LOST IN THOUGHT - FEBRUARY 2021

Best of February: Connecticut

Albums

Cassie’s Crutch – Cassie’s Crutch

On February 12th, West Hartford’s Cassie’s Crutch released their much anticipated, self-titled debut album. When I say much anticipated, I mean by me (I don’t care what my dad or Neil DeGrasse Tyson says, the universe revolves around me). Their first two singles, “Entropy” and “Sunshine and Grey,” struck a poppy, indie rock chord with smooth guitar play that you all know I’m a complete sucker for. On Cassie’s Crutch though, what I found was unexpected. As a fan of music, Cassie’s Crutch is really exciting. Their eclectic and varied sound, along with their electric energy and well thought out lyrics will make them a formidable, must-see act whenever live music becomes feasible again.

MORE ON THE ALBUM: Cassie’s Crutch Releases Their Debut Album

Autopoet – The Nightlife Has Changed You

After a series of effervescent singles, Connecticut’s Autopoet released their debut album The Nightlife Has Changed You, on Valentine’s Day. Exploring love and the turbulence of relationships, the album clocks in at an impressive 45 minutes, a rarer and rarer sight. The duo of John Rule III and Rex Thurston work from a unique sonic pallet, tying together disparate sounds to make distinctive indie pop music. They live at the corner of conventional and unconventional, at the edge of the mainstream. They’re something different, while remaining completely accessible.

John Rule’s distinctive and whimsical voice is perfect for Autopoet’s musical aesthetic. He sets the stage in the same way that David Byrne’s vocals set the stage for the Talking Heads. The band isn’t a musical foreigner, but it speaks a slightly different dialect.

EXPLORE AUTOPOET: The Nightlife Has Changed You – A Masterclass in Emotion and Relationships

Tracks

Sargasso – “Cherry Blossoms”

New Haven’s Sargasso has another great song on their hands with “Cherry Blossoms.” The eclectic band seems to be forever changing form, releasing music that dances across musical genres. Whatever form they choose to take on, the result is always wonderful. This will be a band to see once it is safe enjoy live music again. Be sure to check out the song on Bandcamp; proceeds from “Cherry Blossoms” go to The People's Kitchen in Philadelphia, a food security project distributing free meals throughout the city, including during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

HEELE – “A New Friend”

The song, a blend of industrial and indie rock, is off his upcoming project Ethos, part of a trifecta of EPs along with Logos and Pathos (released in 2019).  “A New Friend” starts in a flurry, getting into the thick of things without a moment’s hesitation. That said, it isn’t in a rush. It takes its time getting where it’s going. Along with that, “A New Friend,” is well-written, feeding listeners snapshots of rejection that they can then project their own experiences onto. What really sets the song apart are the industrial details HEELE has included meticulously. When combined with some of the other unconventional production choices, “A New Friend” has a chilling feel, like cold steel pressed against your warm body.

KEEP READING: A Conversation with HEELE - His track “A New Friend,” pandemic life, and sushi

Cassie’s Crutch – “The Meadow”

Coming off of the self-titled debut from Cassie’s Crutch, “The Meadow” takes cues from the late 80s and early 90s alternative scene, channeling bands like Jane’s Addiction and the aforementioned Blind Melon to take on a psychedelic, grunge sound. Kevin Funnell delivers a genius rebuke of social media that you’ll appreciate if you don’t get lost in the waves of rich, funky music the band is making. Ryan Levin has moments where he’s absolutely shredding, while drummer Hunter Rock and Josh Cocuzzo deliver undulating rhythms.

Cassie’s Crutch – “Sol”

With simple beginnings, “Sol,” also off of Cassie’s Crutch, holds us in anticipation. Funnell’s voice beams over an acoustic guitar and bass suspended in a dream state. A pause, and then on the simple exhale of a breath “Sol” blooms into a tapestry of musical splendor. Like many of Cassie’s Crutch tracks, they save their best for the second half. However, the moment is fleeting, and we’re left with just a brief glimpse of that silky, woven, work that was laid out before us, and quickly retired.

RELATED: Cassie’s Crutch Releases Their Debut Album

Autopoet – “WAR CRY!”

