The Elephant in the Room: The Collective and The Individual

Remember a while ago when I made that post about supporting bands that you love and believe in? Tonight’s review is a direct result of that KickStarter that I supported – and proof that it counts for something!

Through a KickStarter program, The Elephant In The Room were successfully able to fund the manifestation of their debut album, produced by Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter. The result of a lot of hard work is an eleven-track disc that will leave you reeling when when you realize this is their debut CD.

The Collective and The Individual  begins with Left In The Dark, a song that instantly reminded me of The Mars Volta. The guitar work is so on point in this song, it will blow your mind.  Besides the beginning that left me with chill bumps, there’s a great breakdown with about a minute left in the song that deserves a cheer on its own.

Monsters follows this powerful first track with plenty of steam. The rhythm of this song reminds me of early AFI mixed with with The Mars Volta and that’s a mix I’ve never considered before this song. The vocals and the guitar heavily play off each other in this jam, each growing more and more frantic with energy until the chorus hits and breaks the spell.

Ghosts stands as my favorite song on the record. The guitar work has such a bouncy feel to it until the chorus comes down and then it’s time for everyone to jam together. I’ll walk through walls and I’ll talk to you in your sleep. I’ll keep you cold when the sun’s beating on your face. I’ll make you believe when I’m a ghost. The breakdown and subsequent group sing-along near the end practically makes me giddy. This is a jam you’re not going to be able to listen to on low volume. Trust me and go ahead and turn it up before it even comes on.

What You Don’t Know Won’t Hurt You is a close second for favorite song on the album. This one stays at a faster tempo the whole way through, differing from the songs directly encasing it and keeping things interesting. The bass guitar is the real spotlight of this song, coming on strong, keeping everything glued together and allowing itself some time to shine.

The beginning fifteen seconds of Never Believe What You’re Told is some of the best musical work I’ve heard from any album this year. Don’t get me wrong – the song itself is strong, but those first fifteen seconds. Unbelievable.

I’m particularly interested in the last track on the album. We Will Meet Again closes the album out in more than one way. It begins very slow, almost muted and hushed, almost like it’s hiding behind a curtain, with a barely-there pick up. The vocals are almost chant-like in nature which is almost thrown off balance by the obvious rock music tones in the background. Almost.

Self-professed progressive rock meets enjoyable pop, The Elephant in the Room comes out strong on their debut album. When I donated to their KickStarter campaign after a chance Tweet they sent me, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was so blown away with what they were producing before, I knew they deserved a chance to show what they really are made of. I eagerly awaited the KickStarter progress reports, and a few days ago when I received the album download link, I felt like Christmas had come early. This album truly is a great one, and one I will be listening to for a while. Do yourself a favor and take a peek.

Keep up with the band as they celebrate the release of the record and see what they’ll be up to in the months to come on Facebook and Twitter. If you want to hear this record (and believe me, you do) you can stream the album here and buy the album when it’s officially released tomorrow (October 29, 2013)! and stay tuned for an interview with the band.

The 1975: The 1975

New release day is one of my favorite days of the week.  Is it just me, or are the albums you’re excited for all released on the same day – or at least in close vicinity to one another? Then you have a cluster of albums you can’t wait for and you can’t decide which one to listen to first. That was my morning on this Tuesday. I finally decided to have a go with The 1975’s debut album first and I was certainly not disappointed with my choice!

I told you guys on the last post that I was absolutely obsessed with a couple of songs from these dudes. One of my best friends sent me a track a few weeks ago and they’ve been on my constant rotate since. At that time, all Spotify was offering me was one EP – which, don’t get me wrong, was fantastic, but I needed so much more. Today, the alt rock  band from Manchester finally released their debut disc – with sixteen tracks!

The first song, The 1975, is a quiet lead-in – you’re interested, engaged, you’re in there. The band pulls you in and straps you to the roof of their vehicle right off in track 2 with The City, a song that I played on repeat from the EP. This jam is the perfect way to open up this album – it leans more to the indie rock side of the band and keeps things calm in case you still needed to get a feel for what you were listening to.

