Ripple Scribes Sing: featuring Deadweight and Cover of Afternoon

Now, before you get all snarky on me and start screaming nepotism or hanging chads or illegal voting machines in urban Pennsylvania, let me explain.  Yes, this is a column devoted to two of the bands of our wondrous Ripple scribes.  But this isn't about pumping them up or hyping them cause they happen to work at my beck and call.   In fact, their music is being reviewed completely independently of any Ripple association.  Let me explain.

I first discovered Deadweight earlier this year, before the boys had put an album together.  Ripple ran a joint promotion with ReverbNation to give exposure to some artists with Reverb profiles, and Deadweight was one of the bands that submitted.  Their killer cut, "Cosmic Lunch" was so much in my wheelhouse that I wrote the boys, skipped right over reviewing the music, and put their song on our The Ripple Effect Presents:Volume One - Head Music Sampler.  That sampler (which is still free, go get your copy right now!) was a huge hit with thousands upon thousands of plays, and Deadweight was one of the surprise hits off the album, turning the ears of such luminaries as Bill from Soda Shop.  It was only through interacting with the band that Headshot, the drummer, asked if he could come on board to write for us.  So music came first.  That's about as unbiased an intro as I can get.

Cover of Afternoon is the lofty lovechild of our learned educator on all things musically groovy, The Professor.  In this case, he did come to Ripple first as a writer, but included a link to his ReverbNation page.  One day in the middle of a Ripple meeting with Pope (who was rambling on and on about something Pope-ish) I hit the Reverb link.  As the music started, Pope shut his mouth immediately, his eyes widening.  "Who's this?   That's damn good."   I unveiled who COA were and Pope smiled, vowing to review the EP someday.  But I beat him to it.

So, unbiased reviews.  Just music that we dig.

Deadweight - The Red Sun God EP

I still can't hear "Cosmic Lunch" without getting excited.   After a brief cymbal intro, that guitar simply sears across the mix like a hot poker driving through a block of ice, steam belching in it's wake.  Hot and fiery, it introduced me to the fact that this band is the real deal.  But more than that, they back it up with a rocking and decidedly funky party of classic rock.  Coming from Oklahoma, these cats infuse their retro-seventies-fried sound with the earthiness of some of the best of the Midwestern classic bands, and come on like a souped up Allman Brothers, Head East, Black Oak Arkansas backyard stew.  You wanna throw some Blackfoot into the mix, go ahead.  Spice it with some Black Crowes, a touch of Clutch or Orange Goblin and let you palette run wild . 

"Lady" is an epic rocking ballad for the ages, one that a band like Black Oak would've taken to the bank. Gentle guitar picking over a nice organ sound lead us in gently, until that big guitar chord kicks in and launches us off into a soaring world of psychedelic blues rock.  The melody here is big, I mean arena-sized big, and this song would've brought the lighters out in full force during a big 70's rock festival -- alternating with huge dudes rocking out to air guitar.  Lead singer Seth Copeland reveals a classic, soulful voice, aged and perfectly weathered in the time tunnel of the Midwestern classic bands that preceded.  Dustin Ray (Headshot) on drums and Brandon Gibson keep the song tight through the rocking passages and the slower, blusier moments.   Meanwhile, Ryan McGowan and Bentley Smith tear it up on guitar, laying the foundation for what will be recognized as the classic Deadweight sound; combating layers of that searing guitar.  Perhaps the Black Crowes could've come up with a song like this in their prime, but I think not.  This is something better. 

I've already gushed about "Cosmic Lunch" so won't go on again.  But damn can that song light a fire!  Keep a copy handy for the the coming apocalypse and you can use it to rekindle the power plants.  Those guitars simple explode in swords of electric infernos.  "Stone Frog" is a heavy, stomping number, while "Silver" brings in an unexpected Doors-y vibe.  "Astro Cannibalism" attacks full front and in your face, tossing a more modern stoner a la Clutch guitar/vocal assault ito the mix while "Grannymead" wraps things up with another grooveriffic stoner fest with a beat that just won't stop.

Rocking from start to finish.  A touch modern stoner/groove rock with a solid background in the the heart of the country classic rock.  Psychedelic.  Stoner.  Whatever.  It simply rocks, baby.   Deadweight are still a new band, and it'll be fun to see which way their sound develops.  Personally, I hope they gravitate towards the more retro-psych end of their spectrum like "Lady" and "Cosmic Lunch" because that guitar sound is destined to become their signature calling card.

