Thursdays with J.R. is our new weekly column from lifelong musician and lifelong-er music fan J.R. McIntire, drummer of Arctic Char and multi-instrumentalist on more projects than we have bandwidth to list.
This week I was lucky enough to spin the new single “Spiral” from the Death Hags. It’s a dreamy yet driving song that leaves you wanting more. (Luckily there is a great deal of Death Hag content on their Bandcamp if you feel the way I do, and you will). I always go in drums first, its my curse. The drums are dry and tight with a driving four on the floor beat that never lets up or gets too busy. When you expect
large hits of treble laden cymbals they simply aren’t there, the mix gives that honor to the reverb-
soaked vocals who nail the part. The vocal mix is front-forward and pleasing to the ear (especially in
headphones). Guitar is spot on tone wise and muted when pertinent. Nothing really goes over the
edge, just gets to the ledge, and begs the ear for the next track. Leaves you wanting more. The bass
mixes well (synth or analog) and keeps the drive on the road and keeps it smooth. (Don’t worry I car tested, had to with all this driving talk. It passed). Gave me east coast shoegaze vibes yet differentiates itself with the driving drums and bluesy guitar. This was my first spin of the Death Hags and I will be back.
January 13, 2022
Thursdays With J.R.- Death Hags
January 13, 2022
The B-Side: Suave Colione
Fitting in a reference to just about every major sitcom from the 80’s-00’s, “Sitcom Love” by Suave Colione isn’t just a stroll down memory lane for those raised on network television, it’s also a bop. A smooth R&B influenced hip-hop number with the kind of hook that stays with you, and Colione’s flow is confident and comfortable, never feeling forced or rushed. Together with the lyrical source material, relationship ideals as taught by TV couples, it creates a love song that reads real enough to avoid feeling too gimmicky – something that certainly would’ve been the case had this premise been tackled by a lesser artist. It grooves, its fun, its Must Hear TV.