NYS Music 20​12

Category: Album Reviews

  • Trampled By Turtles “Stars and Satellites” Album Review.

    I am really beginning to dive into bluegrass music these days. Something about its sound and flow is so pure and honest. Even the saddest of tracks can take you to a far away place where things are going to wind up ok in the end. Trampled By Turtles, a 5 piece from Minnesota, formed in 2003, and have been making some excellent headway for themselves in the music game. In addition to a stellar performance in Austin during SXSW that drew rave reviews, the group has played a host of huge festivals in the past. This year, they are slated to perform at Bonnaroo, All Good, and Sasquatch, in addition to their headlining dates coming our way in a few weeks.

    It’s no wonder… After listening to their new album, “Starts and Satellites,” I literally had to stop myself from applauding in public at the end of my first listen. The band’s sixth album since 2004, “Stars and Satellites” offers 11 super solid tracks, all recorded in a log home in Duluth. Some of the tracks are very rhythmic and pulsing, others are quite easygoing and subtle. All are fantastic!

    Opening with “Midnight on the Interstate” and closing with “The Calm and the Crying Wind,” both mellower tracks, Tracks like “Sorry” and “Walt Whitman” are quick and bouncy. “Risk” has a fun, almost comical delivery, with a dark edge to it. The album is laid out very well, and will captivate any listener who pays attention.

    The banjo player picks like a wild man during many of the tracks, and the mandolin and fiddle provide excellent rhythmic and melodic contrast. The bass lines flow easily throughout the songs, and the vocal harmonies are right on, complimenting Dave Simonett’s leads and acoustic strumming beautifully.

    If you are looking for a great album of Bluegrassy Folk tunes, look no further than Trampled By Turtles. And if you can’t get enough of the record, make sure to catch them in Syracuse when they play The Westcott Theatre on April 19th. I’ll be there!

    The entire album is currently available for streaming at their website. Check it out!!!

    http://trampledbyturtles.com/

  • REVIEW: Autopsy “All Tomorrow’s Funerals”

    REVIEW: Autopsy “All Tomorrow’s Funerals”

    From 1987 through 1995, it would be difficult to find a more pronounced and influential Death Metal band than Autopsy. During this time, the group paved the way for the medium, influencing many groups who became prominent members of the Death Metal community.

    Though they took a very long break from performing (15 years from 1995-2010), Autopsy made a welcome and triumphant come back. Their latest record is true to form, and long time enthusiasts of the group will undoubtedly be pleased with “All Tomorrow’s Funerals.” The release offers 21 tracks of old world US Death Metal to satiate the palate of even the staunchest metal consumers.

    Though the vocal effects are a bit much, and the guitar solos aren’t what they could be, “All Tomorrow’s Funerals” continues to represent Death Metal’s finer qualities.  The music is a bit more loose and not as technically precise or challenging as some of the current Death Metal acts, but Autopsy’s charm is their ability to stay true to form and relevant when so many have come and gone.

    In my opinion, this album is best suited for true fans already familiar with Autopsy’s body of work, or those looking to expand their horizons and get back to the roots of their chosen genre from a present-day perspective.

    -Greg Allis

  • REVIEW: COMMON ENEMY “As the World Burns”

    REVIEW: COMMON ENEMY “As the World Burns”

    As the World Burns, the 5th full length offering from Reading, Pa’s ever vigilant Common Enemy shows no signs of slowing down and indeed finds the band even more the master of their excellent brand of thrashy punk rock than they were on Living the Dream. And that’s saying a lot. The 16 concise, angry, and dare I say slightly more serious songs located within this album are  a needed dose of thrash in a boring music world filled with ten million bands in their little sister’s pants that all seem to be playing the same eight minute long song. I honestly can’t find a more apt simile for this release than from the words of the band themselves in the album description: “pure post-apocalyptic chaos, and good times to be had with friends while sitting back and watching it all burn.”

