Album Review: Deas Vail - Deas Vail

Over the five years of their career, Deas Vail has developed a reputation for excellence, falsetto vocals, and the ability to bring something unique and beautiful to pop/rock music.  Listeners will expect nothing less from the band’s 3^rd and self-titled full length album.  As a longtime and avid Deas Vail fan, I have been formulating my opinion of this album for months, hoping to unearth brilliance in spite of my high expectations for this band.  In the past, Deas Vail has demonstrated an ability to write sensitive and unique melodies and dress them with the fragility of Wes Blaylock’s elfin falsetto, all the while creating a rich tapestry of piano and revving guitars.  And they’ve done it consistently—whether they are writing minor tragedies like “Atlantis,” lengthy ballads like “Shoreline,” or a raucous pop/rock song like “White Lights.”  It is this consistent excellence that makes the collection of songs on Deas Vail, which mostly range from clumsy to conventional, so puzzling and, in the end, nothing short of a disappointment.

Artist Spotlight: This Town Needs Guns

This Town Needs Guns is a fairly new band, having only been around for the better part of six years. Hailing from the UK, This Town Needs Guns has released an EP, as well as an album, both to critical and commercial success. Both featured a very straightforward alternative rock/indie sound, but with an exceptionally well executed math-rock twist.

This Town Needs Guns is equal parts Maps & Atlases, Sharks Keep Moving, and Minus the Bear. There's a hefty amount of guitar noodling, with infectious hooks sprinkled in as well. The band is solid, and the music they make is infectious, which is evident on their newest 7'' entitled Adventure, Stamina & Anger.

With two songs, the 7'' offers only a mere taste of this rather incredible band. It's brief, but it's well worth looking into. It's addicting, endearing, and just plain fun. Afterwards, This Town Needs Guns may just be your newest dig.

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Stream Adventure, Stamina & Anger here

The 14 Day Spiritual Journey

It has become clear to me that just about everyone likes music to a certain extent. Their are people who like music, people who like music a little bit more, and people who absolutely love music. Their are many things that separate people who like music from people who love music. People who like music view it simply as "music" while people who love music view it more as experiences or moments in time, people who like music can name you three mainstream albums while people who love music are constantly editing their albums of the year list, people who like music view music as a hobby while people who love music view it as something that is a critical reflection of the health of an individual and the health of a society. For people who simply like music it never really gets past anything other than catchy choruses and lame music videos, but for people who really love music the music becomes somewhat spiritual. Spiritual because it gives us so many different moments and experiences. And spiritual because it means so damn much.

Album Review: Talkdemonic - Ruins

Talkdemonic feels like a difficult band to place, genre-wise. They're somewhere between instrumental, avant-garde, electronic, and post-rock, but share so much in common with each of these genres that they could be technically classified as any of them. However, this could be a good thing - with Kevin O'Connor's expressive interest in rhythm and mixing, and Lisa Molinaro adding with all the power and heart of classical strings, the project is essentially label-defying. Ruins seeks to push the limits of what Talkdemonic is perceived of being capable of doing, and after a straight listen, any sane listener would have to agree that the melodies, dynamic ranges, and constant flow of ideas are inexplicably brilliant.

Album Review: Future Islands - On The Water

The first time I listened to Future Island's sophomore album, In Evening Air, I was pretty underwhelmed. While the album had a strong emotional tone to it that made it appeal to me in some ways, the music itself seemed way too repetitive, with almost every song having the same beat at almost the exact same tempo. After giving it a few more chances, it eventually grew on me until it became the best synthpop album I have ever heard before. Every single track began to strike a chord for me and became incredibly catchy. And now a year later, the Baltimore trio drops their third album, On The Water. Singles "Before the Bridge" and "Balance" gave us the impression that Future Islands kept the same catchy musicianship and emotional overtones as they did on In Evening Air. The emotion is still there and stronger than ever, but the musicianship leaves a bit more to be desired.

Artist Spotlight: Fighting Fiction

Social conscience is something which can be used in virtually any genre of music, but for me, at least, none convey it as well as good ol' fashioned punk rock. The tradition started back in the late 70's, most notably with The Clash, and is upheld to this day by acts such as Frank Turner, The King Blues and - more recently still - Fighting Fiction. This earnest Brighton four-piece may not be reinventing the wheel sound-wise, but in this case the familiarity is welcome, since their brand of punk is among the most likeable and relatable varieties of music out there. Fist punching anthems and singalong choruses can still bring a unique thrill when done correctly, and excellent singles 'We Will Not Forget' and 'Rock And Roll Is Dead And It's Corpse Is For Sale' clearly show that this young band have developed the knack of perfecting such tried and tested formulas. Their debut LP still doesn't have a concrete release date, but once it does surface it's sure to set the heart racing, as well as attract more punters to their excellent live shows.

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Album Review: Kite Party - Baseball Season

There's a nifty little term, coined by the ancient Greeks, used to describe the excessive pride and arrogance expressed by an individual that most often results in the bearer's demise. "Hubris", commonly portrayed in Greek Mythology, refers to the larger than life haughtiness of a hero, especially that which causes him to believe that no feat is unattainable. Odysseus, Kanye West, Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper - they all display some level of hubris with their notions that they can indeed do no wrong. At first listen, Baseball Season sounds completely hubristic in nature. Frontman Russ Edling drops such presumptuous lines as "the wind told me my future". Guitar lines rise and fall and tumble upon each other in their ceaseless effort to garner more of the listener's attention. At the dawn of each chorus, the members of Kite Party seem to play with absolutely zero regard for tomorrow or each other. This is the point where Baseball Season should fall flat on its face.