Get your copy at bandcamp. 


http://thebanddeadweight.bandcamp.com/album/the-red-sun-god-ep

Cover of Afternoon - S/T EP

As hard as it is to place a definitive label on Deadweight's brand of retro-fried seventies stoner rock, Cover of Afternoon is nigh impossible.  Combining elements of prog, post-hardcore, rock, metal, acoustic, and even some emo, there's just damn not enough adjectives to describe their unique brand of rock.  Other than to say . . . it rocks.

Searching, I think a band like Sound&Shape, who I've reviewed many times on Ripple would be about the best fit I can think of.  Punk enough at moments to be at home on a label like Engineer, this simply isn't punk music.  It's prog, in all the best senses of the word, and wouldn't sound uncomfortable jamming on stage with Ripple's own Fen.  But they ain't prog, not in the traditional sense anyways.  The band lists Thrice and Anberlin as influences.  Sure.

Acoustic-y, metal-y rock-y.  Yeah, that's what it is.  And it's all good.

Cover of Afternoon is a three piece that sounds a helluva lot bigger than that.  Ripple's own, Alex Roberts (the Professor) leads the crew on bass, guitar, piano and vocals. Allen Bishop also sings, plays bass and guitar and Reid Mewborne plays anything that you smash with fist or stick.

And let me tell you, when the boys get their groove on, it's something special.  I'm gonna preface this by saying I don't have a copy of the finished EP yet.  What I have are some early mixes of songs that I got off that original ReverbNation page, so things may sound different in final mixes.  But if these are just roughs . . . then Oh My God!

"Not Afraid" is about as near perfect a prog/emo/post-hardcore song can be.  Starting off with a few tentative yet melodic piano notes, at about the 30 second mark, the real beauty of the melody kicks in with a gorgeous piano passage growing to a full-on guitar-led prog rocker.  As the guitar chimes and rings, that stunning piano can still be heard in the background, layering on a veil of atmosphere that is undeniable.  After a moments break, the guitar kicks into a stuttering riff with the vocals lending a touch of neurosis.  It all builds to a cresendo of flying guitar and melodic chorus that stands right up there with something Steven Wilson may have come up with for Porcupine Tree.  At only 3:47, it's hard to call this song an epic, but it is.  It simply is.

"Drop Your Weapons" is a more recognizable post-hardcore/emo/prog stunt in the Sound&Shape vein, with killer melodies and ringing guitars, time changes, musical drop outs, and cool vocal hooks.  "Harlot" may be my favorite cut, a tragic, spiteful tale of brothers stabbing brothers and infidelity.  The pain of the betrayal hangs like a funeral pall over the delicate melody that explodes into moments of pure rage and release.  Stunningly gorgeous, evocative and melodic, until it's a disintegration of violence and hardcore cries for vengence.  Truly, a stunningly realized composition, that sums up every man's feelings after his bitch cheated on him "You both belong together/ the liar and the whore/I can't wait to see the thing that karma's got in store/for Judas and the Harlot /there's a special place in hell/for people just like you."  What a catharsis!

There's six songs here in total and not even the slightest let up in quality.  Big guitar riffs come out of left field, emotive vocals rip through moments of silence, sing-along harmonies lift melodic chorus to cherished heights.

Yeah, I don't know what to call it.

It's Cover of Afternoon and it's unlike any thing else I know.



http://www.reverbnation.com/coverofafternoon

Crosses ††† - EP ††

For those you living under a rock and have yet to hear about Crosses †††, go read my review for their first EP released last year. Go on...I'll be here when you get back. (Cicatriz makes a turkey sandwich). Oh back already? (swallows last bite of sandwich). Crosses †††, they're awesome, right? Why yes, that is Chino Moreno of the Deftones on vocals. What is that you say, you want more Crosses †††. Well you're in luck. On January 24th they released their second EP entitled EP ††. Yes it is as good as the last.

What can I say about Crosses ††† that I haven't already said? This side project consists crooner Chino Moreno of Deftones/Team Sleep fame and Shaun Lopez of Far. Chino's vocals sooth the soul track by track over atmospheric electronics,  amazing guitar riffs and funky bass lines.

The song "Fron†iers" starts things off. This is one of my favorite tracks off the album. Crosses ††† picks right up where they left of on EP †.
"from the haze in your chambers
to your legs on the stage
I'm consumed by your danger
i can lose my restraint yea
i can take you even further
Oh yeah I
I'll let you enter
from the stage we shoot our guns
then we sail off into the sun
while the cold world freezes on."

