Holy Trinity River (HTR) - "Let It Die" EP Review

This release caught me out of left-field as I haven't heard a good cow-punk band in years.

HTR are Dallas-to-Brooklyn transplants and their sounds fits in there with the 'first-wave' cowpunk bands like Green on Red and The Divine Horsemen. The band arrived in Brooklyn in 2005 and recorded their first EP, Cause/Solution, with Ellis Traver at Brooklyn's Loiter Studios. The band just released a new four-song EP, Let It Die, which was produced and engineered by Richard Lloyd.

Let It Die is a great slice of whiskey-soaked cowpunk and Richard Lloyd's production is near-perfect. The band doesn't loose any of the overall grittiness of their sound but Lloyd's production brings out some great guitar licks which is complemented by steady-on bass work and I really love the snare drums. All four tracks from the new EP are streaming on the band's MySpace page (link below) and the standout track is "The Shaker".

Here are HTR's upcoming shows:
Aug 20 2008 8:00PM, Maxwells, Hoboken, New Jersey
Sep 12 2008 8:00PM, The Castle in Hell Brooklyn, New York

Links:
HTR's MySpace Profile

The Golden Hands Before God... - Here CD Review

Every now and then, the name of a band perfectly describes their style of music. The full name of this band is The Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band & The Spirits and the band plays blissed out psychedelic music.

The band draws upon a diverse range of sounds which include the psychedelic drone of bands like Spacemen 3 which is then combined with the pop sensibilities of bands like Jesus and Mary Chain, Mazzy Star and Darker Day-era Connels. The disc's leadoff track "One Fine Morning" sets the tone for this EP and here is a video of the band performing the song live in their hometown of Windsor, Ontario.

The Golden Hands Before God...One Fine Morning


The cut that is getting the most buzz from this release is "Communist Blues", which perfectly captures the 60's/70's classic rock sound. On this track, the band breaks from the layered psychedelic sounds of some of the previous tracks and lays down some ripping Dylan-ish "Subterranean Homesick Blues" style guitar work.

The new EP Here was released in Canada last week on Pop Echo Records and there will be both a US release and tour later this Fall.

Links:
The Golden Hands Before God's MySpace Profile

Gnaw Their Tongues - An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood CD Review

I have heard a lot of the bands that are labeled as 'extreme doom' but Gnaw Their Tongues is the first that really creeped me out. I have chilled out to bands like Sunn, Khanate and Xasthur late at night -- Gnaw Their Tongues will have you turning on all the lights and making sure the doors are locked.

Gnaw Their Tongues is a one-man project by the artist known as Mories. Given the extreme heaviness of this album, I would have expected Mories to look like a member of Gwar or Lordi but, based on his photo, he looks like the type of person that you wouldn't give a second glance to on the street. Mories gave a fairly in-depth interview to Lords of Metal and here is what he had to say about the new CD:

Lords of Metal: I was mortified by the darkness of the album. To classify Gnaw Their Tongues was and is very difficult. How would you call it and why? I mean, it's not metal but very extreme and your songs are far from a pleasant listen. What are the influences of your extreme dark songs? Are they from books films or maybe the desolate plains of Friesland?

Mories: Well I don't know how to call Gnaw Their Tongues. I don't really care either. Like it or not, that's all that matters. Influences? I don't know, I get inspired by all kind of things, but not influenced. Gnaw Their Tongues is about channelling my world view. It's about letting my subconscious roam freely. About letting inner darkness 'shine' bright and furiously! There are plenty of books and films I like, but Gnaw Their Tongues is about real things in this world. No fiction, just true horror.

Getting back on track, this CD is a re-release of the limited edition vinyl release that was released on Burning World earlier this year. This disc has new artwork from the vinyl release and it also contains an extra track - "The Urge to Participate in Butchery". Anyone not familiar with the black metal genre might dismiss this as noise, but that is not at all the case. The songs are structured and purposeful and there is enough substance to draw you into the music. The 'problem' is that once you are drawn in, you start to notice the murmuring voices beneath the strings and, after listening to a bit more of this horror/snuff movie soundtrack, you start to feel the fingers on the back of your neck.

Like most of the extreme doom artist, Mories has released numerous limited edition releases and a number of them are available as free downloads on Gnaw Their Tongues' MySpace page. One of the more interesting downloads is the Bubonic Burial Rights EP.

