Bear Vs. Shark - Terorhawk [2005]

With a great sound and one of the best band names ever, Bear Vs. Shark's sophomore effort, Terrorhawk was released in 2005 and blew people away. Their sound combined post-hardcore, punk, and yelling to create a unique genre in which they captured completely. Though Terrorhawk doesn't differ too much from their debut Right Now, You're In The Best of Hands (I'm not writing out the whole thing), it doesn't need to. They found their niche and they pull it off amazingly, it's better for something to be done well twice than for it to be done poorly several times. However, they did mix Terorhawk up a bit, adding songs like "Baraga Embankment", "What A Horrible night For A Curse", and "I Fucked Your Dad" which are slowed down and singer Marc Paffi generally sings rather than yells. Other songs, such as "Catamaran", "Entrance of the Elected", and "Antwan" show exactly what BvS is all about. Rocking out and having a good time. Unfortunately, I was never able to see them live, though I've heard it was one of the best live shows when they were together.

Genre: Post-Hardcore, Punk
For Fans Of: At The Drive In, La Dispute, Glassjaw
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Catamaran
2. 5, 6 Kids
3. Six Bar Phrase Hey Hey
4. The Great Dinosaurs With Fifties Section
5. Baraga Embankment
6. Entrance of the Elected
7. Seven Stop Hold Restart
8. What a Horrible Night for a Curse
9. Out Loud Hey Hey
10. India Foot
11. Antwan
12. I Fucked Your Dad
13. Heard Iron Bug, "They're Coming to Town"
14. Song About Old Roller Coaster
15. Rich People Say Fuck Yeah Hey Hey



-A

The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute (Abridged Version) [2005]

Now I love The Mars Volta as much as the next guy (assuming said "next guy" listens to them every now and again, enough to say he loves them but not enough to get tattoo), but they are arguably the most pretentious band in the musical scene right now. I'm happy for Cedric, he can like 5 minute gaps where there is little to no sound (and even that sound is ambiance, like crickets or random beeping) but when most people decide to listen to an album, they want to hear music, not blank space added to sound "mysterious." So because of that, a member of Cobalt (Cobalt and Calcium, the Coheed fan forum I frequent) decided to make an abridged version with all the bullshit taken out, leaving only the music. I love it much more than the actual version because I get the same effect without the waiting.

Genre: Experimental Progressive Rock
For Fans Of: Coheed and Cambria, At The Drive In, The Fall of Troy
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus
2. The Widow
3. L'Via L'Viaquez
4. Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore
5. Cassandra Gemini

-A

Neon Trees - Becoming Different People [2006]

Alright well I'm about to pass out, but I feel like I haven't posted much so this is gonna be quick. Normally I dismiss anything with the word "electronic" in it, since that (to me) implies repetition and preloaded songs, no need for talent. But Neon Trees was different. Synth lines flowing over singer Tyler Glenn's voice while a dancy backbeat plays behind them, it kept (and still keeps) me entertained and I fell in love. Unfortunately, the newer (and more popular) releases by these guys aren't nearly as good, but there's always this gem. "Tidal Waves" is arguably my favorite rock-out-in-my-undies tune. Just give it a listen.

Genre: Electronic Party Rock
For Fans Of: (I dunno, but according to iTunes) Animal Kingdom, The Whigs, The Killers
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Friendly Fire
2. Phones
3. Up Against The Glass
4. Tidal Waves
5. Souvenirs
6. The Morning Becomes Electric


-A

Look Mexico - To Bed To Battle [2010] [MEB]

After some minor success coming from a few EPs their first album, This Is Animal Music, Look Mexico took to the studio again a few years later to work on their second full-length, To Bed To Battle. The record moves away from the light math-rock sound that they had on TIAM and changes to more straight forward rock. There are still math-rock tendencies, but the album has a larger variety than on previous releases, ranging from light acoustic tunes to dancy and exciting songs.

The record starts off with the anthemic You Stay. I Go. No Following, an epic opener addressing (what appears to be) the music industry or an old manager/producer of some sort. Lines like "Thank you for absolutely nothing" and "Falling through the cracks we are dodging the radio waves/ And thanks to all your promises we're picking extra shifts up these days" show some sort of betrayal. But regardless of what it is about, the song's fist pump-inducing beat and sing-along lyrics make this a sure crowd pleaser.

