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View ProfilesPublished June 22, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
Legend has it that the Seven Days music library is massive, occupying seven stories of a secret building in Burlington that only those who have held the seat of music editorious can access. Is it true? Um, why would I tell you that? I'm not trying to get disappeared. Anyway, here are six new Vermont records that may (or may not) now be stored in a secret vault.
(Self-released, CD, digital)
It's a challenge to find a more prolific local artist than Burlington's Dave Kleh. A real estate agent by day and musician by night, he's released seven albums in eight years, starting with 2014's Me & My Friends. Throughout all of his releases, Kleh has channeled a mix of influences from the '70s and '80s and created a froth of weird space rock, tongue-in-cheek humor and genuine emotional sincerity. For his latest record, To Pluto and Beyond, Kleh writes that he "decided to get away from Earth for a while and take a quick trip to Pluto."
The trip became a 31-song intergalactic romp, featuring cuts such as "Pre-Flight Checklist," where Kleh runs through his inventory before jetting off to the coldest (ex-) planet. (He's bringing his toothbrush, extra socks, Mad Magazine collection and a lucky, lucky snorkel.) As usual, Kleh is largely a one-man show, playing all of the instruments himself, save for some choice lead guitar cameos by Barbacoa's Bill Mullins. And even though To Pluto and Beyond's cover features Kleh's cartoon face superimposed on a rocket, barreling through our solar system, there's some true introspection at the end of his odyssey across the stars.
"I'm outside the universe," Kleh sings on "Outside the Universe," the album's penultimate track. "I finally broke through / And now I'm looking back at you / There's a dot of light in the rearview/ And that's you."
Key Track: "Bon Voyage!" Why: A cross between a kids' song and an episode of "NOVA," the song features an egregious use of the word "Roger." Where: davekleh.bandcamp.com
(Self-released, digital)
Peter Bixby usually handles the low end, playing bass and singing for Burlington jam act the Aerolites. On Learn to Be Happy, he steps into the spotlight for his second solo record. Something of a concept album, its story centers on a man who is falsely diagnosed by his doctors and eventually sent to an alternate dimension that, the more he describes it over the LP's 10 tracks, sounds like the world we live in. "In this world justice does not exist and the only thing you can do is Learn To Be Happy!" Bixby writes on his Bandcamp page. For a record with such dark themes, Learn to Be Happy is a colorful, at times almost pop-leaning indie rock record with clever, nuanced songwriting. Even when the album pushes into jammier territories, such as the almost seven-minute-long "Find Me," the music stays intriguing enough to keep the narrative going.
Key Track: "Heal" Why: Bixby taps into a rich vein of Southern rock but keeps it fuzzed out. Where: peterbixby.bandcamp.com
(Self-released, digital)
Ruminations is an indie electronic and ambient project of Winooski-based musician and producer Greg Bonsignore. During the last few years and amid the global pandemic, Bonsignore operated as something of a nomad, living in no fewer than five different zip codes in 20 months. His original plan for Places Have Their Moments was a collaborative project with other writers and musicians, but, as the pandemic stretched on, he decided to finish the record himself. The result is a strange, angular collection of bedroom indie that feels almost dislocated. Bonsignore wrote on his Bandcamp page that he recorded the album largely in stolen moments as he moved up and down the country. Perhaps that's what gives the album such a bleary-eyed-at-2-a.m. type of cool. But Places Have Their Moments is suffused with a simultaneous sense of focus and abandon that makes it increasingly intriguing as it plays out.
Key Track: "Slow Motion Crossing" Why: Bonsignore channels Ultravox and Gary Numan with a glitchy, dark vibe. Where: ruminationsmusic.bandcamp.com
(Equal Eyes Records, digital)
South Burlington rapper and producer Freddie Losambe has put out thoughtful, nuanced music for more than a decade. Over his robust discography, Losambe displays wide-ranging songwriting ability, moving in and out of rock, folk and hip-hop yet never sacrificing his unique voice and storytelling style. With his latest LP, Estates of the Realm, Losambe shows off a more conceptual side. In the process, he crafts a brand of hip-hop that is full of deep introspection and a desire to educate with a through line of spirituality. There's a feel to the record of a man grappling with thorny societal issues, from addiction ("Bottom Shelf") to the gentrification of Black communities ("Block Leaders") to the consequences of turning the other cheek ("The Sword"). Losambe's lyrical deftness is on display throughout the record, though he also included a gorgeously designed lyric pamphlet with the digital release to give deeper insight into his verses. There are few, if any, rappers in the local scene putting out the kind of hip-hop Losambe is producing. Each aspect of Estates of the Realm reveals Losambe's artistry and high-level craftsmanship.
Key Track: "Future Past (ft. Robscure)" Why: Losambe delves into questions of faith with lyrics such as "I don't know why God insists on this soil keeping / A firm sense of guilt the only thing from keeping him leaking / Duty and death don't unlock the doors / they only booby trap the inside of the floors." Where: equaleyesrecords.bandcamp.com
(Self-released, digital)
Northern Vermont folk artist Fern Maddie released one of the best local EPs of 2020 with her dark, noir-tinged record North Branch River. She returns with her first full-length: the enticing Ghost Story. The record is a hybrid of sorts, featuring Maddie reworking a handful of traditional songs such as "The Maid on the Shore" and "Hares on the Mountain" alongside new originals. The traditional tunes "explore themes of courtship, sexual violence, and the power of women's voices," Maddie wrote by email. She also reworks traditional song "Ca' the Yowes" into a queer love story. Her own compositions stand proudly beside the traditional ones, showing a dynamic songwriter with a voice that moves between delicate and haunting with ease. Ace producer and musician Colin McCaffrey produced the record and plays bass, fiddle and viola.
Key Track: "You Left This" Why: Maddie pens a tribute to her late father, who was also a musician, and includes a sample of him playing piano. Where: fernmaddie.bandcamp.com
(Self-released, digital)
Vermont has seen its fair share of blues-tinged jam bands over the years — some good, some bad. It could be easy to dismiss newcomers All Night Boogie Band as just another collection of roots rockers hiding a love of Phish beneath a bluesy exterior. That would be a mistake. The young Burlington band has put out a record brimming with love for the blues, as well as hints of jazz and soul music. Taste These Blues, the band's debut, showcases guitarist Brenden Casey's strong and studious songwriting and lead singer Jessica Leone's powerful, soulful vocals. Over eight tracks, the band showcases impressive instrumental prowess but also hints at a strong live show. It's a compelling debut, full of character and promise.
Key Track: "Shake Your Money Maker" Why: The reinterpretation of the Elmore James classic features smoking-hot slide guitar work by Casey. Where: allnightboogieband.bandcamp.com
Tags: Album Review, Dave Kleh, To Pluto and Beyond, Peter Bixby, Learn to Be Happy, Freddie Losambe, Estates of the Realm, Fern Maddie, Ghost Story, All Night Boogie Band, Taste These Blues
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