Tag: #Import 2025-04-25 15:23

sing the sorrow

‘”Radiate. Recognize one silent call as we all form one dark flame. Incinerate. Love your hate, your faith lost. You are now one of us,” chants Davey Havok on “Miseria Cantare,” the prologue to “Sing the Sorrow,” AFI’s magnum opus and sixth album.

“You are now one of us,” an ever so eerie statement that is both

cultish and brazenly dark in its ramifications, the most descriptive example of what to expect from goth-punk icons AFI.

If you are not among their legion of fans yet, this album will reconcile those differences. As the band promised in interviews prior to the album’s release, “Sing the Sorrow” will defy all expectations of AFI fans, as their fourth release “Black Sails in the Sunset,” did so long ago.

This album is a long way down the road from the band’s earlier albums, such as “Answer That and Stay Fashionable.” The band has moved to a major label, flexed their muscle, and shown just what they can do if provided with the right space and resources. AFI has taken the sound that they began to define in their previous album, “The Art of Drowning,” and has expounded upon it, refined it, and made it much more alluring and distinguished.

While maintaining the same punk roots and relying on all that their fans have come to know and love as AFI, this is a band that prides itself on having the ability to redefine themselves with each passing album. Each album gets progressively darker and more complex. This one adds on the assistance of a choir, orchestral instrumentation, and “dark wave” drums that point heavily to an influence from bands such as VNV Nation.

Although Davey Havok’s voice is strong and has an impressive range, the lyrical content of the songs and his high-pitched screams have always bordered on the odd combination of ’80s Glam Rock and pop punk sensations such as A Newfound Glory. It is reminiscent of these sounds, which is the one prominent downside to AFI, but it still has the ability to prove its distinctness and uniqueness.

As the title may suggest, and as any AFI fan already knows, these are not lighthearted topics that Havok touches upon in his songs. The songs are moody and evoke a depression of gothic darkness. Still, something of a radiant, resplendent beauty shines forth from the album.

beaker

‘One year later and no show for experience, 22 Brides are back with their second album Beaker.

At the risk of sounding corny, this album should be entitled rnWeaker because that is what it is.  If this is what one year of experience did to them, I would hate to see them ten year from now.

This album is said to have fuzzy guitar riffs.  However, I can’t really tell.  They were turned down so low that I thought this album was a capello.  This album could basically be described as Jamie Walters: If he was a girl without a guitar.

This New York based band plans to go on tour again this fall.  Take my advise, don’t waste your money on tickers.

There are four decent tracks on the album.  They are: “Truck stop,” “Sunday Best,” “Insomnia,” and “No Enemies.” Let me clarify, when I say decent, it does not mean that I really liked them.  Rather, it means that they are the only songs that I did not want to fast forward through.

The release date is set for September 19th, and all I can say is, rn”Hey, it’s your money.”rn

http://www.theagapepuppets.org

‘OK, you’re going to give us shit about using a Christian Web site, aren’t you? Calm down, duderino. We’re not insulting Christianity, Christ, or those imaginary pixies and their fairy dust or whatever it is you believe in. What you do in the privacy of your own, specifically designated place to practice religion is your business.

As long as you don’t believe you can control the weather by closing your eyes and concentrating really, really hard, we may not make fun of you. Or, unless you use puppets to convey messages to the public and your name is not Mr. Rogers. Freaks.

We’re talking about puppets here, people. PUPPETS! What the hell?

Let’s start by stating the goal of this organization: “Sharing the Love of Christ around the World with Puppets and Chalk.”

And chalk. How did we miss that the first time around?

This team of well-intentioned and devout Christians traverse the globe to spread the Lord’s message with their hands stuck up the asses of cotton-filled kid’s toys. Just take a look at the pictures on the site. You’ve got to question who they’re helping, and how.

There’s a really funny one of a small and, as we are to assume, undernourished child arm wrestling a young adult puppeteer. With the assistance of Christ and his message, the poor child’s arm may not be torn off completely by the end of this strength test. Maybe he’ll do the Christian thing and let the kid win. What message does that spread about Christ?

Oh, wait, we promised not to insult religion. No problem. There’s a ton of obvious jokes to be made about the puppets.

