Showing posts with label Alternative Punk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alternative Punk. Show all posts

Monday, March 14, 2016

I see! The Veil Is Torn There is Hope For Us!

I SEE! THE VEIL IS TORN THERE IS HOPE FOR US!//Junfalls
1. Basement 
2. Mask
3. The Wolf
4. Harvest
5. Mirror


Post-hardcore/Emotional Hardcore OKC band Junfalls' first release, (See title above), is a quick five song ep release that's chock full of good shit.
If you wanted to relate this to a main-stream band you could relate it to Defeater, but I'd rather listen to Junfalls any day than Defeater. Sick bass lines coupled with great song writing makes this a release that you'll start over after hearing it the first time. And this band isn't even that old so keep watching for more to come.

Favorite track: Mask

Bandcamp
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Friday, February 5, 2016

S/T by Out Of Step

//Out Of Step||Out Of Step\\
1. Intro
2. Surfboard
3. Tooth Decay
4. Black Cat
You guessed it, Out of Step is an 80's throwback punk band who's catchy riffs you'll have stuck in your head nonstop. The entire thing is a banger, with Tooth Decay being the song with the most memorable parts. (That bass line/two step) So tuck the keys hanging off your belt loop into your back
pocket and try not to hit the crust punks when you stage dive because they'll threaten to kill you.
The release is a quick one, so check it out dorks
Favorite track: Tooth Decay

Friday, July 17, 2015

When Skies Are Gray by When Skies Are Gray

/when skies are gray by when skies are gray\
1. Her face in the grass
2. We passed each other quietly 
3. Wayfarer
4. Bloodletting
5. The widows walk
6. The things I once cherished, now indiferrent
7. Subdue and consume 
8. The tundra of my heart, my tired frozen heart
9. It's certain that I'm dying
10. Renoir, 1920


Dark emo violence// melodic emo pop punk outfit, When Skies Are Gray, shows off it's gritty, teeth grinding emotion that brings your blood to a depressing boil. The cathartic yelling over catchy emo Pop punk instruments smash your face while the melodic, soothing instrumentals make your head away back and fourth. I can see this as something I can come back to over and over again.

Everything beautiful is gone
Woah there grab your sing along pen and write in your diaries, because this shit makes you wanna think about how shitty things are while at the same time thinking about how much you don't care when really maybe things aren't 100% bad but you don't think about that because you're listening to this guy say everything you're thinking but because you aren't good at putting into words what you're thinking the way you want to, you can't say, you'll go post these lyrics on Twitter and tumblr and others will feel what you're saying  but will have no idea what you're talking about//referencing so people will think you're deep and you'll get that cool girl/guy you've had a crush on forever to think maybe you aren't just another SnapBack wearing fuck boy so you guys will date and things will be great at first but after a few months things will go south and you'll start listening to that basement album but you feel so much about her and also hate being alone so you'll stay together and be in a toxic relationship that doesn't help either of you so you'll get with some of your friend and make a band when you guys break up and try to make it sound like this album but you'll realize when skies are gray is too good of a band to recreate and also your drummer probably sucks a lot so rinse and repeat. 

Anyway, this album is really really great and it was released through mayfly records so check that out, good label and I would love to see these guys live and you should get this album. 

Favorite track: we passed each other quietly 
Me when I put this album on

Monday, March 16, 2015

Farmhouse Sessions by Those Dirty Eyes



1. Delta Queen
2. My Baby
3. Old Alabama
4. Black Lung
5. Tree Swinger

Grab a beer and ruffle your beard, delta blues boys Those Dirty Eyes just released Farmhouse Sessions, which was in fact, recorded in a farmhouse. Listening to these five songs makes me think of the title sequence to some B-rate tv show about detectives in the swamplands. A two piece band, guitars are filled with slides, bends, and heavy distortion. Drums are heavy and hard-hitting, and vocals (Both members) are cathartic; not yelling but strained, raspy singing. Exactly the kind of vocals delta blues music should have.
There is a lo-fi aspect to the music, and that's okay because it fits the band perfectly. I don't think they would sound the same if they went and recorded in some high-quality studio. It's a quick release, and
just something to pop in and listen to, so check it out.

