Muzik Dizcovery

Interview With Mansions, Round Two

noreply@blogger.com (Casey Whitman) — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:52:00 +0000

We previously interviewed Christopher Browder of Mansions back in April of last year, and what a year it's been for him. Anyone who listened to his latest album Dig Up The Dead absolutely fell in love with it, just as I did, putting it at #5 on the list of my favorite albums of 2011. Mansions is now prepping to record a new album, and we talked to Chris about how the new album may sound, as well as touring with William Beckett, the reasons for making the acoustic version of Dig Up The Dead publicly available, news that the long rumored split with John Nolan may actually begin to surface in the next few weeks, and much much more which you can read below.

It’s been a little over a year since we last talked and Dig Up The Dead was released. Can you give us a quick update about what’s gone on in the past year?

Since Dig Up The Dead came out, we did a bunch of touring, mostly east coast stuff, and we put out a split with a band called Fences last summer, and so far this year we’ve done a bit more touring with South By Southwest. I went to Canada for a day, and we’re working on writing the next record. We’re like ten songs into it now. I’m hoping to have it written by the end of June, the beginning of July, and hopefully record at the end of the summer, and we’ll see where that goes.

You’re currently in the middle of a couple show run with William Beckett. How have these shows been?

It’s been great. I did a couple headlining shows on the way out, which was cool, because I never really do headlining shows, so it was interesting to see if anyone would come. But they went really well, so they were fun. Last night was the first night with William Beckett, and it was great. I didn’t know if the crowd would like me, especially because I don’t think they’ve even heard the band before, but they were all super respectful and really receptive and nice. So it’s really cool. It’s a little different than I’m used to, but in a totally cool way.

Earlier this year, you officially released the Dig Up The Dead Acoustic Version. I think it was originally some sort of bonus that came with the preorder for Dig Up The Dead, so what were you thoughts on the decision to make it sort of a publicly released album?

It was kind of a weird thing because the only way to get it was with the preorders. So if you missed that, there was no way to legitimately get it. Of course, there are ways out there to get it online, but you know, for people who actually want to support us by buying it, we wanted to have a way for them to be able to do it, rather than just telling them to go to Mediafire and find it. It was good to make a legitimate way for people to get ahold of it.

There was an announcement last year that you were planning on doing a split with John Nolan. Is that still going to happen?

I don’t want to say too much, but I think there’s going to be news on that soon. He did his song a couple months ago, and then it was waiting on me to finish mine, and we recorded ours at the beginning of April, and I’m finishing up the mix right now. You should be hearing about that soon. It’s going to happen, it’s not like the Weatherbox/Person L split five years later.

You’re originally from the west coast, right?

I’m originally from Louisville, Kentucky, but I live in Seattle now.

So why do you mostly focus on doing a lot of east coast shows rather than staying near home?

That’s a good question. It’s really just luck of the draw on what tours happen to come up that we get. We used to live in North Carolina, and all the tours we were getting for a long time were west coast tours, and as soon as we moved to the west coast, we literally haven’t had a tour that was west coast since then. Hopefully we’ll get a west coast one real soon, but because we’re headlining, we don’t have much control on where we go.

You said you’re writing a new record. It’s a full length, right?

Yes, we’re working on the next full length.

What’s the direction that you’re going with the third full length? Are you staying with the darker direction of Dig Up The Dead or maybe stay in the poppier and catchier area of New Best Friends, or perhaps is this something entirely different for Mansions? Give us a little feel of what the new stuff is going to sound like?

It’s hard to tell, because they’re all just demos right now, and that can totally change once it’s actually recorded, but I think it’ll be a logical next step. It won’t be anything super out of left field. I think it’ll take a lot of the stuff from Dig Up The Dead and kind of tune it up a little bit. And obviously take some stuff from New Best Friends. The songs so far are probably a little bit poppier than Dig Up The Dead. I don’t want to say that they’re more fun, because whenever I hear bands say that I feel like it’s going to suck, but I feel they’re fun but in an interesting way. Maybe slightly sunnier and a little more rock, a little fuzzier. So far they’re a lot more uptempo.

You’ve been playing a new song lately that everyone at your shows have been loving, that most people have been calling “80 Fucking Dollars.” What’s the plan for that song? Is it going to be on the record, or the John Nolan split, or something totally different?

It’s not the split song. It’s called “Two Suits”, and it’ll be on the record unless the final version is terrible. It was kind of in the first batch of demos that we did and sent around, and that was the one that people really responded to the most, and it’s a lot of fun to play. I think I’m going to play a couple other new songs tonight. But yeah, “Two Suits” should be on the record.

How does it differ doing acoustic shows and electric shows? Do you have to have a totally different gameplan or is it basically simply translating the songs?

I’d say it’s more like a different gameplan. It’s a different kind of thought process. Some songs translate really well in a band environment but not an acoustic one, and vice versa. You get to play some songs we don’t normally play full band. And also thinking about people who have seen us before, they want to hear some different stuff, so mixing it up for them is good. Every tour, it’s good to think about who the crowd is that’s coming to the tour, so you may play different songs on different tours. You always try to cater to them.

On the same page, you’re doing one show on the Warped Tour Acoustic Basement stage this summer. How did that come along?

We just got asked to play, and it’s in Seattle on a weekend so it was easy to play. That’ll just be acoustic. I have no idea what it will be like or what I’ll play or anything, but I’m sure it’ll be kind of like tonight.

Other than the writing and recording for the upcoming record and the split, do you have any other plans for the upcoming months? Are you planning on touring a bit?

This summer we’re going to lie low a bit, and concentrate on the writing and recording of the record. Summer’s kind of tough for touring unless you’re on the big festivals, so we plan on playing Seattle a bunch more, and more regularly than we have been, and maybe some other kind of regional stuff. But summer will be kind of slow as far as shows go. And then in fall, nothing’s confirmed yet, but it looks like it should be a lot busier.

Anything else you want to say?

Just be on the lookout for news about the split, and thanks to you for supporting the band. And you guys should really like the new songs.

I'd like to thank Chris again for taking time again to speak with us at MuzikDizcovery. It's always a pleasure speaking with him, as personally he's one of nicest and most down to earth musicians I've ever been able to speak to. Dig Up The Dead is an absolute masterpiece, and you can stream and purchase it right here. You can also look up the right hand column for the aforementioned acoustic version of the album for stream and purchase as well. And finally, don't forget to follow the band's progress on the album and upcoming tours on their Facebook page.

Artist of the Day: Lavers

noreply@blogger.com (Blair James Chopin) — Tue, 29 May 2012 02:53:00 +0000

Lavers is a new indie band with a very old sound. They released their EP The Street Is A Symphony earlier this year, and the band has a growing fanbase on the internet and on tour. The Street Is A Symphony features five very good songs: it has the powerful acoustic song "Blue Rose," it has the ballady "Meet Me At The Merry Go Round," the very rocking "Old-Fashoned Girl," the epic "Cosmic Ambulance," and the folk sounding "Tangled Up In Dreams." Every song on the album presents a different and unique sound, but is a sound that should still sound very familiar to the listener.

Lavers The Street Is A Symphony sounds like the perfect playlist for 1990's indie music: it combines the catchiness and youthfulness of Oasis What's The Story Morning Glory? the instrumentation and quirkiness of Radiohead's The Bends, and the in depth songwriting of Built To Spill's There's Nothing Wrong With Love.

Listen to "Cosmic Ambulance" and be amazed.

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New Muzik Monday (5/28/12): Memorial Day Mosh Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Perry Maltese) — Mon, 28 May 2012 20:13:00 +0000

With May coming to a close, I wanted to take the time to acknowledge a few of this month's standout hardcore releases from Expire, Old Wounds and Raindance, as well as one of my most anticipated 2012 EPs that is due to come out next month, The Out Crowd Blues, by Florida's Vices.

Expire - Pendulum Swings

Bridge 9 newcomers, Expire, just put out their debut full length, Pendulum Swings, as a follow up to their 2011 Suffer the Cycle EP that was released through Six Feet Under Records. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisc., Expire play gimmick-free, bare bones, heavy hardcore much like that of contemporaries Backtrack and Trapped Under Ice. From the immediately bitter vocals of "Just Fine" to the final chants in the title track's outro, the album pummels the listener with relentless guitar grooves, breakneck drumming, and memorable vocal breaks that hit even harder thanks to super-crisp and powerful production. At just over 20 minutes, Pendulum Swings is a fun and direct take on hardcore that spares no aggression throughout its course.

Buy the record from B9!

Old Wounds - II

Many bands cater to a specific audience when they realize what people want to hear - Old Wounds is not one of those bands. The New Jersey hardcore/crust act, if anything, have shown a progression to the less accessible side of the spectrum with each release, and they sound all the better for it. The band's second EP of 2012, appropriately entitled II, shows an even further departure from clarity than their self-titled. II is grittier, sludgier and undoubtedly more evil than any of the band's previous work, but still features enough variety and distinguishable riffs to easily latch onto. The EP shows Old Wounds branching out in the vocal department as well, with a wide range of screamed vocals tones as well as brief monotone, half-spoken Converge-like sections in both tracks. As a band who clearly do not fear change, Old Wounds have intrigued me more and more with each release, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the band and what approach they decide to take on their first proper full length.

