Tag: review
Warning: Attempt to read property "post_id" on null in /dom375187/wp-content/plugins/enhanced-category-pages/classes/ecp/Enhanced_Category.php on line 143
Warning: Undefined array key 0 in /dom375187/wp-content/plugins/enhanced-category-pages/classes/ecp/Enhanced_Category.php on line 232
REVIEW: Night Moves’ debut full-length Colored Emotions
In this age of hybridized genre tag mania (proto-post-stoner-jam-metalcore, anyone?), it’s become easy for bands to lay claim to invention by slapping synths, reverb, drum machines, etc., on top of blasé retreads of well-worn forms. Amid the innovation inflation Continue reading “REVIEW: Night Moves’ debut full-length Colored Emotions”
REVIEW: Love This Giant
Crushed By the Giant
It’s not too farfetched to imagine that when David Byrne found himself in a studio recording Love This Giant (released September 11th) with the angelic, guitar shredding Annie Clark, he may have asked himself “Well, how did I get here?”
The two come from two different genres, two different generations, and two different devout followings. At surface level, the dots connecting the music of Clark’s moniker, St. Vincent, and Talking Heads’ former frontman David Byrne seem scarce.
However, the duo’s foundation for Love This Giant didn’t completely start from scratch. In 2010, Byrne and Clark actually collaborated on a less-than-impressive track for Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s score, Here Lies Love — now forgotten in the depths of mega-fans’ comprehensive music collections (with good reason).
Regardless, with their praised solo albums and collaborations ranging from Byrne’s works with Brian Eno to Clark’s notable heart-racing and body-warming INXS covers with Beck, both Byrne and Clark are deserved icons prolific in emphasizing their styles and talents with other musicians.
The thought of St. Vincent & David Byrne collaborating on an entire album seemed surprisingly sensible, and after the release of their single, “Who,” many fans assumed it likely that Love This Giant would be a hit.
“Who be my valentine?” Byrne asks between trumpet blows and drum beats on the catchy single and album open. With the Siren-like Clark seducing Byrne’s classically strained yet strong vocals strung across a melting pot of jazz melody and sleek guitar-playing, “Who” is by far the boldest, catchiest, and most well-received track on Love This Giant. The track introduces the album with the initial reaction that it will be the ideal collaboration — something incorporating the original qualities of both musicians, while allowing them to evolve in new ways.
But that is not the dynamic of Love This Giant. Despite the natural assumption after hearing “Who,” the album isn’t the result of the two musicians intertwining distinctive characteristics while breaking out of their comfort zone. Rather, it’s the result of two well-known and adored musicians abandoning their golden backgrounds for something chaotic and built of brass.
“Who’s this, inside of me?” Byrne shrieks midway through “Who,” kicking the track with a jolt of sudden passion and a foreshadowing the remainder of Love This Giant’s nature — Byrne and Clark’s unrecognizable soul possessed by a jazz spirit haunting their music with what sounds like a circus of brass directing a structure-less album.
Drastically different — as each song on the album is — “Who” transitions into the funky “Weekend In The Dust,” utilizing a sassy side of Clark’s vocals amongst what sounds regrettably similar to a high school marching band during practice. It’s an immediate step down from “Who,” even though it’s one of the more accessible and interesting tracks on Love This Giant.
Throughout the album, Clark’s vocals differentiate expansively. Ranging from the spunky, funk style in “Weekend In The Dust” to a pitch and tone only suitable for a Disney princess on the tracks “Optimist” and “The Forest Awakes,” Clark comes off as both flat and schizophrenic.
Clark’s vocals aren’t the only schizophrenic aspect of Love This Giant — the whole album is overwhelmingly hectic with sudden transitions and high highs barely balancing low lows. More is less for Love This Giant; perhaps with use of steadier transition, loyalty to style, and a more polished cornucopia of brass, it could have been a culturally important album.
