Drawn From Bees - Cautionary Tales For The Lionhearted

Drawn From Bees - Cautionary Tales For The Lionhearted

2011, Bonefinger Records

Drawn From Bees have already taken Australia by storm, releasing four albums in the last two years and gaining significant airplay in Australia and even extending their reach into the US and European markets. Scheduled to perform at SXSW in March of 2011, Drawn From Bees have put together an exclusive US EP drawn from their releases to date entitled Cautionary Tales For The Lionhearted.

Cautionary Tales opens with "Long Tooth Setting Sun", a mildly catchy number with the sort of vocal harmony triads that recall the sounds of the Arena Rock era. The sound here is smoother, a refined alt-rock style with hints of melancholy in the seams. "Stand Against The Storm" is simplistic, bordering on bland. The vocal harmonies are nice, but lead vocalist Dan James is whiney in a Michael Stipe manner that's cloying. "The East Wood Fox" suffers the same malady. Things look brighter on "Picture Show", an emotive and melodic number that borders on emotionally overwrought but never quite tumbles down that hill. Drawn From Bees closes with "Waiting For The End", mired in a Smiths-style darkness that is desolately bland.

Drawn From Bees will find fans amongst the disaffected and lost souls who cling to acts such as The Smiths, The Cure and Morrissey; a not inconsiderable demographic. But while Cautionary Tales For The Lionhearted comes from the same emotionally listless state that inspired those artists, Drawn From Bees never quite displays the musicality or magic to overcome their pathos.

Rating: 1.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Drawn From Bees at http://www.drawnfrombees.com/ or www.myspace.com/drawnfrombees.  Cautionary Tales For The Lionhearted is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available digitally from iTunes.

Ethan Gold – Songs From A Toxic Apartment

Ethan Gold – Songs From A Toxic Apartment
2011, Gold Records

Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Ethan Gold releases his latest work, Songs From A Toxic Apartment on January 11, 2011.  Full of a Morrissey-esque melancholic nonchalance, Songs From A Toxic Apartment trundles down the emotional back roads of Ethan Gold’s mind, in a tired and seemingly endless musical shuffle.  The songs on Toxic Apartment all seem built around relationship dysfunction, and Gold’s vocal style is whiney and self-absorbed.  God starts solidly with “Why Don’t You Sleep?” but quickly falls off the cliff of perseveration.   Gold shows some real potential on Songs From A Toxic Apartment, particularly with crafting of melodies, but Ethan Gold gets trapped by his own demons and never quite escapes.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Ethan Gold at www.ethangold.com or www.myspace.com/ethangold.  Songs From A Toxic Apartment drops on January 11, 2011.  Pre-orders are available from Amazon.com on CD and Download.

Adam Sullivan - The Room Is Spinning Faster

Adam Sullivan - The Room Is Spinning Faster

2010, Dweeb Records

Adam Sullivan gets compared to Billy Joel and Ben Folds a lot, but his musical roots are in the darker melancholy of Randy Newman and REM.  With eleven albums/EPs under his belt and ambitious international touring schedule, Sullivan has paid his dues and developed a solid fan base the world over.  His latest album, The Room Is Spinning Faster, shows the polished artistry of a songwriter who knows his craft combined with the restless rambling urge of someone who needs the road even if he's started to question his place on it.  The Room Is Spinning Faster is due out in October 2010 on Dweeb Records, but is already available in digital formats.

Adam Sullivan starts out strong with "Nothing Like Being Alone", rumination on his place in the world, sanity, perspective and understanding.  It's a Ben Folds-style ballad that's highly introspective, a soaring melancholy ode to self-contemplation.  "But The Dinosaurs Were Dead" is edgy, smooth pop, once again reminiscent of Folds.  The instrumentation here is unique, making use of piano and string to create an off-balance sound that somehow stands on its own.  "Please Don't Fall In Love With Me" is great songwriting, a melancholy and thoughtful love song written from the depths of fear and confusion. 

Up to this point Adam Sullivan is setting the stage.  With "Rainy Morning In Amsterdam" he sets the tone for the rest of the album.  It's a song of morning and regret, a pool Sullivan wallows in the rest of the way utilizing a Hemmingway-styled symbolism for tragedy and defeat while singing in measured tones.  Sullivan is searching for he knows not what.  "Something To Lose" is rambling and melancholic but lacks real energy.  The melody and harmonic construction here are gorgeous, but the song teeters on the brink of an emotional vacuum that is disconcerting.  "These Are The Thoughts" is a long-winded, emotionally grinding experience built in this same dearth of emotional energy.  It's the thoughts that keep him awake at night, told from the perspective of one so numb it's more of a recitative than an experience.  "Let Go" shows a flash of life; pretty and dark with a modality reminiscent of Alan Parsons, "Let Go" reflects a sort of determined, reticent hope about what is to come.  The rest of the way is back to the flat, emotionally bereft energy that haunts the middle of the album, as Sullivan walks the listener back to the sleep from which he first emerged.

Adam Sullivan constructs some beautiful musical landscapes on The Room Is Spinning Faster, but against those landscapes he casts a character so lost in his own melancholy and emotional distance that the songs take on a sort of fractured personality.  Artistically challenging, but the combination can make The Room Is Spinning Faster a challenge to get through.  If the navel-gazing melancholy and passive anger of The Cure or The Smiths or even REM you find appealing, then Adam Sullivan will fit nicely in your music collection.  Sullivan may be a bit too distant for the mass market, but the talent here is unmistakable. 