I still can’t get over what a good tune Chocolate is. If you haven’t listened to this song, please drop everything right now and get on board. It won’t get out of your head, but I swear it’ll be a fun ride.

I decided today that this band sounds like lace if it were crumbled up, melted down, and transformed into a sound. Talk! is the perfect explanation of that. Sometimes there are spaces that feel so airy and peaceful, like you’re drifting along a cloud, and then sometimes the chorus kicks in for denser parts that are the real meat of the sandwich. Sometimes there’s a scratchy feeling, but the overall composition is glorious.

Settle Down is one of my favorites on the album that really shows what this band is capable of reaching. There’s a fun, funky vibe to this song that monopolizes everything else going on in your life at the moment that this song is playing. If you don’t drop everything just to listen to this song, you’re lying. The lyrics are particularly captivating in this one: You’re losing your words, we’re speaking in bodies, avoiding me and talking about you. You’re losing your turn, I guess I’ll never learn, cause I stay another hour or two.

I was completely blown away by She Way Out. The guitar on this track gave me chills throughout and everything meshes together so well. If this song isn’t part of their live show, there’s a problem somewhere.

Pressure is rocking my world. This song almost feels like you’re hearing it from behind a curtain, but it’s so perfect with everything that’s going into the song and the lyrics are just minimalistic enough to not overpower the music or vice versa.

The album wraps up with Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You, an eerily soothing song with nothing but incredible vocals and a divine backing piano. This song is haunting in the most beautiful of ways. I know it’s me that’s supposed to love you, and when I’m home, you know I got you. Is there somebody who can watch you? Is there somebody who can love?

This album is wonderful. Hands down the best album I’ve listened to in a long time. And don’t forget, this is the band’s debut full length. I can’t wrap my mind around it. There is not a single song on this album that I want to skip over. The only down side to the album? I just found out the release from Target has five bonus tracks. Looks like I’ll be buying it a second time…

 

Key Tracks
Chocolate (track 4)
Settle Down (track 9)
Is There Somebody Who Can Watch You (track 16)

New Politics: A Bad Girl in Harlem

Beyond hearing about them because I’m seeing Fall Out Boy on Saturday, I didn’t know New Politics existed. I know. I know! I often feel so behind on the music times these days it’s ridiculous. I listen to such random things and I go off on tangents with different musical genres, I miss fantastic bands like this one. Luckily, I know this band exists and I know they’re awesome. To make matters even better, they just released a new CD – A Bad Girl In Harlem. Thanks, guys – just in time for me to see you live! Let’s have a listen.

The album starts off with Tonight You’re Perfect, a real upbeat song with some great group vocals. This song is a fast paced electrical storm, winding you up, slowing you down, and throwing you for a loop once more. Tonight you’re perfect. I wanna fall in love with the stars in your eyes.

Swiftly following that is Harlem, a song that almost feels dated until you realize you’ve been thrown into the sound equivalent of a gravity defying dance machine. I can’t stop listening. I listened to this one on repeat, and literally, you can’t not dance when you hear this song. I really hope they play this on Saturday. This song has so much energy, it almost feels like the notes are bursting at the seams, begging to twirl into the universe.

Stuck On You slows the roll down a little with some quaint piano and interesting vocals. Keeping things at a crawl, a few more instruments jump in when it’s time for the chorus. This song reminds me of early Marianas Trench, and if you don’t know, that is a band that I adore with every fiber of my being.

Give Me Hope echoes my feelings of Harlem. I feel like this is a pop punk group that grew like crystals out of the 80s. There’s something in the background that I can’t quite put my finger on that reminds me of the delicious tunes from the 80s that I can never get enough of. Just when you’re confused enough, they pull a very Beastie Boys move with some rock-n-roll-rap vibes. I like what they’re putting down with this style.

Just Like Me starts out with some rad guitar work and dives right into some post apocalyptic punk jives. This song is by far the hardest on the album. It reminds me of some garage punk – lots of screaming, thrashing guitars, delirious drums. I like a band that can switch it up and take things on a different level.

The album rounds out with Fall Into These Arms and the band takes it back down to their normal pace. The keyboards particularly jump out at me on this track – I love when rock bands utilize the keyboards – really more should try it. Keyboards add depth to the music and New Politics really know how to work on them – integrating them with the drums to amplify what’s already there or as a separate entity all together.

