Posted in Whathaveyou on June 4th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Pittsburgh atmospheric sludgers Horehound have announced their breakup. Their last show was May 17, so it’s pretty fresh, and they leave after issuing their best work in 2022’s Collapse (discussed here) and immediately heralding a new band in the works from vocalist/synthesist Shy Kennedy, bassist Russ Johnson and drummer Dan Moore. Presumably there will be a guitarist involved there as well, even if it’s not Brendan Parrish, but I’ll be curious to hear if it’s a situation where there was a stark enough sonic shift they wanted to undertake that they had to drop one name and pick up another, or whatever the next band might be called or sound like in relation to their work in Horehound, which saw plenty of progression during the band’s time. I guess we’ll have to see.
In any case, this is a band I’m glad I got to watch play live, whose work consistently grew, and who seem to be continuing that growth even as they shed one skin to grow another. Their announcement was quick and made through the ol’ social medias:
đ¶ After 9 incredible years, it’s with mixed emotions that we announce the end of our journey as Horehound. We want to express our deepest gratitude to our fans, friends, promoters, and venues who’ve supported us along the way. Your passion has been the driving force behind our music, and we couldn’t be more thankful. While Horehound may be coming to a close, the music doesn’t stop here. Russ, Dan, and I are excited to embark on a new project together, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this next chapter. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for an unforgettable ride. đ€ Love, Shy đ€ #Horehound #NewBeginnings #StayTuned2024
Horehound is: Brendan Parrish (Guitar) Russ Johnson (Bass) Dan Moore (Drums) Shy Kennedy (Vocals/Synth)
This Friday, Pittsburgh drone guitarist Emilio Rizzo, otherwise known as Fuzznaut, will release the new single “Sufferlove,” as the first outing from the project since 2022’s Apophenia (review here) full-length. And like that album, “Sufferlove” cries out into empty space with solo guitar and unmitigated breadth, creating and inhabiting an atmosphere that draws the listener further across the five-and-a-half-minute expanse. Cycles of ‘riff’ bleed in amid the ambient sprawl, and with a title that perhaps hints toward its expressive purpose, an emotional crux is conveyed along with the depth of tone and the weight that emerges in the second half of the piece.
That’s a contrast — tonally, between air and earth — which Rizzo readily identifies in his own work, and which is audible in the track itself. It comes through immediately in the meditative vibe at the outset of “Sufferlove,” which echoes out not too far removed from Lamp of the Universe before finding and exploring its own space as Fuzznaut makes it sound much easier to do than it actually is, and the harder, lower-noted distortion strum that arrives at 1:35 broadens the scope of the nonetheless hypnotic piece, which cycles through the back and forth again before a thoughtful bridge leads to the more open-sounding progression — the air — to finish, interpreting a classic structure from what in another context might’ve manifest as verse/chorus/verse with a clarity of intent in following a different path.
I’ve done a few premieres for Fuzznaut at this point. Both the video for “5184” that you can see below the entirety of Apophenia that’s also down there streaming made their debut here. As Rizzo perhaps looks to move forward from the 2022 LP and headed to another collection of one sort or another, “Sufferlove” brings quick assurance of progression in sound, and one would expect no less.
Whatever it may lead to, “Sufferlove” is out Friday as a standalone single, and its patience, resonance and groove live up to that challenge of representing Fuzznaut post-Apophenia.
Enjoy:
Emilio Rizzo on “Sufferlove”:
Meditation is the practice of death. A practice of immersion and dissociation. Similar to shoegazers staring at their pedals and shoes. Are they shy or fully immersed in their music that all they can do is stare at the ground? Present and absent. Sufferlove by guitarist Fuzznaut is the sonic performance of creating a state of non return. As intangible as that might be, the latest single brings mind bending tones that are further grounded in shoegaze. However, the guitarist continues to inject crushing down tuned riffs in between the flurry of pitch bending vibrato, and fuzzed out drones. At 5:33 seconds one cannot help to be engaged in the flurry of tones, and either be lifted or grounded. Either way it’s a trip to another sonic dimension.
