My fiancé’s sister and I recently had a 20-minute conversation centered around a simple yet surprisingly difficult-to-answer question; what is your favorite song? It’s a question akin to the standard “what three items would you take if stranded on a desert island?”, except that the answer to this particular question felt much more substantial. I imagine that you can tell a lot about a person by what their favorite song…
Infestissumam is an album that ties together a disparate array of styles and musical approaches to make something hauntingly original. After an introductory effort (the 100 second titular track), Ghost B.C. gets to business with Per Aspera ad Inferi. The track twists and turns listeners through alluring vocals and thoughtful arrangements, with the overall sound of the band exceeding the act’s constituent parts. Infestissumam is a rare example of an…
It has been a while since we reviewed Intronaut (we last covered 2006’s Void); the band has made considerable strides and have evolved their sound since then. Killing Birds with Stones is the opening effort on Habitual Levitations, and it immediately throws listeners in the midst of something deep, dark, and heavy. There is a certain expansiveness that is present through the eight-plus minutes of this introductory salvo, a…
If it’s possible to revive the music from the 1970’s Laurel Cannon heyday, Detroit’s alt country band the Deadstring Brothers (I know, Detroit! Who knew?) are easily the best candidates to do so. You can almost see the pot smoke in the air when this one’s playing. Now calling Nashville home, the band’s latest, Cannery Row, is yet another solid release from these guys. Ten years, and a slew of lineup…
The first track on “Determination” is so ready for radio; couple symphonic rock with shrill guitars, multiple-vocals and an intensity that never quits, and Story of the Year has started back up where they left off on their last disc. This strong opening continues during “Take Me Back”, with lead vocalist Chris smoothly resting eir vocals above the intense and intricate guitar/drum dynamic during the track. Throw in a chunky…
“Comin’ Back Again” starts out with the very college rock-friendly track “Do You Feel High”, which mixes equal parts Joseph Arthur, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band and OAR to make something that is wildly accessible. The White Stripes-like drumming of “Another Negotiation” really re-casts Jake’s band into something that is closer to Jet than anything, while Jake’s vocals themselves really tend to find themselves close to Toby Mac (DC Talk)…
It has been a while since I’ve heard anything that so successfully blends stoner rock with an absolutely brutal metal style. This is exactly what Stonegard does when they open up their “Arrows”, and the step-ladder approach to their guitars during the formative period of the disc will engage listeners for the entirety of tracks like “Hunter”. Much like a harder Monster Magnet or a more brutal Fireball Ministry, Stonegard…
The interesting thing about Stigers’ opening track on “No Vacancy” is that is sounds as if ey will break into a much harder chorus than what ultimately comes to bear during “Ruide With You”. In fact, what results in the chorus of “Ride With You” is something that closely parallels early Sammy Hagar or ZZ Top. The track still is fun to listen to, and could easily be on any…
“Lost in Time” has a shine that is unmistakably eighties, whether it is through the Cure-like guitars or the melodramatic vocals present on the track. The track is intense yet unmistakably depressing; the aforementioned guitar lines elicit sympathy and remorse for the lead male vocalist. Continuing the retro style of “Lost In Time”, the vocals move even more close to recreating those of Robert Smith during “Damn This Foolish…
ScienceNV has been around since 2005, and are releasing their third album, Last Album Before the End of Time, on April 30th. In the time since their debut effort, 2008’s Really Loud Noises, the act has evolved considerably. I feel that the tracks on Last Album… showcase a more pensive and thoughtful act than was heard on Really Loud Noises or 2010’s Pacific Circumstances. ScienceNV is a band that gets…
I Started To Live When My Barber Died is the initial offering on Grubbs’ similarly-named title, and it immediately hits listeners with a frantic and dense arrangement. Grubbs comes off as a more polished Steve Lieberman, a hectic mélange of different elements and styles that will immediately draw attention. Ornamental Hermit is a track that slows things down to provide a complex set of arrangements that are extraordinarily smooth. Grubbs…
U2 may come to mind first when you think of 1980’s political rock bands, but Australia’s Midnight Oil were just as strident about filling their songs with strong political point of views – not exactly the norm in a music decade obsessed with inane lyrics (lest we forget, hair metal was born and raised in the 80’s and killed in the early 90’s). Their biggest hits were about the mistreatment…
These guys are a 5 piece band from Norfolk, VA. They began 1996 out as the Pimps, are no strangers to a microphones, as they have released 3 7 inches, I EP, and 1 full length album. To add to this, they also have toured nationwide. I love bands that actually include lyrics sheets, and this album was made in 2000, has twenty five songs, and is on the World…
Straitjacket is the closest thing that I’ve ever heard to the UK ’82 brand of oi! that has been recreated successfully in the US with only one band previously: Patriot. Straitjacket feels as if they were pulled through a time rift and forced to play in Oregon for the entirety of their career (which is running on 7 years right now). The tinny yet impressive guitars and bouncy beat is…
Keep You has a retro flair that looks back at sixties pop and rock, while having a pointed and angular flair that is similar to Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. The melodies do well in worming their way into listener head, a trend that is continued with It’s Too Late. It’s Too Late has a funkiness that is built off the work of EDM and ska music, with sizzling horns…
To say that “Alpha Ram” is not influenced heavily by the psychedelic and rock music of the mid to late sixties would be to lie outright. The style is fresh enough and Straight Dope Cherry does not suffer from the limited sound that a great many of the albums from that era have. There are some more diverse sounds than those previously mentioned during “Alpha Ram”; Straight Dope Cherry throws…
For their second full length, Philly power pop band The Fleeting Ends seems to have dug deep into the crate of vinyl for inspiration pulling out everything from XTC and The Features to Cheap Trick and Material Issue – never a bad combo. The result, Our Eyes Are Peeled, is quite impressive. Songs like the strings-laced “Operator” and the slow-build goodness of “Poor Gloria” highlight a band that’s found…
Black and Blue opens up Undertow, and this bit of stronger singer-songwriter is able to provide listeners with a style wholly unique yet familiar. Lovelie’s vocals blend perfectly with the precise instrumentation that bounces through pop, rock, and even alternative music before the track ends. Fire & Icicles shifts Lovelie’s vocals into a more rock style, while the quality of the instrumentation continues to impress. Every guitar line and drum…
Left of the Right Direction begins Ain’t That A Shame, establishing Winslow as an incredibly taut act. Nothin’s Easy further solidifies the technical ability of the band. Quarter Life showcases the emotional intensity of the band. While the CD has focused on their deft blend of pop and soulful rock, I feel that there is considerable emotional content that will increase the replay value of this album considerably. While listeners…
The Iowa music scene was pretty diverse in 1995. Sadly, the band a majority of the world most commonly associates with the music scene there is Slipknot, the ridiculous costumed metal kids whose shtick is only rivaled in goofiness by the Insane Clown Posse. It’s strange to imagine then that a gimmick-free band, with actual musical talent like The Nadas, was formed in the same year just 30 miles apart.…