I would like to say that «if you liked Some Mistakes, you’ll like this!» – but I can’t. at all. this band is related to Some Mistakes, in that the vocalist of Some Mistakes used to play bass for them, and one of the guitarist of Some Mistakes happen to play guitar for them. but there ends the comparison. this band plays a glimmering style of alternative meets hardcore. where Saves the Day focuses more on the alternative part, this band is probably much more hardcore punk. real fast and ferocious, but still very catchy and harmonic. if you like early blink-182, Descendents and other alternative bands that play really, really fast – you’ll like this as well. this is hardcore punk with pop sensibilities. or some other controversial contrast… a catchy energy bomb! starting out with longing emo-like twinkling, it soon enough picks up the pace. but *not* in favour of the melody. it hugs melody and harmony all the way from start to finish, in the same way that Saves the Day did on their first two albums (I haven’t really listened to the others). this is some high quality hardcore/alternative/punk/pop/whatever. pace, melody and quality all go hand in hand through this blistering record. hardcore needs bands like Word Travels Fast. download this! (curious side note: in the song “November’s Resolution” (which is my favourite song, actually), they sample the same scene from It’s A Wonderful Life as the ’90s emo band You And I do in their song “Smile”.)
archive for April, 2010
Word Travels Fast – Ellen
Monday, April 19th, 2010Candy Hearts – Ripped Up Jeans & Silly Dreams
Monday, April 19th, 2010if sometimes all you want is a little fuzz on the guitar, an upbeat rhythm section and laid back vocals… if sometimes all you want is to put on The Presidents of the United States of America, The Ergs! or Lemuria… if sometimes all you want is just want some cool rock’n'roll – then Candy Hearts are definitely for you. there is nothing pretentious or pompous about this record. it’s got cheap and simple poppy hooks, dabdadabdaaa vocal harmonies, fuzzy power chords, upbeat drumming and a soft voice singing melodic lines about youthful thinking. the songs are naïve and very head over heels, which leads to Candy Hearts being quite charming and sweet – in a way less snotty way than blink-182, Sum 41 and other alternative bands formed in the ’90s. they also utilize noisy guitars and heavy compositions in the vein of The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and other alternative bands founded in the ’80s. so the end result is a nice timeless style of rock. a consistent and thorough effort, clocking in at over thirty minutes – this is a record you are very likely to enjoy regardless of your preferences, due to its simplicity and charm. you can’t *not* like “Anything” – a modern rock classic from the first listen. download this album!
Some Mistakes – Demo
Friday, April 16th, 2010with a crisp guitar tone that has a way of getting inside your head, a rhythm section that almost sounds like it gets heavier each and every second, and an emotive and sincere vocal performance, Some Mistakes largely favour a heavy sound over quick half minute burst songs. Some Mistakes are a band that shows that you needn’t move at a great pace to move with great purpose. they ultimately reside somewhere between ’90s screamo bands like Elements of Need, and more recent screamo bands, like Mesa Verde (which can be downloaded further down if you are interested), that incorporate more intricate progressive rock elements in their composing. hints of heavy ’90s hardcore/screamo bands like Unbroken and You and I are also detected, along with subtle touches of Modern Life is War and American Nightmare/Give up the Ghost. the end result reminds me of a more hardcore than metal version of Quiritatio, and a less lengthy Fall of Efrafa. anyway, the demo is just over ten minutes long, but makes one hell of an impression in those ten minutes. their anger and passion can be felt throughout the entire thing, as it almost makes its way out of the speakers. the sheer volume, power and passion this band has managed to put into the recordings are overwhelming to the point of it almost crushing you, into the broken souls they sing about in their songs. I am *not* the product of dysfunction and unhappiness, but these songs almost make me feel like I am. the great never ending sadness that these tales tell are breathtakingly painful, but it’s nothing compared to the manner in which the band tells them. that’s what makes this band so special; what makes these songs completely unique, and utterly amazing. you need to hear this band. these three songs are beyond spectacular, and so well crafted as well as performed that this demo is simply bursting with blistering emotional confession and breakdown. note that like quite the few other bands I’ve downloaded from bandcamp (1099′s latest album which can be downloaded further down is one of them), the FLAC copies are nothing but white noise in my standard media player, Amarok. it does work in some other players, like VideoLan Client. so if you use Amarok or any other media player that utilizes the Xine engine, you might consider downloading this in Ogg Vorbis instead. it still sounds extremely good. the recording quality of this demo does not take anything away from the songs or compromise them in any way, thankfully. because these songs are nothing short of fantastic, and they deserve to be heard. hear them!
