NYS Music 20​14

Tag: New Album

  • Hearing Aide: Interpol Return With ‘El Pintor’

    Interpol_-_El_Pintor_cover_artInterpol have made a triumphant return with El Pintor, their first album since 2010’s Interpol. With the departure of original bassist Carlos Dengler shortly after the completion of that release, the band went on a hiatus right after supporting the album with a tour. Lead singer and guitarist Paul Banks reconvened with lead guitarist Daniel Kessler and drummer Sam Fogarino wanting to make some more music. Banks picked up the bass and El Pintor soon fell into place with the new band configuration. Touring band member Brandon Curtis contributed keys on nine of the ten tracks as well. The band toured minimally this summer and were a major highlight on the third day of The Governors Ball and are now touring the United States this fall with  a two night stand taking place at Terminal 5 in November.

    The album starts off with rocker “All The Rage Back Home.” The band announces right away that they are back and ready to be back playing live in front of crowds. The entire album sees the band happy to be back and re-taking their position as a top rock band from New York. “My Desire” has Banks’s voice soaring over beautiful guitar solos by Kessler. The back to back placement of these songs to start off the album give Interpol fans exactly what they want from this band, great rock songs that you can dance to and get lost in.

    “Same Town, New Story” keeps the driving beats by Fogarino going with slick guitar parts added by Kessler. Banks’s and Kessler’s voices, for the first time on the album, meld together beautifully throughout the song. The lyrics may not be the most subtle of El Pintor, but the band makes them work flawlessly.  “My Blue Supreme” and “Everything Is Wrong” are not up to par with the rest of the album. The band hits its stride and doesn’t push itself in the middle of the album. When the album gets to “Tidal Wave” they break back through and bring the album home. The dense layering of instruments and vocals is easily one of the highlights of the album. The song is unlike anything else on the album and hopefully is a direction the band will continue to explore.

    El Pintor is a great return to form for the band that had to show the world they were back to being the band everyone remembers from the early 2000s. The personnel may have changed a bit, but the band still has its unique sound ready for the masses to eat up. Interpol fans should rejoice as the band is back and is ready to take on the world again.

    Key Tracks: All The Rage Back Home, Same Town, New Story, Tidal Wave

  • Hearing Aide: ‘The Wreckage of Stars’ Reveals Technical Brilliance from Black Crown Initiate

    Black CrownBlack Crown Initiate, hailing from Reading, PA, are poised to release their new album, The Wreckage of Stars, on eOne Entertainment. Only starting out in 2012, this band has made huge strides to get where they are today. They came out with their highly received EP, Song of the Crippled Bull and went on the Metal Alliance tour in 2013. Thanks to constant hard work and touring, they caught the attention of some labels, signing with eOne in 2014.

    The first track, “Great Mistake” is a perfect example of what this progressive death metal band is all about. Meticulous guitar harmonies riff to huge heights, and the song explodes into crushing double bass attacks. The dichotomy of melodic choruses with the relentless death metal backgrounds conjure parallels to Dimmu Borgir in style, and can be found throughout the record. This is a perfect opening track for anyone who is unfamiliar with the band and what they have to offer.

    The songs all have elements both ruthless and epic, the bulk of the tracks ranging from five to seven minutes in length. Guttural screams permeate the album’s sonic landscape, and they are very well produced. With frontman James Dorton and both guitarists tackling vocals, it provides a thick, black tar of growling projections and legendary melodies. Along with precision guitar techniques, and a tight as nails rhythm section, this album is the full package.

    “Withering Waves”, another lengthy endeavor topping out at six minutes, gives you a building crescendo, constantly climbing higher and higher with a sense that you, the listener, might never get to the peak. That is the special treat that Black Crown Initiate brings to the table – you just don’t know what might be around the next riff, but you are heavily invested all the same.

    This album, at its core is death metal with a technical focus, but there are many aspects that give you an enjoyable experience not found in the necessarily ‘normal’ genre releases. Songs like “The Fractured One” and “To The Eye That Leads You” are very generic at first listen, but still bring a quality that is rare in death metal. An acute attention to musical detail allow even obligatory four-minute death metal songs to sound like so much more.

