The Dillinger Escape Plan
American Mathrock, Experimental/ Metal, some real good heavy stuff right here. Dillinger’s EP is some real good stuff from before Dimitri Minakakis left the band.
If you’re into this band, no doubt you gotta have this EP
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Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Sporting one of the weirdest band names ever, Scary Kids Scaring Kids started the band as a high-school project. Now 18 and 19, they are releasing their debut full-length album for Immortal Records. The band has been named the “rock symphony”, far before Green Day ever got the title of being a “punk rock opera”.
The City Sleeps In Flames – 8/10
The CD starts out very strong. “The City Sleeps In Flames” is very melodic, with lots of guitar licks and and a dark feel to the song, and at 4 minutes, it manages to keep you hooked until the end. There’s an even amount of screaming and singing in this song. A very emotional part of the song comes near the end, with Tyson singing “everythings gonna be fine” over and over, finally ending with him screaming.
The Only Medicine – 9/10
We then go into “The Only Medicine”, one of the more harder songs of the album. We hear the main intro in one speaker, then the right, and then the song builds into a screaming and amazing track. The keyboard really makes this song for me, SKSK can pull off the cheesy keyboard melodies and combine them with their superb song-writing. The final thing I love about this song would be the solo, it’s just so beautifully played.
The World As We Know It – 7/10
“The World As We Know It” has a more slower feel to the song, starting out with the full band with the keyboard being the main focus. The keyboard comes back in the chorus, which makes the song much better already. In the bridge of the song he doesn’t really sing, more along the lines of talking. This is followed by some screaming and very Norma Jean type breakdown. Once again, the keyboard makes this song very very catchy.
What’s Said And Done – 8/10
The next song has a much more down-beat feel to it, and almost sounds like Saosin. “What’s Said And Done” is a lot smoother than the beforehand, more up-beat songs. It focus’ more on the bass and drums in the verses, and Tyson’s voice sounds perfect over the top. This sounds more like a radio-single to me, but then again it still displays a great musical ability and a wonderful vocal track.
Just A Taste – 7/10
Another slower song here, “Just A Taste” combines a calm clean guitar with the palm-muted distorted guitar to create a melodic feel that just feels relaxing with Tyson’s beautiful voice. This is a much more poppier song, and the chorus certainly proves this. The keyboard really adds to the effect as well. This may be more emotional than “What’s Said And Done”, but the music is certainly not as impressive.
My Darkest Hour – 9/10
Oh yes, the keyboard melody in this is so cheesy it could be taken straight from a glam rock song. Combine this with a catchy riff and superb vocals and you have one of the best songs on the album. A lyric that really sticks out to me in this song is “You left me at the alter, with my heart in my hand”. It’s just so descriptive and precise. This is one of the better songs on the album, being able to be less rockier and more catchier without losing the band’s definitive sound.
Drowning – 8/10
This is more of a screaming/singing combination, and I think the band have pulled it off effectively. “Drowning” sounds like it could be taken straight from a Thrice album, the music and the vocals just sounds so raw and twisted. The catchies part of this song, is the keyboard solos. I don’t know of too many bands that have actual solos for their keyboardist, but SKSK pull it off so well. A great song here.
The Bright Side Of Suffering – 5/10
Next we have one of the more “over-produced” songs on the album. The piano intro with the sound of birds and outdoors quickly leaps into the full band. The riffs in this song sound more metally than the other songs, especially the pinch-harmonics you hear every now and again. Overall, I didn’t think this song was that special, but it has it’s moments.
Enpty Glasses – 7/10
With an intro that sounds like it could’ve been taken straight from Sonic 2, “Empty Glasses” is another catchy and well written song. Very upbeat almost pop punkish chorus, the keyboard plays a big part in bringing that poppier sound to the song. Although this is one of the more catchier songs, sounding like Reggie And The Full Effect in places, it is lacking energy that ruins it for me.
