Collective Palette

All too often, fans complain about their favorite musicians lying dormant for periods of time as they replay their old tunes waiting on a new album or EP to finally break the musical dry spell.

But nobody could say this about the ever-surprising hip-hop artist, Serengeti.  Serengeti, or David Cohn, has been working on about eight projects in the past year alone— adding to his already lengthy discography.

Those who don’t already know of Serengeti probably wouldn’t connect the dots of his projects at first listen.  Serengeti stretches his recent work from the sleek and poppy “Beak & Claw” with Son Lux & Sufjan Stevens to his “Kenny Dennis EP” projected from the perspective of his invented character— a Chicago fan in all faucets living a simple life with brauts, O’douls, and his wife, Jueles.

His work fades the fringes of genre and frolics wherever it chooses.  And this is part of Serengeti’s beauty— he will never cease to break and surpass expectations.

Serengeti’s seemingly time-defying flow of pumping out album after EP after album could drive those obsessed with the notion of time machines mad.  But while Kenny Dennis might say, “Okay okay let’s go, let’s go, lets go” Cohn wants to slip into the basic lifestyle the character also holds.

“I’ve got these last couple things, and I’m gonna do a couple shows here, and then I’m gonna take a break from doing stuff” Cohn told me over the phone from Chicago.

He may be planning to slow down for a bit, but he hasn’t left us abandoned— between wrapping projects up and waiting to release them, we can still await a feast of music coming our way.  And a full length Kenny Dennis album is in the cards.

“Kenny Dennis is the stuff that I always dreamed to be,” Cohn said about the confident barbequing friend-to-all character whose elaborate persona was started by one simple joke: “What if somebody’s favorite actor was Brian Dennehy?”

Kenny has since evolved as Cohn observed Chicago more intently, writing along the way.  As Cohn said, “I used to really really write a lot, I’d carry pens and write on napkins and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of notebooks.”

The Kenny Dennis back-story is nothing if not detailed.  Aside from Kenny lyrics and music videos are Cohn’s Kenny Dennis sitcom ideas including Kenny’s brother finding one of his secret albums in the garage.  Kenny’s quirks, interests, and stories all line up.

But Kenny is more than a character— Kenny Dennis is a musical sanctuary for Cohn to retreat to after writing songs about personal issues and strife.   “I’m trying to get my own stuff to reflect more of the Kenny stuff, but I guess you’d have to be a more happy person.”

The goofy and catchy essence of Kenny Dennis seems to work as comic relief to some of Cohn’s deeper and more emotional music, for example his album “Family & Friends.”

Released last year, the well-rounded “Family & Friends” uses deeply personal lyrics manifested by Serengeti’s smooth tongue, allowing you to feel like you’ve known him for years.  With catchy lyrics thread together with creativity, pop-culture references, story telling, quirky strangeness, cleverness and flow, missing a word calls for restarting the song.

When asked how to define Serengeti’s music in three words, he jokingly answered with “David Cohn’s tunes.”  From the ocean-wide variety in his music, his constantly personal lyrics, and his humbling clarity, the response is strangely very fitting.  Listen to my interview with Serengeti below:

Get some Serengeti music here

Want to know my top Serengeti album recommendation?  Serengeti & Polyphonic’s “Don’t Give Up”.. tied with Serengeti’s “Family & Friends.”

It’s undeniable that Tobacco gives you both an intoxicating buzz and an endless amount of coolpoints.  If you aren’t already familiar with Tobacco, 1. I regret to inform you that you’ve been missing out big time, but 2. approach with caution because you’re about to become engulfed in instant addiction as you spiral down the synthesized staircase of mind blowing music.  From his solo work to Black Moth Super Rainbow, Tobacco (or Thomas Fec) will hurl you into a fantasy world of magical tunes.  When you hit the bottom, you’ll be slow motion laughing with rainbows and sunflowers at a heavily drug-induced psychedelic picnic in the woods.  And Tobacco will be pulling all your puppet-string emotions as you sway back and forth between a hyped up need to dance, euphoric mental relaxation, and slight terror as you realize Tobacco has seeped out from your speakers and into your body.  Tobacco lures in listeners with his warm strangeness wrapped in the glitching echos of pop-synth schizophrenia and  mouth-watering whispers of musical candy.   Lyrically, Tobacco will request for you to both make him into a milkshake and brush his hair within the time frame of one song.  But all of this will seem natural when your mind is isolating itself from any kind of deviating concentration in Tobacco’s lair.  Tobacco sticks with you, building in your brain like tar in your lungs.  His songs will infect you, charm you, and leave you humming and bouncing for hours.  And I promise, all of this is a good thing.  Here’s an interview between Tobacco and myself:

