SATURDAY JAN 13, 2018
Blis
"Emo music has a knack for synonymy. Twinkly guitars, lyrics of heartbreak and friendships lost, the sing-shout choruses that invite audience participation; the DIY-scene is saturated in the same ideas and trends that feel overused and commonplace for a fifth of the acts who annually play FEST. It takes a distinct band to craft an exciting record that builds off of insecurities and anxiety in a way that feels relatable, exciting and explosive. And that’s truly what Atlanta’s Blis. has shown us on their debut LP, No One Loves You. Mixing emo with elements of shoegaze, indie rock, pop punk, and post-hardcore, Blis. has created a soundscape of the exciting bits of rock music without sticking to one subgenre too dearly. They’ve broadened their scope since debuting onto the scene with the fantastic four-track EP Starting Fires In My Parents House, crafting a balanced debut album that stands as an impressive feat and influenced by acts as Pedro the Lion and Nine Inch Nails. This isn’t so much an awesome emo album for 2017 as much it is an amazing Blis. record With the amount of silence Blis. has given between No One Loves You and Starting Fires In My Parents House, time was surely taken wisely. Structurally, every song on No One Loves You carries the weight of a number of styles that blend together effortlessly, although on paper, they shouldn’t. But somehow, vocalist Aaron Gossett fits perfectly just above the record’s hefty guitar work, grimy basslines and, at times, desolate atmospheres. Along with drummer Jimi Ingman, bassist Luke Jones and guitarist Josiah Smith, the group has completely managed to harness their instrumental ideas to the fullest. Take “Old Man,” the third single from No One Loves You. The song begins with a barrage of noise that feels grandiose, locked in a room full of echoing guitars and vocal “woos” in the background, flirting with the idea of shoegaze. Then “Old Man” tones down for Aaron Gossett’s softly sung vocals, “I was a servant and you were a king / I don’t deserve it, what you did to me.” The mood drops from its noisy ambience into a slow-churning, introspective performance from Blis., slightly reminding its listeners of older records by The Deftones, or a more grunge-influenced wave of emo. “Stale Smoke,” one of the album’s other singles, sees Gossett’s vocals gradually rise over heavily textured instrumentals and melodies, before eventually exploding into a chorus of see-saw of guitars and rhythmic grooves. The song is perhaps the most exciting on the record, pacing a build up of anticipation to get to its payoff, then never losing the listener’s attention when it arrives. It’s the meticulous planning of tension and release that gives No One Loves You such a balanced atmosphere of melancholy an
Nearly every song off No One Loves You deals with the rejection of an omnipotent higher power. Gossett became a father this summer with his long-time girlfriend, whose family is heavily Christian, which explains the record’s constant tug-of-war between emotions, internal struggle and religion. On the album’s opener, “Dumb,” Gossett explains how he’s been dumbed down from television, magazines, “And an old Book that my parents forced on me / That built the separation of what’s right and being happy.” Later, on “Lost Boy,” Gossett struggles with the birth of his son and the relationship dynamic between himself and his girlfriend’s family: “I don’t want to lose him to your God / I don’t want to lose my little boy to your God.” This shout of frustration later blossoms into self-assurance: “No one loves you like I do / No God loves you like I do.” It’s evident on multiple songs that for Gossett, God’s existence continually casts a shadow over the singer’s self-worth, feeling unjustified and thrust into his life. As vulnerable as Gossett sounds on No One Loves You, the album remains incredibly engaging and concise. Songs like “Christian Girls” and “Home” depict his girlfriend’s upbringing as a devout follower, criticizing blind faith and manipulation, while on “Ugly” and “Lost Boy,” Gossett yearns for acceptance of both himself and his new family dynamic. The constant push-and-pull of lyricism and instrumentals on No One Loves You gives the album an enthralling atmosphere for the listener to dissect. Desolate vocal lows and moody structures play keenly alongside skyrocketing guitar work and emo/indie-rock noise. This debut album is an impressive feat of control through carefully crafted traction, anxiety and payoff. It’s obvious that Sargent House has found one of their brightest, most promising acts." -Mass Appeal