The next track, titled No Wonder I'm Still Awake, jumps right onto you after the slower album intro. Fortunately, this upbeat style isn't lost on only one song. Two tunes in particular, I Live My Life A Quarter Mile At A Time and They Offered Me A Deal (I Said No, Naturally), are both happier and more exciting than many others on the record.

But of course, being catchy doesn't always make a song the best on the album. The lighter tune, Until The Lights Burn Out?, will relax you, yet when it starts to pick up will make you start to bob your head. The acoustic Take It Upstairs, Einstein begins with light strings but eventually becomes a deeply moving serenade. Another calm peice, They Only Take The Backroads, plays better as background music, but still keeps you quietly smiling to yourself.

The downfall to the record would have to be how samey it seems at times. The songs tend to blend together somewhat, even after several listens it's not always clear which song you're listening to. Then again, too much of a good thing isn't always bad, but variety is the spice of life.

Light and airy at times, catchy and upbeat at others, To Bed To Battle expands the sound Look Mexico had on previous releases and shows that they definitely have a future ahead of them.

Genre: Alternative Indie
For Fans Of: Pirouette, This Town Needs Guns, Six Gallery
Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. I Stay. You Go. No Following.
2. No Wonder I'm Still Awake
3. Take It Upstairs, Einstein
4. I Live My Life A Quarter Mile At A Time
5. Until The Lights Burn Out?
6. They Offered Me A Deal (I Said No, Naturally)
7. Get In There, Brother!
8. They Only Take The Backroads
9. Time For You To Go Do Your Own Thing
10. Just Like Old Times



-A

The Good, The Gooder, And The Gooderer

Hey guys (guy? I dunno who reads this blog), sorry I haven't been updating much lately, I just got back from a trip to Chicago so hopefully the posts will be more frequent. So anyways, I've got some good news, some gooder news, and some gooderer news. The good news is that I have a bowl of cereal and my hunger has been vanquished (Honey Bunches of Oats are my life force). The gooder news is that I've just started reading the novel House of Leaves, I've heard great things so we shall see how this turns out. The gooderer news is that I will now be joining the team at Mind Equals Blown as a freelance writer, I'll still be updating here at Punch Punch Stab Kill, so don't worry about that. Well I hope you'll check out MEB and help support what they are doing.

Mind Equals Blown
House of Leaves
Honey Bunches of Oats

-A

Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow [2010] [Leak]

Coheed is by far one of my favorite bands, I'm in love with their music and so this was definitely one of my most anticipated 2010 releases. Although, after No World For Tomorrow I was afraid Coheed had lost their touch. Thankfully, they got it back. Year of the Black Rainbow may be the worst album name I've heard, but it's an incredible record. Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction) and Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool) were producers and the influences of both are very apparent and definitely gave the album a mechanical feeling. Focusing more on heavy songs, Year of the Black Rainbow sounds like Good Apollo Vol. 1 sprinkled with Nine Inch Nails and My Chemical Romance. But don't worry, there are two ballads (Far and Pearl of the Stars), the intro (One), and the closer (The Black Rainbow) that are much slower or quieter and keep YOTBR balanced. Having listened to the album only a few times, it already ranks pretty well, my order (from best to worst) goes SSTB > IKS > YOTBR > GA1 > NWFT but is likely to change after I play it some more.

Genre: Progressive Rock
For Fans Of: My Chemical Romance, Circa Survive, Torche
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. One
2. The Broken
3. Guns of Summer
4. Here We Are Juggernaut
5. Far
6. The Shattered Symphony
7. World of Lines
8. Made Out of Nothing (All That I Am)
9. Pearl of the Stars
10. In The Flame of Error
11. When Skeletons Live
12. The Black Rainbow


-A

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [1998]

After over a decade and hundreds of awards, I finally got around to finishing what many people consider the greatest game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Originally released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, it quickly wooed audiences and critics alike, earning between a 9 or a 10 out of 10 on almost every review it got. Playing it again for the first time in nearly ten years (I only got halfway through when I was 8) I can safely say it is one of my personal favorite games, probably in top 5. My first playthrough was on N64, but my recent venture was on the Gamecube via The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, and nothing had really changed, (besides the controller) mainly because nothing needed to. Everything from waking up to Navi to destroying Gannon is incredibly done with fun and finesse.

