Chemtrail - Youth Obsessed Death Culture

A very cool work of instrumental and post-rock, New Jersey project Chemtrail released a new album a month or three back, entitled Youth Obsessed Death Culture. The music was essentially a blend of all that’s emotional and powerful and attainable to the common listener. With a five member setup and three guitarists (one alternating on keys), there’s much more potential for additions to sound than there would be in any four-man setup, and Chemtrail takes full advantage of this, bringing out as much harmonizing as they can, to ultimately bring a fantastic record from beginning to end.

Even from the very beginning of “Peace Weapon”, the opener on the album, there was a lot of potential to be had. They open with warm synth, mellow guitar, and a pounding on the keyboard, with an emotional vibe similar to the feel of “Aphelion”, from the Moving Mountains debut Pneuma. However, as things opened up, the mood of the song warmed up to be as bright as the brilliant synths, with a radiant demeanor that screamed feel-good music, as guitars struck heartfelt chords and the piano complemented to open the chords up even further, creating a hugely dynamic sound in a seemingly simple song. As the song faded out, the semblance of the song remained as the synths flowed seamlessly into the following track, “Honorable Mention”.

On a completely different note, “Mischief Night” felt completely different in opening, taking on a lot more of a traditional rock feel, but were still able to achieve much more with the three guitar setup, providing a lot more depth and tonal disparity by having two distorted guitars and one clean playing above. The interesting part of the track is that it still has the gut-wrenching melancholy from the more mellow tracks from before, but also shared a lot in common with “San Pablo” from Mogwai’s Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, with a similar progression and similarly complex track development. It showed off how Chemtrail’s array of influences tie into how they can branch out but also share the fantastic core sound of the band.

The depth of this album is nigh indescribable, with the creativity and the setup both playing into how well this release surpasses many others this year. With variety in tracks like “Honorable Mention”, “Space Invaders”, and “Think Tank”, I honestly can’t say there was a moment that I disliked on the album in it’s ~51-minute entirety. There is, however, a lot to like for folks that aren’t too into post-rock, because of the vast number of influences on the band and the way they integrate those into their music. Being only the third release from Chemtrail, I’m indeed excited to see what else lies in store for their future.

You can find a free online stream and a download in your favorite file format on Chemtrail’s Bandcamp.

Track Listing:
1) Peace Weapon
2) Honorable Mention
3) Space Invaders
4) Mischief Night
5) Means to an End
6) Safety Feature
7) Solid Ground
8) Think Tank
9) Escape Artist

Artist Spotlight: Daytrader

Pop punk is a genre notorious for oversaturation. Simple, fun, and tolerable to the huge portion of the populous who only listen to Top 40, it is an ideal genre for young bands. Thus, countless cookie cutter pop punk bands with no talent have flooded the scene in recent years and done a good job at giving pop punk a bad name. However, one benefit of such a terrible scene is that those with talent truly shine. Brooklyn, NY natives Daytrader are one of the rare exceptions, and Run For Cover Records was quick to catch them on their way up.

Daytrader is definitely at their heart a pop punk band, but one of the reasons they are so appealing is their diverse sound. Like Transit, Daytrader puts a darker spin on the genre, with clear influences from indie and 90’s emo. The instrumentation is interesting and catchy, giving Daytrader their own unique sound. Vocalist Tym (whose last name sadly eludes me) delivers an impressive performance, restraining himself just as you expect him to hit a big note. Tym’s vocals are perhaps the most impressive aspect of Daytrader’s sound, complementing the dark, brooding crunch of the guitars perfectly.

2011 has been a big year for Daytrader, including the release of their EP Last Days of Rome and a national tour with The Swellers and Fake Problems. Though the presence of an ex-member of Crime in Stereo may have helped garner Daytrader attention from fans and labels alike, the fact remains that the group deserves all of the success they have attained thus far. I confidently expect great things from Daytrader in the future.

