AWmusic

Arch Enemy is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. I became a fan of these guys after hearing their “Anthems of Rebellion” album, which contains some of my favorite songs from them still.

Arch Enemy released their newest album “Rise of the Tyrant” in September of 2007. The album won the P3 Guld award from Swedish radio station P3 in the “Best Rock/Metal Album of the Year” category and was debuted at #84 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, surpassing their highly acclaimed “Doomsday Machine” album.

“Rise of the Tyrant” starts off with the siren of air raids which is quickly followed by mad guitar riffs. There are extremely catchy melodies throughout the album along with furious vocals of Angela Gossow and aggressive guitar shreddings of the Arnott brothers. The tracks are fast paced, heavy, brutal and accompanied by some very emotional and powerful themes, all mixed at a perfect balance, making this my favorite album from Arch Enemy.

In addition, Arch Enemy is set to tour with Dark Tranquility, Divine Heresy, and Firewind throughout the month of May. This should be a pretty kickass concert. I saw Dark Tranquility at the Opera House last year with The Haunted. The place was packed and it was a fricken awesome show. I also wanted to go see Arch Enemy last year but the tickets got sold out. If these tickets sell out before I get my hands on them, I’d be pissed. Like violently pissed.

Anyways, here are the concert dates revealed so far:

May 11 – New York, NY @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
May 16 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
May 17 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
May 19 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
May 30 – Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues

Tickets for the Opera House show in Toronto are available on Ticketmaster.ca already.

Blood On Your Hands

I Will Live Again

Vultures

Buy this album at:
Amazon.ca
Insound.com
CDUniverse.com

First off, I must mention I absolute hate the album title for “Do You Like Rock Music?”. It’s a little bit of the rhetorical question but it doesn’t fit into something creative or eye popping. An album title for Britney Spears “Are you dumb enough to buy my album when it’s obvious I have no talent?” would be fitting.

Anyway, I checked out “Waving Flags” awhile ago and I wasn’t too ecstatic and promptly forgot about them. I think by definition of their music, it certainly fits my style of music BUT when putting on DYLRM there seems to be something lacking. I personally find almost every song kind of mediocre, I feel like I can pick out something to hate that ultimately makes me move onto the next song. There are things I like before I get too negative. I enjoy their higher pace tracks as I don’t particularly like their lead singer’s vocals. I personally feel like strong/rough vocals would suit British Sea Power a lot more.

I feel like it is based on the hooks with emphasis on choruses just like pop songs are but it feels like something is definitely missing (it could be me) but I don’t feel like British Sea Power has potential to do any better. That’s a terrible statement to make but I feel like their sound is what it is and I just personally don’t like it too much and will probably will never really like British Sea Power’s material. Nothing special to me, just another band I reviewed that I feel like I’ll forget unless commenters bash me to thinking otherwise.

I’ll give it a 3.2 out of 5. I kind of agree with Pitchfork on this one (it’s the end of the world!). It’s just “meh” and it’s in the average area for sure.

Down On The Ground by British Sea Power

Buy this album at: Insound/ CD Universe

1. The Postal Service – Sleeping In
It’s always nice to wake up in the afternoon, especially after a night of partying.

2. The Academy Is… – Neighbors
If the neighbours call the cops, you know it was a hell of a party.

3. The Rocket Summer – Brat Pack
Enjoy the time off with your brat pack.

4. The Audition – Warm Me Up
Remember to stretch before you hit the clubs, and after because you never know where the night will take you.

5. The Cab – Drunk Love
Self explanatory…..

6. A Change of Pace – Weekend Warriors
“This can’t last forever. Raise a glass together. Doesn’t get much better. No better than this.”

7. October Fall – Hey Hey
“Hey hey, old friend, I think it’s been too long. Grab the guitar lets sit around, and play our favorite song.”

8. Metrostation – Seventeen Forever
Remember when we were seventeen and school didn’t matter?

9. Boys Like Girls – The Great Escape
Let this opportunity be your great escape from whatever.

10. Cobra Starship – Send My Love To The Dancefloor, I’ll See You In Hell
Follow their lead, “We’re gonna bury this town tonight. We’re gonna dance all night”

PS. For those Americans in the audience, refer to this post in March.

Favorite Shape Triangle is the music project of Aaron Ruffcorn. The self-titled self-produced full-length album was released in August of 2007. FST also features guitarist Darren Robinson of Phantom Planet.

Aaron met Darren while discussing Weezer’s “Pinkerton” album and the release of Radiohead’s “OK Computer” in a Radiohead-centered AOL chat-room in 1997. They soon discovered that they shared not only the middle name Michael, but also a common taste in music and became fast friends before long.

The influences of FST contain a wide selection of bands and artists ranging from the alternative Radiohead, to the industrial Nine Inch Nails, to punk rocker Billy Idol, to pop sensation Kylie Minogue, to the rockabilly Elvis Presley, to the gangster rapper DMX.

I would describe FST’s music to be mathy, calm and Radiohead-ish. The beginning of most their songs have a similar mathy feeling to Battles, while the vocals aren’t really sung in phrases like Thom Yorke of Radiohead but rather rapped out to a similar rhythm and dynamics. The way the vocals in “Back From The Front” came out reminded me of the beginning of “We Will Rock You” by Queen. The guitar riffs and background music of some sadder sounding songs, such as “Glitch”, have similarities to the music of The Killers.

Screen

Back From The Front

Glitch

This album can be brought on FST’s website: www.FavoriteShapeTriangle.com

Also another nitpicking thing was their media sheet which is currently on their myspace which has a preface and acts discussing the album. This came off as just weird and even creepy and if I decided to actually read through the whole thing I may be even turned off from listening to their album entirely.

I took a few weeks to actually put the cd in my computer to listen to due to feeling no motivation. I felt slightly surprised at how solid their songs/album were. Their music is more of the mellow/relaxing type as vocals tend to be outshined by their instrumental input. It certainly isn’t trash but I find it rather easy to listen to but I don’t find it great by any means.

It seems like the piano/keyboard dominate the tracks with many of the intros and bridges including something random it seems. It’s strange to see the band include The Arcade Fire as an influence as I don’t really hear anything that would make me say Arcade Fire. Maybe the keyboard but like I said these tracks don’t demand your attention which I would liken to some Radiohead tracks.

This album seems hard to talk about for me since it feels a bit like a different animal. It’s not something I would listen to everyday but good enough for me to write a post about them. They list themselves as pop but I must say that’s an incorrect genre because if you’re looking for catchy hooks and upbeat tracks this is probably exactly the opposite. If you’re interested in buying their CD (they probably need some help) click this link.

I feel bad for giving a rating to a band that needs more help but if you must know it’s a 3 out of 5.

Here are some tracks I liked (ironically some included the suggested tracks):

Attempting To Multiply by Aster

We Won’t Remember by Aster

1. No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses
Such a misleading title but have you ever felt the need to say to your lover “no one is ever gonna love you like I do” because that perfectly describes how head over heels you are?

2. I Don’t Love Anyone by Belle & Sebastian
One of my favorite songs and one that makes me feel good about being alone and single.

3. Lover I Don’t Have To Love by The Bright Eyes
This song is dedicated to those who aren’t looking for a relationship but are just looking for flings and not being emotionally tied to someone.

4. First Day of My Life by The Bright Eyes
Arguably one of the best love songs out there.

5. Crown of Love by The Arcade Fire
One of my favorite Arcade Fire tracks. Mainly about the inability to love just one person and usually involving moving on to the next person and the next.

6. Everyday I Love You Less and Less by The Kaiser Chiefs
Sometimes love does wave and this song perfectly describes it an upbeat manner.

7. Song For A Sleeping Girl by the Devics
This song describe the feeling of sleeping next to someone and really the sheer enjoyment of watching someone sleep. It’s one of my favorite love songs.

8. Modern Girls & Old Fashioned Men by The Strokes and Regina Spektor
Needed an excuse to include this awesome song, it’s about love so it fits.

9. What I’m Trying To Say by Stars
Saving you love someone is harder then it looks (when you whole-heartedly mean it).

10. Girl Inform Me by The Shins
This one goes for us guys who don’t really “understand” women and just sometimes need to be told!

11. I’m Leaving You Because I Don’t Love You by Jens Lekman
Pretty self-explanatory.

12. You Were Meant For Me by Jewel
I love this song, not ashamed heh.

13. Strange Powers by The Magnetic Fields
Some people just hypnotize you.

14. Love Astronaut by Murder Mystery
I like the line “I go looking for love but is it looking for me?”.

First off Thao Nguyen (pronunciation is more like winn not new-yen which my friends had it as) is from Virginia originally and now out of Washington, DC and San Francisco. Together with her backing band The Get Down Stay Down, they combine elements of pop and folk with others mentioning Thao sounding like Cat Power and Feist. I think one the interesting things surround Thao Nguyen is when I mention her among friends. Some assume she’s from Vietnam singing in her native tongue, one thing for sure is that they definitely don’t have in mind what she sounds like. The fact that she’s Asian (as all of the writers here happen to be) doesn’t make a difference to me. She’s just that good. As a disclaimer, when it comes to females artists I am usually drooling over at how hot they are but I must say I don’t find Thao attractive (though her talent definitely makes her attractive) and even the other indie foxtresses like Jenny Lewis and Feist I don’t find that hot but I just love their music (my shallowness could explain why I’m still single).

Off to discuss “We Brave Bee Stings And All”. This album was released on January 29 so it’s flying under the radar with the likes of Vampire Weekend and Hot Chip getting considerable hype. It did get a respectable 7.7 from Pitchfork otherwise it seems rather quiet. The title seemed rather odd as it’s something I would say when I’m occasionally mumbling but the way Thao executes the same very lyrics in “Swimming Pools” with brilliance. I’m almost flabbergasted that she makes something that doesn’t seem to roll off the tongue sound so natural. Her voice is quite beautiful and it’s the type where I can fall asleep to like a baby. The album doesn’t have a specific theme and at times it feels rather random/obscure which I don’t mind at all, I didn’t fully see the interpretation that Pitchfork laid out but that’s what so great.

The album doesn’t necessarily demand your attention as it’s rather soft and mellowy but it will steal your heart if you let it.

This album is getting a 5 out of 5 from me. I strongly debated this as I feel the need to be more critical and not seen as some guy who gives a 5 for everything. This is my blog though so I’ll do as a please and I feel this album needs the recognition it deserves. I had a wonderful experience listening to this album the last few weeks and take my word for it that it’s absolutely flawless.

Beat (Health, Life and Fire) by Thao With The Get Down Stay Down


Geography by Thao With The Get Down Stay Down

Big Kid Table by Thao With The Get Down Stay Down

Get We Brave Bee Stings and All at Insound/CD Universe/Amazon

The place was a packed house and was sold out with tickets going for as much as 3 times the price on eBay. I was lucky enough to be on the guest list. Big thanks to Vampire Weekend! I love you guys .

The German’s are a band out of Mississauga were the opener and were entertaining with both their jokes and rather circus of set as each member switched instruments after each song. They also had an extra pair of drummers and ultimately being an extremely loud set. The highlight of their set was when one of the members (hard to explain who when they kept alternating but one of the main vocalists) decided to kill time as the band had to replace a guitar. The member seemed to dislocate his arms out of shoulder sockets showing off his extreme flexibility (a picture does more justice then words) to loud cheers and a few groans as well. Not a bad opener at all.

Vampire Weekend is superb alive. They sound amazing live showing us their sound is authentic and not a result of production. Ezra Koenig is a great singer despite some naysayers I’ve seen across the internet. Vampire Weekend chatted with the crowd in between songs and they definitely didn’t seem shy at all. It was good to see the band so into it during songs as bassist Chris Baio would be screaming and it would good to see them quite passionate. The crowd was also very into it where I heard singing along to every song and some dancing with a few guys from the crowd. We got to hear one new track, I’m not sure what it’s called but it included Ezra highlighting California. If future tracks are like this then Vampire Weekend is going to be huge.

The only downside to seeing Vampire Weekend is that I wanted to hear more. They do have only one album out but their set felt short. It could be that they were so good that I wanted them to keep playing but either way I definitely would like to see them again. Based on talent I would say I enjoyed the concert as much as The Arcade Fire’s show. Whoever says Vampire Weekend sucks live is just a hater as they were excellent and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I think I’ve uploaded one too many Vampire Weekend tracks so I’ll put up their cover of Radiohead’s Exit Music (for a film).

Exit Music (for a film) by Vampire Weekend

Check I Am The Teacher and Tiger Vacuum Bottle by The Germans.

Check out the other photos by clicking the link below!
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Similarly to Paramore, Kenotia is fronted by a female vocalist, Carly Krantz, whose voice remains aggressive yet angelic. Truth be told she’s devastatingly similar to Haley Williams, but I personally feel Carly has the greater vocal talent between the two. Her vocal fluidity is a tad smoother, she hits ranges just a little out of Haley’s repertoire, and she consistantly radiates with passion. Her voice drives the aggressive/emo/punk that is Kenotia, but it’s greatly influenced by the mood set by the instrumentals.

Kenotia has a much mellower feel than Paramore, which is where they differ the most. Kenotia uses simple, repetitious guitars on overdrive, and this allows Carly’s voice to overshadow the rest. The same can be said with the drums and bass, but together the instruments create a very lucid, grungy feel.

The first track off of You’ve Dug Your Grave Now Lie in It, Lonewolf Mcquade, is more instrument oriented, and the vocals are a lot more subtle than compared to the rest of the album. You’ve Dug Your Grave Now Lie In it, is definitely my favourite track, and it encompasses that aggressive female vocals that really impressed me with this band. Carly does a great job in this song from switching to soft and loud pitches, using grungy tones while still preserving some of the talent needed to be a vocalist in the first place.

The rest of the album is much of the same with a little guitar interlude as the sixth track. If you like any one of these songs, then you will enjoy this album. Kenotia is very consistent in their music, and they have found something that works for them. I hate to compare them to Paramore, because I think Kenotia is just as good if not better, but if you’re fans of Paramore, you will easily fall in love with Kenotia.

Be sure to check out their Myspace to stream more songs.

Kenotia – You’ve Dug Your Grave, Now Lie in It

Buy this cd at Insound or Amazon

Hot Chip’s a electro band out of the UK. I personally find the electro genre easy to listen to. It’s like pop music that’s slightly more dance-able with the introduction of a drum machine/lap top to synthesize some sounds. Either way electro generally is easy on the ears.

I had a rough time listening to “Made in the Dark” the first times through. It ultimately felt like tracks I’ve heard before and there really wasn’t much of a draw with its rather simplistic instrumental periods, times of boring repetitiveness and rather dull lyrics. I found myself ready to throw the albums to the wolves.

I generally listen to the album while I write the review and sometimes mid-way I end up changing up my mind as the post progresses. To some extent “Made In The Dark” is enjoyable and really has me feeling like this album could be great at each song gives a sense of their potential at certain point in times. I feel like I can point to where certain times in tracks where I thought it had its “moment” like 1:30 in “Out At The Pictures” but it ends up losing me by the time the vocals start kicking in or

For an electro/pop band I’d have to expect there would be more exciting tracks like “Ready For Floor” but I’m ultimately disappointed in the fact it feels like a lot of the album I would consider filler and I just can’t see myself listening to this album much. It feels mediocre a lot of the time mixed in with some suckage and some great tracks.

This album is barely passable to me and while I feel this album could be so much more, there’s much more music I’d rather be listening to despite Hot Chip’s popularity across the internet. I know I’ll take some flack for this but I’m giving the album a 2.5 out of 5. I just don’t like it personally and I feel inclined to delete it off my hard-drive.

I found this track decent enough to put it up for download:

Bendable Poseable by Hot Chip

Also, this video of Hot Chip on Jimmy Kimmel Live is pretty disgusting. If they are like that live, I’d pass.

If you’re still interested in buying Made In The Dark try Insound and CD Universe