Fuzznaut “Sufferlove” Single 2/2024 Digital Release Independent Time: 5:33
Mixed and MASTERED BY Fuzznaut at Leafy Brain Sounds 2023-2024. Artwork by Fuzznaut
Here’s why: the thing about Fuzznaut isn’t the novelty of the makeup of the ‘band.’. Because it’s not a novelty; drone projects abound, as noted. It’s the expression in the sounds themselves. Across Apophenia, and emphasized in the closing track “5184,” for which there’s a suitably atmospheric video premiering below, Rizzo ties his guitar not only to immersive and hypnotic progressions, but to a genuine and purposeful sounding setting of mood. He uses it to convey emotion — in this case, it’s homage born of admiration and tribute, and that certainly counts — and the song rings out with a construction that’s both easy to follow and deep-running enough to lose oneself within, if only for a couple minutes.
I’m reasonably sure the footage in the early part of the clip is of Pittsburgh, and if you take the visual subtlety that brings the viewer from floating around in the ether above the city into a venue before and during a show as a clue to the song itself also following something of a plotline, I think that’s probably the idea too.
The full stream of Apophenia, whether for meditative or deep-dive purposes, is at the bottom of this post. You’ll find the video for “5184” below, followed by some comment from Rizzo on its intent.
Please enjoy:
Fuzznaut, “5184” video premiere
5184 off the album Apophenia by Fuzznaut.
5184 the closing track of Apophenia. The main riff was written the day Eddie Van Halen died. It was a somber day in the guitar community and just felt the need to play and that just came out. During a part of the song, I tried to get some vibes as a nod to his tone. His influence is so profound that anyone who picks up a guitar, it would resonate. Overall, this album is about sitting with adversity, but not letting inside/outside negative forces devalue your struggle.
Apophenia written and recorded by Fuzznaut at Strega Sana Sounds March-July 2022 Mixed and Mastered by Erik Peabody at Viking Guitar Productions Artwork by Fuzznaut
Pittsburgh-based drone outfit Fuzznaut will release the 28-minute debut full-length, Apophenia, this Friday, Nov. 4. Following up 2019’s Form is Emptiness (review here) and the 2020 single “Haunting Mantra” (premiered here), the six-tracker is more definitively a first album in flow as well as runtime, which is still on the don’t-overstay-welcome end of short but for guitarist Emilio Rizzo, owner-operator and sole-proprietor of the project, it’s still plenty of time to lay out a course of expressive standalone riffing, marked throughout by changes in effects and maybe some layering, but almost exclusively centered around the chords and repetitions of the instrument itself.
With tracks on either side of five minutes — longest is “What You Seek, Seeks You” (5:45), shortest is closer “Seconds Between a Swing and a Hit” (4:13) — Apophenia evokes a meditative atmosphere quickly as the initial feedback of the leadoff title-track gives way to the first declining, established riff, not as slow or empty-space Americana as mid-period Earth, and obviously more sparse in arrangement since it’s just guitar, but definitely taking inspiration from the Dylan Carson oeuvre in tone and style, hinting in that regard even unto the David V. D’Andrea-style fonts and color scheme of the cover art, also by Rizzo. Clearly he knows what he’s going for.
Despite the fact that there’s just one instrument repeating parts, gradually building one progression on top of the one before it, a kind of natural movement through each piece, I don’t think it would be fair to call Apophenia — the title referring to the fine art of making connections where there aren’t any, which I think applies both to reading too much inflection into a text message and to modern obsession with conspiracy theories — minimalist, since wherever Rizzo goes, whether it’s the stark spiremaking of “Parasitic Oscillation” or the Black Mare/Ides of Gemini-style tension of “What You Seek, Seeks You,” which follows, the feeling of movement is always palpable. If we’re meditating, that doesn’t seem to mean the world has stopped.