Stream the two tracks HERE and order a tape HERE!

Raindance - New Blood

Let me give you a few reasons as to why you should be listening to Raindance (formerly known as Outrage): they are named after a His Hero is Gone song, their bassist, Ryan Briggs, used to play in Have Heart, and they just recorded their new EP, New Blood, with Defeater's Jay Mass. If the name dropping still does not have you convinced, then take into account the fact that New Blood is completely free - but it sounds a hell of a lot better than any free album should. The New Bedford, Mass. quintet play an undeniably intelligent and interesting brand of hardcore that draws influence from metalcore bands such as Every Time I Die and Botch, especially in terms of guitar playing. Vocalist Sean O'Brien mixes ominous speaking tones with hearty yells that capture an absolutely chaotic mood when combined with the band's incessant riffage and complex instrumentation. The EP's six crushing tracks clock in at 20 minutes and hold up phenomenally well after repeated listens, revealing new intricacies with each spin.

Band-approved FREE download!

Vices - The Out Crowd Blues

Make way for one of 2012's most fun and unique hardcore releases of the year. Florida's Vices (not to be confused with Ohio's VICE) play energetic and brief melodic hardcore songs that are infused with tasteful blues guitar solos, yet remain passionate and introspective. Modern Life Is War is certainly a band that comes to mind when listening to The Out Crowd Blues, especially on the slow-burning EP closer, "Listen," which features poetic lyricism on top of swelling guitar riffs and drumming. Though the EP is not going to be officially released until some time in June, it has been streaming on Toxicbreed's Funhouse for some weeks, and is certainly worth 10 minutes of your time.

Stream the EP!

Album Review: Kubrick's Cube - Odissey

noreply@blogger.com (Jonny Hunter) — Sun, 27 May 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Album Rating: A

Racking up 22 tracks and - if you enjoy your music in FLAC - over 900mb of disk space, the decision to title this release with such a grandiose name as Odissey comes as no surprise (bar the deliberate spelling mistake to avoid the rather inevitable search-engine clash with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: a Space Odyssey). Kubrick’s Cube is a project born from one shared idea of 10 Moscow-based musicians: to erase the notion that music is something that can be categorised. For them, music has evolved beyond genres and styles, and with the dawn of electronics beyond even the studio/ live split. In their own words, they strive “to combine incompatible elements and go in search of new sonic territories.” It strikes me as quite ironic that this is now a fairly old-fashioned statement, but what can be heard on Odissey is anything but. For once, it seems, such bold claims are exceeded, as Kubrick’s Cube have crafted something that sounds like nothing to have come before, yet will likely be echoed in thousands to come after.

As a result, it almost seems like a kind of bastardisation for me to dive for genres and comparisons in order to really describe how Odissey really sounds. This is an album that seems very hot on its feet: the tracks will blend discreetly into each other but internally they’re quite schizophrenic. For instance, ambience will slowly tear and bleed with bass until it erupts into a frenzy of low frequency oscillations. Likewise, the frenzied indulgence of “Panic Attack” halts abruptly only to be hurriedly replaced by what can best be described as lounge-jazz. This semi-controlled madness only thinly disguises a very strong sense of continuity, however. You never feel lost in Odyssey, nor is any shift in style too jarring. There is a method to their madness in that they don’t stray too far from where they feel comfortable, namely trip-hop and contemporary bass/dance music. The album itself walks a fairly broad line between relaxed and more uplifting but it’s all tied together, in the nature of the album’s title, with a semi-space-age feel. The sheer length of the record allows plenty of room for the tone to slide between these two different ends of the spectrum, and with multiple peaks Odissey is structured very much like an extended live performance: a satisfying reward for those captivated enough to stay for its duration.

Other genres such as ambient and glitch certainly make an appearance, but beyond that the swirl of styles makes it very difficult to pinpoint any concrete influences they’re drawing from. Even the use of vocal samples changes continuously throughout the album: from clean-cut spurts of soul to more urbanised, electronically caged samples. As a whole, Odissey could really be seen as a melting pot for all the ambition and experimentation of the last five years: a kind of referential time-capsule for anyone in the future wanting to know what the cutting edge of music was really like in mid-2012. Make no mistake, though, while many individual elements may have been glimpsed before they’re compiled in a way previously unheard of. No one before, I think, has had such an affinity for blending electro-acoustics with surprisingly heavy dance music and gotten away with it with quite the same slickness.

As with most things this ambitious there are, sadly, a couple of teething pains. The opener, “I Saw Universes In His Eyes”, as an example, drops the listener in so deep that they run the risk of scaring off half of their potential fanbase. Apart from this, however, Odissey is remarkably cohesive even despite the fact that it’s (a) so long and (b) involves such a large amount of musicians. It ends up as an utterly stark-raving mad dive through every electronic style that’s mattered in the last few years, while tearing strips from jazz, rock and pop along the way. At the same time, it carries all this with a distinctly fresh and unique style the likes of which will only be matched by a handful of releases this year. It’s bloody fantastic.

Track List:
1. I Saw Universe In His Eyes
2. Bright
3. Winter In Zalcburg
4. Overmess
5. You Will Never Be The Same
6. Bronze Skin Yellow Eyes
7. Android Girls Are Really Jealous
8. Deaf
9. Panic Attack
10. Thomas
11. Tune For Galy
12. Rogue Prince
13. Unexpected Journey
14. Sun
15. 100 Queens
16. Moan
17. 2CB
18. Random
19. Missing Buddies
20. I'm From Earth
21. Last Dance
22. 22

Download and stream for FREE from the record label's website
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Artist Of The Day: Hammock

noreply@blogger.com (Mat Fukano) — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:22:00 +0000

About a month back, Muzik Dizcovery writer Sean Milo featured Boards of Canada as the Artist of the Day. If you took a look at the article and checked out the band, then I hope you'll find something you like here: today's featured artist is Hammock, an ambient instrumental band that leans towards post-rock, rather than the experimental electric sounds you might hear from the former.

The music that comes from Hammock's Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson parallels some of Explosions in the Sky's more controlled and relaxed works. Much of what Hammock tries to create is soft, nostalgic and light, as though one is floating through a distant memory of childhood. It's smooth, and incredibly easy to listen to - I found myself finished with an album without really noticing it until the end, but I was so absorbed into the music that I'd felt like I had been listening to it for years, and it was just another play-through. The other thing about Hammock's music is that it's stunningly beautiful, without being overly complicated. There tends to be a fair amount of layering, but the blending of the electronic haze with the reverberating guitar tones creates a cloud of sound that the listener is gently coaxed into, and surrounded by delicate waves of sound for however long they please. It puts you in a wonderful, peaceful place, with space to think and room to breathe. I would absolutely recommend Hammock to anyone, to easily make their day calm, collected, and less stressful.

Featured Album: Raising Your Voice...Trying To Stop An Echo

This is the first album I listened to by Hammock, and I was hooked instantly. "The House Where We Grew Up" just popped up on my Pandora station one day, and I did my research, and found the rest of their discography. Needless to say, I was finished with it within the day. However, Raising Your Voice...Trying To Stop An Echo just stayed with me, for much longer than anything else released. The album just has so much feeling and passion behind these simple, drifting songs that it really brings more to the ear for me than any of their other records.

You can actually stream all of Hammock's music for free. As much as I'd recommend the music directly from their site, it's only really convenient if you have Spotify downloaded. I prefer their Bandcamp or SoundCloud pages so I can stream it directly from my browser, but it's up to you, dear reader.
Hammock Music
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Interview With The Sun And The Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Casey Whitman) — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:01:00 +0000

The Graduate released one of my favorite albums of 2010, as well as some great b-side EPs in 2011, so when they broke up in July of 2011, I was heartbroken. However, all members but vocalist Corey Warning decided to keep making music as The Sun and The Sea, adding vocalist Chris Rhein to fill that void. Max Sauer took some time to answer some questions from us at MuzikDizcovery, such as how they decided as Chris Rhein to be their vocalist, the basis and themes for the Nightfalls EP, where the band sees The Sun And The Sea in comparison to The Graduate, physical copies, a new music video, and much more which you can read below.

Most of you guys used to be in The Graduate, but when did The Sun And The Sea officially begin?

Actually, probably before The Graduate even ended. Jared, Matt, Tim, and myself just kept on writing music. In December, we released some instrumental tracks just to let people know that we weren’t done writing music and being a band in some form or another. Then in early fall, we added our good friend Chris Rhein to join the group as a vocalist and ever since then we’ve just been working on music. We recorded two months ago and put the EP out right away with him. It’s been pretty well received so far.

Those instrumental demos, were those demos of tracks from Nightfalls EP?

Actually, no, none of them ended up on the EP. We’ll probably work on them some time down the road, but for this newest EP we decided to write all new material. We probably got antsy and wanted to write new music anyways, so that’s what we decided to do.

