Artist Of The Day: Masked Intruder

Who says gimmicks can't be enjoyable? Masked Intruder used their schtick to release one of the most fun and catchy pop-punk records of the year. The members all perform anonymously under ski masks of different colors, and the lyrics are all about breaking and entering  and other similar acts. It may seem ridiculous, and it is, but the band's songwriting skills mask the insanity of the concept. The songs aren't technically advanced or anything, but the songs are all insanely catchy with harmonies straight out of '60s pop. Blue's fairly high pitched vocals are slick and smooth, and they make the music very accessible and easy to listen to. It's a version of pop punk that stands out in a very weak year for the genre, and comes out to be one of the most enjoyable releases of the year. The band was recently announced to be releasing their debut self-titled album on vinyl via Fat Wreck Chords, and you can still order it (on black, color is sold out) here.

Artist(s) of the Day: Secede & Kettel

Despite tormenting me with his brief absence from the wide and wonderful musical world, Secede must know that I will always forgive him, if not just for the fact that he created Bye Bye Gridlock Traffic back in 2003: an album continuously stuck in place as one of my favourite records of all time. Somewhere amidst the charming subtlety, child-like mysticism, and astounding imagination I fell in love; and although later musical outings would see Secede travelling more standard paths I never gave up.

Jukebox: Distal - Cherry Red

With all the overblown hype trap has been getting recently, it's some surprise that artists haven't really explored the minimalist aspects of the genre too much. Yes, since the style is basically centered around big, room-shaking kick-clap rhythms and huge basslines (albeit not much else), it's not shocking that most of the work in the genre has been big club-rocking anthems. Dillon Francis' "Masta Blasta (The Rebirth)" has been almost a poster child for trap in general, with its massively aggressive upper end complementing the other elements of the song, and though more minimalist trap does exist, for every subtler song there are probably fifteen more abrasive ones. And it's true that producers like Hudson Mohawke and his TNGHT collaboration with Lunice show off what "subdued" trap can do, but they're in the minority.

Artist Of The Day: Krewella

In an over-saturated genre of American wobbly electro (brostep, if you will), Krewella have stuck their heads above the mob and achieved fame in a genre where that fame is difficult to obtain. The complextro trio  (Jahan, Yasmine, and Rain Man, to the fans) made waves with the versatility of their sound where most artists end up sounding very similar. Their Play Hard EP, their biggest release to date, shows off this versatility quite nicely. The group of producers go from straight brostep (One Minute) to pump-up drumstep (Killin' It) to excellently-arranged progressive house (Alive) to 110-BPM electro house (Can't Control Myself, my favorite off the EP), keeping the strands of the EP together with aggressive, slightly-vocoded vocals from Jahan and Yasmine that fit well over the wobbly sounds of the instrumentation. The group has been tearing up the festival circuit all over the U.S, playing major timeslots at Electric Zoo and Global Dance Festival, and headlined their own "Play Hard Tour" across the country this fall. Krewella have already accomplished huge things, and it looks like the only direction they'll be going from here on out is up.

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Artist Of The Day: Half Hearted Hero

I don't know if it was because of the superb quality of releases last year (The Wonder Years, Transit, Fireworks), the poor quality of releases this year (everything other than Masked Intruder and Hold Tight!), or that I'm just growing out of the genre, but with under a month to go in 2012, I can safely say that this year was a major disappointment in the world of pop-punk. Luckily, 2013 is already assured of having one pop punk release at the level of the best of 2012, and the year hasn't even begun yet. Half Hearted Hero plays a punky, technical form of pop punk, similar to A Wilhelm Scream or Heartsounds, and the guitarists' metal background is very obvious. The guitar parts set them apart from most of the pop punk bands out there, but they also show an ability to move outside what one would imagine is comfortable for them and diversify outside the genre. "Vessel" is almost startlingly different from the band's other material, taking influences from Deftones (really, I swear) to punch some life into a lately stagnant genre, and basically leaving it for periods of time. Whatever is absolutely the first great pop punk release of the upcoming year, and one that shouldn't be ignored, even for those becoming increasingly disenchanted with the genre. You can stream the band's latest single "Framework" right here, and follow the band on Facebook here. Whatever is out January 15th via Animal Style Records.

R.I.P. WU LYF?

It's been more than a week since the rumour mill went into overdrive, and still we're no nearer to any answers regarding WU LYF's future. The whole furore kicked off last Saturday when, out of the blue, the Mancunians uploaded a new song, "T R I U M P H" on YouTube. Waiting in the video's description was a typically cryptic message from frontman Ellery Roberts which, unintelligible though it was, seemed for all the world to signal his departure. "WU LYF is dead to me" he claimed. "There is nothing here that inspires/interests me beyond the emptiness for dreams.  By the time I wrote this I was all ready [sic] gone." The letter, particularly its deadpan tone, has led many to assume the band is indeed no more - although with no one available to comment and the original video now deleted the whole situation remains very much up in the air.

