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July Reviews Artist of the Month: Maria Taylor Long the darling of the indie rock world with Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead, and numerous guest spots, Maria Taylor provides the world this tremendous gem of a debut solo record. Reflecting the tone of Azure Ray, 11:11 ups the melody ante and convinces you that you are in love with Taylor. Brought up in a musical family, Taylor met up with her soon to be partner in crime Orenda Fink at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Forming the pop rock Little Red Rocket, Taylor and Fink released a couple of records, relocated to Athens, GA, broke up LRR and began the somber acoustic-driven Azure Ray. In Athens, the duo also met up with Andy LeMaster and joined his Now It’s Overhead – and things went wild after that. Soon signing with Saddle Creek, Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead released records, toured all over the place and Taylor began collaborating on other artists’ projects. This includes Bright Eyes’ previous two records, the Faint’s Wet From Birth and Moby’s 18. In recent years, Taylor’s appearances have risen astronomically – to the point were it is odd NOT to have a Saddle Creek release with Taylor offering her warm vocals. There is little doubt that Taylor really began to understand songwriting from this collaborative work. For 11:11 Taylor called in her favors to these other artists and the Saddle Creek family. In return, Taylor received the noteworthy help of Conor Oberst, Gretta Cohn of Cursive and LeMaster and Mike Mogis as both musicians and producers. Yet, this is only part of the help Taylor received. You also find Kim Salistean, Macey Taylor and Andrej Armstrong offering their talents. (Though I guess Fink collaborating would essentially be Azure Ray and so she is left off here). With a similar feel to Azure Ray, but with a richer production job and concentration on melody and harmony, in addition to somber moments, 11:11 immediately piques your attention on the opener “Leap Year.” “Leap Year” forces Taylor’s quiet, soothing vocals in your face while strings and a drum machine keep the flow. LeMaster’s backing vocals help rise the volume in Taylor’s voice and sell “Leap Year” as a strong number. Yet, “Leap Year” merely sets you up the star of 11:11 - “Song Beneath the Song.” While channeling the abilities of Oberst, Mogis and Cohn into Taylor’s talents will likely produce a winner, “Song Beneath the Song” takes the loveliness to the next level. At higher tempo than most and bolstered by underlying muting guitar, Taylor and (later) Oberst take off on the chorus of “It’s not love/It’s not love/It’s not love song.” The only downside to Oberst’s appearance is that he overpowers Taylor’s soft vocals. If aren’t infatuated with Taylor by this point then you are probably deaf anyway. Taylor brings things back to earth on the acoustic-driven, piano accentuated “Two of Those Too.” Telling the tale of living in Athens and the communal feel, “Two of Those Too” is just a sweet, calm number. “Nature Song” finds Taylor’s voice enhanced by minimal effects to maximize the appeal, but the song is only average. “Light House” trips along with nothing special until about a minute in where the pace is steepened and Taylor lyrics quickly fill the void. To demonstrate her electro-dance skills picked up from the Faint, Taylor and Mogis offer the beat-driven “One for the Shareholder.” “One for the Shareholder” is a song that you could see become a top forty pop hit with an overdone major label production job; let’s hope that doesn’t happen (not that we don’t want Taylor and Mogis to be rocking the cash). “Xanax” is another detached number with a flailing guitar, but comes around sneakily with several incredibly catchy lines sprinkled throughout (I suppose, aka, the chorus). “Xanax” is the type of song where you have to work for it to pay off for you. Taylor looks for some twang on the childhood locale of “Birmingham 1982,” which unflinching moves you along to the sound of Taylor pushing her voice, organs and Rhodes piano. In terms of an even and consistent number, “Birmingham 1982” is up among the best on 11:11. The sound of “Speak Easy” clearly reflects its name with an old-fashioned folk feel highlighted by banjo. 11:11 closes on the stunner “Hitched,” which begins ordinarily enough with Taylor’s vocals, pianos and organs, but quickly moves to sensational towards the end. Oh, did I mention how awesome “Song Beneath the Song” is? I just played it again to feel the goosebumps. As her debut solo record, Maria Taylor strikes indie gold on 11:11. If you have any inclination of enjoying Azure Ray or Bright Eyes or if you are wondering who is doing backing vocals on all those Saddle Creek release then this is the perfect record for you. 11:11 was released in late May and that I haven’t seen is scorching the charts is a great shame. Get in on this while you still can.
22-20s As their debut full-length, the UK’s 22-20s channel Delta blues into a focused rock and roll package that provides solid numbers, but doesn’t exactly raises itself above the fold. Composed of Martin Trimble on vocals/guitar, Glen Bartup on bass, James Irving on drums and Charley Coombes on keys, the 22-20s only got together three years ago and they scream with the future potential of creating something awesome. After their EP 05/03, the 22-20s sought to work out an ideal recording scenario where they could develop songs with their own vision of how rock and the blues should meet. Working with Brendan Lynch in England, the 22-20s move towards that goal across this album’s solid eleven songs. Yet, don’t think that the 22-20s are a blues band. They are more along the lines of a pop White Stripes, etc. I’m just happy that there are bands coming out of the UK that aren’t of the stripped-down, garage rock variety that the NME pumps up like cold fusion. A number of songs create instant dog-human dancing including the hot opener “Devil in Me,” “Such a Fool,” “22 Days” and “Shoot Your Gun.” Recently supporting Graham Coxon and the Black Crowes, the 22-20s on their way with their debut full-length and the future looks bright with a few more hooks.
Accursed Dawn It is fairly amusing that a label named Pop Faction has bands like the grinding metal-core act Accursed Dawn (and Monarch) on their lineup. Coming out of Blacksburg, VA, this five-piece assault the listener with dark speed metal across the album’s eight songs. Although technically proficient, you have likely heard all the progressions and solo starting points before. Accursed Dawn may do better in hardcore circles than straight up metal since they’d have a tougher time competing with the playing and songwriting heavyweight metal acts like Nile. Beyond an instrumental discussion, an immediate turnoff of Accursed Dawn comes from the terrible lead and ‘backing’ vocals. Brett Coverdale’s lead is a low-winder devil whisper, while the backing is simply supportive growls. Some metal bands can get by without a dynamic vocalist, but Accursed Dawn don’t have the instrumental attack or songwriting prowess to move beyond this vocal sore spot. I still think, though, that Accursed Dawn would succeed playing off the metalcore sound lead by bands like Darkest Hour and Atreyu. In the end, this is a good debut record for Accursed Dawn, but we’re pining for something more.