Faith In The Knife – 6/10
Another melodic song which uses a catchy keyboard riff with heavy guitars and a great singing/screaming combo. Sadly, after about 30 minutes, this formula begins to tire and get old. The song itself is a good song, the riffs are quite complicated and catch you off guard, but that’s about all I like about this song.
A Breath Of Sunshine – 8/10
“A Breath of Sunshine” is the final track, and closes out a very well written album perfectly. Just very slow guitar picking during the chorus, with the chorus picking up. The keyboard is nowhere to be found for a while, and it works a lot better and gives the album a bit of a break. Tyson’s voice can be a little loud at times, but it still works amazingly with the music of the song.
Overall, this album was one of the most hyped about in the underground pop-punk and rock world. After their EP last year, big things were expected. This album doesn’t fully deliver in my opinion. It is consistant, and keeps the sound of the band all the way through the record. But there is barely any change in music, which is disappointing and boring after 40 minutes.
Of course, when you begin listening to this album, you get sucked into it no matter how hard you try. Their ability to fuse hard rock songs with catchy keyboard riffs and wonderful vocals just pulls you deeper into the world of Scary Kids Scarying Kids. It only really dies a little nearer the end, but then picks up slightly.
Besides, I’d probably buy this CD just for the kickass cover art
Recommended tracks
- The City Sleeps In Flames
- The Only Medicine
- My Darkest Hour
- A Breath Of Sunshine
Artist: Scary Kids Scaring Kids
Album: The City Sleeps In Flames
Genre: Rock / Indie / Experimental
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/scarykids
-Tracklist-
1. The City Sleeps In Flames
2. The Only Medicine
3. The World As We Know It
4. What’s Said Is Done
5. Just A Taste
6. My Darkest Hour
7. Drowning
8. The Bright Side Of Suffering
9. Empty Glasses
10. Faith In The Knife
11. A Breath Of Sunshine
Read MoreDISCOGRAPHY:
TRY ALBUM: SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS – SELF-TITLED
TRY ALBUM: SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS – THE CITY SLEEPS IN FLAMES
person L
Drawing inspiration from artists such as Drive like Jehu, Animal Collective, James Brown, and Radiohead, Person L was formed in the winter of 2006. He recruited a band with the utmost premier players from the area, including members of The Minor Times, Inkling, The Prize Fight and The Suicide Pact. Vasoli had finally found his vessel for musical escape…and a newfound passion for writing songs that pushed the envelope. Initial, the band’s debut, is the record that not only pushes that envelope – it licks and seals it. It charters new territory for both Vasoli and listeners alike, and is the evolution of a songwriter who continues to raise the bar with each song he writes.
Initial will be released on August 5th, 2008 through Vasoli’s own imprint, Human Interest. With previous label experiences leaving something to be desired, Vasoli decided to take the DIY mentality and do something with a much larger purpose. Being able to call the shots gave Person L the chance to do what the band wanted musically, and be able to do so on their own terms. The label’s name has a special meaning, as the band wanted to give back as a thank you for their good fortunes. A portion of each record sold will be donated to human-interest charities.
Album: The Positives
-Track List-
1. Hole In The Fence
2. Good Days
3. The Positives
4. Goodness Gracious
5. New Sensation
6. Stay Calm
7. Sit Tight
8. Loudmouth
9. Changed Man
10. Pleasure Is All Mine
11. Untitled
12. I Sing The Body Electric
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Library Tapes
Certain people find comfort in sadness and I admit I’m one of those people, at least where my music tastes are concerned. However, there must be melody somewhere amidst the melancholy, otherwise it’s hard to derive satisfaction from it. Sweden’s David Wenngren’s has proved to be a master of this particular art, recording under his Library Tapes identity. Pleasingly, after 2007’s ‘Höstluft’ he’s produced another fine record of minimalist beauty.
