The Trews - Hope & Ruin

The Trews
Hope & Ruin (2011)
(Bumstead Records)

There are a few running themes throughout The Trews’ fourth studio album, Hope & Ruin, such as redemption, heartbreak, crafty vocal arrangements, homage to CCR, roots rock, guitar distortion, familiarity, and when all neatly line up in a music row, they fair well as a soundtrack to gassing up and hitting the blacktop for an extended session of road-therapy.

Canadians Colin MacDonald, John-Angus MacDonald, Sean Dalton, and Jack Syperek find their musical strength in delivering sharp rockers with an edge of pop sense. From the onset of the kickstarter and blaring opening track, “Misery Loves Company”, Hope & Ruin is all rock anthemic, healthily touched with alt-country and blues. The Trews don’t stray far from where they’ve musically been and that’s not necessarily a bad thing; their sonic trajectory makes for a steady emotional montage of “seeing” the music as well as occasionally thrashing to it.

Some of the best moments on the album are polar opposites; see “People Of the Deer” (apparently based upon the Canadian book of the same name), possibly their noisiest song ever, and by ‘noisiest’ I mean their hardest twist of the dial towards a straight-edged rocker with prolific use of a wah-wah pedal, and the twang doesn’t diminish the vocal urgency of “Burned” especially when the guitar starts to peel off into Luther Dickinson territory.  I’m not mad at them because “One By One” is solid and a delicate rhyming scheme (aka poem) set to music and a good reminder of why lyrics do matter; they help when trying to tell a fucking story. “I hate myself for being miserable; a six-day binge is bound to do it, though” isn’t necessarily a pretty mental picture, but it is a knife of honest exploration.

Grand experimentation may have been kept to a minimum on Hope & Ruin, but then why mess with a good thing?

Go see The Trews tonight at The Viper Room.

Official Website | Twitter

Whetherman - The Great Lull

Whetherman
The Great Lull
(Adorable Records)
By: Naimah Holmes

Nicholas Williams is a one man band; he handles everything from vocals and guitar, to the lute. His sound is soulful and reflective. The opening track "Sundial Sunset" recalls afternoons at the beach with old friends. In "Following To Catch Up" Williams reminds himself ( Don’t let it mark your heart It’s just love catching up to the good parts) and thus allowing himself to feel and not turn away from a situation that will in the end make him a stronger person. "My Window" is a lesson in heartbreak and moving on he sings (This is it But I guess I knew since Everyone told me and later Do what you do So long as it doesn’t hurt you.) "A Writer" is the strongest track on the record, finding Williams at his most vulnerable. His voice strong, lyrics truthful, and guitar playing delicate. "The Army Hymn" is another standout track. This particular track includes a bit of a string arrangement that in no way overshadows, but, compliments the light backing vocals. The Great Lull is gentle yet so strong in its tone.

Williams has crafted great songs, his lyrics build stories. His music creates a warm, inviting atmosphere. He’s found a way to make his work relatable and genuine in a world where all you need is a computer and microphone to make music stand out. Whetherman is an unsigned artist and his sophomore release The Great Lull is available via Adorable Records

Adorable Records | Myspace

OUT TODAY: The Hard Lessons - Arms Forest

There are many, many things that I love about my home state (Michigan). For instance, I like sitting on the beloved Swinging Bridge in my hometown or swinging on the swings at the Lexington Harbor with my homies during the wee hours of the morning. I also love that my mom will make me Gołąbki even when it’s the middle of July and 90+ degrees. Though I enjoy these things a lot when I come back to visit, my FAVORITE thing about Michigan is the music that comes out of Detroit, Ann Arbor, and other Southern Michigan cities...

Enter: the Hard Lessons.

Their latest album, Arms Forest, was released today and I honestly couldn’t wait for this day to come. Not because I didn’t have the album – but because I think this album deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. Yes, folks, it’s that good. Most of the songs from the album are already on my “Top 25 Most Played” playlist on iTunes. Obsessed? Oh yes. There’s no shame in admitting it, either.

To celebrate the release of Arms Forest, the Hard Lessons (consisting of Augie and Korin Visocchi on guitar/vox and keyboard/vox, respectively, and Ryan Vee on drums) played three homecoming shows: two in Hamtramck, MI and one in Detroit (Photos soon!). I attended all of them and I dragged my friends with me and these shows converted my friends into Hard Lessons fans. They decided that after much deliberation (in this article, “deliberation” means listening to Arms Forest after the Detroit show for hours, for hours, for hours...), Arms Forest is the best album they have heard this year thus far. I hadn’t thought about that yet, but I have to agree.

