Music Reviews of Modern Rock, Folk, Pop
Band Spotlight
Chiodos
Perhaps no one can explain the sheer ferocity and timid quietness it is better than when vocalist Craig Owens says “we don’t want to let the kids down” when discussing the group’s intense vocals live at shows. Well they never let a single kid down with their vicious assault on the ears and grip on the jugular...
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03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Modern Rock, Folk, Alternative, Pop
People In Planes — People In Planes Buy it at Amazon
A five-piece rock band from Cardiff, Wales that shows that succinctness isn’t always the answer in Brit-pop. Their songs might be glorious pop hits but I wish they were a bit longer and had extended bridges. Wind-Up Records was incredibly smart in picking up this band who could prove to be the heir apparent to Supergrass, whom the band loved when they were first hitting puberty by obsessively listening to “I Should Coco”, or even modern favorites like Coldplay or Travis. Fortified with great vocal harmonies, a vast sense for songwriting, and ambitious melodies, People In Planes promise to keep the music world on the tips of their toes in anticipation.
- J-Sin
The Lifted — A Reason to Live Buy it at Amazon
Here’s the rub. When making an album, don’t make it a multi-media album. Don’t put enhanced content on it. Why? Because that’s what the Internet is for. Not to mention that time after time, when I review albums I run into ones that crash programs or refuse to run. And before you go pointing a finger at me that my computer is out-dated or needs more juice, I have a state-of-the-art PC that I just purchased a few months ago. The music on “A Reason to Live” isn’t bad but to jump through all those hoops to hear run-of-the-mill hard rock isn’t exactly worth it.
- J-Sin
Mary-Jane — What I Came Here For Buy it at Amazon
Indie punk-rock with pop fully clutched in each hand, Mary-Jane hopes that everyone doesn’t dismiss her as a “pot-smoker” due to her moniker. Chocolate Fireguard Music who already boasts French hip-hoppers La Cedille, dance rock Kava Kava, and The Bluefoot Project on their roster, shake things up by adding Mary-Jane. Her glorious vocals sugar-coat the pop-punk guitar-centric rock-n-roll that she employs throughout “What I Came Here For”. The songwriting is simple but catchy and sometimes that’s all you need to start with.
- J-Sin
Shawn Amos — Thank You Shirl-ee May (A Love Story) Buy it at Amazon
An album tribute to Shawn’s mother who was herself a popular ‘60’s club singer and recording artist, “Thank You Shirl-ee May: A Love Story” is a great work and a perfect story. Shawn Amos as a Vice President of A&R has worked with plenty of big stars and musicians and perhaps its time for him to be on the flipside. And if you thought that there was something familiar about Shawn Amos it might be because the “Famous Amos” cookie man was his father. The music is good pop-rock with some intriguing nuances into country and beautiful orchestrations.
- J-Sin
Genevieve — This Little Thing Called Life Buy it at Amazon
I’ll tell what can’t ever be called a “little thing”—Genevieve’s voice. While she may be singing softly, it’s as powerful as an earthquake and indeed will leave you shaking in your boots. Her voice is the cornerstone from which she builds off tremendous songwriting. The sound is a bit of contemporary pop mixed in with roots folk and piano ballads. Most singer/songwriters wish they had half this much talent. If she’s not signed to a major label deal with this demo, then I give up on the mainstream industry.
- J-Sin
The Exit — Home For an Island Buy it at Amazon
“Home For an Island” is a step up for a band that signed to Wind-Up Records in a seeming attempt to perhaps break out the mold that has settled on that record label. The band explores our current world in a hyper-news cycle that fears scare tactics, talk about the end, and election fraud. The band does their thing with a bit of a look back at some of the noteworthy pop hits in the past two decades (Police’s use of reggae for example) with an almost Husker Du sense of rock-ability. The group wrote an album that’s extremely better than the previous drivel that I heard from them. I’m glad to see that. Check ‘em out, this could be a legitimate chart topper—armed with great songs and not just good marketing teams.
- J-Sin
![Wren - Wednesday [Single]](/reviews/images/noimage.gif "Wren - Wednesday [Single]")
Wren — Wednesday [Single] Buy it at Amazon
She’s been singing since she was a kid and started acting at the tender teen age of 16. She’s talented, good looking, and well natured. Plus she has a gentle voice that bodes well for her type of singer/songwriter pop. British pop always has a way of being slightly ahead of the curve and Wren is no exception in the pop-rock circuit. The production is tight and shows a talented knack for writing catchy hooks.
- J-Sin
The Afterglow — Modern Life Virus Buy it at Amazon
A band that’s been together since ’98, The Afterglow performs a marriage of Athens, Georgia rock ala R.E.M. and Brit-pop. Smooth atmospheric rock structures form the basis while melodic pop bridges that and a home-body type of porch rock. The basslines are tremendous with perfect tone and sets the bar nicely in the middle. The guitarist has listened to a lot of U2 and has done a good job of following The Edge’s lead. All in all, a pretty stellar pop-rock band that will continue to grow its fanbase while touring the typical pub circuit.
- J-Sin
Brian Bergeron — The Closer EP Buy it at Amazon
Independent singer/songwriter Brian Bergeron hails from Boston and on “The Closer” builds on his successes on his first release I had the pleasure of listening to, “First Impressions”. His voice is still just as poignant with a jazzy slant that defines him as a mature singer/songwriter beyond his young twenty years. On “Time Is On Our Side”, he croons that he “don’t have the kind of voice for this song”. Let me be clear here—his voice is perfect for ANY song, of any nature and any topic. His gifted songwriting talents lead him to catchy pop hook after hook. Take a snapshot of where Brian is today as a folk pop artist; he’s destined to do more with his career than just rock out the local coffeehouse.
- J-Sin
Ryan Asher — Conscious Universe Buy it at Amazon
Allentown, Pennsylvania is the hometown of a genuinely talented singer/songwriter named Ryan Asher. Unlike the pop heroes of today, his voice is perfectly pitched without the need for a half-a-million dollar engineer’s knob twisting skills. Perhaps just as impressive as his dynamically and well-ranging vocals is his songwriting ability. On the outside it may seem simple but it takes real talent to know when to put a bridge, when to keep pushing on a particular hook, and when to let the song just breathe. Not only just impressive, Ryan Asher is a soulful pioneer in a genre that has died out in the money and not good song contagious music industry’s Billboard charting artists. Only problem here is that it’s only four songs. Ryan, don’t make me wait long to hear your next material!
- J-Sin
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