Tiny Empires
Weird Headspace
Independent (2014)
Tiny Empires seek to build something new; something powerful, significant, and memorable, just as the name suggests. With their debut record Weird Headspace they’re doing just that. It’s big, grasping, and expansive work.It’s also out of the ordinary for the scene in which it originates.Lead by Eric Solomon (O Pioneers!!!) and Bryon Lippincott (New Bruises), it plays off the two very different vocal styles to blend loud, searching and clashing guitars against more expected, melodic fare. Also featuring New Bruises’ Jason Winter and Christopher Murray and third guitarist Mikey Schmidt, the band isn’t a simple mashing of two styles together. Sure, there are strong tones that remind of O Pioneers!!!. Opener “Wide Open Spaces” has that building blend of dynamics and pure, direct vocal shouts that Solomon utilized in his previous band. Meanwhile, Lippincott’s vocal contributions counter with melodic complement, picking up the harsher moments with a contrasting element similar to that utilized back in the screamo heyday (though, it should be noted, in very different usage than said genre). There are some shades of Hot Water Music in some of the guitar interplay, as in the intro to “What’s the Plan, Phil,” which also reminds of Solomon’s earlier work, … Read more
Brown Brogues
Zoloto
Stolen Body Records (2014)
In an alternate universe, Brown Brogues' "Shit In Your Eye" sits atop the charts; following in the lineage of other … Read more
