Lost in Thought - January 2021
Lost in Thought is our “in case you missed it” wrap up of each month. We’ll have our favorite music from the past month, broken into two categories (Connecticut, and At-Large), presented in no particular order.
The Rules
1. Each category will be capped off at 11, although, like this week, some categories might have less.
2. Music featured must have been released in the month highlighted.
3. I can break the rules as I see fit.
Best of January: Connecticut
Albums
SotoLish – 404
404 is a gorgeous 11 song release that’s over too soon. Connecticut music fans have themselves a real winner. Putting together a cohesive album with clean production isn’t an easy feat, even with modern technology, but SotoLish (Lee T. Canales and Sotorios J. Fedeli) has delivered in a big way. Not only that, but they ride for New Haven. We love a hometown Stan, and we really love a Connecticut Stan.
READ AND LISTEN - SotoLish’s 404
Pond View – Mouth Breather
Mouthbreather is a great ride, and Pond View shows off their serious talent giving fans a little bit of everything. These gentlemen should be high on your list of local bands to see whenever we can see live music again, because I have a hunch crowds will love these guys.
MORE MOUTH BREATHER - NEW CT ROCK: Pond View’s Mouthbreather
Niamh – Niamh
Niamh (pronounced Nieve) is a musical painter. According to their label, the Connecticut musician sets out to create music that “[blurs] the lines between myth and reality” and their success is immediately apparent. Their self-titled album Niamh, was released to kick off 2021.
DIG DEEPER - Niamh’s self-titled album
KR tha Specialist – Last Shall Be First
With heavy beats and a smooth flow, KR tha Specialist out of New Haven doesn’t mince word or waste time. His latest EP Last Shall Be First (LSBF) is a tour deforce and brings classic boom bap to Connecticut music.
Featuring boom bap, record scratching, and some in your face production, LSBF could have been released anytime between 1985 and today. KR tha Specialist, aka Kode Red, rhymes with confidence and never misses a beat. He’s relentless and balanced on the mic, mixing speed and consistency to create a timeless presence. The project name speaks to the divided times we live in, where a growing inequality gap exposes and exacerbates many of the problems in our society.
MORE ON LSBF - New Haven’s KR tha Specialist releases Last Shall Be First
Tracks
Pond View – “Two Headed Boy”
If you isolated the sounds of The Black Keys, Dr. Dog, and Cage the Elephant, then triangulated the musical coordinates, you’d end up on Pond View’s doorstep. “Two Headed Boy” is a strong rock-n-roll play that marches along without regard for anything in its path. The drums feel like a dinosaur stomping along the Earth, the bass is fat, and singer Luke Kraszewski’s passionately wails the chorus. At the end of the track, someone says “That banged.” It sure does.
READ MORE: NEW CT ROCK: Pond View’s Mouthbreather
SotoLish – “Kubrik Oven”
With industrial hip-hop sounds that begs for comparison to Run The Jewels, New Haven’s SotoLish serves up the production and bars to carry those expectations appropriately. Both tracks here come from their recent release 404. “Kubrik Oven” shouts out Long Wharf right off the rip. The chorus “my whole city brick oven,” pays homage to New Haven’s reputation as one of the best pizza cities on Earth.
Niamh – “Elfsong”
“Elfsong,” appropriately, has a certain mystical quality to it. Niamh fuses simple electronic sounds with lush arrangement to create something that feels as if you’re walking around in the movie Avatar. “Kitchen Beat” carries this vibe forward. It feels like a surreal walk through the forest with fairies flitting about. Read about Connecticut’s Niamh and their emotionally deep New Year’s Day release here.
Addy Edward – “Too Hungry to Eat”
“Too Hungry to Eat” is full of subtle touches that fill in the voids and expand its scope. If you’re listening on your phone or laptop speakers, you’re not going to appreciate all Edward has done here. The backing vocals are sunlight breaking through the forest canopy, there’s gentle pitter patter, and a bassline that holds it all together. There is a wonderful battle going on in a normally harmonious rhythm section: the bass line is soothing and acts as a foil against the percussion that can make you feel off balance. As you dive deeper into the song and realize that Edward has created an otherwise smooth and flowing track, you wonder if he wanted to add something jarring.