How did you decide on Chris Rhein to be your vocalist?

Well, we’ve known him for a while and we have really similar music taste, and he’s a great musician and a great singer, but honestly, most importantly, because he’s just an awesome guy. He’s really gelled well with us. He has a great personality, real positive, and he’s awesome to work with. He actually went with The Graduate in one of our last tours and sold merch for us, so that’s how we became closer with him. He was actually in a couple bands in our area, and we used to play shows together, so we’ve known him for quite some time now.

The Nightfalls EP, that’s been out for a week or two now. How’s the fan reaction been?

It’s actually been a lot better than I thought it would be. It’s been almost all positive things. We were kind of initially thinking that we’d get a lot of bad feedback because The Graduate had a lot of loyal fans, so you’d have to expect that people wouldn’t like it not because of what it is, but because it’s not The Graduate, but we actually have gotten a lot of great responses and we feel like we’re just beginning. We’re like slowly starting a new group and we are going to record again but we got a lot of things ahead of us. We’re probably going to make a music video very song in a month or so, and we’re very excited for that.

Give us a little detail on the creation and maybe the themes of the record.

The whole attitude of the record is that we didn’t play by any rules. When we were writing the songs, we weren’t trying to make every song a hit or ever worry about having a big chorus or a normal tradition structure, we wanted more of a very laid back and free flowing album with no rules to it. A lot of the songs aren’t traditionally structured, they aren’t verse-chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it was fun not to have to worry about that for this release, and not really care about it as long as we were happy with it. It really made the process so much fun. There was no stress writing this. It was like, so what? If people hate it, they’re going to hate it, and if they love it, awesome. Let’s just enjoy this. And I had a great time writing this.

Compared to The Graduate, where do you see The Sun and The Sea from a musical perspective? Do you see it as an extension of The Graduate, or something totally different?

It definitely has similarities, because to be honest, it’s four musicians from The Graduate forming a new band. So there are going to be similarities, but with this new group, what we want to do is be able to go off in a different direction and be able to go in a more progressive writing style and not have to worry about sounding one particular way or rules. I’m excited to see where it goes after this. Right now, this first release is really ambient and atmospheric, and we love that sort of thing, so I’m sure we’ll continue incorporating that, but as for our next release will go, I’m not sure. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Is there any plan for a vinyl or other physical copy of the EP?

Yeah, we talked about it. We will definitely have CDs. We don’t have any news on that yet, but in a month or so we’ll know. As for vinyl, we’d love to, but we’ll probably have to discuss that a little bit more. There will definitely be CDs within the next couple months. Why have the hassle of printing CDs, why not just put it online right away and see what people think about it first. Because we didn’t know. We didn’t know if it would get hate or love, but it’s been very well received, so we’ll definitely be printing some CDs.

Have you been in any contact with any labels or do you feel you will be going independent for a while?

We’re definitely going to take our time. People have talked to us, but we’re not going to rush into anything because we just want to take some time to see what we are and find out what we want to do before we rush out and sign, if we sign, we don’t know yet, it’s all up in the air. After being in a full time band for so long, it’s kind of nice having a little break and not having to really worry about all the business things right now. It’s having fun and being serious at the same time. It’s a new outlook for us.

Are there any upcoming tours that you are planning?

We don’t have any tours planned at the moment, but we will be doing a lot of shows in the Midwest this summer. There’s a good chance that we’ll be playing a couple shows on the east coast late summer and early fall, but we don’t have any plans at the moment. We do have some different ideas coming up, and we’ll be revealing some of those in time.

Any other plans that are coming up for the rest of the summer?

In a month from now, we’ll be doing a music video for the song “Can’t Keep Breaking Your Heart”. We’ll be doing a video for that probably in Chicago. We’ll be playing a lot of shows, probably trying out some new things, and we’ll see.

Any final things you have to say?

Check us out on Facebook. Our site is facebook.com/thesunandthesea, and there has the links for the album on iTunes and Bandcamp and all that good stuff, and our twitter is @sunandthesea, and thanks for having us.

I'd like to thank the band again for taking time to answer questions from us here at MuzikDizcovery. The band has already released one great EP this year in Nightfalls, and we're all looking forward to hear what the band has next. As Max said above, you can check out their Facebook and follow them on Twitter, and make sure to stream and purchase the EP on their Bandcamp page.

Artist of the Day: Rabbit Troupe

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Milo) — Sat, 26 May 2012 22:36:00 +0000

I may be running out of fantastic local bands to write about, but I don't think I'll ever run out of things to say about such bands. Rabbit Troupe is a four piece punk outfit from somewhere in northern New Jersey. The band specializes in noisy and incredibly lo-fi catchy punk, citing artists such as Pavement, Beat Happening and Pixies amongst their influences. Just this year, they came out with their third EP, Treasures Are Miniscule, released on the band's own Beta Snake Records.

Over the past two years, Rabbit Troupe have released two EP's, two singles and a full length album, Cauldron Boy and The Nemesis, all of which contain some of the catchiest punk music I've ever heard. Rabbit Troupe is a great listen for any fan of DIY, lo-fi and overall gritty homemade rock.

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Artist Of The Day: The Neat

noreply@blogger.com (Ali Welford) — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:12:00 +0000

In my experience, the best thing that a support band can hope for is to make an impression on its audience, even if it's not an overwhelmingly positive one. Obviously being good helps, but even if a band is utterly dreadful the likelihood is that their name will stick around due to such provocation - which surely beats turning up, playing and being forgotten in an instant. The Neat clearly understand this, and as such seemingly approach every one of their opening slots with the sole aim of leaving a dent. The first time I saw them, back in 2010, I honestly didn't know what to make of it all. Whilst waiting for my beloved Frightened Rabbit, I was confronted by a quartet of oddballs from Hull, hellbent on making an unintelligible repetitious racket which could hardly have been further removed from the night's headliners. Did I love it? Did I hate it? I really had no idea. All I knew was that I found it hilarious.

It was nearly two years until I had my next encounter with The Neat. I'd had no trouble remembering the name, so when I discovered they were supporting Frankie & The Heartstrings I approached their performance with light-hearted enthusiasm, expecting another perversely comedic plunder. I wasn't to be disappointed, but as well as the anticipated amusement, I left having witnessed a truly engaging and memorable performance from a band I now realise carry more than their fair share of substance. I'm now completely obsessed with The Neat, and can't wait to catch them for a third, fourth and fifth time.

Anyway, now that you've heard my romantic story, I'm sure you'll be curious as to what they sound like. Recalling legends such as The Fall and Public Image Ltd, their music is a throwback to post-punk's late 70's/early 80's golden age and is both obvious and totally unashamed in its influences. Amidst a backdrop of frantic drums and choppy guitars, frontman Merrick 'Mez' Green represents their trump card. Sporadic and spastic in nature, his vocals provide the entertainment value that's so integral to the band's appeal, and add an unpredictable and novel edge which sets them well apart from hosts of other revivalists. It's a formula best sampled on past single 'In Youth Is Pleasure,' though in truth every song they've unveiled thus far in their brief existence has been a winner. I for one look forward to their next move...

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Album Review: State Lines - State Lines EP

noreply@blogger.com (Perry Maltese) — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:11:00 +0000

Album Rating: B+

Over the past few years I have acquired a somewhat bleak outlook when it comes to new music. I have grown to never expect anything out of my favorite artists, because often times, I fear that the music they have already put out will simply never be topped. Without hoping for a band to improve upon a release that is already “perfect” in my mind, then will be no reason to be bitterly disappointed if the newer work does not meet my overinflated expectations. New York’s State Lines, for example, released the shockingly mature Hoffman Manor last year, which made it hard to imagine how such a unique debut could be topped. Upon hearing word of the band’s signing to Tiny Engines and their plans for an upcoming self-titled EP, I proceeded warily, trying to ignore the ever-building hype train inside my head. The new EP, however, makes it apparent that State Lines have no intentions of slowing down, and certainly will not be shackled by the success of their full length. Though the EP is not quite the event that the cohesive Hoffman Manor was, the four new tracks carry just as much replay value and emotion as anything off the full length, giving plenty of reasons to be excited for State Lines’ future.

Sporting a rougher production and raspier vocal approach, State Lines start off the EP on an upbeat note with “5s on the Elephant,” which highlights Jonathan Dimitri and Tom Werring’s dual vocal approach. The track’s guitar work is noticeably more complex than on the band’s previous work, with bending lead lines reminiscent of the 90s emo sound popularized by bands such as Jawbreaker and contemporary acts like the UK’s Basement. “Plenty of Time” continues the trend and is the band’s edgiest offering yet, featuring a section with a fast punk beat and an overall sound much like early Saves the Day, chugging guitar riffs and mentions of “streetlights and stop signs” included. In contrast to the rest of the 7”, however, the second track takes on a somewhat somber tone and widens the EP’s range of emotion despite the omission of acoustic tracks like “Garvey” and “House” that were present on Hoffman Manor.

