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…
Severe Torture – Sworn Vengeance / 2007 Earache / 10 Tracks / http://www.severetorture.com / http://www.earache.com / Severe Torture has their influences all down, as the limited edition first pressing of “Sworn Vengeance’ has the band’s covers of Cro-Mags and Entombed classics. The first track on “Sworn Vengeance†is “Dismal Perceptionâ€, which paints the act as one that can play their brand of speed metal as fast as humanely possible without…
Alex Winston – By The Roots / 2007 Pratdral Records / 6 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/AlexWinston / Alex Winston is trying to break it big. The first track on “By The Roots†is “Misunderestimate Meâ€, and it shows Winston as an individual that wants to go forth and fit right in with Avril Lavigne, Pink, and Christina Aguliera. There is virtually nothing that distinguishes Winston from these individuals, and this makes…
Sunday Drivers – Archetypes EP / 2007 Permanent / 4 Tracks / http://www.sundaydriversmusic.com / The cold, New Romantic style of Sunday Drivers during “The Sweetest Disguise†is meshed well with a little bit of dance punk and hints of emo music. This means that the style of music that the band crafts during the opening track is new and fresh, and allows for the act to create their own sound…
Movie Star Kiss – Sunset Junction / 2007 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.moviestarkiss.com / The tidiness with which Movie Star Kiss create their introductory track on “Sunset Junctionâ€, “Just Can’t Have It All†virtually ensure some large fan base for the band. The band does not immediately link themselves to a specific set of bands and influences, but plays rock music with hints of emo music strewn throughout. “Just…
Bring Me The Horizon Present – This Is What The Edge of Your Seat Was Made For / 2007 Earache / 4 Tracks / http://www.earache.com / Bring Me The Horizon Present creates some of the noise-infused hardcore music that has been put forth by a number of acts in the current period. The first track on the disc is “Re: They Have No Reflections†does not give too much new…
Switches – We Are Switches / 2007 Interscope / 4 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/weareswitches / “Lay Down The Law†is the first track on this EP, and it shows The Switches as a band that can create an angular rock sound that does not sound like the style crafted by many of the other bands in that style. This is done by incorporating a softer, more dreamy type of style –…