The final track on the album, "1987" ends hings nicely. Chalked full of distortion and drone style vocals. Short but sweet...well actually kind of depressing...but in a good way.
"In the waves a shoebox of ashes,
a silver casket,
a mother dressed for eternities breath."

All in all, I would say this was a good follow up to last year's Crosses ††† EP.  I can only hope they release a third before the end of the year.

-Cicatriz

Crosses ††† goes good with: Deftones, Team Sleep, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, Junius, Will Haven, Glassjaw, Far

Buy this album here: http://www.crossesmusic.com/

Shovel's Latest Finds - Treasures from the Underground, featuring Toad, Kaleidoscope, Six Dead Horses, Arbogast, and Enos

TOAD - Rotten Tide


A blistering set of short but very sweet heavy duty melodic tracks. Hard to put a label on this one but rest assured your ears will be happy. Shortly to be found supporting the mighty Graveyard, one to keep an eye on. Or an ear. Name your price @:


http://takeoveranddestroy.bandcamp.com/

Kaleidoscope - EP


Quality Australian Psych Stoner Rock. Very much in the classic desert sound, a DIY EP that will bring you back to the early days of K*uss. Great stuff, name your price @:


http://kaleidoscope1.bandcamp.com/album/kaleidoscope-ep

Six Dead Horses - Horn Tusk Antler


One of my favourite releases of recent years, the almighty behemoth that is Six Dead Horses. This record needs to be cranked to high heaven and the enormity of what is unfolding will only become apparent after a few listens. Please do yourself a favour and pick this one up. And its free @:

http://sixdeadhorses.bandcamp.com/

Arbogast – Arbogast


A trilogy of intense melodic songs which display fine dynamics, highly recommended. Loads of merchandise options but get down to the bottom of the page and you will find this gem for free. Name your price @:

http://arbogast.bandcamp.com/album/arbogast

Enos - Chapter 1


I recently saw these fine chaps supporting Wino and Premonition 13. I'm glad I did. Their first album, a space themed concept album is a great set of tracks which calls to mind noises from Pink Floyd to the aforementioned Wino. Free download @:

http://enosthechimp.bandcamp.com/


Doom on,


--Shovel

Conor Oberst- S/T

Prodigy.

That’s a hard word for many individuals to swallow and live up to, especially in the music industry. Recently I was hanging out with some writers and musicians when the topic of music came up in our conversation. During this time, we argued back and forth over our favorite music of the year for several hours. It was intense, but very entertaining to say the least. Luckily one good topic came up- Conor Oberst’s music.

For those not familiar with Conor Oberst, you are truly missing out. Over the past 15 years, Oberst has formed Bright Eyes, worked on side projects like the supergroup Monsters of Folk and has been a solo artist. Being compared to an icon and living legend like Bob Dylan is a hard thing to endure over one’s musical career, but somehow he has always embraced the moniker.

Connor Oberst is my generation’s “Dylan” and continues to make magnificent music. In February, Bright Eyes will be releasing their new album, “The People’s Key” and I decided to revisit one of my favorite solo albums of the past five years. I first started listening to Bright Eyes at the behest of one of my best friends. I was immediately intrigued by the lead singer and lyrics. From that moment on I have been an admirer of Conor Oberst’s work. Whether it’s Bright Eyes, solo projects, The Mystic Valley Band, Monsters of Folk, or guest collaborations, Conor Oberst has remained at the top of his game.

Recently I started listening to Oberst’s self-titled “debut” album, which came out after over a decade in the music business. It’s always interesting when a well-established artist releases an eponymous album because it usually leaves a bitter taste for certain fans. To be perfectly honest, it really doesn’t matter as long as the content is good. I have not been disappointed once by Oberst. Prior to its release, Conor  was named the top “Songwriter of 2008” by Rolling Stone. The album was produced and recorded in Tepoztlán, Mexico, with his new band dubbed the Mystic Valley Band. This soulful songwriter solidified his career with a very grownup album.

The album opens up with the infectious “Cape Canaveral” that is a throwback to late 1960s folk music. The gentle acoustic guitar strumming accompanied by Oberst’s sweet, soft voice catapults this song into tranquility. From the moment the song starts “Oh oh oh brother totem pole/ I saw your legends lined up/ And I never felt more natural/ A Part/ I just came apart,” Oberst has you hooked.

