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June Reviews Artist of the Month: The Forecast Who the hell are the Forecast? Where did they come from? And why are they so fucking good? These are some of the questions I immediately began asking myself as the opening song “Seating Subject to Availability” progressed and you are greeted with Victory Records’ best release in a long time. More importantly, you are greeted with one of the best releases of the year and one of the best indie rock records of the decade. The Forecast are from Peoria, Illinois and the songs (and album art) clearly reflect a sense of Midwestern plainness, hope, dreams and reality. Mirroring indie rock bands like the Anniversary, Park Ave, Helicopter Helicopter and Braid, the Forecast are also instilled with margins of country twang reflecting a rock link with John Cougar Mellencamp. At times, the Forecast can also bring a harder edge and emotion to their songs – such emotion I haven’t felt since Hot Water Music’s Forever and Counting. This melding of influences creates a sound that was prevalent in the late 90s, but has dissipated since then towards a move to emo-everything. I’m not going to shit you, I’m a total sucker for male-female vocal tradeoffs particularly within an indie rock context. And the Forecast create nearly the perfect combination of this vocal formula. This is thanks to guitarist Dustin Addis usually taking the vocal lead, but immediately followed and matched by the brilliant bassist Shannon Burns. Combine this with a steady beat from Tony Peck and dynamic guitars from Matt Webb, and you wind up with something special – Late Night Conversations. I feel totally asleep at the wheel for not being informed of the Forecast before this release on Victory. Maybe if I was in the Midwest I could have caught on quicker, but oh well. They have been kicking around since 2001 and have put out two EPs and a split with 1090 Club. Those EPs and this debut full-length was produced and recorded by Saddle Creek mastermind AJ Mogis at his Lincoln, NE Presto! Studios. I realized that I know only know Mogis production jobs from Saddle Creek releases and never really thought about how he would naturally produce other records. That Mogis was willing to stay recording the Forecast over their history should tell you something about the talent of this fearsome foursome. As mentioned above, the ten-song Late Night Conversations kicks off on the blistering “Seating Subject to Availability.” With initial building and quick shifting guitars you have no idea what the Forecast’s sound is until it breaks, Addis’ belts the first line with clicking drum rims and one simple downstroking guitar. While it progresses and Burns’ vocals join in, you start to get excited and when the chorus strikes you are like ‘fucking awesome!’ And there you have the essence of the Forecast’s songwriting structure and philosophy – and for folks like me it is nearly perfect. “These Lights” slows momentum down and twangs things up on the verse, before Burns’ leads a strong chorus. After the further country and average “Helping Hands,” the band is back hard on “Fade In Fade Out.” “Fade In Fade Out” is more straight up punk and is again enhanced by Burns’ taking over the verse duties midway through – and also breaks down for gang vocals that lead to a dazzling come back. The song ends in such a way that could only be done by an indie rock band not concerned about creating ‘hits.’ The instruments reduce intensity and Addis calmly leads the close of the song – a point where many bands would feel compelled to go back for another run through the chorus. “Whiskey’s Dead You’re Next” is constructed in classic indie rock fashion with busy guitars underneath slower vocals by Burns’ and Addis bolsters the chorus. The title track finds the Forecast at the uptempo rock with an ear catching rhythmic solo and one of the more memorable lines of ‘We’ll fight the good fight, the good fight.’ Along with “Seating Subject to Availability” and “Fade In Fade Out,” the title track is among the record’s top numbers. After the average “APR,” the Forecast decide to massively extend the next two numbers “Exorcise Demons” and “Sleep Tight Tonight” to six-plus-minutes. “Exorcise Demons” is abslow number that breaks into a harder rock phase about three minutes in before drawing back. “Sleep Tight Tonight” has a bit of Chunk in it as it pulsates with distorted guitars and Addis and Burns’ vocals for half the time. The biggest misstep on Late Night Conversations is the closing number “Losing Signal,” where Addis belts out to an acoustic guitar with a bit of background noise. Save for a couple of drops at the end, Late Night Conversations is a good as it gets. With this record and support from Victory, the Forecast should do some serious damage this summer and beyond. If people don’t welcome the Forecast into their arms, then they should be arrested.
A Day to Remember Florida’s A Day to Remember seems like a band with a severe identity crisis. They try their darnedest to merge the spectrum between heavy grind hardcore and emo, and in so doing the songs come off as schizo – and not in a good way. As A Day to Remember’s debut for Indianola, And Their Name Was Treason might survive if the songs were to one side or the other. With their emo masks on, A Day to Remember come off like Saves the Day or one of the many Orange County melodic punk bands. With their metal masks on they are lined up with the metalcore outfits at Hellfest. But together, it just comes off as bad. Why isn’t their pizza-flavored ice cream? Pizza rocks, ice cream is awesome, but you don’t want one thing that tastes like both. This is the dilemma with A Day to Remember. Since A Day to Remember aren’t as technically brilliant as other metalcore outfits, they should move away from it. In addition, when they are in their emo mood, A Day to Remember are quite good and lead singer Jeremy McKinnon’s vocals are endearing (as demonstrated on tracks like “A Second Glance” and “You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance”). Maybe if they just fused margins of metal guitars to an otherwise melodic atmosphere, they could come out on top. As is, And Their Name Was Treason is a frustrating listen.
Amber Pacific To make sure that I wasn’t going insane, I went back and listened to Amber Pacific’s EP Fading Days. Nope, I’m not going crazy; this record is an incredible disappointment relative to the EP. It seems that Seattle’s Amber Pacific have taken a bit too much of the Left Coast beat to heart being on Hopeless. The twelve songs are more aggressive and the band has backed off their heavy reliance on the beautiful melodic sections. The thing is that I really want to like Amber Pacific. With all the music fads and trends, melodic punk has been solid and stable for the better part of fifteen years. No matter what I tire of, I always go back to melodic punk as the something that will always sound good (and make you feel young). Yet, the songs on The Possibility & The Promise are average at best and stale, rehashed at worst; which sucks because you know the potential of this outfit. It could be an anchoring effect due to the opening number “Everything We Were Has Become What We Are,” where the beat is so generic Fat Wreck that you want to boot. Highlights in the mess include “Gone So Young,” “Postcards” and “The Right To Write Me Off” (thanks to the strong chorus). Maybe next time Amber Pacific will write memorable songs for listeners to sink their teeth into.
Bane Coming back after a four year recording hiatus, Bane is ready to unload another record full of old school hardcore anthems for the kids. There is no doubt that this five-piece love the ethos and style of old school hardcore, but Bane does not rely on simple one minute, fast punk numbers. Their style is and always has been mixing the simple with more progressive hardcore, but nothing in the way of metal. As such, Bane has always both drawn from past and present hardcore sounds. A central turnoff to Bane is the intermittently tiresome vocals of Aaron Bedard – the style is an intense shout, but it sometimes sounds quite off. Bedard’s vocals really shredded my appreciation for the Note, so I went back to Bane’s composite 1998 release Holding This Moment for a comparison. Of course, the songs off Holding This Moment are similar in construct to The Note, but the main difference is that they sound more fresh, raw and honest. For whatever reason, one gets the sense of tiredness from the ten songs here. You would like for Bane to pick up the tempo, so that Bedard wouldn’t have to put certain stresses on long vocal utterances. There are likely to be detractors from this opinion, particularly among the old school hardcore scene choir. And in that respect, Bane lives for the live show and the communal aspect of hardcore (as illustrated in “My Therapy” and elsewhere). Further, The Note has numerous sections for crowds to shout along with Bedard and in the end that may be the only thing that really matters.
Cardinal Empryean first gave us a hint at this reissue by releasing Eric Matthews’ Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit in the winter and now we have Cardinal’s only full-length with vast enhancements. Originally released in 1994 on Flydaddy Records, Cardinal was simply composed of Matthews and Aussie Richard Davies at the time; Bob Fay left a short time before for Sebadoh. Matthews and Davies weave ten smart and smooth indie pop tracks on the original issue. Here, the original is bloated by eleven bonus tracks – a combination of demos, b-sides and one-offs. Unlike the marginally compelling recent Matthews’ record, it is clear why Cardinal’s self-titled was widely heralded by critics across the board; particularly coming out of the grunge age. Cardinal offer the first soft, melodic number on the opener “If You Believe in Christmas Trees,” where the duo lace sweet vocals with a surprising string section. After the so-so “Last Poems,” comes the guitar and vocal building “Big Mink” whose composition parallels “Christmas Trees.” Songs such as “Big Mink” illustrate the 60 Brit pop vocal moments that feature Cardinal at their best. Cardinal seems to go in-between these types of numbers (also, “Tough Guy Tactics” and the brilliant piano-driven “Angel Darling”) and songs that almost have a church feel such as “You’ve Lost Me There” and (less) “Singing to the Sunshine.” “Angel Darling” is really gorgeous and has a timeless feel to it like indie pop Bowie. In terms of this release, the bonus material drives down the power of the original record. Three of the bonus tracks are simply demos of songs on the record, while much of the other material is moderately weak. As such, fans will dig it and those looking to buy the record for the first time will appreciate it, but beyond that the bonus stuff is blah.
Circa Survive Philly’s Circa Survive seems to be a band of destiny, or at least fate, luck and some forced changes. Founded by vocalist Anthony Green and guitarist Colin Frangicetto in 2004, the circumstances included Green quitting the rapidly ascending Saosin and heading back home to Philly. Frangicetto’s own hardcore outfit This Day Forward had called it quits a short time before allowing Frangicetto his own freedom to mess around with sounds and finally meeting up with Green to form an outfit. They quickly got guitarist Brendan Erkstrom from This Day Forward to sign on and then recruited drummer Steve Clifford and Taken’s bassist Nick Beard. With such an array of talent and influences, one may imagine some type of hardcore amalgam and they would be wrong. Circa Survive bathes itself in a complete wave of space prog-rock that is as if the Mars Volta laid off the twenty-minute songs and focused on constructing more concise, precise numbers. Green belts out impassioned vocals that help to punctuate the detached guitars and general feeling. There are two immediate drawbacks to the eleven songs on Juturna. The first is that it is often hard to differentiate what song is what without labored and lengthy listening; which is both a signal of quality and a need for variance. Second, the songs could all be enhanced to indescribable portions if guitarists Frangicetto and Erkstrom would add mind-bending work. The guitars as they are now are quite strong and their ethereal nature surely adds to the atmosphere around Circa Survive, but some blistering prog solos could make the band one of the best going. Part of this suggestion comes from imagining what the Mars Volta would sound like if they scaled back. Song highlights come from “Act Appalled,” “The Great Golden Baby,” “Oh, Hello” and “Holding Someone’s Hair Back.” Among bands that are just getting their feet set, Circa Survive is clearly near the top. With this release and a potentially amazing live show, the band should have no problem attracting devotees.
