Music Blogs to Submit your Music to!

Reddit user, @Ryan_Midi is to blame for one of the largest spreadsheets (including contacts!) for good blogs to reach out to. Give 'em your name, contact info, and drop a demo in their inbox, then cross your fingers and say a prayer or something. Here's the link to that comprehensive piece of art. 

Nick Pant's New Pants?

 Nick Pants was Spotted Wearing a New Outfit on Stage, What on Earth is it about? Nick tells all.

--It actually wasn't that big a deal but after our last conversation about iconography, I wanted to be sure. 

Taken by photographer @redbrickwindow, this image gives us some insight into Nick's thought process as he moves into a new era of his musical career.

I was super curious to see what Nick had to say about this, so I rang him up. 

Apparently, at the venue where this photo was snapped, it was pouring rain, so the outfit was mostly for practical purposes. 

Though, afterward, he did say- and I quote "I am also trying to appear as an apparition more now". which is ALWAYS something I want to hear.

Nick attributes this to the fact that he's not really thinking about himself as much lately; that by appearing more ghostly, he's informing the audience to his loss of ego.

As always, I'm fucking excited to see how Mr. Pants decides to play his next hands. 

You can find him @NickPantsMusic on Instagram, and everywhere else through there!

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How Stare (Formerly Sells) Has Improved

 When I first saw Stare (formerly Sells) performing at the Cafe Colonial, I immediately realized they were something special. While under-practiced and incredibly rough sounding, they had undeniable mojo and spunk.

 Through a long list of complaints I had for them, including problems with tempo, consistency-- and general performance issues, I still held that I adored their energy and absolute bombast. You could tell they had the framework for a real killer act, and catching up with them recently I am only more confident that they will be seeing a lot of success. 

I nabbed an interview with the band, who told me they had played nine live shows total. 

Which made me feel like a real asshole for ever publishing my first critique on them. \

All things considered, they managed to completely stun me with the progress they've made over such a short amount of time. All the issues with tempo-- across each instrument have pretty much disappeared, making them even more of a fucking powerhouse than they were when I initially reviewed them. 

Across the board, everything has taken a turn for the better. John, the face of the band, who was already a very skilled speaker, has wildly improved with crowd work, and everyone has really come out of their shells-- actually interacting with John and each other, generally looking more comfortable on their instruments-- Tell me if you've heard this one before-- but, that confidence is key! It is completely essential and adds oodles to the show, even if subtle. 

These guys have been bringing the heat since day one and I'm gonna be really surprised if they don't get some major attention in the coming years. 

I'm hoping to see them again soon and see what they're cooking up. 

They recently released a new single, which can be found on their Instagram page here.

Check them out! If you want to see a really good show at a good price point, they perform around the Sac area and always deliver. 

Curtain Call: Nick Pants at Cafe Colonial - 12/22/23

Honestly, there's such a turn in Nick's eyes as soon as he puts a microphone in his hand. The guy hops on stage and fucking tears his heart out of his chest. He screams, dances, and thrashes around like a dying animal.

Aside from the massive intrigue that his performance provides, part of the reason that Nick's work strikes audiences so hard is because of how well put together it is. Discordant, haunting, fucking produced—It's goddamn astonishing to watch someone so young perform like a crowd of thousands is right in front of him, even if it's actually just a small room. 

The Nick Pants sound is very dramatic—by that I mean it is very epic— Like, in the very specific sense that it evokes a consequential—epic horror and dread. It is this, mixed with so much concentrated rage.

 In fact, If I had to put a word to the way that Nick plays and performs, it's concentrated. Concentrated rage, concentrated physicality—It is this concentration that allows for such acutely painful and incredibly charged performances—It has this—intention behind it. I think that intention is so desperate to be heard that people have no other choice but to identify with it.

Quick tangent: 

Victor on drums is such a fucking asset by the way. Nick's frantic movements are perfectly anchored by Victor's equally expressive, yet more stationary performance. I wanted to make sure that was in here, cause Victor killed just as hard and can be credited to a big chunk of percussive work alongside Nick. Not to mention his own solo project "Earhole" which has so many fuckin' gems of its own. 

Now to get back on track—

Something I find particularly interesting is the creative choices made concerning the visual and tactile elements of the DD-DEATH show and album. Most notably the clothes Nick wore both on the album cover and at the show. 

In a separate, more specific interview I had with Nick about the cover art for "DD-DEATH"—He told me this about the decisions he made: "I enjoy iconography. If I'm not known for the music I'm known for the character I've created. Not to say the lyrics aren't real to me, but it's a specific part of me that I shared in this album." This is a really insightful comment. It shows that Nick doesn't just think of his work in one dimension—Part of the complexity he has built alongside a specific music style and performance grandeur—is a crafted visual brand. 

