Foo Fighters Embrace The World Outside

When the Foo Fighters are in sync, the results are out of this world. Pencil in "Outside" as case in point. Dave Grohl's voice seldom gets more seductive. Chris Shiflett hits all the right guitar patterns. Nate Mendel lights up the masses all over again on bass and, well, Taylor Hawkins gives his drums something to cower in fear from. Desert rock has a champion and that champion's apparently Dave Grohl. Even now the band's ability to master a melody and pluck the maximum ecstasy from it remains unchallenged. The band gives you an experience that's balls out mind expanding. As if any additional star power was needed, former Eagle Joe Walsh lets loose with some stunning guitar licks at the bridge. They're seamless down to the last detail. Lyrically "Outside" doesn't hide behind four walls and wait for the carnage to die down. Gotta give up for "Finding glitter in the litter". Affable rhymes are very hard not to fall deep in love with. Lock onto Dave's canyon visuals for five seconds why don't you and see if they don't transport you to agreeable, accessible terra firma. Escapism suits Dave fine as he assures us there is a road out of the cold. It is possible to leave it all behind. The Foos have this exciting history of dropping exceptional sounds into a soup and letting them grow into a fantastic, euphoric froth. Nailing audience attention is one of those key details the Foos do better than just about anyone. "Everlong" had a supreme haunting effect. "My Hero" let drums do the majority of the talking. More recently "Rope" used guitar echo brilliantly. Was a nifty lead-in to the muscular guitar that followed. "Outside" never fails to display group affair effectiveness. Nobody's hogging the glory. Each man shows off what he does best and the excitement rises from the mixing console persistently, menacingly, divinely. The A chord takes up much shelf space which only helps the Foos keep your attention focused on the spectacle only they know how to deliver. It's not like "Sonic Highways" needed additional praising. "Outside" brings a heft as grand as all outdoors. This occasion we get Dave dialing back his intensity. When running on low heat Dave doesn't compromise his awe inspiring showmanship. He knows how to blend into the background but he's got our attention anyway. "Outside" gets inside a sonic nerve, pulls the trigger, and demonstrates one more time The Foo Fighters really excel at blowing us all away.

POD Brings Positive Vibes With "This Goes Out To You"

POD of "Youth of The Nation" fame sure know how to bring the sunshine as the first cut from the upcoming "The Awakening" lays proof to. Stem to stern the melody rises in wonderful waves of spiritual uplift. The Christian themed rockers since the early 90s have been putting the supreme being front and center in their lyrics. Nothing wrong with giving a shout out to the fan base that made you who you are either. Sonny Sandoval has never sounded more sparkling as his vocals soar above the din that keeps us tethered to terra firma. You really do get hooked on his unabashed sincerity. He transcends limitations above and beyond the call of duty. Also blistering in his stage presence is Wuv Bernardo who drums ferociously, on full flame as it were. Marcos Curiel slings a mean guitar in service to the wholesale parade of thank yous offered to the respectful masses. Over on bass guitar Traa Daniels lays it down with authority. The chords stay pretty consistently in the sunny side of the pool. The video will work as a tension buster for whatever stress mess you and those you love have gotten yourself into. As always Sonny keeps his faith leanings securely fastened to his sleeve. The beats skip in good nature and the lyrics reflect that. How cool of Sonny to name drop his band's signature hit (see above). The chorus praises The Almighty backwards and forwards. I discern this from "Hey You! This goes out to you! For all the things you do! Gratitude plays a heavy part in Sonny's bag of tricks. See the fans wave their hands in the video? There exists that same level of love in Sonny's proclamations. Not a drop of lead weight has been set before him. It's free flowing affirmation of self, of Creator, of the mighty power of his chosen form of expression. It happens to be broken down into an easily digestible three minutes and twenty-one seconds. I am moved by the rapid fire imagery in the video from social situations right and left. Again, unchained energy rules the day. "This Goes Out To You" goes out to every musical lover craving a release valve high on hosannas.

Bring Me The Horizon Rise Up To Claim A Haunting Throne

Goosebumps are guaranteed to percolate to the surface during a listen to Bring Me The Horizon's "Throne". It clocks in at a hair over 3 minutes but these guys make their time in the extra bright spotlight count. Want drumming that shakes you down to your nether reaches? Look no further than Matt Nicholls who batters his kit as if he was holding some sort of long standing personal grudge with it. The beats land at one, and only one level of existence...flat out relentless. The overall backdrop seeks to leave you on edge for as long as you can stand the pressure. Don't turn your back on the blistering bass either. Matt Kean roars like the lions you'd find at your local zoo. Pedal very definitely appears to be focused on the metal. Meanwhile lead guitarist Lee Malia epitomizes confidence throughout. Then you throw Jordan Fish's keyboards into the equation. Therein lies the not for the faint of heart queasiness sound "Throne" delivers in spades. Oliver Sykes doesn't vocalize so much as he submerges into the icy grip of white knuckle fear landscape. Oliver jumps right into what's troubling him. His lady friend abandoned him. How very adrift in the gaping ocean of despair was he. The change up in formula lies with how "Throne" stakes out its turf as a male empowerment rock romp instead of the many distaff slanted numbers we've been treated to in previous junctures. The wounds make him stronger. The black and blue marks for him are marks of character. Ollie fashions himself leader of the wolf pack rather than one of the beat down supplicants. Visually, both in the case of Ollie's biting words and the ghoulish accompanying video, Ollie isn't fooling around. His goal is to leave her choking on every word she left unspoken. As a unit Bring Me The Horizon meshes marvelously. The rage reaches saturation level, than spreads its reach far and wide so there isn't a single zone of your ears that doesn't ignite under Oliver's consistent wrath. So this brings me to my blogger in the moment opinion. "Throne" does prove itself capable of keeping rock enthusiasts on their toes stumbling for solid ground. The bitch I have with it leans towards how the shock value can only take this outfit so far. The boys don't flag in the intensity department. Au contraire they're reloading regularly. Always back to the arsenal. Always firing off fresh rounds of psychotic instrumental interchange. I have no problem with staying on one chord either. That helps their case immensely. They lift the battering ram, slam it into your eardrums, then continue with the aural assault. As would be true with any rock show or single you want both your money's worth and the reassurance the chills won't subside when the lights come back up. Can't say for sure the chills are bound to linger but at least they're on the table begging for you to try and ignore them. "Throne" isn't bringing a royal flush to the cosmic card deck of sonic pleasures but it does put the complacent on notice that an uprising or three at a future place and time is highly possible.

Breaking Benjamin Puts Angelic Harmonies to Great Use

Breaking Benjamin snatched my attention from the get-go this time around. How so you ask? The Pennsylvanians found their ace in the pocket hole to slide into during "Angels Fall" and maintained mojo throughout. Each peformer does the slow burn to admirable effect. Where to start with acclaim from the blogger view on the hill. Guitar newcomer Jasen Rauch has the smarts to pick out the right searing chords that best accompany the song's spiritually probing subject matter. Vocally Benjamin Burnley goes for the sensitive man playbook, finds the ideal stanzas and leaves doubters in the dust. Shaun Foist deftly drums using a modicum of tact in how he applies his muscle. It's really a nice burst of fresh air to hear a rock song that, front to back is so intelligently constructed. You're mesmerized from word one. There also appears to be a sonic lightness dropped in nicely and in service to the content. Ben isn't beaten down by any stretch, but you hear how long his road has been. Aaron Bruch underscores his bandmate's inner conflict with bass tunefulness that comes off like a brain scan into the most vulnerable parts of Ben's psyche. Looking under the hood I don't hear fatalism but a drop of optimism, the kind where you cling to the faintest of hope even without tangible proof that the circumstances are meant to get better. Ben's choral contribution sells his tensions like no church text ever could. Not even broken winged angels are enough to shake him from his path. Not many would stake their claim on the concept of forever, since we bipeds know nothing lasts that long. Puny brained mortal that I am I can't even wrap my head around how long forever could be. That's a migraine inducing possibility. Ben takes comfort from spending forever, eternity in faith sense with his broken winged beauty. I think his imagery in that stanza points to end of life and how that isn't necessarily the end of everything but the beginning of a new adventure. Added references to a planetary end game take shape from "Grey skies will chase the light away no longer. I fought the fight now only dark remains. Forever. Divided I will stand and I will let this end. Promise of a better world than our shared island home is hinted at. You have to hand it to Ben for not ladling out the melodrama with a giant spoon. Lesser tonsil flashers might have milked the pathos down to the last drop. Ben dials his technique down which allows the other players to penetrate jaded listener defenses. He doesn't lose contact with his audience despite eschewing histrionics. The lungs breathe deeply on this track. The further along it goes the more oxygen we're allowed to take in. I'm happy someone's countering thw finality of human existence with an "Ah, but wait." That intimates the story of each one of us doesn't stop with the mortal coil. "Angels Fall" was meant to fly and does so regularly. Breaking Benjamin proves that even broken wings ultimately clean up good.

