Cole Hermer and the Ravens - Cole Hermer and the Ravens EP (AKA Quoth The Raven)

Cole Hermer and the Ravens – Cole Hermer and the Ravens (AKA Quoth the Raven)
2013, Cole Hermer

Cole Hermer is an 18 year old senior in high school.  In spite of that he might be one of the most convincing young heavy rock vocalists you’ve heard in some time.  With influences ranging from Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley to Neil Young and The Black Keys, Hermer is able to surprise you at almost every turn.  Hermer’s songwriting is surprisingly supple for his age, reflecting the disaffection of modern youth as well as the pure joy of rock and roll.   After a number of years with bands such as Ultimate Concussion and Anathemas Blessing, Cole Hermer steps out into the limelight with his debut EP as Cole Hermer and The Ravens; a self-titled set alternatively titled Quoth the Raven.

Hermer plays homage to 1980’s heavy rock with “California Breakdown”, instantly inspiring thoughts of bands such as Poison, Guns and Roses and Cinderella, ripping up thoroughly vibrant and powerful sound in the process.  If someone had put out a song like this twenty years ago and it would be a chart-hogging monster.  “Exploitable” is cut from similar cloth, but with a darker, alternative edge.  This is radio for radio right now, and Hermer’s retro metal vocal style just raises the intrigue.  “Friends” is a different breed of song altogether.  Here Hermer is showing a softer, more pop oriented side while lamenting the rejection of ‘let’s just be friends’. “Maybe” is a melancholy, acoustic-guitar driven ballad with a distinct navel-gaze mentality. It’s a solid piece of songwriting that’s good romantic movie soundtrack material.  Hermer gets back into upbeat territory with “Teenage Creed”, a driven mid-tempo rocker with attitude and a memorable chorus.  The pacing here is a bit uneven, but Hermer is on to something here; the song gains intrigue as it bulls to its conclusion.

Cole Hermer and the Ravens offer up an interesting musical study with their self-titled EP.  Hermer refuses to be pigeonholed as a hard rock/heavy metal vocalist in spite of his rough edged sound.  What’s most surprising is how capably he handles the softer material. Everything on the EP is well-written and well-performed, although the pacing at times is a bit off.  This is a great start.  Cole Hermer seems to have what it takes to be a big time front man.  I am not sure if the current trade winds of popular music are in his favor, but with the right break Cole Hermer and The Ravens could be huge.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.colehermer.ca.  

Human Switchboard - Who's Landing In My Hangar? Anthology 1977-1984
2011, Bar/None Records

No one will hold it against you if Human Switchboard has escaped your attention before now. Their debut album, Who's Landing In My Hangar? was released three decades ago, and the darlings of the early 1980's New York City punk scene never really created a national footprint, but their influence is still felt today. The Beastie Boys, Mark Lanegan (The Screaming Trees), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Kurt Cobain have all paid homage to Human Switchboard in the past, with Cobain referring to the band's "Refrigerator Door" as the "Stairway To Heaven" of punk rock. On October 24, 2011, Human Switchboard makes the jump to CD for the first time, with the release of Who's Landing In My Hangar? Anthology 1977 - 1984. The collection includes the complete original album plus various live and demo tracks. The 21-song CD also includes a download card that will allow listeners to download an additional 19 tracks on-line.

The disc itself shows a young band at the intersection of 1980's pop and punk, but affected by sounds of 1960's and 1970's rock and roll. The vocals are often pitchy, wavering from key to key oft times in the same vocal phrase, but the energy is great. There is a primitive feel to the album that is appealing; sounding more like a basement tape made by good friends than a professional produced album. Human Switchboard even work in the occasional Richie Cannata-style sax solo to complete the musical menagerie. Listeners will groove to the geek/pop/punk sound of "Who's Landing In My Hanger?); the bouncy energy of "I Can Walk Alone", and the Ramones-meets-The Knickerbockers sound of "(I Used To) Believe In You". Other highlights include "In My Room", "Shake It Boys" and "Fly-In".

