Shelley: Cooking With Grease Through the single “Cooking With Grease,” Shelley (fka DRAM) debuts a new name and a revamped sound. On lesser-known releases under his former moniker, Shelley (full name Shelley Massenburg-Smith) flexed his vocal prowess, but these performances were somewhat overshadowed by his rapping on hits like “Cha Cha,” “Broccoli” and “Cash Machine.” Now, with renewed direction and a refined sonic focus, Shelley …
For record label 4AD’s 40th anniversary covers compilation, Bills & Aches & Blues, folk rockers Big Thief deliver a touching rendition of The Breeders’ “Off You.” Pared back but powerful (quite like the original), the cover finds lead singer Adrianne Lenker breathing her signature sound into lyrics made famous by the inimitable Kim Deal. Lenker succeeds where others would fall short.
Canadian recording artist River Tiber (aka Tommy Paxton-Beesley) tackles vocals, bass, guitar, drums, tambourine, vibraphone, synth, rhodes, violin and cello on his double-sided single, “Rainbow Road/Hypnotized.” The sprawling songs pull influences from several genres, while referencing previous releases. There are tinges of acid jazz, hair metal, lo-fi and electronic alongside moments of ambient energy and snippets from cinematic scores. It’s an altogether mesmerizing effort.
