Sometimes what you fancy listening to is some upbeat, faster tempo music that has a lighter feel than some of the other genres. Gumshen’s DigiBites fills that role very well, a mixture of electronica, rock and pop, it makes for an eclectic and layered listening experience.
The Seattle-based band is made up of Ron Hippe, Jan Ciganik, Dennis McCoy and Chip Reno, and sites influences from artists including Pink Floyd and Chromeo. They have had a number of albums released since 2007, DigiBites being their most recent.
One thing that I really enjoyed about DigiBites was the clean and warm sound. I often subjectively find some music that veers more towards electronic beats to be a little cold and clinical but Gumshen’s tracks all seem to have a warmth to them that appeals to me. The next thing that I really appreciated was Ron Hippe’s vocals; they have a kind of echoing magnetism that sits more than comfortably on top of the various sounds contained in the music. His vocals also hold your attention, in tandem with the song writing of course. There are a number of tracks where the flow of the words is interrupted by a change in his tone or pace. The track Be Here Now is a great example of this, the airy first few lines of the chorus followed by the more sudden (but not harsh) exclamation “Look up!”. Pick Up The Slack is also a track that enjoys slightly harder vocals in this manner, the titular line “Pick up the slack!” an order rather than a suggestion.
Now a confession. I have never viewed myself as being a foot-tapper when listening to music. DigiBites’ fast pace and catchy beats did bring this behaviour out in me though, much to my amazement. I might add I have nothing against foot-tapping, I just very rarely do it. To me, that is solid evidence that Gumshen’s music has something to it above others I might have listened to. Most of the tracks on DigiBites have something in them that appeals, whether it is some deep-toned electronic notes or delicately plucked fast-paced guitar riffs, it all comes together in a smooth way that is easy to listen to and satisfying. What more could you want?
You can checkout Gumshen at their website here.
The main guitar riff that underpins the track in general certainly gets stuck in the ear, the pace of the notes sitting really well with the slower extended notes that surround it. The lyrics sung by Majentta’s powerful voice are no less intricate, the hook laden chorus filled with questions and lingering words that almost makes the listener feel rude not to answer her.
The paper-weights on my desk are still dancing, riveting on the groovy rhythm. My mind still looks for some signs of conclusion. Still unable to admit, I try to find some info about the band ‘Whoa Mama’, but there isn’t much; except the three released songs. Finally, I contacted my editor and –to my pleasure- I was told that ‘Whoa Mama’ is actually a new band, not some uncut rough diamonds from the 1970’s.
The first song I heard ‘The Way You Do It’ is a gut wrenching ballad, with intoxicating and dreamy vocals. It is more like messy love making and frantic day dreaming, packaged in a crazy but lucid flowing vibe. Apart from vocals, I absolutely adore the guitar chops… riffs, sweet phrasing with articulate runs, and an enchanting tone on the top of it.
Their latest EP Matters Of Heart And The Will To Burn is made up of five songs. With first track ‘Lunar Transmission’ immediately alluding to a sound similar to predecessors such as You Me at Six by jumping in the deep end with a more pensive, intense sound that really hooks you in. In the next two songs ‘The Forge’ and ‘Boardwalk’, Nick Villars proves why his vocals are perfect for this genre of music and immediately throws in some impressive and diverse range, with the perfect amount of harmony mixed in.
Like all great Alternative outfits, rhythm section is providing a solid ground for the punchy guitar work over it, but my interest lies in the beautiful (and natural) tone of the vocalist Sharon Clancy. She has a gifted voice, and in my opinion, she could have picked any genre and her voice would have adjusted to it; it has a certain feel to it. No wonder a huge number of listeners are drawn to it. That also explains the growing number of followers for The Amplifires, on the both sides of Atlantic.
On the other hand, if your musical choices go beyond easy listening, and if you are looking for something that is as interesting and as compelling like the Milky Way, then you have reached the right planet.
The future is looking bright for Remedysounds, in the last few years he’s played countless gigs and festivals, including his highlight last year at Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival and an offer to go straight to the X-Factor Live Shows, which it should come as no surprise that he turned down.
The debut album by (Ottawa, Canada based) The Cardboard Crowns has pleasantly convinced me that the ‘Dead Art Era’ is finally behind us.
I developed this ‘discourse’ especially listening to their latest album ‘Assumption’. The output is varying in sounds from RnB to Heavy Metal. Some songs play like ‘Red Hot Chili Pepper’ and some appear to have fallen out of Robert Plant’s retro Led Zeppelin closet.
The music produced by this dynamic trio can be called ‘Experimental’, but this is the third studio album by Slow Burning Cars, so I would stick with the ‘Progressive’ element. To name a few from the past albums, the song ‘Fabien’s Stroll’ from their second album ‘The Scattering – Vol.2’, gave me some goose bumps. Its eerie, it’s psychedelic, and it is much more enchanting than any other (ballad) songs they produced. My second pick would be ‘The Scorpio Complex’ for its raw n inclusive psychedelic experimentation; it sounds as if the whole band got into a minivan and recoded it live….
The above statement is a light in the dark for all lovers of heavy and pounding sounds of ‘Heavy Metal’ and Rock: from those who have had cut down their locks and cried in the night hearing Justin Biebers’ being played over and over on the radio, to those who have sold their soul and taken the distortion pedals out of the effect’s chain –to produced cleaner/lighter sounds- just to feed their (Sunday School going) kids…
Well there is definitely something mysterious about singer/songwriter Ricardo Monteiro who is also known as Screaming Culture, apart from his music that is, it is unbelievable that such a talented artist has been around in music circles since 2009 and haven’t bothered to leave trails of diehard fans and ‘Screamer Chicks’ behind him.
