Bad Wires
“Kaleidoscope Eyes”/”Head Over Heels” - single
The thing about Bad Wires is that everyone seems to hear them differently. When describing them, you hear bands like Motorhead, Melvins, Helmet, Unsane, Jesus Lizard, and Whores get thrown around a lot, (although bassist/vocalist Corey Cottrell recently posted that someone compared them to a cross between NoMeansNo and Fugazi, which he was “on cloud 9 about”). However, their sound is uniquely their own. Are they punk? Thrash? Metal? Noise Rock? Hardcore? Post-Hardcore? The answer is simply…yes! It’s a mix of all of the aforementioned styles, (and probably others I’m missing), but jumbled and arranged in such a way that the listener is never truly comfortable guessing where the band will go next. After several months of inactivity in 2023 due to trying out new drummers and Cottrell shattering his left wrist, Bad Wires have returned better than ever with their first new tracks since 2022’s Failed Fables EP. “Kaleidoscope Eyes,” a song about unrequited love from someone experiencing a psychotic break, is an absolute powerhouse of a track that hits like a runaway freight train and is, in my opinion, their best song yet. On “Head Over Heels”, (a very unexpected cover of the Tears For Fears hit), the band is able to recraft the song into something of their own creation, but with the utmost respect given to the original. The melodies are still intact, just a lot heavier now. So call it a rebirth, a reintroduction, a comeback, or what have you, just be glad they’re back!
Drift City
Sky Unconscious - EP
Following up their near-perfect 2022 sophomore full length album Deep Reverse was certainly no easy task, but Drift City demonstrates that they were more than up for the challenge on their latest, the six-song Sky Unconscious. If you ever needed proof of the level of talent coming out of Louisville these days, there is no need to look any further than this EP. One glance at the lineup on this recording and this is far from shocking. Led by the Bryan Ferry/David Bowie-esque elegant, seductive croon of core member, chief songwriter and producer J. Rivers (vocals, guitar, synth), and backed by the likes of Dave Givan (Jim James, Ray LaMontagne), Billy Lease (Cabin, The Glasspack), Woody Woodmansee (Hawks, Runaway Souls, The Low Glow), Benny Clark (Elliott, Falling Forward, Parlour), Brian Shreck (music therapist at Norton Cancer Institute and a pioneer in the field of music therapy), and the list of incredible guest musicians just goes on from there. Each musician on this recording filling their roles phenomenally, weaving together a tapestry of dreampop, shoegaze, psychedelic pop, alt-rock, Americana and smooth jazz to create an absolutely stunning, ever-expanding soundscape that is beautiful, peaceful, romantic and sexy. Comparisons to David Bowie, Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry, Radiohead, The Cure, Sparklehorse, as well as bands/artists on the local front such as My Morning Jacket, Jaye Jayle and Fotocrime are not unfounded. Without a doubt, Sky Unconscious will be making a lot of 2024 top-10 lists both locally and nationally, and is certain to propel Drift City to much greater attention.
driftcityband.com
Feral Vices
“Sunday’s Best” - single
Few two-piece bands can pull off what Louisville’s own Feral Vices seems to do so effortlessly; create a sound as big as, or arguably bigger, than that of a full band. Yet time and time again, the duo of vocalist/guitarist Alexander Hoagland and drummer Justin Cottner have done just that, proving the old adage “Less is more” to be true, at least in Feral Vices’ case. With their latest track, “Sunday’s Best,” what you get are two-and-a-half minutes of groove-oriented, fist pumping, anthemic alt-rock/post-hardcore music that’s been stripped down to its barest essentials in order to make the biggest impact. There are no frills or gimmicks here because none are needed. If members of Queens of the Stone Age, Refused, and Highly Suspect got together to create music, the result would sound a lot like Feral Vices. Hoagland and Cottner are certainly no strangers to writing catchy songs with big hooks, and “Sunday’s Best” is no exception. As with previous singles they’ve released, it’s easy to get caught up in the music and lose sight of just how well-crafted the song actually is. And the lyrics are quite timely given what we’ve seen this election year so far. Of the lyrics, Hoagland says it’s “about propaganda and how it gets us to go against our own interests because it’s so nice and flashy and convinces us that we’re the oppressed and not the oppressor.” He goes on to say “The goal is to try to get people to be more self-reflective about their actions, the consequences of those actions, and if our enemy is really our enemy at all.”
feralvices.com
Why DOMS with hersontheperson
“Slow Summers” - single
Before they sent me their latest single for review, Why DOMS was already on my short list of artists to check out. I’ve seen their name pop up in quite a few places lately, including some pretty high-profile gigs at Louievolve 2024, Mag Bar Music Fest, and the upcoming 502 Fest on August 10th. They’ve obviously been getting a lot of attention, and it turns out its well-deserved! For their latest track, “Slow Summers”, the duo team up with local producer hersontheperson for what they describe as “a quintessential track to understanding our sound.” Musically, the track revolves around a sample loop of horns and bass from Italian composer/conductor Carlo Savina’s 1963 smooth jazz composition “Summer Slow” — an interesting choice to rap over, but it works. The first half sees J DOMS flowing about the local scene and recapping previous summer experiences in a manner that, at least to me, brings to mind rapper MF Doom. The 808 drums kick in for the second half and Why Mark takes over with a quicker paced delivery and rhymes revolving around his life and childhood in his distinctive vocal style that I can only describe as a hyperactive version of B-Real from Cypress Hill. The contrasting styles of rapping - from J DOMS’ slower paced flows to Why Mark’s rapid-fire delivery - is an interesting juxtaposition, but one that suits the duo well. The pair has put out a slew of material since 2021, both as a duo and as solo artists, and are definitely coming up in the local rap scene. Keep your eyes and ears on these two!
unitedmasters.com/m/slow-summers