Camping never sounded so good with “Sausalito” and we finally hear the Mystic Valley Band in the background.  "Get-Well-Cards" feels and sounds like a Dylan song from the Blonde On Blonde-era. With perfect pacing and pitch, the melody pulls you in while the lyrics keep you entertained for 3 ½ minutes. Easily, one of the best songs on the album. The beautiful, bold political “Lenders in the Temple” has a nice subtle edge that is comforting in a disturbing way. I loved all the references to The Bible, Joan of Arc, Julius Caesar, and the government within the song. A well-composed song from an exceptional entertainer.

Although “Danny Callahan” is a good song, it seems out of place. Maybe it’s because it feels like a Neil Young song circa early 1970s or the fact it could be a bar band song instead of a Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen-like song. Still, it’s enjoyable. Luckily, it’s followed up by “I Don’t Want to Die (In the Hospital).” The song is a rockabilly/country rock song that feels like the lovechild of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Hank Williams. You can’t help, but sing along with this bluesy badass rockabilly song. It’s cheesy at times, yet infectious and irresistible.

As the album progresses, “Eagle On A Pole” illustrates Oberst’s maturity and shows he has grownup. If this is an inkling of what is to come I can hardly wait. Oberst gets better with age and seems destined for bigger, brighter things. My favorite song is “NYC- Gone, Gone,” which is a foot stomping, blood pumping beat that lasts over a minute. Filled with electric guitars and diligent drums, Oberst embraces his “On the Road” persona that makes you want to chant this song all day long.

Oberst is the combination of classic country rock, rockabilly, folk and great rock music. This is obvious in the Tom Petty-esque “Moab,” which is a wonderful and memorable song. “Moab” is arguably the best song on the entire album. Critics of Oberst will argue that he is trying too hard to be Dylan, Springsteen and other influential artists, but I wholeheartedly disagree. He is merely showing his influences and expressing his heart. Sure there are also echoes of Tom Waits and Paul Simon as well, but listeners will observe Oberst is more focused.

Skip the 49 second “Valle Místico (Ruben’s Song)" and instead listen to “Souled Out!!!” “Souled Out!!!” is a beautiful ballad fused with power pop and folk. The album closes with “Milk Thistle,” a good bookend to finish the album. Although an acoustic song about the grim realities of dying, “Milk Thistle” fits flawlessly with the overall theme of exploring our emotions. Yearning for more morbid music is absurd, but if it’s this provocative and poignant, please sign me up. Conor Oberst is an amazing artist worth discovering if you appreciate good music.

--Mr Brownstone

Buy here: Conor Oberst
Buy here Mp3: Conor Oberst

On the Ripple Desk – Featuring My Sleeping Karma, Boris Smile, Eastern Conference Champions and Floater

So much good music, so little time.  Let’s jump right into it then, shall we?

My Sleeping Karma – Tri

And there it was . . . Mt. Everest standing right before me.

It was 2006 that Mrs Racer and I took off, flew around the world and spent 3 weeks trekking across Tibet to Mt. Everest.  Standing at basecamp, at 20,000 feet, the glory of Everest’s summit before me, the majesty of Rombuk Monastery behind me . . .  it was a moment of pure magic.

I didn’t bring any music with me on that trip, but if I had, it would’ve been this new, mesmerizing album by Germany’s My Sleeping Karma.  A while back, I wrote about my love affair with their second album, and I’m happy to say, that Tri is every bit as trance-inducing, hypnotic, powerful, and dynamic as Satya was.  My Sleeping Karma don’t create soundscapes, they create sound universes.  Alternate dimensions of Krautrock beats, undulating, snaking guitars, swirling, miasmas of melody.  Each of these 9 instrumental tracks is capable of transporting me somewhere in place and time.  Some alternate reality, some imaginative dimension.  No one else has ever sounded like My Sleeping Karma, no else ever could.  This is psychedelic, space rock at it’s finest.

“Brahma” is playing right now, and in my mind’s eye I see Rombuk monastery, the monk’s walking the grounds, the mountain before me.  I feel the emptiness of being on the ceiling of the earth, the spiritual abandon of being this much closer to God.  My Sleeping Karma can take me there.  Just wait until you see where they can take you.

