Category: Music Reviews

Posted on: February 1, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Frederik Magle – Souffle Le Vent + The Hope

Frederik Magle – Souffle Le Vent + The Hope / 2007 Self / 2 Tracks / http://www.magle.dk / http://www.magle.dk/music-mp3-downloads.html / Frederik Magle is rapidly reaching prominence in the field of classical music. This is due to the fact that Magle’s compositions have reached a level of sophistication and skill that have brought him accolades, including having The London Philharmonic, The Danish Radio Sinfonietta, and Nikolaj Znaider play his compositions. However,…

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Posted on: January 31, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

The Limit – Reinventing The Sun

The Limit – Reinventing The Sun / 2007 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.thelimitmusic.com / The style of music that The Limit create on the opening strains of “Reinventing The Sun” is nothing that can easily be categorized. Sure, there is a lot of eighties rock influence that marks the band’s “House of Sand”, but there are other defining qualities that are harder to unravel. The act blends together the…

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Posted on: January 31, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Creepy – The Triple EP

Creepy – The Triple EP / 2007 Teeno / 13 Tracks / http://www.teenorecords.com / “The Triple EP” starts out with “The Lost”, a traditional emo track that has equal parts Appleseed Cast, Good Charlotte, and The Red Hot Valentines present. The vocals are compelling as all get out, while the inclusion of a fuzzy synthesizer to the mix fills up the track nicely. The band has made a big splash…

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Posted on: January 30, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

OST: Beowulf

OST: Beowulf / 2007 Warner Brothers / 17 Tracks / http://www.beowulfmovie.com / http://www.warnerbros.com / Beowulf is one of the oldest stories that is still being told; while it is not as old as the myths that am movie like 300 were taken from, the age on this story is considerable. It is thus the duty of Alan Silvestri to make a soundtrack that fits in well with the action. Individuals…

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Posted on: January 30, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

The Mumlers – Thickets and Stitches

The Mumlers – Thickets and Stitches / 2007 Galaxia / 11 Tracks / http://www.themumlers.com / http://www.galaxia-platform.com / The first minute or so of The Mumler’s “Thickets & Stitches” seems very dark and brooding, owing to the horns that are present. However, as “Dice in a Drawer” opens up, the catchy nature of The Mumlers comes forth. There are not direct comparisons that I can make for how The Mumlers sound,…

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Posted on: January 30, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Kate Walsh – Tim’s House

Kate Walsh – Tim’s House / 2007 Blueberry Pie / 10 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/katewalsh / Kate Walsh is yet another one of those individuals that have a great career in the United Kingdom but have not made it over to the United States yet. For some reason, the United States release date for Walsh’s 2007 album is in late January. I never understood why record labels hold on to albums…

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Posted on: January 29, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Einsturzende Neubauten – Alles Wieder Offen

Einsturzende Neubauten – Alles Wieder Offen / 2007 Virtual / 10 Tracks / http://www.neubauten.org / Einsturzende Neubauten is one of those acts that have been high on my list to check out for years, but I have not had a chance to listen to them until a copy of “Alles Wieder Offen” came to me. For those individuals that are similarly ignorant about Einsturzende Neubauten, the band came together in…

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Posted on: January 29, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Cold Dead Hands – Novelization

Cold Dead Hands – Novelization / 2007 Self / 5 Tracks /  The band first lurches in a Fu Manchu o Monster Magnet direction, with the opening calling forth the same general style of stoner rock that those acts (along with early Sugar Ray) created. The vocals kick in and give the track much more of a Foo Fighters sound, while the bass line (linked to the lead guitar) finishes…

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Posted on: January 29, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Ice Nine Kills – The Burning

Ice Nine Kills – The Burning / 2007 Red Blue / 7 Tracks / http://www.iceninekills.com / “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is a track that links together the work of bands like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday with the screamed out hardcore of Coalesce and Maroon. The bouncing back and forth between screaming and intensely catchy vocal lines, especially during “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is fun as all…

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Posted on: January 28, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

The Spoon Benders – Resurrecting the Giants

The Spoon Benders – Resurrecting the Giants / 2007 Self / 8 Tracks / http://www.thespoonbenders.net / The Spoon Benders craft a style of music that brings me back to the early days of the nineties. The disc’s first track is “Making My Name”, and it has The Spoon Benders linking together the works of Rusted Root, the Dave Matthews Band, and hints of more current (Maroon 5, Matchbox 20, and…

