Black Note Graffiti

The point where reality becomes a wall of emotional decadence and fear
There is a certain incandescent instability in the music, so fragile but so furious - Héctor Noble Fernández

It's nice to get an album every now and then that's a bit different, a band who push the boundaries of rock music and aim for something just that bit different to what the music magazines are pushing our way. Michigan-based Black Note Graffiti do just this with the ambitious and grandiose 'Volume 1'. Proving that the word 'Progressive' is not a term that we shy away from here at Uber Rock I dig in deep and find that after just the first listen I am quite happy to press that play button again for a re-sitting.



What strikes me first about 'Volume 1' is how big it sounds. It's an album that is full of guitars, there's loads of 'em! The crystal clear production job is top notch and this self-produced album coming out of my speakers sounds bloody massive. Riff after gargantuan riff bursts forth, but that is not all there is a lot of, there are also vocal harmonies. Layers of the buggers, smooth and lush just the way I like them.



Take opener 'Revanche' for example: singer/guitarist Ricardo Ortiz and guitarist Kris Keller prove from the off that they are a match made in heaven as they trade guitar lines and lush harmony vocals. Mansun immediately spring to mind on hearing Ortiz' lush vocal lines and that's something I do like.



'Monkey' has commercial potential, it builds nicely on a familiar sounding melody over nice, crunching riffage and haunting backing vocals. Sure they do venture into Muse territory on more than one occasion, on 'Scars' for example Ortiz' soaring vocals do have that Matt Bellamy feel to them, but then the lush harmonies and epic feel does lend itself also to Queen, that theatrical over the top campness, but it has a more modern, contemporary feel which works nicely for me.



The funky but punky 'Fire' is the first of 3 black sheep on this album, if you like the odd men out here and 'Write/Right' follows a similar path, from a funky build to a rage filled chorus, not quite sure of where exactly they are going or what they want to be. Great chorus in 'Space Funk' but that weird and funky groove thing going on in the verse doesn't really do it for me.



'Mr. Masochist' and 'Rosie Knows' are more like it, upbeat, LostAlone-style theatrical rockers, all jagged riffs and lush vocals bringing us back on track.



The use of interesting song structures and unusual melodies keeps things fresh and guarantees repeated plays on my stereo, and if you dig the harmony filled heaviness of the likes of Von Hertzen Brothers or LostAlone then you should definitely be banging these guys on your stereo too. Yeah I like a bit of Black Note Graffiti, now when is 'Volume 2' out lads?



https://www.facebook.com/BlackNoteGraffiti



To pick up your copy of 'Volume I' - CLICK HERE - uberrock.com

‘Volume 1’ is the hugely impressive debut from recently formed rock band Black Note Graffiti.
With elements of hard rock, metal, grunge and indie all combining, ‘volume 1’ is one of those precious albums that you just don’t get straight away, indeed SonicAbuse was initially ambivalent to its charms, but with a little time and perseverance the bands gift for melody and their talent for song-writing shines through and you start to realise the band’s devious master plan. By drawing from a number of genres, the music stays fresh, the band invigorated and invigorating, and the album, as a result, repays numerous returns. With elements of Fugazi, Kyuss, Hawkwind and Muse all present in the mix, ‘volume 1’ is a hard rock treat that will keep you guessing until the end as to what the band will come up with next.

The album opens with ‘Revanche’ which takes ‘Showbiz’-era Muse and sets it to the syncopated rhythms of Fugazi, juxtaposing a huge, fire-breathing chorus, with a stripped down verse that relies upon the unconventional vocals and atypical guitar playing of Ricardo Ortiz and Kris Keller, the two allowing their instruments to intertwine before combining for a headlong plunge into the blazing power chords of the chorus. It is not easy and the first listen is more liable to pick up the jarring elements than the sheer genius of the arrangement, but persevere and the wonders of the band’s intelligently crafted music will become apparent. ‘Monkey’ takes heavy guitars and a slacker vocal and slides into territory somewhere between Radiohead, Pavement and Korn (no seriously) with a blistering disco beat powering molten guitars and indie melodies so rich you’d imagine the NME to already be pawing at the band’s door. ‘Scars’ sees Ricardo and Kris’ vocals panned hard left and right on a track that veers into Jolly territory with its awkward beats and fuzz-laden guitars. Further cementing that Muse link, the next track up is ‘Stockholm syndrome’ with its wailing guitars and raging, bass-led riffs sounding for all the world like Kyuss, fronted by Steve Malkmus, covering Rush. It’s a strangely addictive noise that the band makes and if you are intrigued by the frequently unique eccentricities of the US indie scene, then Black Note Graffiti will undoubtedly capture your attention whole.

