Blog
I would just like to start by welcoming you to the new blog on InsiderSessions.com!
My name is Joshua Putney and I am a 24-year-old singer/songwriter and stay at home father living in Des Moines, IA. I play guitar and sing in a band, with my wife Kristen, called Diamonds for Eyes. I am excited to have a platform from which I can express my love of music in new ways and help the local music community bond & grow at the same time. The purpose of this blog is to more deeply connect the listener to local and regional artists by not only posting a review of their most recent or upcoming album, but also free mp3 downloads and sometimes even full album streams. Because when it comes down to it, the music should always be allowed to speak for itself. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions please feel free to email me at joshua@InsiderSessions.com.
Album Stream – The Vorticists – Show
Posted on Feb 7, 2012
at 1:19 PM
By Joshua Putney
Bloomington, Indiana based psychedelic rock band, The Vorticists, take their name from the little known yet highly influential artistic movement from the early 1900s that blended aspects of Cubism, Expressionism and Futurism and set out to defy everything that the world knew about art at the time. On their debut album Show, the band succeeds in its attempt to build upon the ideals and visual imagery of the original Vorticists and accurately translates them into their own creative and truly original brand of music.
The Vorticists, which includes River Brack on guitar and vocals, Alex Chod on Keys and vocals, Butch Wade on drums and percussion, Joel Wukusick on guitar and vocals, and Coleman Cook lending his hand on bass in the studio, began work on the album in the summer of 2010. Most of the band members rented a house together to make practicing and collaborating simpler. Once they had enough material written to get them started they began the recording process for their debut full-length album Show. They finished recording and mixing it over the course of the next year and once the album was ready they sent it out to Hollywood, CA to be mastered by the legendary Howie Weinberg, who is well known for his work on albums by The Mars Volta, Muse and The Smashing Pumpkins, and then released it on November 30th, 2011.
In the spirit of their namesake, The Vorticists deviate from the norms of modern music and achieve a sound that is anything but conventional or formulaic. That is not to say the songs are lacking structure, it just means there is a free-form flow of consciousness style of writing that is glaringly apparent. Show is the kind of album that needs to be listened to from beginning to end to fully appreciate the sonic portrait that is being painted. One song taken out of context is like judging a work of art just from looking at the corner of it or trying to figure out what a puzzle is with just one piece.
This 9-song existential odyssey sets its exploratory sights on the subconscious mind by crafting haunting yet dreamy landscapes out of otherworldly guitar solos, electric piano and moog synthesizers. Show kicks off with the ethereal track “See Me” that shows off the bands firm grasp of dynamics not by shifting from soft to loud, but by varying moods and tempos all within this one song.
The following song “Paradox” reaches kaleidoscopic heights musically all while lead singer Joel Wukusick is reeling off his epigram of spiritual obscurity. Though it is interposed with bursts of instrumental energy the arrangement itself is very calming in nature.
The languid delivery of ambiguous lyrics like “I am life, I’m alive, in the wave of the type/ And my sensation is reality, I wonder why I can’t escape the limits of my own mind” heard on the track “Life” give a languorous and contemplative atmosphere to the song and help prepare you for the intense buildup about half way through.
In fact, throughout the entire album there are short intervals amid thundering upsurges, but even these carry a calm-before-the-storm sort of restlessness. The spellbinding grooves and moments of transcendent apprehension and release will leave you ruminating on the nature of your existence from beginning to end.
I found this to be an enormously enjoyable record and would highly recommend that you give it a chance. It will certainly surprise you, as it did me. They are planning a tour of the Midwest in the coming months and are currently working on recording new material.
You can download Show at: thevorticists.com/album/show
Album Stream - The Chatty Cathys - Cradle Rock
Posted on Feb 2, 2012
at 12:11 AM
Photo © Stan Brewer
By Joshua Putney
In this day and age rock and roll is a very general term we use for a wide array of musical styles. We can break it down into so many different genres and sub-genres that it really starts to encompass most of the popular music we hear today. We often use music to illustrate what life may have been like during a specific time period, and in my opinion it is an absolute necessity when attempting to truly understand the overall sentiment of a generation, just as we associate the 1950s with birth of rock and roll. The music from this era purveys a sense of feel good innocence that seems eerily distant if not completely non-existent these days. But, in the case of Des Moines, Iowa based band The Chatty Cathys, whose sound harkens back to the days of rock and roll past, we see a return to the origins of the music that has helped shape American culture for the last 60 years.
