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Due to overwhelming volume, OpeningBands.com regrets that is not accepting CD admissions at this time.
| by iris lee (Isis763) / jessica cochran (lemmingcontrol) | |
1.There Only Is
2.Stay Home
3.Opiate Summer
4.Seconds Away
5.Shatterday
6.Accident Sex
7.Caught You Like A Cold
8.Suicide Party
9.Lipstick Tourniquets
10.Ambulance Chaser
11.Por Vida
12.P.S. Love The Black
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Band: Vendetta Red
CD: Between the Never and the Now |
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Review #1 - Jessica Cochran
Vendetta Red's new album, Between the Never and the Now, is their third full-length release, and it shows in the quality and maturity of this CD.
Musically it is a mix between alternative rock and melodic hardcore. The guitars are heavy most of the time, with a good mix of drums and bass. There is also keyboard on several of the slower songs. The vocals on this album contain a lot of harmonizing and some screaming. The lead singer's voice is very good and powerful, with a fairly wide range. The screaming is decent, but nothing really different from what is already out there. The lyrics have a lot of originality in them. They are relatively complex, often using big words, "in fiscal flight from the ravenous cavernous orifice asphyxiated form" which seem a bit unnecessary, but it fits in with the feel of the songs.
Vendetta Red is currently getting some attention from the mainstream, their single "Shatterday" is currently being played on radio stations. Between the Never and the Now is a good album, if you like bands like Thursday, you will probably like it. Even if you don't like bands that sound like Thursday, you might want to check out some mp3s at www.vendettared.com.
Review #2 - Iris Lee
Vendetta Red is a quintet originating from Seattle, WA. Their album released in 2002, Between the Never and the Now, is definitely not a letdown to old fans. They can best be described as melodic screamo mixed with laid back alternative tunes.
Lead singer, Zach Davidson, has a very catchy voice. It is obvious that he knows the limits of his voice and uses it wonderfully. He ranges anywhere from light falsetto to very emotional singing to basic screamo screeching, but he does it all well. One downfall of his voice is that, at times, it sounds somewhat nasally. However, it works well the band. The music is incredibly catchy and filled with creative hooks and layered guitars.
The band is also impressive lyrically and it leaves you with a vivid image lingering in your mind. One interesting song is "Stay Home," where Davidson sings "Revenge is mine saithe the lord and you only hit me when you're bored. Storybooks and happy endings bite your lip in fear. Pray the next blow kills you so you won't have to be here." In "There Only Is" he sings "Reminiscent screams like womb dreams, from riddling yourself of your own existence. The Pendulum sways like an empty noose, still your thoughts compress and you weep and sigh inside."
As a whole, Vendetta Red's newest album is quite good if you're not tired of screamo. They are currently on tour with Dashboard Confessional, Brand New, and MxPx... which is a fairly eclectic show. They put on a pretty energetic show; I'd recommend checking them out live or picking up their album.
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| by natasha carter (twztedangel) / paul wagner (Wags34) | |
1. Caught in the Rain
2. Your Will
3. Spin
4. Straight Jacket Labels
5. Living Rooms
6. Reuse
7. City Beneath
8. Everything After
9. Places for Breathing
10. Look Right Through Me
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Band: Revis
CD: Places for Breathing |
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Review #1 - Natasha Carter
If you take Nickelback and Creed and mix them together you would get the Carbondale based band Revis. The bands debut album Places for Breathing seems to echo the music industry's willingness to once again capitalize on what's already been done. Places for Breathing does however have its high points. Lyrically this album is driven by pure emotion. Anyone who has ever lost their direction in life and gotten to the point where they feel that there is no way out would find solace in this album. The title track probably offers the best insight into the depths of what Revis has to offer. "Look around you. Do you see what you've got? With something so beautiful. Afraid it would drop into a thousand regrets."