I had a listen to their self titled CD from 2010 when I first read that they were opening for my FOB date, but this CD blows any of my previous impressions out of the water. This CD is a definite lift to my spirits and I’m even more stoked for the show on Saturday. If you guys are reading, promise me you’ll play Harlem in Charlotte?

 

Key Tracks
Harlem (track 2)
Tonight You’re Perfect (track 1)
Just Like Me (track 9)

Fall Out Boy: Save Rock and Roll

So many artists reemerging into the music scene lately!

Fall Out Boy holds a special place in my heart and my life. I listened to them during some interesting periods of life and no matter what you do, you can’t let go of those bands that went through so much with you. One night, I listened to FOB literally the entire night. It was the strangest experience – I kept waking up feeling like I was falling or spinning or just in a different world all together. The scene got weird – a lot of these tiny rock bands from meager beginnings were suddenly the super famous ones on the cover of teeny magazines. It was best that a lot of those collapsed. It was also best for Fall Out Boy to take a break, breathe, and reconsider what music meant to them. Seems like Save Rock And Roll is their answer.

The album opens with a strong song, yelling at you to put on your war paint! with the most intense of purposes. The Phoenix rocks like Fall Out Boy hasn’t done in ages. This song is the absolute best to scream at the top of your lungs. Whatever happened during the hiatus needs a big high five. This song kicks the boat and doesn’t quit.

If you haven’t heard My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) yet, then stop this madness and fix it. I listened to this song on repeat for longer than I’d like to admit when it dropped. I also have to give kudos to their team behind this whole back-to-the-music-scene business. There were rumors for such a long time – it felt like it was monthly – that FOB was back together. And every single time these stirrings were so adamantly denied. Without that, the dropping of this single wouldn’t have had the impact it did. They shocked people. The ones that said “oh, I knew it” didn’t know it – everyone heard the rumors, dufus, shut up. Dropping this with no prior talk – no video (looking at you JT), no nothing – was absolutely genius. Then they went and played a show that evening. Genius, I tell you. That’s how you go about marketing, kids.

Just One Yesterday delievers one of the things I love the most about Fall Out Boy. If you’ve heard a few FOB songs, I guarantee you can recall some sleazy-yet-hilariously-catchy lyrics. Thank god this album does not let you down. Anything you say can and will be held against you, so only say my name it will be held against you. Behind the lyrics, this song is one of my favorites on the album. It keeps it upbeat and funky. I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way. This song also introduces the first of many guest vocals on the album in the form of Foxes.

The guest vocals come up again in The Mighty Fall – a song that strangely sounds like it could’ve been mixed by the like of Skrillex Lite with the dropping of the bass that happens repeatedly. I can really jam to this song. I also tip my proverbial hat off to the band for having Big Sean come and drop a rap verse in this song. I love hearing genres combined like this.

My favorite song on the record, hands down, is Miss Missing You. This song has the old gleam of sweet FOB with the revamped fire under their collective asses. It makes me nostalgic and excited for their future as a band. Sometimes before it gets better the darkness gets bigger, the person that you’d take the bullet for is behind the trigger. Oh, we’re fading fast. I miss missing you now and then. Listen closely and note the relationship the guitar and drums have during this song – kind of like they’re on a see-saw. I really can’t get enough of this jam.

Two more songs with guest vocals wrap up this power-trip of an album. Courtney Love joins the band on Rat A Tat. I’ve never been a huge fan of grunge and the like. I can respect the bands for what they do – but it’s just not my thing. I like a few Hole songs and have a couple albums on my iTunes, but Courtney Love isn’t my favorite musician. She adds an interesting element to this song, I’m just not sure it’s the right fit. During her vocals, the music speeds up like you’re on a bad acid trip and then levels back out when Patrick takes over again. It’s a bit unsettling. This is probably my least favorite song on the album. Whoops.