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Adam Sullivan at www.adamsullivan.com or www.myspace.com/adamsullivan.  The Room Is Spinning Faster is due out in October 2010 on CD, but can be purchased now in digital formats through Amazon.com and iTunes.

J Minus - Devil Music

J Minus - Devil Music
2010, J Minus

Seattle quartet J Minus walks the wild edge of alternative music. Not Alternative understand, but an alternative to what we call Alternative. Formed in 2002, Dylan Fant, Trevor Wheetman, Chris Mongillo and Meyer Harrell work within the bounds of solid songwriting, dynamic harmonies and a refusal to tie themselves to one specific sound. You may hear flashes of bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, The Samples or Toad The Wet Sprocket in their sound, but J Minus takes these influences, mixes them with their own inherent talents and creates something new and unique. J Minus dropped their third album, Devil Music over the summer. It may be their best work to date.

Devil Music opens with "Congratulations, You Suck; a catchy tune that asks a troubling paramour to set him free rather than string him along. Buried in the emotional angst of the tune is a great pop arrangement that slowly unfurls as the song progresses. "When The Lights Go Out" is a song of reassurance written for a child who is afraid of the dark. Parents in particular will appreciate J Minus' effort here, a sweet and good-natured tune with an enjoyable melody. "Can I Count On You?" seeks assurance in a meandering pop arrangement. The song is very well written, featuring an off-center, needy protagonist in a needful quest.

J Minus explores dashed expectations on "Who We Were", looking at the hopes and dreams of children and the reality of their adulthood. It's a stark take on how negative thoughts and experiences impact or characters and personalities. Things get maudlin in the middle of Devil Music, with J Minus losing the energy that drove even the darker moments over the album's first few songs. "Swing Low" is the exception, a catchy rock tune with big harmonies in the chorus. This is a tune that sticks with you or recurs in your mind at odd times, and is a bright light in the middle of Devil Music. "While It Lasts" is a melancholic rumination on impermanence that features a solid melody but is a bit of a drag in emotion and energy. "Into The Dark" is tortured pop music that delves into a sense of failure and loss without clear boundaries; a singular effort that is both difficult and rewarding as a songwriter and as a listener. J Minus closes with "Episode 2", which opens in bland musical terms but turns into a vibrant pop song that counters J Minus' almost morose vocal style. It's a request to leap forward into the unknown of tomorrow, a fitting, yet bold end to the album.

J Minus intrigues with Devil Music, a collection that's unbalanced but which contains a few gems along the way. Fans of The Cure and The Smiths will find a lot to like here, but J Minus has enough pop sensibility to appeal to a wider constituency.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about J Minus at http://www.jminus.com/ or www.myspace.com/jminus.  Devil Music is available on CD through J Minus' webstore.  Digital copies are available via iTunes.

David Gergen - The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became

David Gergen - The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became
2010, David Gergen

Singer/songwriter David Gergen's latest effort, The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became can be likened to a rugged outing for a pitcher. He fights his way through without great stuff, gutting out a performance that shows some promise but is never quite enough to win the game. Solid Americana arrangements dot the landscape; and it should be noted that Gergen seems to have a talent for writing and arranging music that is pleasant but non-threatening. Vocally, Gergen struggles with both pitch and tone, sliding around notes at times like a toddler walking on ice. "Seven Miles To Sunset" shows a distinct melodic sense, but Gergen takes melancholia to the point of disaffection. "The Streets I'm Walkin'" is gentle Americana impressionism; observational songwriting with a melancholy flair. This is one of the more successful tracks on the album, and Gergen tightens up his breath control for a workable performance.

"Ore De Electro" is messy and eclectic, featuring an uneasy marriage between guitar and ambient synth. "Love Blues #11" mixes blues with space-age Electronica and slipshod vocals. The result is a sonic mess that's interesting but doesn't have the compositional clarity to hold your attention for long. Things pick up a bit on "Thru A Fairy's White Cloud". Gergen sounds a bit like Johnny Cash on downers here; a unique approach that is well framed here. "The Other Side Of The Sea" is a lost, mournful monologue. Gergen starts out with good intent, but the lack of affect here is more distracting than informative. Gergen closes with the incomplete "Your Letter", a response/monologue that is cut as short as the relationship it memorializes.

David Gergen shows some interesting signs of life on The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became. This is certainly not a happy-go-lucky album, featuring the sort of emotional downward spiral that sometimes coalesces in the wake of a relationship. Gergen's vocal style works at times, but his tendency to sing around notes rather than hit them head on can become a distraction. The recording in general suffers from the lack of collaboration. A close listen shows an artist with much to say, but may need the creative tension of co-writers to bring the dark magnitude of Gergen's night more fully out into the open.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about David Gergen at www.myspace.com/davidgergen.  The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became is available from Amazon.com as both a CD and Download.  The album is also available from iTunes.

Hans Zimmer - Inception: Music From The Motion Picture

Hans Zimmer - Inception: Music From The Motion Picture
2010, Warner Bros. Records

Hans Zimmer has written scores for some of the biggest films to come out of Hollywood in the last two decades. His Academy Award (8 nominations), two Golden Globe Awards (8 nominations) and three GRAMMY Awards (9 nominations) are a testament to Zimmer's unique ability to marry his creative craft to the theatrical visions of a wide range of film projects and directors. Zimmer's latest project (one of three scheduled for 2010) is the new Christopher Nolan Film, Inception. The soundtrack drops on July 13, 2010 with the film to follow three days later.

Zimmer immersed himself heavily in the digital world for Inception, a film about a shared virtual reality created for mankind to interact in (ala The Matrix) where the most coveted possessions are thoughts and ideas. The choice to go nearly all digital is thematically sound, but backfires a bit on Zimmer and on the film. The music from Inception is imbued with all of the drama and tension that Zimmer can muster from a computer, but the highs, lows and contrast just aren't the same as they might be with a real live orchestra. Guitarist Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Modest Mouse) sits in on eight tracks on the album, adding a distinctive tone to Zimmer's creation, but the creative dynamics long time listeners have come to expect from Zimmer never fully realize themselves here.

Zimmer sets appropriate moods throughout, weather with the rueful and weary tone of "We Built Our Own World", the ominous Hitchcock-flavored "Dream Is Collapsing" or the misty distant feel of "Old Souls". "Mombasa" is a rhythmic highlight, breaking out of the sonic mode of the album but falling into a repetitive trance that's disappointing. Zimmer begins to build toward a conclusion with "Dream Within A Dream", a powerful suspense-builder that is less than it might be based on the limitations of the electronic spectrum Zimmer works in. "Waiting For The Train", at nine and a half minutes should be the centerpiece of the album, and does contain a number of dramatic highs and lows but lacks the compelling edge that both Zimmer's talent and the premise of the film would seem to dictate. "Paradox", however, shows Zimmer near the top of his game, full of suspense and intensity that would translate even better from strings and bows than it does from electrical impulses. The album nearly fades away with "Time", which sounds almost incomplete with its near-sudden ending.

Hans Zimmer delivers with the score of Inception, offering up a musical guide to Nolan's film that is solid but mostly uninspiring. Even the best pitchers throw hanging curves once in a while, but we won't know whether this one just got away from Zimmer or whether the film it's tied to failed to inspire until Inception hits theaters later this month. What's clear is that even Zimmer's lesser works are startlingly good, and Inception is; it's just not up there with his best.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Hans Zimmer at http://www.hanszimmer.com/ or www.myspace.com/hanszimmermusic. Learn more about Inception at inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com. Inception: Music From The Motion Picture drops on July 13, 2010. You can pre-order the CD from Amazon, or the the digital release from iTunes.

Review: Soundtrack - Whip It

Soundtrack - Whip It
2009, Rhino Records

Whip It is a new comedy directed by Drew Barrymore about a small town Texas girl who escapes by becoming a star roller derby player. Yes, it’s as bad as it sounds. Drew Barrymore directs the movie based on the Shauna Cross novel (and screenplay). While the movie has a fairly narrow demographic in mind, the soundtrack is bit more broadminded. Whip It features a plethora of new Indie and Alternative Rock bands, as well as few soundtrack classics.

Tilly & The Wall get things started with Pot Kettle Black, sounding like The Runaways meets the Bratz in a sparse Rock N Roll setting. The first family of New York Punk, The Ramones are up next with Sheena Is A Punk Rocker. Surf and Punk mix here in a hybrid that would inspire an entire generation of musicians. The Raveonettes make mellow waves on Dead Sound, one of the surprise highlights of the album. The dynamic here is repressed, gothic Pop. The song is pretty and yet there's something slight off all at the same time. Jens Lekman does the Cure/Smiths thing on Your Arms Around Me. It's a decent, mildly catchy and sonically melancholy tune that could be a sleeper hit.

Gotye's Learnalilgivinanlovin is catchy, 60's-flavored Dance Rock with strong harmonies and an infectious nature. It might not make the biggest impression on the first listen but will stick with you more than most anything else offered on the album. Dolly Parton's Jolene and .38 Special's Caught Up In You are classics of their respective genres and get recycled for soundtracks every few years After this point things head downhill. Adam Green and Har Mar's cover of the Addrisi Brothers' Never My Love is decent, but there's not much past that's likely to perk the interest of listeners. The Squeak E. Clean & Desert Eagles Remix of The Chordette's classic Lollipop is the low point of the album. While I'm all for interpreting and make a song your own, this remix simply makes a mess of the song.

Whip It is uneven and at times messy, but there are some strong moments along the way. The songs seem to have been chosen more according to someone's personal coolness scale rather than an attempt to craft a particular sound or mood for the movie. The end result is a sometimes enjoyable and sometimes unavoidable mess.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Whip It at http://www.foxsearchlight.com/whipit. You can purchase a copy of Whip It at Amazon.com as either a CD or download.

Review: The Primary - People Going Places

The Primary - People Going Places
2008, The Primary

The Primary is a Dallas, Texas based quartet that’s been together since 2007. Active on the local club circuit, The Primary has experimented with numerous style and sounds (Pop/Rock/Jazz/Electronica/Classical) in their time together, mixing and matching sounds over time. That process of experimentation continues on their debut album, People Going Places.

People Going Places kicks off with Getting Strange, an oddly disjoined song that sounds like a mix of styles. There's a Police-inspired rhythm section including guitar, a vocalist who sounds like he's from the school of depressed New Wave Brit-Pop singers and a guitar player playing a counter-intuitive parallel to the vocal line. It honestly sounds like lines from two or three songs thrown together in a mix that doesn't entirely run afoul of the individual parts but never really gels. Exit follows a similar path, suggesting an Avant-Garde leaning in the band. Call Off Your Dogs I frankly didn't enjoy, although the song is built around a blistering guitar line that offers hope. The Primary mellows out a bit on For You, a dreamy pop tune that works well with Joshua Vasquez's voice.

