Welcome to The Underground (or Notes from the Underground if you’re a Dostoyevsky nerd), a weekly segment in which I examine the very best in unsigned, undiscovered and underground music. It’s my goal to highlight and hopefully promote talented artists who have yet to receive the attention they deserve. If you know (or are!) a band or artist you think should be featured on The Underground, please give them a shout out in the comments section below, or alternatively you can tweet me their info @AnOrangeFellow.
With teary eyes, callused fingers, a travelled mind, a pocket full of bittersweet memories and a heart full of kickass tunes, I return to my complicated, beloved pet project.
Welcome one and all, to The Underground, series two!
We return to the show with Building Rockets’ latest release, Songs from a Bowery Opera House EP recorded in Austin, Texas. Building Rockets are a rock/pop band whose influences shine through loud and clear; the Bowery EP springs to life with flares of 60s rock, bluegrass and modern pop to deliver a charming and catchy first impression.
It’s a sound that focuses on rhythm, with (admittedly) flat vocals filling the songs with iambic pentameter, while being pleasantly carried along by constant rolling percussion. There are solos abound, however! The Bowery EP features some nice guitar work which really helps to break up the songs into easily digestible chunks. Each of the six songs on the EP stand out, and while Building Rockets have a clearly recognizable sound, they did well to mark each track with its own individual character.
The EP also boasts significant if somewhat clandestine lyrics. It’s hard not to sing along to the chorus of “Oh Eliza, how I wept at your curtain call” in the EP’s self-titled closing track, “Song from a Bowery Opera House”. The lyrics walk the perfect line between being both personal and clearly defined enough to resonate. It’s a talent Building Rockets have that make the Bowery EP feel especially warm. I think Building Rockets will come to be known as a band that’s easy to love.
You listen to and buy (at your own dang price!) the Songs from a Bowery Orchestra EP right here.
I have plenty to listen to for coming episodes of The Underground, but please feel free to share any bands, artists or thoughts in the comments!
Let’s Be Friends!