The Knollwood Boys is a five-piece rock band from Indianapolis, Indiana comprised of Brent Bockelman (guitar/keys), Kit Clouser (guitar/vocals), Quin Starks (lead guitar/Vocals), Steve Webb (bass/vocals) and Albie Witz (drums) that recently released a ten-song album entitled Beyond the Peonies. The band has been together since 2010 and it comes across when you listen their music. It’s a combination of the band having a cohesive sound, which is consistent throughout and the tight performances which is something that a band in their first years usually has some trouble with.
The Knollwood Boys are unequivocally a rock band but I wouldn’t put them in the hard rock category. Their songs fall in line with warm Americana rock that sounds good at an outdoor summer barbeque or by a nighttime bonfire. For comparison’s sake, songs from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, John Mellencamp and even Jimmy Buffet would sound perfectly at home in a playlist with The Knollwood Boys. There isn’t a lot of blistering guitar solos or Neil Peart inspired drum fills. The thing that stuck out to me was the songwriting and the fact that each member was supplying what was necessary for the song. No more - no less. When you get down to it Beyond the Peonies has heartfelt, no frills style songs that have no excess fat. One thing that does need to be pointed out is the exceptional vocal work throughout the album. You can hear what I’m talking about on the first song “King.” The vocal style is confident yet not aggressive and pretty comforting in some ways. Some people have a warmth in their voice and that's what I hear here. “King” could also be the single of the album. It contains a Steve Miller band sing-a-long type quality that doesn’t take long to sink in. “King” also contains some exceptional drumming. Again, nothing over the top but what the song calls for. The band has more success on the upbeat yet relaxing sounding “Outta the City.” I could picture space hippies getting down with their hippy dance on this track. The third track “Curtains” was a personal highlight. I can’t resist a good nostalgic, heartfelt song and “Curtains” gets it right. As the album progresses there's really little to complain about from the inspiring “Push On” to the feeling good and grooving “Mysterious Ways.” After spending some time with this album. I think it's safe to say that these songs probably sound great live. Do yourself a favor and check out to see if The Knollwood Boys are playing by you. While you’re waiting, spinning Beyond the Peonies is perfectly good way to pass the time.
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An original music group out of Lancaster, Ohio and the Hocking Hills, Fedd Up recently produced a four-song EP Dark Days in a four hour studio recording session, displaying their ability to quickly generate quality music. Dark Days is a solid introduction to the band and their style, as it portrays classic rock techniques as well as modern twists that Fedd Up infuses into the music.
The EP begins with a relentlessly rumbling low-register guitar and bass riffs. Even though the first song “Wild Flower” begins in a major key, the ample use of minor thirds and minor sevenths throughout the song give the song an edgy aura. At several points in the track, the instrumentation cuts out leaving a subtle buildup and a vocal solo to launch the song back into energetic rock n’ roll. “Wrecking Machine” features blues themes blended with upbeat riffs and percussion. This song is brighter in feeling than “Wild Flower,” and extended instrumental sections and unfettered vocals shifting seamlessly from gravelly to falsetto carry the energy of the song to heights not before reached in the EP. The song ends in a slow fade as the volume and energy gradually decline. Dissonant frequencies, propagated by a screaming distorted electric guitar, commence “Into the Fire” as it drives full force through a series of verses, choruses and a lightning-paced guitar solo, proceeding nonstop until the end of the vivacious track. “Ewok” begins with a slightly reserved style, absent from power chords and pounding drums, which is somewhat atypical for Fedd Up. Understandably, “Ewok” regenerates the band’s usual style during the choruses of the song but the variety in this song brings much-needed contrast to the band’s sound. Overall, Dark Days is an enjoyable set of four songs that reflect Fedd Up’s propensity for writing and performing catchy and intriguing songs.
Run Amok, a three-membered band from San Francisco, California, recently released their first album Colossus after taking a hiatus to fine tune their sound. Sonically diverse, the album spans the range of styles from hard rock to metal in a refreshingly creative fashion.
The first thing that stands out about the band is the sheer amount of sound that the three members, Alexis Blair, Matt Morales and Sal Ferrari, collectively produce. “A Private Little War” and “Devil in the Dark” introduce listeners to the ultra-full soundscape that gives the band a solid foundation upon which they can build lyrically and vocally. “Paradise” is arguably the best track on the album with its catchy, upbeat riffs and balance between power and brightness making for an intriguing listen. The opening percussion in “Arena” gradually builds throughout the song, while syncopated lyrics and riffs fill in the gaps in a stylistic manner. Short and sweet, “I Don’t Care”, “Lazers” and “With You (Tonight)” both come in at under three minutes. Evidently, Run Amok knows how far to take certain musical ideas, and when the idea has come to a close in a song, they don’t force an unnecessary lengthening of the song and subsequently run the idea into the ground. This portrays serious maturity and wisdom in the band’s songwriting process. The album’s energy never once abates, as the vitality of the songs continues to maintain a high level, even until “The Menagerie, Part 1” in which the energy climbs even higher. This final track employs many of the same techniques that made the rest of the album likeable, and it also uses some more experimental sounds that bring the band’s sound into higher clarity. A well-formed album, Colossus makes a wholehearted case for Run Amok being a gifted, skillful band more than capable of the goals they wish to achieve.
