MELT REVIEWS

Track Review: VOODOO RADIO – Turn Out The Light

Artist: VOODOO RADIO

Song: Turn Out The Light

Genre: Power Punk/Hard Rock/Alternative Rock

Label: Self-released

“Is Rock dead?” London-based “Power Punk” duo “VOODOO RADIO” would most likely answer that question with a confident “Sorry I can’t hear you over these tasty riffs.” Coming from the London underground, “VOODOO RADIO” are about as trendy as Eric Clapton. You won’t hear Trap hi-hats or auto-tune in their music, but instead of going against the grain from a “kids these days” perspective, their ambitions to Rock like the 70’s feels natural and it’s a rebellion that reminisces over the days of Rock past, but at the same time embraces the new school. I mean, they covered Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” go check it out if you can’t take my word for it. The band’s latest single “Turn Out The Light” solidifies their status as Rock & Roll scholars. Featuring member Tony’s guitar riffs that shift from heavy to bluesy to boozy with an astounding guitar solo, and lead singer Paige’s relentless and attitude-driven vocals along with her upbeat drum-work, this track is a fearless dive into Rock & Roll bliss as it sounds like the love child of “Van Halen” and “The Runaways.” These two are aware that Rock music can still be fun, and that there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism. Hell, we need that now more than ever, but instead of sounding like a novelty act, the band are just as serious as they are fun, because this isn’t Rock music to take lightly. If the band are already this skilled in songwriting and composition, just imagine how much further they can go with their talent. They definitely have my attention.

Written By: Steven Sandoval

Caribou’s “Swim” Turns 10

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On this day in 2010 producer Dan Snaith released Swim under his “Caribou” moniker. This album found Snaith departing almost entirely from the “Neo-psychedelic” nature of his previous album Andorra, incorporating various sounds and production techniques associated with “House” music due to his growing interest in “Electronic” music. However, his attention to experimental detail is still present throughout this record as he combined the danceable sensibilities of minimal House with flute, guitar, and the reverbed effects that dominated Andorra.” Elaborating on the album’s title, Snaith has stated that he wanted the album to have a fluid sound to it, which he definitely achieved. This album can also be considered the quintessential album when it comes to his complete dive into “Electronic” music not only with “Caribou,” but also his second project he developed called “Daphni.” This album was a massive turning point for Snaith, and is one of the best “Electronic” albums of the 2010’s. Happy Anniversary!

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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “The Good Son” Turns 30

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On this day in 1990 “Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds” released their album The Good Son, an album that many didn’t see coming. Much of the band’s work up until that point had been dark and unapologetically graphic, but the The Good Son had a shift in tone. It was more mature musically due to Nick Cave’s time in Brazil where he fell in love, and also following his time in rehab. The album features Nick Cave’s signature vivid storytelling, but much of these stories were told through a melancholy and romantic lens that drew parallels between the song’s characters and characters of biblical stories. This album solidified Cave’s status as one of music’s most unique and imaginative songwriters. Happy Anniversary.

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Ganser Announce New Album “Just Look At That Sky,” Share New Song “Lucky”

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Chicago band “Ganser” have announced that their new album Just Look At That Sky will be released on July 31st via “Felte Records.” Today the band have also shared their new single “Lucky,” a song that member Nadia Garofalo describes as “A commentary on personal feelings of inadequacy and how these feelings can often result in unhealthy or extreme behaviors.” “Lucky” also has a music video to accompany it, and the video appropriately depicts these stir crazy times we’re living in at the moment as two roommates in the video drink, drink, and drink some more, because what the Hell else is there to do? This is a video that much of us need to see. Many of us self-sabotage and succumb to self-destructive behavior, and the band depict this in a way that’s more reflective and less D.A.R.E. commercial. You can watch the music video for “Lucky” below:

Fleurt Shares New Song “Nihilist”

Nihilism has never sounded so upbeat. Today solo artist “Fleurt” has released a brand new song titled “Nihilist,” and it isn’t the dark and brooding affair the word is typically affiliated with in music. To contrast the wonderfully written feeling of loneliness and boredom, the song’s instrumentation consists of delicate bells, subtle but effective synths, and a minimal but upbeat electronic drum beat that evokes the spirit of “Indietronica.” This song couldn’t have arrived at a better time, because in this time where we are forced to self-isolate, we are stuck with ourselves and our own thoughts, and not all of us enjoy our own company. It’s easy to become envious of those fortunate enough to spend this time with a significant other, it’s easy to get stir crazy, and it’s easy to become completely bored of the hometown you’re stuck in, like the song says “I’m getting bored of New York.” Though the song’s content can come off as negative, Fleurt cleverly depicts the feeling of self-realization, and underneath it all there’s a real feeling of hope, not 100 percent succumbing to nihilism’s tendencies. This is a perfect example of how music, especially in this time, is immensely important. You can listen to “Nihilist” below:

ADULT. Share Music Video for New Song “Total Total Damage”

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Electronic duo “ADULT.” are set to release their new album Perception is/as/of Deception on April 10th via “Dais Records,” and today the Detroit duo have released another new track off the upcoming album as well as a new music video to accompany it. The track is titled “Total Total Damage,” and the music video was made in quarantine and features the two completely annihilating the set they had built for the video with sledgehammers, which perfectly reflects this stir crazy time we’re forced to endure at the moment in quarantine. You can watch the music video for “Total Total Damage” below:

Nine Inch Nails Release New Album “Ghosts V-VI”

“Anybody out there?” asks Trent Reznor as he and Atticus Ross casually drop a new “Nine Inch Nails” album. The band’s new album is titled Ghosts V-VI, and it is a continuation of the Ghosts series they dropped for free back in 2008. Like Ghosts I-IV, the new installments of the series are available for free on the band’s website. Reznor has described the album as “Some of it kind of happy, some not so much.” You can download Ghosts V-VI from the link below:

GHOSTS V: TOGETHER AND GHOSTS VI: LOCUSTS

LINGUA IGNOTA Shares New Song “O Ruthless Great Divine Director”

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In this time of isolation, it’s comforting to hear something new from one of the most captivating artists in music at the moment. Today Kristin Hayter under her LINGUA IGNOTA project has shared a fantastically epic new song titled “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” for “Adult Swim,” and it’s a grandiose and uncompromising piece of art both lyrically and musically. About the track Hayter says “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” both addresses and embodies the hypocrite and the false prophet. The sanctimonious scene police, the friend or community who will turn away or against when things get hard, fear mongering and pervasive misinformation. It was a great pleasure to have Greg Fox’s incredible talent on this song, and to work with Seth Manchester again at the console.” You can listen to “O Ruthless Great Divine Director” below:

https://www.adultswim.com/music/singles/20

Kari Faux Shares New Song “While God Was Sleepin’…”

Why is Kari Faux so criminally underrated? That’s a question i’ve been asking for awhile now. The Little Rock, Arkansas-based rapper/singer released an incredible E.P. last year titled Cry 4 Help, and it was the kind of introspective honesty that needs to be spotlighted more in contemporary music, but hey, it’s no surprise something real slips under the radar, but Faux is doing just fine gaining attention from those yearning for substance. Today she dropped a new single titled “While God Was Sleepin’…” and it is an all-rapped banger that finds Faux reflecting on her vices, her view on people, and her relationship with God. It’s a short track, but it’s impactful nonetheless. You can listen to “While God Was Sleepin’…” below:

Maryze Shares New Music Video for “Dis-Moi”

Montréal-based musician Maryze released one of the most enthralling and immediately captivating EPs of 2019. Titled Like Moons, the five-song EP was an exploration in Electro-Pop, Synth-Pop, and R&B. Her lusciously smooth vocals and inward looking themes combined with her ambition to experiment with various musical styles has made her an artist to watch in the world of Pop and R&B. Without a doubt one of the most standout tracks on the EP is “Dis-Moi.” Sung entirely in French, the song represents Maryze’s French heritage. When translated to English for people like me who aren’t fluent in French but admire the beauty of it, it’s clear that the song is about wanting to tell your significant other everything you keep inside. Your secrets of your past, the darker thoughts that surface in your mind, or maybe a mental illness, these are all things that can frighten one into not letting someone in for fear of being judged or losing someone over it. Is it a form of lying not telling my loved one everything about me? Will this person stay if I tell them my darkest secrets? These are questions most of us have asked ourselves at some point, and Maryze beautifully conveys this theme over smooth 80’s driven production that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Nicolas Winding Refn film. Today Maryze has released a new music video for “Dis-Moi,” and it perfectly captures the sensual but dark nature of the song. The video is intentionally lo-fi evoking the nostalgia of the days of VHS, and it also pays homage to Dario Argento with a color scheme similar to his style. The video even features various scenes from his film Suspiria, and being a Horror fanatic you can imagine my excitement when watching this video. It’s clear Maryze has a vision for every song she creates and there’s never a second of filler. You can watch the music video for “Dis-Moi” below: