Album review: The Local Nobodies--EP

Album review: The Local Nobodies--EP

I am continually impressed by the rise of small, independent artists as well as the relevancy of the local artist in the modern music scene. However, as with any industry, the signal to noise ratio is exceptionally high.


So, when a young man approached me at the Lupe Fiasco show with three paper sleeved albums and an eager smile I was simultaneously intrigued and skeptical.

It was a pleasant surprise.

The young man in question was Frankie Flowers of The Local Nobodies A playful hip-hop group local to Milwaukee, WI. While it is very clear they are a young band, they had a surprising sense of musical composition and rhythm. With judicious use of sampling and some auto-tune (used correctly, I might add) these guys bring an ear catching sound that is unique without being completely out of touch with the genre. It is hip-hop that is not sexist, which is refreshing. Front man Frankie Flowers mange’s to avoid many of the pitfalls that young hip-hop and rap artist fall into. He has a precise sense of rhythm a pleasantly cocky attitude.

Where The Local Nobodies falls short is composition. The album has a lot of stylistic variety witch can be good in an established artist. However, it comes across as Inconsistent in a newer artist.

Conversely, within the songs things get a little repetitive. I found myself missing a bridge on a few tracks. I would recommend longer verses as well.

I hear a lot of radio potential in these guys. They are catchy without being annoying and their style stands out.

(4/6) 

Road Trip Show: Summerfest day1-2 (Milwaukee, WI)

Road trip show, Milwaukee, WI 

Summefest day 1: Lupé fiasco (not reviewed)

Venue: The Harley Davison Stage on the Summefest grounds. 

The reason Lupe Fiasco is going not reviewed is the same phenomenon that occurred last Summefest with Maroon 5.  The volume wasn’t adjusted right for the number of people at the show. I understand the dilemma of balancing popularity with respecting the other stages, however a simple sound check would have solved a lot of the problems.

But seriously, Summerfest, would it kill you to sound check? 


Summerfest day 2: The Foo Fighters and Silversun Pickups
Venue:

The Marcus Amphitheater (4/6): will always have a place in my heart as the crowning glory of the Summefest grounds where I spent a large chunk of my youth. All told she aged well, while the decade old sound system has all of the failings of an aging system-- Heavy bass and a week  mid-tone section—the  judicious use of screens and  the even distribution of speakers minimize the sound distortion making for a pleasurable experience even when you are well back (Due to miscommunications, I didn’t get tickets until later, which meant I was almost in the lawn).

The show:

Silversun Pickups (5/6): I’ve been itching to see Silversun Pickupsn live.  I am often skeptical of more ethereal vocal qualities translating to a live show.  The moment they started their set I realized I had nothing to fear.  Despite what it sounds like, Brian Aubert’s voice is not a falsetto. His speaking has a higher register and where his lower range sound is where he is modulating his voice. Live it is something to hear. Aubert is also incredibly articulate. Many bands don’t think to enunciate; with microphone distortion  this oftem makes the vocals sound slurred. There are few artists who cane clearly understood live, Silversun Pickups is one of them.

It was interesting to see a band that relies as heavily on the bass as Silversun Pickups does.  Even when it’s a band that has a front man who is the primary guitarist, most bands these days rely on lead guitar to propel the music forward.  In the case of Silversun Pickups, it feels as though Aubert acknowledged it is difficult to play and sing at the same time, but still enjoys doing lead guitar work, so the songs were composed  in such a way that the more intensive lead guitar work happens most when he is not singing. To accommodate this they have a phenomenal bassist who is talented enough to fill in where there isn’t a lead guitar.  To the casual listener, the sound is smooth and dynamic but doesn’t feel as chopped up as one that style risks being. 

Speaking of the bassist.  Nikki Monninger is a slip of a thing and soft spoken, and her body language is playful. (At one point during a particularly bouncy song she did what I can only call a hop step—like she was skipping in place) Her soft soprano voice serves to highlight Aubert’s already ethereal voice lending an otherworldly feel to their choruses.

And she plays a wicked bass.  

Then there’s the drum work, which is precise and technical without sounding over-rehearsed.

Overall these guys were killer on stage and a great show.

