Album Review: Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow

by Alex Mayfield

Once again, CO and CA add another chapter to their confusing space epic known as the Amory Wars. YOTBR is supposed to be a prequel to the other chapters, taking place before Coheed’s first album Second Stage Turbine Blade. Though the story is filled with murder, deceit, and 72 planets, you will never be able to understand the plot by just listening to the albums. However, the story really doesn’t matter for this review because the music is still quite good. It will be very hard for Coheed to make a better album than In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3, but they still make some good music. With intricate guitars and heavy riffs, the album starts off with a little bit of chaos that, to me, doesn’t really work. However, once the album hits the anthem-like Here We are Juggernaut, the album starts to rise to a more likeable status. This album seems almost identical to No World For Tomorrow (their previous album released in 2007). When it comes down to it, the intricate guitars and powerhouse vocals present something that Coheed fans will enjoy. If you like No World For Tomorrow, you will enjoy this. If you were hoping for another In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3, I have a hard time believing you will find it here. Where does this fall in with the other Coheed albums? I’m so glad you asked. In my opinion...

1. In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (2003) – 9/10

2. Second Stage: Turbine Blade (2002) – 8/10

3. No World For Tomorrow (2007) – 7/10

4. Year of the Black Rainbow (2010) – 7/10

5. Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV (2005) – 6.5/10

To wrap up this review, the album is quite good with is use of crowd chants, good percussion, heavy guitar and is sure to please. Coheed is an acquired taste so for those who don't listen to Coheed, be weary trying to go into this album without starting with some more listenable tracks. Songs you might want to start with would be, “A Favor House Atlantic” (IKSOSE3), “Feathers” (NWFT), and “Welcome Home” (GAIBS4). So for Coheed fans, give it a listen. Others who aren’t as brave might want to stay away.

7 out of 10

Download tracks – “Here We Are Juggernaut”, “Made Out of Nothing”, “Pearl of the Stars”

Coheedandcambria.com

Track Reviews (The Black Keys, The Hold Steady, The Gaslight Anthem)

by: David Edscorn

This spring/early summer is going to be a powerhouse season for new music. Among others , The Gaslight Anthem, The Hold Steady, and The Black Keys will all be releasing albums then, and all three debuted singles this past week. Here’s some thoughts on and a link to each:

The Black Keys “Tighten Up” (Brothers, May 18)- This track finds the Akron duo teaming up with Danger Mouse (of Gnarls Barkley) again to do production (he produced all of 2008's Attack and Release, but only this song on Brothers). It’s a strong track, with plenty of Dan Aurbach’s sinewy guitar lines and soulful vocals (the lyrics are typical blues futile-love fare, but good) and Patrick Carney’s relentless drumming. Danger Mouse adds in some whistling at the beginning, soulful organ stings, and his characteristic bright production. The result sounds like it could have belonged on Attack and Release, which I have to say disappoints me slightly. I like that album alright, but I really prefer the stripped down rough edges of the band’s previous works. We’ll see how it fits in with the rest of the album.

Listen at: www.myspace.com/theblackkeys

The Hold Steady “Hurricane J” (Heaven Is Whenever, May 4)- The Midwestern bar-rockers have said that their new album will be “less anathematic,” but it’s hard to see this from the new single, which features an extremely catchy chorus and the most anathematic bridge I’ve heard in a while. There are of course the familiar themes and self-references (“I see the crowd you’re hanging with and those kids don’t seem positive) and a new character, Jesse, that might actually be an old, previously unnamed character (the references to bars and harbors seems to point towards the girl in “Certain Songs” from Almost Killed Me). Besides having definite appeal to longtime fans, this might also be the most accessible THS song yet. Craig Finn manages to sing most of the song (his voice is also a big clearer and his vocal chords seem to be missing a little of their normal whiskey coating), the rhyme scheme actually makes sense, and there’s a recognizable song structure. The best Hold Steady song ever? Maybe not, but it sure is fun to sing along to.

