August '13 Music Box

1. Anna Calvi - Eliza



2. Frankie Rose - Sorrow



3. Arctic Monkeys - Stop the world I wanna get off with you



4. Tree - Karma Police (Radiohead cover)



5. Shelf Nunny -  I was (Albert Softmann)





Pick of the month:

6. Kings of Leon - Wait For Me

July '13 Music Box

1. Tree feat. Beat Culture & Lena Kuhn - Demons



2. Holm.- Day 278 I h8 sunrizes



3. Kali Ma feat. Lindsay Stiem - Listen



4. Willis Earl Beal - Too dry to cry



5. Mutya Keisha Siobhan - Flatline



Pick of the month:

Haim - The Wire

Holm. - 365 Beat Project

A while ago I featured Boston- producer Holm. aka J Thatcher May, who had this really crazybrilliant, (stress on crazy) 365 Beat Project going on. So for a year May would produce a tune each day. Now you probably see why my emphasis is on the crazy part. But like I’ve said before, I am deeply impressed by the overall quality of May’s beats, and I just had to find out more about the project.

“I was always digging a ton of photographers who were doing 365 projects; it seems to be a pretty common project in the photo world. So I thought why not do this with music?”, May explains. With over 200 tunes out there already, I could imagine all sorts of feelings and emotions encountered during this period.

When I was growing up, all of middle school and early high school, all I listened to was Post-Rock and Ambient music. Artists like Eluvium, This Will Destroy You, The Mercury Program, and Explosions in the Sky (note: EITS is the writer’s happy melancholic music!) being some of my favorites. So I learned then that instrumental music can be extremely emotional. You can hear the emotion in those bands. So basically I always strived to put that emotion in my music, no matter if it lacks vocals most of the time. I could write you the story behind about 95 percent of my songs. Most are based on how I was feeling at the time. Some are happy, some are lonely, some are disappointed, some are stoked. It’s all ups and downs. Just like life.

In all creative stuff or should I say things that you have to do, there’s that little demon writer’s block haunting every now and then. That combined with technical unforeseen problems, you have got yourself the ingredients for  a mental breakdown.

Therefore, for May to overcome these issues and be consistent in regards of quality is pretty admirable. I guess there’s that thing called love and passion for something, which helps most of the time. “It’s a good feeling when you feel terrible and you hit that point in a song you make, when you're just like damn, this feels GOOD. That's why most of us do this music stuff.” 

An average of three hours a day (six at most) spent on producing a track sometimes way pass dawn, the project has without a doubt been tough on May: “It’s taken over my life a bit, hurt my health in some ways (little sleep), but it’s music so I’m having fun and really bettering myself as an artist”. May states if he had weeks to work on his tunes, he’d put three hours a day on each tune and they would be more detailed and complex- all around better. However, he admits that limited time forces him really to progress. “I’ve made many improvements. I can’t listen to the first 100 or so beats in the project, they’re terrible. Well, there’s a gem here and there, but I’ve just grown with technique. Trust me, I still have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m a little better at being clueless now.”

Regarding style, May has been all over the place. From jazz to funk, soul to indie. Straight samples, no samples at all. With vocals, without vocals. “I wish I made one style, then people would know what to expect from me and I feel like I’d please more fans. But I can’t do that to myself, I would get bored and in the end music should be a selfish thing for the artist, only make what makes you happy.” Hearing a producer or an artist and being all inspired works somewhat halfway for him: “[…] I get tired of it, or inspired by something else and in a night I'll do a total 180 to whatever I was making. It’s annoying really.”

When it comes to production itself, May tells that all of his music is computer-based, although he records a lot of guitar and makes it into tunes. He’s also keen on recording and using anything he could: “I love finding some terrible keyboard somewhere and seeing what I can make with something most people would think is garbage.” 

