The Bils
Past Masters: Volume 1
Independent (2018)
The Bils are Bil and Michelle Bilson, a husband-wife duo that play laid back rock schooled by classic duets. Depending which paragraph of their press sheet you’re reading, they are either named “The Bils” or “The Bil’s.” For the sake of continuity, I’ll match the album art and call them The Bils.Bil is a veteran of The Sunnyboys and he and his wife have long enjoyed music together, though it took a long time to release an actual record, which is why they gave it a tongue-in-cheek title of Past Masters: Volume 1. It’s also a nod to The Beatles, and that reference gives a clue to the era that The Bils take influence from. The record is calm and tonal, drawing inspiration from the ethereal pop of yesterday and building songs off the interplay between Bil’s baritone voice and Michelle’s sultry, somewhat countrified match. The duet angle works best when they adopt darker, somber emotions as in “Deep in Blue” or “Summer Nights” with touching harmonies that explore the inner search for meaning, though they spend at least as much energy working on country-fueled ballads of relationships. Those have less impact, as stories of seduction like “Your Man” feel … Read more
Dinosaur Eyelids
Left Turn on Red
Independent (2017)
Dinosaur Eyelids may have an bizarre moniker (where did they come up with it?) but their music is far from … Read more
Chain Cult
Demo 2018
La Vida Es Un Mus Discos Punk (2018)
I don’t know much about Chain Cult – and sometimes that’s a good thing coming into a band. Instead of … Read more
Orphanage Named Earth
Re-Evolve
Dilapidated Records (2018)
Orphanage Named Earth is Polish band that plays romantic crust. I'll explain later on what to expect, but let me … Read more