Buy here: Tri
Buy mp3: TRI

Boris Smile – Rockets EP

One of a long list of discs that’s been sitting way too long on my desk waiting for review.    Boris Smile, a collective of young musicians fronted by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Wesley Chung, bring a definite emo angle and modern twist to indy rock.  Chung’s disaffected vocals are strangely magnetic, drawing me into this release with his earnest passion and heart-felt searching for truth.

Using the Rocket as a theme, Boris Smile traverses a spectrum of moods from the introspective to the robust., perhaps never more moving than “Apollo” which seems to imagine an Apollo astronaut saying goodbye to his wife and children before launching off on a mission.  Delicate and touching, filled out with gentle strings and angelic harmony vocals, this song could just as easily translate to our current day soldiers leaving home for the unknowns of war.  Like a modern retelling of “Space Odessey” Apollo strikes the heart of real emotion.

But Rockets isn’t a one-song pony.  “Aurora” captivates with its loosely strung acoustic guitar and dreamy melody, while “Are We Alone,” sets the tone with the airiness of its spartan arrangement.  This is a sincere album of lo-fi, acoustic emo.  If you’re a fan of Pedro the Lion or Broken Social Scene, you should look deeply into Boris’s smile.

Buy here (mp3): Rockets EP
Buy vinyl: Smile [Vinyl]

Eastern Conference Champions – Santa Fe EP

I have to admit, it took me a little while to get into this twisted dab of dense folk drone, but once I got it, really got, I couldn’t get the damn thing outta my head.

Eastern Conference Champions are a trio who’ve already been kicking walls and knocking down doors, contributing songs to The Twilight Saga and appearing on “Last Call with Carson Daily.”  But don’t let those accomplishments put you off.  What we got here is hardly the commercial drabble you might associate with a film like Twilight.  ECC play a deceptively folky, alt-country drone rock that sounds unlike any I’ve ever heard.  Where a song like “Common Sense,” nearly flattens with it’s effects-heavy guitar riffing, Teutonic beat, and fuzzed bass, “Bloody Bells,” is just as deceptive with it’s twangy vocal and tinkering percussion.  “Sideways Walking,” finds a new beauty in its spartan melody while “On Off,” crashes against the shore with another layer of muted guitar. 

I guess the most reasonable place to look for inspiration here is Neil Young, because only he could effectively change up moods so quickly and effectively, rocking or folking out, while always sounding so distinctly like himself.  ECC do that as well, and they do it damn well.

Buy here: Santa Fe

Floater – Wake

Talk about a band with a sound all their own.  Floater take the muted heaviness of grunge, toss that into their witches brew pot, add in the musicianship of prog, some flourishes of psychedelic rock, spice it up with some pretty random time shifts, tribal percussion, and a singer who’s voice is achingly familiar (like a distant Michael Been of The Call).  Stir that whole concoction up, bring that massive wooden spoon up to your lips, and the potion that results is surprisingly tasty.  For those of you who like your rock a little unpredictable yet still familiar, progressive in scope but accessible in execution, heavy yet melodic, you just might find your own musical elixir here.

“Concrete” after it’s ambient, neo-Floyd intro bursts out as anthemic and full of bravado as much of the early Call material.  Even the chorus “Now I can only say/that I’m alive/I’m alive/I’m alive” sounds like something that would’ve burst off the lips of the recently departed Mr. Been. And trust me, that’s a good thing. The Call were always one of my favorite bands.  So take their passion and drive, meld that with some seriously prog-minded chops, toss in enough powerchords to light up a small nation and we’ve got a winner here.

“Cannonball,” follows suit, as does the rest of the album.  This is big, big music played with intent and sincerity.    Call it alt-prog, post-alt-grunge.  Whatever.  Call it good, and you’d be correct.

Buy here: Wake


--Racer

An Electrifying Edifice of Ebullient EP's Featuring Stone Axe, Moth Circus and Black Robot

Man, it seems that better and better music just keeps coming to us in the small packages.  Seems the EP might be just the perfect format sometimes, a quick burst of dynamite rock, then exit.  Clean, surgical.  Efficient.  Today's sampling of recent Ripple EP's leave it all right there on the table.  Check em out.

Stone Axe -  Extended Play

To call this 30 minute treat an EP almost seems to be an insult, a tiny dismissal of the worthiness of this project, and I'll ask you . . . nay, beg you . . . not to make that mistake.  Stone Axe came from out of nowhere last year and literally blew our collective Ripple minds with the intensity of their retro-blues rock.  Names like early Whitesnake, Free, Bad Company, amongst others just flew from our lips like so much spittle.  We were so excited we could barely form words.  Now, hot on the heels of that full-length debut, the ever restless genius that is Tony Reed comes raging back with a 7-song platter that truly pushes the boundaries of the EP format.

