Album Review: Twin Atlantic - Free

The most trying part of a band's life cycle is the jump from EP (or in this case mini-album) to a full blown 11 to 13 song LP. This is when a band shows that they can make a strong, cohesive product or fall down to monotony. Twin Atlantic's debut Vivarium showed the ability to draw in listeners behind catchy riffs and hooks, but follow up Free often feels boring. At times, the band shows the ability to win a listener's full attention, but in the full scheme of things, Free will be soon forgotten.

Album Review: Sleeping at Last - Yearbook - April EP

Most bands just try to put out an album maybe every year (or two, or three...).  Sleeping at Last, on the other hand, is putting out 3 songs every month for 12 months, meaning they will have 3 albums' worth of content by the end of the year.  It takes a special band to attempt such a monstrous undertaking; and so far, the level of consistent quality the band has maintained is a mark of what kind of band Sleeping at Last is. But in the stretch of 36 songs, written and recorded at such a pace, there were always bound to be weak points. April is one of these weaker installments in the project. 

The Antlers

If you've had the unfortunate chance of living under a large boulder for the past few years like I have, then you missed The Antlers claim to fame in 2009 with their release of Hospice. Bursting out of Frenchkiss Records' door with an album that amassed so much critical acclaim, the Brooklyn trio now has a crowd of fans with high expectations of quality to live up to with the release of their new album, Burst Apart.

Album Review: And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs

Creating a whole new sound in an already expansive genre is difficult. Apparently not for Irish project And So I Watch You From Afar, though. Their take on post-rock and instrumental music is so vastly different from much of anything else out there, and they're coming back for even more with Gangs. After scoring a 6th best album of the year with their self-titled debut from Rock Sound, the project is bringing even more interesting works to the table.

The Lulls In Traffic Video

If, like me, you felt like crying when Copeland announced their break up, you were probably happy to hear that Aaron Marsh was joining a new project called The Lulls In Traffic.  You were then probably confused when it became apparent that the project was a hip hop project.  Well, all the questions that presented themselves are cleared away because The Lulls' first song is now available for your enjoyment.  Essentially, it sounds like a Copeland song with the added rapping of Ivan Ives.  The song is quintessential Marsh--ambient, sensitive, maybe even a bit too emotional.  The song falls a bit flat with lack of interest, but it shows promise for the future of this duo.
Watch the video for "The Rope to Pull Yourself Together" here.

Album Review: Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

The lyrical rudder of Manchester Orchestra's indie-rock ship has always been front-man Andy Hull, but never has it been so apparent in the band's new album Simple Math. Written as a concept album about the bearded leader himself, Simple Math sees the band performing Hull's most intimate lyrical moments he's written yet, while spotlighting the band's largest compositions to date. There simply isn't room for another "I Can Feel Your Pain" or "I Can Feel A Hot One" on Simple Math; it is far too occupied by Manchester Orchestra's ambitious songwriting, for better and worse of the album’s execution.

The Clippers

How do you know if you'd be interested in An Evening With The Clippers? Well how does an evening with Alkaline Trio-esque vocals and short and sweet musicianship with two (presumably) sweaty guys from Boston sound? If you've ever swooned to Matt Skiba's voice in Alkaline Trio before, you'll appreciate the combination of The Clippers' vocal drawl over technical guitar work a la Look Mexico. The result is an EP of five songs only lasting a meager seven minutes; it's fast, punchy, and just glossy to retain those Alkaline Trio similarities. If you're itching to sample some work from this Boston duo, you can sample two songs from their debut EP that was released last year, here. If you're interested in something a little more recent, The Clippers have released a split with the band Coping through Topshelf records which can be found, here.

Jeremy Larson

I'd like to welcome Kate Wieking as a new writer at Muzik Dizcovery. She used to work for the excellent review site The Album Project, and now she will lend her skills here.

There’s a good chance that if you are of the indie/alternative music persuasion you’ve already heard Jeremy Larson.  He may be one of the most accomplished musicians you’ve never heard of.  The self-taught string master has contributed string arrangements to albums by Sleeping At Last, MuteMath, and Eisley and is forming a supergroup with Darren King (MuteMath) and Stacy DuPree King (Eisley).  Most significantly, Larson has 3 albums out as an orchestral-based singer/songwriter and an EP out under his Beach Boys-influenced side project Fort Christmas.  His most recent release, They Reappear, is a cinematic soundtrack of Larson’s signature unaffected vocals, ambitious songwriting, and soaring melodies.  If you’re in the mood for something less high-concept, check out my personal favorite of his discography, Salvation Club, a collection of melancholy piano pieces in the vein of Copeland.  Larson isn’t going anywhere, so the sooner you get on this bandwagon, the better. Check out Salvation Club here.

