Indie Rock
Watch: Sleeping With Sirens – “Alone”
Stream: Nations Afire – “Pick Up the Pieces”
“Pick Up The Pieces is a song written about the domestic violence in our communities, in our neighborhood, in our homes,” says Nik Hill in Artist Direct’s press release. “It is an isolating experience and the lyrics are meant to empower and shine a light on this issue, to prove that we cannot be broken by these things, by our pasts and more importantly to say something now, help each other get out of these violent surroundings. Turning victims into heroes, and giving voices to those too afraid to speak up.”
The album is scheduled for release on July 2nd via the Hermosa Beach indie label Hardline Entertainment and is available for pre-order here. Pre-ordering the album enrolls you in a special raffle event, hosted by the band, in which one lucky winner will receive a custom Nations Afire guitar in their “Pre-Sale Contest.” Be sure not to miss I Am An Army, Nine Lives, and the title track The Ghosts We Will Become, three songs previously released that are also part of their impending full-length. Also be sure subscribe to their Twitter, Instagram, Myspace, and Youtube channel!
Review: The Front Bottoms – “Talon Of The Hawk”
The Front Bottoms – Talon Of The Hawk
Released: May 21, 2013
Label: Bar/None Records
Purchase: Vinyl | Casette [Sold Out] | Digital | CD
The Front Bottoms’ sophomore album Talon of the Hawk integrates the addition of two new members, Tom Warren (bass), and Ciaran O’Donnel (keys/trumpet/guitar) to play alongside Brian Sella (vocals/guitar), and Matt Uychich (drums). The album gives off a more band orientated sound, instead of simply a two piece bouncing off of each other’s energy. However, Sella’s familiar stream of consciousness implicit lyrics are very much so still present, alongside Uychich’s punchy drumming.
The first track from the release Au Revoir (Adios), is the most similar sound-wise to their self-titled and provides a nice transition to the fuller band sound which kicks off near the end of the song. Twin Size Mattress encompasses everything about The Front Bottoms; the repetition of a familiar melody throughout, and figurative lyricis. Sella loudly singing, almost yelling, “I want to contribute to the chaos, I don’t want to watch and then complain, because I am through with finding blame; that is a decision that I have made” enforce the sentimental connection that is almost guaranteed with each song. The track, Santa Monica incorporates the use of trumpet and synth melodies, and is reminiscent of their earlier song, Father as Sella promises”to be stronger than your Dad was for your Mom.” Funny You Should Ask, a personal favorite, is one of The Front Bottoms’ distinct obscure love songs, that provides an esoteric view of relationships. The lyrics, “Honey, you got to learn that love is simple, just like mud, if you play the dirt, and I’ll play the water, all we got to do is touch” leading to the refrain, “Because I was young and I thought I didn’t have to care about anything, but I’m older now and know that I should” provide a sense of realism differentiating the band’s style to others. Backflip, a fast paced anthem of regretting tattoos, good vibes and Sella’s familiar breathing techniques, shows the progression of the band sonically despite sticking to similar thematic ideas.
Talon of the Hawk may not have as many standout tracks as the self-titled, but in hindsight the bar was set so high that it would have been almost impossible to create two perfect albums in a row. This being said, due to the immense talent of the band this album does stand testament to their ability to continue to create captivating songs that will be adored by fans. After spending the last two years touring, (shown in their recently released music video for Twin Size Mattress) The Front Bottoms will begin their journey of touring again starting June 1st with a national tour. You can purchase tickets for the tour here and stream the album in its entirety via Noisey.
Standout Tracks: “Twin Size Mattress”, “Funny You Should Ask”, “Backflip”
8.5
“I just want this to mean something to anyone even if they don’t know who I am.”
Track listing:
01. Au Revoir (Adios)
02. Skeleton
03. Swear To God The Devil Made Me Do It
04. Twin Size Mattress
05. Peach
06. Santa Monica
07. The Feud
08. Funny You Should Ask
09. Tattooed Tears
10. Lone Star
11. Back Flip
12. Everything I Own
Listen: The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die – “Whenever, If Ever”
Interview: The Maine
Hi there! First off, can you introduce yourself and tell us your role in the band?
