If you listen to Sundae’s 2020 album, Sundaes Volume 1, you’ll hear a lot of keyboards, vocoder effects and dance-y beats coupled with some heartfelt crooning. You’d be forgiven for not realizing it at the time but that crooning also serves as a sneak peek for Country Sundaes, a newly unveiled short film that twists any preconceived notions you may have had about Sundaes skill set. The beats, vocoder and keyboards have been tabled and swapped out for steel guitar, piano and a platform for Sundaes vocals to soar.

Over the 20 minute duration, Sundaes performs hits from Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves and Dolly Parton; all intercut with clips from classic TV shows such as “Roy Acuff’s Open House” or a Lucky Strike Cigarette Commercial. The clips help to break up the performance and really augment the Country aspect of the show; a brilliant editing choice from Sundaes and AMPM Video.

Country Sundaes is an excellent testament to Sundaes vocal prowess as the original melancholy of these songs is on display in full force. It’s also a compelling reminder that Sundaes shouldn’t be put categorized into one specific genre, they’re clearly more than capable of expressing some wonderful emotion across a spectrum of styles. As the year wraps up and everything slows down, let this performance provide an enjoyable backdrop for soaking it all in and reflecting on the year.

In full disclosure, Tower Defense released their last full-length album, In The City (from which this video is taken), on yk Records – an indie label that the author of this article also happens to operate. There’s bias afoot, be aware.

Tower Defense is comprised of members that have been playing in various bands for multiple decades in and around Nashville. Mike Shepherd and Jereme Frey have put in their time with Schtucket and Apollo Up! (to name just a few), Currey May was a member of Fair Verona and Sarah Shepherd still plays with Take the Power Back. Having put in so much time in the local scene, there’s something deeply, inherently Nashville about the fabric of the band. They don’t contain an ounce of “The Nashville Sound” – choosing instead to embrace a double bass setup, guitar, drums and a bombastic wall of sound – but their songs are often about the city itself, the bands connection to it and the woes they see with recent changes.

According to Mike Shepherd, the title track for In The City was inspired by “a dream about running uphill, westbound on Broadway, trying to escape the waters of the Cumberland River as they overflowed the banks.” It goes on to namecheck The Stahlman Building at 3rd and Union, which once housed WKDF back in the 70’s. Lyrically, the song may be literally about a dream but it’s easy to interpret as a subconscious concern for losing the things that make Nashville special; the things that make it recognizable even if the landscape changed. That may sound like a stretch but, if so, it’s a short one.

The official video for the track is a supercut of various films in and around New York City with the band playing on billboards. There’s glimpses of random celebrities throughout including Rick Moranis, Jane Curtain and a few Ramones. It’s a simple, fun and engaging video; which is really all you can ask for. If you wanted to play armchair psychologist with the meaning behind it all; you could theorize that the juxtaposition of the soft 80s film look against the sharp 2021 green screen performance is the band stating that they adore the past but they’re just as interested in being a part of the future. If that sounds like a stretch, it definitely is.

Tower Defense plays The 5 Spot on Saturday, December 4th at 6pm with The Robe and Sarah Kat Golden.

What Box?, the debut EP from Terry Presume, distinctly unique offering from a new artist that manages to blend a collection of winks and nods to a myriad of influences. From a helicopter view, there’s plenty of hip-hop and R&B influences present but zooming in just a bit and you’ll find elements of deep funk, sugary pop and sometimes even a bit of acoustic indie pop. All of these influences are mixed together for a pretty wild ride that serves as a helluva introduction for Presume.

If you hadn’t heard the release yet, let the official video for “Act Up” serve as your gateway to the fascinating world of Presume (if you have heard the release, you get it, just enjoy the video). The animated piece has a style that feels directly inspired by the world of 90’s animation ala Rocko’s Modern Life, The Proud Family, a little Ren & Stimpy, and a touch of anime. Much like the music of What Box?, the video blends these influences together into something familiar but uniquely new. It’s immediately comforting to watch but not deriative. It’s also just impressive anytime someone releases an animated video because that is a lot of work.

There’s no telling where Presume will take his next musical undertaking but based on the evidence we already have, it’s safe to say he’s capable of blending together any damn style he wants and making it work.