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August Reviews Artist of the Month: Genghis Tron Genghis Tron first sparked our interest with last year’s debut EP Cloak of Love on Crucial Blast. Now, the three-piece from Poughkeepsie, NY has stroked our passion with their brilliant debut full-length Dead Mountain Mouth. If you have a pulse and have at least a general interest in heavy music, then Dead Mountain Mouth should be your companion for the next few months. A general reaction to a first listen of Genghis Tron for even the non-schooled goes along the lines of ‘wow, this is crazy, but, for some reason I can’t peg, also really good.’ And that was the reaction to the band’s five-song balls-out dance-metal destroyer EP Cloak of Love. The EP, along with a swath of touring, has led the band to emerge as one of the most innovative and exciting heavy music bands to come along in years. Consider the fact that Kurt Ballou recorded the ten-song Dead Mountain Mouth at his Godcity Studios for further vindication of what the heavy hitters think. Unlike Cloak of Love, however, Genghis Tron move beyond simple noise shifted into dance electronic pieces and take a considerably more varied utilization of sounds and tempos on Dead Mountain Mouth. Less abrupt and more intertwined and conceived, the sonic soundscapes of the record leave the boundaries of genres strewn and decapitated. The thirty-one minute record kicks off on “The Folding Road” with thirty seconds of noisy jazz before blasting a full-out assault on your ears. But while it begins as somewhat ordinary noise, you soon get treated to the electronic breakdowns and enhancements. If you never have heard Genghis Tron before “The Folding Road” is an excellent introduction to the maelstrom. “Chapels” continues the path with a stronger use of operatic guitars and wide swath of electronic breakthroughs. Nocturned with a folky whisper is “From the Aisle,” which tramples softly for two minutes for a minute of brutal metal. Getting things back to balls-out demolishing is the title track where the guitar gymnastics are quite reminiscent of Ballou’s Converge. On the longest track of Dead Mountain Mouth, “White Walls,” Genghis Tron uses spastic guitars to accentuate the haunting electronic foundation before launching into more controlled movements. After the short instrumental electronic number “Badlands,” the band moves seamlessly into “Greek Beds” with the reckless abandon of the Locust’s brother. “Asleep on the Forest Floor” begins with Close Encounters-type electronics as it merges with industrial beats and guitars. The instrumental “Warm Woods” follows up the opening of “Asleep on the Forest Floor,” adding electro-beat and noise guitars. Dead Mountain Mouth closes on “Lake of Virgins” with the now classic Genghis Tron non-classifiable assault; nearly a perfect close to path breaking record. Although Genghis Tron will never get the love, attention, and success that they surely deserve in this lifetime, you can still enjoy one of the most innovative bands in the world with Dead Mountain Mouth. Also, it is fun to tell people that one of your favorite bands is Genghis Tron; just rolls off the tongue. As groups like the Locust, Converge, and Mike Patton’s various projects have influenced avant-garde heavy music bands, Genghis Tron will as well and this is now your second notice.
Amps for Christ I’m not sure what Amps for Christ have in mind for ‘Every Eleven Seconds.’ Every eleven seconds a random noise is included? Every eleven seconds of listening to Every Eleven Seconds makes me want to vomit? Like their previous records, this one includes a foundation of Appalachian folk and noise, but also extends itself in more tangents. Joining Barnes (ex – Man is Bastard) on the fifteen-track Every Eleven Seconds are Keller, Larry White, Kenyon, Nelson, Wilkens, Wood, and other one-namers. These musicians generally collaborate on a track or two that share thematic feelings. Basically, if you are a fan of Amps for Christ and/or you like esoteric noise, then you’ll like Every Eleven Seconds.
Apollo Up Unlike many small indie bands, Nashville’s Apollo Up actually have the power to rock and illustrate that quite effectively on their second full-length Chariots of Fire. The trio of Jay Phillips, Mike Shepherd, and Jereme Frey pursue a mature indie punk sound that comes off like less theatrical Rocket From the Crypt. With a couple of shifts in sound, Apollo Up could sound like a Flameshovel band or something. While Shepherd and Frey hold up their end, Apollo Up’s defining points are Phillips’ indie shouting vocals and quasi-surf guitars. These aspects show up in great form on “Invisible Syllable,” “Situation: Hot!,” “Custom Critical,” and even on the catchy opener “Walking the Plank.” With so many generic singer-songwriters in Nashville, you got to love Apollo Up coming in and messing everything up.
Bosola This New York-based three-piece is an arty, free jazz noise outfit that is in effect just starting out; or at least this EP makes it sound like they are. Featuring Ali Turan, Fred Schneider, Ben Reid, along with some guests, Bosola bang away on five marginally-recorded songs that sound more like working versions than finished products. Considerably more enjoyable sans vocals (see “Leaky Aura” and “The Nickel”), Bosola has the right feel but they need to nail down the sound better; or at least make it more exciting like Ruins.