He also later stated that: "I made DD-DEATH from 2019 - 2022. I am 20 turning 21 now. Most of this was made in high school. Describes a lot of teen angst and growth during that time. So yeah that's what that character was molded from. It's me nonetheless. Whatever I release next is what I am during that time."

 Partly representing the everyman (by simplistic color and styling choices), while also casting his own persona on the figure, the result is kind of this beautiful, relatable, metaphor for growing up. His bowling-patterned shirt and corduroy pants may very likely be cast off for his next album, the change in visuals signifying a change in character, from old—to new. 

—"I always tried to contrast what the music is about with my outfits. I also just dress like that but I'm always told I don't look like I'd be making the music I make haha". Which—kudos to him for recognizing that he does just kinda look like—some fucking guy normally—and how that makes the show even more jarring when he does everything he does.

Nick has been performing for about a year now, sometimes solo, sometimes accompanied by percussionist Victor. Having played about twenty shows total, with an upcoming seven in this year, we have more noise destruction to look forward to—AND an incredible amount of ogling to do as NICK HAS ONLY DONE 20 SHOWS??? I'm fucking blown away. 

I find artists from the Sacramento area debut when they know they're ready. Once they've taken the time to decide what they want, how they want to present—and are one-hundred percent ready. Nick is one of those artists, and I would like to express the profound impact I forsee him having on the hardcore scene of today. 

You can find Nick Pants on Instagram!

As well as his counterpart Victor!

Nick is on Spotify and Bandcamp! 

Earhole is also on Bandcamp!

I'm hoping to check in on his work in a couple months from now to see what's new and how he's grown. I look forward to it massively. 

As always— Thanks for the read!

See ya later!! 

 

Curtain Call: I've Never Been Here Before at Cafe Colonial - 12/22/23

 

Manalia, the sole performer of the both aptly (and hilariously) self-appointed "dream-punk-dance-music/shoegaze screamo" act called: I've Never Been Here Before; chose to share on her Bandcamp that "shyly, shyly" is what a sibling of hers used to call butterflies, a symbol commonly associated with the transgender community. If you don't immediately find that emotionally devastating—all context of her music considered, you can eat your own shorts. (excerpted from 'The Closed Eye Experiment' ). 

It isn't often that you get an artist who just blows you away with overt, unconcealed lyrics and themes of being transgender. (That's a statement I resent, yet still find true.) 

Manalia leans heavily into the very real struggles and desolation that trans people face daily—Not speaking to family or loved ones due to living truthfully, being the abject of hate and cruelty in social settings—the list could go on for more pages than anyone would be happy to see—

"You dont go to sleep and think

Ill become a different thing

Its more like the knocking

Just starts to make sense

You dont have to let her in

Shell still die in the end

But her hands are soft and sweet

When she walks into your house

She takes a seat

I hope your body takes exactly the shape you want"- "i am just a grl"

"Scary/umbrellagrl" struck a particularly tender chord with me, as it features the line "I'm not scary" repeated more and more frantically, until the ambush of the hyperpop/electroclash-esc instrumentals descend in perfect chaos. 

Other songs like "Manalia" and "grl (I can't see u)" echo the same devastation, yet somehow also a perfectly overwhelming sense of triumph. The rawness of her style highlights so much about being transgender in a blunt, in-your-face way, that even if you aren't paying attention to the lyrics, you're gonna get what she means—The sheer emotion alone conveys its own message. 

Seeing I've Never Been Here Before is like watching the end of the world unfold right in front of you— It's totally unreal.

Also—Nalia is a master of expression—and the music she sets herself to is a beautiful nightmare in musical form. Nalia's physicality is actually something I can't get over. Not only is it highly expressive, but it's very instinctual and fluid. The way that she punctuates her movements— (which range from sporadic and unruly- to just plain functional—) is ultra-personal and serves to emphasize the instrumental elements as well as introduce the element of dance, further connecting her to the audience. Something that she did two or three times was actually tear herself off the stage, and jump into the crowd, to mosh with us—fucking bonkers—she ended a song by DEATH DROPPING IN THE PIT. I ascended—I did. I died, went to heaven, saw Manalia's face, and came back. (lol). 

Having interviewed and DM'd back and forth with Nalia, I would just like to say, that she has been the kindest, most obliging, and most responsive gal the whole way through. She's got ideas and thoughts and easily expands on snippets in a forward, engaged, fashion.  

These are staples of her art and craft. Her outright demeanor and creativity are showcased just as unmistakably in the album art she chooses to use, and the way she decides to tell her stories. (You have some concept album lore to look forward to y'all!)

(Pictured below, A sketch of the demon, Cherary, for an upcoming project of hers).

In an interview I nabbed with Nalia, she told me she rated this show a good eight or nine out of ten. Having played about forty shows over the span of a year at the time, it sounds to me like this one killed preeeeeeetty darn hard. (Note; before playing solo, Nalia used to perform with another local Sac act, Nick Pants!!)