    As pointless as it is to draw comparisons with other bands on a 5th album, I get the same rush from this album that I get listening to Rich Kids on LSD. Immediately from the opening track Thrown Away, vocalist Gary sets the tone with his strong, pissed off delivery that will be his trademark throughout the album. The fun, irreverent songs I’ve come to expect from Common Enemy are here in abundance with songs like All I Want For Christmas Is A Bag Of Weed, as well as several songs that even touch serious social issues such as March Them Off To War (This Is Business): “Blasted by the mainstream media, we sit and mindlessly swallow every bit of shit they feed us. They tell us what to wear, what to eat, how to live and whose life has value. And if we can’t make the change, we’ve opened the door for the exploitation of the lower class everywhere.”

    With the majority of the songs clocking in at under two minutes, more guitar harmonies than ever and drum beats tighter than an exceptionally ugly altar boy at a church filled with picky priests, Common Enemy has somehow found a way to refine their noise even further while breathing fresh air into a sound that was already in no danger of growing stale. 2012 is promising to be great in the arena of new punk albums, and As The World Burns is already an early contender for album of the year. With a genuine love for their craft that is both transparent and what punk rock is all about as well as a relentless touring schedule that will most likely have Common Enemy playing near you before very long, you would be making a huge mistake to sleep on this band or this album. You can pick up copies of it now exclusively from the band themselves or Overdose On Records.

    For more info on this album:
    http://www.overdoseonrecords.com/

    To buy As The World Burns:
    http://www.overdoseonrecords.com/store

    -Brian Lawrence

  • I CALL FIVES Someone That’s Not You is catchy, listenable

    I CALL FIVES Someone That’s Not You is catchy, listenable


    Someone That’s Not You is a four song teaser for the upcoming full length release due in June by Washington Township, NJ’s I Call Fives. It’s often hard to get a good feel for a band based on a teaser, as it’s usually half typical offerings of the band’s songs and half hubris, and this is no exception.

    I Call Fives is pop punk in the vein of early 2000’s bands. I would place it post Pulley, pre My Chemical Romance. Talented, interactive, well played drum tracks all through the songs are a highlight from top to bottom. High production values always benefit this style of music, and the multiple layers of vocals and backing vocals go a long way toward keeping this a page turner. That is, until abruptly on the third track, the floor drops out. It’s not that Lakeview, an acoustic track, and the entirely unnecessary cover of Third Eye Blind’s How’s It Gonna Be are bad, it’s more of a matter that the momentum of the first two songs seemed to be leading in a completely different direction until that point. The idea of a teaser EP is to make you want to hear the full album, so I guess the point was made here…. I would definitely point an ear at the full length.

    Though I admittedly like my pop punk more like 30footFALL and less like Fenix TX, I find the overall product of I Call Fives ultimately engaging and guaranteed to be thoroughly enjoyed by any 14 year old girl into underground music who isn’t currently idolizing untalented breakdown bands. As well as a confirmed stint on Warped Tour,  I Call Fives will be headlining the last 5 shows of the Pure Noise Records tour, including a stop at Mirador in Binghamton 3/30 and a stop at Bogies in Albany on 3/20, which is coincedentally the day this teaser is released. So get out to the show, check these guys out and buy the E.P.!

    -Brian Lawrence

    For more on I Call Fives:

    www.facebook.com/icallfives

    http://purenoise.net

    Tour Dates:

    Mar 20 Bogies Albany, NY

    Mar 21 Minnehans w/ Forever Came Calling & The American Scene Lakeville, NY

    Mar 22 Hardluck Bar Toronto, Canada RSVP

    Mar 23 euro gyro Kent, OH

    Mar 24 Misfit Lab Fenton, MI

    Mar 25 Penny Road Pub w/ The Sheds Barrington, IL

    Mar 26 Bangarang S w/The Sheds Covington, KY

    Mar 28 Club Soda w/The Sheds London, OH

    Mar 28 The Smiling Moose w/The Sheds Pittsburgh, PA

    Mar 29 Whitman Sq Men S Club w/The Sheds Turnersville, NJ

    Mar 30 Mirador w/The Sheds Binghamton, NY

  • HUMAANA’s Comfort is laid back, confident

    HUMAANA’s Comfort is laid back, confident


    Humaana – Comfort (Panic Records)