Album Review: Kidcrash - Naps

Listening to Kidcrash evolve and progress over the course of five years has been an absolute joy. From their humble beginnings to their sadly looming hiatus, being a part of the profound and beautiful ride that is Kidcrash has been a wonderful thing. Reflecting upon their career, the 2007 release Jokes immediately comes to mind, as it changed not only the way I thought about emo, but music in general. It melded everything the genre had been up until that point, whilst also being shockingly unique and fresh. Truly, it was one of last decades defining releases. Now four years later, Kidcrash has quietly dropped an EP, feeding those starved individuals who can only stand bewildered at the uncertain future of the band they love.

Album Review: La Dispute - Wildlife

Late one evening I was lucky enough to stumble upon Here, Hear III, a four track free release by a band with a strange name. The title of the release grabbed my attention, as the play on words was clever and I was drawn to the modest vibe of the name. Blown away by the beauty and depth of the release, I moved on to what was La Dispute’s most recent release, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River between Vega and Altair. The artsy title and album art made me weary, but the emotional ride that was the short intro track quickly vacated my concerns. Jordan Dreyer’s harsh and emotional cry over a dark soundscape made for one of most honest and real pieces of art I had been exposed to. I fell in love with the album and found myself collecting the rest of their releases with confidence. La Dispute released Somewhere in 2008, and in the time since that release they put together a pretty strong reputation for themselves. Now, three full years later, La Dispute releases their follow-up, Wildlife, through No Sleep Records on October 4th.

Album Review: Invisible Elephant - Anomie Or Swimming In A Black Sea

Anonymity is an interesting path for a rookie musician to go down. If executed correctly, it can kick up just as much of a fuss as an extensive promotional campaign, but equally it's a stance which preserves the privacy of the creatives in question, allowing them to work at their own pace without the pressure from fans and media which all too often inhibits artists still measuring their first steps. The latter it seems would particularly appeal to unnamed brit Invisible Elephant, who judging by this debut LP is reaping the benefits of remaining, well... invisible.

Album Review: Eepocampe - When Things Get Abstract

Ah, vocal post-rock. There isn't too much of it being released this year, which you'll notice I also commented on in my Cassie spotlight. However, Eepocampe hits the nail on the head with their second record, mixing vocals with an easy instrumentation for simplicity, but also an added effect of atmosphere. When Things Get Abstract brings a wave of music that just feels good to listen to, like a combination between Moving Mountains and Explosions in the Sky. The record is optimistic with a sense of drive that comes from the alternative and post-rock driven influences, and they mesh to create what basically sounds like Pneuma, with the touches of guitar riffs and melodies from All Of the Sudden I Miss Everyone, but a trained ear will notice that there's at least a bit to be desired from this album.

Album Review: Radiohead - TKOL RMX 1234567

Upon discovering Radiohead had dropped their newest album a day early, I proceeded to immediately download it. Granted, it was announced a mere week before then, but the anticipation was already too much to handle. Sure I was late to my first class, but I had The King of Limbs on my mp3 player, and ready to listen. Less than forty minutes later, anticipation faded and disappointment set in. I was sure what I had just heard wasn't Radiohead, but a tamer, more forgettable band. A band who'd let vapidity replace creativity. A band that wasn't the one I had grown to admire.

Although seven month's time made me reflect more kindly on Radiohead's most divisive album to date, I still couldn't help but feel like something was missing, something bold and daring, something more like the band I had fallen for when I was a teenager. That something is TKOL RMX 1234567.

Album Review: Lights - Siberia

It's not often that I stumble upon an artist's image dozens of time before I actually know they make music, but that was the case with Lights. Lights, known not only for her infectious pop music but for her looks as well, has her visage plastered all over the internet a la her many admirers. Once discovering that she did indeed create music, I jumped in expecting shallow, forgettable pop....and I was right. That's correct, my first impression of Lights was one of disdain; a revulsion at the synth laden music that neither challenged nor impressed me. Well I decided to give Lights a second chance, picking up her sophomore release, Siberia, almost immediately.

And thank God I did, because Siberia is an improvement in every single way possible, and a damn fine album in its own right.

Album Review: I Am the Avalanche - Avalanche United

Just so you guys know, we're giving away a free copy of this album today at 2:30 EST on WMUC-2 College Park Radio. Check us out here.

Vinnie Caruana has outdone himself. Sure, he kept fans waiting on the edge of their seats for the better part of six years, but Avalanche United, I Am the Avalanche’s long-awaited sophomore record, is well worth the wait. A rabble-rousing collection of 11 fists-in-the-air anthems, Caruana has crafted his best album since Forty Hour Train Back to Penn.

From the very first guitar squeal of opener “Holy Fuck,” it’s clear that Avalanche United is the soundtrack to a barroom brawl, an album to be enjoyed with a basement full of friends and a fridge stocked with beers. Caruana returns to his “shout it, don’t sing it” mentality with some aggressively delivered lines backed by gang vocals tailor-made for live shows. “Brooklyn Dodgers” has been floating around cyberspace for a while, but has never sounded better than on the album cut. The chorus goes full-throttle to the wall, making up for lackluster energy in the verses. Once the verses meander their way into the chorus, Caruana’s songwriting chops shine, proudly showcasing his best musical quality: writing punchy, stage-dive worthy choruses. Michael Ireland and Brandon Swanson’s guitar work on the album is at its crunchy, raw best on the bombastic “Amsterdam.” The track suffers from the same syndrome that plagued “Brooklyn Dodgers” with unimpressive verses that, if the listener can trudge through, offer an enormous payoff with one of the album’s most anthematic rallying cries of a chorus.