To maximize the suck on this site, go to the photo albums and narrate the pictures. Just say whatever comes to mind. It won’t take long before you produce much funnier comments on this site than we did like: “Hey boys and girls in Northern Ireland, look at Christ help me juggle these rings! You know what that means? It means God loves you. Sure your homes here in Northern Ireland have been torn apart by war and poverty, but look at these fabulous colorful disks floating effortlessly through the air! It means that everything is going to be all right!”

Here’s a message to the puppeteers: If you were a starving child in a third-world country would you rather see some comfortable American speak to you without moving his or her lips, using a dummy, or would you rather get a sandwich? Puppets and chalk are not going to put a decent meal in these kids’ stomachs.

As a little side note, the organization’s mission statement offers the following precept: The wicked will be punished eternally in hell, according to God’s perfect justice; and the righteous will be eternally blessed in heaven, to the praise of God’s infinite Grace. Hell sounds more enticing.

cva

‘Good news, people. Hardcore is still alive. It has just been filtered from Lifetime through Kid Dynamite and now into Paint It Black, with a little Affirmative Action Jackson, The Curse and Good Riddance support for good measure.

Plain and simple, Paint it Black has got it. The songs they write not only have character but they seem like they have the qualities I can only assume women look for in “a good man.” They are tight, powerful, funny, packed with tongue-in-cheek wit, and intellectual and politically minded – but not overbearingly so.

With the longest song reaching just under pop’s classic three-minute limit, Paint It Black knows how to cut the crap and get to the point, as this track’s title suggests: “This Song Is Short Because It’s Not Political.” It’s all shorter, faster, louder.

“CVA” (Cardio Vascular Accident), which doubles as a song about vocalist Dr. Dan Yemin’s stroke in 2001, is an homage to old-school punk. In addition to being packed with references to the Rolling Stones, Fugazi, Minor Threat and so on, it breathes life back into the sounds of the NJ/PA hardcore scenes.

This uncompromising and unabashed onslaught of songs grips you by the throat and pins you up against the wall. With your feet dangling in the air, your interest will be piqued. It sounds sadomasochistic but fans of good hardcore will tell you they don’t mind getting their asses kicked by an aggressive auricular attack.

Yemin, who has his doctorate in psychology, makes his debut behind the microphone with PIB. While his voice is noticeably distinguishable from the vocals of Jason Shevchuck and Ari Katz, singers of Yemin’s prior endeavors Kid Dynamite and Lifetime, it has the raw, throaty quality to it that gives bands such as Hot Water Music and Small Brown Bike an edge. His vocal lines are a bit more drawn-out than the singers of his previous bands but, nevertheless, his Guy Picciotto-esque debut is impressive.

The only question this album will leave you with is “Why was Yemin inspired to write a song (“Four Simple Steps to Total Life Satisfaction”) based on John Carpenter’s “They Live,” starring Rowdy Roddy Piper?” What a horrible movie.

the silhouette

‘Garrison is an inconsisten band, and sometimes they just slap you in the face. This would be one of those instances.

The band’s most recent EP, “The Silhouette,” a younger, feistier brother to “The Model,” is about as loud, angry, and jaded as the band has been to date. Take the record’s first track for example. “Come On Die Young (No Seriously),” which bears no resemblance to the band C.O.D.Y., is just shy of two minutes of fervent chanting “Come on, come on, come on die young.” End of story, end of song.

Fortunately, the aggression burns out and exits early. The jaded nature of the songs runs the course strong, though. By the third track, “God Is Not On Our Side,” Garrison has stepped back to the formula that worked so well on their first EP, “The Bend Before the Break.” At no point during this record do they surpass the musical perfection of some of their earlier works, such as “Serious Heavy Drama,” but the second half of this EP comes close, though.

There are just a few anger management issues that are holding the band back and need to be worked out. Lines like “Just pull the trigger quick and stop wasting our time,” from “We Know Our Demographic” prove that point rather well.

In most of the band’s early catalogue, singer Joseph Grillo utilizes both his scream and his whine in a way that complements the songs tremendously. Somewhere around the recording of their last full-length, “Be A Criminal,” he changed his vocal stylings. It became forcedly deeper. It appears that he discovered the invaluable qualities of his voice. The first song on the new EP has gruff and unpolished quality to it, but he quickly melds old with new, and by the third track, the old won out. The music has that Summer of Killing Flies feel to it again.

If nothing else, “The Silhouette” shows a step in the right direction for the band. The music is regressing, but in a way for which we can all be thankful.

