Tim Ryan Sparks

Fourth of July, 2014 was not a day of celebration for the me or for the people that I know.

I received the horrible news that a friend of mine, and one of the writers for this blog, was involved in a hit and run and died in the hospital. Tim had just turned 18, and although I only knew him personally for a few months towards the end of our junior year, I feel like I learned a bit about Tim. For one, Tim was a genius. Smartest guy I know. Kind, I can never remember him being anything less than nice to people. Tim was the guy that would pose the hardest questions, or start debates ov er the littlest of issues. This couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Tim didn't deserve this. The person who murdered Tim in this hit and run must be caught and brought to justice.

Tim by far had the smartest and most in depth reviews of this blog. By far. He always took the reviews seriously and was honest with what he said. I always looked forward to seeing what he had to say about music. Tim was a great guy and will be missed by his friends, family, and all alike. RIP Tim. I wish I'd gotten to hang out with you, and learn more about you. I wish I'd gotten to read more of your reviews.

-Adrian

I remember the first time I really met Tim was at a coffee shop a few days after a party we were both at. He ended up basically telling me that I didn't know how to party because I refrained from drinking/smoking weed at said party and I wasn't that social either (I wasn't that social that year anyways). But that's where he peak my interest and I became interested in him. He'll be missed, being as smart as he was, I imagine he would've had something great for the world up his sleeve. I was a fan of his blog, unique ideas, and how relatable he was as a person.

-Kasey

You can find Tim's personal blog here. Check it out, he has a lot of great points and views to be heard.

EVERWET INKWELL

You can find all of Tim's reviews here.

TIM'S REVIEWS

Learn to Speak EP by Search/Party

Grade: 8.3

1. We've Got Dodson Here (Nobody Cares)

2. You're Likely to be Eaten by a Grue

3. Better is Always Better

4. Grigsby to Secret Mountain Base

Listen Here!

I like this EP a lot, which may surprise a lot of you because I'm so critical of homegrown music. Search/Party is your quintessential punk-pop band and they've fully honed their skills in the genre. The guitars are precise and timed perfectly, the drums are damn solid (I hear too many shitty drummers on Bandcamp), and Joss Rose's vocals are both adolescent and aged simultaneously. Also, the production is great, really great! They did a good job. All this makes for a fucking great band. They lack a bit of originality in my opinion. They proclaim themselves to be alternative ("Pulling influences from every genre"), but I do feel like I've heard music like this a million times. It reminds me of my adolescence, aimless time spent listening to bands like Blink 182, Green Day, Simple Plan, Yellowcard, The Japandroids, etc.. Perhaps since I'm not exactly a punk connoisseur, I have trouble noticing differences amongst punk bands. Regardless, the sound that Search/Party has adopted is strong, and they do anthemic punk-pop quite well.

Track one (We've Got Dodson Here [Nobody Cares]) is quick and smart, mixing metaphors and evoking deep emotions like it's child's play. It tells a story of a forlorn lover who misses his ex-girlfriend. If this isn't cliche enough, the hook uses the ubiquitous Nietzsche quote "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger". Now, if I were a musician, I'd be slow to use any sort of philosophy that was repackaged in a Kelly Clarkson song, but I'm a pretentious dick and there's plenty of room for bromides in punk. The song is also very optimistic, which is cool to see on a punk album. I've often been frustrated by punk albums that are excessively pissy. I like this song a lot, but my biggest critique of it is that it is hook-heavy. Now, this is another prominent feature of punk-pop so my criticism isn't a big deal, but the second song is also really hook-heavy. Two hook-heavy songs in succession seems excessive to me. Lastly, the track name is based on Jurassic Park I think. They name is wrong, which could be an accident or intentional and too esoteric for me to decode. This is funny as fuck BTW.

Track two (You're Likely to be Eaten by a Grue) is slower and sadder than track one. It solemnly takes stock of pains and offers consolation. Though, in my opinion, the consolation feels half-hearted, almost empty. It's an interesting effect. The song is a good change of pace for the record, though it is just as anthemic and hook-heavy as track one. A grue is a mythical monster that has appeared in several works of literature and more recently in myriad internet memes.  