Album Review: Viva Brother - Famous First Words

Although it may not have seemed so at the time, the implosion of Oasis in the summer of 2009 has turned out to be a watershed moment for British guitar music. No sooner had the Gallagher brothers come to blows than hordes of younger pretenders fought for their thrown and to fill the void they’d left in the britpop market. Results have been decidedly mixed; Some bands like Kasabian, for instance have significantly upped their game and are rightfully reaping the rewards, while a far larger group have found no such success, a just outcome based on the quality of their mundane music. Slough upstarts Viva Brother are sadly another name to add to the likes of General Fiasco and Twisted Wheel in the latter camp, not that they’d have you believe that, of course.

You see, using a tried and tested method perfected by the Gallaghers, the foursome have spent months talking themselves up, while unceremoniously dismissing practically every other act in the history of music as secondary. It’s a trait that’s almost as irritating as their tendency to pull faces in photo shoots, a practice that was hardly edgy when The Sex Pistols did it 35 years ago, and this along with such attitude has already gained them as many detractors as admirers. Like their heroes, they step well over the line between self-confidence and arrogance, but while Oasis (in the mid-nineties, at least) had era-defining anthems to back up their claims, Viva Brother quite simply don’t, though that’s not at a want for trying.

No sir, Viva Brother have most certainly tried, so hard in fact that they’ve ripped off the britpop main players in virtually every way shape and form imaginable. The grit and energy on show is reminiscent of Definitely Maybe (though never channeled with the same effortless swagger), the guitar licks are pure Noel Gallagher (though not half as memorable), and singer Lee Newell even tries to twist his voice in a miserable attempt to replicate Liam Gallagher’s nasally tone. It’s plagiarism that’s as sickly as it is shameless, and makes for a record without so much as a single note that’s not firmly rooted back in the nineties. Nostalgia alone ain’t a bad thing, it’s when you forget the key ingredient – the great songs – that you begin encountering problems, and that ultimately is Famous First Words’ downfall.

In fairness, it’s not all bad news; Opener “New Year’s Day” has a distinct whiff of Parklife-era Blur about it, and there are a couple of other nicely written hooks scattered among the album’s other nine songs. One decent song and a few occasional sparks, though, are nowhere near enough to prevent these loathsome little runts’ debut from being a complete failure. Britpop as both a commercial and creative force died in the mid-nineties, and the demise of Oasis should have been the final nail in it’s long prepared coffin. Unfortunately, though, there are bands, like Viva Brother who seem unwilling to move on, and it’s the existence of such music that is anchoring us in the past at a time when we should be gazing ahead with optimism.

The whole record is currently streaming on their Myspace, though I’d personally recommend doing something more constructive with your time.

Tracklist

1. New Year’s Day
2. Still Here
3. David
4. High Street Low Lives
5. Electric Daydream
6. Darling Buds Of May
7. Otherside
8. Fly By Nights
9. False Alarm
10. Time Machine

Howler - Mud EP

Apparently, after some introspection and working through some decision making on their music, Zucchini Drive is through. However, they make their triumphant return as Howler, quipped to lead their musical style “down a grittier, richer indie-rock inspired road”. Their debut release under their new name is the Mud EP, which is a pretty dark, electronic, somewhat abstract piece of experimentalism / trip hop / post-rock. With a good half of the emphasis on mixing and synthesized sounds and beats, and the other on instrumental and vocal harmonies syncing together, the EP stands to be one of the more quirky pieces of music released this year.

The second track on the record, “Howler Than Thou”, felt, oddly enough, more like an epic hip-hop anthem than anything else. There was some heavy vamping of low guitars throughout, while vocalist Marcus Graap, “Yes, I’m gonna be a top dog, baby / Yeah, I’m gonna make you so proud of me / Ain’t nothin’ in this world can stop me / Yeah, you gonna see me on the TV, honey”, in less of a melodic and more of a shout choir style, while some mixing and a definitely ghetto backbeat breaks some subwoofers in the background. When the second verse breaks in, though, there’s a really ground-shattering synth over the top, that changes the mood from the shallow, angry sound to a completely different and very reflective sound, with an acoustic outro that drops off suddenly at the end. The mood change near the end was really sudden and enjoyable for me, because I went into this song only really paying attention to the lyrics, but towards the end, I had noticed a lot of tonal change without realizing it, showing how well orchestrated the song really is, being able to do that.