You'll have to wade through A Life and Dear Old Friend to get to Heart Of Darkness, featuring a slightly heavier sound played in metronomic fashion. This is the best composition on the disc even as it ranges through experimental and psychedelic temperaments. The Primary closes out with The Last Breath, which returns more toward the morbid, droning side of the spectrum.

The Primary has an interesting sound that's quite unrefined and a bit too shoe-gaze without having any real driving force behind the songs. There's also a tendency toward over-filling the musical space that results in periods of sonic mess or sonic discomfort on People Going Places. It will be interesting to see how The Primary's sound develops over time. There's potential here, but they're still searching for their sound.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Primary at http://www.theprimarymusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/theprimarymusic. People Going Places appears to be at the demo stage, with final mastering still to come, but watch for availability on The Primary’s website and/or MySpace page.

Review: Eyeswide – The Acoustic Project

Eyeswide – The Acoustic Project
2009, Eyeswide

Neil Crowe is a Barrie, Ontario singer-songwriter who is paying his dues on the Toronto music scene. Playing five nights per week, Crowe has lately taken on the moniker Eyeswide when performing acoustically. The Acoustic Project CD is a collection of nine tunes that have been stripped down to just Crowe, his guitar and voice. Crowe has an ability to build a rapport with his audiences; let's see how this carries over into the recorded media.

The Acoustic Project sets sail with What Do You See, a short, simplistic tune that's perhaps more of an Epilogue than anything else. There's a morose, depressive feel to the first track that carries over in part to E-Dub. The refrain here is repetitive to the point of breaking, perhaps the desired effect given the near-obsessive feel the song has. The narrator is in love unrequited, perhaps, and still pushing for a response from his intended. #22 opens with a guitar riff that's reminiscent of Dave Matthews but fails to show much of real lasting effect. Further Down The Road continues in the depressive-state that is strongly reminiscent of The Smiths. Part of this is fed by Crowe's voice, which is dark and textured like a rough grain bread. Armor Up picks up the pace a bit, but still has that same emotional monotone going on. Conscious Man and Eustress continue in this emotionally numbing musical path, sinking further and further into a sort of pious destitution. A Song I Think She Might Like and Man On Fire, both of which seem to try and separate themselves from the morbid sense of loneliness that pervades the album, but neither can quite pull free of its gravity.

Eyeswide may as well get points for emotional honesty, but the presentation and tenor of The Acoustic Project just doesn't won't add up to repeat listens for most music fans. This was a difficult disc to sit through; not because it's bad, but it came too close to sitting down next to someone on the train or bus who begins to pour their life in all of its sadness and loss on your shoes. I know there are folks who get into the sort of self-possessed tales of woe that are on The Acoustic Project, and some of them may even like what they hear here, but it's difficult to recommend.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Eyeswide at www.myspace.com/eyeswidetheband. As of publication date, Eyeswide’s MySpace page indicates that the album will be titled, simply, “Eyeswide” upon release. No release date is yet available.

Review: Susurrus Station - Add A Day Going West

Susurrus Station - Add A Day Going West
2009, Susurrus Station

J Breeden and Sara Dyberg are the emotional and physical core of Susurrus Station, reaching out of Portland, Oregon with whisper rather than a scream. Multi-instrumentalists and vocalist, both, Breeden and Dyberg mix styles and sounds in unusual and surprising ways to create some of the edgiest and darkness Avant-Folk in the business today. As Susurrus Station, Breeden and Dyberg have released two albums, and step forward with their third, Add A Day Going West, on November 10, 2009. Folk, Garage Rock, Industrial, Cinematic compositional styles and a dark countenance make up the heart of Susurrus Station's music. Unlike past albums, Susurrus Station was recorded over the course of a year (rather than in a rampant frenzy of creation and recording). The building of songs was deliberate and intentional, and it shows on the album.

Add A Day Going West opens with Driven, a song which seems written in contradiction to its title. Breeden sounds like Jim Morrison on serious downers here, giving a somnolent, drugged sounding vocal reading that's inured in Smiths-like pathos. Musically it's more a collection of sounds and musical passages than a composition, right down to the heavy rock portion that kicks in around 4:15. Midway Shuffle shows an energetic, neo-surf guitar opening that descends into the hypnotic depressive state of the first tune. Sara Dyberg takes over vocals on The Bellwether Din; a fuzzy trance-like performance where they key shifts and things like tone don't seem to matter. The song ranges over four-and-a-quarter minutes but at times seems like it will just keep going.

Barnstorm takes on a Middle Eastern flavor in a song about yearning for "The One" to come along. The style and arrangement are highly moveable, even interposing a "Beatles in a funhouse" passage at the end. b reminds me of a band like The Butthole Surfers trying to cover one of Pink Floyd's more spacey instrumentals; Susurrus Station descends into an absolute chaos of noise that essentially chokes any musicality out. The album closes out with Talking With The Wind and Long Tomorrow, leaning more heavily into the hopeful ether of overly-affected Folk/Rock. The end result is an album that decreases in listenability throughout its course even as it rakes in the pathos.

Add A Day Going West will find folks into this sort of thing, but they're not your typical music fans. Anything that sounds almost wholly unhinged from reality and ethereal at the same time is bound to garner some attention. Susurrus Station attempts to bridge the gap between listenability and discomfort and fails in significant portion. Add A Day Going West takes a high constitution. Make sure you have yours handy.

