Owner: Can you see the sunset from the southside? URL:http://www.canyouseethesunset.com Join Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:52:17 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A Chicago-based music and MP3 blog featuring daily posts with the best and newest in punk, indie rock, electronica, hip-hop, alt-country, metal, and more. Site statistics:Click here
Pull back the covers its saturday 2007-04-21 16:22:00 Congratulations to Dan from New York City who won the Ultimate Ears giveaway. Here are some cover songs paired with the originals for your listening enjoyment. Have a lovely Saturday morning.MP3 | Frente - Bizarre Love Triangle MP3 | New Order - Bizarre Love TriangleMP3 | The Hard Lessons - Hey Hey My My MP3 | Neil Young - Hey Hey My My MP3 | Smashing Pumpkins - Jackie Blue MP3 | Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Jackie Blue MP3 | Braid - Always Something There To Remind Me MP3 | The Hippos - Always Something There To Remind Me MP3 | Burt Bacharach - Always Something There To Remind Me MP3 | Novi Split - Crazy In Love MP3 | Snow Patrol - Crazy In Love MP3 | Beyonce - Crazy In Love MP3 | Ben Lee - Float On MP3 | Modest Mouse - Float On MP3 | Joseph Plunket - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out MP3 | The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Digging a hole all the way to china 2007-04-21 03:12:00 Maybe it is because I'm tired, or maybe (and more probably) it is a testament to its greatness, but I am having a hard time pinpointing exactly what it is about Ice Station that makes it so great. Ice Station is the latest from a Chicago band called The Race. The band is vocalist/guitarist Craig Klein who (on Ice Station) had help from Joshua Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv, Kevin Duneman (who has played with L'altra, Telefon Tel Aviv, Early Day Miners, and Ativin), and others. Ice Station is (loosely) a musical journey from Odessa to China and back again. It is a primitive futuristic Siberia with melodies that will stick in your head for days. Its a place that is populated by both buzzing guitars and vintage drum machines. A world whose inhabitants have (for centuries) sung songs of love and longing. Sounding like a combination of The Firebird Band, Joy Division, and The Arcade Fire, Ice Station will appeal to anyone and everyone that likes music. It will be released May 15th on the awes
Commotion in the ocean of fools 2007-04-20 13:35:00 Jimmy Tamborello has made music as part of The Postal Service and Figurine, and also as Dntel. He has a new album coming out April 24th under the Dntel moniker and it is called Dumb Luck. It features Tamborello's skittering beats, blips, and clicks and pixelated soundscapes, but also features vocal contributions from Jenny Lewis, Grizzly Bear, Lali Puna, Mia Doi Todd, Bright Eyes, and more. It is a gem of a record and (as stated) will be released on Sub Pop next week. MP3 | Dntel - Dumb Luck Dumb LuckMP3 | Dntel - Roll On (Ft. Jenny Lewis) Dumb Luck
On a mountain i can never climb down 2007-04-20 13:33:00 Blasts Of Holy Birth is the latest album from multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Lou Rogai who records as Lewis & Clarke and it is simply stunning. It is full of sparse neo-folk arrangements that bubble with folky psychedelia. The songs themselves are drawn out but deceptively simple. Rogai's melodies are addictive while his voice is both soothing and haunting. While other neo-folk artists (Devendra, Animal Collective, etc...) can get a little crazy, Rogai shows us that a little restraint can go a long way.I loved L&C's 2005 album Bare Bones & Branches and I love this new one too. Just imagine sitting on a log in the middle of a Pennsylvania forest with nothing lighting your way but the moon and the stars. And the only sounds you can hear are the rustling of leaves in the breeze and the crickets that surround you. The sound inside your head would be Blasts Of Holy Birth. It is a powerful album that will have you converted by the end of its 46 minutes. It will be available May 15th on L
I was raised on rock and roll 2007-04-20 04:15:00 I (like Jeff Tweedy) was raised on rock and roll and have had a hankerin' for some straight forward rock music lately. One band that certainly fits the bill is Kansas City's Blackpool Lights. Now Eric from Theme Park Experience has been shouting about how good this band is for awhile and now that I've gotten around to checking 'em out, I have to concur.The band is made up of former members of The Get Up Kids and The Belles (among others) and on their debut This Town's Disaster as well as their acoustic tour EP, they play no frills rock songs that occasionally lean towards folkier moments. Its a sound that doesn't stray too far from the country-emo that The Get Up Kids were progressing towards, and I'm OK with that.Some might write this off as a cheap and unoriginal rehash of The Get Up Kids, but I don't buy it. The rootsy power-pop of This Town's Disaster is a perfect sonic companion for the view from my hotel room here in rural Iowa where all I can see are rolling hills benea
Sunsets and rolling hills 2007-04-19 15:06:00 Utah Carol is a husband/wife duo from Chicago made up of Grant Birkenbeuel and JinJa Davis and their shifty drifty folk-pop is spiked with hushed Americana melodies. Their third full-length Rodeo Queen is full of dreamy soundscapes created from muted horns, slide guitar, what sounds like a rhodes, and other orchestral elements. And if that isn't enough, the duo's soft breathy harmonies will just pull you in and lull you towards eternity. Seriously gorgeous. Its almost as if all the rough edges have been sanded down and polished leaving only gentle floating melodies behind. Although Rodeo Queen is the first music I've heard from Utah Carol, I've been aware of them for years. Silly me. I should have checked 'em out much much sooner. Rodeo Queen will be released (to rave reviews I suspect) in May. RIYL: Sufjan Stevens, Laura Veirs, etc... MP3 | Utah Carol - Kimberly Smiles Rodeo QueenMP3 | Utah Carol - Come Back Baby Rodeo Queen Read more:Sunsets
Where you been for all those years 2007-04-18 14:50:00 Alright. This is way overdue. The new Dinosaur Jr. album Beyond will be released on May 1st and you already know if you are going to buy this when it comes out. C'mon, you know you want it. Even though this is the first new Dinosaur Jr. album in 10 years (almost 20 since the original lineup was together), it sounds as if the classic lineup of J, Lou, and Murph haven't missed a beat. For me Dinosaur Jr. has always been about the scratchy warble and searing guitar solos of J Mascis. I love Lou Barlow, but (for better or worse) he is Sebadoh. In high school I damn near wore out my copies of Green Mind and every other Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh album I owned. I don't even think I need to tell you how excited I am about this record and the possibility of a full-fledged reunion and return to form for the band. Yes, Beyond may sound remarkably like the Dinosaur Jr. albums we all have grown to love, but is that such a bad thing? Progress schmogress. Gimmie the fuzzed out late 80's early 90'
Fishing for compliments and trout 2007-04-17 23:32:00 Another label that can seemingly do no wrong is Bloomington, IN's Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar collective. A record that (if I had heard it last year) would have been in contention for my year-end best of list is The Crawl from Chicagoan Dave Fischoff. It is essentially an orchestral indie-pop album that has been obscured and populated by relatively obscure samples taken from the Chicago Public Library sound collection. Catchy and melodic in a strange way that interestingly (really) evokes The Beach Boys and (of course) Dntel and The Postal Service. It is a superb cut-and-paste sound collage of skittering hip-hop beats and electronic pop that you really need to hear to believe. MP3 | Dave Fischoff - Ghost Of An Afternoon The CrawlMP3 | Dave Fischoff - Landscape Skin The Crawl Read more:Fishing
, compliments
Looking up your old address dude 2007-04-17 14:21:00 Flameshovel is such a sick record label these days. Just about everything they release is top notch, and the latest album from Chicago's The Narrator is no exception. It is called All That To The Wall and it will be released less than a month from now on May 15th.The Narrator treads similar musical ground as fellow Chicagoans (and Flameshovel label mates) Chin Up Chin Up and Bound Stems, and that is (IMHO) a great thing. They play (you know) indie rock that combines the slacker-isms of Pavement with the disjointed post-rock flavors of the Tim Kinsella school of rock. During the making of All That To The Wall the band's drummer departed so they improvised and recruited the drummers of Oxford Collapse and Russian Circles to handle backbeat duties for about half of the songs each. It turned out pretty well from what I can tell. Whatever the circumstances, All That To The Wall is a heckuva great record, and one that you will definitely want to get your hand on MP3 | The Narrator - SurfJe
Yackety vakaadoo yack 2007-04-17 03:18:00 If your iPod looks anything like mine, there are dings and other surface scratches all over the screen and the scratch-prone plastic body. And while it may be too late for me to undo all the wear and tear, I can certainly protect it from future damage thanks to the awesome cases from Vakaadoo. If it isn't already, their slogan should be "Strange name, great cases."Basically Vakaadoo makes durable and shock-resistant hard plastic cases that will fit just about any model of iPod from Nano to the biggest 5G model. They are sleek, good-looking, and because of their unique snap-locking method the cases add very little bulk to your iPod while offering maximum protection because of their clear plastic screen covers. The iVak cases come in a wide array of colors and finishes from the glossy black and white Domino to the multi-colored Soft Feel cases with a scratch-free liquid rubber finish.The only negatives that we've found with these cases are the absence of any click wheel protection (to
