Album Review: Black Wine-Summer of Indifference

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Black Wine’s Summer of Indifference, and if things keep going the way they’ve been going, I’ll be enjoying it for quite some time. The record is simply amiable—fun, chaotic, and deliciously varied and unpredictable. Summer of Indifference really is one of the more listenable, and more outwardly easy things to listen to this year, making it the perfect companion in your “summer of indifference.”

Artist Spotlight: Pure Love

Last week I was gutted to hear the news that frontman Frank Carter had left British punk band Gallows. The Watford quintet may only have been around for six years, but they’ve long been at the forefront of the nation’s hardcore scene, and in 2009’s sophomore Grey Britain released one of the best albums that the year had to offer. I only got to see them once, but their live show was phenomenal, and it was Carter’s onstage energy and full-blooded aggression which fueled much of that success. Given that their music was always so uncompromising, it perhaps comes as a surprise that disagreement over the direction of their fourth album was what led to the singers departure, and even more so that Gallows plan to continue despite losing what essentially was their strongest weapon.

Fear not, though, Carter’s absence won’t be felt for long. No sooner had he quit than he disclosed details of a new project, called Pure Love with his friend Jim Carroll, who also operates in Suicide File, Clouds and the Hope Conspiracy. They are set to enter the studio in September to record their debut album, and have announced their intention to tour extensively in support of it come the end of the year. Weak name aside, the initial signs of this new musical venture are promising. A short audio clip has already surfaced, and although hardly conclusive it hints at both a melodic and atmospheric leap forward from Gallows, without sacrificing any of the anger or volume. I, for one, can’t wait to hear more.

You can keep up with their progress on the bands website.

Album Review - The Bigger Lights: Battle Hymn

For once, artistic integrity has prevailed over living the easy life. Rather than continuing to work with Doghouse Records for the follow up to their eponymously named debut full length, The Bigger Lights decided to self produce and self release their brand new LP Battle Hymn. Though The Bigger Lights had some catchy moments, the lyrical and musical content was generally poor, and the album seemed to cater to the high school aged female, a crowd that could easily spring The Bigger Lights to superstardom. But although the band's DIY attitude with Battle Hymn may be a financial burden to the band, The Bigger Lights have easily released their strongest material to date.

Army Navy

I'd like to welcome Cody Nelson to the posting club here on MuzikDizcovery. Cody has been a great friend and musical acquaintance of mine for a while now, and I'm extremely happy to have him offering up his talents here. Love beautiful female singers or guilty pleasure pop music? Then you may want to follow Cody's posts in the future.

Now I've known about these guys for a few months thanks to the great music taste the Sklar Brothers have, but Army Navy is probably unknown to most people. An indie pop trio hailing from Los Angeles, Army Navy is the 1 part Steel Train, 1/2 part Beatles, and 3/4 part garage rock summer band that everyone has been looking for (and just hasn't realized yet). Infectious melodies in songs like 'Ode To Janice Melt' and 'Ignite' mesh perfectly with the oddly entrancing voice of Justin Kennedy, who, in two albums (the newest being The Last Place, which dropped today), has mastered the sad lyrics/happy music balance. Kennedy also shines on more bare bones songs such as 'The Long Goodbye,' that really focus on pushing the musicianship into the background, and pulling his vacant tones into the forefront. So for those of you who enjoy listening to music just because it puts you in a good mood, and you're not interested in listening to what's actually being said, give Army Navy a try. They're great at writing fun, infectious pop rock tunes that just happen to include deeper meaning for those looking for an added bonus. Check out a few tracks on their Soundcloud, and pick up their newest album The Last Place on iTunes.

Album Review: Patrick Wolf - Lupercalia

Wild, outlandish, and flamboyant pop stars are a dime a dozen nowadays. We’ve got Katy Perry gallivanting around in her videos dressed like an alien, singing of bi-curious explorations and whatnot. Then we get Lady Gaga, a woman whose fashion ranges from dresses made from bubbles to dresses made of meat. However bizarre these musicians may be, there is really only one Patrick Wolf, and he’s absolutely one of a kind. While Wolf more than often indulges in the extravagant, his unpredictably strange image is bolstered by something neither Gaga nor Perry have: substance.

He Is We Acoustic Session

He Is We graciously offered their time before their 7/10 headlining show at Jammin Java to play two acoustic tracks for us. Check out the session below.

Album Review: Beware of Safety - Leaves / Scars

Walking a thin line between post-metal and post-rock, Los Angeles-based instrumental project Beware of Safety comes crashing into the scene with their sophomore full-length, Leaves / Scars. Having recently uncovered the fairly recent band, I enjoyed discovering their heavy, progressive style established in their releases, sounding something like a crude mash of God is an Astronaut and North. The thing that really defines Beware of Safety is their lack of trepidation to make some noise and to show off their raw power, but at the same time, add their superb musicality and throw on a healthy dose of contrast, mixing blasts with mellow acoustic bridges.

