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
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly — The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager Buy it at Amazon
Indie pop rattled with acoustic guitars, charming vocals, and electronic accompaniments. Sounds like some elements we’ve been hearing a lot of lately. Well if “The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager” is a part of an emerging scene or not, this singer/songwriter could care less. Activism is part of this British troubadour’s triumphant entry with his dynamic and worldly debut on Atlantic Records. Not to be confused with another U.K. artist, Damien Rice, Get Cape is less dramatic and more direct with a defiant pop twist in his harmonies amid the trappings of folk-pop. A modern sounding Dylan-lite would be fitting enough, I’d garner.
- J-Sin
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club — Baby 81 Buy it at Amazon
Okay we get it. People dig the old ‘70s hard rock ‘n’ roll garage sound. But there’s a reason that ‘classic rock’ is dubbed that. It’s old and unrepeatable. Guess I’m just an old curmudgeon sick of these newbie kids with their jeans and leather jackets smoking cigarettes thinking they’re the reincarnation of AC/DC. Their "Howl" wasn't too bad but this is just too recycled.
- J-Sin
Contramano — Unsatisfecho Buy it at Amazon
The sound of crickets is the only answer to the question, “How many of you have heard a classically trained cellist lead a power-pop punk band?” Well and Contramano too. Argentine cellist Pablo Cubarle flourishes alongside this ‘80’s orphan of power-pop cum New Wave act. Very off-kilter Latin-flavored melodies are placed alongside more straight-forward pop harmonies. You can’t refuse the catchy choruses and addictive glittering of these magical melodies. Pick it up.
- J-Sin
Tenderhooks — Vidalia Buy it at Amazon
Knoxville-based Tenderhooks may be cast off as just another alt. country rock group. But that would be missing out on their devilishly clever use of ‘80’s pop influence. Catchy hooks dominate their vocally-driven sound as the guitars range from hard-edged Southern charm to indie pop melodies. You gotta give them a firm nod for their dynamic use of vocal harmonies featuring male and female vocals. “Vidalia” is a clean sounding album that has pristine production quality and an eclectic veneer to it.
- J-Sin
The Clay People — Waking the Dead Buy it at Amazon
Industrial rock isn’t quite the fitting title for what the Clay People do. After all how many industrial bands do you know that have a choir singing at times? Kerosene fueled vocals rip and roar amid dense guitars and catchy hooks. Beat-wise it’s tribal for sure, but has enough lighter rhythms that it’s not a full-tilt throttle forward ride the whole time. Not bad but the songs don’t really sit with me all that much.
- J-Sin
Coles Whalen — Nothing Is Too Much Buy it at Amazon
Why aren’t artists this talented on American Idol? Coles Whalen, has a smoky vibrant voice that’s sultry and sexy. A guitarist and pianist, she writes her own songs, which while that sounds like “no big deal”, in today’s pop universe that’s huge. She’s found some online success via MySpace and has done quite a bit of touring. Soon this hard work and dedication will all pay off as the pop world catches up to this talented young lady.
- J-Sin
The Well Wishers — How I Won the War... Buy it at Amazon
Power pop anthems that are slightly less boring than watching the grass grow. If you really, REALLY like old Guided By Voices b-sides than sure, but otherwise, you’ve heard this before, you can skip it.
- J-Sin
Praxis — Tennessee 2004 Buy it at Amazon
Funky psychedelic rock in the vein of Primus, Parliament, and Funkadelic is what Bill Laswell is known for. Avant-garde metal and progressive rock star Laswell fuses all sorts of influences into something perfectly fit for those prog-rock concerts in the height of summer; indeed this album was recorded live in 2004 at Bonnaroo. This super group is assembled with the aforementioned Laswell on bass as well as Brain (drums), Buckethead (guitars), and Bernie Worrell on the synths. Funky jams that insist you boogie.
- J-Sin
The Christmas Lights / Emil — 10 Paces Buy it at Amazon
Kenny Tompkins’ The Christmas Lights are an offshoot of this Frostburg, Maryland native. They’re a Nintendo pop electronica project that masks its lo-fi outer shell with extremely catchy vocals and melodies. On the flip of this split release is Emil. A duo made up of two Adams colliding (haha, atoms, get it? Thank you, I’ll be here all week), Adam Engle and Adam Laye, Emil is experimental lo-fi music. Ambient background music it is not—well not exactly. The songs on “10 Paces” by Emil are engaging and too thoughtful to merely be something playing in the background. Two talents like this are worth the price of the disc. Support local music bub!
- J-Sin
Ray's Vast Basement — Starvation Under Orange Trees Buy it at Amazon
The Actors Theatre of San Francisco asked singer/songwriter Jon Bernson to compose music for their version of John Steinbeck’s classic “Of Mice and Men”. After writing the soundtrack, Bernson set about to record this piece of cinematic folk-pop with “Starvation Under Orange Trees” as the compelling result. Orchestrated movements and light vocals amid an art rock oeuvre are beautifully layered. Not what you may expect, but with guests like The Decemberists’ Nate Query and Michael Zapruder among others, you knew it was going to be something special.
- J-Sin
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