Alkaline Trio Taking their smashing 2003 release Good Mourning to all new heights, Chicago’s Alkaline Trio blast and demolish the competition on their latest opus Crimson. Hardly an individual with even a hint of interest in punk hasn’t heard of Alkaline Trio. Crimson is unbelievably the band’s fifth full-length, among other releases, and it has been a long road since their early days on Asian Man. But now Alkaline Trio is the most consistent and tight punk band around and continue to deliver spine-chilling catchy songs. Similar in feel to Good Mourning, the eleven songs on Crimson consist of the familiar Alkaline Trio dark and depressing lyrical imagery. Yet, the music on Crimson is incredibly melodic and illustrates sweet production by Jerry Finn – building on the thick sound of Good Mourning. Matt Skiba, Derek Grant and Dan Andriano have an amazing knack for delivering familiar and dependable song constructions, but with enough melody and little turns to make every song and album sound different. Often bands eventually implode on their own sound by playing the same thing over and over or trying to innovate and winding up like crap. By keeping things the same, Alkaline Trio is able to keep things different. Crimson opens with undertoned piano on “Time to Waste” before guitars assault and Skiba’s smooth vocals enter. The shorter, harder “Poison” follows with one of the more memorable choruses of “How could a rooftop view in London/Look just the same as one in Brooklyn?” “Burn” includes left-to-right guitar effects and focuses on Skiba’s vocals over a rather moderate tempo. The pop appeal to “Mercy Me” is just ridiculous immediate sucking you in as Alkaline Trio’s borrows the opening from their “Queen of Pain.” Naturally, “Dethbed” contains classic Skiba dark lyrics, while “Settle for Satin” is rather ordinary by Crimson standards. Alkaline Trio slows the tempo for the ode to Manson family member Sadie Mae Glutz entitled “Sadie.” As slow Alkaline Trio numbers go, “Sadie” is near the top. “Fall Victim” hits with a catchy chorus and “I Was a Prayer” moves you with Andriano at the helm but it is rather pedestrian. Surprisingly, strings open “Prevent This Tragedy” and interpose bridges on this song to the West Memphis Three. “Back to Hell” moves quickly, but only comes around halfway through on the chorus. After the average “Your Neck,” “Smoke” closes out Crimson where Alkaline Trio mellow things out as guitars screech for the top and strings arrive for ammunition. The CD also includes enhanced video of cuts of the band working in the studio – and it actually ain’t half bad to watch. With Crimson, Alkaline Trio is set to take over the small percentage of the punk world that isn’t already theirs. Since the album is filled with ‘singles’ look for forthcoming videos and the like in the near future. Having seen Alkaline Trio an array of times before their 2001’s From Here to Infirmary, I’m anxious to see if their live show has finally caught up to their spellbinding records.
Ambry Believe me when I tell you that I like Ambry’s Holding On By the Blindfolds We Hide Behind. But also believe me when I say that I’d like them a whole lot better if they didn’t sound exactly like Taking Back Sunday. Or, more specifically, if the vocals didn’t sound exactly like Adam Lazzara and the vocal interplay weren’t perfectly scripted from a TBS album; was it consciously done? In every other respect, these boys rock appealing constructed emo punk across the eleven songs on their debut for the Death Scene. Part of Ambry’s thought process on Holding On must have been affected by last summer’s spot on Utterpunk.com’s US tour. They (should have) saw what works and what doesn’t, what kids like and what makes them turn around to talk to their friends. This may have factored into aping the wildly successful TBS sound. Although it is now a fairly common occurrence, in most of Ambry’s songs, the segments are mashed and intertwined in a non-obvious verse-chorus composite. One should give nods to bands that don’t just link verse to chorus over and over again. After numerous listens, I think this album may be exceptional if, again, Lazzara wasn’t channeled; for instance, give a listen “Car Crash Love.” Even a singer with similar emphasis and cadence, but different tone may do the trick. Otherwise, I got issues with Ambry.
The Aquabats Regardless of the environment, I always associate the Aquabats with Travis Barker, the drummer of seemingly every punk band, when he rocked the skins for them early on. Initially and generally unintentionally the SoCal Aquabats were part of the mid-90s ska craze, even though they took an even more fun approach than most ska bands. With the sound’s demise in the music consciousness, so saw a reduction in the Aquabats’ activities and shedding of most of the original fourteen member band. As their first record in six years, the now five-piece Aquabats are back with thirteen songs of some of the most catchy, entertaining and amusing songs you are likely to hear to all year. Detaching much of their ska foundation by hardly including any horns, the Aquabats focus on a punk, electronic new wave sound that indescribably awesome. Of course, you need to have a fondness for uptempo, silly, nonsense songs that make you feel like you drank ten Red Bulls in a sitting. If you are that type than Charge! is going to make you drool and wet yourself. After an intro track, the Aquabats launch into the electronic quirky “Fashion Zombies!” that nods at the Misfits, but includes an incredibly catchy chorus with a bunch of wow-os. “Stuck in a Movie!” carries the vibe before the brilliant “Tiger Rider vs. the Time Sprinkler!” where again the chorus grabs you hard. “Nerd Alert!” issues another call for a nerd revolution, while “Plastic Lips!” surely mocks the nature of SoCal looks. “Look At Me, I’m A Winner!” tells it like it is – that the Aquabats are so out that they are actually cool. After the average “Hot Summer Nights (Won’t Last Forever)!,” “Meltdown!” further delivers on the chorus. Skip “Mechanical Ape!” to get to the hip chorus on “Demolition Rickshaw!.” Charge! closes out on “Waterslides!” with wide synth use and “Awesome Forces!” where the Aquabats perfectly close with high-tempo fun. If nothing else, all of these songs are excellent material for comedy movie soundtracks.
