New Music Review: Hometown & beyond

Y’all remember The Sad Guy Mixtape? well this one’s for you

An emo hipster’s guide to what’s come out in the not so distant past

By JP

Needing to fill the silence? Wanting to remember some of our favorite bookings and friends to the venue? Here’s some of that new spice to add to your daily mix.

Dead Lakes [“New Language” EP: SMS Happiness, 2 Close to Me, Paradise]

Aesthetic x 11: it’s literal fire. It’s a mood, the new songs use bi-neon-electric pinks and blues in the music video and it looks cool as hell.

Lyric and vocal styling references emo-hip hop vibes. Feels contemporary and modern talking about money, loss, attachment, fake smiles and coping the best we can #mentalhealthawarenessmonth

Sumner Peterson shifts from the post-hardcore screams that they’re known for, turning instead to the clean register and showing off a level of control we haven’t seen in a long time.

Tell me about the guitars | Math-rock, emotive melodic strings wash over you in a way that’s like you’re being brought out to sea, just before the waves crash

Them Drums | Drum beats have hip-hop vibes in the beginning before crossing over to the melodic hardcore they’re known for.

FFO Bring Me the Horizon, PVRIS, Turnover, Citizen, The 1975

The last time I saw Peterson at a show I recognized that something big had changed. A vast departure from the shorts and band tees I was accustomed to. It was a quiet but intentional step into the next phase for the group. Periodically, we’d also recognize other bandmates at shows but they were quiet too and I kept wondering what it was that happened to a band that was on the rise. The work shows for itself. The new Dead Lakes are acclaimed bangers that this scene can take pride in. Often in the PNW you’ll hear people who say they “like a little bit of everything”. This has that and more.

For The Likes Of You [Forlorn]

Aesthetic is on point. There is even more fire, shadows, beaches, smoke and desert chains pulling you into this video. Forlorn is a textbook lesson on how to weather a friggen’ firestorm with your instruments.

Lyric and vocal styling Austin Dickey screams. A lot. But how low he can get is jaw dropping.

Tell me about the guitars | Metalcore, chuggity-chugging-chug. The breakdowns however got me head banging.

Them Drums | Blast beats on blast beats on blast beats. Duh.

FFO IDK. Ask icantGrind2this.

The production value on this video is insane. It feel like I was watching an effects studio on par with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Also with each of the elements I was reminded that ATLA is on Netflix. Is this sponsored? NO! Do I wish it was………….no comment. It’s heavy, it’s dark, it’s well polished. There is no denying the talent pouring out of their ears in this video. Face melting, no clean vocals this run through, but none are needed.

Glacier Veins [Perception]

Lyric and vocal styling | Malia Endres’ signature is consistently delivering every note, fast, slow, high or low with a crisp-smoothness. That seems contradictory but for Endres, it’s not.

Tell me about the guitars | They’re so much fun. You can tell they’re having a good time. Melodic, indie, pop punk, dreamo. Leaning more on the pop-punk side of things for the majority of the song. Best part is when they just kick all of the petals and go out on a wave. It’s an emo dreamscape which is why they’re in a league all their own in modern dreamo.

Them drums tho | Bridging the key changes you know you can count on the breaks in between and it really shows off the atmospheric bits.

This one is a tour video, complete with stage shots, cats, video games, skateboards and pool splashings, bowling alleys, roller coasters, and smiles. It makes me miss bands on the road and this band in particular even more but it also makes me smile. It’s a nice reminder of why we do this. The value of music is having a good time and living our most goofiest life. Glacier Veins will always sound like Glacier Veins and better every time.

Don’t miss “Everything Glows” and “Talk” either.

Cut Out

Lyric and vocal styling Metalcore rooted heavily in hardcore. Gabe HInchy has got those piercing screams

Tell me about the Guitars —yoooooooooooooooo the breakdowns are so meaty. I can definitely see you in the pit riding this one out, fists out.

Dat BASS- Tasty. ‘nuff said

Them Drums tho- Each cymbal crash makes me think of another body on the floor going ham.

Basement red bulbs flickering feels like I’m in a basement show. It’s dirty nasty and I love it.

FFO Avoid, Dead Air, By All Means

The Brightest

Lyric and vocal styling Pop-Alternative mixing Kaia Dorosh and Ryan Bisson is a balancing act that complements one another. The words in the song feel especiallly poignant now focusing on anxiety of the unknown. Being afraid. We are there. Gah. This back and forth overcoming said fear and acknowledging what’s going on. Overall there is a lot of hope here. It moves beyond relationships and the final vocal runs are absolutely nuts

Tell me about the Guitars | I know you’re a sucker for acoustic. I am too. It’s nice to see acoustics added into the mix and backed up by a full electric accompaniment without taking a back seat.