Featuring three hot-as-shit, brand spanking new studio cuts and amped up with 4 songs from the first album, recorded live at Rocket Records, this EP is a total feast of chuncky blues-rock beef, served up barbequed, fresh and steaming hot.  The three studio tracks pick up right where the album left off, digging back into that retro-Cov mine, to uncover some beauties.  "Ain't Gonna Miss it," is absolutely timeless blues rocking, adding a touch of the Black Crowes into its blustery swagger.  Immediately, it's clear that Tony Reed will never run out of riffs thick enough to hang your coat on, and that Dru Brinkerhoff's stunning vocal performance on the debut album was no fluke.  There he is again, just as soulful, just as whiskey-coated in his bluesy tone.  Beautiful.  "King of Everything," picks up the intensity and the crunch, rocking on like the '90's and nu metal had never happened (and many of us wish it hadn't!)  "Those Were the Golden Years," throws us a twist, with the mercurially talented Tony picking up lead vocals to go with playing every damn instrument on the track.  Damn, there seems to be nothing the cat can't do.  Give him a hammer, some nails, a stack of blueprints, and I bet he could come up with the Taj Mahal. 

Once you've had your taste of the new tracks, kick back and dig into the groove of the live cuts.  I'd heard from our Ripple brethren Woody, that Stone Axe can tear it apart live and these cuts leave no doubt.  "Black Widow," is dark and menacing, with Tony's guitar searing behind Dru's heated performance.  "Shine On," is a mini-revelation of modern blues rock, and the epic "Skylah Rae," is  . . well . . . epic, losing nothing in transition from studio album to live performance.    "There'd be Days," ends it with a Faces-esque romp, full of unbridled live energy.

Really, it's no secret, we worship just about everything T. Reed lays his hands on and this album is no exception.  If you dug the debut, don't even hesitate long enough to blink before you pick this up.  If you didn't catch the debut, but the thought of some gut-busting, raunchy and rocking blues-busters sounds enticing, Stone Axe is for you.

http://www.myspace.com/stoneaxe

Moth Circus - S/T

No, seriously, this one got me at "hello."  Or rather, it got me at the opening, massively distorted industrial synth that starts of this terrorizing blitzkrieg of Norwegian Industro-groove and roll.  Think some of the best moments of Rammstein irreversibly bonded to the rocking crunch of Metallica and you'll get a feeling for where these insane Norsemen are coming from.   Monstrously groove heavy, these riffs don't so much rock as they tremble.  The boys call their sound "Pamela Anderson masturbating at a freak show" and I won't argue.  Many people would pay good money for both!

Each track erupts off the disc with as much power as an exploding inferno.  Check out "Carousel" on the Myspace player, which is the first track on the EP I got.  Wait till the industro-distortion wears off, wait until the jackhammer drumbeat starts to kick in, then keep waiting. Wait as the feedback drenched guitar wail starts to sink down into that fucking mother of all industrial metal grooves.  Holy crap.  This song doesn't just get up and go, it bursts out of the stratosphere.  This is the way I like my metal.  Loud and mean and meaty riffy, but infinitely groovy with a bottom end that just makes me want to jump on my desk and do some dance so embarrassing my kids will want to run away from home.  The vocals are perfect also, gruff and gargled enough in the throat to be soaked in testosterone.  I'm not one for high-pitched wailers.  I like my vocals meaty also, like they're coming from a gut that's been partially digested in acid.  Oh yeah!

Moth Circus never let up all the way through the 4 tracks.  "Death Living", takes off with a tasty GnR like guitar intro before dropping down into one beast of a COC-inspired piece of industro-sludge.  And the guitars keep chugging, damn they keep on chugging!    "Stay Wrong" drops some seriously nasty distortion onto the guitars and bass without ever losing that omni-present groove.  "Dark Sunshine" throws everything for a loop with its flamboyant tribal percussion intro before bringing the rock on.