Foo Fighters (5/6): The Foo Fighters is one of the few bands I’ve seen live that  are not only still going after over twenty years but are still musically relevant (as opposed to the bands that are running off of nostalgia).  There  is something in how a band that seasoned comports themselves toward the crowd that you don’t see in even bands that are ten years old. There is a wonderful balance of both professionalism and well-deserved cockiness that comes with time.  David Grohl  is not only wonderfully talented and energetic, but  also  has a perfect report  with the fans. It feels as though he has learned to really gauge what the fans need and play to it.  Beyond simply being talented, Grohl has  both a strong presence and  the ability to share the spotlight.  Even after having been in the scene for as long as he has, he still took the time to introduce the  band as though they were new, encouraging them to show off their talents and praising them.  IN particular his dynamic with drummer Taylor Hawkins was both touching and entertaining. Hawlkins made the comment that the best thing about him was being best friends with David Grohl)

Aforementioned drummer is exceptionally talented in his own right, standing out in a six man group all of whom are exquisite musicians. 

It was also a real treat to hear some of their old songs (In addition to newer things),  I hadn’t heard “My Hero” in over  a decade and I’d be willing to wager I was not the only one in the crowd to share that sentiment.  There was something for every era of Foo Fighters fans.

A well done show.  It was a pleasure.

Linkin Park -Living Things-

 Linkin Park, Living Things (4/6):

 Living Things has not yet been released in the US.(Today is the theoretical release date, but I haven’t seen hide nor hair of it being sold) However, I found a streaming version off it on iTunes. Linkin Park has been one of my “guilty” pleasure bands since back in the days of Hybrid Theory (2000) Back then they were defiantly mediocre teenager music at its finest, angst ridden lyrics, lots of screaming and  while there is a place for that, they were very much a one trick pony Linkin Park has improved with each album and honed their sound dramatically over the years. They even expernemented with other styles within their subgenre.  Living Things has all of the anger and edge that their older albums had but has a sophistication that comes with a band working at their sound for over a decade.

Both the vocalists have stepped into their respective styles with a new confidence and conviction that is contagious. Rapper Mike Shinoda has particularly sharpened his skills. It is clear he has studied other rap artists and taken the parts of the style that work with his voice into his own work.

The addition of an electronic element really makes the album pop and throws in an extra layer of dynamic sound that proves both innovative and pointed. The band as a whole has improved their sense of rhythm and precision both in vocalization and in music itself.

Overall, this album is edgy and vicious without being petulant and melodramatic.  It speaks to really pushing forward in the face of adversity.  Linkin Park has grown up with the fans and it shows.

Single of the week: Husky "History's Door"

I get lulls sometimes, when music is scarce in my neck of the woods, or when I just plain old tap out. To prevent this, I present to you "Song of the week" I will review single songs, usually new once a week in addition to my usual stuff.

This week's single:

Husky "History's Door"(3/6):

 “History’s door” was neither particularly stellar nor particularly horrible. One of the things that prevented it from being a really good song was the over use of auto-tune. This is especially obnoxious in Indi music where there is a lot of melody auto tune can be used well to create ambiance and make certain words stand out, however more often than not, it is used to mask a mediocre voice or sound 'cool," which I find distasteful. Have the artistic courage to put your actual voice out there or really lay on the distortion. Go big or go home. 

In that vein, it was like Husky was trying to make a polished studio produced album sound lo- fi. Either go minimal production, or don’t,-don’t fake it. I found that pretentious and off-putting.

That being said, the guitar work stands out in places as very clear and uses some interesting tuning adding a little twang. It is clear the guitarist is good. The lyrics are decent as well and I wonder what the vocalist sounds like without the auto-tune.  It seems as though there is talent buried under all of the distortion.

It grew on me a little as I listened to it again.

In Praise of "Bad" Music: Nickelback w/ bush, Seether (not reviewed) and My Darkest Days(not reviewed) at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Il

Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL-- (3/6) I’ve never been a big fan of arena shows, but sometimes my bands get popular enough to need them, which makes me happy for them. The Allstate Arena is one of the only really big arenas in the Chicagoland area and it’s really more of a sports arena than an arena meant for concerts. The audio system is basically just a PA system and as a result is flat, has lots of noise and is generally not the best system save for the fact that its loud. Its also one of the dirtier arenas I’ve seen and the concessions and merch are hard to access and shoddy. They are also highly disorganized.

The only real pluses are the pyro and the size. The Allstate Arena can comfortably fit 17,500 people and is laid out well enough that it’s pretty easy to see most places.

And the pyro, oh the pyro. I admit I am a sucker for good pyro. The Allstate has a great pyro and visual effects team, which, while not necessary, adds a certain flare to a rock show.