Revis has a classic rock edge with some short, but amazing riffs on The Living Room and Your Wall, which is complemented nicely by the melodic and vulnerable Reuse. While each song differs from the next they all seem to be fit for radio airplay. After awhile you get the impression that Revis is following the hit-making process instead of the artistic one. Probably Revis' biggest down fall is that Justin Holman's voice sounds about the same on every track. His range really doesn't differ at all except on his attempt to reach a weak falsetto voice in Places For Breathing. His gruff voice with its narrow range over powers any diversity most of the songs once had.
Despite the blending of songs, Places For Breathing is actually a descent c.d. to listen to if taken in moderation. Revis has definite potential to become a big name band if they add some variety into their line-up. All in all the album isn't a bad try for a band that played their first gig about three years ago and I look forward to see what they've got in store for us next.
Review #2 - Paul Wagner
With this album we wanted to celebrate how a good song can take you away from everything," says Robert Davis, guitarist for Revis, the rock band hailing from Carbondale, IL whose new album "Places for Breathing" delivers on his hope. "Places for Breathing" is a solid album that can easily become a regular in one's music collection with its intimate lyrics and strong lyrics. The first single off the disc entitled "Caught in the Rain" offers a glimpse into the intricacies of this album.
Lyrically this album shows a maturing band trying to find their own in an industry where poets meet rockers, and "Places for Breathing" clearly shows that Revis is up to the task. "Seven" shows the band's talent, giving the listener deep lyrics, building music, and strong vocals by Justin Holman. The only song on the album lacking the band's usual quality is "Spin." The lyrics sound forced and awkward in this song, but the rest of the album flows well.
Revis sounds like a mix between Nickelback and Creed, but is basically your run of the mill rock band trying to identify themselves with lyrics that reach their audience. Nathaniel Cox on guitar, Bob Theimann on bass, and David Piribauer fill in the remaining spots for the band, but fail to put together anything terribly good.
This is definitely an album to pick up if you are a fan of rock music, meaningful lyrics, strong guitar, and gritty drum beats. Revis is a band that shows clear talent, lyrically, musically, and vocally.
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| by yejoon koh (yejoon) / todd hunter (todd) | |
1. When I See You
2. It Ain't the Money
3. She Ain't Right for You
4. Things That Made Me Change
5. Come Together
6. She Don't Write Songs About You
7. Jesus for a Day
8. My Fondest Childhood Memories
9. Happiness
10. Speechless
11. Screamin'
12. Every Now and Then
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Band: Macy Gray
CD: The Trouble with Being Myself |
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Review #1 - Todd Hunter
With a vocal style and delivery more passionate than those of her major-label contemporaries, Macy Gray channels the spirit of 1970s soul on her third album. Funky and fun-loving, The Trouble with Being Myself only twice betrays this legacy. The result is uneven, yet unexpectedly celebratory.
First single "When I See You" is characteristic: a casual come-on with beat and sass to spare. "Come Together" and "Speechless" follow in this tradition with more reserve. "She Don't Write Songs About You" is self-indulgent, even silly, yet pleasantly recalls the 1980 theme song to The Bloodhound Gang.
Two tracks are stellar. Second single "She Ain't Right for You" sounds like a latter-day treasure from the Motown vault, with a lush arrangement and a heartfelt ad-lib before the big finish. Anyone who can get past the torturous grammar ought to enjoy it. The other standout is "My Fondest Childhood Memories," a loopy tale of interventionist ingenuity. Sample lyric: "She wasn't a friend, so I killed her (and I don't feel bad about it)."
The album suffers only when someone upstages Gray. Intrinsically weak with mechanical, monotonous sound effects, "It Ain't the Money" worsens with a trite guest rap by Pharoahe Monch. The result resembles a throwaway remix.
Irrespective of her rasp, Gray can capture emotion as no other, and at the same time tell a pretty good story. The Trouble with Being Myself is a fine extension of her repertoire. As such, it deserves to sell better than The Id.
Review #2 - Yejoon Koh
Remember Macy Gray? She's back! In pog form! Well, technically it's a CD, but it's probably more useful as a pog. After years of inactivity, Macy Gray has returned with a third album that will probably go unnoticed. Not because the album is particularly bad (but it's certainly not good), but like Sisqó she has lost all relevance to current music.
