This EP was put out in 2015 and I discovered it the same way I do everything, bandcamp. In previous posts I've discussed my love for aspects of music that are creepy, strange, and offbeat,
Short Circuit is all that and then some. It's dirty, gritty, and unhinged; at the same time it's catchy, heavy, and fun. It's rare that I hear a band that sounds jubilant while they're recording, but I can't see this being something they dread doing. The EP is chalk full of tantalizing bass riffs punctuated by some of the most abstract vocals I've heard in some time. I would liken them to a more tame, yet equally unique version of
Daughters. The trio has put out a good size collection of music in their 8 years as a band, all of which you can sample for yourself
here.
Spreading Joy by
The Armed (Detroit, MI)
I don't even know where to begin writing when it comes to
The Armed. I can't tell you who is in the band, because they're impossible to track. Even after flying to Detroit for "No Rest Fest" and watching them play live I'm clueless as to who they are and how they know each other. What I can tell you is that all of the chaos found in the
Spreading Joy EP (as well as the rest of their discography) translates flawlessly to their live performance. It's loud, abrasive, and disorienting. There was a man in a Guile Suit crawling around the audience, latching onto victims until being tossed back on stage by the crowd. Strobing lights made the mayhem pass by one second at a time with rage fueling the crowd. The beauty of
The Armed comes in a few doses. Musically, lyrically, and live they are stellar. Not only that, but they have a cult following unlike any other. And the people that make up that cult are some of the most intelligent, artistic, creative, and sincere human beings I have had the pleasure to interact with. Every person I met had a story to tell, and each of them were supporters of their community. If somebody went down, there was a hand there to help. Be sure to listen to this, and all their other works, which you can snag on their
Bandcamp page.
Gods by
Down I Go (London, UK)
I've written about them once before and I will continue to write about them in the future. If there is one thing I want to do with this platform it is to get you to fall in love with
Down I Go. Simply put, there is nothing else like them. The
Gods EP was, for what felt like decades, the "Conclusion" of this band (until they crowdfunded their final album). They break the mold of every genre they encompass. Their timing is unreal, their use of harmonies, repetition, call and response, and instrumentation are superb. And for those who are unfamiliar, all of their albums are concept albums.
Gods tells the stories Demeter, Poseidon, Atlas, and Icarus. Not only are the lyrics themed around an idea, the music encapsulates that idea as well, which is how their choice of instrumentation has such a tremendous impact on the listener. You can check out this EP on the
Shels Music page and you can explore the band more on their
Bandcamp page.
This EP was put out in 2015 and I discovered it the same way I do everything, bandcamp. In previous posts I've discussed my love for aspects of music that are creepy, strange, and offbeat, Short Circuit is all that and then some. It's dirty, gritty, and unhinged; at the same time it's catchy, heavy, and fun. It's rare that I hear a band that sounds jubilant while they're recording, but I can't see this being something they dread doing. The EP is chalk full of tantalizing bass riffs punctuated by some of the most abstract vocals I've heard in some time. I would liken them to a more tame, yet equally unique version of Daughters. The trio has put out a good size collection of music in their 8 years as a band, all of which you can sample for yourself here.
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