The Indie Artist Podcast

Write up in The Indie Artist Podcast, the guys were also good enough to include me in their podcast, episode 5, which you can listen to here:

http://theindieartistpodcast.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/episode-five-god-gave-rock-and-roll-to-you/

"So when I write these things I do as much research as I can, I check the band’s facebook, they’re tumblr, maybe stalk a few tweets. I’ll read past interviews or even see what other reviewers thought…sometimes bands have all this stuff, sometimes I have to do more with less…while reading up on If This Is A Man, I stumbled across several review sites, but was disappointed to see they only really take the time to write 50-100 words on any given artist. They blurb it. So simple. So concise. And in the end people are still checking out the album’s blurbed on. Maybe I’m wasting everyone’s time with these long reviews, making more work out of a relatively simple concept…if I am I apologize…I suppose if you’re not into it though then you wouldn’t be here, so apology rescinded(except to Jon White of ITIAM, apologies for venting when I should be reviewing). But anyway, If This Is A Man marks The Indie Artist Podcast‘s first international submission, what a monumental occasion! The project is a solo endeavor of Jon White from Staffordshire, whose 8/9/11 release “Random Acts of Kindness Have Saved Lives” is a 9-song shoegaze/psycha/indie release, showcasing ethereal guitar work and White’s subtle vocal style. I really respect the fact that he performed and recorded the whole thing, I’ve done the lonesome bedroom recording thing, and there are definitely moments that make you feel like you’re slowly going crazy. White does well though, in creating a very distinct sound for himself. I think the vocals on the album, while setting him apart, could use a little work, not so much with the way he sings them but in the production; a little more volume, a little less effect. The foundation is there and I can see the dream-like quality of them, but I think they miss the mark just a bit. He also manages to incorporate a large mix of guitar/piano/bass/synth and software base instruments throughout the album, giving it a nice full feel, while staying musically engaging. This production method works perfectly on the track “Networking”, which replaces White’s vocals with samples from the 1976 film Network. The album is undeniably centered on a very specific production sensibility and at times I find myself wishing for a little more variety, but overall If This Is A Man is definitely worth a listen, and I’m interested to see what he does with his next album."

http://theindieartistpodcast.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/if-this-is-a-man-pondhopper/

By If This Is A Man with No comments