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 Sandâ€, but there are other defining qualities that are harder to unravel. The act blends together the…
Creepy – The Triple EP / 2007 Teeno / 13 Tracks / http://www.teenorecords.com / “The Triple EP†starts out with “The Lostâ€, 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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 Nameâ€, 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…
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…
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 Worldâ€. “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…
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,…
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-16â€, provided an introduction to the styles and influences that shaped Gilbert’s sound. “Fishing For Waterâ€, his latest album, expands upon themes first heard on “K-16â€. “Break Through Today†starts out the disc with an interesting blend of vocal and piano, with…
Jesse Rubenfeld – Let It Go / 2007 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.jesserubenfeld.com / This EP begins with “Nose to the Grindstoneâ€, 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.
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 Thoughtsâ€, individuals will understand why the Peter Bloom Band has received accolades from places like the Ontario Independent Music Awards. The disc starts off with “Afraidâ€, a track that shows a confidence in the Peter Bloom Band that is rarely…
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…
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…
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 Vehiclesâ€. This, their third album, shows a very mature…
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 Mineâ€, 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 Mineâ€â€™s walking bass line that is present during…
TAB the Band – Pulling Out Just Enough To Win / 2007 Self / 11 Tracks / http://www.tabtheband.com / “Le Colonelle†is the first track on “Pulling Out Just Enough To Winâ€, and what results is something that generally follows the retro rock sound of acts like 38 Special and The Rolling Stones. The band plays to the current period at times, but it feels much more often as if…