The Bright and Hollow Sky Featuring former members of Silver Scooter, the Bright and Hollow Sky offer sixteen tracks of lo-fi jangly indie rock on Gem State. Presenting a mellow front, Shawn Camp, Tyler Mallory and Carlos Orozco move at a mid-tempo pace with greatness at the tips of their fingers but never achieving it. Many of the songs sound abruptly cut off or that they are missing a crucial element that would take them to the next level. While not creating a depressing mood, the Bright and Hollow Sky are just sort of boring as a standard indie rock band. You know that they have the ability to write compelling songs, but it is like they are just too lazy to do so. When the secondary vocalist (Mallory?) fronts songs like John Samson of the Weakerthans, the Bright and Hollow Sky move to another level (e.g, “Holographic” and “Porcelain”). Other numbers to consider include “After Party,” “Around the Block” and “Going Down.” These guys have been at this game for a long time and let’s hope the next album illustrates their skills.
Breaking Point With the knowledge that this four-piece is from Memphis, you see their PR photo and they’re on Windup, you can pretty much peg their sound. As part of the Windup family, Breaking Point travel along post-grunge lines, as clearly illustrated on the opener and first single “Show Me a Sign;” and as punctuated by Brett Erikson’s vocals. However, the band also includes more mild-manner moments where they happily separate themselves from the pack. In fact, save for “Show Me a Sign” a majority of Beautiful Disorder’s eleven songs lay off the planned post-grunge and incorporate a purposeful change. For instance, “Don’t Let Go” is more pop, “All Messed Up” and “Goodbye to You” are ballads and “Reality Show” cruises along with punk guitars. If Erikson’s vocals didn’t tend toward the post-grunge, Creed, manly set, Breaking Point might sound totally different. Within the realm of similar-minded bands on Windup, Breaking Point is able to standout as doing the same thing differently.
Bullet Train to Vegas A combination of good fortune and hard work helped get Bullet Train to Vegas signed to Nitro Records shortly after recording this their debut full-length with producer Alex Newport. The four-piece of BTTV attack these eleven songs with a combination of angular guitars and shouting, directed vocals. While the band conceived their direction as cross-secting the flow of the punk scene in 2001, today BTTV sounds vaguely similar to other punk bands like TTT. While the musicianship and song constructions are solid, Dan Sena’s vocals can be grating and gnaw like squirrels at your ears. It is only really bad when Sena is putting over emphasis on words, but otherwise it can flow. A perfect example of the contrast is a song like “RFLCTR BTZ;” the guitars swoop and weave while Sena strangles your ears on the verse, but is fine on the chorus (though he may be helped by bassist Greg Horton). On the following “This Bed’s Meant for Two” you find that Sena can leave off the annoying vocal stressing if he so chooses. That Sena also plays guitar while singing makes me like BTTV more; because if he was just a singer the live emphasis would probably be overly dramatic. If BTTV want to truly make a dent in music they should either get a solid vocalist or concentrate on vocal passages and ranges that Sena can handle. The body is strong, but the limbs are flailing.
Courtesy Blush Who the fuck are Courtesy Blush and why haven’t I heard of them before? This was the thought in my mind when the eight-song Sweet Modern Fairy Tales started playing. One reason is that the Courtesy Blush five-piece plays north of the border and have only been around for a few years. Although, the band treads on a familiar angular punk-hardcore amalgam, they tackle their songs with enough innovation to deviate from the pack of apes and parallel some of the non-formed constructions of Kane Hodder. Probably more importantly, Courtesy Blush ram enough parts moving in different directions at once and from different sounds, that songs are consistently enjoyable. This is difficult, as most bands around this style are so incredibly boring that you want kill yourself. Consider the second track “Tonight Is To Die” as an example – the three-minute song plunges into metal, indie rock, punk and hardcore and makes all sound like they should be there. Although, Courtesy Blush may go too much into hardcore (e.g., “Love, Love”) to keep their gentle folk happy, kids from across the spectrum should love them. Courtesy Blush is the type of band that makes you excited about indie music again, and that someone is able to take tried and true sounds and build a sound that is both familiar and innovative at the same time. Now if they would just exclude mention in their ultra-brief bio of winning a contest to open for Finger Eleven in Canada, we’d be off to a much better start.
Deadlock Blasting out of the German metal scene, Deadlock unloads one of the most beautiful black/death metal records over the past several years. The beauty lies less in blistering guitars – all though they are there – but through the incorporation of melodic, atmospheric synths and clean female vocals. These elements present a goth image, but it is not overdone or contrived in a theatrical manner. As Deadlock’s debut on Lifeforce, Earth.Revolt continues an underlying story theme from 2003’s Six Reasons to Kill (Winter Recordings); much of it revolving around the earth rising out of destruction. The story also parallels Deadlock’s straight-edge vegan lifestyle, which is quite odd for straight up black/death metal bands. But Earth.Revolt makes any of the intense Earth Crisis records sound like your retarded cousin playing guitar. You don’t have to wait long to feel the full-force of Deadlock across the record’s ten song, hour-long onslaught. After the brief opening track “Demonic (Tonus Diabolus),” you are treated to the best song on the record, the gorgeous “10,000 Generations in Blood.” “10,000 Generations in Blood” presents everything that Deadlock has to offer – ass-numbing double bass, blistering guitars, atmospheric synths, melody among the screams and female vocals. Given the continuing story parallels, “10,000 Generations in Blood” reminds me of a black metal Coheed. Other songs that provide as much gifts include “Everlasting Pain,” the piano underlying “Earth.Revolt” and “Awakened by Sirens.” Though I don’t know, I have to assume that Deadlock rips shit up on the Euro metal scene and given Earth.Revolt they should have a wide audience in the metal and hardcore scenes in the U.S.