1977

‘Have you ever just sat down and listened to an album, or even rnjust a few songs, and found yourself singing the tunes regardless of the fact that you have never heard them before.  It’s pure pop music syndrome.  Once you are walking down the street and catch yourself singing or humming a song that you heard for the first time on your car ride up to school, you know you have been in the clutches of this tunes catchy rifts.  It has rnhappened to everyone at one point in time or another, and has been accepted in the entertainment industry as, more or less, a part of the American way.  Think about it.  How many times can you remember yourself singing lines like, “Choke me in the shallow waters, before I get to deep,”  or “Should I stay or should I go now?  If I go there will be trouble.  If I stay it will be double.”  Well, do not exclude Ash from this list.  Chances are, you have long been asking people in your presence “Do you remember rnthe time I knew a girl from Mars?”  We all love you, the Girl from rnMars.

Ash has recently released it’s sophomore debut on Reprise rnRecords entitled 1977.  This title was chosen because it was the year that Star Wars was released.  There are many reference to this movie and others of the sort.  “Kung Fu”, which appeared along side “Jack Names the Planets” on the Angus soundtrack, is a collaboration of references to Kung Fu movies, and there stars.  Well, if you are interested, you can figure out references like “Darkside Lightside.”

This album, which was released earlier on last year, gains much rncredibility considering that it was recorded while the band was taking their exams right before their highschool graduation.  It is impressing to hear the outcome of the album.  1977 was produced by Owen Morris, of Oasis fame, and yet the band did not even remotely rip off the Beatles.  Coincidentally,  “Lost In You”  did succeed at ripping off Frank Sinatra to a certain extent.  Oh well, nobody is perfect.  Overall, this release was very consistent with the band’s debut, Trailer.  Through both recordings, that pop-punk mixture is very evident. All the rifts are catchy as hell.  The lyrics are somewhat redundant at rntimes yet fresh and original the rest.  There are many long winded guitar solos that over prove the point that rnTim Wheeler, the bands frontman, does know how to play the guitar.   The style has not changed, which is a very good sign nowadays.

Everyone seems to be changing their formulas for something rnbetter and new.  This is the reason that Ash shines well above the faces of a slew of other Euro-rock bands.  For God’s sake, even U2 is dressing up like the Village People anymore.  Ash rnbrings us back down to reality.  They make us realize why we all fell in love with bands like Nirvana to begin with.  It is the simplicity and honesty of the music that attracts us.  It is not anything new.  1977  shows us the roots behind most rnpost-modern rock.  The album tells us that all we need is a guitar, bass, drums, and two or three pedals to create the rnsongs everyone loves to hear.  Thank you Ash.  1997 needs some new faces to point us in a positive direction.  As more and more of us grasp onto techno, and its offsprings, bands like you are becoming extinct.  It is your duty to repopulate true rock bands.  May the force be with you.

Can’t stop the rock

‘Gared O’Donnell is fixing up his house with a friend. With big moving plans in the future and a one-year-old boy, Lux (Latin for light), and wife to look after, he’s got a very busy life.

Still the local singer/guitarist makes time for his band, Planes Mistaken for Stars. The ceiling of his house is not the only thing he’s been working on. Just a few days ago, he and the rest of the band finished work in the studio on their anticipated new album, tentatively titled “Up In Them Guts,” which is slated for release on June 15.

A tour is approaching but, first, the band plans on showing off some of their new tunes down in Denver before heading to the East Coast for a five week tour with Against Me!.

The Colorado show, which was originally scheduled with AFI and Thursday at the Fillmore, will be the official debut of new member Chuck French (ex-Peralta).

O’Donnell, whose gruff style brings about comparisons to Hot Water Music and Bear vs. Shark, is more than pleased with French’s presence in the band.

“It’s a new energy,” he said. “It’s rather refreshing. We wrote about three-fourths of this record with him but he picked the old stuff up real quick. He’s as sharp as a tack.”

so long

‘Originally from the suburbs of Ambler and Glenside is the rnup-and-coming indie band, Grady.  These four locals have just released their seven inch EP entitled, “So Long…”  off of their South Philadelphia based label, SuperModel Records.

If right now you are saying to yourself that you have never rnheard of these guys before, then do not worry.  Unless you have been to rnany Mr. T Experience, J Church, Bouncing Souls, or Jawbox concerts or are rnbig on the local music scene than chances are, you have not had the full rnGrady experience yet.  Not only do they sound like bands such as the Mr. T rnExperience or J Church but they have also been playing with such national rnindependent acts for over three years.

