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BACKGROUND
Artist Bio: Domestic Terminal is an indie rock band from Lake Forest, Illinois.
Genres: Indie-Rock, Emo, Alternative Rock
Band Lineup: Tim Hotchkiss: guitars, backing vocals / Jack Mancuso: lead vocals, additional guitars / Kyle Waggoner: bass, keys, backing vocals / Matt Ackman: drums
I caught up with Jack Mancuso and his fellow bandmates to discuss their debut album, their aspirations, and this little corner of the internet we call Sputnikmusic.
Tell us a little bit about the band — what’s the vibe like? Is it chill and laid back, or serious and meditative? Was there a lot of pressure to fashion a representative debut out of I Could See Midnight Sky, or was it treated as more of a sampler plate for ideas to see what worked out the best?
MATT: Out of all the bands I’ve been in, I’ve felt the least amount of pressure in this one. The meditative part of me comes out in the lyrics…
Hell has frozen over, Sputnikmusic has acknowledged singles as a legitimate artform, and Yeule has dropped a song we can dance to. From the comfort of our bedrooms. With or more likely without company. Under whatever concentration of serotonin. All. the. time.
Backed with a jungle beat courtesy of Danny L Harle, “Too Dead Inside” is as close as we’ve heard from Yeule to an upbeat pop song. The comatose dream pop they perfected on 2019’s Serotonin II is vaguely residual here, but it upends that album’s dissociated reverie into a more driving self-confrontation. Shock horror, it’s a dark one: too dead inside is less about getting lost in an apathetic wallow than scrutinising the root of that feeling as a coping mechanism for trauma.
Yeule’s vocals, typically indicative of some kind of digital ghost, take on a more urgent whisper-rap style throughout the verses, but they revert to a more familiar style as they hang every line in the chorus off the end of the one before. It’s like a waterpixelfall of uncertainty, and Yeule’s knack for keeping this kind of fragmentary delivery on personal footing is masterful. They also go above and beyond the call of duty by throwing in a surprise one-off prechorus before the second chorus that just so happens to contain the track’s most critical lyric (It’s not so hollow, I’m chasing […] my own shadow) and its best melody. Digression: count the number of pop-affiliates you’ve heard in the last five years who’ve done anything more with the space after their first chorus than copy/paste the same…
Where did this come from? Bad Omens – once a generic Bring Me the Horizon wannabe band – are set to drop their most ambitious album to date on February 24th; and they are poised to make, dare I say, the best core album in a very long time – if we’re judging The Death of Peace of Mind on its current string of singles. The eclectic spray of styles from this album’s line-up of promotional tracks is both eye-bulgingly impressive and exhilarating to behold. Not only is Noah taking his vocal capabilities to unprecedented levels, the band are taking their talents to new and exciting pastures. This is coming from someone who rolls his eyes at the flaccid state of metalcore, and generally avoids the style like the plague at this point. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel a sense of overwhelming excitement for this album’s potential and the good it will bring the genre as a whole if they pull it off.
Ironically, this is probably not the best single to showcase on the Sputnik Singles series, as I would consider it to be their weakest track from the four singles released thus far, showcasing the most derivative qualities of the band. However, with all of that said, “Like a Villain” still manages to be a bloody good song in its own right. I would concede that “Like a Villain” rides dangerously close to a BMTH track from the Sempiternal era, but I still think there’s enough…
Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking antics: Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.
Today we speak with the man with the pan: a gnarled veteran of the features tab and a primary culprit behind the Staff tab’s oversaturation of metal reviews. Is his bite as big as his boil? Please bow your heads and clean your kitchens for: Gnocchi/Nocte!
Hi.
Hi there Mr. _Well
What’s the time?
Ah, 4.44pm. I am sunburnt. The Ashes are on and I’m drinking sparkling shiraz.
Who are you?
It’s hard to pin down exactly. Mostly I just feel like an everyday Aussie who’s life rotates in three’s: work, family and food. “Who I am” seems like a deep dive especially when I’m really no one special, really.
Who are your people?
I have a family, so I guess they have to put up with my shit right? That would make them my people – but mostly I’ve forgotten how to make conversation with people face to face. Sure, I can have a professional conversation, getting things done that pertain to things that need to be done but when it comes down to it, dialogue between people I would make “my people”…awkward silences come easier than most lines.
Hello, and welcome to the first installment in a series of articles observing all things related to the musical past. If you have a suggestion for something you want to see covered in this series, feel free to drop it here.
–Clears throat obnoxiously, unwraps hard candy, and pushes glasses up from tip of nose —
I grew up a 90s kid, which means that most of my music-consuming life has been centered around the compact disc (CD). It’s strange for me to think that there are full grown adults today who have never owned one, but with streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Prime Music offering a nearly endless selection of songs – along with the emergence of numerous high quality digital file types – I can’t really claim that they’re missing out on much. In fact, listening to music is arguably easier and a better experience than it was at any other point in history. Technology has put the world at our fingertips, and that world includes a lot of music.
