Music Review and Seizure Experiment a-LIVE in April 2017

In April 2017, the Seizure Experiment [Sundays 10p-12mid on WCBN] will bring you at least two bands: BUBAK [Ypsilanti] and the Frick Boys. 

BUBAK is a stoner/doom metal duo from Ypsilanti featuring Jeff West on Bass and vocals along with drummer Justin O'Neill. The Frick Boys are a mysterious local act yet to reveal their musics, nor their intentions. 

BUBAK will play live on WCBN on April 23, Frick Boys on April 16. 

Additionally, if you are in Hamtramck this Friday March 31st, you can catch BUBAK live at Trixie's !! Looks like they have a new 4-song EP which you can choose to purchase at the show, check it out:

1. Bio-Grey'd

2. Hang 'em Higher

3. Space Weed

4. The Fall

This is a limited release so get them while they last! The band is selling the CDs at their shows, not yet available in stores.

################################################

In addition to hosting the Seizure Experiment and "engineering" the public affairs program "Grey Matters," I also review music for station WCBN FM Ann Arbor. I am one of many volunteers who keep this thing going. 

Below are the reviews from over the past two weeks. Feel free to comment with questions or additions! Happy Listening :) DJ-WHO-CANNOT-BE-NAMED

Meatbodies "Alice"
In the Red Records 2017
No FCCs

1. The Burning Fields [Abrupt end leading into track 2]
2. Kings
3. Alice
4. Creature Feautre
5. Disciples
6. Scavenger
7. Touchless
8. Count Your Fears
9. Haunted History
10. Gyre
11. Fools Fold Their Hands (Grievous Evils Under The Sun)

Second album for Chad Ubovich [FUZZ] and band. The album is framed as a "self-critical epic." Lyrics and songs do not tell the story from A to Z, but instead provide brief fuzz pop psychedelic excursions into the story. The Psych/Garage soup provided by Meatbodies on "Alice" is heavy on reverb and delay. Nothing groundbraking here, but some good heavy pop - D.W.C.B.N.

UNION ANALOGTRONICS X BLU "Cheetah in the City" 

Fat Beats Records 2016; FCCs in Bold

1.  LA Counting

2.  Whatever "Shit"

3.  Weekends

4.  Sleepin' interlude: patchwork of keys and lyrics

5.  Working' [Featring Joro] "fuck" and others

6.  Sunny

7.  French Kiss [Featuring Chat]; fade but ends abruptly

8.  One Two

9.  Don't Trip [Featuring Dam Funk]

10. Lynx

11. City Dreams [Featuring Oliver DaySoul]
12. Cheetah
13. [Bonus]The Factory [Featuring Erik Riko]

The box wave bass beat on the opening track of this record is not indicative of the rhythm section sounds from UA X Blu. Blu is a rapper raised in San Pedro, CA whose interests vary from people making "paper" to stories from a childhood in the ghetto. The sounds and beats from Union Analogtronics [from Paris, FRA] range from techno box waves to rhodes piano jazz fusion segues. The sounds are dense, layered and at times psychedelicized. UA seems to be fond of fuzzy box wave bass sounds. The combo of these artists provides great freeform radio material.  

Those Who Walk Away "The Infected Mass" Constellation Records 2017

No FCCs

1 Before the Beginning
2 First Degraded Hymn
3 First Partially Recollected Conversation
4 Second Degraded Hymn
5 Second Partially Recollected Conversation
6 Third Degraded Hymn
7 After the End

Winnipeg composer Matthew Patton presents a minimalist ambient concept album conflating the buildup to an airplane crash with internal human body functions. The mix includes choir voices, string quartet and sampled sounds including human blood flow, breathing and airplan cockpit sounds. You can take any piece out of context for your free form. This is also worth a listen from beginning to end - D.W.C.B.N.

Revolutionary Snake Ensemble

"I Want That Sound" Innova Recordings 2016; No FCCs

1.  Slippery When Wet

2.  Discoveries

3.  Higgins Hollow

4.  Nature

5.  I Want That Sound!

6.  Just Walk Closer

7.  Roohane

8.  John's Jailhouse Blues

A Boston area band jamming since 1990, the sound RSE brings New Orleans brass bad jazz together with funk jams and plenty of space for players to solo. There is also space here for experimentation and fun. The sound is definitely celebratory. Listening to this I could sense the collective joy of the players coming out of the songs and their solos. This would go well in any free form show in addition to "What it is" - a great way to get the party started! D.W.C.B.N.

Nnamdi Ogbonnaya "DROOL" Father/Daughter/Sooper Records 2017; Songs with FCCs in bold

1.    Cindy OsO Ft. mOrimOtO

2.    nO drOOl
3.    HWT//nO nEeD
4.    hOp Off
5.    dOn't turn me Off Ft. JD AKA   

       ThrashKitten & Mal Devisa
6.    drOOl//drink that Prod. By Liz 
7.    hOney On the lOw Ft. mOlly MallOy
8.    let gO Of my egO
9.    sHOULD hAvE kNOwN
10.  Think That Way Ft. Julia Steiner
11.  N0TICE
12.  Me 4 Me
13.  iVyTRA

Multi-instrumentalist Nnamdi Ogbonnaya from Chicago, IL with another in his long line of solo musics. His lyrical style is casual in delivery and at times awkward. The songs often feature soulful refrains in between extended raps. Wait a minute, is that a theremin? The sounds are soulful and quirky here. "You could never write shit like this!" I would say that any of it can fit nicely into any free form show, however his potty mouth prevents that with the exception of tracks 7 and 13 - D.W.C.B.N.

Debris of Titan "ASTRON: The Fallen" 

Self-Released 2017; FCC ON 10

1.  {Enter} - Astra [Genesis]

2.  Bridge to the Meadows

3.  Waves of Oblivion

4.  Ride On

5.  The Fallen

6.  Come My Way

7.  Night Walker

8.  {Run} - Astra

9.  Wonderland

10. Moonlight Shadow

11. The Lost and Damned

12. {Depart} - Astra [Lysis]

Dreamy Psyche-Pop from this duo with their second full length album, a loose concept offering featuring greek mythological character Astra/ Astron? who doesn't follow the rules of order and is now down on earth dancing around in the, wait for it.... Debris of Titan. It's funny to me that the band lists Tame Impala and Pink Floyd as influences on its facebook page. That is certainly evident, along with all the shoegaze bands from the 1990s. The most obvious influence left out: Deerhunter and or anything by Bradford Cox [the vocal textures are pure BC bliss]. This observation is not a dig on them, I thoroughly enjoyed this record. Even though ASTRON is a concept album, each song stands well on its own. Enjoy! D.W.C.B.N.