Sam Baker – Land of Doubts

 

Sam Baker – Land of Doubts

RELATED ARTICLE: http://www.folkradio.co.uk/2017/07/sam-baker-land-of-doubt/ 

Following a European tour behind his new album, Land Of Doubt, Sam Baker is turning his attention to creative projects in 2017: Opening his first-ever exhibition as a visual artist, staging an original play and filming a documentary. As you may know, Sam has limited hearing after being on a bus that exploded during a 1986 terrorist attack in Peru, but he’s from Texas, now living in Austin. There’s a lot more bio to cover on him but the album has 15 songs and they’re all worth talking about on one level or another. This is his 5^th album since launching his music career, and he’s now expanding his reach by writing a play called Broken Fingers, filming a documentary and staging an art exhibition (Dream Of The Snow Geese) in Santa Fe, NM. And this album which serves as a companion to 2013’s Say Grace, starts off with “Summer Wind” and it quickly passes with some nifty guitar parts into “Some Kind Of Blue” which kicks up into high gear in the songwriting department.

A serious war number with everything he’s got behind it to really pull off a top shelf song, and that is honestly what it is, nothing more to really explain except to recommend headphones. You won’t be sorry you listened, especially if you like a narrative approach to the army about Charlie fighting Charlie. It goes through all the gnarly mud to be held in the trenches. You’ll have to just hear the rest for yourself. The instrumental “The Silvered Moon” is up next and it’s a quick set up for what comes next in the form of “Margaret” which gets tagged the token love song. And this is where it gets a little soft but bounces back after you get through it.

“Love Is Patient” is an otherworldly thing worth waiting for, so anything could come before it and not have any worries. This is my favorite song by Sam Baker, and I wouldn’t have looked past this album if it were not for this amazing opus. Nothing on the album is composed quite like it, in fact nothing out there I’ve heard lately sounds so majestic and real. It’s a fake world of a little of everything, and music is no exception. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear something from so far out in left field. I’m glad I heard it and kept looking-into his work. It should hold up in my playlist for a long time coming. The track already feels like it has that much resonation quality.

“Leave” is almost a complete 180 in contrast, but not a complete loss as a song to enjoy after that. It just never quite picks up until it threatens to at the end, but he makes his message perfectly clear in the lyrics. “Pastures Fit For Thoroughbreds” and “Song Of Sunrise Birds” are two more instrumentals, the former being the longer and more enjoyable sounding of the two, and a lot more interesting as well. This isn’t your grand-daddy’s jazz, but it isn’t exactly modern either. It falls somewhere in between the two. And “Peace Out” gets the last word in edgewise, which is by far one of the most modern moments on what is an amazing collection of modern folk songs.  

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/sambakermusic

Randy Jones

bd Gottfried

 

bd Gottfried 

MP3RED: http://mp3red.me/37514877/b-d-gottfried-breakaway.html 

“Something You Weren’t” begins a show that if didn’t have a few turns could be the product of a progressive rock play of sorts. But I’m no expert on this artist, so, call it what you want but it has a storytelling feel about it. There is a looseness to some of it that veers off the beaten path sometimes, and that is why it goes both ways as an album. You’d have to know him enough to know these things, but anyone can get either impression just by listening to it. There is no question he is a crafty songwriter and excellent musician and singer. But the opening track doesn’t encapsulate everything he’s capable of. The second track “Crosshairs” doesn’t either, but it’s a bit more progressive and even has a more aggressive energy to it. And while not being new on the block, that is where it gets testy for any veteran solo artist. He’s done some heavy studio session work in his career, and a lot of his own albums, and while his maturity shows, his spirit remains youthful in this song, with a wise lyrical effort to round it off. This has both a modern and a retro sound and you can pin point where it might be coming from or not. I found it to be one of the more interesting tracks, whether-or not it holds any accessible interest. “Blame It On The Money” is somehow better in both departments, but perhaps a little on the mainstream side for this album. If there are a lot of familiar rings on this album, this has one of them wrapped around it. The problem is I can’t remember where I heard it, but that won’t be his problem. It works on that strength alone for me, but there are better instances to give on tracks like the following “Frequencies” which tones it down a lot. It could be the sleeper track of the album, as it bubbles along nicely enough for jazz to mark a turning point. It’s good enough to call it at least that vital of a point. 
 

“Eye Of Time” is my favorite, but that could change with time, as several of these tracks are growers. But the drums pick up here on what is-actually more like a ballad, than a rocker of any kind. That’s why the drums play such a great role on it and make it worth the whole price of admission. I also recommend “Breakaway” as my second pick, and I find it likely the most accessible track too. “Incarnation” doesn’t float my boat as well, but it helps pull off yet another big moment in the finale which is “SOS with an IOU.” It takes the album out more like it should’ve come in. And that can’t be bad. 

