AllegrA - 'yet, not enough'

AllegrA is a four piece indie-rock band hailing from the eastern side of this lovely state of
Pennsylvania. Allegra Eidinger is the songwriter and frontperson of this here lovely band, and the newest EP from this quartet, yet, not enough, is exactly what you want from an EP. I can’t say it any other way. It’s the perfect length, the right amount of songs, and as a very dear friend of mine always says, what makes an record for him is, “openers and closers”.

This EP is an intimate, emotional journey filled with some of the most subtly crafted
instrumentation that worms its way into your mind and doesn’t leave. With “Comfortable Being
Strangers”, AllegrA puts us into a pair of their shoes, trying to help us understand the importance of solitude and the sacredness of anonymity. Isn’t it better sometimes to just be in a room instead of having to act like YOU exist in that room? The sentiment is wholly relatable and with the incredible groove of the bass and drums, accompanied by the beautiful dual guitar tones, you’re completely immersed while trying to grasp the pressing thoughts of the lyrics. “Twisting Of”, the closer on this EP, and rightfully so, is the most lush of all the tracks here, ebbing and flowing so perfectly.

Ya see, that’s the best thing about this EP for me. This whole thing is able to feel like
a conversation...about Allegra’s day, instances that gave them pause, and how the heck they
can give their life more meaning in relation to a shelf they’d like to build out of materials that
originally were not meant to be a shelf. This EP creates an environment that I feel comfortable
enough to respond in a way such that memories flow out of me while I listen to it; helping to add
to this already lovely conversation. My favorite track on this EP is the opener, an folks, It’’s been
a while since I’ve been hit so hard with overwhelming emotion while listening to a song.

What’s a memory that gives you the most joy? Makes you feel the most safe? The most at peace? For me it’s a time when a whole group of friends and I went out to Lancaster to visit a friend over the holidays. We were all in really great spirits, and something just felt so comfortable about it all. Eventually, after hiking around outside for a while, we decided to go back to our friend’s house, and in our down time utilized the entirety of the basement to create one massive, blanket fort. Propped up pool cues, chairs, and a lot of the universe being kind to us that day kept this beautiful fort standing all night as we transitioned from watching Adventure Time to having some conversations that only close friends in a blanket fort could have. A space so vulnerable, supportive, and strong. How did I end up here crying tears of joy again? Whatever spirit was helping Allegra hold that chair helped to hold our fort, and with that our conversation began.

RIYL: warm beverages (not a band, just the feeling of), Snail Mail, Big Thief
Favorite Tracks: Spoon or Fork, Twisting Of

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Written by Ira Mason (@spookEguy420_69)

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Fever Dream Horror Scene - EP

For many audiences, the artwork of a record is oftentimes a major selling point as well as creates an expectation for what the music will sound like when the listener plays it for the first time. When I first saw the artwork of Fever Dream Horror Scene’s new self-titled EP, I was immediately intrigued; I wasn’t sure what I was going to hear from the mesmerizing mix of what seemed to be sticks and branches. For me, this was exciting. As I had hoped, in the opening seconds, I realized that the artwork was a beautiful summary of the essence of who Fever Dream Horror Scene truly are. This EP is such an enthralling combination of shoegaze and post-punk that it transports the listener to the very grey, rainy afternoon in the practice space in Indiana in which this material was conceived.

The instrumentation of the opener to this EP, “Blue Blood”, is heavily reminiscent of Sonic Youth while Matt Leetz and Shannon Brandon’s vocals deliver a hypnotizing, gloomy mood throughout the piece. This track is followed by “Teething”, a song that is riddled with a winding guitar riff and otherworldly, haunting vocals. In the last minute of the song, the guitar sounds as if it is trying to jump out of the speakers and attack the listener. This guitar tone is extremely grimy and a great dynamic change in the track. Finishing the first half of the EP, “Benedictation” begins with delay-heavy guitars but quickly dives into a cacophony of distortion, Sam Glidewell’s intense drumming, and passionate vocals. The song is a great blend of the stylings of post-punk act New Order and 1990s alternative rock bands like The Offspring and Nirvana.

The fourth track, “Reliquary”, is covered in guitar riffs reminiscent of indie rock legends Built to Spill, ultimately swelling until bursting into a guitar-laden eruption. This song is a perfect contrast from the other moments on the EP without straying too far from the band’s original sounds. Next, “Nascar” alternates between a sludgy verse and a rather melodic, catchy refrain. For me, this track is one of the standouts on the EP. At the end of the song, all aspects of the music are turned up to the dirtiest, highest intensity possible, blooming into an aggressive discordance for the final moments of the track. The use of dynamics in this track specifically creates many compelling and powerful moments. Ending the record, “Shill” is Fever Dream Horror Scene’s most progressive song on this project. Starting with clean, dissonant guitars, the track then moves into one of the best vocal performances on the piece, climbing up to a bridge that constantly builds. A sudden beat switch at the end of the track is a beautiful end to this carefully crafted work.