The ever-singable “Win Free” wraps up the EP at just over 11 minutes, but chances are the listener will be eager to start over from track one (again and again). Clever lines such as, “I’m cracking up, somewhere, someday, there’s a room with padded walls calling my name,” are a reminder of the band’s originality, and would keep anyone coming back for more. Overall, State Lines’ EP is a fun, easy listen that draws influences from many different genres and manages to carry a lot of meaning from song to song. The four tracks could possibly benefit from a clearer production, but they are not necessarily stifled by the rougher sound on the 7”. For a wholly enjoyable indie and emo influenced pop punk EP, look no further and expect to see State Lines’ name mentioned more and more often as the year progresses; this band is on to something big and by the looks of it, they know exactly what.

Pre-order the new record HERE (instant digital download!)
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Track Listing:
1. 5s on the Elephant
2. Plenty of Time
3. Cave In
4. Win Free

Album Review: The Walkmen - Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Ali Welford) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:12:00 +0000

Album Rating: A

When we speak of bands operating within a comfort zone, we usually do so whilst implying negative connotations. The Walkmen, however, have on the whole been exempt from such rulings, and it must be said with good reason. The New Yorkers settled into a sweet spot pretty swiftly following their formation in 2000, and have since made only subtle amendments to a formula that's become both familiar and distinctive. Sticking to what they know has hardly been a hindrance though, and has earned them a reputation among the most consistently excellent bands that indie-rock has to offer. Indeed the only real criticism which could be levelled at them is that they've never managed to deliver a truly great record; the type that moves a band up a level and immortalises them at the expense of countless contemporaries. Commendable though their catalog is, The Walkmen have long seemed destined to be American indie's nearly men - always a pleasure, but never quite capable of pulling alongside The Nationals and Arcade Fires of this world.

Given that this pattern has transpired for each of its six predecessors, the assumption was that Heaven would diligently follow suite and bring about more of the same. Right from its opening bars however, it's clear that this isn't your average Walkmen record, with the subsequent 47 minutes emphatically confirming that they've broken the mould. As expected, it doesn't present any radical shifts in terms of the band's sound, but what it does so is take virtually everything they've achieved thus far and fine tune it to optimum level. You'd refrain from calling it a coming of age, as their music has always carried a distinct air of maturity. Instead, it's a record more akin to R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People in that it represents everything finally falling into place, and remarkably isn't too far removed from that landmark in terms of quality.

While they've had their moments of musical muscularity, one of The Walkmen's main strengths has always been their masterful command of subtlety, and that's something that Heaven exercises to perfection. There are no immediately recognisable standouts here, merely a sublime and meticulously assembled collection of slow-burners capable of stirring the types of emotions reserved for only the most wondrous of writers. They convey a type of magnificent underlying beauty reminiscent of The Velvet Underground's self-titled, with that sense being upheld even during the more uptempo moments. The instrumental caste channels that sentiment with a fantastically disciplined showing, but perhaps inevitably it's Hamilton Leithauser who steals the limelight. It's not just the fact that his voice is placed higher in the mix - he also appears to have adapted his style to incorporate a wider range of vocal approaches. This has done nothing to diminish its affinity to the grandiose, but does result in a noticeably more varied performance which does nothing but compliment his gravelly drawl. Lyrically too this record marks his greatest achievement yet, sticking to the usual emotionally affecting themes but doing so with more potency than ever, again helped no end by the stellar mixing job.

We could run through individual tracks, but that would no doubt lead to an excitable dissection of just how amazing each and every one one of them is, and no one wants that. Anyway, you've surely got the gist by now - that being that The Walkmen have finally hit the jackpot, and hit it hard at that. After a decade of really-good-but-not-quite-classic albums, it seemed that they would never fully embrace their potential, and would be consigned the status of also-rans. For those who held such beliefs, Heaven will come as both a surprise and a joy, and should mark the point at which they draw level with the frontrunners and icons of the alternative landscape.

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Tracklist

1. We Can’t Be Beat
2. Love Is Luck
3. Heartbreaker
4. The Witch
5. Southern Heart
6. Line By Line
7. Song For Leigh
8. Nightingales
9. Jerry Jr.’s Tune
10. The Love You Love
11. Heaven
12. No One Ever Sleeps
13. Dreamboat

Artist of the Day: Brutal Youth

noreply@blogger.com (Perry Maltese) — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:17:00 +0000

Brutal Youth seem to have a knack for implementing just the right amount of wackiness in their music without going overboard. The punk four-piece from Ontario, Canada undoubtedly nod at catchy 90s hardcore acts like Kid Dynamite and emphasize brevity in their catchy, energetic tunes that shamelessly make use of sometimes juvenile, self-depreciative lyrics and “whoa-ohs.” Their 2010 full length, Spill Your Guts, is an outrageous 15-minute ride in which vocalist Patty O’Latern spares no time in delivering his often hilarious messages over frantic drumming and a brazen, power chord-ridden approach. Take “Artful,” for example, Patty’s 45-second declaration of love that takes a turn for the ridiculous when he reveals the song’s subject: his dog. These moments of wit and satire are laced throughout Brutal Youth’s music and only add to the sheer enjoyment provided by the upbeat punk instrumentation, creating what one might expect to hear from a musically-inclined baby produced by The Ergs and Shook Ones.

With that being said, Brutal Youth’s new split with their Canadian brethren in Tightrope features a much more serious lyrical approach that manages not to detract from the band’s “fun” factor whatsoever. Few bands can come up with lines such as, “Righteous indignation amounts to thinly veiled contempt,” and even fewer can make it fit within the context of a one-minute punk song, but Brutal Youth accomplish both in a naturally catchy fashion on "Heart and Soul." Fleshed out vocabulary and improved songwriting on the split make it clear that Brutal Youth have no intentions of slowing down, and with a recent post by the band revealing the completion of 16 new songs, one can only hope the progression will continue on this next release.

Check out Brutal Youth's various Internet headquarters HERE

Listen to the Tightrope/Brutal Youth Split HERE

Album Review: Admiral Fallow - Tree Bursts In Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Ali Welford) — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:38:00 +0000

Album Rating: B+

They may be a relatively unknown quantity in most quarters, but in their native Scotland, Admiral Fallow have amassed a significant cult following. They are in fact regarded by many as key players in the nation's flourishing folk scene, and some have even raised the possibility that they could eventually break out and connect with an altogether wider audience. Debut album Boots Met My Face showcased a band comfortably excelling in both acoustic and electric styles, and although by no means perfect it was capable of hitting truly marvellous heights when it kicked into gear. Given the necessary attention, there can be little doubt that its impact would have transcended elsewhere, and that's something they've quite clearly aimed to achieve second time around.

Early signs suggest that they may be successful, an outcome which would be just reward given how far Tree Bursts In Snow has broadened their scope. Commitment to diversity was one of their debut's defining strengths, but they've taken that notion to whole new levels here, with a varied set of amped-up folk anthems sitting alongside the gentler but no less ambitious remnants of their early days. It's a progression which tells of an appetite beyond satisfying their existing following, and for the most part the fruits of that strategy resonate strikingly well.

Albums of such an extroverted stance are often accused of lacking heart, but that's a criticism that could never be hurled at Admiral Fallow and their creative mastermind Louis Abbott. The Glaswegian has always taken an introspective approach to songwriting, drawing from his own experiences to fuel his emotionally charged compositions. His writing may have taken a notably more accessible swing, but that's still very much the case here. 'The Way You Were Raised' - an inspiring account of how alcoholism can adversely affect otherwise good-natured individuals - is the most obvious example, but there are plenty of other cases whereby his observations exist at the forefront. 'Brother,' for instance was written for his siblings during an especially troubling period of their own lives, while 'Burn' deals with themes of regret and Frightened Rabbit-esque single 'The Paper Trench' touches on Abbott's awareness of the current economic catastrophe. Elsewhere, 'The Way You Were Raised' is his blatant and completely unashamed attempt to pen a Bruce Springsteen song. Scots singing Americana? It's an evolutionary mismatch for sure, but one which nevertheless yields fabulous results.

Curiously, it's when they stick to what they know that the record tends to be at its weakest and least interesting, but that is ultimately something which reflects well on the shifts that they've undergone. Tree Bursts In Snow is the sound of a band still very much in touch with their roots, but also striving towards goals beyond what they - and many bands of their ilk have achieved before. There are one or two stumbles, but by and large the risks they've taken have been well judged, and they could quite feasibly be sugarcoated by subsequent success.

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Tracklist

1. Tree Bursts
2. The Paper Trench
3. Guest Of The Government
4. Beetle In The Box
5. Old Fools
6. Isn't This World Enough??
7. Brother
8. The Way You Were Raised
9. Burn
10. Oh, Oscar

Eli's Super Indulgent Anniversary List Extravaganza--Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Eli Kleman) — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:37:00 +0000

This month marks the one year anniversary of me joining this most revered site. I've shared plenty of music I genuinely love, and I have found some great things along the way. However, I would like to share with you, lovely readers, the albums that have changed me the most as a music lover, rather than a music critic. I'll spread it out a bit to give the due attention to each album, with five separate days of music goodness.

