Dredg/Circa Survive Concert

After every Circa Survive concert that I have been to, I've thought that it was the best concert that I've ever seen, and this time was no exception. They just keep improving their show. They expanded their setlist, added a captivating light show, had glow-stick filled beach balls bouncing over the audience, and as always, displayed their immense musical talent.

Before the actual concert, I was able to attend an acoustic performance with the band where they played "unplugged" versions of Get Out, Imaginary Enemy, I Felt Free, and Every Way. The set had a very personal feeling, with the small stage and crowd, and the band sounded excellent. It was a great beginning for the evening, which just got better from there.

The first opening band at the concert was Animals As Leaders, a band I hadn't heard of before the show, but one that I very much enjoyed. Their lineup of two guitarists and a drummer (who really impressed me with his relentless style) played an intense set of instrumental progressive metal that was quite irresistible live, and I'd definitely recommend checking out. After them Codeseven was up, and, while not as impressive as the first band, they were decent enough.

Dredg was awesome to see live, playing their dynamic style of progressive rock. Their guitarist laid down some catchy hooks while Gavin Hayes' vocals ranged from soothing to shouting, and occasional keyboards added an additional element of complexity. At times mellow, then crescendoing into a heavier rock section, then a dance-ready groove, their set had a lot of variety. This very talented band makes quality music that deserves so much more attention than it gets (so if you haven't heard them listen to them, and I'll review an album of theirs soon,) and they have a new album coming out next year.

At last, it was time for Circa Survive. With a huge banner of the Blue Sky Noise album cover as the backdrop, the band entered the stage, and although I've seen them several times this year, they amazed me yet again. They opened with the first three tracks of their latest album, and from there, played a nice mix of older and newer songs including In Fear And Faith, Mandala, and The Difference Between Medicine and Poison. There were also some unexpected additions, like when Anthony brought out the acoustic guitar for the intimate Spirit Of The Stairwell. The new interludes they played in between some of their songs were fun to hear, and may offer a taste of what The Appendage EP (which is now available for pre-order here and is out November 30) has in store. The music and vocals were perfect, and Anthony provided his entertaining, talkative, and at times hilarious, stage presence I have come to expect. Circa closed with an encore of Compendium and the wistful Dyed In The Wool, which seemed a fitting and satisfying ending for most spectacular concert I've attended.

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PS. I still want to see Circa play Fever Dreams live. Hopefully they will next time.

OK Go - Last Leaf - Official Video

Brilliant music video, made with toast, for OK Go's song Last Leaf off their latest album. Watch it:

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Underoath - In Division Video

The new Underoath music video for In Division off their soon to be released album O (disambiguation). Also, the entire album is available to stream on Underoath's myspace, so go give it a spin.

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Bayside/Senses Fail Concert

I attended the Bayside concert last Saturday, and they are incredible live. After enduring the mediocre at best opening bands, Bayside played a perfect set featuring a lot of songs off The Walking Wounded, a few off their self titled and Shudder albums, and their new song Already Gone. They are amazingly talented musicians, and Anthony's voice is possibly even better live than on the albums; he sings with an added energy and plenty of help from the audience. One of my favorite parts was watching their unbelievable guitarist Jack O'Shea shred on the solos. One thing I would have changed about the set was their cover of My Name Is Jonas. While it is fun to see a band do a good cover of a song they like, it would have been more satisfactory to see them play another of their own songs (perhaps I and I or Masterpiece.)

I would have loved it if Bayside could have played for the remainder of the concert, but instead their set ended and Senses Fail played next. They played an enjoyable set, but had one problem with their live performance: the vocals. Buddy sounded far better singing the band's newer songs than their older material. I guess he just doesn't have the range he used to, and couldn't hit many of the high notes on songs like The Irony Of Dying On Your Birthday. This is understandable though as it has been about six years since the release of that album, and other than that, they were fun to watch.

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Chiodos - Illuminaudio [2010]

Imagine the Transformers without Optimus Prime. Or pizza without cheese. Neither would be any good. I expected the same thing to happen to Chiodos when lead singer Craig Owens left. I am a huge fan of all of his musical ventures, and especially of his work with Chiodos. With his departure, and the other lineup changes the band went through, I had fairly low hopes for any of Chiodos future releases. But since I enjoy Chiodos' other albums so much, I decided to give Illuminaudio a spin when it came out, and was pleasantly surprised with what I heard.

