Robyn Writes

Notes from the Keybed – This Month in Synths [September]

It’s Ken Jeong playing a keytar. Do we need to explain it any further?

September is traditionally a month of fresh starts and new beginnings. After a Chinese Democracy-esque 10 year gap, the second album from Canadian dance thrashers Death From Above 1979 has finally arrived and is on constant rotation here at Synth News HQ! The Physical World features plenty for synth fans with twinkling arpeggios, keyboard hooks and spacey pad textures nestled between the distorted bass riffs and cowbell-littered disco beats! Lead single ‘Trainwreck 1979’ had the most glorious piano melody but it’s the title track that is the real winner for electro enthusiasts with broken computer tones and vocoder backing vocals giving way into a 70’s prog riff and majestic organ outro! Now we just need a MSTRKRFT remix and it’ll be perfect…

There must be something in the Canadian water as, fresher than Avril and Chad’s breakup, comes a new album from Toronto trio The Rural Alberta Advantage. Their hipster-friendly folk pop combines beautiful piano and guitar textures with rousing boy-girl vocals and lo-fi keyboard drones, as heard in preview track ‘On The Rocks’. Carving out a similar sonic territory as fellow indie folksters Freelance Whales with classic songwriting along the themes of hometowns and heartache. The group come to the UK towards the end of the year in support of the new record Mended With Gold, which was released on the 30th September via Saddle Creek.

Some random Bandcamp trawling led me to an inspired discovery this month! By simply searching for synth punk (and skipping straight past the bizarre kraut-rock and experimental drone merchants hijacking this tag) I was led to the fantastically absurd Computer Class. Official information is sparse but according to their social media there’s five members, who inexplicably all do guitar and vocals, and they used to be called Death Ray but changed their name to be alphabetically superior… of course. Anyway, they’re from California and mix the best bits of 90’s pop punk with some seriously tasty synth lines and a good dose of geeky college humour in the vein of Atom and His Package. Characteristically vague, their new album Nah, Dude is out sometime around now but in the meantime you can pick up their last full-length featuring songs such as ‘Early Green Day’, ‘Dude, You Used To Be Cool’ and ‘Med Study Girl’ for the princely sum of a single US dollar from their Bandcamp.

The ‘lost’ final record from Get Cape Wear Cape Fly has found a release on the fabulous Alcopop! record label. London Royal will be the last outing for laptop and guitar pioneer Sam Duckworth before he sheds his pseudonym of ten years to go it alone under his birth name. It’s been a tough few years for Duckworth, having descended from the top of the charts to illness, doubt and political backlash since 2012’s disjointed Maps. I’ve been a big fan since the beginning (Chronicles… is on my all-time favourites list) but the last time I saw him perform live it was clear that the cracks were beginning to show, although the singalongs were as loud as ever he seemed unsure of himself and uncomfortable on stage. Themes of insecurity and facing the realities of growing up are evident in lead single ‘Remember’ with it’s refrain of ‘I’m scared of the kids in the corner shop / I’m scared of the day when I have to stop’. It’s a beautifully honest song, with a fragile yet defiant vocal over an uplifting backing track that concludes with a triumphant drum and bass outro. The rest of the record continues in a similar way with textbook Get Cape acoustic guitar picking, clipped beats and retro synth melodies. Closing track ‘After Hours’ is a positive conclusion to a record born out of turmoil. Although we now say Get Cape Wear Cape Bye to this project it’s certainly not the end for Sam, whose debut solo album proper is due for release in 2015.

Finally this month’s prestigious and hotly-contested Keytar Hero award goes to Dan Werb of electro-pop duo Woodhands. Drummer Paul Banwatt might be busy these days performing with The Rural Alberta Advantage (you see it’s all linked, I do my research!) but there was a time when he slayed indie clubs across the land with the righteous disco stomp of tracks such as ‘I Wasn’t Made For Fighting’ and ‘CP24’! In videos and performances Dan stood out from his rack of keyboards and tech to stride across the stage, Roland keytar proudly in hand! For keeping synths live and up-front, Dan, we salute you.

Review: Heavyweights – Keep Your Friends Close [EP]

Baltimore’s Heavyweights have got a pretty solid record on their hands with Keep Your Friends Close. It wasn’t long ago that Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low loudly declared that pop-punk will live forever. I sincerely hope that All Time Low’s brand of derivative drivel will die out, but Heavyweights’ new EP harks back to pop-punk’s golden age and gives it a fresh, enthusiastic shot to the heart.

