One of those singer-songwriters that make enough racket that eir listeners are confused into thinking a full band is always there – think of Beck or Sean Lennon, and one might have an idea of what Brandon Wiard sounds like. This is no Secret Machines, though – songs are tight and short, bursting with an energy that keeps the aforementioned band back. Wiard revels in the bombastic blasts of guitar…
Coming out of the gates with a very soulful style of acoustic-rock, Brandon’s voice provides the perfect contrast to eir’s instrument. While “Counting the Paces†has hints of the vocal quality of pop-megastar John Maher, the plodding nature of the songs creates a soul mood for the opening of the CD. The length of “Counting the Pacesâ€, by far the longest on the disc, is a definite hurdle to the…
Brand New have a hell of a time surpassing their brilliant work on “Deja Entenduâ€. Will the band ultimately fail like so many other acts, or will their work build off of critical successes (much as in the way that Coheed & Cambria did with “Good Morning, Apolloâ€)? The band likes their long tracks on “The Devil and Godâ€, with only 1/4ths of the band’s output being under four minutes…
My experience with Brand New began with listening to “Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fadesâ€. Hether the triple-harmony and odd time signatures really begin to make the band for me. While I was worried about what I had already heard about the band, Brand New begins Deja Entendu screaming, rocking,andwith an amalgamation of styles that would make Blink 182, The All-American Rejects, Wakefield, and The Ataris jealous. “I Will Play My Game…
16 Songs, made in 1999 on X-treme records. Brains no more is a Netherlandian punk band that has been around for 9 years, and features former members of the Bingo’s (Ton), Poisoned by Alcohol , Bingo’s and Bombix (Beer). They have to be a fairly large band, as they have played with the Exploited, UK Subs, Leatherface, and Dayglo Abortions. This CD is the first studio release that these guys…
12 songs that were made in 2000 on Brainspot Records. This 4 piece band has been around for nearly a decade, makes a 34 minute dent in the punk universe, averaging at about 2:50 a song. Innovative is the first word that comes to my mind when I first begin to listen to Endorphin. The vocals are supersonic, and the horns add so much to the mix. The inclusion of…
Brain Failure is the new Rancid, going for the all-out choruses and fast playing that Rancid has by and large dropped from their new style. One doesn’t really hear much in popular music coming from China, and Brain Failure is probably the best introduction to the world’s most populous nation that I could conceivably come up with. I almost feel bad that I never picked up the fourth volume of…
By some odd combinations of planets aligning, it seems that Brain Donor has some current relevancy, as their style of no-frills rock simultaneously tap the unsullied past of such acts like The Stooges and later retro-rock bands like The Strokes. Hell, “Like A Motherfucker†even takes the mantle of dirty, rough sludge metal away from Danzig. Instead of just willy-nilly throwing guitar licks into the mix like some newer acts…
It takes an innovative band to come up with an album in which all of the tracks essentially have the same title (Warren’s Song, just split into specific parts), and Bracket does just that with their “Requiemâ€. The beginning part of “Pt. 16†starts off in much of the same way as does Queen during their “Bohemian Rhapsodyâ€, before moving into an Aquabats style of pop punk music. There seems…
The slightly crunchy sound of the guitars that start out “Fantastic†provide a counterpoint to the sly vocals that introduce themselves to listeners. The result is something the blends together rock, psychedelic, punk, and a little bit of goth music. The band is able to create a composition that reflects a high amount of repetition that installs itself into listeners’ heads. The breakdown during the track provides listeners with a…
Boykillboy play a blend of styles that links them to acts like The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand. “Back Again†is a very angular type of track that uses a synthesizer to give Boykillboy a style that will make them the darlings of the Top of the Pops circuit when the album drops. “On and On†has more of the same style, with the vocals taking duties front and center. “Suzie 
This disc is marketed specifically to those individuals who remember who Bow Wow Wow is. I know that they did “I Want Candyâ€, but beyond that, I have no clue what else they charted with. Apparantly, there are thirteen other tracks that VH1 Classic and Sony deemed it essential to put on this album. Many of the songs feel a little dated, as we are listening to a Bow Wow…
The title track shows Leslie Bowe as a singer that is in the Edwin McCain style of indie rock. There is a certain timeless nature to eir music that will increase listenership, for sure. However hopeful and smooth Bowe’s vocals are on this track, the fact remains that Bowe brings a delightful despair for anyone that is listening to the disc. This same soulful sound is present during “Fallâ€, which…
The style of rock that Bound Stems play is interesting, to say the least. There is a fury to the composition that is not paralleled in the sound, especially during the very soft-spoken “Crimes and Folliesâ€. The sometimes shrill guitars present on this track allow the perfect amount of distortion to find its way onto the track, while the at-times raspy vocals really give this track a Protean sound (that…
“God Vs. Science†actually, however little it has obvious harmonies, works as a track. The title of the song is a perfect indicator for the style of music that will be issuing forth on your speakers. The back and forth screaming that is such a hallmark during “God Vs. Science†continues into “Third PPPlay In A Tragedyâ€, but Botch adds a few different things to this introductory track. This is…
The crunchiness that starts off “Gone Too Far”, along with the vocal sneer given the track by the band, really casts The Boroughs as a mixture of The Ramones and early Husker Du. The presence of guitar distortion is always there, and the simplstic lines that create the track make sure that tracks like “Gone Too Far” are easy to remember, no matter how individuals’ tastes run. Continuing these catchy…
Standing right in the middle of emo and punk, Bottom Line has shiny smiles as their dynamic allows for some of the smoothest transitions to be recorded onto disc. The intensity of arrangement found like that on “Follow Me†is one of the strongest reason that Bottom Line has provided for people to pick up this, their sophomore album. Bottom Line has really taken up the mantle of intense, yet…
Upon receiving Bottom Line’s two-song sampler in my stack, with hand written Sharpie titles I wasn’t so sure what to expect. But from moment one, the recording was quality and the elements were more complex than a rookie could pull. The singer has nice range that doesn’t sound strained when pushed a bit. The drumming is pretty solid, nice fills and pretty on point. “Nothing is Real” was really fun…
Man, what is up with Wisconsin and tight emo bands? Bosio’s disc starts out with shrill, incredible guitar riffs, and the track “Bullet Holes the Size of Matzah Balls†shows a band that is mature in their arrangement and cohesive in their sound. The incredible production heard on this disc, especially manifest in the clearly-clanging high hats, really allows the band to shine without having to hide behind heavy distortion.…
Born To Lose come to the table with their own brand of bouncy, quick, and poppy punk during “Not Aloneâ€. This Austin, TX band comes out with tracks that skillfully blend bass, guitars, and a slightly-gritty set of vocals to make a timeless brand of punk rock. “Not Alone†reminds me a lot of early H2O, in the sense that both bands simply don’t give a shit about image or…