The Apples in Stereo
Travellers In Space and Time
The Apples In Stereo are no strangers to the record making process. The group, which has been around, in some form, since 1992, is releasing their seventh album since 1995. It’s called Travellers In Space and Time and it is a spacey, psychedelic pop experience. Rob Schneider, who is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the group and also writes the majority of the songs, comments on his latest album saying, “I wanted to make a futuristic pop record, to reach out to the kids of the future. It’s what I imagine more highly evolved pop might sound like: shiny soul music with robots and humans singing together.”
At first, Travellers In Space and Time, is not digestible as a whole. The very first song, “Dream About The Future”, comes off very catchy, with a toe tapping piano and a synthesizer happy background. This does not necessarily reflect the style of the rest of the album or lead into an easy listening experience. After several listens, The Apples’ newest work made more sense and was more easily enjoyable. There are definite disco and late 70’s influences. There are several musical references to the Beach Boys and ELO. The album is laced with many subtleties, making it hard to fully enjoy on the first listen. Travellers is a smart album, executed by very talented musical veterans. My favorite tracks are “Dream About The Future”, “C.P.U.”, and “Told You Once”. It makes for a great listen, on the second time around!
If you get the chance catch the group LIVE!
Apr 16 2010 – Cosmic Charlies – Lexington,KY
Apr 17 2010 – 123 Pleasant Street – Morgantown, WV
Apr 18 2010 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington,DC
Apr 20 2010 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia,PA
Sin Ropas
Holy Broken
Sin Ropas is the project of multi-instrumentalists Tim Hurley and Danni Iosello, former members of Red Red Meat and early Califone. The pair have released four albums to date, Three Cherries in 2000, Trickboxes on the Ponyline in 2003 and Fireprizes in 2005. Their latest effort, Holy Broken, is out now and is a true listening pleasure. Immediately, the first song, “The Fever You Fake” became one of my favorites on the album. It also helps to pave the way for the mood for the rest of the eight tracks. The muddy guitars and Hurley’s voice lured me in right away. I have to admit, the tunes gave me a bit of 1990’s nostalgia for the music from my teenage years.
The duo create a sound that is a lot larger than most two pieces could handle. Hurley contributes guitars, accordion, trumpet, keys and synth. Iosello plays drums, percussion, harmonium, organ and korg. Hurley’s voice is beautiful, you can hear the passion and meaning behind all of his lyrics. He sings in a very heartfelt way, giving his alt-country ballads a strong root in their music stylings. “Stolen Stars and Light” is another standout track for me. It is an acoustic ballad, again highlighted by Hurley’s raspy voice. Iosello’s vocals are neatly tucked into the background, and are beautifully quaint. Holy Broken is an intimate album. Listen to it in its entirety, preferably while you are by yourself or with a loved one. Don’t forget to listen to the title track, “Holy Broken” on repeat.
Josiah Wolf
Jet Lag
I love when a quiet or backing member of a band turns the tables and decides to put out a solo album. I also love when the album, puts the spotlight on that particular musician, and highlights their amazing abilities. This is the case for Josiah Wolf, older brother of Why? frontman, Joni Wolf, and drummer of the band. The story goes that at nine years old, Josiah’s father, a rabbi, taught him how to play drums so he could perform during worship. Years later, in 2003, he released The Josiah EP. Three years later, he began to learn to play guitar, practicing several hours a day, even taking vocal lessons. During a tour in Berlin with Why?, Josiah would escape to a graveyard to practice and be alone. During this three year period, he crafted the songs that would appear on his debut.
The twelve song album weaves many layers of sound. It is extremely well thought out, it is obvious that the songs were not made in one day, or in one year even. I hate to compare artists and albums, but Jet Lag sounds like it would be the solo project of Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips. This is an impressive debut from the Why? drummer turned songwriter and guitar player.
Support Josiah Wolf! Catch him LIVE!!!
May 21 2010 – Schuba’s – Chicago,IL
May 22 2010 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis,MN
May 23 2010 – The Aquarium – Fargo,ND
May 24 2010 – The Railyard – Billings,Montana
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– Lottie Leymarie
BreakThru Radio Blog 