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Review Index (Page 1):
* Johnny 5 - "Johnny 5 EP"
(2004)
* Delusion - 'The Tragedy Of Regret'
(2003)
* The Ease - 'Awkward Moments' (2004)
* Misnomer - '2000-2003'
* Clear - 'Coming Round' (2004)
* The Kates - 'Suicide Valentine' EP
(2004)
* Action Now - 'All Your Dreams…and
more 1981-1984'
* Wheat - 'Per Second, Per Second,
Per Second… Every Second' (2003)
* Romislokus - 'Trans Aviation Pilots'
(2004)
* Battery Life - 'Shotgun Loudmouth'
(2004)
* The Mighty Stars - 'The Mighty Stars
Are Go!' (2003)
* Forest Giants - 'In Sequence' (2004)
* Captain Wilberforce - 'Dreams Of
Educated Fleas' (2004)
* Latitude Blue - 'Searching For Perfect'
(2003)
* Revelation Theory - '6 Song EP' (2003)
* Comeg - 'Perfect Summer' (2003)
* Imaginary Bill - 'Breaking The Ground
Loop' (2003)
* Diction - 'The First 5 Years' (2003)
* ElScientisto - 'Moonsick' (2003)
* Solanoid - 'Aurora Avenue' (2003)
* 7Law - '7Law: EP' (2003)
* Alien Breed - 'Antidote' (2003)
* Presley - 'Presley' (2002)
* Superfine - 'Unsound' (2003)
* Solvi - 'Solvi' (2002)
* Breakpoint - 'None To Sell' (2002)
* Mary And The Saints - 'Come Hard
Times' (2003)
* Heroes Of The Alamo - '98 to 1' (2001)
* Daniel Patrick Quinn - 'The Winter
Hills' (2003)
* The Smartest Monkeys - "The Smartest
Monkeys" (2003)
* Fingercuffs - '2 Track Demo' (2002)
* Romislokus - 'All Day Home' (2002)
* Celophane Flower - 'Too Good To Be
Famous' (2002)
Johnny 5 - "Johnny 5 EP"
(2004)
Perky rockers hailing from Queens, NY, Johnny 5 specialise
in care-free, highly melodic pop-rock, similar in style to Weezer
and Devo. Vocalist Ritchie (Johnny 1) is neatly complimented
by Takumi s (Johnny 2) synth playing and this five-track EP is
a highly listenable blend of enthusiasm but with hints of maturity.
Opener 'Ez Pass' a case in point; sing-along choruses reminiscent
of now-defunct English rockers Symposium, but with added synthesizers.
The acoustic-led 'Lunatic' is a brisk saunter with a "head-nodding
quality", a description I just made up. It has a decent
hook as does 'Next Fight' one of the highlights on offer. 'Next
Fight' displays some of Weezer's more yearning, vulnerable attributes
that affirms itself a connection to its audience, with a nice
use of harmonies. If 'Lunatic' showed Johnny 5's softer side,
then 'Shakedown' is the gritty rock showpiece, driven by a smart
guitar solo and chugging bass-line half-way through. Finally,
'The One' continues in 'Shakedown''s vein, a distinctive guitar
melody show the band mean business, again showcasing energetic
playing underpinned by a steady drum beat. At a concise 15 minute
length, the promising EP is full of youthful swagger, containing
two introspective acoustic moments and three power-pop exercises.
The band's website states that "Do not Fear, all questions
will be answered upon seeing, and hearing Johnny 5 live!"
By that proclamation, let's hope the answer is yes.
To find out more visit www.gojohnny5.com
Delusion - 'The Tragedy Of Regret'
(2003)
When I popped in 'The Tragedy Of Regret' I had to check to
see if I didn't accidentally put on an Iron Maiden record. Good
old-fashioned Progressive Metal with high pitched vocals, galloping
bass and complex riffs, you know… proper metal. Formed back
in 1995 by guitarist Phil Carnes, Delusion have been playing
metal for nearly a decade and were even featured on "Children
of the Damned : A Tribute To Iron Maiden" album in 1999
covering the classic "22 Acacia Avenue". Delusion have
all the hallmarks of technically gifted musicians, take for example
the powerful 'In My Life' with an impressive vocal performance
by Walt Downey that is as close to Bruce Dickinson as one can
get. It's a very difficult balancing act to pull off a successful
progressive metal album, that Delusion fall the right side of
successful; the chord structures are complex but not over-cooked
in self-indulgent territory, the energy is tight but not too
bludgeoning to roughen the subtleties and the vocals are ball-clenching
but not entering self-parody. Fifth track 'Thu The Night' takes
the pace down a notch with murky guitar picking and an understated
vocal performance by Walt Downey backed up by Sam Kirkendall's
bass lines that compliments Phil Carnes fiery guitar, all underpinned
by Doug Readmond's steady drum beat. The consistent standard
continues throughout, even incorporating keyboard textures to
many songs, 'Beyond The Door' starts off slow and broody, finally
unleashing a burning solo as the track's title "Beyond the
doooor, Beyond the doooor" is sang until track end. Even
the potentially cheesy lyric of "I'm falling, I can't help
falling, I can't help falling in love with you" on the track
'Falling' is pulled off without descending into cliché.
Lead by a charismatic singer and a backed by a batch of professional
musicians, Delusion excel in their metal niche, and would appeal
to anyone who plays air guitar to Iron Maiden.
To find out more visit www.ravenhurstrecords.com
The Ease - 'Awkward Moments'
(2004)
With a canon of muscular pop sensibilities and a grasp of
decent songwriting, The Ease (Luke Sheets, Chad Morgan, Brandon
McDonald and Justin Benner) have been compared to the likes of
Doves, Interpol and Jim Morrison, but a closer comparison would
be the underrated Catherine Wheel with vocalist Luke Sheets flexing
his gritty Rob Dickinson sounding voice throughout 'Awkward Moments'.
There's real depth on the heavier tracks like the opening gauntlet
of 'Speechless' the catchy melody of 'What You Wanted', and a
deft touch of restraint on the acoustic dominated numbers 'Happy'
and 'Cigarette'. The quality control maintains on the driving
'Confidence', but sometimes it does play like "spot the
influence" as 'Gravy' heads towards Coldplay territory with
chiming guitars and sombre piano whilst 'Twitch' begins remarkably
like PJ Harvey circa 'Is This Desire?' with creepy bass before
exploding on the choruses. But that's not to downplay just how
solid each track is, The Ease strength lies in soaring choruses,
gritty guitars and writing a memorable hook. Admittedly I found
too many quieter introspective tracks scattered throughout, such
as the dirge-like 'Save Up' breaking the flow between the excellent
'Twitch' and 'What You Wanted'. I found the noisier; more energetic
songs are the band's forte, but when the acoustic tracks work,
as on 'Gravy' the results are worthwhile, and even touching.
I'm not going to start writing hyperbolic quotes, but 'Awkward
Moments' is the most listened to album that I've received from
a band to date, and that's a good indicator on how highly I rate
the album.
