On a great many of the albums that I review, the vocals take a back seat to the instrumentation. A Woman’s Way starts off Loren’s latest, Heart First, and showcases that this does not need to be the case. Where the instrumentation is solid, Loren’s vocals contribute the greatest in regards to the overall path that the album takes. C’Est Si Bon showcases the worldliness of eir vocals, as…
Nehedar’s (Emilia Cataldo’s) work on High Tide is hard to categorize. With so many styles, approaches, and sounds cultivated on the whole of High Tide, listeners will never truly know what to expect from the band. After listening to each of High Tide’s 14 tracks, the commonality that strikes me is one of honest and impactful compositions. Where a guitar line may seem out of place during the first few…
For a whole legion of new fans, Johnny Cash is the bad ass guy in black who covered Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode; is on a poster in dorm room walls across the country giving a defiant middle finger to the camera; stood in front of prisoners in Folsom and San Quentin, doped out of his mind, and openly mocked the prison guards during live concerts. And yes,…
Sisters of Mercy is one of my favorite acts, but I feel that their influence on gothic rock has been largely ignored. Frostbite’s approach on Valentine and Other Stories of Hope builds off of the early work of acts like SoM, 45 Grave, and even flirts with ambient and darkwave music. Where there is a desire for a great many goth-related acts to be pigeonholed into a much too…
White Rabbits are an act that have been riding a wide of success from It’s Frightening. Milk Famous is the band’s latest title, and is one that sends the White Rabbits in a bold new direction. Heavy Metal is the first track on the album, and it immediately breaks ties with the conceptions that listeners may have about the band. The track is the longest on the album –…
Few performers that have been in the music industry as long as Chris Klimecky would be able to break free of their influences and create an innovative album like This Journey. However, each cut on This Journey provides listeners with something catchy, familiar, and utterly unique. The style of alternative rock that Klimecky includes here is based on the work of acts like Fuel, Incubus, and the Foo Fighters;…
There is such a narrow sound that is being fostered in electronic music, and Francis Bowie has released an EP that looks to redefine what the genre is and can be. The EP begins with Endlessly, a track that touches upon a number of electronic-influenced genres. Whether it be new wave, nineties dance, or the current electronic scene, hints of each can be heard weaved through this introductory track.…
The thrash metal genre has been spinning its wheels for a few years. However, Venezula’s Overhate adds some much-needed polish to the style. Relentless is Our Strength is their latest album, and it pushes the boundaries about what metal (and thrash specifically) can be. The disc begins with When Nothing Is Mine, an utterly relentless sort of track. Each member of Overhate gives it their all, meaning that the…
Unreal is a perfect bit of punk meets metal. With an arrangement that immediately recalls early Misfits and Strike Anywhere, the band is able to craft a cross-over hit. No Blitz has a catchy style to their arrangements that will appease fans of Shrinky Dinx and The Offspring. My Life is the longest track on Never Satisfied, but the band crams enough material in the five-plus minute runtime to keep…
Wages of Hope is a track that attempts to redefine what folk is as a genre. While many listeners would associate this song with traditional artists like Elliott Smith and Devendra Banhart, I feel that there is a robustness and livelier feel achieved by this track. Folk usually fades into the background, while Murdock’s work on Brand New Widow will draw listeners in by innovative arrangements and masterful production.…
Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny have known each other since childhood; the music that results from this friendship is some of the most pure and complimentary that we have heard. The duo is a platonic couple; where a husband and wife can complete each other’s sentences, these two finish lines and arrangements. It is this cohesive sound that makes Science! into one of the few acts that we have…
Few musicians come forth with a definitive message on their recordings, but George Cahill ties in hard-edged political themes to each of Relevant’s 9 songs. Nuclear Fallout is the introductory track on Relevant, and is focused on the “perfect storm” of tsunami and meltdown that hit Japan last year. Sucking on Weed has a psychedelic approach that soars on the back of Santana-esque guitar lines; Cahill’s vocals provide listeners…
Lissy Trullie is an individual that we have not had the chance to review in the past. We received a copy of eir latest, a 2012-released (and self-titled) LP. I believe that what ey does on this title is imbue a number of distinct music genres with eir unique style. Rules We Obey is a strong track and provides listeners with some semblance of who Trullie is and what…
There are few bands out that create rock music. Sure, there are rock radio stations, but I feel that a number of their playlists exclusively deal with metal and more heavy forms of rock. The Villains look to recall the days of Whitesnake, Every Mother’s Nightmare and .38 Special. While the band usually ends up taking the stage with country acts (Montgomery Gentry and Keith Urban, to name a…
It seems that the collective that is the United Kingdom has fallen behind in creating inspired music. Where there are some acts that possess a solid sound (The Maccabees), a great many of the current acts garnering airplay there are pretty sad. Jonquil is an act that has operated under the radar; Point of Go is their latest on Dovecote records, and looks to do much to repair the…
J Duff is one of the few rappers that are on their way to stardom. The 2012 XXL Freshman Class was filled with has-beens and never-weres, leading listeners to find the best new artists. I believe that J Duff is on a path to become a household name, and this is because of his incredible wordplay and punchy beats. His flow comes forth on the disc’s first cut, Can’t Stop…
There is such a sense that The All-American Rejects would struggle to create an identify for themselves separate from the singles that they have already released. A number of bands have not been able to follow up on their largest successes, but I feel that Kids in the Street is an essential title for establishing the band’s new style. Sure, there are overtures to their previous work (Gonzo and…
Everything about this live album works. Where there is some loss of fidelity with many live recordings, Hawkins’ inspiration piano arrangements are captured as clear as day. There is a vibrancy that weaves its way through each of this album’s 15 tracks. I feel that this vibrancy is linked to Hawkins’ narration through instrumental arrangements. With every track here, From The Outside to Love in Winter, there is a sense…
Chronicle: Music From The Motion Picture features a number of tracks from up and coming bands; their unique efforts here make for a compelling and surprisingly cogent narrative for Chronicle. This first track on this CD is Blonde Acid Cult’s Calypso, a track that contains a considerable amount of beefiness that belies the more laid-back style of the instrumentation. Bad Veins’ Gold and Warm comes fresh on the heels…
Tim Fite is one of those few artists that do not take well to a genre convention. Sure, Fite can be categorized as a singer-songwriters, but there is a level of density and gravitas to the tracks on Ain’t Ain’t Ain’t that belies that tie. When given an indie rock mantle, tracks like My Brother Sings showcases a certain glibness that is unparalleled. Listeners are then provided with an…