Label: Jump Start Records Released: June 19, 2007 My first reaction to Giving Chase’s A Cheap Print of a Masterpiece was that it was appropriately named. A cursory listen to the first few tracks seemed like just another band traveling down that worn and rutted road of screamo. Certainly they have all the elements, but a better listen also showed… Read more »
Label: Storm Tower Records Released: September 5, 2006 Awhile back, I wrote a review of Overlord’s music from their MySpace page. Recently, I was contacted by George Pasles, who it seems pretty much is Overlord, who asked me to check out the CD since the tracks on MySpace were demos that he posts periodically to keep the page fresh. Knowing… Read more »
Label: Q Division Records Released: February 7, 2006 A number of years ago, I bought a 7″ from a band I’d never heard on a whim. The band was okay, but the thing that stayed with me was the voice. It was rich and mature, yet young and optimistic. It was beautiful. The band was Quite Satellite and that voice… Read more »
Label: No Idea Records Released: May 9, 2007 A superficial listen to Bridge and Tunnel’s debut EP gives the impression that they’re just one of many bands out there now in the mold created by Hot Water Music, with passionate songs and a raw and catchy yet complex sound. So many bands have run with that and just taken a… Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: August 14, 2007 I’ve always loved the Bangles. Even the big sellout of Different Light still had the sweet harmonies and sixties jangle that I loved in their days in the Paisley Underground. I don’t operate under the illusion that bands often recapture their prime when reuniting, but I did expect an energetic show and an… Read more »
Label: Facedown Records Released: July 24, 2007 This is not an entirely new album, nor is it a re-issue. Rather, it’s a re-recording of War of Ages’ first album with a bonus track. I hadn’t heard the original recording, but the band felt it didn’t do the songs justice and opted to take another shot. If the recording quality was… Read more »
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Released: July 31, 2007 As the liner notes describe, all across the country on a Saturday night music and good times go hand in hand and always have. American roots music, from bluegrass to zydeco, has been an influence on modern music as well as a vital part of life for many, many people. It’s the… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: 2007 I first heard of Irritant at Rock of Ages. I was expecting Good Evening from the Machine to be a bit heavier, but it turns out to be more on the hard rock side of metal. It took a couple listens to adjust, but once beyond my preconception, I found the album to hold quite a… Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: August 21, 2007 John Lennon once said, “If there wasn’t a fight, it wasn’t a good gig.” So, what is it if no one even moves? Lennon was clearly arguing that a sterile show is never good and sterility is exactly the problem with SXSW Live 2007. The DVD is a collection of songs from shows… Read more »
Label: Team Science Records Released: July 24, 2007 Houston’s Papermoons, the duo that is Matt Clark and Daniel Hawkins, make music that is soft and gentle on the surface, but moves with subtle power. Their debut EP contains four songs (five on the CD) of indie folk beauty that mix layers electronic drone and traditional instrumentation. In just a single… Read more »