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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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
Hiding In Public — What Lies Ahead Buy it at Amazon
What I like about Hiding in Public is that their sound is something so close to pedestrian but it still sounds majestic and otherworldly. Simplistic pop-rock that works in the same vein as late career Eric Clapton, Hiding in Public manages to deliver a great tune after another great tune. Strong and mature songwriting that will reinvigorate even the most stumped musician.
- J-Sin
Kevin McCarthy and Beautiful Loser — Hiding In Plain Sight Buy it at Amazon
San Francisco singer/songwriter Kevin McCarthy shares an awful lot with a lot of his contemporaries. His bleak arrangements, pop chords, and dazed vocals are reminiscent of a huge stretch of past alt-rock ventures including Barenaked Ladies among others. Unchallenging folk-rock tunes that meddle in alternative rock’s stew a little too much.
- J-Sin
Alcibiades Jones — Freedom In the Cave Buy it at Amazon
Instrumental jam rock from Connecticut, Alcibiades Jones is able to single-handedly move an audience with their guitars that can give a mighty yell or a wistful whisper. Epic songs that have structure despite an aura of improvisation flowing throughout each tune. Definitely a close cousin of jazz, “Freedom in the Cave” is a smart man’s music.
- J-Sin
Martha Berner — Ten Tiny Little Pieces Buy it at Amazon
“Ten Tiny Little Pieces” is the new EP by singer/songwriter Martha Berner and shows us a quick but steady glimpse deep inside her heart. Rich harmonies and lush arrangements are but two of her specialties on this honest and truly sincere sounding album. You may remember Martha for her contribution, “A Town Called Happiness” alongside Neko Case, Joseph Arthur, The New Pornographers, Michelle Anthony, and several other notables on the “Voices and Faces Project” that benefited victims of sexual abuse. Melancholy drips holistically from this stirring recording.
- J-Sin
Rosie Thomas — These Friends of Mine Buy it at Amazon
Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer, both compelling and awesome artists themselves, helped Rosie Thomas with this album in Brooklyn. Passionate sing-a-longs with indie pop sweetness and a fine melody all to itself, “These Friends of Mine” finds the Seattle artist Rosie Thomas at her very rawest and most sincere. Intriguing harmonies with surprisingly deep song arrangements, “These Friends of Mine” is an all-consuming album of high merit.
- J-Sin
Ronin — Dissolving Pinch Roller Buy it at Amazon
Continuing in the passionate experimental funk-metal jazz fusion style, Ronin once again delivers an intimate album that bottles up soft melodies and churns out heavy rhythms. The songwriting and musicianship on “Dissolving Pinch Roller” is even more daunting than their previous effort, “The Sun Rises In the East”. Now having been together for almost five years, Ronin is at the brink of breaking out and gaining fans from underneath the Primus, Tool, and Soundgarden tents.
- J-Sin
Eastern Conference Champions — Sampler Buy it at Amazon
A nicely presented three-song sampler from Eastern Conference Champions whose vocalist is a nice marriage of Thom Yorke and the Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips, with more emphasis on the former. That short sneering vocal delivery complements the driving alternative hard rock rhythms that the band dashes about their compelling singles “Nice Clean Shirt” and “Gucci No. 3”. Using spacious soundscapes, the group recalls mid-career Radiohead and several cast-offs from Saddle Creek Records. This is a serious group and I can’t wait to hear the full-length.
- J-Sin
Rose Kemp — A Hand Full of Hurricanes Buy it at Amazon
PJ Harvey has influenced thousands of young female singer/songwriters. Rose Kemp can consider herself one of these patrons and one who successfully has begun a career hot on Harvey’s footsteps. Her U.S. debut, “A Hand Full of Hurricanes” has indie pop charm wrapped in alternative pop’s coolness and shady guitar glazes with sporadic atmospherics and patient ambience. Stunning pop mastery with catchy hooks and incredible vocals.
- J-Sin
Goldoolins — The World Is Somewhere Else Buy it at Amazon
Folk-pop from Israel that’s alluring in its swirling guitars but the pleasant attitude isn’t enough to craft intriguing songs. The vocal harmonies can be rough around the edges at times. Their sound is shocked with a lot of acoustic strings, violins, guitars, etc., but revivalist rock needs to have a little more than this trio has to offer.
- J-Sin
Barenaked Ladies — Barenaked Ladies Are Me Buy it at Amazon
As a follow-up to “Barenaked Ladies Are Me”, this new album boasts 16 additional tunes recorded during the previous album’s sessions. Having been released as part of the “Barenaked Ladies Are Me: Deluxe Edition”, a 27-song collection available for download, the album comes stocked with UMIXIT software so fans can remix and re-edit songs to their heart’s content. Interesting and completely released for the avid fan, this hard rockin’ CD will find a lot of homes this spring.
- J-Sin
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