Dom Winterbauer - Crash (self-released)
Sometimes it feels like the Minneapolis scene consists of ten people playing in two dozen bands with different lineups. At least that's the feeling I get from Dom Winterbauer's second solo record. The Minneapolis polymath released two albums this year under their own name, in addition to playing bass in Miloe and The Argument (who just released their own full-length). Both solo albums have stretched into Real Estate-esque dreaminess.
Crash condenses the Winterbauer's sonic styling into a more focused release (debut Blue Fish was almost twice as long). Each moment luxuriates it its cloudy textures and looseness. Slowly is the fastest way to find direction. There's hardly any differentiation from song to song, creating a consistent river of wistful and hazy pop. With only a few exceptions, Winterbauer played every instrument, wrote every song, sings (almost) every vocal, and recorded/mastered the entire album. Live bandmates, including members of Miloe and Dætagram, provide a wide-eyed expansiveness to "Tonight" and the instrumental title track; Lydia Wisti, guitarist/vocalist of The Argument, contributes spellbinding backing vocals to lead single "Rise Again."
While this is the last release with the current lineup of contributors, there is no cause for concern. At the core of it all is one of the most multi-faceted and singularly talented young musicians in the Twin Cities underground. Winterbauer solidifies themselves as a fixture of the scene with Crash. Good luck with adulthood (it sucks!).
Listen to Crash below.
Lunch Duchess - "Cry Pt. II" (Heavy Meadow Records)
Before I mention anything about Lunch Duchess, I want to give a shout-out to Heavy Meadow Records. They've been on a kick these last few weeks, announcing new records from three awesome local bands (not to mention everything else from this year). Anyways, Lunch Duchess is the newest signee to the inimitable Twin Cities label, and "Cry Pt. II" is the lead single for their forthcoming debut "Crying For Fun," out on August 16.
"Cry Pt. II" is the sequel to a song off 2016's My Mom Says I Have A Rich Inner Life EP and serves as the new record's unofficial title track. Vocalist/drummer Katherine Seggerman carries the song with her impassioned vocals, hilarious lyrics, and fiery drumming. I'd be willing to warrant that she's the reason for the "baroque" in the band's self-described genre of baroque-grunge. The tongue-in-cheek interlude, in which the lyrics shift to a legitimate argument for the emotional benefits of crying, finds Seggerman almost going Broadway over a lake of woozy guitar and synth. Then, back to crying for fun.
In the final third, Lunch Duchess treats the word "cry" like an infinite mantra. They chant over and over again, eyes welling up with glee. It's an invitation, an acceptance, and a way of life, all wrapped up in one like a tear-stained slacker-rock burrito. It's one of the most purely enjoyable musical moments I've heard all week.
Check out the super athletic Adam Foster Jacobs-directed music video below. Pre-order "Crying For Fun" on tape here and digitally here.
Miles Island - Right As Rain (Mazus Records)
One of my favorite things about doing Ear Coffee is when artists and bands send us their music. It's very validating, and it makes us feel like Pitchfork (our only competition). Jim Bjorklun, a Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, sent us his debut record under the Miles Island moniker.
Right As Rain was a nine-year endeavor, but through persistence and a willingness to experiment, Bjorklun made his own psych-pop odyssey. Much of the sonic texture and production is indebted to the classic acid-fueled psychosis of the 1960s. The title track is a reverb-y jam; guitar and vocals ricochet around like a musical game of echo-Pong.
The anachronistic stylings of Miles Island come from Bjorklun's desire to mix genres, like a musical chemist. He described it as "attempting to follow a blueprint where alternative rock and dance music coalesce." While you won't find an EDM drop or an Aphex Twin cover, the emphasis on groove is impossible to miss. Tracks like lead single "She's Not In Love" and "Paint the Town" provide repetitive rhythms and pop melodies in spades. Instruments lock into formation together and move as a unified front. The former sounds like a Metroid Prime-psychedelia hybrid. Other songs like "How Will You Know?" bring fuzzy riffs into the limelight for the alt-rock edge Bjorklun wanted.
The lyrics, while it can be easy to lose them in the haze, form a loose story that blurs the line between dreams and reality. The tale finds its roots in Bjorklun's personal experiences, "reflecting the peaks and valleys of a precarious time."
Bjorklun crafted an indulgent yet enjoyable batch of songs on Right As Rain. Check the album out on Bandcamp below. Watch the video for "She's Not In Love" here. The album release show is tomorrow at Mpls Eagles 34.
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