Every song on this album has something different about it. “Roma Termini” has a little bit of a techno thing going on, “Wedding Ring” is such a beautifully composed song, “Manoogian Zoo” has the verse “So welcome to the Detroit Zoo...“ in the song, which gives me a warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling for some reason. Of course, you will have some typical, Augie–and–Korin–will–kick–your–face–in songs, such as “Sound the Silent Alarm” and the title track, “Arms Forest”. After hearing the latter mentioned songs (or seeing them live), you’ll understand why “kick-your-face-in” songs are a very good thing.

This article is probably getting a little bit too long, but I can go on for days about the album and how incredible it is. Not just the songs, either, but the concept of Arms Forest and what that means, and the album artwork and how pretty the vinyl is... However, I think it’s best if you just go and buy the album right now. However, if you want me to talk your ear off about Arms Forest, you know where to find me. Maybe. ~ Jade Amey

MySpace | Official Site

Amy Kuney - Birds Eye View

Amy Kuney
Birds Eye View
(Spinmove Records)
Reviewed By: Naimah Holmes

The opening track of Amy Kuney's Birds Eye View, "Simple Things," sets the tone of the record as whimsical, lighthearted, and full of heart, a reminder that "It's the simple things that make us feel at home." At times it sounds as if every song is meant to stand alone. Each is strong lyrically and Kuney’s voice is full and just as lush as her music. The general theme of Birds Eye View is that of love, whether it's being lost in "Would You Miss Me," gained in "Thank You For Last Night," or being dissected in "Love is Trippy." What is lacking in fluidity and alignment Kuney more than makes up for with her skill in arrangements. Kuney's got a knack for blending piano, acoustic guitar, horns, strings, and backing vocals as this album proves.

Birds Eye View is a sparkling debut from a gifted singer whose YouTube videos caught the eye of Damien Rice this past summer. Soon after, Kuney had gotten herself a roundtrip ticket to open for Rice for a string of shows in Iceland.

MySpace | YouTube

Psychic TV/PTV3 - Mr. Alien Brain Vs. the Skinwalkers

Psychic TV/PTV3
Mr. Alien Brain Vs. the Skinwalkers
(Sweet Nothing/Cargo Records)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

The latest release from Psychic TV/PTV3 is an erotically morbid pastiche of Industrial Psychedelica and GlamCore – something along the lines of …Trail of Dead as a tribute to Bowie. The album is a culmination of all the sounds that Genesis Breyer P-Orridge has indulged in in recent years, from the hiply simplistic to the darkly avant-garde. "Papal Breakdance" is a glittering of phat beats, "Pickles and Jam" is the daunting and beautiful sound of Apocalyptic hopelessness, and "I Love You, I Know" is the sweetly mechanical love song of a musical documentarian. Even P-Orridge's irritatingly predictable covers can't produce scoffing: Syd Barrett's "No Good Trying" remains surprisingly traditional and Velvet Underground rarity "Foggy Notion" is even more sonically satisfying than the original. The album's highlight, however, is Michael Gira's mix of "New York Story," a NYC devotional as aesthetically astonishing as those of Mr. Reed himself. On Mr. Alien Brain P-Orridge finds a sound that is both radically listenable and perfectly pretentious – possibly something that only someone with thorough exposure to both Aleister Crowley's The Book of the Law and the Toilet Boys' debut could fully appreciate.

MySpace | Official Site

Coconut Records - Davy

Coconut Records
Davy
(Young Baby Records)
Reviewed By: Jade Amey

If you love Jason Schwartzman as much as I do, then I’m sure you were eager to get your hands on his sophomore album earlier this week. Recording under the alias Coconut Records, Schwartzman’s second solo effort, Davy, is just as good as his first, Nighttiming.

Davy is reminiscent of a Sgt. Pepper’s . . . era album, complete with horns and the sounds of an orchestra warming up, distinctly heard in the track “Drummer.” Little piano numbers such as “Any Fun” can take you back to this Beatles album as well, yet, the song “Courtyard” can remind someone of an Elliott Smith tune with the soft acoustic guitar only the lyrics aren’t as depressing.

