Each time I review a disc, it gives me a little more information about some facet of life which I had not known before the review. This time, I realized that I was listening to the former leader of the Swans. After having mouth agape at the disc, I decided to forge on and was met with another shock – this music is some of the hardest to categorize (pigeonhole),…
Always impeccable with their choice of arrangement, Angels Fight The City mix early nineties alternative music along with 70s post-punk like Wire to make compelling track. The first track on this EP, self-titled, uses multi-part harmonies and cacophonies to weave a sort of vocal melody that is sadly not explored by many popular acts today. “Out Of Depth on Land†is a track that bands like The Strokes or The…
This is the third time that I’ve been able to review AFTC, and they are still going strong. Bringing back the experimental nature of the late seventies with a timeless meshing of styles, this band is simultaneously a completist’s favorite and possible rock stars. “Like a Dog†is benefited by the sizzling guitar solos and shuffling drum beat that makes this track as equally possible as a disco track as…
While the cover and related promotional information seem to paint Angel as a secular singer, it really seems like Angel fits well into both adult contemporary and contemporary Christian genres. “Absalom†is a track that uses a little bit of jazz and a slower tempo than most pop to really go forth and create a distinct style for Angel’s music. Even if there is nothing sharp or harsh present during…
Angel Blake plays the style of music that HIM would love to be able to play. The style of music that comes throughout on this self-titled album is something that is sultry, but still brutal. This is a fundamentally different beast than either Danzig or Type O Negative because it seems as if Angel Blake is a more serious act than either of the previous two acts.
The style of music that Kyle Andrews comes out with on eir “Amos in Ohio†sounds like a more electronic version of Joseph Arthur. The use of synthesizers in the indie-rock laden opening to the disc gives the track an older feel (almost as if one is in the sixties), while still having the cherubic charms of a Matthew Sweet. The electronic/indie style of Andrews is not just a ploy…
The laid-back sounds of Rusty Anderson at the beginning of “Undressing Underwater†really is a nice introduction for fans who might not know the artist. This is pretty much removed from any distinct style of music, eliciting pop-rock, indie, frat-rock and Fastball all in one very smoothed-out sounding bundle. The harder edge of “Devil’s Spaceship†is proper concerning the name, and it is through this sea change in style that…
The use of what sounds to be the drum clanking together scores of sticks for “Ame†is an easy way to go and increase the fury of the album without resorting to normal methods. What is immediately noticeable about Anathallo has to be their ability to control the emotional content of their tracks on “Floating Worldâ€. Individuals can be thrown into a rage or made completely excited just by the…
An Angle’s lead singer, Kris still has a Conor Oberst sound that permeates through “We Can Breathe Under Alcoholâ€, but the major difference, that of a solid studio band, really makes a track like “Green Water†shine. “Green Water†is completed with the inclusion of a second set of vocals, something that “A Way With Words†recreates with the inclusion of a very vocal-esque set of guitars. Casting eir vocals…
An Angel’s lead vocalist, Kris, likes eir Bright Eyes albums a lot. An by a lot, I mean that the first track, “For Every Day Brought Up This One†has a deadpan Conor imitation done by the Kris in question. However, unlike Conor’s Lifted album, even though Kris goes and has a host of musicians creating the music, the music sounds impressively professional where everything sounded so raw and unfinished…
An Albatross starts off their “Blessphemy†showing their appreciation for seventies rock. The first track on this disc is “In The Court of the Bear Kingâ€, a track that blends equal parts Judas Priest with Ted Nugent to create something extra special for listeners to be introduced by. Each of the tracks on “Blessphemy†are short almost to the degree of an Agoraphobic Nosebleed. While there are some surface similarities…
Solidly opening “Zoo†with a track that is as impressive in its radio-friendliness as it is for its efficiency and overall virtuosity. The culmination of an entire band instead of a strong effort from one or two members, “Adding Insult to Industry†has strong bass, vocals, guitars and drums, something that portends well for Anadivine. Starting slowly, “Dangerous Mixed With†is deeply-infectious, using loud and hard-hitting drum lines to match…
Starting out playing the same brand of emo that has been all the rage the last few years (sounding similar to Brand New and Senses Fail), Ambry nonetheless comes up during “Better Scene Than Heard” with a compelling first track. The bridge, done in the same sort of style as “Quiet Things”, is a nice connector and differentiation between the two sections of the style. Two things are immediately noticable…
Amusement Parks on Fire play a brand of indie rock that is completely at home with the shoegazing rock of the early nineties. There are subtle hints to bands like Interpol even in the disc’s earliest stages, and even though the music captured on the disc may be sedate, it is very intense and owes much to Phil Spector’s legendary “wall of sound” approach. The mastering feels a little bit…
“Ancient Sky†is a track that benefits from its Neal Peart-styled basslines and infusion of rock to the jazz backdrop of the track. The extended synthesizer solo doubles the bass to perfection, and adds a bridge with the same quality of Emily’s voice to fill out the track. Ending “Ancient Sky†with ever more chaotic drums, Amun Ra really makes a mini-movement in just the five minutes of space that…
2000, self released, 23 songs, 52 minutes. 4 Piece Florida political punk band. It took me a minute to gain my bearings on this CD, as Dustin Prosthesis’ voice is a little hard to understand at times, but it does get easier to understand. The Amputees are pure, abrasive political punk rock that definitely aren’t afraid to let people know their beliefs. The recording is rough, but it actually works…
Wow, it has been a long time since I’ve gotten to review an Ampline disc. I wish it hadn’t been so long, as the band starts out with the very intense “Your Tongue or Your Lifeâ€. This song has all of the emotional intensity of a Fugazi or a Desert City Soundtrack, tying the best parts of both bands up into something complete. While there are segments of an Ampline…
I do not know how Tiberius Records does it, but it seems that every release that I get from them better in quality, and “The Choir” is no exception. This is an instrumental CD, but don’t let that hold you from buying this killer CD. The bass, guitars and drums really mesh together to make an urgent sound that keeps you bound to the stereo until the end of the…
Amerijah start off their “Project Won†with a track in “Dove Wing Rhythm†that has a lot of energy, but does not do anything with it in the nearly four minutes that the track has. If there was some more experimentation or a voice to break up the music during this track, the chance is that the band would come out as something more than more bouncy elevator music.
American Timebomb start out this LP with “Live It Upâ€, a track that is impressive not for the pop-punk sound it holds as sacrosanct, but rather their choice of influences on this track. There is a mixture of eighties Ramones and just a hint of Lillingtons in the mix; what occurs in this track is a sad sense of longing that the bouncy beat of the track is not strong…