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The chances that an album entitled Alone would be melancholy are pretty high in my opinion. I wasn’t expecting a party album when I listened to Alone by Coastline. The eleven songs on this album are indeed predominantly melancholy but the two members R. A. Scott and T. Bloom do throw in a couple of unexpected deviations.
There isn’t too much happening on Alone. The songs revolve around an acoustic guitar and both Scott’s and Bloom’s vocals. They get some things right and other things wrong but I would argue that they have more victories. The band sounds best when they really go for the heartfelt, genuine melancholy. On some songs they try to be cute, ironic and slightly funny and it doesn't pan out as well. It actually feels out of place. Imagine if a reverent album like Bridge Over Troubled Water had some comic relief. It would take away from the experience. The recording quality is about that of a demo but it helps that there isn't much instrumentation. You can hear the lyrics pretty well on each song. Their voices are sometimes blended better than other times. On that note I will say they sound better in unison than they do individually. They start the album strong with “Lesson One: Forgiveness” which bears resemblance to the artist Bon Iver. The song features simple yet effective guitar pickings and some of their best vocal melodies. The lyrics are written well enough that they avoid tropes but cover familiar topics. They sing, “Cocoa, burning a paper cup, trading a kiss for luck, there's froth on your lip. Windows, frosted right through the glass, autumn was bound to pass, I'm losing my grip.” The next song “Bear” is an example of the dichotomy that is present on the rest of the album. It’s not badly written but feels almost silly compared to the first song. “Trapeze” and “The Bird & The Whale” demonstrates the duo's strengths. “The Bird & The Whale” story is almost exactly the same as the Tom Wait song “Fish and Bird.” In fact both songs mention mirrors, sailors and drying eyes. I think this is a tribute to that song. Other songs like “The Wendy Bird” and the gypsy-inspired “The Lobby Boy” weren’t as well delivered and just seemed out of place. Coastline will want to hone in on their strengths, which happens to revolve around melancholy and their vocal harmonies. The one offs they were attempting actually took away from the value of the more inspired tracks. Despite the mishaps when they get it right, they get it right. That’s enough of a reason to give this a spin.
The four-piece band The Seas comprised of Michael Sliter (vocals), Logan Powell (guitars), Jeremy Williams (bass) and Richard Sester (drums/samples) started rocking out in late 2009. In 2011 the band released their debut album A Separation and just this year released their follow up Give Up The Ghost.
At their core the band plays rock music but flirts with electronic elements as well. It’s heavy and falls into a hard rock/metal category. The band has taken inspiration from bands like Nine Inch Nails, Tool and The Deftones. You can hear some of that influence within their music but it’s not obvious and I don’t think anyone would confuse The Seas with any of the aforementioned bands. Sliter is a dynamic singer who brings a lot to table. He can pull off a sweet sounding Thom Yorke style falsetto and when he strains and stresses his vocal chords he has an inflection similar to Chris Cornell. I think most people will appreciate his style considering Yorke and Cornell are widely recognized as some of the best rock singers to grace this planet. The band recorded Give Up The Ghost at a professional studio and the proof is in the pudding. It sounds great overall but there were some elements, which really stuck out. The bass tone throughout worked very well with the music. It sounds big and robust but you could also hear it cut through and hear some of frequencies within the mid to high range. The songwriting is solid and thought there was just enough variation to keep things interesting throughout the album. One of the highlights was the second track “Across The Earth” which is atmospheric yet rocks out hard. You can probably hear the Chris Cornell inflections on this song I was talking about earlier. “Mistakes” has an ominous vibe during the verse but when the chorus rocks it's as if they are trying to penetrate the darkness. The band implements electronic percussion elements on “Heterochromia” that give it a NIN feel. The highlight of the album may very well be the title track. It’s a great song and thought the falsetto vocals during the subdued section was slick. The band gradually builds up crescendo only to be brought back down again. The only minor issue I could see is that the album is a bit long. This album is intense and at thirteen songs I will wager some people may have had their fill by the ninth song. I realize listening to album from beginning to end is becoming somewhat of a lost procedure but still has some merit in my opinion. Give Up The Ghost works on a number of different levels. This band has got the goods. Recommended.