To find out more visit www.theease.com
Misnomer - '2000-2003'
Essentially a 'best of' record containing Misnomer's finest
moments released between - you guessed it! - 2000 to 2003, this
is a good starting point for anyone unfamiliar with the electronic
group with industrial and ambient elements. With the current
dominance of Linkin Park and Evanescence, it's clearly a good
time for Misnomer to be playing their brand of laid-back electronic
rock. 21-year-old singer Kerri-Anne Bundock displays a fine set
of lungs, complimenting the electro-beats well, which is where
the strong Evanescence comparison enters the equation. Whereas
Evanescence is a rock band with electronic aspects, Misnomer
are clearly an electronic band with some hints of rock influences,
like on the soaring 'Genius', the stand-out moment with its chorus
of "Where did I put my happy face?" sticking out. On
every track the synths dominate the landscapes created by Yvonne
Okoduwa, James Lacey and Anton Shelupanov (the official website
states "Little is known about Anton's past, except that
he was born in Siberia in the late 70s/early 80s" - mysterious
to say the least!) but let's get back on track: the distorted
vocals on 'You Can't : You Can' adds a welcome element to the
dreamy vocals provided by Kerri-Anne, and chilled nature whilst
'Sentence' could almost be Kraftwork updated for the Noughties,
as a European feel is felt within the dark ambience. 'My Mistake'
displays lovely Aphex Twin touches in the unobtrusive rhythmic
beats and calming effects, that goes one step further on 'Start
The Machine Up', layering the voice samples and adding layers
of dense strings. The record is very serene and composed, breaking
briefly from the pattern on 'Sentence', an upbeat electro-clash
of New Order and Moby with blips, strings and monotone male vocals.
All in all, this is an assured and confident band, as evident
during Misnomer's time at mp3.com when they had over 300,000
downloads and reaching #1 in the charts. Impressive.
To find out more visit www.misnomer.co.uk
Clear - 'Coming Round' (2004)
Now this is unashamed POP music, reminiscent of the Eighties
UK scene when the likes of The Smiths, Billy Bragg and Attractions
were critically acclaimed and selling records. Other artists
mentioned by the band and other people include Squeeze, Teardrop
Explodes, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, and XTC so you get a 'clear'
(hehe) idea of what the band sound like: crisp guitars, diverse
use of instruments and total emphasis on song writing. Just judging
the record on the first two songs 'More' and 'We All Get Screwed'
would be impressive - vocalist Neil has an assured if not technically
brilliant voice that suits the music aptly. I'm unsure if the
single 'Johnny Marr Was A Mistake' is an affectionate tribute
or cutting criticism of one of Clear's heroes, but is a fine
piece none the less, as is the second single 'Over And Over',
an even more plain-spoken acoustic driven number that displays
the band's relaxed knack to song writing, well it helps that
the chorus goes "Over and over and over and over and over
and over again" - I bet you can imagine how the songs goes
just by reading that lyric!
The only aspect that would hinder Clear is the "dated"
feel to the music, there are strong hints of Britpop, as 'Making
History' comes across as a better Cast cast-off, a pleasing tune
that could so easily become a minor hit single. I found myself
really enjoying many of the songs, there's so many strong melodies
and clever word play like "I'd really like to help you out
but in the end, no you're not, no you're not…Johnny Marr"
or the outspokenly direct "He looks like a young Larry Hagman,
but not like Larry Hagman when he was young" from 'Scary
Tin". With horns, backing vocals and a whole host of sounds
and noises going on, 'Coming Round' is certainly not two dimensional
in approach and a very pleasant listen.
To find out more visit www.invisiblehands.co.uk
The Kates - 'Suicide Valentine'
EP (2004)
This half American, half Scottish band, consisting of Reuben
Bukowski, JJ Kaos, Sweet Jane and Dexter Dexxter (I presume not
all their real names!), released the four track EP 'Suicide Valentine'
around, you guessed it, Valentine's Day. And it turns out to
be a rather short and catchy record, the opening title track
(smirk, smirk, titled a "Double B Side" with' Student
Bastards') kicks off proceedings - built upon a hummable melody
and dense guitar riffage, bringing to mind many pop-punk bands
like Buzzcocks, Ramones and even Blink182. The other "Double
B Side" called 'Student Bastards' is a dig at the part of
society that always gets a rough deal (ahhh), a decidedly brazen
exercise that's as catchy as rabies. The final two tracks ' At
The Dogs' and 'Glam Queen' maintain the momentum gathered by
the double B Sides, the former with nasally vocals and nagging
hook that sticks to the mind like glue, the latter beginning
with handclaps and Weezer-eque guitar chords with has an even
more nasally vocal performance. There are hints of post-wave
influences such as Jesus & Mary Chain distorted pop in the
sound, asthis is modest rock n' roll without fuss or complication.
Forgoing experimentation, the 'Suicide Valentine' EP is stripped
down and instantly catchy, that hits the listener immediately,
but unfortunately after repeated listens does wear a little thin.
As this is only a taster, the full-length album surely will be
a more diverse offering.
To find out more visit www.invisiblehands.co.uk
Action Now - 'All Your Dreams…and
more 1981-1984'
Rebellious, youthful rock from over 20 years ago, Action Now
has received a new lease of life after gathering dust in the
vaults. The songs have been re-mastered and released on CD for
the first time, containing the full 'All Your Dreams' album,
studio and live performances totalling a generous 27 track release.
The reason for why these old songs are been re-released is due
to the band playing reunion shows with Kristi Callan, filling
the guitar/vocal position vacated by the passing of Paula Pierce.
The songs sound remarkably fresh and if the album didn't contain
1981-1984 in the title, then you would be none the wiser when
the band laid down the music - the guitars throttle along, attitude
is spat out in the vocals and a steady drum beat holds together
the proceedings. The title track is a jaunty affair, clearly
influenced by the early 80s New Wave movement, containing the
same type of aura of Reckoning-period REM in the jangley guitar
and pop sensibilities. Song after song fly past, the likes of
'Then And Now, 'When Wednesday Comes' and 'This One Chance' are
pop-punk in it's earliest incarnation, carried along by consistent
melodies and simple yet effective hooks. The ROQ Vol III compilation
track 'Try' is of similar style, yet another brisk exercise in
melodic bubblegum pop-rock before the likes of Blink182 and Good
Charlotte diluted the innocence.
The live tracks understandably contain hisses, bum-notes and
raw production that can't compare to the studio tracks. But in
a quirky way, it highlights what an enjoyable band Action Now
were back in December 1981 when these songs were captured on
tape. The tape hiss does distract but everything else doesn't
distract too significantly from several fine performances especially
on the gritty 'For Just One Night' and catchy 'Never To Be Forgotten'.
The compilation's main purpose is to prick the ears of a new
generation onto a band that could so easily have slipped into
the obscurity many bands in the past have endured. These songs
have demonstrated that back in the early 80s there was once a
band called Action Now with a clutch of insanely catchy and enduring
songs to their name.
To find out more visit www.aveburyrecords.com
Wheat - 'Per Second, Per Second,
Per Second… Every Second' (2003)
Formed in Taunton, Massachusetts back in 1997, Wheat has been
making consistently high quality guitar rock for a few years
now, and should not get confused with the inferior Wheatus. With
their latest record, whose title was inspired by mechanical physics,
Wheat have found their calling in breezy upbeat and joyous rock
tunes. The first song written for the record "I Met A Girl"
is one of the catchiest songs I've heard in a while - I just
love the chorus and vocal mannerisms and possibly the high point
of the record, which luckily the remaining tracks can match.
"Life Still Applies" is another winner; reminiscent
of Spacehog, with a chorus I just can't shake from my head! In
places Wheat are so optimistic it's like Radiohead and Type O
Negative never existed. Coming back to the highlights, "Some
Day" has Scott Levesque singing over clean, crisp production
that harks back to Everclear's more shiny moments and the pace
is brought down a notch on "The Beginner" as the lyrical
refrain "I'm breathing in the longest spring of my life"
delicately deals with internal emotions. To show instrument diversity,
the band even has a trumpet solo on "This Rough Magic"
to round off the album. Wheat are one of bands, like Semisonic
before them, who write singles begging to be played on radio,
and in the before-mentioned "I Met A Girl", "Life
Still Applies" and "Some Day", are three songs
most likely to succeed. For the uninitiated, Wheat come highly
recommended.
