Category Archives: Electronic

Cleveland, Electronic, Music, New Release, Pop, Review, Soul

Album Review: Johnny La Rock – Gold Codes

9 August, 2018 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I hate to break it to you, but summer is almost over. Soon it’s going to be cold and miserable out.

No need to get depressed just yet though as there is still plenty of time to get rad. Luckily Johnny La Rock is here to add fuel to that fire with his debut, dance-your-pants-off release titled Gold Codes.

Cleveland native La Rock, aka Eddie Fleisher, once showcased his talent in hip-hop duo Johnny La Rock & Mushmouth as well as Presque Vu, but has taken an entirely new approach that surely will appeal to all those looking for a good time.

Gold Codes is La Rock’s solo debut album that is more or less a “life can’t get any worse, let’s party like those people did in Independence Day on top of that skyscraper before the aliens blew that shit up” album. Yeah, I just said that. It’s pop, it’s soul, it’s electronic, and most importantly, it’s good.

“Dance to the Rhythm (Party Time)” started things off just right with a body-moving jam complete with a little 90s inspired hip hop enthusiasm. This was a sincere as hell track that really will make you want to get down.

The inspirational “210 and Mustache” more or less punched negativity in the throat and walked away proud with your head up high. If you do not know what 210 refers to, go ahead and just Google that along with Urban Dictionary.

“Swipe Left” is a honest yet candid track about the norm that is called online dating. I loved the line “you seem cool on the internet, in real life you’re insane.” I loved the vintage video dating samples, it accompanied perfectly.

“Keep On Keepin’ On” was a fun instrumental jam as was the 80s thriller sounding “Phantasm”. It was cool to have both songs just change things up for a moment without losing momentum. Least I not forget about “Lumin8”, that was solid too.

“Blue Away” was an uplifting alternative to shake off any funk currently holding anyone back. No lie, this song cheered me up. I think a music video is in order for this one (hint, hint).

“Gold Codes” stuck on me for some reason. I think it was more or less because I’ve felt what La Rock sung about on a few occasions over the past 20 years. This was the fight jam I needed to remind me that retaliation happens in many forms as long as you don’t give up.

I’ve seen La Rock live a few times when he focused on rap and most recently with programmer Furface and I have to admit, I am a bigger fan of his solo stuff than I thought I would be. At first I was set back because I was expecting the hip hop, but when the soul-pop dropped, I was an instant fan.

I have to note that this album fueled my recent trip to Vegas and if I had it my way, I would have played it for everyone around me at all hours. The release has jumped up high as one of my favorites of 2018 and I’m not sure any music quite like this will be topping it. I speak high praises because I thoroughly enjoyed almost this entire album from start to finish many times over.

La Rock is the Har Mar Superstar of Cleveland and even manages to keep his clothes on during live sets.

Interpersonal ,humorous party vibes a al Electric Six, La Rock knows how to deliver a good time to all his fans.

Check out what La Rock has to offer below and hopefully you’ll agree that it does not disappoint at all.

Electronic, Indie, Music, Music Video, New Release, Pop, Review, Rock

Album Review: The Electric Grandmother – Cancelled.

18 September, 2017 Brian Mc Leave a comment

There’s great comfort in knowing how in this crazy ass world, two amazing people met from different timezones back in the mid-90s, fell in love, got married, and eventually had ~~kids~~ …a band.

The history behind The Electric Grandmother pretty much revolves around Pete and Mary Alice’s love for 80s and 90s sitcoms as well as absolute love for one another. It is pretty inspiring where I sit here and think about it.

They are band-mates for life and two of the most genuine people I have gotten to know for over the past twenty-five years. One grew up in Ohio, the other in Hawaii, it is like a living sitcom when you think about it.

Pete and Mary Alice were actually with me the night the Menzingers had to cancel their Kentucky show due to food poisoning and I miraculously got them in touch with Kent, NOFX’s manager. I only mention that as they both thought I was the man that night for getting things right. What can I say? I’m a legend in my spare time.

In the past, I’ve failed to make mention of their releases as I had this moronic thought process where I would not review material from friend’s bands. Clearly that has changed within the past couple of years.

I am not sure why I chose that route, but I can say that I almost would prefer to share the talent of those I know and love rather than keep it all to myself. I am surrounded by some amazing people and it would be unfair not to share what I hear.

Enough about me, let’s talk about The Electric Grandmother some more.

Originally starting in Columbus back in 1999, the duo moved to D.C. and kept on a truckin’. Their live shows are not to the norm and usually come with a slideshow and bubble machine. I’ve never met a person who has not gotten a kick out of their shows. Even the metalheads in Canton at some bizarre house-venue adored them.