Grady is a power/punk/pop band that are trying to establish rntheir roots in the album industry as well as in their accomplished live rnperformances.  “So Long…” can be purchased at many fine local music rnstores including 3rd Street Rock and Jazz, Rock and Roll Plus, rnInternational CD, along with many other shops.

This EP is a must.  It includes such hits as “Barnacle”, rn”Plug”, and “So Long” which have the power behind them to rip pop punk bandsrnand their hyperactivity to shreds.  Allrnof this and their bassist is only seventeen.  Now, that is an rnaccomplishment.

Since the recording of this seven inch, the band has beefed up rntheir equipment and sound much fuller.  In other words, your best bet is rnto also see them live.  They will be touring this summer, which is also rnthe time of the expected release of their CD.  So, you already have rnsomething new and exciting to look forward to from these guys.

de-loused in the comatorium

‘To say that Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez have had a lasting impact on the music is an understatement. The extent of their reach stretches far beyond the boundaries of music. Take a look around. If you’ve seen an anorexic-looking waif of a white boy with a metal-studded belt and an Afro that comes close to doubling his weight, you have seen a small ray in the spectrum of influence that these two gentleman, the musical masterminds behind The Mars Volta, have had.

Bixler and Rodriguez are unshakable entities that have harnessed the uncanny ability to reshape the music world around that which they see fit to have created. They are musical geniuses, pioneering forefathers of our time. To some, they may never shake the tag of their past as founding members of At The Drive-In. To others, they are simply deities that, no matter what they do, will be worshipped unconditionally.

Unfortunately, immortality is not synonymous with musical deity. Death has surrounded this album. Shortly before the album’s release, keyboardist/sound/manipulator James Ward was found dead in his L.A. home.rnrnIn addition, “De-Loused” itself is about a death. This concept album is a fictional spiel whose protagonist attempts suicide. Instead, he goes into a coma. When he awakes, he continues on the path upon which he started. This musical montage is a dedication to Julio Venegas, a friend of the band who killed himself during the ATDI recording sessions for “Acrobatic Tenement.” The song “Embroglio” is about him.

Avid fans, as well as some people close to ATDI, blamed their breakup on Bixler and Rodriguez’s starry-eyed lust for a more glamorous sound. It has been said that they wanted to take the band in new directions that would shake ATDI from its foundation and give a big-studio production to their sound. This assertion is verified when you hear the difference between The Mars Volta and Sparta.

While Sparta stuck to the straight-up guitar-rock roots they founded themselves upon, The Mars Volta was destined to walk uncharted grounds. TMV’s first EP, “Tremulant,” was a good sampling of what was soon to come. It continued along the line set out by ATDI’s final album “Relationship of Command.”

The Mars Volta proved with their first EP that they are a sonically dense band that distances itself from distorted guitars in exchange for fuller drums, pounding bass rhythms, and a love for all things electronic.

While it appeared inevitable that TMV would head out in this direction, they have still managed to defy the expectations of anyone offered predictions on the band’s possible music endeavors. “Drunkship of Lanterns” is a good example of this. This song, driven primarily by Flea’s entrancing bass riffs, can easily be mistaken for the work of Rusted Root; a shock that may come to those weaned on Rodriguez’s songwriting talents and Bixler’s enchanting screams. The heavy influence of fellow Latino music icon Santana is strewn throughout this album as well.

The record is occasionally cataclysmic, spewing out bursts of energy that fans have grown to expect from these two feisty fellows. It is a synthetic genius, built on their rewritten musical dogmas as well as the freedom of limitless studio production. It is constantly shifting from one song to the next, leaving you in heightened anticipation for what is just around the bend. It is a tale of friendship and tragedy that will forever become a phantom emotional appendage that will leave you overwhelmed by a sense of loss.

as the palaces burn

“Grant us your peace.

What ever happened to singing a joyful noise to the Lord?

I guess God is into the jud-jud sound of thrashing guitars, cock-rocking riffs, and drum solos. If that is the case and God is into drum solos, we’ve got a big problem on our hands.

Has anyone seen Rikki Rachtman, Rikki-Rikki Rachtman? Headbanger’s Ball went off the air in 1995. What is this album trying to accomplish? Whatever it is, it’s too little, too late… about ten years too late.rn”