Rating: 1.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Susurrus Station at http://www.susurrusstation.com/ or www.myspace.com/susurrusstation. Add A Day Going West goes public on November 10, 2009. Keep checking the band’s website for availability information.

Review: Opera Glasses - Wearing Masks

Opera Glasses - Wearing Masks
2007, Opera Glasses

Damiano Rossetti is the singer, songwriter, guitarist and spiritual leader of Opera Glasses, an Italian quartet carrying an obsession for darkwave music in general and The Cure in particular. Enchanted with the juxtaposition of melancholic lyrics and peppy, pop arrangements, Opera Glasses tries to create a similar vibe in their music. Opera Glasses' debut album, Wearing Masks, finds the band creating their own brand of magically upbeat musical pathos.

Wearing Masks opens with Turn Around, a song that sounds kind of like U2 trying to cover The Cure. Rossetti has this big musical wail of a voice that mostly works (although it does sound like he plays on the edges of the key he's in at times. Rossetti has a straight forward delivery full of a theatrical sense worthy of Bono and sings his heart out on every song. Hysterical Easter incorporates splashes of musical dissonance amidst the upbeat arrangement to create a sonic and cognitive tension that is palpable. The song is highly listenable and of a quality that hard core Smiths and Cure fans will appreciate. Strike Me sounds like it is the long lost child of The Cure's Show Me, with a distinct similarity in the opening chord progression. This bit of tribute is almost too over the top in a song that's so strikingly similar in style. Strike Me is, however, a strong pop song and may be the best on the disc. I'd put this up for airplay any day and I expect it would be quite successful with the right break.

Sweet Cure gets a little too bogged down in its own melancholy/depression, particularly at the end of the song. Pink Pig is refreshing after Sweet Cure, nailing The Cure's aesthetic perfectly. Opera Glasses leaves us with Remember Something, which delves into the more electronic aspects of 1980's Darkwave (then New Wave) Pop. Melancholia seeps into the musical arrangement, but a bright synth keeps the light on in a musical moment that is utterly memorable.

Opera Glasses aren't a Cure cover band, but it's almost as if they are; a tribute band more likely. For all intents and purposes Rossetti and crew channel the energy and style of the Cure circa 1988. Cure fans will love Opera Glasses (unless they hate them for being too like The Cure; always a possibility). Either way, it's good music, with a depressive vibrancy that's hard to achieve. Take a moment and check out Opera Glasses when you have the chance.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Opera Glasses at http://www.operaglasses.it/ or www.myspace.com/theoperaglasses. You can purchase Wearing Masks as a download through iTunes.

Review: Suddyn - Dark Lights

Suddyn - Dark Lights
2009, Suddyn

Two brothers from Montauk, Long Island meet two Irish guys... what sounds like the beginning of a joke is actually the genesis of one of the hottest rock acts in Ireland that's building a significant buzz here in the US. With a sound that mixes elements of Queen, Radiohead and U2, Suddyn has racked up three Top-30 singles in Ireland as an Indie act and has already accumulated more than 150 adds in the States from their debut EP, Dark Lights. With a tremendous reputation for their live shows and a glam mentality that's too little seen in Rock N Roll these days, Suddyn shows no signs of slowing down.

Dark Lights opens with Holding Up The Backdrop, a maudlin Modern Rock tune with theatrical ambitions. This is probably great radio fodder but is a bit weak as an opening tune to the EP. Generation, on the other hand, has a darker, more intriguing tone that would probably serve better as a lead song (although not necessarily a lead single). The first two songs on Dark Light suggest a strongly melancholy songwriting style and both are focused heavily on the downside of a relationship. Side Arm opens like a traditional Glam Rock ballad, with vocalist Alan Steil accompanied only by piano. Side Arm focuses on a relationship gone bad, asking for a cessation of hostility and remembrance of what once was. It's a very well written tune and is likely a showstopper live. Dark Lights winds down to Closing Spaces, a song about running away rather than losing; you could almost call it an anthem for cowardice, where it's easier to run than to try. It's an interesting choice and seals Dark Lights in an envelope of melancholy.

Suddyn makes interesting choices on Dark Lights, investing their energy in the darker emotions of loss, regret and fear. It is perhaps music for the times, and hearkens back to a sound and style embraced by bands such as The Cure and The Smiths (although The Cure at least accompanied their lyrical pathos with irrepressible melodies). At the end of the day I'm ambivalent about Dark Lights. There are things here I like (the song construction, the vocalist, the instrumental work), and Side Arm is particularly well-written, but much of the EP just fell a bit flat for me. It's like the energy that Suddyn is so well known for in their live shows simply didn't carry over to the EP. That's unfortunate, because as dark and depressing as they may be, the songs here are actually quite good.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Suddyn at www.myspace.com/suddyn. You can purchase Dark Lights as a download through iTunes.

Review: Patrik Tanner – Quills

Patrik Tanner – Quills
2009, Dark One Entertainment

St. Louis Park, Minnesota's Patrik Tanner is relatively young for a man with eight albums under his belt. The native of Sweden who moved to the US at a young age transcends genre on his latest effort, Quills, released on September 12, 2009. Highly personal and introspective, Quills recalls memories of the music of Tanner's youth as well as drawing a life full of influences and sounds. Written, played and produced by Tanner, Quills will wend its way into your consciousness with songs firmly rooted in memory and reverie but always looking forward.

