Music Reviews of Punk, Indie Rock, Emo, Ska
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 Punk, Indie Rock, Emo, Ska
The April Skies — How It All Played Out Buy it at Amazon
I do believe I’ve reviewed or covered all of the April Skies releases. Watching this band mature into the juggernaut of pop-rock that they are now has been a joy worth repeating. The April Skies launch into an expressive tone of alternative rock that soars as high as U2. Based in Pennsylvania, the group seems poised to take that next step into superstardom any minute now. I just hope they remember me in the end! This is a damn good and daring album filled to the brim with pop hooks and crafty songwriting.
- J-Sin
We All Have Hooks For Hands — The Pretender Buy it at Amazon
So it would pretty much suck for us all if we indeed had hooks for hands. Driving and masturbation would be a lot more difficult for one. But this Sioux Falls, South Dakota indie band is one nine-piece indie pop band that isn’t afraid to look that dead in the eye without flinching. Their songs are uplifting numbers with orchestral pop soundscapes dancing just beyond the vocals. Sounding quite huge, the group emits an infectious pheromone of intriguing avant-garde pop so cute it’s ridiculous.
- J-Sin
Tiger Saw — Tigers on Fire Buy it at Amazon
Massachusetts music collective Tiger Saw can truly call themselves a collective—there’s fifteen people! The music is wild and unharnessable with an ever evolving trapezoid of melodic apartment rock to orchestral pop to hushed melodies. Lyrically it’s a smorgasbord of eclectic topics ranging from the more clichéd topics of death and love to basement dance parties and German prostitutes. Weird yes, but alluring even more so. Thumbs up way high on this one.
- J-Sin
Thrushes — Sun Come Undone Buy it at Amazon
Carving out a niche between gothic pop and shoegazing indie rock, Thrushes paint beautiful tapestries of post-rock anthems and severely catchy pop hooks. Thrushes are yet another reason why the Baltimore scene has pulled ahead of nearby D.C. You can hear some Xiu Xiu influence mixed in here, perhaps due to playing alongside the indie pop giants. Stirring melodic vocals are arranged neatly alongside juggled rhythms and cascading guitar fuzz.
- J-Sin
The Pierces — Thirteen Tales of Love & Revenge Buy it at Amazon
Sisters Allison and Catherine recently finished up a tour with The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. in the U.K. Their new album is set to launch and already critics and crowds alike are frothing at the mouth. Gypsy pop mixed with sexy rock ‘n’ roll, garage club rock, and alternative rock is what the backdrop to “Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge” is comprised of. A very different sound indeed, there’s whistling, sultry vocals, and an undeniable groove that will get you to dance. For fans of Jem, there’s “Boring”, a sexy urban tale complete with lounge pop harmonies.
- J-Sin
Molia Falls — A Support Entry Title Buy it at Amazon
Instrumental post-rock that blurs the line between shoegazing pop and ambient rock—Molia Falls rests somewhere in that heavenly middle ground. Sort of a more melodic God Speed You Black Emperor with guitars that are as gooey and intriguing as Explosions in the Sky, Molia Falls is turning heads. The band has a lot going in their favor, many bands are turning towards the more heavy side (especially in their native Sweden) while this band is going the opposite direction, softening things up and composing gripping melodies. Sweet and pleasant are two perfect adjectives for Molia Falls.
- J-Sin
The Death of a Party — The Rise and Fall of Scarlet City Buy it at Amazon
Post-punk and dance punk broker a merger that results in nasal vocals, hit-worthy guitar anthems, and angular songwriting. Shutting the door on the wannabe’s, The Death of a Party isn’t afraid to bare their teeth and roll up their sleeves. And it’s that sort of elbow grease, machismo, and daring that will have the fans of the Blood Brothers and the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower hanging out together.
- J-Sin
The Henry Clay People — Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache Buy it at Amazon
Joey and Andy Siara are brothers in a band and have been playing together for a little over a decade now. That chemistry shines through on this indie rock album that sounds like a mixture of Television and early Pavement. The brothers are joined by bassist Noah Green and Eric Scott on drums. Blessed with a keen sense of garage rock, The Henry Clay People are a fun listen.
- J-Sin
The Genius File — The Genius File Buy it at Amazon
There isn’t much ‘genius’ to this indie rock file. Nasal vocals with jangled guitars are just too much that I can possibly handle. Also I find it odd that they don't want us to publish their contact information, does that mean that they're ashamed? I'm not sure but I sure am assuming...
- J-Sin
Kevin Hume — The Truth About Ants and Aphids Buy it at Amazon
Kevin Hume also known as Black Spartacus isn’t kidding around when he attempts to write an orchestral pop album. Chamber pop anthems aside you have aisle after aisle filled to the top of the ceiling with cerebrally challenging indie folk. Lush arrangements with never sparse instrumentation propel this album to the top of influential records to come out this year. Blended woodwinds, strings, and brass horns make you at peace and yet give you an understanding of the complexities of being a conductor in the orchestral pit. Rarely will you find a more daring, beautiful, and layered album.
- J-Sin
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