Rawar style out of proportion 2007-04-16 21:32:00 Every time I write a record review, I usually start by jotting down notes and making comparisons as I listen, trying to classify and find easily identifiable reference points for the music I'm hearing. Sure, I could say that the latest album from Chicago product The Eternals is a mix of dub, funk, electronic, art-noise, and experimental rock. I could continue by saying that Heavy International recalls a twisted and elastic sort-of dub-ized TVOTR, but that just wouldn't cut it. The Eternals' music is complex and unique and is difficult to find comparisons for.I'll start off (however) by saying that many people will not like this album (my wife included). Yes, Heavy International is full of rubbery danceable basslines that groove along to the beat, you can't dance to it. It is not catchy (in any normal sense of the word) but doesn't make really good background music either. Because of those factors it is virtually impossible to casually listen to Heavy International. The Eternals m
Away for a few days on business 2007-04-16 14:48:00 I'll be away for a few days on business this week, and certainly have the new Modest Mouse album We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank playing on the iPod. Everyone in the blogosphere has written about the album already, so I recommend that you read what everyone else has been saying. All I can say it that Johnny Marr being in Modest Mouse is pretty freakin' sweet.MP3 | Modest Mouse - Florida We Were Dead...MP3 | Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat We Were Dead...
Seeing people you don't expect to 2007-04-16 03:12:00 Friday night we checked out Lucero and Catfish Haven at Otto's in Dekalb. Nothing like $2 long islands to get you in the mood to rock, but (really) with those two bands on the bill it didn't take much. Everyone was out to the Lucero show including our friends Andy & Julia and (much to my surprise) Ryan from Muzzle Of Bees and his girlfriend. Was a great great time.Catfish Haven pounded out raw and sweaty soul-punk tunes from their latest album Tell Me and even snuck in a killer new song. Definately check them out if you get the chance!MP3 | Catfish Haven - Crazy For Leaving Tell MeThen (as if Catfish Haven wasn't enough) Lucero played about two hours worth songs about drinkin' and girls. It was awesome. After the show some drunk fool even tried to pick a fight with Ben from Lucero. How typical.MP3 | Lucero - I Can Get Us Out Of Here Tonight Rebels, Rogues, & Sworn BrothersThanks to Sarah for snapping the following picture of Amy and Emily with Ben. Ain't they cute? Read more:Seeing
, people
Goodbye kurt vonnegut 2007-04-13 14:02:00 Amiina is an Icelandic group that began as a string quartet and filled that role wonderfully on the albums ( ) and Takk from fellow Icelanders Sigur Ros. But where the music of Sigur Ros (however) evokes a sense of the extreme grandeur of the Icelandic landscape, Amiina's own music is the aural equivalent of looking at in individual snowflake or a single ice crystal. It evokes the same beauty but on a much smaller scale.The band's first full length album Kurr picks up where last year's Seoul single left off. It is an affair in dreamy ethereal minimalism that combines loops, electronics, and ambient elements with chimes, rhodes piano, and other modern classical elements to create a magical sonic palette. The songs on Kurr glow an icy glacial crystalline blue and twinkle and sparkle in their microscopic beauty. Adjectives like peaceful, tranquil, and calming can all be used to describe Kurr and its serene sounds. Certain passages seem to have slight Eastern influences that give t Read more:Goodbye
Dan zanes contest at mums the wurd 2007-04-13 14:01:00 Hey! Dan Zanes is an awesome folk singer/songwriter that just happens to have about a billion CD's for kids. You can win his CD Family Dance by going to Mums The Wurd. Its a website that dishes about all kinds of cool stuff for kids and their cool parents and just happens to be run by my wife Amy and her friend Laura. If you are one of those cool parents (or even if you aren't) head over to Mums The Wurd and enter the contest. MP3 | Dan Zanes - Yo Yo Sweet Yo Yo Family Dance
Lollapalooza 2007 lineup 2007-04-13 05:02:00 This year's Lollapalooza lineup
