Faves of 2023: Elephants and Starts – Get Your Own Army

Why do some bands mean something to us? What is it about the sounds, the instruments, the lyrics… the whole of the sum of parts that resonate and make us care?

The appreciation of music is a complex and multifaceted experience that varies from person to person. There are several reasons why people care about certain music. Music has the power to evoke strong emotions and connect with people on a deep, personal level. Certain songs or genres may resonate with individuals based on their life experiences, memories, or current emotional states.

Elephants and Stars, the Canadian band led by singer and guitarist Manfred Stittmann and bassist Mike MacMillan, is a muscular blend of musical prowess and lyrical brilliance that captivates all who hear their songs. For us at YTAA, Elephants and Stars are a perfect band. Their sound transcends rock and roll boundaries, imagine fusing indie rock with catchy pop elements, creating an atmosphere that feels both familiar and refreshingly new. All too often today bands run screaming from power chords, danceable bass lines and crisp, solid drumming as if creating hooks in songs was wrong and to be avoided.

However, being limited is not a problem for Elephants and Stars! From album to album through the band’s impressive discography that was created in a few short years: “Recovery” (2020), “Dreamland” (2021), “Last Chance Power Drive” (2022) and “Get Your Own Army” (2023) — the band only becomes better and stronger at creating incredible melodies, passionate guitar driven tones, and powerful vocals that carry a sense of surreal and absurd on topics that matter such as relationships that fail no matter how much effort we extend in order to try and save them (“Bled Out At The Scene”) and the over powering sense of loneliness that accompanies being surrounded by distant, non-caring others (“Lost in New York City” and “Green Light to Pasadena”). As R.E.M. noted we are all “alone in a crowd, in the crowded barroom.”

One of the band’s standout qualities is their ability to craft melodies that linger in your mind long after the music stops. Each song feels like an intimate journey, a maze of personal introspection because their lyrics feel torn from our secret personal diaries, weaving through intricate layers of instrumentation while maintaining a sense of raw authenticity within a powered rock and roll framework. Stittmann’s hauntingly emotive voice adds depth and sincerity to the already evocative lyrics, drawing listeners into a world of introspection and contemplation all the while the music feels as if it is veering into the pathway of a runaway train; and that ride is thrilling all along the way. Going off the rails never felt so real and so good.

What truly sets Elephants and Stars apart from so many bands is their knack for personal storytelling through music. Their songs often explore themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, resonating with audiences on a deeply personal level — see our previous full review of their fantastic Get Your Own Army. Whether it’s an upbeat anthem or an emotional yet scratchy heartfelt voice, the band infuses every track on “Get Your Own Army” with an undeniable sincerity that tugs at the heartstrings and reminds us that we may be flawed but we are still worthy of care and concern.

Their live performances are nothing short of mesmerizing. The band’s chemistry on stage is palpable, creating an electric atmosphere that leaves the audience spellbound. Each member’s talent shines through, delivering a performance that is both technically impressive and emotionally stirring.

Overall, Elephants and Stars is a band that possesses the rare ability to transport listeners to another realm with their music. “Get Your Own Army” is a passionate continuation of the band’s efforts to make rock and roll songs that matter, that mean something. Their songs have a resonating personal and timeless quality that makes them instantly relatable yet endlessly captivating within a classic rock and roll approach. With their distinctive sound and genuine artistry, Elephants and Stars have undoubtedly secured a place among the most promising rock and roll bands today. For all of these reasons and more, this music spoke to us at Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative and is one of our favorite releases of 2023.

Rocking The Year Away: Simon Powell

October 11, 2023 your tuesday afternoon alternative Best Of Bled Out at the Scene, Elephants and Stars, Full Moon Fever, John Peel, Latent, Liv., Matt Derda & The High Watts, Mike Bankhead, Moonshine, Route, Simon Powell, Son Volt, The Heron, Van Plating, We Met in Paris, Will Payne Harrison

Notes from a small island.

Finally, Autumn’s here (or ‘Fall’ as I believe my colonial chums prefer it!) and we’re back into the proper ‘grown up’ seasons. No more adverts with teeth-whitened, permatanned ‘eejits’ enquiring whether you’re body’s ‘beach ready’ in the accusative tone that suggests they’re talking about the latest pod of whales that’s lost its way and floundered! At last, we’re into the introspective comfort zone – the time of chilly dusks, open fires, unfashionable knitwear, and the thought of the rapidly approaching festive season.

