Artist: Wolfmother
Album: New Crown
Source: http://wolfmother.bandcamp.com/album/new-crown
Pre-listening Notes: I liked the first Wolfmother record. Not a lot, but enough to give this third album a shot I, honestly, didn't know they put a second album out, so I don't know if that one is any good. The first one, though, had some cool stuff on it. It had it's hard rock base to it, with some occasional stoner rockish riffs and even a little psychedelic parts here and there.
Initial Reaction: Well this sounds exactly like I expected. It's got the upbeat thing working for it. It's not heavy enough to be considered metal, but that's fine. I suppose not everything has to be heavy. There is some slower, heavier sounding parts, but it is not just heavy for heavy's sake. Now having said all that, something seems out of place with this.
Random Thoughts: As the second song kicks in, I have that strange feeling that this is just going to be a rehash of bands I already listen to. It does appear that sometimes this is going to slow down for a song that doesn't bring enough sludge to it to make this song interesting. And as each song goes on, I realize why I didn't pursue this band any further. They don't have enough variety to them. I lost interest around middle of the album and became more attentive to what I was doing than what I was listening to.
Final Reaction: If you like a modern take on classic rock and don't mind a lack of variety or uniqueness, this might be for you. If you would rather just listen to Zeppelin, do that. This really lacked any real oomph to it, it started off and I was thinking there was a chance I might like it, but really I'll just go back and listen to the 4 or 5 songs off the first album that I really dug and never listen to this again.
Final Grade: 3.5/10
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Day 81: Johnny Cash - Out Among the Stars
Artist: Johnny Cash
Album: Out Among the Stars
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Johnny record this album in 1981, but the label shelved the album. I'm sure everyone knows what to expect from Johnny. I can't imagine this will be stylistically too different than his catalog. It'll be country, but it will be infinitely cooler than anything country.
Initial Reaction: The first song, the title track, is a great upbeat country song with the classic, strong vocals that he does best. The lyrics weave a great story. Hopefully this song is a start to a cool album of lost songs. Things don't usually get shelved for no reason, but this particular song, I'm not sure why this was not released 30 years ago.
Random Thoughts: Second song is also pretty good, with additional vocals from June. The trade off vocals from these two always seem to compliment each other pretty nicely. Things slow down a little for the song She Used to Love Me A Lot, which was released as a single ahead of time. It slows down even more for After All, which is a nice piano ballad. I honestly have no idea why these songs took this long to see the light of day, this is better than I was expecting. I'm digging on most of these songs. I could do without the religions songs.
Final Reaction: This was pretty darn good. I like to listen to Johnny every once in a while. I usually reach for the greatest hits packages or Folsom, but this has me thinking I need to dig into his back catalog a little deeper. Country music is not usually something that I am fond of, but the badassery of Johnny Cash helps to almost make the feel of his songs seem closer to rock and roll than country. I have no idea why it took this long to get this out, but it was worth it.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Album: Out Among the Stars
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Johnny record this album in 1981, but the label shelved the album. I'm sure everyone knows what to expect from Johnny. I can't imagine this will be stylistically too different than his catalog. It'll be country, but it will be infinitely cooler than anything country.
Initial Reaction: The first song, the title track, is a great upbeat country song with the classic, strong vocals that he does best. The lyrics weave a great story. Hopefully this song is a start to a cool album of lost songs. Things don't usually get shelved for no reason, but this particular song, I'm not sure why this was not released 30 years ago.
Random Thoughts: Second song is also pretty good, with additional vocals from June. The trade off vocals from these two always seem to compliment each other pretty nicely. Things slow down a little for the song She Used to Love Me A Lot, which was released as a single ahead of time. It slows down even more for After All, which is a nice piano ballad. I honestly have no idea why these songs took this long to see the light of day, this is better than I was expecting. I'm digging on most of these songs. I could do without the religions songs.
Final Reaction: This was pretty darn good. I like to listen to Johnny every once in a while. I usually reach for the greatest hits packages or Folsom, but this has me thinking I need to dig into his back catalog a little deeper. Country music is not usually something that I am fond of, but the badassery of Johnny Cash helps to almost make the feel of his songs seem closer to rock and roll than country. I have no idea why it took this long to get this out, but it was worth it.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Day 80: Fireworks - Oh, Common Life
Artist: Fireworks
Album: Oh, Common Life
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: This is the Michigan based Fireworks, I think there was also one in like Canada or Virginia, or both. Another pop-punk/melodic hardcore/indie rock not quite one, but a bunch of different genre, bands. I think I saw these guys once, but that might have been one of the other bands that share this name. I'm not sure that I remember them if I did, but it's another new to me band, even if they have been around for like eight years.
Initial Reaction: It's leaning more towards the poppier side of things. It's got that polished sound that bands seem to hit and then blow up on. This is probably one of the new bands to fall in love with for this genre. Or maybe they are more popular than I think and they already have. Either way, this may not be my thing, but it's well executed.
Random Thoughts: Oh wow, the vocals got even poppier. This song is less pop punk and more alternative rock. I can't shake the feeling that this vocalist sounds a lot like the singer of Fallout Boy, but it could just be that I only vaguely remember what the singer of Fallout Boy sounds like. Then this just go all kinds of dancey sounding, and the pop just keeps coming. This is definitely not for me. This reminds me a little bit of where Saves the Day started heading, musically, after Through Being Cool.
Final Reaction: This is not in my wheelhouse, but I can see this band being a lot of people's favorite band. It's a little too sugary for me, but I didn't hate listening to it, which is saying something, I guess. I'll be high school kids across America are going to eat this up.
Final Grade: 5.5/10
Album: Oh, Common Life
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: This is the Michigan based Fireworks, I think there was also one in like Canada or Virginia, or both. Another pop-punk/melodic hardcore/indie rock not quite one, but a bunch of different genre, bands. I think I saw these guys once, but that might have been one of the other bands that share this name. I'm not sure that I remember them if I did, but it's another new to me band, even if they have been around for like eight years.
Initial Reaction: It's leaning more towards the poppier side of things. It's got that polished sound that bands seem to hit and then blow up on. This is probably one of the new bands to fall in love with for this genre. Or maybe they are more popular than I think and they already have. Either way, this may not be my thing, but it's well executed.
Random Thoughts: Oh wow, the vocals got even poppier. This song is less pop punk and more alternative rock. I can't shake the feeling that this vocalist sounds a lot like the singer of Fallout Boy, but it could just be that I only vaguely remember what the singer of Fallout Boy sounds like. Then this just go all kinds of dancey sounding, and the pop just keeps coming. This is definitely not for me. This reminds me a little bit of where Saves the Day started heading, musically, after Through Being Cool.
Final Reaction: This is not in my wheelhouse, but I can see this band being a lot of people's favorite band. It's a little too sugary for me, but I didn't hate listening to it, which is saying something, I guess. I'll be high school kids across America are going to eat this up.
Final Grade: 5.5/10
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Day 79: Tycho - Awake
Artist: Tycho
Album: Awake
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Some people are already branding this album of the year. Others who aren't being so bold in their predictions have at least told me to listen to this. It's instrumental, it's ambient, it's sort of electronic but not completely as he tours with live musicians. I previewed a tiny bit of it the other day and it was good stuff to listen to while video gaming, which is what I am about to do. So, here goes.
Initial Reaction: It takes a lot to get me to enjoy instrumental stuff. One big thing is it has to be dreamy and give me a sense of floating through the music when I listen to it. This starts off and has it, which is why I decided to review it in the first place. The songs don't seem to drag on too long on this.
Random Thoughts: The second song opens and I'm left feeling that there isn't a great deal of diversity in this. That's not a bad thing, especially when you are looking more into just popping it on as a soundtrack to what you are doing. This fits in nicely with Tristeza, as one of the insturmental artists that I could see myself putting on and listening to when I want to just relax and mellow out.
Final Reaction: This was pretty good for chill out music. I could get behind listening to that on a more regular basis, I'll give that a whirl again when I'm in an even better mood for that type of music. It's definitely on the electronic side of things, but there are what sounds like live instruments going on too. It relaxed me a little more than I was, which I would think is sort of the purpose for this stuff.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Album: Awake
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Some people are already branding this album of the year. Others who aren't being so bold in their predictions have at least told me to listen to this. It's instrumental, it's ambient, it's sort of electronic but not completely as he tours with live musicians. I previewed a tiny bit of it the other day and it was good stuff to listen to while video gaming, which is what I am about to do. So, here goes.
Initial Reaction: It takes a lot to get me to enjoy instrumental stuff. One big thing is it has to be dreamy and give me a sense of floating through the music when I listen to it. This starts off and has it, which is why I decided to review it in the first place. The songs don't seem to drag on too long on this.
Random Thoughts: The second song opens and I'm left feeling that there isn't a great deal of diversity in this. That's not a bad thing, especially when you are looking more into just popping it on as a soundtrack to what you are doing. This fits in nicely with Tristeza, as one of the insturmental artists that I could see myself putting on and listening to when I want to just relax and mellow out.
Final Reaction: This was pretty good for chill out music. I could get behind listening to that on a more regular basis, I'll give that a whirl again when I'm in an even better mood for that type of music. It's definitely on the electronic side of things, but there are what sounds like live instruments going on too. It relaxed me a little more than I was, which I would think is sort of the purpose for this stuff.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Day 78: Twilight - Beneath Trident's Tomb
Artist: Twilight
Album: Beneath Trident's Tomb
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/373-iii-beneath-tridents-tomb/
Pre-listening Notes: American black metal, American post metal. Whatever you are calling this, it's got Thurston Moore in it and Sonic Youth is one of the greatest bands. It used to have Aaron Turner of Isis, but he seems to have left the band. It's a Pitchfork stream, so it's got hipster cred. Here goes.