At this point in her career, it seems that she is just finishing out her contract with the record companies, rather than trying to make any sort of real comeback. Take "It Ain't the Money" for example. Here is a political song with an anti-corporate anti-monopoly attitude to it spouting off about every "Damn the Man!" cliché possible. Someone is forgetting that she works for Sony Music and wouldn't have so much as a hit song if it weren't for corporations. Then there's "My Fondest Childhood Memories," where she recalls killing her babysitter for having sex with her dad, and killing the plumber for "plunging my mother." Not quite the Macy Gray we all grew to be annoyed with, and not in a good way.
With artists like the Neptunes, Beyonce Knowles, and Justin Timberlake dominating the current Top 40 charts, Macy Gray will probably not be breaking into mainstream radio again. Her songs show signs of soul and funk at times, but not enough to compete with the heavyweights. Steer clear of this one and help her career end quietly without spectacle.
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| by mike heiber (TheUglyOrganist) / chris earnhart (Pocket) | |
1. New Original
2. Digsy's Diner
3. Skirt Sniffin'
4. Sharon Woods
5. Garage Sale
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Band: Sick Day
CD: Garage Sale |
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Review #1 - Chris Earnhart
I've heard a few things from others about Sick Day, one being that they sound like a mix between Oasis and Green Day. At first, this seems like an odd comparison, but certain basic elements from both can be found in the music.
The songs on Garage Sale do progress in a very punk fashion, but by no means would I call the band punk. And there are some heavy Oasis influences in vocals and a few other areas in the band, but I, again, wouldn't draw a heavy comparison between the two bands.
Sick Day's musicianship is great. This is one of the few independent albums where I think the vocals were recorded really well. Adam Wolf has an strong, bold, sometimes growling voice that sets the tone over the music. They have the ability to put out great rock that has its own sound.
Songs like "Digsy's Diner" and "Garage Sale" provide all the catchiness that the radio would like, without coming anywhere near gaining the pop title. I think it comes from the punk-like, catchy flavor from Green Day, like a lemon in a glass of refreshing water. One drinks water because it quenches their thirst, like this music does, and one might drink a second or even third glass if it tastes good (due to the lemon), which this music does.
I would recommend checking out this band and album to any fans of alt-rock. It's really well produced, written, and performed. This is a solid first album, and promises of many greats to come. Check them out at http://www.sick-day.com/!
Review #2 - Mike Heiber
Local Champaign lineup, Sick Day, with their debut CD Garage Sale, comes at us with an upbeat, energetic rock album. Lead by Adam Wolf's raspy-rock vocals, similar to Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, and carried by its traditional rock sound, Garage Sale has plenty of excitement to get fans on their feet. At just over 16 minutes long, Sick Day puts together a solid sounding five track album, but leaves the listener wanting more.
Wanting more could mean many things though. It could mean wanting more of the exact same songs written with different chords and different lyrics, (this happens all the time) or it could mean wanting more substance. With this album, the band seems to have potential to mature into something more. They seem to have musical talent, but with the traditional rock sound they bring, there just seems to lack a spark of something new or interesting that would make them stand out at the next level. There must be hundreds of bands out there that are targeting the same sound. As far as lyrics go, in the song "Sharon Woods," Wolf sings the chorus:
"It's a place to be/ a place to go/ until I am strong/ and on my own/ Sharon Woods/ Sharon Woods/ Sharon Woods/ Sharon Woods."
Maybe this is the pop sensibility of the band coming out, but something deeper would be a great addition. In another another song, "Skirt Sniffin'" Wolf sings the chorus:
"Every time I get a whiff of a woman I have to run it down/ Why should it take very long for things to go all wrong/ Every time I get a whiff of a woman I have to run it down/ Why should it be a crime to chase it every time."
Maybe this is a joke or something, where the band pretends to stalk women around Champaign, but the whole idea just seems wrong. So with some generic lyrics that don't especially grasp the listener into contemplation or emotion or any useful thought for that matter, Sick Day has room to grow yet as songwriters.