The band originally took form as a collaborative project between lead singer/guitarist Conrad Bascom and his friend Dylan Davis. Not long after, Conrad’s little brother Luke joined the band on drums. After a brief hiatus and split with Davis, which gave Bascom a bit of time to re-evaluate, reflect and write Cradle Rock and it’s b-sides, he re-formed the band with Luke continuing to grow on drums, Matt Seibert on bass and Varun (The Hindu Hurricane) joining on organ and piano. Cradle Rock was recorded in Ames, Iowa at the Liberty House by Phil Thomas, who recorded the Holy White Hounds debut EP and even features guest appearances by Dave Olson of The Poison Control Center and Jordan Mayland. After sitting on the record for nearly six months they released it on January 4, 2012.
On their debut six song release, Cradle Rock, The Chatty Cathys take everything we love about the rock and roll of the 50s and 60s and infuse it with a punk attitude and more aggressive and energetic dynamics. This uncompromising mixture of sound makes for an extremely interesting and captivating listen. The often-inscrutable lyrics are delivered with a sense of emotive urgency that breathes life and originality into these six songs.
I would also like to mention that the production on the album is wholly impressive, but what stands out the most about it to me is the vocal quality and clarity. It really seems that Young has a knack for getting the vocals to rest just right in the mix, whether the music is loud or soft.
The opening track, “Marta Won’t” starts out by giving off this sort of lighthearted, cheerful and almost comedic vibe. The obscurity of the lyrics and catchy melody help hide Bascom’s desperation and longing that, in this case, is directed at his cleaning lady.
The title track on the album, “Cradle Rock,” really makes apparent the youthfulness of the band members. Not by way of musical inexperience but by shedding light on their fun loving yet slightly naïve philosophy. But what they may lack in years they certainly make up for with talent and drive. As we hear on the song, “Messianic May (Salmonella Fellas),” which is a nine minute epic that starts out with nothing but piano and vocals and slowly begins to blend drums and electric guitars into the mix and gradually builds into this psychotic sort of spaced out solo. Let’s just say it gets pretty intense right before the guitar fades back into the piano driven feel we heard in the intro to finish out the song.
This is an amazing debut release from an extremely talented group of young musicians, and I’m looking forward to seeing the direction that this band heads in the future. Since the release Conrad moved to NYC and has a slew of new material in the works for the bands next album, Varun is now studying at MIT, Matt is going to college in Wisconsin and Luke is still focusing on high school. They plan on continuing to play shows in the Des Moines area when they can and are hoping for a spot at this year’s GDP.
You can download Cradle Rock for free (or donation) at: thechattycathys.bandcamp.com
Album Stream - Jordan Mayland and The Thermal Detonators
Posted on Jan 26, 2012
at 11:51 PM
By Joshua Putney
Sometimes as a musician one band or project does not allow nearly enough artistic space or freedom to truly reach our full potential creatively. In the case of Ames, Iowa singer/songwriter Jordan Mayland, who is currently working on a number of different impressive projects that I will more than likely be introducing you to in future posts, this couldn't be more accurate. I have chosen to first present you with his solo project, Jordan Mayland and The Thermal Detonators, because I think it is the best representation of his immense talent and originality.
Jordan Mayland and The Thermal Detonators was officially released a few years ago, but I thought it was too good not to review anyway. Mayland recorded all of the instruments on the album except for the string work, which was done by Becca Smith and the horn's on "Everything About Me," which were played by Joe Terry from The Poison Control Center and Erik Johnson from the band If Ever Was A Fire. The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Patrick and Tom Hummer partially at CampusTown Studios in Ames and then the rest done after it closed down and they moved their recording gear back home. I must say the production quality is actually pretty good, home studio or not.
Mayland's six song debut EP is exploding with celestial melodies, engaging lyrics and enough musical prowess to keep you spellbound until the last note has subsided. He seems insistent in a borderline obsessive way about staying in forward motion, which is actually a good thing, with abrupt changes constantly keeping things interesting. Mayland's songwriting on this album is equally as passionate as it is precise and really gives you a sense of an artist exploring his softer, more sensitive side. There are many different musical styles at work here, which all blend together seamlessly from song to song.
The opening track "North Carolina" starts out with country tinged slide guitar that is awash in good vibes and plunges us headfirst into fresh yet unexpectedly comfortable sonic waters. You get a heartbreaking sense of contemplation from the lyrics that are delivered in an almost forlorn manner. The song goes into a very subtle and seductive bridge that builds and helps prepare you for all of the beauty that is about to transpire. Then the vocals return suddenly and start to follow the melody of the slide guitar and a bit of hopefulness is restored to his voice for the final thirty breathtaking seconds.
