LVL UP have been broken up for a few years, but the members have stayed active with other projects, and two of their vocalists have announced new albums in the past few days. Multi-instrumentalist and illustrator Nick Corbo has announced his debut album as Spirit Was. Heaven's Just a Cloud is due out October 22 via Danger Collective, and Nick played drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards on it. You can see the cover art (featuring Nick's illustration) and track list below.
The album opener and first single is "I Saw the Wheel," a dark song that's folky at times and heavy and doomy at others, and it takes an unexpected turn at the end, when it nears black metal territory. It features vocals from Z Santos of Crying (who Nick used to drum for) and cello from Rashaad Jones, and about it Nick says, "It’s about waking up in the back of the van on the highway in the middle of the country with nothing out there on either side and coming to the realization your band is gonna break up soon. Also, the bizarre sensation of finally seeing a shape in perspective while making a drawing."
Rob Kolodny directed the accompanying video, about which Nick says, "Director Rob Kolodny and I were brainstorming ideas for the video and started focusing on our mutual love for Gregory Crewdson. As we explored those references more and more we realized how eerily representative it was of my hometown, and decided to make some of those locations the focus of the video. Our aim was to capture the uncomfortable serenity of some of those places and, over the course of the song, develop them into very intentional, choreographed, and other-worldly scenes. Rob and the House of Nod team did an amazing job bringing ‘I Saw the Wheel’ to life." Watch it below.
Spirit Was have one show coming up, a release show for Heaven's Just A Cloud, happening in Brooklyn on November 20 at Baby's All Right. Tickets are on sale now.
Meanwhile, Dave Benton has been releasing music as Trace Mountains for a few years now, and he's announced his third album under the moniker, House of Confusion, due out October 22 via Lame-O Records. The first single is the breezy "America," which Benton says "is a road song written from a place of disillusionment & desperation. My guitarist Jim Hill created this video inspired in equal parts by Easy Rider, Wayne's World & The Lord of the Rings to mirror the themes of the song in jest. Writing & arranging this song was a real journey for us, with lots of rewrites & changes. I almost cut the song from the album at one point because it was torturing me so much! I wanted it to be real but also lighthearted & upbeat. I think Jim captured that energy perfectly in his visual interpretation of the song."
Watch the video, and see the cover art and tracklist for House of Confusion, below. Trace Mountains also have an upcoming NYC show opening for Slaughter Beach, Dog on September 18 at Elsewhere Hall (tickets).
LVL UP's other vocalist, Mike Caridi, also released a two-song single earlier this year with his newer project The Glow.
Spirit Was - Heaven's Just a Cloud Tracklist
01. I Saw the Wheel
02. Oblivion Banter
03. Stranger to the One
04. Proven Water Rites
05. Here Comes My Man
06. Olive Branch & Brown Dove
07. Heaven’s Just a Cloud
08. Golden Soul
09. Spirit Was
10. Come Back Up to the House
11. Caught in a Dream
Trace Mountains - HOUSE OF CONFUSION Tracklist
1. SEEN IT COMING
2. IF YOU DO
3. ON MY KNEES
4. 7 ANGELS
5. IDK
6. THE MOON
7. LATE
8. AMERICA
9. MORNINGSTAR
10. EYES ON THE ROAD
11. HEART OF GOLD