Live Review: Frank Turner, Whitley Bay Playhouse, 07/07/2011

Music is a divisive art, so it’s virtually impossible to be liked by literally everyone. Saying that, I for one can’t think of any act that has attracted such universal adoration as former Million Dead frontman Frank Turner in his increasingly successful career as a solo artist. Currently riding high on the back of excellent recent album England Keep My Bones, Turner has been a cult hero in some circles for a few years now, all while slowly edging up festival bills and converting more followers. Such success is usually met with a backlash of some sort, but that hasn’t materialised for Turner, perhaps because the man – and the music he makes – is virtually impossible not to like.

Gregory Attonito (The Bouncing Souls) - Natural Disaster

Legendary punk band The Bouncing Souls are known for their short, brutal tracks full of menacing guitars, vicious drumming, and Greg Attonito's powerful vocals. Attonito's solo album is a totally separate entity, leaving behind all aspects from his main project. The songs are acoustically based, with horns and keys sporadically placed into the tracks. However, the biggest change is the fact that Attonito's voice seems surprisingly fragile, a huge change for someone who usually sings with an endless fire. His emotions regarding love are poured out, especially in the extremely stripped down "Sexiest Girl", which reads as a 15 year old's diary, yet still feels powerful. Female harmonies increase the amorous feelings in "Teardrops", as even the most sophisticated arrangements on the EP are downplayed, leaving the main focus on Attonito's voice and lyrics. Even the toughest men have hearts, and Attonito succeeds with flying colors in putting down those misconceptions. Natural Disaster just reassures Attonito's place in history as one of the most important frontmen in the last twenty years, as his legacy is moved beyond just punk music. You can pre-order the EP on the Chunksaah website here.

Artist Spotlight: Mogwai - Earth Division EP

It looks like Glasgow-based post-rock band Mogwai is having a good year. With their 7th studio album, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (review here) receiving critical acclaim, the band sets off to continue to impress and improve with the Earth Division EP. According to a Sub Pop release, we can expect the EP to be somewhat of a departure from their standard, pounding guitar riffs to a quieter, more hazy and less focused sound to include classical instruments like violins, violas, cellos, and double bass. With lots on the horizon, we hope that Mogwai will retain at least a portion of their classic, beloved sound, but as with experimental bands, it never truly is the same every time. However, the post tells us that the EP "might offer the listener something different, but it still carries the band's hallmarks", so until September, all we can do is sit and wait.

The EP comes out September 12th on Rock Action and September 13th on Sub Pop.

Girls-Father Son Holy Ghost

Critically acclaimed indie act, Girls, have announced their upcoming second proper album, entitled Father Son Holy Ghost. The album follows their 2009 debut, Album, which garnered glowing praise from notable sites and publications, such as Spin and Pitchfork.

Information regarding the album has been rather scarce, as it was revealed on facebook through a very obscure sort of "magic widget." The band urged those who were interested to "keep checking," with more of the puzzle being revealed each. It's speculated that these are the album's song titles.

Regardless, Girls' hotly anticipated sophomore album drops September 13th, so be sure to check it out!

Artist Spotlight: Trees Above Mandalay

While at a local showcase brimming with indie pop bands sporting no personality and painfully bad metalcore acts, I was lucky enough to stumble across New Jersey natives Trees Above Mandalay. Despite the fact that I was one of twelve in the crowd, Tress Above Mandalay grabbed my attention with their high energy performance. Though eclectic in sound, Trees Above Mandalay manages to pull together a polished and professional identity, which can be loosely described as progressive pop punk with a jazzy feel.  Their debut LP, Palace, was rereleased in 2010 with fantastic production and the same great musicianship. Check it out on their Bandcamp here.

Coyote Theory

Technical bands and fun bands are usually thought of as opposites. You don't usually find an extremely catchy math-rock band, while most pop music stays within conventional structures. Coyote Theory destroys all misconceptions that technical and poppy can not go together. Single "Vibe" combines jazzy piano patterns similar to those played by The Reign Of Kindo while vocalist Colby Carpinelli shows off his Nate Ruess-like vocal range, easily soaring up into the highest registers. "This Side Of Paradise" holds more of a Circa Survive feel within the technical guitar riffs, and "It's A Trap" embraces more of a straightforward rock feel, while still feeling unique. Coyote Theory is one of the most unique bands I've heard in quite a long time, easily satisfying my need for catchy hooks while remaining technically proficient. Color is excellent in showing off every one of the band's talents, and is easily a frontrunner for the best EP I've heard this year. Stream "Vibe" and purchase the album on the band's Bandcamp page here.