Quills opens with The Next Available Agent, a sauntering instrumental that sets the tone for the album. There is a theatric feel here, like Tanner envisioned you finding a seat and getting comfortable while he prepares you to listen to all he has to say. Eleven is a powerful piano-based tune about being on the verge of something but taking the time to enjoy where you are, like the conflict between pushing to be an adult yet enjoying being a child. A Moment In Time is a sweet singer/songwriter moment about memory and how it can both overpower and engender regret. Like Platform Shoes is a highly personal song of remembrance looking back on loved ones and times gone by. The song is highly sentimental and full of meaning, although it may evade some listeners. Our Vacation Starts Now serves as a brief and quirky instrumental intermezzo, leading into phase two of Quills.

My Boy is a touching song from a father to his unborn son; it's a beautiful tribute to a love that often gets under-represented in song and art. Beautiful Then looks forward into a future more aesthetic and full of goodness than the perceived moment; Tanner imagines himself dead and creating beauty below in the grass he feeds. It is a stark and depressive outlook set to a bright and sunny piano part that simultaneously makes it easier to hear and yet somehow more disturbing. Staying Up Late underlines the effects of depression and confusion on thoughts and actions; this seems to be the underlying element of the disc: the death of Tanner's mother and the grieving/healing process. Rebuild The Titanic is all about going back in time so you can end the suffering sooner, likely a fitting end to the album, although Tanner gives an instrumental outro called Still Holding that harkens back to the old days of radio dramas.

Sorrow. Anger. Fear. Frustration. These are the emotions wrapped up in Patrik Tanner's Quills. It is a bleak album with occasionally uplifting sounds. I didn't enjoy it. I respect it. It's a serious work with strong songwriting, excellent musicianship and vocals that are more than pleasant to listen to; but the subject matter is too dark and twisted for my tastes. Some of you may like it. Imagine Robert Smith on pep pills.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about Patrik Tanner and Quills check out http://www.patriktanner.com/ or http://www.ptquills.com/. You can purchase Quills as either a CD or download through CDBaby.com.

Review: The City Skyscape - The City Skyscape

The City Skyscape - The City Skyscape
2009, The City Skyscape

Europop rules the day on The City Skyscape. Hartford, Connecticut’s Christopher Mongillo is a one-man band, combing elements of Indie Rock and Electronica in his home studio to create the music of The City Skyscape. The album opens with The Notorious Kelly Monroe, which carries that upbeat dance feel and accents it with a bit of the depressed affect that pervades the music of The Smiths. This is a very memorable track that might just have some commercial legs to it. Baby's Been A Bad Girl is piano-driven Europop with a catchy beat. With the right remix this could end up being a big deal in the dance clubs. Prince Charming is part of a two-part story; this one is from the perspective of the prince himself. The perfect relationship goes awry, and he is obsessively trying to fix the situation by making the wrongs right. It initially sounds like a song of ideal devotion (hence the title) but slowly becomes something more insidious. Part 2 of the story is Our American Girlfriend, told as in third person about the princess. The disturbing nature of Prince Charming is born out in this musical narrative.

There's a bit of a lull in the middle of the album, as The City Skyscape turns to fungible dance pop for a few songs. The originality heard thus far (and more again later) seems to escape Mongillo for a few tracks, but they get it back in time for The Elements. This is a tremendous bit of pop songwriting; very catchy with a lot of potential commercial impact. Pop radio would likely consume this song and turn it into pervasive pop theme if it had the opportunity. Dear Friend is also a great bit of songwriting; Mongillo is at his best and more dynamic here.

The City Skyscape sounds like Mongillo listened to a lot of the Europop bands of the 1980's, from The Cure and The Smiths to bands like Information Society and New Order. It's not unreasonable to say that The City Skyscape has picked up the banner carried by such bands and is carrying it forth into the 21st century. Euro-Electropop with strong songwriting, great melodies and a definitive pop sensibility will always find a home somewhere, and The City Skyscape is no exception. Make sure you give these guys a listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The City Skyscape at http://www.thecityskyscape.com/ or www.myspace.com/thecityskyscape. You can purchase a copy of The City Skyscape at www.cdbaby.com/cd/cityskyscape.

Review: Future Future - Future Future EP

Future Future - Future Future EP
2009, Future Future

Brothers Jordan (vox, guitar, keys, bass) and Jamie (drums, percussion) Lawlor have become. Growing out of the Jersey punk scene, the teen duo has managed to craft a sound reminiscent of classic British New Wave while keeping their feet firmly planted in their punk roots. Experimental to the core, Future Future has crafted a sound wholly from their own environment, right down to the broken Rhodes Piano and Theramin-in-plastic-baby-head combination. Their debut EP, Future Future will startle you awake with its fresh mix of old and new sounds; just enough edge to get a basement party going, just enough electronic rhythm to hit the clubs, and just enough pop sensibility to give this project real commercial oomph.

Future Future opens with Television Glow, sounding like a U2 rock anthem done in New Wave style. Television Glow has real potential for radio as presented here. Teeth finds Future Future dwelling in the fuzzy land of electronic rock. My Machine stays with that buzzy chic but restores some of the pop sensibility from the first track for an incredibly balanced and listenable song. This one has radio written all over it. Dr. Albert is a paean to the Albert Hofmann, the creator of LSD, and is written in surreal and blocky chord changes with psychedelic flourishes. Hard To Exist takes the fuzzy/noise aesthetic and mixes it with a Smiths-esque depressive style and strong harmonies to create an experience that is as disjointed as it is melodic. The final track (Alone) sounds like a demo recording, featuring Jordan Lawler solo on acoustic guitar and voice. From a raw songwriting perspective this is the best tune on the album; hopefully Future Future will flesh this one out and feature it in the future.

