Desu Taem opens “Riding in the Heat” with scorched guitar tones, dry snare hits, and a bassline that lurches like overheated machinery. The production stays lean. No polish. Piano accents drift beneath ragged acoustic strums while layered vocal harmonies hover behind the mix, adding ghostly tension. Shan and Nick Greene avoid modern compression tricks, favoring roomy drum resonance and stubborn amplifier hiss instead. That decision gives the record an uncomfortable pulse, especially during slower passages where every cymbal scrape hangs heavily.
Shan Greene delivers each line with exhausted restraint, sounding less theatrical than genuinely worn down by endless sun and empty highways. Nick Greene supports the vocals with clipped harmonies that never soften the isolation threaded through the lyrics. The mood feels dusty, sleepless, and emotionally cornered. Several phrases repeat with deliberate irritation, creating a numb rhythm that mirrors the narrator’s trudging movement. Rather than aiming for sentimental catharsis, the band leans toward stark observation, allowing silence between chords to underline the loneliness buried inside every verse.
In a crowded revivalist market filled with algorithm-friendly country rock, “Riding in the Heat” sounds stubbornly human. Its rough textures and unfashionable patience separate it from cleaner. Americana releases chasing streaming traction. The album works best when the duo trusts sparse arrangements and lets tension simmer without explosive payoffs. One recurring weakness appears in the pacing, since several midtempo sections blur together before the closing stretch arrives. Still, Desu Taem delivers a record that values friction, personality, and grime over precision, a rarity.
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“Path to Wrath” opens with a jagged wall of electric guitars and compressed low end pressure. Dry snare hits cut through the mix with mechanical precision, driving a mid-tempo pulse at 97 BPM. Analog synth grit flickers beneath the guitars, adding unstable texture rather than polish or shine. Production leans toward raw density. No excess gloss. Layers collide instead of blending smoothly, giving each instrument a confrontational edge in the stereo field. Everything feels intentionally unrefined yet controlled. Mix prioritizes impact over clarity here unfolds.
Desu TaemThe vocal delivery sits low and strained, shaped more by pressure than polish. Lyrical focus circles regret and escalation, where anger compounds into self-inflicted collapse rather than release. Lines repeat with mantra-like urgency, tightening the mood instead of offering resolution. Layered vocal harmonies occasionally surface, but they are buried under distortion and feedback-heavy edges. Performance feels less like storytelling and more like a controlled outburst locked in rhythm. Nick Greene’s delivery emphasizes grit over melody, reinforcing the track’s harsh emotional framing without relief present here.
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Within today’s heavy rock scene, DESU TAEM positions “Path to Wrath” as a deliberate rejection of modern polish. It aligns closer to underground metal traditions, where dry snare hits and analog synth grit replace commercial sheen. The record’s strength lies in its consistency of mood and refusal to soften edges for accessibility. However, occasional structural repetition limits dynamic range, making certain passages feel predictable despite strong instrumental execution and aggressive tonal design across extended sections of the album overall feel.
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DESU TAEM opens “Wood Chipper Freddy” with brute-force momentum and basement-club grime. Dry snare hits crack sharply. Guitars scrape like rusted machinery. Shan and Nick Greene stack hard-rock riffs against punk-speed drumming, while distorted basslines keep everything unstable. The production avoids polish completely. Analog amp hiss bleeds between transitions, creating pressure instead of comfort. Even the quieter moments twitch nervously beneath the surface. At 103 BPM, the record stomps forward with bruised confidence, sounding like a late-night garage session accidentally detonating inside an abandoned factory.
Shan Greene delivers vocals with rough conviction rather than theatrical aggression. His voice drags across the mix. Nick Greene answers with tighter backing phrases and layered vocal harmonies that briefly steady the chaos before another collision arrives. The lyrics paint damaged figures wearing scars like medals, refusing pity from outsiders or authority figures. That attitude gives “Wood Chipper Freddy” its stubborn personality. The mood feels rebellious, exhausted, and strangely triumphant simultaneously, especially when the hooks emerge from walls of distortion without softening the emotional tension underneath.
