Artist Of The Day: Chroma

Although they are a supergroup of sorts, Chroma hasn't suffered through most of the problems associated with most supergroups in the music world. The drum & bass trio (Phobia, Sato and Tyrone) hailing from the Northeast U.K., Chroma has had an impressive slew of releases in their two years of existence. They've released on huge labels like Renegade Hardware, Commercial Suicide, and most recently Ram Records' fantastic sublabel Program Music, and they've come out with some seriously good tunes over their short lifetime. Of special note is "So Alone," one of the best DnB songs of 2012 in this humble reviewer's opinion, which is a rolling, driving monster of a tune. It's soulful, with its melancholy synth lines and its reggae-styled vocal sample, but at the same time it's got brutal drums and a wicked bassline that mesh perfectly with the soul stylings of the rest of the piece. Chroma is going to be a name to watch in the future, and with a track set to be released on a new Renegade Hardware EP alongside the likes of genre legends BTK and Cern, it's clear that big things are already coming to the trio.

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Artist Of The Day: Copeland

If I could choose one band to fall in love with earlier than I actually did, Copeland would likely be my choice. It's an enormous regret of mine that I didn't really get into the band until the middle of last year, nearly three years after the band parted ways. The worst part about the breakup was that Copeland is a band which had improved dramatically with every album, transforming from the raw, relatively simplistic Beneath Medicine Tree to the gorgeously arranged You Are My Sunshine. However, it may very well be Aaron Marsh's vocal growth that launched the band to a new level. His impeccable control of his upper registers as well as the ability to sustain notes put him near (if not at) the top of vocalists in the scene. When also considering his songwriting and lyrical skills, he was one of the best frontmen out there. Marsh hasn't disappeared completely, singing on songs by Sleeping With Sirens, The Morning Of, and Fair (amongst others) and producing a couple records. Marsh is also part of a group called The Lulls In Traffic, but the band has done pretty much nothing since their formation. However, let's hope for new Marsh material this year, whether it's The Lulls In Traffic, guest vocals on tracks or even another new band. The band's second best album Eat, Sleep, Repeat will be released on vinyl in March, so keep your eyes out for that.

Album Review: Terra Terra Terra - The Space We Create

Album Rating: B

Although the recording of an album is usually a long, grueling process, as a music fan it can be tough to understand what the average group is going through when they put in long week after long week in the studio, making sure the final product gleams. The idea of recording the same part over and over again for hours on end is something that has to be experienced to fully understand, and as a listener who will typically listen to an album for less total time than a full day of recording for that album that concept is a tricky one to comprehend. We often barely bat an eye when an artist releases three albums in as many years, and we react similarly when a group takes five years to make sure their final product is exactly right. So, when Terra Terra Terra advertises their new album, The Space We Create, as a process that has taken a year and a half to "bubble up into fruition," it's tough not to ask, "So what?" The whole idea of the "12-hour studio days" which Terra Terra Terra put in to ensure the best album possible seems almost cliché because it feels like it's something any artist could do, and it doesn't really separate Terra Terra Terra from the other pop rockers out there.

Album Review: This Town Needs Guns - 13.0.0.0.0

Album Rating: A-

This Town Needs Guns are releasing their newest outing at the perfect time. The math-rock group's latest release 13.0.0.0.0 is named after the Mayan prophesies, and comes from the civilization's idea of the world truly beginning once 13 b’ak’tuns (periods of time containing 144,000 days each) have been completed. What great timing, too, because this concept is where the infamous Mayan prophesies of 2012 came from. 13.0.0.0.0 comes out right on the heels of the debacle, and intentional or not, the inherent connection gives This Town Needs Guns' latest record a more meaningful context.

Live Review: Richard Dawson, The Head Of Steam, Newcastle, 1/4/2013

I'm too wrapped up in rigid routines to make any meaningful New Year's resolutions, so most of my pledges for 2013 bear a distinct theme of continuation. Among them is my will to catch as much live music as feasibly possible, a quest which began last Friday in the familiar setting of Newcastle's Head Of Steam, with a lineup consisting of two of the region's more promising up-and-coming acts alongside the slightly more established creature that is Richard Dawson. Grander, more prestigious events may lie in wait during the next 12 months, though as this gig proved the notion of a low-key, intimate performance can be a difficult one to beat.