Her favorite song to play live right now is "It's Raining Again", as it's her oldest song, and people still respond very positively to it. 

Now, according to Manalia, her best song to play live right now is "grl (I can't see u)", which makes sense from how reactive the crowd was— 

I cannot stress enough how intense and beautiful of an opening act I've Never Been Here Before was. A master of both hardcore and acoustic instrumentals/performance, I expect absolutely massive things from her in the future. 

You can find her on Instagram @iveneverbeenhereb4 

And everywhere else through her linktree!

Thanks for the read!!

 

Curtain Call: Onorthochrasaei at the Colonial Cafe - 12/22/23

  Like a death rattle, these guys SHOOK me. You have to understand it was this tiny kid just HOWLING into the mic fucking relentlessly. Mixed in were sampled vocal elements that said strange things and added to the complete fucking absurdity of the set. This is not to mention the drummer??? Blast beats to the attack of the vocals and backing tracks. Holy SHIT. The intentional tempo changes—unwavering screaming that highlighted the drumming—it really felt like art. It was dirty, and nasty, and fucking ruled.

Just to give everyone some cool context for the band's name, (Glossaria.net {citation}), states that the word Onorthochrasaei refers to the mother of four Gnostic demons—all of which are elements of the psyche—and that Onorthochrasaei is matter, illimitable, and that the other four demons feed from her. Pretty cool shit. Seems to stem from second-century Jewish/Christian spirituality with an emphasis on self-spiritualism and polytheism.

I think this is an important tidbit to add because a lot of the samples played at intervals during Onortho's set seem to pull from—or at least are inspired by—excerpts from Gnostic literature (eg. "who is euen now at the Dore. Blessed are those, whose portion is not with the wicked"). Paired with the violence of the drums and the brutally stirring vocals, the meaning presents itself not in the juxtaposition, but more in the adjacentness of their symbolism. Screaming at the wickedness, rejecting it in the most violent way possible. It's like a battle cry; declaring that you will not be tread on or crossed, you are dangerous to those who don't wish you or others well. SIMILARLY, you cry and scream for those who have been lost. Of course, this is only one example, and only what I glean from it. In sum, Onortho's work captures a feeling of protection of self—a feeling of raw, savior-type empathy through strength and self-awareness, while also conjuring a massive eldritch energy that really completes, as far as motifs go, the big, scary sound that is the main pillar of the genre.

The music—as a genre—really took me out of my comfort zone. (I think that's a really important thing to both say and acknowledge as you continue to immerse yourself in more of these unfamiliar genres.) At some point, it stopped being screaming and blast beats and started contorting into a meditative yet highly aware piece of art. Every time you'd get lost in the screaming, it would stop, a clip of sound would play, and then it would start again— constantly immersing you in the performance, then yanking you back to realize that you are in fact watching a show. In this way, it was very reminiscent of the Talking Heads' "big suit era."

Commercially, I find this genre of band does not always find a lot of mainstream success, however this is not to say that the genre is worthless. I think in an already unique topic and subgenre, they're really finding their niche, and are only continuing to get more creative as it goes. I cannot wait to see what narratives pop up in their next bodies of work.

In an interview I had with both the vocalist and drummer (Grim and Kevin, respectively), they divulged that Kevin had begun as a solo act around June or July of 2023, and had picked up Grim sometime about three months prior to the show on the twenty-second. The band together has played less than ten shows.

Grim rated their performance a solid 9/10, stating it was a good day for their vocal cords, and that their strength and tolerance were increasing.

Kevin was a bit more critical of his own performance, saying he messed up a couple times and may have rushed a little, ultimately ranking it a 7/10.

I say, for having played less than 10 shows, you get a pass. I couldn't notice anything. PLUS! My editor/secretary/tempo expert said, and I quote "You have no idea how fucking hard it is what he just did. Frankly there's nothing I'm complaining about. I've been playing drums for seven years and I cannot do what he just did".

Onorthochrasaei fucking rocked. They took us all to a place we weren't expecting, and I think shocked us so much that we didn't know what to do except stand around like idiots. At least- for me, that's how it went, there was A LOT of moshing during the set—

I can't wait to catch up with these guys again after they've played more shows and had more time to develop their act. They're already a massive powerhouse, and at full upside, I can't imagine how impressive their set is gonna be.

You can find Grim @Cosmetic.plague_

and Kevin on their main band page @Athletes.mouth!

NEW FORMAT UPDATE - 1/7/24

 First off. 

I'm sorry I haven't put out any posts lately >:[ I've been trying to write them using the old "debrief and critique" format- and it's just sounding cheap and strung out given the new sloughs of information I get from talking to the band afterward. 

So- moving forward I'll be using the "Curtain Call" format- 

Every band I get an interview with will in turn get their own editorial >:] 

Easy peasy and all, I just wanted to put out a statement so we're all on the same page. 

yadayada whatever

Cheers!

- Patch