In a completely different strain, the fourth song, “Bulldozer”, started a lot like a combination of indie pop and post-rock, maybe something like M83. This song doesn’t have any vocals whatsoever, but focuses a lot on creating layered soundscapes that show off tonal experimentation. At the beginning, there was an emphasis on an 80’s glam rock style beat, with some cool synth sound and a powerful on-beat bassline, making the song sound bright and airy. However, by about two minutes in, the bass and drums had completely dissipated, with a synthesized concertina and a lot of spacy, electrical melodies all harmonizing at once. Around three minutes, the song changes again, back to the original rhythm, but with a soulful keyboard tapping very lightly over everything, adding the perfect layer between the fluffy synths and the forceful beat.

Just about every aspect of “Bulldozer” was layered, but that doesn’t just go for the one song in particular - every track on the album is layered just as masterfully, and after pushing through to the end of the EP, layering was the quality that really held the album together. The songs might not have been very cohesively organized, but they were all orchestrated beautifully, with level after level of sound being mixed together perfectly. It was a hard listen, and it definitely wasn’t something I’d recommend for just everyone, but there’s a lot to appreciate for what Howler has composed and created. I expect a lot out of this band after this, I have no doubts that they’ll be able to take off.

You can read about Howler on their website, and you can download it for free from Marathon of Dope.

Track Listing:
1) Colossal Show
2) Howler Than Thou
3) Rope
4) Bulldozer
5) Demanded to Dance
6) Coal
7) Tonight & Every Night

Album Review: Kashiwa Daisuke-88

I really make no secret about it—Kashiwa Daisuke’s 2007 masterpiece, Program Music I is one of, if not my favorite album of all time. Truly, I could write pages upon pages why the album means so much to me, how its endless complexities and extravagant melodies still appeal to me in the same way they did those years ago. I can even recount my very first experience with the album. Rarely does an album come along that convinces me that music can transcend an artistic medium, and become something greater, something effectual and tangible. Program Music I, in its short life span, has had this effect on more persons than just I. In fact, people all over sing Daisuke’s praises, despite some of his more questionable moves
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For people who’ve loved Daisuke, his newest release, 88, is for you. For those who’ve not seen what others have, this album may still be for you. The record derives its name from the number of keys on the piano. The piano of course being the sole instrument used on 88. It’s an immensely stripped down affair, consisting of only piano melodies. A bold move considering his 2009 release, Dec. 5 was anything but “stripped down.” It was an album of uncompromising madness, so much that even World’s End Girlfriend’s Katsuhiko Maeda would scratch his head. In said album, Daisuke took his electronic sensibilities to new heights, creating a frenetic, chaotic record that was both disjointed and disappointingly jarring considering its predecessor’s pedigree. 88 mirrors this sublimely, a sentiment that may come as a relief to longtime fans, but may be disappointing to those fans who are newer.

Despite being more of a “return to form,” 88 is unlike anything Daisuke has ever done before. As stated previously, that album consists of one instrument: the piano. This creates a much, much more intimate atmosphere, as the listener feels much more connected to Daisuke the artist. While he may not be a Franz Liszt, Daisuke is fairly affluent in piano and its composition. The songs are not the most complex pieces out there, nor are they the most technically demanding. However, what they have in spades is “soul.” Many of the tracks are tender, thoughtful compositions that cover a myriad of emotions, all through the simple yet beautiful sounds of the piano. Whether it be the eerie, melancholy of “Scorpion of Red Eyes,” or the sweet, dulcet tones of “Good-bye,” 88 touches upon many feelings, making it a varied album with excellent songwriting to back it up.