Interview With Young Statues (12/19/12)

Young Statues' quick ascent as a band may seem surprising, but under close examination it makes perfect sense. While the band doesn't fit under the usual Run For Cover umbrella, they still can appeal to the kids looking for something a little more laid back and are a very accessible gateway between many genres of music. The band has also been lucky enough to be associated with some very well musical figures such as Ace Enders and Joseph Marro of The Early November, and promotion from them will do nothing but bring them a very solid fanbase. On one of the last few shows of their tour with The Dangerous Summer, the band gratefully sat down with us to take some questions regarding topics such as their recently released cover EP and the expectations that came with its release, a brand new EP with Ace Enders, their feelings on the differences between their sound and related bands, and much more that you can read below.

Artist Of The Day: Gozu

Kick-ass stoner rock has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Whether it's Kyuss chugging out sludgy riffs, Red Fang LARPing on "Prehistoric Dog," or Priestess shredding on "Lay Down," it's always been a really fun genre. New England band Gozu is somewhat new on the scene (forming in 2008) but they've quickly made their mark. They've just released an excellent new album, "The Fury Of A Patient Man" on Small Stone Recordings that epitomizes everything I (and many others) like about stoner rock. "Irish Dart Fight" is a ridiculously catchy song with its straight-ahead drums and sludge-laden guitars, and it's a great example of what the band can do. Opener "Bald Bull" is one of the best songs on the album, mostly because stoner rock works really well in 6/8 time but also because its infectious power chords beg anyone listening to headbang right along. Plus, its solo shows off the chops of guitarist Doug Sherman, an excellent guitarist who fits the band perfectly. Gozu seems to be destined for great things, and they're a treat to listen to.

You can stream their new album on Bandcamp here.

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Artist Of The Day: We Were Skeletons

Despite releasing an incredible album this past October, some may think that We Were Skeletons are the unsung heroes of Topshelf Records. Although they play a style of post-hardcore similar to much of Topshelf's roster, We Were Skeletons also blend groovy and twangy guitars reminiscent of many emo acts. The twinkle-core sound is unique, refreshing, abrasive, and astoundingly cohesive. Songs often focus around a heavy riff, which progress into a toned down, contemplative atmosphere accompanied by tight bass lines and head-bobbing drum beats. The resulting music is familiar, yet special; after a couple of listens, you'll wonder why you've never listened to the band before. Ultimately, you'll realize that We Were Skeletons released one of the best albums of 2012 and that the music is absolutely brilliant.

Artist Of The Day: Broadcast

Among the most rewarding indie acts of the past decade, Broadcast's stint appeared to reach its conclusion in 2011 when vocalist Trish Keenan succumbed to pneumonia. At only 42 years age, her loss was as devastating as it was unexpected; a tragic full stop for a group and musician who still had so much left to give. Initially a quartet, the Birmingham-based outfit delivered four albums, seven EPs and two compilations between 1996 and 2009, winning praise aplenty from critics and simultaneously becoming one of the most beloved names of the UK's indie underground. Intended as a comeback after an atypical period of inactivity, the band had been working on a score to Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio before Kennan's passing left their plans in turmoil.

Artist Of The Day: Scraps of Tape

Rarely has a band ever stuck to their sound as well as Scraps Of Tape. While the math-rock / post-rock band has added a larger emphasis on vocals in their more recent releases as well as producing higher-quality audio, the feel of each of their albums has been essentially the same. The core of the band's success is creating melodies to funky time signatures that attract the listener's ear and carry some emotional meaning with it; with four releases filling their repertoire, their most recent effort Resident Flux adds vocals to the already-proven formula and simply adds another dynamic layer to the intricate audio. The result is slightly easier for new listeners to relate to, but stays true to the band's original style.