"Emo music has a knack for synonymy. Twinkly guitars, lyrics of heartbreak and friendships lost, the sing-shout choruses that invite audience participation; the DIY-scene is saturated in the same ideas and trends that feel overused and commonplace for a fifth of the acts who annually play FEST. It takes a distinct band to craft an exciting record that builds off of insecurities and anxiety in a way that feels relatable, exciting and explosive. And that’s truly what Atlanta’s Blis. has shown us on their debut LP, No One Loves You. Mixing emo with elements of shoegaze, indie rock, pop punk, and post-hardcore, Blis. has created a soundscape of the exciting bits of rock music without sticking to one subgenre too dearly. They’ve broadened their scope since debuting onto the scene with the fantastic four-track EP Starting Fires In My Parents House, crafting a balanced debut album that stands as an impressive feat and influenced by acts as Pedro the Lion and Nine Inch Nails. This isn’t so much an awesome emo album for 2017 as much it is an amazing Blis. record With the amount of silence Blis. has given between No One Loves You and Starting Fires In My Parents House, time was surely taken wisely. Structurally, every song on No One Loves You carries the weight of a number of styles that blend together effortlessly, although on paper, they shouldn’t. But somehow, vocalist Aaron Gossett fits perfectly just above the record’s hefty guitar work, grimy basslines and, at times, desolate atmospheres. Along with drummer Jimi Ingman, bassist Luke Jones and guitarist Josiah Smith, the group has completely managed to harness their instrumental ideas to the fullest. Take “Old Man,” the third single from No One Loves You. The song begins with a barrage of noise that feels grandiose, locked in a room full of echoing guitars and vocal “woos” in the background, flirting with the idea of shoegaze. Then “Old Man” tones down for Aaron Gossett’s softly sung vocals, “I was a servant and you were a king / I don’t deserve it, what you did to me.” The mood drops from its noisy ambience into a slow-churning, introspective performance from Blis., slightly reminding its listeners of older records by The Deftones, or a more grunge-influenced wave of emo. “Stale Smoke,” one of the album’s other singles, sees Gossett’s vocals gradually rise over heavily textured instrumentals and melodies, before eventually exploding into a chorus of see-saw of guitars and rhythmic grooves. The song is perhaps the most exciting on the record, pacing a build up of anticipation to get to its payoff, then never losing the listener’s attention when it arrives. It’s the meticulous planning of tension and release that gives No One Loves You such a balanced atmosphere of melancholy an
Nearly every song off No One Loves You deals with the rejection of an omnipotent higher power. Gossett became a father this summer with his long-time girlfriend, whose family is heavily Christian, which explains the record’s constant tug-of-war between emotions, internal struggle and religion. On the album’s opener, “Dumb,” Gossett explains how he’s been dumbed down from television, magazines, “And an old Book that my parents forced on me / That built the separation of what’s right and being happy.” Later, on “Lost Boy,” Gossett struggles with the birth of his son and the relationship dynamic between himself and his girlfriend’s family: “I don’t want to lose him to your God / I don’t want to lose my little boy to your God.” This shout of frustration later blossoms into self-assurance: “No one loves you like I do / No God loves you like I do.” It’s evident on multiple songs that for Gossett, God’s existence continually casts a shadow over the singer’s self-worth, feeling unjustified and thrust into his life. As vulnerable as Gossett sounds on No One Loves You, the album remains incredibly engaging and concise. Songs like “Christian Girls” and “Home” depict his girlfriend’s upbringing as a devout follower, criticizing blind faith and manipulation, while on “Ugly” and “Lost Boy,” Gossett yearns for acceptance of both himself and his new family dynamic. The constant push-and-pull of lyricism and instrumentals on No One Loves You gives the album an enthralling atmosphere for the listener to dissect. Desolate vocal lows and moody structures play keenly alongside skyrocketing guitar work and emo/indie-rock noise. This debut album is an impressive feat of control through carefully crafted traction, anxiety and payoff. It’s obvious that Sargent House has found one of their brightest, most promising acts." -Mass Appeal
Starbenders
Hailing from the ATL, Starbenders are the half way home for misunderstood misfits, fringers and glam punks. Front-woman, Kimi Shelter and her gang have concocted a perfect alchemic blend of androgynous rock and roll power with "stuck in your brain" pop melodies. Imagine David Bowie playing 7 minutes in heaven with Debbie Harry.