    Comfortable atmospheres line the tracks of Comfort, the E.P. that marks the first release by Boston’s Humaana. Started as a studio project in 2009 by members of Late Nite Wars and Ryan Stack of Format Audio, Humaana tasked themselves with the “goal to write and record as much material as possible without any genre constraints.” The result is a solid, laid back effort heavy on lush effects and melodies. Somewhat like a modern day Police in sound, the songs are catchy and somehow manage to walk the tightrope of becoming familiar while not at all crossing the line into repetitive, a trap that has easily been fallen into by far longer running acts.

    I had no idea how refreshing it would be to hear effects on vocals and not have it be fucking autotune. But it was. Seriously. I can’t help but feel that currently there’s a giant hole in music overall that is just begging for strong, melodic acts to fill it, much like a horny cougar at a homecoming party. Too soon? No matter, Humaana is exactly the band to do the filling, so look out Demi Moore! While I admittedly pulled the Police comparison from the band’s press material, I feel it is the first thing that popped out at me upon listening and quite apt. If I had to pull a band I would compare these guys to from the murky depths of my own brain, I have to say I hear similar qualities to A Day At The Fair, though I am hard pressed to say exactly in what aspect.

    Featuring a very big sound for a three piece, strong recording quality and confident songwriting that suggests a much longer running band, this five song E.P. will absolutely get in your head and stay there, and I would suggest it for anyone looking for a warm, comfortable E.P. to get them through the remainder of winter.

    For more on Humaana:
    http://www.facebook.com/Humaana
    http://panicrecords.net

    This E.P. was released on 2/28/12 and is now available through the Panic Records website.
    http://www.panicrecords.net/estore/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=humaana

    -Brian Lawrence

  • Timbre Coup ‘Knuckles and Valleys’

    Timbre Coup ‘Knuckles and Valleys’

    The third album from Timbre Coup, Knuckles and Valleys, following the release of 2010’s Check Out This, will be released on Thursday, February 23rd on the final night of their month-long residency at Jillian’s of Albany.

    timbre coup knuckles and valleysTwelve tracks for the twelve months of the year, written over the course of 2009, one song each month and gaining the appropriate monthly title as the year progressed. The writing process, as shared by drummer Matt Pickering, “Some songs we tried to capture the mood or feeling of the month in lyrics of music, a couple we just wrote what we were feeling at the time. The mixing on the album reflects how we think the months sound.” The songs have all been played live but for those new to Timbre Coup, they can see how the music portrays the month while existing fans will hear different versions of songs they are already familiar with.

    With tracks as easy as these to name in order, a brief description of what to expect from this impressive junior effort:

    January – There’s some Tool in here, along with a Middle Eastern jazz infusion and dark vocals, inspired by gritty 90s grunge. Great start to the album/year.

    February – A great bass line opens up into a groovy beat, followed by a refrain “This has only just begun” with a mellow sax not unlike “Careless Whisperer.”

    March – Instrumental prog-rock goodness; this could be a soundtrack for a boat adrift at sea, encountering storms and finally placid at the end.

    April – A musical thunderstorm, great lyrics and wonderful guitar work on a hallmark track.

    May – Bass n drums foundation with building guitar licks before a break in the song; the song starts again with more intensity in the second half, growing to great heights. Solid.

    June – A homemade electronic feast without missing a beat, strongest track so far, makes for great dancing; lyrics include ‘Keep it pumpin’ till the night is through, it’s a summer rhythm…’

    July – Spastic guitar propels the tune forward, the arching solos create the melting rhythms.

