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September, 2008

  1. Anarbor’s EP “The Natural Way”

    September 16, 2008 by Brianna

    Every once in a while, a good band comes along and makes an amazing EP that no one really gets to listen to it because it’s not really out there. Anarbor’s new EP, The Natural Way is definitely one of those that could definitely skyrocket in popularity.  With their catchy riffs in songs like “The Brightest Green” with the escalating scales during the chorus that I absolutely loved and their infectious vocals in songs like “Right there with you”, I definitely see this song being a top 10 single. I’ll have to admit songs like “Passion for publication” didn’t quite grab my attention, but it did convey a story of a person that begins to struggle with naivety and the truth that I appreciated. The first song off their EP is “Love Instead” which, at the beginning, sounded like a much more pop version of Hoobastank’s “Same Direction” but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that wasn’t the direction they were going in. The backing vocals added a depth to each verse and I liked the fact that it had a different electric sound compared to the arrangements that are in today’s music.

    I can definitely see this EP going places. It has the perfect mix of pop vocals with alternative/pop punk instrumentation that makes people want to listen. It makes for a familiar sound, as if I’ve heard some aspects of it before, but I still loved it. The Natural Way is to go online and get their EP now!

    Category Albums | Tags: | No Comments

  2. Rancid and Less Than Jake @ The Showbox Sodo in Seattle Washington

    September 15, 2008 by Charitie

    @ the Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington.Photos by Charitie Myers

    Less Than Jake

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    Rancid

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    Crowd Shots

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    More photos available on our Myspace

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: , | No Comments

  3. Portugal the Man’s new album Censored Colors

    September 14, 2008 by Colleen

    Portugal the Man, an alternative rock band from Alaska, releases its third album,  Censored Colors.  The band, comprised of John Gourley on guitar and vocals, Zachary Carothers on bass and vocals, Jascon Sechrist on drums, and Ryan Neighbors ..board and vocals, fuses elements of psychedelic rock, soul, and electronic to create their newest album.  Their sound, resembling that of Radiohead and a softer version of Muse, infuses each song with different sounds to create a somber and somewhat eerie instrumental beneath their hushed and harmonizing lyrics.

    The album opens with “Lay Me Back Down,” a song that begins with a spaceship-like sound and continues with a mellow psychedelic undertone that continues to resurface throughout the album. Personal favorites include “Salt” and “New Orleans” which capture a unique New Orleans jazz style.  Each song subtly flows into the next, incorporating not only the same instrumentals, but lyrically picking up where the song before left off.  This album instantly puts your mind in a tranquil state while keeping you interested in hearing more as more intricate hooks and harmonies continuously evolve from the next.

    http://www.myspace.com/portugaltheman

    Category Albums | Tags: | No Comments

  4. The Sound of Animals Fighting – The Ocean and the Sun by Josh

    September 6, 2008 by A2S

    How do you begin a review on such an album?  Perhaps, I’ll start with my feelings.  Androgyny here we come!  Modern rumor states talking about your feelings is a positive mode of expression.  I feel . . . I feel mislead and teased.  Like a bad acid trip.  Like I was a five year old kid mistakenly pursuing that guy in a trench coat with some candy, suddenly realizing I was not getting any candy today.

    Okay, maybe that’s cruel.  Maybe I should objectify this review.  Let’s start with the labeling.  Opening the album in my itunes I immediately see the album labelled as Punk Rock.  The ex-punker in me is stoked.  The Sound of Animals Fighting?  That’s pretty punk, a little pretentious for any punker I’d known, but it’s got that raw touch to it.  This could fly.  “The Ocean and the Sun”?  Hold the phone.  The Exploited called, they want their punk label back.  No self-respecting punk in America would push for such imagery, but hey, these might be enlightened punks.  By definition, no longer punk, but grown from the roots perhaps.  Let’s listen . . .

    Let’s pretend I didn’t hear the intro.  Let’s slide right into the first track.  Oh, it’s the title track.  Lovely.  The beginning brings in a reminiscence of Portishead.  Some raw bluesy vocals overlayed on a simple set of instrumentals.  Beautiful.  Not punk, but genuinely good music.  Starts out timid, working it’s way up, knowing it’s got to sneak past your walls, it maintains steady and clean transitions with a touch of distortion on the vocals bringing a balanced sound.  I’m finding myself forgetting the punk labeling as the quality can clearly be felt.  Wait, what’s this?  Silence.  The track is ending, and there are two minutes left of track.  No! Don’t do it! Oh, The Sound, you’ve broken my heart.  Again.  Line after line of awkward questioning towards the listener, idealistic pretentious strivings, subdued just to the point that you question the intentions.  One line stands out, “Do you…have to save the world…all by yourselves?”  There it is, our theme revived!  I had my candy, it was within my grasp, the world was beautiful for a split second there, I had hope in the band, and SNAP! It was taken away, corrupted, twisted.

    The album continues on in a similar mode.  Beautiful, artful expanses of music, pulling inspiration from a diverse plethora of influences, touches of Muse, moments of Tom Waits, indie pop from the nineties, brief teasings of Scandy, sublimations of Incubus, even a set of chords directly influenced by the Reverend Horton Heat, each one after the other destroyed by random bursts of scream-o, whining pithies, and bleak attempts at pretentious artful excerpts.  This album is not only not punk, but not for me.

    Review by Josh Taylor

    Category Albums | Tags: | No Comments

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