However, the experience of listening to music is wildly different than it used to be. In 2005, I remember waking up on a Tuesday (which is when new albums used to be released, particularly in the United States) and rushing out to buy Thrice’s Vheissu. I didn’t have my own car,so I had to bum a ride off my friend who was eager to…
Ah, Avril Lavigne – everyone’s favorite 2000s pop-punk star! Oh wait, it’s 2022? Well, you’d be forgiven for mixing up your decades, because Avril is once again revealing her pop-punk side in an ode-to-Green Day that all but cements just how much the world has actually passed her by.
Oh well, the world is overrated. Even though I (allegedly) enjoy music that is actually good from time to time, I still find it fun to indulge in very basic pop/pop-punk. It takes me back to a simpler time when bands like Yellowcard, Simple Plan, and Sum 41 were dominating MTV. In that sense, ‘Bite Me’ is a nice little nostalgia trip – it’s got punchy upbeat verses and a chorus so memorable that you’d think it was written by The Gaslight Anthem. It’s not a shining beacon of originality, but it’s got enough going on to be enjoyable – especially Travis Barker’s contributions on the drums.
Vocally, Avril pretty much continues doing her thing. She’s always possessed a good blend of melody and attitude, making her an ideal fit for these sort of quasi-rebellious anthems. For as much as I doubt that any true music aficionado takes Lavigne’s songwriting seriously — a prospect made all the more difficult by lines like “forever and ever, you’re gonna wish I was your wifey” — there’s still no shame in bobbing your head or tapping your feet to this. It’s shallow, face-value…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 21st of 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: January 21st, 2022 –
40 Watt Sun: Perfect Light
Genre: Slowcore / Doom / Post Rock Label: Cappio Records
Muse’s career has been a tale of two halves. From 1999’s Showbiz to 2006’s Black Holes & Revelations – a stretch that also included their best LPs in Origin of Symmetry and Absolution – the band was virtually unstoppable. They were one of the most technically skilled mainstream rock acts in the entire world, but they also demonstrated an uncanny knack for quality songwriting and memorable hooks. That formula made them irresistible to fans of guitar-driven alternative music, and they were able to garner even more widespread appeal thanks to their politically-driven lyrics, a Queen-like flair for the dramatic, and an ever-increasing commercial footprint.
Unfortunately, 2009’s The Resistance came along and things quickly fell apart. The album was a haphazard blend of new, poppier pursuits and attempts to pacify their original fanbase with half-baked riffs and watered down versions of previous hits. Some would argue that their target audience merely shifted, but in aiming for a more streamlined and profitable sound, they lost too much of their core appeal. In short, they chased the rabbit too far, and then continued for another decade after that: The 2nd Law was just as uneven of an experience, Drones – while marking a sincere attempt to return to their roots (‘Reapers’ and ‘The Handler’ are more than worthwhile) – still had two laughably bad songs for every tolerable one, and Simulation Theory – co-produced by Timbaland – finally pushed Muse to the…
Once again, out of sheer obsession and love for visual art, I have compiled my 100 favorite album covers of the year. Keep in mind that this list is not ranked in any way, instead ordered left to right by aesthetics, imagery, and framing, with an emphasis on color this year. There is so much great album artwork that was left on the cutting room floor, and I’m sure there is an even greater number of albums that I didn’t happen to catch. 100 seems like a lot until you have to start cutting it down! I hope you enjoy these covers as much as I do!
Click or tap the 10×10 grid to see 2021’s high-res image. To see 2020’s featurette, click or tap here. –neekafat
While progressive sludge metal might be a rather sparsely-inhabited sub-sub-genre, Dvne have assuredly claimed their kingship over its fertile lands with Etemen Ænka. Standing tall as an epic journey built upon the stones of crushing virtuosity and wizard-level songwriting festooned in ribbons of grandiose, this Edinburgh quintet have procured an especially astute amalgamation of poise and power with their sophomore LP.