The mood for ‘A Summer Beneath The Trees’ is bleak from the outset as the mournful strings of the opening track dominate. The fact that this track is named ‘The Sound Of Emptiness Part 1′ tells you all you need to know. Perhaps continuing the theme of train journeys from ‘Höstluft’, ‘Pieces Of Us Were Left On The Track’ offers little reprieve from the despair but its chilling melody is tastefully understated. Raising a smile slightly, ‘Above The Flood’ is cute and multi-layered; not unlike Icelandic group Múm in the way in which crosses between classical and folk music. Then from out of nowhere, ‘The Modest Triumph’ gladdens the heart with its stirring mix of guitars and stringed instruments whilst the glorious finale ‘…And Then Rain Did Fall’ ends events on a positive note.
It can be sometimes difficult writing about music which begins in such a sad and morose fashion as ‘A Summer Beneath The Trees’, yet when it’s presented in such a subtle and haunting style, it can be poignant and quite beautiful. Furthermore, there’s enough shades of light on offer to shift the balance.
Artist: Library Tapes
Album: A Summer Beneath The Trees
Genre: Classical / Ambient / Experimental
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/librarytapes
- Tracklist -
1.- The Sound Of Emptiness Part 1
2.- Pieces Of Us Were Left On The Tracks…
3.- Above The Flood
4.- A Summer Beneath The Trees
5.- The Fragile Tide
6.- The Modest Triumph
7.- The Sound Of Emptiness Part 2
8.- The Rivers Turned To Cobblestone
9.- … And The Rain Did Fall
Read MoreTry Album [Mediafire] | Library Tapes – A Summer Beneath The Trees
Papermoons
Genre: Minimalist /Indie /Experimental
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thepapermoonsband
2. Front Porch
3. Find Me an Island
4. Bad Notes
5. Lazy Bones
6. Holy Cow
7. Behind the Frame
8. Live Right
9. Car Lights
10. Hones
A Rocket To The Moon
A Rocket to the Moon is still a very new act to hit the scene. The project started in 2006, though at that point it was just current singer Nick Santino creating catchy electro/acoustic ditties and posting them to Myspace . The rest, as they say, is history. He quickly hit it big and got recognized by Pete Wentz’s Decaydance label. From there, Santino formed a band and began opening for acts like The Morning Light and Cute is What We Aim For.
On Your Side, A Rocket To the Moon’s latest release, is a radical departure from Santino’s previous work. Most of this change can be attributed to the transition from solo act to full-fledged band, but thankfully most of the charm of ARTTM’s older work survived the metamorphosis. It would be a stretch to call the change a genre-shifting betrayal (though some would disagree), but there is a clear lack of synth in the project’s current form. While Santino relied on it heavily in his solo work, it’s now used instead to compliment some of their more layered songs like “Dakota” and “Sometimes”.
ARTTM aren’t setting out to define the genre, but they experiment within the established conventions and come up with some worthwhile results. Not all tracks are worth your time, though. Some of the more stripped down tracks like “On a Lonely Night” and “Baby Blue Eyes” slow the pace to a creeping halt, and the album isn’t quite strong enough to recover. While it is nice to see Santino hearken back to the project’s roots, it fails to flow with the tone of the album.
Santino and ARTTM had quite a bit of hype to live up to. For some out there, expectations were probably met. For the rest, they’ll have to accept the fact this album is far from flawless and suffers from some damaging low points. On the brightest moments of the album, ARTTM impresses more than most acts of their ilk, but unfortunately those moments fade all too soon.
Review By DecoyMusic
Artist: A Rocket To The Moon
Album: On Your Side
Genre: Powerpop / Electronica / Experimental
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arockettothemoon
- Tracklist -
01) Annabelle
02) Mr. Right
03) She’s Killing Me
04) On a Lonely Night
05) Dakota
06) Life of the Party
07) Like We Used To
08) Where Did You Go?
09) Sometimes
10) Baby Blue Eyes
11) Give a Damn
12) On Your Side
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