The album wraps up in the most spectacular of ways – with pianos and mister Can You Feel The Love Tonight himself. Elton John joins the band on the closing number and title track, Save Rock and Roll. This song has the feeling of an 80’s rock anthem – where you’d see some tight animal print pants, lots of big hair, pyro, and a ton of coordinating lights flashing all around. This song rules. When Elton John hits the highest point of this song with you are what you love, not who loves you. In a world full of the word yes, I’m here to scream NO I’d dare you not to stop whatever you were doing. I can rarely resist a fist punch to the air with the “no” at the end of that phrase – but maybe those are just my over-dramatics coming out again. Who knows.

All I know is this album is fantastic. It’s been so long since a new Fall Out Boy song haunted my mind, and now these 11 songs won’t leave. And I know the band has gotten a lot of commentary from the title of the album – but really, where would you be in your life without some delusions of grandeur?

Is rock and roll in trouble? Yeah, a lot of trouble. Is Fall Out Boy going to single handedly save a genre? No, but it’s still fun to have them back. Can’t wait to see these guys live for the first time ever in June. Well done, boys.

 

Key Tracks
Miss Missing You (track 7)
Save Rock and Roll (track 11)
The Phoenix (track 1)

Anberlin: Vital

Anberlin became one of my favorite bands the second I heard them. I don’t think it even took me a full song to fall head over heels for them. I saw them in concert with Taking Back Sunday a couple years ago and they were one of the liveliest, most crowd-engaging bands I’ve seen to date. They’re divine. I felt horrid when I realized they had a new album out and I hadn’t gotten a chance to hear it. I wanted to write about it on the blog, so I’ve been putting off listening to it for a while so I could go through honest first run through reactions. Now, it is time for Vital.

The album opens with the toe-tapper Self-Starter. There are normal Anberlin-esque progressions happening musically, but what Stephen is doing vocally is something on my palette that I’m not used to from this band. The vocals feel a bit more muted in this song and the chorus is exquisitely fast (think BBC’s Sherlock singing the chorus).

I’m mesmerized by Other Side. The vocals are so stated and shy while the drums and guitars come down on you like a ton of bricks. Love me, why don’t you love me? Know me, why don’t you know me?  There’s such a beautiful juxtaposition between instruments and vocals in this song that left me with chill bumps.

Vocals are back in full swing and rocking you to sleep in Innocent. This song is striking in so many ways. The music is soothing and intricate. The lyrics tell a sad story that pulls a longing for childhood out of your core. We are all born the innocent, we were born to run carefree. You will live on in the hearts of men, constantly. We were all born the innocent  I will hold on til the end – there will never be an end.

Orpheum feels like you’re racing. There’s some brilliant piano additions here that keep up with the swift melody through speeding up and slowing down, adding another dimension to the song and creating a swirling in your ears. This song is Anberlin in their element.

The band wraps up the album with God, Drugs & Sex. This one is like you took a song from this album and leaned it back in a reclining chair. This song is very mellow, moving along slowly and steadily. The addition of soft female vocals in the background adds to the ambiance of the tune. It’s an interesting way to wrap up an album. We started off slow, with vocals that almost sounded like they were behind a veil – until we moved through to clear vocals with more upbeat tempos. By the time we got to Modern Age (the track directly before God, Drugs & Sex), we had reached the heaviest point to the album. After all that, God, Drugs & Sex almost feels like being lifted up into the clouds on a roller coaster.

If I were being real honest, which I’m trying to do, Vital isn’t the album I expected from Anberlin. I’m much more used to them from the likes of Cities (2007). It’s not going to go down in my books as my favorite album from the band, but it’s an interesting transgression for them and I’d be interested in seeing how they translated this album to a live show.

Key Tracks
Orpheum (track 9)
Modern Age (track 10)
Little Tyrants (track 2)

Terrible Things: Pre-Transmission EP

I have loved Taking Back Sunday since middle school. If you know the band, you know members have come and gone – under all kinds of circumstances. That’s fine, whatever, it’s their ordeal. When someone leaves the band and starts another project, it’s almost a surefire bet that I’m going to listen. Enter Terrible Things. When I found out this was a new band with Fred Mascherino, I knew it would be golden. Mix in Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit and Josh Eppard from Coheed and Cambria, and this was an instant play for me.

