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Safetysuit Review
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Love
Parade Review
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| Pepper
- Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations Review By: Brian
Campbell |
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If you
have yet to hear Pepper then you need to right away
because you have a little catching up to do. Pink Crustaceans and
Good Vibrations is their fifth record to date, and while it might
not be their strongest effort, it is a good addition to their musical
resume. Listen
to Pepper on Review By: Brian Campbell |
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If you
know nothing about Safetysuit, you are not alone. The
Nashville, TN boys literally came out of nowhere to get themselves on
tour in support of Seether, and Life Left to Go
is more than likely a big reason why. Listen
to Safetysuit on Review By: Brian Campbell |
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Unbeknownst to most of the world – including many who live within the city’s limits – Buffalo, NY is home to a wealth of impressive original bands. And even amongst such a diverse array of accomplished artists, Love Parade has managed to carve its own particular niche. The trio stakes out sonic territory that few, if any, other bands in the Buffalo area explore. It’s difficult to describe All Together Now without using words like psychedelic and trippy, but it’s no hippy jam wank-off. Love Parade shares the adventurous spirit of celestial Alt-rock brethren like The Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Built To Spill, and Mercury Rev, so it’s not surprising that they got studio wizard Dave Fridmann involved in the project. Fridmann mastered the tracks at his famous Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, NY. It seems fairly obvious that Love Parade’s members think of their songs as excursions in sound, but they never meander aimlessly, getting lost in the nether regions of their own minds. They share a common bond with pop bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s that can be heard in the sunny shuffle of “Mental Girl” and “Go!,” the Abbey Road-isms of “Freakout: A Routine Fanfare,” the potent hooks in “A Pawn Just Like Them All” and “Love Walks From You,” and the ample harmonies that cascade throughout all the songs. Band members and guests augment the traditional guitar, bass, drums, and vocals with trumpet, piano, shortwave radio, synthesizers, and “various sounds and percussion” to create a remarkably lush engrossing album. Love Parade on Myspace Review By: Matt Barber |
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 We
Are Scientists- BRAIN/THRUST/MASTERY
*6 out of 10* (Virgin, 2008) On their impressive, exceptionally catchy debut With Love And Squalor (Virgin, 2006) We Are Scientists leaned heavily on the influence of post punk and new wave trailblazers. On sophomore effort BRAIN/THRUST/MASTERY W.A.S. go even further, reviving a wide variety of styles and sounds straight out of the ‘80s. “Lethal Enforcer” could easily be mistaken for a Duran Duran or Wang Chung track from twenty-some years ago, and along with other glossy selections like “That’s What Counts,” “Tonight” and “Spoken For,” it seems to cast We Are Scientists as a reincarnation of ABC, Haircut 100, or Johnny Hates Jazz. “Chic Lit” is the soundtrack to a coked out party at Studio 54, an uncomfortable reminder that new wave came hot on the heels of the disco craze, and there was some overlapping of the genres. There’s no denying BRAIN/THRUST/MASTERY packs massive, almost obscene hooks, and they save the album from being a total loss. “Altered Beast,” “Let’s See It,” and “Dinosaurs” should satisfy fans that have been with the band from the beginning. But ultimately your tolerance for slick studio shine and cheesy embellishment will determine whether you think this disc is a logical step forward or a huge disappointment. A double disc edition includes a live acoustic set recorded at Union Chapel in London that sheds light on how good these songs really are despite questionable production choices on the album proper. Brain
Thrust Mastery
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Black Milk is worth the wait; a smart and original offering, these 11 tracks are sure to please fans of quality, slightly offbeat, indie music. Featuring a long list of collaborators that includes members of Rainer Maria, Balthrop, Alabama, Mates of State, Owen, and The Blow, among others – Black Milk offers the listener a pleasant surprise around every corner. Despite
the many guests featured, this is Fischer’s project; he produced
and mixed Black Milk himself, which is no small feat, as the
album warrants a quality headphones listen to properly pick up all the
nuances. Incredibly clever and quirky, Fischer plays with themes of
life and death, love and loss – ultimately lessons learned; offering
light-hearted takes on some not so light-hearted lyrics. Quaint and
infectious, one fan writes, *"at the heart, despite it's sadness,
Black Milk is about hope. One finds themselves listening to
heart ache but smiling and thinking about what life has to offer. It's
an wonderful and inspiring record", and this reviewer couldn't
agree more. Stand out tracks include: “Love (Won’t Save
You)”, “Sweet Suspense“, “It Seems To Me (I’ve
Long Been Dead)”, and the uber-offbeat “Thousand Points
of View”. *Special thanks to Mo Shoshin for help with this review. Download Black Milk at EndUp.org Review By: Joseph |
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 Autodrone-
Strike A Match *10 out of 10* (Self-Released, 2007) All attempts to make this an unbiased review are gone; I am in love with this album! Strike A Match combines the elements of indie rock, shoegazer and experimental music into an easy to swallow depth charge. Autodrone’s first full-length album is awash in contradictions, a single song can range from claustrophobic to a sweeping landscape of sounds in just a few measures. The song “Strike A Match” plays at both ends of that spectrum, at once melodic and upbeat as well as chaotic and searing. Between several songs are instrumentals that flawlessly bridge the gaps while allowing divergent themes to play out. The closest they come to a conventional pop song is the Throwing Muses meets Cocteau Twins “Through The Backwoods”. A beautiful, fast paced anecdote of adolescent memories. Followed by “Moth Of July”, a stunning six-minute instrumental dirge, distorted vocalizing accompanied by a mournful accordion (perhaps just a synth) and psychedelic guitar. “Moth...”
