April Music Check-In

Spring is in the air

Catherine Moan - “Fools”

A cover of an old, somewhat obscure Depeche Mode B-side. I continue to like what I hear from Catherine Moan, one of my favorite new artists of last year. This was actually one of her first releases, but I’ve only recently heard it.

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Echo Image - “Madsong”

It’s been over twenty years since Norwegian synthpop band Echo Image released their one and only album Compuphonic. Then, a few years ago, member Pål M. Rybom announced he’s finally, actually working on a second album and since then he’s been releasing singles, albeit very slowly (like one a year).

I like new single “Madsong” and how it’s refrain of “I’m sorry/we just got stuck on the way” serves as an acknowledgement of the project’s long absence and dormancy.

I somewhat miss backup singer Trine Bilet but he seems to have found someone else to do the female vocals here, and that’s fine.

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Kontravoid - “Losing Game” feat. Chelsey Crowley

It’s amazing how music can be cyclical. What was once cool becomes passé, which then slowly gets reinterpreted as it lays low in the underground, then rises once more in a revival fashion. Here we have what I can only describe as “late 80s/early 90s pop revival” (George H.W. Bush pop?), but it’s come to us via the underground dark electronic scene (what you might hear at your local goth night). The rise of the “italo-disco” sound in the scene borrows heavily from late 80s/early 90s pop - think Taylor Dayne, Paula Abdul, or reaching back a bit further and perhaps more obscurely, Sandra.

Here we have masked L.A. based industrial artist Kontravoid teaming up with fellow SoCal singer Chelsea Crowley (of last year’s favorite band Nuovo Testamento) to deliver a catchy number that sounds like it could be straight out of 1990. The choreography in the video even gives off Paula Abdul vibes. There’s also some sort of filter that gives the appearance of video tape, especially on the close ups on Chelsea’s face, that further gives it a vintage feel.