Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow:
You are not wrong who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand–
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep–while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Edgar Allen Poe said this about his poem A Dream Within a Dream back in 1865: “It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream.”

What is it about dreams? Some of them feel so real, others pass like déjà vu. Some dreamers can become lucid enough to act as both dreamer and architect during the dreaming. Others can’t seem to remember what they dreamt about a moment or so after waking. It’s most interesting to me when people try to interpret dreams, their own or others’. Like when something bad happens in a dream, like death, say, it may be seen as a good thing, in fact. They say you should write down your dreams as much as you can, so as to not forget them. Paul McCartney said he found the inspiration for Yesterday in a dream, claiming to have heard the melody during his sleep. Swimsuit Issue‘s “The End” may be the Australian dream-pop equivalent of “Yesterday,” in that sense.

You ever get the thought while listening to a band, “yeah, I would enjoy sifting through these guys’ record piles”? I sure do. I hear a group like Swimsuit Issue, which is a great name by the way, and I think there must be some My Bloody Valentine, Beck, Slowdive, and even E Street Band in those guy’s collections. Also, it’s neat hearing this style being sung with an Australian accent as opposed to the American or British dialect one is used to. “The End” sounds like something off the new Slowdive record, which is saying something for a self-produced indie track. Kudos to these guys for paying attention to the details and delivering some quality dream-pop with their latest single. Listen to it here.

Follow Swimsuit Issue on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

It would be tough to pave your way as a female singer in this genre. Historically, heavier styles of rock music have been male-dominated. It was always a problem in the mosh pits, where you would see a group of female fans trying to work their way into the pit while trying to avoid contact with testosterone-fuelled headbangers who may not understand the basic concept of relative body weight. Remember, there was a time before social media revolutions like #metoo and woke culture in general. That’s not to say that the metal pits didn’t have values that many tried to uphold. There were those who did their best to ensure a safe space for women. It’s just that women had an uphill battle to climb in order to dictate their own terms and claim their own territory in this scene.

Groups like Paramore, Evanescence, and Halestorm who blew-up in the nu-metal, heavy-rock scenes across the world posed a challenge to metalheads in terms of female empowerment. Reality Suite with Kimmii Heart continue this struggle as noted in FemMetal’s December/2019 issue: “Art remains the strongest of weapons to fight back against brutal attempts to shape a world in way that fits misogynists. Reality Suite has grabbed that sword and is waving it relentlessly in the face of close-minded and sexist parts of the society.” I certainly don’t envy Hart on her position in the band. Alas, she fights, and her troops are behind her. One should always remember that those who pave the way for others have the roughest hills to climb and the toughest battles to fight. But without them, there would be so little good done in this world.

‘Each of us in the band had lost someone in the last two years. I lost my mother in 2016 to lung cancer – which spawned the song “Cut, Burn Bruise”,’ says Brian King the drummer of the band. The single is delivered with much emotion, indeed. The arrangement reflects these feeling as instruments die down during the verses, while bass and rhythms slowly fade in, setting us up for a climactic chorus. That kind of swelling in the sound is ultra effective in a song such as this. What I have to give special props to is the guitar solo. It’s fuckin’ top-notch as far as what any rock guitar solo should achieve. It’s got fireworks, but it’s not void of substance. It’s technical, while saying something melodically. And The tone! What the fuck happened to tone? I think I’m gonna go tone-deaf soon if guitarists keep favouring flashiness for good tone. Hendrix wasn’t a shred master, people! Thankfully, Reality Suite cleaned our ears out a bit and we might just survive another little while. Check ’em out and send them love. Peace!

According to their bio: “Labeled as anything from math to prog to pop but feel most comfortable in the plain guise of rock, Bend Sinister of Vancouver BC have evolved through numerous styles and absorbed a plethora of influences to become a band so refreshingly original that the struggle to categorize them is a losing battle.” It’s rock, but it’s not straight-up rock, and that’s what makes it worthy of multiple listens. Their latest song is “I’m Tired,” and the official video for it on their YouTube channel is shot in a kind of documentary style, splicing together found-footage of protests from around the United States, Canada, and the world. These are protests sparked by the infamous incident of police brutality in Minneapolis whose victim was a middle-aged black man named George Floyd. The video closes with a montage featuring images of other victims of police brutality and racism, fading in and out of each other as the song breaks down tempo-wise, shifting gears and becoming generally spacier.

