AWmusic

Alas, here it goes. The Cloudbusting EP featuring a song by Kate Bush of the same name. I’ve listened to the cover a few times (not having heard the original) and Anthem In has really expanded their sound at least on this track. In a way it’s odd and I have a hard time actually liking the track. It’s good on a few levels as they incorporate their older style and the band shows no adherence to risk but as in the case with some music, risks are that: payoff is great but sometimes it doesn’t work for some people.

This EP is full of risks which is of course nice to see. In a sense, I could see people finding it better but I just can’t help but think that I don’t like it as much as their songs on their debut album. (I’m really sorry – I really like the band).

Some songs I do like, are probably more towards their typical style: Universal, History and Leanings. I do like The Boy Is On My Side a little but it sounds a lot like Cloudbusting. I guess even when I have a hard time with the other tracks, I do like bits and pieces of them and it probably has to do more with personal tastes rather then me trying to objectively review a band (that I like).

All in all, this EP is solid. To me, EPs shouldn’t be safe in the first place. You want the risks and for a young band like Anthem In, it’s pretty important that they progress. While they clearly have and leaving me behind a tad as a fan, they still provide enough of their old style to at least help me try to progress with the band which I find key. It isn’t a full on makeover to the band’s sound it’s small steps and it’s a satisfactory EP.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (I’d really like to give them 4+ or 5s because they are really cool but alas I won’t).

Leanings by Anthem In
History by Anthem In

While, Nancy makes me feel as if I give positive reviews to every band, some bands maintain their status much longer after I’ve reviewed their album and the only thing I can honestly say is that these 6 bands are some underrated and under the radar acts of the year.

5. Little Pictures
From: New Zealand
Album: Owl + Owl
Rating: 4 out of 5
Why are they unknown? New Zealand is a world away and when it’s considered to be successful as a Kiwi Indie band to sell just 500 records, that’s a bit of hinderance.
What makes them so good? Simple lo-fi do it yourself romantic indie pop. The music itself is simplistic yet Little Pictures take it so far by being fun and cute. It’s really a pure joy to listen to even if the quality isn’t that high. Definitely music that appeals to the masses.

I Wish I could Keep You by Little Pictures
Hopeful and Hopeless by Little Pictures

4. Bridges and Powerlines
From: Brooklyn, New York
Album: Ghost Types
Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Why are they unknown? Not enough press has picked up their album despite strong reviews (Pitchfork reviewed the track Calibrated) and while there are a lot of powerpop bands, indie powerpop bands do have a tough go when it comes to being “cool”. Especially in Hipsterland that is Brooklyn, New York.
What makes them so good? Well I believe the album is almost more then justified. Sure it’s a little high and should warrant some consideration in a top 20 list but it honestly just missed the cut. B&P made a record that features some very solid powerpop
*I know it happens a lot but I sent in 10 questions to the band only to be ignored as I wanted to do a quick interview. In that sense I’m still kind of bitter but the music is still good.

Uncalibrated by Bridges and Powerlines
The Thieves, They Are Everywhere by Bridges and Powerlines

3. Kinch
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Album: Advances
Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Why are they unknown? Determined to take the trek as a Southern rock influenced do it yourself indie band. To take this path is tough and is a road that is well traveled with many bands not succeeding like Kinch has.
What makes them so good? While I didn’t think their album was “that” good, it really grew on me that it became an album I liked to listen to on the Zune (which is busted!!) every now and then. I actually feel like Kinch’s music appeals the masses and maybe it isn’t the best financial deal to be a DIY indie band no matter how talented they are. I believe they could big with a proper push.

Long Protracted Wait by Kinch
Memphis by Kinch

2. Anthem In
From: Brooklyn, New York
Album: Self Titled
Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Why are they unknown? New band. New bands have to get their foot in the door when it comes to playing shows. No shows, no ability to gain fans (as good as posting about them helps, playing gigs is the number one way to get hardcore fans). I would say I’m a big fan of them and during the summer they probably had one show.
What makes them so good? While danceable indie pop is thrown around with their band, their debut disc features both pop sensibilities and proficiency using the guitar. While some songs are structured more as pop songs, you find bits and pieces that you are more likely to find on a Les Savy Fav record. Add in the Wurlizter used by Ashley Profitt, you have a refined sound that main indie bands strive for. While they can definitely be better, and I may overrate them a little, they are pretty talented and it would cool to see what the future brings them.

