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
Geron Hoy — Geron Hoy Buy it at Amazon
New York-based singer/songwriter Geron Hoy sits back and does his best to conjure forth Bob Dylan’s brand of folk-pop. Stripped down and raw songs pepper his album. Lyrically it’s wise and aged. Despite it’s relatively lo-fi approach, the album is surprisingly dense, covered with multiple textures and astonishing treatments.
- J-Sin
One Trick Pony — Phantom Pains Buy it at Amazon
Rarely has a band been better named. One Trick Pony writes melancholic woe-is-me anthems that are yawningly redundant in their attempt to recreate Rufus Wainwright. The fact that they used wax to seal their promo disc is remarkably lame.
- J-Sin
Kill Van Kull — Edge of Sunrise Buy it at Amazon
Wow this is that band you just saw last night at the local bar, sweating balls, and swilling beers. Without a care in the world, Kill Van Kull try their hands out at the hard rock thing. I’m sure they’ve gotten a few girls, a few free beers, and little in between in the meantime. You’ve heard this band before, they have precious little new to offer.
- J-Sin
Julien Carayon — Lethal Alchemy Buy it at Amazon
Instrumental progressive rock from France that proves that prog can be just as distracting and uninteresting across the sea as it is here at home.
- J-Sin
Firesuite — Forever December Buy it at Amazon
Sheffield-based U.K. act Firesuite laughs in the face of gothic pop-rock with alternative hooks aligned nicely. Atmospheric and moody choruses are stemmed with poppy verses and heartwarming guitars. The group is a real Brit-pop experiment that occasionally has some harder rock parts but for the most part is a pure alternative dragon that is best described as “British”. And we all know what I mean by that—not insulting, but certainly something tangible that you can shelf away.
- J-Sin
Pathfire — Think Out Loud Buy it at Amazon
Intelligent Brooklyn mostly acoustic duo is showing that New York City’s anti-folk scene has already begun to expand out into more pop arrangements. Their catchy hooks show off their innate knack for fine-tuning a song’s arrangements while their vocals are on beat. Lyrically it’s relatively typical singer/songwriter fare though “Think Out Loud” can be quite poetic at times. Nice.
- J-Sin
Kraised — Give Me My MP3's Buy it at Amazon
Years ago there was a song that yearned for MTV and another that urged that video killed the radio star. Kraised takes the obvious next step with their album titled “Give Me My MP3’s”. It’s wrapped in a heavy metal hard rock hybrid that is sort of like a lesser Pro-Pain or even Tesla (whom they shared a stage with once). Actually screw all that, this band totally would fit nicely next to Pissing Razors. Remember them? I sure hope so, if not just pick up this disc.
- J-Sin
Or, The Whale — Light Poles and Pines Buy it at Amazon
The group has been together now for approximately two years but they sound as if it’s been two decades. Clever alt-country, Americana, roots rock, indie pop, and alternative tunes are all mangled together for one sound that is bootstrapping and dynamite. Catchy vocals are never marred by anything cutting or vagrant. Friendly structure-oriented rootsy songwriting makes this band sound as if they were playing on your back deck or front porch. Rhythmic choruses and dynamic ballads compress “Light Poles and Pines” into one hell of a damn album.
- J-Sin
The Daybreak Line — The Daybreak Line Buy it at Amazon
Arlington, Virginia’s singer/songwriter group the Daybreak Line write pop-rock fancy with some different odds and ends thrown in for good measure. Their songs are easily digestible but still are pleasant to the underground trained ear—you’re not going to vomit over lame mainstream chops here dudes. Coated in a pop veneer, the Daybreak Line manages to complement their straight-forward approach with dots of electronica, spotlighted on roots rock grit, and integral alternative rock fashion.
- J-Sin
Third Grade Scuffle — Secrets Don't Make Friends But They Can Run the World Buy it at Amazon
Heard one bad high school ska/punk band, heard them all.
- J-Sin
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