The Electric Grandmother is not really for those who carry boundaries on their music genres or lack a humorous imagination. To be a fan means you need to carry appreciation for experimental approaches and a love for sitcoms. After all, this is the band that dubbed themselves “sitcom-core”.

Cancelled is a concept album of sorts about a man whose sanity is compromised by the cancellation of his favorite cop TV drama program by a new one. The album digs far deeper with emotion than previous albums have as duo Pete and Mary Alice take a new approach at their appreciation for television by speaking of a man whose life is affected by change.

In fact, I will just let Pete and Mary Alice explain it a little more:

“Cancelled is this story of a man’s descent into madness following the cancellation of his favorite cop-drama. This is the unfortunate feedback the man received at his office, the mindless reaction to the shallow “Cop Force,” the show that caused “Police Department” to be pushed aside.”

With that said, I’m hoping you can understand the originality of this band and can appreciate the story that surrounds this album. I know I did.

“TV” was the first track on the album with Pete singing and Mary Alice providing background vocals. This track was pretty intense to listen to all due to distorted ambient sounds that supplied the introduction to the story of a lonely man and his beloved TV show.

I actually heard “Police Department Theme Song” a few weeks back on and adored it. This track shed light on how someone could be so obsessed with a show. It was the intro music for the show that the man more or less worshipped.

“Radial Sunrise” was a happy-go-lucky song showcasing the man in positive spirits thanks to said TV show. Pete’s quick singing on this track was just great. Pay attention though, or you might miss something.

“Feedback Lives” is the absolute change in the story where things start going south. Even the music sounded concerning as well as the signing about two new dudes who change everything.

This change continued with the downward spiral of “Cancelled”. This track had Pete and Mary Alice taking turns telling the story from the man’s angle as well as the network’s. I really loved the music on this one too, it was all over the place.

I am not going to sit here and tell the entire story, you will have to hear it for yourself. I will say though by the time “The End?” came on, I could gauge a level of uncomfortable restlessness by a man who could not adapt to change.

This songs on album are so much more in-depth than from what I recall their previous albums containing. It’s like Beck, Cibo Mato, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, Postal Service, Mike Patton, and Bran Van 3000 all got in a huge ass fistfight. That’s probably a complete crap shoot there, but at least I got to say crap shoot here on this good ol’ blog.

Seriously though, I was super intrigued throughout the album and loved the variety as well as the overall story. I was impressed with the music Pete and Mary Alice created as well as their vocals. They both really have matured into some pretty amazing musicians.

On top of a great idea of an album, there are also music videos for a couple of the songs to give you even more of a visual. Check them out below and enjoy.

If you have the slightest curiosity about this album, just click play below already. The Electric Grandmother have hopped boundaries and borders this time. It only makes sense considering the adventure they have been on from the day they caught each other’s attention.

<a href="http://electricgrandmother.bandcamp.com/album/cancelled-2">Cancelled by The Electric Grandmother</a>

Acoustic, Akron, Cleveland, Country, Electronic, Emo, Folk, Hardcore, Hip Hop, Indie, Listing It Up, Music, Outlaw Country, Personal Entry, Pop, Post-Hardcore, Punk, Rap, Rock, Ska

BHP Best of 2016

5 December, 2016 Brian Mc Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again folks. Time to sit here and type out a list of bands that have impressed me one way or another. I am not keeping to a set number as it would take me forever to narrow it down.

A sincere thanks to everyone who’s ever visited this site – seriously. I know I tend to say that around the time I do my best of lists, but I really mean it. I almost called it quits earlier this year and reconsidered at the last minute.

This blog is very personal to me and even if more people find it while Googling how to fix their headphones, it is still fun to do. If I can turn someone on to a new band just by one post, then my job is done.

With that said, I plan on sticking around for a while.

I am sure I will add a few more as they come to me in the next couple of weeks (as I always do [up to 3 edits now]), but for now, here’s the list of the albums that really caught my attention in 2016:

[EDIT: The year is not over yet and I needed to throw in just a couple more…]

Chandeli’ers – Breaker
-This was the album that hit me in the right way. It was fun across the board and sounded like the Clash meets Elvis Costello. What more could you ask for?

Run The Jewels – RTJ3
-This album was not supposed to drop until 3 weeks into the new year, but El-P and Killer Mike decided to drop it on Christmas day for all to enjoy. I can not stop listening to it. I know I am not the only one either.

MakeWar – Developing a Theory of Integrity
-Hands down one of my favorite surprise releases of the year. This punk rock band has thrown together an album I will be listening to over and over for years to come.

