Bischeop Csynnikal
City music, this is. Two cities, to be exact.
Bischeop Csynnikal is from Chicago. It’s his hometown. But, as the Web site states, he hails from the “City of Wind” but is stuck in the “City of Sin.”
Csynnikal’s collection of songs is called 1st of A New Breed. What breed this is meant to be, I’m not sure. The songs are good hip-hop, with some rap feel. The final cuts are well produced and very listenable. Maybe it’s best to let another set of ears weigh in on just where this music fits, if it is necessary to find a category.
On CDBaby, the writer (I think it was Bryson Taylor) calls it this way – “….he describes his flow as a hybrid of lyricism, battle rap, poetry, and philosophy, into one perfect flow unlike the world has ever heard. The name Bishop comes from a Chicago friend who nicknamed him, commenting he was wise but had two sides. The name Cynical comes from a female friend who described to him that he had a Cynical mindframe. He went to go look it up in the dictionary, and it just stuck.”
Damon Hodge, of Las Vegas Weekly Magazine, writes, “When Csynnikal does this, as on “Father’s Smile”—in which he tells his unborn child how growing up without a dad led him to death row—and the a cappella verse on the socially incisive “Illegal,” he’s on his A-game. Csynnikal’s lyrics and storytelling can be quite memorable; his voice and most of his beats, not so much.”
OK, I’ll go with that.
Tags: Bischeop Csynnikal, indie music, independent music, music, indie
5 More Days
For those about to scream, they salute you!
I know, it’s a worn-out phrase, but 5 More Days is straightforward about being a screamo band. The new song featured on the band’s MySpace site is “It Can’t Get Darker.” There are days when I would have to agree.
However, there is some nice vocal work laced in here, though not enough for my taste. This is a pretty tight band, and some of the “bigger” names of the genre have apparently realized this. 5 More Days has played with some of the better-known acts.
According to the limited information on the Web site, “The Band has been playing now for 3 years. Has had the honor to play with national bands such as Alesana, A Day To Remember, The Sleeping, A Thorn For Every Heart, Mayday Parade, and many more.” Not bad, not bad.
The group is from deep in southern California, sort of in the San Diego/Tijuana area. Good place to live and work, if you can get it done. Check out some of the videos of these guys, if you don’t believe they are a balls-to-the-wall act. I’m not sure how far they’ll go, but the girls are screaming. That’s always a good thing.
Tags: 5 More Days, indie music, independent music, indie, music
Tom Bolton
This may be one of those folk artists/songwriters who is hidden or unknown to a wide audience. What a shame that more of these seriously talented performers don’t get the recognition they deserve.
Bolton’s When I Cross the River, independently produced in 2007, has some fine songs for the lover of traditional music and folk music with a twist. “silver” is particularly nice tune to listen to. No earth-moving here, unless it happens to be the song is adopted by a loving couple who will always remember it as “our song.”
Bolton released a first album called Acoustic Caravan” in 2003. He has made some changes since that time, with “whose army” an example of what can be done with real talent and some creativity. Bolton is ably assisted by Richard Grace on what is affectionately and traditionally called “double bass.” That acoustic sound is like no other. You have to check out “Sweet Days” even if you aren’t a fan of acoustic folk.
Here are some great words from his Web site that tell much of the Bolton/Grace tale. “In 2006, having played solo gigs for a number of years, he was joined onstage by Richard Grace. Tom’s soaring vocals and sparse acoustic guitar, accompanied by Richard’s deep-velvet double-bass and harmonies, have earned them a reputation as engaging performers at folk and acoustic venues around Australia.”
Tags: indie, indie music, independent music, music, Tom Bolton
Tears of Technology
There are rock fans, folk fans, rap fans and fans of classical music. Some may be surprised that there are fanatics who follow, and listen to, dance and electro-beat music, and little else. Tears of Technology, marketed as “breakbeat, freestyle, trance” music, is the brainchild and work of Daniel Carrone, lately of New Orleans.
Carrone and the artists he records/produces swear by the style. Carrone notes, “from the early 80’s to now” his work sounds like the South Florida dance scene, including Latin Freestyle, Miami Bass and Breakbeat genres. Carrone is “also big fan of trance/euro tracks and hip hop.” Expect to hear “dance music with flare. People ask what style of music I write and any more I just say Club Music. That’s all it is.”
Carrone has recently released This Is How I Cry” on the record label 504 Productions. It may be best to let his blog from www.myspace.com tell the story. The album “features the angelic vocals of Serenity. Serenity is a newcomer to the dance scene, but has made a lot of noise in a short time period. Her soothing vocals on tracks such as “Higher Ground”, “Sapphira” & “Rain” fit perfectly with the production of ToT. Serenity also sings a duet with ToT on the tracks “Disguised Reality” & “Where Did I Go Wrong.”
That pretty much tells the story of Tears of Technology.
Tears of Technology On MySpace
Tags: independent music, indie, music, indie music, Tears of Technology
Salme Dahlstrom
Billing herself as “the acid cowgirl” Salme Dahlstrom reportedly doesn’t give a shit about following trends or staying with conventional sound. She is variously heard as a driving, dance-beat type of performer and an artist with a wide range of influences.
Whatever it is she is doing, it works for some judges. She did receive an honorable mention in the International Songwriting Competition and a similar award from the Billboard World Song Contest. That’s something. This listener likes the “welcome to wherever you are sound” that Dahlstrom puts out. She was also a finalist in the Dance Electronica category in Song of the Year competition.
Her latest CD is The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade (Kontainer Music 2008). Many would-be fans will be drawn to this performer because she rides a Harley Softail and self-produced her latest CD in her own New York studio. She moved to the United States from Sweden, where in her youth she studied classical music. The soul-deep ability comes through, with sharpness and a Bohemian feel. It’s likable.
The latest effort from Dahlstrom continues the quality found on Bible Bombastik from 2006. The album mix for “Wearing The Peace” is nice studio mixing of music, talk-over vocals and dance beat. If you are almost six feet tall, blonde and talented, you should be able to catch the fan’s attention. Seems Dahlstrom does that.
Tags: indie music, indie, independent music, music, Salme Dahlstrom