An Apology from John (With bonus download recommendations!)

Happy October, Everyone.
I apologize for the lack of posts in the past two months. I have been busy with school, and also, there just haven't been too many albums released worth listening to.
However, there are a long list of albums to be released before the end of the year that I will definitely be reviewing. Some of the artists include: Bad Books, Protest The Hero, A Day To Remember, The Chariot, Underoath, Right Away Great Captain (hopefully), and many more.

So, as I said, I'm sorry to the few of you that regularly visit the blog, I swear I'll pick back up on the reviews soon, and I may throw in some reviews of non-new releases from lesser-known bands, just to give you all some new tunes to listen to.

In the meantime, head over to
http://www.daytrotter.com/al/artists/alphabetical.html
to download some spectacular live sets from up and coming indie bands. My current favorite is the Circa Survive session on Daytrotter, featuring live acoustic renditions of some of their hits from their 2010 album Blue Sky Noise.

Have a good night!
-John

Aaron Smith - Love Stoned

Aaron Smith, aka Shwayze, recently released a solo mixtape titled "Love Stoned" for free on his website www.aaronsmithmusic.com. Now, I'm a huge fan of Shwayze - he has great flow, creative lyrics, and a really laid back vibe to his music. Aaron's solo music, however, seems to be more electronic influenced and misses the smooth vocals added by Cisco Adler in Shwayze. That being said, it's not a bad mixtape at all; Many songs have been stuck in my head for the past few days and I've been enjoying it very much. Aaron's creativity does show through on tracks like Love Letter, Pretty Girl, and If That's What You Want which alone are enough of an excuse to download this free album. Lyrically, this album focuses less on "weed and women" and more on the complex emotions associated with love, which is an interesting turn for Aaron that some people may not enjoy, but is ultimately not a big deal in any way.

All in all, Love Stoned is a pretty average album with a few very good songs - worth the download for sure.
www.aaronsmithmusic.com

I apologize for the short review, I'm just trying to get one in before my next class starts.

Oh, and go read movie reviews. Christian knows his way around some movies. http://indiescream.wordpress.com/


-John

Sleigh Bells - Treats

I was only very recently introduced to Sleigh Bells by a friend within the last two weeks, but since then, they have slowly become one of the only bands I've been listening to. They are categorized as a "noise-pop" duo, which basically means that their music is full of catchy vocal melodies over loud, danceable drum beats, eclectic synth parts, and dissonant guitar lines. Sleigh Bells is composed of two very unlikely people - one of which is guitarist/producer Derek Miller, whom some of you may recognize as the ex-guitarist from post-hardcore band Poison The Well. The other side of the duo is female vocalist Alexis Krauss, whom most of you will not recognize at all...but trust me, she deserves recognition. To date, the duo has only made one release, entitled "Treats", but it has a unique and destructive power that very few albums have these days. Each song on "Treats" is an adventure in its own right, and when played back to back, the album will sweep up the listener and force you to love everything about "Treats". I have found that the ideal way to listen to this album is with good headphones while taking a walk in the city around dusk...I dunno if that helps you understand the mood of Sleigh Bells' music, but I can tell you that it is an enjoyable scenario.

Also, for those of you wondering...Yes, they do actually use sleigh bells in some of their songs. Often, actually.

My personal favorite songs off of "Treats" are Infinity Guitars, Rill Rill, and Rachel.
Enjoy!

Unfortunately, I can not seem to find a download link for "Treats" but I highly recommend paying the money for it. If you can't, I still recommend that you give their music a listen on Grooveshark or over at their myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/sleighbellsmusic



Also, head on over to http://indiescream.wordpress.com/ to get some knowledge dropped on you about some great movies!

It Won't Be Quiet Anymore - Asherel

Asherel is a young band based out of Suwannee, Georgia who play a unique style of indie-garage rock that I have a feeling will take the country by storm, given the appropriate methods of distribution and advertisement. In just a few short years, Asherel has already gained a fairly significant fan base in the metro-Atlanta area and released a spectacular five song EP - It Won't Be Quiet Anymore
; Not bad for a band who has members still attending high school. I recently purchased this EP and can honestly say that it is one of the only things I have listened to for the past three days. To put it simply, singer/songwriter Trey Rosenkampff knows what he's doing. Lyrically, the EP is deep, questioning, and really makes the listener think. With subject matter discussing and questioning religion, you'd be hard pressed to simply listen to any of Asherel's songs and idly hear sounds, rather than truly experience their music.