Their self-titled debut album is fantastic and remains a staple in my car. We’re going to have a listen to the recently released Pre-Transmission EP.

The EP comes in with the at-first-electronic History that quickly melts into pleasant rock notes with repeating Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it‘s. This song sets a softer tone than their full length debut, which is pretty strictly rock and roll.

History melts right into Confession, a 57 second beautiful, intriguing number that throws the album into what I’d expect from Terrible Things. Innocent starts right off with some great drums and guitar riffs. This song mildly reminds me of something Beatles-esque if you put those tunes in a shaker with modern rock and strained out variety shows and Warped tour. This number has a really great breakdown that puts a gleam on the drums.

Last Look keeps things slower, and for good reason. The lyrics take a somber tone as they tell of a loved one that’s been lost – to death or to unconsciousness. The transgressions in this song are beautiful – going from slow and somber to electrically charged and loud and back again within a few seconds. This number wraps up with a heartbeat monitor, footsteps, murmurs of conversation and then a flat line.

This EP reads as a whole instead of five separate songs. Hospital finishes the album, continuing right on from Last Look. This song feels like confusion and sounds like what the smell of a hospital waiting room would sound like if you could hear it. There’s no guarantee and no clear solution. Just as soon as the confusion reaches the highest point, the song fluxes into some acoustic guitar notes and then blanks out.

While emotionally charged, this five song EP is packed with impressive music turns. It’s not quite what I expected after their 2010 debut, but it makes me excited for the direction the trio is going. If you haven’t heard this band and are a fan of any of the bands these members have been in, I highly recommend checking out this EP and their 2010 full length. You won’t regret it.

Key Tracks
Last Look (track 4)
Innocent (track 3)

Mumford and Sons: Babel

There’s such a beautiful crop of albums that have recently been released or are upcoming! I always get so excited about these things. One of the albums I’ve been most excited about since the release date was announced was Babel, the new album from folk rockers Mumford and Sons. You may recall that I had the great honor of seeing them in August, which did nothing but make me even more antsy for this album after they played about four tracks from it that night. It’s nice to sit down and have the album at my disposal, though. I can concentrate more on the songs themselves that way. The album officially drops in the US on Tuesday, but we’re going to have a listen to right now.

The album opens merrily with the title track, Babel. The boys don’t beat around the bush with this – they jump feet first right into this record with this upbeat number. This really sets the scene for the rest of the album. I dare you not to tap your foot to this one – it’s nearly impossible.

I Will Wait is the first single from the album which I have already listened to more times than we’ll discuss here. I don’t know if it’s the ingenious nature of the song, the comfort of the banjos, or the memories this song elicits, but this song feels like home. It’s so peaceful. I can just close my eyes and I feel lighter. It was amazing seeing this one live. Maybe that’s why it feels so great – when they performed this song at the Bristol Stopover, I closed my eyes in the cool night air, hands up all around me and two of my best friends on either side. It was a magical moment and this song is incredible.

Lover of the Light was another I had the pleasure of seeing live. This song has a different feel to it from what I’m used to with the band, and I love the staggered notes before the chorus that bring a different depth to the tune. I also feel like Marcus’ vocals are taken to another level on this track. They’re so strong here and feel so smooth that it’s hard not to appreciate what you’re hearing.

Hopeless Wanderer is one of the strongest tracks on the album and happens to be my personal favorite. Beginning in the slow, melancholy realm that this band is known for, this song rocks you to sleep in its arms until it drops you all at once. Instruments I probably can’t even name come in and kick you in the face with such intensity that I got chills all over my being. The fast nature of the track is almost unnerving if you’re used to the band, but it again proves that this band can really accomplish anything.

Ending the album is the gorgeous Not With Haste, beginning quietly with some melodic acoustic guitar that mingles with Marcus’ gritty vocals. This song feels more like the last album, which is curious because it’s the song that (technically, without bonus tracks) wraps up the new album. It is nice, though, to be brought back down to earth after this album carried you through the stars. I need to mention briefly that the banjo work on this song is superb – Winston always rocks it out, but he’s given more of a secular platform in this one.

