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Back at the start of May, I reviewed Three Sisters by The Corn People. While I was initially drawn in by the album's meta-story and strange amateurish, it ultimately ended up unsatisfactory for me. I felt like the songs were too shapeless and the effects too garish and out of control to be used as often as they word. Well, a few weeks ago I got a message from The Corn People themselves about a new album that would appear in the month of June, highlighting a mutated form of Blue Corn People who live in New Mexico. Let's take a look at The (Blue) Corn People.


First off, the album cover to The (Blue) Corn People is very simple, and it's not bad. I like the basic corn pattern repeated. I don't like the digital look to it. If there was more texture, it might be a great cover. I'm glad to see a more simple geometric and abstract design though compared with last time. I do think it needs a little more, like text or some kind of border, but this is a step in the right direction.

"There's a Blue Kernal in Town" is the first sprout, opening with a wall of sound and something that might be physical movement. A cool wobbly synth comes in, continuing somewhat haphazardly at times, along with the standard rock array, before more shuffling and clicks closes it out. The following track is "Rail Runner to Santa Fe", which has a fun carnival sound, reminding me of something from a Sonic the Hedgehog game. The synth sounds almost like a monster crying out to the void during a fierce battle in Tokyo while the J.S.D.F. looks on. I really like the cymbal sounds. "Where the Water Cuts Through" opens with a standard drum beat and a goofy bassline. The synth is pretty nice, and I like the whistling sounds. I really liked the sort of solo near the end. The song sounds like a video game track again for sure. "Lost in Los Alamos" is pretty chaotic at first, but the song takes some really interesting turns with fuzz and bubbling sounds. This could be a really cool rap beat. The major instruments are a little too shrill, and the track is too unfocused to be really great on its own.

"Machining Plutonium" starts really strong with a straightforward drum track and some simple synths. It loses a little focus soon, as it goes off the rhythm, though things come together towards the end. "Tumblr-Snapper" is a pretty weird track with like airplane sounds and slower lounge-style drums. The synths soar up into the contrails behind the jets. "Ba! Ba! Ba!" has some congas or something and a call and response instrumental before going into something that might be played in a pyramid level in a video game. I wish the track didn't just go ahead with new parts every ten seconds; I think it's important for a song to repeat various phrases, hence a verse and chorus. "1947" is really interesting with dramatic drums and whirling winds. The synth is kind of like an alien or a Halloween decoration and, again, very high-pitched. Afterwards, we have "Boots" with a sort of B-52s vocal in the background directing boots marching, somewhat militarily. The vocals are an instrument on their own, akin to Liliput or Pittsburgh's legendary Cardboards. It even has a similar sense of humor to the latter. And this song does have more of a traditional pop song structure. This is my favorite track on the album, and it really shows what The Corn People are capable of.

The last third of the album begins with "Radioactively Radio Active". The title reminds me of Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity. I like the drumbeat and the waves of static in the background. It's a cool production that has more shape and grit than many of the early tracks. "The Atomic Crows" is another exciting track that goes by fast. Like a fast clock, the gears grind to the pulsing beat and staccato synths. The energy makes this another favorite for sure. "Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou" is a weird sound collage of watery wetness and slippery synths burbling in a mouth of some space giant. The radar goes off a few times, bringing us the sappy "I Love You, Trinity". "I Love You, Trinity" is a very happy, upbeat, and pastel song. It's something like a cross between Strawberry Switchblade and a puzzle game on the Super Famicom. I assume it is a pining to trinity corn or the three sisters of agriculture that the previous album was named after. This was one of the best songs, saved for last.

The (Blue) Corn People falters in some areas, but it does what it needs to. It shows many sides, many shades of kernal beyond just the titular blue. While it has the wild, freeform synth adventures from before, The (Blue) Corn People also brings pop songs like the closer, "I Love You, Trinity" and the more experimental "Boots". I was getting pretty critical of the album for a second before that track really brought me around. It's got a real cleverness that you don't often see, and it's quite a catchy track. Blended together with the odd space soundscapes, weird sound effects, and goofy circus songs, this album has a lot going for it. The "off" songs give a bit of an edge, a sure strangeness, a willingness to try and fail. And the "on" songs, like "Boots" and the closing track, give this an element of pop mastery. The (Blue) Corn People receives a Good. I hope to see how this stalk continues to grow.
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My friends BBGuns played in downtown in Market Square on Saturday, June 9th. It was part of Deutschtown Goes Downtown, an extended part of the Deutschtown Music Festival that is happening next month. They'll be playing the festival as well with other bands and artists such as Soda Club, Sluggs, Midge Cricket, The Weird Paul Rock Band, The Full Counts, Jack Stauber, Nox Boys, Hearken, Dumplings, and my band - Sorry I'm Dead.


