Peter Searcy – Spark / 2007 Toucan Cove / 12 Tracks / http://www.petersearcy.com / http://www.toucancove.com / For individuals that were into the Louisville scene, Peter Searcy was a member of seminal Louisville punk act Squirrel Bait. Later on, ey joined Big Wheel, Starbilly, and has been doing things in the solo scene since around 2000. This is ey fourth solo release, and the album starts off with Searcy coming forth…
Recourse – Weakening The Structure / 2007 Skinlifter / 8 Tracks / http://www.recoursemetal.com / http://www.skinlifterrecords.com / “Frail Existence†shows that Recourse is a new type of metal band, playing as fast as possible while using the conventions of metal and harder rock. The band goes through all of the tracks on this EP at a breakneck speed. The track length may be about three and a half minutes time in…
White Rabbits – Fort Nightly / 2007 Say Hey / 11 Tracks / http://www.whiterabbitsnyc.com / http://www.sayheyrecords.com / White Rabbits probably take their name from that Jefferson Airplane classic. I have no clue if that is true, but it sounds good. “Kid On My Shoulders†starts out “Fort Nightlyâ€, and it shows that White Rabbits absolutely LOVE the sixties, especially the lounge sound. The vocals come from a newer tradition, but…
V/A – Deep Elm: Cover Your Tracks / 2007 Deep Elm / 12 Tracks / http://www.deepelm.com / I guess I do not understand the real purpose of Deep Elm bands covering other Deep Elm songs. Obviously, it would not be hard to get copyright clearance from Cross My Heart, Last Days of April, Pop Unknown, and the like. However, I don’t see what the use is in doing these covers.…
Helmet – Monochrome / 2007 Warcon / 11 Tracks / http://www.helmetmusic.com / http://www.warconrecords.com Helmet was a hard rock act that I never really got into in all of my years listening to music. Well, I received “Monochrome†a few weeks ago and I really was blown away. “Swallowing Everything†is the first track on the disc, and the first thing individuals can hear is the distinctive guitar work present. The…
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – In Glorious Times / 2007 The End / 11 Tracks / http://www.sleepytimegorillamuseum.com / http://www.theendrecords.com / The disconcerting sound that Sleepytime Gorilla Museum puts forth on their “The Companions†blends circus music with a movie score. The falsetto cuts through listeners and the music on the track alike; when the band finally breaks into a harder rock style, things change. Of course, the circus feel to the…
In Theory – This Is It / 2007 Shelter From the Storm / 11 Tracks / http://www.intheorymusic.com / In Theory play a brand of emo rock that would make Yellowcard proud. The first cut on the album is “Help Me Help Youâ€, and the track could easily be the band’s first single. The distinctive vocals of In Theory mesh with very confident guitar lines and splashy drums to make a…
Nekromantix – Life Is A Grave & I Dig It / 2007 Hell-Cat / 14 Tracks / http://www.nekromantix.com / http://www.hell-cat.com / Nekromantix have been around a very lengthy period of time, crafting their brand of punk rockabilly music for the masses. “NekroHigh†is the first track on “Life is a Graveâ€, and it shows that the band is still able to come up with a track that is catchy and…
Kate Havnevik – Melankton / 2007 Universal / 12 Tracks / http://www.katehavnevik.com / http://www.universal.com / Individuals from Europe may not know why we are running a “Melankton†review now; the disc was first released there in April of 2006. However, the disc just made it to American shores this year. Havnevik’s “Melankton†is a debut album, but from the beginning of the disc, it does not feel to be. The…
Coby Brown – Time Is Now / 2007 Self / 4 Tracks / http://www.cobybrown.com / Coby Brown and the 11:11s play a brand of pop rock that is comparable to the work of a Coldplay, Keane, or Artic Monkeys. That means that the music that is on “Time Is Now†is inoffensive, does not experiment in the slightest, and relies on the paths that previous individuals have traveled. The tracks…
Our Lady Peace – A Decade / 2006 Columbia / 18 Tracks / http://www.ourladypeace.com / http://www.columbiarecords.com / Our Lady Peace is yet another Canadian act that was big in America for a song or two, but reached massive levels of success for years (almost a decade) in their own home country. I still remember when I first was introduced to Our Lady Peace. It was a year or so before…
The Spares – Beautiful and Treacherous Thing / 2007 Tweed / 12 Tracks / http://www.thespares.net / http://www.tweedrecords.com/ The Spares blend together alternative music with a brand of bluegrass-influenced country music that is first heard on “Waiting For The Smoke To Clearâ€. The vocals will remind listeners of a young Allison Krauss, while the guitars present during the track vary between the to styles. Regardless, what is being sang is something…
The Horrors – Strange House / 2007 Stolen Transmission / 11 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/thehorrors / http://www.stolentransmission.com / The Horrors have been making some waves in the indie music scene in the last few months. The first track on “Strange House†is “Jack The Ripperâ€, and it shows that The Horrors are trying to recall an earlier period in rock music. A great deal of their music comes from the loud…
Pos-Neg – I’m A Problem / 2007 Self / 3 Tracks / http://www.pos-neg.com / http://www.southbronx.com / Pos-Neg is a rap act, and the flow that is present on the single “I’m A Problem†is similar to the earlier DMX flows. The backing beat to the track is a little bit on the tinny side, which does not necessarily mesh well with the higher registers of the individuals on the track.…
Chimaira – Resurrection / 2007 Ferret / 11 Tracks / http://www.chimaira.com / http://www.ferretstyle.com Chimaira has been rocking the faces off of their fans for quite a few years, first on Roadrunner and now on Ferret Music. It seems as if Ferret really has made their average band much more hard and heavy than they have been in years past, and this is a good sign for the label. Chimaira start…
Lacona – 35/half of 70 / 2007 Self / 2 Tracks / http://www.laconamusic.com /  The style of indie rock that Lacona plays is very influenced by the goth style that was largest in the earliest days of the nineties. An emotive set of vocals goes in and other key as the instrumentation creates a very dark and dingy backdrop for the aforementioned vocals. The vocals move in and out…
Sick Puppies – Dressed Up As Life / 2007 EMI / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/sickpuppies / http://wwv.virginrecords.com “World†is the first track on “Dressed Up As Lifeâ€, and it shows Sick Puppies as a new rock band in the same vein as an Evans Blue or a Papa Roach. This means that the band has a post-grunge feel that unites the earlier style with hints of pop-punk and Goo Goo…
The Eclectic Collective – The Flux / 2007 Self / 7 Tracks / http://www.ecbeats.com / The Eclectic Collective started out around 2003 to take the world over with their own brand of rock. This marks their second album, released a year after their debut album “Time Fliesâ€. The first track on “The Flux†is “Ocean of Tearsâ€, and it shows that The Eclectic Collective love blending an older, Eagles type…
Slide Show Baby – S/T / 2007 Moraiath / 11 Tracks / http://www.slideshowbaby.com / “Long Long Road†is a track that starts with splashy drums. That’s a good thing. However, it sounds like the violin that is present during points of this track is created in Cakewalk and pandered as real. While I have no problem with how they have created the lines (real or through a program), it just…
The Morning Pages – The Company You Keep / 2007 Zealous / 6 Tracks / http://www.themorningpages.com / For some reason, the first band I think of when I listen to The Morning Pages has to be Led Zeppelin. The music that is present on “The Company You Keep†is couched in an earlier style of rock. The vocals are the focal point of a track like “It Makes Me Cryâ€,…