A strong expression of the overarching personality of Autopoet’s debut album, The Nightlife Has Changed You, “WAR CRY!” is one of the highlights of the album. It has one of the richest musical landscapes, giving way to an interlude with a remixed voicemail prompt, showing the creativity the band paints with. Big guitars follow, before John Rule and Rex Thurston circle back to the song’s opening moments, tying a nice bow on the whole thing.

READ ON: The Nightlife Has Changed You – A Masterclass in Emotion and Relationships

the post valley green – “hey, make waves”

“hey, make waves” is fun. Blending banjo with violin, and some unconventional percussion, the post valley green out of Middletown has a strong addition to the Americana music scene with “hey, make waves.” While I find it maddening that they’ve decided to stylize both their band name and the title of their latest single with lower case letters, I’ll give it a pass because the track is so good. It just keeps moving, and has a sort of whimsical quality to it. It all makes for a song that feels eternal and captures a certain lighthearted freedom of spirit. Listen and you’ll understand, but be careful. You might get hooked.

Adversity & Brittney Crush – “Jump”

“Jump” features two of Connecticut’s finest, with Weathersfield’s Adversity enlisting the talents of Hartford native Brittney Crush. “Jump” is a sexy track about taking the risk to fall in love. Adversity lays down some cunning verses while Crush picks up the chorus. The back and forth between the two artists reveal strong chemistry, adding to the strength of the song.

T!LT – “KontacTest”

T!LT doesn’t stop making music. The Connecticut band put out their debut, BLACKL!T, on October 30th, and they’ve already given us two new singles in 2021. “KontacTest,” released on February 12th, might be their best work yet. The indie pop foursome also has an interesting YouTube presence where they show off their big personality…

Cov – “Cold Night in December”

I would call this the rarest of all sightings, but we have a country music sighting on mvsicthovght. It’s really more like country pop, but probably not in the Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line way you might be thinking of. Cov is closer to a Post Malone type, fusing together elements of country, pop, and hip hop. According to the man himself, “Cold Night in December” is about his “darkest days and falling in love with life again.” The Stratford product has himself a polished, very well produced number that can definitely make Connecticut proud.

Crill – “Mission for a Million”

Meet Crill from Manchester, Connecticut. The former class clown has been making moves for a couple of years now, but “Mission for a Million” has him hitting his stride. Solid rhymes with a solid flow over a rock solid boom bap beat all make a rock solid song.

KC Makes Music & Serg – “Sixth Gear”

The two Hartford rappers recently teamed up for “Sixth Gear,” a song that is as radio ready and of the moment as any song we’ve ever covered. It would be right at home on SiriusXM’s The Heat or a top 40 with Ryan Seacrest.

As an added bonus, the music video is hilarious and incredible and definitely worth your full attention.

Best of February: At-Large

Albums

Doll Klaw – Thorns

Synth pop occupies a special place in the imagination of the music aficionado. It is eternal, both representative of a retro past and symbolic of an aspirational future. It enchants and haunts – think of the soundtrack featured on Stranger Things. It’s celebratory – it’s commercial peak in the 80s included the likes of Madonna and others creating upbeat, bubbly crossovers. It is sexy and mysterious – Crazy, Stupid, Love included a memorable sequence anchored by Goldfrapp’s “Ooh La La.” This brings us to Doll Klaw, who released her EP Thorns last week through Hartford’s Funnybone Records. The Los Angeles product plays with the genre, touching on an array of sounds on the synth pop spectrum. At times cheery and at others dark, Doll Klaw has created some music worth listening to.

Every moment of Thorns feels pressing. Any of the songs off the project could be the theme for the most thrilling and spectacular moments of your life. Everything feels like it is hanging in the balance. It’s probably not the music you want to listen to on a lazy Sunday morning, but on your way out on the town on a Friday night… why not set the stage and raise the stakes?

RELATED: Doll Klaw’s Thorns

Tracks

Cardi B – “Up”

Cardi B is a divisive figure that splits people into two camps. Either you think she’s everything wrong with America, or you think she’s a national treasure. We at mvsicthovght place her in the ladder, and her latest single “Up,” is a banger. She shows why she continues to be the top name in an exceptional crop of female rappers. She might be one of the best five rappers in the game right now.