Album Review: Lydia - Paint It Golden

Lydia has always seemed like a bit of a tragedy.  On their second album, Illuminate, the band achieved a masterpiece of austere and otherworldly melodies, but this early success made the rest of Lydia’s career somewhat elegiac.   After their youthful triumph, rumors of band conflict arose, a farewell tour was booked, and Assailants, a bitter, satisfactory, yet below-potential EP, was released.  It certainly seemed like Lydia was over.  Suddenly Antelman and Craig Taylor announced that the name Lydia was too big to leave behind and now, despite the band’s death, we have Paint it Golden.  Remarkably, despite the upheaval, Golden is a natural progression for the band.  In many ways, Assailants felt like a simultaneous grasp at the greatness and uniqueness of Illuminate while trying to move to a less fairytale sound, making it somewhat forgettable and confused.  Paint it Golden, on the other hand, is a full embrace of the more earth-bound sound (they even break out the acoustic guitars on “Eat Your Heart Out”), which allows Antelman to write the top notch melodies we’re used to while maintaining the delicacy of the band’s sound.  Though the album never attempts to be the next Illuminate, forging in a new direction, Paint It Golden still lacks something of the qualities that made the former so unforgettable. 

Album Review: James Blake - Enough Thunder

James Blake might quite possibly be the only artist out there nowadays that is really doing anything that is unlike what previous artists have been able to accomplish. The cold, soul-tinged piano ballads of the UK electronic musician's self titled debut are completely unique to any other artist in the genre, dabbling all across the spectrum from blues to dubstep, even managing to pull off a breathtaking cover of the ever so delicate Feist. On Blake's latest addition to his already ambitious discography, Enough Thunder, a clear vision of the future of Blake's career is given, taking everything displayed on his self titled to the next level, giving dubstep a good name again.

Artist Spotlight: Cheap Girls

You may have heard Cheap Girls before. The Michigan trio have made their name over the past few years with a pair of solid LP's, as well as none-stop touring alongside the likes of Bomb The Music Industry! and The Descendents. Now they're reaping the rewards of such exertions, having sealed a deal with Rise Records who will release their third studio outing, due in the spring. So far, the only recording that has surfaced from those sessions is a demo entitled 'Cored To Empty,' but that alone seems to suggest they've upped their game significantly. Although it doesn't veer dramatically from any of their existing work, it's a song which only enhances all of the elements which make the band great. The hooks are catchier, the power chords sound more thrilling than ever, and perhaps most importantly vocalist Ian Graham sounds far more assured behind the mic, and that confidence has evidently rubbed off on his bandmates. Their sound is primarily that of a pop-punk band, but there are also elements of 80's alt-rock seamed in for good measure, so fans of bands like Dinosaur Jr and The Replacements could do far worse than give them a go.

You can hear the 'Cored To Empty' demo here.

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MuzikDizcovery Exclusive: These Branches "Purist" Stream

New Jersey's These Branches aren't big on equivocation. The Payoff, their most recent release on DIY label Kat Kat records, doesn't exactly leave a lot of (if any) space for it. Less than a dozen minutes are burned as the duo utilize their blitzkrieg approach to blast through four punch-packing tracks of raw, unfiltered punk rock. Band members Nick Hertzberg and Bryan Batiste make full use of each and every breath let loose on The Payoff, effectively voicing their discontent on anything from sleazy band promotors and manipulative friends to the uncompromising expectations of society. It's made quite clear that the system just isn't working for them, and the release marks the twosome's most recent effort to alter that fact. But something bigger than disappointment lies beneath these tracks. As the grievances regarding a disillusioned industry and failed relationships are sequentially aired, it's obvious that these two are absolutely loving their roles as condemners. With every ounce of dissatisfaction on the EP comes an equitable amount of pure satisfaction - the sort of gratification that goes hand in hand with being unequivocally in love with what you do every day. And that's exactly what Hertzberg and Batiste are doing with their time here. For these dudes, every waking moment is an opportunity to make music with friends, and the attitude on The Payoff shows this. They've paid their dues to an oppressive society. The Payoff is the sound of those dues paying back.

Stream track 'Purist' from the new EP exclusively here on MuzikDizcovery, and look out for the full stream on their bandcamp, as well as pre-orders for the 7-inch via Kat Kat in the very near future.
Purist by These Branches

Album Review: apolar. - the design.

On a few of their pages, apolar. has been described as the perfect combination between This Will Destroy You, Caspian, and Explosions in the Sky. This could not be any closer to the truth. The debut EP from apolar., the design. borrows sounds and aspects from each of these bands, as well as some of their influences, notably Pelican and Gifts From Enola as well, in order to progress their sound into something similar to an early exploration of self-produced post-rock, but far exceeds what one might expect from this.