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| by art mitchell (Art) / iris lee (Isis763) | |
1. Armor for Sleep
2. Dream to Make Believe
3. All Warm
4. Being Your Walls
5. My Town
6. The Wanderers Guild
7. Frost and Front Steps
8. Phantoms Now
9. Raindrops
10. Kind of Perfect
11. Slip Like Space
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Band: Armor for Sleep
CD: Dream to Make Believe |
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Review #1 - Iris Lee
Imagine slow relaxing music, catchy, creative, and calm... interrupted by a jarring burst of music backing up a whiney, yet dreamy, emotional voice. This is how Armor for Sleep introduces their listeners to their music on their album Dream to Make Believe. Armor for Sleep can be best described as a mixture of spacey melodic indie rock with a harder emo influence. AFS definitely has talent. Their music is played with amazing accuracy with creative hooks and melodic guitar riffs. Even though AFS is very catchy and their music is melodic and well-played, they do not have an amazingly unique sound. They only thing that makes the band stand out from every other emo-ish band out there are the vocals. Ben Jorgenson has a voice that sounds familiar yet is very distinct in itself. His voice is reminiscent of many popular emo bands, yet it takes a stand to be distinguished and mesmerizing.
Dream to Make Believe is filled with many great songs with fairly straight-forward lyrics. In "Being Your Walls," Jorgenson heartfully sings "Pull your arms up around your knees and hide out inside your room... pretend you can't feel at all. Just realize that I know how you feel now. If all I am is distraction for you then I can't complain... that you can't feel something for me." Later in the album, AFS slows down with a soft ballad called "Kind of Perfect." Jorgenson pleadingly sings "Can I just be something somewhere in your room that you won't notice. Maybe I'll be paper or books thrown on your floor... move me when you want to."
As a whole this album is quite catchy and I would recommend checking it out and listening to the entire CD. Dream to Make Believe is pretty strong and does not waver in its consistency. However, it does take a few songs to get really into it.
Review #2 - Art Mitchell
Armor for Sleep is a group whose namesake comes from an inspiring thought of trying to capture the moment right before sleep encapsulates one's consciousness. Although, when listening to their newly released album Dream to Make Believe, this album will do anything but make you drowsy. A sound that projects clear vocal with a melodic flow that is soft on the ear, but not on the amplifiers. Armor for Sleep gives a good healthy mix of somewhat meaningful lyrics, for the listener to draw insight. Listeners do not necessarily draw insight on themselves, but on the lyricist/vocalist. Overall, Dream to Make Believe is a fresh rock-alternative sounding album with lyrics that might not be so easily classified.
Track 7, "Frost and Front Steps" would be a song that with its lyrics seem to tell a story. With the group trying to capture different emotions and thoughts surrounding the premise of sleep, this song would not necessarily fit into the category with lyrics like, "It's so cold my lips are numb...I'll sit on the front steps...and wonder if I will completely freeze out here". A song that would seem more closely related to the layout of the realms of sleep could be Track 8, "Phantoms Now". The guitars sound pretty much the same for the rhythm sections, but for the lead part, it plays a wavy melody. This melody matched with the layered vocals that sing, "You'll be a ghost...I'll be your dream...you'll float through me...I'll disappear". The songs on Dream seem to play both sides of the card by playing songs that delve into the idea of multiple states of consciousnesses and by playing straight up alternative songs that explore thoughts and emotions of the present. Armor for Sleep's album is very good, and would be a good CD to listen to when making a long trek across campus during midafternoon.
