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Friday, November 17, 2017

Through Fire Ain't Lying

Through Fire knows how to spread out some juicy hard rock riffs as is demonstrated on the band's new single "Leave You Where You Lie" in which lead vocalist Grant Joshua Kendrick lays down the law for a woman he's trying to kick to the curb. He must leave her essentially for dead, the state the relationship is now reduced to. Grant Brooks piles on the drumming with brute force. The results are dynamic and well worth the trouble of listening. Power drumming thy name is Through Fire. Jesse Sant brings the thunder on bass and that supplies a rich undercurrent for Grant's vocals to slide under. It's true teamwork on the highest level. Kyle LeBlanc drops down his stellar bass playing also. Throw that in the mix and what emerges is a fine broth of sound unmatched by no one. Justin McCain offers a real winner on lead guitar and backup vocals. Just exemplary work. In the lyric department Grant is one mad hombre. He fires off such bon mots as: "Tell me again why I should give a damn. Tell me again why I should even care."All the anger you left behind. All the hatred I feel inside. For in the aftermath of the love that died (love that died) keep digging your grave, keep digging your grave!" Not a resolved issue to be sure. He piles that on with the add on of "Take your broken promises, and don't come back again. It's time to say goodbye. I'm gonna leave you where you lie. Take your broken promises, every one you ever said. It's time to say goodbye, I'm gonna leave you where you lie, lie. I gonna leave you where you lie." The ashes fall, burn it all down until there's nothing left around." Total destruction no more no less. Nary an apology in that tirade and why should there be. The man's on a real roll so why let him take the passive way out. This beat's super crunchy beyond belief and what enjoyment gets derived from it. Such angst rocking across the frets. Real winning formula for sure. Nobody's getting off that easy around here. Through Fire is that bolt out of the blue we needed to keep the 21st century rocking along. Each band member lends belly fire to the proceedings and it shows. When they come together as a unit you're curious about what they can whip up next. "Where You Lie" sits well as a fang bearing rock condemnation of the highest order.

Monday, November 13, 2017

Bleachers Reminisces Fondly About The Old Days

Bleachers, the stage name for songwriter and record producer Jack Antonoff, knows his way around a memorable hook. He employs it liberally in the nostalgia heavy track "I Miss Those Days". It doesn't stray far from the chord progressions circle it lays claim to but at least Jack has the good sense to pick a circle that will put smiles on the faces of many a consumer since you could easily find yourself hearing this song on a beach somewhere in LA. The video has an animated effect to it that has a Wallace & Grommit sensibility to it that should bring knowing grins to many a face familiar with that twosome of oddballs. It's not very involved animation but it gets the point across beautifully. Just a man on a bench watching the world go by, not much of an expression on his face. Random imagery parades by but not a crack in his facade is to be seen. It's a blissful little number that asks nothing more than time to wax eloquent on the glory days. Bleachers has a winning way about it that you love a little more each time you hear it. If you're depressed "I Miss Those Days" can be the tonic to end all tonics. If you're already in a good mood this song should keep you there. Take heart, Bleachers feels your pain. The lyric sheet confirms the deep sigh involved in this groove "And everyone is changing, storefronts rearranging." Such is life, a constant shifting of molecules forming new horizons. Thanks be to Bleachers for lightening the mood just a hair. An aura pervades this project which lends no small mystery to the whole thing. Bleachers succeeds in saying what many others are thinking...that the good old days had their moments, many of them exemplary. Of course this viewpoint has a certain rose colored glasses skew to it but, given the violent times we're negotiating what harm can there be in that? It's a prime stress buster that eases blood pressure in spades. "I Miss Those Days" shouldn't be missed by anyone craving some solace.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Seether Does a Bang Up Job in Betrayal

Hooray for Seether for putting four on thw floor anarchy to work for the latest single "Betray and Degrade". You know the guys aren't playing with a full deck judging from the insane smile on guitarist/lead vocalist Shaun Brown's face. Someone needs to get that man to an insane asylum ASAP. On the plus side it works wonders for the fire and brimstone coming from the guitar. Are you feeling the juice from his instrument. It's as if all the layers of his psyche were pulled back to reveal a hot molten core. That intensity carries over into his performance vocally. The lyrics scream bloody vengeance, a dare for you and I to just try and stop him from burning the house down. The drummer in this search and destroy mission, one John Humphrey, takes the mid speed route and hones it to perfection. It sidles up to the vocals with that come hither glance. Backing guitarist Dale Stewart inserts himself into the mix with astounding results. It's meaty enough to want to wrap both hands around it sandwich style. On the whole Seether lets loose from every angle imaginable and scores with haymaker after haymaker. Let's glance at the lyric sheet shall we? Seems to underscore the intense psychic pain Shaun Brown is feeling, coupled with boatloads of tension. Shaun's a bit of a rub-it-in sort of guy in that he savors how emptiness defines the person he's mad at. Not only that he admires how the shallowness defines this person as well. Moving on, when Seether finds their groove there's no turning back. Edited chainsaw style the sound goes right to your skull and buries the saw deeper and deeper. The nightmare imagery runs ice cold, like something out of a slasher movie. The eerie feeling is unshakable, but don't let that stop you from inhaling the brutal brilliance at work here. Plenty to brag about for sure. Seether does a great job keeping the chord progressions lively and provocative. Not two words I'd associate with Seether but that's rock and roll for you. On the whole "Betray and Degrade" plays it down and dirty and scores big time.

Friday, November 10, 2017

Asking Alexandria Shows You Where It Went

Much turbo-charged action hovers around British rockers Asking Alexandria and their latest track "Where Did It Go?" The musicianship soars on so many levels. Vocally Ben Bruce doesn't lose his intensity one iota. Drummer James Cassells hammers away like a demon possessed and the results are striking at the least, nuclear at best. It's a swift rock 'n' roll ride that never slows up to ask is everyone still breathing? Cameron Liddell strikes lethal chords on guitar. Meanwhile Sam Bettley gives his bass a thorough working. Mile a minute pacing is the ace in this band's hole. Lyrically Ben establishes his credibility right from the start. I point to lines like "There's only one throne and I'm not done with it, still shitting, sleeping, eating, breathing it. Ten years and you're still standing on my every word with baited breath. After a decade pushing boundaries, proving impossible possible, making something from nothing, creating something from nothing, creating "larger than life". Narcissistic much? Anyway, "Where Did It Go?" is an absolute blast to behold. It's got firepower in spades and isn't afraid to show it off. There's also a spookiness factor behind the whole thing when the chord shifts occur. That highlights Ben's prowess to the fullest. You get the feeling the ground beneath you is unsteady and will shift at any moment. The decade long slog has worked wonders on this band. Tight riffs enable good things to come to pass. Shifting auras are all over this baby. What marvelous hell they're making. This has the potential to incite newbies and die-hard supporters alike. How they pack so much combustion into one 3 minutes 15 second package boggles my mind but they make it work. Asking Alexandria has it right where it needs to be.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Weezer Gives Us Something To Be Happy About

Weezer was never a band to skimp on humor quotient as has been proven by the likes of the immortal "Hash Pipe" which sounds as great today as it did back in 2001. On deck from the boys now is "Happy Hour", a delectable nugget about the joys of happy hour for taking the edge off of sad days. Every aspect of the song registers high on the cheerful meter. Rivers Cuomo has vocals that sound laid back and easy as one would want to be at your favorite watering hole down the street. Patrick Wilson turns in solid work behind the drum kit and that carries through during each note of the song. You have a wine spritzer in your hands. Your mood color is in the key of mellow. Brian Bell's guitars really sing out in a big way. It's breezy like a day sipping sex on the beach. Not only that the video is chock full of humor and striking visuals. The chomping teeth come instantly to mind. This gallery of images fits hand in glove with Weezer's party band aesthetic. Just a bunch of random images meant to pass the time in good spirits. Plenty of upbeat grooves to go around. That's to the credit of Weezer to keep things loose. Scott Shriner's bass playing serves the band in good stead. It's beefy and muscular for prime consumption. Turning to the lyrics sheet Rivers drives home his love for the cocktail hour backdrop. Austinites should well appreciate the reference to its favorite son Stevie Ray Vaughan through the words "I'm like Stevie Ray Vaughan on the stage, high on music, teeth grindin' sweatin' under the lights." The next cultural reference goes to Monty Python..."But then my boss calls and she's crushin' me with a 20 ton weight, just like in Monty Python, somebody left on the sink, it's still running. My eyes are gonna overflow. How can you dislike a song that makes reference to Ponce de Leon for crying out loud. You know...Mr. Fountain of Youth guy? Again hats off to Weezer for inserting "Happy Hour" with tongue in cheek humor meant to give its fans both a contact high and a delicious hangover.The way the drums mix in with other instruments makes for the cherry on top of the sundae. Also a cute touch in the lyrics department is "Maybe I'll meet a scientist in sweatpants and a hair tie. We'll conversate about rare birds and MIDI keyboards." Sounds like a wild night in the bar. How you miss those MIDI keyboards. You won't want to miss "Happy Hour". It's all you ever wanted to know about Weezer and more.

Monday, November 6, 2017

The Struts Put Out a Great One Night Stand

Channeling their inner Queen, The Struts come to the table with "One Night Stand" a rock gem that's tailor made to get the old blood pumping. Vocalist Luke Spiller sounds right at home in Freddie Mercury's voice box. His pipes smoke like a vintage pack of Pall Malls. The rest of the group doesn't fare too badly either. Gethin Davies proves his mastery with the drums. Gives "One Night Stand" that seedy feel befitting a sex-soaked song of this caliber. Guitarist Adam Slack holds his own too. Check out the bridge if you have any doubts that he's the man. Bassist Jed Elliott punches in a workmanlike effort that cannot be denied. Those theatrical touches hearken back to "Killer Queen" era Queen and, according to Wikipedia Queen is one of the band's prime influences. Poetry seems to flip off of his fingertips like magic as can be evidenced by the likes of, "Like an eagle in the sky you can't control it. There's a magic in my eyes and I can't stop it burning down on the edge of tonight cause tomorrow we'll be owning the world. Boisterous Luke adds in "All my scars, I've got to show them. There's a fire in my heart." Included also is "You know like pure white gold I'll give you one night only for your eyes only. If entertainment is what you want then honey I'm the best! I know that we're together for all your pleasure forever, forever, forever. This is how we burn. Really potent sexuality kicks this baby into fifth gear. I really do like the theatrics behind the song. Hearkens back to the 1970s glory years of ELO and Led Zeppelin. Mr. Mercury would have approved tremendously. It's the sort of song you could easily pop open a cold one with. Can you feel the Def Leppard pop friendly influences? The overall sound reaches for the stratosphere and strikes gold. "One Night Stand" revels in its excesses. As it turns the corner you can definitely make out a "Bohemian Rhapsody" go for broke mindset here. It works well on so many levels it's not even funny. How many of you believe this song would go over well in front of a packed stadium? I can also hear the bombast from the My Chemical Romance influence. Ballsy, on an epic voyage you won't soon forget. The Struts have a sonic nerve they've tapped into and it works perfectly. "One Night Stand" deserves a multi night engagement on your iPod.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Paramore Really Sells Fake Happy

Innocently enough Paramore's new "Fake Happy" starts out with a dreamy acoustic guitar sequence courtesy of Taylor York. So, is that all there is? Well, not exactly. In rushes vocalist/girl power ass kicker Hayley Williams plugging in that feisty keyboard melodrama we know she can hurl at us with the best of them. Cue Zac Farro's peppy drum kit alongside Taylor York's outstanding rhythm guitar and the table is officially set for Hayley to peel back the masks of everyone in her vicinity who's playing let's pretend complete with phony smiles and "Yeah, I'm alright bluster. Since the days of "Misery Business" Hayley Williams has never been one to suffer fools gladly, as is clearly the case here. She flat out revels in taunting the posers with how good she is at selling artificial merry via the words, "I love making you believe what you get is what you see. But I'm so fake happy. I feel so fake happy. And I bet everybody here is just as insincere. We're all so fake happy and I know fake happy. The mind blowing fake chorus continues in this vein via: "If I smile with my teeth. Bet you believe me. If I smile with my teeth I bet I believe me. Hayley's out and about sporting those mascara teeth begging for pity from anybody who'll give her a taste. It's like she's walking over all pretenders to get to the throne which is rightfully hers. The beat Paramore craft comes across as pretty sunny for something aimed at the fellow Americans who have their fake smiles and fake business suits to match. Somehow Hayley makes this formula work in spades for her. That keyboard of hers becomes a regular visitor and "Fake Happy" turns out a richer song because of it. You could even dance to it but Hayley would likely give you a dirty sneer for your troubles. Taylor's drumming isn't too over the top so Hayley can weave her magic beneath it. Nice to see Paramore's weathered its many line-up alterations to emerge a stronger band. We can hope added stability is in the band's future. One thing's for sure "Fake Happy" has left me with a big smile on my face.

Friday, November 3, 2017

No Lie...Royal Blood Sure Can Crank Out a Guitar Jam

Royal Blood knows how to put guitar front and center as is demonstrated on the Brit group's brand new "I Only Lie When I Love You" The rhythms are very easy to follow throughout the song. Mike Kerr, the group's bass guitarist and vocalist delivers on some pretty potent riffs. His singing moves stride for stride with the bass for a knockout punch that goes a long way towards establishing Royal Blood as a band with a promising future in front of it. Drummer Ben Thatcher's percussion abilities only up the wow factor that much higher. Thank you Royal Blood for keeping the melody easy to follow so no one gets lost in the shuffle. It's an under 3 minute burst of white hot energy that seers into your brain with the venom of a python. Lyrically you won't be scratching your head much either. Try this on for size..."Go ahead muck about. I got my conscience twisted. Pull your hair. Make me shout. It's just that you insisted I was good for nothing like you were on to something. Sounds like rough foreplay to me. This particular verse hints at physical abuse..."I only lie when I love you. I only crawl when I hit the ground. You only cry when I love you. I only lie when I hit the ground." This is a relationship destined for either divorce court or the penitentiary. It appears like rough sledding either way. The stripped down feeling of the song gives it a true he-man swagger that will go over well with rock fans of all stripes and persuasions. Mike's voice is equally hard edged. It's knocked down a few quality brews down at the local pub and sports the king-sized hangovers to prove it. In the digital age we live in something lo tech is greatly appreciated. Brings us back to our caveman roots. The video is equally dedicated to not going overboard on the frills. Only black and white dot the color landscape but it's executed in a fashion where the instruments fill in the blanks. There's not much chord variety to be had. Don't consider that a failing though. Like I said, getting lost in the thicket isn't any fun so why bother? Royal Blood shows some royal sweat here and it's for that reason that it's no lie that "I Only Lie When I Love You" smokes with the best of them.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

MGMT Sounds Great In The Darkness

Would you expect anything but macabre underpinnings from MGMT, a band whose video for "Kids" likely scared quite a few kids back in the day. Welcome to the two man band's new undertaking "Little Dark Age", which lays on gloom of a dimension that only goth kings The Cure could match. That said this little number ratchets up the curiosity factor by a wide margin. Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser lay down the eerie keyboards like there was a shortage declared somewhere. It's clearly capable of placing goosebumps on the back of one's neck. Most impressive though is how they manage to work a slinky beat in the middle of all that creepiness, Halloween appropriate no less. Andrew's vocals are satisfying in how glum they are. His hairstyle in the video makes us think we've engaged in time travel back to the '80s. The whole Cure aesthetic certainly is front and center. The sunshine can take a break in MGMT's world. Nothing but dead flowers here. As for the lyrics well they're real downers to be sure. Can you find any sort of uplift in "Breathing in the dark, lying on its side, the ruins of the day. painted with a scar. And the more I straighten out the less it wants to try. The feelings start to rot, one wink at a time." I know I feel loads better about my life following that bit of dark poetry. MGMT has the eccentricity thing down to a science. The magic works well in this instance. You tap into your voyeuristic tendencies no doubt. Plenty of minor chords milling about to keep your upset stomach alive and well. MGMT doesn't use the same canvas to paint with as the rest of us. It tends to like travelling cobblestone pocked roads that offer no real mercy for anyone who dares consider making tracks on them. I mentioned "Kids" earlier. That song had more of a giddy pace to it. By comparison "My Little Dark Age" glides across the melancholy on ice skates. Chord progressions are noticeable but don't run willy nilly over the main melody which helps you appreciate the ride you're taking on a higher level. The visuals truly stand out in comparison to all the other product flooding the marketplace. Lots of dark undertones on the color wheel. In my estimation the first verse is the easiest to make sense of. I suppose you could make a translation out of "Picking through the cards knowing what's nearby. The carvings on the face say they find it hard and the engine's failed again all limits of disguise. The humor's not the same coming from denial." One line really stands out..."I grieve in stereo." That line'a golden. In fact I'll go ahead and declare it best lyric of 2017. If you know how one grieves in stereo give me a dingle. We could be making science history here. What I like most about "My Little Dark Age" is how the synths burrow deep into your brain and won't release their grip on its fear center. Versatility thy name is MGMT. Am totally loving the bat on the mike stand. And candlesticks straight from the set of Dark Shadows, a nice plus. In short "Little Dark Age" chills the spine in the right places, making for a dazzling listening experience.