When I first visited this guy’s website I had to do a double take, “That’s my couch.” I thought, staring blankly at the background of the front page. It’s not exact, but it’s pretty close. For those of you who haven’t already gone to look, one of my friends recently named my couch “The Mother-in-Law”. There’s a twofold reason for this title. 1. When I moved to Cleveland, my boss’ mother-in-law was getting rid of a couch and I needed a couch (this couch). 2. It looks like I got it from my boss’ mother-in-law (I did). It’s the kind of couch that all of the moms were buying in the mid nineties–floral, ruffle-y, and comfortable. It looks nice with beige walls. That’s the kind of couch that graces the cover of Tyler Burns’ website. You should go check it out. While you’re there, you should check out his music.
[EDIT: I just realized that there is a new picture on Tyler’s website every time you refresh the page! I cannot promise that you will get to see the couch mentioned above if you go there. For reference, here is a link.]
Tyler Burns is a self-described “unhip Portlander”. Most of the artists I get to write about are kind of dirty (good dirty) and earthy (good), Tyler Burns is neither of those things (also good). He’s really different from what usually comes across my desk, but I really like it. In a city full of dirty kids and hipsters, Mr. Burns is getting a haircut and making some cool synth-pop reminiscent of the late eighties and the near future. He released his first LP “Anglo Arts Rhythm Monster” in November but he definitely is not new to the music world. He’s been playing with a synthesizer since his teenage years and has created beats that you may have heard on national television.
“Anglo Arts Rhythm Monster” features smooth, sexy, and seriously dance-able rhythms, loads of synthesizer, fond memories, a little bit of social awkwardness, Mr. Burns’ very own melodious voice, and lots of glorious little surprises hidden in the corners of the music. The sounds change a lot, the rhythms keep your feet moving and your mind engaged.
Listen to “Benny’s Much Older Than Me” for charming rhythms, video game sounds, and nostalgia. “Make the Races” brings mystery, dissonance, and emotions. “Imagine Mannequins” is smiley with lots of turns and dips.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/176956467″]
The more I listen to this LP, the more I love it. It’s really something different and so not cool that it’s cool again. Check out Tyler Burns and enjoy this gentleman’s infectious love for what he does.
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