Det Magiske Blå Orkesteret – Fra Sjal Til Server…
Friday, April 16th, 2010Det Magiske Blå Orkesteret means the magical blue orchestra in English, and it’s definitely a magic orchestra. it’s about time we make another visit to Bodø, Norway – and its fantastic music scene. sounding something like a European Frank Zappa born in the ’80s – the 4080s – who’s travelled back in time with the mother ship to inflict pain and suffering… it’s a quite quirky listen. probably best enjoyed on drugs. hard drugs. avant-garde with the marimba and flutes utilized to create an overall cosy atmosphere in which anyone could feel comfortable. this is an instant classic! or… it will be by 4080, I’m sure!
I See Horses – Has My Stealth Been in Vain
Friday, April 16th, 2010I know rather little about this band, save for the fact that they’ve supposedly been harvesting some really positive attention in the scene over the last year, resulting in them being played on the radio. I also know that they are indie and that this album is for free download. and it’s really good. with vocals that at times are strikingly similar to Wesley in Boris Smile or Brandon Flowers of The Killers, and music that isn’t too far off The Killers either – I See Horses make you feel good with musical references to the ’80s, and bands such as U2 (their good songs) and Simple Minds, but with a very modern and relevant twist, like The Killers and Keane. but both the vocals and the music isn’t in any way stuck in a one way traffic lane, as it in all its versatility constantly change things up. while perhaps not particularly innovating or outstandingly original, this band is pure quality nevertheless. a breath of pop magic has been drawn. did you catch it?
The Sky Looks Pissed – This Ending Promise
Thursday, April 15th, 2010it’s been all too long since the last post consisting of one of Ethan’s many beloved project. for those of you who aren’t up to date – he’s in The Loneliest Cowgirls, Henry Bemis Is A Superhero and Screaming and Dreaming. oh, and The Sky Looks Pissed. which brings me to this post. This Ending Promise is the first “Ethan post” in a while, so I hope you’ve missed him as much as I have. for those of you who aren’t Ethan nerds, this band is a fairly stereotypical down to earth folk rock band. at least most of the time. occasionally though (especially on this new album), it strays away from the “formula”, in favour of e.g. ambience, noise or punk. the lyrics are personal and confrontational, and not (obviously) political. it’s mostly songs about girls, to be quite honest. filled with humour and self-irony akin to Loudon Wainwright III. in between the songs about girls, are ambient – almost shoegaze passages. anyway, to sum it up – it’s a fairly experimental folk rock album. if you like folk rock, you might like this. if you don’t like folk rock, you probably won’t like this. you know what to do people.
forte – forte ’09
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010this oddball sludgy screamo psychedelia insanity is forte, an Ukrainian… screamo band? at least *tendencies* towards screamo are to be found. but honestly the band I would compare them to first of all is MEHE, posted below, despite the fact that they sound nothing like them. but forte – like MEHE – are for the most of the time highly hyperactive and very eccentric – in a manner (not sound) that resembles The Locust. but this is a screamo band. sometimes they go into these Envy-like riffs and climaxes, and sometimes they do these Lungfish/Fugazi-ish calm but focused passages. they build it and tear it down… loudly. this Ukrainian band has me puzzled, to be honest. this over twenty minutes long record covers so much ground in those over twenty minutes. simply astonishingly diverse, with a detailed and interesting layered sound. complex and translucent, this is a band that I urge you to check out as fast as possible. pay especial notice to the beautiful album closer. it’s perfect.