    The Wreckage of Stars, dropping Sept. 30, is an album made for the fans of the genre, not just the band itself. As the title track suggests, this is a thinking man’s (or woman’s) death metal album, where the intricate music speaks for itself in heavy volumes. They will be touring for this album with the band Rivers of Nihil, and coming to the Upstate New York area in Buffalo on Sept. 19 at The Waiting Room, Bogies in Albany on Sept. 21, and then St. Vitus in Brooklyn on Sept. 22. After that tour ends,they will be hitting the road with Origin, Darkest Hour and Unearth starting in October.

    Key Tracks: Great Mistake, Malignant, Withering Waves, Linear

    If you’re interested in pre-ordering the album, check out the band’s eOne page for various bundles.

  • Hearing Aide: Big Mean Sound Machine ‘Contraband’

    bigmeansoundmachine

    Big Mean Sound Machine‘s third album Contraband was released earlier this year and has slowly been gaining traction throughout the state. Hailing from Ithaca, Big Mean Sound Machine has continuously broadened their sound with each new release. The opener “In the Name of What?” is a throwback to the Stax era sound of 70’s funk and soul. From the Shaft-esque guitar holding down the background of the song right to the horns that guide the track through its seven minute journey. From the get go, Contraband lets you know that you’re going to want to move your body while listening to the record.

    The band hits its’ groove during “Woah Gosh” and “Junkies Everywhere”. “Woah Gosh” constantly builds as the horns and the Moog synthesizers play off one another to see who can lead the track to its eventual transition into the “Junkies Everywhere” that is steeped in Afrobeat and jazz. The drums and congas really get a chance to shine about halfway through the track as the Moog searchers around in the back keeping a beautiful tension and making the track sound dangerous. You get the feel of walking the streets in a city late at night as those who are up to no good are coming out of their homes searching for their next score.

    The title track comes late in the album but is one that definitely could take off in the live setting. The quick guitar and bass riffs that drive the track forward will definitely get people moving and grooving on the floor. The band is at its tightest here of the whole album. The closer, “Wolfpack” brings the album to a delightful end with a song that could be in a Quentin Tarantino film scoring a scene perfectly. Contraband is great throwback album, yet Big Mean Sound Machine did a great job of updating that sound and making it their own. Be sure to catch them in New York this fall and head on over to their Bandcamp page to purchase the album.

    Key Tracks: In the Name of What?, Wolfpack, Junkies Everywhere

  • Hearing Aide: King 810 ‘Memoirs Of A Murderer’

    king-810-memoirs-of-a-murdererFlint, Michigan metallers King 810 have released their first full length album Memoirs Of A Murderer released by Roadrunner Records. A band, who are no stranger to arrests and controversy. Machine Head’s Rob Flynn has praised this band for their balls to the wall violent ways – But does Memoirs Of A Murderer live up to expectations?

    My immediate impression with opening track “Killem All” is that this band is a mix between hardcore and death metal; if that makes any sense. It’s very aggressive sounding with very violent lyrics. The album does maintain a consistent theme with the whole “I wanna kill you” attitude that is present in almost every song. This band sends a message that they have been around violence all their life and want to translate it using metal music.

    The album has aggressive electric guitar sound until the fourth track where it briefly changes pace with an acoustic but haunting sounding song “Take It”. Then the next track goes heavy again with “Fat Around The Heart” by delivering the message that the band has been around so much violence and wants to tell the listener not to try to live that kind of lifestyle because you won’t make it. Vocalist David Gunn goes spoken-word with “Anatomy 1-2”  which is a good change of pace so the album does not sound all the same.

    “Eyes” is an impressive track. The bands lyrical style changes as well as musically and goes into a melodic direction showing that the band has depth.

    “Desperate Lover” goes back to the heavy and violent direction. Anyone that has ever fantasized about killing an ex-lover would love this song. Moving forward, we get another heavy track with “Boogeymen” and another acoustic track with “Devil Don’t Cry” before we get another spoken word track with “Anatomy 1-3”. The rest of the album continues with the heavy tracks before it finally closes with acoustic closing track “State of Nature”.

    Overall, a solid debut. Simple but catchy rifts throughout, very violent but memorable lyrics.  This band is the next controversial band, expect them to ride the wave of bad publicity, but their talent can’t be overlooked.

    You can purchase the album here.

    KEY TRACKS: Fat Around The Heart, Eyes, Desperate Lover

  • Hearing Aide: Caustic Method releases ‘The Virus’

    When I first met with Caustic Method in March to discuss their third album, The Virus, I was immediately inspired by their dedication. This album is the bands first with their latest lineup but the second take of the actual album. Concerned that the first take did not represent them, they started fresh.  I have a feeling to really learn about the guys of Caustic Method one would only have to look as far as their copy of  The Virus. You won’t be disappointed.

