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Nightmare of You
2007-11-29 02:09:00
Nightmare of You sets the tone with "I Was Never A Normal Boy" tune from its Bang CD (2007 The Bevonshire). The lyrics of this song are interesting, though they don’t quite stretch to the vision that the title promises. Close. (This veteran listener would encourage them to keep up the good work.) The title ...
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Lydia
2007-11-28 02:59:00
It’s a rare rock/alternative group that separates itself from the run-of-the-mill bands with a band member on piano and other keyboards. Lydia is on its way, with singer/keyboardist Mindy White. But there is much more to this Gilbert, Arizona group. In addition to White, the group is composed of Leighton Antelman (vocals/guitar), Steve McGraw (guitar), ...
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Faktion
2007-11-27 03:03:00
Faktion, from Dallas, is a rock band. Just ask one of the band members. But labelling the group as 99 percent rock is not a bad thing, necessarily. Why not 100 percent? Not many groups reach that level of commitment. Let’s wait and see with Faktion. "Feel The Fire" from 2007 is a very good song. ...
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Better Than Ezra
2007-11-26 02:07:00
It’s certainly no surprise that this veteran group is from New Orleans, Louisiana, a city that has sent dozens of talented musical children into the world. It must be the air and water! The mix of people works so well with Better Than Ezra (analysis, emotion and rhythm/feel from the individuals) that it is hard ...
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The Honorary Title
2007-11-23 07:01:00
It isn’t necessary to introduce this New York band in the same way that one might introduce other young, struggling bands. After all, The Honorary Title has major record label ties. But for the uninitiated, the group is worth standing in line for. "Untouched and Intact" opens with an interesting rhythm guitar move that gives the ...
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Sister Hazel
2007-11-23 06:45:00
From Gainesville, Florida, the band Sister Hazel continues to bring some southern rock flavor to the airwaves and CD players of America. But that category would be too limiting for Ken Block, Drew Copeland, Ryan Newell, Mark Trojanowski and Jett Beres, who also seem to have some Pure Prairie League/Eagles influence in their background. This ...
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Corey Crowder
2007-11-22 02:44:00
Corey Crowder is definitely a folk singer, in the traditional sense. Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Crowder sings with a soft, breathy voice that is part of the song, not the only part that catches the ear. With good folk music, the acoustic guitar, piano, bass… whatever instruments are long for the ride… are also ...
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
2007-11-20 03:34:00
Well, what do you expect with a song named "Satan Said Dance?" The sound-effects beginning makes you want to stay around and hear more. It’s sort of like walking in on a couple having sex – you don’t want to watch but you can’t look away. It’s too good as an experience. The Clap Your Hands ...
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City and Colour
2007-11-19 01:53:00
Great voice and smooth acoustic guitar – makes for some excellent listening, as most City and Colour fans state after hearing this acoustic/folk artist. With CDs on Dine Alone Records, Dallas Green couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate label name, as this work is almost exclusively the effort of one St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada singer/guitarist. The ...
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Valencia
2007-11-16 02:03:00
Yes, as the band information states, this could be a possibility. Valencia , a Philadelphia group, produces sound similar to that of a handful of other young rock/indie groups. There is energetic drumming and buzzing guitar chord work. Vocals in this genre are either very good or rather average. Valencia manages to put vocals in the ...
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Unwritten Law
2007-11-14 11:06:00
Let’s try some sarcasm. Can drummer Tony Palermo please play a bit faster and try to put some energy into the music? For some reason, his drumming puts this picture in my mind: a young kid hammerin’ nails into a board "just because." Of course, Palermo does it in perfect time. That youthful exuberance is a ...
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Thousand Foot Krutch
2007-11-14 02:20:00
Describe Thousand Foot Krutch as Canadian Christian rock with growling guitars, aggressive drumming and just a touch of humor, and you would be very close to the truth. Some may have a hard time finding the humor in what sounds like hard, pounding rock, but it’s there. The group’s 2007 release, The Flame In All Of ...
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The Audition
2007-11-13 02:06:00
These young purveyors of rock/pop hail from the Windy City. In the past decade or so, Chicago has been a pretty good scene for this style of music and The Audition comes from that melting pot. With a claim of reinventing pop/rock/punk, Audition has set the goal very high. They get a good start with songs ...
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Spotty Dogg
2007-11-12 02:38:00
It’s interesting to catch a quality band in their infancy, and while Spotty Dogg has been writing and recording seriously for about two years, their CD efforts did not immediately attract a label. From their own studio in the Scottish Highlands, Spotty Dogg attempts to introduce "a new generation of music," according to the band ...
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Smile Empty Soul
2007-11-09 02:34:00
Hailing from Los Angeles, the reorganized Smile Empty Soul is essentially the effort of Sean Danielsen – vocals/guitar; Ryan Martin – Bass; Jake Kilmer – drums. Kilmer (formerly with The Flipper Babies) is the newest piece in the puzzle. The group is far from an infant in the music business, as it has been on ...