For me it’s not only exciting to hear what May has produced during those hours when people on the right side of Atlantic are wide awake, but also to see what cover art he’s picked for the specific track. “There really isn’t much about the pictures, I wish I had some in depth reason as to why I use them, but honestly I just go on Tumblr (note: a really popular and addictive blogging platform) and find some cool photos or paintings or sculptures or whatever! I recently started making my own art, and by that I mean just throwing Holm. on stuff, not really art, just font work. But it’s fun to mess around with.” 

With about 150 days to go, May just hopes he could make some good songs, as his work lately has not been pleasing for him. “I've had a lot of those moments where I'm making something and it’s 2 am and I have to get up for school in 4 hours so I'll say whatever, just put it out. And then the next morning it’s just a WHY? situation.” In fact for the remaining days, May plans on doing a lot more remixes, which he has not done much and vocal tunes when he has the time.




As for other projects stay tuned for a collaborative EP with Shelf Nunny entitled STY//GLD. The release date: “Due out whenever we get it done. In the works.”

So, if you still haven’t heard a single beat this man has put out, you ought to. Meanwhile, my brains and fingers need a break. Thank you J. May for the interview!

Just a few thank you's and shout outs. Thank you to anyone who's checked the project and felt something from one of my songs. As much as I do this for myself, I do this for the people who enjoy it as well. And thank you to my family at Sleepy Beach Records who give me that feedback, advice, and support. Mist Glider, Aeropsia, Shelf Nunny and Tree and the rest of the Sleepy Beach crew. And my immediate family too for constantly letting me bug them with my music, thank you sista's. – Holm.

Tree - Splitting Branches

by zane prater

Once upon a time I was part of a huge Brooklyn-based indie music site's team. Brooklyn + indie + writing = uuh. I worked hard to get there, just to basically get kicked out after a spell shorter than the time used to get in. It was devastating to be punished for not liking mediocre music. There were too many bands and artists sounding unsurprising, and I was looking for something that was fresh and exciting. Acts which made finding and listening to new music all worth it. If given the time I would have written about those few acts I fell in love with and provide them with way more deserved exposure than I'm able with my own blog.

But always look at the bright side, they say. 

I've found many positives after this experience. First of all it's more fun to write, when you follow your own rules and most importantly write about stuff that you sincerely like. There's no one breathing into your neck and the clock isn't ticking. Secondly, like I said already I'm not able to give as much as exposure, but I'm able to give even more devotion. The music I write about more than once is not something that I just quickly need to come up with some kind words for to kiss ass or look up what words other music sites have used about the "hottest new music at the moment". And after meeting the strict deadline, completely forget about it and move onto the next relevant thing.

Before you start thinking that I'm delving in some sort of self-pity, the final positive out of all this was when my email was graced by San Francisco- based producer Tree's music. Then when I take it a bit further, without hearing his stuff I would have never come across with so many other brilliant artists Tree is buddies with. But about Tree aka Oliver Nickell himself, he's one of the very first acts I've featured on this blog and for over a year now I've been waiting when I could interview him. It's not now, but soon. This is what happens when you get a record deal- the folks over there want to make sure things are planned well and that the young artist is ready and not turning into a douche.

Before Tree's debut EP is released very soon, he treated his fans with a compilation of tracks he had worked on the year and a half earlier when he was 17 and 18. I was kind of disappointed to see that one of my favorite tracks Stuck Down The Wrong Rabbit Hole wasn't part of the compilation, and thought it couldn't be absolutely amazing. Splitting Branches is only amazing.

Even if my favorite isn't there, I've gotten myself hooked with other gems like tully and Sacred Elements. I think it's safe to say that Splitting Branches is in a very non-offensive way a radio friendly compilation with a radness in it, which radio friendly music drools over. 

It works perfectly as a whole, which is an important factor for me when listening to an album. It's not about having a couple of hits nor is it about having all songs be hits. It's about building the record in a way, which keeps the listener interested from the beginning to the end. Taking them to an ear spa.