Although the layered acoustic and electric guitars hint at a more folk/pop direction, Mayland never restricts himself to one genre, as we hear on the classically composed standout track "In Life/In Love". There is a certain iridescent romanticism on this song that is accented beautifully by the virtuosic finger-style guitar and delicate string arrangements. Allowing for plenty of instrumental space on this track, it is easily the most musically complex song on the album. That is not to say that the rest of the album isn't brimming with intricacy and depth though, but it is my personal favorite.
The album as a whole has a lovesick if not lamenting feel to it, but there is still joy to be found in the melodies. This is a very impressive solo debut from Mayland and I'm excited to see the direction he takes this project in.
He is currently in the process of recording a full-length album and getting a live Thermal Detonators band together to start playing shows soon. You can stay posted on future events and releases at: myspace.com/jordanmayland
Download his debut EP for free (or donation) at: jordanmayland.bandcamp.com
Album Stream - Elizabeth Arynn – Drifter
Posted on Jan 23, 2012
at 11:36 PM
By Joshua Putney
As long as I can remember two of my favorite things in the world have been traveling and music. And, the best thing about them is that they go hand in hand. Have you ever tried to drive across the country in silence? Where would the fun be in that? It wouldn't be nearly as memorable of an experience and you might even go completely insane. On Elizabeth Arynn's debut full-length album, Drifter, this Des Moines, Iowa based singer/songwriter exploits the yearning that lies within us all to uproot ourselves from all that we know in search of new experiences and people.
Arin Eaton, who plays under the stage name Elizabeth Arynn, has been playing music since she was a young child. Then she started playing shows around Des Moines at the age of 13. She went to college for music composition for a year, but could never bring herself to practice the curriculum. Instead she would just spend her time writing her own songs. She explains, "Drifter was written mainly in South Carolina in a practice room. I wrote about the relationship I was in, my family, how I was feeling at that time. I wrote about everything. It was recorded in Springfield, Illinois. I went to my friend Brandon's house one weekend in March of last year and showed him the songs I had been writing and we started recording. He would add instruments and we wrote a few arrangements together. I wasn't planning on this being an album until after writing all of them. It was a story." The album was recorded and produced by Brandon Carnes and mixed and mastered by Logan Christian of Midday Studios and released on October 4th, 2011 while on tour with local greats, The River Monks.
Drifter as a whole is a piano driven pop/folk album that is for the most part lyrically straightforward, yet full of musical complexities. Her voice abounds with warmth and tenderness and really gives you a sense of her benevolent nature. Arynn kicks it off with the track "How It Goes," which is a good introduction to her and her tale and immediately showcases her talent as a multi-instrumentalist as well as an imaginative storyteller. The bouncy piano and elated horns give the song an unmistakable feeling of insouciance. The lyrics, on the other hand, are a complete juxtaposition of this sentiment as they tell of a love that didn't quite work out in the end. Almost the entire album has that sort of contrasting feel between the lyrics and the music, with carefree melodies often masking the introspectiveness of her writing.
On what is possibly my favorite song on the album, "I-80," there lays a certain somberness that we don't hear on many other tracks. It seems that she really lets her guard down on this song and her melodious mask is removed for a brief moment allowing the listener to really pick up on the pensive mood she is creating.
The title track "Drifter" sort of sets up the second half of the album with a-cappella vocals and chirping birds in the background. The rest of the album continues on with the theme of traveling and struggling to find balance in personal relationships. Near the end she even reveals some of her more country and southern influences on songs like "Run Cory, Run" and "Suburban Life."
All in all this is a very solid release from a remarkably talented artist and I am looking forward to hearing more from her in the future. She is currently in the studio recording and we should expect to see another release from her within the next year or so. You can catch her live at The Gas Lamp in Des Moines, Iowa on January 24th or in Ames, Iowa at The Space for Ames on February 24th.
You can download Drifter at: elizabetharynn.bandcamp.com
Elizabeth Arynn - Drifter by insidersessions
Album Stream - Holy White Hounds – EP
Posted on Jan 22, 2012
at 3:12 PM
By Joshua Putney
In this increasingly digital age of music it is incredibly refreshing to see a band take a nostalgic approach to songwriting. On their debut five song EP, Holy White Hounds do just that. This Des Moines, Iowa three piece Rock and Roll outfit is a throwback in almost every sense of the word. This band is not content just to be reminiscent of the 60s; they embody the spirit of the era expressively.
