1990s : Kicks :: Review

On their sophomore album ‘Kicks,’ 1990s return to writing punky pop songs that are often times silly and sarcastic and carry this pseudo “Berlin” vibe. Those looking for any profound meaning in these songs are definitely in the wrong place. The album opens with the chiming “Vondelpark” with vocalist Jackie McKeown initially playing it straight with his best Clash sound-alike. “Tell Me When You’re Ready” almost apes Big Audio Dynamite’s “The Globe” and The Clash’s “ Should I Stay Or Should I Go” both in lyrics and chord progression.

“59” could be a Flight of the Conchords outtake. “Kicks” stays rooted in angular sounding pop through a large portion of the album, as 1990s aren’t afraid to show their power poppy punk influences on the majority of tracks. On first listen, there were times I thought I was listening to a long lost Dada record especially on “Balthazar” and “Local Science.” Depending on how you view early ‘90’s pop music, that’s either a good or bad thing. If 1990s released a single with “Dizz-knee Land” on it as a b-side, it wouldn’t be out of place.

The last third of the album goes through some weird transitions and references. “The Box” is reminiscent of Iggy Pop’s 70’s output, while closers “The Kids” and “Sparks” would easily fit on a Joe Jackson album. This creates a slightly schizophrenic listening experience because it doesn’t seem to logically progress to me. Maybe it flows in the 1990′s world, and I guess that’s all that matters.

Rating:

1990s ‘Kicks’ will be released March 24, 2009 on Rough Trade

This post was submitted by greg.

The Answer : Everyday Demons :: Review

As this is being written, The Answer are receiving acclaim for opening AC/DC’s “Black Ice” tour.  The Irish band is seemingly preparing an invasion of America with their debut ‘Everyday Demons’ available on March 31, 2009.  Specializing in riff heavy rock, The Answer’s debut rekindles the fire in heavy metal and could possibly eliminate the need for any more Nickelback albums to be released. The Answer finds their inspiration in the classic sound of heavy metal from groups ranging from Free to Thin Lizzy.  Their sound is blues based with a heavy dose of pop music thrown in which made them such a stellar match for AC/DC crowds.

The record opens with “Demon Eyes” which builds from a simple riff into something that sounds suspiciously Zepplinesque.   Cormac Neeson’s vocals call to mind a combination of Paul Rodgers and Robert Plant throughout the album.  “Demon Eyes” leads nicely into “Too Far Gone,” a rocker that calls to mind Thin Lizzy.  Phil Lynott would be proud.  The production on the album is thick with the air of 70’s rock as “Cry Out” wouldn’t be out of place on a KISS album.

The Answer never loses their bluesy touches, but the album does get bogged down in the middle by sameness amongst several of the tracks from “Pride” to “Tonight.”  These tracks aren’t terrible; they just all start to sound the same until the jagged “Dead of Night” shakes things up again.  The ballad “ Comfort Zone” features a “Friends” era Page guitar intro and closer “Evil Man” could have been taken from any Bad Company record. The Answer could prove to be the antidote to the current AOR radio malaise and wipe away the sludge that is currently in heavy rotation.

Rating:

This post was submitted by greg.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart : The Pains of Being Pure at Heart :: Review

I’m kind of late with this review but then again, there’s been a ton of stuff released recently.  New York quartet The Pains of Being Pure at Heart has released an interesting debut this year.  Combining the fuzzed out gauziness of Ride and My Bloody Valentine, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are spearheading a new resurgence of shoegazey pop.  Most of the songs shimmer and jangle along without being too saccharinely sweet.  Top songs include, “Come Saturday,” “Everything With You,” and “The Tenure Itch.”

This album could have come out in the early 90’s and earned a place with the aforementioned bands, but it could have easily found an appreciation with those who favored The Lemonheads style of hooky song craft.  Either way, the album is a keeper and one that you’ll want to hear again and again as it goes by too fast.

Rating:

This post was submitted by greg.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart : Everything With You

This post was submitted by greg.

Requiem For A Day Off

One of the better horror/comedy video mashups featuring Ferris Bueller + Requiem For A Dream.

This post was submitted by greg.

From Monument To Masses Plot Tour

Post-rock trio From Monument to Masses are hitting the road this April, just after releasing their new album On Little Known Frequencies.  The band’s epic compositions burst with an intensity that demands being witnessed live.  The guys will be joining Dredg and Torche on the stint, making it a must-see tour for fans of brainy, heavy rock.