This band is one of the most talented bands in the game right now. Seeing them live, seeing how many instruments each of the play and how effortlessly they play them is really something else. Their records are a breath of fresh air and this one really knocked it out of the park for me. This is something people are going to be talking about for a long time. I suggest you hop on board.

And don’t forget to tune in to their Saturday Night Live performance(s) tonight at 11:29 p.m. ET on NBC!

Key Tracks
Hopeless Wanderer (track 9)
I Will Wait (track 3)
Broken Crown (track 10)

Negative Earth Digs Deep Roots in the Universe of Electronic Rock

Right now, industrial techno music is all the rage. While you’re listening to the new acts or reliving some pioneers like Nine Inch Nails, there’s an up-and-coming artist you should be noticing. Negative Earth takes a modern twist to some industrial dark rock. Or, as Trev Kill likes to call it, electronic gravity rock.

“I think that most of today’s genres are a bit inane.  There are so many new classifications out there for music that it gets ridiculous.  I hate to categorize myself into a genre, but to attract the right listeners to my sound I need to label myself somehow. Electronic Gravity Rock is just a more interesting way to describe the sound as being of the Heavy Electronic Rock genre,” he says. “It was kind of a joke at first but it started to grow on me.”

Negative Earth is mostly made up from the efforts of Trev Kill, mixed with producers that he works with on the recordings. “When I began writing songs for Negative Earth, I was the only one to have any part in it.  I would show a few ideas to people from time to time and gain perspective from their opinion on different elements in my sound.  Until I made the move to work with my producer, I was the only one to write the music, lyrics and melodies.  Once my producer (Myron Wegner) and I started tracking the songs, he would start to infuse his vision on some parts that were weak or not yet written.  He was great to work with because he knew when to assist, and when to sit back.  If he did not contribute in the parts that he did, I feel the songs would not be as great as they are in their final state.”

Cut Implant Stitch is one of my favorite songs off of Negative Earth’s EP. There’s enough of an instrumental introduction to let you breathe in the song before Trev Kill’s vocals kick in like a sultry storm above the sea. The drums and guitar work in this song really kick things up a notch and show Negative Earth’s raw talent. Trev’s influences are bleeding through on this number – it has a very strong Trent Renzor vibe (with or without Nine Inch Nails backing him).

But his influences may shock you. While he gives an obvious nod to bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and Type O Negative, Trev says there were other artists who he grew up listening to. “Growing up I would mostly just listen and play whatever was around the house or whatever people were playing,” he says. “Some of the earliest stuff I remember feeling connected to when I was young were artists like Survivor, Johnny Cash, the Beatles, and Michael Jackson. As I grew older and made music with other players, I then started to broaden my musical intake.”

Ear Seed, the song that Trev feels would best define Negative Earth, feels the most like something that would fit right in with some of the popular industrial-feeling tunes of today. The song is heavy on the beats, almost feeling like there’s a fog surrounding your ears, and the vocals don’t pop through as much as some other tracks. This lends itself to hearing more of the bass lines of the song – both bass guitar and the incessant drum beating. “The lyrical content creates a portal that leads directly into the battle grounds of my head.  Seems to be the thing that’s anchoring, and it’s the same thing itself that levitates me. This is what Negative Earth is.  An inner conflict that resides inside.”

Gloomy Sunday has a great backing rhythm to the harder sounds that take first approach. The song left me nodding along the entire way through, feeling a connection with the track.

“When I hear certain songs or sounds, I feel a vibration within.  I want to achieve this with other beings.  My lyrics may be abstract and distant from true definition, but since perception is diverse, one song can effect everyone differently,” Trev says.

Slither exhales so much strength that you almost feel transported into another dimension. The sounds to start off are so intriguing, it has you turning up the volume little by little to get closer to the beats. The next verse kicks in and comes out at you, making you almost feel like the music is acting out the song’s title. Between the beat of this song and the slow back and forth progression between verses in this song, this would be greatly suited for a film.

