Battle, The
Reviews
Eme O
Reviewed 2014-06-25
Reviewed 2014-06-25
Rock/Electronic. AKA solo artist Jon Ragel of Portland, OR; songwriter, producer, singer, turntablist who plays the saxophone, guitar, synthesizer, organ, and several percussive knick-knacks. “Conscious” lyrics. 70s soul influence. Soulful yet thin voice, not the best singer really. Lots of audience sounds (though no end-track clapping). Faves: 5,8,10 ~eme o.
1. Royal Countess (3:38) Mid-tempo. Soul sounds, saxophone. Abrupt end.
2. I, William, Your Ex-Lover (3:05) Mid-fast. Flute, audience sounds (claps, whoops). Slight Caribbean sound.
3. Devil Hands (3:38) Mid-fast. Audience sounds (talking), strong beat, synth sounds, then the other instruments enter. Slightly Western guitar.
4. Speak For God (5:38) Mid-tempo 70s. Depeche Mode quality to this one. Audience gets a whooping solo. Earnest lyrics. Rock guitar, semi-solo. Possible FCC: “Goddamn”
5. Brother, Amen (4:17) Mid-tempo. Ambient aquarium sounds lead off, beat follows. Harp, flute, percussion, a moment of turntable scratching. Light on the singing.
6. The Battle (3:19) Mid-slow. Strings, staccato rhythm alternate with fuller rock sounds.
7. Election Drinking Song (2:30) Mid-tempo. Audience/party sounds. Funky beat, synth arpeggios.
8. The Devil’s Wheels (2:51) Mid-slow. Moody. Almost a dance beat. Abrupt end.
9. Destroy Imagination (4:20) Mid-tempo. Clatters in with bouncing synth beat and metallic percussion.
10. Oh! Little Brother (5:27) Slow to mid-slow to rock. Piano, synth sounds to start. Then a nosing beat enters. Theremin(?) enters at points.
11. Every Man (3:14) Mid-tempo. Opening is a mix of slightly Latin drumming and surfy guitar. Drumming normalizes, surfiness remains alternating with a funkier strum of chords, bird sounds.
12. 100 Tanks (3:53) Mid-fast. Stuttering beat. Vibey guitar. Brief strings solo. Track ends ~0:45 early.
1. Royal Countess (3:38) Mid-tempo. Soul sounds, saxophone. Abrupt end.
2. I, William, Your Ex-Lover (3:05) Mid-fast. Flute, audience sounds (claps, whoops). Slight Caribbean sound.
3. Devil Hands (3:38) Mid-fast. Audience sounds (talking), strong beat, synth sounds, then the other instruments enter. Slightly Western guitar.
4. Speak For God (5:38) Mid-tempo 70s. Depeche Mode quality to this one. Audience gets a whooping solo. Earnest lyrics. Rock guitar, semi-solo. Possible FCC: “Goddamn”
5. Brother, Amen (4:17) Mid-tempo. Ambient aquarium sounds lead off, beat follows. Harp, flute, percussion, a moment of turntable scratching. Light on the singing.
6. The Battle (3:19) Mid-slow. Strings, staccato rhythm alternate with fuller rock sounds.
7. Election Drinking Song (2:30) Mid-tempo. Audience/party sounds. Funky beat, synth arpeggios.
8. The Devil’s Wheels (2:51) Mid-slow. Moody. Almost a dance beat. Abrupt end.
9. Destroy Imagination (4:20) Mid-tempo. Clatters in with bouncing synth beat and metallic percussion.
10. Oh! Little Brother (5:27) Slow to mid-slow to rock. Piano, synth sounds to start. Then a nosing beat enters. Theremin(?) enters at points.
11. Every Man (3:14) Mid-tempo. Opening is a mix of slightly Latin drumming and surfy guitar. Drumming normalizes, surfiness remains alternating with a funkier strum of chords, bird sounds.
12. 100 Tanks (3:53) Mid-fast. Stuttering beat. Vibey guitar. Brief strings solo. Track ends ~0:45 early.
Recent airplay
Oh! Little Brother
Eclectic Erudition week 06 summer '14 My Dad's Records — Aug 05, 2014
Oh! Little Brother
Music Casserole — Aug 02, 2014
Brother, Amen
A-philiac — Jul 30, 2014
Brother, Amen
The Proselytizer Radio News Hour — Jul 12, 2014
The Devil's Wheels
The Fishbowl — Jul 12, 2014
I, William, Your Ex-Lover
Time Traveler — Jul 11, 2014
Charting
2014-06-27 — 2014-08-29
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Aug 10 | 1 |
| Aug 3 | 2 |
| Jul 13 | 4 |
| Jul 6 | 3 |
| Jun 29 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Royal Countess | ||
| 2. | I, William, Your Ex-Lover | ||
| 3. | Devil Hands | ||
| 4. | Speak For God | ||
| 5. | Brother, Amen | ||
| 6. | The Battle | ||
| 7. | Election Drinking Song | ||
| 8. | The Devil's Wheels | ||
| 9. | Destroy Imagination | ||
| 10. | Oh! Little Brother | ||
| 11. | Every Man | ||
| 12. | 100 Tanks |