MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 11/13/2024
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
If you like what we are doing please consider supporting us on Patreon, PayPal, or Venmo.
Fragged Out “Rage”
Post-hardcore locals Fragged Out bring us an appropriately angsty, fast paced metalcore banger with “Rage,” released in September 2024 on their five track Rage EP. The lyrics give me pause for thought - I’m left wondering about their political analogies, the personification and anthropomorphism of a broken nation (“Across the map, she’s beautiful / Red, white, and blue streaks are running.”) Aggressive give-and-take instrumentals pump up the adrenaline with every percussive rhythm switch and short-lived guitar snarl slow downs. Overall, this track is indeed a pure manifestation of rage, with its shouted vocals touching on betrayal, tyranny, and repeating cycles and its frenetic pacing. The band’s next gig is a spot on the bill for Strongly Disagree’s farewell show at Caydence Records and Coffee - December 14th at 6pm, all ages, $10 cover.
Speakeazie "Sleeping Broken In Your Bed"
Speakeazie’s enchanting vocals swim through dreamy, synth-pop waves, guiding the listener through this track’s steady wash of sound. “Sleeping Broken In Your Bed,” released as a single in June 2024, articulates heartache fully. Its synth layers are whimsical, while that unique, luscious vocal delivery is pining and sombre. Repetitive, steady beats throughout punctuate an easy to follow rhythm that makes me want to move, while the rest of the song’s composition is spellbinding, melting its complex layers into a complete, beautiful picture of desire through the lens of loss.
green, "Fragile Things"
“Fragile Things” (from the EP of the same name, released in October 2024) is alt-rock with a true 90s feel, gnawingly sultry on its verses. green, venture into contemporary space on their melodic choruses, though, unafraid to melt the grittier, distortion-laden rhythms down to form brighter riffs from those ashes. Dancing between these two modes - the smoky, grunge-laden rock and sweeter, sparkling vows of affection - green, have crafted an excellent groove which grows fondly on the ear with every listen.
OKnice “Atlas on a Smoke Break"
What if Atlas could just drop the heavens, go for a smoke break, and remember who the fuck he is? OKnice relates to the Greek myth while finding himself in a situation where his brain calls back repeatedly to painful memories and anxieties which burden otherwise happy days. The beat behind the vocals on “Atlas On a Smoke Break” (released on the album Talking To My Dogs in October, 2024) is well composed and hypnotic. It’s underlined by subtle instrumentation, which bursts forward on the chorus. I really love the track’s composition, the way it holds space for OKnice’s strong voice, emphasizing his story. His delivery on rapped verses immediately grabs your attention with its sharp enunciation, and the extended bars on his flow make this feel like spoken word poetry (but of course, rap IS poetry.) The lyrics are mercilessly vulnerable - “Muscle memory fucked me up, body can’t get nothing right … / … “I heard my brain tell me “Don’t get used to this kid, don’t forget all of the reasons that them bruises exist.” / You’re only good as all the days you don’t put booze to your lips / Every bruise to my ego is just a fuse to get lit.” The metaphor in the title is satisfyingly clever, where he himself is Atlas. Instead of holding up the heavens, he’s stuck holding up his own life, struggling to uphold feelings of wellbeing and joy for his successes. We all may relate to needing to drop our baggage and reign in our grief, just to “open up the window” and survive another shift at work.
Christina Sophia, Peoplez "You Don't Know"
This song is horny. Drenched in hip-hop inspo, “You Don’t Know” (released as a single in February, 2024) is a two-part story of sexual courtship. The chorus is catchy while serving as a seductive invitation to Sophia’s muse - “You don’t know what you want / You don’t know what you need / You don’t know, but you’ll see / ‘Cos you’re leaving here with me.” This cat-and-mouse temptress narrative is both complemented by Peoplez’s collaboration on the track; his raps come in hot, having already made up his mind to take her up on the offer of “being more than we are now.” The accent beats sound like finger snaps as the twinkling back beat winds smoothly. This song is reminiscent of early 2000s RnB, and successfully represents the intensity of hungering for another person.
I Owe This Land A Body "Martyrdog"
I Owe This Land a Body take stories of martyrdom, of the crucifixion of Jesus and other Biblical allegories, and fry them up into a brutal, high-impact soundscape. Tortured, rapid, and guttural, “Martydog” (released as a single in August, 2024) pulls every punch in quick succession, leaving the listener with little room for thought of anything other than the band’s impressive presentation of aggression. Soundbites sprinkled into the mix certainly add character - notably, the disarming music box melody seems to be ripped from Call of Duty: Black Ops, you know, the one about Nazi Zombies being unleashed on the world as disease? This seems insanely intentional to their message in this powerful, political metal track.
