The Notionaries

In this evening’s edition of the Independent Spotlight, we dig deep into the music of The Notionaries, a new, rising group hailing from the midwest. Signed by the indie label Brickhouse Music Group, the band is creating a flurry of press around their new debut record, ‘Brave With Wires.’ To better provide context to this record, let’s learn a bit about The Notionaries.

The Notionaries are a “group of millennial artists committed to embracing freedom and creativity through music.” More so, they seem to emphasize good vibrations and uplifting messages in their songs. Thus, they’re akin to acts like Foster the People, Coldplay, or the more recent Imagine Dragons. Right off the bat, this had me apprehensively intrigued, because this genre has become so mainstay in recent years, that in itself, it has become cliche to a certain extent. As always, though, I gave The Notionaries a chance with ‘Brave With Wires.’ Let’s talk about the album.

Let’s break ground with ‘Excited Eyes,’ because I can also touch on the music video for the single. As aforementioned, it’s catchy, very Foster the People-esque, and upbeat. The production is quite good. The band really has a strong hand over their studio work and mix is perfect. (That’s probably largely due to their collaboration with Brickhouse.) Lately here on the Spotlight, I’ve been talking about bands with ‘pop sensibility.’ It’s one of those ‘it’ factors that some bands utilize to bring a new element of excitement to their tunes. The Notionaries most certainly embrace it, and it positively benefits them. It’s pop rock aimed at millennials; I imagine high school and college kids will get a good spin out of ‘Excited Eyes.’

The music video for the single is remarkably well shot. Three young men seem to “throw their cares to the wind” and adventure through a bleak, wintery wonderland. The video creates a sense of childish innocence with the characters, something the lyrics back, too. To be blunt, I’m not sure if the premise of the video is ever made clear; it’s one of those projects that seems to leave its meaning up to interpretation. Man, though, the color grading and shooting of the video is really top notch.

Let’s talk about ‘Royal Ways,’ the second tune off the collection. Its tone, while similar to ‘Excited Eyes’ is decisively different. Again, it’s catchy pop rock. This song in particular explores growing up - the lyrics ponder changes throughout youth, perhaps in a superficial sense. Nevertheless, the song is easy to relate to and oddly uplifting, so The Notionaries fulfill their quota of that ten fold.

‘I’ll Wait’ is a softer spoken tune, though it does walk in the footsteps of its two predecessors. Reverb-heavy vocals align interestingly over a soundscape of synthesizers, thick percussion, and electronic-like instrumentation. Think the Wombats: these guys sound a whole lot like the Wombats. (Musically, anyway. Lyrically, they have a long way to go to stack up to the Wombats.) ‘I’ll Wait’ is still a refreshing track, if not simply due to its reprieve in the style ‘Excited Eyes’ and ‘Royal Ways’ introduced.

‘Made Up’ is actually my favorite song of the collection. It’s quite sharply written and performed. More so, the song made me excited about the band for the first time. It’s similar to the other tunes, but brings a new element of originality to the table that the other songs lack. The composition of ‘Made Up’ is wholly original and had me humming the tune the rest of the day. Plus, that dirty, fuzzy guitar solo is the best bit of instrumentation on the whole record. They need to do more of that more often. Seriously, that section is killer.

‘Bandit’ is my second favorite tune on ‘Brave With Wires.’ It employs many of the elements I enjoyed in ‘Made Up,’ but throws a new twist on them. Lyrically, it’s the best penned song on the album by a significant margin. The rest of the lyrical themes in the collection, while fulfilling, are predictable. The lyrical theme of ‘Bandit’ is exceptional, showcasing the band can write some intelligent lyrics and pair them with fun pop rock.

So, what’s the verdict on ‘Brave With Wires’? It’s an admirable debut, one that’s much better than most debuts. ‘Bandit’ and ‘Made Up’ are the best tunes on the album, showcasing a Notionaries aura that is intriguingly original. The other songs are enjoyable, but predictable romps through expected tropes. Thus, I actually think The Notionaries are quite a good group. I do, however, think that they owe it to themselves to apply that talent to increasingly original ideas. Those latter two tracks exhibit that they can do just that. In round two, I want a full record of that. Regardless, ‘Brave With Wires’ is worth your time. Check it out below. - BRETT STEWART

Every week we seem to be receiving more and more artists. Yes, we do spend more time going through bands, but we are able to find the best bands in the bunch. Some of these bands just reek of potential. The Notionaries are one of these bands. This is the time for their type of music. Upbeat and catchy. Something that you will drive around to and listen with your friends.

First thing of theirs I found was on their website. It is this brief video introduction of the band. It is only about a minute long, but worth the short time to show you the band. The song abruptly ended while I was watching it and I was actually left wanting to hear more. Luckily the full song was able to be found on soundcloud.

The Notionaries luckily answer the old question of if anything good can come from Oklahoma besides football players. The band got together and recorded their first single “Excited Eyes” in 2014.

Unfortunately, they only have a single to go off of right now. Although, this should show you how impressed I was by this song and band. The build up is great with a strong intro. Solid bass to back up some picking of the guitar. Hold back all the instruments and let the vocals carry the song for a moment. Before everything comes in and the chorus turns us all into bobble heads, rocking our heads back and forth to the great rhythm.