Initial Reaction: Feedback into a chaotic riff, drum, and vocal part. It's abrasive, I can dig that. I'm not entirely sure who is playing on this. Blake Judd may have already left the band or maybe he left after the recording of this. There is some Neurosis like vibe going on in the background, outside of the main vocals.
Random Thoughts: It's not as heavy as I would like. My need for heaviness when it comes to black metal isn't satiated as often as it is in other sub genres of metal. There is some brutality to some of the songs, that I enjoyed. However, this whole thing kind of blended together.
Final Reaction: I lost track of the songs while doing other things. I can't say I was huge on this, but I also didn't hate it for what it was. If I had to take a guess, I assume I will never listen to this again. I'm not a huge fan of black metal to begin with and when you make it hipster black metal, I suppose my interest wains even more. I'm sure this will make some people's top albums of the year, but not mine.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: Beneath Trident's Tomb
Source: http://pitchfork.com/advance/373-iii-beneath-tridents-tomb/
Pre-listening Notes: American black metal, American post metal. Whatever you are calling this, it's got Thurston Moore in it and Sonic Youth is one of the greatest bands. It used to have Aaron Turner of Isis, but he seems to have left the band. It's a Pitchfork stream, so it's got hipster cred. Here goes.
Initial Reaction: Feedback into a chaotic riff, drum, and vocal part. It's abrasive, I can dig that. I'm not entirely sure who is playing on this. Blake Judd may have already left the band or maybe he left after the recording of this. There is some Neurosis like vibe going on in the background, outside of the main vocals.
Random Thoughts: It's not as heavy as I would like. My need for heaviness when it comes to black metal isn't satiated as often as it is in other sub genres of metal. There is some brutality to some of the songs, that I enjoyed. However, this whole thing kind of blended together.
Final Reaction: I lost track of the songs while doing other things. I can't say I was huge on this, but I also didn't hate it for what it was. If I had to take a guess, I assume I will never listen to this again. I'm not a huge fan of black metal to begin with and when you make it hipster black metal, I suppose my interest wains even more. I'm sure this will make some people's top albums of the year, but not mine.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Day 77: Gameface - Now is What Matters Now
Artist: Gameface
Album: Now is What Matters Now
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Up until about 2000, I loved this band. Not that I decided to stop loving them, I just kind of forgot about them. Every once in a while, I'll pull out an old album and put them on, but lyrically I just don't seem to feel the same way about them as I did in my college years. So, they broke up, but then got back together or something. This is their first album in a decade (I had no idea they put out an album in 2003), there are a few bands from this era/genre that have done this successfully, lets see if they can.
Initial Reaction: Okay, it's more poppy than I was expecting. I don't know why, I guess I just thought that a decade later, they were going to come back with a mellower sound. It's pretty catchy. It's pretty pop punk sounding, not in the modern sense, but what was considered pop punk in the late 90's.
Random Thoughts: So far this sounds like it could have been written during the bands heyday, for better or worse. Jeff Caudill's vocals still sound just about the same. Okay, the second song dragged on a tiny bit too long. The hook just got repeated a few too many times. The songs are definitely catchy and given a totally different time in my life, I probably would be shouting how great this was from the rooftops. It's actually really good, I'm not saying it's bad. I just don't go crazy for this stuff the way I used to. Some of the repeated parts get a little tedious, is probably my only complain up to this point. The song Lifetime Achievement Award is a more punk than pop song, but the ending is just too damn cheesy.
Final Reaction: This really just sounds like a Gameface record. This wasn't really what I was expecting to happen after not being a band for so long. Like I said, if this had been me in college, I would have eaten this up. That said, I might listen to this again once or twice more to make sure it's not a grower. But, overall, this is pretty good. I think if they play some shows, they could even gain the recognition of the some of the newer fans of this genre.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Now is What Matters Now
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Up until about 2000, I loved this band. Not that I decided to stop loving them, I just kind of forgot about them. Every once in a while, I'll pull out an old album and put them on, but lyrically I just don't seem to feel the same way about them as I did in my college years. So, they broke up, but then got back together or something. This is their first album in a decade (I had no idea they put out an album in 2003), there are a few bands from this era/genre that have done this successfully, lets see if they can.
Initial Reaction: Okay, it's more poppy than I was expecting. I don't know why, I guess I just thought that a decade later, they were going to come back with a mellower sound. It's pretty catchy. It's pretty pop punk sounding, not in the modern sense, but what was considered pop punk in the late 90's.
Random Thoughts: So far this sounds like it could have been written during the bands heyday, for better or worse. Jeff Caudill's vocals still sound just about the same. Okay, the second song dragged on a tiny bit too long. The hook just got repeated a few too many times. The songs are definitely catchy and given a totally different time in my life, I probably would be shouting how great this was from the rooftops. It's actually really good, I'm not saying it's bad. I just don't go crazy for this stuff the way I used to. Some of the repeated parts get a little tedious, is probably my only complain up to this point. The song Lifetime Achievement Award is a more punk than pop song, but the ending is just too damn cheesy.
Final Reaction: This really just sounds like a Gameface record. This wasn't really what I was expecting to happen after not being a band for so long. Like I said, if this had been me in college, I would have eaten this up. That said, I might listen to this again once or twice more to make sure it's not a grower. But, overall, this is pretty good. I think if they play some shows, they could even gain the recognition of the some of the newer fans of this genre.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Day 76: Seahaven - Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only
Artist: Seahaven
Album: Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only
Source: https://soundcloud.com/tom-rfc/sets/seahaven-reverie-lagoon-music
Pre-listening Notes: This is the first band that I am reviewing twice. First off, the EP that came out a couple months ago got a 5.5 out of me, so I am not going into this with a ton of high expectations. Second, I hate the name of the album. Third, I have already seen comparisons to Brand New's God and the Devil are Raging Inside Me, so people are already putting this on an uphill climb to truly be appreciated. So, yeah...low expectations for me, but high for a lot of people.
Initial Reaction: It opens with a pretty mellow, minimal guitar and vocals. I think this is just a super low key intro. Let's hope they kick up the tempo a bit.
Random Thoughts: The second song, Andreas picks up the pace a little. The singer's voice doesn't give me a ton of hope for this. It's a little too nasally for me. I think I compared the guy's voice to the singer of Coldplay the first go around. This is doing nothing to change that opinion for me. This has a very radio friendly vibe to it, I remember this song from the EP, the second time through doesn't endear it more to me, but I found myself remembering the pattern of the song a little. I just wish this had a little more bite to it, the songs are very tame. Finally halfway through the album I get a song that I kind of enjoy. The song is Flesh, so far, it's really the only one that has hit me.
Final Reaction: This is just way too mellow and kind of boring for me. I can see this going over huge, though, with the masses. Every time I was hoping this would kick up into a higher gear, it just kind of slowly meandered down the path of slow and dull. I wouldn't tell anyone to not listen to this based on my recommendation here, because this review is definitely more based on my personal tastes than their ability to make music and write songs here. This just really doesn't do a lot for me and by the sixth song or so, I was just kind of tuning things out.
Final Grade: 4.5/10
Album: Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only
Source: https://soundcloud.com/tom-rfc/sets/seahaven-reverie-lagoon-music
Pre-listening Notes: This is the first band that I am reviewing twice. First off, the EP that came out a couple months ago got a 5.5 out of me, so I am not going into this with a ton of high expectations. Second, I hate the name of the album. Third, I have already seen comparisons to Brand New's God and the Devil are Raging Inside Me, so people are already putting this on an uphill climb to truly be appreciated. So, yeah...low expectations for me, but high for a lot of people.
Initial Reaction: It opens with a pretty mellow, minimal guitar and vocals. I think this is just a super low key intro. Let's hope they kick up the tempo a bit.
Random Thoughts: The second song, Andreas picks up the pace a little. The singer's voice doesn't give me a ton of hope for this. It's a little too nasally for me. I think I compared the guy's voice to the singer of Coldplay the first go around. This is doing nothing to change that opinion for me. This has a very radio friendly vibe to it, I remember this song from the EP, the second time through doesn't endear it more to me, but I found myself remembering the pattern of the song a little. I just wish this had a little more bite to it, the songs are very tame. Finally halfway through the album I get a song that I kind of enjoy. The song is Flesh, so far, it's really the only one that has hit me.
Final Reaction: This is just way too mellow and kind of boring for me. I can see this going over huge, though, with the masses. Every time I was hoping this would kick up into a higher gear, it just kind of slowly meandered down the path of slow and dull. I wouldn't tell anyone to not listen to this based on my recommendation here, because this review is definitely more based on my personal tastes than their ability to make music and write songs here. This just really doesn't do a lot for me and by the sixth song or so, I was just kind of tuning things out.
Final Grade: 4.5/10
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Day 75: Lies - Abuse
Artist: Lies
Album: Abuse
Source: http://thesearelies.bandcamp.com/
Pre-listening Notes: This new band has members of The Hope Conspiracy, Living Eyes, and more. It is tagged on bandcamp as hardcore, punk, dbeat, and USA. So, that's what I know and now you know. You know.
Initial Reaction: Lifeless is a very common song/album name for hardcore bands. It's fast, it's crusty, and there is feedback everywhere. Nice punk breakdown about 50 seconds in after opening brutal.
Random Thoughts: This opening for song two is pretty chaotic. Another fast song, I am sensing that this will be a theme, since all four songs fall within one and two minutes long. Cool solo. Another ripper, with a solo about halfway through.
Final Reaction: The songs flew by a little too fast for me to really dig into comments. Overall, the music was fast and brutal. I could have stood for a few more songs, since the total length on this was probably less than 6 minutes. The vocals are either weak or just a little too low in the mix. Other than that, this was pretty decent.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Abuse
Source: http://thesearelies.bandcamp.com/
Pre-listening Notes: This new band has members of The Hope Conspiracy, Living Eyes, and more. It is tagged on bandcamp as hardcore, punk, dbeat, and USA. So, that's what I know and now you know. You know.