That sense of motion isn’t quite a sweep until “Hawks Over Fifth” marries a backing synth-style drone to a guitar line that’s reminiscent of the Westminster chimes or whatever grandfather clock happens to be in your memory association, and settles into that up and down pattern smoothly, offsetting with a lead in the midsection that feels duly bright before working into more open strum declarations to finish on the way to “5184.” Whatever the reference — is it Van Halen? Black Sabbath? Dune? — the penultimate inclusion answers the landscape-making tendency of “Hawks Over Fifth” with a broader, chugging echo and a howling slow-lo in its second half, fading at the end having returned whence it came as though to reassure structure still exists.
“Seconds Between a Swing and a Hit” — a title that I immediately associate with baseball but could really be about any number of things, among them violence — is perhaps not as tense as the title might make one believe, but the rhythm of its component parts feels designed to drive toward the final interplay of solo and riff, which cuts off cold after swelling in volume but never going so far as to be a ‘grand finale,’ which would inevitably upset the careful balance Rizzo has worked hard to strike in this material. The meditative aspects of Fuzznaut‘s drone are prevalent in Apophenia, but the songs seem to reach out as well as within, and if the connection being imagined is between the listener and the songs themselves, I somehow doubt Rizzo would mind.
Never gonna be for everybody, but some will fall hard into it. Only one way to find out where you land, and that’s listening.
Full stream follows, with more from the PR wire after. Enjoy:
From the artist on Apophenia: I heard the word Apophenia from a true-crime podcast intro in 2020. It is defined as the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things. The pandemic was at its peak there was isolation, and a dark uncertainty about everything. Apophenia to me resonated as the state of things at the time.
There are a lot of things in the world have a darkness and intensity to them that can be harnessed to create something that is grounding and affirming. This record is a vehicle of going through turbulent times, mourning, and using that pain into fuel to persevere. There are two specific songs that are tributes. The singer of Planes Mistaken for Stars died In 2021. They were a huge influence on me creatively, and there was always a riff inspired by them. I had wrote it way before Fuzznaut had been created, when I was learning guitar. Seconds Between a Swing and a Hit is a tribute and tonally trying to capture and honor some of that influence. 5184 the closing track of Apophenia. The main riff was written the day Eddie Van Halen died. It was a somber day in the guitar community and just felt the need to play and that just came out. During a part of the song I tried to get some vibes as a nod to his tone. His influence is so profound that anyone who picks up a guitar, it would resonate. Overall, this album is about sitting with adversity, but not letting inside/outside negative forces devalue your struggle.
Credits: Apophenia written and recorded by Fuzznaut at Strega Sana Sounds March-July 2022 Mixed and Mastered by Erik Peabody at Viking Guitar Productions Artwork by Fuzznaut
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 24th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
The connection to Tee Pee Records for trad-style vintage-minded heavy rocking Pittsburgh four-piece Sweat would seem to come via bassist Dan Hernandez, who also plays in Limousine Beach, whose self-titled debut (review here) was issued through the label earlier this year. Vocalist/organist Sue Pedrazzi at least was if she isn’t still (oddly enough I don’t know the personal details of this band I’ve never written about before and never actually spoken to) married to that band’s frontman David Wheeler, so there’s another link there too.
Accordingly, I saw the words ‘Pittsburgh’ and ‘Tee Pee‘ and expected something pretty retro sounding, and Sweat‘s first single “Jane” didn’t disappoint. It’s a raw rocker — the organ for sure helps — with a bit of boogie when it settles into the verse, and they’re in and done in a little over three minutes with no time misspent. Classic fuzz with a hint of something more fragile underpinning, they’re songwriters just the same. I don’t expect “Jane” to speak for the whole album that’s apparently coming next year, but the vibe is right on.
Track is streaming at the bottom of the post, and PR wire info follows:
Introducing SWEAT: Swiss/American Rock Sensations Sign to TEE PEE RECORDS | Stream Debut Single ‘JANE’ now!