Shelter began working with producer, Nico Constantine (Lady Gaga , Program The Dead, Institution Records) in 2014 who encouraged her to start a band. Aaron Lecesne was the first call Shelter made. The duo were best of friends and had intense music crushes on each other. The genesis of Starbenders took form. Guitarist, Kriss Tokaji, entered the scene in early 2015 after the band witnessed him laying waste to a guitar at a shitty house party in the middle of no where. "We couldn't believe our ears and eyes! Our prayers had been answered!", beams Shelter. The dream line up crystallized in 2017 with the entrance of drummer, Emily Moon. "It was the final piece to the puzzle. The band was in the middle of a transition and I thought to check craigslist of all places when I came across Emily's ad." shared Lecesne. After responding to the band's cryptic email, Moon met up with them that same night. It was love at first sight.
Hailing from the ATL, Starbenders are the half way home for misunderstood misfits, fringers and glam punks. Front-woman, Kimi Shelter and her gang have concocted a perfect alchemic blend of androgynous rock and roll power with "stuck in your brain" pop melodies. Imagine David Bowie playing 7 minutes in heaven with Debbie Harry.
Shelter began working with producer, Nico Constantine (Lady Gaga , Program The Dead, Institution Records) in 2014 who encouraged her to start a band. Aaron Lecesne was the first call Shelter made. The duo were best of friends and had intense music crushes on each other. The genesis of Starbenders took form. Guitarist, Kriss Tokaji, entered the scene in early 2015 after the band witnessed him laying waste to a guitar at a shitty house party in the middle of no where. "We couldn't believe our ears and eyes! Our prayers had been answered!", beams Shelter. The dream line up crystallized in 2017 with the entrance of drummer, Emily Moon. "It was the final piece to the puzzle. The band was in the middle of a transition and I thought to check craigslist of all places when I came across Emily's ad." shared Lecesne. After responding to the band's cryptic email, Moon met up with them that same night. It was love at first sight.
Fever Blush
"Formerly known as Lean (and, for a brief time before that, Slowtalker), local up and comers Fever Blush are something of a Nashville DIY supergroup. Fusing dreamy, lo-fi, indie pop sensibilities with a clear love of shoegaze, punk, and alt rock, the band, who count members of local favorites Daddy Issues, Beer Head, and more among their ranks, function as a group of writers, crafting songs as a unit and spreading the weight evenly. Though they’ve been an active part of the underground live scene for a couple of years, frequenting houses, dives, and DIY spaces all over town, Fever Blush have, so far, only released a handful of demos, which, while promising, never quite did justice to their hypnotic and lush live show. The band will finally grace us with their first formal release, a stellar two-song EP called Remember, Forget, this Thursday, Nov. 30, to coincide with a Marathon Music Works show, where they’ll open for Julien Baker and David Bazan (tickets here). However, we’re thrilled to give you an exclusive premiere of the group’s debut effort in full, streaming below a few days early! Exploring two perspectives on one situation, the band describe their EP as “like waking up on one side of the bed vs the other. You can find equal amounts of happiness and sadness in each song.” Both tracks, the upbeat and confident “Remember” and the longing and melancholy “Forget,” which were self-produced and largely recorded at home, finally mange to capture the nuanced style and earnestness that Fever Blush have honed over the past year, balancing pop accessible melody with controlled layers of feedback and ambience." -No Country
"Formerly known as Lean (and, for a brief time before that, Slowtalker), local up and comers Fever Blush are something of a Nashville DIY supergroup. Fusing dreamy, lo-fi, indie pop sensibilities with a clear love of shoegaze, punk, and alt rock, the band, who count members of local favorites Daddy Issues, Beer Head, and more among their ranks, function as a group of writers, crafting songs as a unit and spreading the weight evenly. Though they’ve been an active part of the underground live scene for a couple of years, frequenting houses, dives, and DIY spaces all over town, Fever Blush have, so far, only released a handful of demos, which, while promising, never quite did justice to their hypnotic and lush live show. The band will finally grace us with their first formal release, a stellar two-song EP called Remember, Forget, this Thursday, Nov. 30, to coincide with a Marathon Music Works show, where they’ll open for Julien Baker and David Bazan (tickets here). However, we’re thrilled to give you an exclusive premiere of the group’s debut effort in full, streaming below a few days early! Exploring two perspectives on one situation, the band describe their EP as “like waking up on one side of the bed vs the other. You can find equal amounts of happiness and sadness in each song.” Both tracks, the upbeat and confident “Remember” and the longing and melancholy “Forget,” which were self-produced and largely recorded at home, finally mange to capture the nuanced style and earnestness that Fever Blush have honed over the past year, balancing pop accessible melody with controlled layers of feedback and ambience." -No Country
