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…