Let part III commence:

15. Circle Takes the Square-As the Roots Undo

It was a long time coming with this one, second to only one album (which will make its appearance later on.) What I mean is, As the Roots Undo took a stunning amount of time to hit me. Before it clicked, it felt like the messiest, most chaotic noise I had ever heard. And one would not be blamed for thinking this initially. However, in digging deeper, one sees the genius behind everything from the beautifully composed instrumentals, to the incredible lyrics. Its biggest contribution, though, is its huge effect on what artists are willing to do within the emotional hardcore genre. A shinning example of the virtues of experimentation.

14. Stars of the Lid - Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline

Stars of the Lid and Their Refinement of the Decline is musical bliss incarnate, packed conveniently into two glorious discs. The album is a slow and deliberate masterpiece that happens to be simply massive. Although only a mere five years old, it is considered one of ambient's finest. And it's easy to see why. This is just as beautiful and expressive as the most bold and bombastic records out their, but it speaks in a much more minimal way. It is sparse yet effective, and who could ask for anything more?

13. Yndi Halda - Enjoy Eternal Bliss

While my heart does belong to Mono and Sigur Ros, Yndi Halda has managed to make one of my outright favorite post-rock albums of all time. A game changer? No not really, but within these beautifully composed pieces lies the genre's most perfectly expressed statement. Enjoy Eternal Bliss is post-rock with the fat trimmed, and in its place, some of the most complex and captivating music the genre has ever seen.

12. Rachel's - The Sea and the Bells

Let's just say that my thoughts on Rachel's could nearly be penned out to a novel's length. A chamber music group, Rachel's emulates some of the most impressive minimalist composers of our time. The Sea and the Bells is the band's most fully realized outting to date. Mixing the beautiful and near perfect neo-classical of Music for Egon Schiele with the dark and mysterious experimentation the band has since implemented with every release, the album was a glowing success. The introduction still gets me every time, even years after I've first heard it. If that isn't the mark of a classic, then I'm not sure what is.

11. A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms

A Perfect Circle's Mer de Noms is the first album I can ever remember declaring my "favorite album of all time." And while a few albums have shared that sentiment, this was the first. It marked an important step in my now lovingly obsessive music fandom. Sure my appreciation of it has waned, but it still gets a nostalgic spin from me every so often, and I love still to this day.

Artist of the Day: Rachel's

noreply@blogger.com (Eli Kleman) — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:41:00 +0000

There is the under-appreciated and the underrated, and then there is Rachel's. Rachel's is an instrumental band from Kentucky, and has been around for more than 20 years. Since the band's inception, it has released five full lengths a split and an EP. More mesmerizing is not the number of albums, but what is contained within.

Rachel's are not your average instrumental band. There is beauty and melancholy, and just about every emotion in between, sure, but there is so much more that the band brings to the table. Rachel's imbues a sense of experimentation to its music; a dark yet wonderful sound all its own. Handwriting and Music for Egon Schiele--the band's earliest material--existed as extremely well composed neo-classical outings. Both utilized strings and piano and guitar to make a lush and vibrant sound. Later releases were decidedly different, although the difference were very subtle. Rachel's began tinkering with atmosphere and dark sounds. This is where the experimentation came in, and despite some mixed results, the new direction is what makes the band so legendary. One cannot hear The Sea and Bells from any other band, because no other band could pull it off quite so perfectly as Rachel's.

It's been seven years since the band's last proper release, and nine since the last full album. Since then, no other band has quite made music like them, and I fashion to guess that no one ever will.

Artist Of The Day: The Return Fight

noreply@blogger.com (Casey Whitman) — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:49:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me and follows the site knows that I'm an enormous fan of You, Me, And Everyone We Know as well as the members' post-break-up projects. While guitarist Augustine Rampolla and drummer Kyle Gibson went to The Little Indians, multi-instrumentalist (including keys, guitar, and mandolin) Rico Vigil and trumpeter John Farrell went their own way with The Return Fight. The band follows along the same path as The Little Indians, not diverging too much from You, Me, And Everyone We Know's sound, but focusing more on only two people's strengths and tastes rather than six. The Return Fight definitely has a beachier and sunnier feel than the other two projects, which is very strongly expressed on opener "I'm A Selfish Asshole." Hellogoodbye's ringleader Forrest Kline puts his mark on the music on the boards by giving the music a warm mix while Rico and Farrell show how important they were to the success of You, Me, And Everyone We Know. The instrumentals are tight and varied, as everything from the bouncy bass, to the twinkling bells, to the powerful trumpets all bring an important layer to the song. The rest of the songs on the band's debut self-titled EP are just as great, so you should absolutely listen to it on the band's Bandcamp page, which you can find right here.

Album Review: The Tower And The Fool - How Long

noreply@blogger.com (Ali Welford) — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:14:00 +0000

Album Rating: B-

Before we delve into details, lets make one thing absolutely clear - The Tower And The Fool have a hell of a lot going for them. A patently capable instrumental caste, a superior sentimental knack, a pair of excellent vocalists who double over as a fine songwriting partnership; these are assets that most can only fantasise of, and initially, at least, the Providence sextet seemed to be putting them to good use. Commencing their career with a pair of immensely accomplished EP's, they bore all the hallmarks of a band arriving fully formed, exhibiting a maturity in both conception and execution far beyond what you'd expect even from an established Americana outfit. A full-length would of course present a whole new set of challenges, but early signs suggested they'd have little trouble sustaining such excellence.

It comes as something of a surprise then that How Long not only falls short of those standards, but does so by a considerable distance. It's not a bad record - indeed at times it's very, very good - but its stumbles, and specifically their manner are a source of disappointment throughout. For all of the bands obvious gifts, they have an unfortunate tendency to bog themselves down with a gross and completely unnecessary over-reliance on cliche, a feature which all too often smears stains on otherwise adequate songs. Refrains such as "let's run away tonight/we ain't got nothing left to lose/let's run away tonight/we ain't got nothing to do" ('Broken') for instance sound tired at the best of times and utterly cringe-worthy at the worst. What's worse is that they prove on other numbers that they're well capable of communicating their messages in a more articulate fashion, something which only adds to the sense of frustration.

It's unfortunate, because when they don't resort to such lazy touchstones, The Tower And The Fool leave you in do doubt as to what they're capable of. Most of their strengths revolve around Alex Correia and Chris Rosenquest, who collectively form the band's creative engine and provide consistently impressive vocal performances - even if their words can be a little dubious. Correia's voice has a driving urgency to it which works wonders in carrying some of the more up-tempo songs, while Rosenquest's has a more velvety texture and is better suited to more introspective moments. The pair are equally capable of shining individually and when joining forces, but it's their songwriting prowess rather than their talent behind the mic which makes the biggest impression.

That might sound odd given the exposed faults in their craft, but the fact remains that when they hit gold the results are pure Americana perfection. The two leading examples are 'Die Alone' and 'My Heart Is Dead In NYC,' two tracks which previously made up the XIII EP and which best display their apt command of cascading emotions. The former deals in the types of life-affirming sensibilities so often exercised by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Wilco, while the latter is this time given the full band treatment yet loses none of its original wistful splendour.

Those are by no means the only highlights. Opener 'Dive Bar' sets a high bar and adds a distinct pop-punk tinge to their sound, while the vocal trade-offs in 'Fade Away' bring an element of freshness amid a run of songs which are otherwise fairly rigid. Moments of inspiration such as these were commonplace on those earlier releases, but although they are in evidence here, they're largely distilled by the lesser wrought numbers with which they are grouped. The fact that they spoil an otherwise fine debut is frustrating in itself, but even more so is the fact that their faults are completely avoidable, and could easily have been offset had the band committed more time and care to their creation. Should they right those wrongs second time around, The Tower And The Fool have all the tools required to make an impact, but in the case of How Long it's difficult to avoid the feeling that they've fallen short.

You can stream and purchase How Long here.
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Tracklist

1. Dive Bar
2. Scoliosis
3. Broken
4. Fade Away
5. How Long
6. My Heart Is Dead In NYC
7. Valentine's Day
8. Breach
9. Die Alone
10. Who Does She Think She Is?

Album Review: M. Ward: A Wasteland Companion

noreply@blogger.com (Blair James Chopin) — Mon, 21 May 2012 05:18:00 +0000

Album Rating: A-

I used to spend a lot of time wondering why M. Ward was not one of the biggest artists in the world or even in his genre: he makes music that is not only sounds beautiful but is so well crafted that it actually makes you feel like you are living in another time period, he is one of the best storytellers in modern music, and at least a fifth of his recently released songs feature “America’s Sweetheart” Zooey Deschanel. M. Ward is an artist who makes music that can move you at a million miles per second yet stop you in the middle of your most intimate thought, it is music that is transcendental and time traveling yet somewhat still relevant, it is music that tells us stories yet allows us to create our own stories to the same music, and he has music for every occasion not only in our life but for the life of anyone who came before us. You would think that a musician who makes music so transcendental and timeless would be one of the biggest artists in the world, but if I walked down the street right now and asked people what “M. Ward” was, they would probably think I was describing one of my 13 medical conditions. Why do more people not know of the majestic music of Matthew Ward?

