Archive for June, 2011
Stream The Wonder Years’ Record Release Show
You can watch The Wonder Years‘ release show for their new album Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing live below, courtesy of Hopeless Records. If you like what you see, be sure to order a copy of the album here.
Review: Balance and Composure – Separation
Balance and Composure – Separation
Released: May 10, 2011
Label: No Sleep Records
Purchase: iTunes | Insound | Amazon
Fans of Balance and Composure have been eagerly awaiting a full length release for quite some time now. After releasing two mature EPs and arguably the better side of a split with Tigers Jaw over the last three years, Balance and Composure finally appeased fans with news of Separation, comprised of twelve tracks.
Upon first listen, however, it’s quite possible avid followers of Balance and Composure will be disappointed. Moving towards a more streamlined sound definitely contributed to a loss of “oomph” and raw emotion from the band’s music. However, this more concentrated approach does give Separation a sense of cohesiveness and focus, attributes vital to a successful album.
Separation excels most on songs where Balance and Composure’s 90’s influences are the most apparent. “Stonehands” delivers in this aspect, showcasing both emo and grunge influences, though vocalist Jon Simmons tends to sing a bit nasally especially on words with “long e” vowels. A better culmination of 90’s style and Simmons’ vocal performance is the title track. On the chorus, Simmons utilizes his perfected “sing scream”, a gritty yell, but with definitive pitch. It’s a technique Jesse Lacey of Brand New and Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra also use, though Simmons’ style feels more passionate.
As a whole, though, Separation seems like more of a turn towards alternative rock. While Balance and Composure do perform this genre with ease and more than competently (take the southern rock vibe of “Galena” or grit and angst of “I Tore You Apart In My Head” for instance), at times the record leans toward typicality, most notably on “Void”, an unfortunate pick for an album opener.
The loss of emotional immediacy might be due in part to the album’s generally flat production. Producer Brian McTernan’s past work has been inconsistent, dipping especially on Emarosa‘s latest self-titled release. WhileSeparation is definitely an improvement for McTernan, the drums sound tinny and lack tone and it’s nearly impossible to tell the band has three guitarists. The production just doesn’t feel as dynamic or raw as a band like Balance and Composure, one who thrives on straddling the crossroads of technicality and passion, needs to fully excel.
However, after multiple listens, Balance and Composure’s passion permeates McTernan’s iffy producing job. Tracks like album standout “Patience” exude intense feeling in the music. Balance and Composure mean every lyric, every guitar strum, every bass line, and every snare hit. Though perhaps Separation only fully demonstrates this with the listener’s patience (yes, I went there), the album isn’t a regression from past work. Balance and Composure is still miles ahead of most other bands operating in their genre. The reason?
Authenticity.
7.7
Standout Tracks: “Patience”, “Galena”, and “I Tore You Apart In My Head”
Interview: Balance and Composure
Balance and Composure vocalist/guitarist Jon Simmons took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions. Having recently released Separation through No Sleep Records, the band is beginning to become very well known in the current music scene. Simmons talked about the response to the new record, upcoming tour plans, and the bands he supports. Check out the full interview below.
Jon Simmons – Vocals/guitar
Andy Slaymaker – Guitar/vocals
Erik Petersen – Lead guitar
Matt Warner – Bass
Bailey Van Ellis – Drums
LitS: You guys just released your first full length, Separation, on May 10. What has the fans’ response been like so far?
The fans’ response has been unreal so far. We couldn’t be happier with the reaction or the fact that our fans are so supportive by telling other people about the record. It is rare that I post about certain records people should check out, so the fact that so many fans have posted or spread the word about it is amazing to me. We feel pretty lucky to have such great supporters.
LitS: What was the recording experience like for you guys? Was it at all stressful?
Recording will always be stressful no matter what, but this was our easiest experience in the studio. We got to do what we always dreamed of doing, which was having a lot of time to experiment and record. We worked with Brian McTernan, and he really helped us grow as a band and as songwriters. We couldn’t have asked for a better producer for our first full length. (more…)
Red Hot Chili Peppers Reveal Tracklist to ‘I’m With You’
On August 30, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will release their 10th studio album, I’m With You, via Warner Bros. Records. Today, the band released the album’s 14-song tracklist, which you can see below. The album’s lead single and seventh track, “The Adventures of Raindance Maggie”, is set to premiere on July 18th.
I’m With You Tracklist:
01. Monarchy of Roses
02. Factory of Faith
03. Brendan’s Death Song
04. Ethiopia
05. Annie Wants a Baby
06. Look Around
07. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
08. Did I Let You Know
09. Goodbye Hooray
10. Happiness Loves Company
11. Police Station
12. Even You Brutus?
13. Meet Me at the Corner
14. Dance, Dance, Dance
Watch: Mellowhype – “64”
The Odd Future group Mellowhype, composed of rapper Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain, have released their first ever music video, set to the previously unreleased “64”. Last year, the duo released their sophomore full length BlackenedWhite on their Tumblr, which will now be rereleased physically by Fat Possum on July 12th. The new reissue is revamped with new artwork and new songs, one of which is the aforementioned “64”. Check out the new tracklisting and the music video below.