Initial Reaction: Lifeless is a very common song/album name for hardcore bands. It's fast, it's crusty, and there is feedback everywhere. Nice punk breakdown about 50 seconds in after opening brutal.
Random Thoughts: This opening for song two is pretty chaotic. Another fast song, I am sensing that this will be a theme, since all four songs fall within one and two minutes long. Cool solo. Another ripper, with a solo about halfway through.
Final Reaction: The songs flew by a little too fast for me to really dig into comments. Overall, the music was fast and brutal. I could have stood for a few more songs, since the total length on this was probably less than 6 minutes. The vocals are either weak or just a little too low in the mix. Other than that, this was pretty decent.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Day 74: The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams
Artist: The Hold Steady
Album: Teeth Dreams
Source: Itunes Radio
Pre-listening Notes: I was really late to the game on The Hold Steady. I heard Lifter Puller, front man Crain Finn's previous band, back, in the 90's, but wasn't a huge fan at the time. I revisited them sometime about 3 or 4 years ago and decided to give his new band a shot. I had always just taken them for some hipster garbage due to the look of that guy who isn't in the band anymore. After devouring the first LP, Almost Killed Me, I have slowly worked myself into each album after and became kind of a fan. They are a pretty great indie rock band that has some classic rock, and definitely a little punk, influences and a singer who likes to talk-sing. Lyrically, there is a lot of storytelling with characters from songs coming in and out and even making repeat appearances on later albums. There are also a lot of references, sometimes to partying, sometimes to places, and sometimes even obscure people. If you called this hipster garbage, I wouldn't fight with you, but if you give it half a chance it's actually pretty good and catchy.
Initial Reaction: The album opens with the great song I Hope This Whole Didn't Frighten You, which was one of the previously leaked tracks. It's a catchy, classic sounding Hold Steady song, with a sing-a-long chorus. Musically, the song has some great melody to it.
Random Thoughts: The second song, Spinners, is another example of the band just writes catchy, infectious music. By the time you get to the second chorus, you're almost ready to at least mumble along. The album seems to focus more on the classic rock sounds than previous albums. They have always been there, but this one just seems to be a little more prominent. Woah, The Ambassador really brings the "pretty". This is a nice, slow, melodic, ballad. This album hits on all the Springsteen influence elements, for sure. Halfway point, this is great. The second half opens strong with the song, Big Cig, which is almost a dancey song. Wait a While delivers, yet again, on a catchy guitar hooks and lines to a chorus that you will still be singing hours after you stop listening. Another ballad! Almost Everything digs more into the nostalgic past of Finn. It ends on two slow songs, which might be the only hiccup in my eyes.
Final Reaction: This is a really, really good record. I already liked this band and because of this record I will continue to do so. They didn't break any new ground, but they also didn't just release a stale version of any previous album. They mixed it up enough to make it seem fresh, but kept it close enough to home that you wouldn't mistake this for anything other than a Hold Steady record. Will listen again......lots of times.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: Teeth Dreams
Source: Itunes Radio
Pre-listening Notes: I was really late to the game on The Hold Steady. I heard Lifter Puller, front man Crain Finn's previous band, back, in the 90's, but wasn't a huge fan at the time. I revisited them sometime about 3 or 4 years ago and decided to give his new band a shot. I had always just taken them for some hipster garbage due to the look of that guy who isn't in the band anymore. After devouring the first LP, Almost Killed Me, I have slowly worked myself into each album after and became kind of a fan. They are a pretty great indie rock band that has some classic rock, and definitely a little punk, influences and a singer who likes to talk-sing. Lyrically, there is a lot of storytelling with characters from songs coming in and out and even making repeat appearances on later albums. There are also a lot of references, sometimes to partying, sometimes to places, and sometimes even obscure people. If you called this hipster garbage, I wouldn't fight with you, but if you give it half a chance it's actually pretty good and catchy.
Initial Reaction: The album opens with the great song I Hope This Whole Didn't Frighten You, which was one of the previously leaked tracks. It's a catchy, classic sounding Hold Steady song, with a sing-a-long chorus. Musically, the song has some great melody to it.
Random Thoughts: The second song, Spinners, is another example of the band just writes catchy, infectious music. By the time you get to the second chorus, you're almost ready to at least mumble along. The album seems to focus more on the classic rock sounds than previous albums. They have always been there, but this one just seems to be a little more prominent. Woah, The Ambassador really brings the "pretty". This is a nice, slow, melodic, ballad. This album hits on all the Springsteen influence elements, for sure. Halfway point, this is great. The second half opens strong with the song, Big Cig, which is almost a dancey song. Wait a While delivers, yet again, on a catchy guitar hooks and lines to a chorus that you will still be singing hours after you stop listening. Another ballad! Almost Everything digs more into the nostalgic past of Finn. It ends on two slow songs, which might be the only hiccup in my eyes.
Final Reaction: This is a really, really good record. I already liked this band and because of this record I will continue to do so. They didn't break any new ground, but they also didn't just release a stale version of any previous album. They mixed it up enough to make it seem fresh, but kept it close enough to home that you wouldn't mistake this for anything other than a Hold Steady record. Will listen again......lots of times.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Day 73: Taking Back Sunday - Happiness Is
Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Album: Happiness Is
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I have no shame in admitting that I love this band. I have liked each and every album they have put out. I've enjoyed each time I've seen them play. And here is another album I'm kind of excited to listen to. It helps that a lot of bands that I've been listening to for years are still putting out great albums.
Initial Reaction: Okay, so the intro is just a violin and cello and maybe a vocal, or two.
Random Thoughts: Song two kicks in and after a fake opening leading me to believe it's going to be a rocker, it breaks down into a mellow song. Alright, there is some driving parts in the chorus, but it's still on the mellower side. Alright, that was a pretty good opening song, even if it was track two. I love the catchiness. They have always been top notch with that. The energy seems to be more subdued on this album, but the sing-a-long parts are still a plenty. Like you do sounds like the most "classic" sounding Taking Back Sunday song on the record. The songs seem to be a little more cohesive on this album than on the last couple and thematically sound more alike.
Final Reaction: Who am I kidding, I wasn't going to give this a bad review unless it totally blew. Which it doesn't. I don't think I'll ever stop liking this band. As long as Eddie Reyes and Adam Lazzara remain in this band and honestly I can't imagine them going on under this name if either left, they will remain the catchiest, and best band of this genre. I just wish the genre they play in didn't take them out on the road with The Used, and some equally awful bands. But, like all their previous records, I'll be relistening to this a lot.
Final Grade: 8.0/10
Album: Happiness Is
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I have no shame in admitting that I love this band. I have liked each and every album they have put out. I've enjoyed each time I've seen them play. And here is another album I'm kind of excited to listen to. It helps that a lot of bands that I've been listening to for years are still putting out great albums.
Initial Reaction: Okay, so the intro is just a violin and cello and maybe a vocal, or two.
Random Thoughts: Song two kicks in and after a fake opening leading me to believe it's going to be a rocker, it breaks down into a mellow song. Alright, there is some driving parts in the chorus, but it's still on the mellower side. Alright, that was a pretty good opening song, even if it was track two. I love the catchiness. They have always been top notch with that. The energy seems to be more subdued on this album, but the sing-a-long parts are still a plenty. Like you do sounds like the most "classic" sounding Taking Back Sunday song on the record. The songs seem to be a little more cohesive on this album than on the last couple and thematically sound more alike.
Final Reaction: Who am I kidding, I wasn't going to give this a bad review unless it totally blew. Which it doesn't. I don't think I'll ever stop liking this band. As long as Eddie Reyes and Adam Lazzara remain in this band and honestly I can't imagine them going on under this name if either left, they will remain the catchiest, and best band of this genre. I just wish the genre they play in didn't take them out on the road with The Used, and some equally awful bands. But, like all their previous records, I'll be relistening to this a lot.
Final Grade: 8.0/10
Day 72: Earth Crisis - Salvation of Innocents
Artist: Earth Crisis
Album: Salvation of Innocents
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Okay, so I have been sick lately and now I have a lot of catching up to do. The good news is, I get to start with the new album by one of my favorite metallic hardcore (metalcore, whatever) bands. Earth Crisis has always been kind of polarizing, due to their persistent themes of animal liberation and straight edge. I think I remember reading that this album was going to only focus on the themes of animal liberation, which suits me better than the straight edge songs, but truthfully, I like those too. I've been pretty alright with the last couple releases, after they got back together. Bad news on this, I heard there are some very Slitherish parts on this album, which was the album they put out right before breaking up the first time. Hopefully the Slither parts are kept to a minimum.
Initial Reaction: This first song, De-Desensitize was one of the songs I think they released as a preview. The song starts out fast and then has a pretty great breakdown about 45 seconds in. This fits right along with pretty much any Earth Crisis release out there. It's got a heaviness and you Karl sounds like he's still really pissed that all animals are not free from captivity.
Random Thoughts: Another song that starts out fast with some quick riffing. Out of the Cages definitely has to be heavy on their animal themes. Okay, the song Shiver has a weird part in it, but otherwise is pretty brutal. If that is the worst of the parts that I had read about, I'm totally okay with this. So far, through four songs, this is pretty awesome. Alright, Razors Through Flesh, ups the heaviness on the moshier part. And another less than super heavy party creeps it head into the sixth song, Depraved Indifference, which has it's heavy moments too. Okay, more and more weird singy parts keep peaking in to these songs as the album wears on. But then songs start like The Pallid Surgeon and it's real brutal and it makes me want to go and break the cages open of every imprisoned animal ever. The album closes pretty heavy.