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoFuRRHCOEA

Todd Bauer

John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas!

 

John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! - The Fall and Rise of John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! 

URL: https://www.moonbeamsnomas.com/ 

You won’t hear another release like this in 2017. John Elderkin has surrounded himself with a cadre of top shelf of North Carolina indie musicians, a virtual all-star roster of regional talent, in order to pull off this sprawling seventeen song collection entitled The Fall and Rise of John Elderkin and ¡Moonbeams No Mas! and they are more than capable of aiding him in realizing his wild ambitions. This is a tribute of sorts and testament to the effect David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust exerted over Elderkin’s imagination, but it is also a monumental riff on that classic album that finds Elderkin re-envisioning its impact on him with a distinctive individual artistic point of view that moves this far away from mere imitation. It’s a collection rich with characterizations, a love for the musician’s life coupled with some jaundiced humor at its pratfalls, and undeniably intelligent from first note to last. 

 

The first full song on the album, “We Waited Five Years”, is one of the album’s direct references to Ziggy Stardust and embodies the aforementioned wont of Elderkin’s songwriting to mix pathos with dashes of smirking humor. A truly singular voice comes from this recording – it bears some marks of modern influences, but everything is so seamlessly transmuted through Elderkin’s personality that it renders such observations mute or meaningless. “Song for David Bowie” might prompt some listeners to believe it’s another in a long line of heavy handed, but well meant, tributes to the Thin White Duke, but this song takes on a much larger scope beyond merely paying Bowie his due and patiently unfolds into something quite memorable. It confines itself to acoustic guitar and vocals for much of its duration before expanding in the second half to include electric guitars and forceful, slightly uptempo drumming. “Gather Your Strength” has some gritty electric guitar and a steady march tempo with Elderkin’s relatively sweet, clean vocals offsetting the dissonance from the instruments.  

 

“Don’t Look Straight Into the Sun” is, arguably, the most guitar heavy song on the album and features some particularly blazing axe work in the second half. It has an ambitious scope that finds Elderkin and his collaborators moving through an assortment of textures and tempos as well as including more of the evocative lyrical content that contributes to this being such a memorable release. “Get Back in the Van” is a band on the road song quite unlike you’ve likely heard before and has one of the best opening lines of any track on the album. Elderkin’s vocal gets over the storytelling aspects of the song in a gripping way that ensures even listeners who have never been in a band will relate to its sentiments. There are two instrumentals, “Teletar” and “A Trip to the Moon”, that set up the album’s climatic number “Give Me Your Hands”. It’s a surprisingly low-fi conclusion to a grandiose album and has the same hazy, dream-like ambiance defining many of the other tracks. It ends the release on a satisfying note and ties everything in quite nicely. This is, as the review began, a truly unique release unlike anything else you’ve heard in recent history and well worth your time and money.  

CD BABY: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/johnelderkinandmoonbeams 

Joshua Stryde 

Suntrodden III – a Mood-Pop Experience

Suntrodden III – a Mood-Pop Experience  

BANDCAMP: https://suntrodden.bandcamp.com/album/suntrodden-iii  

Suntrodden III, the latest EP from Atlanta, Georgia based musician and songwriter Erik Stephansson, is a delightful experimental journey through mood and sensation using the vehicle of lo-fi recording and minimalistic composition. The collection opens with “There’s a Place,” which is a melodic and optimistic song, with a bit of a somber edge, reminiscent of some early R.E.M. tracks crossed with deep cuts from the latter years of the Monkees. The layering of instrumental movement and lyrical musing mesh beautifully to create a song that captures the very essence of a bittersweet attempt to exist encompassed with another person. It’s a truly beautiful tune that is inspiring while still being a bit sad.        

The next track in this collection, “Pure,” is musically reminiscent of Radiohead’s commercially successful, critically acclaimed, and some might argue, cornerstone hit, “Creep.” However, Stephansson takes a very similar series of notes and arrangement and drains it of all bile-self-loathing, and pain, instead infusing it with an infectious joy, which is guaranteed to bring a smile to any listener’s face. Where, “Creep,” is a declaration of degradation, “Pure,” seeks a brighter answer to similar existential doubt and fear. This is possibly the most radio-friendly tune in the entire collection, but still manages to communicate some interesting ideas above and beyond the basic pop formulae, despite its eminently familiar feel.          

“Moonflower,” the next track in this collection, takes a more somber turn. Though retaining the smooth and relentlessly airy melodic nature of the earlier tracks, “Moonflower,” seems to be the first track in the collection that dwells in the darker end of the emotional spectrum. The opening half of the song dwells in the darkness, relying on a deep piano melody to drive the song forward through a murky and reflective place. The vocal quality of this song remains in a more upbeat, poppy sort of register, but lyrically the song owns its reflective nature, making for a beautiful juxtaposition of sound and meaning. After the breakdown, the song evolves into a repeated, anthemic declaration.         