Future Future has the chemistry of family and a tendency toward soaring pop songs gussied up in fuzzy/electronic effects. The Future Future EP is a bit uneven but shows great promise, and when they're on, they're definitely on. Make sure you check these guys out!

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Future Future at www.myspace.com/futuretwice, where you can purchase a copy of the Future Future EP.

Review: Mark Northfield - Ascendant

Mark Northfield - Ascendant
2007, Substantive Recordings

Mark Northfield is a London based composer who writes alternative classical or Chamber Rock songs (as you prefer) with other vocalists in mind. Northfield had the revelation a few years back that he loved performing but perhaps didn’t have the front line voice required, and so resolved to write and record his songs with other vocalists out front. His most recent offering, Ascendant, takes full advantage of the vocal talents of no less than 9 vocalists (including himself) and one vocal ensemble.

Northfield takes art-pop Chamber music to a new level. Opening with Waiting For Green, Northfield paints a bleak and beautiful landscape in orchestration to counter an almost droningly depressed vocal line. This sounds like an off-off-Broadway piece. Resistance is another highly dramatic, melancholic piece that turns hopeful and back throughout. Highly melodic in dark and minor tones, the orchestration colors the vocal line. Northfield next offers an inspired Chamber Choral piece called The Calm, featuring Bryony Lang an The Pearsall Consort. It's a neo-classical exploration of melancholy bursting into expressions of beauty and stillness with an Anglican Church choir bent. This is the highlight of the CD and one of the most hauntingly beautiful choral pieces I've heard in some time.

Weight sounds like it could have been an alternate song or outtake from the Off-Broadway production The Last Five Years. You can almost hear shades of Sherrie Renee Scott in vocalist Bryony Laing (also featured on The Calm) who gives a gorgeous vocal performance. Zero lost me a bit lyrically but offers perhaps the most intricate and delicate arrangement on the disc. You'll also want to check out the faux-peppiness of Decidedly Dumb and the melancholy waltz, Luco.

Ascendant is a prickly CD. It's not easy to get to know; not an easy listen. You have to work for this one and that will turn a lot of the more casual listeners off. The effort becomes its own reward, however, as Mark Northfield has offered up several moment-stopping compositions mixed in on Ascendant. There are a couple of pieces here that get mired down in themselves, but on the whole Ascendant is a very strong listening experience. This one's for fans of Chamber music, The Cure, The Smiths and any other melancholic pop band of the last twenty years.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mark Northfield at http://www.marknorthfield.com/ or www.myspace.com/marknorthfieldmusic. You can purchase a copy of Ascendant at www.cdbaby.com/cd/marknorthfield.

Review: Frances Ancheta - Now We're Here

Frances Ancheta - Now We're Here
2008, Frances Ancheta

Frances Ancheta is a Filipina-American singer/songwriter from San Francisco, California with influences that range all over the musical map. Her debut album, Now We’re Here, is primarily Ancheta and her guitar with the occasional guest musician. Ancheta’s music has a very mellow vibe to it that is a cross between Sarah McLachlan and Lisa Loeb.

Ancheta is a sweet voiced, folky singer/songwriter who sings with a lot of heart. Unfortunately breath control and consequently, pitch, suffer at times throughout Now We're Here. Ancheta's Lahaina is a pleasant folk/pop number that expresses a yearning for the next step in life while questioning the source of answers thus far. School Of Fish has a highly rhythmic acoustic guitar style not entirely dissimilar to Ani DiFranco. Ancheta doesn't quite have the range to pull this song off, but she tries gamely to do so. Empty Chair expresses loss in a sweet and vulnerable fashion that is endearing. Never Go Away is a pleasant listen, but fits into a highly introspective and self-contained pattern that takes hold as the album progresses.

Ancheta proves to be a young songwriter without the ability to filter away emotions and highlight the ideas left behind in her songs. There are some delightful tunes here, but also a tendency to run on about teenage style problems. Consequently the listening audience for Now We're Here will be somewhat reduced from its potential. Ancheta's voice is sweet and a pleasure to listen to, and casual fans will like that they hear.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Frances Ancheta at www.myspace.com/francesancheta. You can purchase a copy of Now We’re Here at www.cdbaby.com/cd/francesancheta.

Review: Beati Paoli - A Sense Of Urgency

Beati Paoli – A Sense Of Urgency
2009, The Noising Machine

Beati Paoli is a Post-Punk/Modern Rock quarter from Des Moines, Iowa. With influences ranging from The Clash and The Talking Heads to The Smiths, The Cure and The Psychedelic Furs, Beati Paoli looks to set the rock world on its ear in fits of jangly guitar and retro-melodic anti-pop. On A Sense Of Urgency, Beati Paoli displays an unmistakable theatrical bent. This same quality has won over fans on the road as Beati Paoli has toured the US with bands such as British Sea Power, Man Man and Cursive.

