Gym Class Heroes – The Papercut Chronicles / 2004 Fueled By Ramen / 4 Tracks / http://www.gymclassheroes.com / http://www.fueledbyramen.com / Reviewed 07 February 2005 Hey I remember hearing the hook that a band only came out and used live musicians instead of samples back when The Roots said about it a few years ago. However, Gym Class Heroes are miles and miles better than anything that The Roots (and Cody…
The Guys – Live The Party / 2006 Friendship / 12 Tracks / http://www.theguysmusic.com / Reviewed 21 July 2006 Are The Guys a band more influenced by The Knack or The Ramones? “Unloaded†starts off “Live The Partyâ€, and mixes parts of Roy Orbison, the aforementioned Knack and Ramones, plus The Vapors to make something that is current while still relying on earlier styles. The production is perfect, allowing the…
Guttermouth – Shave The Planet / 2006 Volcom / 10 Tracks / http://www.xxx-guttermouth-xxx.com / http://www.volcom.com / Reviewed 17 October 2006 I’ve loved Guttermouth for years now. The only thing bad, and I don’t know why I do this, is that I get the band confused with Millencolin. There’s really no reason for me to, but I do. Saying that, “Pee In The Shower†is one of the best punk tracks…
Guster – Ganging Up on the Sun / 2006 Reprise / 12 Tracks / http://www.guster.com / http://www.repriserecords.com / Reviewed 25 July 2006 Guster have been the darlings of the indie scene for quite a few years. It has been a while since their name dropped often from the lips of fans and critics alike, so to hear a disc’s worth of new matter – “Ganging Up on the Sun†–…
Guitar Wolf – Golden Black / 2005 Narnack / 26 Tracks / http://www.guitarwolf.net / http://www.narnackrecordings.com / Reviewed 28 November 2005 A mixture of traditional rock with a screamed-out set of vocals that parallel noise, Guitar Wolf comes out with music that will draw umpteen listeners to eir cause in the shortest possible amount of time. With forays into rockabilly and punk (especially present during tracks like “Missle Meâ€), a wide…
Guiltmaker – Driven By Arms / 4 Tracks / 2006 Kiss of Death / http://www.myspace.com/guiltmaker / >http://www.kissofdeathrecords.com / Reviewed 10 July 2006 Guiltmaker is an act that is comprised of members of Combatwoundedveteran and Reversal of Man, but is something that is drastically different than either of those acts. In fact, a track like “Connected†has much more to do with the emo acts out on the market now than…
You remember when the Flaming Lips put out that four-CD set that was supposed to be started all at the same time and played in four stereos? Well, “Black Oni†is sort of like that, the second release in a trilogy of albums by Guapo. This album gives the listening base a feel for Guapo, who seem to play a much more sedate brand of experimental music, sort of like…
Though once a member of Moldy Peaches, Adam Green has done a decent job of forge his own identity as a solo act. His latest effort, the “Minor Love†is no exception.
Being described as “acid-swamp-blues-musicâ€, I initially was a little reluctant to listen to this disc, but methinks that the title is a little misleading – Grubstake is true rock & roll, grimy and couched much more in the rhythm and blues tradition (that part of the blurb is correct) than much of the rock that is out there in the current. Immediately compelling, a track like “Familiar Ring†is a…
Grubstake – Dynamite & Other Inventions / 2005 Nine Mile / 12 Tracks / http://www.grubbies.net / http://www.ninemilerecords.com / Reviewed 18 April 2005 “Whispering Blues†is a slow start to this album, seemingly too laid back and reserved to really kickstart the hearts and minds of new listeners to Grubstake. There are a number of moments during “Whispering Blues†that the band could break out and really ride emotional waves into…
Emily Grogan – Io / 2005 OneWay Productions / 13 Tracks / http://www.emilygrogan.com / onewayrc@aol.com / Reviewed 03 June 2005 I find it interesting that the opening to “Io†has Emily singing in a way eerily reminiscent of the timbre achieved by both Coheed and Cambria and Linda Perry. The stretched-out guitar could have been increased in volume just a mite during “Begin Againâ€, but the rest of the song…
Year of the Dragon is the latest act by Dirty Walt Kibby from Fishbone, and it shows that even someone as storied as Kibby continue to innovate and blindside fans with intelligent arrangements, impassioned lines, and a hell of a lot of grit and fire. While the introduction gives listeners a little bit of an idea where Year of the Dragon will go with “Blunt Force Karmaâ€, “Ipso Facto†really…
Emily Grogan – At Sea / 2007 One Way / 13 Tracks / http://www.emilygrogan.com / http://www.onewayproductions.com / Reviewed 24 February 2007 The heavily vocal introduction during “End of the Line†is an interesting approach to open this album, but the softly-spoken style leads into a much more straightforward brand of alternative rock that blends together The Pretenders with Suzanne Vega. While the track is well over four minutes, the energy…
The Gris Gris – For The Season / 2005 Birdman / 12 Tracks / http://www.thebirdmangroup.com / Reviewed 08 October 2005 The Gris Gris start out “For The Season†with a noisey, brass (and flute)-heavy arrangement. Luckily enough, the band really adds some form of cohesion to the track about a minute after this spastic opening. When the experimental noodling is toned down for the bulk of the track, the band’s…
Scott Grimes – Livin On The Run / 2005 Velocity / 15 Tracks / http://www.scottgrimes.com / http://www.velocity.la / Reviewed 12 November 2005 The album says that it is from 2005, but the sound of the opening, self-titled track sounds more like something from the eighties (along the lines of Bon Jovi, Eddie Money and Bruce Springsteen) than anything that is out in the current period. The vocal style is what…
Earl Greyhound – Soft Targets Earl Greyhound – Soft Targets / 2006 Some / 11 Tracks / http://www.earlgreyhound.com / http://www.some.com / Reviewed 12 November 2006 When I first saw the Earl Greyhound album, I was imagining that it would be indie rock, perhaps with a little funk thrown in. However, what ultimately results from “Soft Targets” is an album that blends equal parts Rage Against The Machine with King’s X.…
Greyfield – Soundtrack to Our Summer / Search and Rescue Records, PO Box 8260, Ann Arbor, MI 48107 / 2003 / http://www.searchandrescuerecords.com / http://www.greyfieldrock.com Honestly, to me this band does not sound very innovative, instead striving to glomming onto the many of the emo bands that have been popular in the last half-decade, without really going and making something innovative. In fact, this CD sounds so polished that it really…
Andrew Gregory – S/T / 2005 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.andrewgregorymusic.com / Reviewed 29 September 2005 It is almost an immediate thing that the beautiful voice of Andrew hits the listener; “The Line†may be a sparsely-arranged track, but the harmonics achieved by Gregory is equivalent to a full symphony orchestra in that aspect. The slower tempo of “Up Over The Ocean†shows a weakness in Gregory’s vocals as…
Greenlight – Is This What I Am Here For? / 2005 Self Released / 6 Tracks / http://www.greenlightband.net / Reviewed 12 January 2006 Imagine Mission of Burma mixing with the B-52s, and one starts to get the idea of what Greenlight starts their “Is This What I Am Here For?†EP with. The vocals, which seem to tap an older set of influences, work well with the other trend regarding…
Greenlawn Abbey – Self/Titled / 2004 Diaphragm / 12 Tracks / http://www.diaphragmrecords.com / Reviewed 02 February 2005 Coming forth in a very seventies vein, Greenlawn Abbey seem to me to be a lighter version of Boston with their first track on their self-titled debut, “Ladykickâ€. While the blazing hooks of Boston are not as present on the track as I would personally like, Greenlawn Abbey comes out with a multi-vocal…