Review: Never Shout Never - The Summer EP

Never Shout Never – The Summer EP
2009, Never Shout Never

Joplin, Missouri’s Christopher Drew is the creative force behind Never Shout Never, the latest in a long line of MTV-friendly post-punk pop bands to hit the national stage. With media features by outlets such as Alternative Press, Billboard Magazine, AMP Magazine as well as a 2008 performance on MTV’s TRL, Never Shout Never is nicely positioned for a big year. The Summer EP, recorded in early 2009, was recorded by Forrest Kline of HelloGoodbye and mixed by Jon Kaplan (Good Charlotte, LL Cool J, The Starting Line). The EP also features a cameo from Limbeck’s Patrick Carrie (I Just Laugh).

The Summer EP opens with Happy, a bright and cheery acoustic pop song. Drew has a distinctive voice with a strong and clear falsetto sound. The song itself is very catchy. I Just Laugh is a catchy brand of folk/geek/pop that will keep intruding into your head. On The Bright Side is highly quirky and highly infectious. This is one of those songs you just have to sing/hum/whistle/tap along to. You won’t be able to help yourself. Losing It is the best composition on the album; a wonderful pining love song that will be familiar to anyone who’s lived through adolescence. You’ll also want to check out the other two tracks, Hummingbird and Simple Enough.

Never Shout Never is the sort of different that will get significant attention, similar to how the Counting Crows first caught on when they came on the national scene. Vocalist Christopher Drew has the advantage of sounding like almost no one in pop, although comparisons could be made to John Ondrasik and Adam Duritz. The Summer EP will do great things for Never Shout Never. Expect to start hearing that name a lot more in the not-too-distant future.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Never Shout Never at www.myspace.com/nevershoutnever. You can purchase a copy of The Summer EP at Amazon.com. Never Shout Never will be part of mtvU’s Sunblock Festival Tour along with Boys Like Girls and Gym Class Heroes this summer, as well as playing on the SmartPunk stage on the Vans Warped Tour from July 20 – August 9, 2009.

Review: On Ensemble - Ume In The Middle

On Ensemble - Ume In The Middle
2009, On Ensemble

On Ensemble is a rarity in the realms of popular music; they are wholly original. Ostensibly a Taiko ensemble (ancient Japanese drumming), On Ensemble mixes that venerable art with Hip-Hop, Rock and electronica to create sounds very few people have heard before. Lauded by Modern Drummer magazine for their groundbreaking work, On Ensemble members individually have heady resumes, having music featured on the TV show Heroes, in the David Mamet movie Redbelt, and even performing with Stevie Wonder at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. On Ensemble's latest effort, Ume In The Middle will be available May 5, 2009. It's sure to be a big seller in the World and New Age genres, and is a great opportunity to check out both an ancient musical style not often heard in the west and new construct sprouting from it that's worth noting.

Ume In The Middle opens with the dark and ominous Yamasong, with its shadowy ambient sound based in crawling progressions and traditional chants. Hisashi is a rhythmic exploration lead by traditional Japanese flute. This song sounds like the sort of music that gets written for background to introductory scenes in feature films set in Japan. Waiting takes a big jump into the twenty-first century, mixing Taiko with electronica to create a rather funky mix. The vocals here are more in the Pop/R&B realm with some pretty neat harmonies going on. Hiroya vs. Miniboss gets into the techno realm, bordering on light industrial at times. Techies will get a kick out of of Butoh-bot Malfunction, a sonic exploration of the breakdown of modern machinery. This is probably one of the more imaginative compositions in the album while being resolutely one of the least musical. It isn't until the eighth track, Bounce Back that On Ensemble breaks somewhat free of the electronic universe in which they've ensconced themselves. Bounce Back is still strongly electronic but at stays with the traditional style of their musical roots. The album closes out with a Campagna remix of Yamasong.