It seems unlikely that many musicians would refuse working with the talents of Byrne and Clark. The amateurish brass on Love This Giant would have been completely avoidable with the help of more skilled trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and horn players. If the duo had approached a musician like Beirut’s Zach Condon, who has a pristine talent in the realm of brass, the genre shift could have been an evolutionary milestone for the artists. But as symbolized by the track “I Am An Ape,” Byrne and Clark didn’t quite evolve with the shift of genre — they regressed.
It’s really hard to love a giant too big to notice that it let two idols fall flat. Combining a new and an older icon, Love This Giant had high potential to be a timeless album weaving together the sounds of two generations. Instead, Byrne and Clark created something so busy and identity-confused that its emotion and meaning are lost.
REVIEW: Sick/Sea’s debut album Moral Compass
Self-defined “jazzy rockers” Sick/Sea will be releasing their first album, Moral Compass, on the 16th of next month.
Moral Compass feels like an extended juxtaposition—an album with a resonating youthful lyrical basis, and yet a definitive level of harshness/roughness in its melodies and overall sound.
The childlike nature of the album is ever present and emphasized when evaluating the track titles. The names of the five songs on the upcoming release are “Parasite”, “Robot”, “Master Splinter”, “Mermaid”, and “Blinked.” Many of the stories told in the lyrics are based on childhood novels like Treasure Island. Their love of youthful fiction resonates loudly throughout the lyrics of each of the five tracks on Moral Compass.
Yet each of these tracks carries consistent dark melodies covered in heavy vocal echoing and alterations to original sound. When comparing Sick/Sea’s live videos with the sound from this album, it is difficult to recognize that they are the same musicians. Lead singer Audrey Scott’s enticing, raw sound is masked by the heaviness of the recording reverb on Moral Compass. Despite their deep Texan roots, Sick/Sea avoids the clichéd country sounds of their home state for a more trending, indie vibe with bluesy vocals.
Audrey is accompanied by her brother, Cameron Scott. Cameron adds original and energetic drumming to the dynamic sound of Sick/Sea. The base guitarist sprinkles a certain level of jazzy rhythm to the overall vibe of the album (although Sick/Sea is still defined more by their harder indie rock sound).
This debut album, produced by Atlanta-based recording company Autumn + Color, has a fairly cohesive sound but lacks a definitive originality that keeps toes tapping. On the other hand, the track titled “Mermaid” has a catchy chorus and a more seasoned rhythm.
To promote the release of Moral Compass, Sick/Sea will be heading off on an American tour beginning on the 20th in Chicago, Illinois. Live footage of Sick/Sea shows the band’s wider range and serious potential in the music industry. By taking away some of the heavy recording sounds, the true promise and talent on Moral Compass may be able to ring more true.
Sick/Sea’s awaited debut album feels like an impressive first step in a long artistic journey. While Moral Compass’s recording may alter some of the original musical talent, it represents a band that is cohesive and, most importantly, young at heart.
REVIEW: Grievances and Quiet Hands split
I got a dual split record for you guys, and between Grievances and Quiet Hands, this is some hard and extreme punk. Grievances’ home state is Georgia, and they’ve been kickin’ it for about a year now. They are currently secluded away and generously writing more for you listeners. Quiet Hands is from Gulfport, Missouri. Judging from the date they joined Facebook, they’ve been around for about two years.
On to the album- the two bands recently released a split in June, and you should check it out- granted it’s a little rough, but it definitely has potential. Grievances’ recording is a little cleaner; the standout song is “To Kill a Titan” (they have the first three songs on the album). I giggled a bit to the outro of “Occupy the Ocean”… the excerpt states “They don’t give a f*ck about you… they don’t give a f*ck about you/ They don’t care about you at all, at all… At all… and nobody seems to notice/ Nobody seems to care.” For those of you who didn’t get it, the excerpt is a distorted clip from “American Dream”, a speech by George Carlin.