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| by joseph m. pence (notaninja) / robert taliana (RAmst23) | |
1. Trial
2. Breaking
3. Like This
4. Dependance
5. No More
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Band: Harmony of Lies
CD: Demo 3 |
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Review #1 - Joe Pence
Demo 3 is five song compilation from Chicago-based Harmony of Lies, a band which could best be described as melodic metal that's equal parts owing to A Perfect Circle and Depeche Mode. Vocalist Brent Leitner (who also contributed to i:scintilla's "Fidelidad" on our compilation CD) has an ascerbic flavor which lends itself to some of the heavier songs like the machine gun fire drum machine and guitar assault of "Like This," while at the same time adding urgency to the soft warmth of tremelo strings and chip noises sampled in "Breaking." These electronic elements like samples and keyboards take equal footing to the jangly acoustic guitars and tambourines of "Dependance" for a warm rich VAST-like sound that feels in some ways a natural extension of traditional folk. The intense whisper of closer "No More," an echoey waltz painted over a landscape of haunting synths and a heartbeat pulse is a very lasting impression of the symphonic beauty of Harmony of Lies.
Review #2 - Rob Taliana
Uniqueness and quality. Great bands can do both, forcing everyone to change their outlook on music and the sounds in today's market. Harmony of Lies is a good band, and are good musicians that really love to use double bass. However, the sound has been done before, specifically this sound has been done by Tool several times. Every band doesn't have to create a new genre of music, but sometimes something fresh is what's needed.
Harmony of Lies produces good music, no question. The first track on this five track demo is fast and heavy. Tracks 2 and 3 are very similar in this aspect, and the final remaining songs on the album slow it down and have strong melodies. The drummer seems to be having the most fun in HoL, wearing down the bass drum on his set while the lead singer moans softly into the mike. Luckily this doesn't feel over done, using just enough double bass pounding to keep rhythm, but not so much that the listener becomes annoyed and launches the demo across the room and into his roommates laundry basket, where later it shall be washed and never see the light of day again.
Admirers of hard rock should give Harmony of Lies a listen, and when a full studio album is released ten dollars should be dropped for the CD. Not the most unique sounds ever to enter the music scene, but a quality band creating a quality product.
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| by joseph m. pence (notaninja) / chris earnhart (Pocket) | |
1. Jakehead Theme
2. I'm Gonna Quit My Job
3. Girlfriend Abducted
4. Central Train
5. The Games We Play
6. Devil Wind
7. I'll Worry 'bout That Some Other Day
8. Rocket Down
9. High Class White Trash
10. Los Flatlanders
11. Ride
12. Tough Luck Club
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Band: Jakehead
CD: Jakehead |
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Review #1 - Chris Earnhart
Rockabilly at its finest, this band will attract any fan of such music. Anyone who doesn't like rockabilly won't find anything in this band that will change their mind.
With guitar, drums, and the almost key element of the standing bass, Jakehead plays hard and plays well. For those who don't know what rockabilly sounds like, I would say, imagine twangy Memphis rock and blues played on guitar and drums, with a slower, steady bassline overlapping them. This isn't always true of course, and there are variations, but that should give a good idea, and that's what Jakehead is.
I really like a lot of songs off this album, so it's hard to pick a few to talk about. I think "Girlfriend Abducted" is one that most people would definitely enjoy. The bassline is particularly heavy on it (Yes)! It's the kind of thing to which one would love to swing dance. And "High Class White Trash" is a great example of what rockabilly can do when it really lets loose.
Aside from the fact that the vocals sound very similar on many of the tracks, there is little that a fan of Memphis rock or rockabilly could find wrong with this album, and i would say that anyone into that or just plain fun music should try this album and check out Jakehead at http://www.jakehead.com/.
Review #2 - Joe Pence
Jakehead is Eastern Illinois' answer to rockabilly, the "countryfied" rhythm & blues genre made famous by acts such as the Reverend Horton Heat and Brian Setzer. Most of the songs on their self-titled debut are characterized by a bouncy twang guitar, roving upright acoustic basslines, catchy croonish vocals, and crisp snares and cymbals on percussion. While a large portion of the album relies on this basic straightforward approach, there's also a few well-placed variations to keep things from getting repetitious. A good example is "Los Flatlanders," an instrumental almost surf-rock enough to merit comparison to Dick Dale. And the slick lyrics to songs like the bluesy "Tough Luck Club" (-"13 black cats would have to cross my path / it ain't about to happen if you do the math.") are a nice nod to fifties rock, and more importantly, don't feel canned or forced.