Me: You uploaded Spraypaint off the upcoming BMSR album— does Spraypaint hold a common theme or sound with the rest of the album?  If so, what?
Tobacco: I always think my stuff is some version of pop music, whether it is to anyone else or not.  This song and the album it comes from are about as far as I could ever want to go in that direction.  I look at this song as like the peak of what I’m gonna do in that realm.  So now it’s gotta shift to the other side.

Me: Emily Haines of Metric once said in an interview that she wanted to just be a sound— to not be viewed but just heard.  While she’s unsuccessful at this, you seem to be the epitome of her goal.  Is this part of the reason you choose to be mostly unseen?
Tobacco: The music isn’t supposed to be about me, and even when it is about me, you’re not supposed to know that.  It just goes back to when I didn’t know anything about the people I listened to, and I couldn’t understand all their lyrics and made up my own.  It just means more that way.  The more you know about the way something works, the more it loses what was magical about it, and that’s what school is for.

Me:  Your music has a very distinct and unmistakable sound to it— have you ever considered trolling everyone by making something that sounds nothing like you?
Tobacco: I wouldn’t even know how.  I hear Madonna in my new record – I don’t think anyone else is gonna hear that.  And I tried my best!

Me: Your eccentric song titles, album titles, lyrics, even the name Black Moth Super Rainbow seem to be very fantasy driven and drug induced— would you say your words hold a universal meaning?
Tobacco: I want everything to be up for interpretation.  I spend a lot of time thinking of how to not just lay out for you how you should be feeling in these songs.  If it can’t mean at least like 3 really different and distinct concepts when i first see it on paper, it usually doesn’t get used.

Me: If you woke up tomorrow and all your creative talents were somehow transformed into the talents of an author, what would the plot of your next book be?
Tobacco: I don’t know, maybe like a book adaptation of the Heavy Metal Parking Lot movie.

Me: You tweeted inquiring for “crazy ass filmmakers” for an “ambitious video project”—how crazy are we talking?  Can you tell me anything about this project?
Tobacco: I don’t wanna give it away like this because some band with money is gonna come along and do it first and better, haha.  I’m not even paranoid – that’s happened a lot.

Me: Define your music in three words.
Tobacco: baseball, basketball, bocce

Start your Tobacco addiction here

Somewhere in the film, the traveling woman meets the handsome exotic man as he whisks her away in a sweep of smooth sexiness; and they dance with immediate burning  passion serenaded by a romantically sweet and spicy song emanating from the red sunset. Oh, and it’s raining rose petals. And the sky is lit with those lantern balloon things. The breeze is carrying the woman’s gown in the wind as the exotic man brushes the woman’s cheek. Happy ending, roll credits. Okay, okay, this movie doesn’t actually exist. But the song does. In fact, it’s every song off of Brian Lopez’s “Ultra.” Brian Lopez is a Tucson based musician whose sleek and sexy songs will give you chills and a sudden urge to fall in love. Occasional Spanish lyrics, a beautiful cover of “The Killing Moon,” and a thousand resemblances to the greats- Brian radiates culturally rich layered music for as far as his echo can be heard. Brian Lopez will be devoured by the hopeless romantics and those who enjoy modern music with a classic flair like a fine wine.. or just about anybody who enjoys intriguing music. He’s got the kind of sound that could make you blush, and when you get that chill his music will embrace you like a musical gentleman offering his coat (or chorus). Here’s an interview between Brian and myself:

Me: Your music seems to reflect a wide collection of influences and genres. Do you have any influences that a listener would find especially unexpected?
Brian: well, I am obsessed with of Montreal. okay…”obsessed” maybe a bit strong, however…they are probably the only modern band that i have consistently given shit about for the past 5-8 years. And Kevin Barnes is a damn genius. Also, for the past 2 years I have been investigating “CHICHA” — which is a type of Peruvian Psychedelic Cumbia music from the 70′s. Its relatively obscure but man, it’s fantastic! you won’t hear the influence of CHICHA on Ultra but, trust me, you will on my next album!

Me: The Killing Moon cover you did is tasteful and unique, making a whole new song- how do you feel about people covering your work or making other derivative works based on your music?
Brian: I’d be flattered to have anybody cover my material this early on into my career, given my relative obscurity. In fact, I have heard a couple bands here, in Tucson, cover some of my songs. Now…do i think they are necessarily good covers? Am I floored by their versions of my song? no, not really. But i remain flattered, nevertheless. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ian McCulloch listened to Killing Moon and thought it was crap. I wouldn’t be offended if he did. Its his song at the end of the day — and a fine song it is.

Me: You’ve already mastered a very varied sound in your music- how do you plan on further evolving as an artist?
Brian: Well, I ALWAYS have my hands multiple projects at all times. And all these projects are vastly different — they have to be, otherwise i am not interested in doing them. I’ve played in a 14 piece “indie-mambo” orchestra. I’ve played with a french chanteuse. I have recently been playing and recording with Alt-country legend Howe Gelb and his band, Giant Sand. I just started my own CHICHA band called “Chicha Dust” — in March i will play as a member of Mexican Institute of Sound, an electronic latin band. So….what i’m saying is that i do these things, consciously, because a) I like the people im working with and b) it gives me the opportunity to expand my musical palette; to dive head first into new genres and be uncomfortable for a while before acclimating to the sonic climate. This is how I choose to evolve: submersion.

Me: Do you have any non-musical influences on your work such as a book or film?
Brian: I have a lot of songs that are about, or stem from Barcelona, Spain. Its a fascinating place — vibrantly colorful and vivacious.

Me: What would you say is the meaning or theme of “Ultra”?
Brian: “Ultra” derives from the the Latin phrase “Non Plus Ultra” — which means: “Nothing further beyond.” I watched a Salvador Dali interview in which he describes an illustration he made for an autobiography. In this illustration, Dali paints himself looking out into the “Non Plus Ultra.” This phrase really had a profound impact on me for some reason or another. Perhaps i just enjoy the aesthetic of the phrase? Perhaps i like that it is Latin based, and i dont really need to understand the literal meaning in order to understand the sentiment — much like my music.

Me: If you had to tell an aspiring musician one tip based on your musical experience- what would it be?
Brian: Look at failure as an opportunity. Because it is.

Check out Brian Lopez here

Now that the weather is reaching unbelievably beautiful levels of sunlight’s touch, we’re all looking to pair some music with the mood.  While Alela Diane & The Wild Divine’s self titled album has been around for about a year, it’s either time to revisit or finally get these tunes.  The sound of this album is far richer, more evolved, and catchier and than her previous work while still holding her original classic folk goodness and powerful voice.  It’s warm, its energetic, and it’s delved deep into the various states of human feeling.  This is not a product of barrenness or apathy, it’s an album of passion.  And this is exactly why I’m glad I waited to post this.  “Alela Diane & The Wild Divine” is so perfectly matched with the recent sweep of clear skies and hot breezes that it makes absolute sense why it was released around this time last year.  Alela described the album on her website as heavy darkness balanced with light hope.  The reason this is so perfect as a summer album is exactly this fruitful songwriting and intention in her music.  The darkness adds depth to the album, though its hard to catch when listening.  “We are hopeful, we are scattered, we are dust” doesn’t seem like the lyrics to a very cheery song.. but they are, and they are such a contrast to the sound that they almost go unnoticed.   Through dark lyrics amongst upbeat tunes, Alela uses the beauty of darkness and pounds the light hope into her music to deliver a dynamic and lovely outcome.  Her lyrics are like the sweltering summer heat hidden beneath her music like fresh breezes and gulps of cool lemonade.  “There is good, oh there is good.  There is still good.”  Yes Alela, indeed there is, and thanks for giving it to us.  Here’s an interview:

Me: You wrote that “Alela Diane & The Wild Divine” has a dark side balanced by hope and light.  Did you begin creating the album with darkness or lightness and then decide to add that balance, or was the balance intended from the beginning?
Alela: It was something I noticed after I had written all of the songs.  When the songs were collected together for this album, it became clear that there was a mysterious balance between darkness & light, and that was something I was unaware of whilst working on the material.