Five Minutes by Anthem In
Down by Anthem In

1. Matthew and Arrogant Sea
From: Denton, Texas
Album: Family Family Family Meets The Magic Christian
Rating:: 4.5 out of 5
Why are they unknown?: Life being a folk artist can be tough especially if you aren’t receiving absolutely rave reviews from Pitchfork and many other news outlets. No matter how much the blogs like you. A lot of the reviews for MATAS’s FFF Meets The Magic Christian were very positive but nothing over the top.
What makes them so good?: #21 on my best of the year. An excellent experimental folk album. They seem to have a midas touch when it comes to songs. Songs like The Wizard which is limited lyrically is downright amazing musically when “He Is The Wizard” is shouted constantly. This band can literally do anything and they went a multitude of ways on this record and culi

Mock Origami by Matthew and Arrogant Sea
Marry Me Annie by Matthew and Arrogant Sea

Anthem In’s music video for down doesn’t get released officially until next week but we’ve got the great opportunity to have the video played a week in advanced! I really dig Anthem In and reviewed their album to a 4.75 out of 5, did a Q&A of them. Loudersoft also gave away 5 copies of their self-titled disc (I almost stole one but alas I should’ve just asked the band for myself lol).

Here are a bunch of other great blogs that took the time to discuss Anthem In:
The Man Who Eats Babies aka A Limerick Ox (forgot I kind of needed to make a come back to all those insults)
Pixel Pyro

Enjoy the video:

Anthem In – Down from Anthem In on Vimeo.

MP3Down by Anthem In

Anyway, I wrote these questions from 3-4 AM on Thursday. Maybe not the best questions but Anthem In (they didn’t mind my dumb qs I guess lol) was nice enough to be prompt and overall they seem to be awesome.

They have a CD release party on June 20th with Baby Teardrops and Daniel Maher at the Galapagos in Williamsburg. Here’s what Ashley Proffitt said of the show:

It’s an early show (doors are at 7:00), and we go on at 9:15. We have a few things planned for the show to make it a very memorable night. Also after the show we are having an after-party at Supreme Trading (also in Williamsburg), where Paul and I will be DJing. It should be a very fun night!

Also look out for exclusives on their music video for “Down” on Loudersoft and on this site. I’m excited!

Without any further rambling here is the Q&A:

I recently saw a MySpace bulletin with your band looking for a lead guitarist, how did that search go? (I just noticed a change in the lineup)

Ashley: It went so well. Rob was the very first person we saw! The day Allen made the post about our search, we met Rob at Max Fish for a beer. He’s an amazing guitarist and the best guy ever, so we just fell in love with him.

What were the circumstances around Matt Dunehoo leaving the band?
Ashley: Matthew has his own band called Baby Teardrops. He actually came to be our guitar player in the first place because Allen and I saw his band and thought he was great. Baby Teardrops’ debut album has just come out, so with both bands needing to spend a great deal of time on their own thing, it would have been too much to ask Matthew to continue on with us.

Allen: Matthew is an amazing guitarist and we consider Baby Teardrops our sister band. They’re actually playing with us next week at our CD release party.

Is it weird for the new guitarist (Rob) to join a band with an album already recorded?
Ashley: I don’t think so. Allen did all of the guitar work on the album before Matthew was in the band. So really it’s the same for Rob as it was for Matthew.

How are you feeling for the upcoming release of your record? Excited? Scared? Anxious? All three?

Ashley: We are so excited! This album has been a labor of love and the release is the beginning of a new chapter for us. Allen started making this record a year and a half ago, and the life of the band so far has been very private. Now we are ready for people to hear what we’ve been up to for all this time.

Allen: So far it’s been well received, so that’s really exciting for me.

What expectations do you have for Anthem In?

Ashley: We hope people like the music and we are looking forward to doing a tour in the fall and making some new friends!

