rmgebhardt
08-04-2006, 12:53 AM
I get a ton of submissions for review and I can’t get to nearly all of them. In order to try to give some feedback to the unsigned bands that have taken the time and effort to send me copies of their work, I give you the Independent Overview. With this I take a look at eight unsigned (or as close to unsigned as you can get) bands and offer up what will hopefully be some helpful criticism, as well as potentially information that will get some new listeners hooked.
Farewell to Arms - Farewell to Arms
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/farewelltoarms.gif
Listen (http://www.purevolume.com/farewelltoarms) | Site (http://www.farewelltoarms.net/)
Mixing together a vocal approach that is reminiscent of Thursday’s Geoff when he’s singing and a dual guitar, part post-hardcore, part indie musical backing, Farewell to Arms are a very capable and competent band. In the four tracks on this EP they traverse many of the common clichés of the modern post-hardcore realm, but do it in such a way to keep you interested. “Flash Crowd” is easily the catchiest track sounding like a more mature version of Emery. This band, given the proper guidance, has the potential to blow up in today’s scene.
Overall: 3.5/5
If I Had Eyes – If I Had Eyes
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/ifihadeyes) | Site (http://www.ifihadeyes.com/)
There is only so much space available in the current market for more tech-metal bands, so new bands are looking for ways to separate themselves from the pack, especially if they don’t quite have the licks to keep up with their peers. If I Had Eyes throw some hardcore vocals and a grindcore attack over the top of a tech-metal base to create three tracks that sound like an uneven mix of The Chariot, Job for a Cowboy, and Fear Before the March of Flames. Even though it is common for bands in this genre to create songs that are disjointed by nature, this collection of songs feels disjointed in all the wrong ways. Given some focus and a solid direction, there could still be something great to come from these guys, but right now they need to pull things together a little tighter.
Overall: 2.5/5
Once Over – Lick
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/onceovermusic.jpg
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/onceoverrock) | Site (http://www.onceoveronline.com/)
Hard rock with a punk attitude is nothing too new, but it is a well that modern bands haven’t gone to all that often as of late, so it is quite refreshing to see a band going there again. You might scratch you head about the punk influence on this band because they are decidedly a hard rock band, but the vocals are underpinned by a natural nose-thumbing punk feel. The first song, “American Dreamin’”, is the perfect example of this. Beyond this, however, you’re not listening to much more than a different version of Anberlin, The All American Rejects, or Jimmy Eat World with a unique vocal style added on. Still, it’s better than two out of the three aforementioned bands.
Overall: 3/5
Redbeards – Redbeards
Listen (http://heartbreakbeatrecords.com/Redbeards01.mp3) | Site (http://heartbreakbeatrecords.com/redbeards.htm)
It’s hard to be mean to independent bands because you know they’re really trying and they’re doing what they’re doing on their own dime, but sometimes a band just has to be told they need a lot of work if they think they’re going to get anywhere. Redbeards are, unfortunately, one of those bands. I don’t get what the band is doing here as they appear to mash up some avant-garde like the beginning of “Endurance”, which is nothing more than some drums, a guitar, and odd talking with some standard hard rock (but still with weird vocals). These guys sound like something you’d find a local group of art school students doing, filled with intentions of being cutting edge when, in fact, it’s closer to clumped together pieces of songs with no real connections.
Overall: 1.5/5
3 Pill Morning – Life Dynamic
Listen (http://myspace.com/3pillmorning) | Site (http://www.3pillmorning.com/)
Nu-metal was pretty dead a couple of years ago. So was rap-metal. This would usually lead people to believe that the combination of the two would also be dead, but 3 Pill Morning won’t have none of that talk! Sounding like a classic throwback to the year 2000, their Life Dynamic EP is truly coming to us through some sort of time warp. Complete with big, grooving nu-metal guitars, sing-a-long choruses, vapid lyrics, and the occasional quick paced, almost rap lyrics just screams out, “We’re playing like it’s 1999!” This would be somewhat forgivable if there was anything interesting here, but this is just too basic, even for nu-metal. It’s sad to see such a decline in quality from their last album, Clarity, which at least showed promise.