The Pittsburgh-based quartet combine British prog rock, folk rock and ’70s schmaltz on debut album, due for release in 2023
Tee Pee Records â New York’s legendary underground rock label â is thrilled to announce the signing of Pittsburgh-based Swiss American quartet, Sweat, and with it, the release of their debut single ‘Jane’ and debut album in 2023.
After leaving her home in Basel with an ear and heart hungry for authentic vintage rock, it didn’t take long for vocalist/organist Sue Pedrazzi to settle into her new home alongside Steel City gemstones; Richard Stanley (Rich the Band), Dan Hernandez (Limousine Beach, Cruces) and Kayla Schureman (Century III).
Together, the foursome formed Sweat; a traditional band with fresh and energetic new ideas that set out a stall for fans of British prog rock sensibilities, fragile American folk and heaps of 70s schmaltz. Drawing influence from the likes of Deep Purple and The Moody Blues, the strutting beat of The Who, and the wailing highs and broken lows of Heart, their debut album is scheduled for release in early 2023 on Tee Pee Records.
In the meantime however, embark on a journey with Sweat and their debut single ‘Jane’ as they lovingly envelope all they borrow, and seek to become the music makers behind your new favourite records.
“‘Jane’ is just one of those songs that make Sweat, Sweat,’ explains Pedrazzi. “It’s driving, yet gentle. It is urgent, yet sweet. It is a rocker with depth. The song describes how it felt to learn to break free from self-pity and learn responsibility for my own mistakes and my own happiness.”
‘Jane’ was recorded in March 2022 at Casa in the Allegheny National Forest, PA with Nate Campisi (of Mr. Smalls Recording Studio) Pittsburgh, PA Mastered by Carl Saff www.saffmastering.com Cover photography by Twiz (IG @twiz_lizzy) Cover artwork by Sue Pedrazzi & Elizabeth Sanchez Logo by Jack Crossing www.jackcrossing.com (IG @studiojackcrossing)
SWEAT: Sue Pedrazzi (She/Her) â Lead Vocals, Organ Richard Stanley (He/Him) â Guitar, Vocals Dan Hernandez (He/Him) â Bass Kayla Schureman (She/Her) â Drums, Percussion Vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 13th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Everybody has a role to play. Derrick Vella and Justin DeTore — who have enough pedigree between them that they hardly even need the other designations — are ‘Architect of Dreams’ and ‘The Bridge Between Two Worlds,’ respectively. Esteemed guests like Phil Swanson (Solemn Lament, ex-Hour of 13, etc.) and Leila Abdul-Rauf (Cardinal Wyrm, Vastum, etc.) join in as ‘The Forlorn’ and ‘The Siren’s Call,’ and they’re by no means the only ones. Figure out your own title if you like. For the purposes of this post at least, I dub myself ‘Exhausted of Spirit.’
Quite sure you don’t need a reminder from me as to the poised death-doom that was on offer with Dream Unending‘s debut, Tide Turns Eternal (review here), when it was released last year. Thus Song of Salvation, which is out Nov. 11 through 20 Buck Spin and VĂĄn Records, is all the more something took forward to as the follow-up. The album info below — unceremoniously hoisted from the label’s Bandcamp — drops hints of a 16-minute closer, and that sounds like a win in terms of expanding on what they did last time, and the guest appearances will no doubt flesh out the already class aesthetic that the project established last time through. I didn’t know this was coming — see ‘Exhausted of Spirit’ above — but if you were ready to close the book on new records for 2022, consider “Secret Grief” below a call to hold off a bit longer.
As seen on the internet:
The 2021 Dream Unending debut album âTide Turns Eternalâ was a marked shift in musical ambition for Derrick Vella (Tomb Mold) and Justin DeTore (Innumerable Forms, Sumerlands). While structured with a foot firmly in Death / Doom, a far loftier purpose and progressivism was its hallmark, as such distancing itself from others pursuing the style. Now returning only a year later with the stunning âSong of Salvationâ, that exploratory zeal is given substantially greater allowance to soar and shine.