Album Review: A Winged Victory for the Sullen - A Winged Victory for the Sullen

An up and coming ambient/classical act, A Winged Victory for the Sullen has quite the charming and intriguing pedigree. The duo is made up of Adam Wiltzie (Stars of the Lid) and Dustin O'Halloran (Devics), two of the genre's heavy hitters. Stars of the Lid alone should perk up some ears, as that duo defined 2000's ambient scene with their two groundbreaking releases. A Winged Victory for the Sullen has big shoes to fill, with the aforementioned pedigree being both a gift and a hindrance.

Too many people will check out the band's self-titled debut with an unfortunate amount of per-connotations. But this isn't Stars of the Lid nor is it Devics. This is something else, but at the same time it is a logical amalgamation of either artist's sounds and abilities. It's piano driven, courtesy of O'Halloran, and very straightforward in its ambiance, thanks to Wiltzie. It's a beautifully composed meshing of minimalism and contemporary classical, offering a healthy dose of ridiculously pretty chords and lush swells and timbre.

Album Review: Craft Spells - Idle Labor

A friend of mine was recently explaining to me his theory on how music chronologically repeats itself in twenty year cycles. For example, in the 90's, we began to see a return to 70's punk influences in the form of grunge. With the beginning of a new decade, we are starting to see a reoccurrence of artists influenced by dream pop music of the late 80's. Just last year, we saw the twentieth anniversaries of The Cure's masterpiece Disintegration, as well as Cocteau Twin's Heaven or Las Vegas. Influences from both of these groups, along with many others from that era, are very evident throughout Craft Spell's debut album, Idle Labor. Like many bands signed to Brooklyn's Captured Tracks label, Craft Spells replicates a nostalgic and hazy rendition of 80's pop music (often slapped with one of the most horrid genre tags in recent memory, "chillwave"), while still managing to keep the music sounding somewhat fresh and authentic. Idle Labor is a well crafted pop album, that avoids beating the long dead horse of an overused, present-day dreamy brand of shoegaze.

End Of Year 2011: Third Quarter Update

This is the third edition of Muzik Dizcovery's quarterly update. Every staff member will put out a top five list, allowing them to indicate their absolute favorite records of 2011. Additionally, it will be able to alert you of albums that you may not have heard of otherwise. This list does not only include albums that have been released as of September 30th, as any album that we have heard so far this year is free to be included. You can read the first quarter update here, and the second quarter update here. All the lists can be seen below the jump.

Album Review: This Time Next Year - Drop Out of Life

For me, pop-punk can either epitomize what makes modern music great, or what makes modern music the blight of this generation. After all, we've seen the likes of excellent acts such as Taking Back Sunday and Yellowcard arise around the same time as Good Charlotte and Sum 41. These bands are polarizing in their legacies and in their critical reception. Luckily 2011 has seen a preposterous amount of great pop-punk, revitalizing the post-Blink-182 scene, and giving hope to a new era of the genre. Well 2011, it's time to welcome another fantastic addition, as This Time Next Year's Drop Out of Life offers up a solid and enjoyable listening experience, standing tall next to the year's best offerings.

Album Review: All Get Out - The Season

Rock music always has it's 'in' sound, and at present that beat combination seems to be the one favoured by bands like Brand New and Manchester Orchestra. This comes not through the cynical will to shift units, rather inspiration from landmark records such as The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me and Mean Everything To Nothing, as hordes of young pretenders seek to replicate such achievements with their own emotional masterpieces. Needless to say the majority will fail, but there may well be a few gems among the pack, and with sufficient growth they could well emulate the success of their predecessors. It's for this reason that none of these bands should be dismissed, and while it's not outstanding by any means, All Get Out's debut LP provides plenty of evidence that this group could well progress to far greater heights.

Album Review: Blink-182 - Neighborhoods

Anticipation for its release may have surpassed fever pitch, but Neighborhoods still arrives as one of 2011's most unexpected triumphs. Lets be honest, we all thought that this would suck, and not without reason; the three members haven't exactly covered themselves in glory since parting company six years ago, and as with the majority of reformed bands there was always the nagging question as to whether anyone would actually still care. The response which met the various taster tracks unleashed earlier this year confirmed that Blink do indeed remain a relevant force, but the general feeling among fans was that this album would prove a dismal failure rather than a jubilant return. It didn't bode well.

Album Review: Giraffes? Giraffes! - Pink Magick

Whenever I think of music that sounds exactly like how the album cover looks, I think of My Bloody Valentine's influential 1991 album, Loveless, that set the foundation for what we now know as shoegaze. The album sounds exactly what it looks like, Belinda Butcher and Kevin Shields making blurry pink haze with their guitars. After listening to Giraffes? Giraffes! third full length, Pink Magick, I feel a similar connection between the artwork and the music. The artwork is extremely abstract and messy, yet beautiful and creative. And there are no two finer adjectives that I could think of to describe the album. Amongst Pink Magick's frantic breakdown-like explosions and intense post-rock influenced crescendos is some of the most unique and innovative music I have ever heard in recent years.

Album Review: Sóley - We Sink

Icelandic music has a “sound”—dreamy vocals, creative instrumentation, an ethereal quality that makes it hard to put an auditory finger on anything concrete.  On her first solo album We Sink, Sóley Stefánsdóttir, better known as Sóley, breaks away from her work with two of Iceland’s better-known acts Sin Fang and Seabear to forge her own sound.  We Sink has the same ethereal quality, the same creative instrumentation, and Sóley’s vocals are as gently slurred and dreamy as either of the other two projects, but where the music of Seabear and Sin Fang conjured images of pristine landscapes and summer days, Sóley’s music takes on a more nightmarish quality.  The collection of songs has a colder feel, a minor tonality, and the lyrical content of a horror film.