The song is strong and very poppy. Easily seen more as a mainstream hit. The style of guitar is very popular right now. This is the type of band that will surprise me if it is not seen in the future. Reminds me of a Jukebox the Ghost type band. Definitely could see a “Somebody” type hit coming from the Notionaries. - Bacon and Music - RATTHETAT

The Notionaries – While we’re on the topic of new projects from members of known bands, let’s talk about The Notionaries. They’ve been compared to Two Door Cinema Club, and feature members of Abandon Kansas. Nick Patrick and Logan Rine, to be exact. The comparison definitely makes sense, but there’s a bit of a dream pop influence too. Think Shiny Toy Guns with a male singer. While Abandon Kansas works on their next record, The Notionaries definitely hope to make their mark on the Midwest. - I AM TUNED UP - Ryan Getz

The Notionaries are an alternative-indie-rock band hailing from Midwest America. Formed in early 2014, The Notionaries consist of Lamar Fite as front man and lead vocalist also on keyboard and guitar, Logan Rine on lead guitar, Andre Hise on drums, and Nick Patrick on bass. Their sound is a refreshing mix of indie-rock well blended with eighties-style synths and heavy percussion – something new and quite different in today’s music scene.

Their debut EP, Brave With Wires, is a five-track compilation and seems to embody everything that The Notionaries have to offer in those few short songs. Sonically the EP is echoing, often almost ethereal, and constantly foot-tapping from start to finish. Smooth vocals are underlain by pattering percussion, jangling guitar riffs and rolling synth intrusions which give several tracks a distinctly eighties feel. Each track in fact, is markedly different – a refreshing change from the monotony of many debut projects. This also clearly exhibits their versatility in their genre.

“Excited Eyes” brings to the table a rollicking, bouncy pop feel. Expertly handled electronic overlays coupled with scatters of anticipatory baseline pauses and sprinkled with a fresh varies of percussion – including clapping and finger-clicking – makes this track a highlight of the EP.

The 4th and penultimate song, “Made Up” demonstrated the heavier rocky side of the band. Taking a step away from the smooth, echoing sound of the previous tracks, “Made Up” is peppered with staccato beats and rhythmic vocals. There are times when the band slips into sounds markedly reminiscent of The Cure and Coldplay, but their unusual synthetic inclusions hold true to still setting them apart and pull them out of their brief melodic ruts.

The closing track, “Bandit” sounds as though it belongs at an eighties disco, dominated by undulating synths and silky electronic progressions. The Notionaries’s sound is fresh and delightfully different and is sure to be making waves in the alternative music scene in no time. - Skye Mallac

The Notionaries are an alternative rock band from the Midwest under the label Brickhouse Music Group. They have recently released a new single called “Excited Eyes”. This song really took me by surprise by how good it was and how quickly its catchy beat made me start bouncing my foot. This is definitely a song I predict hearing on the radio in the near future. Not only is it fun and catchy, but the lyrics are uplifting and are sang beautifully by the vocalist Lamar Fite. Fite sings, “But we’ve made it here somehow; don’t pay no mind to the where or how; keep moving on”.

The song gives a powerful message to keep moving forward in life even if you aren’t sure of the future, which is something that everyone should really take in consideration when they come to a bump in life’s road. The only thing I would recommend changing in the song would be to turn up the “hey, hey, hey” in the background. I think turning it up would emphasize the positive lyrics and vocals. This band has a lot of potential so I am excited to hear what else they will release in the near future, and I’m sure it will be just as great as “Excited Eyes”.

Check it out yourself! - Music Brackets - Beara

The Notionaries came about in 2014 in downtown Oklahoma City. The band comprises Lamar Fite, Logan Rine, Nick Patrick and Andrew Hise. Their latest Ep, “Brave With Wires”, was released on the 19th of May through the Brickhouse Music Group label.

This EP has barely left my player since I started listening to it. It’s very addicting music. Every song is at least good – and most of them go way beyond that and are truly great. There’s so much good stuff going on musically in “Brave With Wires”, confirming that The Notionaries are not just another alternative rock band. They’ve got a lot of talent!

Upon hearing the opening track “I’ll Wait”, I didn’t think that the next song would be any good at all. This is largely based on the fact that so many bands these days come out with one good song and the rest are pure trash. Wrong! “Royal Ways” was even better than the first track!

From the catchy lyrics to the funky rhythm, melodic music style and thunderous drum rolls, The Notionaries moved up two notches on this track. Not to mention Lamar Fite’s resonating vocals, which are superb throughout.

Lamar Fite, has one of those voices you will clearly recognize and find irresistible. Together with the combination of instrumentation The Notionaries use, their music will get inside your brain and in your soul. The next thing you know you will be chanting “Run and live fast as we can, Throw your clothes and cares behind you, To the wind, Just footprints where you’ve been,” from “Excited Eyes”.

The Notionaries were able to successfully mesh rock grandiosity with sweet synth pads, biting guitar riffs, and catchy pop melodies to create one hell of an EP. “Made Up” is another superb song that may take a minute to grow on you, but once it does you’ll be waving your arms in ecstasy. The chorus sways with beautiful rock simplicity, while the vocals are just brilliant as usual, dominating the whole song.

Seldom does any recording come along where every song is worth listening to repeatedly. “Brave With Wires” is one of those rare exceptions. The Notionaries already have a highly developed sound, especially considering they’ve been going for about a year, and every song screams with it. Not least the final track on the EP, “Bandit”, which to me is also the best song on this recording.

The hauntingly melody with some seriously intoxicating bass lines that you just can’t hold back, lined-up with the polished guitar work and drums that never stop, leads to a song that is just downright classy. Every sound and instrument The Notionaries use, seems to become incandescent. This sound is blissful, delirium-inducing stuff.

The Notionaries are catchy and refreshing from the first time you hear them and they will stick in your ear – permanently! - Soundlooks - JEENA JOHNSON