I have a penchant for socially conscious bands. Somehow the music and lyrics let us all experience just a bit more of the human condition. From the plight of 20th Century Ireland voiced by U2′s War album and Black 47′s “James Connolly”. To The Housemartins’ “Caravan of Love” becoming an anthem for the striking coal miners of northern England and their railings against the British monarchy in the album The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death. To The Farm’s “All Together Now” heralding the soldiers of World War I who took a break from the trenches of war to play some footie on Christmas Day. And even to Chumbawamba’s anarchist bent. I could keep going, but I want to talk about a new band to add their voice to the amalgam of social ideals.
Froglix is pleased to add to The Big Mix two (2) tracks from The Wheel Workers debut album Unite. The Wheel Workers consist of Steven Higginbothom (vox, guitar, ukelele), Jason Williams (bass), Craig Wilkins (guitar, keyboard), Allison Wilkins McPhail (keyboard, vocals, theremin), and Jason Carmona (drums). Their sound ranges from alternative pop to folk to rock. And their music and lyrics will go from the atmosphere of a ragtime band on Bourbon Street to a fight for the proletariat against Wall Street.
My favorite track from the album is probably “Stereomad”. Steven’s steady and smooth delivery perfectly juxtaposes against the slightly ephemeral quality of Allison’s voice, over the backdrop of masterfully crafted alt-pop tunage. “The MOP” carries the sentiment of all who have a minimum wage job on their résumé typified with the lyric “let’s kick out the bosses and run it our way”. Now I’ve held both minimum wage jobs and “professional” jobs, and I think that desire is universal. I’ve even felt that way when I’ve worked for myself.
There are a bunch of other standout tracks. I’ve had the hardest time trying to pinpoint what “Open Door” sounds most like, maybe something like The Klaxons?? The middle of the album holds tunes perfect for an afternoon daydream in songs like “Spidermazes” and “Soft”. They kick it back up a notch right at the end with the stellar “The Seal and Whale”.
Grab the album for yourself…
And apparently their sophomore album is slated to come out this summer, so look for that on here as well.
- DMitch
We can learn a lot about ourselves in the face of tragedy. And forgive me for using this as a platform to disseminate my own personal feelings. Last Wednesday tornadoes ripped through my community. And we were not alone. Dozens and dozens of communities, towns, cities and counties got hit hard. A few hundred dead, a few thousand injured. Whole homes and lives literally swept away by the wind. A couple of tornadoes came within a couple miles on either side of me and my family. My home was spared, and for that I am incredibly thankful. Going without electricity through 5 nights was a very minor inconvenience compared to the loss many others have suffered.
So what I’m about to share now is utterly trivial. But yesterday evening I just had to listen to music. Since the storms hit, the radio had been dedicated to solely informational purposes. And I didn’t want to waste my iPhone’s battery on anything other than it’s communications abilities. But last night I went out to my deck, plugged my headphones in, and went searching for something that would both soothe me and satiate my musical hunger. I turned straight to my good friend 