“At a young age I was introduced to music by my parents who both played in a band.  I remember having the most interest in drums.  I would steal my mother’s wooden spoons to beat on various objects until I learned a few simple beats to practice.  At the age of 15 I began to learn guitar from my father.  He and I would play old songs together that he would teach me. After playing in different bands with other local musicians, I acknowledged that the only way I could achieve my vision musically was to start a solo project. At the age of 25 I moved to a new city, began working with a producer and started tracking my songs in the studio. The whole recording process was much more than just creating structure with sound, it was a learning experience in producing my own music. This is when Negative Earth began and started to evolve.”

Looking ahead on the year, Negative Earth has some exciting things coming up. “A music video for the song Slither is in the final stages of being completed.  It was filmed in the middle of last winter and early this year.  I will not disclose too much information about it as of yet, but for updates on its release visit the official Negative Earth website.  As for other plans, there are a lot of new events surrounding Negative Earth with new information being posted on Twitter and Facebook.“

If you want to connect with Negative Earth for more information or updates, you can do so on Twitter here and on Facebook here. To listen to tracks from the upcoming EP, visit the official website here.

—

Going back to the music with Trev Kill

What’s the top played song/album on your personal iTunes?

Songs that I would wear out if they were on cassette!

Man in the box – Alice in Chains
Bleed – Meshuggah
Angel – Massive Attack
Revenge (some get back) – Necro
Lateralus – Tool
Just So You Know – American Head Charge
Throat full of Glass – Combichrist
the Real Thing – Faith No More
Shake Hands with Beef – Primus
Selling Jesus – Skunk Anansie
Deception – Tesseract
Firestarter – the Prodigy

Too many to list to complete this question.

What’s the strangest thing on your personal iTunes or the thing your band mates would be surprised to see on there?

Oh wow.  Do I really have to admit to this?  I would honestly say that people might most be surprised to see material from artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, the Ohio Players, Spooky Ruben, and !!! (chk chk chk).

Dawes: Nothing is Wrong

Continuing with the trend from the last post, I’m going to have a proper listen to another band that was at the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover that I attended. Dawes came on right before Mumford and Sons and made quite a splash. I had unfortunately not looked into the bands before the Stopover, so I was unfamiliar with them but they made such an impact on me. They put on such a great show and I was instantly floored. We’re going to take a listen to Nothing is Wrong, the 2011 album from this fantastic band.

Time Spent in Los Angeles kicks the disc off right. Dawes performed this one live and it’s such a great mid-tempo rock song that its hard to not sway along. I wish I knew the lyrics when I saw them so I could’ve sang along. My friend and I heard this track at a restaurant the other day and it was perfect afternoon dinner and drinks music.

If I Wanted Someone was probably my favorite track when I saw the band live and remains as such on the album. This track has a blues-inspired feeling mixed with something that’s vaguely reminiscent of the Eagles. I want you to make the days move easy.

How Far We’ve Come is an exceptional number that kicks it up a few notches. The vocals are spot on, and then as you think it can’t get any better near the end of the song, they punch you in the gut with some keyboards and tambourines and make it even better. When they performed this song live, they did a great call and response with the audience even though most people didn’t know their lyrics. They worked with the crowd to get them engaged and it showed so much care and joy.

Million Dollar Bill is a beautiful, slow song that shows a different side of Dawes. The lyrics are particularly notable in this song, seeming to go through the motions of a bad departure in a relationship and wishing there were ways to stay around and noticeable. When it hits me that she’s gone, I think I’ll be a movie star – play the finest men the world has ever seen, so when these lovers that she’s found show her ways they learn to talk to her behind each perfect word there’ll be a little bit of me.

The album wraps up with a song introduced with fine piano playing. I feel A Little Bit of Everything almost brings us right around to the beginning of the album, striking similar notes to Time Spent in Los Angeles. Dawes take storytelling to a new level with this album and their gorgeous harmony. This feels like something that reflects on a period – life, an experience, a moment. This song shows emotion that is impossible to fake and comes across with such musical ability and beauty. Have you figured out yet what it is you want?

I knew this band had a lot of talent – they wouldn’t have been chosen for the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover if they didn’t have raw talent – but this album really pushed me over the edge. It’s not traditional rock music that would be your first thought if you heard ‘rock,’ but I have no idea how else to classify it. It’s as though Bruce Springsteen was thrown on a boomerang into the future and caught a country act and an alternative rock act on the way back and were mashed together like a potato cake through space. It’s definitely something to check out if you need to sit back and have a beer. I’m so glad I was introduced to this band because I know this will go into my rounds on a regular basis.