Joe McMahon – Another Life
-This is another one of my favorite albums this year. McMahon shared with the world an outstanding collection of tunes that everyone needs to check out. His solo material is a lot different from his Smoke or Fire days and that is not a bad thing at all.

Bob Mould – Patch the Sky
-Mould recorded a masterpiece with Patch the Sky. If you have not had the chance to listen to this album, you are missing out. This album is perfect to listen to any day.

Jonathan Richman – Ishkode! Ishkode!
-I am kicking myself for not putting this on my list initially. Richman is one of the most prolific songwriters out there and put out quite the release. I loved how song his songs were fun at times while others were just complex and reached across borders. He really showcased his musical abilities on this release. This guy has been writing music for longer than I have been alive and still is able to put out quality albums.

Dinosaur Jr. – Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
-I have been a fan of this band for over 25 years now, so it only makes sense that this release made my list. Oh, it also kicks so much ass. Lou Barlow singing on it made it that much better.

All Dinosaurs – Total Dissatisfaction
-Where do I even start with this one? It’s like listening to the Bronx, but better, and from Cleveland. I love this album so much that I literally just bought the LP from their bandcamp page. No lie.

Useless ID – State is Burning
-This band will always be one of my favorites and this release continued to keep me a fan. With a much more harder approach, they really killed it on this one. I also adored the nod to the late Brandon Carlisle of Teenage Bottlerocket.

Pulley – No Change in the Weather
This band was a huge favorite of mine in the late 90s and I thought they were done in the mid-2000s, but low and behold, they came back with an album that seemingly continued where they left off without missing a beat. “Sometimes” is such a great track.

Beach Slang – A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
-James Alex (and former crew) have created a timeless album for music fans of all ages. Catchy yet poignant, the album has been on a weekly rotation to my ears since the album dropped. It may clock in at around 30 minutes, but it is a hell of a ride from start to finish.

Worship This! – Mint
-So what if these guys are my pals, their sophomore release blew me away. I can not say enough good things about this album. It is poppy, punky, and addictive. More people need to check this album out as these Akron/Cleveland boys really know how to make sweet jams. They are the next big thing in my mind and I love them all dearly.

Descendents – Hypercaffium Spazzinate
-Having one of my all time favorite bands release something new in 2016 was pretty rad. Having one of my all time favorite bands stick to their sound from start to finish and have no indication of slowing down made it that much better.

Nothing – Tired of Tomorrow
-I never thought I would like shoegazing. To be honest, I really never knew what shoegaze was until I heard this album and I am still not quite sure. Indie rock and neo-psychadelica mixed with plenty of distortion and emotion made for an album that I could not get out of my head for weeks. That’s a good thing.

Mean Jeans – Tight New Dimension
-Mean Jeans are probably one of the most underrated bands out there right now. This album further proved that. A modern-day Ramones-like banger. I loved it.

Bouncing Souls – Simplicity
-The Souls are like a fine cheese or wine to me. With age, this band seems to just get better. Their latest release was just full of punk rock fun. When I started singing along to the first song during my first listen, I knew I was going to love this album and play it over and over.

Blink 182 – California
-I can’t help it, I got sucked in to the new Blink and I know why… Matt Skiba. He was the perfect addition to reinvent this band.

The Avalanches – Wildflower
-16 years after their debut, The Avalanches came back with an all new release that very well probably took all 16 years to create. I know some of my pals were not digging this release fully, but I adored it. It probably helps that the likes of Danny Brown and Biz Marke helped make this album what it is.

Arms Aloft – What a Time to be Barely Alive
–This is the one album I really need to do a proper review on, but I keep getting sidetracked. I listen to it all of the time and it is freaking amazing. Punk rock from the 80s perfectly blended with punk rock from the mid 2000s is one way I can describe these fellows. The music is infections, the lyrics are fun, and from what I hear the band is pretty cool too. This kind of sounds like a review, but it is not. This is just me telling y’all that this album was impressive.

Signals Midwest – At This Age
-This is their third release and probably their most tied together, mature material I have heard them create. They have pushed their limits from a one time local band and are more or less prepping themselves for what’s next to come. I am proud of these dudes.

Arliss Nancy – Greater Divides
-This band really should be at Lucero levels by now. They are exceptional at what they do and it can be heard throughout their latest release.

Har Mar Superstar – Best Summer Ever
-Har Mar continues to put out incredible material with each release. This man is so talented that he drops albums that cover various genres and avoids any and all gimmicky sounds.

