Author: anfnewsacct

Posted on: October 17, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Ever Will You Get There – Maybe We Can Help You Find a Place (CD)

From the liner, this mini cd was created “using two guitars, two tape recorders, our voices, found objects and the environmental sounds that surrounded us”. The lyrics are truly created on the spot, so don’t be shocked if a song (like “in the city”) just consists of whatever the songwriter sees. The recording leaves something to be desired, but the two individuals that created this CD intentionally recorded like this,…

Posted on: October 17, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Event Horizon – Naked on the Black Floor (CD)

While different styles dominate during the first track of “Naked on the Black Floor”, most notably electronic-metal in the vein of Fear Factory and the nu-metal push of bands like Disturbed, what comes forth much more clearly on the disc is a more classic style that taps bands like Queensryche. The blend of styles is essentially what Event Horizon is; where “Everything that begins must end” begins the disc and…

Posted on: October 16, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Evening – Other Victorians (CD)

Coming through with a very post-hardcore sound, mixing elements of Coldplay, Pink Floyd, the Weakerthans, and the entire early-1990s indie rock movement. Matt’s voice is quirky and at times inconsistent with the style of music that Evening plays. While the promo sheet for this release is littered with the praise of in-house writers proclaiming the originality of Evening, I really tend to find this disc par for the course in…

Posted on: October 16, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Evans Blue – The Melody and The Energetic Nature of Volume (CD)

The first track on the disc, “A Cross + A Girl Named Blessed” mixes together Alien Ant Farm, Tool and Dashboard Confessional in some unholy alliance that really shows an incredible amount of emotive force even if the instrumentation has a lock on the low end of things. “Stop + Say You Love Me” even furthers the Tool comparison further, seemingly taken line for line out of the Aenima album.…

Posted on: October 15, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Evaline – Postpartum Modesty, A Portrait of Skin (CD)

Evaline plays a brand of emo music but their rub is something that is completely different from anything else that the mass of emo bands are doing. The arrangements present during “Postpartum Modesty” are miles beyond anything else that emo acts are typically known for. When the band starts off their EP with “La De Da”, the result is something so much more intense and full-bodied than the average emo…

Posted on: October 15, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Eurythmics – Ultimate Collection (CD)

“I’ve Got A Life” is a track that is destined to be played for gay dance clubs all through the country, as the campy vocal stylings on the track really tend to hearken back to the disco period. “Love Is A Stranger” brings listeners a few years later, as the hokey electronics played during the track really dates the track in a good way. The song feels as if it…

Posted on: October 14, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Europa – The Filthy Kut (CD)

It takes Europa a few minutes, but the band shows that they can play their update version of The Outlaws during “Gods of War and Peace”. I say updated, because there are hints of Ramones-like punk and other musical styles present during “The Filthy Cut”. In fact, “Passive Aggressive” starts off with a Ramones-like drum line before going into an ersatz blend of rockabilly, country, punk, and the Foo Fighters.…

Posted on: October 14, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Euphoria – Precious Time (CD)

There is enough swamp-rock present in “Back Against The Wall” to grill a whole mess of crawdads on the heat of the guitar and harmonica alone. For an instrumental track, “Back Against The Wall” tells an entire story in its relatively-short five minute runtime. Incorporating vocals into the Tina Dico-sung “Blue” makes Euphoria into an act that easily panders to the pop element of society, even if the instrumentation and…

Posted on: October 13, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Eugene – The 4 Track Demos (CD)

Eugene puts together a very radio-friendly type of indie-rock that is reminiscent of Hayden, never far from a good guitar hook or full sound, even though this is a very Spartan band. Tracks like “Mr. Solitude” do not have a chronological date to them, so while there might be sections on the track that just screams sixties-rock, there are equally many that look at acts like Husker Du for relevance.…

Posted on: October 13, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Eszter Balint – Mud (CD)

Moving through a number of different sounds, from a Nico-like heaviness to eir voice to the simple fuck off attitude of someone like Fiona Apple, Eszter makes an album in “Mud” that is both chock-full of artistic cred while still being very pop-derived. With a heavy slant towards the more minimalist of composers, like Philip Glass in tracks like the more vocally-biased “Good Luck”, Eszter really makes a bold statement.…

