4 minute read
Music
C-NOTES
Local duo Infinite Twelve adopts retro approach for new album
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By Jeff Niesel
A LOCAL BAND THAT PLAYS A
mix of indie rock, neo-folk, blues and soul, Infinite Twelve features singer/ lyricist/instrumentalist Guy-Vincent and veteran multi-instrumentalist Brian Alan Hager.
With its second release, The Stone Angel Sessions, the group aims to take listeners on “a lo-fi musical journey about love, loss and redemption.”
“[Album single] ‘Wild Times’ is a poetic journey about holding onto your dreams and memories during turbulent times,” explains GuyVincent in a press release. “It’s about challenging yourself to keep moving forward, despite facing seemingly daunting obstacles.”
Hager says the band took a lo-fi approach to achieve the right stripped-down sound.
“Guy-Vincent and I found ourselves having conversations about the warm sounds of analog recordings and how the inherent limitations would push our creativity, especially with the 4-track cassette recorder,” he says. “The large studio with wood floors and high ceilings helped create a warm natural reverb. The process of making this recording spanned over a few years. Recording on cassette is slow and methodical. The tape needs to be constantly rewound and forwarded to exact locations in order to punch-in new parts. Ultimately, we created a sound that pays homage to earlier times, allowing us to challenge and express ourselves.”
For the music video for “Wild Times,” the group used a variety of filters to change and distort images of a live performance.
“For the video, Brian and I wanted to contrast the retro aspect of the recording style by visually alternating between analog and digital imagery,” explains GuyVincent. “Vibrant bursts of visual elements transition into short dreamlike scenes of cities, nature and abstraction. It’s this visual interplay that helps develop the overall flow and vibe for the video.”
Local Indie Rockers Sonder Bombs Team Up With PhillyBased Producer for New Album
Last week, local indie rockers the Sonder Bombs released Clothbound, the follow-up to 2018’s debut Modern Female Rockstar.
Modern Female Rockstar, “an allcaps attack against a male-dominated scene brandishing a ukulele and dry wit as chosen weapons,” as it’s put in a press release, got the band out of Cleveland for relentless touring.
Clothbound, like the title suggests, weaves a different narrative—one of loss, letting go and “losing patience with losers.” If the first record introduced unapologetic sensitivity, Clothbound searches for the root causes of close-mindedness.
Produced in Philadelphia during quarantine with Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Beach Bunny, Modern Baseball), Clothbound highlights vocalist/ukulele/guitarist Willow Hawks’ “exasperated kiss-offs.”
“It really pisses me off when someone won’t admit they’re wrong,” says Hawks in a press release. “Especially when other people get hurt. Doubling down stunts the growth of your soul. I think as musicians with platforms, it’s our duty to be examples for accountability.”
New Apple Music Playlist Highlights Under-the-Radar Midwest Rappers
Photo Courtesy Infinite Twelve
35 Local Artists Contribute to Cleveland Verses Foundation Charity Album
A non-profit founded in late 2017 by the local indie rock group the Modern Electric, Cleveland Verses Foundation aims to practice “responsive grant making.” Its mission is to “band together local musicians and music-lovers to benefit lives in the Cleveland community” and “make a better Cleveland through the power of music.”
In order to further that goal, the organization will release its first charity album, a compilation of Bob Dylan covers, on Feb 5, It’ll feature 35 local artists, including Herzog, Cities & Coasts, Front Porch Lights, Hollin Kings, Vanity Crash, Beach Stav and more.
“The covers range from faithful re-workings to extravagant reimaginings in a multitude of genres,” reads a press release about the compilation. “Acoustic singersongwriter tracks sit alongside pop-punk, shoegaze and even experimental electronic offerings. Well known hits like ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ are represented as well as Dylan’s lesser-known gems like ‘The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo).’”
All funds raised from streaming/ downloads will go to local performers and venue employees recovering from the pandemic’s impact.
In addition to the compilation, clevelandverses.org hosts an online marketplace where you can find unique merchandise donated by bands, such as personalized songs, art prints and autographed vinyl. Currently, the site features one-ofa-kind items available from Welshly Arms, Mr. Gnome, Mollo Rilla and more.
Video killed the radio star, but these days, streaming playlists are the new hitmakers in music.
To dig deeper into local indie music scenes, Apple Music launched a series of new curated playlists last week. One of them, “The New Midwest,” highlights lesser-known Midwest rappers.
Well, lesser-known to the rest of the world, that is.
“[With] the occasional exception (Eminem, Big Sean), Midwest rappers have mostly lived — and thrived — in their own hyperlocal bubbles, creating idiosyncratic substyles that have branched far off the evolutionary trunk of mainstream hip-hop,” Apple Music says of the new playlist. “Calling back to the days when Michigan and Ohio were the funk capitals of the country, this playlist celebrates the voices, flows, and humor of one of the busiest — but most underrepresented — regions in rap.”
“Launching these three new regionally-focused playlists allows us to shine a light on the vibrant local communities producing some of the most progressive sounds in hip-hop, Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, says in a statement. “It’s always been a priority to connect with artists and listeners at the community level as we champion discovery and emerging artists from across the map.”
“Regional hip hop scenes have only grown in importance over the years and we’re confident these new playlists will help spotlight tomorrow’s superstars by giving them a global platform,” Apple Music Hip Hop programmer Cyle “Zini” Tahsini adds. “We’re excited to accelerate discovery and connect artists with new fans.”
Not only are cities like Detroit and Chicago well-represented on the playlist, but also cities like Flint, Louisville, Chicago, Columbus, and more. Like Apple Music’s other curated playlists, this one will be regularly updated, so be sure to “Add” it to your library.