Overall: 2/5
Audio Spaghetti – Take Control
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/audiospaghetti.jpg Listen (http://www.myspace.com/audiospaghetti) | Site (http://www.audiospaghetti.com/)
Interestingly, this disc feels like a throwback to the 90’s, but for once not in a bad way. Remember when 311, Incubus, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were dominating the radio? Well, take the radio friendly moments of 311, the hard rock of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. era Incubus, and the funk rock of RHCP, mix them together with a pinch of crunch, and you’ve got this band described to its very essence. It’s great hearing a band playing to their influence, but the complete lack of innovation on Audio Spaghetti’s part leads this offering to feel more like a homage to the glory days of the aforementioned bands than a uniquely created release. If the band can break out of the confines of their influences, they could really hit a niche sound that I think some of us have been aching for, but they need to start writing their own style of songs, not songs that come across as tributes to their mentors.
Overall: 3/5
The Sky Drops – Clouds of People
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/theskydrops-ep-cover.jpg
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/theskydrops) | Site (http://www.theskydrops.com/)
The Sky Drops are a guitar & drums duo consisting of Rob Montejo and Monika Bullette. This sentence might lead most to believe this band is trying to rip off The White Stripes, but you would be wrong, for the most part. Instead, this duo created five songs that have a very thick, shoegazer vibe surrounding them. The mix of basic drumming, wall of noise guitars interspersed with indie structures, and male / female melodic vocals actually lends itself to a very full listening experience. You can hear hints of Far in a couple of the songs, which is always a good influence to have. Let’s hope that a solid full length will be coming in short order.
Overall: 3.5/5
Keeve Brine – Gypsy Think Box
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/keeveb) | Site (http://keevebrine.com/)
Did we really need this? I’m sorry, but the world already has way more than enough soft rock / indie rock / singer-songwriters in it. Go to any college campus and you’ll find at least 20. Go to a local coffee shop on open performance night and you’ll find another 20. The only thing that helps Keeve Brine stick out is the sheer boringness of Gypsy Think Box. With some elements of shoegazer rock thrown in, this is a down tempo, plodding indie rock disc that will put even the most strung out kid into a deep sleep.
Overall: 1/5
-Rick Gebhardt
Farewell to Arms - Farewell to Arms
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/farewelltoarms.gif
Listen (http://www.purevolume.com/farewelltoarms) | Site (http://www.farewelltoarms.net/)
Mixing together a vocal approach that is reminiscent of Thursday’s Geoff when he’s singing and a dual guitar, part post-hardcore, part indie musical backing, Farewell to Arms are a very capable and competent band. In the four tracks on this EP they traverse many of the common clichés of the modern post-hardcore realm, but do it in such a way to keep you interested. “Flash Crowd” is easily the catchiest track sounding like a more mature version of Emery. This band, given the proper guidance, has the potential to blow up in today’s scene.
Overall: 3.5/5
If I Had Eyes – If I Had Eyes
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/ifihadeyes) | Site (http://www.ifihadeyes.com/)
There is only so much space available in the current market for more tech-metal bands, so new bands are looking for ways to separate themselves from the pack, especially if they don’t quite have the licks to keep up with their peers. If I Had Eyes throw some hardcore vocals and a grindcore attack over the top of a tech-metal base to create three tracks that sound like an uneven mix of The Chariot, Job for a Cowboy, and Fear Before the March of Flames. Even though it is common for bands in this genre to create songs that are disjointed by nature, this collection of songs feels disjointed in all the wrong ways. Given some focus and a solid direction, there could still be something great to come from these guys, but right now they need to pull things together a little tighter.
Overall: 2.5/5
Once Over – Lick
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/onceovermusic.jpg
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/onceoverrock) | Site (http://www.onceoveronline.com/)
Hard rock with a punk attitude is nothing too new, but it is a well that modern bands haven’t gone to all that often as of late, so it is quite refreshing to see a band going there again. You might scratch you head about the punk influence on this band because they are decidedly a hard rock band, but the vocals are underpinned by a natural nose-thumbing punk feel. The first song, “American Dreamin’”, is the perfect example of this. Beyond this, however, you’re not listening to much more than a different version of Anberlin, The All American Rejects, or Jimmy Eat World with a unique vocal style added on. Still, it’s better than two out of the three aforementioned bands.