I got to Market Square just in time to see BBGuns. There was a decent crowd down there as they were finishing their first song. Downtown was busy all over because of the Arts Festival and Pride happening nearby at the same time. I had driven through their earlier in the day; that was not a good idea. I liked the atmosphere of all of the people together though.




BBGuns sounded so solid on stage. They performed excellently despite the lack of onstage monitors. I enjoyed hearing the tracks, newer and older, that they performed over the course of an hour, as the sun went down overhead. With all the skyscrapers overhead, shining brightly, it reminded me of those shots from Carsickness' legendary gig downtown back before I was born. I figured something like that would never happen in this modern day when big business owns so much of our world.


The crowd definitely enjoyed the set as well, some of them family members of BBGuns. It was cool to see some kids down there having a good time and people just passing by glancing at the stage. I hope this happens again more often. Market Square is such a huge area that's perfect for something like this.


As I said earlier, BBGuns will also be playing the Deutschtown Music Festival on July 14th on the HughShows Stage at 9pm. My own band, Sorry I'm Dead, will be playing that same evening at 5pm at YMR Club. You can check out the main schedule here. I hope to see some of you there.
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I've been out for a bit. Sorry about that. I've been applying to every job I can find, delivering food for UberEats, signing up for food stamps and medical assistance, trying to program apps and get other code stuff on GitHub, remastering and uploading World Belt Records stuff to Spotify and Amazon and iTunes and other streaming/download places, and just being with my wonderful partner. I had some issues last month with getting an artist for the Artist Special, but I have someone for this month and have some extra stuff planned for missing the one in May.

Anyway, here is a new Outside In(fluence) featuring Cruz de Navajas from Mexico City. The band was here in Pittsburgh the other day on the 4th. I wanted to go, but I wasn't feeling too good. I listened to the band a bit before the show, and I thought that the musick was grea. Unfortunately, I can't understand the lyrics, because I don't speak Spanish. Here's a review of everything else from Dominación.


Boy, this is a spooky album cover. I don't know if the title, Dominación, is referring to BDSM or a reference to social oppression or enslavement or the like. The title is small and stark. The image is a chalk white ghostly thing like the gothic works of Henry Fuseli and reminiscent of the covers of albums by Bauhaus or Joy Division. This is a very good cover indeed.

The first track on Dominación is "Depuración" (Debugging). This track has really poppy drums in the way that they sound like pops more than pop musick. It's easier to just say they are bright. The track overall is fast and high on the treble. It has a wild electric sound with a lot going on in the background, clustered chaos. Next is "Escalavas" (Slaves). There's a lot of reverb here, the echoes of drainage tunnels and strange regions of the universe where light fears to venture. The musick is furious and travels with the maximum velocity straightforward beyond. There's an almost watery sound at times to the instrumentation. "Ciudad 40" (City 40) follows with the vocalist sounding a bit like Siouxsie Sioux here. I really like the bouncy bass. There's a really cool guitar part in the middle, all rush and whirlwind, and the drums really pound it at the end. It reminds me of "Paris Skies" by Big Electric Cat, though a lot of this album does. "Las Personas son Bestias" (People Are Beasts) is the last track on this side. The synth is amazing on this track, like a dying musick box with an eerie fullness. The vocals fuse into that deep void too as the guitar buzzes over the top.

"Imperialismo" (Imperialism) starts side two. It's got a dance beat, but the rest of the track is still pretty downtempo. The vocals are really loooooong, the echoes trailing into those same spaces as before. "Parásitos" (Parasites) has more dense instrumentation with wild harmonics bouncing off of the angles of the night's polygons. The guitar bursts like a searing flame all over the song. I couldn't find a translation for the title of the next song, "Suna". This song is quite a trip; it's way different than the others, with less echo spaciness and more start and stop punkiness. It's also the only track on the album under 3 minutes. This song really reminds me of the band Parálisis Permanente from Spain. The final track, "SPK" comes through a small tornado and a burbling bass. The synths sound so harmonic and hollow, which is awesome. This last song really blows the sound way out and ends with a whirring moan.

I really enjoyed Dominación, and I'm not talking about BDSM. The album is a punchy space-channeling speed-thru that leaves one cold and out of sorts. I wish I knew enough Spanish to understand the lyrics, as they seem like they have something. The vocals are good, though a little over-the-top. I feel the same about the instruments too. There are some awesome sounds, especially the strange angular little jabs that come out of left field. I like all the layers to the songs as well. It's a bit loud overall, though. It's a bit samey too, though I don't know if I could say that if I knew the language. My issues with Dominación are pretty small, so this album by Cruz de Navajas gets a Good.

If you really liked this review or other reviews I've done, please support my work here on Ko-fi. Any amount helps for real. I'll be back again this week coming up as I get back into the swing of things. See you soon.