    The album begins with their title track and first single; Caustic has made a smart choice making this the single to represent the album. Not only is “The Virus” an homage to Caustic fans, but the single itself showcases the complexity in their talent. The range in Matt Caustics voice is unlike what we are used to hearing in metal music. They have separated themselves from other metal bands immediately.

    The third track, “Which Way the River Runs” stands out as it opens with Angel Rivera on the drums. In 30 seconds he has your heart racing with excitement. Eric Maliszewski and Darin Scott transform this song from good to great with their amazing talent. Instrumentals are the shining hero on this track.

    My favorite track on the album is the final song, “Anti Hero”. If you thought you had heard all of Matt Caustic’s tricks, you were wrong. We are able to hear the softest side of his voice yet when he sings the bridge. It is eerie and chilling, but brilliant. There is nothing this man can not do. Being the most passionate song, it is the perfect end to the album.

    The only complaint I have about this album is that it is only five tracks. I feel as if we have only chipped the surface of what these guys can do. However, that being said, this is a solid album. Each track represents Caustic and their incredible talent; there is no fluff to fill space. Every time I listened to this album I ended with a new favorite, each for a different reason. What did I love the most? Was it the quick change in Matt’s voice in “The Virus”, the beat of “Integrity Fails”, the drums on “Which Way the River Runs”, the bass and guitar in “Sex, Drugs, and Violence”, or the bridge in “Anti Hero”. That is the making of a great album. This is a perfect appetizer to what is next for these guys.

    Key Tracks: The Virus, Anti Hero

    Check out Caustic’s official website to purchase your copy of The Virus!

    CD release shows:

    Aug 16th at 9pm -Suzys – with Million Miles from Broadway, Kilter, Dear Mr Dead, Many Will Fall. – $5

    Aug 23rd at 9:30pm – Ta Romans West- with Street Rock Mafia and Fight for Rome. – Free Admission

    Sept 2nd – Floodys – with National Recording Artist Saving Abel and Kilter. – $15/$20 dos

    Sept 5th at 9pm – Three Fat Guys-with National Recording Artist Edisun and Kilter, One Step From Falling and Super Killer Robots – Free Admission

    Sept 29th-Bogies-with National Recording Artist Prong and more. – $12

  • Hearing Aide: My Plastic Sun EP ‘All of This’

    all of this ep cover

    Wednesday, August 13 marks the drop date for My Plastic Sun’s latest EP entitled All of This, another three song excursion into the dreamy, indie, power-pop, ambient world occupied by the likes of Coldplay, Radiohead and The Beatles.

    The band remains hard to pin down as each track expresses a different part of their collective musical soul, echoing their influences while creating new horizons musically. Lyrically they’ll make you play each piece repeatedly, wanting to embrace the depth of the story while floating along with the swelling melodies. While My Plastic Sun continues their tradition of self-recording, they’ve enlisted the mixing magic of L.A. based, Grammy Award winner Greg Collins (U2, Gwen Stefani, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.) to take the helm. As you might expect, the results are remarkable.

    The single “All of This” opens and immediately grabs your senses with a rich, layered, signature sound that will be familiar, yet fresh, to those who know the band and auditory bliss to new listeners. Roy’s experience in the studio gave Greg all he needed to mix a chart-topping single, all wrapped up for worldwide consumption. It tastes of Morrissey melancholy blended with OMD romanticism fronting The Church, only better. One moment it’s sparse and dark, the next swirling in textural waves. Johnny’s voice is so expressive and heartfelt, with a range and depth of character that is remarkable, yet somehow shows another level on this song. The band is so distinct, yet approachable, dynamic, but comfortable. The result jumps from the speakers in the shape of an instant earworm.

    “We Are Free” is pure, lush, romanticism, a poetic love song highlighting Johnny’s vocal dexterity and the band’s uncanny way with a hook. Roy and Johnny keep setting the bar higher as a songwriting team; they know their strengths and magnify them through the individual talents at their demand. The soft, bright, soft, bright builds and the twist in the chorus makes you wonder if the protagonist is in love or broken-hearted, pretty much what all of the greatest pop songs do. There is an element that’s left to the listener to personalize, difficult for many, these guys make it seamless.