The 14 minute title track opener enters like a morning sunrise over a calm sea before ramping up into ethereal heaviness like the richly textured waves of a sudden ocean storm. The songs momentum never retreats into laborious repetition, always opening new doorways, ebbing and flowing like river water from its source.
Like solitarily gazing at the downtown lights of the city at night from the window of a darkened room, âSecret Griefâ features the guest talents of vocalist Phil Swanson and Leila Abdul-Rauf on trumpet, further widening the breadth of musical talent involved and the sweep of âSong of Salvationâsâ distinctive narrative.
The tranquil interlude of âMurmur Of Voicesâ gives way to the evocative âUnrequitedâ that begins with a lonely solo guitar before transitioning into a drifting daze of afternoon reverie and subconscious meditation.
Finally comes the albumâs epic bookend,16 minute closer âEcstatic Reignâ. It features perhaps the albumâs heaviest straight Doom moments along with the return of âTide Turns Eternalâ featured guest voices McKenna Rae and Richard Poe. Tomb Mold drummer / throat Max Klebanoff also appears for a shattering back and forth vocal tradeoff with DeTore. The albumâs cinematic vision and painstaking colorful detail are fully encompassed bringing this enthralling journey to its enduring peak.
Only a year on from âTide Turns Eternalâ Dream Unendingâs rapid evolution on the boundless panorama of âSong of Salvationâ is, crucially and intrinsically, a continued departure from limiting genre norms and an adept redefining of them.
Tracklisting: 1. Song Of Salvation 2. Secret Grief 3. Murmur Of Voices 4. Unrequited 5. Ecstatic Reign
Members: Derrick Vella – Architect of Dreams Justin DeTore – The Bridge Between Two Worlds
Piano and Synth contributions by David Vella
Featuring: Phil Swanson as The Forlorn Leila Abdul-Rauf as The Siren Call Max Klebanoff as Final Judgement McKenna Rae as The Implorer Richard Poe as The Dreamer
Drums captured at Solomon’s Temple by Arthur Rizk and J.K Allison Guitars captured at Boxcar Studio by Sean Pearson Mixed and Mastered by Arthur Rizk Cover Painting by Benjamin A. Vierling Layout by ChimĂšre Noire
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 8th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Pittsburgh’s Emilio Rizzo, the lone figure operating under the banner of Fuzznaut and perhaps underserved by the decided-unartsiness of the name, will release the project’s full-length debut, Apophenia, on Nov. 4. Shades of Earth’s drone-minded ways crop up almost immediately in the opening title-track, and the spaces Rizzo creates operating with just a guitar at his disposal are vast in the spirit of that band’s Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method without necessarily adopting the Americana bent. At six songs and 28 minutes, the album — the title of which refers to someone’s tendency to draw connections between things that aren’t necessarily related — is manageable despite the dug-in nature of the tracks and the owning-its-own-ambience taking place on “Parasitic Oscillation” or the later volume swell of “5184,” which is Rizzo‘s stated tribute to Eddie Van Halen.
You can hear Fuzznaut setting a course on these tracks, and they are duly encompassing. “Hawks Over Fifth” blends post-rock stretch with harder strummed fuzz, and “Seconds Between a Swing and a Hit” howls at the conclusion in a way that is both pointed and anti-ceremonial. There’s a fair amount to dive into, as Rizzo dives pretty deep himself.
No audio yet, but the PR wire shows some love and you can hear Rizzo‘s “Haunting Mantra” single (premiered here) from 2020 at the bottom of the post. Not entirely representative, but not nothing:
Pittsburgh experimental and psychedelic doomgaze band Fuzznaut have announced “Apophenia”: a 26-minute expedition into sonic annihilation. With “Apophenia” Fuzznaut takes the listener on a journey of somber ambience, shimmering textures, and foreboding riffs.
Fuzznaut “Apophenia” will be available digitally on November 4th, 2022.
