Come join Radio 1190 tomorrow at 7pm at Buchanan’s Coffee pub on the hill for another edition of Locals Live! Tomorrow we will be hosting the ambient-folk duo Latlaus Sky. It’s a free show so come out and enjoy great coffee and support local music!
Longtime icon of the Denver DIY scene Travis Egedy, also known as Pictureplane moved to Brooklyn some years ago but kept up his production of strange and esoteric electronic dance music. Recently signed to Anticon records, Edegy has been know for fusing genres such as dark wave, experimental house and 90’s-era dance music. Come 2015, Edegy has released his seventh full-length album titled Technomancer.
The album, much like his previous records, is dark, fuzzy and weird. “Sick Machine” that opens up the album is a head-bobbing jam that has hints of hip-hop and synthpop. Though the track is dark and abrasive, the vocals are the softest and most emotional part of the track. This stark juxtaposition is an interesting one that is unexpected given the background and history of Pictureplane but works incredibly well. The ninth track “Technomancer” is an incredibly catchy stomp that sounds like a chopped and screwed 90’s techno record that was found in the back dumpster of a record store with strange, modulated vocals. The track conjures up images of strobe lights over a DJ in the sweatiest, best warehouse rave in New York. Though Technomancer isn’t the most challenging or mind-bending electronic album ever, it’s still incredibly enjoyable.
Ty Segall and company is back with the second album in their Black Sabbath-influenced incarnation known as FuzZ. Instead of Ty ripping on guitar, he has opted to take over the drum kit while Charlie Moothart stays on electric guitar and Chad Ubovich from Meatbodies on bass. The sound of II harkens back to the very formative days of heavy metal with fuzzy, menacing guitar riffs and vocals more akin to psychedelic rock. The production on the newest record compared to their self-titled debut is much more clear which results in a less mysterious sound. The thirteen-minute closer titled “II” is a sprawling, riff-laden jam that goes in various directions. Sadly, with the ingredients that they have on this newest release are so close to Segall it would make more sense as a solo record. Additionally, the songs aren’t as gripping as past FuzZ releases and with the longer solo sections and song lengths, it makes the album a tad strenuous. Though it’s not a bad album, more streamlined songwriting and more suitable production would have made the album immensely stronger.
Out of Ohio, a group of ex-college radio kids have banned together and released music under the moniker SPORTS. On their debut album All of Something the group plays spunky indie pop and lightning fast speeds. Much like groups like Waxahatchee or Diet Cig, the feel of the album is simultaneously snarky and emotive. The trade off of male and female vocals makes each song dynamic and full of personality. Much like Denver group, Kissing Party, the album feels like a DIY interpretation of Belle and Sebastian or even a modern Beat Happening. All in all, though SPORTS doesn’t have the most original sound, their debut is incredibly enjoyable and shows massive potential for this young band.
by James Calvet