With Craig left a lot of the band's unique sound provided by his irreplaceable voice. The new vocalist, Brandon Bolmer, does very well most of the time. He makes the smart move of not trying to copy Craig's style too closely, and instead, makes the music his own. His voice still soars through the high notes, but in his own style, and he puts much more emphasis on the screams. This has both positive and negative repercussions, because while it distinguishes his vocal work from the old style, it also makes the music sound a little more generic. Some of the instrumentation suffers from the same problem, and at times the lyrical content on the album just sounds lazy (e.g. Those Who Slay Together.) The added number of breakdowns and bass-drops give parts of the album an already-been-done-by-other-post-hardcore-groups feel.

Luckily, that feeling constitutes a minor portion of the album. More often while listening to Illuminaudio, I am impressed with the band and satisfied with the music. There are songs that show Chiodos experimenting with their sound, like Notes In Constellations which shows a more melodic, mature side of the band. There are also many moments on Illuminaudio when the signature Chiodos sound of their earlier albums comes through. They are still able to adeptly include gorgeous keyboard parts into their songs better than almost any other band in the genre. One of the qualities that originally made me a Chiodos fan is the intensity of some moments in their music, and they still deliver plenty of those, such as the first moments of frantic screaming on Scaremonger and about halfway through Modern Wolf Hair. The guitar parts fly across the fretboard on Hey Zeus! and Stratovolcano Mouth, two of the most irresistible tracks, even though the latter sounds a lot like an alternate version of Thermacare.

If you listen to this album expecting the old Chiodos, you may be disappointed, but if you go in with the same open-minded attitude with which you would listen to a completely new band, Illuminaudio delivers. It has a somewhat different sound, but is still easily enjoyable. This album holds onto parts of the band's old style, and still leaves room for improvement, but also represents an immensely important moment in Chiodos' musical career. At a pivotal moment when they could have called it quits, they decided to continue making music. Illuminaudio is the rebirth of Chiodos.

Genre: Post-Hardcore

For Fans Of: Peirce The Veil, Emarosa, The Receiving End Of Sirens

Contact: Myspace

Tracklisting:

1. Illuminaudio

2. Caves

3. Love Is A Cat From Hell

4. Modern Wolf Hair

5. Notes In Constellations

6. Scaremonger

7. His Story Repeats Itself

8. Let Us Burn One

9. Hey Zeus! The Dungeon

10. Stratovolcano Mouth

11. Those Who Slay Together, Stay Together

12. Closed Eyes Still Look Forward

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Circa Survive - MySpace Transmissions [2010]

Circa Survive recently put up their MySpace Transmissions, which consists of alternate versions of some of the songs off their latest album Blue Sky Noise, and a brilliant cover of Nirvana's Scentless Apprentice. You can download the EP for free, watch videos of performances of all the songs, and videos of interviews with the band about influences on the album, thoughts about their songs, and more. Although you don't necessarily get much "new material" on the EP, this is incredible stuff for anyone who loves Circa as much as I do, and is without a doubt worth checking out (it's one of the best bands out there giving you some awesome music!) Circa's live performances are, as always, entertaining to watch; their talent as musicians is evident and their improvisations on some of the songs are fun to hear.

Genre: Melodic Post-Hardcore, Progressive

For Fans Of: Saosin, In:Aviate, Tides Of Man

Contact: Website

Tracklisting:

1. Glass Arrows

2. Get Out

3. I Felt Free

4. Imaginary Enemy

5. Through The Desert Alone

6. Scentless Apprentice (Nirvana Cover)

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New Bayside Song - Already Gone

Bayside recently released Already Gone, from their new album Killing Time. Stream it at Absolute Punk. For this track they bring back their Walking Wounded era style with a hint of the rawness of their self titled showing as well. Definitely worth a listen, and shows a lot of promise for their new album dropping in February 2011. Preorders for that album start soon.

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Brand New - Deja Entendu [2003]

Brand New plays an incredible blend of aggressive post-hardcore and acoustic indie, filled with groovy bass, sing-along choruses, and introspective, soul searching lyrics. Deja Entendu (french for "already heard") is, to me, their masterpiece.