Did you like Fenix TX or Allister back in 2002? Did you ever listen to Tsunami Bomb, or even Good Charlotte’s first album? Be prepared for a wave of nostalgia to hit you in the face hard as soon as the first bars of ‘It’s Not Pretty, But It’s Us’ start to play out. The Heavyweights EP could have come straight out of that scene and you wouldn’t know any different. Is this a bad thing? Hell no. Are you going to remember Heavyweights in ten years like those bands? Maybe not with this EP, but they’re definitely on to something. After an echoey riff, ‘It’s Not Pretty, But It’s Us’ launches a full pop assault – expect fast guitars, bouncing basslines and ridiculously infectious hooks. ‘Dior 999’ and ‘Bonfire’ are much of the same, absolutely chock-full of melody and malice with some really catchy choruses. Of course, it wouldn’t be a homage to 00’s pop-punk without a cheeky cameo, and Mike Hayden of Count To Four fame steps up to the plate in ‘Bunkbeds’. And then it ends on a banger of a ballad with ‘Anna Marie’, which starts out deceptively slow with a fantastic half-time breakdown before speeding up for a total thrill-ride. It’s an incredibly tight record, and Heavyweights have truly got their sound down just right.

Yet, as much as Heavyweights embrace pop-punk’s conventions and all its glories, Keep Your Friends Close has also inherited a few of its clichés. The EP’s still all about girls and how much they suck because they’re all heartbreakers, but I guess you write what you know. Most of that at least rhymes, which I’m down with, but it almost feels like Dave Heilker is singing the same song after a while with a different melody. There’s also very little variance in style between the tracks – possibly due to the fact that it’s an EP – and although each track is fantastic in isolation , it all starts to get a bit wearing after five fast-and-loud numbers.

All in all, it’d be great to see what Heavyweights can do with a full-length record, as they seem to be another one of those bands who perpetually come out with EPs. Keep Your Friends Close is plenty of fun, and although they’re not quite there yet, Heavyweights are onto a winner.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Darko – Sea Of Trees [EP]

Surrey’s Darko are a rare breed of band. When it comes to metal, you get bands who are blindingly skilful at their instruments but seem averse to putting any accessible elements into their music and are completely chorus-shy. You also get bands who can bring out an epic chorus with the best of them but have to stick to their Neanderthal drop-D riffs and run for cover at the mere mention of a guitar solo. Darko are a rare breed because they marry these two styles together; you get incredibly feats of musicianship coupled with super catchy choruses. This should be a world-beater, and yet…

Sea of Trees begins with an intro track, which always strikes fear into this reviewer. The EP should be a short sharp shock of a manifesto and few bands can get away with beginning anything with what is essentially filler. Darko’s ‘Prologue’ acts as a 30-second statement of intent, but what it truly amounts to is an intro and a verse which – given the time and development – could have turned into a killer song.

There is plenty to like on Sea of Trees. All of the songs display a dizzyingly high level of technical ability and musicianship with guitar figures that recall Architects, or even early Funeral For A Friend – the choruses are huge, and the production is slick and professional so you can hear everything clearly in the mix. The vocal attack is also impressive and when they allow themselves to switch gear into a more mathy, prog-styled instrumental section, as on ‘Canthus Viewpoints’, they prove that there are some pretty interesting ideas going on here.

The problem is that there is little if any variation on show here. Darko have proven they can do technical punk-metal but essentially Sea of Trees is a prologue and five songs which are more or less identical in terms of structure, length, tempo and style. If Darko want to go on to bigger things, they are going to have to learn some new tricks.

2 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Cayetana – Nervous Like Me

I’m just gonna come out and say it. Cayetana might actually have come out with the record of the year. At the very least, it’s certainly up there in that category of bands who release incredible, gut-wrenchingly honest debut records. From the opening chords of ‘Serious Things Are Stupid’, as Augusta Koch’s perfectly imperfect vocals ring out “I came here alone / and I plan to leave that way”, it’s difficult to think that this record could be anything but amazing. Nervous Like Me is infectious, low-fi pop-punk ambrosia. Drink it in and be inspired.