Final Reaction: Overall, this was pretty great. This will never be Destroy the Machines or Gomorrah's Season Ends, but it's also almost two decades after both of those albums have been released and it's okay for Earth Crisis to do something slightly different. I could have done with less singing, but it wasn't enough to completely negate the heavy and brutal parts. Cool record, probably one I can sing along to without looking stupid. I'll listen to this again.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Album: Salvation of Innocents
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Okay, so I have been sick lately and now I have a lot of catching up to do. The good news is, I get to start with the new album by one of my favorite metallic hardcore (metalcore, whatever) bands. Earth Crisis has always been kind of polarizing, due to their persistent themes of animal liberation and straight edge. I think I remember reading that this album was going to only focus on the themes of animal liberation, which suits me better than the straight edge songs, but truthfully, I like those too. I've been pretty alright with the last couple releases, after they got back together. Bad news on this, I heard there are some very Slitherish parts on this album, which was the album they put out right before breaking up the first time. Hopefully the Slither parts are kept to a minimum.
Initial Reaction: This first song, De-Desensitize was one of the songs I think they released as a preview. The song starts out fast and then has a pretty great breakdown about 45 seconds in. This fits right along with pretty much any Earth Crisis release out there. It's got a heaviness and you Karl sounds like he's still really pissed that all animals are not free from captivity.
Random Thoughts: Another song that starts out fast with some quick riffing. Out of the Cages definitely has to be heavy on their animal themes. Okay, the song Shiver has a weird part in it, but otherwise is pretty brutal. If that is the worst of the parts that I had read about, I'm totally okay with this. So far, through four songs, this is pretty awesome. Alright, Razors Through Flesh, ups the heaviness on the moshier part. And another less than super heavy party creeps it head into the sixth song, Depraved Indifference, which has it's heavy moments too. Okay, more and more weird singy parts keep peaking in to these songs as the album wears on. But then songs start like The Pallid Surgeon and it's real brutal and it makes me want to go and break the cages open of every imprisoned animal ever. The album closes pretty heavy.
Final Reaction: Overall, this was pretty great. This will never be Destroy the Machines or Gomorrah's Season Ends, but it's also almost two decades after both of those albums have been released and it's okay for Earth Crisis to do something slightly different. I could have done with less singing, but it wasn't enough to completely negate the heavy and brutal parts. Cool record, probably one I can sing along to without looking stupid. I'll listen to this again.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Day 71: The Shrine - Bless Off
Artist: The Shrine
Album: Bless Off
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: About all I could find really about this band is from a review of their previous album, Primitive Blast, and it says "Fuelled by nasty hallucinogens, ditch weed and cheap beer, the band combine the hook-laden appeal of ‘70s hard and garage rock with stoner metal and gritty ‘80s hardcore." Sounds good to me.
Initial Reaction: Okay, this reminds me of a younger Fu Manchu, with maybe a hint of Turbonegro. I'm alright with this, so far. It's definitely rock. It doesn't really let up either, in this first song. I definitely would say this band has listened to a lot of early Kiss.
Random Thoughts: As with most bands of this style, I have a feeling the songs are going to fit a sort of pattern. I definitely see the description above fitting this band pretty much dead on. Some variation comes in on the song called The Duke. It slows it down a little and fuzzes things out a little more. The pace picks up quite a bit on Nothing Forever, this has a more punk feel to it. This is the song I've liked the most so far on this. I half expect every song to be about a van.
Final Reaction: This was alright, if you're looking for a modern band with 70's muscle car rock nostalgia. I enjoyed it, but I could have done with a little bit more variety. Vocals had the right feel to them and the music would fit a certain mood for sure. I don't know that I'll ever come back and give it another listen, but at least I enjoyed it once.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: Bless Off
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: About all I could find really about this band is from a review of their previous album, Primitive Blast, and it says "Fuelled by nasty hallucinogens, ditch weed and cheap beer, the band combine the hook-laden appeal of ‘70s hard and garage rock with stoner metal and gritty ‘80s hardcore." Sounds good to me.
Initial Reaction: Okay, this reminds me of a younger Fu Manchu, with maybe a hint of Turbonegro. I'm alright with this, so far. It's definitely rock. It doesn't really let up either, in this first song. I definitely would say this band has listened to a lot of early Kiss.
Random Thoughts: As with most bands of this style, I have a feeling the songs are going to fit a sort of pattern. I definitely see the description above fitting this band pretty much dead on. Some variation comes in on the song called The Duke. It slows it down a little and fuzzes things out a little more. The pace picks up quite a bit on Nothing Forever, this has a more punk feel to it. This is the song I've liked the most so far on this. I half expect every song to be about a van.
Final Reaction: This was alright, if you're looking for a modern band with 70's muscle car rock nostalgia. I enjoyed it, but I could have done with a little bit more variety. Vocals had the right feel to them and the music would fit a certain mood for sure. I don't know that I'll ever come back and give it another listen, but at least I enjoyed it once.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Day 70: La Dispute - Rooms of the House
Artist: La Dispute
Album: Rooms of the House
Source: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/la-dispute-rooms-of-the-house-stream
Pre-listening Notes: Getting closer to being caught up. There is a ton of hype around this band, along with Touche Amore, who I don't like one bit. I get this band confused with Balance and Composure a lot and I saw one of them open for Polar Bear Club in the past and didn't care for them at all. So, I'm hoping this is a case of mistaken identity. But, they are a post-hardcore band that's been around for about a decade now, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. A decade in, people must like them, right?
Initial Reaction: Okay, not feeling the open with just vocals, but when the music kicked in, I was down. I don't like the parts where the vocals feel separated from the music. But, I have no problems with the parts where the music kicks in and they feel more together. This sort of reminds me of Thursday's Full Collapse at first listen.
Random Thoughts: As the second song kicks in, I don't think this is awful, so I am assuming that I saw Balance and Composure at that show. It's got the whole mellow to aggressive switch up thing going on and the singer has a more talky yell style, similar to At the Drive-In, only the lyrics seem to be more straight forward. Alright, this doesn't have the catchiness and range as an At the Drive-In record, so some of the songs just kind of lose the appeal.
Final Reaction: This is better than 90% of what they are calling post-hardcore these days. This isn't something I am going to run out and buy, I might give this band another whirl on Spotify, though. I have to say that I was turned off by the hype surrounding this band and maybe that was a bad thing, but they are better than Touche Amore and I rather enjoyed listening to this.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Rooms of the House
Source: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/la-dispute-rooms-of-the-house-stream
Pre-listening Notes: Getting closer to being caught up. There is a ton of hype around this band, along with Touche Amore, who I don't like one bit. I get this band confused with Balance and Composure a lot and I saw one of them open for Polar Bear Club in the past and didn't care for them at all. So, I'm hoping this is a case of mistaken identity. But, they are a post-hardcore band that's been around for about a decade now, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. A decade in, people must like them, right?
Initial Reaction: Okay, not feeling the open with just vocals, but when the music kicked in, I was down. I don't like the parts where the vocals feel separated from the music. But, I have no problems with the parts where the music kicks in and they feel more together. This sort of reminds me of Thursday's Full Collapse at first listen.
Random Thoughts: As the second song kicks in, I don't think this is awful, so I am assuming that I saw Balance and Composure at that show. It's got the whole mellow to aggressive switch up thing going on and the singer has a more talky yell style, similar to At the Drive-In, only the lyrics seem to be more straight forward. Alright, this doesn't have the catchiness and range as an At the Drive-In record, so some of the songs just kind of lose the appeal.
Final Reaction: This is better than 90% of what they are calling post-hardcore these days. This isn't something I am going to run out and buy, I might give this band another whirl on Spotify, though. I have to say that I was turned off by the hype surrounding this band and maybe that was a bad thing, but they are better than Touche Amore and I rather enjoyed listening to this.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Day 69: Praise - Lights Went Out
Artist: Praise
Album: Lights Went Out
Source: http://reactrecords.bandcamp.com/
Pre-listening Notes: I've never heard Praise before, but someone I trust heavily when it comes to hardcore said "LOVE this band", so I'll probably enjoy it.
Initial Reaction: Nice, it's fast, and reminds me of Turning Point a little. Maybe, I'm terrible at comparing bands to other bands. It has some melody to it, for sure.
Random Thoughts: The second song has a Dag Nasty feel to it. Maybe that was the comparison I was looking for in the first song too. This rules! Apparently they are a straight edge band, but the lyrics don't seem to be preachy, so that's perfect for me. There is some range to the tempo. This third song kind of reminds me of H2O, a bit. I guess all three bands that I mentioned have a similar thing going on, so maybe I'm not that far off in my choices. There is also a significant DC Revolution Summer vibe going on. I love this, though. I would like to see these guys play a show with Give. Lyrically, it seems they are dealing more with personal reflection than forcing ideals on anyone.
Final Reaction: This was great, would listen again. Quality melodic hardcore that doesn't get boring and gets through a whole LP and I got to the end and wondered why there wasn't more. Look forward to finding more out about this band and hopefully seeing them live.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: Lights Went Out
Source: http://reactrecords.bandcamp.com/
Pre-listening Notes: I've never heard Praise before, but someone I trust heavily when it comes to hardcore said "LOVE this band", so I'll probably enjoy it.
Initial Reaction: Nice, it's fast, and reminds me of Turning Point a little. Maybe, I'm terrible at comparing bands to other bands. It has some melody to it, for sure.
Random Thoughts: The second song has a Dag Nasty feel to it. Maybe that was the comparison I was looking for in the first song too. This rules! Apparently they are a straight edge band, but the lyrics don't seem to be preachy, so that's perfect for me. There is some range to the tempo. This third song kind of reminds me of H2O, a bit. I guess all three bands that I mentioned have a similar thing going on, so maybe I'm not that far off in my choices. There is also a significant DC Revolution Summer vibe going on. I love this, though. I would like to see these guys play a show with Give. Lyrically, it seems they are dealing more with personal reflection than forcing ideals on anyone.