Within modern rock, DESU TAEM occupies an unusual position between nostalgic hard-rock worship and self-aware punk abrasion. Few contemporary releases sound this committed to physical noise and imperfection. “Wood Chipper Freddy” succeeds because it refuses calculated coolness. Still, several choruses repeat longer than necessary, reducing the impact of otherwise explosive arrangements. Even so, the project stands apart from algorithm-friendly alternative releases by valuing grit, danger, and personality above technical precision or commercial restraint. That stubbornness remains its sharpest weapon.
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DESU TAEM opens “Which Part of NO Didn’t You Understand?” with jagged guitar distortion, twitching analog synth grit, and dry snare hits that sound deliberately boxed inside cramped speakers. Nothing settles comfortably here. The tempo races hard. Drums crack without reverb, while bass frequencies grind beneath the mix like machinery dragging across concrete. Shan and Nick Greene avoid polished modern rock textures, choosing abrasive layering instead. Small production details matter most, especially the clipped transitions and sudden electronic pulses interrupting otherwise familiar punk structures throughout.
Nick Greene delivers each line with clenched restraint rather than theatrical rage, giving the chorus an exhausted, late-night hostility that lingers after the final refrain disappears. The repeated question feels accusatory, yet strangely defensive. Shan Greene’s layered vocal harmonies briefly soften the tension before another wave of distortion tears through the arrangement. There is no emotional release. That decision works. The lyrics describe failed communication without romanticizing emotional collapse, and the band wisely avoids melodrama. Instead, frustration accumulates slowly, turning every repeated phrase into another crack spreading across already fractured glass.
Within today’s overcrowded alternative rock scene, DESU TAEM succeeds by sounding stubbornly unfashionable, borrowing classic heavy rock instincts without becoming trapped inside nostalgia. The project refuses algorithmic neatness. That stubbornness gives the record personality. Some listeners, however, may find the constant compression fatiguing during longer listens, particularly when the synth textures and guitars collide simultaneously. Still, “Which Part of NO Didn’t You Understand?” delivers something uncommon: tension, ugly texture, and conviction without artificial sentimentality.
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DESU TAEM opens “Crazy Bitch Addict” with scorched guitars, dry snare hits, and bass lines that grind like machinery. The production stays cramped. Cymbals hiss. Analog synth grit hangs behind the chorus while jagged acoustic strums cut through the distortion. Shan and Nick Greene favor pressure over polish, building a mix that feels boxed inside a rehearsal basement. That claustrophobic edge gives the track its pulse. At ninety five beats per minute, the groove lurches forward, refusing release while every instrument competes aggressively for space.
The vocal delivery avoids screaming and instead leans into exhausted agitation. Shan Greene sounds cornered, conversational during the verses, before stretching syllables into ragged hooks beneath layered vocal harmonies. The lyrics paint obsession like chemical dependence rather than romance, especially through images involving leashes, razor blades, and repeated relapse. Nick Greene’s backing vocals add tension instead of comfort, creating a push and pull that mirrors the song’s unstable center. The atmosphere remains restless, bitter, and strangely hypnotic across quieter transitional passages.
“Crazy Bitch Addict” fits comfortably beside alternative rock releases chasing rawness instead of algorithm friendly perfection. DESU TAEM understands dynamic friction. The track swings between punk abrasion and melodic structure without sounding nostalgic or calculated. Few current independent rock acts commit to rough textures and emotional ugliness. Still, the chorus occasionally repeats one phrase too many times, slightly weakening the final stretch. Even so, the single stands as a sharp reminder that messy, confrontational rock music still carries weight within a sanitized mainstream market.
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DESU TAEM opens “Assbite Mania” with blown-out guitars, dry snare hits, and bass tones that lurch like damaged machinery. The production stays intentionally abrasive. Cymbals crack hard. Riffs scrape against each other. Analog amp grit leaks through nearly every chorus, while the drums shove the record forward with primitive force. Shan and Nick Greene avoid polished compression, favoring room noise, clipped feedback, and sudden tempo shifts instead. The result feels claustrophobic yet strangely physical, like a basement performance transmitted through torn speakers during a midnight riot. Short hooks appear briefly, then disappear beneath another collapsing wall of distortion.