To find out more visit www.wheatmusic.com
Romislokus - 'Trans Aviation Pilots'
(2004)
The album 'Trans Aviation Pilots' is the second time I've
reviewed Romislokus, after 'All Day Home' back in 2003. Since
then, the band has been hard at work writing more adult-orientated
rock sang mostly in Polish and Russian vocals. There are so many
different styles, it would be inaccurate to class 'Trans Aviation
Pilots' as a pure rock album, lots of Pink Floyd atmosphere dominates
the songs, with smatterings of acoustic guitar, synthesiser and
strings throughout. Second track 'Take My Heart' boasts a mean
guitar lick and almost soundtrack quality in the tone and 'Just
Dream' contains English lyrics making a change from the surrounding
tracks (to my untrained ear). Nothing here feels rushed or hurried,
each song unwinds at its leisurely pace, unafraid to mix in folk,
progressive and drum machine touches. Talking of Pink Floyd,
there's even a song called 'Money' that turns out not to be a
cover of the 'Dark Side Of The Moon' classic, instead a calming
original with space effects and what sounds like a church bell
approximately half way through! Thinking of the clean guitar
tone employed, it does remind me of 1980s era Dire Straits, the
way it doesn't dominate the mix, letting in other less obvious
instruments. If you enjoy your music void of adolescent posturing
and bluster in favour of sleek, atmospheric AOR, Romislokus is
a match made in heaven.
To find out more visit www.romislokus.com
Battery Life - 'Shotgun Loudmouth'
(2004)
Hailing from Los Angeles, buoyant rockers Battery Life have
got the attitude, sound and drive to go places. Their recent
long player 'Shotgun Loudmouth' contains raw enthralling moments
that recall Husker Du, Groop Dogdrill, Therapy? and even Supersuckers
at times. Vocalist Paul Almanza has a gut-wrenching delivery
that compliments the punk-garage racket being made with I'm sure
are alt-county elements thrown in. 'Beside Who Said' is Americanised
Therapy?, all buzz-saw guitars, unrelenting pace and passionate
vocals, and to demonstrate Battery Life are no one-trick ponies
the closing 'Somewhere In The Night' is a harmonica drenched
number that ends with a chaotic instrumental breakdown. The most
commercial and potential hit moment is the lengthy titled 'Stay
Cool In The Dark In The Summer' with appealing melody in the
toe-tapping chorus and chugging guitars. Despite at times sounding
like one long vodka-fuelled hardcore record, 'Shotgun Loudmouth'
has so much fervour in its material; it becomes an assault to
jolt the listener from its complacency. To me the record sounds
like a modern update of Husker Du frenzied-paced rock that is
exhausting yet alluring, monotonous yet welcoming, and above
all, just good solid unpretentious rock.
To find out more visit www.aveburyrecords.com
The Mighty Stars - 'The Mighty
Stars Are Go!' (2003)
Fresh-faced and straight out of Bristol, The Mighty Stars
have no hidden agenda except for playing discharging hugely catchy
short bursts of punky energy. Comprising of Matt on vocal duty,
Ian on guitar, Rob on bass and finally Garry on drums, their
live-wire 5 track EP 'The Mighty Stars Are Go!' is a brief yet
memorable documentation of their underground live shows. Sounding
not unlike Ash's younger brothers, tracks like 'Suzanne' and
'Small Wonder' are simple garage rock in their structure, timely
in the wake of the White Stripes and Datsuns mainstream success.
The infectious 'Go!' is so simple it sounds like it was slapped
together spontaneously in a sound check between vigorous gigs,
and is a refreshing notion. Along with the before mentioned Ash
influence, there are shades of Weezer in the vocal delivery and
emphasis on the catchy hooks. And in my book, that's no bad comparison
especially as The Mighty Stars is a definite British product
of their environment, tales of teenagers longing over girls,
having fun and even more tales of girls.
To find out more visit www.aveburyrecords.com
Forest Giants - 'In Sequence'
(2004)
The story of how 'In Sequence' was made is just as fascinating
as the finished product. Forest Giants songwriter Tim was previously
in Beatnik Filmstar and despite playing on John Peel sessions
and touring with Flaming Lips during the late 90s ended as most
unfortunate small bands do - the dreaded story of no record label
willing to invest in the band so ending in commercial failure.
Five years of squalor followed, before retreating to a normal
family life, and then recovering to record 'In Sequence' that
proved challenging, including a hazardous studio, the original
Ukrainian producer sent home after alleged passport irregularities
at Bristol airport, and drummer Jo Head leaving the band, reducing
the band to just two members Tim and Granger.
So after all these complications and heartbreak does 'In Sequence'
succeed? As a document of the chaotic environment it was created,
then yes - the jagged, harsh production offers no sweet relief,
a contradictory testament of noise and buried melody. This is
no commercial pop record by any means, in fact it takes a few
listens just to find the songs underneath the purposefully lo-fi
production, but the songs do appear as on "Baby" a
drowsy hook and spoken word nature that's as understated as it
is affecting. Like a cross between the noise-antics of Sonic
Youth and atmospheric tenancies of Joy Division choose Forest
Giants for the bitter side of life. A bleak emotion runs through
the fuzzy guitar-based songs, with layers of feedback like on
"Jello" or slow drawn out surroundings of "Do
You Know What I've Been Through?" sprucing up diversity.
Taking the casual route to rock, Forest Giants appear effortless
in their technique.
To find out more visit www.invisiblehands.co.uk
Captain Wilberforce - 'Dreams
Of Educated Fleas' (2004)
This 7-track mini-album has already been compared to McCartney,
Coldplay, Radiohead and Grandaddy, and it's not hard to see why.
Captain Wilberforce is the new project of Theory Of Everything's
Simon Bristoll, and over quirky titled songs like "Algebra,
Take Me Dancing" and "Making Apple Juice From Oranges",
the mixture of muddy yet highly melodic vocals with laid-back
fluency gives a quite absorbing impression. My immediate impression
was that of late-60s era Beatles, but upon closer inspection
there are nods to modern influences, but still sounds like 'Dreams
Of Educated Fleas' could have been recorded at any point in the
past 30 years, given to the songs timeless edge. Take fifth track
"Born Again Brand New Man", a causal guitar lick and
what sounds like a Beach Boys organ playing giving that undeniable
retro feel or 'Photograph" picking up the pace displaying
the vocal talents of Bristoll, that has 'stand-out track' written
all over it. My CD copy clearly states "Demo Version"
which explains the lo-fi and grubby production, but having said
that gives the music an added charm like a long lost gem from
many a year ago. This is essentially intelligent pop, and like
Wilco's recent "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" beforehand, displays
intricate melodies, variety of instrumentation and sense of maturity.
To find out more visit www.captainwilberforce.co.uk
Latitude Blue - 'Searching For
Perfect' (2003)
Promising four piece hailing from both Oxford and Swindon,
England, Latitude Blue have so far released a few demos, played
BBC "Battle of the Bands" and now have their 4-track
EP 'Searching For Perfect' released 3rd November 2003 on Bleeding
Music. The line-up of Gareth Nutter (Vocals/Guitar), Neil Mercer
(Guitar), Phil Hamer (Bass) and Matt Bateman (Drums) pursue a
dynamic sound in the vein of their heroes Fugazi, Pixies and
My Bloody Valentine without sounding too similar to any of them,
by stamping their own identities. Immediately it's apparent on
the opening '1961' that soothing vocals over intricate sonic
textures are the order of the day. The song merges straight into
'I'll Be Fine', and I didn't realise at first that a new track
had started, continuing with the same layers of caustic guitars
structures. The melodies are not at all obvious, very subtle
because it takes a while for the songs to sink into the sub-consciousness.