Far and away this is the best Bouncing Souls’ record in a long time. I’m talking in the realm of stellar, classic Bouncing Souls’ material – like “Neurotic” and “I Like Your Mom” from The Good, The Bad, & The Argyle; “Quick Check Girl,” “Lamar Vannoy,” and “The Freaks, Nerds, & Romantics” on Maniacal Laughter; “Say Anything” and “Kate Is Great” from their self-titled Epitaph debut; “Hopeless Romantic,” “Kid,” “Wish Me Well (You Can Go to Hell)” from Hopeless Romantic. The Bouncing Souls’ past two records, How I Spent My Summer Vacation and Anchors Aweigh, were solid albums but failed to provide a similar tingling feeling all over. Conceived in New Jersey and recorded in LA, the twelve songs on the Gold Record bring back early Bouncing Souls excitement coupled with a sense of melodic punk and contemporary fittings. With the same lineup for the past couple of records – Greg Attonito (vocals), Pete Steinkopf (guitar), Bryan Kienlen (bass), Michael McDermott (drums) – the band is as tight and smart as ever before. The Gold Record opens on aptly-enough “The Gold Song” which is just balls-out Bouncing Souls’ punk. A slow winder opens “So Jersey” as the songs progresses to thunderous guitars and gang vocals from the likes of Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan and Bad Religion/Epitaph headman Brett Gurewitz. “Sounds of the City” is equally hot shit, while “The Pizza Song” moniker sounds like one of the Souls classic one-minute throw-off tracks but actually contains acoustic guitars, accordions, and keyboards – in other words an organic feel for a punk band. Apt guitar muting opens “Sarah Saturday” on your way to an infectious chorus playing off the song’s title. Next up is Ray Davies’ “Better Things,” a mature sounding song but also seems perfectly suited for the Bouncing Souls. In other words, there is likely no way would you know it wasn’t written by the Souls. The rocker “The Messenger” greets you next – an odd amalgam of harmonica and guitar riffs that only partially does the job. Steinkopf’s brilliantly muting guitar again meets on the opening of strong “Lean on Sheena” and helps carry the song. Musically, “Letter From Iraq” is one of the weakest songs on the record, but the Souls right some wrongs on the hot, jumping “The New Thing.” Following the solid “Midnight Mile” comes the lengthy closer “For All the Unheard,” which travels as a quasi-ballad. While the Gold Record might not actually go gold, it is the Bouncing Souls best shot in years.
Breed 77 Breed 77 build upon the sound of previous album, ‘Cultura’ that was as big and bold as a Barbary Ape, to show this Gibraltar born, melodically metallic craftsmen in all their finery. ‘Petroleo (You Will Be King)’ immediately provides a shiny platform for the launch of Paul Isola’s rugged and forceful vocals, as the track builds from a cosmopolitan, ambient intro to transform into a charging post/rock assault. Isola’s versatile vocal range allows the band to genre hop. They display broad musical prowess, such as in the troubled and self deprecating ‘Blind’ that revives the grunge spirit with impunity. Stuart Cavilla’s Chugging bass lines toe the track along and allow Breed 77 to be at their most lyrically transparent, resulting in an eerie tale of human ignorance that reaches shuddering point. The tingling percussive build up to ‘Remember That Day’ shows an impressive ability to build up nostalgia like an old black and white flick, to allow Isola to paint a streak of blue into his vocal coat. The album takes an empirical twist midway through, noticeably in the slow and yearning ‘Look At Me Now’ and it highlights the reason why everyone expected Breed 77 to command the print and the attention that Fall Out Boy went on to be granted, though the latter band did not necessary earn those accolades, but that’s modern rock for you. Previous single ‘Alive’ captures all the ambience and passion, shrouding it in crushing percussion and filtering in some mystically downtrodden lyrical snap. Breed 77 is gathering momentum that is built from a base of broad musical expansion. (-David Adair)
Burden of a Day In the current state of millions of screaming melodic hardcore bands, Florida’s Burden of a Day is able to break through the noise and offer up a strong record on Pilots & Paper Planes. Now, if the mixing and production job wasn’t totally botched, you’re enjoyability would rise to another level; seriously the levels on the record are all over the place and the volume is already too low. While Burden of Day has much in common contemporaries like Thrice, a better comparison of spirit is to early Cave In. Without the wild metal offerings, the breakdowns are reminiscent and you feel the same flair. Even with the recording going against them, there is enough magic in the twelve songs to make you convert and force you out a live show. To punctuate their powers, Burden of a Day should look to a remixing/remastering and then dragons will be slayed.
Decyfer Down How did North Carolina’s Decyfer Down escape the grasp of Wind-up Records? The band’s generic post-grunge rock is so perfect for Wind-up that it easy to see them being the label’s new poster boys. They even have the whole Christian-fueled lyrics thing going for them. If these past sentences haven’t alerted you to the band’s sound, consider that they’ve played with the likes of Crossfade, Cold, Puddle of Mudd, and Breaking Benjamin. As with all of those bands, Decyfer Down are skilled rockers who misuse their talents on a common wall of rock instead of offering something memorable and interesting.