Speaking of which…

Bush (3.5/6): I came in part way through the set on this one, but my gods it was fun. I have to admit that a large chunk of what contributed to my enjoyment of the show was the nostalgia factor. I hadn’t heard anything new from bush in eleven years. I’d assumed they’d gone the way of many 90s grunge stars. They apparently have a new album, which from what little I’ve heard of it is much in keeping with their old stuff-- grunge with ragged, low fi guitar work and slurred vocals. As someone who grew up when it was in its heyday, I have a big soft spot for grunge. While the instrumentation is not thin to write home about, and Rosedale’s voice is not traditionally a good voice, I found they put on a good show and kept in sprit with their music. There is also something to be said when an artist who hasn’t been big in over a decade can walk into the crowd and still get mobbed. Rosedale owned what he wrote and preformed with a dignity that is not seen in a lot of faded stars.

I feel like this is how my parent’s generation feels when they see bands from the 60s on stage.

Nickelback: (4/6) This is my third Nickelback show, and it always feels like a gigantic party. I find that Nickelback reputation is undeserved. There are far worse artists. Sex, booze and rock and roll are the dominant themes of their music. (A friend of mine compared them justly to AC/DC) Crass, dirty, with a devil may care attitude; Chad Kroger knows how to throw a party. He knows his audience and while far from the emotionally intense leap-into-the-crowd style of many artists, he knows what to say to get the crowd cheering and singing along. He also has a wonderful dynamic with his band-mates. There were multiple occasions where I could see the laughter in guitarist Ryan
Peake's face when he and Kroger played off each other. It is a wonderful thing to see a band with a bond. With how cocky he can be, it is difficult to imagine Kroger deferring to anyone, except maybe to go get more alcohol. However, he was more than willing to let both his guitarists and his drummer have their spot in the limelight.

The think that impressed me at this particular show was that Nickleback has grown up as a band. While the days of carousing booze and sex songs are far from gone, there were a few songs that had a level of thoughtfulness that was distinctly lacking in previous work. I never in my life would have expected piano work to appear on a Nickleback album, let alone in an anti-suicide song. I’m pleased to see Nickelback keeping their swagger but adding a little more depth.

Overall, a great show.

Shinedown with The Art Of Dying at the House of Blues Chicago

Venue: House of Blues Chicago (5/6) I have personal bias toward the House of Blues. It was the first venue I ever patroned to of my own volition in Chicago. For a while it was the only one I went to, as I was scared of getting lost. It is my home venue. It is big enough to house a few thousand, but small enough that there isn’t a truly bad vantage point, save for behind one of the massive pillars that support the ornately painted celing. It’s a very clean venue with friendly staff and wonderful security. I often refer to their security as ninjas, nearly invisible unless there is a problem in which case suddenly you find yourself in close proximity with five burly gentlemen in bright yellow shirts.

I also find it a gorgeous venue peppered with unique art and statuary lining two layers of balcony seating along with the standing room floor.  The bathrooms are also some of the nicest I’ve seen in any venue. Which doesn’t mean anything about the other venues, but adds a certain degree of class to the House of Blues.

The Show:

Art of Dying: (4/6) This is the second time I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Art Of Dying. Their classic rock sound combined with upbeat, motivational lyrics make for a show that makes the listener feel like they are capable of anything.  Vocalist Jonny Hetherington worked the crowd surprisingly well and kept lively interaction going throughout the show. Greg Bradley’s style is precise and distinct without being over rehearsed. In fact, the overall sound of the band was very clear and had a great deal of personality. There was no mixing up Art of Dying’s sound with any other. Eighties aesthetic meshes with a more modern sensibility nicely in this little four man band. I found art of dying to be a great opener for Shinedown, as their sound complemented Shinedown’s well

Shinedown (5/6):

 Shinedown continually brings a powerhouse of emotional content ranging from the highflying “Amaryllis” to the cutthroat “Devour” and the quiet pain in  “45.”  Vocalist and lyricist Brent Smith gives all  of himself to his music and it shows. His energy matches his graciousness in its boundlessness.  He is wonderful to both his fans and his band mates; you can really see how much Smith understands that the band is a unit, not simply a vehicle for the front man.  It was especially fun to see his dynamic with guitarist Zach Myers. It is apparent that these two have been working together for a very long time and share a strong chemistry that is a rare treat in the rock world.

Myers is a showman in his own right.  With his clean-cut hair and pretty-boy face, Myer’s bold power scream vocals are quite a surprise. His guitar work is powerful and occasionally sassy. Myers also has an innate understanding of how to place himself on stage and, as mentioned above, has a wonderful dynamic with his band mates.

On the whole, Shinedown continues to bring a fierce, engaging show and a professionalism that a lot of artists simply lack.  I cannot wait to see them again. 

3000 Views!

Happy 3000 views to the Haven! I remember when seven views was a lot. I wish I could do something fun to thank you guys for the over three and a half years of support. 