I have one major complaint with this album, and it has nothing to with the music but with the sound itself. Something on the high end makes a sharp clicking and I'm not quite sure if it's intended percussion (tapping the drumstick on the snare frame, perhaps?) or a production mistake, but either way it detracts from the music itself. (For sake of fairness, I've run this one by two or three friends and they were in agreement.) You can clean this out with the equalizer if you have a decent computer or CD player, but still mastering should have accomodated for this.
The best complement I can give to this album is that the best parts of Jakehead are like listening to a fresh perspective of the Everley Brothers (i.e. "Devil Wind") or Buddy Holly and the Crickets (i.e. "The Games We Play"), the first wave of rock&rollers who themselves where influenced by the "Country & Western" of the forties. If you're already familiar with rockabilly or just want something outside of the usual indie fare, pick up Jakehead and give it a few spins. While it may not be for everyone, it's a good introductory album and a great introduction to rockabilly.
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| by danielle stephens (Danielle) / chris earnhart (Pocket) | |
1. Little Girl
2. Untilted
3. Get in the Mood
4. Gimme Gimme Your Heart
5. Our Last Goodbye
6. Evil Thing
7. For Love
8. I Cried
9. Funny Little Thing
10. Never on Earth
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Band: The Cryptkeeper Five
CD: Trenton Makes The World Takes |
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Review #1 - Danielle Stephens
The Cryptkeeper Five, who actually consist of seven guys from Trenton, New Jersey, combine their talents to create a unique sound on their fourth album, "Trenton Makes...". To try and describe their sound as simply as possible, The Cryptkeeper Five is a low key rockabilly band, with the addition of a keyboardist, who specialize in sad love ballads.
The album opens with "Little Girl," a catchy little song, so full of energy that it makes you want to get off your seat, break out your dancing shoes, and shake it. This energy is, unfortunately, lost on the following song, "Untilted," a slow ballad about love gone wrong. "Our Last Goodbye," "Evil Thing," "For Love," "I Cried," and "Never on Earth" quickly follow in its love-lorn footsteps. These songs are good musically, but you can only hear about a broken relationship so many times before it gets entirely too repetitive.
"Get in the Mood" and "Funny Little Thing" recapture some of the lost energy and are standout songs on the album. They pick up the pace and are able to get you jumping again. "Funny Little Thing" is also a good song to point out, if you haven't noticed it on some of the other songs, the primary singer's uncanny tendency to sound a little Elvis-y at times.
Out of everything, "Little Girl" is the highlight of the album for me. This song is full of an energy that the rest of the songs on the album fail to capture to the same capacity. It has an easy to sing along with chorus and is guaranteed to stick around in your head long after the CD has stopped spinning.
The Cryptkeeper Five are a very talented band and they definitely do a good job of displaying the different styles of songs they can play on their album, "Trenton Makes...". I feel, however, they would be best suited to sticking with their more upbeat material. Those are the songs that make the album. The rockabilly sound goes well with toe-tapping, hip shaking songs, but it is rather mismatched with slower songs about lost love.
Review #2 - Chris Earnhart
This entire album reminded me a little of what Grease would sound like if it weren't a musical (so it didn't need the unnecessary flair). I know this immediately brings thoughts of repulsion to some and thoughts of love to others, but hear me out.
The Cryptkeeper Five brings back rock and roll from it's older days, like Happy Days (maybe even before then). A vocalist reminiscent of Elvis works with the guitars, drums, a saxophone, and keys. The album is a good mix of the fast, mad swing songs of yesteryear, and the slow songs. It really sounds like the background music at the school dances in a lot of shows placed in the 50's and 60's in movies.
Some might think I'm making fun, but I happen to like that music, and I'm just trying to find a way to describe the music. "Gimme Gimme Your Heart" is a kick ass song, starting with hard guitars, claps, and a "hunh" from the vocalist. It frames what rock used to be and what rock still is in the hearts of The Cryptkeeper Five. "I Cried" is a slower song that builds into a chorus that really brings the back up vocals to full bear in creating a great slower song for those who like oldies.