Heading further into the abyss, ‘fire’ is a mix of Sabbath riffs and the reggae-punk of the Clash, as incongruous as that sounds, and the vocals take on real bite even as the guitars nimbly navigate all manner of stylistic shifts on their way to the exit. ‘Write/right’ calms the frenetic pace somewhat and draws the listener back to the awkward time signatures of ‘end hits’ era Fugazi before suddenly unleashing a chorus so laden with vitriol that the speakers start to bubble and burn with the intensity. ‘Space funk’ is exactly what it says, sounding like Incubus (way before they went lame) crossed with Hawkwind, the guitars a solid wall that break against the close-knit harmonies of the vocals which shift from RHCP territory on the verse to Duran Duran melodies on the chorus. If your head isn’t spinning by this point, then it’s clearly been too warped by Jesus Lizard to be further incensed. ‘Mr masochist’ is a stripped-down exercise in dynamics, veering between the rhythmic stabs of guitar that make up the verse and the heavier chorus whilst ‘Rose knows’ has a brutal groove lurking at its heart with the guitars turned up to eleven and the band engaging in a punkish assault that is part Clash, part manic Street Preachers and part Pavement. Final song ‘Stitches’ cuts a loose stoner groove with elastic bass and serpentine vocals and you’re left with the distinct impression that you’ve just witnessed a band who may actually be unique, even in this cynical and overcrowded era.

As you can probably see from the review, Black Note Graffiti are neither easy to pin down nor is it advisable. If you were to apply a lazy pigeonhole it would be ‘US Indie’, but as anyone who has spent any time listening to US indie bands will tell you, that term covers a multitude of sins. The closest heritage it is possible to approximate for the band is probably the pioneering acts of the late eighties and early nineties – acts like Fugazi, the Jesus Lizard, Sonic Youth and early Red Hot Chilli Peppers -although there are also touches of the lo-fi scene (Sebadoh & Pavement for example) as well as vocal links to post-progressive sounds of Muse and Radiohead. With such a mixture at hand there is no surprise that the album often sounds sort of familiar but also entirely new. Like a sense of déjà vu, you catch a glimpse of something you’re sure you’ve heard before and then, before you can fully grasp what it was, it’s gone and you’re left feeling confused, disorientated and yet profoundly impressed. Throughout this review I have tried to find references to give a flavour of the band, but it must be noted that they are just that – tastes of the band which never fully convey the entire flavour of the recipe. Black Note Graffiti are a fascinating, frequently unique and inspirational band. ‘Volume 1’ is not, perhaps, an easy album, but it most certainly is worthwhile. - Phil Stiles

Black Note Graffiti is made up music veterans Rick Ortiz on vocals and guitar, Adam Nine bass guitar, Kurt Keller percussion and Kris Keller guitar and vocals. Previous incarnations of the band include Krescent 4 however Ortiz is the most recent addition to the lineup.

The Michigan based rockers recently released Volume 1 of their new project. They recorded 20 tracks and decided to split it up into two volumes.

BNG is proud of the new recording and it is their first self-produced release. The band has garnered much knowledge over the years by being hands on and absorbing as much information about every aspect of the business that they possibly could. With Volume 1 you will hear the results of all that hard work.

Explosive tracks like “Write/Right” and “Space Funk” will get you into a groove and make the blood pump through your veins as your senses become more acute while each tracks flows out of the speakers and into your consciousness. Hard rockin’ guitars, a locomotive rhythm section and expressive vocals are what this band is all about. Those listeners that appreciate high energy rock will find common ground with this release.

Black Note Graffiti has released a monster hard rock recording that should receive plenty of positive recognition from fans and listeners alike. Volume 1 can be purchased directly from the band’s website, iTunes or CD Baby. Samples of the tracks can be streamed at all the outlets as well. - http://www.muzikreviews.com/

Black Note Graffiti is made up music veterans Rick Ortiz on vocals and guitar, Adam Nine bass guitar, Kurt Keller percussion and Kris Keller guitar and vocals. Previous incarnations of the band include Krescent 4 however Ortiz is the most recent addition to the lineup.

The Michigan based rockers recently released Volume 1 of their new project. They recorded 20 tracks and decided to split it up into two volumes.