On Ensemble is intriguing, although I felt they spent a little too much time in the electronic universe and not enough exploring the many shoots and branches that run from their roots. Nevertheless, Ume In The Middle is an intriguing and interesting listen. Electronic music fans are likely to go nuts over Ume In The Middle while traditional Taiko followers will likely view it with suspicion on their way to acceptance and enjoyment. The composition and presentation are inspired.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about On Ensemble at http://www.onensemble.org/ or www.myspace.com/onensemble. You can purchase a copy of Ume In The Middle at www.cdbaby.com/cd/onensemble5. You'll be able to find the CD in stores as of May 5, 2009.

Review: Broadcast Live - Boomerang Metropolis

Broadcast Live - Boomerang Metropolis
2009, Rebel Army Media

The Albany, New York region has long held a relatively un-noticed well of musical talent (perhaps due to its relative proximity to New York City). Artists such as Sirsy, Rosanne Raneri, Denise Culhane, Matt Smith, The Figgs, The McKrells, Katie Haverly, Eric Margan & The Red Lions, Peter Davis, John Nazarenko and Jeff Halstead have been consigned to trying to go outside of the area to gain significant attention or accepting the local market as something of a boundary. Some have done well for themselves; The Figgs have been together for close to twenty years now with multiple releases to their name and an extended gig as Graham Parker's touring band. Sirsy has made a long and successful career as a highly sought after Indie Act on the Eastern seaboard with significant critical acclaim. Matt Smith left for New York City and wound up as a highly sought after session guitarist. Nazarenko and Halstead still make music and double as educators. The McKrells are still together although not in their original and most dynamic form. Peter Davis continues to teach and play music running the gamut from Dixieland Jazz to country, folk and Rock N Roll. Denise Culhane had her career interrupted by health issues but continues to make music. Even some solo musicians have caught on, with two Saratoga Springs natives catching on with big bands. Dorian Crozier spent some time as touring drummer for The Rembrandts and has recorded with numerous artists, while Scott Underwood is the drummer for Train.

The point of all of this is that there is a wealth of under-noticed talent in the Albany region. I am certain there are several I have forgotten or overlooked as I haven't lived in the area in a few years, but the area continues to have a vibrant music scene. The latest band to make some big noise out of this small market is Broadcast Live, with their heavy dose of social commentary and atypical mix of Hip-Hop, Rock and Pop. Lead singer and resident urban poet laureate Victorio Reyes lists influences that range from KRS-One and Dead Prez to Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Tracey Chapman. Even some of his raps have a very musical quality to them; spoken word with the cadences of a singer. The band is filled out by Gaetano Vaccaro (guitar, drums, and bass); Seantel Chamberlain (drums, bass, guitar, vox) and Jory Leanza-Carey (drums, guitar, vox). Suffice it to say that a live show could be interesting with members playing musical instruments both during and between songs.

To the music; Broadcast Live is as groundbreaking and unique in sound as Gym Class Heroes were when they first appeared on the scene, but with a wider range of sounds and more powerful social slant. Boomerang Metropolis opens with the title track, which compares landlords and bankers to drug dealers, implying that all trap people into need based relationships that working folks can't afford but can't afford to get out of. This song appears to be about the current "gentrification" trend in New York City where landlords buy cheaper properties in poorer neighborhoods and start the process of raising rents. This has the net effect of pushing the working class, the poor and a disproportionate number of minorities to furthest edges of the City and beyond. This isn't happening just in New York, but New York might be the place where it is most apparent.

One Metaphor sounds like a mellow pop song from the outset, an autobiographical soliloquy about the cathartic effect of writing for Victorio Reyes. It is a reminder that communication can be the most important means to overcoming adversity and moving beyond wherever you are. Spoken Vision is a musical call for unity that is a highly infectious listen. This song is radio-ready and could be a potential hit. A Bronx Tale is about doing the right thing, the best way you can, regardless of the cards you've been dealt. It's a sweet musical arrangement with some great piano work and a strong melody in the chorus. Commonplace attacks the mindset of prejudice, excusing no one in the process. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the album is the thrash-punk mayhem of Harry Potter Is Black, which closes out with something that sounds like Dobby The House Elf beat-boxing. Pledge Of Allegiance is done Body Count style, turning from the ideological roots of the US to an ironic statement of the darker hours of our collective history. Other highlights include the singer/songwriter style of New Orleans, Semiautomatic and Willie Lynch.

