Some singles are worth checking out sometimes not only because of the songs themselves but because the musicians are so inspiring. “You Gotta Believe” and “I am John” are two single tracks I’ve reviewed whose singers possess extraordinary talent.
Source: Flickr CC Image by ineffebale_pulchritude
The Rocket Summer (TRS), named after the same short story in Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, is the “solo rock-project” masterminded by 26-year-old Bryce Avary who lives in Texas [1]. His father’s present of a guitar from a pawn shop when he was just a preteen was what first drew his attention to music. Now every instrument that features on TRS records are played by him, the lyrics are written by him and even the music is produced by him alone [2]. So it should come as no surprise that this talented musician and clothing label entrepreneur of Call It Captivate recorded his first EP at the tender age of 16 [3].
Bryce Avary took some time off this year to write a new record – what is expected to become the album, Of Men and Angels. It was meant to be released in late 2009 but Island Def Jam has pushed the schedule back to early 2010. So it is fantastic that he has recently rewarded eagerly anticipating fans with the release of the You Gotta Believe EP which came out a week ago.
Avery’s dreamy vocals in the catchy track “You Gotta Believe” is tinged with a pop-rock vibe which never fails to send the listener into lapses of nostalgic reminiscences. It brings back the times you faced up to your fears, felt butterflies in your stomach and stood up for yourself. His uplifting lyrics are laced with the hopefulness of exuberant youthful optimism and bravado.
“So You Gotta Believe” is a nugget worth listening to on a day you are down and out of sorts. It just remains to be seen what treats are in store for us come the release Of Men and Angels. Meanwhile if you are a budding muso and a fan, get your camera rolling to star in an upcoming TRS video.
Source: CC Image by Paul Bridgewater
Meanwhile Loney, Dear, the Swedish indie electro-pop outfit pedalled by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emil Svanängen, creates a raw atmosphere among the computer generated sounds in his third self-released album, Loney Noir. Relatively unknown both in his homeland and overseas until picked up by Subpop Records in 2007, Emil by aspiring to perfection delivers a masterpiece with “I am John”.
Everything is on the quiet: dainty glockenspiel chimes, gentle brushed drumbeats and soft horns are all delivered with just a touch of under-the-table bass. Loney,Dear uses lush strings intertwined with drum machine beats to create an all-encompassing sonic quilt that threatens to drown the listener by burying them in a sea of overwhelming optimism.
This music on this track consistently strikes a balance between the downtrodden and the uplifting although the complementing music video which was directed and created by Andreas Nilsson – who has earned a name for himself after working with another Swedish electro-pop act, The Knife – is rather baffling with its dark prey and predator themes in spite of its haunting artful quality.
This is a gem worth hearing and is quite possibly one of the best songs to spring up from the last decade.
So get on it and discover them – http://www.myspace.com/nilsemi , http://www.myspace.com/therocketsummer
Note: This post for Assignment 3 is intended for the blog section of Blunt. It is described as an alternative music magazine that has coverage on the best alternative music in Australia and the world while living by the motto that music is more than a passion, it’s a way of life. In addition although the site itself contained no links in the posts, I have followed the format as closely as possible in other ways apart from the reference numbers within the article.
[1] Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2009) Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, retrieved on 5/10/09 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocket_Summer
[2] Myspace (2003-2009) The Rocket Summer on Myspace Music, retrieved on 5/10/09 http://www.myspace.com/therocketsummer
[3] CTGraffiti, “The Rocket Summer”, CTGraffiti.com, retrieved on 5/10/09 http://www.ctgraffiti.com/music/interviews/TRS.html
0 Responses to “Final Assignment: Updated Post”