The simple “copping out” answer was always that people were to interested in moving forward to even consider something that sounded remotely like a distant past. People wanted the Lil Jon and not the “little” references to famous authors throughout M. Ward’s lyrics, people wanted auto tune but not wanted to “tune” out to one of M. Ward’s slow moving storytelling songs, and people wanted dub step not music that made them want to step to the Charleston. The “cop out” answer was that M. Ward was as outdated as the flip phone, second amendment and Afro combined. But as someone who has general faith in people, I just could not accept this. I, for some reason, have blind faith that people will not just ignore something because it reminds them of the past.   I just had to find another reason.

And then as I was quietly studying for my Music Appreciation test it occurred to me that people hated M. Ward because he was more of a scholar than an actual musician. As I read about the Medieval, Classical, Baroque, Impressionistic and Modern Eras of music I realized that listening to M. Ward for most people was more educational than it was enjoyable. M. Ward for most people was more of a textbook on how to make music than he was an actual voice on a track on an album, he was more of an exasperation than an actual emotional connection, and he was always more of a history lesson than an actual human being. Even though M. Ward’s albums may have been “near classic” in terms of quality, to the casual listeners they were just an essay with a really bad premise: M. Ward was making transcendental escape music that only brought us to the places we hated the most. Ward’s goal in music had always been to mix all of the classical genres and sounds and make them sound modern, when his goal should have always been to mix all of the modern sounds and make them sound classical. If he did this his music would become a cinematic tribute to all of the historically great music instead of being a trivial and outdated textbook that no one wants to listen to in the 21st century.

I was expecting A Wasteland Companion to be more of the same: for it to be more educational to be emotional, for it to be more precise and pretentious than free flowing and fantastic, for it to be so crafted and produced that it could never be anything close to being vulnerable, and that it would be more of a history lesson than an actual important record historical. But when you listen to the last verse of “Clean Slate” you realized that M. Ward is finally fulfilling his musical destiny: the lyrics finally show some sort of “average guy” weakness, the guitar riff and the overall feel of the song makes us feel like the 1960′s are traveling to us instead of us traveling to the 1960′s, and the song ends with a peaceful silence that loudly assures us that something important is on the horizon.   A Wasteland Companion is Matthew Ward turning his music from something as grueling as the reading of a textbook to something as pleasurable and peaceful as balancing talent and knowledge with whatever is best for the individual listener.

Another thing that is fascinating about A Wasteland Companion is that while it is Ward’s most accessible album, it is really just a condescended and crafty combination of all the best moments from his best previous albums The album is an awesome combination of the dark “railroad” soul folk of Transistor Radio, the distorted rocking nature of Transfiguration of Vincent, the storytelling and romanticism of Post-War, and the country elements of Hold Time.  A Wasteland Companion is basically a modernized “greatest hits” filled with new songs: “Clean Slate” is an even more open and gorgeous version of “Poison Oak”, “Primitive Girl” sounds like a sped up version of “Rave On”, “Me and My Shadow” is a more down to earth and less cliche version of “Sad, Sad Song”, “Sweetheart” is a more memorable version of “Never Had Nobody Like You”, “I Get Ideas” is a more upbeat “Chinese Translation”, “The First Time I Ran Away” is a slower, smoother, and more powerful version of “Helicopter”, “A Wasteland Companion” sounds like a meaningful version of “Jailbird”, “Watch The Show” is a darker and more aggressive version of “Deep Dark Well”, “Crawl After You” is a more meaningful “Oh, Lonesome Me”, “Wild Goose” is a more “campfirey” version of “Afterword/Rag”, and “Pure Joy” is “Epistemology” with a soul. Instead of serving as a unreadable textbook and take on the history of music, A Wasteland Companion is a open and modernized combination of all of M. Ward’s previous success. Instead of being one man’s forced take on the history of music, it is M. Ward’s take on the history of M. Ward. And that is what makes A Wasteland Companion such a relieving, beautiful, and rewarding experience.

M. Ward might not become one of the biggest artists in the world in the months and year following the release of A Wasteland Companion, but it is important to note that he has finally created a record that is vulnerable, free and modern enough to be considered by the mainstream. Instead of being a textbook that forces every facet of the past on you, A Wasteland Companion is a record that let’s you take time with you: it is a 2012 dinner by the lake with Henry David Thoreau, it is a night out on the town with Ernest Hemingway, and it is a record that can take any place you want to you just by listening. M. Ward has finally created a record that was more Midnight In Paris than a 45 minute documentary on the history channel. Because of this he has not only created a brilliant and accessible record, but he has done something much more important: realized his potential. I wish I could say the sky was the limit for M. Ward, but that might not do A Wasteland Companion or his musical future justice. Because M. Ward might just end up making music that can bring the sky down to us.

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Tracklist:
1. Clean Slate (For Alex & El Goodo)
2. Primitive Girl
3. Me & My Shadow (Featuring Zooey Deschanel)
4. Sweetheart (Featuring Zooey Deschanel)
5. I Get Ideas
6. The First Time I Ran Away
7. A Wasteland Companion
8. Watch the Show
9. There's a Key
10. Crawl After You
11. Wild Goose
12. Pure Joy

Artist of the Day: Scrimshire

noreply@blogger.com (Jonny Hunter) — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:18:00 +0000

Ever since the internet became a necessity instead of a luxury, the idea of releasing a single has become something of an oddity. We're told that 95% of homes have a file-sharer under the roof, so the singles charts have become redundant: how do you know if a release has been successful if next to no one between the ages of 12 and 50 buys music any more? For the same reason, there is no longer a necessity for releases to be cheaper in order for people to buy them; if anything sales numbers have been replaced by YouTube view counts and Twitter hash-tags. So imagine my surprise when, just yesterday on another miserable English Saturday afternoon, I stuck my hand into the great torrent of music pouring out of the internet only to emerge with a single that would introduce me to one of the most interesting indie musicians to be working today.

I digress, to label Scrimshire as indie would be to ignore the well-seasoned melting pot of his styles. Folk plays hand-in-hand with RnB, in the background jazz battles it out with funk, and rhythms shift between morose and infectiously danceable. The single I picked up, "Everything You Say", mixes these styles to produce a very catchy, almost tribal strain of contemplative funk. It's a blend hostile to any definition, and to think that all this multi-instrumental madness comes from one man is humbling. The guest vocals, provided by one Heidi Vogel, match this ambitious fusion by juxtaposing the styles of reggae and soul, resulting in an extraordinarily memorable performance.

The Hollow, the full-LP on which "Everything You Say" originally made its appearance, was released late last year and brings together an even more ambitious range of styles into the mix. The most pleasantly surprising of which, for me at least, were the footprints of hip-hop and electronic, which both make a strong appearance in "Alignment". For an LP of this quality to be released last year and be largely ignored, one can't help but feel a little bit embarrassed. However, with the wonderful benefit of hindsight, I kindly ask you to take a brief trip back to November 2011 and pretend that we all weren't too busy pre-emptively compiling end of year lists to catch one of the best releases of that year.

Everything You Say, along with The Hollow and many other releases, can be streamed from bandcamp.

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Artist of the Day: Titus Andronicus

noreply@blogger.com (Eric S.) — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:13:00 +0000

At this point in modern punk rock's brief history, what's really left to be said about Patrick Stickles and his support from New Jersey's Titus Andronicus? Surely, plenty of sharp-tongued critics have long since had their go at properly articulating just what makes the weathered Americana foursome so alarmingly appealing, but another nail in the coffin can truly do no harm. What Titus Andronicus have unfailingly injected into each and every track of their two LP's to date is more than just bitter angst, uncouth musicianship and an aptness for significant literature of the past several centuries - it's the haunting relevance of coming up short, again and again and again, and fighting an interminable losing battle in the homeland of the not-so free; the turf of the questionably brave. 2008 offering The Airing of Grievances chugs onward and inward with battle hymns of an innocence lost, drowning beneath the sonic weight of John C. Everyman's insurmountable existential crisis. 2011-dominating The Monitor likewise plays itself headlong into the cracked dry earth, repeatedly ascending from its ashes only to gloriously burn up again, finally culminating in a 14-minute closer capable of shaking the earth between the mighty Bruce Springsteen's own feet. Now, with plans for LP number three to be released later this year, Stickles and co. have carved out some mighty big footprints for themselves to fill. Yet regardless of outcome or critical response, Titus Andronicus and their fans know that the fight is not up until the dog is in the dirt, a hopeful sign that the ardent song-crafting of these Jersey natives will live on until "us" and "them" become We.

Listen to Titus Andronicus, you teat-suckling pansy-ass.