The best way that I can describe Asherel's sound is that it is largely reminiscent of Manchester Orchestra mixed with Weezer's Pinkerton, if it was then kicked by an angry southerner. They have a certain sense of confidence in their sound that allows them to write haunting songs like "92 Years Old And Blind" as well as upbeat garage rock anthems such as "Losing Sleep" and "Now That You Know". Every song is well-written, perfectly orchestrated, and seamlessly performed so that It Won't Be Quiet Anymore is definitely one of the most enjoyable EPs that I have ever heard, and easily the best I have heard by an unsigned band.

Anyone reading this should immediately purchase Asherel's EP It Won't Be Quiet Anymore on itunes, or go see them playing numerous shows around the southeast and buy a hard copy from them. I promise you will not be let down, but check their music out yourself at

www.myspace.com/asherelmusic

If there's one thing I'm certain of, it is that Asherel is a band that has the potential to make it in the modern music world; They really are the "next big thing".

-John

"If This Is The State Of My Art, Then I Secede"

This is not a review.

The modern underground scene is a disgrace. What the hell happened? In a matter of just five short years, the hardcore scene has mutated from an inviting and innovative corner of musical culture to a region of the musical world where every band sounds and looks the same. Again I ask...What the hell? Who is to blame for this?

Unfortunately, we, the listeners, are. The music business is a horribly corrupt machine these days that, like most other aspects of culture (movies, fashion, etc.), figures out what "the kids" are into and then creates a veritable mold and reproduces the same exact musical traits in different forms. How is this our fault? Because we settle. As listeners, we hook into styles that we love and we become okay with bands that fit in that genre, even if they bring nothing new to the proverbial table! Exhibit A: Years ago (in 2001...), there was a band known as From Autumn To Ashes. The members of this band, as well as the original line up of Underoath and Every Time I Die, could be considered the some of the pioneers of modern hardcore; they popularized the use of screaming in music and were one of the first well-known bands to incorporate breakdowns into their music (I said popularized, not originated, okay?). The fans loved it. These traits were passed on to bands like The Used, who continued to command a large fan-base due to the intense emotions conveyed through their screaming and musical intensity.

Fast forward.

Now it is 2010. There are still some good bands around making genuinely good music...Protest The Hero, The Acacia Strain, Every Time I Die (still going strong), Norma Jean, The Chariot, and more. However, outside of that very small window lies the disgusting mass of shitty cookie-cutter hardcore bands who all sound alike (horrifically autotuned vocals, 3 breakdowns per song, key of d minor or c minor). Attack Attack!. In Fear and Faith. Of Mice and Men. I See Stars. And then there's the "electrocore" shit. BrokenCyde. Breathe Carolina. Absolute trash.
What happened, people? When did we stop demanding the most out of the musicians that surround us and start being okay with being fed the same thing over and over?

It's not okay.

By not responding to this mockery of sound, we are letting the record labels know that we're okay with the same garbage, and that originality and innovation isn't a quality that we care about in modern music.
So what happens?
Listeners: Stop it. Just stop. Have respect for yourself and stop being okay with music just being okay. Demand greatness. Rage against the onslaught of tight pants, black sweep haircuts, guyliner, autotune, and "comical" synchronized stage movements. It was funny when Sum 41 did it to make fun of Nsync and the Backstreet Boys, but now you've taken it too far. You've made it serious. I'm calling you out Attack Attack. Get talent or piss off.
and Musicians: Don't settle for what gets you a record deal. What's worth more, money or dignity? I challenge you to force yourself to create new music, not rearrange what's been done.

So who is going to be the start of the revolt against what the underground has turned into? Those of us who don't get dressed up to go to shows...stand up, and unite...Everyone around you at every single show is why the scene has declined. Just remember that.

Oh, and don't get me started on current Top 40 hits.
Ke$ha is a drunk. Lady Gaga wants attention. Justin Bieber needs to grow a pair.

Food for thought.
-John


Also, head over to http://indiescream.wordpress.com to read/learn about some spectacular movies, as reviewed by the very talented, Christian Perez!