Favorite track: Black Lung
Bandcamp

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Half of a Good Plan by GIN WAR

//Half of a Good Plan||GIN WAR\\
1. In A Box
2. Honest
3. Wink
4. Disconnected
5. BONER TRACK

and i won't sleep a wink 
till you're in my lungs 
and on my breath 
i won't feel alive 
till you're in my life 
i'll be dying

Out through American Scream Records,  New Jersey alternative rock band GIN WAR's four song release, Half of A Good Plan showcases what these guys can do. Radio ready with catchy choruses and instrumentation, GIN WAR plays four solid tracks that you'll have stuck in your head for a while.
Reminds me of a lighter Darker Things by Choir Vandals. 
This band is a lot of fun in my opinion, instrumentation (Four Piece) (Guitar/guitar/drums/bass/vocals/vocals) is well done and relaxing, simple, but good; each person playing off one another and forming a really solid sound. As far as vocals go, Brandon and Mike's vocals are silky smooth, blanketing the top of each song.
There is certainly a pop aspect to this release, the catchy-ness and just the way the singing and guitars sound. Some super catchy riffs guys.  Time wise, this is a shorter release, and when you download it, you get a BONUS TRACK!)!)!?!@!@!@#!!!! wow coool bonus track
BONUS TRAKC!!!
BONURS!
BONERS!
BONUS TRAK!

Bonus track guys. It's a catchy cool acoustic song so if you like what you hear, download the release and get the BONUS(!!!!!) track while you can. 

Favorite Song: Honest






Sunday, September 14, 2014

Growing Pains by Storyteller

//Growing Pains||Storyteller\\
1. Never Was
2. Never Will Be
3. Scars
4. Dead Sleep
5. Heavy Hearts (ft. Osacar Bamaca)
6. Fool's Gold (ft. Mackenzie Colvin)
7. Stand Up, Stand Tall
8. Passive Progression


On Distro from Driftwood Records CDs, Storyteller's 8 song release, Growing Pains, has a lot to be said about. The songs are quick, melodic, and filled with emotion. Combining spoken word vocals with Skramzy-esq/emo vocals, the lyrics take hold of the listener, combining with the emotional and well thought out music to swell and create some actually all around great music. Production is high quality, and instrumentation is mixed perfectly. While the songs meld together, almost seeming to form an entirely new song, there isn't a dull moment. The first song lulls you into a false sense of tranquility, yet immediately casts you into the raw emotion of the rest of the release. The songs rise and fall like a wave, cresting to peaks at certain sections and landing at lows at others. The songs keep moving, driving forward with emotion and head bobbing instrumentation. I'm not usually into bands like this, with the spoken word parts and the melodic hardcore vocals and such, but Storyteller does something amazing with it, making me come back to this release and start it over after every time I finish listening to it. This is a band everyone should check out. 



Favorite Song: "Passive Progression"

Get it here

Storyteller's facebook









Saturday, August 30, 2014

Peter Crisis/Until by Myrrh Myrrh

Peter Crisis/Until {Myrrh myrrh}
1. Peter Crisis
2. Until


Known Pleasure Records's latest release from three-piece Myrrh myrrh is a quick one, the two emo/punk/shoegaze-esq songs lasting a little over 7 minutes. I'm really digging the feel to the entire thing, it's got this weird grungy feel to it, the kind of stuff I'd love to see live. Grainy, yet well done production quality. Vocals are set farther back, and everything is so spacy, like if I was Afraid met the first half of "darker things" by Choir Vandals  or some other horrible comparison like that I guess. It's a really chill release yet at the same time it's also something to listen to and actually get interested in. Drumming is great, like most emo drumming, and guitar and drums are so grungy distorted that half of the time you can't even understand what they're playing. Vocals are great, everything's great this is something I'm going to listen to a lot and fall asleep to and I'm really glad I found this. Definitely something you should check out. So yeah check it out.



Bandcamp

Band Bandcamp

Band Facebook

Sunday, June 22, 2014

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


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.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

MISSOURI ACOUSTIC ACTS BEAU DIAMOND AND D.C.F.U. ANNOUNCE TOUR

Beau Diamond and Death Cab For Ukulele announce tour
June 23rd - Kansas City @ Art Closet Studios
June 24th -Des Moines @ Witmer Park
June 26th- Springfield @ Nathan P. Murphy's
June 27th - Witchita @ The Donut Whole

Missouri acoustic acts Beau Diamond and Death Cab For Ukulele are heading out on the road for their second tour this summer, and one of the stops is going to be in good ole' Springfield Missouri. Actually my own band, Kaptain Krunch Cidz is going to play the springfield date so that'll be awesome. I met these two when Beau came and played at the OBEC a while ago, and I really digged his acoustic folk jams. He's coming out with a new release soon and I put on an interview with Joshua Milligan, (Death Cab For Ukelele), owner of Waybridge Records, to which both artists are signed. 
Here comes my super professional interview that I did:

This is your second tour? what do you have to offer differently from your first?
Beau has a new album coming up, and I've also been planning my ep (possibly) and a lot of new Waybridge releases

