Label: Velvet Ear Records Released: September 16, 2008 I saw Punchline a couple years ago and they really stood out. Maybe it was just that they were on a bill full of horribly sappy emo or maybe they were just better live than in the studio, but their albums never lived up to that show. Until now. Just Say Yes… Read more »
Label: Vendlus Records Released: November 11, 2008 Symphonic metal seemed like a good idea, but every time someone gives it a try, we either get Metallica’s S&M, where classical is merely superimposed onto metal, or Dragonforce, where we get all the soul (or lack thereof rather) of classical dummied down for the average rock fan. It should work, but it… Read more »
Label: Red Leader Released: September 9, 2008 So, what do you expect from a band called Scream Hello? I mean if it was Say Hello or Scream I Hate You, it’d be easy to form some preconception, but Scream Hello? Who knows. As it turns out, the name fits the band perfectly. There’s plenty of screaming to be sure, but… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: January 13, 2009 Copper Sails seems like one of those bands that could be poised for the big time. I mean, this thing they’re doing worked for Coldplay, didn’t it? Hiding Place is carefully thought out, constructed and performed. They steal form all the right indie and alt bands on both sides of the Atlantic. The melodies… Read more »
Label: Yep Roc Records Released: July 8, 2008 Baseball is a slow game with a level of intensity and athleticism that is generally below that of many other sports. Yet there’s nothing quite like sitting in the bleachers on a warm summer evening. There’s nothing like the 7th inning stretch, nothing like a double play. Even in the days when… Read more »
Label: Sony Released: September 16, 2008 I had a few preconceptions coming into this one: David Gilmour is easily in my top 20 guitarists of all time. He clearly did great work in Pink Floyd and his diminished role on the Waters-dominated albums of the late 70s and early 80s show just how vital he (and Rick Wright) were to… Read more »
Label: Sudden Death Released: October 7, 2008 DOA is DOA and will likely always be, God bless them, DOA. If you’re expecting something other than aggressive politico-punk from these guys, guess again. They still wrap up left-wing politics into simple, heartfelt songs whose anger and outrage never overarch their equal doses of life and fun. DOA has always managed to… Read more »
Label: Ramseur Records Released: July 22, 2008 The Avett Brothers’ breakthrough album, last year’s Emotionalism, was a work whose broad influences were felt throughout and whose quiet ambition made it both huge and intimate at the same time. The Second Gleam, while keeping to the Avett’s signature sound, doesn’t share its predecessor’s breadth. Instead, it focuses on intimacy and gentle… Read more »
Label: Kranky Released: November 10, 2008 This CD took me back to a sunny spring afternoon in high school, when the promise of summer vacation filled the air with excitement. I was driving down a little side street in Albuquerque when my friend Dave put on Poland by Tangerine Dream. I immediately made fun of Dave and his pretentious music,… Read more »
Label: Epic Released:October 7, 2008 What should we expect from a live recording of a band within a year of its own demise, a band who had recently dismissed its heroin addicted drummer and was already splitting apart at the seams in the wake of its own internal turmoil? Will it show the band burning out or fading away? With… Read more »