Monday, July 6, 2015

SINGLE REVIEW: Ripple Green: "Timepiece" out TODAY


There's no shortage of great music in this huge world of ours being made by musicians most of us have never heard of. In fact, in today's day and age, I'd go so far as to say MOST of the best new music is coming from independent artists (as opposed to long-established and/or mainstream acts) from the indie sector. I've had the pleasure to start listening to and writing about several of them on this site, so I'm very pleased to be bring you this current post as accompanying it is the excellent first single from Oklahoma-based rock band Ripple Green's upcoming EP, both entitled "Timepiece." The single drops today, but before I get into the song here's a little bit about Ripple Green from the guys themselves:

Ripple Green, a rock trio from Oklahoma, is releasing the first single, “Timepiece,” off of their upcoming EP of the same name. This single and its music video were recorded during the band’s six month stint throughout Europe in 2014. The song started out as a projection of longing for the sun, particularly the sun of Oklahoma, but it soon turned into an account of how people’s lives revolve around other individuals over time. The music video for the song was filmed by the London-based videographer Stevie Denyer (Guardians of the Galaxy) at an overnight gathering at Stonehenge during the Summer Solstice in 2014. The video captures the energy of celebration and expression of freedom shown by the thousands accumulated at Stonehenge that night.

The three members of Ripple Green met during Kindergarten in small town Oklahoma. Their formative years were spent being mischievous friends who built slingshots, climbed trees, and made short films. Upon leaving Elementary school the idea to form a band was spawned before any of the members owned or played their instruments. To them, creativity and expression through music could provide an escape from the mundane life they faced in the plains. As well as touring throughout the US and the UK, the band has performed at festivals such as South By Southwest, London Folk Festival, and Norman Music Festival.

This new project from Ripple Green ties in influences from Jack White to Portugal. The Man, while adding new developments to the band’s unique sound. The Timepiece EP is a step out of adolescence for Ripple Green that came from spending half of last year in Europe. It signifies moments filled with adventure and a grateful shift in approach to their songwriting. The “Timepiece” single is out today, July 6th, and the full project can be pre-ordered now through iTunes with a release set for July 31st.

The band consists of Joel Parks on guitar, piano, and vocals, Lucas Gillette on bass guitar and vocals, and Tremaine Wade on drums and percussion. Their sound is, to my ears, an interesting mix of newer bands like Cage the Elephant and Portugal the Man mixed with some of the more jam-band free-spirited sound of Phish and the Black Crowes (a personal favorite of mine). What absolutely makes this song for me, though, is the chorus. I've been a sucker for a catchy hook for as long as I can remember, and the chorus in "Timepiece" is one that gets stuck in my head so often that I find myself humming it at random times days after I've last listened to the song. The video is also neat...it's got a bit of a hippie vibe with the whole Stonehenge/solstice theme and all of the dancing and and flashing lights. Both the song and the video have a retro flavor to them: the video echoes the 1960s while the song has a 1990s/early 2000s feel, but it sounds very modern at the same time. All in all, it's a really catchy song and a strong first single from Ripple Green...I look forward to hearing the rest of the EP once it's released!

After you've given "Timepiece" a listen, let me know what you think and remember, SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSICIANS. Listen to them, buy their music, go and see them live, and spread the word!


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