has a creepy Current 93 / Coil vibe,
the kind of sound feels like an especially dark cloud has passed over
the sun on a blistering summer day -- cold and unwelcome, but wonderful.
“Pictures” rounds out the album on a heart-breaking note.
A dramatic dance between guitar noise, piano and lilting vocals, a perfect
end. Check Out Autodrone on Myspace Review By: Rev. Doktor Alejandro Fruitbat |
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 Team
Genius - Hooray E.P.
*6.5 out of 10* (Self-Released, 2008) Brooklyn’s Team Genius debut a unique sound, or a number of unique sounds, on this 5 song EP. With an energy that has been compared to the likes of Animal Collective and the Arcade Fire, Hooray is full of fun pop songs that mix downright danceable beats with harmonies, handclaps, and pointed lyrics. Track 1, “Let’s All Sleep Together” has a Weezer à la Pinkerton sound; while “Sing Song” offers a more accurate taste of the Team Genius sound, one that strongly echo’s Wolf Parade - vocalist Drew Hermiller actually sounds a hell of a lot like Spencer Krug at times. The EP progresses with a bigger sound on “Hand Claps in E”, the discs highlight; while “I’m Just an Idiot” brings a caffeinated Wolf Parade meets the Sex Pistols sound. The album ends with the slower, and very strong, “Must”, a number that showcases the more lyrical depth and range of this young, fun, pop band. I imagine Hooray is just the tip of the iceberg - looking forward to a undeniably rewarding full length. A fun EP that doesn’t overshoot it’s mark, a very strong 6.5 out of 10. Check Out
Team Genius on Review By: Joseph |
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 Earth,
Roots and Water- Innocent
Youths *8 out of 10* (Light In The Attic, 2008) Diggin' in the dirt for gold is becoming Light in the Attic's M.O., proving themselves to be a label that quality loving music fans can truly count on. That said, Innocent Youths was the first proper album released on Toronto's Summer Records who were one of the city's first home-grown reggae labels (to dig deeper into that, check out Summer Records Anthology 1974-1988 and Jamaica to Toronto: Soul, Funk & Reggae 1967-1974, both on LITA) The late 70's was a time where Toronto's growing population of Jamaican immigrants led to a blossoming reggae scene which also included the likes of Johnny Osbourne (also a contributor to Innocent Youths) and Noel Ellis to name just a couple. It was an exciting time for reggae in a very unlikely place and after listening to Innocent Youths its no wonder that it has long been described as the northern answer to Lee Perry's BlackArk. Earth,
Roots and Water flirt with all things reggae, not settling
on just one sub-division of the genre. Check Out
Earth, Roots and Water on Review By: Eric the Mouse |
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 Christine
Fellows - Nevertheless
*9 out of 10* (Six Shooter Records, 2007) Like a book of short stories you can’t put down, Nevertheless is one of the great albums of 2008. With an uncanny sense for telling light-hearted stories of lonliness and the macabre, Christine Fellows has put together an album of songs that can make one smile and cry at the same time. Poetic and genuine tales of humanity remind this writer of Eliot Perlman; with musical arrangements that echo the dark melodies of The Rachel's combined with the playful nature of Regina Spektor. Christine Fellows has something to offer every fan of the more alliterate and beautiful pop music that scarcely graces our presence. A delight through and through; she recently finished a tour with The Weakerthans, Christine Fellows deserves a second and third listen. A surprising 9 out of 10 from this relatively unknown gem. Check out
Christine Fellows on Review By: Joseph |
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 This
Is Ivy League- This Is Ivy
League *8 out of 10* (Twentyseven Records, 2008) Beautiful, head-bopping, airy pop songs with gorgeous harmonies that echo Simon & Garfunkel and The Beach Boys (“Til the Day” would fit nicely on Bridge Over Troubled Water, while “Visions of Tokyo” could easily appear on Pet Sounds). Throw This Is Ivy League on at a record store and smile as people ask if it’s Belle & Sebastian. Everything’s derivative, and these comparisons are huge compliments from this reviewer; the harmonies, horns and hand claps make for an infectious, incredibly likeable, debut LP from this Brooklyn duo. Stories of puppy-love and disappointment make up most of these 11 tracks that clock in at just under 36 minutes. This