Next up: 

Shinedown with The Art of Dying at the House of Blues Chicago. 

Road Trip Show: Coheed and Cambria with Moving Mountains and Pianos Become Teeth at The Canopy Club in Champaign, IL

Venue (3.5/6): The Canopy Club is my kind of venue. It’s small enough to be cozy but large enough to be a proper crowd. It is neither the nicest, nor the cleanest of venues, though it is far from disgusting. It has its own character and charm. The majority of the space is standing room, but it has a balcony for those who want to sit. The layout was comfortable with ample access to bars and merch.  The floor was also divided in such a way as to keep the pit crowd from running up against those who wanted to stand but not mosh.   This was my second time at The Canopy Club and both times I had a perfect line of sight to the stage. It was nice and intimate.

Where The Canopy Club loses points is the horrid sound system.  While it’s not the worst I’ve heard, it is very unforgiving especially on the vocals and produces a lot of noise.

Overall, it’s a fun venue with an intimate, comfortable feel.

The Show:

Opener, the First: Pianos Become Teeth (1/6)— Oh Gods. I think these guys  are the worst live act I’ve seen. The one point they earned is for the drummer who, despite his other band-mates' complete lack of talent, was actually decent.  I retract any statement I’ve made about screamo not needing talent to be decent.  This was noise.  The front man didn’t even have a strong scream and seemed to be either drunk or high out of his mind.  Being smashed isn’t a problem usually, however it impeded his already tenuous ability to preform. I spent the parts of the show wondering if he was going to simply stager and fall right over.  The screaming was just drunk screeching, not the guttural screams that make scream work.  And the back-up vocals were just as bad.  The guitar work was fair at best and the bass work was just wretched. Despite my usual desire to encourage younger bands I ended up actually falling asleep on my feet during this set.

I took a glance at their album work, as many younger bands don’t preform as well live as recorded.  It was better, however, it was still horrible.

Opener, the second: Moving Mountains (3/6)– In the wake of Pianos Become Teeth’s performance, all Moving Mountains had to do was show up and tune their instruments to be an improvement.  They had a very professional, yet still eager attitude toward performing.  All told they were solid. Front man[dude] has a good scream and still mange’s to make the melodies distinct. The one that surprised me was when their hither to subdued bassist let out an eagle-like scream.   They made a good effort to keep their sound solid and get the crowd moving.

All told decent.

Headliner: Coheed And Cambria. (5/6)– Coheed and Cambria is the band that set the bar in my book for top live show. From how articulate front man Claudio Sanchez is to the technically astonishing guitar work and brilliant stage presence, Coheed and Cambria brings a level of showmanship and talent not seen in many artists.  Sanchez has innate confidence but has a willingness to share the spotlight with his band mates and a young lady who I suspect is his wife. He also has a very strong relationship with the fans and knows exactly how to work with the crowd while not slacking off on performing.  In addition to his phenomenal vocal work Sanchez has a gift for guitar work.  The majority of artists I’ve seen who both play and do vocals stick to rhythm guitar as it is much simpler to do when sinning. Not so with Sanchez, he does a great deal of the lead guitar exquisitely.

Guitarist Travis Stever is a marvel in his own right.  He can do things with guitar work that I didn’t know were possible. He is amazingly talented and brings his own magic to the show. His backing vocals also complement Sanchez’s own tenor voice lending an ethereal quality to their overall sound.

Their energy and sound are always amazing to experience. A Coheed And Cambria show is unlike anything else I’ve seen.

Album review: Silent Nightmare -Awakening-

I picked up Silent Nightmare’s album Awakening at con several years ago and was reminded that I had it in my drawer in a series of very odd events (Nothing quite makes this young critic jump like the phrase “Wait you’re Arin Wolfe?” Thankfully it was only “I saw you at a con!”) It’s good stuff on the whole.

Vocalist Tara Duhan clearly has years of vocal training under her belt giving her a thoroughly sophisticated style and very technically correct sound. However, this is also her biggest weakness she is so focused on being correct that she loses a lot of the emotional content. She also comes off a little tight in places. That beging said, she has an incredibly powerful voice with a dynamic range spanning the majority of the mezzo-soprano range.

The guitar work is also solid as is the bass work. However, the balance is in desperate need of a rehaul. Hearing all of the instrumentation at the same level at once is cacophonous and distracting in a otherwise charming piece.

There is a cinematic feel to the work as well, it sounds as though it should be a video game soundtrack and it has that same produced sound on top of the dramatic sentiment

My favorite track is the acoustic version of “The Key” as a lot of the over produced sound is dropped and even the vocals are less technical and more passionate. I would love to see more like that track.