Artist of the Day: Sun Airway

Sun Airway's debut album, Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, was the ultimate "nostalgia" album.  The albums transcending and dream like atmospheres, its hazy yet catchy choruses, and its passive aggressive nature make it an album that only reminds you of old things.  Even though the hazy and dream like atmospheres created on Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier reminded you of all your old, beautiful, and vague dreams, even though the strained and distorted singing made you feel like you were flipping through the pages of all your old scrapbooks, and even though the albums soaring and borderline seductive choruses reminded you of all your favorite memories, it is easy to say the album was lacking one distinct quality: a quality that made us actually remember it.  Even though NOECC was the ultimate nostalgia album, it lacked the musical quality that would make us remember it in the distant future. So even though NOECC was an album that allowed us to "remember," it lacked the necessary qualities that would make us think of it as a memorable album; an album that we could get nostalgic about.

Artist of the Day: Goonies Never Say Die

It's hard to forget the first time you listen to a really memorable album; something that strikes something deep inside you, that makes you really think about the music, and how it applies to you. Although we haven't really heard any studio news from them in a little while, I wanted to feature Goonies Never Say Die because their last album was huge, and I know something equally as large is coming up from them within the next year or so.

Album Review: Solterra - Soul » Earth » Sun

Album Rating: A-

I really wish Bandcamp was set up better. Sure, there's a ton of good music on the site, and there have been a ton of good bands that gained the recognition they deserved thanks to the cheap promotion the site provides. However, as is true with basically anything which provides a platform for some form of free expression, a large percentage of material on the site is bad. Sturgeon's Law, created by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, summarizes the flaw quite nicely: "90 percent of everything is crap." While this flaw doesn't necessarily apply to Bandcamp alone, it's exacerbated by the fact that the site has no real ratings system. Unlike other music sites like iTunes or Amazon, there's no ratings system, no easy-to-use "featuring" other than the top 20 albums list or the poorly-set-up "Discover" tab.  As a result, most of the great music on Bandcamp gets hidden behind shoddily-produced and uninventive "crap" which on the whole tends to be either too pretentious for its own good, uninteresting, or just bad.

Artist Of The Day: FIDLAR

With new albums expected from Dropkick Murphys, Toro Y Moi and The Joy Formidable among many others, January already looks set to kick-start 2013 with a bang. Harder to predict, however, are the fortunes of various new acts about to make their entrance, of which LA punks FIDLAR are arguably the pick. Formed back in 2009, the quartet quickly forged a favourable reputation through their ferocious live shows, and more recently have set about channelling that energy into studio recordings. It's a process that's already yielded a pair of impressive EPs, and now - at long last - is about to culminate in the release of a debut full length. Due on January 22, FIDLAR will compile the bulk of their previously available tracks alongside a wealth of new material; an apt companion to the formative years of their existence. It's a recipe that'll coax plenty of new followers, and along with a fresh bout of touring could see them become one of the most exciting breakthrough bands of the next 12 months.
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FIDLAR is out on January 22 (February 4 in the UK).

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Artist of the Day: CityCop

Genres can be difficult to describe. The definition of post-hardcore has evolved over the years so much that you could pin almost any modern alternative rock band with the term and be at least half right. From Fugazi to Silverstein, the term post-hardcore has been thrown around almost as much as the word "screamo." Even the term "pop-punk" has been bastardized, as some fans fight over whether or not to define Title Fight's The Last Thing You Forget as a pop-punk or hardcore record. Yet, sometimes you discover a band who breaks all genre barriers and throws you for a loop. Ohio's own CityCop blend hearty post-hardcore with screamo, emo, and latin influences resulting in a familiar yet unique sound. Throw La Dispute, Saetia, We Were Skeletons and a little bit of Mexican Mariachi into a musical blender and it will spit out the passionate acoustic-hardcore which CityCop has cooked up.

Artist of the Day: Mice Parade

Indie is a genre that has so many connotations, because it's so versatile. Take Modest Mouse and Bon Iver and compare the style of their music, and just try to come up with common characteristics. I mean, we could always go with timbre - guitars, intimate vocals, and ehh... There's not too much else there. The versatility of indie's become a part of modern musical culture, though, and this much becomes clearer through time. One indie group who is damned great at what they do is Mice Parade, utilizing a variety of instruments to convey their message as accurately as possible. Vibraphones, pull-offs on guitars and other instrumental playfulness shows how experimental the group can be while still adhering to their fans' expectations.

Royal's Reveries - On Album Artwork

Album artwork is interesting to me.