And like all the best albums or in this case EP, the most rewarding
listening experiences are the ones where you keep returning to
the record to find out undiscovered moments, like on 'In The
Morning' which keeps nagging me about sounding like Stone Roses
when it probably doesn't. Imagine a psychedelic Ian Brown fronting
an Emo band and you're close. The brilliantly titled 'I Wasn't
Born Just To Exist' ends the 4-tracker on a consistent note -
chiming guitars, relaxed vocals gently washing over distinct
melodies, a calmer British version of Jimmy Eat World if you
will. It's difficult to pick a favourite track, but '1961' is
the most accomplished in terms of melody and 'In The Morning'
showcases the best vocal performance.
So all-in-all 'Searching For Perfect' is a good introduction
to a band very active at the moment recording new songs and playing
as many shows as possible. Going by these four songs alone, 2004
looks like Latitude Blue can only head in one direction - forward
and upward.
To find out more visit www.latitudeblue.co.uk
Revelation Theory - '6 Song EP'
(2003)
Do you wish for the days when Seattle bands like Pearl Jam
and Soundgarden were ruling the airwaves of 10 years ago? Well,
so do many people, that's why there are so many Puddle of Mudds,
Stainds and Creeds clogging up the charts in the new century
to satisfy those who still believe in edgy, powerful anthems.
So where do Revelation Theory fit into the equation who may ask?
Well, the 6-song EP from the band harks back to an era before
Nu Metal, reminding me of Soundgarden, Bush and silverchair in
their heyday. Consisting of Matty S (Bass, vocals), Dave (Drums),
Rich (Vocals) and Julien (Guitars), Revelation Theory are managed
by the up-and-coming Idol Roc Entertainment management group,
blending a potent mix of harmonies and murky guitars. This is
non-flashy straight-up rock just the way I like it - take 'Far
From Home', packed full of soaring melodies and thoughtful introspection.
This may sound like a description of Creed, but where Revelation
Theory succeed and Creed fail is the lack of pretension, and
ultimately Revelation Theory have more killer songs in 'Full
Circle' and 'Deep Six' - songs you could play all day and not
get bored by. The high quality continues with 'Save Yourself',
displaying hints of Bush's 'Comedown' in the turn of phrase of
"come…down!" on the chorus before declaring "because
tonight I feel alive".
So to sum up, Revelation Theory are the ideal band for the
young rock fan who missed out on Grunge the first time round,
as all the attributes are clear and present from the vocal stylings
to the gritty guitars and emphasis on the tuneful song. It's
hard to criticise the strong post-Grunge influence when the songs
are just so damn good. It's time to throw away your second rate
Puddle of Mudd and Staind records, here is a band to follow instead.
To find out more visit www.revelationtheory.com | Related: 'Idol Roc Entertainment' interview
Comeg - 'Perfect Summer' (2003)
Hailing from various Northern England
cities, Comeg ply a distinctive Brit-Pop sound that harks back
to the 1990's - but with one fundamental difference. Comeg don't
sound at all dated compared to the likes of Cast, Echobelly and
god forbid Shed Seven. Unlike most bands, Comeg have put their
entire 'Perfect Summer' album free for anyone to download, for
which this reviewer did just that. And upon listening to the
opening 'The River' it's pretty obvious this band have talent
- a very broody and melodic affair, at this stage I'm praying
the remainder of the album can live up to the high expectations
set. When the obvious Oasis guitar attack of 'Stay With Me' open
proceedings it's easy to be sceptical, but the band's absolute
belief in themselves wins through, resulting in a confident rock
star swagger. To demonstrate their diversity, 'Sunny Weather'
introduces the acoustics and slows the tempo down whilst the
likes of 'Mr Clean' and 'Junky' are sing-along upbeat driven
moments, showcasing that no matter if the song's rocking or mellow,
Comeg shine in all areas.
When you visit the official Comeg website,
you are greeted with the message "The greatest industry
ignored band in the world", and whilst that is a tall order
to achieve, it's surprising how some industry bigwig hasn't snapped
up the band on their record label because songs like 'The River'
and 'Stay With Me' are just as good as anything off Oasis's last
record.
To find out more visit www.comeg.org
Imaginary Bill - 'Breaking The
Ground Loop' (2003) [Advanced Copy]
1) Dim 2) Bleed 3) Special 4) Cookie
5) Charles M 6) Secretive 7) Hollow 8) Corduroy 9) Caesar Romero
10) Crutches
Despite hailing from New York, three-piece
band Imaginary Bill havea surprisingly heavy British influence,
hints of Beatles, 90s Britpop (Oasis, Supergrass) and even some
Dandy Warhols (OK I cheated, the last one wasn't a British influence).
Formed in 1999, Imaginary Bill have been causing quite a stir
on the indie scene, just check out the band website for countless
media reviews. And in my possession I have the forthcoming 'Breaking
The Ground Loop' CD - boasting "Special Advanced Copy"
on the CD label. The album doesn't even have an album inlay yet
so I typed out the track listing at the beginning of this review
so I can remember what these songs are called.
Anyway, getting to the point, each song
specialises in jangly, upbeat pop rock, not a million miles away
from emo-kings Weezer, but with a Lemonhead breezy feel. It took
me a while to get the songs into my head as there aren't any
in your face moments that scream their presence known, more a
slow burner that lets it's quality sneak up unannounced. Straight
away, I found the catchiest hook on the entire album to be the
guitar rhythm to 'Caesar Romero', a laid back number stripped
to its core, and on the other end of the spectrum is 'Cookie',
a pop-tastic melody drenched single if there was one, and every
time I hear 'Charles M' I'm reminded of The Dandy Warhol's 'Every
Day Should Be A Holiday', the similarities in the vocals are
uncanny. I haven't even mentioned 'Bleed' yet; with its prominent
and abrasive riff or the yearning 'Corduroy', an unhurried saunter
through REM territory. I could describe every single track on
'Breaking The Ground Loop', as they are quite easy to bring metaphors
in mind. In summation, the hooks are in place, it's easy on the
ear and the ideal album to listen to whilst chilling with a beer.
Now if that isn't an encouragement, I don't know what is.
To find out more visit www.imaginarybill.com
Diction - 'The First 5 Years'
(2003) [Rucktion Records]
A gig goer, who attended a Diction concert,
passed this album onto me to review, so I felt obliged to give
my opinion. It's a "promotional use only" 5-track promo
with a demo, 2 album tracks and 2 live recordings. Part of the
growing UK underground metal scene, Diction's uncompromising
blend of deep gravelled vocals over sheets of abrasive guitars
come across as Iron Monkey disciples showcasing strong, punishing
riffs and rolling drum attacks. The opening 'Recognise The Strength'
has a very slow build-up before unleashing a flurry of angry
vocals, whilst 'How I Present This' is quite frankly superior,
trimming the unnecessary excess to leave a groove heavy and unrelentless
juggernaut. On the other hand, 'Live 'Till That Day' is almost
rabble-rousing Sick Of It All with an early 90's metal sound
during the breakdowns. The two live tracks are accompanied by
band "shout-out" intros and spontaneous applause; you
can imagine the band playing a sweaty, oxygen-starved room to
a baying crowd, in this case a South London venue. A very intriguing
taster of a band I know nothing about, even after Googling the
band on the Internet, left none the wiser. I'm sureafter Diction
forthcoming album release, the anonymity is likely to change.
To find out more visit www.rucktion.com
ElScientisto - 'Moonsick' (2003)
So I'm listening to this 3-track EP
from solo artist Shawn Michael Ross from Boston and I'm suddenly
transported into a psychedelic world of structure-free space
instrumental jams. Each track is a soundtrack to a really freaky
movie - and if you put the EP on repeat, it will gradually drive
the listener into a drug-free acid trip. To be honest this type
of music isn't my cup of (spiked) tea, but I appreciate the improvised,
effect-laden rock, with loads of small quirks and sections that
are really cool to listen to. 'Space Rake' takes a while to get
going, but around the 2.30 minute mark, turns into a funky rhythm
that's my favourite part of the whole EP. More of this please!