Broadcast Live takes you down to street level; not the glorified Gangsta culture version, but the real people trying to live day-to-day street. With songs yearning and entreating for social justice, Broadcast Live initiates a new-sounding hybrid of Hip-Hop, Pop, Latin and Rock that is bound to garner critical attention and praise. The music is organic from start to finish; the songs alive with real people and real places. You can't help but caught up in Boomerang Metropolis. Well done.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Broadcast Live at http://www.broadcastlive.org/ or www.myspace.com/broadcastlive. You can purchase a copy of Boomerang Metropolis at www.cdbaby.com/cd/boomerangmetropolis3.

Review: These Green Eyes - Relapse To Recovery

These Green Eyes – Relapse To Recovery
2008, Blackledge Music

On March 24, 2009, These Green Eyes will release their latest album, Relapse To Recovery. With the first single, Paramedic already hitting the airwaves, These Green Eyes look to make a big splash in 2009. After touring the US the last few years with the likes of Gym Class Heroes, Less Than Jake, Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory and Hidden In Plain View, These Green Eyes have built a significant amount of buzz for the new album. Let’s check it out.

These Green Eyes bring a wonderful mix of melodicism and Modern Rock edge to the masses on Relapse To Recovery. The opening phrases of At The End recall the sound of Simon & Garfunkel before breaking into a melodic but driven rock tune. Big harmonies and the lyric vocals of Colin Cunningham make this a real gem. The song might actually be too good to be truly commercially viable. That’s a theme that runs throughout Relapse To Recovery: Rock songs with strong Pop aesthetics that might be too finely constructed for the current popular mores. Cunningham’s voice is too good, the harmonies are too spot-on and the band is too tight and too slickly produced to fit in with current trends.

Paramedic is a dynamic rocker that should be good Modern Rock radio fodder. The energy here is high and These Green Eyes appear to have the sort of charisma it takes to play big stadiums. Kick The Crutch is another opportunity for Cunningham to show off his amazing pipes in an exhortation of loved one to walk away. Drunk Driver is an energetic rocker with commercial mettle. There’s a bit of punk energy running through this alongside the pop sensibility that seems to pervade everything These Green Eyes touches. Blood Sweat And Beers is a welcome change of pace, stripping away the distortion and frenetic pace for a more lyric performance. Other highlights include Time Of Our Lives, Two Minute Warning and Sucker Punch.

Relapse To Recovery is a great Rock album. Don’t be surprised if These Green Eyes go global in 2009. The band is capable of crafting slick Modern Rock with a Pop feel that should be like candy to a marketplace that gorges on such things. But if the opening track, At The End is any indication, These Green Eyes are capable of even more. Perhaps it was a one time thing, but I don’t think so. There are indications throughout the album of a breadth and depth of creativity that goes beyond the capabilities of your typical charting band. These Green Eyes have a special vocalist in Colin Cunningham, and play together wonderfully well as a unit. The slick production values of producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail) help to smooth out any wrinkles, but I strongly suspect that those wrinkles may be the best part of These Green Eyes. Enjoy the album, which is killer, and enjoy their probably rise. The more success These Green Eyes have now, the more they’ll be able to explore those wrinkles later on. If you’re a fan of great music then that’s what you want, because these guys are amazing.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about These Green Eyes at www.myspace.com/thesegreeneyes or http://www.blackledgemusic.com/. Relapse To Recovery hits shelves on March 24, 2009. You can pre-order your copy through Amazon.com.