Listen to Splitting Branches below and download it for free here.

ps. nickell sings in the song revival "i'm angry and bloody like a bitch on her period", some might get offended, but that line is actually pretty funny. especially when you imagine it being said in a british accent. 
pps. this post might have been more about the cons of writing for a music site. i'd like to think it as a long introduction to the review itself. 

February ´13 Music Box

The shorter the month, the more songs uploaded. Here are my February favorites.

1. iremembertapes. - I Met You
This new track is a mixture of 80s dance and 90s euro dance, and it actually works. #ElectronicMusicIsKing



2. HAIM - Falling
I already see them in the very top of  every single music site's "Top 2013 Everything".



3. James Blake - Retrograde
Another album to be waiting for...



4. ME - Vampire!! Vampire!!
Damn catchy and the voice of Luke is brilliant. Yes.



5. Alkaline Trio - The Torture Doctor
Hey! Ho!



6. Darwin Deez - You Can't Be My Girl
First I was like "damn VeVo", but then I was like " aa, haha".



7. Crystal Fighters - Separator
An interesting tune from the Londoners. Like they say themselves we like many styles.



8. Iron and Wine - Grace For Saints And Ramblers
One of my favorites getting jazzier every second.



9. Franco and the Dreadnought vs. James Gill - ?
Only now I noticed that this track doesn't have a name, but it doesn't matter, cause it's good.



10. Tree feat. Shelf Nunny & Kirsten Rosenberg - Tully
Great to have Tree back, this song and video is rather dope.



11. Shelf Nunny feat. HOLM - Wave Of Phases
Equally dope as the previous one.



12. Fun. - Why AM I The One
Featuring the band's determined suit case.



13. El Perro Del Mar - I Was A Boy
Simple, but lovely.



14. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - The Bed Song
The Bed Song is one of my favorite songs by Amanda Palmer, but you have to watch the video. Pick of the month right here. #tearjerker




What were your favorites of February? You can comment below, on Facebook or tweet to @InJallusWords

Friday Feature: Shelf Nunny

 I'm not a big fan of hip hop, but there's something fun about combining I Love College type of white boy rapping with now and then N.E.R.D.ish beats. That fun is Shelf Nunny.

19-year-old Santa Cruz-based rapper/producer, real name Christian Gunning didn't realize until he started playing shows that the world could relate with him in the sense that most of the world can't relate to hip hop. Ever since, he's been playing house parties and renegades and infused 'the make fun of hip hop/Lil Wayne' technique in his tunes.

A month ago Shelf Nunny released an 8-track-album 'I Did A Lot This Year'. So, that's for example collaborating with Tree and in his own words 'I got that guy from Das Racist to say shit, but it doesn't mean I'll make it'.

If his goal out of all he does is to show that nice guys don't always finish last.. Well it's easy to believe that karma will meet Shelf Nunny halfway.

Tree standing tall

I'm running now, but off the path. 

Franticly searching for my way back. 

Now I'm lost and losing hope, 

and feel the breathing of something close. 

Must escape, go far from this, 

but I'm travelling deep in the dark of this. 

I can't tell, but I can see the rabbit standing next to me.

Based on these words, I get the feeling that Oliver Tree Nickell is experiencing rough times in finding his place in the world. However, music-wise his straight-forward lyrics, hard-hitting beats and now and then sentimental melodies have shown that he's an act the indie scene will embrace sooner or later.

Nickell is the father of the amazing Tree project, which is a collective of multimedia artists (director, 3D animator, 2 street artists) from San Francisco. Together they create and push the underground movement in the bay area, while promoting creativity and positive energy.

Only 18, Nickell has already been successful in licensing some of his music with an MTV show, and played alongside artists such as Skrillex and Nero. This spring will see Tree's debut 'Splitting Branches' being released, and I'm starting to think that 2012 has the chance of being a better year for music than the splendid previous one.