Demented Are Go On their sixth album, UK psychobilly band Demented Are Go unleash all the elements that have become hallmarks of the genre, mixing punk, rockabilly/hellbilly, and larger than life tales of destruction and debauchery. The two best tracks of Hellbilly Storm come at the album’s end, first with album closer “Someone’s Out To Get Me” replete with acoustic guitar and mandolin, and bonus track “Death Rides A Horse” which finds frontman Spark dueting with a female guest vocalist and some ‘gettiup’ hollering that’s straight out of a Sergio Leone western. (-Andrew Pryor)
The Divine Comedy It is a matter for conjecture as to whether or not The Divine Comedy’s quirkiness has been an asset or a liability for them in the past? Whatever the answer is, they are not changing their approach on the evidence of this second single from the tempting, ‘Victory for the Comic Muse’ album. Neil Hannon has changed the line up for The Divine Comedy more times than Sven has changed the England one, only Hannon has not lost any momentum because of this. Alluring female vocal backing and a quaint brass section infused accompaniment, sets things up for the lyrics that picks up underdog life from the floor, sticks a cherry on it and makes it good enough to eat; “The other day I discovered a magazine of my brother’s. I read it under the covers; it got me all hot and bothered. Now every time that I see you, your uniform becomes see through. You don’t know how much I need you, the Handy Andy’s I’ve been through; I don’t want to, sha la la laa, die a virgin.” The Divine Comedy remain stoic in their quaint indie way and many people will still be grateful for this. (-DA)
Dropping Daylight Brace Yourself is this Minneapolis-based four-piece’s first full-length after two successful EPs. Originally named Sui Generis, then Sue Generis, Dropping Daylight offer melody-laden piano pop songs worked over by pop punk smarts across eleven, nearly all the same length, songs. Featuring brothers Sebastian and Seth Davin, Rob Burke, and Allen Maier, the group wants to win over mainstream pop, rock, and pop punk fans worldwide. In that mission, the songs can get on your nerves if you don’t like those sounds. That is, Dropping Daylight sound influenced by Simple Plan and Yellowcard, as well as more pop acts like Jason Mraz and labelmates Maroon 5. Every once in awhile, Dropping Daylight more towards an appealing Ben Folds sound (see “Lucy”), but there is dearth in this love. A possibly more frustrating aspect is that the guitars sound like thin grunge metal and, thus, are completely off from the rest of their sound. Undoubtedly, pop fans will take to Brace Yourself, but you’ve been warned if you’re not down on that.
Duke Special A marching vocal stroll and complementing piano kick gives a 50’s noire element to Duke Special’s ‘Portrait’. Carefree lyrics add a restful feel and shows up the steady mind of Ireland’s Peter Wilson, who is indeed, Duke Special. Lobbing melodies are thrown around with decadence and the playful lyrics delivered with sincerity, in the slightly down-spirited ‘Feet in the Sky’. Allowing you to feel the aching through the piano riffs, in an almost Beth Orton vein. Duke Special’s real pull is in a live setting. In support of David Ford not so long ago, The Dukester decked out his rustic piano with candles and created a welcoming and slightly romantic ambience. A good attempt at capturing his live pull is made with the inclusion of a live version of the troubled, yet determined ‘MAPS’, with the shivering inclusion of floating piano riffs to rekindle some of the above mentioned ambience. The hymn styled ‘Low’ is a good choice for another live inclusion, as Wilson’s vocals tower above a slow piano to deliver the life dwelling lyrics. Duke Special’s brand of heart bearing indie is going to draw comparisons to the early days of Aqualung, but each offering is still showered with individuality. (-DA)
Eldopa Eldopa was part of the hardcore Oakland scene in the nineties and kindred spirits to their Oakland brethren, Neurosis. This Tee Pee reissue collects their entire body of recordings, including: the 1995 LP, 1332, a self titled 7”, demos, and the obligatory live recordings. The highlight of the disc is the full length, which shows a band fully capable of using a wide array of sonic attacks. Veering deftly back and forth from sludge metal, to Japanese noise, songs like “Headache” are quite effective for getting the blood riled. One can also hear the influence of Reign in Blood on “Wrong End” and “Infected” which is, of course, a good thing. Eldopa’s main signature seems to be combining a 90s west coast hardcore sound with the vocal sensibilities of Scandinavian black metal (think screaming goblins riding to war). While not as interesting a listen as 1332, the demos and live tracks do give something extra for fans. In particular, the live songs document a band in all its evil glory. All hail the horned king! (-AP)
Eugene Mirman The first thing (or last thing if you want to look at it that way) you should do when you get En Garde, Society! is don’t put in the DVD. For God’s sake don’t do it! The series of short films will scar you image of funny man Eugene Mirman before he has the chance to dazzle you. You also may want to skip the first track as Mirman comes out to his hometown NYC crowd and it sounds like he is just telling jokes to his best friends; the type where you can tell inside, stupid things and they’ll laugh. One point on the opener track is good when Mirman tells you about homeless people in Edinburgh who look like wizards; at that point Mirman hooks you and takes you for a ride. Mirman, Russian by birth, has spent the past few years in NYC working in comedy and recently has been expanding his audience by opening for such bands as Modest Mouse, the Shines, and Yo La Tengo – obvious hipster points. You might also know Mirman from the disappointing Invite Them Up 3CD/1DVD set recently released on Comedy Central Records. But, Mirman works his magic on this fifteen-track, forty-five minute set from Piano’s. Highlights include stories and jokes on Jack in the Box, going to the movies, what kind of animal he would be, red tide, debating conservative comedians, the New Testament in the form of a teen magazine, letters to nouns, men’s bathroom doors, and special coupons for the audience. Eugene Mirman is wildly endearing on En Garde, Society and we’ll be on the lookout for live shows.