Human Switchboard brings an American Primitive spirit to Basement Punk (the 2nd cousin to Garage Rock) on Who's Landing In My Hangar? Anthology 1977 - 1984. The additional tracks illuminate the best intentions of a band that might have done some great things over time, but the reality is that sometimes on solid album is the best hope of a band. It's hard to say Human Switchboard went out on top, but in an increasingly Indie music world, Human Switchboard gets many nods for being years ahead of their time in approach and style. The music of Human Switchboard is probably an acquired taste beyond its novelty and arguable historical value, but is worthy of some time and effort on the part of the listener.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Who's Landing In My Hangar? drops on October 24, 2011.

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Review: I Am The Icarus - I Am The Icarus EP

I Am The Icarus - I Am The Icarus EP
2009, I Am The Icarus

San Diego's Daniel Godfrey is I Am The Icarus, and Indie/Alt-Rock band in the same lineage as Silverchair and The Smashing Pumpkins. Mixing strong melodies, lush layered guitar sounds and high production values, I Am The Icarus has a sound certain to garner some attention. The band's self-titled debut EP was release in 2008. Produced by FAR/Deftones alumni Shaun Lopez (who also played guitar on the album) and with drumming from FAR's Chris Robyn, I Am The Icarus takes off on a strong note.

I Am The Icarus opens with Destination, a mellow, down-tempo rocker with a gothic/lyric sensibility and a radio-friendly sound. I Am The Icarus does a 180 with Faster, an urgent edge rocker that abandons the melodic basis of Destination for a Nine Inch Nails-lite aesthetic. Miss Blue has a very generic alt-rock feel that fits in well on commercial radio but isn't like to be remembered once it falls out of rotation. The same can be said for The Secret To Living Is Dying Well. Behold! The King Of Gloom is much darker and less cynically commercial, drawing on a Kurt Cobain style angst and a run-on lyrical style to create a memorable moment.

I Am The Icarus is a decent effort musically, but just sounds too much like too many other bands to really stand out from the pack. After listening to the EP a half dozen times there isn't a particular track that really stands out in memory, due in part to the highly homogenous sound of the album. Godfrey is a decent singer and creates a layered sound that is pleasant to hear but just doesn't find the spark that ignites a passion in listeners here.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about I Am The Icarus at www.myspace.com/iamtheicarus. I Am The Icarus is available digitally through Amazon.com and iTunes as well as several other outlets.

Review: Oxcart - The Equation

Oxcart – The Equation
2008, Oxcartmusic

Oxcart comes blasting out of Portland, Oregon with their 2nd studio album, The Equation. Released in 2008, The Equation inherits its characteristic style from influences such as Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age, Pink Floyd and The Flaming Lips, with just a pinch of Spacehog thrown in. Recorded in the studio of Windham Hill violinist Billy Oskay, The Equation was recorded and produced almost entirely on vintage analog recording equipment, helping Oxcart capture a more organic sound than is possible on purely digital recordings.

Equation leads off the set; a rough and ready alternative guitar rocker with dark undertones. Office is a jazz/acid-rock fusion piece reminiscent of classic Pink Floyd. Gambler, Pt. 1 has a very heavy guitar rock sound, whereas Gambler, Pt. 2 has a sparse electronic sound that reminded me oh James Young/Jan Hammer’s Prisoner Of War. Explosions is a unique and disturbed composition that holds the interest. Genesis is a Floydian transition with some spoken word accoutrements. Teatherball is a punk rock anthem made for pogo dancing a pit jumping. What becomes clear, and quickly, is that Oxcart has an identity crisis.

Oxcart has so many directions musically that they seem to have a hard time developing any sort of coherent, consistent sound. It’s obvious that their influences and musical tastes are very divergent, but rather than trying to meld something new out of these sounds Oxcart tries to cover all the bases. In a single-based retail download environment this may be a way to maximize sales, and it may appeal to the band, but it’s not going to find wide commercial appeal. It’s obvious that there are some very talented musicians here, and the diversity of sound is great, but even Oxcart sounds like they occasionally get a little overwhelmed with all of the changes. Consequently The Equation is a musical Tautology. It is what it is, but the various parts never quite meld together to make something greater.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Oxcart at http://www.oxcartmusic.net/ or www.myspace.com/oxcart. You can purchase a copy of The Equation at www.cdbaby.com/cd/oxcart2.