The album opens with the soft spoken intro Tautou, then dives straight into their catchiest track, Sic Transit Gloria, which is full of dance-inducing energy, and will certainly make you nod your head along. Up next is I Will Play My Game, with mellow verses and an engaging chorus, and Okay I Believe You, which starts out very quietly, and then explodes into a loud and perfectly contrasting rock chorus where Jesse Lacey declares "I just wanna believe, in us." The Quiet Things enters with a powerful oscillating guitar, and keeps up the energy throughout the whole song by increasing the frantic, near-screaming vocals, making it one of the best vocal performances on the album.

The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot returns to Brand New's more subdued, acoustic side, and the song feels exquisitely thoughtful with lyrics like "Call me a safe bet; I'm betting I'm not. I'm glad that you can forgive. I'm only hoping as time goes, you can forget." Jaws Theme Swimming is the most anthemic track on the album with driving guitars, and urgent vocals. Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis is the most stripped-down song on the album; a single guitar and candid, harmonizing vocals for nearly the entire song with the rest of the band joining in at the end for a strong finish. Pounding drums usher in Guernica, an intense, energetic song with interesting lyrics allegedly about Jesse's grandfather being diagnosed with cancer. Brand New definitely displays their talent on Good To Know. It's the longest song on the album at just over seven minutes, but they easily keep it interesting for the entire length with the music (especially the wonderful guitar in the outro), the vocals, and especially the lyrics with lines like "Am I correct to defend the fist that holds this pen? It's ink that lies, the pen, the page, the paper." Deja Entendu closes with Play Crack The Sky, a final, reflective acoustic song complete with a Beatles reference at the end.

Deja Entendu is nearly flawless. Brand New simply makes genuine, original, intelligent music, so if you are into that kind of thing as much as I am, I'm certain you will also love this album.


Genre: Post-Hardcore, Indie

For Fans Of: Manchester Orchestra, Taking Back Sunday, Circa Survive

Contact: Myspace

Tracklisting:
1. Tautou
2. Sic Transit Gloria... Glory Fades
3. I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light
4. Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
5. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows
6. The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
7. Jaws Theme Swimming
8. Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis
9. Guernica
10. Good to Know That if I Ever Need Attention All I Have to Do Is Die
11. Play Crack the Sky





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New Underoath Song!

Illuminator, the first single from Underoath's upcoming album, O (disambiguation) is here. Go stream it on their website and check it out. It has a similar feel to Lost In The Sound Of Separation, but is definitely fresh and quality. It actually reminds me a lot of Norma Jean's new album. So basically you need to listen to it now.

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The Strokes - Is This It [2001]

Is This It is the debut album from the five member group, The Strokes, and is in my opinion, one of the best albums ever made. While that may sound like quite a pretentious claim, it is without a doubt justified in this case. Full of insightful lyrics about everyday life, laid over the relaxed, yet engaging music, the combination is flawless. Despite the laid back impression the album gives off at first, there is an underlying urgency to the music which nearly reaches anxiety at some points. This incredible helping of emotion drives Is This It far above other music of this style (including later albums by the band) and, for me, ascertains it as some of the most quality music of the decade.

Another quality of Is This It that I enjoy is the somewhat do-it-yourself sound. What I mean by that is you can actually hear the band behind the music; it doesn't sound overproduced at all. The guitars are infectious and the basslines will have you nodding your head along. The drumming fits into the music perfectly and Casablancas' vocals are raw and natural. Rather than having any one member stand out, each member of The Strokes' work blends together so well, almost intuitively, to produce their very distinctive sound.

One critique I would make is that the vocals on this album, while unique from any other band's vocal style, can get a bit monotonous at points (especially on Barely Legal) and don't vary much throughout the album. That being said, Casablancas' mouth-too-close-to-the-microphone style distorted singing is just what the music needs, and it never gets excessively tedious.

Is This It is a nearly perfect collection of songs, and an imperative album for any music lover. Personal favorites include the title track, Hard To Explain, and Someday, but each song contributes to the masterpiece as a whole. This album is a classic. Front man Julian Casablanca puts it very well in an interview with Rolling Stone: "[As] a songwriter, you play a few chords and sing a melody that's been done a thousand times, and now you're a singer-songwriter. I think it takes a little more than that to do something that matters." Well Julian, Is This It is just that.

Genre: Indie Rock
For Fans Of: The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party
Contact: Website
Tracklisting:
1. Is This It
2. The Modern Age
3. Soma
4. Barely Legal
5. Someday
6. Alone, Together
7. Last Nite
8. Hard to Explain
9. New York City Cops
10. Trying Your Luck
11. Take It or Leave It


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Motions & Miles - Grace EP [2010]

While In:Aviate is on hiatus, some of the members formed the new group Motions & Miles. They recently released the short Grace EP, and even though it is only four songs, it is some of the best music I've heard this year, and I'm very stoked to hear more from this band. They sound a bit like a stripped down version of In:Aviate, with a less complex sound, but just as much power in their music.

The EP kicks things off with the title track, Grace, which isn't as intricate as any of In:Aviate's work, and instead has a straight-forward rock feel similar to The Almost. Grace builds up from a simple beginning into a fun jam perfect for playing loudly in the car with the windows down. Up next is Solipsism, my favorite track on Grace. It sounds quite a lot like In:Aviate, and it has a killer bassline driving it which contrasts nicely with the ambient guitar work. Every Day Between The Facts And Faith brings a nice mixture of the sounds of the first two songs, with some technical sounding elements, great vocal work and a sing-along chorus. The final track, Safe In Sound, has one of the coolest moments on the EP about halfway through the song with the bass and maracas jam (you'll see what I mean when you listen to it.)

The lyrics on this EP show that the band members still have plenty of talent in that area, with lines like "Keep yourself honest, but never too obvious. The only victim is the truth, and sometimes fabrications are win-win situations," and "At night you sit and talk to God, did he ever respond?... I really hope He'd understand or know the struggles of a man." The themes are deep questions about life and dealing with personal struggles, and the lyrics always sound sincere and intelligent. Ryan's eloquent vocals are full of emotion and energy and soar wonderfully over the music, which provides the perfect melodic backdrop.

Genre: Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock

For Fans Of: In:Aviate, The Almost, Closure In Moscow

Contact: Myspace

Tracklisting:

1. Grace

2. Solipsism

3. Every Day Between The Facts And Faith

4. Safe In Sound

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Underoath - O (Disambiguation) Preorder

The new Underoath album, named O (Disambiguation), is coming out on November 9. You can preorder it right now from their merch site here. Underoath is one of my favorite bands out there, and I am so excited to hear this album. I anticipate it will be some of the best music this year, and hopefully it will still be as good as their other albums even without Aaron on it. Now just a few months of waiting to go...

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The Bronx - They Will Kill Us Without Mercy

I really wish I was as cool as this guy. The Bronx make music that makes you feel like a badass just for listening to it, and this music video perfectly captures that awesome feeling. I think you even get a little cooler just by watching this:

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The Matches - Decomposer [2006]

Decomposer is the only album by The Matches that I really like, but I adore it. It is full of incredible guitar riffs, sing-along choruses, and is just quality music. As Alek and I have commented while listening to this album, there are some moments in the songs that are musically perfect.

Despite repeated listenings, I can't manage to get into the first track. It sounds completely awkward with the carnival music and slow tempo and seems a poor choice for an opener. But don't let that keep you from listening on, because the second song, Drive, quickly picks up the slack with a jamming guitar intro that leads on to one of my favorite songs on the album. Continuing the great songs is Papercut Skin, which has probably my favorite lyrics on the album, and more great instrumental work. Following is Clumsy Heart, my favorite Matches song, and so perfect in every way. After two mediocre tracks, comes Sunburn Vs. The Rhinovirus, another of my favorites, which has a great shout-the-words chorus.

Lazier Than The Furniture is next, and is one of the weakest tracks, mainly because it is so repetitive. Didi (My Doe Pt. 2) features great harmonizing by the multiple vocalists, and has a different, more mellow, sound. You (Don't) Know Me shows off The Matches penchant for making music that sounds, for lack of a better word, weird. It totally works on this song though, and My Soft & Deep continues this weird sound, but is a bit heavier. Shoot Me In The Smile sounds much more straightforward and is an enjoyably rockin track with some of the best vocals on Decomposer. The Barber's Unhappiness closes the album on a softer note, but I'm not sure the sound really works for the band, and the song seems a little too long.

The Matches strongest point is by far their creatively experimental instrumentals. The guitar hooks are catchy, the bass is groovin, and the drums perfectly accent. The vocals (by all three vocalists) are full of emotion, and fit each song well. Which brings me to Decomposer's lyrics. At times they are brilliant (I've been waking all my life to become what I'm going to be... A headstone), at times just strange (In the half-life of balloons,we will measure how our hair's grown) and, as the title promises, there's plenty about decomposing. It seems that the album starts out fairly straightforward and by the time the last track ends it is quite odd (the wide range of sounds could be because nine producers worked on it.) But that really works out for the best; Decomposer is an original, creative, and enjoyable listen.

