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Detroit Proud Playlist: Week of 3/14

We're gearing up for spring here in Detroit and the weather has been oh, so fine. We're bringing you some local artists this week that will give you that pep in your step and help you ring in that spring feeling. Get ready!

1. Lojoy - "Do You Like It"

Lojoy
(credit: https://soundcloud.com/lojoy)

Lo-fi indie folk with a gritty, garage sound. LoJoy's singles are quirky and melody-heavy with mostly inaudible lyrics and lots of falsetto, bringing abstract artistic qualities to light with sound. A rag-tag guitar jambles away with a carefree rhythm section crashing in the background. Some tracks are light-hearted and campy, while a couple are dramatic and exacerbated with emotion and experimentation. If you're looking for something unique with a familiar folky feel, then Lojoy is for you!

2. Andy and The Pandy's - "New City"

Andy and The Pandy s

Lighting up the music scene is Andy and The Pandy's with their bright folk/punk rock ensemble. Their sound is crisp with high-quality production and energetic arrangements of banjo, electric guitar, bass and drums. You'll catch some keys on a few tracks with a glimpse of string arrangements to keep it all interesting. Their most recent release, Bad Church, has a witty theme that flows through the album and creates a story that the listener can follow with each track. The vocals are authentic and gruff, meshing well with the more light-hearted songs, and giving it a tasteful balance that easily bounces between twangy folk and rough n' tumble punk. The lyrics are catchy and pretty inspiring to say the least - the kind of words that stick with you after a single listen. Catch them in Kalamazoo before they start their tour on Thursday, March 24th, at Motel Hell.

3. Mac Saturn - "Can't You See"

Mac Saturn
(credit: http://macsaturn.bandcamp.com/)

Psychedelic garage group, Mac Saturn gets those groovy, moon vibes rolling with their EP, East China. This four-track saga of epic proportions has a mix of fuzzy guitar solos, vocal effects, and pulsing rhythm that slips unassumingly between stoner rock and heavy alternative. The combination is refreshing and breaks up the repetitiveness that some psychedelic tracks can have. This group just sounds like they're having fun, which is the most important aspect of music (of course!). The experimentation with texture and sound is interesting to consume as a listener and we always dig that garage, DIY feel.

4. Dirty Deville - "Keta"

Dirty Deville
(credit: Hartley Combs)

Bluesy and rugged, Dirty Deville's full-length release, Migrate, is a post-rock, psychedelic journey with exceptional guitar licks and lush bass runs, punctuated with sharp percussion and hints of dreamy synth. Smoky vocals soar over the arrangements with ease, layering harmonies and bringing dimension to their sound. Their vibe progresses throughout the album from fast-paced alternative to slow flowing psychedelic, giving you a jam-heavy finish that makes this listen even more epic.

5. Du Nord - "Holy Inside"

Du Nord
(credit: http://dunordmusic.bandcamp.com/releases)

A dusty home recording with hauntingly beautiful voices and simple acoustic guitar is the bread and butter of folk group, Du Nord's debut release, A Right Response. There's nothing overly spectacular about the instrumentation, there's no synth or heavy mixing and mastering. It's the rawest of the raw. It's spectacularly perfect. The most humble of sounds. It's as if we're all crammed into a small room, sitting cross-legged on the floor with nothing to entertain us but words and sounds. These recordings are filled with the stuff that makes us want to cry, like all the time. It's emotional, genuine and as authentic as it gets. Don't waste any more time, just click the link and listen.

6. Hoss Burley - "Milk and Honey"

Hoss Burley
(credit: http://hossburley.bandcamp.com/album/the-hoss-burley-of-rock)

Hoss Burley's demo release The Hoss Burley of Rock is a space rock jam with exceptional guitar, non-stop rhythm and clutch bass runs. There's a bluesy undertone to this album that makes it groovy and soulful with snippets of epic harmonica, which always sets the perfect tone (in our opinion). This blues rock album has some metal characteristics that give it that hard edge with anthemic vocals and heavy jamming moments, which are always welcomed with this kind of rock n' roll. That harmonica though...it's pretty amazing.

7. J. Walker & The Crossguards - "Across The Room"

J.Walker & The Crossguards

Get your dancing shoes on because, J. Walker & The Crossguards are here to rock your dang socks off with their lo-fi, funk rock, blues. They have incredible chops and bring that Detroit soul that we all love. We think their dynamic is perfect, which incorporates musicians from many differing music scenes, like punk, garage, blues and indie. Their sound is energetic and full of life (especially listening to their live performance). Check them out if you're ready to groove!

8. War War War - "Searching For The Antichrist"

War War War
(credit: Logan Gaval)

War War War's debut album, Beg, is a thoughtful singer/songwriter release with tasteful touches of production, but otherwise simplistic and captivating. The lyrics are metaphorical and mysterious with unique, folky vocals that add a punch to the delivery and make the words stick. This lo-fi, indie folk is thoughtful and engaging in ways that typical folky, storytelling can't be. Beg is more of an observation of life with subtle captioning. It's refreshing.

9. The Revelry - "Maria's Last Stand"

The Revelry
(credit: http://therevelry810.bandcamp.com/album/surrender-your-medicine)

Hold onto your hats, folks! The Revelry are here to blast your face off with intense electric guitar and kick-drum heavy tracks. Surrender Your Medicine is a fast-paced punk, alternative release with catchy lyrics and energetic riffs that seem to go on for days. We're catching a little post-hardcore vibe mixed in there, which adds some nostalgia for most of us. These guys seem to be laying low, but we're looking forward to hearing what they might have next!

10. Estuaries - "The Things On The Shelf"

Estuaries
(credit: http://estuariesmusic.bandcamp.com/album/she-birthed-the-ocean)

Estuaries 2014 release, She Birthed The Ocean, is a calming and experimental adventure into the depths of sound. This ambient, instrumental release holds earthy elements that feel like you're watching water flow in slow motion. The dynamic between the ethereal sound and the soft psychedelic rock is wonderous. We think this is what flying must feel like. It's a colorful expression of sound that doesn't need any bells or whistles (literally and figuratively) to make it an engaging listen. Some people may find instrumental music underwhelming, but we guarantee Estuaries will pleasantly surprise you with their otherworldly jams.

 

Check back next week for some more local artists! Let us know if there's a local artist you'd like us to listen to in the comments below!

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