Clit 45 Though the point of this Long Beach punk outfit’s name signifies ‘sex and violence’ that they started up the band in high school immediately makes you question how much bullshit you have to shovel. Is it ‘sex and violence’ as in connecting the societal norms and problems of the two? Or is it more about just ‘cool’ things to teenagers? Given BYO signed these guys, I hope that is the former. More important than this name nonsense is Clit 45’s sound. Clit 45 trample on the tried and true sound of street punk but with often less grime and more speed than contemporaries like the Casualties and the Unseen. In that respect, Clit 45 are quite good at what they do. At the same time, it is hard to shake the fact that they sound exactly like the last twenty-five years of punk. Punk as an ethos dictates continuing the torch, but it can also nearly rule out artistic innovation. As a packaged show with other heavyweights in street punk, Clit 45 might be a significant hit.
Continuous Peasant Continuous Peasant’s Intentional Grounding is a record that you figure you are going to enjoy and is supported by the opener “All I’m Saying.” Yet, as the eleven tracks progress you are overcome by a sense of dullness and drabness that you can’t escape and it’s unfortunate. Continuous Peasant is fronted by Literature Ph.D.-certified Chris Stroffolino whose numerous previous musical endeavors includes playing keyboards on Brooklyn’s Silver Jews. Part of the point of Continuous Peasant is to serve as a vehicle for Stroffolino’s poetry to make a migration over musical exploits. In that journey, he is joined by the SF/Portland-located Peter Nochisaki, Brandon Watson, Bob Gumbrect and Mia Lipman. Again, the songs on Intentional Grounding are solidly constructed indie numbers, but they hardly provide anything to sink you teeth in. And without that it makes for a rather boring affair. It may that Stroffolino is overly concerned with smart lyrics than writing songs that catch your ear and make you hit repeat. Similarly minded and located the Decemberists empower their lyrics with amazingly stunning songs where you could care less what they were saying because the music just rocks. Oh, what’s the deal with the photo of Patriots’ QB Tom Brady on the back cover?
Converge People are often suspect when labels release reissues of records that one could easily attain; that is, often records are reissued because no one can find them to buy and that makes total sense. But when it comes to Converge and the package that is put forth on these two classic records it is well-received. It is hard to believe that someone into hardcore would not be familiar with Converge and these two records. If not, then this is the short version. Converge helped lead the ascension of metalcore bands – along with Botch, Cave In and Dillinger – that melded varying genres into one chaotic, extreme and awesome maelstrom of music. This reckless abandon was translated into Converge’s live show, where if you were near the front during a stageless show you were likely to become injured – and mostly likely from vocalist Jacob Bannon. These reissues were remastered by guitarist Kurt Ballou at his GodCity Studios and feature brilliant artwork, enhanced by a cardboard sleeve, by Aaron Turner. The opening salvo for Converge and this newer approach was Petitioning the Empty Sky, which was initially released on Ferret Records in 1996 and then re-released on EVR the next year (so this is actually the third issuance). The lineup for this recording included Ballou, Bannon, Aaron Dalbec on guitar, Damon Bellorado on drums and Jeff Feinburg on bass. The opening seven-minute number “The Saddest Day” throws down the gauntlet and Converge picks it up and fucking runs with it. Topped with piercing guitars a la Snapcase and nodes to Slayer, “The Saddest Day” contains nearly an inconceivable stretch of intertwining sections that it could take you the better part of a day to map them out. Other tracks like “Forsaken” (this CD has a live video for the song), the quietly building “Farewell Note to This City” (which echoes Stephen Brodsky’s material), “Shingles” and “Color Me Blood Red” rip your ears off and makes you question what hardcore should be. This reissue includes three live recordings of “For You,” “Antithesis” and “Homesong” from a radio show in 1995. While slightly muddy, it is still impressive how tight they were at that time. The final addition to the reissue is an alternate version of “Love As Arson” from When Forever Comes Crashing. Quickly on the heels of signing with EVR, Converge unleashed probably their best record When Forever Comes Crashing in 1998. This is a record I’m probably too familiar with as I played the shit out of it on my radio show in college. Now comprised of Ballou, Bannon, Bellorado, bits of Dalbec and Stephen Brodsky (Cave In) on bass, Converge focused their energies to hardhitting, shorter numbers that looked to rock your balls off, never let off on the intensity; and yet offered several mellowed calming tracks inbetween. While Petitioning the Empty Sky offered the warning blow, When Forever Comes Crashing assured that Converge would help shape and reshape hardcore. Containing tremendous songwriting and a clearly delineated sound between, which is rare, Converge blasts you such hot rods as “My Unsaid Everything,” “The High Cost of Playing God,” the truly amazing “Conduit,” “When Forever Comes Crashing” (where again you have a live video of) and “Letterbomb.” This reissue includes a short unreleased demo version of “Bitter and Then Some.” These two records along with the wealth of releases from similar-minded bands helped create one of the most exciting times in hardcore during the late 90s, when anything was possible and people were less concerned with image and more with innovative music. While these are two separate releases, it is nearly impossible to have only one or the other; and EVR makes it that way with a continuing bio between the two booklets. If you have the means then you should pick these two up yesterday. In the ‘where are they now category,’ Converge continues to decimate listeners with their two Epitaph releases Jane Doe and You Fail Me. In addition, Ballou and Bannon are producing records and running labels (e.g., Deathwish) out of their Salem, MA headquarters.
Copeland After demolishing the rock world with their 2003 debut Beneath Medicine Tree, Atlanta’s Copeland are back with their next for the Militia Group In Motion. After the mild ripple Beneath Medicine Tree initially caused, Copeland began to quickly expand their domain with an ungodly tour schedule and an impressive video for their single “Walking Downtown.” Now Copeland is as big as ever and often are used as a reference point for new bands starting out. Copeland is characterized by guitarist and lead singer Aaron Marsh’s breathy, melodic and soft glove vocals married with outstanding pop compositions. Such is the case that Copeland is often lumped into the ‘emo’ genre, but they do none of the heart-on-sleeve-with-a-dagger-through-it nonsense. Yet, for In Motion, Copeland decided to mix things up and veer away from ballads and towards more rock numbers. While it is not an entire switch to suddenly a punk band or something, the difference between In Motion and Beneath Medicine Tree is rather stark on certain numbers. Accompanied by guitarist Bryan Laurenson, bassist James Likeness and drummer Jonathan Bucklew, Marsh headed into the studio with Ken Andrews to lay down ten new tracks that the band had been evolving over the past year or so. In Motion begins with heavy guitar distortion on “No One Really Wins,” which serves as the opening call to a more aggressive Copeland. After the mellower “Choose the One Who Loves You More,” comes the hot “Pin Your Wings” where Copeland lance the song with a memorable guitar riff and score major points for a superbly catchy chorus. “Sleep” is similar to previous material, with piano dominant, light instruments and Marsh’s vocals carrying the day. I was convinced for a while that there was something wrong with my player during “Kite,” but it is just an effect to make the song sound older; the song itself is average. “Don’t Slow Down” really only comes into its own on the chorus and then excels, while “Love Is a Fast Song” is skipable. Bringing back smart composition and utilizing what they are best at, “You Have My Attention” is a slow starter but helps punctuated itself by well-timed, distanced guitar riffs. The album closes on “You Love to Sing” and “Hold Nothing Back,” where the latter is a strong, acoustic driven ballad. What “Hold Nothing Back” also does is set up your move to checking out the other disc in the record featuring four acoustic live tracks recorded in December 2004. The four include “Don’t Slow Down” and “Pin Your Wings” off the record and “Coffee” and “Take Care.” While “Pin Your Wings” is inherently a good song, the acoustic version of “Don’t Slow Down” makes you appreciate it considerable more. What all four illustrate is that Copeland could simply take their acoustic act on the road be ravishingly successful. Look for Copeland to be expanding their empire during this summer.
Count Zero In many ways, this latest from Boston’s Count Zero hasn’t progressed beyond on mainstream college rock of the mid-90s; coinciding with their first release Affluenza in 1996. Count Zero are in essence the quintessential mainstream college rock band, where their sound meets somewhere between Dave Matthews rock and indie rock endeavors. While the six-piece adds enhancements here and there to their sound – horns, wah, electronics, country twang – the core remains and it rises slightly above mediocre. When Count Zero lay off the quasi-jam and quasi-jazz influences, they are listenable and enjoyable; when they include those influences I want to directly strangle them. Some of the most egregious tracks include “Hello Somebody,” “Marigold” (particularly for the Matthews’ voice), “Schizoid Astroplane” and “Did You Decide Yet?” The first two songs on the record “Bite Off the Roses” and “Dreams A Million Stars,” which are also the first two singles, are probably the best thing going on Little Minds; and the more direct guitars on “Dream A Million Stars” is appreciable. Based on this record and that Count Zero have been playing for a decade, it is clear that they sustain themselves on the vast college Boston music scene. I’m not too sure what success Count Zero would have outside of those comfy confines.
Death Before Dishonor As their first record for Bridge Nine, Boston’s Death Before Dishonor lay down the brutal, fast hardcore that ones associates with Boston’s hardcore scene and Bridge Nine’s releases. Along with tours with more known named brethren and two previous records on Spook City Records, DBD have been creeping up the hardcore ranks since 2001. With this hard-hitting seven-song EP, the band looks to be well on their way to doing significant damage. While not providing innovation, DBD nail their sound exceedingly well and provide enough metal to merge away from the more traditional hoodcore doldrums. If you are down on bands like Blood for Blood and Hatebreed then you will certainly throwdown to this.