Deerhoof Initially intended for a Japanese only split, these seven songs show SF’s Deerhoof continually upping their game. Following the esoteric path laid out in albums past, the four-piece incorporate actual melodies and less random angular spits, while including a wide array of instruments. Further, Satomi does some of the most ‘singing’ I think I’ve ever heard her do. Examples abound particularly from the riff-rocking opener “Come See the Duck” and the amazingly sweet “Spiral Golden Tower.” “Spiral Golden Tower” may be the best Deerhoof song ever and if they ever would consider a wide release video it would be for this. Green Cosmos gets me excited about a follow up full-length to last year’s Milk Man and again suggests that Deerhoof would dominant if the members didn’t have ten million other projects.
Donnybrook It is shocking that Donnybrook are from Los Angeles and not Boston or NYC. These six guys throwdown old-school tough-guy hardcore in the vein of Northeastern masters, and yet do it in the sunshine. Adding to the surprise locale of Donnybrook is that their album art depicts fights in a hockey game. There is hockey in LA – the Kings – but this whole thing is vastly confusing. I suppose it’s analogous to a Northeastern band playing bubbly pop punk. On their debut full-length, Donnybrook travel well-beaten hardcore paths, but they don’t just knock one minute numbers of mind-numbing monotony; which is a criminal act if done by new hardcore bands. Instead, the songs exist in the two-and-a-half-minute range and meld the old school with heavy material of a Hatebreed, thus drawing parallels to the resurgent Madball. When Donnybrook do include gang vocals (e.g., “Technologikill”), it actually undermines the band’s intensity and fury – though if Donnybrook included like fifty guys shouting it probably would have been cool. Fans of the Bridge Nine catalog will drool over the new blood of Donnybrook.
Federation X Molested by Federation X’s sounds live may be the ideal manner to become charmed by their dirty 70s rock sound. This is because most of the movement across these nine songs has been heard before and Washington’s Federation X just tries to melt it into their own pottery. As the band’s fourth record in the past five years, the dominant characteristic of Federation X are the super dirty fuzzed guitars of Bill and Ben matched by classic rock vocals. Living near stoner rock when they slow things down (e.g., “In This Sad Room, In This Dark Room, We Live Like Beasts”), the three-piece typically can blast out of it thanks to more uptempo beats from Beau. Federation X aren’t dirty Texas enough to exist as stoner rock and seem to have a sweeter time on the faster numbers. Although much of the album is solid, songs that surpass expectations include the punk “Mission Control,” “The Most Unlucky Sound” and the star of Rally Day, the title track. “Rally Day” begins with guitars churning on a riff before drums greet it. Melodic vocals soon follow and the song just soars on the chorus. If all the songs were like “Rally Day,” this would be one of the best records of the year.
Jerry Fels As a general rule of good record design you shouldn’t put pictures of yourself all over the album, particularly if you are scrawny, awkward looking kid. And, so, yes Jerry Fels violates this rule on his twelve song effort for Nobody’s Favorite Records. Fels’ songs all travel down the acoustic singer-songwriter indie rocker trail that only a few have been able to successfully master (e.g., Iron & Wine). Surprisingly, Fels isn’t half bad in his efforts and considerably better than expectations. Yet, it is not clear whether Fels’ potential is best represented by releasing an album at this stage of his progression. Low-energy indie acoustic rock is difficult to hold people’s attention and artists have to have charisma to pull it off. How To Make Enemies… shows that Fels is on his way, but it just may take a bit longer to arrive at his destination.
The Fugue On their first EP (and second release overall), NYC’s the Fugue tackle four songs with a drunken disjointed guitar attack that mimics the post-hardcore world except with fewer rules or placements. It is obvious that the four-piece of Conrad Vollmer, Tia Vincent, Joe Somar and Ben Greenberg have the ability to demolish your ears at a point of their choosing. Yet, these four songs more or less leave you hanging and waiting for the slam. On songs like “Gun Wolf,” the Fugue excel with wild singing/screaming vocals and angular guitars that are on the verge of being super tight. Songs such as “Gun Wolf” suggest that the Fugue may be absolutely brilliant live. The problems arrive from lazy times as on “Whale Egg” and parts of the opener “Rumble Bee.” Members of the Fugue also play in projects like FACE! and Archaeopteryx, but it appears that with more time devoted to this band they could be awesome. I’m waiting for a full-length to pass final judgment.
Gorillaz For the many that thought Blur frontman Damon Albarn’s cartoon side project would eventually implode on itself or run out as useless, they need only watch television for a minute before being bombarded by the IPod ad with the Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” The hook on “Feel Good Inc.” immediately draws you back to these musical monsters and you welcome Demon Days with open arms. Four years after the unanticipated success of the Gorillaz debut, Albarn and co. recruited a wealth of guests and producer Danger Mouse (most known for his Grey Album remix) to finish this fifteen song endeavor. Besides from various other musical endeavors, much of the length between records came due to a several month failed attempt to bring the Gorillaz properly to film. While it became too much, maybe the future will see a realization of this project. Relative to the Gorillaz’ debut, Demon Days is bit of a hodge-podge of tremendous singles and questionable filler. This may be a natural occurrence of including scores of guests and including fifteen tracks – where some are going to have to come up short. Still, there are enough singles on Demon Days to keep you moving and the Gorillaz in business for some time to come. As noted, the incredibly hot number “Feel Good Inc.,” the sixth track, is the first to grab you and you don’t want to let go. Featuring De La Soul, a pulsating bassline and a completely melodic rock vocal breakdown by Albarn, you mom even knows this number thanks to IPod. Yet, this is one of the few moments where Albarn puts melody into his vocals and typically they are ultra-low-key and flat (e.g., “Kids With Guns”). Nodding to “Clint Eastwood” off of their debut, the Gorillaz offer up the beat-driven “Dirty Harry,” where Bootie Brown from the Pharcyde and San Fernandez Youth Chorus provide vocals. The many voices in “All Alone” gets lodged in your mind even if it can be quite annoying. Before being treated to Dennis Hopper on “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head,” the electro-dance “Dare” tries to get you moving with appearances from Shaun Ryder and Rosie Wilson. The aforementioned “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head” has Hopper reading a story of a town of happy folk that goes to hell over a creeping beat. The Gorillaz channel Beach Boys’ melody on “Don’t Get Lost in Heaven” thanks to the London Community Gospel Choir. Demon Days naturally closes on “Demon Days,” a strung out number that again engages the London Choir providing the song an uplifting element. Though not a tightly kept as many would hope, Demon Days has enough to offer to keep listeners happy for another four years.