Compared to their 2017 debut longplayer Asheran, the whole affair is noticeably tighter as it follows the story of a civilization’s journey through the centuries. The ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ production job helps these matters by offering a wide breadth for the myriad layers to breathe, and moreover, work in harmonious fashion to maximize the emotive gestures and unbelievably devastating heavy sections (think Cult of Luna’s Salvation here). There are parts, like the epic peak of “Sì-XIV”, that hit so fantastically hard you’d swear you can feel the tectonic plates below the soil shift to the movement of the riffs. It’s all very dynamic, with every player sounding loose and totally electrified as they tap into the very tactile power of the music they’re conjuring. Truly cohesive and utterly gripping through its entire runtime, this is prog for the peasantry and sludge for the sommeliers. –Evok
Here and Now sees Gates return with their first new music since 2016. Frankly, it’s like they never left, with the EP’s six songs residing firmly in the band’s sweet spot, ensconced in the lush middle of the triangle of post-rock, emo, and indie rock. It’s all good, although the staunchly post-rockian (that’s a word) intro “Out Of Nothing” and the melodious anthem “We Are” stand above the rest. If Here and Now doesn’t quite reach the quality level of the group’s two full-lengths, that’s quite OK. Hearing something new from these New Jersey boys is always a treat, especially given the long drought between releases. –Sunnyvale
Hello and welcome to 2021’s most satisfying “redemption arc” — in quotation marks because I don’t think any teen star with approximately zero creative control over her past output requires any ‘redemption’ whatsoever. Nonetheless, Rebecca Black Was Here managed to divert some of the attention Rebecca Black still gets from the 2011 single “Friday” to some genuinely good music. The new 20-minute project fully and successfully embraces PC music aesthetics, featuring metallic production and hooks for days. Black’s vocal performance suits the stylistic choices brilliantly, detailing unremarkable but well-written tales of maturity, love, and drama. The
Leave it to JPEGMAFIA to create hip-hop that’s equal parts abrasive, experimental, and just plain bold. I guess it comes as no surprise when looking at his list of influences, which includes artists as stylistically disparate as Kanye West, Bjork, MF DOOM, and even Hanson. However, LP! might just be the best record of his career thus far: the balance between accessibility and risk-taking is at its strongest here, leading to a record that never stays in one place — musically or emotionally — for too long. “Hazardous Duty Pay!” and “Tired, Nervous & Broke!” bring out the aggro side of JPEG perfectly and manage to be two of the biggest bangers he’s ever put out, but it’s impressive that he’s able to juxtapose these songs so well with more tender, melancholic moments. You’ve got the gospel-inspired “What Kinda Rappin’ is This?”, the low-key vibes of “Thot’s Prayer!”, and even a goddamn Animals as Leaders sample on “End Credits!”. Moreover, LP! can be seen as JPEG’s “fuck you” to the hip-hop industry, which is even more apparent on the ‘(Offline)’ version, which he considers “the true LP!“. LP! largely acts as a commentary on exploitation and favoritism, as well as JPEG’s disillusion with an industry that “never had my best interest at heart.” Really, it’s no wonder that he wanted to go all-out with LP!, and thankfully, he did. –Brendan Schroer
Here’s a list of major new releases from the week of January 14th of 2022. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases from January 14th, 2022 –
Aethereus: Leiden
Genre: Technical Death Metal Label: The Artisan Era
Anna von Hausswolff: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival
Genre: Classical, Experimental Label: Southern Lord Records
Although Lord Huron have been of note in indie folk circles for a while, the group’s fourth LP Long Lost really sees them come into their own. While still treading indie folk/Americana waters, here the band have moved into a much more lush sonic direction (think Honey Harper with a tinge of Ruston Kelly), while also leaning into classic country influences. While the country aspects of this record can feel like pastiche, they work, especially as it’s pretty clear that Lord Huron mastermind Ben Schneider is self-aware enough to understand he’s not Waylon Jennings. For listeners who, like most of my music-loving friends and I, are enthralled by forlorn old songs drenched in bourbon and steel guitar, this album is a godsend. Before the sunset haze of a lengthy ambient drone closer brings us home, Long Lost leaves us with the repeated mantra, “What does it mean if it all means nothing?” — a line that ultimately isn’t just a reflection on familiar tropes of long lost love and hard-drinking wandering songsmiths. More than anything, it’s a reminder that simple words can capture elusive and quite deep concepts. Now that’s a true country music tradition! –Sunnyvale
When you look at industrial as a genre, I don’t think it has an equal in terms of just how broad, vague and elusive it can be. On the one hand, the sounds pertaining to industrial are tangible, distinct, and inimitable; on the other hand, the genre has fragmented and infected so many other styles of music over the years, it gets to the point now where you wonder what prerequisites are required to even make an “authentic” industrial record anymore – if there is such a thing. I recently gave Skinny Puppy’s magnum opus Last Rights a spin; the jam had such a lasting felicity, it made me want to go through some of my favourite industrial albums again. After all, as some of you may well know, the genre is somewhat of a staple of mine, albeit one I tend to overlook these days – which is a shame, because in recent years, incidental or otherwise, industrial has been getting a resurgence that’s creeping back into the stratosphere (mainstream or otherwise) again. Bands and artists from all walks of life are implementing industrial’s cold, sterile drum snaps and dystopian electronic backdrops into their own styles of music – styles of music as far-reaching as pop, or the deepest crevasses of metal’s underbelly. So, if you’re new to this genre and you want some of my essential recommendations (for whatever they’re worth), grab a coffee and dive into the disparate world of industrial with the Doctor.…
