Music

After Seattle underground superheroes Carissa’s Wierd disbanded, Sera Cahoone went on to do her own thing, Ben Bridwell came up with Band Of Horses and Grand Archives, and Jenn Ghetto became S. If you weren’t around ora conscious while Carissa’s Wierd was around, here is what you need to know: they were cool and depressing, in that flannel and bad beer Seattle-movie-stereotype kind of way, but not ironic like the hipsters like to swing it these days. That, and nobody knew about them. Since the break-up, Grant released two albums — 1999′s Sadstyle and 2004′s Puking And Crying. In honor of the 10-year anniversary of Sadstyle, it was remixed and remastered, with a handful of unreleased tracks and demo versions [...]

The appropriately-titled Ghosts is the final album from long-running Drive Like Jehu-inspired outfit, Nakatomi Plaza. Surprisingly, it starts off on a far more melodic note than on their previous release, Unsettled. With tunes like “Artificial Light” and “Requiem,” the NP are going for more a straightforward punk sound, as opposed to that of the records in their past. I think the saddest part about this is that, had they continued to go in this direction, there might’ve been a chance for the band to go beyond being a simple niche group. They could have found a bit of wider appeal, like The Loved Ones or Ted Leo have. Listen to “Bomb Shelter” – DOWNLOAD MP3 This is especially indicative of [...]

Upon hearing the first track on When Summers Gone’s EP, December, it’s really difficult not to approach it from the viewpoint of a jaded music writer. For one thing, singer Dave Graziani’s vocal cadence apes a who’s-who of ’90s frontmen, such as Chris Cornell (mostly), Gavin Rossdale, and Eddie Vedder. The record’s second song, “Welcome Home,” brings a little bit more energy to the EP, albeit still in a mid-tempo manner. Having lived in Seattle during the ’90s explosion of bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and the lot, I do have a appreciation for them and even a lot of respect for the bar bands that grew from those influential groups. As much as I’d like to say that When [...]

StuffYouWillHate.com has quickly become one of my favorite new online blogs because the neon-clad-fashioncore-six-years-too-late kids who are featured there remind me why I hate new bands. Kids like Brokencyde who scream over computerized, plasticy beats are suddenly darlings, and everyone accepts them because most high schoolers wouldn’t know a tasty jam if it hit ‘em in the headband. Enter Canada’s The New Enemy, who’s equal parts Avail, Kid Dynamite and Black Flag. Through their seven-track EP, Shakedown, a jaded old hardcore kid is transported to days when people knew that the Descendents were responsible for some of the more risqué songs in punk rock and Blink-182 was just a glimmer in Mark Hoppus’ suburban eyes. Shakedown finishes as fast as [...]

Starting strong with those home-styled, apple pie sensibilities, You Didn’t Know I Was Alphabetical quickly declines into another emo-folk album — a hair shy of Conor Oberst and not quite as satisfying. “You, Too” opens the album, a heartfelt and sentimental track with light, folky instrumentation low behind Bond’s vocals. A blend of ruggedness and bleeding heart honesty ties each song together lyrically, but with tracks like “Skin And Bones,” a self-pitying element creeps in. Even the instrumentation and vocals move from light, acoustic playfulness to a dark wailing. Given a few listens, it gets better to tolerate, with Bond’s lyricism shining through and the folk elements holding the album together. Generally, You Didn’t Know… is a solid album full [...]

A lot of bands today seem to like going for ironically harsh-sounding names and album titles; punching against the hipster grain is Kill To Kill, whose Fighter EP sounds a lot like a parking lot brawl after a hardcore show. Listen to “Radical Flyer” – DOWNLOAD MP3 Forget exploration and experimentation. That shit’s weak. Fighter is raw and dirty, with an angry rrriot girl vibe that echoes a little punkish. Singer Sylvia Izabella’s voice leans toward tone-deafness, but she sings like she’s daring you to criticize her. Counterpointing her wail, the instrumentation is heavy and low, composed of bass and baritone guitars and a bass VI tuned ridiculously low or something. I don’t really know. But it sounds belligerent and [...]

This album could probably be used as a case for why recording equipment should not be so readily available to the public. At least back in the day when shitty bands were making shitty albums, it was on shitty-quality cassette tapes that could be easily destroyed and forgotten; unfortunately, digital media makes it hard to forget you once had to listen to someone who thought playing Rock Band on Expert mode was comparable to classical music training. Between grating vocals, cheesy drum loops and synths, and otherwise predictable musicianship, Anna Madorsky’s latest, Incantation, is just not something I ever had to hear. For me, lyrics can often be the saving grace of an album, but even those were cliché-ridden and [...]

Canadian band Plajia have a video for their song “Kyaan Done,” directed by Adam Owens. It’s only a couple weeks old, and features the wonderful voice of Patrick Pleau, whose record we reviewed here. Reggae-influenced tracks might be a bit passé, but I’m liking this one. Ω

Sometimes, a band can do everything right, and still, the pieces won’t fit completely together. The instrumental outfit Slow Six have gone out of their way to show this on their latest album, Tomorrow Becomes You”. Despite having some great songs, the album as a whole just seems to fall a bit flat. The opening track, “The Night You Left New York,” takes an odd folk sound, combining it with the sense of distorted urgency reminiscent of Explosions In The Sky and Do Make Say Think. But unlike those post-rock masters, Slow Six tries throwing a bit too much into the mix. The strings at times sound like the soundtrack to Robin Hood, and on their own, are a nice [...]

This EP, and band really, is a classic case of an artist or group that is easy to respect and hard to truly enjoy. Classic examples of this phenomenon can be seen with opera, ballet, or any artistic medium that lacks immediacy or takes a certain amount of effort to enjoy. In this particular case, it is a mix of eccentric vocals and awkward song pacing that serve to be shortcomings and highlights for Privilege, Pt. 1: On Death & Endearments. Every second of this record sounds amazing, and the sheer sonic scope of all four tracks is commendable. The band has obviously honed their craft, and it’s no surprise that they’ve gotten accolades galore over the past few years [...]