Track four, “Never Again,” brings the collection back to an upbeat place, and definitely owns a clear Beatles/Monkees trip-pop feel.  Musically, it is easily the most complex track thus far, but retains a memorable melody that will stay with you and keep your head bobbing.          

The final track, “The End (Haunt Me)” is an emotional and musical tour de force, revisiting the various instrumental, emotional, and lyrical destinations previously touched on in the album. Through the entirety of this track, Stephansson displays his unique prowess in acting as an emotional tour guide, bringing the listener on a brief, but enjoyable musical journey reminiscent of some of Lou Reed’s finest work.  

All told, Suntrodden III is a deft display of songwriting prowess from Erik Stephansson. The use of lo-fi recording techniques, extant, real-world instrumentation, and a limited number of takes per performance show through in the final product as a raw, emotional piece of art. The effort was well worth it, and the care taken in the crafting of this EP is clear in the final result. I give Suntrodden III an enthusiastic 8 out of 10 stars, and highly recommend it!  

CD BABY: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/suntrodden3 

Travis Legge 

Sam Green and the Time Machine

Sam Green and the Time Machine 

YANDEX: https://music.yandex.ru/album/4414483 

The Time Machine is Sam Green’s chosen way to get his music to the world, to be found at CD Baby and at his own web address. Which Way Left? is the new release and it gives a little hope to those looking to sooth their heels into some fresh streams of his words of wisdom, backed with some instrumentation that comes off clumsy at times, but serves his vocal prowess well enough to dismiss as a development wrinkle. The music isn’t produced with any gloss to speak of, so it shows a weakness in that respect, but everything else is in satisfactory order and on the level that he’s currently at.

“Dendeong Ranges” is more of a ditty than a song approach, but there are tracks of both structures throughout the CD. This is about the hills of his surroundings, but the music doesn’t pick up enough to show what’s to come. It falls short of good song but it tells a story his own can relate to, so it works for that purpose anyway. The following track “Eli” isn’t the shining point either, but it’s the opposite as far as a song goes. This is a very good piece that proves Sam Green is a good musician and songwriter. But that could already be evident to those who know and have consumed his work, of which there is much to be found. “Financial Year” doesn’t resonate as much as the first two, but that’s because of its obvious political and economic subject matters, but it keeps the personal side of his work in check. Anyone with a mission can understand where he’s coming from. On “Google Me” he makes some sense of humor pay off on relating to the cyberworld’s role in relationships. And the humor stays in-tact with his take on “Harry Ginagin” which also keeps the energy upright. Not that it’s all low energy, but even pop-folk, which he is tagged, can be dreadfully soft sometimes. Most get a little of both in to stay balanced, as he does.

On “Part Of The Corporate” it might get a little politically overboard, but he speaks anyway, and does get heard, but are the masses listening is always the question. If you’re into folk and looking for the usual stuff ragged upon by every folk singer/songwriter imaginable, then it suits you right down to the heels. “Round And Around” is high on the list of pleasers and so is “Mist Of The Desert” and “Lightning Never Strikes.” Both of which he turns in some of his finest musical offerings. In fact all three of these tracks are in the top of the whole 14 of them if I were to rate them that way. But I would also call the sound mix uneven in places. It also sounds like Sam Green improvises a lot, and that’s just about the best thing you can say about a piece of music, but there are some well thought out, superbly-crafted tracks on this CD. If anything, it makes you want to hear more from the artist, which keeps to outdoorsy vibes more than tackles every day issues. This is for rolling up your pant legs and wading your feet in the cold water, while listening to some relaxing music to end a long day, or just shooting the breeze on the headphones to. Life isn’t that serious, and Sam Green reminds of that and how to let it all hang out.

MP3RED: https://mp3red.me/36636593/sam-green-and-the-time-machine-eli.html

Elvin Graham

Paul Kloschinsky

Paul Kloschinsky

URL: http://www.kloschinsky.com/ 

Paul Kloschinsky was born in Saskatchewan in 1963. He attended the University of British Columbia in the 1980’s and received a BSc in Computer Science and an MD. After living and working across Canada he has returned to his hometown of Delta, BC, Canada. He has played in a few rock bands in the Vancouver area since High School. He is now a Folk-Rock Singer Songwriter. He won the 2007 MusicAid Award for Best Canadian Songwriter for his original song Wearin’ Blue. He released his first album, Woodlands, February 24, 2009 on Prism/Universal in Canada. In addition to being a songwriter, he is also an avid poet and photographer. Paul has lived as he’s so desired and gets to tell all about it on Crime Of Passion. An album that comes with some excellent folk tracks to its credit, which verge on rock and country style as much as folk, if you hear it for what it really is. The 8 songs on the album go far in telling his stories to the world, but it might also help to start before this to get his point and not judge him only by his latest record. You can do that like everyone used to, or you can opine about it with a broader perspective in support of anyone in today’s musical landscape. The structure of these tracks are-rock based, but ultimately folk dominated.

