This is it, Chief: Chief Adjuah has an epic new release
New music from New Orleans: August 2023
Reviews by Paul Oswell
Summertiiiiiiime, and the living is...uncomfortably hot, right? Best to stay indoors, strap yourself to the freezer and bask in the waves of musical talent that shine forth from our fair city. We've rounded up Bandcamp's best, with this list of new tunes from right here in New Orleans. It's a varied mix with diverse ingredients, almost like a bowl of...er....I dunno...if only there was a local culinary equivalent. Oh, well. Anyway, ready your ears, there's a lot of great music coming your way:
Reviews by Paul Oswell
Summertiiiiiiime, and the living is...uncomfortably hot, right? Best to stay indoors, strap yourself to the freezer and bask in the waves of musical talent that shine forth from our fair city. We've rounded up Bandcamp's best, with this list of new tunes from right here in New Orleans. It's a varied mix with diverse ingredients, almost like a bowl of...er....I dunno...if only there was a local culinary equivalent. Oh, well. Anyway, ready your ears, there's a lot of great music coming your way:
Househunter
Beatles Variations 1
Househunter, aka Micah McKee from, er, several local bands, has taken on The Beatles - you can read about the whys and hows in our interview here. It’s an instrumental, electronic tribute, an invitation to discover the band anew. A tall order? Perhaps. The first of a four-part project, BV1 opens with Norwegian Wood, touting bright chiming synths over a driving stand-up bass. I’ve Got A Feeling is equally upbeat with its piano lead over squelchy electric Euro-pop chords and Don’t Let Me Down takes the raw rock of the original and refines it into elegantly-woven arpeggios. And Your Bird Can Sing is slowed to an almost playful, light reggae beat while Taxman is heralded by a flighty woodwind intro that opens up into cavernous 80s electronica. Revolution 9 teases us back to the present day, with nuanced beats and subtle samples. New takes on The Beatles are hard to deliver, but there’s lots to love about Househunter’s homage, and there’s more to come.
Beatles Variations 1
Househunter, aka Micah McKee from, er, several local bands, has taken on The Beatles - you can read about the whys and hows in our interview here. It’s an instrumental, electronic tribute, an invitation to discover the band anew. A tall order? Perhaps. The first of a four-part project, BV1 opens with Norwegian Wood, touting bright chiming synths over a driving stand-up bass. I’ve Got A Feeling is equally upbeat with its piano lead over squelchy electric Euro-pop chords and Don’t Let Me Down takes the raw rock of the original and refines it into elegantly-woven arpeggios. And Your Bird Can Sing is slowed to an almost playful, light reggae beat while Taxman is heralded by a flighty woodwind intro that opens up into cavernous 80s electronica. Revolution 9 teases us back to the present day, with nuanced beats and subtle samples. New takes on The Beatles are hard to deliver, but there’s lots to love about Househunter’s homage, and there’s more to come.
Sarah Burke
Nous
I listened to this in the early morning, the feral roosters in my neighborhood in full voice, and Nous was a perfect soundtrack to the sunrise and a cup of tea. The bright acoustic guitar intro took me back to dreamy numbers such as The Sundays’ ‘Here’s Where The Story Ends’, or some of Johnny Marr’s more delicate work with The Smiths (Cemetry Gates, for instance). My French is just good enough to know it’s a love song, and a lovely one at that. The mixed English/French-language vocals are initially soothing and ruminative, becoming more immediate and uplifting, before a soft landing that leaves you at least 96% more delighted than before the song started. At least.
Nous
I listened to this in the early morning, the feral roosters in my neighborhood in full voice, and Nous was a perfect soundtrack to the sunrise and a cup of tea. The bright acoustic guitar intro took me back to dreamy numbers such as The Sundays’ ‘Here’s Where The Story Ends’, or some of Johnny Marr’s more delicate work with The Smiths (Cemetry Gates, for instance). My French is just good enough to know it’s a love song, and a lovely one at that. The mixed English/French-language vocals are initially soothing and ruminative, becoming more immediate and uplifting, before a soft landing that leaves you at least 96% more delighted than before the song started. At least.
