Niilo Smeds' offers some Plucky Pickins (among other things) on latest release
Also, a roundup of other new local releases.
Niilo Smeds has probably flown under the radar in these parts since he left Fresno for Portland.
Not that he hasn’t been busy.
As a songwriter/singer, he has released several solid albums on Gold Robot Records, mostly under his own name, but also with the band Dim Peaks (which featured Fresnans Dylan Tidyman-Jones and Tomas Galvan, with Russell Higbee).
He is also part of the country-ish collaborative, Fronjentress, and Grand Style Orchestra, a “sort of an improvisational experimental jazz ensemble, where everyone has a ‘GSO’ name.”
Smeds plays as Plucky Pickins.
It’s under this moniker that Smed’s released his latest album, “Early Reflections.”
“I have an ever-accumulating collection of instrumental home recordings,” Smeds says. “I went through and picked out what I thought was the best of it.”
The 10-track album is full of low-fi (though in some cases, rather lush) synth- and guitar-laden instrumentals that somehow manages to remain cohesive despite being hard to classify among the individual songs.
“Port in Use” is two and a half minutes of organ drone, while “Plank Walk” is an almost jaunty guitar tune fitting the Plucky Pickins name. “Multi Purpose Corridor” is an ’80s movie soundtrack, degrading.
Of note: “Original Luby Location,” which I’ll assume is named for Fresno’s best ever vegan Chinese spot (RIP).
“It’s stylistically a little all over the place, but it also reflects my tastes as a listener more than any other music I’ve put out,” Smeds says.
“Early Reflections” is available now on Bancamp.
New release roundup: Ultra Diamonds, DJ4AM, Victim of Propaganda
Here’s a roundup of some new releases from this week.
Ultra Diamonds (ex Fierce Creatures, Light Thieves) released their first new music in a year (with a trippy video to boot). “Marigolds” follows Ultra Diamond’s formula of dance friendly, synth-driven psych pop tunes, anchored by Amanda Valdez’ voice.
In my mind, the band is designed to be enjoyed in a live setting, so here’s hoping that happens soon.
DJ4AM seems to be working at a rate of one EP a month since I wrote about him in March.
For May, he released “Voice Is Codeine,” “a lo fi acid rap art core messy ass banger” with Vlad Thee Inhailor on the mic.
Lest I explain it poorly, this, from the album notes: “This is most definitely not for the little dunns and might get you fired from your right wing conservative christian day job...
Subjects range from old Barney Miller Episodes to MAGA fools and right wing tyranny, to mind expanding substances to Dolemite inspired shit talking to The Who and The Minutemen to what ever the hell these fools are railing about. The voice is codeine, the beats are ear abuse and the cuts are drugs ...”
Victim of Propaganda rereleased an updated, reworked and remastered version of their 2017 album “Dystopian Blues,” along with a remastered version of 2018’s “Stalking Nature.”
The albums are part of a tryptic that includes 2020’s “Chamber Music” (which I keep blathering on about like a fan boy).
Warning: shameless self promotion.
New Old Man has a new single and B side.
“On Fire (When She Burns)” is a fully realized (if not rather noisy) version of what has only been heard as an acoustic guitar tune (if at all).
“Dead Eyes” is a third tune in an ongoing homage to Victim Of Propaganda (see above).
The single is on Bandcamp now and on streaming platforms Friday.
That’s it for this week. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com