Nervous Like Me may not be punk rock 101, but it’s certainly rooted firmly in that tradition. It’s impossible to think that they barely knew how to play a damn thing before forming in 2011, but three years and a shedload of shows can teach you a thing or two. That being said, these tracks aren’t a million miles away from 2012’s demo., in that they’ve got that raw, unflinching emotion running the whole way through, and an almost organic sense of melody. Kelly Olsen’s beats are executed to absolute precision, and Allegra Anka’s rumbling basslines tie each song together beautifully. From the surf-punk splendour of ‘Animal’ to the scuzzy, unrelenting buzz of ‘Favourite Things’, it all fits together perfectly against the odds.

In a genre that’s oversaturated by dudebros (although this is getting lesser and lesser, which is awesome), it’s also pretty great to hear these kind of songs coming from a female perspective. It’s easy to get burned out on tracks about perpetual teenagers or disillusioned male millenials when there’s so much around, but Cayetana’s simple, heartfelt approach is honest and refreshing. There’s still all the trials and tribulations of being 20-something right here, right now, but it’s beautifully presented and completely absorbing. ‘Madame B’ sums it all up better than anything else could. Before the bridge kicks in, Koch drawls “Tell me, is there strength behind my eyes?” and I don’t think I’ve ever empathised with a song so much. Even if you’re a non-believer, as ‘South Philly’ builds to a triumphant crescendo, you’ll get it. You will.

If I haven’t convinced you how incredible this record is (it’s likely I haven’t, because I just can’t stop gushing about it), then head over to SoundCloud, take half an hour and discover something extraordinary.

5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Millsted – Harlem

You may not have heard of them before, you may not know that they broke apart as a band for three years because of personal turmoil between band members and you might not have listened to their two previous releases (Umm….Yea in 2008 and The Great Adventures of the Gold Red Rocket in 2009), but I’m here to tell you that none of that matters! If you’re going to do anything tonight, apart from maybe getting some shut-eye, it should be checking out Harlem by noise-punk-hardcore outfit Millsted. With this 8 track LP, Millsted roar back to life and have exploded onto my radar because of their ‘fuck this shit’ attitude and bone-crunching, cacophonous sound. Seriously, dude, check them out.

So who are they? Millsted are a bunch of guys from New York, all with different backgrounds and influences to smash into this stellar release. Individually they are vocalist Kelvin Uffré, guitarists Christopher Carambot and Robert Dumé, bassist Samuel Fernandez and drummer Peter Belolli. Their influences are varied, from John Coltrane and Otis Redding to Black Flag and The Flaming Lips, but on this record a key inspiration is early 80’s punk. Regardless of their disparate influences, for the whole band the music is about soul, passion, brutal honesty and going against the norm.

In Harlem, Millsted succeed where so many others fail, really capturing the raw feeling and natural sound of a live show in a recording. The songs are meant to push you to the edge, they’re meant to make you feel uncomfortable; above all the sound and lyrical content show you that everything is not okay. Millsted capture the angst and anger other bands can only hint at, they pack it up and through HARLEM they unleash it on your ears in a furiously short burst (all 8 tracks together clock in at under half an hour – this is punk after all).

The LP rages into life with the instrumental ‘Perfume’. Belolli pummels along on the drums, driving the noise towards its grating conclusion, before second track ‘Coyote’ rips its way out. In its two-and-a-half minute run time all hell breaks loose in exactly the punkish way you would expect. We’re treated to relentless drums, rip-your-throat-out riffs and an unremitting assault from Uffré’s shredding vocals.

Millsted’s strength is in just how much hardcore they slam out in the package of punk, but they take the time to prove they aren’t a one trick pony in ‘Seafoam Lovers’. When I say they take the time, they take a long time, nine whole minutes, about 6 punk tracks worth of time! In fact, of all the eight songs on Harlem, the psychedelic wanderings of ‘Seafoam Lovers’ takes up about a third of the running time and they’re ballsy to put it there. They restrain themselves and surprise listeners by using their musical prowess to sculpt something of mystery and beauty, not just mind-smashing fury. It’s hypnotic rather than psychotic, but remains twisted and distorted, in tune with the whole record while sounding completely different.

Treat yourself, ‘Coyote’ is available as a free download over at Soundcloud, and Harlem is also available on all popular download and streaming sites (Itunes, Amazon, Spotify).

4.5 out of 5 high fives!