Quiet Hands has the next four tracks, and the recordings are a little more raw. They are all relatively short, except for the last song, “But It’s Far From Over”, which starts off slow, melodic, and calm, then gets heavy, (I love it when bands do that), and then finally fades out quietly. “Now It’s Time” has some great guitar riffs and harmonies, and it feeds into “But It’s Far From Over”, (put the two song names together…could this be a statement?). After listening to this EP, I do have to say that I wish the tracks weren’t so muddy. They have some great potential in their music- all it needs is a little spitshine.
Both bands stem from each other (which makes sense for a split album). How this dual album came to be and how these guys met each other, I couldn’t tell you. Yet they both ended up under Divine Mother Recordings. Both bands have heavy, heavy guitars and blast beat drums in their songs, along with some br00tal screamz. If you can handle the raw quality of these tracks, you should give them a listen.
REVIEW: Versus the World’s Drink.Sing.Live.Love.
Hailing from Santa Barbara, Californ-I-A, pop punk rock band Versus the World has dropped their much-anticipated second album Drink.Sing.Live.Love. in early 2012 after a seven-year hiatus. Their first self-titled album was the more aggressive of the two; Drink.Sing.Live.Love. is calmer and more mellowed out. The first album made me think of Bayside and The Almost, while Drink.Sing.Live.Love. is more like Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, and Taking Back Sunday. Versus the World formed in the back of the Ataris-owned record store called Down On Haley in Santa Barbara, and they released their self-titled album on Kung Fu Records. They then toured with Suicide Machines, Bouncing Souls, The Lawrence Arms, Social Distortion, No Use For A Name, The Vandals, I Am The Avalanche, and the Vans Warped Tour while building up a fan base at the same time.
Drink.Sing.Live.Love. was produced by Thom Flowers (The Ataris) and mixed by Ian MacGregor (All American Rejects, Katy Perry), and soon after they were signed to Viking Funeral Records, a label started by Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise.
The album pulls from a couple of genres, mainly hardcore and punk. By far my favorite on the album is their hit, “A Fond Farewell” (the video can be found below). This particular song makes me think of Fall Out Boy, especially in the repetition of “Hallelujah, I ain’t young but I ain’t dead yet, I’ve got more promise than regret, so I sing, Hallelujah” towards the end. “The Kids are F*cked” is another one with high resemblance to FOB. The guitar riffs and drums are similar, and the vocals hold a resemblance to Patrick Stump, FOB’s front man. “Donner Pass” is yet another one of my favorites on the album- I love the tempo change in the middle, how angsty the vocals are at the end of the song, and how well it goes with classic punk drum beat. Following “Donner Pass”, “Angry February” goes into a slow, bluesy, rockabilly ballad, which is an excellent switch-up from the latter and compliments the album beautifully.
I am honestly in love with this album, even after listening to it on repeat while writing this review. I’d say that’s a good sign to all you readers, and I definitely recommend to give both this and their prior album a listen, (I love “Medillin” off the self titled album). They are on tour this fall with MxPx and Unwritten Law; check out some of the dates below and hit them up!
Tour Dates:
Versus The World Tour Dates (w/MXPX, Unwritten Law):
Oct 29 – Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
Oct 31 – Charlotte, NC – The Milestone
Nov 1 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
Nov 2 – Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock
Nov 3 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Nov 4 – Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall
Nov 6 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop
Nov 7 – Detroit, MI – Shelter
Nov 8 – Chicago, IL – The Bottom Lounge
Nov 9 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird
Members:
Donald Spence- Vocals & Guitar
Chris Flippin- Guitar
Mike Davenport- Bass
Bryan Charlson- Drums
REVIEW: Adventures self-titled EP
Upon my first listen of Adventures self-titled EP, I realized that No Sleep Records had done it again. The album, which will drop September 11, instantly blew me away and surpassed any expectation I may have had.
The line-up of Adventures seems to go something like this:
-Three parts former Code Orange Kids members
-Two parts friends of previously mentioned members
What became of this five-piece collaboration was simplicity at its finest, ultimately birthing an indie masterpiece.