The Downtown Fiction/He Is We Show Review

From the moment that crowds started arriving at the venue, the April 23rd stop of the Let's Be Animals tour was sure to be something special. As both a homecoming for The Downtown Fiction as well as their CD release show, friends, family, as well as fans alike all came to probably the band's largest headlining show to date. Bringing along friends He Is We, Cady Groves, and Amely, The Downtown Fiction also brought along hoards of teenage girls, as they dominated the venue. However, powerful vocals, fuck yous, and fun dominated the night.

Interview With He Is We

He Is We is Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly, a singer/songwriter duet that has surged in popularity over the past year, now playing main support to The Downtown Fiction on their latest tour. At the April 23rd date of the tour, Rachel and Trevor took time out of their day to answer a few questions regarding Purevolume, choosing a label, Aaron Gillespie, movie soundtracks, and their upcoming headlining tour, as well as more, all of which you can read below.

The Orphan, the Poet

The Orphan, the Poet's sound doesn't stand so well on its' own. It can easily be mistaken for other bands in their genre. Fans of Saosin's musicianship and Ben Jorgensen's (Armor For Sleep) vocals will have no problem appreciating TOTP. Despite their unoriginal sound, their lyrics make up for it. They are creatively complied into honest, emotional songs and seem to have surface meanings but come off so much more emotional once they are sang out loud by vocalist, David Eselgroth. With all that being said I highly recommend these guys because like I've said multiple times before, fans usually lean towards what they're familiar with. TOTP are following up their debut EP, In Brevity, with Translating, which is due to be released May 31st. The band will be releasing a new song this Tuesday on their Facebook.

The Swellers Announce New Album

Fueled By Ramen used to be a pop-punk (or bands associated with the genre) paradise, but lately the label has suffered. The Cab lost the members that gave them their special edge, Forgive Durden decided to go to Broadway, and A Rocket To The Moon, The Academy Is, and VersaEmerge each had a massive disappointment with their last album. While we're waiting for new Paramore, fun., and This Providence albums, The Swellers will be the next Fueled By Ramen band to release an excellent album. Their debut for Fueled By Ramen, Ups and Downsizing, was a superb pop-punk release, leaning more towards the punk side with a melodic edge. "The Best I Ever Had" has all the aspects of a hit single, while still sticking to the band's punk roots. Good For Me will be released June 14th, and "The Best I Never Had" can be streamed here.

Beau Navire

Beau Navire are a screamo band from the Bay Area in California. After releasing some demos, they recently put out a split with Adobe Homes and a seven-song release, Life Moves. Known for their discordant style and frantically shrieked vocals, Beau Navire are not really a part of "The Wave" bands like Pianos Become the Teeth and La Dispute associate themselves with. Rather, they stick truer to the traditional screamo sound, one often portrayed as dirty and gross. But uncleanliness sometimes accompanies a warped sense of beauty and this is certainly true in Beau Navire's case. I strongly recommend checking this band out. Stream Life Moves here.

Cattle Drums Release The Boy Kisser Sessions + 3 For Free!

Hopefully, some of you read my Cattle Drums' article. However, if you didn't check out their particular brand of post-hardcore, make sure to head over to Bandcamp, where Cattle Drums has just released their debut EP, The Boy Kisser Sessions, in addition to three more recent songs, all available for free.

R.I.P. You, Me, And Everyone We Know

I am sad to say that You, Me, and Everyone We Know has just announced an indefinite hiatus. Five of the six members of the band (all but Ben) announced that they were leaving the band, due to some undisclosed decisions that Ben had made. Ben's response said that he was working on staying sober, an issue may easily have been the breaking point of the band. I am absolutely heartbroken, as Some Things Don't Wash Out was easily one of the best records I heard last year. Also, not even two months ago I was sitting in Ben's van, giving one of my favorite interviews that I have done thus far. I wish Ben luck in his recovery, and the every one of the band members luck for whatever their future may be. You can read the announcement here. The band's last release will be Things Are Really Weird Right Now, first announced on this very site, out soon.