The Forecast If every song on In the Shadow of Two Gunmen rocked as brilliantly as “And We All Return to Our Roots,” this would be the best record of the year. And though the Forecast don’t possess the powers to make our dreams come true, there is still enough joy on this sophomore effort for Victory to keep you satiated. The Peoria, IL four-piece’s debut for Victory came courtesy of the amazing Late Night Conversations (an artist of the month for Exoduster). Although the band had two EPs and a split before, Late Night Conversations really opened the band up to wider acclaim. The Forecast’s obvious appeal comes from their guitarists Dustin Addis and Matt Webb intertwining vocals with bassist Shannon Burns. Add in the Forecast’s slightly twangy Americana indie rock and you have songs that echo greats like the Anniversary, Park Ave., and Helicopter Helicopter. Again focusing on lives in their hometown and general rust-belt life, the twelve songs on In the Shadow seize your attention with melodic hooks, alt-country charm, and grab your heart by often painful reminisces. For whatever reason, this record doesn’t hold you as tight as Late Night Conversations, but it’s still a great collection of songs. After the average opener “Everything We Want to Be” comes the aforementioned glorious “And We All Return to Our Roots.” Now, I’m an uber-sucker for songs with a strong male-female vocal back-and-forth indie rock, and this song delivers it in droves. The particular moment comes from Burns’ belting, really shouting, the line “all I want is a little place of my own where I can rest my head.” There is no way not to feel the power and intensity of the line and the song. Other songs to offer similar powers include “(May You One Day) Carry Me Home,” the hard rocking “A Fist Fight For Our Fathers,” “West Coast,” and the slow burner “Some Things Never Change.” Begin with 2005’s Late Night Conversations, but quickly follow it up with In the Shadow of Two Gunmen.
Forget Cassettes In the never ending struggle to surprise the listener, musicians return again and again to a single question: how does one take the tried and true song structure of old and make it new again? Forget Cassettes has adapted the same solution taken by film directors seeking to spice up a genre film, i.e. add lots of seat-of-your-pants jump cuts that take the listener from moments of false security to explosive stretches of adrenaline. While reworking a genre can yield to cynicism, Forget Cassettes manages to keep the listener off balance throughout Salt and the ensuing expectation for the unexpected keeps things interesting. Album opener “Venison” begins with a series of aural misdirections before the songs starts proper with full-on bass and drums backing up dense guitars and Beth Cameron’s strong vocal presence. The idea of misdirection is actually a recurring theme through the course of Salt. Cameron, drummer Aaron Ford, and multi-instrumentalist Jay Leo Phillips create a complex sound that blends a live energy with clever studio post-production flourishes. The combination works well, keeping songs like “My Maraschino”, “Quiero, Quietres” and “Venison” springing back and forth between bouncing guitar coupled with catchy vocals and a sonic meltdown of noise. (-AP)
Guiltmaker Featuring former members of Reversal of Man and Combat Wounded Veteran, Guiltmaker offers up a post-hardcore teaser on this four-song EP. The Tampa-base four-piece has the right combination of mature thickly-orchestrated songs with guitars leading the charge toward heaven. The problem you quickly realize on Driven By Arms is that the songs aren’t that grabbing or memorable. All the songs are correctly designed and are likely to be impressive in a live indie rock venue, but recorded without that backing they are simply missing the delightful. Hopefully, Guiltmaker can grab you by the collar on their full-length later this year.
The Hawk This five-piece from Louisville begins the EP in strong fashion on the opener “A World of Entertainment,” before falling into a rambling piano rock song nightmare over the next five numbers. Headed by Josh Hawkins, and filled out by Malcolm McLaughlin (guitar), Woody Mancini (piano, assorted), Elizabeth Craig Adams (bass), and Matthew Greenwood (drums), the Hawk seem to fall away from the edgy opener and towards a sort of weird vaudevillian experience as the EP progresses. In general not terrible, save for “Rocksta’sway,” at best the Hawk is experienced live in a lounge atmosphere.
Hit the Lights If you are looking for uber-clean, slick, catchy pop-punk then Lima, OH’s Hit the Lights is your latest salvation; or latest headache. The young five-piece are no apologies catchy, playing songs that have all come before but with a renewed energy – the type of energy that only those blissfully ignorant or completely in control can conjure up. On their twelve-track debut full-length, Hit the Lights have all the makings of smashing the commercial scene, as long as they can be heard through the clutter of similar-minded bands. However, Hit the Lights have at least two things going for them – great guitar play and the aforementioned energy. If the band is able to bring their clean, tight sound and energy to the stage, then there is no reason not to expect them to blow up.