Them Drums tho | Dwayne Scott can play. We all know this but I love how it amplifies the acoustics too connecting the dots.

If this feels like a blast from the past, it is—as this song was originally written in 2013. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Brightest the band decided to dust it off and give it another go, and honestly it’s fun. Releasing the song now flips it on it’s head, there is another depth to it in today’s context. The echolalia is strong with this chorus. Plus, it’s a lyric video, and who doesn’t miss lyric videos? I’ll admit I was caught in the final minute of the song expecting things to go another way with the fadeout. I thought “Nice, this is a solid bow-tie ending.” But no. It goes even harder for the end. So stick with it. You' won’t be sorry.

FFO | Copeland, The Lonely Forest, The Dangerous Summer

¢oyote [Ghost Speach dream//Ghost]

Aesthetic lo fi chill vibes: home video cam, LED, cherry blossoms

Lyric and vocal styling Zachariah Matthew keeps the chill flowing transitioning emo lyrics to a trap beat. Baker dedicates this to song to the topic of addiction.

All about the beat | Plus a ton of reverb and strings looped and re-dubbed in an atmosphere of hope and regret. Baker’s guitar is subtle but a strong through-line to weave the different high hats and snare tapping.

FFO Fiore, Marrowstone, Quieter. You know why. Also definitely check out Kid Genius & Keezy Kay

Coyote sounds amazing sampling anime, slam poetry style and now as is. To see this project grow and develop alongside the other styles was a natural progression. We’ve seen Baker entrance audiences with a distinct twinkle style tapping, and then as a front-person/vocalist. But to see the remixes and writing stand on their own is fascinating and has allowed Coyote to become it’s own distinct style a part from the rock format. Working solo you can see a huge uptick in ideas. The songs coming out are prolific, distinct, and re-assuring of where we’re at right now. It helps get us to the next day.

Sundressed

Lyric and vocal styling: EMO & Pop Punk about people recommending “cures” to “fix things”. Getting fed up with what everyone else recommends hits the nail on the head. Finally someone said it.

Tell me about the Guitars | You can tell someone wanted to go with a beach style, but stuck it with the taps, before going into the pop-punk route. The variety of styles and influences is nice.

Them Drums tho | They definitely keep my head bopping along even when the drums stop.

Overall | Yeah, they’re from Arizona, but they’ve hosted PNW darlings on tour long enough that they’re part of our scene too. It’s not six degrees separation, it’s only one tour van away.

Annnd in case you were sleeping last winter this album is worth another look

Lowe Cellar [In My Dream I Finally Got Alone]

Lyric and vocal styling | Settting a theme in Cathedral with the line “Nearer than Never” it haunts the rest of the song in a grand cinematic way. It just keeps building and building with each iteration of the words. There’s vulnerability but also a self assured statement made when the full line up comes full force. Track one knocked my socks off and my mouth was left wide open for the entirety of the album. The writing stands above everything else despite the instrumentation being phenomenal—but it is the canvas—where the words are the brush strokes. The backing vocals add such a richness. I’ve cried. A lot. It’s so beautiful.

Tell me about the Guitars | The build ups and massive crescendos in strings are so good. There’s so much to this album. It’s amazing. Listen to it.

Percussion hitting the right beats | There is a forward momentum with each song, with piano and kits acting as the accelerator to the vocal gas in these tracks.

Jake Kelly is an amazing writer and performer. After a recent streaming festival and big plans coming with additional projects seeing the vision fully realized brings a smile to your face. That’s one of the best things about this venue. While independent artists live their lives and make things on their own terms—seeing the culmination of all of that time and work pays off in a great way. While you’ll see Lowe Cellar in Seattle, there will always be a home for artists like them right here.

FFO From Indian Lakes, New Brighton, Foxing

Next time, we’re going to focus on Tacoma’s new sound. Featuring Stampz, Merivida, Pre-Marital Eye Contact, Forest Dogs, Blue Avenue, Tambo, Stargazy Pie, Dysfunkshunal, Dream Ring and more…

Until then, stay safe. Check our donate and volunteer pages to see how you can help us stick around.

Artists can reach out to the venue by emailing booking@realarttacoma.com

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RealArt TacomaMay 21, 2020Comment