Album Review: Radare - Hyrule

noreply@blogger.com (Eli Kleman) — Sat, 19 May 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Album Rating: B

Back in 2010 a little album called The Infinite Regress graced my ears and changed my thoughts on post-metal as a whole. It was not the "chugg into infinity" record I'd become so accustomed to. Instead, the album was a very deep experience, full of fresh ideas and beautiful sounds that meshed into an incredibly absorbing album. Needless to say, I was an immediate fan. Here we are almost two years later, and Radare has slipped another record right from underneath me.

Hyrule is the band's sophomore release, and a peculiar one at that. The album is comprised of two mere songs, each with a respectable length of about 12 minutes. What worked in The Infinite Regress works here as well, which of course is a wonderful thing. The atmospheres present are truly something to behold, as Radare knows how to give its songs that special something. Yet this time around, things are a bit more mellow. Metal--a sound embraced earlier in the band's career--is scarcely found save for a few moments. This is an album much more into "straight-up" post-rock territory, and despite any reservations one may have with this, it actually fits the band well.

The two songs compliment each other exceedingly well. Both are extended tracks that feature some of the band's most experimental music to date. They are slow moving, deliberate and weird pieces that head unblinkingly forward into some fantastic climaxes. This time around, there is a decent bit of drone influence, which makes the crawl towards the ending very different, but also very interesting. This may all sound trite, but Radare makes some great stylistic decisions that makes each song very unique and intriguing.

Hyrule isn't the game changer one may hope, especially after Radare's fantastic debut, but it is still a wonderfull record none the less.

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1. Filth
2. Zur stillen Vernunft

Artist Of The Day: The Composure

noreply@blogger.com (Casey Whitman) — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:31:00 +0000

Every year there are a couple of little pop rock EPs that I just can't stop listening to. Last year had Coyote Theory, Select Start and Farewell Fighter, all of which continue to pop up on my playlists. This year's early candidate for the title of "extremely catchy pop rock EP that has a easy song of the year candidate," is The Composure's Stay The Course. As part of Punchline's record label (and actually containing ex-Punchline member Paul Menotiades) and opening for Bruce Springsteen, The Composure has been on my radar for quite some time, but Stay The Course is the first time that they've legitimately blown me away. Upbeat opener "Stay Away From Me" is a powerful opener and a perfect introduction to anyone unfamiliar with the band, and "Satan" is perhaps the catchiest damn song of the year (other than "Somebody That I Used To Know," but that's just unfair to compare any song to that, and besides it officially came out last year). Handclaps, bells, brass instruments, strings and stunning guest vocals from Bright & Early's John Browne just add to the pop perfection of "Satan." The other four songs on the EP are just icing on the cake of Stay The Course, assuring it a place in the best that pop rock has to offer in 2012. You can follow the band's updates on Facebook, and download "Stay Away From Me" for free on their Bandcamp page here.

Album Review and Interview: Light Black - Ex Wives

noreply@blogger.com (Perry Maltese) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:34:00 +0000

Album Rating: A

Light Black’s two-person studio repertoire with Paul Hundeby handling bass, drums and vocal duties, and Walter Kappler on guitar, has proven to be an effective framework for the Boulder, Colo. emo rockers. Desperately screamed vocals, poetic, profound lyricism and fluctuating rhythms synthesize as one on Ex Wives, yielding impressive results that most four or five-piece groups fail to achieve. Even with such a dense array of instruments and sounds, the album’s guitar work still manages to shine through as its strongest feature. Through incessant, weaving guitar lines interspersed within a powerfully ambiguous post-rock atmosphere, Light Black prove that while many bands can noodle, some simply noodle harder than others. Although each aspect of Ex Wives is executed with poise and precision, the result is an organic, naturally flowing album that plays much more like a unified experience rather than a collection of songs.

At just over 45 minutes long, Ex Wives is not a brief affair. Instrumental tracks and segments feature cyclic, repeating melodies that extend the album’s length and relax its overall pace. Light Black invest just as much time and detail in creating a lyricless void for the listener to delve into as they do constructing dynamic vocal arrangements. The instrumental “Putnam,” and “My Big Gay Greek Wedding,” a track in which vocals intermittently surface, both make use of spacious tremolo and shift the listeners’ attention to the album’s more ambient qualities.

Ex Wives’ seemingly indefinite nature makes it, at times, all too easy to detach from oneself and become hopelessly lost in the vastness of sound. Take “I Smoked Two Blunts with Kurt Travis” (a true story), for example: a slow-burning interlude laced with intricate guitar lines and upper fret-board exploration set to the beat of a persistent yet soothing rhythm played on the ride. Even with the extensive amount of voiceless sections on the album, however, no instrumental venture lasts too long before the return of Hundeby’s shrill and expressive storytelling.

Unlike screamo contemporaries such as Pianos Become the Teeth and The Saddest Landscape whose music is overcome by a prevailing theme of sadness and grief, Light Black take on a more lighthearted approach. Though the band’s lyrics are serious and not always pleasant in nature, the stark contrast between the somewhat dire lyrical content and the melody of the songs beautifully relieves the tension. “Corporate” exhibits this contrast perfectly, with the album’s strongest and most gripping vocal performance. At about halfway through the track, Hundeby hopelessly poses the question, “Why was such a perfect thing made to die, God? Are you really up there, or am I all alone?” before bittersweet guitar chords partially alleviate the emotional strain. In doing so, Light Black create a mood that straddles the line between upbeat and ominous, oscillating at times, while many bands within the genre instead gravitate toward one side of the emotional spectrum.

Ex Wives has a lot going on; ambient instrumental segments and endless guitar fiddling are tied together by an emotionally taut vocal performance, making for a very thick sound that may be somewhat overwhelming to the listener at first. Without a doubt the album sounds good right off the bat, but it may take repeated listens for one to truly comprehend everything that Light Black is doing. Once unmasked, however, Ex Wives becomes a powerful, engaging listen with many discreet features to dissect from the whole. That being said, attempting to truly pick apart such a naturally beautiful album would be doing it an injustice, for sometimes, music is simply meant to be absorbed – not examined.

Get Ex Wives for 50 cents HERE!

Light Black on Facebook

Tracklisting:

1. Ex Wives
2. Golden Santa
3. Todd Packer
4. Putnam
5. Leather Daddy
6. Blunterlude
7. My Big Gay Greek Wedding
8. Clouds
9. Corporate
10. Night Owls (Acoustic)
11. I Smoked Two Blunts With Kurt Travis
12. Golden Santa Returns

I also got a chance to send a few questions to Paul Hundeby and Walter Kappler of Light Black who gave me some further insights on Ex Wives' creation process, and also described the general workings of the band.

How’s it going guys? Would you mind introducing yourselves and stating your roles in the band?

W: My name's Walter and I play guitar for Light Black.

P: My name is Paul and I play drums, bass, and do vocals.

So you guys record as a two-piece in the studio if I’m correct. What is the songwriting process like with only two people in charge?

W: Well Paul and I live in different states. I live in Boulder, Colo. and he lives in Orlando, Fla. [With] every song, I'll record the guitars without knowing what Paul is going to do for drums or vocals, and then I'll send it to him in Florida and he'll record drums, vocals and bass and then mix the guitars. It's pretty cool when he sends the songs back [and] they're all finished because I have no idea where he’s going to take the songs[by] adding vocals and drums.

P: Definitely agree with Waltcat, I love to see how the songs evolve from the time I get the simple GarageBand file to tracking everything on my end then mixing and mastering everything on Logic Pro. The idea for the band kind of formed through this [process]. Theo (Walter’s nickname) recorded some guitars for a song at our good friend Dustin’s house while we were staying in Ohio last summer, I offered to add more instruments and vocals to the song, and the band took off from there. That song ended up being “Night Owls” off of our first album.

Tell me about your full/live band lineup. How does that work out?

W: Right now I've just been practicing with a drummer in Boulder named Dylan
Livingston. He's really solid and he's going to be doing drums for all of our live
shows.

P: I’ll be doing vocals along with some lead stuff on guitar. Theo has been working with some talented dudes for the rest of the band. We’re planning to tour soon.

Alright, so in addition to having an EP out, you guys just released a full length called Ex Wives. Can you cite some of your influences for the album and specifically for some of the lyrics?

W: Well we sort of consider Just Beneath Your Feet to be an album, considering that it clocks in at almost 40 minutes. Influences for Ex Wives were like, Weatherbox, Algernon Cadwallader, This Town Needs Guns, Explosions in the Sky, and anything the Kinsella brothers have made.

P: I listen to a little bit of everything and I’m very crucial on drums; unfortunately I haven’t been a full time drummer in a band yet. My percussion influences would be Daughters, Pianos Become the Teeth, Loma Prieta, The Dillinger Escape Plan, This Town Needs Guns, Lower Definition, Meet Me in St. Louis… I’ll cut myself off there. For the lyrics, I don’t know if I had any particular band to influence me. Ex Wives is more of a concept album lyrically, I tried to write a story. I’m interested to keep trying this method on future albums.