You really don’t have too many bands that are below a certain age that play jazz. The band The Precious Penny Pluckers comprised of Nicola Cockburn (vocals), Corry Fleming (guitar) and Martin Rowbottom (guitar) from Scotland are a refreshing breath of talent and an exception to the rule with their EP Yonder approaches the great machine. The trio doesn’t just play jazz but a specific kind. This is Django Reinhardt inspired guitar playing that infuses traces of blues, gypsy music and more that is delightful to the ears. You hear songs that don’t sound too far off from something that Tom Waits would sing to songs that you hope to hear from a talented street musician.
Back before people were dancing to rock music or EDM they were moving their hips to something that sounded similar to “Not a Dollar.” The guitars are clean acoustics and one person plays lead while the other takes care of the rhythm. Nothing too complicated but they hit just the right notes and give the song a good amount of swing. The band switches it up with a slow, style back and forth waltz on “The piers.” Cockburn has a deep, soulful voice and sounds well beyond her years in a good way. The get back into a swinging saloon style jazz tune “The ballad of old sir Henry.” She sings about power and money while telling a tale about Henry. “The cold is a comin'” features some background vocal harmonies from the other members while the closer “The Hangman's Priest” is the only song that uses a modulation type effect on the guitar. I think the next logical step for the band would be to up the recording quality. Yonder approaches the great machine certainly does not sound bad but does have a DIY consumer gear aesthetic. I would have loved to hear the nuances and subtleties of the vocals and guitar, which could be achieved. Overall, this is solid start for the band. I wouldn’t mind hearing bass and drums at some point but keeping it simple with two guitars isn’t a bad way to go either.
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The power pop punk music that Accidental Hero make on their release Pictures EP would seem absurd coming from anyone over the age of twenty-five. I would argue that you could also make a case for someone even younger. As long as the pictures of the members from Accidental Hero are recent they don’t have much to worry about for quite some time. The band members consisting of Jackie (vocals), Tae (guitar), Mike (drums) and Kevin (bass) are mostly likely still in high school and in their teenage years.
Pictures revolves around pop punk and is somewhere in between Avril Lavigne in her younger years and Paramore. The band is tight overall and they can write a decent song. I was impressed by the technical prowess of the band (especially the drummer) and Jackie has a voice that is just about perfect for the genre. Jackie sounds young, like a teenager sounds which works but she can also belt out a tune. She has some range and consistently is able to effortlessly hit high notes. I can imagine she will be getting better as time passes by. The five-song on the EPs are all cut from the same cloth with minor variations. It’s fast and loud and as usually involves palm muted power chords followed by some sort of crescendo. They get going with “Captain Jetpack” which doesn’t waste any time with slowly introducing the band. After an explosive verse the band charges through an ample amount of changes and shows off their talent. The band plows through similar sounding songs like “Four Letter Word” and “Pictures” which will most likely take you at least four or five listens to notice the disparity and difference between them. Comparing apples to apples Accidental Hero is arguably one of the better young power pop punk bands out there. On that note there are so many pop punk bands that are more or less playing a similar style of music with the same formation of a girl lead singer backed by dudes who can rip it up. Suffice it to say the competition is steeper than an American Idol competition. If the band wants to increase their odds of getting noticed by a larger audience they are going to have to infuse some differentiating factor in their equation. I don’t know what that is but that's not my job. They built a foundation now they just need to show us why they matter. Until then their are plenty of people around the band's age who will eat this up.
Sometimes you just have to deal with the cards you have been given. The band Building Plans hope to get into a professional studio someday soon but for now they want to record and get their music down. Building Plans did what any band how is around their age with a limited amount of resources would do. They made due with what they had.
Tom Green (guitar/vocals), Gihanah Seb-Di Dio (guitar), James Goodwin (drums) and Matt Smalley (bass) busted out a Tascam Dp-008ex 8-track recording module and got to work on their self-titled EP Building Plans. As you would expect the recording quality isn’t very good but at least it showcases the band's abilities. The band opens with “All Work No Play” which is a decent song. There aren’t many surprises as the song revolves around basic power chord progression. The bass was very hard to hear which was a shame because the riff was enjoyable. I have to admit I was scratching my head as to why Green was quoting the movie The Shining. He sings, “All work and no play / Makes Jack a dull dull boy / All work and no play Makes Jack a dull dull boy.” If you don’t have much of a budget and minimal experience recording it usually helps to keep things clean. My case and point is the second track “By The Lake” which is the highlight on the EP. The guitar parts are the most enjoyable aspect of the songs. On top of that Green delivers his best vocal performance, which still is far from perfect. “Christmas” is about 4 dbs softer than the previous track and has some distortion on the chorus. As I mentioned distortion can be a track killer on really low budget recordings and that's pretty much what happens when they step on their distortion pedals. “Past Present” was the most original song on the EP. The band toys with a descending riff on the verse. They later launch into a more palatable chorus but eventually go back to the original riff. Luckily, for Building Plans they are a young band (from their Facebook pics I’m guessing high school) and have tons of time to work out their kinks. The band will have to make some strides before competing with popular underground bands but who knows what could happen in the next year or two.
