New Indie Music Discovery: “Fastracks” 23

When Noise Blossom released their debut album, Engage My Nervous, in 2018, few would have guessed that apart from the drums, all instruments and vocals were written and performed by singer/guitarist Michael Mullens. True to Michael’s vision, the self-funded album was recorded and mixed on two inch tape.

The album took two years of frugal living and working over 60 hours a week at Home Depot and Food For Less to fund. Michael decided to call his project, Noise Blossom, named after one of his favorite bands, Soundgarden. Citing that a “Noise Blossom” sounds like something that would grow in a “Soundgarden”. The album is the lineage of 90’s heavy rock melded with the present day to form a raw and unique take on the classic genre.

Louderage

Live Loud, the first song off of Noise Blossom’s second album, is a call to action that ignites and echos the ethics of rock n’ roll, from the Beatles to Nirvana. It is the first song ever recorded by Noise Blossom in 2014 along with 9 other songs. The album was never completed because, having just started to sing, guitarist and songwriter, Michael Mullens, didn’t feel confident enough to deliver the necessary rock vocal performance the songs needed.

Now after 7 years, Michael revisited the songs and finished recording the album, Louderage. It is Noise Blossom’s second release, but first recorded songs. It is both a blast from the past, and a fuck you from the future all at once. The future is here, and it’s loud… Released 09/24/2021.

Born and raised in the shadows of Philly and NYC, Micky James naturally developed a taste for the theatrical and aspired to become a performer from a young age. In his music and personal style, Micky explores a sound and aesthetic that is nostalgic of a bygone era in rock-n-roll music, while still maintaining a contemporary pop ambition.

Micky’s unique vocals are reminiscent of great character voices such as David Bowie and Julian Casablancas, alluding to the dark, mysterious, and romantic qualities that are so distinct to those artists.

While Micky’s flamboyant fashions evoke the glamour and swagger of past rock icons, his work is both equal parts style and substance. Inspired by the authentic energy of 60’s and 70’s iconic rock band’s, James is successful in crafting a modern and fresh approach to a timeless genre, “I wanted to take pieces of nostalgia and give it a contemporary twist”, explains James. Successfully taking his vision and turning it into a reality.

From the highs of three #1 hits, multiple award nominations and critical acclaim to the lows of shattering his leg in the middle of a show and starting over again after the demise of the band and record deal, Jesse Butterworth has learned to embrace all that makes up his life and find the specks of gold in just about anything.

Jesse Butterworth’s debut full length solo album, “All The Gold I’ve Struck”, recorded at world famous Abbey Road studio in London, is a breath of fresh air from a weathered troubadour, who has refused to see his journey as a tragedy but rather a mining expedition that has paid off in more ways than he could ever count.

And with this new project, Jesse really has struck gold, working with some of the top musical talent on planet earth, from Grammy Award Winner, Andrew Joslyn (Macklemore, Pentatonix, Kesha), Aaron Sternke (Amy Grant, Mercy Me, Mathew West) and Lewis Jones (Harry Potter, Avengers, Black Panther).

All the pain and hope of a lifetime has been woven together and somehow reconciled in this stellar project by an artist with a unique and solitary voice.Jesse Butterworth lives in Seattle with his wife Marisa, their three kids, Liam, Finn & Harper, their dog, Maple Syrup and his 1962 Ford Econoline Van, Van Scully.

There’s this band from Australia called Sticky Fingers, right…? They haven’t released a new song in years BUT somehow have racked up a BILLION streams across Spotify and Apple Music.

How, you ask? Honestly, no one knows….don’t ask them. It’s a miracle really. They don’t have a label, don’t have any radio, haven’t had any big late night tv moments or big press looks and the guys barely get to band practice. They fight, they make up and then try to tour a bit and inevitably something crazy will happen on tour and the show that night will be incredible or terrible.

It’s really something. But, for 12 years now and despite all the chaos surrounding them, people decided they loved this band. They listen to anything and everything. They tell friends. They show up to concerts all over the world in huge numbers that don’t make sense and scream lyrics back to them. They want the band to release new music desperately, and if you read YouTube comments the fans really want them back in Brazil.

Yes, Sticky Fingers have always been a full on…in your face band. It’s going great or it’s barely going. Magically though, they figured out a way to use the forced downtime of the last year to put together a new album…the 5th full length album actually, called “We Can Make the World Glow”. It’s the title of their first single which has just been released and will lead off an exciting barrage of new music and other quality content over the next few months. The full album will be heard by the world in March 2022… maybe before if it leaks somewhere but hopefully not.

Their latest single “We Can Make the World Glow” is soaked in a utopia of hopefulness, contoured with subtle euphoria. The group shares, “We Can Make the World Glow, is a really uplifting track about getting on with life amidst the demons in your head and other shit that weighs you down.”

“We Can Make the World Glow” oozes in light beams of warbling synths, with floaty, breezy riffs spinning up to higher frequencies of feel good empowerment. This is Sticky Fingers at their finest hour. With high-spirited, tight drums, the track carries a woozy, sunset energy doused in a grittiness that gives the song StiFi’s signature rocky glaze. The inspiring melody carries a profound sense of comfort, emphasizing the notion that everything will be ok.

Growing up in New Jersey, Ryan came upon music by way of his father’s vast record collection and after school jam sessions with friends. A handful of bands and albums later, Ryan relocated to New York City and began releasing music under his own name with the release of his debut EP, Postures produced by Luca Buccellati (Arlo Parks, Tei Shi). The EP immediately drew the attention of Noisey, Neon Gold, DIY, Clash, and others.

Following Postures, Ryan began a run of self-producing numerous singles and a sophomore EP Fever & Bloom, co-produced by Ariel Loh (Adam Melchor, Yoke Lore) earning repeated support from Spotify’s New Music Friday and Fresh Finds playlists, as well as further praise from Billboard, Indie Shuffle, and Apple’s Beats 1.

Prior to the worldwide lock down and in the middle of writing his debut full-length album, Ryan left NYC for Paris following love and re-directing his career path towards European markets. When the world took its first breath of relief after a long first wave of Covid restrictions, Ryan returned to the US to produce his debut LP Soft Power, alongside fellow Jersey native, Kevin Basko (Foxygen, Rubber Band Gun) between Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey. Soft Power is out April 8th, 2022.

Ryan on “Weeknights”:
“I wrote Weeknights just before leaving NYC for Paris in 2019. It’s a song about summer nights in the city, nervous hook ups and living with your heart on your sleeve. The song’s sonic character, to my ears, has an element of “French Touch” à la artists such as Air or Sébastien Tellier, as well as psychedelic, indie rock staples like Mac Demarco and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The track’s slow-burning disco beat, subtle sax hits, breathy female backups and warbly lead melodies woven together by electric guitar, synths and saxophone aims to exemplify the buzz of teetering on the edge of loneliness in a big city, encounters with strangers, and the uncertain, yet ever forward motion of our life’s trajectory.”