Allen: We’ve really been focused on the album release and playing shows in New York up to this point. But we’ll definitely be heading out to tour this fall. That’s going to be our main focus over the next year. We’ll see where it goes from there.

What are some of your hobbies?
Ashley: Allen got a Wii for Christmas, and that has pretty much replaced all hobbies, but I write a column for a music magazine and I paint. We also have a ghost dog that we talk to a lot. His name is Pele.

Allen: I love to cook, that’s probably one of my biggest hobbies. Other than that, Wii Bowling, Guitar Hero and ordering pizza to an excessive degree.

Ashley, how does it feel to be the only female in the band?

Ashley: It’s the best! It’s kind of like having 4 brothers. I love them all so much. Besides, it only takes one girl to balance out four boys.

Both your website and Will Joines’s has a note that you’ve been working on a music video for “Down”. When can we expect that video to be finalized?

Allen: Actually it will be finished this week. Will is an amazing director. We fell in love with the video that he did for Tycho and approached him about directing the video for Down. It was a lot of fun, but an incredibly demanding shoot that was packed into two very full days. It’s going to be a really bright, fun video. Will did an amazing job.

Your biography makes your band sound like it came together both by chance and from all over the place, how is the chemistry between band members?

Allen: There was definitely some chance involved. Ashley and I met 8 years ago in Atlanta and then re-connected in New York last year. Since then everything has totally fallen into place. It’s been quite amazing. The band chemistry is great. We’re all really good friends and I think that shows when you see us together.

Ashley: I would say it was more kismet than chance.

Before partaking a career in music, what were you doing beforehand?

Allen: I’m a graphic designer. It’s been a lot of fun working on design for Anthem In.

Ashley: Actually Allen, Paul and I are all graphic designers.

What made you decide that being a musician was the right thing to do?

Allen: It’s always been something that I’ve done, and now is the perfect time in my life to make it my priority. It’s been a great emotional release. I needed that.

Ashley: We’ve all been playing music forever.

Sorry…can’t provide an mp3 on a bad computer and providing 4 on the review…seems like more then enough.

The band is based out of Brooklyn but the story of how they got together is hard to summarize in a few words, some met in Atlanta, “hooked up” (-not literally I think) in New York. The story isn’t as important I guess as they are a relatively new band with next to none popularity, say a few posts around the blogosphere.

Besides I feel like the other press they’ve received characterizes the music poorly calling them indie pop/dance. It really does sell this music short especially Matthew Dunehoo and Allen Orr’s work on the guitar. They are more like Les Savy Fav with hints of pop rock intertwined. I guess Dance-punk is a genre that could correctly characterize them but the key word is punk as the guitaring on this album is pretty damn fun with awesome intros and occasionally pulling off some rocking riffs. Definitely the most defining part of this album that allows Anthem In to stand out is the guitaring..who doesn’t like a band that just rocks?

Add into the mix Allen Orr who’s vocals are quite clean and one can compare it to a mix of Chris Walla and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. I don’t think it hurts in the least bit to have a good singer who you could probably argue belongs in a “softer” band but that makes Anthem In unique. To add to the mix is Ashley Proffitt’s female vocals and wurlizter (it’s a piano/keyboard I think) where she doesn’t take away from the guitaring and is usually in background but it complements it perfectly. It gives them an incredible amount of flexibility of what this band can do. No song is boring, each is its own adventure.

This album has dominated my ears the past few weeks and I’ve come pretty enthusiastic about a band that has only has 7,000 myspace hits. They need some more publicity!!!!!! Obviously giving out a good review and recommending them to some friends is probably as far as I can go…if you like them do your best to spread the word.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5.
If anything while there are a ton of elements I whole-heartedly dig, not perfect because I think they can show more then just 2-3 minute songs but for a band’s first release it is excellent and I expect to go back to the album more often then not for the rest of 2008. Maybe not as strong lyrically either but that’s rather minor and just nitpicking on my part. If you notice, I gave Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours a 4 out of 5…I believe Anthem In’s self titled is a superior album.

Five Minutes by Anthem In

Down by Anthem In

8034 by Anthem In

Photograph by Anthem In