Gnaw Their Tongues isn't for everyone (it probably isn't for most people) but...download some of the tracks from the band's MySpace page and see if An Epiphanic Vomiting of Blood is for you.

Links:
Gnaw Their Tongues' Blog

Dantesco - Pagano CD Review

Dantesco's second CD, Pagano, is another recent release on Italy's Cruz Del Sur record label. I've been wrestling with how to write this review as, after repeated listens to this disc, I'm still not sure what to think about Dantesco.

Nothing about this disc is easy to categorize. The music is almost power metal but it is played at a slightly slower place than most of the bands in the genre today. Vocalist Enrico La Bestia shows that he has a wide vocal range but spends the majority of the disc singing in an operatic tenor. I generally don't give a lot of focus to the lyrics on most metal discs but the vocals are mixed prominently on this disc and 10 of the 11 songs are sung in Spanish. Unfortunately, the clash of all these styles is distracting more than anything and it is tough to get engaged with this disc.

There is some pretty good music on this disc but I just can't get my head around "operatic metal". Songs like "I Came From Hell" (the one song with English language vocals) show the potential of the band so I won't give up on them yet. The band has posted a new demo "Burnt" to their MySpace page (link below) which follows in the spirit of "I Came From Hell" so it looks like the band is moving in a more accessible direction.

For anyone curious about Pagano, give a listen to the track "La Ultima Visita De Grendel" which is posted to Dantesco's MySpace page. This track will give you a good feel for how the rest of the disc sounds.

Replacements - Let It Be (2008 Reissue) CD Review

As I noted with my earlier Bad Religion reissue review, the first question everyone asks when a reissue comes out is "Do I really need to buy this again?". I think that an implied second question is "Can I sell (or do without) my old copy?"

The quick answer is that this reissue will probably not replace a previous owned version of Let It Be and the bonus tracks don't provide enough value to justify buying this release a second time.

I've been trying to look at this release by what it is rather than what it could have been, but that has been hard. Rhino did such a fabulous job with the Elvis Costello reissues that I was expecting the same treatment with The Replacements set. At minimum, I would have expected all the unused tracks (below) from the Let It Be sessions would have been included on this disc.

Who's Gonna Take Us Alive
Temptation Eyes
Street Girl (version one)
Street Girl (version two)
Gary's Got a Boner (alternate version)
Perfectly Lethal
You Look Like an Adult

WIth this reissue clocking in at 55 minutes, it seems kind of strange that only two of these outtakes were included. In addition to the missing outtakes, there is so much good live material from this tour that a second disc could have been easily justified. (If anyone from Twintone is reading this - I suggest another reissue that includes ALL of the Let It Be outtakes along with the Feb '84 show from the Pop Shop, Cleveland.)

So...now that I covered what isn't there, let's take a look at what is:
- 20th Century Boy (b-side of 'I Will Dare' 12")
- Perfectly Lethal (LIB Sessions)
- Temptation Eyes (LIB Sessions)
- Answering Machine (home demo)
- Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat (Grass Roots cover)
- Sixteen Blue (alternate version)

I would assume that most 'mats fans have "20th Century Boy" so there is about 17 minutes of new material added to this disc. The sparse bonus material makes it hard to justify owning two copies of this release. Additionally, there are some reviews posted to Amazon that say that some of the core tracks have been edited from the original release. I don't have my turntable currently set up so I can't personally comment but I'm going to keep both Twintone vinyl for the time being. (I'm also going to be keeping my "Let It Be Sessions" bootleg).

Hopefully the other Replacements reissues have more promise.

Bad Religion - New Maps of Hell Deluxe Edition CD Review

With the flood of CD reissues hitting the market, I was prepared to dislike this reissue before even listening to it. Too many of these reissues have just a couple of new tracks or (worse) remixes appended to the CD and then attempt to get full price for the "new" release.

The one complaint that I always read whenever a reissue comes out is "Why do I have to buy this again?". I have a few reissues in my review pile (with this being the first) and my goals with these reviews is to answer the question "Is this worth purchasing if you already have the original issue?"

The Deluxe Edition of New Maps of Hell is a winner. There are seven new tracks added to the original CD. These tracks are acoustic so it took me a second to mentally adjust to the change from Bad Religion's typical tempos. The acoustic tunes are just Greg singing and Brett on acoustic guitar and together they add a whole new dimension to some of the older Bad Religion songs. Three of the seven tunes are unique to this release and the other four songs are re-recordings of (mostly) older material.

The acoustic tunes clock in at about 20 minutes and here is the track list:

- Won't Somebody
- Adam's Atoms
- Sorrow (from 'The Process of Belief')
- God Song (from 'Against the Grain')
- Dearly Beloved (from 'New Maps of Hell')
- Chronophobia
- Skyscraper(from 'Recipe for Hate')

The acoustic tunes are cool but this set also comes a 23-track live DVD of the band performing live last year at the House of Blues in Las Vegas that rounds out the whole package. Also on the DVD are "The Making of the Acoustic EP" and "The Making of New Maps of Hell" along with two music videos from the current CD. I'm not much on the "The Making..." videos for any band (in most cases, these 'VH1 Behind The Music' type clips aren't worth more than one watch, if that) so these last couple clips aren't essential.

The Deluxe Edition of New Maps of Hell is (currently) $22.99 at BestBuy and Amazon.com.

Links:
Bad Religion's Website

The Shys - You'll Never Understand This Band The Way That I Do CD Review

The Shys second full-length release, You'll Never Understand This Band... is a winner. It is a fascinating mix of 60's British psychedelia, 70's pub rock and indie-punk channeled through vision a young southern-California band.

The band makes a bold move by starting the album with a mid-tempo instrumental (not the typical Side 1, Track 1) which features both a violin and glockenspiel. One needs to listen to the whole album to really appreciate the depth of the band's songwriting abilities. Across this disc, the band embraces a variety of musical styles that range from The Beatles' psychedelia-era (Revolver and the White Album), Nicky Hopkins-era Rolling Stones (Exile on Main Street and Goats Head Soup) and pub/roots-rock (The Kinks/Dr. Feelgood).

The standout tunes are on this disc are the "Savior", "She's Already Gone", "Find Some Courage". All of which have a sort of a John Lennon vibe but singer Kyle Krone makes these tunes his own. Kyle Krone has a great voice that matches the band's style of music as his delivery ranges from John Lennon-ish fuzzed-out psychedelia to world-weary Mick Jagger-style blues (on "Mercy" and "Brother Please"). Even though I prefer the Beatles/Stones-style tracks, the pub-rock tracks are pretty cool and may get me to break out my Dr. Feelgood albums. The only track that doesn't seem to fit with the overall flow of the disc is "All on Me" which is a John Eddie/Bob Seger-style roots rocker.

The Shys returned to Aeronaut Records for You'll Never Understand This Band The Way That I Do and the record hits the streets on July 22. Check out Mojo Republik's in-depth interview with The Shy's where they talk about the upcoming CD and their move back to Aeronaut Records.

Links:
The Shys' Website
Aeronaut Records

The Hives: Black, White and Run: Nike + Original Remix CD Review

As I have been going to the gym more, I have been trying to load up my iPod with workout music that is going to keep me going. I have been listening to a lot of Earache Records releases when lifting but you can't really run to death metal blast beats.

I have been listening to The Hives - Black, White and Run CD my last few times at the gym and this is really what I have been looking for. Production duo Expensive People have taken elements from The Hives' The Black and White Album and have crafted them into a high-energy disc which you can pace your run by. Unlike a lot of other remix discs, this 45 minute set would hold its own in the dance clubs as well as the gym.

There are elements from "Try It Again", "Won't Be Long", "Tick Tick Boom" and a number of other well-known Hives songs. The disc begins with a brisk start and then picks up the pace as the music intensifies. The breather breaks don't slow the pace much so it isn't until the end of the disc when the beats slow down for the cool-down. This disc runs about 45 minutes and it will drive an aggressive workout.

Here is a two minute sampler from the disc and you can click the CD cover to purchase Black, White and Run from iTunes.

Links:
The Hives
Nike+

Nadja - Desire In Uneasiness CD Review

Nadja has to be one of the most prolific bands that I know. "Desire In Uneasiness" contains all new material and was released in April. The band has already announced their next album of new material, "The Bungled and the Botched", which will be released on July 10th.