Aside from the comparisons, another reason why you should like this album is because it keeps you interested, especially after the first few all-the-way-through listens (not on shuffle, either!). Most songs on this album consist of neat endings, be it Schwartzman yelling and jamming, or little tunes; “I Am Young” and “Is This Sound Okay?” are good examples of this. This system that Schwartzman worked out with his songs is refreshing; you don’t hear many albums that do this anymore.

2009 will be a great year for music. Davy is a prime example of this. Lets keep this trend up, my musically-inclined friends!

MySpace | Official Site

Mariah Carey - The Ballads

Mariah Carey
The Ballads
(Columbia)
Reviewed By: Chelsea Schwartz

Finally a Mariah Carey collection that takes you back to the days when Mariah ruled, especially for those of us who grew up going to Bar & Bat Mitzvah's where all the best slow dance songs came from the lovely and talented songstress. And if you're anything like me, you never bothered to pick up a Mariah Carey album while growing up because you couldn't decide which one to buy first! Well brothers and sisters, the solution has finally appeared with the release of The Ballads. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Von Iva - Girls on Film

Von Iva
Girls On Film
(INgrooves)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

Until recently there was thought that there's to be little to be found in the soul of a punk aside from safety pins and dated zines. But with the evolution of bands like the Gossip and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs into acts fit for mainstream consumption, the world of music has found a lush and dance-able electro soulfulness in select punk divas. San Francisco's Von Iva epitomizes this pastiche of sounds with a sincerity and authenticity previously unknown.

The sound of Girls on Film, Von Iva's third release, can only be described as mirror balls shattering under Chuck Taylors. "Livin for It" and "Electricity" are fit to be anthems for rainbow-flavored dance clubs around the world, "Guise" combines the attitude of Max's Kansas City with the musicality of Studio 54, and "Birds of Prey" is the sound of a brassy and sassy brand of feminist eroticism. Von Iva are the perfect example of the kind of girls who are not only elegantly and fashionably out of your league, but who could also beat your ass on and off the dance floor without breaking a sweat or devaluing their designer kicks.

MySpace | Official Site

Your Best Friend - Your Best Friend

Your Best Friend
Your Best Friend
(Unsigned)
Reviewed By: Naimah Holmes

There are very few bands that can sell over 1000 copies of a self-titled self-released album within the first three months of its release, but Your Best Friend just happens to be one of those bands. With a sound that is both traditionally and progressively rock, YBF will keep you on your toes. Their music is a refreshing new twist on what others have been trying to accomplish for quite some time. The difference being that their aggression and straightforward manner isn't muddled with unnecessary effects or strained vocals. YBF are John Bonham [(guitar, keyboard, vocals) -- no, not that John Bonham], Dale Brown (bass, vocals), Steve Sochanek (guitar, vocals), and Nick Edler (drums, vocals). Their arrangements are controlled, their vocals have a great exchange in style, and lyrics are straightforward, hiding nothing. Their sound is organic and their influences can be heard throughout the album. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

The Ettes - Look At Life Again Soon

The Ettes
Look at Life Again Soon
(Take Root Records)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

With The Strokes and The Vines out of the spotlight, it's finally safe to go back to the garage. Joining the ranks of the Gore Gore Girls and the Charms, The Ettes' second full-length, Look at Life Again Soon, brings sounds until-recently thought to be relegated to Herschell Gordon Lewis films and only the most pretentious record store clerks. The Ettes manage to blend authentic 60's Garage Rock with a modern audible chicness that could underscore any downtown, underground psychedelic dance party or the edgiest uptown runway show. In under 28 minutes vocalist Lindsay "Coco" Hames spits through 11 tales of teenage lust gone awry. Simplistically pissy chorus-driven tracks like "I Get Mine" and "Pay Up" sound like The Gossip as produced by Phil Spector while "You Can't Do That To Me" and "Girls Are Mad" have them sounding like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on a cocktail of nitrous and amphetamines.