Overall it was a decent album. Solid all the way around.

(4/6)

William Beckett -Walk the Talk EP--

Walk the Talk is exactly what I wanted when I heard “Compromising Me,” It has all of the cheek and defiance that fans have come to expect from William Beckett without being the same thing we’ve heard before. I’ve always been impressed with Beckett’s articulate, yet still simple and honest vocal style and the lyrics that invariably match. There has always been a vulnerability to him that draws the listener in without being so raw it hurts. In the decade(?) he’s been in the industry (the majority of with he’s spent as a Chicago celebrity) he has yet to lose his shyness. I vividly remember seeing him doe eyed and utterly startled ad the number of fans present when he was signing after one of his solo shows a few years ago. He may have grown more confident, but he never got jaded like so many other artists.

I could go on forever, but this is about the EP not the man behind it.

All of the personable openness I went on about above doesn’t make for a somber album; on the contrary the album is light hearted, defiant and occasionally earnest. If this EP is indicative of where his new sound is going I will be very pleased. Wonderful voice combined with the ability to use it well without being pretentious, William Beckett is a cut above the rest.
(5/6)

Album Review: Faded Pearl -Faded Pearl-

Faded Pearl 4/6
Maybe I should give new artists a little more credit as this is the second really solid new artist I’ve discovered that is legitimately good and has a professional sound.
I found Faded Pearl at C2E2 hidden in the tiny section reserved for novelists and merch no one is sure what to do with. I would have overlooked them, but the novel one of their members put out caught my attention. They have a really solid post-grunge sound; deep vocals combined with a good baseline and really nice guitar work.
Despite it being a little ten track album that is so new it’s not even in the CDDB, Faded Pearl displays a nice range of tone, while still holding to the underlying current of rugged gravel and passionate drive.
I particularly found the vocals appealing. I will admit that the gravely rugged vocals of post grunge are a weakness of mine and Michael Schmidt does that kind of singing well, yet still mangoes the occasional smooth tenor note. Mark Manning fills out the low end nicely with an earthy pick-bass sound which is well complemented by the rough and tumble guitar work Francesco Bevilacqua offers.

Overall I was very pleasantly surprised by this band, if they ever play in Chicago,I’ll be the first in line.

Album review: Halestorm -A Strange Case of...-

I had high hopes for A Strange Case of...after hearing the single "Here's to Us."  While I've enjoyed everything I've heard from Halestorm and have gushed in excess about Lzzy Hale's powerful voice, I find that Halestorm can be limited in their subject matter and tone, what got me interested in A Strange Case of... was that "Here's to Us" had a softer feel without losing Halestorm's signature powerhouse feeling. I was disappointed to find that the vast majority of the album was the same vitriolic, in your face, stuff we heard on the debut album. While, the band itself is very talented and Lzzy hale has a fearless attitude and powerful voice, Halestorm is regrettably  limited in their range of subjects and tone.

As a stand alone piece the album is wonderful. Fierce attitude with strong vocals and solid guitar work. The drummer is also very good and fills out the few holes in their sound. The album's few slower numbers are sexy and the more up beat songs are positively vicious. I love it on it's own

However, when held up against the rest of Halestorm's discography  it becomes redundant, if   a fun breakup album. There is a little more of a reconciliatory tone in "Here’s To Us" but beyond that its the same stuff we've heard before.

4/6

Speed Reviews: William Beckett, Bob Dee and Man Get Out

William Beckett "Compromising Me"-- 4/6

(Jiminine Christmas, guys I’m so sorry about how late this is)

I was a big fan of William Beckett’s old band  The Academy  is...  his voice is a large part of what  drew me to TAI. When I caught wind of this single I had to check it out.

Now that I've heard it, I'm very intrigued about this new sound. No longer simply the prety boy next door, Bekett has grown up into a foxier, more confinant person. “Compromising Me" has a hint of electronic flair with Beckett's precise, smooth voice.  Unlike other artists who've gone solo that I've heard, his backup band manages to bring the same degree of  professionalism  and  talent to the table that Beckett does.*

He brings a proud, yet dignified tone and still wears that winning smile fans have come to adore.

If this track is any indication, Beckett has lost some of his shyness, and really stepped into his own. 

I look forward to Walk the Talk.

*I have been unable to locate this information, but I suspect the "band" is entirely Beckett's handy work.

