Artist of the Day: Fierce Brosnan

Although today’s Artist of the Day has technically been dead in the dirt for some time now, Fierce Brosnan is more than deserving of a minute in the spotlight.  The New Jersey four-piece just released their one and only full length, Good Luck Exploding, comprised of 11 shamelessly catchy punk tunes that were originally recorded nearly two years ago.  Now that the tracks have finally seen the light of day, one cannot help but wonder why the band took so long to finish something so frankly awesome.  Combining hearty, anthemic vocals (a la Iron Chic) with dancey rhythms and emo/math-rock inspired guitar riffs, the final product strives to be unique yet retains the familiarity and appeal of the gruffer side of the pop punk spectrum.  “Joneric,” for example, highlights the album’s best qualities with infectious group vocals and standout guitar playing, but most importantly, the song captures the undeniable essence of “fun” (through the use of celebratory shouting and background chatter) that makes the record so enjoyable.  Though Fierce Brosnan are unfortunately no longer a band, Good Luck Exploding is an excellent testament to the band’s short-lived existence, and captures every ounce of heart and authenticity that went into the record. 

Check out the record here

Album Review: House Boat - 21st Century Breakroom

Album Rating: B+

House Boat’s new album is anything but conventional; 21^st Century Breakroom consists of only two tracks, the first of which is a nine and a half minute, multi-act “piece,” if you will, which is followed by a 30-second album closer that can be only described as standard, catchy House Boat-fare.  Think of the former as an entrée from a questionable restaurant chain whose food never quite looks the way it does on the menu or advertisements – only this is your favorite questionable restaurant chain, and with each meal, you find some strangely enticing reason to come back.  Maybe the suspiciously attractive waitress brushed against your shoulder as she refilled your party’s plastic water cups, or you ran into that kid from high school who you hated, and to your sick satisfaction, he seems to be a hell of a lot worse off than you are.  Whatever the case, you find yourself attending the restaurant more and more frequently for their Friday $9.95 three-course dinner special, and quite frankly, you always leave satisfied.  Now that I’ve inadvertently revealed my obsession with T.G.I. Friday’s, what I’m trying to say is House Boat’s appeal is difficult to pinpoint.  Sure, a barrage of brief, quirky, self-depreciative pop punk songs with outrageous lyrical themes like comic books and masturbation makes for a good idea on paper, but the final product should not be this good.  Even though one might be hard pressed to call 21^st Century Breakroom an LP (considering the fact that NOFX’s similarly constructed, one-track EP, The Decline, was nearly twice as long), House Boat’s latest affair provides more sheer enjoyment than is to be expected from any full length record.

Album Review: State Lines - State Lines EP

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.

Album Review: Hampshire - Ocean State Stories

Album Rating: B

Allow me to preface this review by saying that I am falling out of love with the younger, more accessible side of the pop punk spectrum.  Perhaps my inability to connect with the usual, humorless lyrical themes (girls, personal relationships, hating town, etc.) is what repels me from the genre and a lot of its popular acts (The Story So Far, Man Overboard, and Handguns, to name a few), or maybe the sheer redundancy of pop punk is finally getting to me.  That being said, Providence, RI’s Hampshire proves that there are still bands of the sort that are capable of catching my attention.  Hampshire’s debut full-band EP, Ocean State Stories, revives the sound from pop punk’s glory days in the late 90s and early 2000s, paying homage to all of the right influences.

Artist Spotlight: Salad Days

When it comes to making music, you can trace the picture and color in the spaces or you can draw the lines.  Kyle Bogue, the force behind Philadelphia/Pittsburgh based act Salad Days, knows a thing or two about drawing those lines.  Quiet As Its Kept, the result of an extended period of intermittent recording bursts that happened to take place in the bedroom next to mine, is the start of a musically-inclined mind's plunge into the wonderful world of recording.  Swirling, fuzz-laden guitar lines and the most fatalistic of piano interludes all converge with Bogue's angst-fueled songwriting to form a truly refreshing listening experience.  Closer 'Another Decembered Saturday,' takes all the right cues from a track like Bomb the Music Industry!'s 'Future 86' while adding its own spice to the mix and salt to the wound.  I'd be remiss not to proclaim 'Let Down' as one of the most engaging and accessible boy/girl duet tracks since +44's 'Make You Smile'. Its youthful air calling to mind the quintessential jealousy-mired adolescent love story.  Despite falling victim to the quality troubles associated with bedroom-based recording, Quiet As Its Kept presents listeners with a glimpse into the eccentrically musical mind of Kyle Bogue, a mind that hopefully continues to find sonic outlets for its ideas in the future.


Hear Quiet As Its Kept and download it on a name-your-price basis on Salad Days' Bandcamp.