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Silversun Pickups
2007-11-08 04:45:00
This eclectic gathering is alternately classed as indie, pop and rock or, for lack of a better term, "other." Judging from the rather unusual design of the songs by this group, the band members would probably like that last classification. Nominated for a 2007 Woodie Award, Silversun Pickups consists of Brian Aubert – guitar/vocals; Nikki Monninger ...
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Hit The Lights
2007-11-05 03:33:00
What does Hit The Lights have that gives them such a loyal fan base? A couple of things probably make the difference – this is a pretty good rock band and that always helps. They also like to party, judging from photos and comments (that doesn’t hurt a group’s popularity either). Many fans also enjoy ...
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Gregory and the Hawk
2007-11-02 02:42:00
Wait a minute! Is someone really playing folk music and recording it live? Nice!!!!! Is someone really recording pop/acoustic, with no apologies for the softness of the vocals and no need to growl at the audience? Again – nice!!!!! Gregory and the Hawk is, primarily, Meredith Godreau on guitar and vocals. Jeff Ratner, on bass, assists ...
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Cary Brothers
2007-11-01 03:25:00
With help from his friends, Cary Brothers offers listening music in the folk ballad genre along with more percussion/guitar influenced rock ballads. In many cases, Brothers puts emphasis on acoustic guitar, soft percussion meant to hold the music and dynamics that are only possible with a soft beginning. "If You Were Here" begins with the ...
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American Hi-Fi
2007-10-31 03:37:00
Hey, "The Art of Losing" (2003) is a great song! Oh yeah, if you have listened to American Hi-Fi you already know that. I think TV’s Craig Ferguson would like this music. Oh yeah, he does. But what is American Hi-Fi up to now? According to a journal entry by the band, they are working on ...
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All Time Low
2007-10-30 03:43:00
Personal note: A few years ago I went to Danville, Illinois to listen, at close range, to a hammerin’ group called Mustard Plug. As it turned out, I bought a T-shirt that had the indie label name on it, along with the great band name. All Time Low is not Mustard Plug. Songs such as "Six ...
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A Heartwell Ending
2007-10-29 04:35:00
The current lineup of A Heartwell Ending is based in Long Beach, California, the product of break ups in several local bands and the reformation as A Heartwell Ending. As band members emphasize, the concept of this project has been kept alive through hard work and focus, in spite of numerous changes in personnel that ...
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This Providence
2007-10-27 07:26:00
This Providence entered the indie music scene from one of the hotbeds of youth music, Seattle, so be prepared for a bit of strong emotion and angst-filled lyrics. In fact, original members Dan Young (vocals, guitar) and Phil Cobrea (bass) make it a point to investigate and discuss personal/social issues in their music. But somewhere ...
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The Early November
2007-10-23 03:19:00
Here’s a rock band for you, featured on the aptly named drive thru records Or should we say, "Here was a rock band…..?" Originally formed in 1999, The Earl y November wrote and recorded what many thought was music that sounded experienced beyond the actual years of the individual members. At the height of the band’s popularity and ...
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Ryan Huston
2007-10-20 08:14:00
Low-volume listening music is hard to come by among the angst-ridden twenty-somethings nowadays. However, many bands have found a way to create songs that are very listenable, while still giving vent to some of the anger and frustration that often guide the young. While technically not a song by a "band," Ryan Huston’s "Tired," is certainly ...
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Mute Math
2007-10-19 06:17:00
Fighting the typical, Mute Math continues to explore just a few feet beyond the "traditional" alternative rock of recent years. To get one of the more obvious events out of the way early on - the performance art of the "backwards" video is becoming legend among Mute Math fans. It has been called "television history." But ...
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Daphne Loves Derby
2007-10-16 06:51:00
For many music fans in this period, their favorite band is like no other. But, there are a few listeners who are amazed at how difficult it is to separate one band from another in the 21st century. This difficulty comes not from too little talent. It doesn’t come from a over-abundance of equal talent. No, the ...
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Pixies (revisited)
2007-10-13 06:23:00
Now, coming to the stage, from Boston, Massachusetts – Pixies ! (...)
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Pepper
2007-10-12 09:11:00
Maybe it's best to let a "friend" or "fan" of Pepper describe what this trio does with top-quality vocals and uncluttered instrumentation. One young fellow stated that, if he wasn't in jail he'd be at the show. (You see, he was sentenced right before the concert date.) "2B" from To Da Max (2007) has something of a reggae beat, a hip-hop taste and a pop feel. It's a testament to the ability of Kaleo Wasman (guitar/vocals), Bret Bollinger (bass/vocals) and Yesod Williams (drums) that it isn't easy to categorize this latest effort.  "Give It Up" (Kona Town 2002) is from a younger band, with a little more energy and youthful lust. They do, after all, come right out and ask for it. In 2004, the group came up with In With The Old, an interesting concept, to say the least. (...)
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Enter Shikari
2007-10-11 05:37:00
This U.K. (...)
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