RECOMMENDED ALBUM

This Is A Copy Is This A Copy (2007)
This record is a really fantastic record. The sound quality was increased from the debut tenfold, it features heavily emotional tracks that border on post-metal, and really marks a point of musical maturity for the band. They hit everything exactly right, "Death As It Should Be" introducing the album in an incredible way, the entirety of the album has powerful swells and depressingly moody dives, and it closes with a 10-minute emotional rollercoaster of a track, "Why Marcus Oh Why." The entire record is incredible and definitely warrants picking up and looking at.

You can look up the band's recent news and records on their website, and all of their records are on Spotify to stream for free!

Artist of the Day: This Town Needs Guns

This Town Needs Guns makes accessible math-rock. This is somewhat of a contradiction, since math rock is concerned with more complex musical practices, and this makes the British group's style surprising. How do their songs sound so comfortable, when they're constructed with the oddest time signatures in mind? It's a respectable skill this group has, and one you should acquaint yourself with if you haven't already.

A recommended starting point for This Town Needs Guns would be their latest record, Animals. The album contained many notable tracks, but perhaps the most memorable one is "26 Is Dancier Than 4." Check it out, and if you like what you hear, you should proceed to the rest of the album!

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Album Review: Pianos Become The Teeth/Touché Amoré - Split

Album Review: A

Just barely past the first week of the new year, Touché Amoré and Pianos Become The Teeth came together to release the best music of their careers. Whereas Pianos Become The Teeth build upon their last release The Lack Long After by experimenting with cleaner vocals, Touché Amoré's side clocks in at a whopping 4 minutes and 8 seconds, nearly double the length of any of their previous songs. The split features the signature raw emotion that both bands focus so passionately on, then take it even further. There's no doubt that Touché and Pianos are some of the hottest bands in the post-hardcore scene right now, with this split acting as an example of just how they continue to push their own limits.

Artist of the Day: Glassjaw

It's not often that one finds a band making such radically aggressive yet technically proficient music as Glassjaw. Coming out of the rich Long Island scene, Glassjaw is easily recognizable by their combination of tight cymbal work, fast-paced guitars and Daryl Palumbo's hallmark vocals that combine to create one of the most memorable post-hardcore acts of the 2000s. Despite, or perhaps due to the band's internal issues- including disputes with their label Roadrunner Records, the near-constant lineup changes and Palumbo's Crohn's disease- they are able to unite under the same umbrella of organized chaos to make some of the least synchronous, best produced records ever released. Nearly everything about the band seems out of place: Palumbo's trademark sneer and aversion to harsh vocals are both unique for the scene, the guitar lines are reliant on high string riffs rather than the typical powerchord arrangements and a rhythm section that rarely provides actual rhythm.

Artist Of The Day: Chris Commisso

Well, damn, this grin just might split my face into two.

For the unitiated, Chris Commisso is a pianist, singer-songwriter and pop powerhouse rolled into one irresistible ball of fun. According to his YouTube page, though, the guy has been through some tough times (including "a struggle with severe social phobia/anxiety disorder"), and his catchy tunes reflect a surprisingly complex and mature perspective. Look no further than his cover of Carly Rae Jepsen's "This Kiss" which trades in the unabashed euphoria of the source material for a more melancholy pining; Commisso's delicate voice wrings an essay's worth of subtext out of the couplet, "Some things so sentimental / You make so detrimental." As evidenced by his prolific and diverse body of work, his songwriting's a potent combination of both of those qualities.

Jukebox: Maduk - Feel Good

It's always nice to see a small artist who has always deserved more recognition "make it big." Maduk, a Dutch drum & bass producer, is one such artist. He's always had a devoted following - YouTube promotion channel Liquicity has promoted his stuff for a while now, and continues to do so here - but it's good to see he was snapped up by major DnB label Viper Recordings on their VIP imprint for new artists. He's been an incredible producer for quite some time now, as his song "Ghost Assassin" single-handedly caused one of my friends to change over entirely from playing multiplayer online video games to single-player games with worthwhile storylines thanks to the song's beautiful, shimmering portrayal of a portion of the Starcraft 2 story. No doubt, then, much of his fanbase is rejoicing at the release of his latest single at the hands of a big-name label.