“Lately it’s been hard to create or post anything that doesn’t acknowledge racism and the movements to dismantle it. This isn’t new. People have screamed it for hundreds of years, and countless voices have distilled the Black and Indigenous experience: James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Ava DuVernay, Cornel West, Buffy Sainte-Marie, bell hooks, Marvin Gaye, John Coltrane, Curtis Mayfield, Public Enemy, Kendrick Lamar, Nina Simone, Maya Angelou, Spike Lee. We’ve been listening and learning about the history while reflecting on our own behaviours and thoughts. Learn about Selma, learn about Jim Crow, learn about Jamestown and John Punch, learn about the Indian Act, learn about residential schools. Empower yourself through education, and shake the apathetic nature we have sat so comfortably in to actively make a difference. Racism is a complex, deep-seeded, poison saturating the foundation of our society and institutions that spans many, many generations. It will take a shift of epic proportion to undo, and it’s real as the Earth is round. This is dedicated to Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Atatiana Jefferson , Rodney Levi, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Chantel Moore, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Alton Sterling, Sandra Bland, Botham Jean, Terrance Franklin, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and all the nameless, faceless victims of police brutality.” – from Bend Sinister‘s YouTube description of the official video for “I’m Tired”

Along with their socially-conscious direction, Bend offer catchy music as well. A distorted clavinet riff, feedback slowly morphing into guitar lead, and banging wurlitzer chords are all the makings of a modern-rock classic, namely “I’m Tired.” The vocals have plenty of attitude and could have easily been heard on early Apple iPod commercials. The song is almost a two-in-one since things break down halfway through, and the song dials it down tempo-wise, showing us a more stoner-rock side to the group. “I’m tired of laying where my don’t lay” is repeated over and over, and the track begins sounding as if someone has slowed down a vinyl record. It’s trippy and has a great jam feel to it which is bound to please stoner-rockers everywhere!

Follow Bend Sinister on Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, Apple Music, Deezer, and Spotify.

Channo has a good grip on the rediscovery of the lo-fi aesthetic which has recently gained popularity on certain YouTube channels. “OMO,” a tune he worked on during self-isolation, seems to float along like a breezy summer’s day, after you’ve cleared your head on the beach, with your thoughts breaking on the shore like the waves of the sea. Fans of Ariel Pink and Toro y moi will dig, and anyone else who loves that seventies vibe with the condition that it’s heard an all fuzzed-out, half-worn cassette-tape. I was pretty sold on it from first hearing. Channo has already released an ep named “Underwater Heart” and has gotten together with the Nice Guys for this latest jam.“In a scene that has become so fixed on content and exposure, Channo keeps alive the mystique in music. Making warm fuzzy, underwater, experimental pop songs this Australian producer/vocalist has already landed features with VICE, Noisey, Complex Magazine and many more…” and that’s straight from the horse’s mouth. Well, we’re excited to hear some more from this Aussie lo-fi solo force.

Follow Channo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

“The Others” was written after reading Erik Rittenberry’s post on medium.com entitled, “The American life is Killing You.” In the article, Rittenberry is basically tearing into this idea of happiness in America which so many people believe is achieved by being part of the rat-race, buying things, and filling every second of your time with some sort of activity. Rittenberry believes that this is precisely what’s making people unhappy. Americans now have a lot more things like well-paying careers, houses, cars, families and so on, but they’re also in debt. From the time they enroll in university or college, they medicate to beat stress and anxiety, and are generally trying to put on a facade in order to impress others while being existentially lost.

A lot of good synthpop has commented on this very topic throughout the years. I’m thinking of songs like “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys, “Everything Counts” by Depeche Mode, as well as “Pop Life” by Prince. Keeping in mind that the heyday of synthpop coincided with the music video taking centre stage in pop-culture, Rittenberry’s main thesis could be seen visually in the “West End Girls” clip, albeit in London, England. Neil Tennant, the singer from the Pet Shop Boys, has a dismayed look in the video as he walks around London’s streets with his long black trench coat, sticking out from the dull masses who seem to be under a kind of hypnotic spell. Surely, My Darling Weirdo must have gotten some ideas from the old-guard of socially-conscious newwave.