Man Get Out ("Berlin" single, This is What Happens When You Whisper into A Megaphone)4/6


Here's a little blurb on these guys from their drummer:
"Man Get Out began our journey in late 2008. We all met through mutial friends, and played our first show together in May 2009. At this first show we were approached by sony and asked to add our track Doppler to the Playstation 3 game Hustle Kings. This secured our first media coverage in the form of a half page feature in the Liverpool echo and a live interview on Radio City Talk.

Various shows up and down the UK followed, including a couple of decent 'battle of the bands' cometitions which we won. The first funded the recording of our first EP “This Is What Happens When You Whisper Through A Megaphone” (available on itunes and spotify, and also from www.mangetout.tv). The second was judged by Mitch Winehouse, who said some nice things about us.

In 2011 we decided to get an extra guitarist to help us beef up the live sound, making us become a five piece.  We kept on gigging, and found ourselves gaining another high-profile fan. That fan was BBC Radio 2 DJ Janice Long. Our meeting came at a gig at Hoxton Underbelly in London where she was watching a band called Flight Brigade. After our show she commented that she really liked us and asked for a cd. We were then taken by surprise to hear our track Geronimo aired on her show later that evening. Around a week later she invited us to perform a live session and interview on her show. This marked one of our greatest achievements to date and also one of our most fun and rewarding experiences as a band. Janice has continued to champion us ever since and regularly plays us on her show. She solidified her support by naming us as her band of the year and even made the trip up to Liverpool to present and compere our sell out single launch event for our single Berlin in Mojo Liverpool in January 2012.

The video for Berlin, our latest single is available to see on youtube - http://youtu.be/V_A_O_OSgIw - and the track is available on itunes, spotify and physically from www.mangetout.tv . We continue to perform live shows as often as possible (dates on the website), and will release more music and videos throughout 2012.

"

First, as per request, the video for Man Get Out’s single "Berlin":

I tend to expect bad things from younger bands; it's part of the nature of learning. I was surprised to hear something both professional and well orchestrated in Man Get Out.  With a splash of synth work and a playful 90s eruo-pop sound, Man Get Out has a catchy sound with fun vocals. I would love to hear more from them. 

Bob Dee with Petro  Up All Night ep. (3/6): I want to like this EP. It has an 80s American rock sound with the same insouciant attitude and rugged vocals that endeared me to rock in the first place.  In most cases, I’m fond of a gravely voice and romantic sentiments, but in Dee’s  case i t feels like there’s no effort there. The vocals are mumbled  and  nasally, often coming across forced.

I also don’t hear a single, most of the tracks don’t stand out.

However, what Dee does well is attitude there is a rugged sexuality that is palpable on the album and a sneer to his voice that is charming in its own way.

On the whole not a very strong sound, but worth a second glance.

Coming up next in full reviews:

Halestorm-  a strange case of

 Silent nightmare  Awakening

Album Review: Our Lady Peace -Curve- (4/6)

With Our Lady Peace’s tendency to go years between albums, the mere existence Curve is as much of a surprise as some of the stylistic changes are. 

One part gravely rocker, one part melodic balladeer, singer Raine Maida's vocal style is anything but conventional, without being bizarre.  Exploring a deep baritone as well as a whispering tenor is simply expected from Maida.  Throw in wicked passion and beautifully constructed lyrics and you have quite a sound. 

This album explores a sound that is closer to Raine Maida's solo work than the familiar alternative rock sound of Burn Burn (2009). Folk sentiments rub elbows with the hard edges and an almost tribal drum style. Duncan Coutts 's use of slap bass is a wonderful throwback to their first album  

Naveed (1994) with its raw where some of the lead guitar work is softened and ethereal without losing the teeth this album has grown. There is a distinctly more urgent feel to Curve than previous albums. Unlike many artist Our Lady Peace has done anything but soften with age, if anything they've found something to feed the fire.

Curve also has a more manipulated sound; it feels like Our Lady Peace spent more time mixing than usual. The amount of effort really shows through in this polished, yet raw album.

(4/6)

Album Review: Poets of the Fall -Temple of Thoguht-

Temple of Thought- (5/6)

I will preface this by saying I’ve been waiting for this album for a long time, I cannot begin to tell you how much I love these guys.