The production is good, though the vocals seem a little hard to understand at times. So I would recommend this to fans of the kind of Elvis/swing/sax-backed music of the times I described, and anyone into oldies should look into songs like "I Cried." Check them out at www.cryptkeeperfive.com.
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| by paul wagner (Wags34) / art mitchell (Art) | |
1. Call Tomorrow
2. Mercury
3. He Said
4. Tell Me Sylvia
5. Santiago
6. Good Girls Lie
7. Sister Rose & Mr. Clean
8. Under the Bigtop
9. The Revolution
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Band: Missile Silo Suite
CD: Holding Pattern |
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Review #1 - Art Mitchell
Holding Pattern by Missile Silo Suite sounds a little different than your everyday rock band. Other than the fact that the lead vocalist is female, the lyrics seem to be telling an ongoing tale in a very eloquent manner. Not necessarily eloquent in concerning the choice of words, but in usage of words and certain phrases to explain everything. There seems to be nothing too amazing about the melody or the rhythm, it does the job in assisting the delivery of the emotion.
There are a few tracks that exemplify the strong expression of emotion. Track 3, "He Said" is a prime example of this emotion. When one thinks of a song titled "He Said" sung by a female lead, one might conjure images and sounds of a woman screaming about a man and how he cheated or how he left. One of the redeeming qualities of "He Said" is that lyrics seem more real, more down to earth. The vocalist merely sings about a couple that seems to have a misunderstanding of something that escalates into something bigger. "Do you know what's right? Do you know what's wrong with us? If you can tell what's right, well, could you tell the rest of us?" With lyrics like these, it seems to tell a story of a shouting match between two loved ones, where she gets her word in.
Holding Pattern seems to have a bevy of good tracks, but one might be disappointed that the number of tracks on the album maybe smaller than desired. The vocals of Sarah Laak are incredibly dynamic and it is quite possible that if one were to replace her with someone else, the group's sound might not be as vibrant. Visit their website at http://www.missilesilosuite.com/ for information on the band and tour dates.
Review #2 - Mike Heiber
The right female vocals can turn a mediocre band into a good band. Sarah Laak, Milwaukee native and lead singer of Missile Silo Suite, does just that. Without her sexy vocal stylings, this record would fall into the realm of dust collection, but with her Holding Pattern is definitely a record to listen to often.
Laak is backed by A.D. Thurston on guitar/vocals, Anthony Spinali on guitar/vocals, Chris Bosslet on the base, and Jamie Perryman on drums, who are NOT from Milwaukee, as the band's comical website so wittily points out.
Holding Pattern is the title of Missile Silo Suite's debut album, and their rough punk rock music is nicely enhanced by the sweet vocals of Laak. The band ranges from harder, rougher sounding songs like "Call Tomorrow," to lighter, soothing tones heard in "Under the Big Top."
Musically this band falls into the middle of the pack, but it's always good to hear a female rocker, and this addition lifts Missile Silo Suite to a higher level of enjoyment. Lyrically this band pours out emotion into their songs, but room for improvement definitely exists in their maturing writing. Missile Silo Suite could easily progress as a band, and Holding Pattern shows the strong start of a promising career.
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| by steve sobel (steve) / joseph m. pence (notaninja) | |
1. Kablam!
2. Cranium Controller
3. Shapeshifter
4. Petri Dish Incident
5. Attack of the Giant Eyeball
[I. Evil Eye - II. Retinoblastoma]
6. Terra Firma Exodus
7. Protoplasmic Squid Eater
8. Zombie Stomp
9. POD
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Band: Von Frickle
CD: Mission 4.9 |
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Review #1 - Joe Pence
If you were unfamiliar with Openingbands.com's Battle of the Bands last March, Von Frickle (or alternately phrased vonFrickle) is a Chicago band I jokingly dubbed "ninja-prog," in A) that they play challengingly elaborate compositions and B) wear all-white jumpsuits and masks. Musically, Von Frickle create instrumentals that could be placed somewhere in between The Residents or King Crimson, or by a further stretch, Devo in terms of sheer electronic imagination. As you can imagine, this means a lot of unexpected guitar breakdowns, shifting percussion lines, and unpredictable synthetic sounds and noises.