Madison, WI's The New Baldones offer up twitchy, funky, groovy punk blues with one eye on the past, while remaining firmly fixed on the future.
There was a strange and interesting period in the late '70s and early '80s when art-minded punkers sought to integrate the many different threads of the post-punk diaspora - African rhythms and trebly guitars - into new and interesting shapes. These explorations yielded a number of very different bands that still had a cohesion, despite working in different styles, The rigid, tense art-funk of Talking Heads and The Feelies brought a new language of anxious ease, like mannequins coming to breakdancing life, while bands like Jonathan Richman's The Modern Lovers brought a similar strain of tensile guitar rock to mod and '50s rock 'n roll. This was a music that seemed both sarcastic and heartfelt, self-conscious and self-aware while still just doing their thing, singing songs about their personal experiences, as every band does. The New Baldones bear a very strong sonic resemblance to Talking Heads and The Modern Lovers, as well as the acoustic funky punk of The Violent Femmes, who also hailed from Wisconsin. The New Baldones have the same uncanny knack at crafting insanely catchy melodic hooks, with razor sharp guitars wielded in quick burst staccato ska rhythms and the bass boogies like a midnight on the bayou. While The New Baldones clearly have a love of music past, the lyrical matter of The Last Bookstore deal with both the present and the future, taking stock of the changing world, wondering what will happen next. Title track and album opener "The Last Bookstore" does a wonderful job of symbolizing the seismic cultural shifts we're all navigating, using simply the image of an empty bookstore as a lament for the death of literacy. Similarly, "May Heart Sinks" straddles this dichotomy, using the imagery of a restless nocturnal drive to get over a heartbreak, with a delirious woozy synth over toppling tom-toms and a particularly memorable and melodic guitar solo, reminding us of why post-punk and New Wave was so imperative to begin with. The New Baldones offer hope of a world that is both freewheeling and funky, while still being self-aware and conscious of the past. This balance is razor-fine for artists, who no doubt have whole pantheons of patron saints that they love and admire, that set them on the path towards being musicians. We all must pay homage to these influences, without succumbing to parody or emulation. The New Baldones are none of those things. There's no good name for this style of music, which is a shame as it would make it easier to seek out. Those that dig acoustic funk ska-a-billy rock 'n roll with a big vocabulary and a big heart need to hear this now!
After locating to San Francisco the three-piece band Hearders comprised of Austin Smith (vocals/guitar), Kyle Nosler (drums/vocals) and Ryan Andersen (bass) dedicated most of their time to making music. Although I am no fortuneteller this band will most likely have some success if they continuously tour and make a steady stream of new music. I say this because their EP Mateo is a gem that underground indie music fans should eat up. For comparison’s sake you can hear similarities to the art punk duo No Age, Modest Mouse and the now defunct Wolf Parade.
The band really makes the most of their minimal setup of guitar, bass and drums. This tried and true classic setup of instruments still can impress me when it's in the right hands and Hearders does just that. The band manages to keep the songs consistently engaging. Each instrument is integral to the mix and forms an almost perfect symbiotic relationship. The EP kicks off with “Don't Matter How Far (Easy On)” which has the right kind of upbeat energy you usually want from an opener. It trudges forward with catchy vocals and by the second verse I was thoroughly impressed by the dynamic versatility each element brought to the table. I immediately noticed how tight, in sync and in the pocket the bass and drums were. By the time I got to the second track “W E T R I D E S” it was confirmed that the relationship between the bass and drums was something special. I will argue that there is a difference between a bassist and a drummer playing in time together versus playing in the pocket. Andersen and Nosler play in the pocket and the difference is they play off the nuances and subtleties of the other person’s performance. For example a snare drum hit harder may cause an instant reflex for the bass to be played softer in a slight different way. You can literally feel that energy, which I think so far has not been able to be replicated by electronic music. Although the bass and drums were the backbone I can't neglect the guitar playing. On “W E T R I D E S” Smith viciously slashes away at chord progressions that require some creative prowess and goes on to makes shards of reverb-laced white noise, which cover the frequency spectrum. The band’s loose, raw art punk vibe “The Weak Hours” is surely one that will translate well live. It sounds chaotic but it also happens to be perfectly in time. The closer “Cholame” veers away from the other three songs. That Modest Mouse vibe I mentioned earlier is present in the song but is subtle. There’s a bit more melancholy and it still feels cathartic like the other song. This band is one to look out for. Mateo goes four for four with the songs and I hope to hear more from these guys soon.
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