The Format As a bit of smart business move and as a bone thrown to fans, the Format have put out this limited edition five-song EP to sell at their current shows and a few retail locations. After the noteworthy 2003 Interventions & Lullabies, fans have been pushing for new material from this indie rock outfit. The Snails EP has a bit of new stuff, as well as acoustic reworkings of older material. The two new songs are “Janet” and “Snails,” where the former is a solid rock number, though the vocals approach annoying at times, and the latter is pure awesomeness. “Snails” has a country-western flair over a more standard indie rock composition and has the ability to completely draw you in. The older songs include “Wait Wait Wait,” “Tune Out” and “On Your Porch.” All three were initially strong songs, but the acoustic reworkings are strummed slightly too hard to match the singing and creates a disconnect on “Wait Wait Wait” and “Tune Out.” Without a doubt, the Snails EP is a fans-focused release.
Gatsbys American Dream It is shocking how much of a disappointment this latest record from Gatsbys American Dream is. While following parallel lines to 2003’s strong and heralded Ribbons & Sugar, Volcano suffers from a lack of higher end song construction. GAD can get by as good band, but by this point in their career, three full-lengths, we are expecting something exceptional, and Volcano doesn’t entirely fulfill those desires and wishes. As with the Animal Farm-based Ribbons & Sugar, Volcano also tackles a narrative purpose; obviously involving a volcano, but more specifically the history and lessons of Pompeii. I highly enjoy when bands perform such narratives – as Coheed – but the songs really don’t meet expectations of what a great album is. With Bobby Darling on guitar, Kirk Huffman on bass and Rudy Gajadhar on drums, vocalist Nic Newsham leads GAD through the thirteen track effort with sprinkles of glam and theatrics on top of their angular melodic punk. Probably the best song on Volcano is the simplest, the wisely adapted “Fable” where GAD apes a basic garage-rock direction. I know this is not the case, but Newsham often sounds like he isn’t really into singing the parts on these songs. There is little intensity and it appears at times like he is going through the motions. Other tracks besides “Fable” is check out include the solid opener “Theatre,” “Your Only Escape,” “Pompeii” and “Speaker For the Dead.” For the most part, Gatsbys American Dream is a good band that appears stuck in a rut with Volcano.
Giles This was a record I was initially excited to hear. Featuring Thomas Giles Rogers, Jr., the front man of Between the Buried and Me, Giles tackles electro-clash on the debut’s nine tracks. While we have an increasing appreciation for variants of electronic music, this record just isn’t very good. The nine songs move with often comedic effects and emphasis, as on “Slumber Party” and “Gup Gown,” but otherwise the beats and electronics are average at best. You want this music to sound a few steps above what you could compile at home in a meth-induced weekend. On the pet peeve side of things, the record is only twenty-one minutes and really should be promoted as an EP. One can really appreciate Rogers’ electronic venture and endeavor away from the brutal hardcore of BTBAM, but it is clear the Giles project needs some more molesting to take it to the next level. Here’s to hoping that can occur in the future.
Gizmachi Throughout the eight songs on this Orange County, NY five-piece’s debut, Gizmachi smack you with nearly ever possible sound in the spectrum of heavy music. You have the machine gun guitars, double bass and grumbling vocals, but there is also ethereal moments, guitar solos, power violence screaming, thrash, grind, etc…. Often this spectrum is slammed within the context of one song, interwoven into a variety of moments, such as on the first single “The Answer.” Save for the terrible name, this makes Gizmachi a highly-appealing heavy outfit. Their upward trajectory towards infamy has been and will be able aided by their biggest supporter, Shawn Crahan of Slipknot. Big Orange Clown Records is Crahan’s label and The Imbuing is its first release. It is clear from the record why Crahan jumped into producing and releasing Gizmachi’s debut, as Gizmachi share similar traits to Slipknot. Yet, again, Gizmachi vastly separates themselves with a nearly indescribable set of sounds. Crahan’s outreach got Gizmachi a spot at the Aggressive Music Festival show last year, along with Slipknot, Slayer and God Forbid. Before this recent success, Gizmachi started up in 1999 when bassist Gilmore started knocking around with guitarist Jay Hannon. Soon they were joined by guitarist Mike Laurino, drummer Jimmie Hatcher and vocalist Sean Kane – and really began their mission. One attractive element to Gizmachi, which may bring in the hardcore-ilk, is when they start to venture into slowdown sludge, they often bolt quickly to a separate section. Chances are that if you are into heavy music and get down to the above mentioned bands, you are going to love Gizmachi. Gizmachi will be destroying the Ozzfest this summer and that will surely propel them incredibly forward.
Grey Goose ‘Wait, is this the new Leatherface record?’ No. ‘Oh, then it must be a side project featuring Leatherface frontman Frankie Stubbs?’ No. ‘Then this is the biggest piece of false advertising I’ve seen since I took those pills that where supposed to make me grow a foot taller over night.’ But, I can’t take Grey Goose seriously with how Kaleb Stewart’s vocals grumble and gargle just like Stubbs. Stubbs’ vocals are so distinct that they are an unmistakable signature of Leatherface and everything he does. Further, Grey Goose’s songs are near replicas of Leatherface guitar progressions, which infuriates one even more. While Grey Goose have a tinge of country mixed into their sounds, not unlike contemporaries Lucero or even the Constantines, knowing that Stubbs isn’t at the helm of these songs makes me want to cause violence. Since this Gainesville, FL four-piece is comprised of members from bands such as As Friends Rust and Cro(w)s, they must be consciously trying to create an American version of Leatherface. If I knew nothing of Leatherface, it would probably dig ‘Til the Medicine Takes. If Stubbs sent me letter saying it was cool that Grey Goose was stealing his gig, then I would accept it. But otherwise, forget it.
Harsh Krieger There is no question that the twelve tracks on Harsh Krieger’s debut are designed specifically to be picked up by mainstream rock radio. And the band has already had some success in that respect, getting play on XM and others, and getting picked up for backing music for TV. Coming out of Nashville, Harsh Krieger is headed up by the duo Jake Harsh and Jesse Krieger – thus the name – and is rounded out by bassist Chris Boyle and drummer Ben Showalter. But make no mistake, Harsh Krieger is all about Jesse and Jake as they are the only ones prominently and creepily featured on the PR materials. Throughout the album there is clearly a collaborative approach which produces both positive and negative effects – particularly negative when the band tries jam-band variations on their sound (e.g., the terrible “Holy Moses”). Nonetheless, it is hard to deny that songs like the single “Home,” the U2 guitar-driven “Gunsmoke,” the violin-supported “The Shore” and the western-flavored “Luming” are compelling and solid numbers. Though Harsh Krieger are small-time as it stands, I wouldn’t be surprised if the band makes a splash within mainstream rock and pop radio.
Hell Within Coming out of Boston, the five-piece of Hell Within demolish your ears with an onslaught of hardcore, technical metal and multi-vocal utilization. Formed in 1998 under the moniker Twytch, the boys quickly made their mark in the area and in the hardcore/metal scene. After two releases, they changed their name to Hell Within to reflect a more technical metal attack. What their debut for Lifeforce consists of is a melding of nearly every metal and hardcore moment into a singular product; most obviously demonstrated on the opening “Godspeed To Your Deathbed.” Held together by the intense vocals of Matt McChesney, Hell Within is bolstered by the dazzling guitars of Isaias Martinez and Tony Zimmerman, the constant bass of Brian Bubba Joyce and the double-bass-when-needed Joe Martinez. I’m not sure if McChesney is the one doing the brief lighter vocal moments, but whoever is needs to stop. Having McChesney’s tough vocals helped by a screamer backup, there are certain numbers where the vocals breakdown to normal. This unfortunately leads to emocore comparisons and Hell Within is way too metal for that – though if McChesney is doing all the different styles that might be awesome to see live. If you can pretend the vocals are not doing that, the guitars in those sections are usually pretty cool as Martinez and Zimmerman move from machine-gun guitars to soaring higher pitched rhythmic solos (e.g., on “Redemption…Is a Cold Body” and “Swallow the Stitches”). However, on songs where Hell Within stray away from the mellow sections, the songs are somewhat stale (e.g., “Merchants of the Blood Trade” and “Self-Inflicted Silence”). So the remedy may be to cut the normal vocals but leave the intention and then we have the right mix. With Hell Within exploring these two opposing worlds, Asylum of the Human Predator is surely agreeable to a wide spectrum of listeners; scenesters looking for more metal and metalheads searching for more deviations.
Hognose As the second release from this stoner rock San Marcos, TX, four-piece, Hognose slams through nine tracks of thick, heavy 70s rock that has become a Texas and Arclight staple. Initially formed in 2001, Hognose started making headway in the scene shortly after releasing 2003’s Longhandle (also on Arclight). While Hognose exists in the same breath as Arclight brethren SuperHeavyGoatAss and Amplified Heat, the turn off is that their songs are remarkably long – typically at least five minutes – and much of that time guitarists Todd Engram and Shane Herring are just jamming on a simple, though not enticing riff. This would be a completely different story if Engram and Herring were able to unleash a hellish blend of heavy riffs and solos to make you appreciate walking through an epic song. It is almost as if you are waiting for Hognose to turn a corner into a blistering section, but the magic is never released. Still, if you are big into heavy stoner rock and are compelled by nth derivative Sabbath outfits, you will likely embrace El Sombrero from Hognose.
Honestly There are honestly so many puns one could make with this Atlanta four-piece’s moniker; but we will sincerely try to avoid them. Honestly concentrates on top forty rock radio grade material and in doing so creates enjoyable rock radio, but nothing you haven’t heard already. I’m actually quite surprised at the amount of licensing the band has been able to do to various TV networks and the like. This seven-song EP varies in quality from the solid opener “Answer” to the terrible “Another Fool” and “Run” where you feel compelled to put a shotgun to your head. What is interesting about Honestly is that they play well-composed, non-confrontational music that serves perfectly for the musically unengaged and as tame openers for headliner bands at college concerts. Yet, they are going to have to move beyond indistinctive sounds if they want to move from talented unsigned artists to cruising around with a strong record deal.