"Desire In Uneasiness" is the first release for Nadja where the core-duo of Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff added a live drummer to the recording process. The live drummer and Baker and Buckareff's focus on using interlocking basses seem to have opened up the band's sound and given it room to breathe. The comparisons to Godflesh no longer seem valid and a good point of comparison for this release is either Earth or the Growing. Like these bands, Nadja's music falls more in the drone category than doom as their sound has none of the menace or darkness of some of their doom contemporaries (i.e. Xasthur and Khanate). The music on this disc builds a soundscape out of slow epic riffs that rise and fall like waves.

While there are only five tracks on this release, this disc clocks in at 60 minutes and most of the tracks are well over 10 minutes. The album plays like a coherent body of work where each of the tracks identifies slight shifts in the environment but each track still fits as a piece of the overall musical landscape.

This release is an exciting step forward for the band and Nadja should find fans in both the Hydrahead and Southern Lord camps.

Links:
Nadja's MySpace profile
Nadja's Website

Apes & Androids Are Playing Bowery Ballroom + Blood Moon CD Review

Apes & Androids are getting so much media buzz these days, I am surprised that there are still tickets available to the band's show next week at Bowery Ballroom. The show is Friday, May 30th and A&A are playing with Free Blood and The Forms. Tickets are only $13.00.

I've heard about Apes & Androids' over-the-top live shows shows for the past year or so but I never took the time to see the band play live so the band's debut CD, "Blood Moon", took me by surprise. (Given the number of CDs that I listen to in a given week, this really says something for the band). There are a number of reviews around the internet that compare the band to Queen but I honestly think the better point of comparison is George Clinton and P-Funk. George Clinton, with the full band, is the only act that I have seen hit the same oversexed electronic funked-up groove that Apes & Androids are playing in. This is wild stuff and I am looking forward to catching these guys live.

One of the standout tracks on the disc is "We Don't Understand You". Joly (from Punkcast.com) filmed the band's show at Studio B last year and posted a live version of this track to YouTube.



The band embraces such a wide variety of styles, I thought that I was listening to a different band as the CD first played through. Toward the middle of the disc, the band embraces more of a 80's West Coast punk/new-wave sound (a la Oingo Boingo). Check out Nights of the Week (which is a free download). "Johnny & Sarah" is another standout from this 'segment' of the disc.

The last third of the disc completely threw me as the band embraces a Coldplay/Radiohead sound. I'm not big on this style of music but "Doyle Is Dead" is a pretty cool song.

"Blood Moon" is truly a unique, stand-out disc and Apes & Androids have set the bar pretty high for a follow-up.

Links:
Apes & Androids' MySpace profile
Apes & Androids' Website

Coffins - Burried Death CD Review

I've never really taken a firm position on music downloading until tonight. I was searching for some background info on Coffins to add to this review and a good number of torrent sites came up in the top slots on Google. C'mon kids...the CD isn't officially released for another month and it is already all over the internet???? It is highly unlikely that Coffins makes much money and this sort of bulls*t will limit both the band's releases and their ability to tour in the future.

Anyway...on with the review. Coffins sound has devolved and slowed waaaay down over the years. On the band's third release, Buried Death, the music is akin to a death metal version of The Melvins crossed with Kyuss. There are low-end bass and drums throughout the disc over which guitarist/vocalist Uchino growls in a cookie monster voice and locks in some stoner guitar riffs and psychedelic leads. While the band's style remains consistent across the disc, there is enough musical diversity between the tracks that the band doesn't wear out their welcome.

In addition to the music, the packaging is pretty cool on this release as Coffins appears to be one of the few bands that remembers the thrill of buying a gatefold LP for the cover art, inserts, etc. Buried Dead has some pretty killer cover art by Chris Moyen depicting zombies in the graveyard and the CD comes in an LP-like inner-sleeve. The band obviously took a lot of care in putting this release together.

Buried Death will be released on June 24th on 20 Buck Spin which is distributed through Southern Lord. Decibel magazine cited Buried Dead as one of the 25 most anticipated LPs of 2008. The title track, "Buried Death", is included on Southern Lord sampler that will given out free on Boris' North American tour.

Coffins is playing the Maryland Death Fest this weekend and made their US debut last week, which included shows at ABC No Rio and Rockstar Bar. There are some pictures of Coffin's show at ABC No Rio posted to Flickr.