Track three (Better is Always Better) flows seamlessly from track two and eradicates the emotional turmoil purported in that track. It replaces it with a sort of hedonistic whimsy, founded upon softer guitars and soaring vocals. Rose croons about happy memories and is hopeful for those to come. I truly do love this angst-free punk-pop. Track three is definitely my favorite track on this album. It isn't quite as hook-heavy as the first two tracks. Instead, its power is founded on expert vocal layering, that sounds damn perfect. They did a really good job mixing all of this. 

Track four (Grigsby to Secret Mountain Base) takes the emotions back to sadness and introspection. The layering is great on this song as well. These guys are really talented musicians. One can tell that they worked hard on this EP. Nothing is smudged. The lyrics are smart and quick. I think that the title refers to the band's base of operations in Colton, Oregon, but if anyone has any more insight on this (or any other reference), comment below.

This is a really great EP. It's a damn solid punk-pop entry. You should all listen to it.

Cyber Smokes by B K Club

Grade: 4.2

1. A vs A

2. 3 for 5

3. Farting in Church

4. Burning Roses

Listen Here!

I deliberated on whether or not to give this a grade for awhile, but I ultimately decided that it was necessary lest good music loose its value. For if we consider everything to be great, then what is greatness? 

Anyway, B K Club's Cyber Smokes is really strange, good in some regards, ludicrous in others. They adopt a bluesy, approach to teen angst music (very much like some of Okkervil River's older albums). They are fairly good at this. The guitars and rattles are precise and provide a good, minimalist tempo. The instrumentals remind me of Bon Iver which is very cool. Probably the coolest thing about this record is the use of harmonicas (very Bob Dylan) and horns (very Neutral Milk Hotel). 

Track one (A vs A) is probably the strongest offering on this record. It is repetitive and a bit hypnotic. It is somber and serious, admonishing something closely resembling peace (though this theme is later undermined by track 4). It is kind of hook-heavy though.

Track two (3 for 5) is alright. It feels much like a transition between songs. Drew Lane murmurs almost incomprehensible shit while horns and guitars play over him. It really doesn't go anywhere though because the next track is equally absurd. 

Track three (Farting in Church) begins with idiotic scatting for the first minute or so. This would be forgivable if the record was longer than 4 tracks, but it isn't. Only half of the album is actually music, which brings on this aghast sense of incredulity. After the scatting, Drew Lane tells dumb, cutesy jokes for the remainder of the track, which is sort of endearing and not entirely taboo, but the jokes don't really go anywhere. I saw a close resemblance to Radiohead's Fitter Happier, where the vocalist mutters various phrases while music plays over. The entire body of the album is wasted by tracks 2 and 3, which aren't really music in my opinion.

Track four (Burning Roses) gets serious again with dark, antithetical lyrics about murdering someone in a particularly vile, cold-blooded way. This reminds me of Okkervil River's Westfall and For Real. I think that the bluesy, folksy sound is a great medium to explore violence and darkness which are most prominently featured in genres like Metal, Grunge, and Rap. 

Ultimately, Cyber Smokes fails. I don't think that this is a testament to their lack of artistic talent. Rather, I think it's a testament to their laziness. This EP is the inkling of a good idea. It could have been developed far better. Rather than coming up with a few good songs and throwing them out into cyberspace, they should have spent more time honing their songs and adding more. As far as I'm concerned, tracks 2 and 3 should be thrown out altogether or perhaps synthesized into shorter offerings that serve as relevant transitions between songs. I only hope that this inkling of a good idea will eventually become something far better.

Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything by Silver Mt. Zion

Grade: 8.2

1. Fuck Off Get Free (For the Island of Montreal) 

2. Austerity Blues

3. Take Away These Early Grave Blues

4. Little Ones Run

5. What We Loved Was Not Enough

6. Rains Thru the Roof at the Grand Ballroom

Listen Here!