Fever Dream Horror Scene’s new self-titled EP is a refreshing take on the gothic sounds of early 1980s mixed with an exciting new twist provided by a more DIY, gloomy attitude. This is a perfect listen for your next grey, rainy afternoon. Released through Sister Cylinder, Fever Dream Horror Scene can be streamed through the links provided below.

Follow Fever Dream Horror Scene

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Written by Dylan Fitch (@DylanFitch3)

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Drowsy - EP

I’ve been thinking a lot about the time I drove across the country with a few friends of mine and what the future holds for each of us. Summer 2015, a group of 5 of us decided to pack up a Dodge Caravan and hit the road to Arches National park with high spirits and stops-a-plenty along the way. I think back on this journey and although the idea of picking up and road-tripping isn’t new; everyone’s lived experience of it is and should be cherished as such. Throughout the trip I had many great experiences, some of which I have completely forgot due to the poison of time, but nonetheless some part of me acts differently because of this short 8 day stint. Being able to witness the changing landscape at such a rapid pace, mostly because we had to speed to make time, made a lot of the country slam into a blur of all environments. Honestly, trying to remember these blurs creates a mushed painting of nostalgia and feelings, that I wouldn’t trade for anything else; this mental image, I also would say, accurately describes how I feel when I listen to this record.

Drowsy, a band originally from Denver and called “The Baltic”, have been on the scene
for sometime, recording a solid EP called Archipelago. They have now since up and rooted
themselves to Los Angeles and while living in this land have decided to create this self-titled
diddy and release it through Pittsburgh label, Misra Records (who also released Archipelago).
Listen, I get it, I could draw on endless comparisons of who these folks sound like, but
I’m just going to leave that for the lil’ text bump I do at the end of all these pieces. Drowsy have
created a soundtrack, that draws to the surface, an instance of feelings and memories in my
mind that I didn’t know I needed until I listened to it on repeat for the past couple of days.
“Simply Jess” carries the weight of every landscape that I saw from Pennsylvania to Utah, and
the instrumentation reflects that; going from valley to peak on a sonic journey with breathtaking
guitar, pounding bass, and a drum kit that feels like it’s the size of Lake Huron. “Lapsing” comes
in softly and then heaves its weight like the massive thunderstorm my friends and I drove
through in Colorado, and by the end of the song, much like the storm, I’m very glad to be alive
and thankful for the experience.

Annie Dillard talks about the cyclical nature of time in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, when she
stumbles upon a serpent skin that seems to be tied in a knot. When she attempts to find the
knot she is unable to. This leads her to go on a tangent about what exactly it means to
experience something; she wants her time spent at the cabin on Tinker Creek to be hers and
every changing of the seasons to be new. She professes she doesn’t want someone else’s
“used weather” while contemplating how the first person differentiated the seasons as distinct
and separate and not just one continuous event. What I’m trying to say is, I can sit here talking
about Jack Kerouac and a bunch of famous shoegaze, but I really want to stress the importance
of going into this record clean and finding out for yourself what these songs can help you
discover. You can listen to “used shoegaze” anytime, try something new on for size.

If you are reading/listening from LA, be sure to hit up their EP release show on March 2 with Ben McKenzie, Bandy, and Lo Haze at Ham And Eggs Tavern!





RIYL: Slowdive, Pity Sex, LSD and the Search for God
Favorite Tracks: Simply Jess, Lapsing

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Written by Ira Mason (@spookEguy420_69)

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Cathedral Bells - 'Self Titled EP'

New York’s hottest new nightclub is Cathedral Bells. They’ve got everything; beeps, boops, goth
jazzercising, the bullseye in the middle of the Venn Diagram of musical interests between Claire
Standish and Allison Reynolds, and of course the Psychic Capital of the World. So what are we
talking about here? Just go listen to the dang thing.