has been announced. The festival is August 3-5 in Chicago's Grant Park and I'll see you there.The announced lineup includes:Pearl Jam, Daft Punk, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Muse, Iggy & The Stooges, Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars, Modest Mouse, Interpol, My Morning Jacket, Satellite Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol, The Roots, Patti Smith, Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Regina Spektor, Spoon, Lupe Fiasco, TV on the Radio, Pete Yorn, G. Love & Special Sauce, Paolo Nutini, Amy Winehouse, LCD Soundsystem, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Silverchair, Femi Kuti, Yo La Tengo, Slightly Stoopid, The Hold Steady, Jack's Mannequin, Stephen Marley, Sound Tribe Sector 9, M.I.A., Blonde Redhead, Sparklehorse, Sean Lennon, !!!, Blue October, Son Volt, Motion City Soundtrack, Polyphonic Spree, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Peter Bjorn & John, Silversun Pickups, Cansei De Ser Sexy (CSS), The Rapture, The Wailers, Roky Erickson & The Explosives, Tapes 'n T
Maybe i should take dance lessons 2007-04-13 02:18:00 Sometimes I really surprise myself. For instance, I really like the new album from San Francisco based deep house DJ/producer Miguel Migs. The album is called Those Things and it is full of soulful funk and reggae influenced dance music that incorporates a lot of live instrumentation as well. Some of the tracks almost have a Jamiroquai sorta vibe. Anyhow, while most of the electronic music that I generally like is more minimal and ambient in nature, Those Things (with its throbbing 4/4 bass drum) is colorful music meant to be played in a dance club and features guest vocals on every song.Those Things is out now on Salted Music. It isn't emo, hardcore, punk, roots-rock, indie rock, experimental electronic, or any other type of music that would normally be featured here on Can You See The Sunset From The Southside, but that's okay with me. Maybe
I should even take dance lessons.MP3 | Miguel Migs - So Far Those ThingsMP3 | Miguel Migs - Giving It All Those Things
Ultimate ears earphone giveaway 2007-04-12 14:08:00 Okay. I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of you that are reading this right now own some type of portable MP3 player. How many of you are still listening through the standard issue earphones that came with your device? Most of you? All of you? Well, you are doing yourself a disservice and you need to get some new earphones. I'm even willing to help you out and give one lucky reader some killer new earphones. Just keep reading.I recently got some of the new Ultimate
Ears Super.fi 3 Studio earphones and the what I hear from them is huge improvement over what I hear using the iconic white iPod earbuds. The Super.fi 3 Studio earphones are in-ear canalphones that deliver punchy midrange, crisp highs, and (while it probably won't satisfy serious bassheads) smooth bass while also providing 26 dB of noise isolation to block out unwanted background noises.The Super.fi 3 Studio earphones are also hella comfortable even for extended lengths of time. The flexible ear loops and in-e
Crying in my ice cold beer 2007-04-12 02:54:00 It is April in Chicago and it shouldn't still be this cold. Mother nature (however) can do as she pleases so I'll just have to lean on the new Brandon Butler album Lucky Thumbs for a little support. For those unfamiliar with Butler's musical pedigree, he fronted the excellent (but often overlooked) Kansas City emocore band Boys Life (see yesterday's emo post for an example) in the mid-90's and then more recently played the excellent band Canyon, which featured a more subdued alt-country sound. Either way, Butler's latest (and second solo album) is full of rootsy rock that just sorta sounds perfect on this bleak and gray Midwestern day.On Lucky Thumbs Butler's vocals remind me a little of Tom Petty. His voice is sounds raw and weather-beaten and has just a slight country twang that sounds a natural fit for the music. He is (as on past recordings) joined by cellist Amy Domingues and Fugazi's Brendan Canty on drums. The end result is something that sounds warmer and fuller than mo
An incomplete history of chicago punk rock (vol. 18) 2007-04-11 13:57:00 After the breakup of Chicago ska-punk heroes Slapstick in 1996, the group splintered in two. One of the bands that rose like a phoenix from the ashes was Tuesday. The band only ever released an 8-song cassette demo (of which four songs appear on the Early Summer EP) and one full-length called Freewheelin which was released by Asian Man Records in 1997.Despite starting with a little remnant of Slapstick's ska sound, Tuesday's sound evolved into something of a pop-punk/emo hybrid. You are thinking that sounds awful, right? Not so. Back before emo was a dirty word it is pretty evident that Dan, Rob, and Matt we probably listening to (and taking cues from) bands like The Promise Ring while also remaining true to their punk roots. I think I saw Tuesday live six times during their brief existence with bands like Less Than Jake, Smoking Popes, Skagina, Allister, and Animal Chin. They were great every time.At one point they added some dude named Tyler on second guitar, but Tuesday sorta sput