    August – Another Middle Eastern infusion at the outset, lyrics are celebratory “The day is mine!” as the quartet turn to Mexican influences for an end of summer jam.

    September – An airy trance starts off the ninth track, a purely electronic track from four musicians who create a spooky techno song without needing a laptop; pure musical talent in the month of September.

    October – Harsh and gritty, machine-gun guitar vs. sweep solo guitar.

    November – Indie rock at first, but quickly supplanted by the come-to-expect deep grooves that accent the lyrics and harmony vocals.

    December – Industrial beats mark the beginning, rocking and jamming all the way through. A perfect way to cap off a magnificent album.

    So, what’s your favorite month?

    Key tracks: April, June, September, December

  • Solaris EP – Beyond 3D

    Solaris EP – Beyond 3D

    Hailing from Binghamton, trance/fusion band Solaris greets 2012 with their first EP, a stellar preview of whats to come when they enter the studio later this year. Forming in the summer of 2010, the trio made up of Jared Raphel on keyboards, Dan Lyons on drums and Vince Naro on Bass play a Disco Biscuits/STS9 style of electronica that many fans will appreciate for their high energy dance rhythms. Solaris bundles the best of these groups along with a little Pink Floyd and jazz influence into a writhing EP, Beyond 3D that makes an solid statement from a band on the rise in New York.

    solaris beyond 3dBeyond 3D opens with Must Be Heard, which provides a trancey cymbal rattling intro to the five-track EP with spoken word samples in the background providing the title to the track. Polar continues with lines from the movie Solaris, moving rapidly into a well formed psychotropic composition. Not Waiting Long is airy and orchestral, with nice deep beats and percussion change up of the beat over eight minutes, morphing into a sci-fi movie soundtrack at 78 RPMS. Them starts out with a synthesizer intro then moves into a slap bass and drum pad led section, incorporating the melodies of the keys into the electronic landscape and growing into a fury that explodes with the band fully in step together. The Person I Remember ends the EP with a soft outro and a few final samples.

    Solaris’ next show is The Binghamtronica Music and Arts Festival at Binghamton University on March 24th. Tickets are $20 and will be available at http://www.facebook.com/Binghamtronica3

    Key Tracks – the entire EP

    Download full EP for free

    Stream or Download individual tracks for free

  • OLLOCS’ self titled EP is tight, intricate, exploratory in nature

    OLLOCS’ self titled EP is tight, intricate, exploratory in nature

    There is nothing I love more than receiving an assignment to cover progressive instrumental rock music. Hailing from North Babylon, NY, Ollocs is a band of incredible poise and purpose. In their short time together as a band, the band has shared the stage with Taproot, Shadow Eden, and Sevendust, among others.

    After your first listen, you will realize that the appeal of the band lies in how intriguing their writing is. Although the band does have an edge that is on the heavier side of the rock spectrum, I hear major influence of the world’s progressive titans in every song. When hearing the soaring guitar tracks on this EP, the spirit of gentlemen like Robert Fripp, John Petrucci, and Steve Howe come to mind. It is undeniable that the band is highly influenced by the songs of Tool and Dream Theater. They also sound like many bands that may not be of  any influence to them. Hosemobile and Don Caballero came to mind in regards to comparisons during multiple listens as well.

    In any case, the music on this EP is tight, intricate, and exploratory in nature. The creative vision of Ollocs is best represented on tracks like, “Cinque,” and “Til Dawn.” On these tracks, the band weaves together tight knit compositions that lunge from quiet to hyper in approach. They play with a virtuosity that their peers can envy and take notice of.

    I am waiting for the day when I can see this band in the live setting. Note to the dudes of Ollocs: book some upstate shows! There is a market up here for you. The time is now! Check out the EP on the band’s Facebook or Reverbnation page. You will not regret the decision.