Final Reaction: This was great, would listen again. Quality melodic hardcore that doesn't get boring and gets through a whole LP and I got to the end and wondered why there wasn't more. Look forward to finding more out about this band and hopefully seeing them live.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Day 68: Ringworm - Hammer of the Witch
Artist: Ringworm
Album: Hammer of the Witch
Source: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/ringworm-hammer_of_witch_album_stream
Pre-listening Notes: Christmas time 1993, I was taken down to a record shop and I picked out a couple cd's for my sister to give to me on Christmas. One was Endpoint - Catharsis and the other was Ringworm - The Promise. The Endpoint album has not stood the test of time for me, but The Promise is still so awesome, aggressive, brutal, fast, blistering, and punk as all hell as the day I first put it on and heard "There is no god" before the intro track Numb kicked me in the teeth. Ringworm broke up sometime in the next year and I never thought I would see them or get to hear anything other than the LP and the other songs floating around (you know, pre internet, so on tapes). Then about five years later, they got back together and I've spent the last fifteen years loving every album they've put out and seeing them any time they've come through the area. I thought the last album on Victory was pretty awesome, so I'm super excited that they are now signed to Relapse. Here goes!
Initial Reaction: Opens with a some serious riffing. Oh man, the Human Furnace's vocals still sound so brutal and great after all these years. Unlike another vocalist from Cleveland who I feel has gotten weaker over the years. This is fast, as it should be. It's fast, it's heavy, it makes you want to go out and run around punching everything in sight. It's perfect!
Random Thoughts: I love the thrashiness. The songs sound like they would fit on anything they've released before. Awesome bass intro on the song Leave Your Skin at the Door. Great breakdown in this song. Very few bands can match the intensity of this band in the metallic hardcore world. Awesome drumming, great solos, and the most pissed off sounding vocalist. Unless this breaks down into garbage in the middle of the album, this is clearly another win for an already legendary band. Such an awesome ending to Exit Life, with a blast beat. The solo in King of Blood is so great, fast and ripping. Love bands who don't drag out songs any longer than they have to. One of Us is Going to Have to Die is so heavy and is just so classic Ringworm sounding.
Final Reaction: This was awesome. This was everything that a good metal, or hardcore, record should be. Fast, brutal, unrelenting, pissed off, and all the other descriptive words I am feeling right now. I came out the other end super pumped up and I am going to listen to a bunch of Ringworm at work tomorrow because of this. If you like aggressive music, just listen to this.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: Hammer of the Witch
Source: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/ringworm-hammer_of_witch_album_stream
Pre-listening Notes: Christmas time 1993, I was taken down to a record shop and I picked out a couple cd's for my sister to give to me on Christmas. One was Endpoint - Catharsis and the other was Ringworm - The Promise. The Endpoint album has not stood the test of time for me, but The Promise is still so awesome, aggressive, brutal, fast, blistering, and punk as all hell as the day I first put it on and heard "There is no god" before the intro track Numb kicked me in the teeth. Ringworm broke up sometime in the next year and I never thought I would see them or get to hear anything other than the LP and the other songs floating around (you know, pre internet, so on tapes). Then about five years later, they got back together and I've spent the last fifteen years loving every album they've put out and seeing them any time they've come through the area. I thought the last album on Victory was pretty awesome, so I'm super excited that they are now signed to Relapse. Here goes!
Initial Reaction: Opens with a some serious riffing. Oh man, the Human Furnace's vocals still sound so brutal and great after all these years. Unlike another vocalist from Cleveland who I feel has gotten weaker over the years. This is fast, as it should be. It's fast, it's heavy, it makes you want to go out and run around punching everything in sight. It's perfect!
Random Thoughts: I love the thrashiness. The songs sound like they would fit on anything they've released before. Awesome bass intro on the song Leave Your Skin at the Door. Great breakdown in this song. Very few bands can match the intensity of this band in the metallic hardcore world. Awesome drumming, great solos, and the most pissed off sounding vocalist. Unless this breaks down into garbage in the middle of the album, this is clearly another win for an already legendary band. Such an awesome ending to Exit Life, with a blast beat. The solo in King of Blood is so great, fast and ripping. Love bands who don't drag out songs any longer than they have to. One of Us is Going to Have to Die is so heavy and is just so classic Ringworm sounding.
Final Reaction: This was awesome. This was everything that a good metal, or hardcore, record should be. Fast, brutal, unrelenting, pissed off, and all the other descriptive words I am feeling right now. I came out the other end super pumped up and I am going to listen to a bunch of Ringworm at work tomorrow because of this. If you like aggressive music, just listen to this.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Monday, March 10, 2014
Day 67: The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
Artist: The War on Drugs
Album: Lost in the Dream
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/09/285881314/first-listen-the-war-on-drugs-lost-in-the-dream#playlist
Pre-listening Notes: Someone I am friends with on Facebook loves this band, so when I saw that this was streaming I figured I'd give it a shot. They are from Philly, an indie rock band, and this is their third LP. So that's pretty much all I got on this band.
Initial Reaction: There is some serious synth going on. It's got a pretty good pace to it and the song has some catchiness. It picks up the rock about two minutes in. The singer has a pretty good voice. The parts where the guitars pick up and the synth is rocking in the background are great. The more verse parts where it mellows down a little are not as great, but still pretty good. The first song was pretty interesting.
Random Thoughts: Second song drops it down to the real mellow level. The singer sounds a bunch like Jim James in this song. There are some weird effects on the guitar too, but I kind of like that. That song was a bit on the longer side, but it was a nice bridge between the more upbeat first song and the almost dancy third song. The more I listen to this, thought, it reminds me more and more of My Morning Jacket. Not necessarily the sound, but the different in styles and tempos mixing it together and the singer's voice. Some of the songs kind of drag on a little too long for my tastes. The song Eyes to the Wind reminds me a little bit of Dylan in the vocals. Some of the later songs reminded me more of Dylan and one song musically had a Cure vibe to it.
Final Reaction: I kind of enjoyed it, it was pretty catchy and although some songs may have been a little too long, the overall vibe of the album was pretty interesting. It was another quality Indie Rock band that was the type of band I would have missed out on if I wasn't doing this project. I will probably give this another spin down the road.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Lost in the Dream
Source: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/09/285881314/first-listen-the-war-on-drugs-lost-in-the-dream#playlist
Pre-listening Notes: Someone I am friends with on Facebook loves this band, so when I saw that this was streaming I figured I'd give it a shot. They are from Philly, an indie rock band, and this is their third LP. So that's pretty much all I got on this band.
Initial Reaction: There is some serious synth going on. It's got a pretty good pace to it and the song has some catchiness. It picks up the rock about two minutes in. The singer has a pretty good voice. The parts where the guitars pick up and the synth is rocking in the background are great. The more verse parts where it mellows down a little are not as great, but still pretty good. The first song was pretty interesting.
Random Thoughts: Second song drops it down to the real mellow level. The singer sounds a bunch like Jim James in this song. There are some weird effects on the guitar too, but I kind of like that. That song was a bit on the longer side, but it was a nice bridge between the more upbeat first song and the almost dancy third song. The more I listen to this, thought, it reminds me more and more of My Morning Jacket. Not necessarily the sound, but the different in styles and tempos mixing it together and the singer's voice. Some of the songs kind of drag on a little too long for my tastes. The song Eyes to the Wind reminds me a little bit of Dylan in the vocals. Some of the later songs reminded me more of Dylan and one song musically had a Cure vibe to it.
Final Reaction: I kind of enjoyed it, it was pretty catchy and although some songs may have been a little too long, the overall vibe of the album was pretty interesting. It was another quality Indie Rock band that was the type of band I would have missed out on if I wasn't doing this project. I will probably give this another spin down the road.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Day 66: Spring Offensive - Young Animal Hearts
Artist: Spring Offensive
Album: Young Animal Hearts
Source: http://www.thefourohfive.com/news/article/spring-offensive-streams-debut-album-young-animal-hearts-405-premiere
Pre-listening Notes: This is a change of pace. I chose this one just because I liked the band name and the cover art, that I saw. I haven't even heard of this band before, but something grabbed my attention. It appears they are from England and this is their debut LP. That's about all I'm getting from my early research, so I'm just going to play this and figure it out.
Initial Reaction: Very minimal opening musically, with some very deep and in the forefront vocals. About halfway through, the first song the drums kick in and I get a glimpse of what I'm working with here. This is pretty cool, the lyrics seem pretty dark and moody. Musically, it's not fast or heavy, like I like a lot of my music to be, but it fits the vocals very nicely to come off more powerful than the intensity would suggest.
Random Thoughts: I like the choruses and the harmonies they have going on. This song is a more cheerful approach music, but the vocals and lyrics still have the same feel as the first song. I am really enjoying this. Quality written songs that are catchy, interesting, and sing-a-longish. Each song sounds like it was written with the purpose of being played on the radio, so far, half way through there isn't a song that I would consider filler. I assume this would be considered Indie Rock, or maybe Brit-Pop, or something. This is a pretty great album, though.
Final Reaction: There is something very familiar about this album. Maybe it's that each song is very strong and by the end of the album it sounds like an album I have heard and listened to over and over before. This is not the normal thing that I would go for, but this album was excellent. It was very melodic and has a lot of harmonies to bring the catchiness, but at the same time it's complex and moody and engages the listener to pay attention. I did find a review on their earlier EP on amazon that someone said they put on a great live show. I'll keep that in mind if I ever see their name coming to town. Will listen to this again.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: Young Animal Hearts
Source: http://www.thefourohfive.com/news/article/spring-offensive-streams-debut-album-young-animal-hearts-405-premiere
Pre-listening Notes: This is a change of pace. I chose this one just because I liked the band name and the cover art, that I saw. I haven't even heard of this band before, but something grabbed my attention. It appears they are from England and this is their debut LP. That's about all I'm getting from my early research, so I'm just going to play this and figure it out.