The Ghost Of Otis

The Ghost of Otis has done something that very few bands have made me done before; actually read the lyrics and allow them to provoke my own opinions about the topic at hand. Religion ("I agree with the words of Jesus but not with the Christians, and I agree with the ways of Siddhartha but not with the Buddhists.", politics ("Passing ideas from one leader to the next, they say it creates structure, but who the fuck wants structure? We create it with our taxes. We paid the bill, but we're still in debt, and without a way out. So how do they fix it? Create more taxes, and raise the ones they already had."), and social issues ("Your car eats more gas than you can afford, and those cigarettes you smoke, they run eight bucks a pack. That's another hour's work for you; light another one boy, here's to your health. Another car crash on your way into work, five seconds late and your boss gives you crap. Eight more hours 'til your freedom is won, but by then you're so tired, you just want to crash.") are all common topics throughout the record. These deeper topics are mostly spoken rather than sung by gruff speaker Jason McCray, while siblings Krista and Matthew D'Amico add sweeter vocals at other times. Krista also contributes massively with her deep, vibrant baritone saxophone, which works pleasantly together with Matthew's heavy guitar riffs. Though some of the lyrics may not fit your views entirely, it is best to listen to Hopes and Denials with an open mind, as the thoughts reflected in the lyrics are at the very least worth understanding.  The music itself is beautiful, but the societal views make this record special. You can stream the entire album on the band's Deep Elm page here.

Artist Spotlight: Daybreaker

Daybreaker's new EP, The Northbound Trains, has been getting mixed reactions. A bunch of people are saying that it's just a re-hashed carbon copy of the gaslight anthem. I hold opinions quite contrary to this, as this EP absolutely rules. It's probably one of the best EP's I've heard in recent memory, and contains one of the most fantastic opening tracks I've heard in a long time. Take a listen at their bandcamp here, and see for yourself just how much this release destroys most other releases that came out this month.

Album Review: Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

The first full-length release we've seen from the Texas-based project since All Of The Sudden I Miss Everyone back in 2007, Explosions In The Sky takes a step into the new decade by releasing Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, which mixes much of the more familiar sounds in the discography with the newer, more experimental tastes.

The first track off the record, "Last Known Surroundings", starts with an ethereal and mysterious void, slowly shaping until a guitar hit brings the song forward motion with a drum beat that The Arcade Fire could say sounds familiar (No Cars Go, anyone?). After riffing with a sweetly tuned, high-octave guitar, the tune dies down into the bridge, a soft push that leads to a stronger buildup, gaining more and more strength and soul with a faster drum beat, until the cathartic release with a distorted guitar occurs, and the song fades back down to the void.

Young Brother

While Bandcamp is easily the best source for selling your music, there is one major flaw to it. It is just very difficult to find new bands that you didn't know about in the first place. Luckily, one of the newer features makes up for that. When downloading The Pattern Traced's new EP (feature up soon!), it showed recommendations from the band. One of them was Young Brother, claimed to be "the best unsigned indie rock band he's heard." Though that's a rather hyperbolic statement, there is some truth to that. Reminiscent of Local Natives due to the layered, dreamy guitar patterns and tribal drum rhythms, the band gushes talent and creates songs mostly made by experienced and established groups. The songs may run together a bit, but the pure creative ability displayed by the band is undeniable. The statement will not be true for much longer, as Young Brother shows all the necessary skills to be signed to a label. But unless people download the EP and share the music, this will not happen, so feel free to download the album (at a price of your choice) on the band's Bandcamp page here.

The Pattern Traced- I'm Calm, The Storm Is Coming

Jon Callender definitely topped his last album with his latest EP, I'm Calm, The Storm is Coming. Everything about this album is cleaner; the vocals are crisp, the synth beats are sharper and the lyrics are more mature. This EP is a lot more personal and Callender tones down the wit we experienced on his last release, Lessons in Leaving. Callender throws around the topic of death on two tracks. "Need Help" covers wanting to fight for your life even when it's close to end. "Die Alone" explores the topic of the political world and Callender sings "I rather die alone, than be living a lie." He makes it very clear he'd rather die a painful death than to ever be like someone in politics. The EP is brought to an end with "What Keeps You Awake". The vocals are the best I've ever heard them and it shows a softer and more serious side of Callender. This track makes me wish the entire EP was arranged this way. I'm Calm, The Storm is Coming makes the wait for his next release seem even farther away. We can only hope Callender delivers with The Artful Abortions Of Sound. You can download this EP here.