NOFX – First Ditch Effort
-After all this band has been though, it only makes sense that they dropped a more personal album. It took me a couple of listens to truly appreciate. Don’t worry, it’s still crass at times as well as hilarious, but man, that Tony Sly tribute song will put tears in your eyes.

Harvey Pekar – The Astral We
-This Cleveland hardcore band is just that… This album was insane yet intelligent, and I loved every moment of it.

The Falcon – Gather Up the Chaps
-I love that Dave Hause was on this album. I love that he had to play ska riffs knowing how much he hates ska because Brendan Kelly decided it was a good idea. This album was far from serious and a good time all around.

NOTE: I promise you, Red Scare did not pay me for putting so many albums on this list. They just had a hell of a year with releases… Toby, I take plastic btw.

I wanted to throw a couple of EPs on here as well:

Jonathan Richman & Tommy Larkins – That’s All We Need at Our Party
–Blue Arrow Records and the creative vinyl masters Wax Merge teamed up to put out an insane variant of this 7″. I was lucky enough to score #100 out of 100. It’s a thing of beauty plus the tunes on it kick ass. I love me some Jonathan Richman. I am sure there are a few left, so snag one if you can.

Throw Shade – Self-Titled
-I have talented friends who make beautiful music. This EP is absolute proof.

Nine Inch Nails – Not the Actual Events
-I really did not know what to expect from Reznor and crew with this EP seeing how I just lost interest in their material for the last 10 years. Man, was I pleasantly surprised. This EP brought me back to 90s NIN and I can not wait for their full-length to drop in 2017.

Bracket – The Last Page
-At just over 70 minutes, this is one long-ass song and it’s amazing. The track keeps it together for the listener and takes them on a punk rock voyage. My first listed was distracted thanks to my paying gig, but my second listen with headphones on was incredible.

Finally, I know this is a best of list, but it would not be right if I did not make mention of this:

RIP Dag House…
It goes without saying, sometimes you find yourself in the right situations by chance. Thanks to an amazing batch of pals who kept Dag House going for years. Not everyone gets to experience basement shows, and some of that could be by choice, but goddamn, if you are a music fan, basement shows are the best shows. Dag House threw together a hell of a rager for their last show, and I was happy to be a part of it. Thanks for the memories Dag.

2016 was a crazy year. If you’ve made it this far in my post, thanks for sticking around and being so rad. It is people like you and the bands above that keep me doing what I do. Be well.

Acoustic, Electronic, Folk, Indie, Music, New Release, Pop, Review, Rock

Album Review: Bombadil – Hold On

28 February, 2015 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I was told Bombadil, who hail from Durham, NC, were a pop-folk act that I needed to listen to.

Seeing they hail from the same state as a certain Brothers band that I adore enough to tattoo their cover art on me, I figured why the heck not.

I cannot say I’d heard of Bombadil prior to checking them out, but after doing a little research, I learned that they have been around since 2005 and caught the attention of Ramseur Records thanks to their MySpace page. Next month, the band is dropping their fifth full length album on titled Hold On.

I was not sure about “Coughing on the F Train” when I first listened to it. The song reminded me of an 80s track mixed with a storyline Beck might have created in the 90s. Overall, it was catchy, but just slower in some areas. One song in and I already started to wonder if this band had any folk in them (Note: Their older material has a much heavier folk appeal to it from what I have listened to after writing this up).

“Amy’s Friend” cleared my question up immediately. This track was a gentle duet that clearly has swooning abilities with great harmonies throughout.

I enjoyed “Bill You For Your Trash”, especially the guitar solo towards the end. I could not help but think of Simon & Garfunkel in a sense while listening to this track.

“I Can’t Believe in Myself and Love You Too” made me just want to crawl in a hole with a bottle of something strong. What a sad track. I can not say I dug the backing vocals though, it was almost too much.

“Framboise” was one of my favorite tracks on the album. It was almost like listening to something from the 60s. I loved the mix of French and English singing on this track. I secretly wish this song would have morphed into a “Bohemian Rhapsody” of sorts. The explosion at the end I was waiting for, never happened though. Still, very creative track.

“Love You Too Much” carried one hell of a Motown feel. Robinson’s vocal range on this track was impressive to say the least. I have the feeling this track is ten times better live.

I laughed to myself when I saw the title “Rhapsody in Black and White” given my previous thought regarding Queen. I was not too sure about this track. It was almost too weird. I understood the premise, but was this serious or satire? Also, can I just comment how much Robinson sounds like Pete Townshend? I can not tell you how long it took me to find the perfect comparison, but while listening to this song, it finally struck me.