Listen at: www.myspace.com/theholdsteady

The Gaslight Anthem “American Slang” (American Slang, June 15)- These blue-collar Jersey boys have only been together for less than five years, but they’ve already managed to put out two excellent albums and a strong EP, and now their third is on the way. The lead single and title track shows the group embracing a sound that’s a bit more of their own (and a little less tied down to their influences) in a way that’s both familiar and excitingly fresh. There’s another sing-along chorus, and a return of the church bells heard on “’59 Sound.” Also intriguing is the cover art, which features black and white photos of locations around NYC and New Jersey, as well as some vintage recording equipment, a straight razor, a root-beer float, and an image of brass knuckles. It’s all at once nostalgic and a little sinister, and reminds me (along with the “American Slang” lyrics such as “they cut me to ribbons and taught me to drive” and “here’s where the angels and devils meet”) a little of “The Navesink Banks” off Sink or Swim where the singer “carried faith and a switchblade tucked beneath my coat” and “ran with dirty angels.”

Listen at: www.myspace.com/thegaslightanthem

Concert Review - All Get Out w/ Weatherbox and Junior Astronomers

Tremont Music Hall - March 10,2010

Charlotte, NC

By: Alex Mayfield

What does it take to make a fantastic show? In my opinion, there are certain aspects to a performance that can make it better than the rest. I really enjoy seeing high energy shows. I like when bands take time during the set to mingle with the crowd. I love when the band seems like they would rather be playing that show than be anywhere else in the world. When you take these three bands (that most of you probably haven’t heard of) that is exactly what you get.

The crowd on this Wednesday night in Charlotte seemed a little small (50-60 maximum), but for some reason that didn’t seem to matter at all. A lot of bands have a hard time feeding off such a small crowd, but this was no problem for opening act Junior Astronomers. These Charlotte locals seemed like they would be excited to play no matter how small the crowd. They showed their ability to be loud and in your face and they were excellent. With somewhat intricate guitars, a hyper bassist and a lead singer who leaves everything he has on stage, Junior Astronomers proved that they will be something to be reckoned with. As the finished up their set, Weatherbox took to the stage to follow up Junior Astronomer’s fantastic performance.

Weatherbox, a band out of San Diego (which I’m pretty sure translates into “A Whale’s Vagina) started off the show with a solo performance by front man Brian Warren. As the set started as haunting and captivating, the band joins in to bring a slightly more reserved feel to the show. Though not as hyper as Junior Astronomers, Weatherbox put together a show that was incredibly entertaining. Though the songs are powerful, the highlight of the night happened to be when Weatherbox stopped in the middle of their final song to crack some jokes. The main reason Weatherbox is entertaining is because they are engaging to those that watch them and it works in their favor. As they finished up their set, it was time for All Get Out to step on stage.

All Get Out has a style that is loud and gritty and the songs that they write are in your face, demand for your attention. I challenge every one of you to find a band that puts more energy and effort into every song that they play. I have never seen a band more engaging in my life. Whether it is drummer Gordon Keiter walking on top of his set, Guitarist Mel Washington flying around the stage, Bassist Mike Rogers moving with every note, or lead singer/guitarist Nathan Hussey screaming his lungs out, there is always something to be impressed by. Which brings me to their finale, a combo-finish of songs Let Me Go and Your Girl My Gun Her Ghost proves to be one of the most moving, powerful songs I have ever heard live. All Get Out is incredible and they put on shows that should not be missed. I highly recommend seeing anyone of these three bands when they come anywhere near you. You will not be disappointed.

Photos From:

Myspace.com/Juniorastronomers

Myspace.com/Weatherbox

Myspace.com/Allgetout

Concert Review - Cage the Elephant w/ As Tall As Lions and Morning Teleportation

February 19, 2010
The Orange Peel
Asheville, NC

By: Alex Mayfield

Most people at the show on Friday were ready to hear “that one song” from Cage the Elephant. Not too many were worried about the other bands on the ticket. However, as the show started, band number one kicked off the concert in a surprisingly good way. Morning Teleportation is a funk-tastic, trippy, Modest Mouse like band, that wasn’t bad at all. Though the band doesn’t have a lot to spend on merchandise, (Their albums were burned onto computer disk and sold in paper covers) they played a show that astonished everyone. Unlike most bands that start off a show, Morning Teleportation burned their trippy funk into our minds for an experience that was (for lack of a better word) fun. And they sure beat the hell out of the following band.