From the artist on Apophenia: I heard the word Apophenia from a true-crime podcast intro in 2020. It is defined as the tendency to perceive meaningful connections between unrelated things. The pandemic was at its peak there was isolation, and a dark uncertainty about everything. Apophenia to me resonated as the state of things at the time.
There are a lot of things in the world have a darkness and intensity to them that can be harnessed to create something that is grounding and affirming. This record is a vehicle of going through turbulent times, mourning, and using that pain into fuel to persevere. There are two specific songs that are tributes. The singer of Planes Mistaken for Stars died In 2021. They were a huge influence on me creatively, and there was always a riff inspired by them. I had wrote it way before Fuzznaut had been created, when I was learning guitar. Seconds Between a Swing and a Hit is a tribute and tonally trying to capture and honor some of that influence. 5184 the closing track of Apophenia. The main riff was written the day Eddie Van Halen died. It was a somber day in the guitar community and just felt the need to play and that just came out. During a part of the song I tried to get some vibes as a nod to his tone. His influence is so profound that anyone who picks up a guitar, it would resonate. Overall, this album is about sitting with adversity, but not letting inside/outside negative forces devalue your struggle.
Credits: Apophenia written and recorded by Fuzznaut at Strega Sana Sounds March-July 2022 Mixed and Mastered by Erik Peabody at Viking Guitar Productions Artwork by Fuzznaut
Posted in Questionnaire on September 7th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Aqua D
—
How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
Earl: I would define what we (Aqua D) do as creating an alternate reality. We want to be able to transport our listeners to a different time, different place, especially at our live events. Speaking solely for myself, I enjoy letting people put on the metaphorical âEARL Oâ VISIONâ glasses and see the world as I do, which in my opinion is a darkly whimsical place. The whole reason I started this band was because I had been so sick and tired of performing other people’s music, and being forced to project other peopleâs version
of the truth.
Describe your first musical memory.
Earl the Pearl: My absolute first real memory of music would probably be seeing Lynyrd Skynyrd live, I would say I was about 3-4 years old.
Shay Shay: My First experience with music was hearing the Sanford and Son theme, Quincy Jones enthusiast ever since!
Zach Woodward: Sitting in my toddler seat in my Momâs Mercury Villager hearing “Free Bird” in its entirety for the first time with the smell of Newport Menthol 100âs in the air.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Earl: Oh this oneâs easy: I was 18 Years old and it was my first ever gig with a band. We were at this tiny little bar in Akron, Ohio, opening up for an Iron Maiden tribute act. There was absolutely no one in the crowd, literally playing to other band members. But for me, it was an eye opening experience, and I’ve been relishing in live music ever since.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Earl: This one’s tough, I don’t really want to dive into specifics, BUT there have been a few occasions at my day job where Iâve had to keep my mouth shut to âkeep the peaceâ, and lord, anybody who’s worked with the general public knows it just gets tougher day by day.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Earl: What does it mean to progress as an âartistâ? Progression is subjective, Keith Richards has been playing the same three chords for over 50 years now, some could say heâs progressed in his ability to spread his art to a wider audience. In this case, I would say, âque sera, seraâ.
How do you define success?
Earl: In short, Success = not eating off the dollar menu, and still having enough money to pay the rent.
Bloated answer: To Be successful is to feel accomplished in any given subject. I may not be the world’s greatest mechanic, but I feel successful when I fix up a car.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadnât?
Earl: Yikes, Have you seen The Rockâs remake of Jumanji?
Describe something you havenât created yet that youâd like to create.
Earl; Simply put; more songs, I enjoy the process of songwriting, trying to find the perfect string of words whether they make sense or not, the wondrous feeling of noodling around on a riff and having the light bulb moment of â oh hell yeah, this goes hardâ.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Earl: Art has no defined function: in its essence, Art is the physically tangible manifestation of a feeling, which is an intangible thing. so i guess art’s only main function is to inspire a feeling in another person or peopleâs. Unless, of course Youâre Frank Zappa.
Something non-musical that youâre looking forward to?
Earl: I’m just patiently waiting for my spearmint plants to pop up.