A Sense Of Urgency opens with Rabble Rouse, an energetic, almost post-Beatles sounding bit of Brit Pop. A big, rhythmic chorus is the highlight of this song. Beati Paoli manages to maintain a strong melodic sense in spite of this highly rhythmic and repetitive arrangement. Maggie is a definite highlight, falling into something of an Elvis Costello groove (only slightly darker). Girl Friday fits perfectly into the whole Cure/Smiths feel. Also be sure to check out While We’re Young. Beati Paoli finds a real pop gem in this song, disguising it with an anti-pop feel that’s ironic, intentional or otherwise.

Beati Paoli strikes me as a band that would be a lot of fun live. There’s a fair amount of energy on A Sense Of Urgency, but there is a dark mood about the music that really runs counter to the inherent pop sensibility the band brings to the table. While ironic in small doses, the overall effect is more of a general ambivalence. I suspect the music comes alive in concert, and would recommend you reserve judgment until and unless you have the chance to see them live. In the mean time, it’s a decent album with some very good songs.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Beati Paoli at http://www.beatipaoli.net/ or www.myspace.com/beatipaoli. You can purchase a copy of A Sense Of Urgency at www.cdbaby.com/cd/beatipaoli.

Review: Mouse Kills Tiger - Music Is The Weapon Of The Children

Mouse Kills Tiger - Music Is The Weapon Of The Children
2008, Mouse Kills Tiger

Mouse Kills Tiger is a Los Angeles based dramatic alt/goth rock ensemble with a decided proclivity for depressive, or at the very least, repressive musical melodrama. Their debut EP, Music Is The Weapon Of The Children, follows a path that Robert Smith would pay tribute to. With recording help from Barak Shpiez of Beware Fashionable Women, Mouse Kills Tiger has released their musical wares upon the world.

Music Is The Weapon Of Children opens with She's Hungry, a highly repetitive piece that builds in intensity but never reaches a climax before it sort of fades away. I See Mephistopheles is a surreal, sonic overload. Minor keys bend into other minor keys, leaving the listener without any real sense of aural resolution. Chasing Foxes didn't leave much of a distinct impression either way, whereas Racer Ready was a long, drawn out musical exposition that again, never seemed to reach a plateau or a sense of sonic completion. Music Is The Weapon Of The Children had a more compositional sense to it but still fails to really connect with the listener.

Music Is The Weapon Of The Children is the sort of vaguely disturbing, depressive rock music that The Cure or The Smiths would have made had they not had their inherent pop sensibilities. It is somewhat impressive as a musical exercise in tenacity, but doesn't reward the listener for traveling through such dark musical lands with even one bit of sonic resolution. Mouse Kills Tiger will find a demographic that enjoys this music, but its not highly marketable. For my own part I found it a difficult listen but not without artistic merit.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mouse Kills Tiger at www.myspace.com/mousekillstiger. You can download Music Is The Weapon Of The Children for free here.

Review: Versailles - Broken Dolls

Versailles – Broken Dolls
2008, Evileye Records

Dianna Marie St. Hilaire grew up enduring a cycle of abuse and heartache, taking refuge in music by artists such as Tori Amos and The Cure. Learning piano and guitar and throwing herself into her own music as a therapeutic firewall, Ms. St. Hilaire transformed herself into Versailles, an artist comparable to child of a theoretical union between Jessica Riddle and Robert Smith. Dark, painful songs full of sad beauty are the order of the day on Versailles’ sophomore effort, Broken Dolls. In a side note, Versailles was the city where the end of hostilities was negotiated at the end of World War I. Whether intentional or not, it’s interesting that St. Hilaire would choose a name associated with the coming to terms for the career that sprouted from her process for making sense of her own travails.

Versailles deals in a brand of darkly melodic gothic rock that isn’t entirely classifiable. Her voice is gorgeous, full of a honey/amber timbre in the lower range and a sweet, breathy soprano on top. Her piano playing has a jangly, rhythmic feel to it; almost as if played by a small (but talented) child. And that’s the key, for whatever sophistication or pain comes through in the music; Versailles is an angry, scared little girl trying to make sense of a world that hurts. Taken as individual songs there is a lot to be excited about on Broken Dolls. Mars is the one track where Versailles really sounds like her influence Tori Amos, and this is probably one of the best songs on the disc. Believe is lush and full of a sorrowful sweetness. Broken Dolls is a little flat energy-wise but has gorgeous harmonies and a vibrant piano part that saves the song. Once is a gorgeous vocal performance that certifies how talented Versailles truly is as a performer. Even Wendy’s Razorblades, the sort of song that parent groups build “ban this song” campaigns around is a fun listen; it’s a unique juxtaposition of a Ben Folds style pop gem with lyrics about an impending suicide.

For all of that, the album taken as a whole is incredibly flat. The melody lines are simplistic without a lot of range, coming across with an almost flat affect fitting for the persona of Versailles, but becoming quasi-monotone over the course of the album. For me personally, I loved individual songs, and would enjoy Versailles in small doses, but this music is really written to appeal to teenage lost souls who in my generation gravitated to The Cure and The Smiths. Whether an honest divulgence of pathos or a brilliantly marketed bit of emotional necromancy, Versaille’s Broken Dolls should find solid footing with fans of The Cure, The Smiths or Tori Amos’ darker material. The pop sensibility and child-like sweetness of Versailles keep this stuff from getting too scary, although from a parent’s perspective I wouldn’t want my own kids listening to this. From a musical perspective it’s a great listen in small doses.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Versailles at http://www.versailles.ro/ or www.myspace.com/versailles. You can purchase a copy of Broken Dolls at www.cdbaby.com/cdversailles2.