Are you going to be selling other releases from waybridge on the tour?
Yeah dude for sure. Going to just try and spread the Waybridge name / see kick ass people we miss that are in Springfield. (Also we got kick ass stickers)

What stop are you most excited for?
We are definitely pumped about our Springfield date. We have a lot of solid locals on that bill. Kaptain Krunch Cidz was a fun as hell band I did a review for and Charlie was life changing good. But all the dates are going to be rad as hell. The Des Moines show we have Lesbian Poetry playing with us, who is a stud. Along with seeing a shit ton of new land

Is Death Cab Going as just you or are you bringing Kaitlin Rose Evans with you?
Unfortunately it will only be me for right now, and I'll be doing shorter sets still. Kaitlin is the true beauty and talent of DCFU, so hopefully I'll be able to steal her away for our July tour in Illinois.

Oh and Beau is bringing along part of Space Wolf Infinity, CJ Wagner who is an insane percussionist, and just an all around great person. We're really excited to spend five days altogether because he's been working his tail off in the studio and at a new side job he got to help support him/ the band. 
We're really excited for the dynamics a three piece drumset adds as opposed to just beau on the guitar. They actually have a new project called The Collective Dream Band, which once they get a bassist will sound really awesome
Who would win in a fight between you and Beau?
I've got squirrel-like instincts, but Beau has an obscene amount of finger strength. Any other opponent I would demolish, but I'll give it to beau, he'd win

Final Question: If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be?
I would just want anything that could help change the music industry That's what Waybridge is about honestly.  Like every release I've ever done, I'm a lucky enough guy to get to say "this person is a FRIEND of mine. Not just another product" most of these labels now are like a McDonalds worker with just a "hey, it's just another order up" kind of mentality. I want every release to be a great tune from a great dude (or dudette) that brings something new or cool.  So I guess, wealth? Is that a superpower? Hahah

Well I mean that's batman's superpower, but hey, that's an awesome response. Can't wait to play with you guys again, and to just see you two, You're both great guys!

Friday, May 9, 2014

2303 by American Merlin

2303|American Merlin
1. The Introduction
2. Ajewstic
3. I can't Believe you actually died
4. The Woods
5. Night Light
6. Jazz Bears
7. Upstate
8. Read Eat Sleep
9. Thoth
10. My Throat Hurts
11. Holy Sung
12. The Exit
Newest release off of WayBridge Records, American Merlin is a far reaching lo-fi full length that is so full of genre's and different types of music it left me a little confused as to what was trying to be told by this album. The beginning track starts off with a great little piano instrumental song that sets the mood perfectly, creating some sick imagery. The first half of this release is really lo-fi and acoustic/alternative. Production gets gradually better as the songs progress, but seeing as how the last few songs are electronic ambient songs, they're going to be good production and stuff. Everything about this release is a gradual change into kind of like futuristic music, adding more and more electronic items and stuff, and as I listen to it more and more I realize just how good it all is. With a finishing touch to the release, "The Exit" tops everything off with a similar lo-fi piano outro to the beginning, helping solidify that this release is one that should definitely be checked out. 

favorite track: The Woods


Ps. Fuck, listen to this entire thing more than once, it gets better and better each time. 


Monday, May 5, 2014

Temple blues by DOG BRAIN

Temple Blues| DOG BRAIN
1. Tonite
2. Sing a stupid Song
3. American Castle
4. Tinfoil Hat
5. King Cold
6. The Water Song

ROSES ARE RED 
VIOLETS ARE BLUE
DOG BRAIN IS DOG BRAIN 
AND DOG BRAIN LOVES YOU

Chicago Illinois band DOG BRAIN  is an experimental art rock-ish band that reminds me a lot of small time experimental band from Glasgow, Herbert Powell, but a little more well put together. The recordings are a little bit lo-fi and such, but it's good because it works. Behind the almost stupid songs and the giant covering of art rocky things, you've got some really catch stuff. A fellow band mate of mine recommended DOG(e) BRAIN after he got the CD from the guy that runs the record label these guys are signed to at a show we played at. One thing I appreciate is the guitar on these tracks, it's simple rock guitar, but it's done right. These guys do experimental music right. The tracks aren't too long, which is what many experimental bands always have trouble with, and these songs can get stuck in your head and you'll catch yourself humming the melody and such. 
So this is me selling this experimental band: "Hi I'm Adrian and I think you should listen to this band."
There ya go, get it.

favorite track: Tinfoil hat



Thursday, April 24, 2014

Dos Equis by Qualia

Dos Equis | Qualia
1.  Prehistoric Ovaries
2. Casual Astronaut
3. Woodson Blues
4. The Moon
5. Slim Pickin's 
6. Untitled
7. No Suits to be worn here