The Hurt Process Last year’s re-release of Drive By Monologue by Victory first brought this English five-piece (was six) to Americans ears. As part of their introduction, the Hurt Process tried to meld emo with heavier metalcore and moderately succeeded across that previous record. Whether the Hurt Process have changed or I’ve changed, A Heartbeat Behind makes you want to be the first in line to drive the nail into the coffin of emocore. Particularly, I don’t remember the vocals being as terrible as they are across these ten numbers. What the Hurt Process do is weave a number of singers and styles into different songs – which succeeds at moments, but mostly fails otherwise. For the most part, when the Hurt Process tackle the metal angle and are screaming, the songs are good. But when they move to melodic singing, the whole thing falls apart. The melodic singing is often off-key and weak – as exemplified by songs like “You Don’t Get Gold for Second Place,” “Boogie Nights in Michigan,” “Take To You” and “A Mind with Two Faces.” The award for the song most likely to make you cut off your eyelids goes to the awful acoustic “The Night Before the Morning After.” The best thing you can say about A Heartbeat Behind is the artwork by David Rankin is tight.
Instant Camera If the Louisville, KY five-piece Instant Camera are able to hang together for another couple of years and sharpen their talents, then they will be akin to an electro-indie wrecking ball. As of this moment, Instant Camera are teetering on the edge of greatness and they just need to work a little harder and smarter on songwriting to pull off a coup. Featuring constantly in the fore-front keyboards (and at times accordion), Instant Camera travel along rebirth new wave edge drawing images of an electronic Joy Division and the like. Part of the record’s mid-fi sound may be trying to trip off that sound. They also add haunting early punk moments like the freaky “Style Over Substance Abuse” that has some surf guitar and is memorable for a weird voiced chorus. When Instant Camera goes after a more rock approach, such as on “Shadowman” and “Working Class Zero,” their allure drops immediately. However, look for numbers like “Beyond Infinity” and “DR Glass” making its way across college radio in the near future.
The Keep Aways As this Duluth three-piece’s debut for Chairkickers (also in Duluth), the Keep Aways thrash away at high tempo punk merged with tinges of indie rock. As an all-women outfit, the Keep Aways surely draw comparisons to similar composed punk groups, but the central difference is their dirty, punk attack that features intermittently powerful vocals. For instance, the opener “File It Away” is clearly the best song on the record and parallels a more punk Gossip – and that is highly cool. At other times, the Keep Aways fall to average-at-best punk songs such as “Bleeding Heart,” “Standards” and “Hey Song.” This is also partially due to a move towards street punk vocals over clearer and commanding singing; even if it is all three-chord progressions, the latter vocal style makes everything sound better. One gets the sense that the Keep Aways are more enjoyed and respected for their live show than what they sound like recorded.
Louis XIV After the recent release of Louis XIV’s Illegal Tender EP, I was dreaming that this quickly following full-length would recover parts of the doldrums that spread through the five-song EP. Yet, it seems clear that the best material off the EP is still the best on the full-length and that is marginally disappointing. Forming in San Diego a little under two years ago, the three-piece of Louis XIV have experienced a rapid ascension towards international notice and a deal with Atlantic. This is technically Louis XIV fifth release – as previous recordings include the aforementioned EP, a full-length and two EPs - Pink EP and Blue EP – on their Pineapple Recording Group. Comprised of Jason Hill, Brian Karscig and Mark Maigaard, Louis XIV focus on glammed-out, stripped-down, dirty guitar rock that nears passé at the moment. What tends to push Louis XIV over-the-top in frustrating can be the occasionally hammed-up vocals by Hill and Karscig. Starting off as the EP begins, “Louis XIV” and “Finding Out True Love is Blind” ushers you into the band’s vision of rock. “Louis XIV” is certainly an uninspiring affair and includes some off-termed lyrics like “I’m a weapon of mass destruction.” However, Louis XIV follow this up with hip and catchy “Finding Out True Love Is Blind” – which is clearly the best track on the record and is enhanced by female vocal breakdowns. The following “Paper Doll” and “God Killed the Queen” are both solid numbers, though the band could have clearly picked up the unconsciously catchy guitar riff on “Paper Doll” and done something with it instead of just numbing it out. “A Letter To Dominique” is surprisingly engaging with a bouncing tempo and smartly devised structure. But then Louis XIV come with the throat-slashing inducing “Illegal Tender,” which is a cheap rip off of Rocky Horror Picture Show. After the weak “Pledge of Allegiance,” comes the solid “Hey Teacher” that gets you moving particularly if you ignore some of the bad lyrics. In a similar move to the EP with “Marc,” Louis XIV offer the piano-driven, strings backed lighter number “All the Little Pieces” where the band does its closest Beatles homage. The record closes the mostly instrumental “Ball of Twine” which, save for a supportive acoustic guitar, comes off like filler. Already making serious headway in the rock world, Louis XIV is a band that some people love and others despise. The Best Little Secrets Are Kept does enhance and expand their music horizons, but how long they can maintain their sound is the question.
Luce This record is perfectly suited for top forty contemporary adult FM radio and Luce’s previous success at just that assures action for Never Ending. Fronted by guitarist and lead singer Tom Luce and filled out by keyboardist Adam Rossi, drummer Steve Bowman and Larry Riggs on bass, Luce is quite good at what they do, if you like that. That Bowman used to play in the Counting Crows and Luce pitch themselves within that general mold, tells you about everything. What makes me want to strike with deadly accuracy are songs that emphasis a groove such as “Amsterdam,” “Worth the Wait” and “From the World of the Lonely.” Music is highly subjective, so if you enjoy the above sounds then you will like this.
Lucero I was particularly thankful that this fourth full-length from Memphis’ Lucero did not sound like a tribute to Bruce Springsteen. See, the first time I heard and saw Lucero was opening for the Weakerthans in early fall of 2004. The only that pulsated their set was how much vocalist/guitarist Ben Nichols sounded like Springsteen and that overshadowed anything they were actually playing. While one can find comparisons with Springsteen throughout the twelve songs on Nobody’s Darlings, Nichols comes across more as country rock athlete than a Springsteen clone; and, again, I’m thankful. Nichols, along with guitarist Brian Venable, bassist John Stubblefield and drummer Roy Berry, found a swath of press attention off of their 2003 record That Much Further West. Yet, soon after their label, Tiger Style, said peace out to existence and Lucero was out of a label again. After successful tours with bands like the Weakerthans and Ted Leo, Lucero got Jim Dickinson to produce this record and decided to put it out on their own Liberty & Lament. Nobody’s Darlings is at heart a rock record, but one that clearly draws influences off of southern rock and the line of country-western heartache of the past seventy years. At times, this can create an interesting parallel to Avail if you strip away the overt punk and drop the constant high tempo. Avail and Lucero seem to attack songs and content in a similar manner even if the songs arrive at different locations. Given my preferences, I really dig the songs where Lucero are pushing the tempo and intensity, where they are constantly building toward a crescendo that sometimes occurs and sometimes does not. These tracks include “Watch It Burn,” “Anjalee,” “And We Fell” and “Last Night in Town.” While one can be enamored by such smoking numbers, there are others that seem to knock the band down several notches, including “Sixteen” and “Nobody’s Darlings.” Initially, I wasn’t taken by the six minute acoustic closer “The War,” but after several listens I really began to enjoy it. The song is about getting drafted and heading over to fight in WWII; one negative to the song could be if it was inspired by Band of Brothers and not some personal contact. If Lucero can move me from walking out on their show to valuing Nobody’s Darlings then it will surely do the same to you. Now if Nichols can just drop the live parallels to Springsteen, they’d be all set. Mae If nothing else, The Everglow is epic. Fifteen tracks pushing over an hour of action and you are at the very least getting your money’s worth. While there is some quantity over quality, most of the songs on The Everglow are solid, strong and at times magical. As their sophomore record, the five-piece Mae admit that they are a considerable more cohesive unit after supporting their 2003 debut Destination: Beautiful. While most bands can say that, the hint is that before it was more or less a hodge-podge. Behind the exceptionally clean playing of guitarist Zach Gehring, bassist Matt Padgett, drummer Jacob Marshall and keyboardist Rob Sweitzer, guitarist and lead singer Dave Elkins’ brilliant voice powers Mae to new destinations and levels. While not uniquely pitched, Elkins has the smoothness, softness and vigor to move from light piano ballads (e.g., “We’re So Far Away”) to more pop rock numbers (“Suspension”) without overdoing the transition. Besides from the strength and length of the actual music, Mae sets up The Everglow to unfold like story with a “Prologue” and “Epilogue” for the record and an illustrated children’s book-style song booklet. The one real knock against The Everglow is that many of the songs sound alike and it is often difficult to separate what is what. Still, the majority of the songs fall into two parallel streams: mild-tempo, mellowed pop and marginally more melodic punk. For many people, they will not be able to separate out much of a difference. Also, there seems to be so much material here that fans of the band can take their time ironing out movements and musical applications. The faster, uptempo numbers, that often have much in common with the All-American Rejects, include the first single “Suspension,” “Someone Else’s Arms,” “Cover Me,” “Anything” and “Ready and Waiting to Fall.” The more mellow pop songs include “The Ocean,” “Breakdown” and “Mistakes We Knew We Were Making.” Two songs that stand apart include the gorgeous piano ballad opener “We’re So Far Away” and the seven-minute closer “The Sun and the Moon.” Past tours have found Mae playing more with punk-orientated bands like Simple Plan and Something Corporate, but it is clear that this isn’t precisely their audience. Though most wouldn’t describe Mae as indie rock, one could imagine a better appreciation playing with a band like Rilo Kiley. Regardless, The Everglow should place Mae in the position to headline their own deal and pick the bands that they want.
