Moving into different influences and vocal styles, “Where We Live†sounds more like a Flogging Molly song than anything, as the lead singer sounds like a pirate (Arrrrr) and the guitar has that same sharp sound as some of the lines during the FM disc. By far, the band’s anthem is on this disc in “Free Chase Peterseimâ€. For those of you not in the know, Chase Peterseim is a…
Starting off the disc with a slightly-hackneyed ska-punk guitar line, The Freedom Fries rapidly move beyond that roadblock to make a pop-punk gem in “SBCâ€, which owes more to the California 90’s punk school that anything. The arrangements during “SBC†are different enough too cause people to listen that much more intently to the disc, as they are drug in by the harmonica, the interesting drum beats, or the polished…
Free Diamonds are one of many different types of spazz-dance acts out on the market, one of a genre that includes acts as diverse as Fanny Pack, Electric Six, and Gravy Train. However, there seems to be more of an noise (The Locust, Neon Hunk) influence shown by Free Diamonds. “The List of Everyone†mixes the B-52s, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Devo with a Jets To Brazil meets…
Paula Frazer has been around the music scene for a long period of time. “Now It’s Time†marks eir seventh foray into popular music, and this time spent honing eir sound really shows on each of the disc’s 11 cuts. “August’s Song†starts off the disc, and shows off Frazer’s vocal skills. This is not to say that the rest of Tarnation stands back in the rafters, but rather occupies…
With a sound that starts off “Leave The Sad Things Behind†that really mixes Juice Newton, Petula Clark and Stevie Nicks, Paula Frazer makes a timeless piece of pop that is only made better by the emotive backdrop that surrounds eir. The really nice thing about the dynamic on “Leave The Sad Things Behind†is that Frazer knows exactly when to step back from the microphone and allow the instrumentation…
Jazz standards. Lets see what I could be less well versed in. Christian Zydeco Music? Naked albino yodeling? Actually, I’ve taken a survey course in jazz, and while I can’t say that I am familiar with any of these tracks besides “Maiden Voyageâ€, each track sounds as expertly played and recorded as some of the originals must have been. While each of these tracks have considerably longer run times than…
“Little Wiley Harpe, 1803†is the first track of the disc, and the song seems to blend together the Outlaws with Warren Zevon. The track itself starts with a strong vocal –presence, before the brooding instrumentation comes to a more focal point. Still, the vocals that open the track should be enough of a reason to keep individuals focused in to Frank and Murry. The track is one of the…
Man, does this guy really try to walk the fine line between Billy Joel and Warren Zevon, and like a failed tightrope walker, he fell early. The tracks are relatively innocuous sounding, but have none of the sheer power that Joel has in his pieces or the political message Zevon places in each and every track. If one is just looking for innocuous pop music that is styled after that…
While Fragments of Unbecoming have a distinctly sedate style, this is quickly matched by a powerful metal side that will get individuals rocking as hard as they were listening to the previous section of the act. The band a tremendous album to top in “Skywards: A Sylphe’s Ascenionâ€, but I can say that this album matches the previous album blow by blow, and in some case even surpasses the work…
“Callypso†is the first track on Jimmy Bletcher’s current project, Project DNA. The rock that issues forth from this introductory track has a definite pop edge, but one that is moderated by the inclusion of sizzling horns, splashy drums, and a production that is easily on par with any music that can be heard on radio. “Love Me Tonight†is a track that touches upon a number of different genres…
“Twisted Up†is a quaint little bit of laid-back rock. The track contains tidy guitars, funky bass lines, and utterly smooth vocals. While there are bits and pieces of eighties trappings present, the solo that is present here is definitely out of the Santana playbook. “Yesterday’s Coffee†has more of an electronic edge to it than “Twisted Upâ€, calling forth Hot Butter (“Popcornâ€), New Order, and a little bit of…
Foxy Shazam! Plays a brand of music that I in no way expected from their white-heavy, washed-out cover. This is a brand of punk mixed with the double-bass of a band much heavier (French Passion of Animality Opera). Tracks begin and end before a listener can blink, and the rapid-change style of the band is reminiscent of acts like System of a Down, Voltaire and Temper Temper. The SOAD comparison…
Can someone take a break during a 46 Short album? It seems like, especially given the opening of the disc (“Nothing Leftâ€) that individuals will keel over from a lack of oxygen. Luckily for them, the album is less than thirty-five minutes. “Nothing Left†is a track that shows 46 Short as a band that brings together The Casualties and Rancid, but in their own way. This is not a…
With a really hit or miss style of creating songs, The 4-Squares really seem if they are almost 2 bands. With either tracks that will blow one away or force people to turn of the disc, one almost wishes that the band was a little more consistent. Too many of these songs really blast through too quickly, and have almost nothing in substance, leaving a bad taste in one’s mouth.…
I’ve never really been inculcated into the cult of Fountains of Wayne, but this compilation is a good view into the band (even if none of these tracks have been on one of their proper releases). The band has really maintained a coherent and distinctive sound over the last decade, as the only thing that really divides tracks from the beginning of their career (such as Janice’s Party) with the…
It is a little hard to get into the type of music that For Those Lost start off “This is Our Fight†with. The first track is “I Smile At Your Terrorâ€, and it blends a very straight forward type of hardcore music with a set of guitar that would work better with either a sludge metal or a seventies metal band. The type of music that ultimately issues forth…
In the fall of 2007, around Apse’s 8th year as a band, Michael Gundlach and founding member Bobby relocated to the quiet shores of outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts and began living in virtual isolation. A few months into the move and for various reasons the 2 brooklyn based members of the band were no longer in the picture, leaving only Bobby, Michael and their faithful touring bass player / contributing…
After so many years of reviewing more popularly-oriented music, it seems as if a few more classical and jazz-oriented releases have been coming my way. It is a never a problem to review any of these, but I find myself more often without words than during any other review I’ve written. Still, Anat Fort is an Israeli-born pianist, and this marks the 8th year since the release of eir first…
The Format makes another strong step forward with the first track on this EP, “Janetâ€. The similarities to Rivers Cuomo and New Radicals are coupled with a solid bass line and a jangly guitar that will make residence in a listener’s brain for weeks. The inclusion of a synthesizer really imbues the track with a fullness that is unrivaled; everything just bursts in one’s ears, just like The Rocket Summer,…
Curiously enough how I was introduced to The Format first was through their first single, “The First Singleâ€. While I’m not sure examply if the title of that track is prescient or just bragging, the track mixes the best of the New Radicals, U2, Midnight Oil, and makes the track sound intensely familiar without being completely clichéd. The sound on “Interventions and Lullibies†is masterfully crafted, allowing for a perfect…