Initial Reaction: Very minimal opening musically, with some very deep and in the forefront vocals. About halfway through, the first song the drums kick in and I get a glimpse of what I'm working with here. This is pretty cool, the lyrics seem pretty dark and moody. Musically, it's not fast or heavy, like I like a lot of my music to be, but it fits the vocals very nicely to come off more powerful than the intensity would suggest.
Random Thoughts: I like the choruses and the harmonies they have going on. This song is a more cheerful approach music, but the vocals and lyrics still have the same feel as the first song. I am really enjoying this. Quality written songs that are catchy, interesting, and sing-a-longish. Each song sounds like it was written with the purpose of being played on the radio, so far, half way through there isn't a song that I would consider filler. I assume this would be considered Indie Rock, or maybe Brit-Pop, or something. This is a pretty great album, though.
Final Reaction: There is something very familiar about this album. Maybe it's that each song is very strong and by the end of the album it sounds like an album I have heard and listened to over and over before. This is not the normal thing that I would go for, but this album was excellent. It was very melodic and has a lot of harmonies to bring the catchiness, but at the same time it's complex and moody and engages the listener to pay attention. I did find a review on their earlier EP on amazon that someone said they put on a great live show. I'll keep that in mind if I ever see their name coming to town. Will listen to this again.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Day 65: Cripple Bastards - Nero in metastasi
Artist: Cripple Bastards
Album: Nero in metastasi
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Old school grindcore from Italy. They've been around since the late 80's and have put out tons of albums, EP's, splits, and comp songs. And on my trips to Maryland Death Fest, they have been one of the most represented band merch wise walking around the fest. I caught a song or two when they played the one year, but they were playing inside and the heat was unbearable. So, after being a band for over 25 years, let's see how well they hold up to the other bands of the genre.
Initial Reaction: Nice crunchy, slow intro, which then breaks into blistering speed about a minute in and I'm reaching to turn the volume up. This is great! Blistering ferocity mixed with heavy crunch breakdowns. This is sort of the type of album I was hoping Menace was going to be the other day. Maybe now that I have something like this to listen to, I can go back and give that album a more fair shake. The song sped by so fast.
Random Thoughts: I'm pretty sure the lyrics are in Italian, but honestly I don't care. This second song rips and clocks in at just under a minute and the speed never lets up. I can't get over the intensity of some of this. Each track just starts and rips through songs that generally range between less than a minute to around two and a half minutes. There is a song that comes close to four minutes and another that tops nine, which I am curious to see what that's all about. But, so far this is just blistering grind with the occasional slow down for a breakdown. The vocals are fit in nicely and has a little bit of range from a growl to a more hardcorish yell. So many blast beats, and then a breakdown in the song Lapide Rimossa, that would fit just fine in any hardcore album. Some cool weird beats in the beginning of the song Occhi Trapiantati, which is the song that is close to four minutes. It slows it down a bit to start, with a more death metal growl in parts of the song. Things have taken a turn for the weird in the song Splendore E Tenebra, which has slowed things down significantly. After about a two minute intro, the song then kicks into a groove riff before throwing some fast parts in. It just keeps weaving back and forth and all of this song is just so heavy.
Final Reaction: Woah, I think it's safe to say I've found something I really love here. This record was exactly what I hoped to gain out of listening to an album a day for an entire year. I wanted to discover somethings that I would be going back to time and time again. This album, maybe even this band, is exactly that. I now have regrets of walking out after a couple songs that year in Baltimore. This is fast, loud, fast, heavy, fast and pretty great. This rips, smokes, slays, all the other buzz words being used for metal right now. The only gripe I would have had was the language barrier in the lyrics, but honestly I can hear his anger and hate seep through, even without actually knowing what he says. Once the opening track kicked in, I knew I was in for something special. I will not only be listening to this again, but I will be trying to work my way through the immense back catalog. If you've read this far, and you like the things I've described (grindcore, fast songs, heavy songs, growling/yelling, blast beats, any of this) do yourself a favor and listen to this album.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Album: Nero in metastasi
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Old school grindcore from Italy. They've been around since the late 80's and have put out tons of albums, EP's, splits, and comp songs. And on my trips to Maryland Death Fest, they have been one of the most represented band merch wise walking around the fest. I caught a song or two when they played the one year, but they were playing inside and the heat was unbearable. So, after being a band for over 25 years, let's see how well they hold up to the other bands of the genre.
Initial Reaction: Nice crunchy, slow intro, which then breaks into blistering speed about a minute in and I'm reaching to turn the volume up. This is great! Blistering ferocity mixed with heavy crunch breakdowns. This is sort of the type of album I was hoping Menace was going to be the other day. Maybe now that I have something like this to listen to, I can go back and give that album a more fair shake. The song sped by so fast.
Random Thoughts: I'm pretty sure the lyrics are in Italian, but honestly I don't care. This second song rips and clocks in at just under a minute and the speed never lets up. I can't get over the intensity of some of this. Each track just starts and rips through songs that generally range between less than a minute to around two and a half minutes. There is a song that comes close to four minutes and another that tops nine, which I am curious to see what that's all about. But, so far this is just blistering grind with the occasional slow down for a breakdown. The vocals are fit in nicely and has a little bit of range from a growl to a more hardcorish yell. So many blast beats, and then a breakdown in the song Lapide Rimossa, that would fit just fine in any hardcore album. Some cool weird beats in the beginning of the song Occhi Trapiantati, which is the song that is close to four minutes. It slows it down a bit to start, with a more death metal growl in parts of the song. Things have taken a turn for the weird in the song Splendore E Tenebra, which has slowed things down significantly. After about a two minute intro, the song then kicks into a groove riff before throwing some fast parts in. It just keeps weaving back and forth and all of this song is just so heavy.
Final Reaction: Woah, I think it's safe to say I've found something I really love here. This record was exactly what I hoped to gain out of listening to an album a day for an entire year. I wanted to discover somethings that I would be going back to time and time again. This album, maybe even this band, is exactly that. I now have regrets of walking out after a couple songs that year in Baltimore. This is fast, loud, fast, heavy, fast and pretty great. This rips, smokes, slays, all the other buzz words being used for metal right now. The only gripe I would have had was the language barrier in the lyrics, but honestly I can hear his anger and hate seep through, even without actually knowing what he says. Once the opening track kicked in, I knew I was in for something special. I will not only be listening to this again, but I will be trying to work my way through the immense back catalog. If you've read this far, and you like the things I've described (grindcore, fast songs, heavy songs, growling/yelling, blast beats, any of this) do yourself a favor and listen to this album.
Final Grade: 9.0/10
Day 64: Real Estate - Atlas
Artist: Real Estate
Album: Atlas
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: The internet tells me this is a fairly new band, like 5 years old, that is putting out it's third album. They are from New Jersey, are an indie rock band, and the hip websites seem to like them. Since they appear to be a relatively young band, there isn't much else from a casual information search.
Initial Reaction: After a little bit of an intro, some pretty decent vocals kick in. This is pretty mellow and definitely a little bit more on the clean side of things, than I normally like. The guitars don't have much fuzz to them, the tempo hasn't really picked up at all in the song, and the vocals have a nice, "pretty" feel to them.
Random Thoughts: The second song leads me to believe that this album has a thematic sound to it. There is a little bit of a dream pop thing going on. I can't imagine this all that exciting live, but that's not a deal killer by any stretch. So far, this is actually pretty decent. The third song, Talking Backwards, ups the catchiness level and is my favorite, so far. The pace is a little bit faster on this song, while still keeping with the overall sound of the album. The song April's song was a little on the duller side, but then they came back pretty strong once they got to the song Crime.
Final Reaction: This ended up being a much more enjoyable album than I thought when the first song kicked in. It had a nice solid theme running through the whole album and while it was a little mellower than I normally would reach for, it kept me interested as I was working away on things. It's not something to listen to that you want to put out in front and put much focus into it, but it's a good album to put on while doing something else where you can devote maybe half your focus to. I'd definitely listen to this again, though like I said earlier, wouldn't go out of my way to see them live.
Final Grade: 8.0/10
Album: Atlas
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: The internet tells me this is a fairly new band, like 5 years old, that is putting out it's third album. They are from New Jersey, are an indie rock band, and the hip websites seem to like them. Since they appear to be a relatively young band, there isn't much else from a casual information search.
Initial Reaction: After a little bit of an intro, some pretty decent vocals kick in. This is pretty mellow and definitely a little bit more on the clean side of things, than I normally like. The guitars don't have much fuzz to them, the tempo hasn't really picked up at all in the song, and the vocals have a nice, "pretty" feel to them.
Random Thoughts: The second song leads me to believe that this album has a thematic sound to it. There is a little bit of a dream pop thing going on. I can't imagine this all that exciting live, but that's not a deal killer by any stretch. So far, this is actually pretty decent. The third song, Talking Backwards, ups the catchiness level and is my favorite, so far. The pace is a little bit faster on this song, while still keeping with the overall sound of the album. The song April's song was a little on the duller side, but then they came back pretty strong once they got to the song Crime.
Final Reaction: This ended up being a much more enjoyable album than I thought when the first song kicked in. It had a nice solid theme running through the whole album and while it was a little mellower than I normally would reach for, it kept me interested as I was working away on things. It's not something to listen to that you want to put out in front and put much focus into it, but it's a good album to put on while doing something else where you can devote maybe half your focus to. I'd definitely listen to this again, though like I said earlier, wouldn't go out of my way to see them live.
Final Grade: 8.0/10
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Day 63: Menace - Impact Velocity
Artist: Menace
Album: Impact Velocity
Source: http://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/exclusive-album-stream-menace-impact-velocity
Pre-listening Notes: This is a new project from Mitch Harris, from Napalm Death. I love Napalm Death, so yeah I'll give this a whirl, even if it does state that this is a departure from that sound. It also has the drummer that played on Black Seeds of Vengeance, from Nile, and Axis of Eden, from Today is the Day. Also, Shane Embry plays bass. So it has the players for something kick ass.