My Darling Weirdo might as well have written “The Others” in 1984. The beat belongs to the era of the first Roland analogue synthesizers. It points to a time when Detroit greats like 808 State were playing around with electronic instruments and were unknowingly creating the blueprint for modern techno and house, styles that would go on to dominate mainstream pop music. It’s a track that is anachronistic in every sense, yet you don’t mind that it’s taking you on a trip back through time. The blips-and-bloops coming out of My darling Weirdo’s synth arsenal is up there with anything by Depeche, although much more digital sounding. The beat is hypnotic, pulsing robotically throughout the three-minute, fifty-second duration of the tune. Finally, the vocals are very English, and only those acquainted with the style will really dig what I’m saying here. I’d give it two voltage-controlled

When I heard their track “On the beers,” I couldn’t help but pigeonhole them into the comedy/satire category. Don’t get me wrong, their newest single is great! And the level of songcraft and musicianship here are nothing to laugh about. But, the content is light. The song talks about missing friends during coronavirus lockdown, and how one of said friends is celebrating her birthday alone this year because they can’t get together at their favourite pub. By-the-by, for Aussies, “getting on the beers” is a common way of referring to having drinks. So, I decided I had to go and look up the video for the song, and that’s what sealed the deal for me. The guitarist/singer for the group has filmed himself on mobile (or laptop) at his home having a few beers by his basement bar, while pretending that there are people around that he’s conversing with as he would at a pub. The video has got some key drunken air-guitar scenes, and it cuts to several shots of his friends in the street wearing face masks and looking generally lonely, as most are during a pandemic. The funniest thing about it for me is that the guitarist starts out with a couple of beers, and eventually just seems to be getting shit-faced by himself until he passes out on his bar counter. He gets up eventually, wondering, “what happened?” It’s perfect.

While it’s certainly appurtenant during this time to get sentimental about friends and the social lives we all had before the pandemic (we ALL had them…), I almost missed the fact that Cold Sleep are actually a serious band with much more to offer than just a timely satirical single like “On the Beers.” Perusing through some of their catalogue on Spotify, I was blown away with their output. Cold Sleep play great hardcore music and their female vocalist is spectacular. Lyrically, their songs tackle the mental and emotional struggles within relationships. Musically, there’s great guitar interplay, which reminds me of some of the finer moments of Moneen, Poison the Well, and even At the Drive-in. The breakdowns are emotional, the drummer shows expert skill at crafting several different parts using the double bass pedal, and, again, the vocalist adds to the contrasting sections by alternating between legato-style singing and screamo-type vocal.

Back to “On the Beers”: it’s a fun tune and a thought many of us have had during this trying time. A line like “I’m standing half cut at the bar I’m wondering where the hell you are” hits close to home as we’re all sort of looking around our own rooms wondering where our good friends are. The intro guitar riff does do a good job of grabbing our attention, with some subtle mandolin playing giving the song an Aussie pub-rock mood. The narrator is believable with lines like “My garden’s really looking good my cooking’s delicious and I guess it’s understood it could be worse than being locked in here we could be homeless and on the street.” For a track released by a band during a pandemic, this is solid. The video is an amazing bonus! I wouldn’t mind popping it on while taking down a few sody pops, but this band has a lot more great music to check out as well.

Of course, there is the Barcelona Guitar Orchestra, which puts on wonderful performances of classical and Spanish music, arranged for a group of twenty-plus guitarists. The bass, harmony, and melody lines are divided amongst the players in a highly skillful manner. There’s also Pat Metheny who, on Electric Counterpoint, creates rich, melodic texture with only his electric guitar. Though, I find it interesting that it’s actually in the alternative rock scene, starting in the 80s with groups like Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr, that the idea of depending solely on guitars to create layers of sound took a life of its own. Economically, it makes a lot of sense. If you’re a Bob Mould or a J. Mascis and you feel inspired by sounds and techniques outside of the rock idiom in terms of arrangement and composition, you’re gonna want to find a way to apply this to your rock combo setup without blowing your budget on hiring orchestral musicians. Thus, you use guitar voicings, effects like chorus and overdrive, overdubbing in the studio, and bass players playing chords (as opposed to just root notes) to beef up your sound. When you consider the rich harmonics that acoustic and electric guitars are capable of, it is plausible to fill the entire sound spectrum without adding any auxiliary instruments. This was a novel approach to sound production back then and this technique went on to influence so many acts including XOAN.

Formed in 2017 in Athens, Greece, XOAN is a four-piece who’s set on bringing back the 90s post-punk alternative sound. Their new single must have come out of long listening sessions involving the songs of Dinosaur Jr, They Might be Giants, Alkaline Trio, and Matthew Good Band. “Subliminal Interactions between Underwater Species,” which is a title more suited for a 50s sci-fi film than a rock song, has some beautifully saturated guitar-octaves, very tight drum work, and melodic hooks that seem to take their cue from some of the poppier tunes on Zen Arcade. The two guitarists in the band riff off each other smoothly, while the vocalist has the huskiness of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Dicky Barrett. The producer, Alex Bolpasis, seems to have a real hang on getting that big 90s rock-drums sound into the new age to remind the new generations of what they’re missing, presumably. This is a pretty solid effort by XOAN. I would recommend checking the rest of the Greenhorn album as well.