Havelock – “Sativa”

Hailing from London, Havelock is an artist who describes himself as being “riddled with ADHD.” Music is one of the only things that has ever been able to hold his attention for any meaningful length of time. All that said, you have to imagine anything that can hold Havelock’s attention must be pretty good… enter “Sativa.” It’s smooth, it’s sexy, and it has great texture.

Uno Hype & Jerome Thomas – “Superman”

Uno Hype, out of Maryland, and London’s Jerome Thomas come together for “Superman,” a mellow, futuristic track that I would have sworn came out of Chicago. Thomas sings in shades of BJ the Chicago Kid, while the production feels like something that might’ve come off of Chance the Rapper’s 2013 classic Acid Rap. Hopefully the trans-Atlantic partnership can continue, because “Superman” is excellent.

LOMELI – “Came in Through a Window”

I’m a big fan of electronic musician LOMELI and I can’t hide it. I think it’s because he reminds me of pre-What For? Toro y Moi, which is fun. The music he makes shares the stylish, lounge vibes with calm, ambient melodies and hip hop beats. “Came in Through a Window” is the last single ahead of March 19th Slow Scene Familiar, LOMELI’s debut LP. We’ll definitely be on the lookout for that one.

Doll Klaw – “Inside”

Coming off of Doll Klaw’s new release, Thorns, is “Inside.” The dramatic tone makes it an anthem for anybody fighting to defy the odds, but particularly for women. The opening line “Thought I needed him but I don’t” is a feminist cry for independence. The thrust of the song however, is ultimately more broad, with the message that we all are enough, and that we all carry the strength we need inside of us. The song has the one of the most interesting compositions, with verses giving way to mini musical interludes before returning to the original unrelenting beat.

Chris Conde – “Everyday”

Chris Conde is an impressive rapper. The MC is a lyrical story teller, finding ways to convey deep ideas with a rich vocabulary. He finds ways to insert words in places they shouldn’t fit, but with his craftsmanship, he does. Changing flows, employing slant rhymes, along with an array of other tools, Conde’s “Everyday” is excellent. If you like low-key, thoughtful hip hop – look no further. His upcoming album, Engulfed in the Marvelous Decay, is being released by New Haven’s Fake Four on April 4th.

LPB Poody – “Batman”

I gotta say, as annoying as I think Tik Tok is, I find some good music on there. Add LPB Poody’s “Batman” to the list. There’s nothing groundbreaking about “Batman,” in fact, I’d say it walks almost the exact same ground as it’s older cousin “Teach Me How to Dougie.” That said, Cali Swag District created an enduring track, so maybe LPB Poody is on to something…

Julien Baker – “Favor”

For a song that I accidentally included on BSIHTW for two straight weeks, I haven’t written anything about it – until now that is. With “Favor,” Julien Baker has put together a moving, indie rock jam with vocals akin to something from Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker. The track finds a great rhythm, undulating at it’s own pace, slowing to take a breath before forging ahead. It features great sonic details as well, giving Baker’s track a lot to appreciate and enjoy.

Doll Klaw – “Vermin”

“Vermin” borrows the opening synth riff from Stranger Things, and I wonder, “Does Thorns hold some hidden darkness?” If there is, you won’t find it on this track. Despite its name, “Vermin” is gentle and bright. If Alvvays had made music during the late 80s, it would probably sound a lot like this. That, my friends, is high praise.

READ MORE: Doll Klaw’s Thorns

Rachel Jack – “Stop”

Scotland’s Rachel Jack has her latest project, Magazine Girls, due out on March 18th. “Stop,” the latest single off of the of EP is a gem of a pop song. With dark intonation along other fanciful production elements, the spacious number is a strong release. Picking up endorsements from BBC Scotland recently, Jack is poised to have a strong year in 2021.

Honey&Eve – “I Speak Through Storms”

Throwing off vibes that evoke Billie Eilish, Honey&Eve’s “I Speak Through Storms” is moody dark pop at it’s finest. There are no wasted words or sounds, leaving a largely uncluttered backdrop where every moment carries immense weight. The duo out of Berlin, Germany have a spooky vibe about them that we just love.

Lost in Thought - February 2021

Michael Stroneski, editor at mvsicthovght, has started several blogs and multi-media projects you’ve never seen. He is a life-long cheerleader for Connecticut and underground music. You can reach him at contact@mvsicthovght.com.