King Of Summer
"With their tongue-in-cheek songs and witty, self-deprecating lyrics, it would be easy to peg King of Summer as a group of four friends coming together to write music for kicks — and to some extent that’s true. But Tim Sterritt and company are also serious about their rock. Witness the the title of the group’s upcoming EP, Rock N Rollers From Hell, or the record’s cover art, which playfully recreates Queen’s 1974 sophomore offering, Queen II. While some might take these creative decisions as poking some good-natured fun at the sometimes bloated institution of rock, Sterritt insists their efforts are sincere. “Rock and roll is dope,” he tells me. “Respect to rock and roll.” Similar things can be said about the EP’s lead single “Angel,” which we’re excited to premiere today. The track opens as a quietly tense tune that eventually unfurls into a driving melodic anthem in the vein of Weezer or the Menzingers at their most poppy and direct. It’s a boisterous, infectious cut full of big guitars and even bigger hooks that should sound mighty fine blasting out of your car this summer. As for the lyrics, they’re a mix of dark humor and amusing revelations that initially led me to think the song might be mocking the longstanding tropes that have helped prop up the sex, drugs, and rock and roll ideal. (“I can snort a line of blow / While I’m drunk at the hospital / Contemplate losing my life / But that would suck so I think I won’t try,” Sterritt sings on the opening verse.) But according to the guitarist and vocalist, the song has far more personal origins. “I wrote this song at a time when I couldn’t stop thinking about death,” Sterritt reveals. “I moved to Decatur last August and I started spending a lot of my nights at shows and bars and being surrounded by drinking and drugs and just sort of wrote about what I saw friends of mine doing and how it made me feel.” Ultimately, “Angel” reveals a heavier, more aggressive side to King of Summer without sacrificing the melodic overtones the group displayed on their debut EP, Getting Stabbed With an Ice Cream Cone. It’s a good look for the band, one that feels considerably organic and sincere given their shared musical tastes. “I love pop shit but a lot of our common interest bands are on the heavier side,” Sterritt says. “Fu Manchu, Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins. Not to say these songs sound anything like those bands, but we definitely tried to take our sound in a less poppy direction I think.”" -Immersive Atlanta
"With their tongue-in-cheek songs and witty, self-deprecating lyrics, it would be easy to peg King of Summer as a group of four friends coming together to write music for kicks — and to some extent that’s true. But Tim Sterritt and company are also serious about their rock. Witness the the title of the group’s upcoming EP, Rock N Rollers From Hell, or the record’s cover art, which playfully recreates Queen’s 1974 sophomore offering, Queen II. While some might take these creative decisions as poking some good-natured fun at the sometimes bloated institution of rock, Sterritt insists their efforts are sincere. “Rock and roll is dope,” he tells me. “Respect to rock and roll.” Similar things can be said about the EP’s lead single “Angel,” which we’re excited to premiere today. The track opens as a quietly tense tune that eventually unfurls into a driving melodic anthem in the vein of Weezer or the Menzingers at their most poppy and direct. It’s a boisterous, infectious cut full of big guitars and even bigger hooks that should sound mighty fine blasting out of your car this summer. As for the lyrics, they’re a mix of dark humor and amusing revelations that initially led me to think the song might be mocking the longstanding tropes that have helped prop up the sex, drugs, and rock and roll ideal. (“I can snort a line of blow / While I’m drunk at the hospital / Contemplate losing my life / But that would suck so I think I won’t try,” Sterritt sings on the opening verse.) But according to the guitarist and vocalist, the song has far more personal origins. “I wrote this song at a time when I couldn’t stop thinking about death,” Sterritt reveals. “I moved to Decatur last August and I started spending a lot of my nights at shows and bars and being surrounded by drinking and drugs and just sort of wrote about what I saw friends of mine doing and how it made me feel.” Ultimately, “Angel” reveals a heavier, more aggressive side to King of Summer without sacrificing the melodic overtones the group displayed on their debut EP, Getting Stabbed With an Ice Cream Cone. It’s a good look for the band, one that feels considerably organic and sincere given their shared musical tastes. “I love pop shit but a lot of our common interest bands are on the heavier side,” Sterritt says. “Fu Manchu, Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins. Not to say these songs sound anything like those bands, but we definitely tried to take our sound in a less poppy direction I think.”" -Immersive Atlanta