Growing up in the UK in the early 90s, that glorious slide into Christmas and the New Year inevitably meant starting to ponder what John Peel would be including in his end-of-year ’Festive 50’ of favorite musical offerings from the preceding 12 months. After what seems to have been a particularly bountiful year so far, I was starting to mull over just that question; “What have been my songs/records of the year so far?” And, as happenstance would have it, this same quandary was also exercising the inestimable Dr J.

Thus, following a brief bit of Twitter banter, I found myself landed with some homework! I mean, I know in the ‘social media’ age everything’s more interactive, but I certainly didn’t foresee being set an assignment from my favorite DJ! So, buckle up, strap in, or just assume the brace position as we careen towards what I’m going to pompously call my ‘Festive Fiasco’! And if this doesn’t get me Magna Cum Laude in Rock ‘N Roll then harsh words will be had.

Anyway, enough of the waffle and down to business! Whilst it would be easy to dash off a massive list of all the songs that have really made a mark for me this year, I thought I’d try and just pick the five that have resonated the most. So, in no particular order, here goes…

1a. – Son Volt – Route (from the ‘Trace’ LP). Yes, I’m well aware this first surfaced in the mid-90s. But this is my post, so I make the rules. Capiche?! Anyway, my justification is that Dr. J played this on Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative the other week and, frankly, everyone needs a bit of Jay Farrar in their lives. To my mind, he’s got an uncanny ability to make the listener empathize with the protagonist/antagonist in his songs, which leads us neatly onto…

1b. – Matt Derda & The High Watts – Moonshine. In a similar vein to Farrar, Matt Derda’s got the enviable ability to summon up characters that inhabit his songs in 3D, with fully rounded lives. None more so than the back woods distiller/bootlegger who’s the subject of ‘Moonshine’, originally featured in his 2022 ‘You Didn’t Know’ release. Whereas the album version can be thought of in terms of a widescreen, technicolor ‘family matinee’, the opening track from the gratefully received ‘The Law Office’ Live EP is the full John Woo ‘X-rated’ ketchup splatterer. Due in no part to young Derda’s blistering guitar work. More please!

2. Mike Bankhead – Latent. Ok, could easily have gone with the beautiful ‘Mont Blanc Massif’ from Mike’s project with Ruth Fawcett (Yeah! Up the Brits!), ‘We Met In Paris’, but just had to go with this barnstormer from the ‘I Am Experienced’ EP. Casting the mind back, I’ve got a feeling that the first episode of ‘Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative’ that I caught featured Mike in session and that’s why this one’s probably stuck with me. Regardless, you just can’t argue with the driving riff and barely contained fury/disdain that Mike brings with the lyrics. Definitely get the impression that, if it wasn’t in polite company, this song would happily take you outside and give you a proper kicking by the stage door. Proper punk in my book. This brings me to my next pick…

3. Elephants & Stars – Bled Out At The Scene. The first salvo from their awe-inspiring ‘Get Your Own Army’ EP, which features more hooks than a pirate convention. Whilst featuring riffs that’d strip the paint off a battleship at 1,000 yards, there’s a real delicacy in the lyrics, that mourn the seemingly inevitable dissolution of a relationship. No anger, no accusations, just helplessly observing the inevitable. Which, inadvertently, segues neatly to my next pick.

4. Will Payne Harrison (feat. Liv.) – Full Moon Fever (from the ‘Tioga Titan’ Deluxe edition LP). If I was given an award for ‘Single of the Year’, then I think that this would definitely be somewhere in the top one. Unlike ‘Bled Out At The Scene’, this haunting beauty delicately documents the end of an affair with two parts regret, three-part recrimination, and a good dash of whisky in the face. Will’s deft lyricism and stripped-back musicianship are heartrendingly brought to life thanks to the vocal contribution of Liv., whose delivery here is nothing less than immaculate. Whilst the prevailing rule may be that ‘earworm’ tends to refer to more upbeat, ‘poppy’ numbers, this one sticks with you and you can’t help but find yourself humming along to it as you go about your day. A classic? Well, you tell me?