The following 'Trapezium' is like one of The Doors most trippy
numbers, drawn-out guitar lines cut through the atmosphere, repeating
the groove, before gently allowing some subtle space effect sounds
and a relaxed John Frusciante-type solo lasts for several minutes.
The final track 'Miles' rounds the EP with a menacing, post-industrial
robustness that is incorporated into the space jam formula. The
ElScientisto blurb says the tracks were written over a 6 month
period, built upon the same jam based platform. Listening to
the music, I have to agree, the jams are cut from the same cloth
and would be welcome into any psychedelic rock's collection.
At three tracks long, the length feels about right, as a full-length
exercise in similar sounding improvised jams would probably be
too much to absorb in one go. Regardless of my narrow minded
opinion because I don't totally get this type of music, this
doesn't mean you should pass 'Moonsick' up - you might be converted
if you open your mind.
To find out more visit www.elscientisto.com
Solanoid - 'Aurora Avenue' (2003)
The most impressive aspect about the
trio's debut album is that the band used Kurt Cobain's '60's
Fender twin amp used when Nirvana recorded 'Bleach' at Jack Endino
Seattle studio. To a person who grew up on Nirvana, that's pretty
damn impressive. If you were to listen to 'Aurora Avenue' without
any knowledge of Solanoid you'd swear the band were American,
the love of Mudhoney, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr is obvious,
instead hailing from the less glamorous Darlington, England.
Comprising of Lee Pecqueur (guitar & vocals), Victor Crane
(bass) and Adam Savage (drums), Solanoid have already been reviewed
in Metal Hammer, 'rock sound' and Music Week, all the credentials
of a 'hot' act heading for the stratosphere. The last documented
case of a promising UK band going to America with a famous producer
in tow was Vex Red with Ross Robinson. Despite their sudden media
acclaim, Vex Red failed to live up to the early promise, splitting
soon after. Now, we come to Solanoid in a similar position, but
to their advantage don't have the suffocating media frenzy like
Vex Red to hinder the band's development. And listening to the
12 track album, one thing is immediately apparent - like the
great Mr Kippling before them, 'Solanoid make exceedingly good
rock music.'
When I listen to songs like 'Class of
'84' and 'University' I can hear the history of American Alt-Rock
in one package - traces of Sonic Youth's squalling guitar racket,
Mudhoney's grasp of hooks and even Husker Du urgency. It's an
early 90's rock fan's wet dream, as if the last 10 years of Nu-Metal,
Garage Rock and French Disco Revival never happened. The single
'January 14' has a persistent guitar riff which leads into the
most pressing chorus of the entire album. Luckily there's a lyric
sheet printed in the booklet which makes my job much easier to
quote. Take the chorus of the before-mentioned 'January 14' for
example, the hook "Step into the dark side / You are a star
/ You are a star" planting itself ifirmly n the mind. The
wonderfully titled 'Carpet Munching' is a tale of lesbian love,
judging by the blunt "She's such a sucker, that girl just
wants to f*k her" payoff line. Every song is enthused with
such youthful vigour from the "where have I heard that riff
before" in 'Barely Dressed To Live' to the full throttle
and self-celebration of 'Solanoid Is Rad' that sounds cannily
like early Ash. When the pace is lightened as on the verses of
'Amy', the result in one of the album's tender highlights, poignant
and yearning yet still rocking out hard on the chorus, displaying
nice quiet-loud-quiet dynamics that Nirvana were masters. The
album should carry a health warning as it's the soundtrack to
pogo-ing in the mosh-pit or drinking cheap cider and being a
teenager again (not that I ever drank cheap cider mind). Last
but not least, I want to know who the hot girls are in the booklet's
centrefold?
To find out more visit www.solanoid.com
7Law - "7Law: EP"
(2003)
Let's get straight to the band history,
7Law have an unchanged line-up since July 1997, consisting of
brothers Luka (Vocals and bass guitar) and Rajko (Lead
vocals and guitar) and long time friend James (Vocals
and drums). Hailing from West London, 7Law were originally called
LuRajJam but wisely deciding to change to the far cooler 7Law
moniker, the blend of 1970s era rock with a hint of modern influences
like the Red Hot Chili Peppers has been ploughing the London
circuit for a few years to appreciative audiences. Taking everyone
by surprise, the band won the Bath University Battle of the Bands
contest back in March 2000, thus cementing the live reputation.
As for album itself, this disc I have
in my possession is an 8 track EP of studio and live recordings
dating from 1999 to 2001. So technically not a full album but
a damn fine indication of the band's career to date. The first
three tracks were recorded at NAM studios in June 2000, the opening
'She' is a mostly acoustic number with a flowing tempo. The drums
are subdued complimenting the laid back introduction as the song
kicks into life a third way through. 'She' has quite an insistent
melody displaying many of the band's strengths in harnessing,
you know, a proper tune which so many bands fail at. Where 'Fight
Club' scores more points is the memorable "hit me, I want
you to knock me down" dialogue within a song of "aaah
whooos" and duel vocal interplay. But wait, we come to the
most recognisable song in the band's canon the Eastern flavoured
'Nice Price', a not at all serious Turkish instrumental with
dodgy Turkish accent of bartering down the market for possibly
a nice rug. Bonus points for the unexpected shout of "somebody
order a cab" halfway through. Another bonus point for the
hilarious video, which accompanies the song, i.e. the band with
a camcorder in London confusing the hell out of the tourists.
OK, that's just the first 3 songs, the
rest are live recordings so the song quality is obviously not
as slick. Luckily the song quality doesn't drop, as 'Who's Have
Realised?' is another jaunt through mid-tempo rock that 'Fight
Club' pulled off. I'd say 'One Kiss' is one of the highlights,
a grimy riff gives the song a harsher edge, that some other songs
doesn't possess. Very tasty indeed. 'War Within' is perhaps the
most introspective song, starting off very slow going no-where
until the chorus kicks in and redeems the song, yet another heartfelt
melody with even an Acapulco section. The brooding 'Goodbye'
continues the trend, a slow, "lighter in the air" moment
if there was one, with Rajko possibly giving his finest vocal
performance of the EP, but don't quote in on that. All that leaves
is the closer 'September', a piano is heard for the first time,
but the sound quality is fairly poor from a live Loughborough
University gig. Nevermind, as if the actual song is strong enough,
then it can overcome such sound quality issue. And yes, yet another
sensitive number from 7Law - when most bands just want to kick
out the jams, 7Law resist and deliver a restrained and emotional
piano ballad. Now that takes guts!
So after rambling on about each of the
eight tracks, the conclusions reached are; very strong musically,
catchy choruses, a humorous single in 'Nice Price', and plenty
of acoustic guitars. As a first release, it's a sound foundation
for building an enduring career. We can only hope the next release
will be live up to the expectations set on this EP, as there's
enough moments when you think, damn that's a good melody. During
the moments when you think the band will totally rip into a storming
groove, 7Law restrain the temptation and let the song-writing
fizz to the surface. Either a band totally at ease at stripping
the song to it's core or secret fans of Nike Drake, it doesn't
matter, so in my final, blunt conclusion - Thumbs
Up! And to think I got through the
whole review without mentioning Hanson, oh wait…..
To find out more visit www.sevenlaw.com
Alien Breed - 'Antidote' (2003)
Comprising of guitarist/ songwriter/programmer Ben Astrop,
drummer Matt Bayne and bassist Ed Pepper, Alien Breed are a UK
hybrid rock/dance band that decided to move to Los Angeles after
LA based label Delicious Vinyl founder Michael Ross heard their
demo. So impressed by what he heard, quickly snapping the band
up. Anyone who has ever heard now defunct UK rockers Pitchshifter
will easily recognise Alien Breed's cross-fertilisation of melodic
rock and hard electronic beats with high production gloss. First
single 'Colorblind' (shame it's American spelling of colour),
is engagingly catchy, with drum n'bass layered with heavily distorted-guitar
ripping into driving, bouncy chorus with a "doo-doo-dooo-do
yeaah yeah" vocal line. The band spent two years fine-tuning
their music on LA's notorious Sunset Strip, and it does show
on 'Antidote' quite clearly - each beat is precise, each background
effect strategically placed for maximum impact. It's probably
the most slick and polished album I've received to date.