Genre: Indie, Art-Punk

For Fans Of: Bayside, RX Bandits, Matchbook Romance

Contact: Myspace

Tracklisting:

1. Salty Eyes

2. Drive
3. Papercut Skin
4. Clumsy Heart
5. Little Maggots
6. What Katie Said

7. Sunburn vs. the Rhinovirus
8. Lazier Than Furniture

9. Didi (My Doe, Part 2)
10. You (Don't) Know Me
11. My Soft and Deep
12.Shoot Me in the Smile
13. The Barber's Unhappiness

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In:Aviate - Speak EP [2007]

This is the first release from St. George, Utah's In:Aviate, and while the sound isn't as refined as their full length album 1985, this is still an incredible EP. All the songs are so powerful, both from the raw energy of the music, and from the intelligent lyrics that really make you think after hearing them. The themes are similar to those on 1985, with deep, meaningful lyrics about religious and life questions (which is apparent from song titles like The Saints We Portray). Every song on the EP has superb lyrics, but some of my favorite lines come from Conversations With The Scenery: "What's the difference between gossip and gospel and what does it mean to believe? And if you do will all of your sins come back to haunt you? It's time to stop preaching and start practicing... Everyone know you're living a lie, But there's a little truth in every lie now isn't there?" In:Aviate makes good use of catchy choruses, intricate drumming and the mixture of ambient and jamming guitar work, which when combined with the wonderful lyrics make Speak a brilliant EP.

Genre: Melodic Post-Hardcore
For Fans Of: Circa Survive, Closure In Moscow, Harvard
Contact: Myspace
Tracklisting:
1. Volupsa
2. A More Agreeable Form Of Escapism
3. The Saints We Portray
4. The Quickening
5. Conversations With The Scenery
6. Speak American Standard

PS. While In:Aviate is on hiatus, some of the band members formed Motions and Miles. Check out their Myspace to hear some new tunes.


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Minus the Bear - My Time (Official Music Video)

Some Minus The Bear for your enjoyment. This video looks like it was very fun to film, and the song's one of my favorites off their new album.

I also recommend putting Minus The Bear's discography on shuffle as a great way to start your weekend.

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The Black Keys - Next Girl

Funny video for one of The Black Keys' songs off their latest album. It's got a dinosaur puppet singing a really catchy song to girls by the pool. So yeah, it's that good.

Seriously, this song's so catchy; makes me want to sing along with that dinosaur.

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Inception [2010]

Just saw Inception, and it is without a doubt the best movie I've ever seen. It was an enthralling, dreamy, adventure unlike anything else I've seen. Christopher Nolan has created another mind-blowing masterpiece of film to add to his already commendable filmography. Top-notch acting, effects, script, soundtrack and story. The way the story is told is so engaging, and intrigues you from the first moments. It is a surreal, thrilling, story that questions what is real and what is only what we want to be real. Inception is deep without being pretentious, and keeps you thinking for the entire movie, and for hours after. Really thought provoking, psychologically stimulating story and beautiful special effects make this a must-see. I won't ruin the plot by saying much about it, other than that it is spectacular, and combines some elements of James Bond and some of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind while still being completely original. If you haven't already seen it, definitely go watch it ASAP. It more than lives up to all the hype.

Peace,

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Minus the Bear Concert

This weekend has been amazing. Alek and I got to see Minus the Bear and they were very enjoyable. The opening bands were also both great. First was Mini Mansions, a three part band (drums, keyboard, and bass) who put on a very energetic live performance playing unique, groovy jams. Everest played next, with classic rock tinged style, and an awesome drum battle that really got the crowd involved.
Finally it was time for Minus the Bear to play. They put on an engaging show that had us all dancing, singing along, and pumping our fists to the choruses. Minus the Bear played a long set with a satisfying variety of old and new, mellow and dancey songs, and then came back onstage for a three song encore of The Fix, Into The Mirror, and Absinthe Party. Definitely a fun and memorable concert.

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Field Music - In Context

Sick music video for this chill British indie band I just discovered. Watch till the end, the art blows my mind. Clever idea for a video and it makes sense with the song name. Enjoy:

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