Check out Alela Diane’s website here

Will Holland is a Nashville based photographer and videographer who gives barren settings and portraits endless soul and beauty.  The most refreshing thing about Will’s photography is his ability to inject creativity in destruction and make art from filth.  Some of my favorite photographs of his are those taken in abandoned and deteriorating hotel rooms with ghostly nature and devastation.  One project in particular like this is “Lost Cities,” which features photos of destruction framed with chipping walls and grime, from torn apart bedrooms to a dry pool filled with wood.  He also has great portraits with backgrounds made perfect for the mood and style of the photograph.  For example, his photos of musician Natalie Prass draped in a sheer fabric on a deserted bridge deliver a haunting feeling through subject and background.  His photos almost all seem to have an eerie mystery and emptiness to them, giving room to the viewer for emotion, question, and most importantly, a need to linger.  Here’s an interview between Will and myself:

Me: What equipment do you use for your photography?  If you had to recommend one piece of equipment, what would it be?
Will: I’m currently using a Canon 7D for digital and a Pentax K1000 for film. I suppose I’d recommend finding a film based camera that you feel comfortable using to start with. My Pentax was my grandfather’s. Shooting non digitally teaches you the basics…. along with patience and taste.

Me: Where do you find your inspiration and concept ideas?
Will: I’ve always been very intentional with anything I do creatively. I don’t “just go out and shoot.” I spend hours driving around and looking for locations. And I’ll know instantly when I find the right place. From there I take one simple idea and try to do it well. And that could be anything… from shutter speed based ideas to a specific wardrobe accent. I like things simple and beautiful.

Me: What is your favorite of your photos? Will you explain why?
Will: There is a picture of a bed I took in an abandoned hotel in Texas awhile back that I love. It looks like the room was ravaged and left to rot into nothing. The shot feels like a for-shadowing of something that I won’t “be around” to see. That sense of an unspoken horrible story is attractive to me.

Me: I’m most fascinated by your photos under “Travels.”  What is the story or meaning behind the isolated children in bleak settings eating popsicles?
Will: Oh, that was in an old Sunday School room. I actually want to make a whole series of kids in fading churches. I grew up in a southern baptist world being raised in old buildings where adults taught me of miracles and plagues and angels and hell. So, shooting children naturally being themselves in a highly and intentionally influential environment is seeped in drama for me. There’s a sadness in the situation that’s very easy to capture on film.

Me: If you could photograph anything and anywhere, what would it be and how would you go about getting the shot you wanted?
Will: Maybe abandoned buildings in North Korea. I’d love that. And I have NO IDEA how I’d get the shot I wanted. Probably secretly.

Me: What do you look for in setting up photos?
Will: I try to rely on my taste. You should always know exactly when all things (light/composition) are right. Take the shot and move on. It shouldn’t take long.

Me: How would you define your photography in 3 words?
Will: simple. honest. strange.