Adventures oozes heartfelt emotion throughout its entirety, starting with the first track titled “I Feel So Sure”. Reba Meyers takes control of the track from start to finish, effortlessly striking chords that ring all the way down to your insides.
The second track, “Walking”, starts off slow yet again and is a pleasant follow-up to “I Feel So Sure”. In “Walking”, Reba subtly introduces a vocal twist of melodic screams (and owns it, at that) that would be echoed in full force on the last track of the EP.
Once “Like Seed” came on, though I was saddened by the knowledge that I was three fourths of the way through the EP, I was delightfully met with a male vocal/female vocal match up that made it impossible to sulk. “I’m watching time age before me as my biggest fears face reality, I’ve never had as much confidence in anyone, and I have never been so scared” is a powerful line that Meyers sings in harmony before being met again with the male vocals and, simultaneously, ending the song out together with a perfect display of lyrical repetition. Out of the four tracks, this one hit the hardest with me. The band released the song to viewers online and can be heard here.
The last track off Adventures, “Reach Out To You”, would be considered the heaviest of the four tracks. The subtle melodic screams mentioned in “Walking” are predominant in this track, giving it a sound of its own and validating its need to be premiered as the first released track of the EP.
The anticipation of their self-titled EP has been mounting all over (and for good reason. Adventures was featured in in Absolutepunk.net’s top 100 of 2012, who spoke of the EP as a “fabricated blanket of harmonies and heartbreak, worthy of anyone’s sweater and Hemingway collection”.
Adventures’ sound could easily be related to fellow indie rockers, Tigers Jaw, or Lemuria. But, with a sound like theirs, you really don’t need to compare. When something works so well on its own it is best to take it for what it is and enjoy.
Don’t just take my word for it! Head on over to the band’s Facebook page and see for yourself.
REVIEW: Lowtalker Marathon EP
Lowtalker is the combined effort of former Living With Lions, Misery Signals, and Comeback Kid members who will be releasing their debut EP, The Marathon, under No Sleep Records on September 18th.
Stu Ross, Matt Keil, and Casey Hjelmberg formed the band in 2008, naming themselves after a reference to the “Puffy Shirt” episode of Seinfield.
Ross, who was born in Canada, essentially fronts the band as the singer, while also playing the guitar and contributing as one of the songwriters. What he brings musically is matched by what he brings visually, having done the artwork for the first EP, People Worry About Everything. Keil plays bass, sings, and assumes the role of the mathematical brain in relation to the business. Hjelmberg plays the guitar (and takes credit for coming up with the band’s name).
Upon first listen to The Marathon, I realized that pinpointing a particular band to compare their sound to wouldn’t be an easy task. Their post-hardcore/punk roots definitely flare through, but each member brings something unique to create a fresh sound.
The EP kicks off with the song “Like Minnows”, a fast-paced, personal recount of seemingly personal experiences with life’s relationships, making it easy to relate to.
“Tensions” is the second track and has a sound of its own. If I were to choose, I would claim it as my favorite of them all. Repetitive hooks and catchy melodies get me every time.
Self-medicating seems to be an underlying theme throughout the EP, sounding loud and clear in the third track, “Prescriptions”. In our interview conducted earlier this month, Ross revealed that the song is based on a family member of his that has dealt with prescription drug abuse for the last 20+ years.
The EP ends with the appropriately-titled track “Chances” that sings of hopefully looking forward, letting go of your past, and the ghosts that can haunt you if you let them.
Lowtalker will be the hitting the road in October for a short stint of touring which includes a show in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Personally, this was a great listen from start to finish and will be on repeat for awhile in my musical library. What I find nice about this EP is that it can be enjoyed as a morning starter, a musical night-cap, and anything in between.
Be sure to check out Lowtalker. Catch a show and snag a copy of the EP once released later this month.