Artist Spotlight: Youth Lagoon

I've never been to Boise, ID, but a handful of preconceived notions and a perfunctory google search yielding the headline of "Non-profit donates $10,000 toward Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline" have led me to believe that perhaps I'm not missing much. To my knowledge, the city of Boise is notorious as a place stuck between an archaic past and a bright future, with recent entrepreneurial generations putting their best foot forward in the attempt to tame the expansive Idaho landscape and to sprout an environmentally conscious city from the depths of Mother Nature's creative prowess. The money-minded city-slickers aren't the only ones leaving their mark on that staggering stretch of America, however. For as the townsfolk of the great Northwest get up and go about their quotidian affairs, something bigger than that yet subtle as a raindrop into the sea is coming to fruition beneath their very feet. Somewhere in a dark and damp Boise basement is Trevor Powers, the one-man force behind recently fabricated Youth Lagoon, endeavoring to bridge the daunting gap between past and present, to truly compromise his city's role as a naturalist's Eden and a playground for tycoons. With his debut LP under his new moniker, entitled The Year of Hibernation, Powers is doing just that. In listening to "Afternoon", a number built on synthesized instrumentation alongside the natural simplicity of whistle-based melodies, Powers has showcased his ability to create surreal, layered tracks that sound out with the poise of not just one man, but nature itself. Simple yet elegant, affecting but understated - The Year of Hibernation is a young man's compelling realization of his insignificance amongst nature and humankind, as well as his general, beautiful indifference toward that fact. I guess that means one more apathetic soul for Boise's suicide prevention team to keep an eye on.

Stream some Youth Lagoon tracks over at Pitchfork, or visit their Facebook.

Live Review: The Subways, O2 Academy 2 Newcastle, 25/09/2011

I'm a keen follower of the UK's indie scene, but even so The Subways seem like an anomaly in my taste. I'm the type of music listener that appreciates invention, ambition and originality, three attributes that the London three-piece's music is completely devoid of, yet they're a band that I've always kept an eye on and have invariably enjoyed. I wouldn't go so far as to call them a guilty pleasure, but they're hardly a favourite among critics, with new album Money & Celebrity in particular bringing about a reaction which could be described as was mixed at best. As with many bands of their ilk, their popularity also appears to be on the slide, and so this tour saw them visit smaller venues than they're perhaps used to, with this gig taking place in front of only 200 spectators. To their credit, though, they seemed undeterred by this regression, and as per usual failed to disappoint with a racous hour-long set.

Album Review: Saves the Day - Daybreak

Genre giants Saves the Day have thus far had quite a remarkable career, spanning three separate decades with seven full length releases, and it’s quite clear that all the hard work has paid off. Save the Day’s Daybreak is as daring as its title. Released on September 13th through Razor & Tie, Daybreak is Saves the Day’s most impressive album yet.

Album Review: Iselia - Life From Dead Limbs

Just as the post-hardcore/emo/post-rock hybrid has just about run its course, the fresh faced young lads from Iselia come and turn heads. Releasing a brief but lovely EP back in 2010, the band has since garnered a respectable amount of praise. It's not often a band seemingly comes out of nowhere, demanding attention, but that's exactly what Iselia have done. Thus, the praise and attention have culminated in clamoring for a full-length debut. Well Iselia have released their anxiously awaited debut, and the result is everything a fan or newcomer could want.

To be quite honest, on Life From Dead Limbs, Iselia don't do anything new. They just do it better than anyone else. Their large range of influences allow them to have many peers, mainly Pianos Become the Teeth, Touche Amore, and even Envy. The product matches the exceptional pedigree, as Life From Dead Limbs is a beautiful, heavy, and emotional amalgamation of emo, post-hardcore, and post-rock sensibilities. The latter influence mainly deals with the more melodic passages and climaxes, as the average length songs are void of any egregious and overblown buildups. The use is effective and balances the harder influences nicely.

Album Retrospective: 15 Years of Pinkerton

I have my posse of cool hipster friends that I normally discuss music with. We're all big fans of Weezer, and very often the age old Blue Album vs. Pinkerton argument arises. Personally, I don't know which one I prefer. Blue Album has all of the catchy and infectious tunes like "Buddy Holly" and "My Name Is Jonas", while Pinkerton taps into my inner (or maybe more outer than I'd like to admit) 90's emo boy with tracks such as "Why Bother?" and "Butterfly". Both albums are fantastically excecuted in their own seperate ways, but I feel like Pinkerton was a more important release for the band. Pinkerton was the first release that signified what Weezer would later become.

Album Review: Collapse Under The Empire - Shoulders & Giants

A fantastic mix of hopeful, dark, and anarchic post-rock and instrumental music, Collapse Under The Empire hails from Hamburg, Germany. Their music embodies a variety of big-name bands in instrumental music, notably God is an Astronaut, Mogwai, and Sigur Ros, as well as Explosions in the Sky and 65daysofstatic, and each of these influences actually appears in this album, as well as throughout their earlier works.