Continually and never ending 2007-04-10 14:15:00 I am really really good at dismissing things that don't immediately catch my attention. A perfect example of this is the self titled debut album from the pop duo The Bird And The Bee. Although I posted the track "Again & Again" awhile back and listened to CD a few times, I'd pretty much shrugged them off as some generic sounding group without much afterthought but......fast forward to this past Saturday morning. I dropped Amy and Hailey off at their swim class and then bummed around Barnes & Noble for awhile. As I was perusing the periodicals I heard some familiar music come on over the loudspeaker. It was The Bird And The Bee and (much to my surprise) I really enjoyed what I heard. Something just clicked. Taking cues from classic 60's female vocal music and even the modern electro-pop sounds of Stereolab, the duo (comprised of vocalist Inara George and multi-instrumentalist/producer Greg Kurstin) has a light and airy sound that was perfect with my coffee and copy of Punk Planet(ser
A spoonful of emo revisited (one last time) 2007-04-10 14:14:00 After the overwhelming response to my last history of emo post, I thought I'd dig through my records and find a few more gems that I'd overlooked the first time. Here's another dozen.MP3 | Lincoln - Bench Warmer MP3 | Compound Red - Sticks MP3 | Indian Summer - Truman MP3 | Julia - Untitled MP3 | Boys Life - Homecoming MP3 | Chamberlain - Magnetic 62nd MP3 | Clikitat Ikatowi - Ground Zero MP3 | Sensefield - Different Times MP3 | Rainer Maria - Tinfoil MP3 | Baxter - Out Of Reach MP3 | Frodus - Lights on For Safety MP3 | Sarge - Stall
On the couch writhing in pain 2007-04-10 03:30:00 Wow. Brooklyn's Parts & Labor sure do make some glorious noize. And even though their 2006 album Stay Afraid was one of my faves from 2006, they are already back with another helping of frenzied indie-punk tunes wrapped up in waves of fuzzy distortion and screeching electronics. I love noise and experimental music, but never before has it been so catchy and melodic.Parts & Labor's newest album is called Mapmaker and will most certainly be at the top of my 2007 year end list. From the word go the band pounds ahead full-throttle. As with much of Stay Afraid the band oftentimes reminds me of a wilder and out-of-control Husker Du, but (as I've mentioned before) the lo-fi production and vocal melodies also remind me a little of Rogue Wave. Then there is the drumming. The rattle-your-brain drumming that could probably cause any volcano in the world to erupt within seconds."Malfunctioning electronics howl in agony, drums rupture like fireworks, battle cries are belted through a monolithic
Yellow mustangs on a dusty road 2007-04-08 20:05:00 Even though LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy doesn't run or jog, his excellent Nike approved 45:33 is a great soundtrack for a few miles on the treadmill or just chillin' out around the house. LCD Soundsystem's latest full-length Sound Of Silver is equally great. But would you expect anything less than greatness from the guy who gave us "Losing My Edge" and "Daft Punk Is Playing In My House?"Sound Of Silver finds Murphy mining the same great electro dance pop territory that he always has, but this time every track is spot on. To my ears his warm production and decidedly pop ways have always set Murphy and LCD Soundsystem apart from the rest of the pack. And with almost half the tracks on Sound Of Silver clocking in at over 7 minutes, its hard to imagine that this could be LCD's most accessible work to date, but it is. Interestingly, I spent a lot of time jogging along to 45:33 last fall and upon listening to Sound Of Silver I couldn't help but notice that parts of 45:33 were used. Read more:Yellow
You should be wearing housewrecker 2007-04-07 06:27:00 So last night our good friend Joey was in town so we met him downtown for some killer Thai food from Vong's and some Goose Island's. In addition to being another representative of Straub Country USA (just like Amy), he also has his own clothing line called Housewrecker. All his designs are hand screened in small batches (some on American Apparel tees) by an old school skate punk and feature everything from boom boxes to crunk juice to moustached child predators. To get your hands on some fine Housewrecker apparel, click here.Heck, why not get yourself a sweet camo trucker cap with the Houswrecker keystone H logo right here. And tell Joey that Eric and Amy said you get the special CYSTSFTS discount. Read more:wearing
