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Due to overwhelming volume, OpeningBands.com regrets that is not accepting CD admissions at this time.
| by brian tracy (TwilightBurning) / iris lee (Isis763) | |
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2. Imitation
3. Logic + the Lack Thereof
4. Capsella Bursa Pastoris
5. Fidelidad (Estrogen Mix)
6. Scin
7. Translate
8. Havestar
9. The Intruder, Part IV
10. The Bells
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Band: i:scintilla
CD: The Approach |
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Review #1 - Brian Tracy
Though the term may be worn out, and fans will debate "What's REALLY industrial, what's synthpop, what's coldwave, etc" until your ears bleed, the term industrial-rock is still in use for a reason, sometimes it fits. i:scintilla is one of those times, with a sound reminiscent of the Kidneythieves, or a heavier Garbage, they aptly straddle that line between being unapproachable to people not into industrial and simply being a rock act with synthesizers.
i:scintilla's debut, The Approach, begins with an atmospheric, lulling instrumental that slowly draws you into an album delicately balanced between aggression and emotion. The album's ten tracks cover the gap from the ambient instrumental of the untitled intro track and The Intruder, Part IV to the crunch of solid industrial-rock pieces of Scin and Havestar.
Imitation immediately demands attention with its heavy guitar and synth crunch beginning before dropping into a fast-rhythmic verse and later dropping back to a slow, reflective mood before stepping the pacing up again for the end. With Translate i:scintilla inject more variety into the album with a slower moving, melancholy track, where the guitars take more of a backseat musically emphasizing the vocals highlighting the mellow tone of the track.
The only falter within the album concerns the vocals; and even writing that is deceiving. Vocalist Brittany Bindrim appears to be overstepping her abilities at times; where the vocals want to soar, sometimes they just stretch. On the whole the vocals are very attuned to the sound of the music as a whole, there seems to be moments when a different between what is trying to be achieved, as setup by the rest of the song, and what is actually done. Hardly a crippling issue as this is a debut release and, as put by herself in a recent interview, this is her first band.
For a debut release i:scintilla have made a more than adequate effort, The Approach is a highly impressive debut, put together very professionally in terms of music and production. The disc will give the nay-sayers who proclaim industrial dead something new to chew on and it welcomes even the more casual listener.
Review #2 - Iris Lee
i:scintilla is a quartet based out of our very own Champaign, IL and are self-described as an "old-school industrial" band. At times they are reminiscent of bands like Garbage, Nine Inch Nails, etc. Their debut album, The Approach, shows a variety in the types of songs that they present ranging from softer mysterious melodies to hard fast-paced emotional trips. One thing that stands out is the high quality of recording and the layering. It is well balanced and accentuates all parts of the band.
Brittany Bindrim, lead singer, has a very clear passionate voice which accents the music well. She takes advantage of her vocal range and adds variety by singing softy one moment and then switching over to a loud wailing tone the next. I:scintilla's music also has a lot of variety. "Capsella Bursa Pastoris" changes from a dreamy "Final Fantasy" feel during the verses to a more upbeat Evanescence type chorus. Scin is harder and guitar driven and has a more urgent feel to it.
Although industrial is not typically a genre I listen to, i:scintilla proves to be as enjoyable on their new album as they are live (which it must be mentioned that they are superb live). They are well rounded in all aspects of their music and their effort really shines through on their album.
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| by joseph m. pence (notaninja) / casey best (happyhobo) | |
1. The Town's Old Fair
2. Forty Days
3. Your Bluest Friend
4. I've Been Down So Long
5. Well the Days Go By
6. Daisy
7. The Best Thing's to Part
8. Down the Fire Escape
9. Fishs Eddy
10. On the Way Back Home
11. When We Were Still Young
12. Palinka
13. The Olive Tree
14. Virginia
15. Highrise
16. Listen to That Train Whistle Blow
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Band: Josh Lederman y Los Diablos
CD: The Town's Old Fair |
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Review #1 - Casey Best
It's hard to assign a label descriptive enough for the style of The Town's Old Fair. Although the variation between songs is pretty high, it's base is predominantly in an interesting blend of bluegrass and Irish music. The songs have a folksy acoustic guitar strumming throughout, and most have some mix of mandolins and accordians as well. None of the songs stand out as being incredible; at their best the songs are good, at the worst, mediocre.
In fact, the most striking thing about the album is its mediocrity. The band's instrumental chops are nothing amazing, and the lyrics are nothing noteworthy. Although the songs aren't poor, I found it difficult to sit through the sixteen track CD even once, let alone multiple times. My chiefest complaint was that the vocalist, Josh Lederman himself, has a voice that is obnoxiously dull. Even on my favorite tracks, which tended to be more Irish sounding, it was hard to look past the flat vocals. Although the interesting instrument mix can create a unique aspect to the music, I don't think I'd be willing to spend money on a CD that is so relentlessly mediocre.
Review #2 - Joe Pence
The album: Josh Lederman y Los Diablos is perhaps the first album I've ever heard that I could describe as Pan-Roots. Lederman describes his Boston-based troupe as a "a Jewish guy with a Spanish band name playing Irish-sounding music to roomfuls of drunken WASPs," but to his credit the original material on The Town's Old Fair draws from a variety of different sources. There's everything from Irish drinking songs of "When We Were Still Young" and forays into New Orleans jazz in the brass retinue of "I've Been Down So Long." Sea shantys like the title track and folks tales like "Forty Days" with its zydeco accordian and fiddle fit in alongside "Palinka," a fast-paced bolero played out the mandolin. The wide circle of ground covered in the impressive 16 tracks is held together by Lederman's brogue-ish voice would fit well between sets of Damien Rice and The Decembrists. Yet for all the musical divergence they take on, Los Diablos hardly take themselves seriously - the photo insert has one (male) bandmember intently reading "The Vagina Monologues," and my favorite song, "Virginia," is a slow lyrical ballad about a long travel to Virginia to meet a girl who, as the song describes, is also ironically called Virginia. The Town's Old Fair is a wealth of inspiration for passive listening and reading your favorite book (especially "The Vagina Monologues.")