MySpace | Official Site

Civet - Hell Hath No Fury

Civet
Hell Hath No Fury
(Hellcat Records)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

The sound of Hell Hath No Fury can only be described as bubble-gum-coated kink. Civet's self-branded "Femme Fatale Punk Rock" blends the brash audacity of 1977 with easy-to-swallow (and quite yummy) hooks and choruses. On their second full-length the band produces the most playfully brutal sounds since The Distillers. "Take Me Away" and "Gin and Tonic" are chorus-happy sing-a-longs, while "Alibis" and "1989" are equally suitable for dance-floor brawls or rocking bathroom stalls at any punk club in the world. Even the trite-tastic "All I Want," co-penned by Tim Armstrong (and likely intended for someone along the lines of Avril Lavigne or Kelly Clarkson), comes off as endearingly faux badass – possibly your little sisters' gateway to The Donnas' Lookout! years. In the tradition of Crucified Barbara and Betty Blowtorch, Civet continue to prove that hot chicks with painted lips, an abundance of ink, and a vast knowledge of Motorhead's back catalogue rarely disappoint.

MySpace | Official Site

Alive in Wild Paint - Ceilings

Alive in Wild Paint
Ceilings
(Equal Vision Records)
Reviewed By: Naimah Holmes

A certain environment is being built within the songs that make up Alive in Wild Paint's debut album, Ceilings: that of loss, faith, and maturity. Within the first seconds of the title track a story of two sides of desperation is told through the lyrics of Travis Bryant (vocals, guitar.) He sings of the need to save a lover ("I helped you out of your self and right back in.") Later the object of his affections need to lose not only themselves, but the relationship itself ("You whisper soft if we’re lost. Don’t turn around. We’ll take our time to arrive.") From a love lost to a reminder that fragility is the product of the mind in “Crystal Selves” explaining that boundaries are there for you to break through ("Sometimes some time is all it takes to change your mind. Aching the absence wondering were you’ve been."). Determination can be found in the form of “ God Gave Me a Gun” and “Anxious Disease” tells of an inevitable breakup. “II” is the tale of an empty life hidden behind what the world wants to see as perfect ("When you take a bow the curtains close. They will applaud you for playing the role of a wretched child with a bleeding nose.). “Traffic” is the most haunting of all the tracks, with such delicate piano between Bryant’s elegantly emotive voice. “Sleep With Your Soul In” is where their rock influence can be found. Their musicianship shines bright with Matt Grabe (guitar/piano), David Roat (bass), and pounding away at the drums that give until the very end. In “Forecasting” a love becomes stale and one-sided in the way of affection ("How quickly he forgets that you exist. And he never comes alive quite the way you’d like. It keeps you where you are."). “Everywhere, An Ocean” has Bryant reasoning with a choice to make peace, to settle or make the decision to abandon something he’s built to find some uncharted territory ("And it’s fear of what the sun would see beckoning me into.") Suprisingly, or ironically, “Children of Divorce” is the most upbeat song on the album as the characters try to prove themselves they are reminded ("But they can’t take from you. Something inside you never knew."). “Cold Spell” lingers as it tells of a transformation after the loss of something or someone you thought was all you wanted ("It’s a cold spell casting over everything we’ve felt. When there’s no one left to tell I keep it to myself."). The hurtful remainders of a relationship, where the two who were never meant to make one is what can be heard on “ A Vespertine Haunting” ("I never meant to leave dear I just thought I would arrive. But it seems here I’m never quite alive.")

It may take two listens to get the feel for this album. Lyrically this work is strong. At times the music itself seems to overpower what Bryant has to say. There are great stories told throughout the album and lessons to be learned by its conclusion.



MySpace | Official Site

Maggie Walters - Midwestern Hurricane

Maggie Walters
Midwestern Hurricane

Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

While music journalists have spent the past decade looking for alt-country stars in Sonic Youth's touring partners and anyone collaborating with Emmylou Harris, they somehow seem to have missed Maggie Walters. After more than a year of sitting on the shelf, and many years struggling to break out of the Texas music scene, Maggie has released her second full-length, Midwestern Hurricane, the most somberly beautiful album of the year and the best thing the genre has heard since Tanya Donelly's Beautysleep.

Without the aid of any Stooges covers or six-minute-long audible walls of distortion Ms. Walters still manages to sound edgier and certainly racier than any of her peers. This is likely, at least in part, due to the choice of Butthole Surfer Paul Leary as producer, a man whose never had a problem blending the unpretentiously progressive with the enjoyably accessible. Tracks like "Girls Like Us" and "Captain" are reminiscent of Jewel in lo-fi, but lacking in any kind of put-on grandiosity, leaving their sentiments of sexuality and worship endearingly sincere. "You Got Something" is even reminiscent of Chris Cornell's solo work, yet with a silky personal intimacy not likely to be found in the stars of KROQ.

