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...
Subscribe to our mailing list
Current Top Ten Chart
Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
Converge - No Heroes
The Graduate - Anhedonia
Death By Stereo - Death Alive
Comeback Kid - Broadcasting
The Snake The Cross The Crown - Cotton Teeth
Dear and the Headlights - Small Steps, Heavy Hooves
The Geeks - Every Time We Fall
Limbeck - Limbeck
WinterKids - Memoirs
03.09.2007 by J-Sin
Music Reviews of Modern Rock, Folk, Alternative, Pop
Gigi Denisco — Too Close For Comfort Buy it at Amazon
Gigi Denisco comes from South Florida, which we all know is hot. But that doesn’t translate to her music. Her pop-rock sound is blues-tinged and well, frankly, rather boring. The rhythms are predictable as are the breaks between verse and chorus. Maybe you could shrug that off and mumble “pop” but I expect a little more of the unexpected.
- J-Sin
Burden Brothers — Mercy Buy it at Amazon
Formed by former Toadies vocalist Vaden Todd Lewis, Burden Brothers can’t give AC/DC enough kudos on “Mercy”. Despite being produced by Joe Chiccarelli, who is acclaimed for his work with an eclectic group of musicians anyone would want to name drop such as Hole, Beck, U2, and the Shins, “Mercy” remains part-Toadies, and part-AC/DC with a healthy splash of nu-metal hard rock. Fair enough, if you’re looking for that sort of thing, I guess.
- J-Sin
Rosemary — The Fabulous Life Of... Buy it at Amazon
Rosemary is likened to the Breeders. And that’s true, to an extent. She has their tenacity, rawness, and quick melodic vocal delivery. Her songs however lack the brash distorted intensity that the one-hit wonder “Cannonball” female-led group had. Instead the music is more cerebral and sublime, often finding a place to stretch out and lay waste to whatever is holding you down.
- J-Sin
Melissa Ivey — Lovers and Stars Buy it at Amazon
Having already worked her tail off trying to ‘make it’ in the industry, Melissa Ivey can move past those late nights of burning CDs, lousy open mikes, and opening up for some no-name local act in some no-name town. Her music is firmly pressed into golden radio-friendly pop-rock with a singer/songwriter format well in hand. Distinctly familiar vocals coax out harmonies that are often out of the range of lesser vocalists. Nicely written songs round out the complementary assets that this young and budding female artist has on tap.
- J-Sin
Matt Wertz — Everything In Between Buy it at Amazon
John Mayer has a new album out?
- J-Sin
Fergie — The Dutchess Buy it at Amazon
Gwen Stefani has a new album out?
- J-Sin
Zen Boy and Karma Girl — Who They Are and How They Came to Be Buy it at Amazon
Wow another girl/boy acoustic duo? Haven’t seen or heard that one before—Cheese on Bread anyone? Their music is relatively predictable acoustic folk-rock with light touches of indie pop sweetness here and there. Don’t get me wrong, their songs are good and they have plenty of talent in the vocal and guitar department, but it’s been done ad nauseam.
- J-Sin
The Penelopes — Summerdew Avenue Buy it at Amazon
The Penelopes are based in Japan and their bio sheet is totally written in Japanese. Which means, I can’t read it! Their music however transcends language and culture. It’s pop-rock with many of the elements that make Japanese rock so damn cute—bits of electronica, spicy melodies, and crafty harmonies. As far as I can tell, they’re a duo comprised of a girl and a guy who are hell bent on merging old-time pop hooks with new fangled indie pop.
- J-Sin
Z-Axis — Concatenations Buy it at Amazon
Prog-rock that’s dipped into a blend of New Age, psychedelic rock, and ambient, “Concatenations” is surprisingly disappointing. Considering the band members are quite talented as they perform on their instruments, you’d assume someone in the band could write an engaging song instead of a meandering nuance that is hell bent on “being different” rather than cohesive. And I love avant garde music! Couple that with terribly recorded guitars—they sound far too tinny and metallic—and yawning gaps in production and you have an album you’ll easily pass up for some band covering a Pink Floyd b-side badly.
- J-Sin
Stephen Sebastian — Time Buy it at Amazon
Shedding his acoustic armor for a bit, Stephen Sebastian kicks back the jams with beer-soaked power pop riffs. A singer/songwriter who isn’t afraid to punch out or tug at heartstrings, Sebastian likens his influences to ‘70’s rock ‘n’ roll from the likes of legends of David Bowie and Lou Reed. He still has a while to catch up to either, but he certainly is making steps in the right direction with plenty of hook-riddled rock tunes throughout his sophomore album “Time”.
- J-Sin
Read More Music Reviews