“Sound It Out†is a track that provides a solid amount of energy with an ear for pop arrangements, allowing a wide swath of listeners a proper introduction to The Locals. Each element of the band hits hard, whether it the alluring vocals put forth, the splashing and all-encompassing drums, or the harmonies achieved by the guitar. Despite The Locals packing up shop on “Sound It Out†well before the…
“Ride†is an energetic bit of rock music that has all the fury of punk while having a more focused and sharp sound. There is little to compare The Cringe to; they come forth with a little of the progressive sound of Rush even as hints of Buckcherry struggle with AC/DC influences. The sheer eclecticism of The Cringe is something that will put listeners’ butts into seats, while the catchiness…
The Handshake Murders – Usurper / 2007 Goodfellow / 11 Tracks / http://www.thehandshakemurders.com / http://www.goodfellowrecords.com / Reviewed 26 January 2007 The hardness of the opening of “Usurper†shows The Handshake Murders as an actthat is heavily influenced by the hardcore genre. This is done to the degree that one can barely hear any metal influence present in the band’s first track of “Usurperâ€, “Dissectorâ€. The guitars finally kick in after…
Hammers of Misfortune – The Locust Years / 8 Tracks / 2006 Cruz Del Sur / http://www.hammersofmisfortune.com / http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com / Reviewed 16 August 2006 Hammers of Misfortune start out “The Locust Years†in a weak way. The extended instrumental opening to the title (and opening) track is just too long to keep individuals interested and backing the album. The dual vocal assault that final starts out after a few minutes…
Hal – Hal / 2005 Rough Trade / 11 Tracks / http://www.halmusic.com / http://www.roughtraderecords.com / Reviewed 24 April 2005 Hal’s album is a mystery from the front cover. A montage of clip-art from the last century, in front of a white background really is the only visual tag for what is in store for the listener. What comes out when the individual puts the disc on to play is a…
Hail Social – S/T Hail Social – S/T / 2005 Polyvinyl / 9 Tracks / http://www.hailsocial.com / http://www.polyvinylrecords.com / Reviewed 18 July 2005 Hail Social’s music, especially their opening track “Hands Are Tiedâ€, seems influences by the dance move, in much of the same ways that created the popular beast that are The Killers. The all-out dance sound of the bass-heavy “Get In The Car†shows a band that is…
Our last review of a rap CD involved one of the individuals that Haiku thanks in eir “Blewâ€: Meaty Ogre. That CD wasn’t that impressive, but “Blew†starts off in a much stronger way. The first track on this CD is “Blueâ€, and the song is strong in the sense that it uses a more classic backing beat, all while the flow is some of the more fresh and current…
I should have expected experimental music from one of the Einsturzende Neubauten band members, but still, the opening track “Minnie & Me†shocked me at the first go around. The vaguely-tribal, ghostly vocals present on that track cannot be anything but disjointed, and I almost feel as if Hacke’s purpose with this track is provide a disjointed viewpoint. The second track, “Sister†is just the incorporation of Bon Jovi-esque guitar…
Haale – Paratrooper / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks / http://www.haale.com / http://www.musicandart.net / Reviewed 02 June 2007 While it may seem as if Bjork is trying to make a more gothic sounding effort in Haale’s “Paratrooperâ€, I would have to say that the overall sound is much more diverse and full that the average Bjork track. There is the same type of atmosphere present as ambient music, but there…
Gypsy Soul – The Journey / 2006 Off The Beaten Track / 11 Tracks /http://www.gypsysoul.com / http://www.worldsound.com / Reviewed 28 April 2006 Hints of Sarah McLachlan immediately present themselves in “Promises and Liesâ€, the opening track to Gypsy Soul’s “The Journeyâ€. This means that there are hints of country and pop rock, much in the same vein of Annette and Preeta. The style of the music that Gypsy Soul comes…
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…