Album Review: The Horrors - Skying

We all love stories of bands who have made a change for the better; the type with enough awareness to condemn what they have been doing and take steps to correct their wrongs, and in the past few years there have been few greater tales than that of The Horrors. When they formed in 2005, the Southend quintet bore closer resemblance to The Adams Family than a serious band, with ridiculous haircuts, an obscure fashion sense and frankly juvenile stage names. Their music was hardly terrible, with their debut LP Strange House proving a mildly passable dose of arty garage-punk, but you always got the overwhelming sense that the bands themselves valued their somewhat comical image over the substance of their actual compositions. All of that changed, though, with 2009’s sophomore Primary Colours. Engaging in a total career U-turn, the band cast aside their gimmicky extras in favour of a more serious and altogether more rewarding shoegaze direction. It wasn’t quite as good as some would have you believe (the NME even went as far as to name it their album of the year), but it was nevertheless a key turning point, and forced the previously disapproving musical community to sit up and take them seriously.

Album Retrospective: Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

For anyone who was ever sixteen, Taking Back Sunday’s rather groundbreaking Tell All Your Friends is for you. While the term “groundbreaking” may be a bit much, it’s tough to deny that Taking Back Sunday set the scene on fire for much of the last decade. Finally, there was an album and a band that captured teen angst in a less melodramatic and less agonizing way, combating the painful amount of forgettable, comparable acts of the mid 2000’s. Sure, Simple Plan whined and wailed about the pains of being a teenager (surely those years must have almost killed them), but Taking Back Sunday casually romanticized the coming of age theme. Tell All Your Friends was not angry, caustic, nor depressing, but dramatic in a somewhat jovial way. Tell All Your Friends was fun, exciting, and something you could waste an entire summer away to.

Album Review: Giles Corey - Giles Corey

Innumerable comparisons of Giles Corey to Have A Nice Life are going to be made, and really, it’s hard not to see why. After all, both projects share one man, Dan Barrett. More importantly, however, is the ability of both bands to create uncompromisingly dense, dark, and riveting musical compositions. This is where the comparisons should end though, as Giles Corey’s eponymous debut is an entirely different kind of beast; an album rife with complexities, but stripped down, making it real, raw, and visceral.

Album Review: Cat's Eyes - Cat's Eyes

While there are undoubtedly some pairings in music that seem made for eachother, you often find that it’s the least likely match-ups which prove to be the most interesting. Nas with Damien Marley, Shane McGowan with Kirsty McColl and Robert Plant with Alison Krauss are among the unlikely successes which initially spring to my mind, and this year’s Faris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira pairing can also be added to that list. This is a hook-up which is so unorthadox due to the widely different stylings of the pair - Badwan is the gangly frontman of noisy British art-punks The Horrors, while Zeffira is a classically trained Canadian vocalist, - but these approaches interact wonderfully on this, the duo’s debut full-length.

Fourth Of July Free(dom) - Junior Battles

Today, us Americans are celebrating our freedom. And while most of you are out getting drunk, barbecuing, and setting off fireworks, the ones that see this post will receive another form of freedom, as Junior Battles' latest full length Idle Ages is up for pay-what-you-want download. The dual-vocalled pop-punk band plays their own special brand of witty pop-punk,  but has definite similarities to bands such as Punchline. The band's Paper + Plastick debut was just released on June 28th, and today is the last day you can get this album for free. Be sure to go stream and download tonight on their Bandcamp page here.

Fan Deep Elm Records for Free Music

Us at MuzikDizcovery love Deep Elm Records (if it wasn't apparent from the massive amount of posts we've done about their bands). Moonlit Sailor has already topped Mat's midyear top 5 list, and I won't be surprised if that record enters mine as well. Well, Deep Elm Records recently posted on Facebook that if they get 2000 fans on their page by July 15th, they will give away an album for free every week for the rest of 2011. I have honestly never heard a record released by the label that is poor, and a deal like this can not be found anywhere else. Please, please, please go to the label's Facebook page and fan them here.

Artist Spotlight: City of Ships

A much awaited sophomore release is coming in hot from City of Ships, a Los Angeles-centralized avant-rock trio that came to fame with a critically-acclaimed debut, Look What God Did To Us. On the new release, Minor World, we can expect as much creativity as the debut, with a triple dose of experimentation. The band met with producer Andrew Schneider, who also worked with Rosetta and Pelican, and used a veritable armada of different amps, mics, guitars, and even drum tones "in order to highlight the individuality of each track". And with the premiere of "Low Countries" streaming online, anyone would say the band has a hard time disappointing fans, absolutely keeping an ethereal, impassioned sound throughout the four-minute epic. Post-metal and art-rock fans rejoice, for City of Ships is coming back, and they're coming back hard. The album will not disappoint.

You can download and listen to "Low Countries" here, and Minor World hits stores on July 19th.