As Tall as Lions came up pretty short. The biggest flaw of ATAL is that their show is flat out annoying. The lead singer was whiney, the bass player made love to the microphone while saying he wanted some “buddy to buy me beer, and some LADIES,” (Yes I referenced Demetri Martin) and the drummer posed for an Abercrombie advertisement with every drum hit. The band acted as if they were deeper and better than they really were. I hope they know that the only reason anyone clapped for them is because we all kept thinking they were done so we could see Cage the Elephant, but NOOOOOO. They had to continue playing way longer than anyone should have let them. (Is it bad to want to get refunded for free tickets?) The only achievement that ATAL had all night was that they arguably had the cooler looking t-shirts. Congrats to them. As ATAL finished up the crowd got ready to hear the band they came for.

Cage the Elephant finally comes out to the new fans they have acquired and start the show. Cage the Elephant had way more energy than anyone else at the show. By playing majority of the album, one new song, and a couple covers, they kept the show going at a decent length. The fans cheered and some left once they finally heard “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” such as the group of girls right next to me. It’s a shame that they missed quite the finale where Lead Singer Matt Schultz crowd surfed all the way to the exit out the back of the venue. Cage the Elephant put on a pretty decent show, which is lucky because Matt Schultz seemed way more hammered than he should have been, falling over several times Dewey Cox Style. (I make references in my reviews, please keep up.) But the show didn’t suffer and at the end of the night, I felt that I saw a pretty decent show. Cage the Elephant delivered and Morning Teleportation surprised everybody. You can skip As Tall as Lions next time they play a show near you.

Concert Review: of Montreal: February 5, 2010

Venue: The Orange Peel,

by: Nick Todaro

Using the term “freak-fest” to describe anything may carry a negative connotation. For the indie quintet of Montreal, this is taken as a compliment in the most outlandish of aspects. Touring in support of their 2008 release, Skeletal Lampings, the band treated their fans to a zany visual spectacle that was sound tracked by a comprehensive live performance that could be billed as one of the best around.

Entering The Orange Peel, it was obvious that as much as the band likes to dress for the occasion, the fans do even more. At one of these shows, the normal dress attire includes glitter, cross dressing, and psychedelic make up. The opening act, of Montreal’s drummer James Higgins acting as his musical alter-ego James Husband, played an intriguingly arcane style of indie pop. His band included two other oM members; keyboardist Dottie Alexander and bassist Davey Pierce on the drums. At one point, Pierce took a break and let oM front man Kevin Barnes try his hand at the sticks.

After James Husband, the crowd became feverish as a group of performers with pig masks on took to the stage and pumped even more elation into them. Led by a tiger in a white ring leader suit, the animals banged on oM’s set up until the band came on stage, kicked them off, and went into a blistering version of The Sunlandic Twins favorite, “Requiem For O.M.M.2”.

Weaving through a heavy majority of songs from Skeletal Lampings, oM threw in a couple of rarities—“Lysergic Bliss”, “Du Og Meg”—and played a new song. Before playing it, Barnes mentioned, “We have a new album coming out around September”, and introduced—I kid you not—“Teenage Unicorn Fisting”. The song began with a heavy James Brown influence and quickly morphed into a dark disco rock song with the catchy chorus, “Don’t treat me like a tourist, let’s stay high on a negative wave”.

Throughout the show, actors dashed on stage to complement the already hallucinogenic feeling of the projectors behind the band. Priests touching boys, masked shadows handling a feather spraying device, and a torture cross all graced the stage to add to the chromatic cavalcade. This extra smidgen of kookiness accompanied oM’s impressive live sound quite well, and continued to provide as a hype factor to an already ecstatic audience.

By doing away with their usual usage of programmed drum loops, oM accomplished a much tighter performance. Compared to prior live experiences, the ensemble seemed much more relaxed and unrestricted by this detail. This also gave guitarist Bryan Poole a chance to slice through the grooving atmosphere with some wicked sounding guitar work on “Cato As A Pun” and “She’s A Rejector”. After playing the popular “Wrath Pinned…” as the first encore, oM busted out a soulful rendition of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” to close out the anomalous evening.