All types of artwork are interesting to me, actually. My interest doesn't stem from awe of the artistic merit, or anything of the sort. Instead, I find myself drawn to it because I'm always curious exactly how representative of the music the artwork is. We get an idea of what an album might sound like before we hear it, not in terms of genre but overall mood. For instance, one example of an underlying mood in album artwork is Amia Venera Landscape's The Long Procession, one musical journey that's as desperate as it is unrelenting.

Artist of the Day: Death Cab for Cutie

At this point it sounds ridiculous to even call Death Cab for Cutie an indie band. Sure they have all the hallmarks of an indie group- obscure pop-culture reference for a name, lovelorn frontman, guitarist doubling as a producer- but it's as if they've transcended their own genre. They're simply too big to be looked at as part of a group. For a better part of a decade, Death Cab have been THE indie band, the one that will show up on every teen girl's mixtapes and the background of your favorite TV show just to remind you that even though they're often not on the radio, everybody spins their records.

Jukebox: Athletics - III

This song is on my playlists constantly, and I can't get it out of my head. It might be that it's from one of the best releases from this year, but I think it's something more than that. Our nature drives us towards things that feel appropriate for the time, and place - god only knows that we play Christmas music six weeks before December, but why is that? Because it makes us feel warm and fuzzy and nostalgic, which contrasts the massive piles of snow or drenching rain of the wintertime. Perhaps one of the reasons I can't stop listening to "III" is because, well, it's a song that fits the mood. It's powerful, it's emotional, and the lyrics line up fantastically with the season.

Jukebox: Freshkills - Positive Vibes

I absolutely despise sharing my thoughts on punk music.  This is because when I do share these thoughts, I sound like an ignorant "get off my lawn" old man, an old man who is so out of touch with the real world that he has to create his own alternate world where everything that is wrong with music boils down to his own ignorant and fabricated fact that punk rock isn't living up to his expectations.  Even though I have been disappointed by the genre's best album for the last seven years, I hate expressing this disappointment because I never want to become the "get off my lawn" old guy when I am just 21 years old, even if it is just about one genre of music.

Artist of the Day: Sloum

It's around this time of year when people like me (who are sexy, with impressive, manly beards and also happen to write about music on the internet) like to look back on a few albums that have been released earlier in the year and think: "now why the hell did I never bring this any attention?." Such an album has presented itself in Sloum's A Prelude to Monsters...: an album that has probably been heard by fewer people than actually read my posts here.

The style is ambient. Dark-ambient -more specifically- but with a charming and inviting post-rock character. As a result, it's incredibly easy to feel yourself slipping into it's ominous yet warm atmosphere, and within it's twirling piano, rasping horns and field recordings Sloum comes very close to producing gold. He misses, sadly: there's a small issue with pacing and a slight sparsity of ideas, but the album still remains a fine example of his work.

He has a new album out, too, which is why he comes to mind. I haven't listened to it yet but that's just about to change...

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Live Review: Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat, Twa Tams, Perth, 23/11/2012

One of the first things many people notice about me is that I'm not at all proud of my Geordie origins. The region itself is lovely, but I honestly can't contain my contempt for the people within it - the delusional boneheaded majority who're quite rightly the butt of the nation's unsavoury jokes. Oh, what I'd give to be Scottish. Things are just better north of the border. People are friendlier. They drink better, swear better, have better accents, grow better beards, and perhaps most importantly they're treated to what I personally consider the finest music scene this flawed, divided island has to offer. It was with little hesitation, then, that I travelled up to Perth to be right in the midst of it, immersing myself in the esteemed company of RM Hubbert, Bill Wells and the one and only Aidan Moffat on a night which proved more than worth the travel expense.

Artist Of The Day: Noisia

It's difficult to sum up the colossal impact that Dutch drum & bass trio Noisia have had on the electronic music world as a whole in a few sentences. Since bursting onto the scene about ten years ago, Noisia have basically gone all over the spectrum of labels, from dark to heavy and back. They've released off of Metalheadz with a minimalist, intensely dark style, they've released off of Ram with a brutal, drum-heavy tone, and most recently they've released off of Mau5trap, of all places, with a more "standard-fare" approach to drum & bass and dubstep. And they've crafted some insane tunes to boot: practically anything off of their first and only full-length, Split The Atom, goes hard and doesn't let up. Even their older, darker tunes, like "Strange Owl Experiment" and "Facade," still keep a heaviness not seen too often in the neurofunk and techstep of the day. You don't know DnB without knowing Noisia, and they're an excellent starting point if you're looking to get into the genre.

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Album Review: Periphery - Periphery II: This Time It's Personal

Album Rating: B

I'm known as the progressive / djent guy at Muzik Dizcovery, and that's fine by me. It's definitely the type of music I've spent the most time with, considering my dad raised me on Dream Theater and Joe Satriani. So when an album in the modern progressive realm receives as much backlash as Periphery's latest album, Periphery II: This Time It's Personal, I have to look into the controversy and see how credible it is.