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Tag: Punk

  • Yerba Muerte! by The Last Arizona // Everybody’s Worried About Owen

    Yerba Muerte! by The Last Arizona // Everybody’s Worried About Owen

    Album: Yerba Muerte!

    Artist: The Last Arizona // Everybody’s Worried About Owen

    Released: February 23, 2024- Flowerpot Records

    Spotify

    Yerba Muerte! is a split release with 4 new songs from indie folk artist, Emma (The Last Arizona) and 3 new songs from folk punk artist, Owen (Everybody’s Worried About Owen). Being that I am a big Arizona fan, to say that I was anticipating this release is an understatement.    

    The Last Arizona’s opening salvo for the album is “Shotgun”. The song begins with an amazingly catchy guitar lick that is sure to get stuck in listeners heads for days or even weeks to come. The lyrics speak of the loneliness of travel and missing the comforts of a loved one. Then, it compares the biochemical reactions of all those feelings and emotions to the blast of a shotgun. Sudden and intense, barely controlled bursts of emotions is a strikingly visual metaphor. In Finish folklore the afterlife is called “Manala”. The song of the same name is about exactly that. It is a somber tale about dying and waiting in the afterlife for those left behind. “Magnolia” features a synthesized organ which is a fantastic addition to the song’s sorrowful lyrics and sound.  I would not be sad if more organ found its way into future The Last Arizona songs.

    Everyone’s Worried About Owen starts their half of the album hard and fast with “Scatter Me!”.  The energy is infectious in a way that makes me want to not only get up and dance, but also drag everyone else around me to their feet to do the same. Towards the middle of the song there is a section that riffs on “Yesterday” by the Beatles that is as unexpected as it is highly clever. I smiled wide the first time I heard it. “Homebody Modifications” to me is the most interesting song on the album and hands down my favorite. While it amuses me to envision it as a body horror song where someone literally turns into a house, it really works better as a metaphor. The lyrics are extremely poetic, abstract and visual.  Deep down the song is about growing up and changing to the point where your home becomes a reflection of you and vise-versa. Home, as in the community you live in, not just your house. I, honestly could continue to break this song down for many more words, but I got to keep these reviews around 500 words. It is truly one of the best pieces of musical poetry that I’ve come across this year.

    With this album, The Last Arizona delivers yet another stellar collection of songs that come straight from the heart. Her ability to make soul filled and emotionally resonate music never ceases to amaze. Everybody’s Worried About Owen also brings an unforgettable set of songs to the album. His energetic performance and absurdly poetic writing style has made them instant hits. Yerba Muerte! is without a doubt a must listen for Folk Punk fans.   

    This review was originally posted on March 1, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—> Purchase Yerba Muerte! By The Last Arizona and Everybody’s Worried About Owen digitally via Amazon Music

  • Disappearing Act by Annalies Tang

    Disappearing Act by Annalies Tang

    Album: Disappearing Act

    Artist: Annalies Tang

    Released: January 31, 2024, Ska Punk International

    Spotify

    Disappearing Act is the first sonic offering from Ska Punk band Annalies Tang. The EP consists of 4 songs and each one is a musical treat. Classic Ska guitar, catchy horns, lyrical storytelling and fabulous vocal performance makes each song an experience.

    I really cannot say enough about it other than, “do you like vengeful ghosts?” I sure do! and “Emilio” delivers a haunting and rather charming story about the song’s namesake, a ghost who brings blood curdling justice to shitty dude bros for their toxic dude bro behavior. Annalies sings of various torments while spunky drumbeats, chipper ska guitar and the swankiest horns on the album accompany her. The juxtaposition of the grim lyrics and the music make it clear that you aren’t supposed to be scared but instead enjoy the spectacle of it all in a horror comedy kind of way. The song ends with the line: “May she [Emilio] rest in peace cause she’s a cool ghost” and I definitely agree. Emilio is very cool. This song is easily my favorite on the album. “Jasmine Tea” brings the best showcase of Annalies’s vocal performance. Her voice is powerful yet ethereal. A combination that is stunning and beautiful. The horns throughout the song work hand in hand with the vocal performance to add even more power to it. The song’s narrative is about Annalies’s struggles with the stereotypes of Asian women that are often thrust upon her by men. However, this is not a woe is me song. The power of the vocals and in music make it clear, this is a call out song. If you’re the kind of guy featured in the song, you have been put on notice. The message of self-healing, perseverance and love, found in “Crystals and Herbs” is super meaningful in today’s current social landscape. Towards the end of the song, Annalies does this little lyrical trick that I am hoping is intentional. During the song she sings “I love you” and then repeats herself but the second time she says, “We love you”. The result is this moment where the listener feels drawn into a sense for community and belonging. This is a great punctuation to the end of the song, as it continues to completion continuing the themes of belonging and community. This song brings a lot of joy to me, and I can’t get enough of it.

    Annalies Tang’s Disappearing Act presents a level of maturity in sound and narrative storytelling that greatly surpasses expectations. In fact, I would say the way the music and lyrics work together obtains a cinematic feeling that elevates the storytelling to some of the greatest found on any modern ska album in recent years.  

    This review was originally posted on February 23, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.

    If you like the album I reviewed here and want to support the artist as well as this blog please consider picking up the album via this affiliate link—> Purchase Disappearing Act by Annalies Tang digitally via Amazon Music