I don't know much about these cats.  Four guys from Norway.  They play mean-ass, groove-infested rock and roll  and they're tinged with a hint of pure metallic madness.  That's all I need to know.  I bought my ticket.  I've joined the Circus.

www.myspace.com/mothcircus

Black Robot - S/T

It might seem like a bad sign when a band starts off their debut EP with a cover version of a popular song, already made famous by someone else's cover version, but have no fear.  Black Robot's demolishing, AC/DC inspired retake of JJ Cale's "Cocaine," wasn't done for a lack of inspiration.  Rather, this destructive musical cyborg takes the framework of a song we all know and love and simply turn it on it's ears, instantly making it their own.   AC/DC inspired doesn't do justice to the sound here, it's JJ Cale as re-imagined through the minds of Angus Young and Bon Scott.  And the riffage just never ends.  This just may be one of the best cover songs of the year.

With a pedigree that includes band members who at one point or another were all members of Buckcherry, it shouldn't surprise you that we're gonna get some pretty fricking gritty rock and roll on this massive slab of classic-inspired rock.  Besides the obvious AC/DC adoration of the opener you'll find hints of the Black Crowes, Sabbath, the Who, some Zepplin and seemingly just about any other classic rock band that these guys tossed into their cuisinarte, hit the frape mode, then poured the broth all over their naked bodies.  "In My Car," fuses a purely modern rock riff and beat to a mid-section that just screams The Who.   "Love On a .45" drops in some Janes Addiction into the frenzy without missing a beat.  And the pace just keeps up, all the way to the "we're not the Stones," terror of "Dissatisfaction."

As I understand it, the robots have a full-length album out there now, with 13 killer cuts on Formosa Records.  If these 5 songs are any indication of what lies in store on that disc, I guarantee you that we'll be hearing much more of Black Robot in 2010 and beyond.

www.myspace.com/blackrobot

--Racer

Marc Robillard – Sophmore EP

Mixing drums, piano, acoustic guitars and strings,
And a bit of poetry and philosophy with emotion,
Marc Robillard’s sophomore EP brings
Well-crafted songs with folk roots devotion.

A bit of notoriety with “So Much More” for Frito Lay Sun Chips,
Has been followed with these six tracks.
Pay attention to the words so filled with angst and quips
The compositions will take you back.

His lyrics are bare,
“Settin’ suns and all the ones who reach for shooting stars
So close you’re almost there,
then you realize it’s so far.”

Robillard says he is influenced by Coldplay,
Travis, Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco and Damien Rice,
I can also heard Leonard Cohen, early Lou Reed and David Gray,  
Not hard, not rough, not nasty - quite nice.  

Canadian-born, but, now Los Angeles-based,
His sullen works express hopes and introspections.
I suggest you check out a taste,
A new musical experience beckons.

 - Old School

buy here:  So Much More

Satellite Crush – The EP

“Where, where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over,
And thought I found true love.
You met another and
Phht! you were gone.”

 – Buck Owens

Elliot Craig left for London to form a band and write music. He left the girl he loved in the States. Craig was lonely in the U.K. and hardly scraping by.  He wrote songs to his U.S. love and sent them to her. But, alas, she didn’t stay in touch and ultimately, she was gone.

With a compendium of unrequited love songs Craig started playing open mic nights around London and formed  a small band that, as small bands do, didn’t get along well due to divergent work (and other) habits.  He returned to the States, to L.A., and formed a band, Satellite Crush, which was partially named after Craig’s lost love. The band based its material on the forlorn songs Craig wrote while in London.

Recently, Satellite Crush released a downloadable EP that consists of five of Craig’s London songs – “Lovesick Soul,” “Paris To London,” “Should Have Been Killed In The ‘60’s,” “Strictly Platonic,” and “Jealousy.” While the lyrics (at least the ones I could hear) are the bread and butter of country music (I couldn’t help thinking  that, if the songs were played backward, the girl would come back and the dog would rise from the dead) the instrumentation is astonishing.  It is as if Tom Petty, The Cure and Bono had a ménage à trios and Satellite Crush was the offspring.

Each song is permeated with Craig’s angst-ridden voice, swelling acoustic and electric guitars encased in reverb, airy background vocals, steadfast drums, and balanced bass. Unlike the lyrics, there is no “country” in the music, unless that country is Great Britain.  The “Britpop” influence comes through in the “wall of sound” engineering of the stereo.  Each song is an anthem. Think of it as “Britpop” meets “emo,” but in a pleasing commercial package.  

The concept is promising and this is a band to watch.  I expect Craig’s lyrics will get better now that he has met another love and has delved into the raucous L.A. music scene.

- -Old School 


Satellite Crush on MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/satellitecrushmusic