With the same sort of detached-from-punk style of Fugazi, Crain looks wistfully back at the wall of sound bands to make a track that feels fit for the Nation of Ulysses-era as much as the later-Fugazi era. The vocals on tracks like “Monkey Wrench†even incorporate a little bit of Danzig to what is already a hard-edge sound. The great thing about “Speed†is that even (almost) 15 years after…
With a band name like Crackjaw, what first hits individuals during “Giants From The Stereo†is confusing, to say the least. What the band starts the disc with is “Cameoâ€, and the song shows Crackjaw as a band that mixes emo with a hardcore brand of screaming. Crackjaw may be a “Giant From The Stereoâ€, but the band has the ability to create interesting music in a musical genre that…
Off the top of my head, there have been three good “punky†Japanese (or Japanese-American) bands that I’ve been introduced to before Coquettish: The Polysics, Peelander-Z and Laughing Cunts. Coquettish makes four, as their style of music is influenced by the hardcore punk of the mid-nineties, specifically Rancid. Rancid seems to be a big important to Asia and Japan, as China’s biggest punk export, Brain Failure also takes heavily from…
The Cooper Temple Clause has no idea that brevity is a good thing, with their average song being over five and a half minutes. As such, Loose doesn’t have songs as much as it has pieces with individual movements, demarcated when The CTC decide to go on a different tack. The Spartanness of the beginning of “Talking to a Brick Wall” moves into a Placebo/Oasis style of vocals, supplied by…
There is a wonderful beginning to this Demonstration cd, as a shrill guitar solo goes into a rough metal delivery, with the influence of old Fear Factory, Coal Chamber, and Clutch to provide the listeners with an excellent moshing album. The contrasting use of guitars in the cd work better with the changing odf tempos. While both of the guitars are clearly heard, the bass is concealed through a double…
Almost like the metal put forth by Hydra Head, the opening to “Audio Flame Kit†really expands on the mentality of Corm before really brining in a simple indie or rock set of vocals. Essentially, one can look into the osuls of these individuals, who would eventually become Q and not U, The Elusive and The Maginot Line. The drums finally come in in a major way during “Architectureâ€, really…
The emotive brand of rock that Cordova plays on “Lie Until It Becomes The Turth†draws equally from the deeply affecting brand of rock put on CD by the Deep Elm bands of the early 00s and vague hints of the emo structuring present in heavy proportions in the current period. “Some Killers Are Fashionable†has a pseudo-dance rhythms snuck behind the splashing drums and intense vocals on the track.…
Copeland has come up with “In Motionâ€, a disc that uses tracks like “No One Really Wins†to mix the current “emo†sound with both indie and power-pop like Weezer. The nuanced strings and dreamy feel of a track like “Choose The One Who Loves You More†really allow for lead vocalist Aaron to strut a very cultured style to eir vocals. What is probably the biggest difference between “In…
At time reminiscent of 1980’s-era Goo Goo Dolls, Copeland puts out an emotion filled disc in this, Copeland’s debut CD. Tempered by events surrounding the lead singer, Aaron Marsh, Copeland busts forth on the national scene from their new home base of Atlanta. Jangly guitars and splashy guitars weave a tapestry that is completed by the familiar-sounding voice of Aaron Marsh. Aurally similar to such acts as Starflyer 59 and…
The screamed-out vocals that open up “Reign Lunacy†seem to be the perfect match for the super-sonic guitar licks that will remind listeners of both Fu Manchu and Queens of the Stone Age. Thus, “Chaos or Bust†opens up with a very familiar type of sound that will allow a high amount of cross-over. The repetition of the drum beat on “Crapple Pie†really give the disc a different flavor,…
Do it yourself rap. How could I not love it? While the production of the track isn’t the best, the track plays itself pretty much like I thought it was. The lines laid down by both Coolymack and Vegas are pretty mediocre, and the main thing that I found myself listening to was the extremely fresh backbeat behind it. Don’t get me wrong, this track could conceivably be on BET…
I’ve gotten into many an argument about how revolutionary Converge was, and “You Fail Me†starts out in a way that backs my argument perfectly – while they are not immediately able to be thrown in a genre, they are not changing the face of music with each note of “You Fail Meâ€. In fact, “Widows†is a track that lacks anything in the way of harmony and song-structure, and…
Controlling The Famous plays a brand of rock that does not lean specifically to any one genre; the tracks are all proper without being boring, but might be a mite too anti-septic for popular success. Minor hints of Weezer insinuate the music on “Two Birdsâ€, but largely, what can be heard on the disc is pure Controlling The Famous. Controlling The Famous’ big rub comes in the intense backing-beat that…
When “Detox†opens up “Automatic Cityâ€, the arrangement that Controlling The Famous bring to the table first should immediately remind individuals of “Waiting Roomâ€-era Fugazi. The vocals come from the opposite side of the spectrum, and finds itself in the camp of Pittsburgh natives Fuel. F-bands aside, Controlling The Famous create a brand of emotive, danceable rock without falling into the dance-punk phenomenon that has been the rage in the…
I like splits when there is enough material provided by the bands. However, most splits that I get for the magazine are those that have only two or three songs per band. “Death Can Wait†is another of those, but at least, the output by each of the bands (Complete Control and Krum Bums) is solid enough to paint a picture of the band, instead of being three distinct ways…
One of the discs that I was sent to review from Datawaslost Records, this is probably the only CD whose packaging rivals the content on the disc. A hallowed out 5 1/4th floppy contains this disc, which sounds like Human Highway-era Neil Young. I would give other comparisons at will, but I am simply not versed in this style of music. Strummy guitars meet with heart-wrenching vocals to create a…
Fuzzy synths mix with a less-hopped up version of The Red Hot Valentines, Communique incorporates Geddy Lee-intricate bass lines to make a thumping, eighties-themed booty shaking track in “The Best Liesâ€. “Evaporate†adds what could easily be a Vangelis track underneath a Hot Hot Heat / Killers / Dead or Alive rocking-type track. Ryan’s vocals and the infectious keyboards laid down by Ryan work together, each taking the place of…
Fuzzy synths mix with a less-hopped up version of The Red Hot Valentines, Communique incorporates Geddy Lee-intricate bass lines to make a thumping, eighties-themed booty shaking track in “The Best Liesâ€. “Evaporate†adds what could easily be a Vangelis track underneath a Hot Hot Heat / Killers / Dead or Alive rocking-type track. Ryan’s vocals and the infectious keyboards laid down by Ryan work together, each taking the place of…
For all the different opinions I’ve heard about this band and this album in particular, I still find it easiest to completely shuck all pre-established thought about the band and start completely fresh. So, I sat in my room and put the disc on repeat, and I am currently writing this as the disc plays through for the fifth straight time. At first listen, I noticed a lot of similarity…
Combat Wounded Veteran have compiled all the tracks that have found their way on umpteen seven inches and compilations, only interspersing these pieces of histories with movie quotes. The ultimate fact about “Neon Body†is the fact that these 42 songs blast past the listener’s ears in less than a half-hour. Combat Wounded Veteran play a brand of indecipherable thrash/noise punk that tries its best to stay away from any…