Dusty Santamaria
Voice of the Fire
If you’ve been exposed to Dusty’s oeuvre, you’ll know that there’s a little retro ambiance at play. It’s largely fashioned by the wavering tremolo of a guitar tuned to ‘vintage’, which chirps alluringly in the intro to this mid-paced, surf-rock marinated ballad. You can imagine this playing in the background of a noir indie movie, the band on stage in a spit n’ sawdust dive bar, the protagonist making increasingly bad decisions while tackling the business end of a bottle of bourbon. Dusty’s vocal theatrics peep through just enough to give the vocal melody a dramatic lilt in parts, but it’s the warmth of those guitar twangs that resonates most deeply.
Voice of the Fire
If you’ve been exposed to Dusty’s oeuvre, you’ll know that there’s a little retro ambiance at play. It’s largely fashioned by the wavering tremolo of a guitar tuned to ‘vintage’, which chirps alluringly in the intro to this mid-paced, surf-rock marinated ballad. You can imagine this playing in the background of a noir indie movie, the band on stage in a spit n’ sawdust dive bar, the protagonist making increasingly bad decisions while tackling the business end of a bottle of bourbon. Dusty’s vocal theatrics peep through just enough to give the vocal melody a dramatic lilt in parts, but it’s the warmth of those guitar twangs that resonates most deeply.
Zora Lucent
Enigmata
A darting, probing violin intro leads us into an aural pool where glitchy electronics and abstract vocals dance around each other. The back and forth is acoustically balletic, unpredictable and slightly unnerving in the best way possible. It’s an exploration that nudges up against Bjork’s more experimental forays and pulls on influences that had me thinking of Laurie Anderson’s high-concept soundscapes. Artist Zora Lucent (Nora Jane Messerich) manipulates her own voice at the same time as your emotions, and processed, otherwise familiar instruments create an acoustic world where you feel like anything could happen, and that’s an exciting place to be.
Enigmata
A darting, probing violin intro leads us into an aural pool where glitchy electronics and abstract vocals dance around each other. The back and forth is acoustically balletic, unpredictable and slightly unnerving in the best way possible. It’s an exploration that nudges up against Bjork’s more experimental forays and pulls on influences that had me thinking of Laurie Anderson’s high-concept soundscapes. Artist Zora Lucent (Nora Jane Messerich) manipulates her own voice at the same time as your emotions, and processed, otherwise familiar instruments create an acoustic world where you feel like anything could happen, and that’s an exciting place to be.
Fred Abong
Father
Ah, this is like sliding into an existential warm bath of sonic layers and textures. It slowly meanders without any urgency to make its point, and tugs you along downstream in a hazy fug. I don’t know if Fred Abong (Throwing Muses/Belly/Kristin Hersh Electric Trio) describes himself as “Elliot Smith with balls” (one description I found online), but it’s not a bad comparison, and this track throws in the breathy introspection of Spiritualized’s Jason Spaceman. The colors are subtle, a quiet xylophone solo and swooping electronic tones, and then just as you’re completely relaxed, a more jazzy, syncopated beat pops up to bring us home. Calmingly hypnotic.
Father
Ah, this is like sliding into an existential warm bath of sonic layers and textures. It slowly meanders without any urgency to make its point, and tugs you along downstream in a hazy fug. I don’t know if Fred Abong (Throwing Muses/Belly/Kristin Hersh Electric Trio) describes himself as “Elliot Smith with balls” (one description I found online), but it’s not a bad comparison, and this track throws in the breathy introspection of Spiritualized’s Jason Spaceman. The colors are subtle, a quiet xylophone solo and swooping electronic tones, and then just as you’re completely relaxed, a more jazzy, syncopated beat pops up to bring us home. Calmingly hypnotic.
Chief Adjuah
Blood Calls Blood
This inarguably epic track starts with wandering plucked strings, and as they organize into a hook, the wind whips up on the plains and Chief Adjuah’s voice soars up into a huge sky. Electronic beats fade in and out, and it’s a blast of soulful, spiritual longing. As prolific trumpeter Christian Scott, Chief Adjuah was at the cutting edge of ‘stretch music’. Under his new name, and as a newly-crowned big chief of the masking Black Indian group the Xodokan Nation, he is reaching for new horizons. Home-made instruments, including a bow that blends West African and European sounds, make for an evocative journey. Acoustic percussion, the sounds of nature, and not a trumpet in earshot. The whole album, 'Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning', is just incredible. Listen to it here.