The tape remains very exciting 2007-04-22 16:10:00 Battles is a supergroup (of sorts) made up of drummer John Stanier (ex-Helmet), guitarist Ian Williams (ex-Don Caballero), Dave Konopka, and Tyondai Braxton (the son of jazz musician Anthony Braxton). They have a new album that will be released on May 14th called Mirrored which is full of the same complex mathy and unconventional post-rock that appeared on their previous EP's continues to surprise with the addition of vocals.Most of the vocals on Mirrored are (however) manipulated beyond recognition and sound more like Alvin from The Chipmunks than an actual singing human and are simply another melody instrument in the context of Battles. Just for the sake of comparison, the band sounds something like a cross between the craziest moments that Blur has committed to tape and Black Dice. Experimental, glitched, and complicated but exhibiting a new "pop" side as well as a technical prowess that most bands can only dream of. The band properly titled the songs this time around and the recen Read more:exciting
An incomplete history of chicago punk rock (vol. 19) 2007-04-27 14:00:00 Easily one of the best, most influential, and most prolific punk bands in Chicago history, Screeching Weasel, also managed to be one of the most enigmatic and polarizing bands as well. There seems to be no middle ground when it comes to loving or hating singer and principal songwriter Ben Weasel. Even my wife (in true teenage rock-and-roll crush fashion) once said that the only person she'd ever leave me for is Ben Weasel. Now I first heard Screeching Weasel as a result of a mix-tape that a friend made me in 1994. It featured songs by Operation Ivy, Rancid, Sublime, Screeching Weasel, and many others I can't recall right now. I think the SW song was "Dingbat." I originally thought they were from California because at that time, I was only beginning to discover that Chicago even had a punk scene. What follows is a history of Screeching Weasel as briefly and succinctly as it can be told.The first incarnation of Screeching Weasel was formed in the suburbs of Chicago in 1986 by Ben (Weas
Look at the sky without looking through it 2007-04-27 02:44:00 Where did Street Smart Cyclist come from (aside from Bethlehem, PA that is)? I simply can't stop listening to the songs that make up their debut 7". Literally. They've been on repeat since I first heard 'em. The songs are full of everything that I loved about Cap 'n Jazz and Braid. With a frenzy of youthful energy and punk attitude Street Smart Cyclist has (in only three songs) has restored my faith that post-hardcore is still alive. Lilting bass, sung/shouted vocals, and looping math-rock guitars all coalesce into a thing of singular beauty. The band sounds great in a low-bitrate MP3 format, so I can only imagine how absolutely fantastic this sounds on the actual vinyl record. Street Smart Cyclist will also be on tour this summer so go check 'em out! Yeah, they may be aping their influences and treading the same music ground that many a Midwestern emo band did 10+ years ago, but I don't care. I think I'm in love. MP3 | Street Smart Cyclist - The Three Lane Cut Demo 7"MP3 | Stre
Kicking chairs and the family cat 2007-04-26 14:01:00 Can anyone resist the sugary sweet indie-pop of The Eames Era? I know I can't. On their second full-length Heroes And Sheroes, the Baton Rouge, Lousiana band dishes out another generous helping of infectiously catchy female-fronted indie pop. This is due in large part to the sweet pipes of vocalist Ashlin Phillips which sound eerily like those of Jenny Lewis, but also to the relentlessy upbeat nature of the music. While the drums sprightly keep time and guitars pluck out melodic leads I can't help but nod my head. It is almost like three minute blasts of sunshine straight out of your speakers.Although nothing on Heroes And Sheroes is groundbreaking, it is still always refreshing to hear a band that is at the top of their game. Yes, the handclaps, cheesy keyboards, and la-la's all belong in the big book of twee-pop cliches, but The Eames Era manages to use all of them without sounding trite or insincere. It's as if every member of the band actually is happy. Besides, how can Read more:Kicking
High on the wings of eternity 2007-04-26 03:37:00 DragonForce is an amazing extreme power metal group from London, England that blazes forth a trail of blistering anthemic riffage that Eric from Theme Park Experience and I (and a whole lot of Europeans) just can't seem to get enough of. Their latest album Inhuman Rampage is full of overblown orchestration, atmospheric video-game keyboards, fantastical lyrics and the fastest guitars anywhere on this planet. The songs range in length from 5-1/2 to 8-1/2 minutes. The entire album is full of the sort of extravagance that the Darkness tried to but failed to capture. It's like Journey on amphetamines and a six-pack of Red Bull, and it has to be heard to be believed. On first listen you may think it is a ridiculous parody of hair-metal days gone by, but rest assured that they are dead serious about their music. Even Metallica's Kirk Hammett has called them "the fastest guitar players I've ever seen." DragonForce's Inhuman Rampage is out now on Roadrunner Records and RIYL: Iron Maiden, Y
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