Dec 17 : "Panglossian Mannequin" - Guerilla Toss (New York)

New Music / Freshly Written and Recently Released

ROUGH TERRAIN

It's rough terrain riding over the song structures of New York band Guerilla Toss. Lots of bumps in the road, quick changes in tempo, volume, vocal styles, as Guerilla Toss is pulling us along at a rapid speed. We can't imagine what will happen next.

I went to hear Guerilla Toss at Johnny Brenda's back in October (not up-to-date in my writeups). They were headlining the evening. They gave a strong performance, although a lot of the nuances and subtleties of the stylistic changes found in the recordings did not carry over to the live show.

The band released a new album in September, "You're Weird Now". Here is "Panglossian Mannequin", which I think best exemplifies the fast changes. It's the sixth track on the album :::

To hear the rest of the songs in their album, here is the click to their Bandcamp page ::: Guerilla Toss on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE). And here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Guerilla Toss on Facebook (CLICK HERE). (pic above is from band's Bandcamp page)

Dec 03 : "Desertenko" - Special World (Philly)

Philly Music

Maybe it's time to start looking at Philly band "Special World" as being TWO bands. There's the "original" (at least from my perspective) Special World that lives on Bandcamp. A lot of this music, while in different styles, could be considered to be more laid back.

Then there's what's emerging at the live shows which is more forceful and intense. They've even upped this since their Cambridge Hall show back in August. I most recently saw them at Johnny Brenda's in October (yes, I'm way behind in my music posts). They had expanded to five members. In the Bandcamp world, the vocals are largely leading the way. But at the Johnny Brenda's show, there were not only the more powerful drums which I had heard at Cambridge Hall, but along with a focus on the bass, a foundation of powerful chords that carried the songs and almost became the songs, and then providing the support for the vocals. Even though they performed a lot of the same music that is on Bandcamp, the Johnny Brenda's presentation brought forward a feeling of strength or confidence that doesn't appear in the laid-back Bandcamp stylings.

But here, going back to a sample from the Bandcamp stylings, is "Desertenko", which is the fifth track on their album "Special World" :::

Special World has another show coming up on December 20 at Living Rune". And they've got a new website ::: SPECIAL WORLD NEW WEBSITE (Click here). In the meantime, here is the click to their Facebook page ::: Special World on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

(Pic at top is from band's Bandcamp page.)

Sep 17 : "The Future" - Sh'Bang (Philly)

Philly Music!

Another band I saw for the first time on my trip to The Pouch a couple weeks ago was Philly alt-punk band "Sh'Bang". I liked their show. They topped off the evening's great music with the most powerful show of the night.

Their July 2024 EP, "Explosive Personality", is aptly named. The song "The Future" shows a piercing introspection on life now but leaves us unsure as to whether life will be better in the future. And they ask when is the future. "The Future" is the third track on "Explosive Personality". Still powerful, but more textured than at the show. Great guitar work throughout this track; I like the guitar solo starting around 2:29 on the clock and listen as it becomes more intense up through 2:52 :::

Sh'Bang doesn't have any more shows coming up soon in Philly, but you can get more info on their Facebook page ::: Sh'Bang on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

(Pic is from band's Facebook page)

Sep 10 : "Hungry Mutt" - Slitopia - (Galway, IE)

New Music / Freshly Written and Recently Released (Sep 5)

Had a great evening at The Pouch on Friday night, a full night of music. One outfit playing was "Slitopia", originally from New Zealand and now from Galway, Ireland. This night was partly a release party for their new album, "Volume One".

The band, saying they make "alternative dance music", is an elecronic music duo, Evelyn Fletcher-Jenkins and Sophie Sutherland. The show also happened to coincide with Evie's birthday, so she was given a cake! Here is "Hungry Mutt", the third track on that newly-released album :::

I liked their show. Here is the click to their Bandcamp page: Slitopia on Bancamp (CLICK HERE) and their Facebook page Slieopia on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

(pic is from band's Facebook page)

Aug 27 : "Big Apple, 3am" - Special World (Philly)

New Music / Freshly Written and Recently Relased (May 1)

Philly Music!

A WIDER FOUNDATION

Big changes in Special World's world. I went to see Special World at Cambridge Hall on Friday night. Big changes since I saw them last back in 2023. I'm saying I'm seeing "a wider foundation", and this I mean on a few different levels.

There are changes in the band's sound. When I saw the band back in 2023, I felt the music was loose and freewheeling, maybe some improvisaation, but at the time the band had only a couple tracks up on line and I admit I had a limited frame of reference. At Friday's show, in contrast, the music was tight, very tight. I also felt the music followed the composition of their songs closely to what we hear on line. It provided a basis or ground level which I couldn't really identify in the first show. In terms of performance, there was a hugely expanded set of keys Friday night.

There was also a stronger tonal foundation. At Cambridge Hall there was pounding bass and drums, which just weren't there at the previous show. I don't know how much this was a function of new composition, mixing, or just a difference in the equipment, or maybe all three.

There was also a wider foundation from the visual standpoint. At the 2023 show, Lot 49 Books had very generously stepped in to host the show when sudden rain predictions cancelled the outdoor show at another location, so the "stage" setting was a little constricted compared to the wide stage at Cambridge Hall. And, yes, their new keys and other equipment helped fill up the stage nicely. A broad and solid appearance.

And lastly I feel that, in looking at the new track, there is a wider foundation in terms of lyrics or content. When listening to some of the band's earlier work, I sometimes felt like I was eavesdropping on a relationship whose attributes I knew little about. In the new song "Big Apple, 3am", we're jolted out of the ethereal and made to focus more seriously on life, both outside and inside our selves. The band forwards the concept that complacency = complicity, and that, in looking for "malevolence", the answer might not be just with the actions of others, but, taking the first look, with our own failure to act.

Here is the new piece that's just been posted, "Big Apple, 3am" :::

Special World has another show coming up soon, on Friday, October 17th, at Johnny Brenda's. You can also keep an eye on what they're doing in the meantime, on Special World on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE), and on Special World on Facebook (CLICK HERE).

(Pic is from artist's Facebook page).