Artist of the Day: Sangam

Since arriving on my radar late last year with a collaboration with Retral, Sangam's been supplying my ears with all sorts of ambient goodies. Not just your run-of-the-mill guitar drones stuff either, this relatively new producer is already far along the road to establishing his own style. Within the ethereal haze are subtle (but only very subtle) echoes of electronic and dubstep styles, which make for a much deeper, darker and more desolate mood. Recent single "Deadline" moves this back to a more smooth approach: emphasising the slow shift of drones behind drones instead of an atmosphere (such as in "Shattered Nights"). It's a direction I'm not too happy to see him go, as he risks collapsing into the tide of artists who already excel with basic drone ambient, but it's hard to gauge how one track will effect his progression as an artist.

Sangam's previous EP, We Cotched Under Stars, didn't quite make its way into my top 50 for 2012, but he's an artist I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for.

Listen on Soundcloud

Album Review: Chief Keef - Finally Rich

Album Rating: F

The title of Chief Keef’s freshman album implies something pre-determined. It speaks volumes about the 17-year-old’s attitude; it’s not that he, a lower-class teenager from the South Side of Chicago is rich, it’s that he’s finally rich- that this was always going to happen and it taking 17 years required too much patience. It’s an unorthodox attitude to have: his frequent run-ins with the law, including time spent under house arrest for weapons possession while under contract with Interscope, give the impression that he’s a loose cannon whose time spent in the trap has twisted him- an impression which certainly isn’t helped by songs like “Hate Being Sober.” From the outside, he appears to be the exact type of kid you wouldn’t want to be associated with but the implication of the title is this was always going to happen.

Artist Of The Day: 2NE1

With the boom of Korean pop has come a (not entirely undeserved) reactionary backlash deeming the genre vapid and facile; if acts like 2NE1 are any indication though, the screaming fans in the front rows aren’t entirely wrong. The group’s bouncy onomatopoeias and bounties of swagger belie music yielding dividends both sonically and emotionally.

Artist Of The Day: Polyenso

I wrote about Oceana's efforts at using a Kickstarter to fund their latest album back in April, and we're now just starting to hear the results of this funding. However, the band is now going under the name Polyenso, a very valid change due to the enormous change in the band's sound since their early metalcore days. With the release of the first track from the band's upcoming record One Big Particular Loop, the band's transformation is completed. "Dog Radio" takes a lot from Radiohead's music, especially vocally. Vocalist Brennan Taulbee has changed his style immensely, even from the Clean Head days. He works far more in the falsetto, and sometimes sounds almost like a second Thom Yorke. The addition of trumpet in the band's recent live videos was one of the more exciting developments to look forward from this album, and its use on "Dog Radio" is nothing less than stunning. The band has made a complete leap across scenes, and it'll be interesting to see who One Big Particular Loop catches on with. You can stream "Dog Radio" here, and be on the lookout for more music from the band.

Album Review: Dropkick Murphys - Signed And Sealed In Blood

Album Rating: C+

It pains me to say it, but as a long-term, borderline obsessive fan I really don't see where Dropkick Murphys have left to go. An established stable of America's Celtic punk scene, the Bostoners have spent the past 17 years enhancing and arguably even defining the genre with the fine and thoroughly consistent reaches of their back catalogue. Hitting their stride in the early '00s, the seven-piece delivered a string of records in Sing Loud, Sing Proud! Blackout and The Warrior's Code which all but perfected their niche, with the latter achieving a level of commercial success only matched by subsequent outings. With that in mind, 2011's Going Out In Style stood as something of a final creative frontier; a relatively lavish concept album which, while not wholly removed from a musical perspective represented without doubt their most ambitious and expansive foray to date. It didn't quite belong in their top tier, but that wasn't so much an issue as the fact it left such little leeway regarding their next move.