Manic Hispanic This most obvious thing that can be said about Grupo Sexo is that it’s a really fun record. Grupo Sexo features the latest of Manic Hispanic taking eleven classic punk songs and rewriting the lyrics to fit their lives’ and Hispanic LA barrio’s world view. Manic Hispanic’s first release was in 1992 entitled Menudo Incident and featured their first set of punk classics with altered lyrics. After two records between then and now, and the members’ endeavors in other outfits such as Cadillac Tramps and 22 Jacks, Manic Hispanic now gives us Grupo Sexo. The good times roll with “Welcome to Paramount” (Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise”), “Grupo Sexo” (Circle Jerks’ “Group Sex”), “Tijuana Affair” (Ramones’ “Havana Affair”) and “63” (The Clash’s “Police and Thieves”). Though this seven-piece has other things going, I don’t see why they couldn’t knock out one of these records every year. Apparently, Manic Hispanic doesn’t get out of California that often, but if you get the chance to see them, do it.
Marathon As the debut full-length from the New York five-piece, Marathon blast through thirteen songs of some of the best East Coast pop punk in a long time – sans the sophomoric element. Marathon surely takes notes from the West Coast godfathers like Bad Religion and the wealth of bands on Fat Wreck, but they also fall in step with bands like Strike Anywhere, Rise Against and Anti-Flag, thanks in part to Marathon’s political and social angle. Coming together from the ashes of past New York bands such as None More Black and Spark Lights the Friction in 2002, Marathon released an EP on Red Leader Records before hooking up with Reignition. The self-titled record kicks off on “Painting By Numbers” like an injection from Strike Anywhere as lead singer Aaron Scott yells “Let’s start a war…” and then a compelling rhythmic solo leads you into the rest of the song. If there were to be a ‘single’ from this record, it surely would be “Painting By Numbers.” The following “I Don’t Have a Dancing Problem” follows the trend opening with the line “Fuck this I’m going to dancing.” While it is nearly impossible to keep up the phenomenalism of these opening numbers, Marathon continues to supply the goods throughout with other highlights coming from “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “Jolly Roger” and the closer “Courting My Soul.” Marathon may be the best least heard of punk band going right now.
Melodium As the first physical release for France’s Autres Directions in Music, after a wealth of MP3 releases, comes this brilliant electro-folk pop record by Melodium. Channeling an ungodly number of instruments and sounds, Melodium makes everything harmonious and at times jabbing across the record’s fifteen tracks. Melodium’s discography since the 1999 Rhythmi 7” is just ridiculous with about three releases a year. And while he cuts time and costs by playing and recording on his own and assembling it on his computer, it is clear that Melodium takes his time on his material (unlike other highly productive groups, um, Wolf Eyes). La Tete Qui Flotte hits its high points when Melodium focuses on electro-folk instrumental songs and stays away from spoken word inclusions. It is not that the vocals make the songs bad, but as instrumentals this record is nearly perfect as background concentration music and the vocals mess that up. Songs that achieve this magic include “Emptykuerten,” the heavily folk-based and hinting at French opener “Hellomusic,” “Se Ray Provisoirement de la Liste des Vivants,” “Gamm-Recompose” and the awesome Rah Bras-like “Mon Barometre Mental.” Although there are vocals, clearly the stand out number on La Tete is “Les Psychotropes Sont Me Amis, Puis Mes Ennemis.” Featuring vocals by Autres’ Dudley, “Les Psychotropes” pulsates with an incredible degree of melody and catchiness thanks mainly to a stunning piano and strings riff; a reference point is Howard Hello. Given the small number of French things I actually enjoy (and cross women off that list now), I’m quite happy to find an astounding artist of Melodium’s quality.
Mercury Switch As Mercury Switch’s second full-length, the first being 2003’s If You Love Me You’d Take Me to the City, Time to Shine is eleven tracks of attempted mixed up metalcore. Mercury Switch try to build innovation into the standard metalcore construction with partial success. Successful moments come from songs like “Valley of Vengeance,” where the band throws in southern rock riffs that would smoke if the vocals didn’t try to match the scene. A more thoughtful insight would have placed the band within the scope of Mastodon. You are also met by the Mr. Bungle heavenly skies opening to “Struck By Lightnin’,” the spastic sectioned “Attached at the Wrist” and the faux-cockmetal “The Invitation of the Reaper: The Devil’s a Woman Tonight.” But you get hit with missteps such as “Hollow Ayes” and the vomitous acoustic “The Invitation of the Reaper: Standing on the Edge of Reason.” One can applaud Mercury Switch’s effort at trying to bend stale metalcore dimensions, but they need more magical moments for one to really get behind them.
No Address Whoever decided to sign No Address to Atlantic should be fired, because this is one of the worst rock records to see the light of day in a long while. While better than the pop band crap that often comes out of majors, this record seriously should be burned or forced only to play to frats or at dingy rock bars. Nearly all thirteen songs are the same length – slightly over four minutes – and within two songs you want to strangle vocalist Ben Lauren. Most of the ridiculousness comes from pseudo-rock emphasis on highly repetitive lyrics – it might not be as bad if the songs were half the length. I kept skipping track to track to find a song that didn’t make we want to rip out my ear canals, but I failed miserably. We often knock the plethora of Windup Records’ bands that sound the same, but after listening to this full-length from No Address those bands come off like brilliant and innovative musicians. If Time Doesn’t Notice succeeds it might be the biggest dupe of the American public since the invasion of Iraq.
No Wait Wait No Wait Wait is a quasi-solo project for Pale Horse and Rider’s Marc Gartman and this is the debut. After recording Moody Pike, Gartman went to Duluth to hunker down with Low’s Alan Sparhawk to unleash a solo album. In the course of the endeavor, it became more of a band with Sparhawk bringing in some of the top local talent to finish off the twelve song project. This includes Russell Sackett on keys, Eric Pollard on drums, Steve Garrington on bass and assorted others to fill out the sound. How and if No Wait Wait is able to tour will be interesting. Either way, this debut focuses on pop rock songs written through the perspective of local indie artists. That is, the pop rockness of the songs aren’t like top-40 nonsense, but it is as if a true indie rock artist wanted to fill their songs with pop and keep a low-key sound. No Wait Wait are destined for audiences in hot indie rock locations such as Chapel Hill, Athens, Austin, etc. Part of the pop appeal can be traced to the inclusions of backing electronics on songs such as “The Score,” “Roses,” “The Luckiest Bastard” and “Rock of Ages” that creates a pleasurable mild-Cars sound. Sometimes you feel early REM influences as clearly established on “Doesn’t Have to Be.” One downside to Gartman’s vocals is that he is so low-key it can grate away your energy and attention to the whole album. Still, this is strong, firm debut record and we’ll see if anything comes of the No Wait Wait collective.
Nocturne Dallas, TX’s Nocturne make the type of undulating, dark industrial music that one imagines in shadowy, sweaty, goth nightclubs of eastern Europe. Formed in the late 90s, Nocturne is essentially just Lacey Conner on guitar and vocals and Chris Telkes on guitar, bass and programming. Nocturne deposits and withdraws others as needed in terms of recording and their live performances. For instance, some dude named Gotti provided drums of this record and bassist Rotny and drummer Ben Graves complete the live show. At the same time, Conner has lent her talents to other bands, most noticeably the industrial supergroup Pigface, as well as Bile. As their third full-length release – after 1999’s Twilight, 2001’s Welcome to Paradise – the thirteen songs on Guide to Extinction brim with heavy industrial and well-mixed with electronics. In all honesty, I can barely stand most of this music, unless we are talking about some band like Ministry, but Nocturne is typically not grating on the soul. This is mostly due to the machine gun guitars and the vast vocal range of Conner – where she can do soft sounds (e.g., “I Lie”) to more garbled, intense vocals as on “Alibi.” Other numbers to take note of include “Walk Away,” “Shallow” and the version of “Cocaine Sex.” Though I would never go to a Nocturne, I wouldn’t mind hearing there songs on action movie soundtracks.
Jennifer O’Connor As her second full-length, NYC’s Jennifer O’Connor is in top form and smoking hot across the record’s eleven tracks. O’Connor started out in Atlanta’s Violet before heading to NYC to immerse herself in the singer-songwriter tradition of one of the dirtiest cities in the country. After an EP and self-titled full-length, O’Connor hooked up the Richmond band Maki and Al Weatherhead to record The Color and the Light over the past summer. O’Connor’s voice is the key to desiring to hear more and more. Wistful and smooth, O’Connor draws comparisons to indie-versions of Liz Phair and Mazzy Starr or a rock-infused Azure Ray, depending on the song’s mood. For instance, she kicks it off with country flair on the great rock “Beg or Borrow Days,” where pedal steel is in full form and soon after O’Connor is injecting melancholy daydreams on the detached title-track. It is this contrast between vocals and moods that draws you deeper into O’Connor’s charm. Besides from the aforementioned tracks other numbers to look out for include “Hole in the Road,” the acoustic dazzler “Ready to Go,” the gorgeous “The Thought of You” (which should have been the closer) and the actual closer “Hopeful.” This is one of the best understated rock albums of the year. If Jennifer O’Connor doesn’t blow up this year then it will be a crime. Maybe she should hook up with Maria Taylor or Jenny Lewis for a tour (or recording) to hasten the ascension.
Ordinary Peoples I really can’t comment too much about the relative quality of this Ohio hip-trio fourth record. But based on my modest learning, the mellow groove and vast literate rhymes across these sixteen tracks are quite enjoyable. Composed of MC Scraps, keyboardist/vocalist Ben Levels and drummer Gerard Garrelts, Ordinary Peoples draw comparison to lyrically wise A Tribe Called Quest or even De La Soul. This older variant of hip-hop is mostly void in today’s pop culture, so any group doing it is more than appreciated (as is hinted on “One for My Baby”). While the rhymes are smart and deep referenced, the music simply plays the role of accompaniment and leaves nothing for you to sink your teeth into. The rhymes stick, but it could be so much more with instruments to punctuate the songs in your brain. Still, if you have enjoyed Ordinary Peoples previous endeavors or the above mentioned groups then you should be down on Cause and Effect.
Osyrus This is easily one of the worst records we’ve heard this year. This Ohio four-piece focuses on post-grunge metal that could barely pass the genre’s strongest proponents. While the guitar work is solid, the songs are typically terrible and feature some of the worst lyrics written during the course of mankind. One instance from “Never Change” – “We all come from the earth/From the dirt/That’s why when you cry/I feel the hurt/Now it’s time to tell you” and from “In My Corner” – “Do you remember the time that we went for a ride/Lookin for some good used tires.” I could keep providing examples but you get the idea. Osyrus is in serious need of songwriting talent.