Poets of the Fall is at it’s core a three person rock band( Marko Saaresto (Vocals)Olli Tukiainen (lead guitar) and Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen (keyboards, production). They have also brought in at least on tour and Temple of Thought Jani Snellman (bass guitar), Jaska Mäkinen (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Jari Salminen (drums, percussion)

To say that these guys are a rock band really doesn’t do them justice, their sound is not like any other I’ve heard. I can hear bits of folk rock, progressive rock and classical guitar work in all of their albums. Saaresto’s lyrics are filled with striking turns of phrase and the way he sings them is both innovative and articulate. One of the things I adore about the band as a whole is that they ar constantly innovating, without completely losing their core sound. Saatsto’s voice make’s this most noticeable. Evolving from a simple, lovely tenor to someone with a range from baritone to first tenor and masterful control. Saaresto is particularly good at sensing when to experiment whit sound and where a simple, clean vocalization is best. His diction is amazing.

Musically, their sound runs the gamut from hauntingly simple to ornate sometimes within one song. It is constantly developing but never loses it's surreal quality.

Every album has been utterly poetic and beautiful. Temple of Thought is no exception. It takes the fantastical romance of Twilight Theater and adds the kick of rock that was present in Revolution Roulette in fact you can hear where they blended the pieces of every album of theirs that worked well. In a time where I’ve seen more and more of my pet artists slowly lose what made them so strong to a sound closer to pop, it is refreshing to see an album that very much represents the artists that put their effort forward.

This is one of the very few albums I’ve heard where my finger wasn’t hovering over the skip button.

One of the things that really struck me about this album besides its cumulative nature was the drum work. It is utterly fantastic, particularly in “The Ballad of of Jeremiah Peacekeeper,” there is a steady pulse to the album.

The track that stands out most as completely different from anything else on the album is “The Happy Song.” It was written for the Alan Wake soundtrack. I think it shows off a side to the band that is not often seen-- that is their abllyt to be playful. This is particularly apparent if you listen to the background, Saatesto just kind of goes nuts, frestyling the song’s one repeated line (“I'm a psycho”) in various intonations and at various speeds. Saaresto also has this wicked, wonderful laugh that is infectious and creepy.

Album review: Shinedown -Amaryllis-

Shinedown streamed their newest album Amaryllis (available for purchase March 27th) on iTunes this week and I’ve given it a listen thorough. Here are my thoughts I may write more when it comes out:

Amaryllis offers the bouncy, hard rock sound that is expected from Shinedown with a more pop sound. It lacks the teeth Sound of Madness had. Both of Shinedown’s most recent singles, “Bully” and “Diamond eyes(boom-lay)” are both crowd songs, written to be easy to sing along with even without having heard these song before. While every band has at least one of these songs, it feels like Shinedown is trying for it with these two songs.

The trouble I have with bully is that it feels like Shinedown is hopping on the anti-bullying bandwagon that has been so active lately. It doesn’t have the painfulness of a lot of the anti-bullying songs out there. However, It does have drive. This is where I see the old Shinedown coming out. “Bully” is a ferocious, hard edged anthem. I’m a sucker for songs like “Bully,” that are meant to give strength to the picked on kids.

The slow songs on this album were a bit of a letdown. After the emotional grind that came from “Crow and the butterfly” and “Second chance” it is hard for me to really get excited about the title track “Amaryllis.” While it does have the occasional glimmer of the emotional drive that Shinedown is known for, it is not the power track it should be.

I am intrigued by the addition of strings on this album. Normally, I find strings add to the songs I’ve heard them in. I’m not sure that is the case here. Jury’s still out on that one.

If I had any advice to the band I would say , do not lose that edge.

I found Amaryllis much softer than previous albums and lacking some of the bite of previous albums, It could be simply that its not as angry , which can be good live. We shall see in May. Stay tuned, folks.
(4/6)

Coming very soon: Poets of the Fall Temple of Thought.

Speed reviews Round 2: Mona -Mona-

Mona Mona--(5/6)

I was suppressed at the quality of the sound on this album. Most of my YouTube finds feel a bit like they were recorded in someone’s basement, because sometimes they were.

This album has a very professional feel. The sound is largely alt. rock, but plays with dance, pop, and country. The tone of the album is cheeky and flirtatious. It is the kind of music i personally indulge in a lot. Is it the most fantastic and original thing? no. But it does something a lot of music these days dosn’t do, it has fun without being god awful. There are a lot of song that are motivational on this album. At the same time it isn’t all bubblegum and bounce. There is a sly romanticism about some of the tracks.

The lyrics match the music to the letter . Flirty, sweet and unrepentant, it captures the wanderlust of youth and its soft smile.

The vocals, smooth with just the smallest hint of gravel, front man has solid vocal control (which a lot of artists lack) and articulates much more clearly than the average artist. I could listen to that voice for ages.

The instrumentation has a classic alternative rock sound and the gutair work is a cut above average.

Overall, I was disappointed when the album came to a close, not impatient as I am wont to be. Nicely done.