Hi, my name is Pat and I play drums in The Maine.
So, Forever Halloween is set to drop on the 4th. Is there anything on the record that you think will surprise fans? How do you think Forever Halloween compares to your previous releases?
I think the album has more of a human feel than any other album we have done in the past. You can feel the energy and the connection between five people playing in a room together. I would say that is the biggest difference between our past albums; this time we learned about a different way of recording that will change the way we do things from now on.
What’re some of the lyrical themes behind the album?
That is probably a better questions for John [O’Callaghan, singer], and I do not want to speak on his behalf. But to me, what I love most about John’s writing on this album is that it comes from a very personal place. Some songs are written in a more straight-forward way, where you can really tell that it is a story that happened, which I really enjoy.
Regarding the music, what are some things you guys experimented with?
We experimented with a bunch of different sounds on this album as far as guitar/drums/ and bass tones go. I think sonically there is more of a mood than anything we have ever recorded and I think that is because of some of the tones we used. We ended up making a pretty straight forward rock album and just did what we do best, which is drums, bass, two guitars, vocals, and maybe a little bit of piano here and there. I think we made a recorded that is pretty rounded, which I am really proud of.
What was the songwriting process like for this album? Has it differed from how you’ve written previous albums?
It was kind of the same way we have gone about the past albums besides maybe Black and White but John usually comes in with an idea for a song, we get in a room and work it out as The Maine. It is pretty simple and we just do what works for us, we all add in our own flavor on top of what is really John’s vision for a song.
What would you say were your biggest inspirations when writing this album?
Our musical tastes are always growing and changing so I do not think we could really pin point any specific artists but just rock music in general was an inspiration. Listening to albums that are not recorded to be perfect but to have a feel and a vibe, that is what we took inspiration from.
You recorded Forever Halloween on analog tape instead of digitally, what was that experience like and what brought about that decision?
It was an amazing experience, it brought us back to how it felt to record the first album in the sense that we didn’t know how the recording process worked and did not understand how things were go to go down. That is a really scary thing but it is exciting and brings something different out of you. You just kind of have to let go a little which lets you make more on the spot decisions. For me I have become so comfortable with how modern digital recording works that there isn’t any fear or worry about how the process will unfold. With recording this album live it was like starting over and learning a whole new craft which is really exciting and thats when the best stuff happens.
Do you have any personal favorites off of the new record? Can you tell us a bit about them?
I change my mind on this question each time I am asked it but right now I am going to go with a song called Blood Red this song goes from being a mess to all coming together and then does that all over again. It has tons of ups and downs and a lot of what we used on the song was kind of done in anger/a joke after a late night and it captured a mood that we could not have forced. I am very excited for people to hear thats song!
You guys has come a long way from Stay Up, Get Down, how do you feel your band has progressed and evolved since your formation?
The word I would use would consistent, we have continued to evolve with each year and each release. It has just been slow and steady and it all just goes along with we are getting older along with our fans.
On separate note, what are some bands/artists that you’re currently listening to?
I have been listening to a lot of Weatherbox, Pavement, The Replacements.
You’re set to embark on tour with Brighten, A Rocket To The Moon and This Century this summer. What’re somethings you’re excited for about it?
Everything!! We will be with our best friends and playing some new music along with old music. It is going to be a great time.
Since we’re on the topic of tours, can you share a tour story with us?
A few months ago we were driving through Texas and a car coming the other way on the freeway flipped over into our lane and kid flew out of the back of the car. The kid landed on his feet and didn’t have a scratch on his body. We were able to stop in time and did not hit the car but we all got out of the van to help the people in the car and John was kind of shaken up by seeing the car flip over and the kid fly out that he passed out. It was a pretty crazy day to say the least.
That is insane. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us! Any last words?
Thank you!! Very excited for people to hear Forever Halloween on June 4th.