Icky Boyfriends There is a special circle in hell for the Icky Boyfriends and it is obvious why on this two disc retrospective album. Starting out in the late 80s, the California-based Icky Boyfriends played dirty, noise punk that bordered on whether it actually was music. It sounds as if the three-piece just started playing the day before and had a dirty minded five- year-old writing lyrics. Icky Boyfriends are quite possibly the worst band ever and that’s funny but it is also a waste of everyone’s time. If you are in a band now and just starting out and are wondering if you are bad, just listen to this and you will feel so much better about yourself.
J. Page Formed last year when former The Scaries frontman Mike Magarelli moved from Chapel Hill to Gainesville and met up with As Friends Rust’s Chris Beckham, this debut EP from J. Page explodes with awesomeness and makes you feel good about what melodic punk is capable of. (And the small indy label Nice Guy Records must be pumped to have a band of J. Page’s caliber on their roster). The sound across of the EP’s five songs is nearly as if you collided The Scaries with As Friends Rust and Hot Water Music. This comparison is enhanced by Magarelli and Beckham trading off vocal duties, where Beckham is raspy and Magarelli is sugary. In many respects, the concluding J. Page sound reflects another former Chapel Hill band – Blankface. If you know Blankface then you know that any band that compares favorably must absolutely rule. While it is disappointing not to have The Scaries around Chapel Hill any more, it is refreshing that J. Page came out of their implosion. Be on the lookout for J. Page taking over your town and ears in the near future.
Joan of Arc This latest ‘Joan of Arc’ record is a great idea that pretty much implodes on itself. The ten people who’ve played guitar for the Chicago collective Joan of Arc got together to do an album of guitar duets. They all put their names in a hat, couples got picked and then they had to duet. All recording together in a single room, notable indie rock names surface including Tim Kinsella (and brothers Nate and Matt), Jeremy Boyle, Ben Vida, etc. In the end you have ten tracks clocking in at fifty minutes of guitar duet instrumentals – some convincing and others simply random junk. While the ten guitarists were going for some level of improvisation, most of the tracks could have really benefited from more thoughtful arranging. People who are really into ambient guitar instrumentals may enjoy this record, but fans of the more pop Joan of Arc will surely be frustrated.
Kenin If I enjoyed pop driven jam rock then I would likely love Kenin’s debut full-length Just Another Blast. Yet, that is certainly not the case and while Kenin are admirable musicians, the twelve songs often cause ear canal bleeding. A significant part of the turn off comes from lead singer Sean Gaiser’s overwrought, earnest vocals coupled with his acoustic guitar and intermittent jamming percussion. That Kenin was formed at Duke University just makes me want to sharpen the axe and deliver a lethal blow. But it makes perfect sense as Kenin is an ideal band to play at fraternity parties. I just wish it would all stop.
Little Compass Unfortunately, the worst moment on Discover by Houston’s Little Compass is the opening to the first track “You Wanted Murder,” where David Michael’s vocals sound totally off. It is unfortunate because the casual listener might just bypass the band altogether based on the opening. Yet, little more than a minute into “You Wanted Murder,” Little Compass’ compelling melodic punk comes through and revives the ailing patient. On Discover, Michael is joined by Ramzi Beshara on guitar/vocals, Stephen Henderson on bass and Daniel Hawkins on drums. Recording with Bob Hoag in Mesa, AZ, Little Compass has compiled a strong ten song record that places the band squarely in the competition. While traveling with used song constructions, Little Compass separates by focusing on catchy choruses and a complete use of weaving the two guitars together to maximize opportunity. Another appreciable aspect is that Little Compass still maintain the sound of a local punk band and not an over-produced studio bomb. It is hard not to find comfort in warm, melodic studio efforts, but there is a point where they all sound the same. Two drawbacks to Little Compass include a penchant to be overly repetitive (e.g., “Demolition”) and at times weak lyrics particularly on crucial choruses. With some serious thought and hard work both of these can be corrected in the future. Numbers to look out for include “Risky Business,” “Nine Ways to Die” and “Two Hundred Horses.”
Made Out of Babies There is nothing normal about NYC’s Made Out of Babies. Their moniker taken one way is rather gruesome and taken another is absolutely true (they all were babies at one point). Their label Neurot’s intent is to release experimental music often along a noise continuum; though this record is more rock than usual. And then there is Trophy, Made Out of Babies’ debut full-length. The twelve songs curse on the edge of goth and distorted noise-rock as guitarist Brendan Tobin offers the riffs and bassist Cooper and drummer Matthew Egan keep the time. But the defining characteristic of MOOB comes from the vocal chords of Julie Christmas. Christmas wails like a tortured and massively disturbed soul, moving from screaming to devilish, girlish whispers and everywhere in-between. While the boys provide the noise, Christmas’ vocals shape a dark and depressing sound, often as if PJ Harvey was struck with cane held by Satan himself. Most of the songs move between moderate and fast tempos with non-standard rock constructions. The one song that will surely stick in your cranium even on a causal listen is “Sugar.” On “Sugar,” Christmas resorts to her most childish vocal tone while describing her suffering self and it is both intriguing and disturbing at the same time. Although “Sugar” is distinct from the other songs, MOOB could make a killer video for it. Trophy is likely to gain Made Out of Babies a cartload of fans, particularly if they can piggy back on a big tour like NIN.