5. Van Plating – The Heron. To be totally transparent, I could quite happily have picked any and all tracks from Van’s new record, ‘Orange Blossom Child’, for my ‘best of the year’ so far. It really is the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of records, from sumptuous stompers like the title track (featuring the aforementioned Mr Harrison on Killer Axe), through to the more delicate numbers like ‘Joshua’ that tug the heartstrings as deftly as the most practiced of pickpockets. However, for me, it’s this debut single that just demands attention. It’s not so much a song as the soundtrack to a songwriter’s life, where you just need to close your eyes and you’re utterly immersed in her environment. And yet, like all superstars (and I’m absolutely convinced that we’re lucky enough to be witnessing ‘one of our own’ heading ineffably towards the ‘big leagues’), The Heron wisely counsels that whilst we mere mortals can look, we’re not getting to the other side of the velvet rope. In the third verse, Van sings, “Looking for a hint to come my way. A billboard I could stand on.” And there’s a sense of inevitability about it. Some folks just belong on that billboard, and I’m convinced Van Plating is next in the queue. And if there’s one thing we Brits know about it’s queuing!

Cheers!!

Rock and Roll Lives!

September 22, 2023September 22, 2023 your tuesday afternoon alternative New Music Bled Out at the Scene, Canadian Rock and Roll, Dreamland, Elephants and Stars, Get Your Own Army, Gimme Ketamine, Last Chance Power Drive, New Music, Recovery, Rock and Roll Lives, Rock Music

Elephants and Stars have put out an impressive array of albums in a few short years — Recovery (2020), Dreamland (2021), Last Chance Power Drive (2022) and Get Your Own Army (2023) — and have already made a meaningful impact to rock and roll with their incredible body of work. This Toronto-based band is like a supernova in the making, bursting onto the scene with a sound that’s as expansive and enthralling as the night sky. Elephants And Stars is the third project formed around the long-running creative partnership of Manfred Stittmann and bassist Mike MacMillan, both of whom also formed the core of the late-90s/early-2000s groups Soap Opera and The First Time. The band has consistently delivered well-crafted songs with catchy melodies and thoughtful lyrics.

In the tradition of the great melodic rock and roll and New Wave bands of the ’70s and ’80s, Elephants and Stars takes us on a voyage of emotional release through their latest ‘Get Your Own Army‘. Their sonic palette is a rich tapestry woven with elements of rock, new wave, power pop, psychedelia, and folk, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly contemporary, a task that is hard to do in an authentic way. From the opening chords to the final fade-out, this album is a rollercoaster ride of musical nostalgia and contemporary innovation that illustrates that a music group can be versatile while delving into various musical styles. The band’s name itself suggests a blend of the colossal and the celestial, and their music lives up to this cosmic promise in perfect melodies that sway around deep storytelling and powerful lyrics.

The album kicks off with a thunderous guitar riff that immediately grabs your attention, setting the tone for what’s to come. “Gimme Ketamine,” is a true rock and roll track that grabs the listener and refuses to let go. Lead vocalist Stittman’s voice is a force of nature, akin to the gravitational pull of a black hole, drawing listeners into the band’s orbit. The instrumentation, featuring muscular guitar work, bouncing rhythms, and Cars-like synths, provides the perfect sonic backdrop for the band’s passions.

Throughout the album, the musicianship is outstanding. The guitars shred through parts large and small. The solos are played with precision and passion, while the rhythm section provides a solid foundation that keeps the songs grounded. One of the standout tracks is “Green Lights to Pasadena,” a sprawling epic that stretches the boundaries of the rock road song. It is a reflection on travel, perhaps personal, that takes the listener on a sonic adventure through landscapes of longing for effort and feeling lost: “We try until we don’t / Just die a little more.” The band’s musicianship shines here, with each member contributing to a propulsive and immersive sonic gestalt, everything mixed together with just a pinch of chaos. And you may find yourself swaying despite your resistance.

While Elephants and Stars draws inspiration from the past, they infuse their music with a modern sensibility and directness that keeps it from feeling like a mere nostalgia trip. Tracks like “Bled Out at the Scene” and “How Can It Be?” blend vintage influences with contemporary production techniques, creating a sound that’s both timeless, cutting-edge and so damn catchy. How often do we want to sing along to the slow realization of the death of a relationship?

“Get Your Own Army” is not just an album; it’s a sonic voyage through the heart of relationships viewed through a rock and roll lens. Elephants and Stars have crafted another fantastic record that showcases their immense talent and promises even greater rock and roll adventures in the future even while singing about the end, “On Your Deathbed (I wonder what you’ll think about).” With their captivating sound and down-to-earth vision, this Canadian band is poised to shine brightly in the ever-expanding universe of rock music with the simple realization that rock music lives.