New Music Report (Neil Ciceriega, Greg Puciato, The Neighborhood)

I'm pretty convinced that at least two of these albums I'm talking about are Album Of The Year material.

Neil Ciceriega - Mouth Dreams

I really wasn't expecting this album. I'd previously discussed the last 3 "Mouth" mashup albums both here and on The Tim Gavin Show and they're all fantastic pieces of art in their own right and made me want to revisit the source material. This album is even better than the last three. Just when I thought that Neil Ciceriega couldn't top himself in the mashup department he goes and releases this masterpiece. It's even more strange and ambitious than his last outings in the Mouth Project, and even more well produced. It sounds more clear, and more sonically pleasing to the ear. I feel like I can't even talk about the individual tracks themselves without spoiling anything for you. Here is the full album, listen to it all the way through and don't skip over any parts. This album is one of a few things that has kept 2020 from being totally bad for me.

Greg Puciato - Child Soldier: Creator of God

Even with The Dillinger Escape Plan breaking up at the end of 2017; Greg Puciato has kept himself very busy, and flexed all of his musical talents even more in recent years. Both as the Frontman for Synthwave/ Dark Pop trio "The Black Queen", and as a Guitar Player/ Co-Lead singer for Metal Supergroup "Killer Be Killed" (Sharing Vocal Duties with Max Cavalera and Troy Sanders). If you're a fan of both his Metal and Electronic sides, you're going to melt over this album. It combines the dark, synthy, sexiness of The Black Queen with the White-Hot intensity and rage of The Dillinger Escape Plan. In fact, parts of this album bring in former Dillinger/Coheed and Cambria drummer Chris Penne and Killer Be Killed's drummer Ben Kohler. Otherwise the rest of the instruments are all performed by Greg himself. The album manages to be solid, catchy, and thematically coherent despite not committing to any specific genre. The album is coming to all streaming services later this week; but I posted a bandcamp link so you can buy the album.

The Neighborhood - Chip Chrome and The Monotones

Indie darlings, The Neighborhood are having a Bowie moment on this album, singer Jesse Rutherford was heavily inspired by Bowies "Ziggy Stardust" character when coming up with Chip Chrome, and manages to create a distinct personality that doesn't lean on that influence too much. A pretty big departure from their other music, this one brings in brighter pop sounds, an R&B feel to it, and it has a very upbeat vibe to it. I talked about one of the songs featured on the latest episode of "The Tim Gavin Show" and I really dug it. I listened to this album in full while I wrote the rest of this article and it felt like a great match for this beautiful Monday Morning. This is great stuff both for longtime fans, and newcomers. I just wish it was a little longer, also "The Monotones" interlude at the halfway point of this album sounds a lot like "Good In Bed" by Dua Lipa.