Mahi Mahi Here is another entry to the growing experimental Providence music scene. As their second full-length, Mahi Mahi concentrate on dark electronic, mid-tempo new wave that rides as a 3.1.G./Gold Standard Labs’ release; there certainly is at least a cerebral connection between the scenes of Providence and San Diego. Composed of Sir VZO on drums and V.Von Ricci on synths and vocals, Mahi Mahi unleash ten songs, all over four minutes, on (re)Move Your Body. Likely a product of RISD, Mahi Mahi could be dance music for those tied down by Percocet or OxyContin or Syrup or any other downer. Others may be dismayed by the beat never rising above limping tempo. The electronic-drum-vocal interplay on (re)Move Your Body is quite developed, intricate and layered, but you wish the tempo would just pick up at times. VV Ricci’s synth work encompasses a vast array of sounds and distortions on the recording, some of which may have to be sacrificed on live encounters without help (or programming). Tracks to take note of include “I Can’t Hear You” (if there was a single this would be it), “Right Now” and the hot “I Believe You” (the other single candidate). Depending on the atmosphere Mahi Mahi generates, they may unload an awesome live show.
Man in Gray As is often the case with a female-headed band, the woman steals the show. And that is the case with Man in Gray and Tina DaCosta on their debut EP No Day/No Night. Coming out of NYC, the five-piece of Man in Gray play stripped-down punk of the ilk you find on Kill Rock Stars; and most obviously bands like Sleater-Kinney and The Gossip. Yet, Man in Gray focus on the pop elements more than many similarly formed and minded bands. Given that this sound is often found in hip college towns like Athens, Chapel Hill, Austin or the Northwest, it is moderately surprising that Man in Gray can survive in NYC. I’m not sure of the turnout Man in Gray get in NYC, but they would likely be eaten up in such college towns. The EP tramps between straight punk (“Everyone’s Wearing Red”) to more pop love (“Brakelights”) to arty indie rock (“Incommunicado”) and rounds out with a distorted guitar solo fest on “Mig.” With the right tour, Man in Gray could be become a favorite among the KRS crowd.
Man in Gray/Unsacred Hearts The idea for the split for these two NYC bands was fermented when Unsacred Hearts’ Travis Harrison and A. Ross were recording Man in Gray’s debut EP No Day/No Night in 2003 at their studio. And now these two Serious Business Records’ artists knock out the traditional, but declining occurring, split 7”. Vocalist Tina DaCosta leads the way on Man in Gray’s opening two songs “Thirty-Six” and “Hoboken.” While “Thirty-Six” is average, “Hoboken” breaks through with DaCosta screaming riot grrrrl style and then merging into a catchy chorus. Both of these numbers contain more background vocals than Man in Gray’s previous EP. Unsacred Hearts’ “Do You Like Spy Movies” and “The End is Near” continue the band’s penchant of punk-induced garage rock, but don’t provide much to hang your hat on. Based on this split and their EP, Unsacred Hearts could really benefit at least in the short term from catchy choruses or something to sink you teeth into. Certainly pick up the 7” up for the two Man in Gray numbers – or look for them electronically if they are iTuned.
Megan McCauley Amazingly, on this track from the forthcoming Fantastic Four film, Megan McCauley’s vocals sound exactly like a female version of all the other post-grunge acts on Windup. I don’t know how this is possible, but McCauley is a slightly lighter twin of Seether. This shouldn’t be allowed to happen.
Mi Amore Coming out of the cold in Quebec City, the five-piece of Mi Amore spew forth distorted punk-metal-hardcore amalgam in the vein of Converge among others. Adding to that parallel, Mi Amore recorded The Lamb – their second release – with Kurt Ballou at God City. With amazing packaging and an anti-Christian theme, these thirteen songs all brim with intensity and heavy distortion that shifts themes and even includes stoner rock riffs (e.g., “Kingsnake, Crawlin’” and “The Scatholics”). Although Mi Amore aren’t defining or innovating new sounds, their appeal comes from a honest attack at a distorted wall of sound for the listener that is neither the same nor vastly different from song to song. So, you aren’t like ‘this song sounds like the rest’ nor are you saying ‘they’re just adding these pieces because they are trying to be different.’ Also, the vocal volume is slightly below the instrument level, but not buried. This adds to the feeling of being assaulted all at once. Those who dig recent Converge material or a more wild and shorter SuperHeavyGoatAss will likely get down on The Lamb.
Monarch The first half of the opening number “On Cinders” is entirely misleading of what Richmond-based metal act Monarch is going to unleash on your ears on their debut full-length. The song muddles along on light guitars and slow, heavy vocals before you hear a false build that finally leads to the machine gun guitar attack and angular movements. By the end of “On Cinders,” you have in mind parallels to Converge and the less esoteric Dillinger stuff. After last year’s debut EP Tragedy Holds the Hand of Hope, Monarch began to make their way in the hardcore and metal circles. This self-titled full-length cements their place as a band to watch, but they may need to focus their appeal to a less metal crowd. Unlike labelmates Accursed Dawn who bet on technicality proficient, Monarch is more about wild punk-metal where sections stop and start and are punctuated by brief soaring guitar riffs (probably demonstrated in no better place than on “Apparition”). While metalheads would appreciate Monarch, they would be feasted upon by fans of Converge. Besides from “Apparition,” take a gander at the gorgeous melodic guitar moments on “Harlot,” the assaulting “Gnashing of Teeth” and “Lay With Me.” I look forward to more from Monarch.