Consisting of eleven tracks, with run-times ranging from a minute to over ten, 88 is a rather lengthy album. And although most of the album is shear gold, it dips not only in quality, but in consistency as well. Although each track is fresh in its own way, some are less so than others, namely “My Favorite Things.” Yes that’s actually a cover from The Sound of Music. It quite honestly doesn’t fit well, especially when taking into consideration that it is simply a poor rendition of the song, completely destroying the jovial mood and flow. “Scorpion of Red Eyes,” on the other hand, isn’t a cover; so much as it is a re-imagining of the first few minutes of “Stella,” his most critically acclaimed work. Lacking the more complex moods found in the original, it comes off a light and forgettable. Despite these few missteps, 88 is filled with stellar tracks. The longer songs, such as “In the Lake” and “Swan Song,” are some of Daisuke’s best ever. They move with passion and intensity, and never once falter under the weight of their ambition. Truly standouts in an album full of worthy pieces.

88 is the album fans have been waiting for since Program Music I. Although it is vastly different from said album, it shows Daisuke’s commitment to once again composing complex and beautiful music, rather than cater to some maddening musical concept. Sure, at times the album feels almost too stripped down for its own good, but it’s grounded, confident, and ultimately incredibly consistent. Whether you listen intently, or in shot capricious bursts, 88’s lovely melodies will appeal to you, comfort you, and convince you that even the most simple form of music can create vast, complex soundscapes. Welcome back Daisuke, we’ve missed you.

Official Site

1. Ohka 01:41
2. Quartz 03:16
3. Coto 04:11
4. Swan Song 10:11
5. My Favorite Things 04:09
6. the Night of the Kentaurus Festival 07:14
7. Albireo 04:23
8. Scorpion of Red Eyes 04:52
9. Good-bye 05:06
10. Travel Around Stars 04:53
11. In The Lake 08:28

Album Review: Wild Beasts - Smother

July and August are notoriously sparse when it comes to new music releases, so at this time of year I often find myself returning to the best that the year has thus far had to offer. Usually I spend this period deciding upon my favourites, but this year’s ritualistic jaunt brought no such problem, as there’s one album that stands out head and shoulders above the rest. Hailing from Cumbria, Wild Beasts have spent the past eight or so years playing their own unique and impassioned brand of indie rock. It’s a formula that’s yielded impressive results on the band’s first two critically acclaimed efforts, but even with that background Smother is a huge step up in every sense, and should see its creators recognised as one of the best bands that our island has to offer.

Pinning down Wild Beasts’ sound is no easy task, since it really is unlike that of anyone else. Tasteful and inventive instrumentation is prevalent, though often overshadowed by the wonderful atmospherics at hand which represent the album’s greatest strength. The melodies are undoubtedly pretty, but it’s the effervescent underlying energy and tension which provide the songs with much of their vast appeal. At any given moment you expect them to wilt under the pressure, and descend into dramatic overpowering climaxes, but these moments never arrive, with the music instead progressing smoothly and proving all the better for it. The only potential turn-off point is vocally, with Hayden Thorpe’s eloquent tone having previously proved a divisive force. Those willing to embrace it, though, will discover that it’s as tastefully executed as every other note here, and is wonderfully balanced by Tom Fleming’s more breezy and accessible delivery.

It’s become a bit of a cliché to use for music with rich atmospherics, but this truly is a record that transports you off into its own little world. It’s capable of captivating on first spin, but only with repeated visits does it reveal it’s true beauty. This is just another aspect which makes it an engrossing and staggeringly beautiful listen, no matter how many times you’ve experienced it before. Picking out highlights would be unfair, since each of the eleven songs stuns in its own right. But while they’re certainly able to hold their own individually, their effect is enhanced considerably within the context of the entire record, meaning that Smother truly is an album that needs to be heard in its entirety to fully appreciate.

Wild Beasts have held a stellar reputation among fans and critics alike for quite a while now, but even their most avid supporters would have struggled to envisage them reaching these hefty heights. They slowly and steadily developed their sound over the course of their first two albums, but this third sees them coming near to perfecting it. They’re a band who give off an air of constant improvement, so much so that you wouldn’t bet against them coming up with something even greater next time around. With Smother, though, they’ve already created a special body of work, and as far as albums of the year go it’s going to take some beating. Certainly, if you’ve not checked it out yet you’re missing out big time.