REVIEW: Christian Bitto’s “The September Call-Up” EP
Christian Bitto, a self-named musician from Philadelphia, PA, is a new artist to watch in the indie/rock scene.
While mainly acoustic-driven, he is accompanied in his live shows by bandmates Niall Hood on bass and Jesse Gimbel on drums to create an intimate trio that can range from quiet, soft, finger-picked melodies to emotional rock.
After giving Bitto’s EP, The September Call-Up, a listen, his voice instantly reminded me of Oliver Sim from London’s indie band The XX, while the instrumentals made me think of softer Brand New and Jimmy Eat World, as well as the clean reverb affect given by Chris Isaak’s Gretsch 6120.
The opening song, “Next to You”, has great vocals- pure and in its simplest form- guitar with slight distortion and simple chords, and a great bass and drums to back and compliment it. I love songs like these. It reminds me of a great CD I got as a kid called Sweet Lowland by Dodd Ferrelle, so in a way it evokes a bittersweet nostalgia for me. The next is called “Daylight”, and it’s just Bitto himself and a guitar. It’s a lovely, soft fingerpicked acoustic song… “the glimmer of light that shines in the dark, is that your beating heart, your beating heart? “ is saddening in a way. The final song in the EP, “Mickey’s Song”, is another fingerpicked song which seems to be about him traveling and away from a loved one. Beautiful song.
It was a perfect mix in my opinion- very clean, calming, and simple. Listening to this EP for the first time during a docile summer thunderstorm in a local coffee shop made the atmosphere that much more enjoyable and relaxed.
I definitely recommend to VM readers and music lovers to keep up with him and his band and see what these guys have to offer.
To check out the EP right now, visit Bitto’s Bandcamp page. Also be sure to follow him on Facebook!
Junius show review
The Basement played host to a quartet of post-rock and hardcore influenced groups on Wednesday, February 22nd in Columbus. Junius was co-headlining the show with O’Brother. Sainthood Reps and local group The End of the Ocean rounded out the bill.
The End of the Ocean got things rolling, doing their best to engage the sparse crowd with their brand of post-rock, interspered with pre-recorded monologues that served as interludes between songs. I had the opportunity to talk a bit with bassist Bryan Yost after their set, and he mentioned that they are in the midst of self-booking a tour that will travel all the way to the West Coast of the US! Bottom-line: look out for these guys! As hard-working and talented as they are, there is no doubt that some level of success is headed their way.
Sainthood Reps followed with their mixture of alternative indie rock and post-hardcore. This new Tooth and Nail Records band from Long Island wowed the audience with their distorted guitars, sung/shouted vocals, and periodic percussive jamming from the frontman in tandem with the drummer. They opened their set with “Monoculture” and also played what have since become my favorite songs of theirs – “Dingus” and “Animal Glue.” Long story short, this band went from being “meh, I’ll check them out sometime” to “Wow! I need to get their record” over the course of 30 minutes.
Quintet O’Brother next took the stage, and it was clear that they had the crowd ready to rock. The post-hardcore-esque “Machines I and II” started the set and got audience members excitedly shouting all of the lyrics back at the stage. It was interesting to see how much their drummer could accomplish with such a simple kit, and it was entertaining to see the long locks of the Dang brothers (on guitar and bass) flying everywhere as they head-banged in unison. “Ascension” found bassist Anton Dang with a bow in his hand to get just the right effects, and “Lo” found the entire band getting what might be their most catchy set choice across in an impeccable manner. The finale of the set was the back to back “Poison!” and “Lay Down”, which sounded just like they did on the record, if not better.
Massachusetts’ Junius roared to life onstage amidst a backdrop of 4 light towers with “Betray the Grave.” Junius is not meant to be simply amusing – they put their all into shows. Rather than indulging flamboyant onstage actions, the three guys I had interviewed hours earlier in a restaurant chose to simply lose themselves in the music. I could see what they meant by having to experience their music in a live setting to get the full effect. Their sound belongs in a larger venue. As I told Joel, their bass player, I’ll be watching for the day they play arenas and use crazy lazer light shows. Am I embellishing? Maybe, but the potential is definitely there.