I think that one of the reasons the game is so good is because of the pacing, it's never too hard, but it's still challenging. You get new items often enough to be interesting, but it never becomes overwhelming. There's always a goal, but there is also always something to explore. The leveling system works great, they start you off pretty easy in order to give you a feel for the gameplay and combat but it doesn't feel like you're being babied.

Another element of OoT that makes it great is the musical aspect. The ocarina was so well incorporated, making it a key item and the game's namesake. From teleportation to making it rain to changing whether it's day or night, the ocarina has many uses that are all very important to succeed in beating the game. Not to mention it helped create on the best and most memorable video game soundtracks in recent memory.

Though there are slight annoyances (see "HEY! LISTEN!!" ad nauseum), this entry in the Legend of Zelda mythos is an amazing contribution. It's not everyday that a game comes along that makes you immediately want to re-play it, so thank you Ocarina of Time for all the memories I got and all those I'll continue to get.

10/10

-A

Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto [2010]

Portugal. The Man released their new album American Ghetto and it is amazing! It is available for purchase on their website, or on iTunes. Only a digital copy has been released so far, the actual physical CD and vinyl will be released sometime in May.

I've been bumpin American Ghetto almost non-stop since it came out. The album has a great feeling to it, with experimental instrumentals and John Gourley's mellow vocals laid over some beats that at some parts of the album almost seem suited for electronica or rap. It is wonderful to listen to all the way through, but some standout tracks are Fantastic Pace (I love the intro to this song), 1000 Years, When The War Ends (sounds like an 80's dance song, full of groovy goodness), and the single from the album The Dead Dog.

For those of you who are already Portugal. The Man fans, American Ghetto seemed to me like It's Complicated Being A Wizard style music with Satanic Satanist style vocals, which is a beautiful combination. For those of you who aren't already Portugal. The Man fans, why aren't you? Go listen to some of their music and you will be hooked. This is my favorite album release of 2010 so far! So go support the band and buy their new music, it is worth every cent. After all, this is Portugal. The Man so it is just as EPIC as expected.

Genre: Indie, Experimental, Progressive
For Fans Of: Circa Survive, As Tall As Lions, The Dear Hunter
Contact: Website
Tracklisting:
1. The Dead Dog
2. Break
3. 60 Years
4. All My People
5. 1000 Years
6. Fantastic Pace
7. The Pushers Party
8. Do What We Do
9. Just a Fool
10. Some Men
11. When the War Ends

-T

This Town Needs Guns - Animals [2008]

Technical, intricate, and melodic, This Town Needs Guns rides on the forefront of the indie math-rock wave with their sophomore release "Animals." The 4-piece from Oxford is helping define their quirky and complex genre, taking math rock from the harder roots and putting a chill and relaxed feel to it. Hitting all the main indie math-rock points, This Town Needs Guns finds itself securely fastened to the genre, and they feel right at home with it. Tim Collis' incredible guitar work combines speed and complexity to work his way up and down the fretboard without missing a beat. Though eccentric guitars are important, the vocals can make or break a group, and fortunately Stuart Smith matches amazingly. His voice flows perfectly with the music, it's melodic and able to hit extremely high notes while still having a unique sound. But what would a band be without its rhythm? Thankfully Chris Collis (Tim's brother) and Jamie Cooper took over the parts of drums and bass, respectively, and fill in the blanks perfectly. The two accent the others' melodies and never become overbearing, which is EXACTLY what a rhythm section is supposed to do, and TTNG does it well. From start to finish this album impresses, creating one of the best indie math-rock records out there.

Genre: Indie Math-Rock
For Fans Of: Dartz!, Minus the Bear, Tubelord
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Chinchilla
2. Baboon
3. Lemur
4. Badger
5. Quetzal
6. Panda
7. Elk
8. Pig
9. Gibbon
10. Dog
11. Crocodile
12. Rabbit
13. Zebra



-A

Dampe's Inferno

Just one little tidbit before I bonk out for the night. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is great, Ballas' (the name used by my character in this go) quest is coming to an end but we're going for 100% so it's coming down to getting those heart containers. Not sure if we're gonna grab the skulltulas or not since all it gets you is 200 rupees and bragging rights. Even if we avoid the skullbros, the heart containers are a pain in the ass. Luckily, there's only one left, and getting it has absolutely nothing to do with skill. Dampe the Gravekeeper has a "fun" little game he plays called Dampe's Heart-Pounding Grave-Digging tour in which he circles around his graveyard then you pay him 10 rupees and pray to God he finds the piece of heart. Unfortunately, finding the piece depends solely on if the game likes you or not, and after 1200 rupees I've come to the conclusion that Dampe hates me.