The hot sauce: Our copy of Josh Lederman y Los Diablos's album also came packaged with a bottle of delicious hot sauce. This sauce has a modestly piquant but not overwhelming taste, and goes well with anything from pizza to mac'n'cheese. Fans of Crystal or Frank's Red Hot will love the aged red-pepper flavor. The label clearly states, "Finally, a sauce as hot as the band!," so I tried drinking the sauce while listening to the album to compare the two but that didn't go over so well. Still, I can say with confidence that the Los Diablos hot sauce measures up well to its musical namesake.
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| by phil prather (AnalogBoy) / jen cavallero (jentastic) | |
1. take whats in the box
2. michelle
3. alex trebek
4. norwegian hat
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Band: Where's Jimmy K At
CD: Self-Titled Demo |
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Review #1 - Phil Prather
Normally, I am a fan of humorous keyboard rock, but this 4 song demo from Where's Jimmy K At didn't cut it for me. As much as I want to like it, I can't find it entertaining. The music isn't very catchy and the lyrics are rather dry. However, a few songs that stand out are "Michelle" and "Alex Trebek".
"Michelle", an attempt at a humorous story about a female friend (Michelle, I'm guessing) running over a turtle crossing the road, which she thought was a rock. I was more confused than I was humored by the song. "Alex Trebek" is nothing more than a tale of the singers mother giving birth to Alex Trebeks' bastard child (the number of babies increases every chorus). The keyboard player does chime in with the "Jeopardy" theme music several times during the song, which to me is the only pleasant part of the song.
Where's Jimmy K At has a good way of being original with their music, I just hope that music gets more entertaining in the future. Check them out at www.wheresjimmykat.com
Review #2 - Jen Cavallero
To be honest, Where's Jimmy K At's recording doesn't have many redeeming qualities. The band can play their instruments well enough, but there is really nothing original about what they're doing.
The dialogue on "Michelle" about a turtle seems to be trying too hard to amuse its audience. If someone does find it humorous, they might still get bored hearing the repetitive guitar lines that overpower the entire EP. The keyboards add a little variety, but often seem oddly placed into the arrangements.
"Take whats in the box" has a certain catchiness about it and is probably the highlight of the four tracks. I would have to hear more from this band to truly get a feel for what kind of impression they were trying to make. Until then, I'm really not interested in finding out just where Jimmy K is.
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| by will zeiger (Waz711) / chris earnhart (Pocket) | |
1. Overture
2. Sinister Rouge
3. Social Suicide
4. Atheist Peace
5. All There Is
6. Los Angeles Is Burning
7. Let Them Eat War
8. God’s Love
9. To Another Abyss
10. The Quickening
11. The Empire Strikes First
12. Beyond Electric Dreams
13. Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever
14. Live Again (The Fall of Man)
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Band: Bad Religion
CD: The Empire Strikes First |
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Review #1 - Chris Earnhart
The Empire Strikes First hits the scene as one of the more politically charged of Bad Religion's latest albums. They had plenty of material about which they could write in the four years since their last album was released. But how does it sound?
I think it shows that BR has developed quite a bit musically, adding to what were, in my opinion, the successful changes of Process of Belief. And while their punkish edge may have worn off, the music is more involving and the lyrics are still the main focus of the songs. I find myself skipping a lot more songs than I have on past BR albums, but there are definitely a good number of songs that would make it to my top list.
The title track, "The Empire Strikes First," is a good example. The vocal harmonies are reminiscent of their first albums, but the music, led mostly, in my opinion, by newer and more complicated drums, carries a new feeling to it. It feels like I am marching inevitably towards some tragic end. And "Boot Stamping..." is made the BR fashion of what I call punk ballads. They have slower, and more emotionally involved music with a distinctly punk twist that can be found in other BR songs like "Sorrow" or "Flat Earth Society."
For people just getting into Bad Religion, I would recommend older stuff like Against the Grain or Generator. This album is a great addition to the collection of any Bad Religion fan or fan of Process of Belief, so give it a listen.
Review #2 - Will Zeiger
You have to hand it to them. With the release of The Empire Strikes First, Bad Religion prove that even after more than twenty years, they still know what they're doing. Blazing through the first four tracks in a grand total of six minutes and thirty-four seconds, the band makes it immediately apparent they haven't lost any energy either. Thankfully, they are able to keep it up for the rest of the album as well. Frantic guitar strumming (fleshed out on this album by not one, not two, but an Andrew W.K.-like three guitarists) and consistently thunderous drumming drive every song unstoppably forward. Their unique vocal harmonies complete their brand of punk, making their sound accessible yet in no way compromised.
Lyrically, Bad Religion stick to the subjects they know best as well. In the current political atmosphere these subjects ring as profoundly as ever though. The songs warn of the dangers of religious fundamentalism and condemn those currently holding power. "Let Them Eat War" is a resounding denouncement of the Bush administration and incorporates a Sage Francis rap without sounding too out of place. Other highlights include "Atheist Peace" and "Sinister Rouge". If there is one complaint about The Empire Strikes First it is that which can be said of most punk: after awhile things can become a bit repetitive. However, displaying their veteran prowess once again, Bad Religion vary things enough to keep one's attention throughout the album. Overall, long time fans won't be disappointed, while teeny-boppers may benefit from picking this up instead of another mindless Blink-182 release.
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