A totally random, whatever came to mind first, selection of the latest additions to our
New Music Monster
Music Reviews written by Tobi Davis
Artist: Leg Puppy
Track: “Twit Machine”
Following up on their Freshnet selected summer romp & stomp, and two fingered salute to the corporate nob culture (lack thereof), “Meds and Beer”, south London electro punk nutjobs, Leg Puppy are back with another trademark punch in the gut public service announcement, new single “Twit Machine”. A 2 minute 25 second, high speed rant of ear catching mantra and sing along chant, “Twit Machine” oscillates like a bi-polarized particle between, alarm driving riff and dub infused, delay drenched, guitar breaks; drum and bass style ‘one shots’, resonate deep in reverb; rapid stuttered beats break dry; dancefloor style kick, punches hard and tight, down the centre. Smart use of vox delays, further enhance the percussive assault; saturation used to contrast vocal lines and introduce a ragged edge to the accomplished production. Although ‘snapped to the grid’ on point, the track is willfully illformed; musical sections intentionally jutt out, left ugly and ‘user unfriendly’; Leg Puppy crafting satirical commentary into the construction of the track, as they rail against our lazy, convenience obsessed culture, with the very the act of composition; the knowingly heavy handed sonic juxtapositions, also adding a compelling and unconventional dynamic structure. From “Selfie Stick”, through to “Meds and Beer” and now, “Twit Machine”, Leg Puppy continue to put aggressive, fiercely contemporary, social commentary at the heart of their music. A tech-noir clown mask wearing rabble rouser; demented beats slinging, cage rattler; set the puppet amongst the pigeons (Watch Music Video), Leg Puppy are the rising noise on the UK scene, and you better be ready to listen, because they have something to say.
Facebook.com/LegPuppy
Twitter: @LegPuppyMusic
IG: LegPuppy
Artist: Evalyn
Track: “A Pill to Crush”
Scattered gutter trash, stereoized, saturated ripe in the Californian sun; stuttered vinyl scratch, caught in the wake, the updraft; sonic flash flood, ‘Revelry!’, delayed wash, left to right, storm drain trapped and carried downstream, ‘I wish that I could be a younger me’; singer/songwriter Evalyn releases 3 minute 41 second, ode to the sin, excess & grit of her adopted home/lover, the city of fallen angels, with new single “A Pill to Crush”. Taken from her forthcoming and eagerly anticipated EP, Salvation, produced by fellow Angeleno, Nicopop, “A Pill to Crush” swaggers and struts, with a limp; warped sickly, uber cool, ‘heroin rock’ infused, guitar loop and pitter patter, six string cracks, rattle and twine through the track. Beats burst and defuse, gated and modulated; pitch shifts and drops, crank and sling through dynamics on the hop. Evalyn’s vocals arrive in waves of fizzing reverb, expanding and enveloping the song; her voice intoxicates, lyrics lift ethereal; nonchalant in tone, irreverent in topic; she breathes vapor pop. Melodies build in teasing phrases, like perverted nursery rhymes. Creative use of double track, altered off-tonal, sit uneasy; the track, like the city of its birth and subject matter, at odds with itself. Driven by clear Artistic intention, the hyper-tight pop production stands apart, and a cut above; Artist and Producer crafting a composition of singular vision and bespoke aural experience. The toughest gig in town right now, female electro pop singer/songwriters struggle to make their mark in a crowded market, where supply and talent, more than outstrips the public’s demand/appetite for the overhyped, playlist-bot-bloated, alpha consumer-targeted, marketing department orientated, ‘more often than not, style over substance’ musical genre. Bringing lashings of both style and substance, “A Pill to Crush” is both bold artistic statement and confident marker within the marketplace; Evalyn’s obsession with and idolization of, her adopted home, Los Angeles, testament to the value of working to a singular vision. With so many of her contemporaries struggling to find ‘their sound’, Evalyn is focused on finding herself.
Facebook.com/ThisisEvalyn
Twitter: @YoEvalyn
IG: ThisisEvalyn
Artist: Jeen
Track: “Pull Out Your Knives”
Cut on the rush, the overdrive, the fuzz, jump up and down drums and glorious noise, Canadian singer/songwriter Jeen drops new album, Indie Alt Rock, DIY dream , Gift Shop and opening track “Pull Out Your Knives”. Having already made a name for herself, writing songs for an impressive and eclectic array of recording artists, from folk rock band Great Big Sea to JPop, Idol Group Fawa Fawa, Gift Shop marks the third full length solo release for the prolific and talented artist ; and does so, in stark contrast to the growing trend of releasing EPs and lone singles, as a way to tame, and hopefully conquer the almighty streaming media beast. Jeen is no stranger to self produced material, her 2015 and 2016 releases “Tourist” and “Modern Life” having been recorded in her attic, latest release Gift Shop has a warm, roomy feel, rich in dreams and nostalgia; and a lovingly, joyful and disorganized sound ‘un-design’, successfully reminiscent of Pavement’s 1994 release, “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain” and the more recent home-brewed offerings of DIY superstars, Swearin. Tortured guitar tones run the gambit, between screech and shimmer; garage drums thump, crash and slap, with raspy hi hat and deep, thunderous loud. Jeen’s vocals echo and dance in the layers of delay, diffusion and reverb; moving from distant cries at the back of your mind, to huge, cathedral like voicing, towering above the frenetic noise and sonic energy of the track. Gift Shop is an immensely enjoyable and rewarding experience and very much plays, like a proper independent release. While many unsigned artists lose the value of their independence in misguided attempts to create ‘cut price’ mainstream style productions, Jeen has chosen to celebrate and embrace the freedom of self produced / home recorded music; the result is an album of beautiful oddities and introspections, hazy dazy soundscapes and off-kilter sonic delights. Untidy, under produced and undeniably wonderful, Gift Shop is out now.
Facebook.com/ThisisJeenMusic
Twitter: @ThisisJeenMusic
IG: ThisisJeenMusic
About Tobi Davis (BRASH! Magazine/Blog Writer)
Good producing is like good plumbing. If you do your job right, no one notices. Mix, Remix + Master. Run @monsterthread w/ Singer Songwriter Jon Magnusson. Host Thursday’s @musichouruk. Music Reviews for BRASH! Magazine. Promote. Occasional Lyricist. Love my beagle Enzo + fav bands Little Empire and Moxi. Check out Tobi Sonics – Mixes + Remixes!
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Facebook.com/TobiProducer
Twitter: @producedbytobi
Instagram: ProducedbyTobi
About The Monster Thread
The #MonsterThread is a community of Independent Musicians, Bands and Artists supporting each other in making and sharing Indie Music.
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