Photo above by Will Holland. Check out his work here

Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band formed of Warren Spicer, Nic Basque, and Matthew Woodley.  They have two EPs and three albums, one of which, “The End of That,” is available for stream but not officially released until next week.  They have described their music as post-classic rock themselves, which is especially prominent in their newest album, though their music as a whole seems far more modern and even evolved indie rock.  They have a very full and fresh sound to them with nice build ups and catchy melodies. “The End of That” has a classic soft rock feel to it as well as a new found folk element.  Their music subtly reminds me of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs,” though not of their previous work.  “The End of That” peaks with “Lightshow,” which is the heaviest in emotion, chorus, and guitar playing.  Strangely enough, the vocals on the album branch out from their own unique sound to a Fleet Foxes resemblance in “Lightshow,” and even an LCD Soundsystem resemblance in “Crisis.”  The songs off the album flow into each other well with a stable sound throughout.  Though, while “The End of That” is catchy, interesting, and full of emotion, my favorite album of theirs will probably always be their 2008, “Parc Avenue.”  “Parc Avenue” has a wide stretch of genre and an eccentric blend of songs that were created with a transitional sound like grand musical chapters.  From their ironically choral and very chipper sounding “Bye Bye Bye” to their “Faerie Dance,” which transitions from a calm and quiet melody into devastation and then into a sweet and catchy finish, “Parc Avenue,” in my opinion, began their career with its peak.  Plants and Animals explore so deep within music and sound, always finding taste and extreme emotion in the end.  Here’s an interview with the band:

Me: Your music over the years has had a pretty wide range of genre and sound.  What all instruments and genres have you explored- are there any you hope to explore in the future?
Plants & Animals: Most of our music stems from a combination of traditional metallic string guitars, tube amplifiers and percussive drum set apparatus with Turkish cymbals. We also employ vocal techniques that range from Gregorian traditions right up to 1980s-era David Bowie and Elton John. We like to employ the 88-key piano on studio recordings and there are touches of orchestral stringed instruments and brass horns on past albums (though not The End of That).

Me: In my opinion, your song with the most varied elements is “Faerie Dance” off Parc Avenue, which sounds almost like a trilogy of songs wrapped into one.  What kind of a song writing process did you use for it?
Plants & Animals: The third part of the song was originally a big, dramatic crescendo like godspeedyoublackemperor would have done. It was stressing us out. Months after recording, we came up with the “la la la” ending and crossfaded it to part two. It took the ending in a completely opposite direction and we were really happy that one worked out. It’s probably the song we play the most often.

 Me: What are your influences- do you have any that your listeners would find especially unexpected?
Plants & Animals: We listen to tons of music and even the stuff that isn’t so directly reflected in our songs can influence us. Like Bollywood. Then there are the people who are like, “That reminds me of the Rolling Stones,” and they’re right too.

Me: How do you think your music will evolve in future albums?
Plants & Animals: Trade secret.

Me: If you could adopt any musician into Plants & Animals, who would it be?
Plants & Animals: Stevie Wonder.

Me: Define your music in 3 words.
Plants & Animals: Laser, Neptune, oven.

Check out Plants and Animals’ site here
And legally stream “The End of That” here

Resurrection Lake is an Atlanta based band formed of Juan Solorzano, Oscar Solorzano, Samuel Elias Solorzano, Jorge Palacio, and Victoria Gonzalez.  Their music is a blend of folk and rock with hints of Ryan Adams and Neil Young & Crazy Horse influence.  They have one album, “Quiet Despair,” which includes smooth but strong vocals, beautifully constructed lyrics, brilliant guitar playing, and warm melodies.  The first time I listened to Resurrection Lake’s “Quiet Despair,” my initial response was simply “whoah.”  The album starts off in your face with their strongest, loudest, and most upbeat song “Ghosts,” which includes guitar shredding, classic rock resemblance amongst folk, and an irony of the lyrics “All these songs sound the same.”  While the songs off “Quiet Despair” feed into each other with a tasteful transition, no song is much like the last.  From “Ghosts” to “The Canyon,” there is a wide variety of sound as well as feelings elicited to the listener.  After talking to Juan and Jorge about their origins, I’m assuming that the lyrics “Lord I’m tired of this town/ I could use a helping hand/ Cause all these songs sound the same/ All these people seem so strange” in “Ghosts” were written about the band’s feelings toward their hometown, Miami. “Somebody Else’s Death” is probably my favorite song on the album because it also seems to be the heaviest in thoughtfulness and feeling.  It almost has a Bright Eyes or Damien Rice feel to it with a vague melodic likeness to “Poison Oak” and its heartbreaking lyrics sung through sweet female vocals tied to the aching masculine tones.  “Quiet Despair” is full of emotion, both from the listener as well as the band.  Here’s a video interview with Juan and Jorge:

Check out Resurrection Lake’s “Quiet Despair” here