Dark Behavior

With their sophomore record Wide Eyed, Dani Bell and the Tarantist awake from the dreamy pop reveries that fueled their 2015 debut, to contend with a present day that's taken a greater emotional toll. While Dark West lent the intimacy of Bell's vulnerable vocals to romantic whispers, here they're compelled to answer the shifting contexts of an unsettling world, offering turns of disenchantment, wariness, and resilience.

 

The album opens with a track fittingly titled The End, a tapestry of sitar-tinged acid rock that ushers the listener into an altered state while Bell dispassionately intones, "I wish that this would end." Subsequent tracks find her bristling with energy, awed and made restless by twisting truths and cultural divisiveness. Throughout, the musical performances echo the clouding uncertainty, with a palette edged by squealing guitars, and distorted radio static. However, propelled by warm, often bouncy vintage bass tones, the compositions ultimately succeed in mining optimism from stark beginnings, offering the sort of blissful release only afforded by music.

 

Such is the case with the artfully arranged track, Tension. "This was not the plan," the song dolefully begins, "I never saw this coming / I do not understand." The lyrics evoke rain and sleepless nights over weary, almost mechanical music that sighs into a long rest, mid-tune. That gives the piece a moment to dig deep and right itself, returning with an uplifting flourish that finds the same melodies starting to feel upbeat. By time Wide Eyed approaches its finale, the band even shows renewed swagger. Heady retro rocker The Stereo refuses to give in to trolling voices by drowning them out with a wall of defiant guitars. But in closing with its breathless title track, Wide Eyed threatens to slip back into apathy, telling itself, "It’s too late for dreams… it's too late to try," before catching itself in time to offer one final moment of hope.

Wide Eyed

Vinyl Pre-order: tinyurl.com/y94rf2x2
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/album/wide-eyed/1417447240
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Wide-Eyed-Dani-Be…ist/dp/B07FYLLYF5

The End
Catching flies upon the wall
Mirrored eyes they seem to follow
My every move every move towards you
Reaching arms they grab for all
The only man who wants to fall 
Is a hanging man
Who wants to know the truth
And I wish that
This would end
And I wish you well
I'd make amends
And I’m trying to ignore
How you condescend
And I wish that 
This would end
I finally made my peace with war
I know there always will be more 
Willing ants to march up every hill
And on the edge of every knife
Is where we walk and find some life
Time is our enemy to kill 
And I wish that
This would end
And I wish you well
I'd make amends
And I’m trying to ignore
How you condescend
And I wish that 
This would end
Some try to see the wall
Out where the bridge belongs
We build these things to fall
To dust goes on and on and on
I try to breathe it in
Just try to see again
So if this is the end 
What a long strange road it’s been

Lyrics by Alfred Howard
Music by Dani Bell

Dani Bell and the Tarantist - "The End"

The first single off of Jake Najor and the Moment of Truth's debut album "In The Cut" 
Mixmaster Wolf - Vocals 
Jake Najor - Drums 
Tim Felten - Organ 
Nick Costa - Guitar 
Matt LaBarber - Bass 
Todd Simon - Trumpet 
James King - Tenor sax 
Sam Robles - Baritone sax 
Elizabeth Lea - Trombone 

Recorded and mixed at The Kitchen II by Tim Felten in La Mesa, CA
Produced by Jake Najor
Single release date 3/22/2019
Out on The Redwoods 3/29/2019

In The Cut

Jake Najor & the Moment of Truth - High Costa Living

Sophomore album by Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact - Running Out of Time
Out on The Redwoods 9/13/19

Running Out Of Time

Newspaper

From the sophomore album by Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact - Running Out of Time
Released as part of The Redwoods Summer Singles Project on 6/21/19

I Only Smoke When I Drink

From the Sophomore album by Rebecca Jade and the Cold Fact - Running Out of Time
Released as part of The Redwoods Summer Singles Project on 5/25/19

Come With Me

Line of Gold was recorded during the Wide Eyed sessions.

RWSSP

Line of Gold Single

Line Of Gold

The FOURTH installation of the Redwoods Summer Singles Project (RWSSP004): The Midnight Pine - "Grace" - Release Date 6/14/19

"This song was recorded during The Midnight Pine album sessions and I always thought of it as a moody sister song to the song 'Vice.'
I feel like 'Grace' calls to the salacious undercurrent of the subconscious." - Shelbi Bennett

Shelbi Bennett - vocals
Matthew Molarius - guitar/vocals
Jake Najor - drums
Jason Littlefield - bass
Josh Rice - keys

Recorded and Mixed by Jordan Andreen at Audio Design in San Diego, CA

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