The flawless musicality of the album manages to never be at odds with itself, allowing each piece, whether it be the lazy strum of a guitar string, the prolonged hum of a cello, or the delicately deviant sensuality found in Walters' throaty voice, to imbue the listener with an ineffably gentle pain. The melancholy and erotic delicacy found in the album's sound make it an equally suitable soundtrack for lonely nights at whiskey bars or rainy Sundays spent between the sheets.

MySpace | Official Site

Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

Kings of Leon
Only By The Night
(RCA Records)
Reviewed By: Chelsea Schwartz

And the winner for album of the year, 2008, is...

Kings of Leon for their 4th studio album Only By The Night in-stores today, September 23rd. Holy wow, the Kings of have done it again. Granted I've been a fan for many moons now and I've continued to be increasingly impressed with everything they do, but this time they've really blown the fish out of the water. So imaginative, so scenic, so luscious, so rockin', and just all around incredible. Everything from the subtle piano on "Notion" to the unique bass lines on "Use Somebody" - this is not an album to consider getting... it's one you MUST get. In fact, no words could do this album justice, so do us both a favor and just go grab yourself a copy of Only By The Night now.

MySpace | Official Site

Wednesday 13 - Skeletons

Wednesday 13
Skeletons
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

The closeted skeletons referred to on Wednesday 13's latest album are more likely to come wielding spandex pants and Aqua-Net than butcher knives and chainsaws. Although this isn't the first out of the closet experience for these skeletons, as Wednesday has publicly admitted to his fandom of Tuff, Shotgun Messiah, and Spread Eagle, it's certainly the first time these influences have been so audible. Skeletons is more or less what White Zombie would've sounded like, if only they'd started their career opening for Stryper at Gazzari's. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Cinematic Sunrise - EP

Cinematic Sunrise
A Coloring Storybook and Long-Playing Record
(Equal Vision Records)
Reviewed By: Naimah Holmes

With fans bombarded with 100 new bands a day, bands find it even harder to prove themselves day after day.You'd think things would be easier when you have a built in fanbase. For Craig Owens and Bradley Bell of Chiodos, along with Bryan Beeler (guitar), Marcus VanKirk (bass) and Dave Shapiro (drums) this comes as a welcomed challenge. Owens fronts while Bell takes to the keys in this upbeat, happy go lucky band. It's that light-hearted/good time approach that sets Cinematic Sunrise apart in a landscape of bands that are more into playing up the gloomy side of life. (read more)

MySpace

The Sort - Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements

The Sort
Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements
(Black Bag Records)
Reviewed By: Izzy Cihak

While "Mean Nouns" is most likely the hippest song title of 2008, The Sort are probably not going to find themselves on the pages of Vice Magazine, sharing bills with Girl Talk, or partaking in any other cliché sponsored by American Apparel. Instead, the sound of the Richmond-based five-piece's debut album, Resentment, Despair, & Other Amusements, hearkens back to the mid-90s, a time when girl-fronted bands were allowed to kick ass, a time when something had to be more than ironic to be cool, and a time when teen angst was shouted, not pouted. (read more)

MySpace

The Vacation - Get Used

Get Used, by Los Angeles' own The Vacation, will instantly become one of your favorite rock albums of 2008. Released digitally on May 20th, Get Used is the answer to our rock n roll resurrection prayers. From the dirty ballads to the raging guitar solo's, The Vacation know what rock n roll is about and High Voltage recently got to spend a few minutes with frontman Ben Tegel... (read more)

MySpace

Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead

Phantom Planet
Raise The Dead
By: Mai Huynh

Ten years and a handful of albums later, Phantom Planet, is making a strong comeback. But did they ever leave? Not really. Their new album, Raise the Dead, is definitely resurrecting old Phantom Planet fans. Raise the Dead is far from the Phantom Planet I remember listening to as a teenager. It’s more rock and less clean cut, with heavier guitars and bass lines and more howling from lead singer Alex Greenwald. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site

Does It Offend You, Yeah? review

Does It Offend You, Yeah?
You Have No Idea...
reviewed by Kim Johnson

I've come to the conclusion that if Daft Punk, Muse, Justice and PlayRadioPlay had a baby at a rave, it would come out sounding exactly like DIOYY! Weird analogy I know, but let me explain. I swear it makes sense. (read more)

MySpace | Official Site