Links:
Coffins' MySpace Profile
Coffins' Website

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I - IV CD Review

I have been wrestling with the philosophical question: Does free = good? Would this release get this much media buzz if it were released by either Pelican or Echoes & Shadows. (If anyone is wondering the context, Ghosts is all instrumental and both of the aforementioned bands are great instrumental bands).

Nine Inch Nails released Ghosts I-IV (part I) as a free download on the NIN site. Part 1 includes the first 9 of the 36 track double-CD. The entire album is available as a $5 download, a $10 double CD, a $75 "deluxe" package with CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray copies, and a $300 "ultra-deluxe" edition (which is already sold out).

The whole distribution concept is fascinating as this release generated $1.6M in its first week of release. I'm a big NiN fan and recognize and appreciate Trent Reznor's talent but this is a good, not essential, release. Long-time fans will likely buy this regardless but the curious are better off sticking with the free download. The 36 tracks aren't distinctive enough on their own so that anyone curious won't miss much after listening to the first nine cuts.

For anyone who hasn't heard this disc - it sounds nothing like past NiN work. Anyone expecting "Head Like A Hole" will be severely disappointed. This is a double disc of instrumental work with some middle-eastern flavoring (ala Eno/Byrne "My Life In the Bush of Ghosts"). The problem is that Reznor never challenges the listener in the same manner as Eno and Byrne. There are many tracks where the music just drifts away in the background. Adrian Belew plays some tasty guitar on a few tracks but that isn't enough to save this disc from being much more than background listening.

I'm not planning on parting with this disc but I don't think it will get much future play. With the tracks not being that distinctive, this is the sort of disc that you either listen to start-to-finish or not at all.

To drift back into my day-job...I am fascinated by the online community that has sprung up around this release. NiN created a YouTube channel around this release and there are currently 6,752 members and 1,019 videos.

"To expand the idea of the "Ghosts" project, Nine Inch Nails is inviting anyone and everyone to create visuals to accompany the album's music. In a few months, we'll be gathering the entries we feel are particularly exceptional and highlighting them. There are no rules to this - be as creative as you like. Create a music video, or a short film, or something completely abstract. Use only one track from the album, or use multiple tracks."

Links:
Nine Inch Nails' Website

Dead Leaf Echo - Pale Fire CD Review / Show at Trash Bar on May 15th

This is an impressive disc...Dead Leaf Echo's second CD perfectly captures the spirit of the 80's-era Beggars Banquet/4AD bands. The band's sound is part atmospheric wall-of-sound, part goth/new romantic and part shoegazer. The amalgamation of all these styles makes for an interesting disc that warrants repeated play.

Singer/guitarist LG has a world-weary voice, which he complements with a guitar sound that ranges from a jangle (without embracing a 'pop' sound) to a wash of sound. Liza B. plays on integral role with tasteful keys and backing vocals and there is some pretty crisp drumming throughout the disc. In a recent interview with Gearwire , LG says the band’s influences include 4AD, Creation and Factory—delay heavy guitars with lush ethereal vocals.

The disc starts out with the gothic/ambient tracks "Warm Body" and "Thought Talk". Here is the video for "Warm Body" and the black and white 35MM film really captures the essence of the band's sound.



From here, the band shifts into some up-tempo tracks, "Tears" and "Cry The Sea". This is the closest that the band comes to 'rockers' and a good point of comparison may be My Bloody Valentine. The disc ends with two epic wall-of-sound tracks, "Pale Fire" and "Reflex Motion", that showcase the band's intricate and layered sound.

A limited edition second pressing of Pale Fire is available through the band's MySpace profile (link below).

Dead Leaf Echo play the Trash Bar in Brooklyn tomorrow night (May 15th) and Rehab on August 15th.

Links:
Dead Leaf Echo's MySpace Profile
Dead Leaf Echo's Website

Robert Francis - One By One CD Review

Robert Francis makes a pretty bold statement modeling the cover of his debut CD after the cover of Bob Dylan's The Times They Are a-Changin'. Francis' CD One to One isn't quite Dylan but it is a solid debut. Both musically and with his lyrical outlook, Robert Francis is closer in spirit to Townes Van Zandt or Cowboy Junkies than Dylan. One to One contains 10 world-weary tales of people, places and heartache. Townes Van Zandt, after being asked why he only wrote sad songs said "Well, many of the songs, they aren't sad, they're hopeless." Francis' melodies and lyrics aren't all hopeless but there is a sort of haunting beauty that carries across these tracks.