 

Key Tracks
If I Wanted Someone (track 2)
How Far We’ve Come (track 6)
A Little Bit of Everything (track 11)

The Apache Relay: American Nomad

I think sometimes, everyone gets lost in the hustle bustle of life. Things are pushed back in place of seemingly more important things, or important things lose their meaning because of unforeseen circumstances. I’ve had such a hectic schedule at work lately that I haven’t been able to write on the blog as much as I would like. I apologize for that – hopefully after today, things will calm down again. But what really led me to thinking about that was my day yesterday. I had the pleasure of attending the Bristol, VA/TN Gentlemen of the Road Stopover that was organized by Mumford and Sons. When I first heard rumors that they were coming to town (I live near Bristol), I couldn’t believe it. When they announced the Stopover was going to be here, I really couldn’t believe it. While it was a long, hot day almost entirely in the direct sunlight, it was bliss. At one point while Mumford was playing, I looked up at the lights and realized that was what I loved most in life. Nothing compares to being packed in a crowd of people who are fans of the band you’re seeing and you’re screaming the lyrics together as one.

If you don’t know much about the Stopovers, it was basically a let’s roll into town and invite all the local stores, vendors, restaurants, etc. out to one hell of a day where we bring 15,000+ people into one small area. It was fantastic. It also meant that Mumford needed bands to play the other slots during the day since it was set up as a festival of sorts, which also gives added exposure to other bands. My friends and I got to Stage 1 and had the pleasure of hearing The Apache Relay play first. And while it was a change in schedule and they were originally slated to play Stage 2, boy am I glad they played Stage 1. With a thirty minute set, they had excellent, unique sound and a phenomenal stage presence. They were also very kind as a whole – I got to meet a few of the members and they were gracious and took time to speak to us and thank us. After this experience, I knew I had to listen to their album. And this is what the real point of this post is.

Their 2011 disc American Nomad starts off with Can’t Wake Up, a song they played live when I saw them yesterday. It’s a slow starting track that has all the potential for an explosion on stage that has an even better end result than the build-up. The song is easy going, but chock full of beautiful noises. Michael Ford Jr.’s voice was so captivating live and translates just as well on recording. His voice is gentle and smooth while remaining powerful when the time comes. He has incredible control over his vocals in the live show, even when the song takes over and major rocking out is required.

Mission Bells slows it down in the most delicate of ways. This band has a great knack for using the tambourine to their greatest advantage. It was busted out many times yesterday during the two sets I saw them do. I also should mention here that Kellen Wenrich’s fiddle playing is superb and this song showcases that (also the man has mad dance moves).

Lost Kid was my favorite song that I heard them perform and it remains my favorite on the disc. The drumming really kicks it up a notch in the beginning of this song before the song really comes at you full force with an array of instruments backing the drumming creating perfect harmony and a wonderland in my ears.

I also had the fortune of seeing Watering Hole performed twice. This song shows real blues influence at the core. Ford’s vocals are as spot-on as ever in this track. Maybe it’s the influence of seeing it twice live, but I think this song out of all of them may perfectly show the band’s pure talent from every corner. Everything is so wonderfully meshed together in this song that it takes a couple of listens to really hear all the instruments working as one and as a whole.

The album wraps up with Some People Change, a slower song that is a beautiful wrap-up to a great album. This track is calming and peaceful and again makes excellent use of a good tambourine. The guitar and the fiddle stand out in this number, lulling so quietly and perfectly it was almost as though to put you to sleep.

As I expected, the album was as great as the live show that these guys put on. I was impressed yesterday after I saw them, and I remain impressed right now after listening to this album. There’s something special in this band that needs to be noticed. Incorporating folk, indie and blues styles into a rock music blender, The Apache Relay create some tunes that you won’t soon be able to shake. I’m going to be listening to this for a while. (And here’s an incentive: Amazon has this record for $5!)

 

Key Tracks
Lost Kid (track 6)
Watering Hole (track 7)
Can’t Wake Up (track 1)