Awesome Underground ★ Music Review: May 2016

Friday, May 27, 2016

I THE MIGHTY: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW #16

I the Mighty is an Alternative Rock band based out of San Francisco, California. Their album, Satori, really makes me all happy inside. Band members include: Brent Walsh (lead vocals/guitar), Ian Pedigo (Guitar/backup vocals), Chris Hinkley (Bass/ backup vocals), Blake Dahlinger (percussion)

Finding this band was one of the happiest moments of my YouTube journey. And to this day, (more than two years later) they remain one of my favorite bands. "Satori" is still one of my most frequently used forms of therapy. This band blends all of the standard elements of a great rock band, creativity, intelligence, and passion in perfect measure.

It's not often that I run across a band that melts my heart with every element of their work. Every note, every riff, every beat, every lyric, EVERY CONVERSATION. I the Mighty is that band, though. I love everything they have done. I love how warm and kind they are after every show. I love how they'll have casual conversation about practically anything and hand out a hug if you ask nicely enough. They'll even pose how you want for a picture. They love back. A few of my favorite memories include Brent Walsh screaming in my face. And another is the time Ian stopped mid-soundcheck to strike up a conversation with me "Hey! I know you!" Yeah, they've seen me several times, but how many faces do they see in a week? Whether he actually recognized me or not, it sure made me feel good.

This band continues to amaze me with everything they do. From acoustic tracks to album commentary, I love everything I the Mighty puts out into the public. Brent seems to have strong beliefs on several issues. And while I may not agree with him 100% on everything, I can always appreciate that his opinions are well constructed with research and consideration of all factors involved. And I always admire that he hasn't lost the guts to speak his mind.

There are political songs, and love songs, and break-up songs. Songs of loss and longing and even Fuck-you songs. Intelligence, creativity, spite, and passion sum up the lyrical content in their discography. AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

Since I put out the review that I'll be pasting below, I've seen this band 8 times live and they have put out a new album, Connector. They've also headlined their own tour, Connectour (which had the best opening acts of any tour in the history of touring) and gained a lot of recognition for their flawless sound. I feel lucky to have found them early enough to witness this growth. I'm so proud every time they reach a new milestone. This is a band I truly love.

While Connector has a different feel, all of the elements that made me fall for I the Mighty are still there. Everything I love about their sound remains. It's not as rough or bluntly in-your-face as their previous album, Satori. But Satori is a break-up album through and through. With Connector come new emotions: love and longing, romantic anticipation... but the spite isn't gone (thank heavens). "The Lying Eyes of Miss Erray" is one of my favorite tracks on the album and although it sounds upbeat and catchy, there's a bite to it if you pay any attention to the lyrics at all. OH and "Psychomachia" ahhhh that is pure spiteful heaven! It's hard to pick a single track as a favorite from Connector, as it was with Satori, but those two are probably up towards the top of my list.

I'm including a handful of pictures that I have taken at shows because I love this band and because I flipping can. You're welcome.

Click the thumbnail below to watch the video review:

In case you're a super music nerd like me... they're also in my warped tour video from 2014

I the Mighty's Links:

Here I am:

Email: hpfansonghost@gmail.com

Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN, 37339

How to Get Your Music Noticed: Presentation - Social Media Art

In this mini-series, I'll be giving indie artists tips to help them be more successful in getting noticed on the internet and growing their fanbase. In this video, I'll be covering how important social media art is for presentation, and getting noticed in the sea of musicians.

For a very long time now, I have noticed that so many very talented independent musicians skip very simple, but very important steps that would help them get noticed by potential fans. So, here I am, sharing what I know in an attempt to help those who may not know what I do.

Let's talk about presentation as a whole for a minute. The image that you present to the online world has such a large bearing on whether anyone ever listens to your music that it cannot be ignored. It doesn't matter that you've created the next big musical thing if nobody ever clicks on your link. You are but a tiny paddle boat out in a sea of varying sized ships. You have to stand out. You have to look like you're worth someone's time, or they'll decide that you aren't before even hearing what you have to offer. So, let's learn how to put a shiny new coat of paint on that old worn out paddle boat.

Social Media Art:
Where do you share your music? How do you let the world know that your music exists? If one of your answers to that was not social media, then you're even further behind than I expected. People see so much on social media that everything you present needs to look bright and shiny. This is where social media art comes in. If someone lands on your page and it looks like a kindergartner made your art, they're not going to take you seriously. If someone lands on your page and your art doesn't excite them, then they're likely to not even bother. You have to give people incentive for them to give you their time, or they just won't. As theneedledrop so accurately stated, people aren't going to come up to you and beg you to make music for them. There's already more music out in the world than any one person could ever even listen to. They don't need you. But that's not to say that you can't add value to their music library, that you can't brighten their days, that you can't help them through emotional turmoil. But they'll never know that if you don't coerce them into giving your music a shot. These days, everything starts with an image. Make that image beautiful. Make it represent you accurately.

So, how do I do this social media art thing?
Well, you have two options: you can pay someone to do it for you, or you can learn to do it yourself. I suggest the latter because it's a valuable tool in several areas where marketing is concerned. However, I know that independent musicians are busy. You're working a day job, you're making posts, you're connecting with fans, you're playing shows, you're practicing, your work is endless and on top of all of that you still have to have time to do two more things: create music, and have a life. So, if you're not up for the challenge of learning how to do this stuff, and you're broke (I know you are), go here and find someone to do it for you for $5.