    Check out a preview here-
    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkk3JJJ01Ec&w=420&h=315]

    For more information on Ollocs-
    www.facebook.com/ollocs

    -Erik Jensen

  • REVIEW: After The Avalanche – Self Titled EP

    REVIEW: After The Avalanche – Self Titled EP

    After The Avalanche is a band of great promise within the Upstate New York metal scene. The Watertown based 5 piece is definitely on the right path. In the demand of honesty, I will tell you that there are a couple of conflicting issues that I have with the demo I was asked to touch on. Some points are good, and some are bad. However, all of the points I will talk about, are meant more for constructive balance. Don’t be confused though, because this band has much to offer.

    From a musical standpoint, After The Avalanche has it going on. They are technically astounding, and play with a very focused progressive nature. They are lumped into that whole metal core label because quite frankly, it may be the best and most definitive way to describe what they are doing. On tracks like “Codename More Cowbell” and “Calendars”, you can feel the melodic presence that After The Avalanche is perfecting on an extremely high level. On those same songs, however, you can also see the very reason why it is getting difficult to tell some metal core bands from each other. Someone alerted to me to the breakdown prowess of the band. Although the band does this quite well, it is a formula of generic repetition that is being overused to the hilt. The start and stop drum heavy interludes that are aided with screams of anger, are becoming quite overblown. Don’t get me wrong, this band does it better than most. I just feel that the approach in itself is going to end up hindering the progress of bands that are ultimately better on many levels. This is not just an issue with this band, it is the genre in general.

    Outside of my issue with the breakdowns and the abundance of indecipherable dialogue, the band is a top notch example of unlimited potential. They are branching out, and pushing their wares on the scene quite well. I look forward to the next studio based piece that they will bring forward.

    For more information-
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/After-The-Avalanche/201207729913338

    -Erik Jense

  • REVIEW: Soul 4 Sale “Dying Hurts”

    REVIEW: Soul 4 Sale “Dying Hurts”

    Personal and deep intricate thoughts can be best delivered when the soundtrack is raucous, pounding, and relentless in scope. Orange County(New York)punk band, Soul 4 Sale, succeeds with admirable results while attacking the status quo and buried personal reflections. Since 1999, the band has delivered their efficiently straight forward form of punk, with passion and poise. Delivering a middle finger to the overly critical and pseudo scenester set, the band is all about giving you the best on their terms only. The results on Dying Hurts, are nothing short of spectacular.

    In deed, this is the band’s most personal record to date. Dying Hurts touches on themes of death, loss, and soul searching. With each passing lyrical passage, a new introduction to life getting more complicated through age is introduced. The music is powerful here as well. It never falls short of it’s goal in delivering intensity within the song cycle. The mix is punk based ear candy with a message.

    On the opening track, Decorative, front man Brian Lawrence gives us old school flair when belting a great verse like, “In the end, I was no victim of treachery. Just subject to the truth. Where nothing’s sacred, and nothing’s changing.” In their 2 and a half to 3 minute glory, these songs pack a major punch and have much to say. On Dying Hurts, Lawrence wails, “Everything grows, as spring grows into something old. So morose, yet so hard to let go.” An intriguing thought like this is open to interpretation, but screams “aging is death” to me. The band also chose a cover  to tackle for this great selection of new songs. Overkill by Men at Work, is attacked with a great amount of zeal. The framework for that song is perfect within the landscape of punk rock joy. It translates with great ease. I was curious how these guys came to decide on covering a track like that. “I saw Colin hay on Scrubs following JD around with a guitar playing the acoustic version of overkill.” Lawrence added, “I realized in a stripped down way, that’s a pretty cool rock and roll song.”

    Each track on the album is just as good as the ones I have referenced. It is a highly appealing cross section of highly energetic “well written” anthems To me it is a great example of the capabilities of the DIY generation being represented with dignity, not hackneyed processing.

    The album will be released by 9 to 5 Records on March 24th, 2012. I recommend you go out an get a copy when it becomes available!

    More information-
    http://www.facebook.com/s4spunk

    -Erik Jensen