Be sure to check out my interview with Junius.
Lionize exclusive interview and show review
I just sat down with Mel Randolph, the drummer for reggae/rock band LIONIZE. Check it out!
Ryan: How would you explain what it means to Lionize something?
Mel: To celebritize…I mean that’s pretty much it (laughs).
If you were to explain your music to someone who has never heard you before, what would you say?
I’d say we are classic rock, bluesy, with a tiny bit of spread of reggae.
Would you mind telling what some of your influences are?
Sure, Coltrane, Led Zeppelin, Steel Pulse (international reggae band)
I read that you guys did some recording in Jamaica. What surprised you or stood out about that experience?
The whole thing was very laid back; very relaxing environment. We were really surprised and shocked at the fact that we recorded in Kingston, which isn’t the area where the tourists are…it’s the real heart of Jamaica. So with that said, we were surprised to see that when we got there, there was this beautiful hotel. That’s where we stayed…we had a guy down there that was cooking food for us, so altogether it was a wonderful experience.
Any reason you went to Jamaica other than the obvious reggae vibe?
We got invited down. Do you know Steel Pulse? They’re an international touring reggae band, from Birmingham (UK). Their keyboardist, who has developed a relationship with us, he’s from down there.
Your most recent record is titled The Superczar and the Vulture. Any particular meaning behind it? Or not?
Yeah! Its just the whole, you know, comic book superhero thing.
Any standout experiences from this tour thus far? Any highs or lows?
It has its ups and downs, its perks. You either get enough rest, or you don’t. You eat right, or you don’t. It’s been really good so far.
How far back do you guys go (friendship with Maylene)?
This is our first time touring with them. It’s where we met them.
The music industry is very much in a paradigm shifting stage at this point. From your point of view, what’s one positive thing thats going on right now and what’s one frustrating thing that’s going on right now?
I’ll start with the positive; the thing about the music business is that, of course, you are dedicated. It’s fun getting your name out, especially at a pace where it’s gradually happening. There’s just so many other bands trying to do the same thing. For example, the Warped Tour for us was a huge, awesome experience. The downfall is being broke – you really have to have it set in your mind that this is your passion.
Show Review:
Metal influenced southern rockers Maylene and the Sons of Disaster took their powerhouse live show into Columbus, Ohio with support from Lionize recently.
Local group The Ordnance opened the show with their brand of impassioned hard rock, which at times seemed a bit forced and perhaps not mixed well. However, it is likely that any band with this level of passion and musicianship will only age well, and I’ll be keeping my eye on these guys in the future.
Lionize of Silver Springs, Maryland followed with their unique brand of jam-rock. The quartet played as a unit, no question about it. They kicked things off appropriately with the first track off their latest record, Superczar and the Vulture. They showed off their musical ability gradually, building up things to a point that was impressive but not overindulgent. Lionize was appropriate direct support for Maylene – they kept the overall mood of the evening consistent, allowing fans to simultaneously enjoy some solid jams and save energy for the headliners.
With a name as over the top as Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, one would expect a band’s performance to reflect that. Vocalist Dallas Taylor opted not to say much, instead putting his all into the rock. Southern tinged metal vibes came from the stage, venturing out into, or rather on the welcoming pit. “Caution: Dangerous Curves Ahead” first assaulted the tiny pit and surrounding bystanders, segueing into “In Dead We Dream” off of their newest effort, IV. Highlights of the set included fan favorites “Dry the River” and “Tough As John Jacobs” and their encore, “Step Up (I’m On It).” Taylor dryly acknowledged the mixed reception to their newest record, cracking “post some negative comments on the wall” at one point. All in all, the bands played a show that made the 12+ hours of ear ringing I experienced worth it.