Blood Calls Blood
This inarguably epic track starts with wandering plucked strings, and as they organize into a hook, the wind whips up on the plains and Chief Adjuah’s voice soars up into a huge sky. Electronic beats fade in and out, and it’s a blast of soulful, spiritual longing. As prolific trumpeter Christian Scott, Chief Adjuah was at the cutting edge of ‘stretch music’. Under his new name, and as a newly-crowned big chief of the masking Black Indian group the Xodokan Nation, he is reaching for new horizons. Home-made instruments, including a bow that blends West African and European sounds, make for an evocative journey. Acoustic percussion, the sounds of nature, and not a trumpet in earshot. The whole album, 'Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning', is just incredible. Listen to it here.
Bad Misters
Mass Sincerity
Yes they really mean it, and I sincerely felt an aural gut punch (not sure that’s possible but you know what I mean) as the guitars and drum fills rain down relentlessly from pretty much the beginning. Singer Justin has a direct, hard-to-ignore timbre that sounds like if David Byrn fronted Pantera, or if Ian Curtis (RIP) reached for an octave above his usual. Musicians James and Annie go one better than Buddy Holly’s intent to have “three people sound like an orchestra” and create an explosion of sound with just the two of them. Angular verses break into a more anthemic chorus, and you’re suited and booted in under three minutes. Remember, once you can fake sincerity, there’s no stopping you. Anyway, great stuff.
Mass Sincerity
Yes they really mean it, and I sincerely felt an aural gut punch (not sure that’s possible but you know what I mean) as the guitars and drum fills rain down relentlessly from pretty much the beginning. Singer Justin has a direct, hard-to-ignore timbre that sounds like if David Byrn fronted Pantera, or if Ian Curtis (RIP) reached for an octave above his usual. Musicians James and Annie go one better than Buddy Holly’s intent to have “three people sound like an orchestra” and create an explosion of sound with just the two of them. Angular verses break into a more anthemic chorus, and you’re suited and booted in under three minutes. Remember, once you can fake sincerity, there’s no stopping you. Anyway, great stuff.
Get Dressed
Suburban (some lyrics nsfw)
I love a good character assassination set to music, and this indignant rock n roll romp hits the spot. It’s a rallying cry against mediocrity and privilege, reminiscent in tone of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting mantra (“Choose a job, choose a career, etc”) but musically somewhere between The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The Fall. You can imagine Mark E Smith snarling the lyrics “She’s got old money in the trunk-ah!” about a posh Manchester poser, but here I’m picturing the song's subject driving around Old Metarie in an obnoxious SUV. What starts out sparse builds into a cacophony of guitar as the nihilism starts to overwhelm everything. Best lyric imho: “She used to drive a Civic for her racing career/Now she’s out in traffic living with no fear". No normies, alright?
Suburban (some lyrics nsfw)
I love a good character assassination set to music, and this indignant rock n roll romp hits the spot. It’s a rallying cry against mediocrity and privilege, reminiscent in tone of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting mantra (“Choose a job, choose a career, etc”) but musically somewhere between The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The Fall. You can imagine Mark E Smith snarling the lyrics “She’s got old money in the trunk-ah!” about a posh Manchester poser, but here I’m picturing the song's subject driving around Old Metarie in an obnoxious SUV. What starts out sparse builds into a cacophony of guitar as the nihilism starts to overwhelm everything. Best lyric imho: “She used to drive a Civic for her racing career/Now she’s out in traffic living with no fear". No normies, alright?
R Scully
100 Years
The R in R Scully is Ryan, who you might know from the Morning 40 Federation. It’s last orders here, or at least time to stop drinking, but first let’s have one last woozy, boozy country ballad about how nothing really matters. Cheating hearts, upturned whiskey glasses, the sun coming up as you leave the bar and knock back aspirin with a side of regret for breakfast. “If you leave me tomorrow, or if you leave me now/What difference will it make, 100 years from now?” Hey, at least we’re being philosophical about things, right?
100 Years
The R in R Scully is Ryan, who you might know from the Morning 40 Federation. It’s last orders here, or at least time to stop drinking, but first let’s have one last woozy, boozy country ballad about how nothing really matters. Cheating hearts, upturned whiskey glasses, the sun coming up as you leave the bar and knock back aspirin with a side of regret for breakfast. “If you leave me tomorrow, or if you leave me now/What difference will it make, 100 years from now?” Hey, at least we’re being philosophical about things, right?
Malmondo
Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime
This is my little musical project. I would never be so gauche as to review my own music, but if you like downbeat electronica, maybe you'll like this.
Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime
This is my little musical project. I would never be so gauche as to review my own music, but if you like downbeat electronica, maybe you'll like this.