Vocally, the project rejects polish and restraint. Shan Greene snarls with a low-register rasp, while Nick Greene fires back with nervous harmonies and half-spoken taunts. Their exchanges create constant friction. The lyrics spiral through bizarre nightlife images, reckless movement, and confused aggression without sounding theatrical. One moment suggests drunken comedy; the next sounds genuinely hostile. That unstable mood gives Assbite Mania its identity. Layered vocal doubles and abrupt gang shouts intensify the panic, especially when the rhythms suddenly slow before another distorted eruption.
In a crowded punk revival scene, DESU TAEM sounds less interested in nostalgia than confrontation. The project favors ugly textures over fashionable precision, which separates it from cleaner alternative rock releases. “Assbite Mania” thrives on instinct, volume, and familial chemistry rather than technical perfection. Still, several transitions feel unnecessarily abrupt, interrupting momentum during the middle stretch. Even so, the record delivers savage retro rock without softening its rough edges.
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With Ultimate Pretenders, Memory Men take a clear step forward from their debut album Kingdom of Doubts. Released less than a year into the band’s journey, this six-track EP captures a group still finding its voice—but doing so with intention, curiosity, and emotional honesty.
Recorded in a home setting and self-produced, Ultimate Pretenders doesn’t try to hide its DIY origins. Instead, it leans into them. The production remains raw, but noticeably more controlled than on their earlier work, allowing the songs to breathe while leaving space for future refinement. There’s a sense that Memory Men are learning how to trust their instincts—less urgency to prove themselves, more focus on expression. , the EP explores self-awareness, doubt, and authenticity, themes that feel fitting given the band’s early stage. The writing avoids strict formulas, opting instead for direct, sometimes vulnerable reflections. This approach gives the songs a conversational quality, as if the listener is being let in on unfinished thoughts rather than polished conclusions. While not every line lands with equal weight, the sincerity behind the words is unmistakable.
Musically, Ultimate Pretenders balances restraint with ambition. The arrangements are simple but thoughtful, hinting at influences without fully committing to a single sound. At times, this restraint works in the EP’s favor, creating intimacy; at others, it suggests potential waiting to be unlocked—stronger dynamics, bolder structures, and sharper production choices could elevate future releases. Ultimately, Ultimate Pretenders feels like a transitional record—and that’s not a weakness. It documents a band actively shaping its identity, unafraid to be heard before everything is fully figured out. Memory Men may still have room to grow, but this EP proves they’re asking the right questions, and more importantly, they’re willing to listen to the answers.
With GIOMANÈ, his fifth studio album, Gianfranco GFN delivers a work that feels lived-in, expansive, and deeply musical. Developed over two years between Switzerland and Côte d’Ivoire, the album embodies a rare sense of organic warmth, embracing groove not as a stylistic choice but as a way of being. This is not a record chasing relevance — it’s one that arrives fully formed, confident in its own language. At the heart of GIOMANÈ is GIAZZ!, GFN’s personal fusion of groove, soul, acid-jazz, funk, pop, and blues. The sound is fluid and vibrant, driven entirely by live performances and real interaction between musicians. With 13 original tracks and the involvement of 15 players, the album breathes like a collective experience rather than a studio construction. There is no polish for its own sake, no digital gloss — just texture, rhythm, and human presence.
What stands out most is the album’s emotional clarity. Each track tells a story drawn from everyday life: love, movement, discovery, memory. The lyrics, written by GFN alongside his collaborators, avoid slogans or moral instruction. There is no political agenda, no overt message to decode — only a sincere invitation to listen, feel, and connect. That restraint gives the album its strength, allowing meaning to emerge naturally through sound and atmosphere. The groove remains central throughout the record, but GIOMANÈ never feels repetitive. Subtle shifts in rhythm, tone, and arrangement keep the journey engaging, reflecting the album’s geographic and cultural crossings. The influence of African rhythms blends seamlessly with European soul sensibility, reinforcing the album’s sense of openness and movement.
Released officially on November 28, 2024, with a live launch in Biel/Bienne, GFN’s hometown, the album feels particularly well-suited to the stage — a quality already evident in its recording. As GFN prepares to bring GIOMANÈ on tour with The Mystery Band, the album stands as both a destination and a departure point: a fully realized statement that promises even greater energy in a live setting. GIOMANÈ is a reminder of what happens when music is allowed to be human again — warm, imperfect, joyful, and deeply alive.