You can pre-order Forever Halloween from The Maine’s website, and download their new track Love and Drugs by clicking here.
Ketch Harbour Wolves Release “Queen City: Volume One”
The album was recorded entirely over the winter of 2013 and was mixed by Laurence Currie at Sunnyside Studio (Wintersleep, Hey Rosetta, In-Flight Safety) and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel (Broken Social Scene, Hayden, The National).
Here’s what the band had to say about the album, “The content of the Queen City albums attempt to create a map of songs for Toronto arising out of specific sites within the city (Leslie Spit, Prince Edward Viaduct, Toronto Dominion Centre), weaving together history, mythology, and personal reflection into a dream-like cinematic narrative.
The title of the album refers to one of several monikers that Toronto has gone by since its foundation in the early 19th century. And yet the city shares this title with many other places throughout North America making it general and specific at the same time. Toronto serves as a backdrop for universal human emotions (love, death and longing) and Queen City: Volume One is a reminder that each of us has similar dreams and desires, no matter the location.”
The album is available stream from their website, Bandcamp and SoundCloud. For more information about the band be sure to check out their Facebook, and Twitter.
Tracklisting:
1. Pulled from the Wreckage
2. The Good Blood
3. Signs Were Everywhere
4. Should Have Learned
5. The Angelus
6. Through a Glass Darkly
7. 1992
8. The Beginning
Watch: Air Marshal Landing – “Little Town”
Air Marshal Landing’s debut record You Used To Be Me is set to be released on the 4th of June. In preparation for the release, the track Little Town is available to download on a “Name Your Price” basis from their Bandcamp page, alongside a music video which you can watch below. The video was directed by Michael Schmidt and includes, “one of us dressed in drag, one of us twirling an evil moustache, and one of us failing to be a hero.” Little Town, an indie number, contains a mention to Death Cab For Cutie’s Summer Skin alongside incorporating the surprising use of a melodica at the beginning. The electric guitar riffs accompanied by synchronised percussion give off The Strokes vibes and make you want to “dance back to where you came from!”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7At526aLco]Listen: Way Yes – “Tog Pebbles”
MP3: Way Yes – “Macando”
Tracklisting:
01. Colerain
02. Money Field
03. Don’t Give Up
04. Macando
05. Get Healed
06. Rhythm of the Ants
07. Blood Line
08. Tog Pebbles
09. Piranha
10. Holy Drop
Donate: Tristâme – “Common Ground”
“In a crisis that has left 70,000 plus dead, countless more injured and over one million refugees fighting to stay alive, it is imperative to find a common ground and to gather all efforts to decrease the level of suffering.”
The New York Based, Syrian born, singer-songwriter Rami under the moniker of Tristâme, has released a four-song charity EP titled Common Ground. His hopes are to inspire others to take notice of the civil war that still grips his homeland, Syria. The genre of Common Ground is alternative atmospheric rock and was co-produced, recorded, and mixed by Jonathan Jetter at Right Angle Recording in New York.
In Rami’s own words about the release, “Suddenly music became a refuge from all sense of powerlessness and helplessness that I and many Syrian friends have felt. It became a gateway from all the negativity in the news and provided an opportunity to channel my energy into something positive – a cathartic experience that in the end would provide help to fellow Syrians in need.”
Common Ground is available to stream below and can be purchased from CD Baby or iTunes with all proceeds from the sales going towards organisations helping Syrian refugees. For more information check out Tristâme’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Listen: Song Dogs – “Wild Country”
“The album searches for the lost “wild country”: a land that, like all wild things, is both beautiful and dangerous.”
With harmonica stylings and overdrive distortion hooks the songs are reminiscent of the rock and roll giants like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. The album was produced by Bill Moriarty (Dr. Dog) at Waking Studios in Philadelphia and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys) at Magic Garden Mastering. You can stream and download the album from their Bandcamp Page and for more information you can go to their Facebook Page and website. Tell us what you think in the comments below!
Connect