The album has a very futuristic vibe running throughout its
duration, such as on 'Come Alive', employing industrial effects
and keyboards to compliment the traditional set-up of guitar,
bass and drums. Opener 'Molasses' meanwhile is aggressive electro-punk
where Astrop gives a clever twist in the lyrics of "Get
away get away I need you" to punishing beats. The following
'Crackling' is even more melodic with intriguing wordplay: "The
sun is stripping the skin to my/ As I lie with the meleon inside
me. I turn from R to E to D.". A song about the perils of
sunburn? Maybe, but it beats the 'oh-woe-is-me' ramblings of
most acts on the US rock circuit. The album ends with an alternative
mix of the single, and given the technological nature, the aptly
titled 'Colorblind V2.0', a sparser, almost lounge-act reading
of the catchiest track on the album. When listening to 'Antidote'
the two bands the closest comparisons I can give are the before-mentioned
Pitchshifter and Filter, mainly because both bands have strong
electronic influences. To conclude this review, all I can say
is that Alien Breed have made an album to be proud of, it rocks,
it has choruses aplenty, it has commercial values but avoids
generic tendencies, and most of all, it holds up to repeated
listens. And that's all I can ask for when I listen to something
fresh that strays from the rock rulebook.
To find out more visit www.alienbreed.com
Presley - 'Presley' (2002)
When you name yourselves after one of popular culture's biggest
icons Elvis, the music better be up for scrutiny. Formed in 2000,
Aarne Victorine (Bass), Breaux Silcio (Drums) and Christian Campagna
(Guitar, Vocals) give off hints of 80s guitar-led indie rock,
throwing in influences of Sonic Youth, Mogwai with vocals reminiscent
of Page Hamilton from Helmet. What I found most interesting about
Presley is that when playing live, the band often goes on-stage
without a set-list, improvising jamming sessions that last the
concert's duration. The self-titled album, produced by Steve
Austin (Today Is The Day) creates sonic landscapes with dips
and peaks not unlike an indie version of Isis but with vocals
entering the track, sometimes not until near song-end. Just glancing
the track listing are some amusingly titled songs - 'Vodka and
Orange Juice', 'Art Garfunkel', 'Jennifer Lopez' and the bizarrely
named 'Sincerely, Jack Daniels'. It's either a work of genius
or an exercise in naming as many songs after famous people -
I sure hope it's the former.
Onto the actual music: between the untitled segues (all given
'-' on the track listing), there are several storming examples
of how to get jarring guitar textures right, as on 'Doug Henning'
a mostly instrumental number with singer Campagna 'speak-singing'
over a small segment before ending with chiming guitars and drawn-out
psychedelic bliss. 'Down The Stairs, On The Right' with its surges
of feedback and claustrophobic atmosphere certainly rivals Sonic
Youth of the late Eighties, with the brutal "I swear to
God, I swear to fucking God I'll strangle you" pay-off leaving
a vile taste in the mouth. Presley offers no happy, upbeat tunes,
more likely to give out My Bloody Valentine shards of distorted
noise, ethereal at times, uncomfortable at other. But throughout,
the diverse range of emotions leave no listener unmoved in this
hour of sonic ecstasy. And the album cover neatly gives a visual
of the music, a black and white photo of an empty bench by the
sea: minimalist and unfussy.
To find out more visit www.presleytheband.com
Superfine - 'Unsound' (2003)
Like a cross between the Foo Fighters and Therapy? Superfine
write super-catchy and dangerously infectious songs that buzz
in your head incessantly for days. If you're a fan of "Buffy
The Vampire Slayer" then you might have seen the band's
live performance on the show. The song 'Already Met You' was
featured on the Buffy soundtrack, which fits in with the whole
American "College Rock" style. And this full-length
album contains a striking collection of tuneful compositions
from guitarist/vocalist Rob Grad, who, as the band website informs
us, owns over 75 pairs of pajamas. Along with main-man Rob are
long time band members Kevin Keller and Kane McGee.
Songs like 'Who's The Enemy?' don't waste time with spitting
out hooks galore with telling lyrics like "If misery is
God let the angels sing, now who's your enemy?" 'Soft &
Beautiful' contains a dirty bass line and several shifts of tempo
at an unrelenting pace. It's not just high energy "power-pop"
as '7 Degrees' takes it's foot off the pedal to deliver a semi-ballad
showing the band's diversity. And that's just the first three
tracks! The even better 'Share My Vein' is like Sunny Real Estate
at their most ethereal, and 'Masters Of Fuc' employs some trippy
beats to the mix, before soaring on the chorus. The pace quickens
again on '99 Cent Whore' comparable to Everclear at their most
vigorous. Easy highlight 'Naked In All The Wrong Places' has
a delicious chorus, the most energetic song since the opening
one-two of like 'Who's The Enemy?' and 'Soft & Beautiful'.
Rounding off 'Unsound' with the biggest departure on the album,
'V8' is a slow dirge with slamming effects and choir backing.
After the last notes played, I'm left totally satisfied with
the album, there's everything - power-pop workouts, beautiful
ballads and plenty of catchy hooks in abundance. Without doubt
one of the best albums I've reviewed for this page, make no mistake.
To find out more visit www.superfineband.com
Solvi - 'Solvi' (2002)
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Solvi are as far removed
from Country Music as is possible. Their three-track EP is an
impressive blend of Tool, Helmet and Deftones, with great emphasis
on the former. In fact the opener 'Burn Me In Effigy' could quite
easily fit on Tool's 'Lateralus' and no one would notice such
are the striking similarities. The band's undeniable strength
is Aaron's immensely powerful vocals, ranging from menacing crooning
to full-out guttering roar, never letting your attention wane.
Take 'Tree' for example, Aaron starts off with a prolonged scream
over jagged guitars, then shows deft diversity with a chorus
Staind would kill for. But it's not just the vocals that impress,
the whole band are a tight unit, Sean pulls off some heavy guitar
tones, Dave's bass lines rumble underneath, finished off with
Chris pounding on his drum kit like there's no tomorrow. Third
track 'Knuckleduster' is the most caustic and unrelenting of
the three, like a punch drunk fighter in the wings baying for
blood, this is one serious bruiser of a song. The pace is faster,
the guitars chug along with purpose, and cymbals crash around
with venom. It's amazing to think this is a new band, such is
the level of professionalism and full-sounding production.
Despite being utterly impressed and captivated by this EP, I
can't help hearing the strong Tool influence throughout, as 'Tree'
shows hints of 'Tick And Leeches' and 'Knuckleduster' reminds
me of 'Third Eye' in the build-up. I'm sure once Solvi develop
an identity for themselves, they will surely reach the big league
as the band have massive potential.
To find out more visit www.solviband.com
Breakpoint - 'None To Sell'
(2002)
This is something I don't come across that often, a French
metal band like a cross between Anthrax and Judas Priest. Formed
at the end of 1994, Breakpoint has been playing metal for approaching
a decade. The band consists of Seb (guitar/vocal), Mathieu (guitar),
Stef (drums), Pierre (vocals) and Tom (bass guitar). After a
few EP's, Breakpoint debut was finally released in Nov 2002,
and is a mixture of thrash and power metal, with a handful of
crushing riffs that will tear your face off. After a brief introduction
('Real Lapse'), 'None To Sell' hits the ground running with 'On
Behalf', the Pantera influence is apparent with nods to the Eighties
metal scene. The production is solid throughout, allowing the
guitars of Seb and Mathieu to dominate. It's on 'Itching' that
I can't help but be amazed by the opening guitar riff, it's exactly
like Metallica '2 x 4'', even using the same groove. Unlike Metallica's
'St Anger', there are plenty of killer solos and melodic hooks
that beg to be heard. Each and every track is powered by tight
musicianship, with rough throated vocals.