Do you have a favorite track from the album? My personal favorite is “Corporate.”

W: “Todd Packer” or “Corporate.”

P: “Golden Santa” or “Clouds.”

As of now, do you have any plans for a physical release of the album?

W: We're making some limited CD copies that should be available soon.

P: Yes, very soon. I’m trying to finish up making them.

I have to ask, what’s the inspiration behind the track name, “I Smoked Two Blunts with Kurt Travis”? I find it to be an especially ridiculous/hilarious title because the track itself is instrumental.

W: My friend’s band was opening for Dance Gavin Dance in Columbus like 2 weeks
before he got kicked out. Way before the show started I was smoking a cig
outside and Kurt Travis came out and was just talking to my friend and I, and
then we asked if he wanted to burn one, so we just chilled in the back of a pickup
truck in the parking lot and smoked two blunts and he told us a few knee slappers.

P: I was unfortunately not present for this.

What do you guys think about this whole upsurgence of Cap’n Jazz inspired “twinkle daddy” emo bands? Do you associate with the label at all?

W: I guess it’s pretty cool to see more "twinkle daddy" bands, but I’m just worried that too many people are going to start bands like that and [the sound] will become cliché. The Kinsella sound is definitely an influence on us and in some aspects we try to sound like that but at the same time I try to make guitar parts that are completely different from anything that these other bands would do so we can still make an original sound.

P: I agree with Theo, definitely amazing bands. It’s extremely impressive how influential the Kinsella brothers’ music has remained; they are so talented so I guess it’s not a surprise. I wish I listened to all of their music more. We definitely take all the Kinsella references as huge compliments, and that’s fine if we’re associated with them because there’s no shame in that[.] I think we are a bit more abrasive though, and I love that about us, I enjoy being able to scream and write lyrics for our music.

Let’s wrap things up with a generic question: What’s in store, and what do you expect to see in the future for Light Black?

W: Three new songs on a split 12" vinyl with our friends in Things Fall Apart and City
of Ifa, tour, and another full length before 2013.

P: Basically what Theo said; very excited to have two of my bands (the other being City of Ifa) featured on a 12” vinyl split with our amazing friends in Things Fall Apart. [We’re] ready to further improve our sound and our ability as musicians, and the split sounds awesome so far. The full length should be pretty interesting if we got this much buzz from Ex Wives. Thanks for interviewing us and reviewing our album.

Artist of The Day: Armor For Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Blair James Chopin) — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:34:00 +0000

Armor For Sleep's What To Do When You're Dead has to be one of the more underrated albums of the mid 2000's. It was the album every pop-punk and emo artist of this "era" wanted to make: it was a concept album that wasn't cliche, it was a emotional album that wasn't narcissistic or depressing, it was an album filled with 11 catchy songs that never sounded forced or alike, and it was one of the few albums of the era that actually had some staying power.

The first thing that made What To Do When You're Dead such a great album is the concept of the album. The album revolves around a character who just died in what was probably a lethal car crash and is missing out on everything from Earth: he is missing the love of his life ("I didn't care that you left or abandoned me/what hurts most is I would still die for you,) he is realizing that even earth is better than the afterlife ("it rains in heaven all day long") he is so far in the ground that he cannot even hold his head up, and he would die in the afterlife just to hear what his friends are talking about in real life. Some concept albums are about love, some concept albums are about dealing with death, some concept albums are social commentary on society, and other concept albums are just autobiographical. But, the "reverse Truman Show" concept of the album where the main character is just dead and watching the game of life pass by is so original that it is none of these cliche concepts. It is all of them: the desperate chorus of "Car Underwater" is a passionate cry for a lost love and lost life, "The Truth About Heaven" sounds like some weird social commentary on the afterlife and is one of the best songs on the album, "Basement Ghost Singing" is about the main character having to deal with his depression after his death, and "The End of A Fraud" is a great conclusion to the album.

It is amazing that in a genre known for its simplicity, immediacy, and halfheartedness, What To Do When You're Dead was a gold star of musicianship, conceptual themes, staying power, catchiness and creativity. It was a concept album that felt more like a novel, it was a pop-punk album that felt more like a long lasting genre defining experience, and it was a middle finger to a genre that used to be defined on three chords and makeup. The title of the album might have made it sound like an instruction manual on how to handle the awkward and dark after life, but the album in general was an eleven song instruction manual on how to make the ultimate pop punk album.

It is important to mention this because Armor For Sleep are getting back together for one last gig this weekend. They are playing tomorrow night at Asbury Park in New Jersey. Go experience the greatness of this album and this band while you still can.

You can download the band's recently released final song here.

Album Review: Swarms - Low Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Jonny Hunter) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Album Rating: C-

Looking back on the yet limited discography Swarms have to offer, I don’t think it’s possible to say that the direction they take on Low Sun is any surprise. This unlikely trio (with two setting their roots in ambient/post-rock and the other hailing from the foreign land of EDM and Dubstep) seem to have been continuously re-establishing the compromise between their influences: with their incredibly bass-laden, slow-motion take on contemporary dance music steadily giving way the more ambient approach that made them so popular in their full-length, Old Raves End. Low Sun sees them continue down this path: shrugging off the bass and complexity for a more straightforward and muzzled pastiche on urbanised electronic.

Possibly the most controversial decision taken in the creation of this EP is the new preference of lyrics over vocal sampling. Both “Low Sun” and “Forest” settle somewhere between James Blake and Jamie Woon in their robotic imitation of RnB soul. While certainly present, the vocal modification is kept to a minimum: the emphasis shifting how it sounds to what is said. It’s a change that arrives unwelcome, and it has to be said that the results are rather lackluster. The lyrics instantly forgettable, the emotion mere sentiment alone; there is no sign of the lonely, lost and sorrowful tone that seemed to be conjured so effortlessly in Old Raves End. When samples are used instead, notably in “Pandora”, there is an instant improvement both in the vibrancy and flow: begging the question as to why Swarms saw it as necessary to make the jump over to a style that, while more continuous, ended up as monotonous.

The group have not forgot how to compile a track completely, however, as the tone created by the very minimal percussion and sampled piano is reasonably immersive. It does run into the problem of tracks never really seeking to grab your attention with much in the way of variation or dynamic shifts; instead it prefers to just flutter by prettily, though based in the context of giving the lyrics more room to breathe - so to speak - this is an understandable decision. Again, “Pandora” acts as the single string of continuity between Low Sun and Old Raves End by being saturated in bass, possessing a deeper range of sounds and in general being much more pleasant to listen to. Set right next to “The Hinge of the Night Sky” (in a 4-track, 13-minute-long EP it would be hard not to be), the contrast could not be more obvious.

While I can understand that Swarms were bound to go down this road, I think Low Sun makes it apparent that they should start thinking about trying a different one. In passing over the sweet spot found on their recent LP, they’ve abandoned a large part of their appeal and indeed much in the way of individuality entirely. For its merits, Low Sun is not a terrible release: it’s relaxed and easy to listen to. But, were it not for “Pandora,” I feel that this EP would be destined for some lonely, well-deserved few years in whatever’s the internet equivalent of a bargain bin.

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Tracklist
1. Low Sun
2. The Hinge of the Night Sky
3. Pandora
4. Forest

Artist Of The Day: Modest Mouse

noreply@blogger.com (Mat Fukano) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:06:00 +0000

Modest Mouse is of significant importance to the indie rock scene of the Pacific Northwest. Isaac Brock, Eric Judy, and Jeremiah Green helped guide Modest Mouse through its early years, with Isaac Brock's unique vocal style - sometimes screaming, sometimes crooning softly, but always satisfying - leading the way. With early records like This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About and The Lonesome Crowded West, some fans had been garnered around the small indie band. However, it wasn't until The Moon and Antarctica that the band began breaking out into mainstream success. It was their first record with a major record label, and it was well promoted, which is why it really helped them move towards bigger audiences.

In 2006, the lineup started changing for the first time. Johnny Marr, formerly of the Smiths, was tacked onto the roster, as well as Joe Plummer and Tom Peloso. These gentlemen were recruited for the recording of We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank in 2007, an impressive follow-up to the band's 2004 masterpiece, Good News For People Who Love Bad News. They took three years to enjoy the success of Good News, and also to work and evolve musically. We Were Dead didn't disappoint fans, since such care was taken with the record to ensure a second genuine success. The band has since released a B-sides EP titled No One's First and You're Next in 2009, and are in the process of recording a new album, so we'll see from them soon.

Featured Album: The Moon And Antarctica

As I said before, The Moon And Antarctica really helped Modest Mouse achieve their first major successes with audiences that weren't already loyal fans. It's a neat listen, because it's a transitional album between the band's true, underground past, and the well-known, indie rock band many people know Modest Mouse as today. Tracks like "3rd Planet" and "I Came As A Rat" help show of a little more of the former, while just about any Modest Mouse fan of today could rock out and have fun to "A Different City". It's a well-written and enjoyable record, and I think it's a good start for any new listeners out there.

Look out for news on their website, and go ahead and sample their music on MySpace.