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Tracklist

1. Lion’s Share
2. Bed Of Nails
3. Deeper
4. Loop The Loop
5. Plaything
6. Invisible
7. Albatross
8. Reach A Bit Further
9. Burning
10. End Come Too Soon

Album Review: Every Avenue - Bad Habits

Consistency is a trait that is sought after by bands, yet it can ultimately doom them. If a band sticks to their same classic sound, they know they won’t alienate their fanbase. But even while the fans are asking for a familiar sound, they’re still looking for something new. While Every Avenue is still very much the same band as they were when they released their excellent Fearless Records debut Shh…Just Go With It, they’ve expanded their sound just enough to refrain from boring listeners. The extremely poppy hooks remain, but the band often embraces a more aggressive sound on Bad Habits, varying enough from the band’s previous works to remain fresh while sticking to their pop-rock roots.

While the commercial success of “Tell Me I’m A Wreck” could have easily pushed the band to attempt to force themselves up the charts, it’s immediately apparent that the members of Every Avenue prefer to remain true to their art. While the spoken word album intro seems detached from the rest of the album, it establishes both the more aggressive mood of Bad Habits as well as adding something “weird” in order to instantly remove all assumptions of mainstream intentions.

If any doubts remained about the band’s more aggressive style, the powerful opening riffs of opener “Tie Me Down” will shatter those misbeliefs. The band also takes a darker lyrical mood, as lead singer David Ryan Strauchman sings “tie me down and fuck me up, baby, rip my heart out”, quite a departure from chorus opening lines such as “where were you when I needed you most, why did you leave me alone?” “Whatever Happened To You” showcases Strauchman’s range in vocal abilities as shout-sings prevale throughout the verses, while the chorus contains his usual, powerful singing style, on par with some of the best in the genre.

The album’s closest song to the accessibility and mainstream potential of “Tell Me I’m A Wreck” is first single “Fall Apart”. The band’s hook making skills are on full display as the chorus is impossible not to sing along with, and fits perfectly into any setlist as a energy booster. “Fall Apart” seems even catchier when placed next to “No One But You”, a heavy rocker devoid of one of the band’s customary hooks in exchange for some shouts, pounding drums, and impressive shredding in the guitars. However, it comes off as an attempt to make a modern rock song, which is clearly not the band’s forte, as the song is one of the weakest on the record.

Every Avenue always constructs strong ballads, and Bad Habits contains two of them. The first, “Only Place I Call Home” combines catchiness and musicianship to bring the album’s highlight. Soft piano clinks are the backbone of the song, while southern sounding riffs and sophisticated snare rolls create a musical standout. The slower and more conventional ballad “I Can’t Not Love You” is the biggest reason why changing producers to Aaron Sprinkle may have been the best decision in the creation of the record. The slow piano melody, subtle harmonies, and backing strings are mixed in perfectly behind Strauchman’s fuller-than-ever vocals, as Sprinkle brings the full, large sounds from He Is We’s My Forever,  Anberlin’s Cities, and Acceptance’s Phantoms to Every Avenue’s discography. Throughout the album, everything from the vocals to the instrumentation seems slicker, and Every Avenue is better off because of it.

Bad Habits is excellent for what it is. Unless Every Avenue decided to reinvent their entire sound, they won’t create a critically acclaimed album that dominates end of year lists. But the band knows what kind of music they play. They are three records into their career, and still haven’t put out a poor effort while keeping the same basic sound. As long as they continue honing that sound and are sure not to create an album that blends together, they’ll continue their spree of making extremely solid records. Bad Habits is the record that proves that Every Avenue won’t fall into any bad habits any time soon.

Projected Score: 8.1/10

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Tracklist:
1. Tie Me Down
2. Whatever Happened To You
3. There Tonight
4. Fall Apart
5. Just Getting Started
6. Only Place I Call Home
7. Someday, Somehow
8. Hit Me Where It Hurts The Most
9. I Can’t Not Love You
10. Watch The World

Album Review: Aficionado - Aficionado

In today’s music scene, many feel the need to have some kind of gimmick in an effort to have a defining trait that separates one from the rest. Whether it be technicality, an intentional lack of technicality, edgy lyrics, or some other crutch, bands often feel like they’re compensating for a lack of substance. Albany, NY natives Aficionado subscribe to no such mentality. Aficionado’s latest effort, a self-titled full length release on July 26th through No Sleep Records, maintains a less is more approach with none of the pretentiousness that often goes hand in hand with such an attitude.