Humanzi Four angry Irishmen set to show through ripping riffs and angst riding 70s rock that anger is not something to stay quiet about. The bulleting riffs and cantering percussion on ‘6 Gun’ leads nicely into the dragging, high pitched howl of Shaun Mulrooney, who gushes out lurid defiance. There are fuzzy interludes, such as in ‘Out On A Wire’, slowing down the tempo to drive home a message of admiration and regret through Gary Jarman style vocals. Most of the songs on here are searching and uncover some depth to Humanzi’s locker that is often hidden by the brazen sound. A distorted vocal element gives ‘I Want Silence’ some gruff provocation to compliment the wandering, almost jazzy guitar led romp that delivers a mystical message; “You don’t need words to sing out.” A piercing nature permeates the album, as Mulrooney’s presence comes through as a raw and honest one. The AC/DC spirit is adeptly captured through ‘Song For Understanding’, the number builds from a slow, acoustic intro to build up to the life summarising release that follows. As the album moves on, an ambient element is slid into the fray via ‘Help Me In The Morning’, to help the range and keep the interest level high. Humanzi do it with a rugged honesty that makes their brand of rock believable, as well as catchy. (-DA)
Jet Leg Gemini If “combining the pop sensibilities of acts like Fall Out Boy and Green Day with 80s era virtuosic guitar” sounds like a formula for radio-ready angst rock, then that’s exactly what is being offered from Jet Leg Gemini. Songs like “Happy Earth Day” and “Geared for Action” come out with amps blazing, but after all the noise settles, one can’t help but wonder what all the fanfare was about. Clocking in at just less than 20 minutes, the six largely indistinguishable tracks on Business are over quickly and with very little to savor afterward. Jet Leg Gemini serve up ham-fisted guitar solos complete with artificial harmonics and glam-metal noodling, not to mention the fresh-out-of-high school wisdom of such lyrics as “why did I leave my room I’ll never know / Be cool be strong be fun I guess it shows” on “Ready Set No”. On “From Lip To Lip” vocalist Misha Safonov complains, “It’s 3 AM / your blood is thin the aspirin’s just setting in / and you can’t feel and you can’t feel and you can’t.” He’s right though I’m not feeling anything either. Such quibbling over substance and originality aside, Jet Leg Gemini will probably appeal to the angst-set to whom the music is undoubtedly aimed toward anyway, and Business is packaged tidily enough with just enough of all that best intentions can offer and some slick graphic art. (-AP)
JR Ewing If JR Ewing seems like they’ve been hanging in the ether for sometime without your finger every landing on them, then the brilliant ten-track Maelstrom is set to change your perceptions. Seriously though, Norway’s JR Ewing is always listed in RIYL-type phrases, but few people seemed to have a firm grasp on them – even with a release on GSL. With a move to Dim Mak, the band takes their post hardcore sound on a guitar acid trip and it’s awesome. The songs on Maelstrom are just an unrelenting attack on your senses that preserves the post hardcore frame but pushes the beams up with wild Mars Volta-type assaults. Hardly a bad song across the bunch, JR Ewing’s consistency is remarkable. Headline tracks can be found in “Change Is Nothing (Everything Is),” the dropping riff on “Nihilistic Elitist,” the oddly poppy “Take a Hint” complete with handclaps, the melodic “Pitch Black Blond” and its full-blown breakdown that crescendos back, and the hard rocking closer “Here I Vanish.” Thank God that JR Ewing violently murders the Scandinavian rock stereotype.
MIKA MIKO MIKA MIKO is a garage quintet out of Los Angeles that brings a cacophonous zeal to the tried and true drums-bass-guitar sound. One gets the sense that the essence of MIKO MIKA lays not in the sum of its parts but in the parts themselves. Everything about the sound here is meticulously crafted to create a particular effect. Hence, the band takes guitars, carefully distorted with late 70s fuzz, bass that’s more rattle than thump, and drums that lope in and out of the mix to create their particular garage aesthetic. Jenna Thornhill and Jennifer Clavin’s vocal shout falls somewhere in the middle of MIKA MIKO’s sound, as opposed to being the regular vocals front-and-center sound. On “I Don’t Like Your Widow’s Peak” the discordance of the guitar line is giving equal weight to the songs shout-along vocal to create a distinctly live sound. “Capricorinations” bounces along on the momentum of a squeaking bass line couple with ticking high-hat. Keeping things interesting, the band occasionally throws in the odd keyboard or sax part. C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. is an overall solid garage/punk record of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs/BE Your Own Pet mold. (-AP)
Miles Away Only a year after Australia’s Miles Away self-titled debut for Boston-based Bridge Nine Records comes the eleven-track Consequences. And as with their B9 debut, the five-piece just beats you with old school hardcore anthems that are laced with slight deviations – for instance, guitar harmonics and weaving dual guitars. As such, Miles Away could just as easily be like any other B9 band – like Champion – or contemporary old school throwbacks like Comeback Kid. One noticeable difference on Consequences is Miles Away are super tight and clean, and just nail every sound shift. This helps make Miles Away one of the best on B9’s roster, and so if you get off to old school hardcore revivalists then Consequences should be on your shelf.
Murder by Death Both Indiana and all us listeners should be thankful for the fact that Murder by Death exists. On the band’s latest and most widely known release, In Bocca Al Lupo, the four-piece is greeted by a host of guest musicians to offer probably their best record in their short history. Echoing the rich American narrative emphasized by contemporary musicians and bands like the Decemberists, Murder by Death offers rustic shakers that instantly grab your collar and force you into the story. Even if you aren’t a lyric-focused consumer, the twelve-track In Bocca forces at least cursory attention the sprawling stories of guitarist and vocalist Adam Turla. Joining Turla on this dark Americana journey are the pointed cello and keyboards of Sarah Balliet, the bass of Matt Armstrong, and the drums of Alex Schrodt. As you probably can imagine, Balliet’s cello often gives the songs their murky ambience; though Turla’s various vocal characters also widely alters the shape. Among the tracks that best bring you into the story and make you a witness to the crimes, misdeeds, and events are the horn-enhanced “The Organ Grinder,” the cello-driven Waits-like “One More Notch,” the uptempo rocker “Brother,” the slow, sinister country-western “The Big Sleep,” and the like-minded “Shiola.” Murder by Death gives you a lot to contemplate and process on In Bocca Al Lupo and you should be happy for the gift.