But anyways, we're almost done, just gotta grab that up then kill Gannondorf. After I finish I'll probably get a review up, so I guess that's exciting. Stay tuned!

-A

Circa Survive - Juturna [2005]

After kicking the Saosin habit in 2004, Anthony Green returned to Pennsylvania and began working with his friend Colin Frangicetto to form Circa Survive. Juturna is Circa's first full length disc (released little over a month after the Inuit Sessions) and it sets a standard for the rest of their music. Post-hardcore rhythms and airy guitars are the basis for the sound, but Green's distinctly high-pitched and melodic vocals is what gives the group it's impressive feel. The lyrical content pulls from a few different influences, but mainly the novel House of Leave and the films Boondock Saints and Sunshine For The Spotless Mind (<-good show). The album kicks off in high gear with Act Appalled but slows down near the middle as shown in songs such as In Fear And Faith and We're All Thieves before hitting another high point at Oh, Hello before ending with the acoustic Meet Me In Montauk and "secret" track House of Leaves. Ambient and exciting, this record is one of the reasons 2005 was a great year in music.

Genre: Melodic Post-Hardcore, Progressive, Experimental
For Fans Of: Coheed and Cambria, Portugal. The Man, Anthony Green
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Holding Someone's Hair Back
2. Act Appalled
3. Wish Resign
4. The Glorious Nosebleed
5. In Fear and Faith
6. The Great Golden Baby
7. Stop the Fuckin' Car
8. We're All Thieves
9. Oh, Hello
10. Always Getting What You Want
11. Meet Me in Montauk

-T&A

New Songs: Minus the Bear and Coheed and Cambria

With Coheed and Cambria's and Minus the Bear's new albums hitting shelves April 20th and May 4th, respectively, they have both released new songs to the public. Both are great, give them a listen.


-T&A

Tera Melos - Untitled [2005]

Also known as Tera Melos, Self Titled, or The Melodies, Tera Melos bursted into the underground music scene with this interesting, innovative, and very different album. Take post-hardcore, get rid of any understandable vocals, throw in a heaping helping of math rock, let it soak in experimentation for an hour, then garnish it with jazz. Voila! You have Tera Melos. Technical guitar work rockets over intricate drumming from start to finish. The only break you get is Melody 3, a more toned down song which greatly accentuates the heaviness of Melody 2. Catchy riffs are afoot in Melody 4 and Melody 7, playful pianos and obscure samples line the ending of Melody 5, and Melody 8 (a 29-minute experimental noise improvisation song) closes the record off in a very Tera Melos-esque way. There's no structure in Melody 8, so it's difficult to follow, and makes it the low point of the album, but is still an interesting listen. Tera Melos is helping make new genre, and I totally love it.

Genre: Post-Math
For Fans Of: By The End Of Tonight, The Fall of Troy, Melt-Banana
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Melody 1
2. Melody 2
3. Melody 3
4. Melody 4
5. Melody 5
6. Melody 6
7. Melody 7
8. Melody 8



-A

Foxy Shazam - Introducing... [2008]

Somewhere between soul and dance rock lies a little band from Cincinnati, Ohio known as Foxy Shazam. The opening song of the group's second effort really sets a mood for the whole album. After a live introduction, "Introducing Foxy" kicks off with lead singer, Sean Nally yelling "I always knew there was something special about that boy. The way he stuck his hand out the window and flew it like an airplane." and leads into a mish mash of what the whole record is about. Having fun and kickin metaphorical ass. Dealing with subject matters such as Robin Hood, bull fighting, and The Rocketeer, Nally flows lyrics from fun to funner. Their live show is just as crazy as their music, between Nally eating dozens of lit cigarettes and jumping on guitarist Loren Turner's shoulders, you'll have a good time. Also notable, this record has been proven by me to make you at least twice as good at bowling.

Genre: Goddamn Party Rock
For Fans Of: Gogol Bordello, The Fall of Troy, Horse. the Band (Yeah there's not a lot to compare them to)
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Introducing Foxy
2. The Rocketeer
3. A Dangerous Man
4. The Science of Love
5. A Black Man's Breakfast
6. It's Hair Smelled Like Bonfire
7. Red Cape Diver
8. Yes! Yes! Yes!
9. Ghost Animals
10. Cool


-A