It amazing to think an album as "old-school" metal
as 'None To Sell' can be released at a time when every emerging
band resorts to the "Nu-Metal" formula to gain attention,
so this is one refreshing and revitalising album that will reaffirm
your faith in metal.
To find out more visit www.multimania.com/breakpoint
Mary And The Saints - 'Come
Hard Times' (2003)
This Swedish alternative country band is another welcome addition
to the growing scene that's happening in Scandinavia. Comprising
of Thomas Lindqvist (vocals, guitar), Maria Bojlund (violin),
Ola Soderlin (drums) and Jonas Hult (bass), Mary And The Saints
formed from the ashes of Squids, a folk rock band that played
a few shows in south of Sweden, and this resulting album showcases
the band's talent at mellow, easy-on-the-ear alt-country.
The opening track 'Waiting For The Sun' is an excellent way to
start proceedings, Maria's violin carries the song's momentum
as Thomas asks "How long have I waited for you?" in
the most immediate chorus on the album. There's a distinctively
American feel to the songs, the softer side of Neil Young, references
to Bob Dylan in 'Waiting For The Sun' and folk harmonies like
the early-REM sounding 'Turning Away'. The self-explanatory 'Hard
Drinking Man' has intriguing lyrics that perfectly reflect the
music: "When I'm 34 I'll have my wife and child for the
young slut next door, 'cause that's who I am. I'm a back stabbing
man, 'ain't got no soul no self control, honey I'm a liar".
'Hard Drinking Man' is also my favourite track off the album,
there's bite and purpose, and you can feel the narrator's self-analysis.
Each song uses the same tempo, giving a very consistent listening
experience: there are the acoustic alt-country guitars; violin
is playing throughout and Thomas's relaxed, unhurried vocals.
You could say if you've heard one track off 'Come Hard Times'
you pretty much know what the rest will sound like, because the
music mainly sticks to a formula, with no unexpected surprises.
This isn't to say a bad thing, because what Mary And The Saints
do, they do very well, that is, a modern, contemporary update
on a traditional form.
To find out more visit www.maryandthesaints.com
Heroes Of The Alamo - '98 to
1' (2001)
Another exciting band to come from New York, Heroes Of The
Alamo mix up REM, Weezer, Replacements and Wilco influences into
an intriguing outcome. Formed in New York City around 1999, Heroes
Of The Alamo have been playing NYC venues for a few years to
a diverse audience. The band consists of Richard Brown (Bass,
Vocals), Todd Carlstrom (Vocals, Lead Guitar), David Makuen (Vocals,
Guitar) and Kevin Slane (Drums, Percussion, Vocals) and take
their name from a B-Movie poster hanging in an East Village burrito
shop. Unlike many bands, vocal duties are shared between Dave
and Todd, both with a distinctive style.
Now onto the full-length album '98 to 1', and there are quite
a few differing styles throughout. Opener 'Not My Fault' has
a nagging guitar line and chorus reminiscent of The Bends-era
Radiohead, whilst 'She's Still' has a radio-friendly sheen that
even can rival Idlewild's most poppy moments with the chorus
"She's still in love with me" coming off well. It's
on third track 'Jean' when a female singer compliments the lead
vocalist, that Heroes Of The Alamo impress most with duel vocals,
REM-style guitar solo and yearning mood. 'One Step Closer' thankfully
isn't a Linkin Park cover, instead a jangly, driving rocker with
gutsy performance. An easy highlight, the song wouldn't be out-of-place
on radio alongside the heavyweight artists.
Although 'Jenny G' is a rather bland contemporary rock song,
the following 'That Kind Of Girl' is a marked improvement with
delicate noodling and chord changes that keep maintain my interest.
The downbeat 'Acquiescing' is a worthy composition with the crooning
of the song title sticking in the memory long after the record
has stopped spinning. The guitar tone is especially inspired,
not unlike The Pixies on one of their quieter moments. One of
the best tracks is saved to last though, 'Gavin's Perambulator'
is more buoyant than most of the album's second half, ending
the album on a high note.
So, my overall opinion after listening to '98 to 1' is impressions
of good production, good songs and good feeling. Very consistent,
each song opening up upon repeated listens reveals new intricacies
and guitar parts unnoticed before. Imagine a more laid back Replacements
or smaller scale REM, Heroes Of The Alamo know how to write a
solid tune.
To find out more visit www.heroesofthealamo.com
Daniel Patrick Quinn - 'The
Winter Hills' (2003)
And now for something completely different. Here at 'Alternative
Rock Review', we deal mostly with guitars and contemporary rock,
so when I put on 'The Winter Hills' I was awash with cello, violin,
trumpet and a very English sounding voice. This is ideal for
lying back, relaxing and letting the music take over, entering
a new world, one in which I imagine similar to Toiken's Lord
Of The Rings - folk-inspired, traditional organic music. The
opening title track and 'Pathways' on CD1 are steeped in natural
ambience that continues for the album's whole duration.
The solo artist, Daniel Patrick Quinn, a 22 year old singer/musican/producer
from Lancashire, England who states in his press release that
no computers were used, with emphasis on the ambience of the
music rather than the rhythm on his debut release. To illustrate
this point, the album is a double release with only 9 tracks
in total. It's difficult to review the tracks separately because
the album is greater than the sum of it's parts, no track stands
out from the rest, each creating a texture to the mood and dreamy
state induced. If forced to pick a stand-out at gun-point, 'Towards
The Sun' on CD2 is a rather unsettling drone with clanging percussion
that creates layers of paranoia.
But what I found most intriguing was the bonus third CD 'Jura'
containing one track of an hour-long drone that Daniel kindly
included. No structure, no melody, no beat, this is pure and
utter minimal ambient drone, fantastic instrumental background
music.
This is as far away from pre-packaged, formulated, MTV force-fed
"product" you can get, as 'The Winter Hills' is a rather
pleasant oddity with captivating landscapes and long drones that
dig into the brain. Rather soothing, but with a hint of menace
within the textures.
To find out more visit www.suilvenrecordings.com
The Smartest Monkeys - "The
Smartest Monkeys" (2003)
This young four-piece, aged around 18 years old, are certainly
one of the most energetic new bands I've heard in a while. This
self-titled EP crams eight tracks in at just under 20 minutes,
each flying past in a blur of youthful buzz-guitars and off-kilter
riffs. Consisting of Asher (Guitar, Vocals), Matt (Guitar, Vocals),
Gabe (Drums) and Cody (Bass) and produced by Paul Rogers, The
Smartest Monkeys wear their influences on their sleeve; the album
strongly reminds me of At The Drive-In masterpiece 'Relationship
Of Command' with a hint of Deftones crunch. The songs also benefit
from an excellent production job, very radio-friendly with great
single-potential.
The opening 'TSM' is clearly the band signature song, in a
similar vein to the Monkee's theme several decades earlier. An
up-tempo number with the predominate hook "We are, we
are the Smartest Monkeys!!!", it's virtually impossible
to get the tune out your head - damn infectious and like most
tracks, a nudge over 2 minutes. The second track 'Fatter Pipes'
continues the high energy set by 'TSM' with another guitar hook
that is hard to ignore. This leads to 'Cavemen To Honey', probably
the most At The Drive-In inspired track, again driven by a memorable
riff with half-shouty hardcore vocals. Fourth number 'Prozak
Winter' is once again, very highly paced, bringing to mind early
era Idlewild, in that the enthusiasm over-rides any lack of diversity
- this simply goes for intensity offering no let-up in rapid-fire
melodic hardcore. Then we come to the definite highlight 'Clock
In', a heavily distorted guitar hook, some tasty fret-work and
a manic vocal performance, sure to bring any mosh-pit to a climax.