There has been a lot of 'to-do' in the media that Francis was only 19 when he recorded this CD. Not to downplay Francis' achievements (which are impressive - he plays guitar, bass, drums, piano, banjo and glockenspiel on this disc in addition to taking on the role of producer) but he is not a newcomer to the music scene. I recently read an overview of Francis' musical career and highlights include receiving a vintage National guitar at age nine from Ry Cooder and taking guitar lessons from Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante. Francis is also the younger brother of Juliette Commagere, who fronts Hello Stranger (currently on tour with the Foo Fighters).

The songs on this disc are driven by an equal combination of the instrumentation and Francis' voice. Francis has his sister Juliette Commagere and other female accompanists singing harmonies with him on about half the tracks which provides a bit of light to Francis' weary baritone. One of the standouts tracks is the title track, One By One, which features Commagere's harmonies mixed with a lush arrangement of piano and violins.

In addition to the positive press and a sold out show at the Bowery Ballroom last month, Robert Francis was also nominated for The Shortlist Music Prize for One By One. The Shortlist Music Prize is a music award given annually to an album released in the United States within the last year, as chosen by a panel of musicians, producers and journalists, known as the 'Listmakers'.

This is a strong mature release from a young artist off to a great start. Francis has set the bar high for future releases.

Manes - How the World Came to An End CD Review

This is a bit of a surprising release from Candlelight Records, given that Candlelight is the home of Emperor and other black metal bands. While Manes started off as a ‘traditional’ black metal act, their sound on this 2007 release emphasizes elements of world music, free-form jazz and hip-hop. Immediate points of comparison are the 80’s line-up of King Crimson and/or the world music side of Peter Gabriel crossed with the electronica/goth sounds of 80’s Depeche Mode.

This is an adventurous release by Manes as it is both danceable and accessible to the masses. Tracks like “I Watch You Fall” and “The Cure-All” have both clean vocals and an intricately layered soundscape of melodies and sounds. There are a number of guest vocalists/artists on this release (11 guests are listed on the band’s website) but, even with the stylistic differences between tracks, this disc flows as a cohesive body of work. The atmosphere of the disc is highlighted by crystal-clear production which keeps the layers of sounds from being overwhelming and it also makes for great headphones listening.

It appears that Manes’ MySpace page is down, Mains’ website hasn’t been updated in a year and the band parted ways with Candlelight Records earlier this year so I’m not sure what the best way is to keep up with the band. The band though is supposed to be working on a upcoming release, tentatively entitled 'Be All End All', so I’m sure that Manes will resurface on the web soon.

Xasthur - A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors CD Review

Xasthur's MySpace page reads "Dont even bother trying to add me...Xasthur is a suicidal black metal one-man-band from the United States."

This should tell you what you are getting into with this re-issue of Xasthur's first full length CD from 2001. This disc was the first CD where Xasthur became Malefic's solo project. The original release of "A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors" was a CD-R that was limited to 150 copies; this release is from the 2003 remix that was original issued on Total Holocaust Records. This new reissue includes a 40 minute bonus disc of a 1997 Rehearsal.

This is a fascinating document of the evolution of both Xasthur and the US Black Metal scene. While Malefic's voice plays a major part of recent releases and his work with Sunn O))), this disc is almost entirely instrumental. Its claustrophobic atmosphere is both compelling and depressing. The production is low-fi which adds to the intensity of the music. Malefic also gives a nod to Norwegian black metal predecessors Burzum by including a cover of "Black Spell of Destruction".

For any fan of black metal, this disc is essential. For anyone who already has this disc, the 6-song bonus disc justifies picking this up a second time.

This reissue came out in January on the Hydrahead label.

The Death of Jason Brody Plays Mercury Lounge on January 31st + CD Review

Well...Jason Brody is not dead but rather making Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello-inspired indie-rock. The band released their first EP in late 2006 and it is a great debut that captures a lot of the post-punk sounds of the 90's and beyond.