From Monument To Masses are political but never preachy, direct but never literal.   Their mostly instrumental new album conjures up images that are vivid but open to interpretation.  Francis Choung (drums/programming), Matthew Solberg (guitar), and Sergio Robledo-Maderazo (bass/synthesizer) fit together like the brushstrokes of an abstract expressionist painter.

“On Little Known Frequencies” finds the band weaving an eclectic array of genres into their post-rock core.  Inspired by everything from hip hop beats to classical string arrangements to the explosive energy of early hardcore, FMTM  twist these styles to match their aesthetic instead of throwing out overt references.  The album is also laiden with spooky snippets of sampled dialogue, another example of the band’s decision to stray away from simply saying what they feel.

Opening track “checksum” kicks things off with hypnotic, sci-fi keys circling over locked-in guitar and drums while the first of the album’s many eerie samples plays.   The tension steadily builds before the whole band does an about-face and settles into a comfortable groove.  Robledo-Maderazo launches into an ominous bassline that bounces steadily with Choung’s nimble, rhythmically complex kit work.  Solberg unleashes his unpredictable, shapeshifting guitar licks.  The group continues to charge forward at full blast before arriving at a sweeping, cinemtatic finale with twinkling piano and haunting male-female vocals.  The song plays like an epic journey with an abstract narrative and is only one of eight such adventures on the album.

The band’s biggest asset might be that they are collectively blessed with astounding musical chops as well as the desire to use them in a tasteful manner.  While so much instrumental music comes off as a means to showcase musicianship, FMTM are able to drop jaws through emotion.
US Tour Dates:

* = With Dredg and Torche

02/26: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill – Noise Pop Festival

04/03: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater*

04/04: Bellingham, WA @ Nightlife Lounge*

04/05: Seattle, WA @ Neumos*

04/07: Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon*

04/08: Denver, CO @ Marquis*

04/10: Minnesota, MN @ Varsity*

04/11: Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews*

04/12: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle*

04/13: Detroit, MI @ Eagle Theater*

04/15: Boston, MA @ Middle East*

04/16: Philadelphia, PA @ TLA*

04/17: Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon*

04/18: Baltimore, MD @ Sonar*

04/19: New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom*

04/21: Raleigh, NC @ Brewery*

04/22: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade*

04/24: Orlando, FL @ Social*

04/25: Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Club*

04/26: Tampa. FL @ State Theater*

This post was submitted by greg.

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions : Suzanne

This post was submitted by greg.

Tiny Masters Of Today Announce New Album

It has certainly been an action packed journey for Tiny Masters Of Today.  Almost overnight, the band went from a few homemade recordings on a MySpace page to collaborating with Karen O and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kimya Dawson, Fred Schneider (B-52s) and Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), being remixed by CSS and Liars, and touring the world. David Bowie even lauded their first homemade single as “Genius.” Not bad for a band that double as full-time students in the New York Public School System.

With “Skeletons,” the Tiny Masters went it totally alone, producing and writing the entire album themselves. The tracks were largely recorded at their home in Brooklyn, using the computer program Garageband. They brought the songs to Seaside Lounge studio with engineer Patrick McCarthy for additional recording and the final product was mixed by Matt Stein at U.W.M.S.C. in New York.

Fans of Tiny Masters’ familiar shouting and sloganeering and general anti-establishment nose thumbing won’t be disappointed, but the sonic palette has broadened somewhat. While their rag-tag sound is clearly informed by classic-era punk rock,  they think nothing of incorporating hip-hop, electronica, dub, and even disco into a messy and uproarious concoction. The end result is frantic and funny, equally poignant and pugnacious. Politically charged and strikingly original, a curious pastiche of styles and subjects all channeled through their own, very unique, filter.

More here:
http://www.myspace.com/tinymasters

This post was submitted by greg.

It Hugs Back : Now & Again, Work Day Videos

Now & Again

Work Day

It Hugs Back is a new band from Kent, England who are releasing their My Bloody Valentine/Yo La Tengo inspired album, ‘Inside Your Guitar’ on 4AD on April 7.  It Hugs Back excels in the quiet and fuzzy dynamic as evidenced by these two videos.  A resurgence in shoegaze is not shoegaze is not such a bad thing after all.

This post was submitted by greg.

Badfinger : Day After Day (Live)

This post was submitted by greg.

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