Artist Of The Day - Bywater

I think that any time a band can be called unique is something of an accomplishment. More often than not, comparisons can be made between bands, which is never a bad thing so long as there's something that separates one from the other. With Bywater, we have a two-piece band that has crafted a sound that is very familiar, blending atmospheric and post-rock with a fair amount of technicality and experimentation, and put just enough of a spin on it to render comparisons impossible. Sure, at times you can hear a little Circa Survive in the guitars, maybe Moving Mountains, as well, but to say to anyone that they sound like either of those bands would be a complete misrepresentation. Suffice it to say, Bywater is a breath of fresh air in the post-rock community. The instrumentation pulls you in and then crushes you with slowed down, heavy hitting breakdowns, and both vocalist/guitarist Mike Ventimiglia and drummer Bob Wulff give their all on every track.

Album Review: Hubble - Hubble Drums

I've had my eye on Hubble for a number of months, awaiting with bated breath the release of his debut. The little nibbles I've heard impressed, enthralled, and stoked the embers of anticipation. His fascinating use of multiple guitar lines promised greatness,as well as something completely new and unique. Well the time has come, and Hubble has dropped his first full length recording, Hubble Drums.

Hubble Drums is difficult to describe, despite how shockingly simple it really is. The crux of the album is Ben Greenberg's cosmic warping of the guitar. It's part lo-fi, part psychedelia, and part ambient, but 100% guitar. That's the dominating sound here, as it's the album's only musical instrument. Yet it's not what is being heard, but how you hear it. Hubble Drums is mind-bogglingly complex, but at the same time somewhat simple. Greenberg isn't doing much here, but the sonic warpings create a confounding atmosphere.

Album Review: Thrice - Major/Minor

It's almost preposterous how good Thrice continue to be. Really, it's just ludicrous that after eight albums, Thrice are still at the top of their game, churning out record after record, song after song, with the same energy and fervor as when they were younger. Starting with their sophomore effort, The Illusion of Safety, Thrice have gone from a passionate, energetic post-hardcore outfit, to a more thoughtful alt-rock group whose material is both experimental and comfortingly familiar. Regardless of what sound the band employs, the result is almost always incredible. This is also the case with the band's most recent album, Major/Minor,a record which sees the band exploiting everything from their past, whilst making something amazingly fresh and exhilarating.

Album Review: Circle Takes the Square-Decompositions Vol. 1: Chapter 1. Rites of Initiation

You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from longtime fans of Circle Takes the Square. After all, for years it seemed as though the band had disappeared, going the way of so many other groundbreaking emo bands that died before their time. Sure they've been sprinkling bits of information over the years, hinting at a follow-up to their modern classic, As the Roots Undo,but after a seven year dry spell hope for a sophomore effort dwindled. Well the drought has finally ended, as Circle Takes the Square has released their first material in almost a decade.

Hubble - Hubble Drums

"Hubble's Hubble" actually serves as a soundtrack for images and video shot and filmed by the actual NASA Hubble Telescope. Fittingly, Hubble's music is a confounding mixture of spacy guitar and bizarre psychedelia. Entrancing and surprisingly challenging, Hubble makes music unlike anyone else, with his wild time signatures and tempos making the multiple guitar parts sound other worldly.

It can't be helped to think that this is exactly what Hubble intended to do, as such odd and complex music isn't simply stumbled upon. Oddly enough though, despite how calculated it all sounds, it seems so natural and so organic. It's a mish-mash of trance, guitar rock, and psychedelia, but it truly transcends that of a simple genre bending act. Hubble is seriously an artist that one needs to hear to believe.

Luckily, one can hear his mind-boggling guitar based music this November, when Hubble Drums drops on Northern Sky Records.

Circle Takes the Square-Decompositions

Experimental post-hardcore/emo kings Circle Takes the Square have quite a reputation. Odd, considering the band has only released one full-length album in their nearly ten year history. Really, that fact speaks volumes of how much their 2003 effort, As the Roots Undo effected the scene. It was a brash, unrefined, chaotic display youthful exuberance, all wrapped up in a package that seemed to have been created by a band 10 years their senior. Regardless, people still speak of As the Roots Undo with incredible fondness, citing it as one of last decades finest moments.

Seven years those people have been waiting. Circle Takes the Square have been off and on in respect to creating music, with a dry spell that's lasted the better part of a decade. However that spell will end this November, when the band releases their sophomore effort, Decompositions: Volume I. The album will be in a narrative format, detailing several stories as well as including the peaks and valleys of their debut. It's slated to be just as poetic and beautiful, with special attention once more to the lyrical content.

The wait won't be too long, as CTTS will release the album's first chapter, Rites of Initiation as a digital EP on August 23rd.

Album Review: Trophy Scars - Never Born, Never Dead

Let’s get one thing out of the way—Never Born, Never Dead is expectedly excellent, and overall, an EP that displays how truly fantastic Trophy Scars really is when they are “on.” Their latest follows their last year’s rather phenomenal, Darkness, Oh Hell, a dark, grimy EP that delved into the desperation and ugliness of a man living through the darkest moment of his life. Never Born, Never Dead sort of compliments this, as it feels more hopeful and optimistic. Sure, it delves into the themes of death and relationships, but it comes off as much more beautiful, touching on the brighter aspects of said themes. The lyrical content, however, takes a backseat to the musical content, as Trophy Scars are absolutely at the top of their game, making Never Born, Never Dead one of the strongest releases from the band.

Album Review: Helms Alee - Weatherhead

Allow me to profess my undying love for Hydra Head Records. Created in 1993 by then high school student Aaron Turner (of ISIS fame), the independent label is now home to a bevy of well respected acts, all hailing from different ends of the musical spectrum. Cave-In, Kayo Dot, and Jesu—legendary groups in their own right-- all call this label their home. Add another band to list of excellent and established bands, for coming out of left field is Helms Alee, sporting their superbly executed sophomore album, Weatherhead.