Ya know what's nice? When you're just strolling through bandcamp and you accidentally find something amazing. Ya know what's better? When you're starting to find most music boring and repetitive with the same sounds, and you find something that isn't like that at all. Thrash-Funk Jam band from Kansas, Qualia just recently put out this 7 song instrumental release. Starts out really funky and gets really thrashy. Those bass lines. I mean I guess a funk band wouldn't work without a bassist that knows how to funk the funk up on bass but ya know it's cool to listen to. The recordings are a little lo-fi but in a way that suits the band 100%. Any more super nicely done and it wouldn't sound right. It's all really spacey and is totally something that you can just put on and do other things while this plays in the background, like read the latest installment of 17 magazine  or worship Satan. "Woodson Blues" opens with a gosh darn blues part and is like a BLUES song. Wowz. Maybe I just listen to too many emo and hardcore bands to appreciate some good jam bands but idgaf this is a sweet jam band. All the song lengths are relatively long, which is pretty cool (for once). Anywho could go on for hours about how so much music is boring and repetitive and stuff but I'm just happy I found a band that isn't so check these guys out. 
Favorite track: Woodson Blues.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

#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


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!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Demo 2012 by Pizza Breath

Demo 2012 | Pizza Breath
1. Intro/Dropout
2. Untitled
3. Anti-social/Apathy

Local  skate punk/hardcore band Pizza Breath's 2012 Demo is a Pizza Breath that you won't be finding at their local shows. The lineup from 2012 is way different, as well as their sound, but I think it's fun to go back and look at this release, so here we go. First off: Mixing wise, what the hell happened there. This is such a quiet release it's almost funny. Joe's vocals dominate the entire band. I mean, he's a really loud singer normally, but still, like damn. Anyway, if you can get past all of that, you've still got some awesome music.This release is really grungy and totally hardcore-punk. It's at a low tempo throughout, and what you can hear of the instruments is stock for the most part. I for one love Pizza Breath. My bands play with them a lot and they are all really awesome guys. 

Favorite Track: Anti- Social/Apathy

Thursday, January 16, 2014

10,000,000 B.C. by Ghost Dance new music video

10,000,000 B.C. By Ghost Dance

Found this through one of the local promoters, and instantly the song caught my attention. Ghost Dance is a band from Springfield Missouri, which is about 10 miles from where I live, so that's cool. This new song by them is really cool. It has a progressive metal/grunge/ Dio-aged rock and roll feel to it. Instrumentation is fuzzy and put onto the back burner, nearing a lo-fi production quality, but obviously done professionally. Main vocals are grungy and Nirvana-like, standing out in the mix. Back-up vocals are done either by a supporting singer or it could be a female track playing, I'm not sure as I've not heard more from this band; which will soon be changing. Think "Sex Bob-omb" from the movie, "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World", and you've got "10,000,000 BC" by Ghost Dance. Anyway, guitar riff/instrumentation change at the end of the song is really fun to listen to and really compliments the song, so be on the lookout for that. Check this video out guys, it's really cool and the band is from where I'm from so that's cool. 

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Still Bummed by Nouns

Still Bummed by Nouns
1. dogs
2. still bummed
3. school bus
4. conch
5. yaw
6. dumped
7. way
8. you're not the one i want
9. the graduate
10. great big "fuck" and how i'm coping with it

I was going through tumblr, re-blogging some sad posts and looking for sad music on bandcamp when I found Still Bummed by Nouns under the "Sad" music tag. This lo-fi emo/electronic/indie rock noise punk release was perfect for a sad snowed in day. Nouns is a band from Little Rock, Arkansas, and Still Bummed was recorded in a bedroom, and has a great lo-fi vibe to it. Each song flows into one another wonderfully, making it easy to get lost in the 10 songs as they slowly meld together. Vocals are spacey and held back, and the lyrics are for the most part easy to relate to. If you've ever seen a shoegaze band live, you'll get the same kind of feeling listening to Nouns. Instrumentation is wide and very sad, guitar driven, almost punk at times, give it a listen and download it for 50 cents when you get the chance because it's worth it. 
Favorite Track: You're Not The One I Want


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Demo 2013, by Good Mourning


Demo 2013, by Good Mourning

1. Happy
2. Interlude
3. Resurrect (This Broken Home)

Good Mourning is an emotional/alt. Punk band from Grimsby UK. This release is definitely just that. The Vocals stand out a lot in the mix, and there seems to be some layering in vocals, with a deeper, almost spoken voice behind the lead singer's vocals, which I for one like. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the lead singer's voice. Happy is a good song, the hook in the lyrics is something that stuck in my head after listening.