The second track on the album, "Giants", carries with it a bit of a more murky feel, opening with synths and tonal drum hits, contrasting sharp staccatos with flowing, minor-keyed legatos, and eventually a light, angelic keyboard line. As the song progresses, the drums help to bring the song along, and a reverbed guitar brings another deep and melancholy element to the track, which begins to build up with a final addition of bass. The keyboard actually leads the melody, with sadly crooning guitars providing most of the chord structure, and a moving drum line akin to God Is An Astronaut helps to provide a strong sense of tempo variety. As the song progresses to its final chorus, all amps are turned up to 11, and the guitars scream depressive lines of their own as the song ends in chaos.

Pianos Become the Teeth - The Lack Long After

When Pianos Become the Teeth dropped their debut record, Old Pride, I honestly didn't think a whole lot about. I passed it off as a solid, but forgettable post-hardcore/emo mash-up that used every trick in the book. But since those two years ago, I've come to realize how exceptional it actually is, and now the band's sophomore release is right up there with my most anticipated albums of 2011.

Passion is what Old Pride had that other albums don't. It was emotional, gut-wrenching, and completely genuine, and I've not heard any of their peers match it since. It's this that has me so pumped for The Lack Long After, as the band promises a "darker and heavier" sound.

Recording began late this summer at Developing Nations Studio, and wrapping up a few weeks later. Topshelf Records will be releasing the album on November 1st, and it is with high commendations that I implore you to check it out. Follow the band on Facebook here.

Artist Spotlight: Insouciant

The beautiful transition between summer and autumn is probably my favorite, but at the same time my least favorite time of year. I am usually in a state on insouciance, or lighthearted carelessness, but at the same time I feel melancholic in my day to day activities. This is usually the time of year where I stay in my room and wear sweaters and listen to American Football and various other projects of the Kinsella brothers as I sit at my window and watch as the bright green foliage of the past two months blankets my backyard in a shroud of earthen tones that I will later break my back raking up. A band from Newfoundland, New Jersey called Insouciant captures the emotions of the end of summer's youthful warmth and the beginning of winter's long and brittle prelude just about perfectly. Currently working on their follow up to last year's masterpiece, Dresser, Insouciant blends the gloomier side of autumn's beginnings with the leftover happiness of summer using their own unique electric piano tinged brand of midwestern emo. This is expressed best on the grandiose 9-minute long title track on Dresser, which closes the album on an uplifting tone, implementing instruments such as glockenspiel and melodica in their already impressively tight instrumental line up. The band has a rather extensive back catalogue, beginning with the rugged lo-fi release known as NR-004 on their bandcamp, which introduced tracks that would appear on later releases, including "Locked", "Discontinue", and "Turtle Light". Not including Dresser, the band also has out two more equally fantastic full lengths, Search Party and Fall, all of which are out on New Jersey based independent label Not-Rock Records. If you are a fan of the twinkly guitars, wurlitzers, and this beautiful yet depressing time of year, I highly encourage you to check out Insouciant, and I guarantee you will get something out of it.

You can download Dresser for free on Bandcamp.
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Artist Spotlight: The Hawk In Paris

Dan Haseltine has been making music for almost 20 years, released over 9 albums, and won 3 grammy awards, but there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of him. Haseltine’s successful band Jars of Clay specializes in Christian rock. On his new project, The Hawk In Paris, however, Haseltine teams up with producers Matt Bronleewe and Jeremy Bose to move away from spiritual content in favor of a totally new project that encompasses all my favorite things about indie music, most especially the power to fuze genres and drag classic styles out of the past and into the present. Indie-tronica has become a “thing” over the past few years with the discovery of The Postal Service and Owl City, but The Hawk In Paris goes all the way back to the roots of electronica and matches it with today’s modern advancements in technology and sound. “The New Hello (His)” is a dark and infectious nod to German 70s musical legends Kraftwerk. The Hawk In Paris updates the classic sounds of Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode for the 21st century and it is a treat for anyone with any leanings toward the electronic genre. Many of the songs are mellower than their predecessors—“Between The World And You” and “Curse The Love Songs” are breathtakingly gentle and show off Haseltine’s falsetto. The trios musical prowess shines on the two versions of “The New Hello” which feature the same vocal melodies but entirely different tonality, key, and instrumentation, making The Hawk In Paris the only band I’ve ever seen to so fully and radically imagine a song in two different ways. You can check out The Hawk In Paris here and I promise you that you won’t regret it.

Album Review: The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms

The Front Bottoms' self titled debut album is introduced with the line "please fall asleep so I can take pictures of you and hang them in my room, so when I wake up I feel like everything's alright". In a way, this line is in no way a bad way at all to introduce The Front Bottoms as a band. The band's lyrics often seem to follow the story of a stalker helplessly in love with his high school flame who consistently ignores him and upholds restraining orders. Throughout the album, the band maintains a rather comical atmosphere, balanced between the often ridiculously blunt lyrics that make murdering your own father seem humorous, Brian Sella's nasally voice that sounds halfway between John Darnielle and Jeff Mangum, and the recurring string section and piano that sounds like the band made no effort whatsoever to cover up the fact that it was done on an old Yamaha keyboard for beginner piano players. But despite all of the laughs that the quirky indie-pop duo might produce, the emotional response from this album is nothing less than overwhelming.

Artist Spotlight: Moonlit Sailor / Rhodes / Elk Split

Rarely do three-way splits come about, especially with three bands that have a lot to learn about each other and about their own musical progression. However, cue the EDiLS Records Split Series #2, a fantastic split between Moonlit Sailor, Rhodes, and Elk. With an exclusive new track from Swedish post-rockers Moonlit Sailor and two exclusive new tracks from Rhodes, who are centered in the UK, there's a lot of sound-good, feel-good music on this fantastic split. From dreamy, soaring post-rock to light, twangy, heartfelt, fun indie rock, it's impossible not to love this sampler from these three bands.