BNG is proud of the new recording and it is their first self-produced release. The band has garnered much knowledge over the years by being hands on and absorbing as much information about every aspect of the business that they possibly could. With Volume 1 you will hear the results of all that hard work.

Explosive tracks like “Write/Right” and “Space Funk” will get you into a groove and make the blood pump through your veins as your senses become more acute while each tracks flows out of the speakers and into your consciousness. Hard rockin’ guitars, a locomotive rhythm section and expressive vocals are what this band is all about. Those listeners that appreciate high energy rock will find common ground with this release.

Black Note Graffiti has released a monster hard rock recording that should receive plenty of positive recognition from fans and listeners alike. Volume 1 can be purchased directly from the band’s website, iTunes or CD Baby. Samples of the tracks can be streamed at all the outlets as well. - http://www.muzikreviews.com/

Mudshovel’s Comments: “Black Note Graffiti” is a Michigan based rock group working together to perform some very top notch music. These guys remind me of groups like “Weezer” beating up “Green Day” which is a great concept. Jamming their tracks on reverbnation and other sites of theirs, I’ve grown to enjoy the song “Monkey“, “Spacefunk” and many more available on their pages. Their music has a wider variety sound than the bands I listed above, truly diggin it, be sure to check them out today and become a fan.
Social & Official Links: Facebook | Reverbnation | Official Website - Mudshovel

Matty B’s Comments: Black Note Graffiti is a rock band out of Michigan, good instrumentals backed by solid lyrics, we would love to see these guys preform.
We are excited to hear their new album and will be looking for a release date. We dig what these guys are doing and hope they keep up the good work. I really enjoy listening to their music, be sure to check out their tour dates and their songs, we wish these guys the best of luck with their careers and can’t wait to hear more from them! - Woodbangers

Matty B’s Comments: Black Note Graffiti is a rock band out of Michigan, good instrumentals backed by solid lyrics, we would love to see these guys preform.
We are excited to hear their new album and will be looking for a release date. We dig what these guys are doing and hope they keep up the good work. I really enjoy listening to their music, be sure to check out their tour dates and their songs, we wish these guys the best of luck with their careers and can’t wait to hear more from them! - Woodbangers

Also Adam, Kurt and I have owned and operated Noteborn Music Co. for the last 7 years. It is a publishing company specifically for indie artists promoting to TV and film! We landed some TV spots years ago with our band " Krescent 4" and did not have enough music and or variety. So we thought lets help other bands get there music out there and create a music library. All of Noteborn artist retain 100% of ownership and royalties to there music!



3. Tell us more about your current album and how we can get a copy. We have recorded with Grammy nominated producers, engineers like Brad Gilderman who has worked with Tom Petty, Michael Jackson etc..to Al Sutton who has worked with kid rock, Detroit Cobras etc... And have recorded at the most amazing facilities such Ocean Studios. I worked right next to these music professionals on several records and kept my eyes and ears open. That said we have taken this experience to write and record our first BNG original record titled "Volume I" Ann Arbor, MI.

The most interesting thing that Rick pointed out recently pointed out is how one of us brings a song idea to the table and by the time it becomes an actual song it has completely changed "for the better"!

And first song BNG ever played together just clicked (and it was original tune). This song is actually on Volume I titled (write/right). This album is available at all major music locations and these listed below: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/volume-i/id740228323 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=Black%20Note%20Graffiti http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/blacknotegraffiti



4. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? We are currently writing and recording our new record "Volume II". We are working to take this to next album to another level of quality and originality. As well making our live performances stellar. I think that will dictate where the next five years will take us!



5. When someone listens to your music, what is the feeling you want to leave them with?

We would love people to just "get it", love it and want more of it! - KeyLine Productions

In the middle of the worldwide uncertainty and all the political, economic and social dilemmas, Black Note Graffiti launches a new call to rebellion. This group surprises their followers with “Fallacy”, the first single from their third musical production Volume III Fall/Rise.

Black Note Graffiti marks the Apocalypses of our reality, showing desires of protest in this new musical proposal. The feeling of protest can be seen in the frontal side of the album, showing a war Horse and the carmine dye color like Blood on a hopeful White background; as well as the text protesting for an individual Rising, text lines like “raze tour ego and pray you’re right” and “suppress the light”.

In this new single the band appears under the musical influence of the Grammy award winner Chuck Alkazian. “Fallacy” Could be the consolidation of the musical projection of Black Note Graffiti, using characteristically sounds of hard rock placed on a pop structure.