It is difficult to classify Aficionado into one genre, but at its heart the group is rock and roll. The chord progressions and lead lines aren’t particularly impressive or unique, but still manage to feel refreshing. The band’s punk influence is clear but derivation from a standard punk attitude is abundant. A good bit of experimentation is sprinkled throughout the record, including numerous appearances of keys and a flute. However, it is important to note that the introduction of both the keys, and, even more impressively, the flute, isn’t forced at all; both instruments are utilized well and feel very natural. And, despite the old school approach, self-titled is a very modern record. The production is superb, the guitar tones are satisfyingly gritty yet clear, and the songwriting occasionally tips its hat to more recent trends (see: the last minute of “Confidence is Intimidating”).

Aficionado’s vocals are perhaps their most defining characteristic, but I have been slow to discuss them because they bring up mixed feelings. Lead vocalist Nick Warchol is responsible for most of the record’s vocal presence, delivering his personal observations in a convincing manner. Nick is assisted by Laura Carrozza, who provides an airy counterpoint to Nick’s nasally voice. The two work very well together, though Laura’s presence is a bit less assertive in the mix. Finally, Travis Shettel of Piebald is featured on the track “Honesty”. I honestly haven’t been so thrilled by a feature in a long time. Travis is true to form, and highlights Piebald’s influence on Aficionado.

However, despite the fact that objectively the vocal delivery and the lyrics on Aficionado are at the very least well above average and easily enjoyable, Nick’s voice and approach is so similar to Adam Lazzara of Taking Back Sunday that I feel a bit uneasy listening to the record. Whether or not the resemblance is intentional, the similarity makes Aficionado feel like an Adam Lazzara side project, which is saddening as Aficionado is so much more. After a few spins the record becomes more familiar and the image of Adam singing is less persistent, but it is still definitely a hindrance to the record’s success.

Though I wasn’t blown off my feet by Aficionado’s self-titled, it is highly enjoyable and a very honest record all the way through. With a bit of progression and some established familiarity to force away the Adam comparison, I am confident that Aficionado will deliver a truly impressive follow up to their self-titled.

Interview With The Bigger Lights

Live Review: Maps and Atlases

San Francisco is a city of thriving arts and culture. Artists from all over the world love coming to such a supportive musical community because there is such diversity, and a crowd for almost any kind of music. Even despite this, we were lucky to have Maps & Atlases in SF tonight, along with two California-based bands in a fantastic indie show tonight.

Sacramento-centered quartet Sister Crayon opened the show. A lot of the focus on their music was effects, although the operatic vocals were to be competed with by similar bands in their complicated soul / trip-hop world. The bass effects that vibrated the entire house weren’t too greatly appreciated, but at least they added a unique element. Ultimately, though, the keyboard / guitarist shined through the most, providing true tonal variety in the show.

Princeton was a four piece group from Los Angeles that combined auxiliary percussion with vocal harmonies with extremely changeable instrumentation to produce an energetic sound. The style of their songs was different every time, from a darker electronic sound to a pop-ish indie rock. With ethereal keys, a throbbing bass, and sporadic, emphatic guitar chords, they brought something new and lively to the show.

Maps & Atlases, being the final act of the night, started off strongest of the lot with an upbeat indie jam that got the crowd moving quickly. One of the highlights of the performance was the guitarist and bassist pulling out drums and beating them incessantly in tune. With altering time signatures, a fairly continual bright mood, a simplistic four piece setup, and energy flowing over the top, Maps & Atlases put on a good show from start to finish, and was a great conclusion to a show that felt really comfortable and easy to listen to.

You can keep up with Sister Crayon on their website, you can listen to Princeton on their Myspace or their Bandcamp, and you can keep up with just about everything Maps & Atlases related on their website.