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Posted on: January 28, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

A Third Wish Granted – The Lost Art of Conversation: Vol. 1

A Third Wish Granted – The Lost Art of Conversation: Vol. 1 / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.a3wg.net / If you have been around Los Angeles in any serious sense since 2001, and followed the local music scene at all, chances are good that you have heard of A Third Wish Granted. Hell, I’m from Ohio, and I had heard them before I was sent “The Lost Art…

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Posted on: January 28, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Aaron English – The Marriage of the Sun and Moon

Aaron English – The Marriage of the Sun and Moon / 2007 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.aaronenglish.com / It has been a few (5) years since Aaron English first hit the music scene with “All The Waters of This World”. “The Marriage of the Sun and Moon” is his second album, and by the time “Moon Murmurs” (the disc’s last track) peters out, it is clear that English has…

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Posted on: January 27, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Cheryl B. Engelhardt – Craving The Second

Cheryl B. Engelhardt – Craving The Second / 2007 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.cbemusic.com / 2004 marked the first Cheryl Engelhardt album; “Shoes Off and Run” provided individuals with a sense of Engelhardt’s pop-laced style. “Craving The Second” is so much more; “Keep” uses a melody that could be created by a Scarecrow and Tinman with a set of vocals that touches upon all of the famous female singers,…

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Posted on: January 27, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 1

Adam Gilbert – Fishing For Water

Adam Gilbert – Fishing For Water / 2008 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.gilbertmusic.net / “Fishing For Water” is Gilbert’s second foray into independent music. His first album, “K-16”, provided an introduction to the styles and influences that shaped Gilbert’s sound. “Fishing For Water”, his latest album, expands upon themes first heard on “K-16”. “Break Through Today” starts out the disc with an interesting blend of vocal and piano, with…

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Posted on: January 26, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Jesse Rubenfeld – Let It Go

Jesse Rubenfeld – Let It Go / 2007 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.jesserubenfeld.com / This EP begins with “Nose to the Grindstone”, a track that showcases the diverse array of influences present in Rubenfeld’s life. The vocals will remind listeners of individuals such as Neil Young and James Taylor, while the instrumentation has hints of Chicago, The Eagles, and Cat Stevens.

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Posted on: January 26, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Peter Bloom Band – Random Thoughts (From A Paralyzed Mind)

Peter Bloom Band – Random Thoughts (From A Paralyzed Mind) / 2008 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.peterbloomband.com / By the time individuals get through the 10 tracks on “Random Thoughts”, individuals will understand why the Peter Bloom Band has received accolades from places like the Ontario Independent Music Awards. The disc starts off with “Afraid”, a track that shows a confidence in the Peter Bloom Band that is rarely…

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Posted on: January 24, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Stobo – S/T

Stobo – S/T / 2007 Fork Tongue / 12 Tracks / http://www.stobo.info / Stobo starts off this album with a smoking introduction. The band is smart when it comes to the creation of a certain tension hat will have individuals clamoring for some sort of release. This release comes with an intense blend of guitars and drums, while keeping the vocals out of the equation. The banfd has more than…

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Posted on: January 24, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Kate Nash – Made of Bricks

Kate Nash – Made of Bricks / 2007 Polydor / 12 Tracks / http://www.katenash.co.uk / Kate Nash has been all the rage in the United Kingdom for over a year now. It is only now that Nash is trying to break it big in America, and with the works on this album, the chance that Nash breaks it big in America is considerable. The opening track on the disc is…

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Posted on: January 24, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Maritime – Heresy and the Hotel Choir

Maritime – Heresy and the Hotel Choir / 2007 Flameshovel / 12 Tracks / http://www.flameshovel.com / For those individuals that do not know who Maritime is, the band consists of members from both The Dismemberment Plan and the Promise Ring. They released their first full length “Glass Floor” in 2004, and followed that up with a 2006 release in “We, the Vehicles”. This, their third album, shows a very mature…

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Posted on: January 23, 2008 Posted by: James Comments: 0

Last American Buffalo – Marquis For The Debutante

Last American Buffalo – Marquis For The Debutante / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.virb.com/lastamericanbuffalo / The first track on “Marquis For The Debutante” is “Breaking Up Mine”, and it shows Last American Buffalo as an act that has a style that blends together Chris Cornell’s solo work with hints of The Wallflowers and Queens of the Stone Age. “Breaking Up Mine”’s walking bass line that is present during…

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