The Pale Pacific Rules are Predictable is just a four-song EP from Seattle’s The Pale Pacific (formerly known as the Pale) for SideCho – in anticipation for a full-length later this year. Featuring Gabe Archer, Justin Harcus, Cameron Nicklaus and Greg Swinehart, the Pale Pacific focus on pop smart indie rock that brims with melody and harmonies among all else. The EP starts off on “Sucker Punch” with sweet, mild keyboards kept at a modest tempo before slightly picking up for the rest of the song with guitars. Relative to the rest of the EP, the Pale Pacific seems most adept at songs like “Sucker Punch.” “Identity Theft” follows and takes awhile to grab you when a catchy guitar riff punctuates the malaise. The uptempo “In the Sun Pt.1” is relatively pedestrian rock, while “All My Friends” closes the EP with a similar mood to how it began and features a compelling AM radio section. Although, the Pale Pacific have been around for sometime as the Pale, there is a great deal of unrealized potential from this EP that will hopefully be fulfilled on the full-length.
Poor Luther’s Bones After a million releases between Poor Luther’s Bones and bandleader Garth Forsyth’s solo material, PLB continues to be one of the better local struggling bands that you’ve never heard of. Well, it is not exactly a million, try twelve, but still with such a vast number of records you’d think PLB would be on the lips of more individuals. Formed in rural Pennsylvania in 1992, the moving parts of PLB focus on arty indie rock that merge sounds and can only be characterized as tunnel eclectic. That is, PLB aren’t all over the musical map on the thirteen tracks, just all over with rock. And in some respects, PLB share common traits with David Thomas from Pere Ubu (particularly, on “Devil’s Broth”). Besides from Forsyth, PLB’s current line up includes Leo Scott on bass, Dan McGonagle on drums and Justin Vallone on guitar. Coming off the first track “Beyond the Bizarre,” you are thinking PLB may be one of your new favorite bands. The hook on “Beyond the Bizarre” is downstroking guitars and a catchy chorus that sucks you to indie rock honey. Yet, by the third number “All Skegged Out,” you realize that Next to Nowhere is a bit or miss and you have to search out the gems. In doing so, you are met with the super hot riff on “What It’s All About,” “Feasting of the Drones,” “Growing on Me” and “Patch It Up.” Other numbers can strike you as quite pedestrian. The experience and number of solid elements on Next to Nowhere suggests Poor Luther’s Bones can knock out an exceptional record if they focused their energies precisely. Otherwise, they may just continue to be dabbling along.
The Receiving End of Sirens I think Triple Crown has dictated to their bands to record really long and extensive records, so listeners get the most for their money. Such was the case with Lux Courageous and now it is even more so with Boston’s The Receiving End of Sirens debut full-length. Having self-released an EP that served both as a demo and a tour sustaining financial commodity, NYC-based Triple Crown picked the five-piece after a swath of shows with like-minded bands such as Mae and Armor for Sleep. Yet, TREOS take a harder edge to their songs than their more emo cousins. They meld their core of melodic punk with swirls of nearly every contemporary punk sound on the books on songs that last upwards of five minutes. Usually, this works super efficiently as demonstrated on such numbers as “Planning a Prison Break” and “The War of All Against All,” where sounds are blended, guitars sweep and you have vocalists moving in all types of directions. Probably the biggest drawback of the band is when they drop in heavier sections punctuated by screaming, as if a faux-metalcore band (e.g., the end of “The Rival Cycle” and “…Then I Defy You, Stars,” though the song has some nice guitar work on one section). It is one thing to develop an innovative maxim of sounds, but to cover all bases for the sake of doing so is a bit drab. Thankfully, these trespasses into hardcore are limited in scope and appear very occasionally. The only thing that could prevent TREOS from breaking through is problems with converting the sound of the record to a live show. While you don’t want a stand-around replica, TREOS have so many things going on – guitars and vocals in every direction – that things are likely to get cluttered in most clubs. This is particularly the case with backup vocalists playing a major role, as they do on Between the Heart and the Synapse.
The Rocket Summer If I didn’t know how damn awesome Bryce Avary (aka the Rocket Summer) was, I would certainly scoff at his frail, high school-like photo on the album cover. We often get demos where people have photos of themselves on the art somewhere and let’s just say it doesn’t do them any favors. Often it is skinny, awkward high school kids holding Stratocasters and trying to look cool. While Avary is doing likewise, he is just being honest in the photo. After getting his feet under him following the release and support of his debut Calendar Days, Avary is back with a thirteen song action-packed pop love fest on Hello, Good Friend. And the thing is that he really does make you feel like a friend; as dumb as that may seem. Again playing all of the instruments – from guitars to organs and synthesizers to drums – Avary teamed up with producer Tim O’Heir to record this record in Brooklyn. You are greeted on the opener “Move to the Other Side of the Block” by Avary solo on piano before using slight building; and I get to thinking that this song is great but I would have trouble with an album full of them. And with this thought you are instantly greeted by one of the standout numbers, the uptempo “I Was So Alone.” With piano underlying a full band, Avary shows the listener his vocal range and, more importantly, his sincerity and honesty in what he does. On the breakdown a minute-and-a-half in, it is confirmed that this will be a great album. The magic continues on another standout, “Around the Clock.” “Around the Clock” begins innocently and harmless enough, but floors you with chorus of “No, well this won’t be a sad song/There’s going to be claps and singing along.” After the odd, 80s pop of “I’m Doing Something (For You),” the average “Tell Me Something Good” and the somewhat disappointing “Never Knew,” comes the stunner “Brat Pack.” Sure the reference may be overdone, but when the danceable chorus comes in, you get hooked. “Treasures” could be more memorable, while “Story” brings back the melodic rock. Avary tries his hand at the acoustic ballad on the five-minute “Goodbye Waves and Driveways” and performs admirably, though not brilliantly. “Show Me Everything You’ve Got” has real familiar pop constructions and strings you along like an addict waiting for their return. The record closes on “Destiny” and “Christmas Present,” where the former is average and the latter is a spaced out opus. Men who don’t feel comfortable with their own sexuality will likely despise Hello, Good Friend for its sweet and lovely pop, but everyone else is going to enjoy it. If the rest of the songs held as much genius as the beginning numbers, this would be one of the best records of the year.
Rubber City Rebels The significance of the release of Pierce My Brain is that it’s the first Rubber City Rebels record in decades. The Akron, Ohio-originated Los Angeles-transplanted Rubber City Rebels were one of the founders of punk during the 70s. Surely people have heard tons of their contemporaries including the Dead Boys and the Knack, but the Rubber City Rebels are certainly less familiar; which calls for a reissue/best of. For one reason or another, the band somewhat imploded after getting signed to Sire Records in the late 70s, though a version persisted for a few more years and released their only record in 1980 for Capitol. Around 2001, the band got back together coinciding with the 70s punk rock resurgence and the boys decided to give it some renewed energy. And hence we now have a twelve song exercise in classic 70s punk. Although the songs can be quite sophomoric (e.g., “I Don’t Wanna Be a Punk No More” and “Pinhead”), it is clear that the Rubber City Rebels are a cut above the rest in terms of contemporary stripped punk bands. This particularly due to a near continuous background rhythmic solo pulsating the core of the songs. Quite possibly the strangest history behind a song comes from “Warlord.” It was written and sent to the Rebels by a kid from Buffalo, whose father was an Afghan warlord and called him back to fight the Russians, and basically the song is about how he is a badass warlord. While I’d rather listen to this than a bunch of teenagers doing a half-assed version, Pierce My Brain would have been something else back in the day, but in today’s world it comes off as staid.
Schoolyard Heroes With the opener “Body Shots” you figure that Seattle’s Schoolyard Heroes are simply a female fronted version of the Locust, as the four-piece blast through a one-minute spastic explosion of rock. Yet, the follower “Panic in the Year Zero” expands this impression and presents the band as a wild horror punk masterpiece. Schoolyard Heroes are quite a young outfit – only recently out of high school – but they cruise along the record’s ten songs like they’ve been at for over a decade. At the front of the terror show is Ryann Donnelly whose vocals cross somewhere between Karen O and a Broadway starlet. Donnelly is joined by the distorted, angular guitars of Steve Bonnell, the mood setting bass of Jonah Bergman and the time keeper drumming by Brian Turner. As mentioned, Schoolyard Heroes go after horror movie-like atmospheres with an unconscious-form, devoid-of-being, world of punk that mashes margins of prog into the product. While they go after the evil and disturbing, the songs are etched within a frame of having a good time and not the style of ‘I’m going really murder you’ Relapse-type stuff. It’s all pomp and it can be quite fun, such as on the brilliant “Serial Killers Know How to Party;” whose title line will be burned into your memory immediately. Other tracks to take note of include “Panic in the Year Zero” where Donnelly first expands her vocal range, the sweet guitar work on “Nightmare of 20,000 Feet” and its compelling chorus, “Nothing Cleanses Quite Like Fire” where Donnelly gets to use all of her voices and the closer “The Girl Who Was Born Without a Face.” If Schoolyard Heroes are able to translate Fantastic Wounds’ environment to a live show, it would be a sight to see.
Scott Stapleton When the beautiful piano begins on the opening track “If I Should Follow You,” you are thinking that depending on what happens next this record might be amazing. Unfortunately, you are struck by Scott Stapleton’s intensely honest and awkward vocals. It is something very difficult to describe unless you heard them and then you know immediately. It is almost like someone playing quasi-religious (or quasi-secular) songs on acoustic guitar at church. Having previously played in Florida’s Venusian Skyline and Dark A.D., Stapleton is now a solo artist living in NYC trying to make it with his voice, piano and songs. It is certainly heartwarming that Stapleton wrote this record following the death of his twin brother, which is exceptionally difficult. And clearly this is a deeply personal album reflecting that loss and a new start. As much as I would like to like this record (and the piano playing is grand), Stapleton’s discomfited vocals with stabbing testosterone emphasis and unnatural cadence makes it hard to embrace the songs. Surely, this is a record that friends and family hold near to themselves.