Nile My first knowledge of Nile came from the guitarist of Inertia telling me about an Egyptian-themed death metal band in the late 90s. Sounded fucking cool to me. Just really getting going during that time with their debut full-length Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ke (Relapse), Nile ascended from the underground swelter of tiny clubs/bars to the top of the game of death metal. This journey to the top included three more full-lengths, including Black Seeds of Vengeance and In Their Darkened Shrines, plus a massive U.S. and Europe touring schedule with like-minded outfits such as Kreator and Napalm Death. Along the way, the South Carolina-outfit has also changed lineups. For Annihilation of the Wicked, vocalist/guitarist Karl Sanders still mans the ship and is accompanied by guitarist/vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade, drummer George Kollias and recent addition Joe Payne on bass/vocalist. After you get past the remarkably brilliant red packaging for Annihilation of the Wicked, you can put the disc in and hear the whispers of the Middle East on the minute-long “Dusk Falls Upon the Temple of the Serpent on the Mount of Sunrise.” And then you get blasted by brutal death metal on “Cast Down the Heretic.” What you are immediately struck with on this number and following songs such as “The Burning Pits of the Duat” is how Kollias’ drumming is near inhuman. Save the constant double-bass, the sheer speed needed to keep up on the occasional nine-minute song questions whether Kollias is human; or at least how big his arms and shoulders are. The obvious note is how Toler-Wade and Sanders’ guitars are always going a million miles an hour, whether soloing or grinding. This all presents a picture of a band geared for making incredible tight and proficient metal. Yet, two downsides to the record seem to persist. First, I was hoping the vocals would come up and out of the traditional death metal growl to something more upfront and not hidden. Now, massively, intricate lyrics are a different story and something to acknowledge on its own. The second drawback is that the ten songs could seriously use more of the Egyptian/Middle Eastern musical mysticism that makes one say stuff like ‘fucking cool.’ It is there, but in a relatively minimal respect. It exists at times on songs like “Chapter of Obeisance…” and “User~Maat~Re,” but it could be greatly enhanced. Still, Annihilation of the Wicked is a tight, strong death metal record and will likely be near the top of people’s favorite lists.
Omnisoul From the upcoming Fantastic Four film, Wind-Up’s newest addition Omnisoul offer a change from most Wind-Up acts and focus on mild-mannered melodic rock. Although “Waiting (Save Your Life)” is clear top forty radio fodder and doesn’t present Omnisoul as an innovative outfit, it will likely propel Omnisoul skyward in sales of future releases.
On Broken Wings Coming out of the tough guy Boston hardcore scene, On Broken Wings tackles these eleven numbers with grinding, heavy hardcore that prefers walls of distortion over distinct instruments; the type of sound that makes your ass cheeks shake when heard live. Well at least that is the case for most of the record. On Broken Wings also feature sporadic redacts into melodic vocals instead of the dominant slightly-above-growl-screams – and this transfer sounds absolutely terrible. Thankfully it really is sporadic. Yet, when you are treated to the nonsense on “More Than Life” after the ball-numbing “Suffer” and “Pushing Up Daisies” you wish that you were deaf. In most other respects, On Broken Wings stick to the heavy, aggressive hardcore that echoes VFW halls across the country. As with many bands with this sound and level, On Broken Wings is likely a local favorite who need more exposure to sell themselves to outsiders. So, you are like ‘hey, I’ve seen these guys a bunch and their brutal,’ instead of saying ‘they sound like every other hardcore act.’ In a blind lineup of recent hardcore acts, I wouldn’t be able to pick On Broken Wings out, but would probably with enough personal contact. As such, those who know On Broken Wings will likely wet themselves with It’s All a Goodbye.
One Way Letter One Way Letter’s debut Where Everybody Knows Your Name would be completely smoking save for a few misguided ballads. Fronted by vocalist/bassist Selena Langley and supported by Eric Deleva on guitar, Mark Uhl on guitar and drummer Craig Goldberg, One Way Letter belt out melodic punk with indie rock enhancements. Produced by Matt Goldman, the abovementioned ballads (“The Second Story Love Affair,” “The Passion of the Action” and “…And the Survey Says”) fail mostly because Langley noticeably changes her impassioned vocals into softer, cuddly singer-songwriter mode. If you contrast the powerful opener “The Damage” with “The Passion of the Action,” you could hardly say it is even the same band. Otherwise, the songs on Where Everybody Knows Your Name feature great progressions with Langley taking control. Listening to highlight numbers “Her Voice Was Full of Money,” “Hospitals Aren’t So Hospitable” and “Alone in my Principles” you realize that there are very few female vocalists doing melodic punk (read: emo punk). It puts a fresh spin on a sound where all the vocalists sound like Adam Lazzara from TBS. Besides from Langley, Uhl’s and Deleva’s guitars admirably play off of one another and Goldberg’s drums keep the beat (though they often sound mixed too low). With a good deal of work ahead of them, it is likely One Way Letter will be passing through your locale soon.
Players Club As this Brooklyn four-piece’s debut EP for Texas’ Arclight Records, Players Club blast through five thick-distorted rock numbers that are on the edge of every band these guys have been in before/are in. Composed of Jim J. Paradise on drums (Kill Van Kull, Kiss It Goodbye), Dave Curran on bass/vocals (Unsane), Joel Hamilton on guitar/vocals (Shiner, Glazed Baby) and Cooper on vocals/guitar (Kill Van Kull, Made Out of Babies), Players Club certainly bases it self on the heavy low end of Unsane but are eclectic enough to defy quaint description besides from ‘heavy rock.’ Originally formed in 1999 as a simple side project, Players Club has put out numerous releases on Tee Pee Records, Handi-Kraft and Dead Teenager Records before landing on the rising Arclight. With shifting between the songs, highlights come from “Things You Can’t Imagine” and “The E.M.P,” and fans of Mike Patton will find pleasure on the closer “Song To Make You Hate Me.” Look for a full-length from Players Club in 2006 on Arclight.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids Aided by a cool name, Phoenix’s Scary Kids Scaring Kids romp through eleven punk hardcore numbers on their debut for Immortal. Yet, The City Sleeps in Flames is a massively depressing album. Not depressing in terms of content and the like. It is depressing because Scary Kids Scaring Kids demonstrate concrete musicianship and songwriting abilities, bolstered by producer Brian McTernan, but it is nearly impossible to differentiate SKSK from the swelter of like-minded bands hitting the Warped Tour. SKSK do have keyboardist Pouyan Afkary to enhance their sounds, which does help at times such as on “The Only Medicine.” Yet, the keyboards are almost always hidden behind guitars and vocals and are only really decipherable with a headphone listen. Part of the disappointment from The City Sleeps in Flames comes from lead singer Tyson Stevens’ non-distinguishable vocals. Stevens plays by the rules, is strong and parallels the progressions, but his cadence is so familiar he could sing in nearly any other band. So, The City Sleeps in Flames is a real good record and perfectly fits into the commonly pronounced contemporary punk-hardcore sound. Yet, you know that SKSK are capable of much better things. It may simply come from further incorporating Afkary’s keyboards into the actual song construction, instead of just background enhancements. One tipping point could be if SKSK are exceptionally tighter live than the other Warped bands and thus placing their stamp on the top of a crowded field.