READ MORE: NEW CT MUSIC: Addy Edward’s “Too Hungry to Eat”
Celine Who – “Self Absorbed”
Smooth and sensual, “Self Absorbed” by Connecticut’s Celine Who could’ve just as easily been released by Jhene Aiko. “Self Absorbed” is a funny name for the track, because Celine Who doesn’t really come across all that self-absorbed. She wants to get paid, she wants to enjoy the finer things in life, and she wants to be loved. If that’s what it’s like to be self-absorbed, than I guess I am too.
Killer Kin – “Narrow Mind”
The thing that makes “Narrow Mind” cool is what happens halfway through the track, when the tempo momentarily kicks into high gear. The guitar roars, Mattie Lea gives us a distorted wail and the feedback sounds hum freely. The Killer Kin Trans Am then downshifts to a more comfortable speed. While the pace might be slower, the music still exudes raw unbridled power, like an elephant moving across the savannah. All of a sudden, the heat is back on with Rose and Lea moving into their frantic, rabid mania. You can imagine Lea foaming at the mouth as he delivers line after line before the song rolls across the finish line with the gas light on. The changing tempo is a great addition that adds another layer to an already heavily textured track.
KEEP READING AND LISTENING - CT PUNK ROCK: 2 New Tracks from Killer Kin
Balkun Brothers – “Here Comes The End Of The World”
Released in November as part of an album of the same name, “Here Comes the End of the World” is a fast-paced, power rock track for anyone who enjoys classic rock. The duo hails from Hartford and is one of the areas most successful bands, touring nationally and even internationally. Best enjoyed with a shot of whisky.
Amanda Bellitto – “Colures”
Connecticut singer-songwriter Amanda Bellitto is back at it again with her new single “Colures,” giving us both a lesson in language and great music in one fell swoop.
With intricate guitar and rich vocals, “Colures” has all of Bellitto’s hallmarks. The song moves along gently, until the surprising addition of an electric guitar.
AnUrbanNerd – “Dent”
Pairing his poignant lyrics with a hard rock track put together by Brad Tsushima and producer Gary Falanga, AnUrbanNerd delivers “Dent,” another great track from New London’s rising and diverse hip-hop scene. With strength and confidence, he declares that his time has come, and he’s here for anybody who is ready to listen.
Related: AnUrbanNerd Returns with “Dent”
Cassie’s Crutch – “Sunshine and Grey”
Cassie’s Crutch has a new single, titled “Sunshine and Grey.” It plays with tone, pace, and even features the bells and a violin. Most of the track feels melancholy, but then the sunshine breaks through and we’re gifted with moments of driving guitars and drums that give life before slipping back into the gray.
T!LT – “Lost Dog!”
A dark and ominous indie pop song, “Lost Dog!” is the latest entry in a strong catalogue of music from Connecticut’s T!lt. The four piece is fresh their first full length LP Blackl!t in October and is back at it again. T!lt puts forward a sound unique within the Connecticut music scene that brings wide appeal across the alternative spectrum.
Best of January: At-Large
Albums
Aaron Frazer – Introducing…
The debut album from the soulful Aaron Frazer is music that explores the peaks and valleys of love. Introducing… is a rollercoaster ride of emotion that is well done, invigorating, and our favorite album early in 2021.
From those early moments in a new relationship when you feel like you’re walking on air, to the bitter ending where you can not help but wonder where it all went wrong, to those moments of jealousy when you see other people in what seems like a perfect relationship, Aaron Frazer’s debut album Introducing… leaves no stone unturned. He takes a well-worn troupe, love, and manages to find a fresh approach. That is in large part because of his soulful singing and musical production, but it also has something to do with his content. Introducing… feels timeless yet very modern. It takes on old touchstones, like heartbreak and the strength we can find in love, and mixes them with contemporary additions, like the manic pendulum of a toxic relationship and the loneliness of being single.