My friend Ocasia and I played a show on April 10th at The Tub. The Tub is a big bathtub that floats in the Ohio River where bands and weirdos play musick in the middle of the night. It's maybe not that magickal, but it is a cool place.


Ocasia and I played first. We had a few practices before in which we wore radical hats in two different locations. I played drums and electronics, and Ocasia made loops and used samples. Chun-Li from Street Fighter provided guest vocals to the drums and drones. In the middle of the set, I passed out durian candies to the audience. I ate one myself. Everybody tasted some bad stuff.


Next was Control Point from Philly. She played more pop-ish stuff than I would have expected from a show like this. The songs, played with guitars and synths, were sonically haunting and tonally cool. As others have mentioned, she sounded a lot like Russian Tsarlag with similar melting tones adrift in a video void. Beats and voices and droning sounds lurched back and forth from some cold maze. I really enjoyed Control Point's musick and bought a cassette tape.


The last artist I saw at this show before I had to go was MBD. I have seen his name quite a bit online, but this was my first time seeing him play. MBD took a while to set up and then made industrial power electronics. I think his performance was shorter than his actual setup. Looking like a mad scientist working in an underground laboratory, he created bubbling burbles, whirring machines, and chilly drones. The concoction really bubbled at the end.

I really wish that I could have stayed to see the whole show, but my partner wanted to get going. That was alright with me too. Unfortunately, I left my noise gear case at The Tub. One day, I will find it on the shore of the river, hopefully still working. In reality, this just reminds me to respond to a message from a while back about picking this up. I better go do that. See you later.
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I know, I know. These articles are supposed to run every other Saturday, but, when I was writing the last one, I came upon so many cool non-American releases that I knew I would have to write some extra posts. One of the albums I came across was Escapism Path by Sangam, from the United Kingdom. I was intrigued by the cover and the short amount of ambient musick I heard.


The cover to Escapism Path is pretty cool. I like those cool blue lights of the skyscrapers of the city. It's a bit frightening too. That large form lurks straight ahead. What is it? I see black orbs, and perhaps a large aircraft of some sort. As a cinematic, ambient album it works well to have something that really draws on the viewer's imagination like this.

Escapism Path starts with a track of the same name coaxing the listener into this world. Rain falls as synths rise into a skyscape of lights amidst darkness. There's a lot of floating about, too much exposition. "Mineral" begins with the sounds of the street. Then, the tones of crystals appear and are soon joined by beats from a beat machine. Dramatic pauses create tension. "Felt Blue" has more street sounds, more like an alien city of the future somewhere in the sky. Sad tones turn brighter. There are many strings. "Break Down And Cry" didn't make me sad at all, though I can see the scene in my mind. I feel more of a sense of understanding, a solemnity from this, but I can see this in a film with someone walking through dark alleys sullenly into a moment just like the track is called. The sounds are very full here with huge sweeps. "Merely A Phantom" ends the first half. It's more of the same, though there is also more of a melody here. I think the constant rain static, extensive reverb, and wet organ soars really throws it off.

The second half starts off with "So We Say". It sounds a little different, but these pulsing glows are still under the constant wash of rain. It kind of just loops. Rain continues into "Lost Way", which has a spooky whine of a ghost in the fog. The synths are a little harsh here, but I do like this one more than the others. Nearing the end, "Then We Don't" introduces more rain. The musick is nice too. There's not much to say about it really though. "Ancient Plains" sounds the part, and there is a lot more here than most of the rest. I really like the different sounds being used, especially the clearer lead part. The song has a more earthy and, well, ancient sound to it. There's nothing wet here. "Wish Things Were" is decent with more found sounds and interesting, breathy synths.

Despite my initial interest, I don't find Escapism Path to be that interesting. The majority of the tracks are very, very similar instrumental sweeping wet synths and rain and city sounds going on and on seemingly formlessly. It's certainly not a bad release, but I really don't get much from it. I like that a few of the song have beats or are just way different overall, like "Ancient Plains". I understand that there is a concept here, a cyberpunk/noir theme and all, but more can be done than just the same rain-drenched city drains all the time. Escapism Path gets a Neutral.
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While delving into the depths of Bandcamp, I recently came across a cool looking album from Santiago, Chile. Tonebank pop, from what I can understand thru my English translation of LAKTIK's page, is an experiment in making a lo-fi electronic album with vintage sounds and toy instrument samples. It looked like a fun listen.


The cover of Tonebank pop is an old pfoto of an actress pasted next to an old comic image of a salaryman. I like the colors of the comic contrasted to the greyscale of the pfoto. The one thing that I am not big on is the text; it's very, very plain. I wish it had an outline or something.

There are only three tracks on Tonebank pop, and "Florida" is the first one. I love the lo-fi instrumental pieces, but the vocals bug me to hell and back. It's just a guy saying, "aw shit" over and over. It's annoying and not interesting at all. Am I being trolled? Haha.