Thor Thor’s twentieth and latest record Thor Against the World is applicable for a good laugh for about five minutes, but after that you just want it to end. Jon Mikl Thor (aka, Thor) and his backing band Sweet Justice (Frank Meyer, Bruff Duff, Chris Markwood, as well as Brian Kehew) deliver eleven new gladiator rock/metal anthems. Thor started his multiple cookie jar attack in the mid-70s, starting out as a professional bodybuilder and then developing his music and acting careers. While obviously the professional bodybuilding has waned, Thor has persisted at his music and acting to this day. Thor is a complete rock theater as a cross between glam and 70s metal and lyrics that are so over the top that you have to laugh or vomit in your mouth. Yet it is clear that you have to ‘experience’ Thor as a total package to become enamored. The music itself is average at best, but you could really get into with a crazed theatrical live assault. Although based on the video for “Glimmer,” cut from his recent USA film Murder at the Presidio, Thor may be too mild nowadays to draw you in (in his prime, Thor probably was much wilder). Nonetheless, those partial to Thor’s previous material or for nostalgic 80s glam metal will likely dig Thor Against the World.
Turin Brakes With similar pop elegance and sensibilities as labelmate Sondre Lerche, the British duo that comprises Turin Brakes, Gale Paridjanian and Olly Knights, unveil their latest ode to all things good. Their previous two records, 2001’s The Optimist and 2003’s Ether Song, have made Turin Brakes internationally known and on the brink of big time. After experiencing the pressures of studio ‘time’ in the UK and the US, the duo built and set up a studio at their pad in Brixton. With more time to let songs and ideas evolve and mature, the duo created a tremendously naturally and organic sound across the twelve songs on JackInABox. JackInABox seemingly includes everything there is to like about pop-infused rock – and thus an appeal for nearly every interest. Yet, the majority of songs can be grouped in either the acoustic, mellow vein or the mid-tempo electric rock traditions; and there are substantially highlights in both realms. The record kicks off on “They Can’t Buy Sunshine” that sounds right out of Lerche’s catalog of beautiful pop moments and it is grand. This is followed by “Red Moon” where hands clapping leads to verse that momentarily holds off the gorgeous chorus. “Forever” is the first indication of how stunning Paridjanian and Knights are when channeling their focus on magical acoustic songs. On “Forever,” the duo walk the road of Iron & Wine – possibly suggesting an interesting tour. Other songs that live in a similar camp include the first single “Fishing For a Dream,” the grainier “Road to Nowhere” and “Above the Clouds.” “Asleep with the Fireflies” follows “Forever” on JackInABox and starts off as simply ordinary. Yet, when the dance fever love fest hits the chorus you are up and out of your seat in an instant. Simply based on the chorus, “Asleep with the Fireflies” may become a hit. “Over and Over” is a solid, standard number, before you get assaulted by the terrible quasi-jazz vocals on “Last Clown.” Appreciating that Turin Brakes are trying to develop an older number, “Last Clown” just sounds completely off. The progressions on “Building Wraps Round Me” parallel Cat Stevens, while the title track goes for intermittent congas and a dance feel. JackInABox closes on “Come and Go” where the duo reviving the feel of “They Can’t Buy Sunshine” accompanied by underlying electronics. With previously established credibility and notice, JackInABox should push Turin Brakes to the top of the field.
Unsacred Hearts This NYC four-piece have taken a similar path as many young Long Islanders – after you get the means or resolve to get away from you parents you head to some packed apartment in, usually, Brooklyn. As such, Unsacred Hearts knock out seven tracks of punk fueled, stripped down rock across this EP’s seven tracks. While paralleling the garage rock scene, they include just enough punk to separate themselves. At the same time, the songs, while solid, need to something more to making them appealing. The seven songs’ sound like they come from a group just really getting going together. With some more development and hopefully less of a dive into garage rock, Unsacred Hearts could do some damage.
V/A The title of this sampler basically tells you all you need to know. The nineteen song comp offers a bit from the numerous underground acts aligned with the Bellingham, WA Estrus label. While the comp combines upcoming and previous releases, it’s relatively low price suggests a good pick if you liked one or more of the bands previously. Highlights come from The Bobbyteens “Hurt for You,” DMBQ’s “Taste,” The Fall-Outs “One Thought Too Much,” The Insomniacs’ “Leave,” The Knockout Pills’ “Do the Skin Crawl” and the Von Zippers’ “SGWTF.”
Xiu Xiu Jamie Stewart (aka, Xiu Xiu) got our attention on his last full-length, the brilliant Fabulous Muscles – enough so that we did a short interview with him. Always a tortured soul, Stewart breathed intensity and songwriting prowess into Fabulous Muscles and turned skeptical and esoteric art into something more accessible. Yet, on his latest for 5RC La Foret, Stewart has regressed into the comfort of his own whispers and minimalism. While we weren’t looking for a pop dance party, the shift on these eleven songs certainly piques your concern. Not every song is parallel to the unassuming opener “Clover,” but you take away that image. Admittedly enjoying the songs where Stewart nears more common constructions, songs that buck the trend include the light electronic “Muppet Face,” the rock “Pox” and the sweeping “Bog People” (which there is a video for). Consistent with previous releases, Stewart’s central focus is to convey personal and difficult themes to song and wrap the lyrics with instrumental emotion often in the place of melody. It would be nice to hear a record where Stewart concentrates on melody and catchiness, just to see if the glimpses on this and previous records could really be fulfilled. Just one do one and then Stewart could go back to making music for himself.
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