major streaming (or broadcast) show.

I have received x2 Prism Prize nominations for my work with music videos, which have also been featured by The New York Times, Wired, Mashable, CBC, The Daily Mail, BBC, Metro UK, and broadcast internationally.

Strange Process, Hamilton Ontario Canada, composer, songwriter, multi-disciplinary artist/musician/director/programmer, "Unexpected Hero" (Official Video), abstract pop, alt pop, noir, electronica, 

Stuffed Foxes and the artful sonic bipolarism of "Pretend to Be a Dog" (Gamelle) - Official Video

 

"You came back to me / What else is in your mind ? / We know better than men though we are dogs / I know that everything we create won’t exist anymore..."

The artful sonic bipolarism of "Pretend to Be a Dog" (Gamelle) by Tours, France based post-psych and deep-shoegaze powerhouse Stuffed Foxes and from their third album Standardized, pulls and pushes emotional triggers. It begins pretty and illuminating, grand abstractions like something between U2 and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, dreamy vocals on top of percussive slaps and pearly guitar lines in tandem with the vox.

"You came back to me. What else is in your mind ?"

AND then audacious, beautifully audacious dissonant massive hammers of sound that you might associate with Metz, with Tropical Fuck Storm (or thereabouts) but more sideways with utterly extreme tension filled strikes of guitars / bass / drums / synth heaviness like banshee screams. And so this song moves in this undulating fashion beauty and the beast, soft and emo torn and monstrous and choking. It is an exhilarating emotional purge. I love everything about the possessional aspects, the catharsis, the blood letting. 

LINER NOTES (bracketed):

[Stuffed Foxes say about the new single: "We started jamming this song during a residency in Orléans. The idea was to craft powerful, crashing sound waves interspersed with moments of calm and melody. These bursts were thrilling to play, and the main theme grew richer over time with the six of us contributing to the overall texture. This may be the track we are most proud of, with each of us expressing ourselves and fitting together. For the end of the song, Simon played a raw, noise-driven bassline, and we decided to push it to the forefront in an extreme way, weaving these clear guitar patterns around it."]   

AND about the NEW ALBUM:

[Standardized opens with Biting the Dawn, a Noise elegy that builds with relentless intensity. Léo's recitative voice soars above a searing blend of saturated guitars and echo-drenched drums. Next, Merry Xmas unleashes sharp, incisive guitar riffs reminiscent of Gang of Four and Fugazi, only to surprise with a dramatic twist that builds to a breathtaking, soaring climax echoing the brilliance of Ride’s most epic moments. Rough Up emerges as a Velvet Underground-inspired ballad, built on two simple acoustic guitar chords and an organ, showcasing a more subdued and vulnerable side of the band. In contrast, Standardized plunges into a powerful trance, unleashing a massive, deliciously primal wall of saturation with raw, unfiltered intensity.

With Standardized, Stuffed Foxes appear to have reached an aesthetic milestone, transcending the semantics of the genres that once defined them. They have ‘de-standardized’ their sound and embraced a sense of freedom, opening up to the possibilities of a wider creative spectrum.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://www.facebook.com/stuffedfoxes

https://www.instagram.com/stuffedfoxesband

https://belgrade.lnk.to/OLJIxJ

https://stuffedfoxes.bandcamp.com/album/standardized-2

Tours-based post-psych and deep-shoegaze powerhouse Stuffed Foxes are set to release their third LP, Standardized, on December 6th, 2024, via Bristol’s Stolen Body Records and French labels Reverse Tapes and Figures Libres. Today they disclose the first single 'Pretend to Be a Dog (Gamelle)' and its video.

Stuffed Foxes, shoegaze, alt rock, experimental, prog rock, massive, heavy, dissonant, full throttle, emotionally crushing sounds, "Pretend to Be a Dog" (Gamelle), new album "Standardized", France,