is Ivy League have the formula down; as they sing on “Celebration”:
You MUST
check out This
Is Ivy League Review By: Joseph |
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If i had to compare it to a non-musical situation it would be kind of like peeking in on someone else's bad trip, possibly even being their narrator. Lyrically
it brings to mind Syd Barret's sexually charged dirges
about god-knows-what. Things take on a hopefully-hopeless kind of vibe
with abstract and out there phrases like: CHECK OUT
THE BLACK ANGELS ON Review By: Eric The Mouse |
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 Soundpool-
Dichotomies & Dreamland *8 out of 10* (Aloft, 2008) Soundpool brings back the early 90s shoegazer days with a vengeance. Dichotomies + Dreamland allows listeners to use words like ‘lush’ and ‘swirling’ and not feel like they are describing a tropical storm. The first song, “Welcome To Dreamland” sums the album up, this is a full on down-the-rabbithole adventure in another world. Analog synthesizers and washed out guitar fuzz dominate the landscape, comparisons to Stereolab cannot be avoided. Kim Field’s voice melts into the collage rather than standing at the forefront. This is album that begs to be listened to on high-end headphones and absorbed. The quality of the recording is incredible. It is very easy for walls of sound to become an inescapable maze, the engineers and producers of this record deserve praise! The sound is densely layered but never muddy. “The Divides Of March” is a beautiful track, listing between psychedelia, surf rock and new wave. Calling to mind The Jesus & Mary Chain and New Order as well as fellow NYC shoegazers Autodrone and Bowery Electric. “Dream Sequence” is a six and half minute opus that darts from hallucinatory soundscapes to anxious electronica and ends as up-beat jazz. Soundpool is more than the sum of their influences. The retro French 70s pop music meets Slowdive comes across as eclectic and inspired rather than derivative. Like Nouvelle Vague releasing an album of original material. PREVIEW THIS ALBUM HERE:  Review By: Rev. Doktor Alejandro Fruitbat |
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 Portishead-
Third *9 out of 10* (Universal, 2008) The early Twenty-first Century seems rife with bands we have loved reforming for a comeback tour. Most will play the nostalgia card and give us a “greatest hits” live tour and sellout arenas. Portishead go on hiatus for the better part of a decade, then release an album that eclipses their entire catalog! Portishead had me with the very first whining notes of the theremin on Dummy. Their departure from performing music personally offended me, the late 1990s needed a band of their caliber to balance out the rap-rock crap on the radio. With Third, the band has gone to a very dark place. New Order becomes Joy Division again. All pretensions
of pop music are dashed apart, Third is a love letter to Kraut
rock, free jazz and the 1970s . The smooth guitar riffs and record scratches
of the first two albums make cameos, but the stars of this album are
the vintage analog synthesizers. The overall feel of the album is that
Dario Argento and John Carpenter became producers for Can.
The first song, “Silence”, opens with a churning two and
half minute instrumental before Beth Gibbons utters a word. Its a shoegazer
mesh Bitches Brew meets The Cure’s Pornography.
“Hunter” alternates chimes and dreamy vocals with a wash
of guitar and synth Throbbing Gristle would be proud to call their own.
Nearly every song features distorted vocals, ranging from washy on “The
Rip” to downright machine-like. “We Carry On” is a
six and half minute industrial dirge unlike anything Portishead have
ever released. A beautifully inorganic mix of post-punk guitar,with
shrieking synth noise and vocals whispered like an android’s mantra. Check Out
Third on Review By: Rev. Doktor Alejandro Fruitbat |
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Pepper
on Amazon
on Amazon
on Amazon
Kyle
Fischer 
The
Black Angels