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The double vocal on “Possession” is a heavenly showcase of baritone gelling with alto-tenor. The harmonies build up slowly, reaching a climax, where there’s “an immense moment of brightness” as a “choir of vocals join forces to melodically fall and then rise, cleverly highlighting the central concept of the song.” The choral element is angelic by the end of the track. The bass pumps along perfectly in a 60s style groove, and the guitar ostinato is drenched in twin-reverb, with a bit of tremolo thrown in for good measure. This is stellar psyche production!

This is evident in the use of Prophet-sounding synthesizers, awesome arpeggiators/sequencers, and the vocal stylings of Mark Hollis from Talk Talk. The song is part science fiction, part romance. It starts out with a sample of an AI-type female cautioning, “diary entry 2.03 the virus is spreading fast something is wrong but nobody knows what.” Underneath this are 80s pads from what must be a Prophet IV. This is one of the few things which marks the song to the current day, as we can assume this is a reflection on the coronavirus. At the same time, couldn’t it be relevant to other eras? We can let our imaginations run free and assume this is happening earlier in the 2010s and the warning is about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Or, that this is taking place in the 1980s at the onset of the HIV outbreak. Time is interesting that way. I wonder if we’re gonna get to a point when it’s almost too hard to pinpoint what era a song was actually written? I mean, let’s consider memes. Memes are essentially a reference, to a reference, to a reference..ad infinitum. What if everything becomes so memetic that you can’t tell where/when the start point actually is? Alas, I digress.

It’s important to note the slick 80s guitar solo breakdown happening about two minutes or so into the tune, with a capricious-sounding, heavily-processed lead tone which you would hear on a Whitesnake record. Also, hold tight for a surprising acoustic guitar breakdown which contrasts nicely with the heavy synth production on the track. The electro bass line is a personal favourite, and I can’t pinpoint that sound but it seems very familiar. It’s got an Amiga-chip vibe to it which gives me nostalgias.

Morningless is taking the pandemic scenario to the extreme, imagining that the only escape is ultimately to leave the planet. He’s painting an 80s romantic newwave-type picture, where he tells his lover, “I”m gonna take you through the sun We’ll go behind the moon forever I’m gonna take you through the sun No matter what it takes We’re gonna make it anyway.” This is set to Cosmos-soundtrack-level arpeggiation. “Through the Sun” is good storytelling on Morningless‘ part, and we like how he doesn’t shy away from his influences!

Fans of Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Theory of a Deadman, Tool/A Perfect Circle should get in on this! There seems to be a revival happening of 90s alternative rock, or maybe just of all things 90s. Generally, revivalism goes in circles. In the early 2000s, you had bands like The Strokes and the Magnetic Fields reviving the garage-rock and baroque-pop sounds of the 60s and 70s. As the 00s came to a close, a lot of electronic-infused pop and r&b music gained traction, with artists being enamoured with 80s sounds and styles. You can hear a more recent example of this on Taylor Swift’s Love album. Now it’s all about the 90s, and I do recall a conversation with a good buddy of mine some years ago during which he saw this coming. I salute you, my friend. It’s not that it’s all about trends, which make predictions like this possible. I’d say it’s about reactions to changes in technology and culture. This seems to happen in every generation where many get distraught with big shifts in lifestyle and taste. A part of us always wants hold on to what came before, like it’s somehow more authentic than what’s happening now. We look at older cultural events with dreamy eyes, feeling maybe like we belong more to “back then,” even if we were too young to remember those times as they really happened. It’s a way to get grounded, when people don’t feel like they belong to the current trends in pop culture, like a mainstream trap, house, or what have you. They see themselves as “old souls.”

Tripod seem to be such old souls, bringing us back to the heavy-rock of the 90s with their latest, “Go Away.” It starts out with a thickly-processed guitar, which sounds like something the dog chewed up and spit back out. Full band with vocal kick in shortly after, establishing a perfect culmination of hard-rock amazingness. The drums sound big with lots of focus on toms, and the guitar riffs logically follow from one to the next. Starting with some simple repetitive palm muting in the verse, the song builds up with some seriously juicy riffs. Best of all, this band is tight. They’re almost Tool-tight actually. They’re just not going crazy with the polyrhythms. The vocalist has strong delivery, and he overdubs himself well, colouring his melody with spot-on harmony. There are no electronics here, so there is something to say for that authentic retrospective look at past rock music. Tripod play purely acoustic/electric music on rock instruments, and they play it very well. Why Tripod though? Might have to fly these guys in for an interview. Make this happen folks. 😉