Posted on: October 12, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

’87 Celebrity – The Green Walls (CD)

Even though a few of the kids from this band have played one of my concerts, and they’ve had tracks up on their website since I first learned about them months ago, I’ve not gotten the pleasure to just sit down and give ’87 Celebrity the attention that they deserve. The mastering is a little rough, with the drums on “Bad Luck” sounding almost as if they were intended to…

Posted on: October 12, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Eibol – Karma Kingdom (CD)

“Karma Kingdom” starts off slowly, but when a track like “Ask ?’s” happens, one will start to see some of the enrgy that Eibol brings to the mic. The track is not just someone rapping, but really couching all the harmony of the track in an incredibly hooky flow. The inclusion of a saxophone during the track provides a nice vocal-sounding retort to Eibol’s distinctive style. The major thing that…

Posted on: October 11, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Eels – With Strings Live At Town Hall (CD)

Listeners will be confused if they necessarily expect “Electro-shock Blues” from this album. This is something that is much more scaled back and intimate than that album, a move that benefits all the songs on this disc. For the performance, the band recasts each of the songs that have made them famous; this is essentially a remix album done without a turntable or a copy of Cakewalk. “Bus Stop Boxer”…

Posted on: October 11, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

The Eels – Blinking Lights and Other Revelations (CD)

I know that The Eels have been around for quite a few years, but the only song that I can place to them would have to be off their Electro-Shock Blues album, “Last Stop: This Town”. Lets just say that this album has nothing to do with this track, as the music captured on tracks like “Theme From Blinking Lights” and “From Which I Came” look more to different eras…

Posted on: October 9, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

ee – for 100 we try harder (CD)

2002, Asian Man Records. Indie rock from the recesses of the scene that is definitely music to be listened to, although it doubles quite well for incidental music. One’s heart is taken for a ride during this CD, as feelings of emotions shine though, making it quite like the proverbial rollercoaster ride. Brilliant flashes of guitars and clashing drums give way to solemn, quiet instrumental tracks. Similar to el gigante,…

Posted on: October 8, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Ed Gein – It’s A Shame (CD)

Ah, this type of amelodic hardcore/metal really brings me back to some of the earliest reviews I would put up on the website. While there are lines of semi-melody thrust into the music at different times during the disc, everything seems to be constructed on a whim, without any real decision on syncing up the band. When the vocals do come out in any of these tracks, the style is…

Posted on: October 5, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

east arcadia – all the same (CD)

East arcadia play a style of fast, clean punk rock that manifests itself into a number of styles, of which a number can be found in arguably the best track on the disk, Preservation. Throwing in both a killer bass solo and a fast guitar solo, this track stands as a beacon to all potential listeners of this CD. All the Same has a heavily Epitaph feel to it, with…

Posted on: October 5, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Earshot – Two (CD)

Perfect music for the Clearchannel new-rock radio and Mtv, Earshot mix Maynard’s voice with the guitar assault of bands like Disturbed and Linkin Park. Each track on “Two” has been perfectly mastered to give the sound of the disc an anti-septic feeling that rings hollow to anyone but those teenagers who are pissed because mommy and daddy took away their freshly-bought Hot Topic choker. Each track is cut from the…

Posted on: October 4, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

The Early November / I Am The Avalanche – Split (CD)

The Early November start out their side of the split with a demo version of “Outside”, a track that does have a certain amount of grittiness to it that is not enough to muffle the Weezer-like sounds that issue from the band during the track. There seems to be a certain meandering quality to this track that makes the track feel a little more repetitive and episodic that perhaps it…

Posted on: September 21, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Anna Madorsky – Incantation (CD)

“Bloom” is the first track on “Incantation”, and it showcases a wonderful interplay between the vocal and instrumental sides of Madorsky’s compositions. There is a timeless feel to this track that will ensure that all fans of music will be able to find something that they can appreciate. The pacing of “Bloom” is similarly strong; the more martial types of drums here are moderated by Madorsky’s unique voice. “Broken Artifacts”…