Brody has a great voice for this style of music as he can range from a near sound-alike to Daryl Palumbo/Joe Jackson to a Jeff Buckley style falsetto. The band seems to have an equally wide range which spans from rich Coldplay-style musical textures (check out the break-up tune "Broken") to new wave-ish opening track "Call Off Your Dogs".

The band has posted a new demo track "Emergency" as a free download on their website.

The Death of Jason Brody have been both touring and working on a new CD so they haven't played that many shows in town as of late. Check out the band's upcoming show at the Mercury Lounge on January 31st.

Tickets are only $10.

Links:
The Death of Jason Brody's MySpace page
The Death of Jason Brody's Website

Daft Punk - Alive 2007 CD Review

After watching the Pink Floyd-ish multimedia spectacle that was last year’s Daft Punk show at Keyspan Park, I had real doubts that the band could pull off releasing just a live CD without an accompanying DVD. Daft Punk’s live shows really seemed to be geared around the visuals and the energy of the crowds. Check out the live video below that was filmed at Keyspan Park.








I was pleasantly surprised to find that Daft Punk captures a lot of their live energy on this disc and it is really a worthwhile experience. This show was recorded last June at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris. Daft Punk really seems to feed off the energy of the 18,000+ capacity crowd.

A number of the songs are tracked together on this disc as the band remixes, mashes-up and segues between songs. The band gets a great roar of approval for tracks like "Television Rules The Nation" and "Around the World". It was a pleasant surprise to hear some of the tracks from "Human After All" take on a fresh life on this disc. Overall, it is a great mix of songs that is fueled by the energy of the crowd.

If you aren't familiar with the band, check out some of the live videos from last year's tour on YouTube and pick up a copy of this CD. You can't help but move to the beat.

Links:
Daft Punk's MySpace page
Daft Punk's Website

The Whitsundays - CD Review

The debut CD by Edmonton, Alberta's The Whitsundays would have made my "Best of 2007" list if it had been released a month sooner. I have been listening to the reissue of Pink Floyd's "Piper At the Gates of Dawn" and The Whitsunday's debut CD sounds like it could have been recorded right around the same time period. Main-man, Paul Arnusch perfectly captures the sound of the late 60's British bands, from The Zombies to Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd and The Kinks. Most of the tracks are somewhat low-key with textured vocal harmonies and reverbed guitar and organ. The only exception to this is "Antisocial" which is alt-rock tune with some great slashing guitar work. The track "Sorry James" captures the mood of the majority of the disc. This isn't to say that the disc is one-dimensional as each track brings out a different facet of the late 60's era of music - check out the Beach Boys style harmonies on "It Must Be Me" and the disc ends with an instrumental piano-driven piece entitled "Whitsunday Morning Theme."

The Whitsunday's CD will be released on January 22, 2008 on Friendly Fire Recordings.

Links:
The Whitsundays' MySpace Page

Evile - Enter The Grave CD Review

I just started compiling my Top 10 list of 2007 CDs and this CD will likely make the list. Evile plays old school thrash in the style of early Metallica, Slayer and Exodus and this is an insanely strong debut CD.

The band generated quite a following within the metal scene with their two independently released demos ("All Hallows Eve" and "Hell") along with some high profile UK festival gigs last year. The band signed to Earache late last year and Enter The Grave was released this past September.

Metal Mayhem UK interviewed singer Matt Drake and Drake describes Evile's sound as follows "If you're fed up with the state of current day metal, and no bands are producing great songs that you're going to remember in 20 years time anymore, then you might like us, expect metal cultivated from its roots, where the songs have character all of their own, and each band sounded like themselves, not anyone else. Oh yeah and we play thrash fucking metal, heavy fast epic blistering fucking metal."

If you check out the live video of the CD title track, "Enter the Grave" (filmed at the Virgin Store in Manchester in August), you will quickly get a feel for the 10 tracks on this disc. Simply put - this is a return to the raw, balls-out Bay-Area style 80's metal.



The band's strong playing and Drake's singing is complemented by top-notch production by Flemming Rassmussen (producer of Metallica's Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning) The band doesn't shake off the 80's thrash label but actively embraces it.

This is an excellent debut release by a band whose career should take off explosively.

Links:
Evile's MySpace Page
Evile's Website
Earache Records