Blue Skies is the first track on Love & Colour, and it provides listeners with groundwork for how the title will ultimately play out. Derek Stroker creates in Blue Skies a track that speaks directly to listeners; the unity between guitar and vocals pushes each to greater heights. The different genres that are broached during this introductory track (rock, soul, and even a little funk) unite to create a wholly…
“Anonymous” starts off a pretty catchy CD, where there are middle-of-the-way guitar lines with Jimmy Eat World and “Sing the Silence”-era AFI style vocals. Sleep Comes Down is actually not afraid to let the bassist take the spotlight, in that there are audible bass lines that sound not unlike the legendary Geddy Lee’s. While some of the guitar lines do not stray much from one style, one level of…
The Daydreamers are an act that attempt to forge their own bold path in music. With Your Love is their new effort, and each of the efforts on this release are integral for understanding the act. Antarctica starts off things; the pop meets rock sound of the track allows listeners to get on board. As listeners become familiar with the work of The Daydreamers, the act’s efforts begin to stretch…
The opening of Sleepaway’s self-titled album may not be the most hard-rocking thing individuals have ever heard, but the one thing that is pure delight is the skill in which they construct a track. The dreamy vocals mix with a tambourine and a very-present bass to make something that works both in the current emo context but also in a mid-nineties alternative context. The band works best in this…
“Take a deep breath ’cause it all starts now when you pull the fuckin’ pin.” The opening line of Slayer’s new record Christ Illusion let you know that they haven’t lost any of their intensity some 25 years after first forming. Slayer’s first album since 2001’s God Hates Us All, and also first album with original drummer Dave Lombardo since 1990’s Seasons in the Abyss, shows that Slayer is…
New-rock in the form of The Strokes and The Hives that does not use clichéd guitar lines and arrangements lifted off the Rolling Stones to maintain relevancy, The Slats seem honest and hard working. They are able to create compelling, well-arranged and well-mastered tracks that do not seem insincere in the least. For example, “The Diabetic Coma” simultaneously mixes The Ramones and Weezer, allowing for a seamless move through genres.…
This is one of the few EPs that we have had the opportunity to review that showcases the variety of different sides to a band. Where there are introductory efforts that are typically presented to listeners, the five cuts on No Man’s Land provide listeners with a sense of what each member brings to the table, how these different influences and styles interact, and where the band may take listeners…
The Slats “Boom Patrol” is weird. The music is dancy while their lyrics are repetitive and sometimes grating. Overall, I think fans of powerpop and indie alike will appreciate the album. But I felt confused and not overly impressed by the disc. I don’t really like the vocals, it is not my style. The music has the potential to catch me, but never really does. It doesn’t sound much…
I believe that live albums typically a little more than greatest hits recorded through a tin can> Sure, there are solid live recordings but a great many are extraneous at the least. Peter Gabriel has done a tremendous amount of footwork for Live Blood, essentially re-writing some of eir greatest hits and providing roles to an expansive group (over 40 players). Gabriel has taken tracks from all parts of…
LexRox hits on a number of distinct genres. In Go All In, hints of Avril Lavigne, Selena Gomez, and Miley Cyrus unite to make for something that will eagerly be eaten up by the tween set. The high energy of Go All In continues throughout the track’s three and a half minutes. LexRox’s vocal harmonizations simultaneously further the narrative quality of the track and make the effort that much more…
Slang starts out their “Every Day” with a style of rock that does not have any specific ties to current styles. In fact, the slightly gritty style of the vocals present on “That Is Why” seems to play to the era of rockers like Don Henley. The instrumentation on the track does not give listeners too much of a reason to stick with the album, so the duty of…
KC Jockey is a performer that takes on the current R&B genre (Akon, Sean Kingston, Sean Paul) and adds a bit of pop harmony. What results on Girl You’re Free, his latest single, is nothing less that special. Despite having a softer, radio-friendly style, Girl You’re Free has a very strong anti-violence message. The production of Girl You’re Free allows both the instrumental and vocal sides of the cut to…
The brash, loud sound of SLA on even the first track of their pseudo-eponymous album makes a good case for them to be put alongside all the post-psychedelic acts (Love, the MC5) and above the hack retro rock revival bands (The Strokes). The vocals of Dylan on many a track provide the topping that makes the act so special; with a hint of Alice Cooper and a dollop of…
“The Pugilist’s Lament” is a straight-forward track that does not have much time to go off on meaningless tangents or otherwise waste listener’s time. Thus, the guitars and vocals are pointed at one specific spot on the musical skyline and are set loose for two or three minutes. Skylines are tremendously influenced by the post-grunge acts of the mid nineties. During tracks like the aforementioned “The Pugilist’s Lament”, the…
The diversity of efforts that are presented on Echoes of Love are substantial. Each track provides listeners with a different side of Akram. This transforms Echoes of Love into a title that is tremendously personal while still standing on its own as a solid musical composition. The titular track on Echoes of Love is five minutes of expansive compositions that twist and subtly turn into something tremendously different at the…
I believe the most important contribution that the Brad Mehldau Trio makes to music as a whole is their capacity to create a fuller sound than one would normally expect. These three individuals are able to create something absolutely mesmerizing on the titular track. Each of the compositions on Ode are able to break free of typical length constraints and create a fully immersive sound scape. The different types…
The expansive sound that is established on Phil’s Harmonic is nothing less than amazing. With the drums being laid down by Slayer’s Dave Lombardo, what issues forth on Harmonic is nothing less than special. The sound that issues forth from the introductory Vitriolize is unparalleled; there are hints of metal, punk, grunge, and sludge that can all be heard. The different influences ebb and flow through Mitch and Hun.…
Three years is not a long time to evolve and become a well-rounded musician. Colin Caulfield begin working on eir career then, and Volume 1 represents eir second full-length title. There are 9 tracks on Volume 1 and each provides listeners with a distinct side of Caulfield and eir band. Taken together, they are a cohesive entity and a hell of an album. Volume 1 begins with Header, a…
Rhett Miller has had a tremendously full career despite eir age; The Dreamer adds considerably to this mythos and provides listeners with a new set of songs to spin through the summer. The Dreamer begins with Lost Without You, a nearly five-minute track that showcases Miller’s utter confidence in eir fare. Where the longer track length would be disastrous for lesser musicians, Miller provides more than enough material and…
Skyline Rodeo tries to imbue a certain atmosphere on its listeners with the extended opening of “Peppermint Patty”. The track is firmly rooted in the early nineties, mainly taking its influences from the alternative rock of the time and also from “Cherub Rock”-era Smashing Pumpkins. Ending that quick soon after, a very angular style hits the listeners; “George Bailey Complex” has much more in common with Devo and Franz…