There's something so ostentatious about mixing politics with music. Generally, the synthesis of these two realms of thought result in a product that is either too oblique or too overt to be meaningful. Artists seem to either whisper their political ideologies or scream them. Both of these methods of communication are ineffective and undermine the power of the music. However, a thin line exists between the overt and the oblique and that line has been pioneered by many great artist's who have inserted political thought into their lyrics throughout the years. Think of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Radiohead- all of these groups discussed politics in their music and still made fucking great music. I think my model holds in most cases. I think that political ideologies implemented into music must be halfway between overt and oblique to be effective, but like any model, there are anomalies.

One such anomaly is Silver Mt. Zion's Fuck Off Get Free We pour Light on Everything. The politics of this album are quite oblique. Examination of the lyrics yields little in the way of answers. There are general themes that are explored throughout the album. There is a definite anarchist trend "We've all of us carried our load, Dull and young and bright and old, But thieves and liars rule everything we know, And thieves and liars rule everything that grows" (Austerity Blues). 

Most talented musicians are liberal (likely because most smart, talented people are liberal) and it seems that Silver Mt. Zion is no exception. There really aren't many right-wing anarchists and the band's views on capitalism confirm that they aren't a part of that minority. Topics on the album include: anti-establishmentism; disparity of wealth; complacency; revolution; moral decline; racism; fascism (relatively [often unrealistically] defined); the evils of communism and modernity; etc.

When the lyrics are examined on their own, they very closely resemble the lyrics of bands like Rage Against the Machine. Themes and ideologies aside, it is fairly easy to notice the similarities between the anthemic verses of Fuck Off Get Free's title track "Fuck off, Get Free, We pour Light on Everything We see" and the ending of Rage's famous song Killing in the Name "(16x) Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!". 

However, Silver Mt. Zion's lyrics are more cryptic than the overt, anarchistic melodies of Rage Against the Machine. Furthermore, the post-rock in which they are inlaid provides more variety than the monotonous roar of Rage's guitars.

It really is great music, which is to be expected considering that most of its band members come from the infamous post-rock group Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This album very much feels like the core band from which it branches off, except that there are lyrics which give more information on the politics of the band. Music nerds are well-aware that Godspeed You! Black Emperor is notoriously anti-establishment; they have refused to show up at many music awards shows and have even refused the monetary awards that they have won.

There is a great passion in these actions, and that passion bleeds from this album as guitars roar, violins weep, drums beat, cymbals crash, and Efrim Menuck wails. Post-rock is really cool. It's insane to think that a 14 minute song can hold one's attention for so long. Many post-rock groups fail at this, but Silver Mt. Zion most definitely does not, and even if their lyrics are confusingly oblique, their passion comes through making up for them.

#BloodBrothers by Käptain Krünçh Cîdz

Grade: 6.0

1. Nightmare

2. Bloodshot Eyes and an Existential Crisis

3. It'z Krunch Time

4. Fall's End

5. Blood Brothers

Listen Here!

Disclaimer: I am friends with the guys that made this album. In fact, they write for this blog. That bias exists but I want to make sure you all realize that I am attempting to be very objective as I review this.

This album drips of adolescence, and that's both a strength and a weakness. Its bio on Bandcamp is very short and admits of the band's inexperience. It says that it is the group's first release That's really quite evident. The general lack of direction is annoying at times because it is difficult to get inside the artists' heads, but its also intriguing- mysterious almost.

The songs are placed in a very logical order, but there is no continuity to the piece. The songs all flow well musically, but when it comes to the lyrical content of the songs, the listener is left confused. I'd almost say that it needs to be longer- that it needs a few filler songs that will better fuse the album together and give it some direction. Truly, there are a lot of shitty songs on a lot of great albums which both propel the lyrical narrative and give skin to the bones of the thematic skeleton established by the album's high points. With that being said, understand that this criticism is not that serious. It's very hard to give a 5 track album the strength of a full-length album. I wonder why Käptain Krünçh Cîdz didn't label this as an EP; that's really what it is.

There is a specific sound to each of the songs. I'd like to make note of the influences that I noticed throughout.