Listening to Mission 4.9, the latest work from Von Frickle, sets you to imaging the band hard at work in some alternate universe, pacing out the atmospherics to science fiction movie that if it doesn't exist, should. "Shapeshifter" could be set to an enormous machine in the midst of some sort of frenetic catastrophe, melody twisting and spiralling upward like mad gears as the song almost pushes past the breaking point, while "Petri Dish Incident" sounds the marching rat-a-tat-tat to a distant battlefield of horrendous protoplasmic clones, ever increasing with the song's ever-heightening somber organ. The highpoint of the album (in my opinion) is two-part epic "Attack of the Giant Eyeball," part one "Evil Eye" B-movie Moog-flavored guitar twang meets trip-hop drums, part two "Retinoblastoma" full force aggro-rock with a hissy alien tinge. Mission 4.9 is an organic mystery, best examplified by "Terra Firma Exodus," and its radiant Gilmour-esque guitar solo and shimmering, irridescent synth bed which seem to reveal more with each listen.
Space rock is almost a self-limiting venture, for every Von Frickle, there has to be atleast twenty 3-piece garage rock bands; and for every prog-rock fan there's has to be at least 200 people who consider this album a huge shirking waste of studio time. This being said, for what this album is, it's a labor of love; a lush, well-produced exercise in what soundscapes are capable of, and worthy of your time if only for its range of variety.
Review #2 - Steve Sobel
While "Band X is a mix of Band Y and Band Z" comparisons are horrendously cliche - the most accurate way to describe Von Frickle's music is as follows: If King Crimson, Angelo Badalamenti (famous for the music from Twin Peaks), and Man... or Astro-Man? all got into some sort of 9 1/2 Weeks style relationship that flittered back and forth between passionate love and violent fighting - Von Frickle would be the result.
Mission 4.9 is not for everyone - it's challenging "prog" music that's a bit out there, but completely amazing for those who are into it. Von Frickle sports an all-star cast of musicians from various other bands in the general area around Bloomington, Illinois. Tracks such as "Cranium Controller" sound very Crimsonesque, but with a definite sci-fi flavor that Von Frickle makes its own.
All in all, this is the sort of music that many musicians drool over, while the average listener is simply confused by it. However, should the average John Doe be ready for the progressive and experimental stylings found on Mission 4.9 (amongst their other work) - Von Frickle would be poised to take the world by storm. Their music is often more interesting and innovative than that of their most common prog-rock comparisons.
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| by adam henrichs (inflago) / natasha carter (twztedangel) | |
1. Introduction
2. Your Stories, My Alibis
3. Playing for Keeps
4. Promise
5. Lovers & Liars
6. Tiger Lily
7. Shadows like Statues
8. My Eyes Burn
9. She'll Never Understand
10. If All Else Fails
11. Stay Tonight
12. The Greatest Fall of All Time
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84. Bonus Track 1
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Band: Matchbook Romance
CD: Stories and Alibis |
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Review #1 - Adam Henrichs
Matchbook Romance fits somewhat nicely into the ever-expanding screamo category. They feature emotionally over the top vocals with an occasional hardcore scream in the background for good measure. Although Matchbook Romance may never define any genres, they are by no means inadequate in what they do. The musicianship is clearly there, and the songs on the album are thoughtfully crafted. The lyrics are mostly heart-wrenching tales of relationships gone wrong, and they are just thought-out enough not to be completely corny.
It is obvious that the band put their heart into their songs, and they are bound to find an audience who identifies with them. At the same time, they are sure to find people who can't tell them apart from the other bands that sound like them.
In short, Matchbook Romance does what they do, and they do it adequately, although not exceptionally. Their music is mostly predictable and their lyrics are somewhat cliché. But they are talented and passionate, and people will at least be able to identify with them on some level and appreciate them for what they are.
Review #2 - Natasha Carter
Review not ready at press time. It will be added shortly.
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