When you think there could a let-up in the energy levels, you
know, when a band decides to drop in a slow ballad two thirds
of the way through we get 'Dirty Robe' another rocking moment.
The songs move so fast, that 'Campout Song' merges into final
track 'Sarcastic Cowboy' before I knew it.
So there you have it, "The Smartest Monkeys" is
over in 20 all too short minutes, not a moment drags, not a moment
outstays it's welcome. Here we have an EP that is a rush of excitement
and stuffed full of nagging melodies and instant hooks.
The Smartest Monkeys have been gigging around Nashville since
late 2002, playing regional shows, and have even supported OK
Go and The Donnas. The young band will also be performing internationally
this summer, so if the band tour through your hometown, keep
a lookout because these songs are just begging to be heard within
a live setting.
To find out more visit www.thesmartestmonkeys.com
Fingercuffs - '2 Track Demo' (2002)
Coming out of the West Country, England, indie/emo band Fingercuffs
boast an usual concept: a rock group that uses a drum machine.
Band members Simon Whetham, Pete Ashman and Vince Bryant have
been building a solid fanbase in Bristol for over two years,
with influences ranging from Sonic Youth, Fugazi and Kraftwerk
(this is where the drum machine comes in!) Fingercuffs have also
received airplay from radio stations across the UK including
London's XFM (which I regularly listen to), Bristol's Star FM
and Bath FM, opening the band up to a wider audience.
Right, that's the brief backstory out of the way, now onto
the music. First track 'Champion of The Underdog' finds Whetham
singing between the low rumbling guitar riffs interspersed with
a cut-away bass line along with downcast lyrics like "Take
back all you've been given" and "These bruises
start to show now, put on that second skin". The song
shifts gears with the vocals get more passionate, displaying
a keen sense of dynamics. The second track 'Compound' begins
at a slower pace with a clean guitar complimenting the measured
vocals. At about 1:45 minutes, the paces quickens with guitar
squeals and energy before returning to a quieter reflective moments,
until the repeating lyric "Please snuff your candle out,
light your worth away" (sic - I could however be mistaken!).
Somehow the singing at this point brings to mind Daniel Johns
from silverchair, building into the enviable climax of lead guitar
and an increasing drum tempo. And then it stops…suddenly.
This demo shows over just two tracks the raw potential of a promising
UK band, turning distinctive emo influences into something decidedly
British. Hard to place, Fingercuffs can summon a diverse mixture
of comparisons to Joy Division, Bush and Sonic Youth without
sounding specifically like any of them. Very promising, the next
full-length release should provide fascinating listening to see
how far Fingercuffs can go.
To find out more visit www.fingercuffs.co.uk
Romislokus - 'All Day Home' (2002)
The guys from Russian progressive rock band Romislokus' sent
me their third album 'All Day Home' all the way from Moscow.
The band consist of (takes a deep breath) Smolnikov, Mikhail
Voronov, Mikhail Brovarnik, Anna Goya (violino), Irina Yunakovskaya
(violon cello), Evgeniy Gorelov (keyboards), Dmitriy Shelemetev
and Maksim Karavaev.
I falsely assumed the music would be generic heavy metal before
listening to a note, but was surprised to hear melodic, 70s influenced
classic rock with synthesiser tones. My immediate reaction was
mellow Pink Floyd, although I've read other reviewers mention
Tindersticks and Roxy Music as comparisons.
The previous album 'Vinyl Spring, Digital Autumn' (cool title
BTW) was exclusively sang in Russian lyrics, understandable as
Romislokus are singing in native tongue. However, 'All Day Home'
features lyrics performed in English with exception of two tracks,
one in Italian, the other in French. I don't know why for this
change as I would have enjoyed the Russian lyrics, maybe it's
to break the Western market and expand the fan-base further.
This record is so unfashionable that it's very refreshing
to hear when most bands are jumping onto the latest rap-metal/post-grunge
trends - the electronics employed are more vintage analogue than
21st Century cutting edge. Take second track ''Dreg' as a case
in point, the relaxing vibe of the verses are accompanied with
strings and other subtle touches, that is until the chorus comes
in with the gruff growl of the word DREG!. repeatedly forcing
it's way into the brain. I quite like 'L'amour' as well, naturally
sang in French, and is an all too brief 2:55 minutes long. Ah
yes, the melodic 'Freedom' has a very interesting intro guitar
riff, launching into a mid-tempo rocker with flourishes of ambient
textures. The following 'I'm Tired' keeps to the mid-tempo formula
but this time has a jazzy feel, and the straining of the words
I'm Tired encapsulating the mood of the song.
Normally 70's styled prog-rock leaves me bored, but 'All Day
Home' kept my interest throughout, mainly listening out for the
diverse instruments that enlivened a song when it appeared it
was going no-where. The choruses are strong, especially on 'Dreg'
and due to not following modern trends, it's highly unlikely
the album will date. All in all I give Romislokus the thumbs
up if you like laid-back rock with diversity.
To find out more visit: www.romislokus.com
Celophane Flower - 'Too
Good To Be Famous' (2002)
Unlike most Swedish bands in love with Garage Rock or Death
Metal, Celophane Flower are more likely to be found worshiping
Country and Folk Rock. It makes a change from the highly charged
Swedish scene, offering some good ol'fashioned Country-Rock to
the equation.
The band are Jim Bragde, Andy Hansson, PO Svensson, Jenny
Boman and Davy Wickstroem and recorded in Flower Studios. The
actual CD has an excellent booklet with photos of each band member
and quotes on each page with comments like "The tracks on
"Too Good To Be Famous" fit together like puzzle pieces
each lending a greater view of the conceptual canvas but listeners
may never be able to finish the picture." Now I can't pretend
to understand what that means, but the booklet is an interest
read regardless! I also liked the slogan "Probably the most
important band in the world" on the back CD cover -showing
the band have total confidence in their abilities.
Right, enough talk about the packaging, what about the content?
Let's see, the opening 'As Beautiful As You Are' has a dreaming
acoustic quality with distinctive vocals, and 'Roots Gone' is
an infectious stab at alternative rock-lite. I think 'Betrayal'
works even better, the tempo slowed down to a crawl with soothing
vocals and a country tinge - and as a normal Country-Music hater,
I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the track. 'Billy
Jim Bobs Blues' is even more Country N'Western influenced, but
a childhood running away from bangos and hicks, I can't offer
a valid judgement on the genre. My favourite track 'Bourbon Dreams'
displays a mature sense of melody and the uplifting chorus is
an obvious highlight. 'Loved Alone' reminds me of early-REM,
an understated mood piece, and I especially like the vocal performance
by P Svensson. There's also a spoken word segment by Hisayo Nakayama
that fits in nicely without causing distraction.
Looking at the writing credits, the band divide songwriting
and vocal duties - this may come across as unfocused, but it
offers a variety in styles and moods. Amongst my favourites tracks,
the aforementioned P Svensson is a worthy talent, both 'Roots
Gone' and 'Loved Alone' were his songs and are easy highlights.
Despite containing too many Country influenced tracks for my
taste, I can return to the 5 or 6 songs that impress me with
the haunting and melancholic nature. So, in summary, fans of
the Lemonhead's country flavoured moments will feel right at
home with "Too Good To Be Famous". Me? - I'm off to
listen to some Slayer.
To find out more visit: www.flowerproductions.com/celophane