I, Us & We "Mono"

Is it odd to anyone else that this band name includes every pronoun of the sort except for "me"?   Is it just me?   Okay then, I'll move on.    These are four songs from I, Us & We- which reminds me of "Me, Myself & I" but isn't.     They have a low-key vibe to them, churning out the softer side of electronic pop.   With piano keys and vocals that can remind me of Muse these are carefully crafted between Blue October and the more redeeming qualities of U2.

In some ways, this reminds me of something more on the electronic side of the coin, such as Twin Shadow or one of those producer types who creates all these beats and uses keyboard and synth.    But then there are enough guitar riffs in here, slow and cutting, that I'm hesitant to put an electric tag on it.     This is especially apparent in the song "Free", in which he can really sing so beautifully about how he is free.

"Lanterns" is a good example of the somewhat electronic side of these songs as it reminds me of Stabbing Westward without all of the teenage angst.     This also somehow brings out hints of a slowed down Duran Duran, which is never really a bad name to find popping up in your head when listening to music.

       As "Lanterns" sings about love being the cruelest game to play and being for dreamers, he ends with "I would say that love brought me to you".    An email, followed by a link I opened, a file I streamed and then a .ZIP folder I chose to download based upon the fact that I liked the first song I heard was what brought me to I, Use & We.    If I am to be what brings you to this wonderful music then so be it, but whatever path you should take I hope you do find this one.   

Hannah Epperson "BURN"

[$5 CAD to Download // $15 CAD for 7" Vinyl // https://hannahepperson.bandcamp.com/album/burn]

I've been trying as much as I can in recent months- and really it was most of my mantra for the end of 2014 going into 2015- to not compare artists with other artists in a negative way.   This is simply to say that I no longer wish to say: "This sounds like <fill in the blank> only better!" because it's kind of that belief of putting someone else down to pick yourself up.    (Though I'm technically not picking *myself* up, just the other artist who sounds how I would like the first, not as good artist to sound)

These two songs from Hannah Epperson begin with beats, strings and an overall mix of electronic pop rock that musically has the makings of something like Gotye.     As strings are delicately plucked in the second song you can hear this as well.    It's very easy to please the ears with these intricate wonders of music on both of these songs.   I've listened to this through at least once trying to focus only on the music and pretend that the vocals do not exist (I sometimes wish I had the technology to pull the vocals out in some sort of music program way) and it is just fascinating to hear the many layers at work here.

On one hand, you have earth-shattering beats that make you believe this could be some sort of hip hop, and yet the style and grace of something classical in the string sense.   Now just imagine the stereotypical person who you would think of as liking classical music (snooty) meeting the stereotypical person who you would think of as liking hip hop (gangsta)   They seem so different, but when these two sounds clash on "BURN" it creates an all new form of beauty.

As you stop picking apart the music, listening for the various levels on which it operates, you do realize that, yes, this does indeed have some beautiful female vocals singing over it as well.    It reminds me of the first time that I heard Polly Scattergood or Kimbra, but back to what I was saying in the first paragraph-- one song particularly stuck out to me when listening to this and that was the theme song to the Netflix original series "Orange Is The New Black".    Of course that song, easily searchable for the artist behind it, is a song that I do enjoy because it gets stuck in my head when I binge watch OITNB but I am not a fan otherwise of her music.

Now I'll say something tired and cliche about how if that other artist sounded more like Hannah Epperson then I would certainly be listening to her as well.    But it doesn't really get much better than these two songs right here and regardless of what other artists you happen to like or dislike or maybe have just not heard of yet, "BURN" should be in your playlist if not your vinyl collection.

Portia Winters "epicotyl" (Exotic Pylon)

[€10 for CD or Download // https://portia.bandcamp.com/album/epicotyl]

This is my first time hearing Portia Winters but for once I don't feel badly about that because this is said to be her debut album.     What you have to understand about "epicotyl" is that it's a pop album at its heart but the pop qualities of it are then chopped up and screwed.     It's that beauty of Polly Scattergood mixed with something that Bjork only wishes she could create.

Through strings, beeps, electro blips and a twisted water dripping sound comes some of the most delicate and wonderful vocals you will ever hear.    You're going to need to listen to this one multiple times to truly experience it because it is just that complex.     Though there is quite a bit of audio manipulation, especially with the vocals, a song such as "There My Rest" seems to go untouched and is more reserved, almost as if a lullaby.

A song like "Revolution" though can come out much louder, closer to something electronic and mechanical-- an anthem if there was one on this album.     Phil Collins drums and vocal loops do come into play though maybe not literally.    It's funny because on a song like "I Won't Be There" it seems as if there are no instruments until steel sounding drums kick in, yet on "Now Go Down" it feels like it will be strictly instrumental with something that sounds like spoons.    That is until the vocals kick in and overpower everything else in the world.

This is one of those albums that you're going to listen to and think about afterwards because you knew that these things were possible with music because they've been done before but they've never been done this way.    Certain elements might not be touched upon as much as others previously but this is a pure work of genius and one of the best albums I have heard in a very long time.

Dee Sada "Fragments" (Tip Top Recordings)

[[£5 // Edition of 10 // https://deesada.bandcamp.com/album/fragments]]

This has a release date on Bandcamp of January 10, 2014 (which was my son's second birthday) and yet it came up in my recent searches for cassettes just now so I can only assume it was posted to Bandcamp after the fact.     It also should be noted that the price to download this is the same as the cassette though you have to international shipping on the cassette if you're like me and live outside of the UK.  (Dee Sada is from London as per the Bandcamp page info)

As a cassette this an edition of ten and while it states they will all be fluorescent green they will be hand numbered and have individual covers which is always an interesting touch when putting out such a limited cassette as this.  (Perhaps the EP was released in January and it's just making its way to cassette now?)

What matters here though is the music and it's beautiful.    There is a certain sound of acoustic guitar and vocals happening, but there are other various instruments going on at times as well and that just adds to the overall appeal of it, as it's not just straight up anything but rather more of a blend.

Artists like Polly Scattergood (who I do hear in everything these days, yes) and Heavy Boots come out as well as just the dreamier side of rock that can be traced back to the likes of Cowboy Junkies and Mazzy Star.   It's really that these two sort of genres combine themselves with just so much more that I can't even begin to describe and it is in that way that the music of Dee Sada forges its own path.

You know, it's really not often that an artist like this comes along.   You feel so familiar with them as the music can channel some of your favorites and best known artists, yet at the same time it doesn't really sound like anyone else and just really becomes their own.    The last time I can remember feeling this way was the first time I heard Robin Kirby and that was certainly life changing as well.