1. Nightmare- Queens of the Stone Age, The Clash, Soundgarden
2. Bloodshot Eyes and an Existential Crisis- Animal Collective
3. It'z Krunch Time- Modest Mouse
4. Fall's End- Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Rise Against, Joy Division
5. Blood Brothers- Animal Collective (Avey Tare)

Other influences that showed throughout: Metallica, Black Sabbath

The first track starts slowly and disjointedly, and then builds to erratic mayhem. When the vocals come in, things calm down a bit. Adrian Sprague's voice has a lot of character and he's capable of achieving many different ranges and styles. In this song the vocals remain calm and almost sadly apathetic. Think of the calloused melody of a grizzled punk vocalist's voice. It's a very strong start. 

Then comes the second track, whose lengthy, pathological title perfectly labels the erratic rhythm of the song. It meanders a bit too long- as do all of the songs on the album. They aren't particularly long, but it seems to take them a while to get where they're going. However, whenever the vocals do come in, there's no build up to them. They began and then they stay the same for the entirety of the song. This is particularly true on the second track, but it's also true on the other tracks. Kasey's vocals on this track are very, very emotional. He squeals... Almost wheezes out the incomprehensible lyrics to the song. That seems like a negative description, but in this song I think it works very well. As stated previously, he reminds me a lot of Avey Tare in this track and the last track. 

Track three is really where the album starts to fall apart. The first two songs are very solid and I like them a lot. They establish a very distinct style for the group. Track three is essentially an interlude. It's very short, it has no vocals, and it leads to track four fairly well. The problem with this song is that an EP does not need an interlude. An EP should not fuck around. It should get straight to the point and have less-than-perfect transitions. If an EP flowed from one song to the next flawlessly, the entire album would sound like one long, fucking song. Often times tracks with interludes sound like this on full-length albums, but the albums are long enough to support the illusion. I just see no need for such a short, pointless track on this album. 

Track four really doesn't need an interlude. It's quite solid on it's own. If Käptain Krünçh Cîdz had a large collection of songs, I really think that this would be the quintessential one. It meanders a lot and really keeps you guessing. The vocals come on suddenly and don't abate until the end of the song. Adrian rasps and moans like the bastard child of Billie Joe Armstrong and Ian Curtis. It's really good. Most music critics believe that Joy division spawns the punk movement. The vocals in this track help prove this and meld the two styles in a very artful manner. 

The final track attempts to slow things down a bit as the album comes to a close. It doesn't really do this well. It almost seems as if there was a lot that the listener missed out on. This album really feels like an LP. It has long instrumental portions and a senseless interlude. It's almost as if someone truncated a full-length album and released the first six songs. 

Once again, the album is short and it is clearly difficult to develop the theme of a short album. With that being said, there is evidence of a lot of boredom, teen angst, and introspection in the lyrics of the piece. this strengthens my opinion that the whole album needs to be developed more fully. 

Stray observations: 

• Punk musicians are pissy, and generally they relish in telling us all about it. The angst present in this piece seems rather unarticulated. The listener is left to wonder what the musicians are pissed about. 
• I heard very subtle (but deep-seated) 80's hard rock sounds. I may be judging this incorrectly, but I kind of feel like most people in a rock bands have been influenced by bands like Metallica and Black Sabbath. That's not exactly my cup of tea though, so it's hard for me to say with much confidence. 
• I know that it makes me pretentious, but I think that the hash-tag in the title is gimmicky.  
• They did name your own price on Bandcamp! That's badass!

The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas- Courtney Barnett

Grade: 7.3

Tracks:

1. Out of the Woodwork

2. Don't Apply Compression Gently

3. Avant Gardener

4. History Eraser

5. David

6. Anonymous Club

7. Lance Jr

8. Are you Looking After Yourself?

9. Scotty Says

10. Canned Tomatoes (whole)

11. Porcelain

12. Ode to Odetta

Listen Here!