Cathedral Bells is the shoegaze project of Matthew Messore and David Carey hailing from
Cassadaga, Florida. Their self-titled EP dropped February 1st on Good Eye Records and this thing is just crackling with kinetic energy. Messore says the album was written during a period in which he returned to his hometown and it centers on themes of isolation and space. These songs are the perfect encapsulation of the happy//sad formula, the lyrics touching on Messore’s stated themes and the music...the MUSIC! Cathedral Bells have really placed themselves atop the pedestal of
music to play while Robert Smith rides the exercise bike. “Homebody” is the single that
preceded this EP and for good reason. The song is an absolute bop; driving drums, the perfect
synth tones, this is music for walking in the cold while the sun shines on your face.

For me the standout track here is “A Passing Phase”, the lyrics are a gut punch of poetry, when
Messore sings “give me something to hold onto” you feel you’re soul reaching, connecting with
these feelings, existing with Messore’s spirit on some ethereal plane. The instrumentation is
superb too, the bassline is such an earworm and the synths not only pair so well with it, but also
help to create the environment of isolation Messore is conveying through his lyrics.

In the movie To the Wonder, Marina and Neil return to Oklahoma after falling in love in Paris
and Marina, a Ukranian, begins to feel isolated in this rural environment. Very much removed
from family, country, and comfort, Malick is able to portray the intense feelings of isolation and
doubt through sweeping landscape imagery as well as minimal dialogue. It’s somewhat hard to
put isolation into relatable words, hell even Malick had trouble with it, but with this EP, Cathedral
Bells are showing us a potential road map in how to express these feelings... and dance our
asses off while doing it.




RIYL: Goth Jazzercising (the activity I have no idea if this is a band), DIIV, Slowdive
Favorite Tracks: A Passing Phase, Homebody

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Written by Ira Mason (@spookEguy420_69)

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Twain - '2 E.P.s'

It’s Sunday, I’m driving back to my hometown to spend some time with family, and the only thing on my mind at this moment is my grandfather. It’s been about a year since he passed, and it still doesn’t feel like he’s left this earth or that he ever will. People come and go, but presence and influence remain forever. Emotionally, I’m still somewhat shell shocked by this loss; it’s hard to process these instances in a vacuum and, for myself at least, emotional repairs are done in increments over months or years, not days or weeks. These repairs come at a cost, fortunately or unfortunately however you look at it, once confronted with instances of loss, physical, spiritual, emotional, etc...how do you continue to love and live when death looms?

Twain is a musical project based out of Franklin, Virginia, a small town in the middle of Virginia that, although located in a different state, I would like to believe I can relate to the sentiments and feelings of the individuals who are from the area as I grew up in a small city with about the same population. All small towns are different, all small towns are similar. Twain describes their music as the song of Mt. Davidson, who is the main singer and songwriter of the group. The songs of Mt. Davidson are ones of varying influence and laced strains of Americana, all of them bubble with a strong emotional resonance, although none of the songs reach the redline in volume. Twain’s newest effort 2 E.P.s showcases Twain in two different lights.

The first E.P. (Side A) is New Miami Sound, a culling of material left off of Twain’s previous album Rare Feeling. This side, consisting of four songs, feels sprawling, vast and comforting, an intimacy reached when you’ve ascended the top of a mountain and you’re alone at the peak. “Death (Or S.F.)” is a slowly paced waltz of an adventure through San Francisco, while the anxiety of responsibilities and relationships beyond vacation still loom. The instrumentation is well arranged strings, piano, bass, and the drums all playing off each other in such a remarkable way. Although I wouldn't say Twain is as psychedelic as Foxygen this song makes me draw comparison to the band in the way it’s produced with a retro feel and the vocals are kept quiet but resonant. “Big Dog Mind” closes out the side and like the songs before it, tackle feelings of continuity, persistence, anxiety over emotional strife and remaining steadfast in the belief that love and relationships are as important to life as breathing.

The second E.P. (Side B) is Alternator, a plethora of songs recorded live in a van, and boy oh my these tunes are emotional doozies. These tracks, although sparse, crackle with electricity and emotion. Mt. Davidson is at it again with his tender vocals and emotional howls and the lyricism once again reflects on instances of love and loss whether it’s directed toward a person, place, or experience. “Rare Feeling V.1.” closes out this side and is a great example of some solid country-folk music, subtle picking, beautiful vocals. Overall Twain has created an album of reflection and through creating an album of songs that mirror a mirror, Twain has forced us to examine our own lives as well as the briefness of them and celebrate every damn mistake or loss we’ve ever had, lovingly.

2 E.P.s is out now via Keeled Scales on LP, cassette, and digital formats. Give the record a spin.

RIYL: Foxygen, Tobias Jesso Jr., John Denver, Jason Molina

Favorite Tracks: Death (Or S.F.), Big Dog Mind, Black Chair, Rare Feeling V.1

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Written by Ira Mason

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