NearMiss On their second full-length, Austin’s NearMiss continues the pursuit of comfy pop-punk seasoned with small divergences into old hardcore and post-hardcore. Featuring former members of Bigwig, NearMiss can rock the whole Left Coast/Fat Wreck beat with the best of them – songs that are catchy, fun, but sometimes generic. Thankfully, the three-piece changes sounds, tempos, and offerings as they progress through the twelve-song Testing the Ends…. Pulling some catchy Quicksand-like punches, NearMiss is able to get over the ordinary sophomoric pop-punk banner and just rock out. Highlights include the balls-out “Call for Help,” “Now Rectify,” the catchy “In a Daydream,” “The Choice,” and “We All Bleed.” Although NearMiss tour with more simply-conceived pop punk bands, they should have more to offer during such shows.
The Needles Tingling summer indie with a hanging vocal element is the second single coming for the sharp Aberdeen quartet, The Needles. Fuzzy and harmony laden guitars and rhythmically trotting percussion whose combined effect sometimes swerves provocatively close to Muse quarters, provides the pulse of the song that circulates the laid back and throaty cries of Dave Dixon. Short, catchy and simple, yet with element of depth means that this is an idle accompaniment to the short attention spans that accompany a summer’s day. A more reflective tone is proffered through the slightly psychedelic, non-album offering, ‘How Come It Doesn’t Rain’ that will have the tender-hearted in all of a dither. Richey Wolfe sprinkles his roaming keyboard touch all over this ranging ride to illuminate the band’s depth. Debut album, ‘In Search Of The Needles’ hits the public domain 04/09/2006, so for those who are finding Boy Kill Boy's attention seeking, limelight squatting a tad tedious now, this date will not come a moment too soon. (-DA)
Opus Dai After the release of last year’s surprisingly polished live five-song EP, Actum Procul, the LA-based four-piece of Opus Dai offer their debut full-length Tierra Tragame. Opus Dai rides on the majestic musicianship of guitarist Atsushi Miyamoto, bassist Jagger Gonzales, drummer David Alva, and thrives on the vocal prowess of Chris-Paul Basso. Playing a goth metal-rock hybrid that works well for fans of System of a Down, Linkin Park, and Incubus, the twelve songs on Tierra Tragame reaffirms your suspicion that Opus Dai is being kept down by the man (somehow); maybe it’s their moniker. With Basso’s impressive manly vocals, drum-bass breakdowns, and Miyamoto’s guitar effects, Tierra Tragame will definitely keep metal-rock fans content. To experience the good, you need to skip past the odd opener “Embers” (a bad move to try to get quick converts), and get to some others inbetween (e.g., “Sleepwalk,” “Taken Eye,” “Ashes, Ashes”). If you were to think of what a contemporary dark LA rock band should sound like, it would be Opus Dai.
Persephone’s Bees Even with little to no knowledge of Persephone’s Bees, you probably have heard them and liked them. The reason is that you’ve heard their song “City of Love” in both the Will Ferrell movie Bewitched and one of those cell phone ads for the Razr. “City of Love,” the third song on the record, starts with a drum beat followed by an infectious groove and then lead singer Angelina Moysov offering her accented vocals. Moysov is the core of the band and her vocal dynamics have the power to send you into a trance. In truth, “City of Love” was offered as a single a few years ago, but it’s repackaged for the band’s debut full-length. The song alone will pique your interest in Notes from the Underworld, but the rest of the record is a bit hit or miss. Wildly eclectic within a pop foundation, highlights come from the 1920s feel of “Climbing,” the Russian-versed and Euro 60s punk “Muzika Dlya Fil’ma,” the 60s pop (sans punk) of “Even Though I’m Fooling Around,” and the rocker “Paper Plane.” Although Notes from the Underground might not entirely hold together as a project, there are a number of singles just waiting for radio attention.
Plain White T’s This six-track enhanced EP is for hardcore Plain White T’s fans only. The acoustic “Hey There Delilah” was chosen by fans as the first single from the full-length All That We Needed. Here, the song is a slightly different version and is beefed up by strings. In addition, the EP includes four new songs – “Easy Way Out,” “Down the Road,” “Losing Myself,” “If I Told You” – and a live version of “Hey There Delilah” from the Metro in Chicago. Among the new songs, “Down the Road” is probably the best as it pushes the pace and keeps you consistently interested. The enhanced part of the EP includes three videos for “Hey There Delilah,” the scenester quasi-porn video for uber-rocker “Take Me Away,” and “All That We Needed.”
The Plot to blow up the Eiffel Tower This 3-song EP opens strong with title track “Inri” and then closes with a remixed version courtesy of Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It’s perhaps to the credit of both that neither version overshadows the other. While “Inri” remixed sports much more studio wizardry in the form of break beat drums, droning horns, and a general mayhem of bells and whistles, “Inri” in it’s original form plays it fairly strait, opening with a wicked surf guitar riff that instantly sets the tone. I’m not sure what “Inri” which is an abbreviation of the Latin Lesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, and also a Dutch black metal band, has to do with anything, but this is soundtrack music for skipping school, skipping work, and delinquency in general. Middle track “Boys Keep Swinging” is less successful, if only for the fact that after the subversive evil of “Inri” it feels like a cop-out, replacing sneering cool with hooks that try way too hard to impress. One can’t help but feel that The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower’s big sound is meant to be anthemic, but is at it’s best when things are kept simple and the horn arrangements are mixed way back. Due to this EP’s short length, it’s a mixed bag. “Inri”- rocks, “Boys Keep Swinging” – not so much. (-AP)
Sam Roberts The title of this ten-song record plus the artwork sets you up for the glorious blast of psychedelic rock on the brilliant opener “The Gate.” As if Wolfmother relaxed their distortion and went for a more clean sound, “The Gate” immediately grabs your attention and sets your interest even if you’re not a psych rock fan. And while Sam Roberts can’t maintain the same magic ride for the next nine songs, there is enough here to keep you appeased. Though Roberts is the core, the band wouldn’t be the same without the offerings of guitarist Dave Nugent, keyboardist Eric Fares, bassist James Hall, and drummer Josh Trager. Recorded in an outpost in Australia and finished up in Montreal, Chemical City is a strong enough album to get Roberts noticed on a much wider level than previously. As you progress through the record, the only hint of wantonness comes courtesy of parallels to too much trendy garage rock over the path first set on “The Gate.” Even still, “Bridge to Nowhere,” the sweet “Mind Flood,” and “The Bootleg Saint” are solid number. Good rock things.