Okay, now that I've weeded out those who aren't up for the challenge of learning to make their own social media art, to you worker bees in the group, here's what to do:
You're going to need a photo editing program, such as Photoshop. However, I don't recommend Photoshop because it's pricey and the learning curve is steep. Gimp will get you on your way a whole lot faster and it's not going to hurt your wallet at all (since it's free).
Learn how to use the lasso tool. This will allow you to take the background out of an image and replace it with a solid color to make it more captivating. You can search videos on how to make an image have a transparent background. This will help you out tons!
This part is very important:
Learn the aspect ratios for each social media or music sharing platform. For example, for YouTube thumbnails, the dimensions are 1280x720. You can google whichever social media you're working on at the time. And usually, you can even find a template. Keep in mind that most social media sites have multiple dimensions for different devices. So, you're going to need to know where the line is.

Make sure that the image you use has a high resolution. You don't want the thing you've worked so hard on to end up blurry! Well, that's not everything you need to know, but it will be different for each individual. I will offer this, if you come across a problem and you need to know how to do something (and you just can't figure it out), you can message me on Facebook and I'll do my best to walk you through it (or help you figure it out if I don't know how).

SUPER STALKER MAP:

Email: hpfansonghost@gmail.com

Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Support Local Music #2 ★ Denver

On my mission to support local music, I found that SpokesBUZZ is an amazing music program that fosters the talent of growing Denver musicians. Eldren and Red Fox Run have both been part of that program. As has Shatterproof. I got some surprises while getting all of my ducks in a row for this review, but I think you'll find a happy place with at least one of these bands. This is some great underground music, regardless of the surprises.

Eldren:

Hippy

They classify themselves as “Psychadelic Space Pop” and I couldn’t agree more. This music is very free-spirited and it feels good for the soul. They have some trippy intros, but they go well with the rest of the song they belong to. It isn’t something I could listen to just any time, but when in the right mood, this music can really leave me feeling light and carefree, and maybe even a little more lovable. Some of their tracks are even what I would describe as super pop, that nods to a different decade.

Red Fox Run:

There’s something about denver vocalists that tug at my heart. The way they form their words has a similarity to it, just like speech from any area. Within the first five seconds of listening to “Didn’t see you there” My mind morphed to Isaac Slade of The Fray and his ability to touch my soul with simple delivery of an everyday word. Daniel has that power within him as well. However, I’ve heard him sound like a few different artists that hold a beloved spot in my heart. For instance, at some point, I thought to myself… this guys voice really sounds like the lead vocalist of NEEDTOBREATHE and at some points, the music reminds me of band of horses. I’m not trying to box this band up into how they sound like so many other artists. Because as a whole, their sound is something unique and beautiful. I’m simply telling you where my brain went while falling for this band. I think if you like The Fray, Taking Back Sunday, Constantines, bands that have strength in being mellow, you’re really going to love this band also.

They list their genre as Rock, indie, alternative, which is fitting. And I like that they didn’t try to get too specific with classifying themselves because throughout their discography, the sound does vary a bit. So this generalized classification fits them well.

I found both of these bands on the SpokesBUZZ website, which is a GREAT place to find amazing Colorado music. I really want to thank this organization for promoting their local music and I actually found it through a band I reviewed in the past, Shatterproof.

SpokesBUZZ

Eldren:

Facebook

Red Fox Run:

Facebook

Aimless Element Links:

Facebook

Twitter

Sunday, May 15, 2016

PICTURESQUE: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW

Picturesque is a Lexington, KY based underground rock band with those "northern notes" being "crushed" by lead vocalist, Kyle Hollis (as "Alternative Press" so accurately stated).

If you follow me at all, you know that I'm constantly searching for music. But I'm also constantly being reminded that while I am capable of finding pure gems all on my own, sometimes the music that falls out of the sky and into my lap unexpectedly is the greatest treasure. With plans to see one of my favorite bands (for the third time), I nerdily began listening to some of the other bands on the tour line-up. Quickly, I realized that the band (aside from my favorite, Too Close to Touch) that I was most excited to see was the underdog of the tour, the low men on the totem pole, if you will. Actually, it's not all that surprising in retrospect, because I'm forever traveling hours to see openers on tours where I have no real interest in the headliners. But somehow, this simple trait of mine keeps surprising me. Picturesque may have been the low men on this particular totem pole, but they sure as hell were stars on that stage, politely. The guitarist would glance down at me before stepping on the barrier every single time to make sure that he didn't step on my hand (thank you for that, Zach).

This band is full of talent, and the thing that made them an unusual favorite for me was their vocalist, Kyle Hollis. His voice is definitely on the higher end, which isn't something I usually enjoy. But it fits so perfectly with the sound of this band, how could anyone not love it? To me, his voice embodies heartbreak, which works so perfectly with the lyrics he's shouting. He won't just verbalize your pain, he puts those feelings out into the air as if they had been trapped within him for ages. And even if you didn't start off listening to this music with a broken heart, once you finish this EP, you'll know what heartbreak truly feels like.

Casting spells on the strings in this band are Zach Williamson, Dylan Forrester, and Robert Mote. I'll not pretend to know which wizard makes what sound, because I'm just not that advanced. However, I will say they come in hard to rock your face off right before pulling the strings attached to the most recently created hole in your heart. No worries, though, I'm quite positive that it's all in the service of stitching it up, or at least aiding you in the task.

Cole Clark is the warlock slamming on the voodoo doll that is your exes head (he plays the drums, if you didn't catch that). Be sure to thank him for doing such a great job. You didn't think they had backed off of the drunk texts for no reason, did you?

I don't know when this band formed, but I can definitely say that they compose and perform such perfectly pieced together works of art that it blows my mind. Every space is filled with the right chord, the right beat, the right note. Through my brief interactions with this band, I conclude that Picturesque is a great group of immensely talented guys who were lucky enough to from a band that is full of compliments to one another artistically, whose music is sure to captivate the broken parts of your heart, and maybe even heal it, if you let it.

Click the thumbnail below to watch the video review: