Author Archive
VAST – Me And You Review
For the past decade, it’s been interesting to see the evolution of a band created from one man and his emotions and experiences. This evolution has come at the cost of the happiness of one Jon Crosby, the man behind the moniker “VAST”. In that time the music has taken on a tone of self-hate and self-destruction, possibly due to the difficulties of his personal life, or with regards to gaining the rights of his past musical works. Whatever the reason may be, since the release of his album “Turquoise & Crimson”, the music has been gradually losing the electronic/industrial edge that defined VAST. His latest release “Me And You” does rekindle some aspects of the sound but the majority is acoustically driven, melancholically deep, and stylistically singular.
Me And You as mentioned utilizes a more acoustic sound as seen in “April” (a previous release). This album does have its fair share of electric guitars but the improvement over April is best felt through the overall atmosphere and the noticeably keener attention to detail in production. The vocal work has vastly improved and Crosby does an excellent job in not only singing the emotion but establishing that connection to make you feel that emotion as well. The downside to this is that emotion is most often one of very few. The despair demonstrated in these tracks while passionate in their own right, feel very restrictive as the band has always had good range of emotion.
While VAST has changed dramatically over the years this different sound doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad one. Acoustically, Crosby has an excellent voice and the music feels layered enough to have you keep coming back. Unfortunately, the album feels unnecessary. All these songs have already been released under the solo venture “Generica” in a much more complete fashion. Standout tracks like “You Should Have Known I’d Leave”, “Hotel Song”, and “It’s Not You (It’s Me)” don’t carry the album enough to warrant dedication. Instead I would recommend you go through and peruse the Generica volume releases, you may find more of what you like and for a much better price.
MP3:
VAST – You Should Have Known Id Leave
Buy at:
More info:
Puscifer – “C” Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference HERE) EP Review
Welcome to the island of misfit ideas. Welcome to a land dominated by the id and the ego. This is Puscifer. Deep within the recesses of Maynard James Keenan’s mind lives a world that just does not fit his other projects. What is Puscifer? The opportune question should be how do you describe it? It’s best understood as you blast the music on a car stereo driving on a desert road. Its best felt at a time when you just couldn’t care less about anyone but yourself and with this EP iteration: “C” is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference HERE), Keenan ups the vibe of his inner meme.
The first single released on the album entitled “The Mission (M is for Milla mix)” is an extremely smooth collaboration between Keenan and Milla Jovovich. The beat remains smooth and clean throughout with the echoing vocals “whatta you know?” The standout track from this EP by far is “Polar Bear”. The emotion and vibe you get while listening just gives off the feeling of nefariousness and treachery. This fits well in line with the entire ballsy feel of Puscifer’s music. The two tracks live from Club Nokia come from the first album “V is for Vagina” Like most of their live songs; they sound completely fresh and different. Unfortunately the audio can’t reproduce the amazing caricatures and cabaret of their live show. If you like the sound of the inner workings of an interesting mind, give this album a shot.
MP3:
The Mission (M Is for Milla Mix)
Buy at:
More info:
Pearl Jam – Backspacer Review
Rock and roll has carried its own fair share of clichés and phases throughout the years. Bands come and go while others attempt to regain what they once had. Such is the case with Pearl Jam’s new album ‘Backspacer’. The eleven track release makes every attempt at maintaining the fundamentals of rock, all the while taking the time to reevaluate and asses past successes of Pearl Jam. In the end, the album is a solid take with some of the most energized sounds I’ve heard from the band in years.
Reborn and revitalized, Backspacer is Pearl Jam’s first studio album released free of a major record label. Available physically exclusively through target, pearljam.com, and in digital format, the album feels very quick and spontaneous throughout. The music remains complex with the band avoiding an attempt at recreating their early 90s grunge sound. Gone are the lyrics of overcoming hardships and anger release. Apparent now is the positive reflection of a life and career through Vedder’s eyes. Tracks like ‘Gonna See My Friend’ and ‘The Fixer’ really demonstrate this view while additionally proving that energy doesn’t diminish with age.
There are some grimmer portions in the music but even then, they return to form with an optimistic mature take. For the first time in a long time the transition PJ is experiencing is one for the better. For a band that has its best years behind, it sounds like they feel perfectly content where they are today and that’s a great thing. The brooding anger of previous albums has dissipated bringing a new energized sound that’s complex clean and fun.
MP3:
Buy at:
More info:
Thursday – Common Existence [Deluxe Edition] Review
![Thursday Common Existence [Deluxe Edition] Review](http://awmusic.ca/1/photos//thursday-common-existence.jpg "thursday-common-existence")
Earlier this year I took an in depth look at Thursday’s Common Existence. This September they released a digital deluxe edition with enough new material to warrant its own EP. So this week were going to go back in time briefly and look at the bonus material from the album to see if it’s enough to warrant a second listen.
Originally I was less than impressed with Common Existence. Much to my surprise, there were very few who felt the same way. Although I can understand the positive reception it received, it has not changed my opinion. With the inclusion of the deluxe edition material, has it suddenly become a better compilation? In short it has, but not for the same reason you may be thinking. Let’s take a closer look.
The deluxe edition includes five new tracks and the video for ‘Resuscitation of a Dead Man’. Of the five, three are previously unreleased, one remix, and one demo. The three new tracks: ‘Fake Nostalgia’, ‘Common Existence’, and ‘The Worst Vow’ are very true to the classic sound of Thursday. All fast with a great sense of energy. The lyrics have a feeling of admission in them which has always been the connection to their sound. The raw emotion coupled the abrasive sound went hand in hand and this is best seen in The Worst Vow. The ‘Innerpartysystem Remix’ to Circuits of Fever is surprisingly adequate. Looking back they chose the right song to remix. The original song was created in such a way that it was probably the best choice to yield its material for a reworking. It’s not the worst remix I’ve heard from their catalogue but it certainly does not jump out at me. The final track (and demo) ‘Love Has Led Us Astray’ was perfect. It was interesting to hear a stripped down – almost acoustic version to the song. The simplicity of it greater emphasized sincerity to the meaning it conveyed.
While the new content is welcomed, I can’t help but still remain skeptical. Why was this material written around the time of the album’s conception removed? Why was the album’s title track omitted from the first pressing? The new songs seem to fit the album’s theme of poets and authors so I fail to fully understand the method behind this. Nevertheless, for the price, this version is worth a listen for those interested in hearing early pioneers of post-hardcore. Currently it’s available for digital download exclusively on all digital distribution platforms (itunes/amazon etc.).
MP3:
Buy at:
More info:
Said The Whale – Islands Disappear Review
The four track EP “Taking Abalonia” was born in 2007 out of the minds of musicians Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester but it was only after the addition of Jaycelyn Brown, Peter Carruthers, and Spencer Schoening that Said the Whale was truly born. After that, the EP had grown into a full fifteen track full length album entitled “Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia”. The debut paid respect to the many forms of Canadiana and carved a special audible space of home amongst western Canadians. Two years later, their follow up album, Islands Disappear, takes one giant evolutionary step forward in sound and feel alike. Islands Disappear is a charming energetic trip from Canada’s coast to coast.
The opening and closing tracks: ‘Dear Elkorn’ and ‘Holly, Ontario’ exemplify Said The Whale’s ability to encapsulate each album as an individual experience and story. The former contains the trademark inviting relaxed harmonies while the latter demonstrates the evolution in vocal range. ‘Camilo (The Magician)” makes a return from their EP released during the summer. It has a power pop feel with the utmost positivity. “Emerald Lake, AB” has much of the same pop feel initially but it quickly transforms into this kaleidoscope of dynamics; you’ll find that throughout the album with songs seemingly simple at first until they progress into something more prolific. Vocals are evenly shared between Bancroft and Worcester. Support vocals and harmonies prove to be just as important in some songs as keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown lends her voice to give them a great sense of warmth and equality.
Nautically yours, it’s impossible to resist the charm that Islands Disappear exudes. The music is upbeat and energetic. From a soft child’s bedtime song to a far away from home band metaphor, the range of material gives the album longevity. Much like my attitude with their summer EP, Islands Disappear does not disappoint and there is no reason why you shouldn’t at least lend an ear. I was pleasantly satisfied and would put this right up there with my top releases of 2009.
MP3:
Said The Whale – Camilo (The Magician)
Said The Whale – Holly, Ontario
Buy at:
Saidthewhale.com Shop / iTunes
More info:
Birds of Avalon – Uncanny Valley Review
The conceptual hypothesis of the uncanny valley states that facsimiles of humans in appearance and action will look disturbing as they become more and more lifelike. Although I don’t directly see the connection between the hypothesis and Birds of Avalon’s second full length album ‘Uncanny Valley’, I will contend that it delves into some rather spacious psychedelic sounds. While the album does adapt some rather interesting techniques in terms of analog recording and spontaneous design, those same qualities hinder the album as it seems too scattered and differential.
The manner, in which Uncanny Valley begins, starts the album off on the wrong foot. Recorded entirely on analog tapes, the quality of the music takes a big hit and the first victim is the lyrics. Instead of a crisp balanced sound you get a muddy inconsistent one. Vocals sound like an afterthought as the guitars battle through the beat. It also makes the music sound very rushed when it’s done with BOA’s style of euphoric rock. The treble-intensive recording strips away any character or body each track had.
The album begins with a twenty two second clarinet/saxophone instrumental that transitioned into “Side Two” and “I Never Knew”. Side Two displays a great dynamic between guitar and drums. While a personal favourite, I Never Knew, has a captivating reach of high pitched vocals from lead singer Craig Tilley. Unfortunately once again, those lyrics get buried easily amidst the music. The latter half the album features more instrumentals tracks that work hand in hand with with BOA’s music. The differential was it was difficult to place them within the album as a whole. “Dadcage” feels immensely over processed and slow compared to “Eyesore” and “Student Teacher” that follow afterwards.
Uncanny Valley feels scattered in but it’s not all bad. Songs with a punk vibe like Side Two, Student Teacher, and Spirit Lawyer sound on queue. The band’s elements of experimental spontaneity stretch the material too thin and isolate the music within itself. The finer aspects of the record are not enough to overcome the issues, therefore, you may find yourself unsatisfied after listening to Uncanny Valley.
MP3:
Birds of Avalon – I Never Knew
Buy at:
More info:
Live @ The Dakota Tavern – The Sheepdogs Interview
Founded in 2006, The Dakota Tavern actually looks and feels like it’s been at the corner of Dundas and Ossington for a lot longer. Wood trim everywhere as well as the atmosphere itself help define the experience of roots music. On Wednesday night The Sheepdogs played host the entire evening with their upbeat set of rock music. I got the opportunity to sit down with two of their members: Ewan and Ryan. From their humble beginnings to my “epic” conclusions, they were both kind enough to share with me their experiences of touring life on the road.
The Tender Box – EP1 Review
West coast indie rockers ‘The Tender Box’ have more than just an album under their belts. Released this year the group has put together an EP entitled EP1. The rather uninspiring album title does not affect the music and after seeing them live last Monday, it felt necessary to look into some of their most recent work. EP1 has a pop rock feel with a melancholic emphasis in themes and imagery. There are some decent moments which make the compilation a good preview for their next album.
The introductory track ‘Another Lover’ has a very pop heavy chorus with simplified lyrics. It didn’t impress me compared to the other tracks but I couldn’t deny that it was catchy. Such could be said with the track following ‘Too Hard Too Cold’. The chorus repeated a few more times then I would’ve liked but the beat was easy to go with. Herein the music takes off and runs with its own momentum. ‘Beautiful Sin’ and ‘Gravity’ sound more edgy even though they deal with the same themes of love lost. Beautiful Sin sounds a bit like a dance track but within context it’s a standout track because of that good energy. Gravity dabbles with a more somber tone but it also works. With an emphasis on vocals, the track is strong because it deviates from the others well and demonstrates good musical range. Range and variety are ever present in EP1 and the five track EP shouldn’t disappoint for new listeners.
MP3:
The Tender Box – Beautiful Sin
Buy at:
thetenderbox.com / iTunes / cdbaby.com
More info:
The Tender Box Live @ The Phoenix Review
It was a timid Monday evening when I first arrived at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. It was a rare sight for me to see it so behaved, normally it can get pretty swamped, but then again, it was Monday. Starting off the night was L.A.’s own The Tender Box and they opened with style. The indie quartet began the evening with a strong set cornering songs from their album The Score.
The Phoenix has always had a great sound setup, but this evening it was additionally well complimented with lead singer Joey Medina’s room filling vocals. He has a good depth of range and gave songs like Reload and Mister Sister their own live character. The room filled up quickly as they eased through their approximate hour long set. It was nice to see the band’s energy throughout – talking to the crowd sharing leads and even vocal inclusion. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a positive impact. The tail end of their set included a few songs from their new EP entitled ‘EP1’; Beautiful Sin, Incomplete Design. From my perspective the crowd seemed frozen at first but relaxed rather quickly.
After the show I got the opportunity to briefly speak with Joey from The Tender Box. Regardless of their hectic tour schedule and the chilled weather, it didn’t seem to dampen his attitude: “It makes me want to come back and do it again”
MP3:
Muse – The Resistance Review
Muse’s fifth studio album ‘The Resistance’ brings a new sense of scale to their music never seen before. It’s the most focused album they’ve ever released, but it still contains themes and messages expressed in smaller doses from previous iterations. The theme of an Orwellian society of state controlled information often overshadows the music due to the saturation it has throughout the album. While the record does have some truly breathtaking moments, it’s far from sufficient to call The Resistance an instant classic.
During the making of Resistance, lead singer Matthew Bellamy emphasized that one of the keystones of the early concepts for the album was re-reading George Orwell’s 1984. By now it should seem like light reading to him because the manic sense of insecurity is ever present throughout. From Uprising and Resistance, to Unnatural Selection and MK Ultra the lyrics seem to be the opus of most songs. That doesn’t bode well for Muse’s style of music.
United States of Eurasia was the first song officially announced by the band and publicly released in parts in a form of treasure hunt for the fans. This utterly contrived song best described in its entirety here, was definitely not the best choice as the first example for a forthcoming album. Although Uprising was the first official single of the album they both suffer from the same problem. Whenever Bellamy speaks directly to the listener, the song hits an immediate downward spiral. I’ll be the first to admit that he is a master of metaphors, and that open interpretation goes hand in hand with the stadium/prog/space rock they create. However, when you take a linear progression to express a dystopian society, I find it hard to get into it with their atmosphere. The best example of this is during Uprising when he says: “If you could flick a switch and open your third eye” I get genuinely irritated. Compare Tool’s “Third Eye” to this in terms of lyrical compliment. Both feel very different but one can better induce the atmosphere of the message. And while Third Eye may not be the pinnacle example of an LSD induced hallucination turned song you can sense the different worlds they evoke even though they share common messages. Uprising – the song itself is classic Muse. It’s a solid introduction with a punchy aura best suited as a battle anthem.
The following tracks “Resistance” and “Undisclosed Desires” were the first songs I gravitated towards while listening to the record in succession. Both have slapping bass lines and maintain the subtle instrumental harmonies the band best incorporates. Most interestingly with Undisclosed Desires if you strip away the lyrics, it sounds like an R&B track. It sounds very minimalist in terms of editing and variation but it works very well. The middle tracks sound forgettable. Guiding Light and Unnatural Selection sound as if a lot of different concepts were hashed together forcibly. While Unnatural Selection still maintains those frantic guitar riffs you’ve come to expect, it and MK Ultra sound like they could have been b-sides to Origin of Symmetry/Absolution. Most notably with MK Ultra, it’s introduction follows identical timing to Futurism from Origin of Symmetry so it felt very evocative of a past era.
Rounding out the album is the highly anticipated Exogenesis symphony. Now if you thought the pretentiousness stopped at the introduction, surprise! Exogenesis is divided up into three parts. These parts are aptly named: “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)”, “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination)”, and “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)”. Makes you wonder what part four would have been called had it existed. Exogenesis is incredibly ambitious. It was crafted in the sense of an over arching story. In that regard it works, but you have to remind yourself of it. The twelve minute symphony is complete with a rolling melodic chorus and immense subtlety but it still smells of eccentricity. It’s a notable conflict I felt throughout. Understanding that the music itself is noteworthy however the vehicle and purpose seem at odds with the sound.
The Resistance is a solid album but it does not impress me. More than ever I need to emphasize that this album is a grower. It took about 5-6 complete sessions before I could even begin to form an opinion. I know for certain my opinion will evolve in month’s time but after 40+ sessions this is how it feels with immediacy. It’s hard to get totally on board because the classic Muse elements are just fused with this artificial larger than life feel. From the Resistance tour with glowing pianos and four foot high drum stands, to timely music ballads and even the format in which album is distributed (normal/limited/deluxe). The pretentious feeling driven by this larger than life aspiration sullies the opportunity to enjoy good music. If you love Muse there is music on this record for you to enjoy. If you’re looking to explore then I recommend against The Resistance being your first demonstration.
As a bonus my copy of The Resistance is the deluxe edition. At a price of $99, the deluxe edition comes with vinyl and cd pressings of the album alongside a digital version in various formats on a 2GB usb key. It also includes one 8×10 print and artwork of The Resistance on the vinyl sleeves. The vinyl is obviously the superior version in terms of audio quality. The separate 5.1 dolby digital version of the album sounds relatively clean on a 5.1 system however it does suffer from pop in on the rear satellite speakers during Exogenesis (it could be my setup). The dvd extras span a 44 minute interlude of the making of the album. It’s actually quite enjoyable to watch and is a great edition.
The deluxe edition is not worth the money. The limited edition CD/DVD costs $20. The remaining elements of the deluxe version simply cannot quantify $80. The official released image of this edition doesn’t do justice so below I’ve included some pictures of it in detail.
MP3:
Muse – United States Of Eurasia
Buy at:
Amazon.com / Warner Record Store / iTunes
More info:
Muse.mu / Twitter / Myspace / Facebook
Deluxe Edition Photos:
