Jack Yarber has pretty much done it all. Ey has spent tours in The Compulsive Gamblers, Jack O and the Tennessee Tearjerkers and The Oblivians. Rat City drops all the extra musicians and hangers-on and showcases Oblivian at eir most honest. What results with Rat City is a tremendously touching and emotionally intense album, with tracks that run the range of styles and feelings that listeners have came to expect…
The multiple styles in which Maynard James Keenan can successfully work in is astonishing; eir latest work as Puscifer, Conditions of My Parole, should show that. Green Valley is one early-disc track that will immediately impact listeners – the dual-part harmony achieved with Carina Round rivals the traditional instrumentation for dominance. Man Overboard is the closest thing to a single that Conditions of My Parole has, but this is for…
Økland and Apeland attempt to faithfully recreate the mystique behind Ole Bull’s compositions. Bull, an 19th century composer, has largely been forgotten by the current generation of musicians and listeners alike. This CD, released earlier this year by ECM Records, looks to restore Bull’s good name as well as showcase the technical virtuosity of Økland and Apeland. I believe that the duo is able to succeed in these listed goals;…
For those that may be younger and do not know Steve Hackett’s pedigree, ey was a major part of Genesis. After recording nearly ten albums for the outfit, Hackett decided to forge off on eir own and create music that represented eir. Beyond the Shrouded Horizon is two CDs dedicated to the furtherance of that goal. This 2-CD set begins with Loch Lomond, which situates listeners in a familiar position…
Tributary is a two-disc effort; the band is given ample opportunity to stretch their wings and experiment with time signatures, influences, and the band’s overall sound. Tributary marks their 15th full album as a band, but do not let that scare you – what listeners will experience when they put in either disc of the effort is as fresh and as compelling as the most fresh-faced bands. The album begins…
At this point in their career, it is incredibly easy for Cradle of Filth to release albums that play on where they had been musically in their glory days. On Evermore Darkly, Cradle of Filth look both to invigorate their sound as well as to recall all sides of their multi-faceted approach. This EP represents a bold step forward for the band – they are still kicking and would love…
The Dreaming has some big shoes to fill with their Puppet. The band features members of Murderdolls and Stabbing Westward, and decides not to take more than a second to introduce themselves. Puppet, the eponymous opener, immediately kicks listeners in the face. Despite coming from some of the biggest alternative rock bands of the last twenty years, The Dreaming comes to Puppet hungry. The resulting 12 tracks are full of…
I must admit, I was not too familiar with Scott H. Biram before picking up Bad Ingredients. Just Another River is the first track on the album, and it immediately shows the personality and catchiness that so many other listeners have already heard. The gritty, home-spun style of Biram is showcased at all points during this album, and Victory Song may just be the most iconic of the cuts found…
Song For Kiara is the first track on Relaxing Melodies of Nature, and the resulting effort immediately tattoos Fuke’s inimitable style onto the minds and hearts of anyone fortunate enough to listen in. Summer’s Love takes a slower pace, adding a deeper, more deliberate sound to what listeners expect from Fuke. It is during Infinite Love where the disc moves to the next plateau; the track gains a little speed…
The amount of different styles that The Fairchilds place on Our Revolution is simply stunning; the constituent band members are talented enough that they are able to create a unique and compelling sound that reaches through the majority of tracks on this album. Our Revolution begins with I Need You, a tremendously emotional track that pits vocals against instrumentation; with this antagonistic relationship, the resulting effort is pushed to the…
This is a hell of a debut. Where there are a considerable amount of first recordings that seem to be a route toward a more polished second album, Wilson immediately hits the ground running from the beginning of the album’s first track. This titular song provides listeners with a microcosm of the sounds, styles, and overall approaches that Wilson will be taking with the album. Canyon in the Rain is…
There is an absolutely sage sound to the tracks on Resilience that belies the youth of tenor sax player Tim Mayer. While a more youthful disposition would have Mayer push eirself to the front of each of the album’s 10 tracks, Resilience has a much more varied and intelligent use of the aforementioned instrument. Nowhere is this heard as well as during the introductory For Miles; the track is able…
How Do You Do is an album that is like fine wine; it gets better with age. Get To Know You is an impressive introduction, with emotive sentiments tying in perfectly with intricate arrangements. The intense feelings that are brought to bear during How Do You Do represent the glue that holds the track together. While there are definitely rising and falling moments to be experienced here, the same nuanced,…
Out of the Sun is the first track on The Loose Hinges’ self-titled album, hitting listeners with a sound that is boldly different than practically anything that is on the market. The female vocals, coupled with the shifting, slinky sound achieved by the rest of the band has no comparison. Hints of Dusty Springfield and Nancy Sinatra can be heard in this aforementioned vocals, but the electronic arrangements that cradle…
Tony Desimone is an artist that wishes to establish himself as being one of the major forces of Americana rock. By taking on bits and hints of John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, and even newer acts like Third Eye Blind and Matt Nathanson, what results on The Second Time Around is something that bleeds red, white and blue. This does not mean that Desimone saturates everything with Old Glory, but rather…
The attention span of the average music listener is short; most tracks are able to end in about three minutes. eM feels that they can create a track in Promise Me that will keep the attention of these listeners, and I feel that they are able to succeed with this single. The track looks back to the days of Kraftwerk for inspiration; the band is able to modernize that sound…
I have a soft spot for bands that have an emotive rock velour – All The Right Moves start out of the gate with a blend of Yellowcard, Philmore, and Melee. Point of View will impress with every recorded note – the production allows the splashy drum, honest vocals, and fulfilling arrangements to work perfectly. At the end of a single listen, I found myself following the band’s imperative. With…
The June Rise create in Good Lion a track that is bouncy and will immediately capture the attention of anyone that may be listening in. Their tender touch during Pull The Arrow will undoubtedly keep fans focused in – the rich instrumentation is what does it. Nothing more than the interactions between the different instruments are need to create some of the most affecting music that we have heard this…
There is not a band that has came out with a title this year that comes forth in such a unique way as Frank. There is no easy way to categorize the band, which ties themselves to the B-52s, R.E.M., Fastball, and even classic acts like Queen and The Rolling Stones. With each track on this album, Frank comes one step close to showcasing this unique flair. Peace Out is…
The emotive guitar work that begins Pink Champagne will be immediately amenable to fans of The Wallflowers or the Counting Crows. The blend of funk, soul, and other rock styles alongside the sheer vocal intensity brought to each track will create a legion of fans. This trend is something that continues through the bulk of Pink Champagne; Face Down In The Gutter ratchets up the gritty sound considerably. Hints of…