“I’m Still Waiting” makes one of the most resonating musical statements as both the album content and Paul himself call for. This gets everything underway with the high standard any folk artist should approach their songwriting and studio performance qualities with. That being-said, it doesn’t mean it always works. This track somehow does make all the right moves to entice you henceforth with enough force to pull you right into “Crime Of Passion” with an ease like no other. And I like both songs with the same amount of relish. They go far in selling the whole title.

This rebel in the night comes out within the second track and you know he’s for real. You just have-to let it keep playing from there or you already have you mind made up in the polar-opposite direction. But the title track reminds of everyone from Roy Orbison to competing with Chris Isaak himself for some limelight in the vocal department. The same qualities come out in the next track “Sooth Me” but with more of a mid-tempo pace going for it. This is another shining moment on the album as the tracks consistently improve as they go. You can’t deny the groove of this one, it’s vibrant and infectious like most of the album.

It’s nice to hear him get his feeling out about what people say about him, it makes for some fun subject matter, the latter track is full of that and more. It also has an island presence about it, which changes up the attitude of the album. “A Poignant Point In Time” is where just about anyone can get lost if they don’t take it all in within a fast enough time frame, and that’s just one jeopardizing about albums as opposed to singles these days when people have much more time for singles. It’s a good thing this was not chosen as a single. I’d stay away from doing that. “Gates Of Heaven” would be my next choice, if that doesn’t hint enough. It should’ve been the first single.  

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Paul-Kloschinsky-SingerSongwriter-176927601286/

Todd Bauer

Kayzyak – 'Happy Camping''

 

Kayzyak – 'Happy Camping''

URL: http://kazyak.com/

The Kazyak is one of those rare bands that overflow your soul with amazement once you open your doors to their stream of beautiful sounds and rhythm. The Minneapolis-based band’s new album ‘Happy Camping’ is set to be released on the 20th of July 2017, which is forecasted to be a beautiful sunny day in Minneapolis. As well as choosing a beautiful weather to release their second Ep, Kazyak presents us with warm string arrangements composed of soothing electric guitars, drums and violins that is guaranteed to lift you into the musical paradise. 

The band leader, Peter Frey is a creative indie rock Songwriter and Guitarist based in Northeast Minneapolis, the band also consist of Lana Bolin (Bass), Pat Hayes (synth, piano), Nick Grewe (drums). The previous Band Ep, “See the Forest, See the Trees” released in May 14, 2013 was well received by music critics. Mr Frey and the band succeeded in delivering a well-written and composed 6-track masterpiece.  

“See the Forest, See the Trees” was a beautifully written piece that displayed Peter Frey’s passion for fairy tales and fables. This musical group clearly does not have a problem connecting entirely to nature as evident from their beautiful melodies.  Frey’s new creation is not the kind of song you would want to rock your body to, I would say it is the perfect company for creative tasks like painting, drawing, when you want to go out with family, friends, loved ones or you are on a nature-driven soul-searching drive. 

Before I wrote this review, I was on an 8 hours’ drive to see mum and girlfriend back home in Indianapolis. I was quickly serenaded by the first track on the album, ‘Sacred Cow’. The song infused me with soft and heartfelt rhythms as I connected the lyrics of the song to my memories of finding myself in our world. I applaud the choice of this song as the opener to the album because it sets the mood for the rest of the album.  

Following Sacred cow is ‘Sundial’. Sundial channelled the energy I attained from Sacred cow into a more realistic dimension in which you would be able to connect to the story being told. Reassuring me of who I was and where I was coming from. Next was ‘Basin’, which I would describe as a voice telling me that "you are not superman, but that is ok".  

The roller-coaster of songs went on and on till the last track ‘Happy Camping’ which encouraged you to continue in that quest for happiness, I personally interpreted Frey’s last part of the song as you should always remember your success when you are thinking about all the time you have failed in life. So, I would like to thank Frey for accompanying me on that long trip and the romantic date I was inspired to take my girlfriend on later that night. 

The Happy Camping is heartfelt and soulful. The delivery is precise and each song transcends into the next so naturally. The narration is very expressive, as Frey’s famous fables takes the listener to a world of his or her own.  

We’re rating Kazyak - Happy camping a solid 5-star. It’s a beautiful continuation from their previous ‘See the Forest, See the Trees’. I am looking forward to seeing one of their shows whenever they are in town.

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8_V5K2YweGwKWB47JyaDVA

Tom Simpson