Secret Lives of the Freemasons This is a God-damn, long ass record. Haven’t these guys ever heard the concept of ‘most releasable units’ – a full-length and then EP (or vice versa). But, seriously, this seventeen track, forty-six minute debut record from Asheville, NC’s Secret Lives of the Freemasons brims with constant pulsing excitement woven into an amalgam of hardcore, punk and emo. Perhaps, not surprisingly, this sound combo brought this six-piece into the arms of Thursday’s Geoff Rickley’s (and others) Astro Magnetics Label. It is correct that I just wrote six-piece. SLF utilize three guitars and a bassist to make their wall of sound, and their certainly is a fair use of intertwining dynamics, but I can’t believe that they couldn’t do the same with five. Anyway, let’s talk about Asheville. Asheville, NC is this magical mountain town that I’ve only heard people talking wonderful vacations to, as well as excellent outdoor sports kinds of stuff. Coming from Chapel Hill, I was surprised that I had never heard of them, though I don’t work hard to keep up with new NC bands. But that also hints at the relative isolation of Asheville. SLF came together in 2003 when A Kiss Before Dying and Throwing Myself dissolved and their members met up to form a new band and one that could meld their cross-interests. When I mentioned the length of this record, I was really only half-kidding. While all of the songs, some of the tracks are just thirty-second filler moments, are excellent and solid compositions, you find yourself half of the time wondering how damn long the song or record is. Part of this is that many of the songs sound quite similar to one another and even after a score of listens I still have trouble distinguishing them. Also, given the movement between different sound trajectories in many songs – emo, hardcore, punk –you think that you are onto a new song, but are still in the same one. Part of this uniformity of feeling may be derived from the fact that it took all of four days to completely record the album – that is like a blink of an eye on this level. I think the best way to burn SLF into my memory would be to be floored by a live show. With enough touring and support from Astro Magnetics, Secret Lives of the Freemasons are likely to be quite successful in the near future. Now, they could just master the capitalist concept of splitting up songs onto to numerous releases.
Seether Finally off supporting their marketing blitzed debut full-length Disclaimer and the subsequent Disclaimer II that added a duet with Amy Lee and bonus features (both records went gold), comes the harder Karma & Effect. It is surprising to hear that Disclaimer came out 2002/3 as it feels like yesterday. After tons of shows in the U.S. and overseas, Seether slowly and slowly built a vast fan base – thanks a lot to the Lee duet. During that time, Seether has seemed to become a dark and harder rocking band than during the Disclaimer era. Disclaimer can be considered a hard rock album, but Karma & Effect is much more and the band is clearly trying to present such an image in their marketing and publicity. For the most part, the fourteen-track, hour long record is standard, solid post-grunge fair that is the hallmark of Windup and parallels Seether’s previous material. The one oddity on the record also happens to be the album’s first single – the song “Remedy.” While “Remedy” clearly parallels the songs off Disclaimer, one thing immediately emerges from this song. That thing is that here Seether has stepped back from heavier rock sound and come at the song as if Nirvana came back from the dead and had superdistorted guitars. Of course, “Remedy” is not nearly on the same level as Nirvana, but the guitars and vocal cadence on the chorus is unmistakable Nirvana. If more of Karma & Effect mirrored “Remedy” than this would be an entirely superior record. Still, for the million or so people who bought Disclaimer in the U.S., they are going to love Karma & Effect.
Sherwood Within the spectrum of melodic punk/indie rock, Sherwood is one of the best new bands to arise in the past few years. Almost every new band that I’ve heard in the past couple of years playing this style is always satisfying but never great. And Sherwood is great, no, dazzling. Forming in late 2002 in San Luis Obispo, CA, the five-piece of Sherwood made their real mark in 2004 by self-releasing an EP and playing a few weeks on the Warped Tour. During the winter, Sherwood holed up to record the twelve-song Sing, But Keep Going and the results are tremendous. Again, Sherwood play the style of melodic indie rock that one finds with bands like Copeland, but with more vigor and catchiness as you might see from Jimmy Eat World or early Get Up Kids. The essential part of their sound is the gorgeous vocals by bassist Nate Henry and the piano/keyboard song enhancements provided by Mike Leibovich. The guitar work by Chris Armstrong and Dan Koch is solid, though not blistering, while drummer’s Joe Greenetz playing is best pronounced on slower numbers such as “Lake Tahoe (For My Father).” Sing, But Keep Going begins on the strong “We Do This To Ourselves,” which doesn’t really come into its own until the chorus – and even still you aren’t sure if Sherwood is distinct. Yet, Sherwood kicks up the catchiness on “Traveling Alone,” and leaves you thinking there may be more here. After the average “The Town That You Live In” comes the super-mellow and sweet “Lake Tahoe (For My Father).” Following “Learn to Sing” comes the pop magic of “I’ll Wait For You” that kicks off with piano like that Fairview video from several years back. After the modest “Something Worth Knowing,” “Those Bright Lights” and the lower-fi “What Lucy Found There” comes the catchy chorus-driven “Gentleman of Promise.” The record closes on the brilliant, up-tempo “You’re Like a Ghost” and the less fulfilling (mostly due to the vocal cadence) “The Last to Know.” Given their style of music, I was surprised that the twelve songs only clock in at thirty-three minutes. But somehow it feels almost like the perfect length and there isn’t any dragging. With Sing, But Keep Going, Sherwood should be in serious play during this year.
Sleater-Kinney With guitars blazing, Sleater-Kinney rips off ten tracks of reckless abandon on their seventh record and first for Sub Pop. After a decade of recording for KRS, Portland’s veteran punk trio Sleater-Kinney went to rural New York and hoped into bed with the other hot northwestern label. While my familiarity in Sleater-Kinney songs is much less than knowledge of their musical impact and history, it is clear that the trio decide to get their rock on with the Woods. Carrie Brownstein’s guitar is a display of brilliant distorted wildness, Corin Tucker leads the vocals and guitar support and Janet Weiss keeps the beats fresh. The core of Sleater-Kinney is still here, most obviously pushed by Tucker’s intense, shouting vocals, but it is as if the band brought Zeppelin back from the dead or decided to channel some type of Mars Volta throwback. The two most exemplar demonstrations of this shift come from “What’s Mine is Yours” and “Let’s Call It Love.” “What’s Mine is Yours” is classic Sleater-Kinney with back-and-forth guitar movements, until about half way through where shit goes wild and Brownstein’s guitar noisily solos. “What’s Mine is Yours,” though, only sets up “Let’s Call It Love” towards the end of the record. “Let’s Call It Love” is all about soaring distorted rock first pushed by guitars and Tucker’s vocals and then extended to the tune of eleven minutes as the band seemingly goes off into their own version of an acid trip. The other eight numbers maintain similar thoughts of over-distortion and a call to the rock gods, but just not taken to the same extreme. For instance, you are greeted on the opener “The Fox” with extreme distortion and then breaks down to Tucker and the rest following a consistent pattern. “Wilderness” is more pop with pleasant guitar picking, while “Jumpers” features Brownstein and Tucker paralleling their vocals for a cool effect on the first part and then goes off. “Modern Girl” is probably has the cleanest instruments (until the end) and demonstrates how Sleater-Kinney could knock out radio friendly indie pop for all of eternity if they so chose. The vocals shriek in the background to the hip “Entertain” and “Rollercoaster” contains the oft-heard indie guitar riffs. The tempo is brought down on “Steep Air” as Sleater-Kinney dirty fuzz everything out. The Woods ends on the well-conceived, even-balanced “Night Light” – almost serving as a symbol for the consistency and stability of Sleater-Kinney. Although The Woods is more Zeppelin rock than much of their previous catalogue, most Sleater-Kinney fans are going to eat this up and the record is also likely to snare proponents of distorted 70s rock comebacks.
Some Girls By the time you actually look up from putting this CD in your player, it is already over. Released really as a 7”, and also put on CD for fucks like me, the seven songs cover all of six minutes and then you are left with spittle of ash. Many know that Some Girls are a side project of members from the Locust, Give Up the Ghost, Unbroken and The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, and their sound most clearly mimics a less devious and exceptional Locust. The coolest thing going on the 7” is that the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O gives vocals to the title track – something along the lines of high-pitched whining. The CD version also includes a video for “I Need Drugs;” which I really do right now. As such, if you want more balls-out power violence from the 3.1.G collective then this it for you.
Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers This six-song EP is a one-off affair that Stephen Kellogg and co-conspirators knocked out in a day in Brooklyn. The songs were cut from Kellogg’s full-length and producer Mike Daly suggested Kellogg just knock them out as an EP. Along with the Sixers – Keith Karlson and Brian Factor – and a variety of acquaintances, Kellogg delivers us this EP. Though I don’t know how this EP is ‘pure New York,’ as the one sheet suggests, Kellogg leans towards pop alt-country, but with a voice that is too faux singer-songwriter polished. The songs are sufficiently solid, but Kellogg’s voice reminds me of the swath of Nashville singer-songwriters that take themselves too serious and can’t break away from what everyone else is doing. Yet, given songs like “4th Street Moon,” I can see Kellogg having success with adult contemporary rock radio and charts.
Stereotypes On the opening “Emily,” I thought that Pavement was just raised from the dead. The pop quirkiness of “Emily” will make you think that lead singer John Binkbiner is actually Stephen Malkus as Binkbiner completely apes the vocal style. The Stereotypes are using “Emily” as their first single off of 3, which is fine but radio DJs are going to emphasize that it is not Pavement. Okay, off that, as the rest of the nine songs on 3 aren’t near to “Emily.” Conveniently as the third release from this San Diego four-piece, the Stereotypes focus more on 60s Rickenbacker pop rock on 3. This is a continuation of the sound of 1 and 2, but the Stereotypes clearly have embellished their music and added greater production quality. You can here the Stereotypes coming into their own on songs such as “My New Friend” and “Til We Meet Again,” both of which are quite splendid. When they move away from fertile sound, you can really notice a drop in appeal (e.g., “Need Some Action” and “Kill, Keys, Money and Jewelry”). When they keep on target, the Stereotypes are a really strong act. Besides from the twelve songs off of 3, the band agreeably provides a six-song bonus CD affectionately called Leftovers. Two of the songs, “No Leftovers” and “Dark Room,” apparently are part of the Stereotypes live show, so they wanted them to be available for ambulatory-challenged fans. “No Leftovers” is strong garage rock, while the distorted “Dark Room” sounds as if the band mixed too much whiskey and cocaine with sweaty nights in Texas. Leftovers continues to diversify with the Rickenbacker punk “Prettiest Girl” and “Skinny Penny,” and the new wave “Ice Cold Kisses.” Although completely different from the rest of the songs and paralleling a cross of Joy Division and the Cure, “Ice Cold Kisses” is fantastic. The Stereotypes will be reissuing their first record 1 before the end of the year and are hoping 3 will push them into your living room.