It’s also possible to recognize the punk minimalism shown on the rhythm, short melodies and Guitar amplification. They could achieve a simple but amazingly elaborated musical arrangement

The Quality of the song creates well expectative foe the future of the band, present in the amazing interpretation of the members Gabrielle Bryant (vocalist), Ricardo Ortiz (guitars/screamo vocals), Kurt Keller (drums), Kris Keller (guitar), and Adam Nine (bass).

Streaming: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1zKdl07okF5T5Imy0dkKX2 - https://skopemag.com

Black Note Graffiti is Gabrielle Bryant (vocals/keys), Kris Keller (guitar/vocals), Kurt Keller (drums), Ricardo Ortiz (vocals/ guitar) and Adam Nine (bass).

With their infectious appeal, the Ann Arbor, MI. rock band Black Note Graffiti is back with their new single, “Fallacy” which dropped on April 10th, 2020. These prolific songwriters have 2 brand new EP’s, Volume III Rise and Volume III Fall, coming out Summer 2020.

Kris Keller says, “Fallacy” is about the combativeness that is associated with politics. Differing opinion is weaponized not only amongst strangers, but families as well. When relationships and families are razed, we’ll ultimately realize that the opinion we held so firmly onto just cost us everything else we held dear.”

“Fallacy” was was produced by Grammy Award winning Producer/Engineer Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Soundgarden, Tantric) at legendary Pearl Sound Studios (Asking Alexandria, Eminem, Filter).

Listen to “Fallacy” by Black Note Graffiti on Spotify. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and visit their official site!

For all the latest music news, reviews and more – follow Call That Music? on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. - https://callthatmusic.rocks

With their infectious appeal, the Ann Arbor, MI. rock band Black Note Graffiti just dropped their infectious new jam "Fallacy." The single is available on Spotify (https://bit.ly/FallacySpotify) and all streaming services. These prolific songwriters have not one, but TWO brand new EP's, Volume III Rise and Volume III Fall, coming out this summer!

Black Note Graffiti is Gabrielle Bryant (vocals/keys), Kris Keller (guitar/vocals), Kurt Keller (drums), Ricardo Ortiz (vocals/ guitar) and Adam Nine (bass).

Kris Keller says, "Fallacy" is about the combativeness that is associated with politics. Differing opinion is weaponized not only amongs't strangers, but families as well. When relationships and families are razed, we’ll ultimately realize that the opinion we held so firmly onto just cost us everything else we held dear."

"Fallacy" was was produced by Grammy Award winning Producer/Engineer Chuck Alkazian (Pop Evil, Soundgarden, Tantric) at legendary Pearl Sound Studios (Asking Alexandria, Eminem, Filter).

Connect with Black Note Graffiti:

http://blacknotegraffiti.com

https://www.facebook.com/pg/BlackNoteGraffiti

https://twitter.com/blacknotegraffi

https://www.instagram.com/blacknotegraffiti/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXGkysfneE6PNA3LzdARmhQ/feed - https://im-musicmagazine.com

The coming-age group of rockers, Black Note Graffiti, is trying to revive the dying metal-rock craze by tapping into new modifications to level up the rock industry with the emerging trend. They are the four members’ group with timeless authentic rock compositions in possession to take away the Grammy in a few years. They have saved most of the depressed loners during this infinite quarantine with a blast of energized electric guitar rustles in the latest track ‘Fallacy’ from their next album VOLUME 3 FALL/RISE on the line that will be out precisely on October 4th, 2020.

Black Note Graffiti

Black Note Graffiti is made up of four exuberant and talented musicians, Ricardo Ortiz (guitars/vocals), Kris Keller (guitars/vocals), Adam Nine (bass) and Kurt Keller (drums) who have made great hits like ‘Castles’ and ‘Fire’. Currently the band is recording the next album on the cards with Grammy Award-winning Producer Chuck Alkazian. The new rock song ‘Fallacy’ is welded in fascinating heavy metal drops with the evanescence of alternative rock rhythms. They even made it to national TV shows and films. This single has been loved by the vast audience of MTV, TLC, and was aired on Sirius radio, with the fastest chart-topping song in the history of their career span. Follow the unruly and dogmatic rock band from the future on all the major streaming sites and social media.

Visit on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1zKdl07okF5T5Imy0dkKX2

Website Link:
http://blacknotegraffiti.com/

Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/blacknotegraffiti/
https://twitter.com/blacknotegraffi
https://www.facebook.com/BlackNoteGraffiti - https://www.dailymusicroll.com