American Authors Script A Tune That's Decidedly One Note

Is the trend right now among young bands to comment on how short life is? Not exactly new news. American Authors throw in their two cents worth, albeit to a rollicking clap along sound. The drums are put to fine use here. Vocally you know these guys are speaking from an earnest place. The window dressing is stylish but I wish we could get material that hasn't been beaten twelve feet under. I admire the video which radiates light, adventure, and imagination. You want to go on an adventure with the guys. Thankfully "Go Big Or Go Home" doesn't take much time to get to its well-traveled point. Making more with less certainly benefits the foursome. Zac Barnett has a crystal clear vocal range. All the better to play pied piper for the kindred spirits eager to walk the walk he's walking. James Adam Shelley plies a mean banjo, Buck Owens/Roy Clark Hee Haw band mean. But, returning to my original gist, we KNOW life is short. We KNOW the time to act is now. You can add as many layers of production values as you want. That's not going to successfully hide the notion we've been given the urgency of now message too many times to count. Health experts would frown on Zac's suggestion that he doesn't need sleep. He'll sleep when he's dead. They'd say you're pushing yourself closer to that by making such a caution to the wind statement. Whiskey Zach? Why sure. That's excellent fuel for what trouble Zach's looking to get into. Life boils down to a giant roll of the dice for him. Such is the way Lady Luck rides. Since musicianship surely is the high selling point here I can tell you the pieces make for a pleasing whole. The musicians have synchronicity down pat. If only the material weren't sound alike. The video showcases a playful side to the band, one you'd love to get a larger glimpse of. "Go Big Or Go Home" sits small in the saddle and adds nothing huge to the conversation we haven't been privy to before. Matt Sanchez drums with authority. Dave Rublin booms on bass. American Authors would do themselves a service by trying out a different playbook.

Kaleo's First Selection More Wispy Than Pretty

It's nice to have a mellowed out Icelandic musical alternative to Bjork. She's bold, daring, and unafraid to mix it up with the paparazzi. Folksy foursome Kaleo don't ask much of its audience if opening single "All The Pretty Girls" is any indication. Are the kids irritable during the road trip? If you slip this into their iPods they might surprise you and peace out for a spell. To add to that this video's delicate unfolding isn't too hard on the eyes either. Wave after wave of billowing musical cloud gazing. The lyrics put meat on the bones. That's saying much of what the overall harmonies aren't. "All The Pretty Girls" has a wispy texture to it that doesn't linger long in the brain pan. If that was Kaleo's goal then mission accomplished. Folk isn't supposed to command the migraines common to heavy metal in its various genres and sub-genres. The '70s made its living off of gentle melodies crafted by tunesmiths like John Denver and The Carpenters. Kaleo warrants a thank you for allowing us to catch our collective breath after digesting the crazy stylings of Bjork and her Vulnicura opus. That's one dark undertaking that only she could have made palatable. But, steering back to Kaleo. Songs that allow the flyer or driving miles to soar past has its place. Trouble is we must ask ourselves, "Will this song be talked about five years down the road. I know that's a tad harsh given Jokull Juliusson, David Antonsson, Daniel AEgir Kristjansson, and Rubin Pollock are newbies to the scene. They came into consciousness in 2012. The four need time to garner a reputation, street cred if you will. Theirs is a studio loft package painted in creamy, light strokes designed to tickle the cranium instead of add to the hubbub. Kaleo gives us a protagonist named Samuel. He's turned backwards by the unfair life he's grappling with. Girls like him though, so all can't be tumultuous in his world. Turns out he's waiting for them to get older so he can sweep them off their feet. It's nice to have a plan in mind, whether it comes to fruition or not. How coquettish they are. Nobody's lending him a helping hand. He tries and tries to declare his intentions but it gets harder and harder. The man wants one of them to lay him down. No translation necessary here. Gliding figures can be very attractive. Take ice skaters or dancers for example. Watching their well rehearsed yet seemingly effortless movement gives their performance the exquisite transcendence Olympic dreams are made of. "All The Pretty Girls" glides in that roll-on deodorant gentle touch up way. For unwinding after a brutal corporate merger this song can relocate your centered place. As a statement beyond audio window dressing I'm not confident a strong shelf life awaits. Jokull, the vocalist of the bunch contentedly stays rooted in the upper register. "All The Pretty Things" amounts to a pretty lullaby. Kaleo needs to bring more to the table if prolonged success in the industry is a goal.

Kelly Clarkson Draws From The Empowered Woman Well...Again

Let me start off by saying I have no problem whatsoever with women being strong, independent, wearer of the pants in the family, etc...That message always will have a listening ear where I'm concerned. However, Texas native Kelly Clarkson is trying my patience on a number of levels. In the early 2000s I took to "Since U Been Gone" like a duck to water. Had an impressive beat and excellent vocal chops. She continued in the empowerment vein with Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You). Easy to get into a lather there. Propulsive beat and Kelly out in front leading the charge with a no holes barred approach. Here we are in 2015 and Kelly, once again, wants to share with us how unafraid she is, how she's blossomed into a bona fide world beater. I don't care how much high drama you put into the accompanying video. We're treading familiar terrain and now she's behaving like the party guest who doesn't know when to leave. Lots of folks unleashing their inner "hear me roar" Wait a second. Didn't Katy Perry do the whole "I am woman, hear me roar thing not too long ago? To be frank the video looks pretty cheesy. Not that it's horrific cheesy. Just not the kind of thing that would convince me to sashay into a crime riddled area and start cleaning house. Conviction has never been Kelly's problem. Versatility's in Kelly's bag of tricks, too. I thought "Because Of You" was a heart wrenching ballad touching on what the harshness of one man can do to a tender sweet young thing's psyche. "Invincible" does so much chest beating it's a wonder Kelly's rib cage isn't throbbing in agony. I'll send the get well soon card if it helps. The lady doth play on her inner warrior too much. She's awash in how no one hears silent tears. She can take it world, so give her your worst. Beat down on her like a waterfall because freedom is within her grasp. She's lost the scared little girl persona. Can't you sense those balled up little fists of hers vowing she can make it work? Since her American Idol beginnings Kelly's career has been hotter than a gig in Satan's steamiest underworld. "Invincible" probably won't scream career extender and that's due in no small measure to the truism that she needs to either buy a different bag of tricks or refine the bag she's functioning with. Hell, Kelly went aerobic workout for "Heartbeat Song". That proves the woman could potentially have a few of that brand of music in her arsenal. When you try vehemently, over and over to convince your audience how tough you are, what that suggests is you're really trying to convince yourself above all else. At this stage in her career I doubt there's much for her to prove. If you're so inclined, track down this track on the brand new "Piece By Piece" effort. From this blogger's vantage point "Invincible" is far from that. Bolstering up her vocal material would go a long way towards a nifty patch job.