Speed Reviewing: Lana del Rey, Eli Leib, Halestorm

People send me music, often by the truckload. (At my request, I love nothing quite as much as finding new cool music, and subsequently sharing it with all of you) Because my friends know me, the music ranges from “this is hilariously bad” to “this is amazing” and hits all the points in between. It’s a point of pride for me not to be genre biased, so It also spans an insane number of styles.

In the sprit of keeping this place active I’m going to start reviewing that stuff, from the terrible to the amazing. Even if it’s older.

Ladies and gents, you’ve seen speed dating now: Speed Reviewing.

First up today:

Eli Lieb-3.5/6

Some of my favorite youtube gems are covers, Lieb is no exception. I stumbled onto Lana Del Rey’s “Born to Die” (reviewed below) and I took a shine to Lieb’s more energetic, innocent take on the song. Add to that Katy Perry’s “Firework” and I was interested enough to check out his original work . His voice is lovely, if a little plain. In his covers, i find his ability to simultaneously bring his own interpretation to the song and respect the emotion involved in the original refreshing. It is all to common to see an artist either cover a song verbatim how it was originally sung or in a “unique’ way with does not respect the original artist’s presentation of the song. I find the former boring and the later an insult. Lieb balances his covers nicely.

His interoperation of Rebecca Black’s Friday is priceless. Just priceless.

Leib’s original work is night and day different from his covers. More instrumental and fairly innovative, despite tis pop sound. Lieb takes full advantage of electronic media to synthesize instrumentation that cannot otherwise be made in a one man set up. He also use layered recording to simulate other vocals. However, unlike most artists who do so, he uses the exact same vocalizations with both layers most of the time, consequently I find it a bit excessive and distracting.

In that vein, I find his use of auto-tune unnecessary and obnoxious. He already has a very nice voice and altering it is only detrimental. Its not even used to deliberately distort the vocals, so all that I  notice is a very sleigh tininess.

The instrumentation is cohesive throughout the enter album, without making all of the songs sound the same. Rather the album sounds like one continuous song with a lot of variation. Excepting one song it is fluid and smooth. This creates a double edged sword. ON the one hand, it create for a consistent sound and style, on the other hand, none of the songs jump out at me, exempt the one stylistic diversion me toned.

I would encourage him to explore the more minimal approach that he uses in his covers as occaiosnally he adds a little to much to the instrumentation.

Lyrically, Lieb is hit or miss, the songs the are strong are sexy, haunting and just plain wonderful, the others are less than mediocre and as redundant as the bad parts of pop get. I wish that element was more consistent, because it can really work well.

I think with a little more polish and honing he could be the next big pop thing.

Next we have:

Lana Del Rey(4/6) Born to Die

I actually paused when I heard Del Rey’s sultry, muted voice for the first time. It is not a sound you hear often, especially not today. There is a weight to her voice that you don’t see often in modern music. More reminiscent of a 30s jazz singer than of a modern day chart toper Del Rey brings an at once smooth and fatalistic sound with otherwise upbeat lyrics that call your attention not by grabbing, but with a firm, gentle pull.

In particular, “Born to die” would be one of those upbeat,  “you can do anything” songs that are so common on the radio. Instead, it is a muted look back at a dangerous, painful time.

Lyrically, Del Rey has a bit of a pop sound to her, but what makes her investing is that the same lyrics at a faster tempo would be inspirational, almost happy. Instead, we have a resigned, sorrowful album that touches deep beneath the veins. Rather than the typical nostalgia for teenager-hood it is a resigned look back at the stupidity that comes with that age. It feels like something terrible happened, but it was so long ago that the pain has dulled.

The instrumentation is cinematic and polished with minimal layering and a surprising complexity. It complements Del Rey’s contralto stylings without being overpowering or being overpowered.

One more:

Halestorm (new single, album review no doubt forthcoming) 5/6

I confess I’d grown a little disillusioned with Halestorm. I love them, don’t misunderstand me, but I’ve seen them five times and things were feeling a little repetitive. The vitriolic ex-lover songs are only really powerful so many times.

As I said before, It may haven been one hell of a trick, but Halestorm still felt like a one trick pony.

“Here’s to us,” still holds that country-rock flare and gutsy voice Lzzy Hale is known for, but brings a softer edge and happiness that we don’t see on earlier albums. I have no doubt The Strange Case of…. will have the same sass and ferocity we’ve seen in Halestorm time and again, but perhaps we’ll get a little more depth with our vitriol.

Next up: Mona Mona; Halestorm Hello, it’s Mz. Hyde (EP)