Setlist: Requiem For O.M.M.2, Id Engager, For Our Elegant Caste, Lysergic Bliss, Beware Our Nubile Miscreants, Du Og Meg, Cat As A Pun, Suffer For Fashion, Mingusings, Teenage Unicorn Fisting, And I’ve Seen A Bloody Shadow, Plastis Wafers, St. Exquisite’s Confessions, Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse, Oslo In The Summertime, A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger, E1: Wrath Pinned To The Mist and Other Games, She’s A Rejector, E2: “Friends Sing-A-Long”, I Want You Back (Jackson 5 Cover)

WASU Top Ten & Adds 2/2/26

Top Ten

1. Blakroc- "Ain't Nothing Like You"

2. Heligoats- "Watertowers on Fire"

3. Robert Francis- "Keep on Running"

4. We All Have Hooks For Hands- "Howling and Bellowing"

5. McGowan- "Go Down Fighting"

6. Stellastarr- "Graffiti Eyes"

7. Retribution Gospel Choir- "Hide It Away"

8. Vampire Weekend- "Run"

9. Hush Now- "Contrails"

10. We Were Pirates- "Long Year"

Adds

Charlotte Gainsburg- "Heaven Can Wait (ft. Beck)"

Bear Hands- "What a Drag"

Malachai- "Snowflake"

Yeasayer- "Ambling Alp"

Drive Like Maria- "I'm On a Train"

Cold War Kids- "Coffee Spoon"

Really Grammys? Can We Try and Stay Up to Date Please?

By Alex Mayfield

Let us face the fact that I am not what most would call a fan of the Grammy Awards. I feel that it perpetuates a lack of musicality while ignoring the musicians who really deserve to be awarded. The musicians that start off their career with the only goal of winning a Grammy are tainting music and what it should be. Music is an art form that allows people to express themselves and inspire others…sorry for the cliché. We look back at music from the past and enjoy it. Zeppelin, Count Basie, Beatles, Elton John, etc… this is music we still listen to that reminds us how great the past was. I have a hard time believing that the future is going to look back at 2009 and look at Lady GaGa and say, “That is the greatest music of all time.” Even besides that, I have other issues with the Grammy Awards. I know, what else could there be? Well, I will tell you.
Now, I am not going to talk about who won and who should of won, because we already know that 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day is a piece of trash anyways. (Rock album of the year, my ass!) Disregarding that, my issue lies in the eligibility of what can be awarded. For example, Kings of Leon released their latest album, Only by the Night, in August of 2008 (Which is not nearly as good as Because of the Times, but received much more consideration for awards). "Use Somebody," a track from Only by the Night, received several nominations and awards for the year 2009. Really now? At least the Oscars can get movies that were actually released in the year they are giving awards in. After researching the criteria for eligibility, I found that a song has to only be popular in the year, disregarding the year released. Am I the only one that has an issue with that? Slumdog Millionaire won best motion picture soundtrack of 2009. The album was released in November of 2008. And there are plenty others that fall into this same category. Now, I really dislike the Grammy Awards even more so than before. So, if someone wins an oscar, congratulations to them because they most likely deserve it. However, when you win a Grammy, you have been awarded nothing meaningful.
If you want real music, go to the $5 shows at local venues and watch people play music who get nothing for it. Go see the street musicians who play because they love playing. Go see 4 best friends who look like they would rather play a concert every night for little money as long as they can afford to get to the next venue. Listen to everything and form your own opinion. I am not telling you who to listen to or who to buy, what I am saying is that in my experience of going to concerts and listening to music, the best concerts that I have ever attended are played by the bands who get nothing, the bands who don’t get awards, the bands who play music because they love to play.
By not limiting the criteria, you skip all the bands that really did have great albums this year. You pass over the bands that don’t do it for the awards but would still enjoy getting some form of recognition. People are going to look back at this decade and realize that the Grammy Awards are worthless.