The split is released on Bandcamp on September 22nd.

Album Review: Andrew Jackson Jihad - Knife Man

It would be pretty easy to just tell you to go get Knife Man right now. I mean, it would make my job so much simpler, because really it's simply essential 2011 listening. However, for those not easily convinced, I'll delve into why Andrew Jackson Jihad have crafted what is quite possibly their greatest achievement. Added to that, Knife Man is without a doubt one of the most exhilarating, enjoyable, and positively fascinating records this year.

Album Review: Chelsea Wolfe-Ἀποκάλυψις

Ἀποκάλυψις is just the sort of thing that really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Odd, considering how dark, desolate, and cold it actually is. Yet can't deny the marrying of a low-fi, Enemies List Recordings-esque sound with the charm of a female folk artist. It's languid, mystifying, and completely arresting. Chelsea Wolfe has made an unsettling, but comforting record that really displays a great sense of creativity, as well as musicianship.

Ἀποκάλυψις (a title which I won't even pretend to know how to pronounce, or explain its meaning) is a tough nut to crack. It's part folk, part indie, and part low-fi avant-garde. Largely it revolves around a very dark aesthetic. The fuzziness of the production only furthers this, as it makes Wolfe's already eerie vocals come off as otherworldly. That's the charm of Ἀποκάλυψις though, because even withing it's harsh, cold sounds, it somehow sounds so wonderful human and inexplicably comforting.

Album Review: Into It. Over It - Proper

Over the past three or four years, there has been no artist as devoted to concepts (except possibly Casey Crescenzo) as Evan Weiss of Into It. Over It. From 52 Weeks, a massive project that involved releasing a new song every week for a year, to Twelve Towns, a collection of splits that were based off twelve different cities and the experiences that Weiss had in those towns, to IIOI/KOJI, where Weiss wrote about five Chicago neighborhoods, Into It. Over It had never released an actual cohesive full-length release. Proper is the release that Into It. Over It fans have been waiting years for, and the amount of work put into it is easily noticed. The instrumentals are more polished, the hooks are stronger, and Weiss officially emerges as a superstar in the emo/indie/pop-punk scene, and a man capable of crafting brilliant releases in any form.

Album Review: St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

St. Vincent is, and always has been, a beautiful amalgamation of a flashy, gaudy 80's pop star, a thoughtful indie artist, and a musician with a penchant for all things avant-garde. Needless to say, Annie Clark is ineffably weird, incurably bizarre, and unabashedly strange; an artist who's musical endeavors make her impossible to pin down and examine closely. Instead, it's easier to just listen without making sense of anything, because when approaching St. Vincent, and namely her newest record, Strange Mercy, it's best just to go along for the ride. And what a ride it is.

Album Review: The Subways - Money & Celebrity

I must admit, I had my reservations about the new Subways album. It's not that they're incapable - their debut Young For Eternity yielded a handful of successful singles and 2008's All Or Nothing was an excellent follow-up - but their limited musical flexibility and the current absence of guitar-based music from the charts seemed to suggest that their relevance was on the wane. Thankfully, though, Money & Celebrity excels in every way that we could have hoped, and although it never really deviates from expectations it nevertheless proves another solid entry into their catalogue of above average pop rock records.

Artist Spotlight: 2:54

Three reasons why 2:54 are awesome:

Reason #1... The name - it's genius! It refers to a particular moment in their favourite Melvins song ('A History Of Bad Men' if you were wondering). What's not to like?

Reason #2... Boy-girl duo's are getting a bit dull now, so the fact that this paining is exclusively female is somewhat refreshing.

Reason #3... Their music, of course. It's loud, scuzzy, sexy and sinister, ingredients which frankly can't fail when they come to the brew.

The brewers - London sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow - have been making waves for a few months now, having initially caused a stir with the demo of their track 'Creeping.' It's not hard to see why, with the seductive mix of shoegaze mystery, grunge fuzz and metallic crunch combining to wondrous effect, a trick they've repeated with the handful of other songs released. That small catalogue is due to be expanded on November 14th, when they finally unleash their debut EP, Scarlet, which will feature four new cuts. For now, though, you can head over to their Soundcloud page to hear for yourself what all the fuss is about.

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Scarlet tracklist;

1. Scarlet
2. Wait/Await
3. Got A Hold
4. Dawn

Album Review: Hot Water Music - The Fire, The Steel, The Tread/Up To Nothing 7"

Despite being out of the game for quite a tat, fans have never really forgotten about Hot Water Music. Truly, the myriad of bands who cite them as an influence have not forgotten them either, as Hot Water Music have left a crater-like impression on the modern day punk scene.

HWM have been releasing music here and there since their last full-length album, The New What Next, but nothing in the form of a true follow up. The Fire, The Steel, The Tread/Up To Nothing 7" isn't simply a two song collection, but rather, the promise of what is to come, as the band are currently working on a new record. Still, not to be outdone by such momentous news, the 7" is a delight all by itself. Sure it's incredibly brief, but it's a wholly enjoyable, hard hitting work that more than lives up to the name of Hot Water Music.

