What Versailles does during the opening of “Broken Dolls†is link together a number of different musical styles, the piano line variously shifting through alternative rock, goth, and even pop as listeners are given a hint as to what the rest of “Broken Dolls†will present. Versailles also makes a play for the minds and hearts of fans of music; there are arrangements and approaches taken that will please fans…
The White Stripes they aren’t. Though rock duo of Michael Van London and Rhiannon Jones may share the same stripped down guitar/drums lineup and gender makeup as The White Stripes, the comparisons pretty much stop there. The garage rock duo from Los Angeles can turn out sludge rock, but they hardly offer an original take on the genre. From the very beginning, with the rote album opener “Da Bomb,” the…
The Bloody Beetroots come forth on their “Rombo” EP with Rombo, a track that links together Gabber with The Crystal Method and The Chemical Brothers. When there are vocals, they are ancillary and are used more for their instrumental quality rather than a narrative one. The act suffers slightly from a level of repetition during this track that is a little high, but looks to come back strong with I…
1. When did you start the band/act? The Band was started by Al and Lance in 2004, went through a bunch of lineup changes etc etc and finally found its first solid lineup in 2005 when we started touring for the road to singapore (Our first EP) 2. Who are the band/act members? Brian Yuhas Drew Matz Steve Zimmerman Billy Brock John Thompson 3. Who are your influences? As a…
“Angel†has Jeff Brodnax create an intriguing composition. Where most vocals have only one duty (to further the narrative of the track), Brodnax’s take on an added responsibility. During this track, the vocals are charged with providing extra harmony, melding with the rest of the instrumentation and creating a track that touches upon such acts as Pink Floyd and Radiohead, even as the narrative part of the vocals take on…
Johnny Cash was punk rock before the term was every created. So it’s only fitting that modern punk rockers would honor the man with a tribute album.
Those expecting Wilco keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen’s side project to play the same alt-country indie rock his full time group is known for may be in for a disappointment. Rather the Jorgensen-fronted Pronto sticks to a brilliant combination of classic AM radio pop with a healthy dose of lyrical cynicism. All is Golden, 13 tracks of truly imaginative rock music, was actually recorded in 2006 with members of Iron & Wine…
“I Ain’t Got No Reason To Lie To You†is a track that showcases Weiss’ strength, putting her in a perfect position between a Sarah McLachlan and a Natalie Cole. The track, easily single quality, gets listeners interested in what is to come on “Concrete World and the Lover’s Dreamâ€, the latest effort by Weiss. “I Ain’t Got No Reason†also feeds well into “The Song About The Affair That…
“Tarots and Arrows†is a hooky type of track that is influenced both by the British and American pop of the sixties. What individuals will immediately hear bits and pieces of in this introductory salvo by Little Man is Fountains of Wayne; while not from the time period described above, the application of current musical approaches and styles to the earlier musical style is similar in both bands. “Don’t Pray…
The title track for Phoenix Rising’s “Ascension†begins with an emotionally dense composition that plays heavily in a classical style, but does not have any of the stuffiness or must associated with the classical style. Rather, what Phoenix Rising does during this track is weave a rich narrative through the entirety of the track’s 7 minute runtime.
“Shine†starts out with brooding instrumentation that seems to have fury and anger bubbling with it. While there is a formal, medieval approach to the opening, this is a façade, something to lead into a bit of gothic metal that touches upon the work of a Paradise Lost or Switchblade Serenade. The most interesting thing about Chantry is the fact that they create a patchwork of styles that makes direct…
“The Color of Daylight†is the first track that I heard by True Nature. The vocals present are a hybrid of individuals like Bryan Adams, Stephen Curtis Chapman, and Chris Isaak. The laid-back approach taken by the instruments allow these vocals to be as smooth and as gentle as a Jack Johnson song, kicking in only to give the track a little grit. The blend of country, alternative rock, and…
â€Melodia†has a number of styles immediately present, linking together African tribal sounds with Indian and Middle Eastern flavors, all while the vocals straddle the line between rock and New Wave. What results during a song like “Melodia†and the entirety of Manko Eponymous’ “Kaihealoha†is a truly special album that touches upon all lands and influences by the time that the final track grinds to a close. “Battlecry†is…
Wedlock may not be known too terribly well outside of their home city of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but their single “Reverend Charisma†may be the one track that breaks them big. The electropop movement is still on its way up, and the Depeche Mode meets drum n bass sound of Wedlock here has a very retro feel to it, tying together electropop with the “New Romantic†generation perfectly. The…
Before receiving “Vicious Circleâ€, the defining statement of the early-eighties punk/hardcore act Zero Boys, I thought Secretly Canadian was strictly an indie-rock label. Turns out that my assumption was misguided, and the label will release anything that is solid. For those who did not remember (or were not born when the band released this album, including myself), the Zero Boys were an Indianapolis quartet that lit a flag under the…
“Not Today†is a track that really challenges what I originally had thought Ruby Rendrag would thought. A very intricate instrumental approach begins “Not Todayâ€, before Rendrag’s own unique vocals take the fore. Hints of Amy Lee, Tori Amos, and The Breeders all unite to create a crunchy brand of rock that has more than a fair share of a pop glean present. With a strong introduction, Rendrag looks to…
There’s something about acoustic guitars that draws former punk rockers like moths to a flame. Frank Turner, former member of Million Dead, unplugged after his band dissolved about three years ago and decided to go the route of Billy Bragg, writing lyrically smart, occasionally politically-tinged folk rock songs.
I first wanted to apologize to Steve for not reviewing this disc any time sooner. I had promised eir a timely review of “Psych Wardâ€, one of eir latest CDs, and I completely dropped the ball. Anyways, here is our review of “Psych Wardâ€. The disc starts out with “Stigmatiz’d and Label’sâ€, a minute and a half romp that simultaneously introduces new listeners to Lieberman unique style as well as…
“Rock Bottom†starts off this self-titled release, and what comes forth is a pretty pop-oriented approached to indie rock. The tight bass lines are what will immediately shine to listeners, but it seems at this early juncture that there is little more to truly shine from Beware Fashionable Women. However, there are nine different tracks after that to choose from, the first of which is “Obligatory Tattooâ€. “Obligatory Tattoo†changes…
It’s amazing how desperate label reps get in trying to sell you on their latest signings. From the moment they were added to indie emo label Dog House Records, folks tried to remake these Oklahoma teens into a pop/punk band. Though they put out catchy pop tunes, someone thought adding the suffix “punk,†to every reference written and spoken about the band was a great was to try and add…