“Honest” should have been called “Brutally Honest”. If this was not a personal confession of revalation, then Robinson has one creative ass thought process. This track easily could have been a Brand New track. I am not sure how many of you will even understand what I just stated, so allow me to clarify: This track was super heavy on the emo, even with the random electronic breakdown towards the end. This was an amazing, powerful song that I was not expecting.

“Love Is Simply” closed out the album with a very well put together composure. There was so much going on in this track. I candidly thought of Flight of the Concords, but only due to the singing styles. This track was pro-love, at least I think it is. The burning bag comment kind of threw me off.

Bombadil has their own unique approach to pop-folk with a more subtle sound that in turn is quite comforting and catchy at times. I really think their genre is a lot broader than they get credit for.

Plenty of people are going to get into this band with Hold On as it almost caters to everyone. With plenty of creativity in creating their own style, I can admit that I am now a fan.

Electronic, Experimental, Indie, Jam, Music, Music News, New Release, Pop, Pop Rock, Review, Soul

Album Review: Electric Six – Human Zoo

16 October, 2014 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I remember the very first time Electric Six (E6) hit my ears.

I was working at a Borders Books, Music & Cafe in some fancy Cleveland suburb one night just minding my own business. One of my co-workers was unpacking all of the promotional CDs for the listening booths and asked me to help him out.

Flashback Memory: As I am sure many of your remember, there was a time when CDs were the staple of the music industry and at Borders, we literally had to manually input CDs into the CD players that were locked below the CD shelves. This was done so all you consumers could come in and check out an album prior to its release. Duh.

Anyways, I remember seeing a copy of E6’s debut release Fire sitting out on the counter. For whatever reason, I picked up the CD to see what it was all about and soon flipped it over to see the track titles. I decided to sneak in a listen after I put the CD into the listening station. I have been a fan ever since. I just sat there on the floor of the music department loving every song on that title. Needless to say, I snagged that CD the day it officially released and have had it in rotation for years.

I can’t say every release since Fire had as huge of an impact on me, but I have always appreciated what Dick Valentine and crew have done for 10+ years now. Last years Mustang left a pretty good impression on me, but I just was not blown away completely.

The Detroit garage/rock/funk/disco/jam/electronica/jack-of-all-trades genre-bending act just dropped an all new album titled Human Zoo. I am happy to say I mostly enjoyed the living hell out of it and I am pretty confident any E6 fan out there will too.

“Karate Lips” opened with an enthusiastic chant of “Electric Six” that quickly changed to “karate lips”. The song, clearly about some tough-ass women, was heavy on the funk with an electric indie rock style that closely resembled stuff you might hear from the The Faint.

“It’s Horseshit!” was almost too much for my brain to compute yet I loved it. It was like listening to a late 80s boy band infused with Daft Punk. Definitely a track that people can get weird to. The music and just overall feel of this song really resembled that vibe I first felt on Fire.

Valentine swooned beyond senselessly in “Alone With Your Body”. I listened to this track a couple of times over because I liked it so much. This was like the working man’s love jam. Valentine sang as a simple man with plenty of Detroit soul backing him up. I adored the back up singing as well as candid lyrics like “I’ll be there in a jiffy with a stiffy”.

“Satanic Wheels” grew on me after listening to it a couple of times. I loved the synth throughout. I felt like I was listening to typical E6 but with keyboard playing taking queues from 80s arena rock bands. It was psychedelic yet indie if that makes sense. I guess what I am trying to say is that this song ruled and was one of my favorites on the album.

“Gun Rights” was bizarre and unexpected. I thought I was listening to Ween mashed with Mike Patton. “Don’t take away my rights, my gun rights” repeated over and over with a fun Mexican folk melody. The quick spoken-word of Valentine in the middle just kept things even more interesting.

“I Need A Restaurant” just did not do it for me. The song seemed to just downgrade from all the craziness I previously was engulfed in. Sadly, I skipped this track halfway into and barely made it through “Worst Movie Ever”.

“I’m the Devil” sounded more like something Tenacious D would have done one of their albums. It was not terrible by any means but seemed more of a skit than a song. I almost wish Dave Grohl would have jumped in on this track dressed as the devil. I did like the Young Guns-like guitar playing style. The best part of this track was at the very end when apparently Jesus Christ had a speaking roll. Who knew he was such a burnout?

“The Afterlife” ended with a synth-pop tune that thankfully did not let the album end on a bad note for this listener. I wish it were a little more sped up but for what it is worth, it was not a terrible listen by any means.

Human Zoo overall was a blast. E6 continues to entertain but I will admit the latter portion of the album kind of fell short. Regardless, most of the release got me all sorts of excited just like their debut did over 10 years ago. This band in my opinion still entertains on a higher level.