Overall: 3/5
Redbeards – Redbeards
Listen (http://heartbreakbeatrecords.com/Redbeards01.mp3) | Site (http://heartbreakbeatrecords.com/redbeards.htm)
It’s hard to be mean to independent bands because you know they’re really trying and they’re doing what they’re doing on their own dime, but sometimes a band just has to be told they need a lot of work if they think they’re going to get anywhere. Redbeards are, unfortunately, one of those bands. I don’t get what the band is doing here as they appear to mash up some avant-garde like the beginning of “Endurance”, which is nothing more than some drums, a guitar, and odd talking with some standard hard rock (but still with weird vocals). These guys sound like something you’d find a local group of art school students doing, filled with intentions of being cutting edge when, in fact, it’s closer to clumped together pieces of songs with no real connections.
Overall: 1.5/5
3 Pill Morning – Life Dynamic
Listen (http://myspace.com/3pillmorning) | Site (http://www.3pillmorning.com/)
Nu-metal was pretty dead a couple of years ago. So was rap-metal. This would usually lead people to believe that the combination of the two would also be dead, but 3 Pill Morning won’t have none of that talk! Sounding like a classic throwback to the year 2000, their Life Dynamic EP is truly coming to us through some sort of time warp. Complete with big, grooving nu-metal guitars, sing-a-long choruses, vapid lyrics, and the occasional quick paced, almost rap lyrics just screams out, “We’re playing like it’s 1999!” This would be somewhat forgivable if there was anything interesting here, but this is just too basic, even for nu-metal. It’s sad to see such a decline in quality from their last album, Clarity, which at least showed promise.
Overall: 2/5
Audio Spaghetti – Take Control
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/audiospaghetti.jpg Listen (http://www.myspace.com/audiospaghetti) | Site (http://www.audiospaghetti.com/)
Interestingly, this disc feels like a throwback to the 90’s, but for once not in a bad way. Remember when 311, Incubus, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were dominating the radio? Well, take the radio friendly moments of 311, the hard rock of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. era Incubus, and the funk rock of RHCP, mix them together with a pinch of crunch, and you’ve got this band described to its very essence. It’s great hearing a band playing to their influence, but the complete lack of innovation on Audio Spaghetti’s part leads this offering to feel more like a homage to the glory days of the aforementioned bands than a uniquely created release. If the band can break out of the confines of their influences, they could really hit a niche sound that I think some of us have been aching for, but they need to start writing their own style of songs, not songs that come across as tributes to their mentors.
Overall: 3/5
The Sky Drops – Clouds of People
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/missedalbums/theskydrops-ep-cover.jpg
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/theskydrops) | Site (http://www.theskydrops.com/)
The Sky Drops are a guitar & drums duo consisting of Rob Montejo and Monika Bullette. This sentence might lead most to believe this band is trying to rip off The White Stripes, but you would be wrong, for the most part. Instead, this duo created five songs that have a very thick, shoegazer vibe surrounding them. The mix of basic drumming, wall of noise guitars interspersed with indie structures, and male / female melodic vocals actually lends itself to a very full listening experience. You can hear hints of Far in a couple of the songs, which is always a good influence to have. Let’s hope that a solid full length will be coming in short order.
Overall: 3.5/5
Keeve Brine – Gypsy Think Box
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/keeveb) | Site (http://keevebrine.com/)
Did we really need this? I’m sorry, but the world already has way more than enough soft rock / indie rock / singer-songwriters in it. Go to any college campus and you’ll find at least 20. Go to a local coffee shop on open performance night and you’ll find another 20. The only thing that helps Keeve Brine stick out is the sheer boringness of Gypsy Think Box. With some elements of shoegazer rock thrown in, this is a down tempo, plodding indie rock disc that will put even the most strung out kid into a deep sleep.
Overall: 1/5
-Rick Gebhardt