T-Tauri The less vocals on this final T-Tauri release, the better the songs. Infinite Motion was recorded in 1999 right before/during the three-piece split up, as means to preserve their last musical endeavor. Initially formed in Colorado and then relocated to LA, T-Tauri twirled in obscurity for the scope of their six year existence. A split with VSS and the release of their debut full-length on then growing GSL were high points in the T-Tauri experience. What we are left with are seven songs of deep, distorted instrumental magic, periodically punctuated by vocals that come in just under an hour. Again, with the rise of vocals, the songs’ quality begins to diminish. Though slightly on the darker and spacer side of instrumental rock, I’m surprised that T-Tauri didn’t meet with more success. I’ve only heard the songs off of Infinite Motion, but they are all nearly on the same level as the chiefs of dark, instrumental rock; though T-Tauri’s previous material might be quite different from Infinite Motion. Ignoring the vocals and keeping the volume low, Infinite Motion is an excellent concentrating-while-doing-work record.
Umbrellas As the debut release for the Militia Group, the three/four-piece Umbrellas maintain an air of sweeping pop mystery that is heard on the record’s twelve tracks as well as in the creative writing ‘bio.’ Umbrellas are headed by Scott Windsor on vocals/guitars (a voice that is quite high), Chad Coplin on keys/guitar, Nathan Price on drums and Eric Arndt on bass/guitars. The booklet indicates this is the lineup up that recorded the album, but the live show only maintains Windsor and adds Brandon Petersen on drums and Matt Jara-Ratajsczak on bass. Produced by rock wizard Ed Rose, Umbrellas’ first record illustrates Rose’s melodic touches and smart use of context. As the record begins to unfold you are at first greeted with exceptional expectionalism on the brilliant opener “The City Lights,” but then you move along a slippery slope toward rock mediocrity. “The City Lights” builds with light electronics as a piano brings you along and opens into the full band. In the same light as Andi Camp, you swear that if the entire record is like “The City Lights,” Umbrellas are your new favorite band. The near after songs follow with more rock but similar pleasantness as Windsor’s breathy vocals breeze through “Sleep Well,” “Ghost” and “Broken Ice.” But then on the following “Emergency” and continuing through “The Black Dress” (that is saved some towards the end), “Reactionary,” “June, Summer, Rose” and “Comfort in Suffering,” Umbrellas just become an average indie pop band. There is a savor in the form of “Vampires” and the gorgeous closer “Set the Scene,” but you are scared from the aforementioned let down. As an opening set, this is solid record by Umbrellas. With more focus on what works, Umbrellas could be one of the best bands going.
V/A My closest memory of Oingo Boingo is thanks to the band playing in dorm party scene in the movie Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield. But you can also add to that column Oingo Boingo’s song “Weird Science” and the film by the same name. Composed in the front by Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek and John Avila, Oingo Boingo was nearly the quintessential 80s pop party band. Today the public is most aware of Elfman from his innumerable movie scores including Good Will Hunting, Big Fish and Men in Black. This CD consists of fourteen mostly punk bands covering fourteen of Boingo’s best songs – though only a few will be known by the causal listener. Allowing the record to spin, one thing became immediately clear to me: Reel Big Fish (who are in this comp) owe a lot to Boingo. I knew that Reel Big Fish was on the comp but I didn’t know which song they covered, and as the comp progressed I couldn’t figure out to the life of me which one they did (“We Close Our Eyes”). With that, the standout covers here include Clear Static’s “Dead Man’s Party” (which is also Boingo’s most well-known), The Matches (w/ Zerbrahead) version of “Violent Love,” The Rocky Raccoons’ “Little Girls,” Hello Goodbye’s “Weird Science” and The Aquabats version of “The Controller.” What this tribute demonstrates is that Oingo Boingo was a really fun time, now if you could just take out the mass 80s electronic lameness they would be the best.
V/A The point of this promotional compilation is to highlight the first round nominees of the Diesel U Music awards. The competition is meant to bring to light under-highlighted acts and unsigned artists in rock, dance/electronic and hip-hop/soul. The winners of the different genres get record promotion at Diesel stores and at indie music stores (paid by Diesel). While it is certainly a great deal for the artists involved, particularly the unsigned ones, you may question what makes one unheralded enough to qualify for the competition. Nominated by an indie industry board, several artists are hardly unknown in exoduster circles – including the Bravery, Robbers on High Street, the Dears and Bear vs. Shark; although most musically tangentially-aware people would probably not know them. Of the artists that I never heard before, strong tracks come from Xavier’s “Give Me the Night (ATOC Mix),” Inouk’s “No Danger,” Knifehandchop’s “Girlfriend” and the Books’ “Be Good to Them Always.” Look for more from this competition in the near future.
V/A This is a seventy-five minute, twenty-seven track compilation of German label Sounds of Subterrania releases. The record is completely hit or miss as all the bands exist somewhere in the realm of punk and indie rock. Most of the recordings are fairly lo-fi as you might expect from a small punk label. Highlights come from the opener “I-dentity” by Devil in Miss Jones which has comedic punk country flair, the classic pop punk of the Tip Toppers on “Packed to the Rafters,” “Elimination Process” by Grey Goose (see their review for the Leatherface problem discussion, though unfortunately the Frankie Stubbs acoustic track on this comp “Second Hand Suit” ain’t too good), Cro(w)s on “Live and Let Go,” “Down” by Treeberrys, “Break My Heart” by Rachael Gordon and the odd “Was Soll’s” by Trend. Save for a couple of bands, I’ve never heard of any of them and probably neither have you – so depending on the price of the comp it might be a good pick up.
The Valley Arena As the debut full-length of Long Beach, CA’s the Valley Arena and the first record released by New Jersey’s Astro Magnetics label (co-owned by Thursday’s Geoff Rickley), the four-piece pulses through ten tracks of appreciable angular, post-punk with a wide spread of pop movements. The Valley Arena first got noticed with their self-released seven-song Kinetic Aesthetic EP and regional touring, winding up luring producer Jason Cupp to work on this record before they had a record deal. In the minutiae of music, the Valley Arena actually stand at an odd crossroad. From a distance, there is nothing really that grand about their sound; pleasant, compelling, but staid. With a harder listen to can delineate two main influences that move in phases: DC art-rock sound championed recently by bands like Des Ark, Engine Down and Decahedron and Left Coast melodic punk that may be on labels like the Militia Group (e.g., TTT!). So, there is something both oddly familiar and different at the same time about the Valley Arena. I wish their striking differences were harder hitting and more at the forefront, in order to elicit enhanced excitement. Some numbers to consider include “To the Bitter Amputees,” “Paint It Red,” “The Plastic Knife You Swing,” “Burn Off Regret” and “What We Can Steal.” Admittedly, Take Comfort in Strangers could potentially become a favorite with enough spins and less concentrated thought. Vox Vermillion Some might say that Minneapolis’ Vox Vermillion’s third record Standing Still You Move Forward is too long and depressing. And I would have to agree. After starting up in 2001, the four-piece of Vox Vermillion trample the low energy indie gods with piano and strings on much of the nearly hour long record. You need to have a particular taste to really dig the first two long piano affairs “Up In It” and “Arrivals/Departures.” It is true that vocalist (and guitars/keyboards) Kelsey Crawford has a powerful, emotional and distinct voice, but when VV is not pushing the tempo I feel like I’m in a Stalinist prison – not as torture, but as that is the atmosphere painted. Songs such as the higher tempo, electronic-infused “Controller” is much more agreeable and when VV follow it with the heavy cello of Emily Datuma on “Underground” you grow to like them more. Other songs to look for in this vein include “Freeways & Highways” (though it is dark, the cello is grand), “Macbeth” and the odd “Smitten.” It could be that Vox Vermillion head towards the darker, drawn out material because of the cold, bitter winters in Minnesota; or just taste. Either way, I could see indie connoisseurs loving this record and many others finding it average.
Wrecking Crew If you think you’ve heard of Wrecking Crew before, but can’t quite place why it is, it’s okay. Boston’s Wrecking Crew was one of the forerunners of the Northeastern punk hardcore scene and helped lay down the way along with bands like Agnostic Front and Slapshot. Documenting out of print, rare and live tracks from Wrecking Crew is this massive twenty-six song opus chronicling their time span (1987-1991). While Wrecking Crew shared common themes with the bands mentioned above they were more linked to SST-style punk than their more hardcore brothers. One of the immediately surprising things, to me at least, about a majority of Wrecking Crew’s songs is the length; they are typically to 2-and-a-half minutes or longer – somewhat of a lifetime in this genre. So what is covered by this record? The first eight tracks come from their first demo recorded in 1988 and four were originally released as their first 7” Vortex. The next two are from a Thrasher Magazine comp from 1989 and the three after come from a 1990 demo. Wrecking Crew’s full-length for Hawker Records (Roadrunner imprint) is not included on this record and the band wanted to have at least “Why Must They” on this record. Since, Roadrunner wouldn’t release the rights, the band got back together to record it last year and it is now here for your listening pleasure. The next eight songs were recorded live on WERS in 1988 and the final two are live from a show at CBGBs in 1988. The reason for owning this record is to have a documentary piece of early Northeastern hardcore. It might also be useful as a learning device for all new bands wanting to duplicate this sound to show them it has been done before, so innovate for Christ’s sake.
Yellow Delicious
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