Tracklisting:
01 Primo
02 Gunsounds
03 Brain (feat. Domo Genesis)
04 64
05 Loaded (feat. Mike G)
06 Deaddeputy
07 Right Here
08 Igotagun
09 Fuck The Police (feat. Tyler, The Creator)
10 Rico (feat. Frank Ocean)
11 Circus
New ZAK! Track
A couple of months ago we interviewed ZAK! after the release of his mixtape, Stuck to the Sidewalk. You can read the interview here. He recently has released a new track to kickstart the summer. “Toast” is a remix by ZAK! over the dubstep song, “Gold Dust” by DJ Fresh. You can listen to the track below and download if you like what you hear.
The Wonder Years Album Stream
The Wonder Years have released a stream of their new highly anticipated album, Suburbia I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing, which will be released on June 14 on Hopeless Records. You can listen to the stream and pre-order the album on their website here.
The band will be performing a hometown CD release show at the Starlight Ballroom in Philadelphia on June 14th with Fireworks, Mixtapes, and Hostage Calm. This album is highly recommended for pop-punk lovers because it’s one of the best pop-punk albums I’ve heard in a long time.
The Starting Line Announces “Break” Is Over
Since taking a break in 2008 to focus on separate projects, The Starting Line have been engaging in much activity in recent time, hinting that the band may be back together, and even possibly working on a new album. They have announced a few playing dates with All Time Low for their, “Gimme Summer Ya’ Love” tour, which will be played with other bands such as Cartel, Mayday Parade, and a few others. The official statement from Matt Watts, lead guitarist, is below:
“I just happened to read all the tweets and postings about everyone’s excitement about the TSL “break” being over. First off, I’d like to thank everyone for the excitement and enthusiasm, it really means a lot! It wasn’t intended to sound like an official announcement that the break is over, we all felt like it was over once we started playing shows again, but I guess hadn’t publicly acknowledged so.
So to address it:
As you’ve probably noticed, TSL has become slightly more active, and we even have a few new songs in the works. The main reason behind the break was to take some time and evaluate things, touring for 8+ years got really exhausting and we all needed to take a step away to see if TSL was something that we all still loved and wanted to pursue. After taking a much needed break, we’re all at a point where we truly love and appreciate what we were able to do together, and genuinely miss playing shows, writing, and being around one another.
Playing shows with the band, and even just getting together to hang out has been more fun than ever, everything is feeling great and natural, and seems as exciting as when we first started out. There’s just an undeniable chemistry and energy present that seemed to be lacking near the end of things.
That being said, we’re playing more shows and writing new music, but there’s no specific timeline that we’re on, nor do we have any real plans (as of right now), to be touring full time. That doesn’t mean that we won’t be playing shows in your city/town, it just means that we probably won’t be taking a traditional approach to touring and being an active band. All of us have various things and commitments happening in our lives that aren’t really conducive to year round touring. However, we do plan on playing shows more frequently and (slowly) working on a new album at some point. We’re also trying to figure out a way to get to some of the cities that we haven’t played since we went on “break” (talking to all of you on the West Coast).
We’ll keep you guys updated on any new developments!”
Stream Bon Iver’s ‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver’
Bon Iver‘s breathtaking new album Bon Iver, Bon Iver won’t be officially released by Jagjaguwar until June 21, but you can listen to the album in its entirety now on NPR. The follow up to 2007’s For Emma, Forever Ago, which was universally lauded by critics and fans, Bon Iver, Bon Iver offers the same emotion from singer-songwriter Justin Vernon, but trades For Emma‘s rawness for a more complete and vivid feel. Instead of the wintery atmosphere of For Emma, Justin’s latest effort is more fit for a warm summer’s night, perfect for the upcoming summer months.
Be sure to give the album a listen and to purchase it when it is released on June 21.
New: Domo Genesis – “Boss’ Life”
Odd Future‘s Domo Genesis took to his Twitter page last night to release a brand new track entitled “Boss’ Life”. Domo raps for a minute and 45 seconds over Snoop Dogg‘s original “Boss’ Life”, produced by Dr. Dre. The original can be found on Snoop’s 2006 release The Blue Carpet Treatment and features the late Nate Dogg, who provided the hook. RIP.
According to Domo, he recorded his verse over the song last night and then two hours later, decided to drop the track for his followers. The result? A chill track from Odd Future’s most laid back rapper. Look out for his new mixtape, the follow up to 2010’s Rolling Papers, which should be released sometime this year.
Stream the song or download it below.
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