The band was originally formed in 2006 under the name The Dig Angees. They had a small amount of success before taking a hiatus to focus on other projects, such as La Strange, but ended up back together again with a more mature sound and perspective. They began playing shows as Holy White Hounds in the fall of 2011 with Brenton Dean on guitar and vocals, Ambrose Ball-Harney on bass and backing vocals and Steven Rood on drums and additional vocals. They took a couple of unfinished, unrecorded Dig Angees songs and a couple of La Strange songs and polished them up with a brand new tone and feel and wrote the single "Sunday Morning." Not only was "Sunday Morning" the first official single under the moniker, but "a catalyst for the onslaught of HWH songs to follow" according to Drummer Steven Rood. The EP was recorded and mixed over just two 10-hour days in Ames, Iowa by Phil Young at The Liberty House and released on Jan. 20th, 2012.
Despite the strikingly vintage tones on everything from the guitar to the reverb drenched vocals, Dean’s powerful and energetic voice infuses originality into the songs and keeps the band from blending into the background with the plethora of other garage rock bands out there who are trying to pull sounds from the past. It is Young's production that gives these songs their distinct uniqueness and helps the vocals to really rest in and around the loudness of the instruments instead of being overpowered by them. The album starts out strong with the quick and catchy "Tell Me I'm O.K." which is possibly my favorite track on the album. This song is just plain entertaining and fun to listen to. The background vocals on the chorus are a nice added touch as well. They chose the most in your face attention grabbing song they had to get things going, which could have been disastrous had the rest of the songs on the album not been up to par. This is not the case though, as every every song is catchy and enthusiastic. I quickly realized that they could have opened the album with any one of these songs and had the exact same effect on me. These guys really seem to have a great time playing together and the kind of chemistry that only comes with time. I would definitely recommend this album and seeing them live.
You can keep up with them on their new website holywhitehounds.com, which they just launched a few weeks ago. Local website quarterafterfive.com also made a documentary about the band that I would suggest checking out. They are currently working on ideas for a music video for the song "Sunday Morning" and planning a mini tour to the South with Bright Giant beginning in April.
Holy White Hounds - EP by insidersessions
Album Stream - Stutterin' Jimmy and The Goosebumps - Howllelujah Vol. 1 EP
Posted on Jan 18, 2012
at 4:52 PM
By Joshua Putney
The first time I saw Stutterin' Jimmy play a live set, it was just him and an acoustic guitarist named Sam Allyn. It was a very raw, stripped down and intimate performance. The songs were all basic structurally but his voice and the message in his songs was such a powerful force of its own that I was still extremely intrigued. I wanted to hear more.
Three years after beginning the writing process and around six months after my first time seeing him live, he had compiled a group of extremely talented local musicians and formed the band we know today as Stutterin' Jimmy and The Goosebumps. Enlisting the help of Jacob Berhow on guitar along with Darren Matthews on slide guitar, Erik Brown on Trumpet, EZ and Beth Spaniel sharing roles on bass, Joe McGuire on drums and a guest appearance on the track "Old Fashioned Morphine" by singer Crystal Fields. The band headed into Sunday House Studios in the Spring of 2011 with producer Kevin Moll (who turned out to be a perfect fit for this project) to record their debut five song EP entitled Howllelujah Vol. 1. He clearly had a firm understanding of what the band was trying to achieve as far as production quality and executed it well, making it easier for them to achieve their desired sound. They finished up recording in September and it is being printed right now as I write this. Be on the lookout since it is set to be released in early February.
The album as a whole has a bluesy/country feel to it, but replace the overwhelming twang with an over driven slide guitar and a wailing trumpet that finds a common ground and manages to blend together beautifully while accenting and swirling around Jimmy's haunting and grit-filled vocals in such a way that it never takes away from them, instead, allowing them to remain the focal point and adhesive element of every single song. Although the vocals are the centerpiece of the songs, there is no shortage of musical ambition in this band. My favorite song on the album, "Oh, Captain," showcases that drive and their willingness to experiment, with the drumbeat for the song actually having been played with a fist on a door and foot stomps on the staircase. The trumpet and Rhodes piano also get a chance to really shine in this song as well. Although there is often a darker tone to the songs on this album, the band relentlessly and unapologetically takes aim at uplifting the soul of the listener by revealing gut-wrenching tales of overcoming physical and emotional agony that will incite your deepest desire to persevere any and all obstacles that may come your way in life. I look forward to hearing future releases from the band and, according to Jimmy they plan on starting the recording process all over again on Howllelujah Vol. 2 within the next couple of months. We will be streaming Howllelujah Vol. 1 in its entirety right up until the actual release date.
If you like the songs you hear on this album, I would definitely suggest seeing them live. The next show that they will be playing is on March 3rd in Ames, Iowa at DG's Taphouse with Bright Giant. Show starts at 9 p.m. You can stay posted on future events and releases from the band at reverbnation.com/thegoosebumps.
Stutterin' Jimmy and The Goosebumps - Howllelujah Vol 1 EP by insidersessions
