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Week30 |Tobi’s New Music Monster Picks

Writer: goldenstateservicesj
goldenstateservicesj
Jan 27, 2019
5 min read

A totally random, whatever came to mind first, selection of the latest additions to ourNew Music Monster

Music Reviews written by Tobi Davis

Tobi's new music monster
Tables Have Turned by Jon Magnusson

Artist: Jon Magnusson Track:“Tables Have Turned” Swedish singer-songwriter Jon Magnusson delivers a stand out rendition of Ralph’s electro-pop hit, “Tables Have Turned”, reimagined as a gorgeous palette of sublime orchestration and disarmingly uninhibited vocal performance. 2018 was a busy year for independent artist and popular character on the Indie Music Web, Jon Magnusson. Not only did he release two EPs, studio project ‘Always a Rebel’ (plus an accompanying collection of Remixes and Delux Version) and the home-brewed ‘Acoustic Dreams’, but he also released a string of instrumental works via crypto-currency sites Choon and Emanate. If this wasn’t enough, the first time father also began releasing original songs for children (written for his own daughter) via his ‘alter-ego’ Papijon. Typically, not content to keep things simple or easy, Jon released the songs in three different languages (his native Swedish, English, and Spanish). In addition to the multi-language versions (amounting to 3 EPs), he also released instrumental and Karaoke versions. In the Autumn of 2018, Jon entered a contest to remix/cover “Tables Have Turned” by Toronto-born/LA-based electro-pop artist Ralph, via the crypto-currency site Emanate. He enlisted his friend Tobi to mix/master (having worked on both ‘Acoustic Dreams’ and the ‘Papijon’ EPs). The track finished a runner up to the winning remix, by rising star Dillistone. Confident that it was among his best work to date, Jon secured the mechanical rights via Distrokid (for both vocal and instrumental versions) and wanting to give the release every chance, Tobi mixed and mastered the track again from the ground up. The result is a compelling beautiful arrangement of shifting string part and delicate acoustic arpeggio. Cello, viola, and violin trade places in the stereo field, moving from left to right in quiet reflection of the ‘ear candy’ present in the original. The track broken suddenly by a passage of string parts played in reverse. The rendition is oddly lyrical, obtuse and yet poetic. Jon Magnusson works the vocals in a simple, straight forward fashion; the lyrics resonating, thanks to his unassuming delivery. Bob Dylan reportedly referred to Jimi Hendrix’s version of his ‘All Along The Watchtower’ as the definitive version; and while opinions as to which version is of “Tables Have Turned” is more successful will depend greatly on personal taste, there is compelling argument to be made that, in much the same way Dolly Parton did for Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’, Jon Magnusson’s rendition of ‘Tables Have Turned’ captures and expresses a mournful melancholy and reluctant, wistful romance that, though, of course, present in the lyrics, was perhaps lost in the impressive pop production of the original. And while fans of the original may miss the appeal of Jon Magnusson’s version, it will, in turn, earn the standout song a whole new set of fans.

Artist:

Leg Puppy Track:“She’s Lost Her Soul (Grade II)” South London based Electro Punk troublemakers Leg Puppy return with a harder, willfully unrefined sound aimed straight at your yarbles, new single “She’s Lost Her Soul (Grade II)”. 2018 saw Leg Puppy release their acclaimed eight-track LP, ‘You Should Be Paranoid’. A tour-de-force in post-punk electronic music with lashings of social satire, the album featured a string of stand out tracks, including ‘Twit Machine’, the BBC Introducing MixTape featured, ‘Meds and Beer’, and the anthem for our time, ‘Selfie Stick (Narcissistic Prick)’. Typically of Leg Puppy’s counter cultural disposition, they kick 2019 off with a track; not dripping in ‘user friendly’ pop-punk-satire, but instead driven hard with atonal sonic counterpoint, punch heavy drums and shouty ‘in your face’ vocals. Anger, though ever present in Leg Puppy’s music, was often hidden behind wink and sarcasm throughout 2018. Their latest release makes no such accommodation for its listeners; building in amassing waves of noise, sound stacks upon sound; resulting in an intoxicating experience, not unlike being caught up in the energy of a crowd moved as one to music. Leg Puppy are not in the business of making ‘easy music’ and “She’s Lost Her Soul (Grade II)” is not an easy listen. Horror synths see-saw, while sequencers bust and bubble phonic static on the ever-rise; the arrangement is intentionally jagged, at odds and boarding on the cacophonous; the three-minute twelve-second track seemingly on the verge of flying apart at any moment. And yet, the instrumentation is not just cohesive, it is accomplished; a striking demonstration of the talent and discipline at work behind those infamous tech-noir clown masks. Leg Puppy walk knowingly in the footsteps on a long tradition of UK based socially conscious protest music, “Bands won’t play no more”. In a sense, British music has always had a split personality; and although Beatlemania was not phony, it did bite the dust. In Leg Puppy’s Britain, ‘we ain’t got no swing, except for the ring of that truncheon thing.’

Artist:

Raised on TV Track:“Smog City” Out of the heat and haze, the endless daze and the sunstroke craze of the San Fernando Valley, alt-rock three-piece Raised on TV drop a three-minute 21-second slice of saturation at speed, with new single, “Smog City”. Having released their debut album, the fourteen track, ‘Season 1’ back in 2017, Raised on TV spent much of 2018 working on material for their follow up album, the logically titled, ‘Season 2’. Their one release of the year coming in the form of stand out track, ‘Caroline’; recorded at Hollywood’s Elephant in the Room Studio with Ethan Kaufman (The Killers) and mixed by Ben O’Neil and Mark Needham (Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees). The LA-based trio kick off 2019 with their latest release, “Smog City”; a fast-paced, distortion on a six string, driveby with ear-catching indie lyrics and a ‘jump ‘n’ down’ beat. Smart use of contrasting overdrive, fuzz and crunch makes for compelling counterplay between guitar parts (Keaton Rogers); working the tones from glorious garage grunge to shimmering alt-rock anthem. The drums (Kacey Greenwood) are worked light and tight, shifting in a series of snaps and slaps; more Bruce Lee than a heavyweight prizefighter. The bass (Ryan Weiss) alternates from nimbly shadowing the guitar to breaking out in well-timed, tastefully judged licks, bringing additional dimension and depth to the track. Rogers’ vocals echo out from the center, set well in reverb and harmony. His voice drawing the listener in with a laid back delivery; confident that the well-written lyrics and melody will do the work. The vocals perfectly pitched to encourage singalong, without being ‘too catchy’ for the notoriously fickle independent scene.

‘Next time on, Raised on TV. Will the band release their follow-up album? Stay tuned to find out. Whatever you do, don’t touch that dial.’

About Tobi Davis (BRASH! Magazine/Blog Writer) ​Good producing is like good plumbing. If you do your job right, no one notices. Mix, Remix + Master. Run @monsterthread w/ Singer Songwriter Jon Magnusson. Host Thursday’s @musichouruk. Music Reviews for BRASH! Magazine. Promote. Occasional Lyricist. Love my beagle Enzo + fav bands Little Empire and Moxi. Check out Tobi Sonics – Mixes + Remixes!

About The Monster Thread The #MonsterThread is a community of Independent Musicians, Bands and Artists supporting each other in making and sharing Indie Music.

 
 
 

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