"Abduct me" is like some cool dub with a cheap keyboard and lyrics about aliens. The vocals have a "cool guy" disinterested tone to them. It reminds me a bit of the band Suicide. I really like "Abduct me".

The final track is "New car scent" which has the sound of a church organ and very cheap drum sounds. I like this one too. The vocals are again full of ennui. The organ comes and goes, accompanying a reverb-filled backing drone. The end has some little claps; it's certainly deserving of applause.

Tonebank pop is a cool experiment. I like the toy keyboard sound, the devil-may-care attitude, and the late 80s production. I like that it's a short EP too. Too long and it might get boring. While I like the drone-y nature of the tracks, I am not a big fan of the repeated vocals on the first track. If it was something more than "aw shit" it might not be as annoying. I'm not really sure what kind of rating to give this album. I really like the second two tracks. The first track is fine except the vocals; the vocals dominate though. That first song is one-third of the entire EP. I feel like I might be overvaluing this release, but I give Tonebank pop a Good.

Did you know there is a Pittsburgh-based version of The Residents? The Corn People are a jam band playing synths with a backstory setup about receiving mysterious musick and sightings of strange beings. The, uhh, messengers are delivering these albums that they are receiving from the Corn People each month of this year. Three Sisters was just released this month of May.

Before I wrote this review, I did some background research and discovered that their album before this one, Stay Starched!, has an album cover that looks a lot like the art I did for a game that I was working on called Super Market Brothers. All that art was groceries that I had pfotographed, reduced the color of, and then added some text in the place of logos and such. It's kind of eerie. None of mine had a barcode though. Another weird similarity is that my friends and I had created a character named Cornhead who later became St. Cornhead. The Corn People all have corn heads like that character, but that's clearly the influence of The Residents at work. On to the review!


Nihilson's Black Tea from Super Market Brothers
So the cover is really high contrast and low-fidelity so to speak. I like that the cornstalks kind of look like people. While I don't like how the band's name is displayed (hard to see and poofy letters), I do really like the title font and design. I also liked the strange woodcut look of the woman in the corn; I liked it until I realized it was just taken from a coin. That's just lazy. It also seems sort of questionable to use Native American imagery, but I don't know the identity of this band at all. They are pretty upfront about this album relating to a myth though.

"Mutant Maize" is the first track on here. It has a very nice bubbling sound to the synths with a poppy hook like a Megaman game or something. This track is all instrumental. It's energetic and bouncy, and I really like it. Next is "Yellow Journalism", combining springy sounds in the verse with a hollow tone for the chorus. Just like the first track, this is all instrumental. "Yellow Journalism" is more dramatic and moody, though the heavy tremolo on the main instrument in the verse is a bit much and almost gets in the way. I really like the mysterious voices at the end crying into the darkness, wordless, just another instrument. "Nuclear Rare" is the third track on Three Sisters. This one is my favorite so far. It's a little slower and almost happy-go-lucky. It reminds me, again, of a video game. I like the dissonance a lot and the chorus-y effects. Though the tremolo is still here, it isn't used so much that it becomes tiresome; it is a very strong effect after all. The end has a vocoder doing some very apocalyptic stuff, orders from a machine master. "Karawane" is the fourth track. It means "caravan" in German, and it is also the name of a Dada poem by Hugo Ball. The track on here is creepy. It reminds me of something I did on my Ghost Stories album, ghostly voices carousing into a  cacophony of caverns. Such ends what would seem to function as the first side.

The title track begins the next section. "Three Sisters" has a carnival feel, and it reminds me of musick from the early Sonic the Hedgehog games, though obviously a much clearer composition. A siren cuts through the mix for the majority of the song. I'm not big on that siren, but I do like the replacements that come soon after in fuzz and more hollow notes. "Bewitched" sounds like something from Neu!, a computer journey if I ever heard one. It's very interesting, sounds scattering to static and sweeping winds. "Ten Thousand Years Young" is more a standard song again. It's kind of a carnival again, though I like this better than the title track. The production on the drums also sounds different, cleaner and more prominent. I really enjoy the bass synth here and that saw sound. Some of it is too much though, those wacky circus sounds again. "Subject to Insanity" is the final song. This one has some cheap sounding synth horns that I kind of find amusing but kind of don't care for.

Three Sisters is certainly an interesting album. I'm not really set on it, unfortunately. I do like a lot of the sounds, but I feel like the songs go on too long. They just sort of try out various sounds also, though I guess that's the intention - the Bandcamp page says that The Corn People are like a new wave Grateful Dead. Anyway, they clearly have potential, but I can't give this album more than a Neutral. I'll stop back in the future to see how this cryptozoology story plays out.
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