Initial Reaction: Okay, major departure from everything previously mentioned. There are synthesizers, clean singing, and an almost alt rock feel to it. There are effects on the vocals, there are some weird layered backups, and the hook doesn't really grab me. Also, "just like a virus (pirate?), I live with your ghost"? not sure what that even means.
Random Thoughts: The second song starts off with just some melodic singing and then breaks into what sounds like it will be a very mellow song. I was not expecting this at all and maybe it is impacting my judgement, but halfway through song two, I am not into this one bit. This is reminding me of something, that I just can't put my finger on. Truthfully, this isn't terrible, but based on what I expected, it's not good either. I get them wanting to try something new out, but something about it just seems like these dudes were not meant to go melodic. There were a couple of times where it got kind of heavy in some later songs that I might have been into it, but I was kind of hoping for something faster and not as melodic.
Final Reaction: It's another hard rock album that just doesn't sit right with me. It's not that I don't appreciate some stuff that isn't straight metal, but I was expecting something that just ripped me a new one. I know that is what I get for having expectations, but for me, it just didn't melt my face.
Final Grade: 4.0/10
Album: Impact Velocity
Source: http://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/exclusive-album-stream-menace-impact-velocity
Pre-listening Notes: This is a new project from Mitch Harris, from Napalm Death. I love Napalm Death, so yeah I'll give this a whirl, even if it does state that this is a departure from that sound. It also has the drummer that played on Black Seeds of Vengeance, from Nile, and Axis of Eden, from Today is the Day. Also, Shane Embry plays bass. So it has the players for something kick ass.
Initial Reaction: Okay, major departure from everything previously mentioned. There are synthesizers, clean singing, and an almost alt rock feel to it. There are effects on the vocals, there are some weird layered backups, and the hook doesn't really grab me. Also, "just like a virus (pirate?), I live with your ghost"? not sure what that even means.
Random Thoughts: The second song starts off with just some melodic singing and then breaks into what sounds like it will be a very mellow song. I was not expecting this at all and maybe it is impacting my judgement, but halfway through song two, I am not into this one bit. This is reminding me of something, that I just can't put my finger on. Truthfully, this isn't terrible, but based on what I expected, it's not good either. I get them wanting to try something new out, but something about it just seems like these dudes were not meant to go melodic. There were a couple of times where it got kind of heavy in some later songs that I might have been into it, but I was kind of hoping for something faster and not as melodic.
Final Reaction: It's another hard rock album that just doesn't sit right with me. It's not that I don't appreciate some stuff that isn't straight metal, but I was expecting something that just ripped me a new one. I know that is what I get for having expectations, but for me, it just didn't melt my face.
Final Grade: 4.0/10
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Day 62: Silver Snakes - Year of the Snake
Artist: Silver Snakes
Album: Year of the Snake
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I am guessing they are named after one of the teams from Legends of the Hidden Temple. This album is on Bridge 9 and apparently they are on tour with The Ocean. These are the only things I know going in. So go!
Initial Reaction: It's got a rock vibe, I guess I was expecting heavier things. I am not opposed to this whole post hardcore, grunge revival, 90's alt-rock worship vibe going on here. The first song is short and sweet.
Random Thoughts: Second song has more of the 90's alt rock worship going on. This reminds me of something that I could have seen touring with the Jupiter/Antenna era Cave In or maybe opening for the reunited Failure. I get a similar vibe. I kind of like this. Some of the songs have a heavier feel to them, for a rock band. Then there is an acoustic song nestled in the middle of all this. This is a pretty cool album, so far, it has a vibe that I can get behind. I'd like to see them play live, if that tour was hitting Buffalo, I'd be going for sure. Maybe they'll hit the city up down the road. This is some pretty cool stuff.
Final Reaction: Not much to say other than I really liked it. It has a real alt rock feel to it and I found myself just letting the songs end and begin without really noticing those points. I didn't feel the need to comment on each song, because I feel like the album, as a whole, was just a good listening experience. I will be waiting for these guys to make their way up to Buffalo, so I can check out the live show.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Album: Year of the Snake
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I am guessing they are named after one of the teams from Legends of the Hidden Temple. This album is on Bridge 9 and apparently they are on tour with The Ocean. These are the only things I know going in. So go!
Initial Reaction: It's got a rock vibe, I guess I was expecting heavier things. I am not opposed to this whole post hardcore, grunge revival, 90's alt-rock worship vibe going on here. The first song is short and sweet.
Random Thoughts: Second song has more of the 90's alt rock worship going on. This reminds me of something that I could have seen touring with the Jupiter/Antenna era Cave In or maybe opening for the reunited Failure. I get a similar vibe. I kind of like this. Some of the songs have a heavier feel to them, for a rock band. Then there is an acoustic song nestled in the middle of all this. This is a pretty cool album, so far, it has a vibe that I can get behind. I'd like to see them play live, if that tour was hitting Buffalo, I'd be going for sure. Maybe they'll hit the city up down the road. This is some pretty cool stuff.
Final Reaction: Not much to say other than I really liked it. It has a real alt rock feel to it and I found myself just letting the songs end and begin without really noticing those points. I didn't feel the need to comment on each song, because I feel like the album, as a whole, was just a good listening experience. I will be waiting for these guys to make their way up to Buffalo, so I can check out the live show.
Final Grade: 7.0/10
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Day 61: Pharrell Williams - GIRL
Artist: Pharrell Williams
Album: GIRL
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I am a complete and utterly not embarrassed fan of all things Pharrell. Whether it is his N.E.R.D., production work (both solo and with the Neptunes), guest vocals, first solo record, or soundtrack work (which makes an appearance here, I dig his stuff. I'm hearing good things about this record and I've been excited to hear it. Even more so after being duped by the early stream being only 90 second snippets, so I decided to wait for the whole thing.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with a Michael Jackson vibe in the song and Pharrell is totally nailing it vocally. It's upbeat, got a pop feel to what they are calling a neo soul sound. It's got some elements of soul, funk, pop, and r&b going on here. Apparently also a Kelly Osbourne appearance. I had no clue she was still involved in the music industry. Pharrell is no stranger to the longer song structures, with some N.E.R.D. songs tipping well past the five minute mark. This song is almost six minutes, but I dug it!
Random Thoughts: This song is a duet with Justin Timberlake, who is all over the place lately. Their voices compliment each other well. These songs have a dancy vibe to them, I'll bet they will be popular in the clubs in the near future. This is pretty entertaining if you are into any of the previously mentioned genres. Pharrell has a great voice and has a great ear for catchiness. The song that should have won the Oscar for best song from a movie is just awesome. I could listen to it over and over and not be mad. The only complaint I might have up to this point is some songs might drag on a little bit too long and maybe the whole include Miley Cyrus thing. But, this is a dancey, catchy album. Oh Alicia Keys, how I love your voice.
Final Reaction: I didn't throw as much in the random thoughts as I normally would have, mostly because I was working on something in the background. But, this was a different experience than his previous solo album, which is a rap album. Overall, this was pretty great. The few complaints I had mentioned (length and Miley) did not impede my ability to enjoy this in any way. It was a pretty quality modern pop-soul album. I love the Despicable Me 2 song, and the other nine songs have me wanting to listen to it again. Pharrell is great with hooking someone in and making you enjoy what you are listening to. I will definitely be revisiting this.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Album: GIRL
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: I am a complete and utterly not embarrassed fan of all things Pharrell. Whether it is his N.E.R.D., production work (both solo and with the Neptunes), guest vocals, first solo record, or soundtrack work (which makes an appearance here, I dig his stuff. I'm hearing good things about this record and I've been excited to hear it. Even more so after being duped by the early stream being only 90 second snippets, so I decided to wait for the whole thing.
Initial Reaction: Starts off with a Michael Jackson vibe in the song and Pharrell is totally nailing it vocally. It's upbeat, got a pop feel to what they are calling a neo soul sound. It's got some elements of soul, funk, pop, and r&b going on here. Apparently also a Kelly Osbourne appearance. I had no clue she was still involved in the music industry. Pharrell is no stranger to the longer song structures, with some N.E.R.D. songs tipping well past the five minute mark. This song is almost six minutes, but I dug it!
Random Thoughts: This song is a duet with Justin Timberlake, who is all over the place lately. Their voices compliment each other well. These songs have a dancy vibe to them, I'll bet they will be popular in the clubs in the near future. This is pretty entertaining if you are into any of the previously mentioned genres. Pharrell has a great voice and has a great ear for catchiness. The song that should have won the Oscar for best song from a movie is just awesome. I could listen to it over and over and not be mad. The only complaint I might have up to this point is some songs might drag on a little bit too long and maybe the whole include Miley Cyrus thing. But, this is a dancey, catchy album. Oh Alicia Keys, how I love your voice.
Final Reaction: I didn't throw as much in the random thoughts as I normally would have, mostly because I was working on something in the background. But, this was a different experience than his previous solo album, which is a rap album. Overall, this was pretty great. The few complaints I had mentioned (length and Miley) did not impede my ability to enjoy this in any way. It was a pretty quality modern pop-soul album. I love the Despicable Me 2 song, and the other nine songs have me wanting to listen to it again. Pharrell is great with hooking someone in and making you enjoy what you are listening to. I will definitely be revisiting this.
Final Grade: 8.5/10
Monday, March 3, 2014
Day 60: Kimono Kult - Hiding in the Light
Artist: Kimono Kult
Album: Hiding in the Light
Source: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/kimono_kult-hiding_in_light_ep_stream
Pre-listening Notes: This band features both Omar Rodriguez-Lopez from The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In and John Frusciante from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Apparently there is also four other members, but I'm not sure who they are. The bio tells me that this "mixes jarring electronic experimentation with Spanish-language lyrics, intricate orchestrations, avant-jazz instrumentation and more." I'm not sure what to make of that, so I'll just start it off.