Matt LaJoie – Paraclete Tongue
With Paraclete Tongue, Lajoie’s goal was “to bottle the summer’s solar warmth, the dancing lights of far-off star systems, and the flickering flame of candle-lit altars.” With music that feels and sounds like a cosmic solar-flare dancing in space, Lajoie has certainly succeeded. The LP spans 47 minutes across 4 tracks of serene, fuzzy electric guitar. Largely improvised, Paraclete Tongue moves with accord for the vibrations of the universe that then give way to moments where the artist could have only been fully consumed with his instrument and the music. While holding onto the harmonious nature of the record, these moments offer clear contrast and are a welcome interruption from comfortable hypnosis.
Tracks
Wildest – “Sugar (The Choice is Yours)”
When you’ve got a lover on the phone, a lover at the door, and you’ve got the best sugar in the whole damn village you need to make a decision: Who’s gonna get it tonight? The UK’s Wildest lives up to their name with their light poppy “Sugar (The Choice Is Yours).” The nu-disco, electro-funk jam has people queuing up for sugar, and they’re probably all dancing to the beat.
Figmore – “Rosie”
I’ve been anticipating this release by Figmore since it was featured on Not 97 a couple weeks ago, and I’m excited that I can finally include it here. Figmore’s soft-spoken lyrics on “Rosie,” along with the funky melody make this a great jam for when you’re feeling happy-go-lucky and walking on sunshine.
PONY – “Couch”
“Couch” by PONY; chicken soup for the intrepid entrepreneurial soul. It’s a song for people who believe in bringing dreams to reality. It’s music for people who persist in the face of long odds to create. Most importantly though, it’s music worth listening to. PONY is the second coming of The Go-Gos with a more aggressive edge. Bielanski’s sweet, saccharine voice rises above the fray, as the band shreds some tried and true chords and rhythms. “Couch” is about the struggle of making your way in the world and being surrounded by people who mean well, but don’t really believe in you. Now, maybe more than ever, we’re living in a world where there is a disconnect between those who have found success in the traditional economy, and those who have been forging a path through contract work and the gig-economy. It’s a song for Millennials and Gen Zers who are willing to bet big on themselves, and who” getting smarter” and “keep [their] head above the water” everyday.
Aaron Frazer – “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)”
Modern crooner Aaron Frazer released Introducing…, his debut album that offers instrumentation with shades of Mark Ronson. “If I Got It (Your Love Brought It)” fits right in with the themes of love and loss the entire album celebrates. This week’s playlist also features “Girl On The Phone,” another excellent choice off of Frazer’s debut. The catchy pop rhythms and melodies will have you bopping along and loving life.
Oli Swan – “All My Friends Are Lonely”
London’s Oli Swan exudes carefree. Even in “All My Friends Are Lonely,” where he sings about the (at least somewhat) concerning subject of his friends’ loneliness, he feels untroubled. The newly released track has a retro feel and a cover featuring Swan looking like a cross between Hall and Oates.
Clever Girls – “Baby Blue”
“Baby Blue” is a dream pop ballad that will touch your soul. A distorted track, Diane Jean’s voice sounds haunting and distant, as if they recorded through a long empty hallway. The track is masterfully constructed, exuding feelings of loneliness and isolation. Anchored by Diane’s voice and some simple guitar, the song feels like a lost memory shrouded in an enigmatic mist. A gentle rimshots keep the rhythm. As the song reaches its climax, the distortion grows more and more disruptive, washing away the ambiance.
Tequist – “Mojo”
As you listen to Telquist’s catalogue, you quickly realize that Sebastian Eggerbauer and his band have a talent for creating heavy basslines with fat drums. “Mojo” showcases a chorus full of fun sounds before it resigns itself to a simple bass and drum verse. A very casual guitar comes in during the build up for the chorus, creating a cool dichotomy of chaos and calm. Eggerbauer’s voice is one that American listeners will find unique.
Matt LaJoie “Holografia”
Smooth and light, “Holografia” is iced tea for your ears. In keeping with Matt LaJoie’s goals for Sun Language and it’s sister LP Paraclete Tongue, it is a taste of summer whenever you need it. It’s a great piece to listen to in the morning to center yourself before you take on the world, and it’s just as good to help you find peace before sleep at the end of the day.
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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.