Slow Learner Slow Learner’s folk-inspired indie rock conjures up images of relaxed antique grandness, the type of which sounds closer to coming from a hip southern college town than the urban jungle of Brooklyn. Further, Slow Learner is actually just one person, multi-instrumentalist Michael Napolitano, who is aided on the eleven-track record by a slew of guests and whose live band consists of Kieran Mulvaney, Ed Gorch, and Jordan Young. Plus, how isn’t Slow Learner signed to a label like Sub Pop, Matador, Merge, or a similar-minded one? All of this combines for a gorgeous surprise wrapped in a mystery. When In Their Time They Are Magnificent starts with piano, aching electronics, and Napolitano’s hoarse vocals on the epic “Retreasion,” you initially think Napolitano can’t continue the majesty on the following songs. Yet, you are pleasantly appeased with each passing number. “Martyr” scratches with a similar opening with piano and Napolitano’s vocals before the rest of the instruments come in, and the magic slowly begins in typically a slow pace. The record unfolds as such: the mellow-drenched “Ringing in the New Year” follows “Martyr;” “Holding on to Yourself” crescendos towards the end; Napolitano goes for more singer-songwriter love on “Look at your Shoes;” “White Walls” creeps in like a Constantines’ song – and thus is flush with Springsteen accents; the piano-based “We’re All Magicians” slides a bit from the rest; the slight effects on Napolitano’s vocals on “East River” reminds of a questionable 80s song; the magic returns on the organ-fueled “The Better the Lovely;” “Sleepy” is just that; and “Minister of Minstrels & Whores” closes out the record on a grand scale. The best surely are frontloaded, but taken in total, Slow Learner’s In Their Time They Are Magnificent is one of the best self-released record of the year to date.
Snowden The maudlin, streetwise and worldly nature of Jordan Jeffares strikes you immediately like a slow but well placed blow in ‘Like Bullets’. It is as though through his Atlanta outfit Snowden, he has said to all the emo bands; ‘you’re thoughts may become clearer if you slow down enough to be able to notice them yourself’. A rumbling and slightly ambient accompaniment creates a musical gravel pathway for Jeffares to vocally meander down. The downtrodden lyrics dug up from the recesses of the heart are life grappling emo to be proud of, or ashamed of, if you are a musical snob; “I push the pull too but when I see you move I know it’s just business as usual. We can walk like bullets and talk like bullets In and out your face but you’ll never notice.” There is an increasing pub crawl aspect to the vocals as the album progresses, Jaffares’ voice appears like it is emerging out of an increasing alcohol pit that adds to the downtrodden feel, such as in ‘My Murmuring Darling’. It is apparent through numbers like ‘Black Eyes’ that this foray is not so much a soul searching journey, but a hanging out to dry of it, as it has been stained by the world's ways. The instrumental arrangement becomes quite chilling and sombre for the aforementioned track and helps to give Snowden a The Cure meets Sonic Youth vibe, shrouding matters in reflection. Marching percussion grabs hold of you and drags you into the fuzzy guitar led, lurid web of backstabbing and deceit in ‘Counterfeit Rules’. This lends itself to the sharp narrative of the vocals, enabling Jaffares to be at his most convincing. That poignancy is not recaptured on the remainder of the album, but what remains is still enough to keep you tuned into the mindset of this cohesive, haunting and troubled outfit. (-AP)
Snow Patrol For some reason I was completely under the impression that Snow Patrol were totally a different band than what is presented on the eleven-song Eyes Open. Slim exposure to previous material suggested a more indie rock band than the uber-pop arena rock attack that the group displays on their latest record. After two records on Jeepster and then 2003’s Final Straw on Fiction/Polydor, Snow Patrol are primed with all the advantages of a band rising through the rock world. While some of the songs are rock gems – like “Shut Your Eyes,” “You’re All I Have” and “Headlights” – others like the Toad the Wet Spocket-like “Hands Open” and “Chasing Cars” make you run for cover; though there is a nice duet with Martha Wainwright on “Set the Fire to the Third Bar.” Given my priors and then hearing this record’s mission to crush commercial radio and go multi-platinum, Eyes Open is hard to get your bearing on. Simply, if you enjoy radio pop rock and like pop Radiohead, Eyes Open will likely be on your pick up list.