Initial Reaction: Oh, it means jarring electronic experimentation with Spanish-language lyrics. Or at least, how it starts off. It isn't entirely experimental, though. There is some sort of a song structure in this song. I do not speak Spanish, so I have no clue what is being said here.
Random Thoughts: Second song is similar to the first. There is a very electronic feel to this. This is not entirely what I expected to hear when I read the bio for this. It isn't completely off-putting in it's experimentation, it does have a structure to it that I can almost feel a poppy vibe going on. This is apparently an EP, I didn't realize that until just now. The vocalist appears to either be a woman or a very high pitched man. There isn't much in the way of guitars going on, I am reading it's mostly string arrangements from Omar. This last song has been the best so far, it has the most straight forward structure and the instrumentation and electronics seem to balance the best. There is a little more going on vocally to hook me too.
Final Reaction: This wasn't what I was expecting, then again the first time I listened to the Mars Volta I thought the same thing. I didn't hate it, but the only song I actually really liked was the last one. If the future of this band, or collective as they are calling it, ends up more like that, I could see myself interest. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't listen again.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Album: Hiding in the Light
Source: http://exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/kimono_kult-hiding_in_light_ep_stream
Pre-listening Notes: This band features both Omar Rodriguez-Lopez from The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In and John Frusciante from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Apparently there is also four other members, but I'm not sure who they are. The bio tells me that this "mixes jarring electronic experimentation with Spanish-language lyrics, intricate orchestrations, avant-jazz instrumentation and more." I'm not sure what to make of that, so I'll just start it off.
Initial Reaction: Oh, it means jarring electronic experimentation with Spanish-language lyrics. Or at least, how it starts off. It isn't entirely experimental, though. There is some sort of a song structure in this song. I do not speak Spanish, so I have no clue what is being said here.
Random Thoughts: Second song is similar to the first. There is a very electronic feel to this. This is not entirely what I expected to hear when I read the bio for this. It isn't completely off-putting in it's experimentation, it does have a structure to it that I can almost feel a poppy vibe going on. This is apparently an EP, I didn't realize that until just now. The vocalist appears to either be a woman or a very high pitched man. There isn't much in the way of guitars going on, I am reading it's mostly string arrangements from Omar. This last song has been the best so far, it has the most straight forward structure and the instrumentation and electronics seem to balance the best. There is a little more going on vocally to hook me too.
Final Reaction: This wasn't what I was expecting, then again the first time I listened to the Mars Volta I thought the same thing. I didn't hate it, but the only song I actually really liked was the last one. If the future of this band, or collective as they are calling it, ends up more like that, I could see myself interest. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't listen again.
Final Grade: 5.0/10
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Day 59: Kevin Seconds - Off Stockton
Artist: Kevin Seconds
Album: Off Stockton
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: So back in the beginning of my entrance into the world of hardcore, one of the first albums ever given to me to listen to was 7 Seconds Walk Together, Rock Together. That, coupled with Start Today, Damaged, and a few others, turned me onto the music I still listen to most today. As a band, they have put out a ton of records, Kevin has also been involved in a ton of side projects and it appears that he has put out what is now his sixth solo record. The only thing I know about the solo stuff is I am not expecting short, fast, melodic hardcore. I am expecting this to be the acoustic punk stuff that so many aging punkers seem to be gravitating to these days. So, here goes.
Initial Reaction: And score one for expectations. First thing I notice is his voice is actually a lot better than I would have thought. Not just for a guy in his 50's, but also for a guy who spent the better part of his youth screaming.
Random Thoughts: Second thing I notice is the songs are not particularly long, or drawn out. The first two songs each seem to clock in under two minutes. I still can't get over how good his voice sounds. Also the songs are on the mellower side, but aren't all sad and mopey. Not to say the themes of the songs are all happy and roses. There is definitely a folk and country vibe going on, but it's not the overpowering sound here. There is a twang, but these aren't songs about pick up trucks and runaway dogs. When he does slow it down and let the song play on a little longer, it doesn't get boring, and I think he even throws an organ in there.
Final Reaction: I'm not sure if the short running time on all but two of the songs is on purpose or he is just using the whole punk belief that short, sweet, and to the point, is the way to write songs. But, this works to his benefit. The songs are all cohesive and get something across before stepping aside and making way for the next song to do the same. This isn't usually my cup of tea, so I may be way off base thinking this is a good album, but I enjoyed it and really that is what this is all about. I am not going to say this is the best thing, I still am not a huge fan of completely acoustic albums, the ability to vary the songs up becomes harder. I can't say this is something I would listen to every day, but honestly this was way better than I expected a solo record by one of my youth's punk idols to write.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Album: Off Stockton
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: So back in the beginning of my entrance into the world of hardcore, one of the first albums ever given to me to listen to was 7 Seconds Walk Together, Rock Together. That, coupled with Start Today, Damaged, and a few others, turned me onto the music I still listen to most today. As a band, they have put out a ton of records, Kevin has also been involved in a ton of side projects and it appears that he has put out what is now his sixth solo record. The only thing I know about the solo stuff is I am not expecting short, fast, melodic hardcore. I am expecting this to be the acoustic punk stuff that so many aging punkers seem to be gravitating to these days. So, here goes.
Initial Reaction: And score one for expectations. First thing I notice is his voice is actually a lot better than I would have thought. Not just for a guy in his 50's, but also for a guy who spent the better part of his youth screaming.
Random Thoughts: Second thing I notice is the songs are not particularly long, or drawn out. The first two songs each seem to clock in under two minutes. I still can't get over how good his voice sounds. Also the songs are on the mellower side, but aren't all sad and mopey. Not to say the themes of the songs are all happy and roses. There is definitely a folk and country vibe going on, but it's not the overpowering sound here. There is a twang, but these aren't songs about pick up trucks and runaway dogs. When he does slow it down and let the song play on a little longer, it doesn't get boring, and I think he even throws an organ in there.
Final Reaction: I'm not sure if the short running time on all but two of the songs is on purpose or he is just using the whole punk belief that short, sweet, and to the point, is the way to write songs. But, this works to his benefit. The songs are all cohesive and get something across before stepping aside and making way for the next song to do the same. This isn't usually my cup of tea, so I may be way off base thinking this is a good album, but I enjoyed it and really that is what this is all about. I am not going to say this is the best thing, I still am not a huge fan of completely acoustic albums, the ability to vary the songs up becomes harder. I can't say this is something I would listen to every day, but honestly this was way better than I expected a solo record by one of my youth's punk idols to write.
Final Grade: 7.5/10
Day 58: Goodtime Boys - Things I Still Don't Understand
Artist: Goodtime Boys
Album: Things I Still Don't Understand
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Well, another single. They're from the United Kingdom and have an album and singles out prior to this. Tags I have seen thusfar about this band, Post-Hardcore, Emo, Punk, which doesn't give me much hope. Specifically when I see some comparisons to Touche Amore, who I cannot get into no matter how many times I get duped into thinking they might be a band I enjoy. But, I'll give it a whirl, while I wait for March's releases to start hitting the internet.
Initial Reaction: Just two songs here, so I am going to skip right to Random Thoughts.
Random Thoughts: It's a little more poppy than I was expecting. The vocals are kind of a quiet shouty sing. The drums around the one minute mark of the first song don't sound right. Music isn't bad, I can see where the post-hardcore mention comes from. Had these guys come out in the late 90's, I could easily see these guys playing shows with Hot Water Music or Small Brown Bike. Similar vibe. Second song starts out with a clean guitar, and some cleaner singing. Kicks in and I am definitely getting the late 90's, early 00's beard punk vibe. Taking the sound from mellow to a more upbeat sound, then back. It doesn't quite have the appeal that some of the other bands who do this sound have. If the rest of their catalog has more upbeat and faster songs, I'd be willing to check them out live to see what their live set is all about.
Final Reaction: It wasn't what I was expecting. It had a vibe to it that took me back to the type of stuff I was jamming on hard about a decade, decade and a half, ago. They did a better job of making me feel the classic sound from that era than bands like Touche Amore or La Dispute does, but it doesn't quite live up to the originals. One thing I did like was the back and forth between multiple vocalists from gruff to slightly less gruff vocals. I may attempt to stumble upon their other work in the future, but it won't be immediately.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
Album: Things I Still Don't Understand
Source: Spotify
Pre-listening Notes: Well, another single. They're from the United Kingdom and have an album and singles out prior to this. Tags I have seen thusfar about this band, Post-Hardcore, Emo, Punk, which doesn't give me much hope. Specifically when I see some comparisons to Touche Amore, who I cannot get into no matter how many times I get duped into thinking they might be a band I enjoy. But, I'll give it a whirl, while I wait for March's releases to start hitting the internet.
Initial Reaction: Just two songs here, so I am going to skip right to Random Thoughts.
Random Thoughts: It's a little more poppy than I was expecting. The vocals are kind of a quiet shouty sing. The drums around the one minute mark of the first song don't sound right. Music isn't bad, I can see where the post-hardcore mention comes from. Had these guys come out in the late 90's, I could easily see these guys playing shows with Hot Water Music or Small Brown Bike. Similar vibe. Second song starts out with a clean guitar, and some cleaner singing. Kicks in and I am definitely getting the late 90's, early 00's beard punk vibe. Taking the sound from mellow to a more upbeat sound, then back. It doesn't quite have the appeal that some of the other bands who do this sound have. If the rest of their catalog has more upbeat and faster songs, I'd be willing to check them out live to see what their live set is all about.
Final Reaction: It wasn't what I was expecting. It had a vibe to it that took me back to the type of stuff I was jamming on hard about a decade, decade and a half, ago. They did a better job of making me feel the classic sound from that era than bands like Touche Amore or La Dispute does, but it doesn't quite live up to the originals. One thing I did like was the back and forth between multiple vocalists from gruff to slightly less gruff vocals. I may attempt to stumble upon their other work in the future, but it won't be immediately.
Final Grade: 6.0/10
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