Music Reviews of Unsigned Bands, Demos, Promos
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 Unsigned Bands, Demos, Promos
Ben Kamen — Before My Ghostly Eyes Were Closed Buy it at Amazon
It's cute to send me a mini-disc album that takes at least 3 minutes setup time to play. The three songs bounce along as Ben Kamen adds elements of folk-pop, indie, and apartment rock to the clever mixture. Fortunately for all of us, his additions are merely that, additions, and don’t add too much to the overall flavor or essence of the song.
- J-Sin
Fixer — Before the Sun Buy it at Amazon
Aw guys who wear eyeliner and play in rock bands are so cute. Seriously, this is one cute rock group. But cute doesn’t mean that you still don’t sound like a blander late ‘90’s alternative rock band.
- J-Sin
Nine More Lies — Ghost Stories Buy it at Amazon
All the way from Sheffield in the U.K. and you're this terribly predictable? Sigh. I enjoyed this British group's first demo but this follow-up is a big step backward for the group.
- J-Sin
The Singular — I Finally Know What's Good For Me Buy it at Amazon
Outside of Cleveland, Ohio is a group who may be written down as the replacement for the Cure’s cover band. So "What's Good For Me" is easy--stop copying other groups and do something mildly original. The Singular tries desperately to cling onto gothic rock hip-replacement style but comes out lacking true desire or integrity. Boring...next please?
- J-Sin
Silver Spade — Slip Away Buy it at Amazon
I’ll leave you with what they say in their bio sheet, “Silver Spade may be considered a blend of Disturbed, Creed, and Candlebox. Others have mentioned that they have elements of Metallica, 3 Doors Down, and even Living Colour.” No they haven’t, and no they never will. This is like hearing your mother vomit a spent man’s cum into your father’s virgin asshole—it’s disgusting and something that will haunt your soul for eternity.
- J-Sin
Kurt Adam — The Demos. Act One. Buy it at Amazon
A singer/songwriter doting upon a guitar and his lyric sheet? Never! I refuse to believe it. There’s not much else here. His vocals aren’t terrible other than that they’re probably filtered and added upon with a little more effects than normal. Other than that you’ll find yourself listening to something you heard yesterday, the day before, and the day after, again and again ad nauseum.
- J-Sin
Legend of Dutch Savage — All Will Be Good When I'm Gone Buy it at Amazon
Ex-members of The Jimmies, Iommi Stubbs, Gern Blanston, Witch Throttle Gush, and Jr. High are in this Portland, Oregon group. Their sophomore release finds the group lurching into cruise control on the rock ‘n’ roll super highway. The vocals leave a lot to be desired, seeming to have a whole slew of accidental harmonies smashed together, with plenty of verses sounding like the singer is just speaking rather than singing. The melodies and songwriting are what you’d expect from a high school aged band. Maybe there’s not too much ‘legend’ with Dutch Savage, huh?
- J-Sin
GreyMarket — Dauntless Buy it at Amazon
“Back In Time” opens up the new GreyMarket album with a thickly effected and modulated guitar trembling giving it a futuristic out-of-this-world feel. That’s the precise build-up and setting that lends “Dauntless” such a creative vibe. The album never buries melodies but instead grips harmonies from the vocals and guitars with fierce conviction and an extremely thick bass-laden groove. Strong writing and deft delivery make GreyMarket one marketplace of music mayhem that you don’t want to miss.
- J-Sin
The Kilowatts — Demo Buy it at Amazon
When you’ve had a magazine running for as long as I have, you occasion upon a group who is named the same as another. The Kilowatts are completely and holistically different from the more ambient one with the same moniker. This group is sort of ‘50’s era melodic rock ‘n’ roll with a bit of punk ala the Misfits stirred in. It’s a strong 2-song demo and shows that the group has a lot of promise.
- J-Sin
Broken Land — Audio Postcard Buy it at Amazon
When indie rock goes all Indian it becomes Hindie Rock. Or so says Broken Land. Paving the way for an all-new genre, Broken Land uses some odd off-kilter rhythms but for the most part is a pretty straight forward rock group. Harmonies come at you from all directions in the shape of vocals, bass grooves, and guitar riffs. Nice.
- J-Sin
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