You've got to love the honesty of autobiographical music, even if that honesty admits of mediocrity, or supposedly worse, inactivity. That's exactly what Melbourne's Courtney Barnett admits of in her The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, a passionately passionless mix between slacker rock and 60's folk.

It isn't really folksy in terms of musical style, but it definitely is when it comes to the record's lyrics and their structure. The quick succession of the stories that Barnett tells in her music is very, very Dylan. Barnett's music really is strongest when it tells stories, when it drifts from meandering melodies about the banality and meaninglessness of the mundane to fascinating stories that could've easily been pulled from the pages of a very good novel.

This comparison isn't perfect though. The album does lack continuity. That's to be expected though. It is an EP. Barnett has stated that she is working on a full length record. Hopefully it will grasp the continuity that I know she could form so beautifully.

Avant Gardener (track 3) is really the best song on the album. It captures everything that makes this style of music so good. It's reserved chord progression meanders, her monotone focuses attention on the lyrics rather than inflection, the story is lovely.

Speaking of style, this is hipster music and it's incredibly difficult to put it in any musical category. The influences seem to be so eclectic that if I named them all in succession, your incredulity might keep you from giving this a listen. I'd hate to do that, this is great music and I'll certainly be keeping me eyes open for news of Barnett's full length album.

Stray Observations

• How can something so twangy remind me so vividly of So-Cal Indie Rock? Maybe because it's Indie...
• I love the Pulp Fiction reference on Avant Gardener and the fact that song is called Avant Gardener
• "I'm not that good at smokin' bongs, I'm not that good at breathing in."
• I realize that like %50 of music is influenced by Bob Dylan, but I really didn't expect to find that here. 
• The name of this EP seems unnecessarily long

Nothing- Guilty of Everything

Grade: 6.9

Tracks:

1. Hymn To The Pillory 04:41 

2. Dig 04:02 

3. Bent Nail 02:57 

4. Endlessly 04:13 

5. Somersault 04:30 

6. Get Well 04:32 

7. Beat Around The Bush 04:05 

8. B&E 05:18 

9. Guilty Of Everything 04:23

Listen Here!

The first time I finished listening to this album, the same initial judgement was still swimming in my mind. I just kept thinking, "This sounds a lot like post-rock." I don't know if I could classify it in that genre though. I'm more inclined to classify it as a sort of alt-rock... mild space rock mixed with traditional 90's alt-rock, but the post-rock is definitely there. There is a progression in nearly every song. Each starts with reposed guitars which carefully build into triumphant riffs, the cousins of those used in metal. Things never get very heavy though. They build to a point and top out. So if you're a headbanger, find something else. Furthermore, post-rock songs are 2-3x longer than songs on Guilty of Everything. 

Nothing's vocalization is very hypnotic. Most lyrics are incomprehensibly murmured behind the careful arpeggio that the drums offer and the nearly incessant roar of electric guitars. The lyrics are cryptic, but poetic. They remind me of Deafheaven, minus the run-on phrases and general lack of structure. Dominic Palermo's ghostly voice whispers hidden truths which are poignant about half of the time. The lyrics are really quite surreal, inlaid in the fuzzy guitar haze. 

Spent Summers in a well watching pale moons disappear 

Alone 

And crucifixion seems noble 

when Paradise is Hell 

Atone

See what I mean? It's poetic and probably sort of profound, but its so cryptic it's difficult to deduce exactly what Palermo is trying to say. My one major contention with the album is that its stylistically one-note. There's nuance to the sounds that it creates, but it really does constrain itself to those specific sounds for the whole album (incessant guitars, steady percussion, hypnotically trickling vocals, etc.). Track 3 interested me the most. The whole album sounded very distorted, but this quality was most pronounced on Bent Nail. It had a garage-rock sort of character that very closely bordered grunge. It was the most obvious departure from the band's stylistic tendencies. It did keep the general sound of the band though. The departure was not a lewd one.

All in all, this is a very good album. It's ambient but still formidable. I'd imagine it's the type of things metal-heads fall asleep to each night. I couldn't fall asleep to it, but I certainly enjoy listening to it when I'm awake.