The Submarines Quietly, softly, without much fanfare, the duo of Blake Hazard and Jake Dragonetti has offered one of the best electronic-infused indie pop albums of the year with Declare a New State. For those jonesing for more Jenny Lewis-Postal Service collaborations, Declare a New State has a new set of lovely travails to set you free. After a long time of working in other musical outfits in Boston and working each other, Hazard and Dragonetti relocated to LA to expand their reach. Not yet a band together, they were a couple that soon broke up out in the LA sun. Yet, as each worked on songs after the split, they found that all the songs were each other’s odes to their relationship and enough went down for Hazard and Dragonetti that they came back together. In fact, Declare a New State was mastered as a wedding gift to the duo. The end product is heart-wrenching lyrics mixed with joyful, hopeful moments in beautiful pop layers – no more obvious than “Vote.” Highlights that should be dominating college radio this coming fall include the opener “Peace and Hate,” the Caroline Lufkin-like “Clouds,” the bittersweet “Brighter Discontent,” the glorious “Modern Inventions,” and “The Good Night.” Basically, most of the songs are keepers. The Submarines are one of the few groups to legitimately get excited about.
Think I Care To enhance your listening experience on the ten-track, twenty-one minute offering by Think I Care play it loud in your car, because on closer inspection it doesn’t have all the pieces you want to browbeat someone into submission. On their fourth record, the Massachusetts-based four-piece simply throws down with old school heavy hardcore. But that adherence to the original works somewhat against them – particularly on the vocal cadence often matching the guitar changes and thus sounding too blatant and simplistic. Surely, Think I Care is a tough guy’s paradise live and this record is to be lived in.
V/A As the fifth installment of Fearless Records’ Punk Goes series, the label again recruits a cadre of current punk and hardcore bands to cover a set of themed songs. Now, with any of these compilations, questions will abound about which bands did which song and why certain bands or songs weren’t covered at all. Over the past four, and now with this fifth, Fearless can’t always have the same bands rocking out, so that question is answered. The biggest question about what is missing is why isn’t Pearl Jam covered? Weren’t they one of the biggest 90s bands? Let’s get to the getting on what’s actually here. Typically covers are good either because they take a completely different and interesting turn on the song or the band just nails the energy; otherwise they are often stale. The ones that succeed on Punk Goes 90s include: Hit the Lights’ cover of “Hey Jealousy” by the Gin Blossoms, Bleeding Through’s version of “Stars” by Hum, Anberlin’s version of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” Eighteen Visions’ cover of Marilyn Manson’s “Beautiful People,” and Plain White T’s cover of Blur’s “Song 2.” As with the previous installments, Punk Goes 90s is nice novelty record but is unlikely to rock your socks off.
Versus the Mirror On their debut full-length, Tucson’s Versus the Mirror offer twelve songs of screaming punk hardcore but with a twist. In an effort not be just another screaming wildebeest, the five-piece resorted to a relatively clean guitar sound and used analog equipment, instead of a purely slick computerized version. The recording quality is likely not something you’ll pick up on; but the guitars definitely are a change of pace, and a good one at that. The contrast between Davey Seibold’s constant screaming and the clean tone of Gabe Borquez, Kevin Ryan, and Brad Murray’s guitars isn’t as severe as you may think (Shane Ray is on the kit). The guitars sound like when Boysetsfire moves to a clean channel, and, while Seibold could by singing for a pure power violence band, there are melodic moments. The downside to the twelve songs on Home is that you’ll be hard pressed to distinguish songs without a thousand listens. The reason is that Seibold almost never changes his cadence or tone, and the only shift with the instruments is tweaks on tempo. Enhanced with documentary footage, Versus the Mirror is the perfect record for those in-deep with the contemporary screaming punk sound.
The Walkmen Wait, when did a drunk Bob Dylan decide to front a contemporary rock band? That’s a common reaction to the opening song “Louisiana” with its slight nods to Caribbean-flavored horns. New York’s the Walkmen continue their garage rock onslaught laid out on previous records – 2002’s Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone and 2004’s Bows and Arrows which made them their name – but on the twelve-song A Hundred Miles Off the Walkmen have purposely made an effort to expand, enrich, and vary their rock sound. For some, Hamilton Leithauser’s aforementioned vocals are like nails on a black board or at least a reimagining, but placed in the right light they’re the perfect match for the music. Filled out by Walter Martin, Peter Bauer, Matt Barrick, and Paul Maroon, the Walkmen actually vacated their NYC studio to work and record at Inner Ear outside of DC. The more expansive record is highlighted by “Good For You’s Good For Me,” “Louisiana,” “Another Ones Goes By,” but you’re also tortured by “Lost in Boston” and a set of generic rockers. The main drawback to the Walkmen is that they crested on the garage rock wave, and that wave is crashing, so some backlash is to be expected against the sound. Yet, for devotees, A Hundred Miles Off is a nice addition.
Zero 7 Zero 7 is always lurking in the background of the ambient chic cool, but never seems to get the love and attention that they’re probably due. But, gradually and slowly, the duo of Zero 7, Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns, has been getting acknowledgments from music lovers everywhere. Zero 7’s appeal comes from dream production by studio rats Hardaker and Binns where they tie a wide swath of eclectic sounds into lovely electronic pop affairs. Again aided by vocalist Sia Furler as well as Jose Gonzalez, Zero 7 lead you through twelve thickly-orchestrated songs on their third record The Garden. Somehow perfectly designed to be played at prosperous clothing stores and used as soundtrack music for films, The Garden hardly leaves you unfulfilled. Those to take note of include the gorgeous opener “Futures,” “Throw It All Away,” the odd “You’re My Flame,” the soft Air-like “Today,” and a reworking of Gonzalez’s “Crosses.” If you’re looking for hip music for your latest get-together, Zero 7’s The Garden is it.
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