Album Review: Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

They may have been hyped to high heaven, but you can't help but feel for Girls with regards to how easily they were dismissed by many upon their breakthrough in 2009. Due in large part to their attitude rather than the music they made, the LA duo were categorically thrown in with slackers like Best Coast and Wavves, despite the fact that they were producing music of far greater depth and sophistication than any bands of that type. Their debut LP, Album was unleashed to plenty of acclaim, but did little to alter their perception among critics, so the ball was firmly in their court to with regards to proving doubters wrong come the follow-up. Father, Son, Holy Ghost jumps at that chance, exceeding it's predecessor and in doing so providing more ammunition for their growing group of fans rather than their opposite numbers.

Download Asteria and State Champs Latest Records For Free

I put Asteria's album cover to the left, mostly because I've already covered State Champs on the site. But don't think I'm favoring either release over the other. Both releases are fabulous in their own way. Asteria's record Momentum brought much improvement to the band's fairly generic pop-rock sound, especially in the technical sense, as Momentum may be the closest thing we have to The Graduate (R.I.P.) at this current time. While Asteria doesn't bring the consistent atmosphere that The Graduate does, there are moments in which you may think you're listening to Anhedonia.  State Champs is more reminiscent of Such Gold, Four Year Strong, or New Found Glory in their aggressive pop-punk songs, and released one of the most consistent pop-punk EPs of 2011. Both the records are being given away by the bands for celebratory reasons, and there is no reason to not at least give them a chance. You can download Asteria's record here, and State Champs' record here.

Hidden Hospitals

The only thing worse than a breakup is when a band seemingly disappears off the face of the planet. If a band has an official breakup, then at the very least you'll expect there not to be any more music. But when a band goes inactive and stops updating their profiles, there's still that small bit of hope that the band is still in existence. Damiera had been consistently updating fans on a new album, but suddenly stopped updating for over half a year. Luckily, a few members of Damiera have just announced they're in a new band with members of Kiss Kiss, in which several Damiera demos have surfaced as Hidden Hospital tracks. While Hidden Hospitals isn't as mathy and technical as Damiera, they're definitely groovier and more accessible, all while being led by David Raymond's characteristic vocals.  The band recently released their first EP titled EP 001, a strong five song release that can be heard and bought right here.

Yukon Blonde-Fire//Water

Canada based Yukon Blonde are set to return next month with a new EP entitled Fire//Water. Fire//Water is the follow up to the band’s rather successful first outing, of which garnered them a respectable amount of praise.

The EP was written partially on the road, and partially off the road. It promises to retain the same "folksiness" and catchiness of their self-titled, as well as show a growth and maturation. They same excellent hooks found on Yukon Blonde will make their appearance as well. More exciting is the fact that the band wrote and recorded 15 tracks over the course of a summer, 11 of which will make their debut on their sophomore effort, slated for release in 2012.

The new tracks that fill the EP will be featured on the band’s massive upcoming tour. Yukon Blonde has displayed quite a lot of promise, and is definitely something to keep on your radar. Look for Fire//Water when it drops October 11 on Dine Alone Records.

Kevin Devine - Between the Concrete and Clouds

Remember the long lost days of throwing a baseball around with your father at the neighborhood ballpark? You'd start off with a casual catch, dad's eyes twinkling at your ever-improving form. Then it was onto infield practice, the perfect excuse to get dirty whilst trying to imitate the sprawling web-gems of your favorite major-leaguers. As late afternoon became evening, your final test of the night ensued: batting practice. And with each pitch that dad lobbed over the plate, you swung as if that 400-foot fence was an attainable feat - clink! Foul ball. Then, quickly resetting and refocusing, another pitch - clink! Foul. Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth attempts followed in much the same way, with subsequent pings from the bat marking foul ball upon foul ball. Finally giving into the mounting frustration, the bat falls to the dirt along with hope and self-esteem. Your inability to achieve as desired seems such a major pitfall, until the feel of that fatherly embrace on that shoulder preceded the words you'd heard many a time before: "It's alright, son. At least you're consistent."

Live Review: Leeds Festival, Part 3 Of 3

Friday and Saturday of Leeds 2011 had been great, but even a cursory look at the lineup would tell you that the third and final day was where the fun and games lay. The NME/Radio 1 and Festival Republic Stages looked strong as ever, while the Lock-Up Stage made a welcome return after it had been transformed to the Dance Stage the day before. The days highlights didn't take much seeking out, though, since most of them were positioned on the Main Stage. Things came to a head with the festivals' first 'co-headliners,' The Strokes and Pulp, but there was also gold to be found earlier on in the day, with critical darlings The National, emo legends Jimmy Eat World and timeless festival veterans Madness all coming in late afternoon. It was a day that promised much, and proved to live up to every expectation and then some...

SUNDAY (28/08/2011)

After two days which had been mixed at best on the weather front, the sunshine finally made a long overdue appearance late on Sunday morning. This only worked to improve the atmosphere on site, but Main Stage openers The Joy Formidable still had the strong wind to contend with. Nevertheless, the Welsh rockers managed to battle the elements and played a solid set drawing from their excellent debut album The Big Roar - which is one of my personal favourites from this year. Some of their unnecessary instrumental jams did get lost in the bluster, but the quality of songs such as 'Whirring' and 'The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade' was more than enough to see them reign supreme. There are plenty of bands out there that try to resurrect the qualities of grunge and shoegaze, but few do it as well as this trio, and although this wasn't the best I've seen them it was still a solid way to get the day underway.