The Hero Cycle--Lakes and Ponds

The Hero Cycle are one of those bands you discover…and instantly want to hide. You want run with them to some cave and bury them within, hoping against all hope that no one will come strolling by and discover your treasure. You sneak out at night – when no one’s watching – and uncover their wonderfully indie stylings, entreating yourself to a listen…but not too loud. Yet always you know that someday your secret will be revealed, and your treasure taken away. The Hero Cycle is that treasure, and there is precious little time remaining for them to be hidden away in your cavernous horde of musical talent. Their newest EP Lakes and Ponds feature brilliant shoegaze and indie tunes, including the vibrant "American Proxy" ("Gettin’ tired / Of running on empty") and revealing opener "Breathing In." The Hero Cycle, while suffering from a few rough spots (but that’s what the first few EP’s are for) craft a brilliant musical landscape, and will take your breath away with the skill with which this young band plays. Grab a listen of Lakes and Ponds now so you can mourn with the rest of us when the world discovers The Hero Cycle.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

Jean-Paul Bondy--The Path of Most Resistors

Born and raised in Detroit, Jean-Paul Bondy was consumed in his early years with post-rock, new-wave, techno, and industrial music. Hopping between various bands and playing as a hip-hop DJ throughout the city, Bondy eventually decided to move west. He arrived in LA in the early ‘90s, where he further crafted his musical skill by turning his attention to slowed versions of electronica. He continued creating ambient and chillout mixes with various outfits – including Volsoc (as Volum) with Justin Maxwell – before moving to Berlin. Once in Germany, he began work on his first solo composure, The Path of Most Resistors.

The Path of Most Resistors is a relaxing and downtempo collection of well-conceived tunes that play with the ear, while always remaining in the quiet musical shadows. The length of the songs create a lull which disengage the listener from nit-picking the songs, leading them to hear and feel the overall emotion and composure in a track. Bondy mixes in elements of hip-hop as well, as the political call-back opener Something Is Not Right displays. Yet, even this influence is slowed and pulled-back as if Bondy is prescribing each musical piece their own brand of tranquilizer. His early industrial and new-wave experimentations are brought forth in Cold Reformer, a salute to Depeche Mode, and in Dry Humper.

Bondy offers up some dark instrumental magic in Prompted Some Observers—a haunting mixture of electronica pushing its way through his own brand of musical sludge. The entire album flows well from song to song, creating a cloud over when a track ends and when another begins. The most breath-taking track is saved for last. The 12-minute epic Bit By Bit/Ear Worms rounds out the album and overdoes everything that has come before it. Slowly beautiful, it pushes on with glittering effects and twinkles brightly popping and snapping around a morose chill-out beat. For 12 minutes Bondy keeps up the beat, complete with eerie vocals from Rochelle Vincente.

Altogether, The Path of Most Resistors is slow burning composure of beautiful background noise. While some songs, such as Something Is Not Right and Cold Reformer stand strong on their own, the true strength of Jean-Paul Bondy’s creation is as a whole: an hour-long of constant beats that stay in the shadows. Bondy does not make his music pop out and grab you in, rather he lets the groove slowly evolve, until without realizing it there is a solid wall of wonderful sound filling up all the space around you. A good chillout album that goes beyond its objective, The Path of Most Resistors is a highly recommended pick.

(Published at 365Mag.com)

The Shins--Wincing the Night Away

With growing crescendo, bubbly instrumentals lead into a full-on explosion of bright bouncing melodies in The Shins’ "Sleeping Lessons," their opening track on the eternally tricky third album, Wincing the Night Away. Veteran Shins fans should feel comfortable in the warm overflowing, pop-injected intro track—but don’t get too comfortable. "Sleeping Lessons" serves more as a transitional piece, leading into The Shins’ new refined sound. While a few songs relive this "classic" Shins sound ("Phantom Limb," "A Comet Appears"), Wincing the Night Away finds James Mercer and The Shins experimenting with down-trodden and melancholy tones—experimentation that adds a breath of fresh air to the easily bungled third album.

"Red Rabbits" and "Black Wave" play with this idea, and as a result become some of the most powerful tracks on the album. "Red Rabbits" in particular is softly chilling, due mostly to Mercer’s dark lyrics: "So help me, I don't know, I might / Just give the old dark side a try / Don't cast your warring eyes on the shore / Did we even the score?" Complemented with some sort of underwater percussion and somber guitar-work, Mercer strains out his last breath to finish the song, "We've pissed on far too many good intentions held by clever sprites / And they're all standing up for their rights." Wincing the Night Away features a good balance however, and it’s not all down-and-out melancholy. "Australia" features wonderful melodic refrains, a bouncy upbeat rhythm line, and the tongue-teasing chorus "You'd be damned to be one of us girl / Faced with a dodo's conundrum / Ah, I felt like I could just fly / But nothing'll happen every time I try." The masterpiece of the album however is "Split Needles," a tune that shows just what musical heights The Shins can climb to with their new-found sound. Awe-inspiring vocal climaxes rock the listener with sweetly dramatic lyrics, sweeping instrumentals, and an overall sound that could make this album your favorite.

Wincing the Night Away sheds light on The Shins incorporating a new sound into their peppy modus operandi. Incorporating ‘80s influences with a down-trodden melancholy theme, The Shins are clearly moving in a new direction with their music. I hesitate to call this new direction an improvement per sea, only because nothing about The Shins’ earlier sound was necessarily in need of improving. More, it is a welcomed change that shows a mature band modestly flexing its creative muscle and crafting songs that sound refreshingly different from their earlier works, while remaining true to their musical foundation and avoiding alienation of old fans. The Shins win a major victory in the always difficult third album by filling Wincing the Night Away with a sound that’s been tinkered with…but not overhauled.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)

Jim Noir--Tower of Love

In his debut album -- Tower of Love -- Jim Noir proves to be a notable singer/songwriter. Combining influences from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and contemporary artists, Noir provides a kaleidoscope of vintage class, modern light heartiness, and talented song-writing. Extremely catchy from the word go, "My Patch" and "Key of C" climb into your head with memorable rhythms as Noir adds his delicate boyish vocals. Other songs such as "Climb a Tree" and "Tower of Love" bring up memories of ‘60s and ‘70s folk artists, as "I Me You I'm Your" hint at Beatle-like vintage British influences. Despite some odd and annoying patches, Noir succeeds in crafting more than a few warm and enjoyable tunes. In Tower of Love can be found the cheekiness of the Beach Boys, the warm summers of the Mamas & the Papas, and the modern melodies of Belle & Sebastian—as well as Noir’s own unique touch, ("Computer Song" is a wonderfully bouncy modern ballad). Warmly brilliant, Jim Noir is a man to watch for in the future.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)