    The ending piece, “Your Prayer” is especially poignant with the recent loss of Robin Williams at his own hand. You can feel the emotion drip from Johnny’s voice as he tells this tale of those who stand strong for another through the pain of depression and addiction. There’s an element of Thom Yorke channeling here, the soar to falsetto is emotive and realizing, the depth of topic, takes me right back to the first paragraph. Radiohead, The Beatles and splash in a little Butch Vig for color. Brilliant stuff.

    From my first listen I’ve championed this band. The combination of talents and their range, mixed with the extraordinary songwriting provides the listener with a world-class product that rivals any being made today. My Plastic Sun has been opening some big doors this year receiving strong airplay on Sirius XM’s The Coffee House with “Couldn’t Love You More” being the top-played song for ten weeks running. This bringing the band the opportunity to record live in the SiriusXM studios and perform live on The Coffee House. Don’t let this band pass you by, they’re offering the new EP as a download for free on their SoundCloud page. Check them out online and spread the word, this band is on the rise!

    My Plastic Sun is:

    Johnny Cummings (pictured on the album cover): lead vocals, piano, synths, organ, mellotrons, lead electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass, and banjo

    Roy Stein: drums, percussion, sampling and programming, assorted keyboards and synths, electric and acoustic guitars, and background vocals

    Sam (Overhand Sam) Snyder: electric and acoustic guitars

    Kyle Vock: electric and upright bass.

    Follow My Plastic Sun

    Website | Facebook | Twitter

  • Ain’t Messin’ Round: Gary Clark Jr. Set To Release ‘Live’ September 23

    At the age of 30, the young yet incredibly talented blues rock guitarist Gary Clark Jr. has captured audiences by storm both at small live shows and major festivals worldwide. With three studio albums and five EPs under his belt in the last 10 years, the time is only right for Clark to share a few blistering tracks from his live performances.

    GCJ Live

    Set for release on September 23, Gary Clark Jr. – LIVE will feature a two-disc set including original work and Clark’s take on some blues classics.

    His triumphant 2012 release, Blak and Blu, brought a full-bodied collection of influences – rock, soul, blues, and hip-hop. Gary Clark Jr. – LIVE will feature 10 of the 13 tracks off that studio album, capturing the live experience for most of that album.

    Both the physical vinyl and CD are available on Amazon, GaryClarkJr.com or digitally on iTunes. Pre-orders (available now) will have access to an instant download of “When My Train Pulls In.”

    Track listing:

    Gary Clark Jr. Live (disc 1)

    Catfish Blues (Robert Petway)
    Next Door Neighbor Blues
    Travis Country
    When My Train Pulls In
    Don’t Owe You A Thing
    Three O’ Clock Blues (Lowell Fulson)
    Things Are Changin’
    Numb

    Gary Clark Jr. Live (disc 2)

    Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round
    If Trouble Was Money (Albert Collins)
    Third Stone From The Sun / If You Love me Like You Say (Jimi Hendrix / Albert Collins)
    Please Come Home
    Black and Blu
    Bright Lights
    When The Sun Goes Down

    Check out Clark’s spectacular performance of “When My Train Pulls In” live from the 2013 Crossroads Festival:

  • Falling Up Working on New Album

    fallingFalling Up, the alternative/experimental rock band from Oregon, announced it is working on a follow-up to the 2013 concept album, Hours.

    The band received funding from Kickstarter supporters to record, market, and produce the album. While details about the album’s themes are under wraps, the band has made other matters public.

    The band is continuing to stay independent from a record company. Falling Up severed ties with Tooth & Nail in 2009 after a six-year partnership with the record label. Jessy Ribordy, lead singer and keys player, said that the cause of that split was due to the company’s pressure on the band to tour without spending an adequate amount of time writing music or recording.

    Ribordy and Co. – guitarists Nick Lambert and Daniel Elder, bassist Jeremy Miller, and drummer Josh Shroy – have posted a Kickstarter page, asking for contributions in the sum of $40,000 which to cover costs for recording, marketing, production, and distribution. Since there is no record company present, the band is taking a DIY approach. They are offering tiered rewards for contributions, ranging from an early download of the album to dinner with the band to an executive producer credit.

    The album is set to launch in 2015. For more details please visit the band’s Kickstarter page.

  • Hearing Aide: Wovenwar Unleashes Self-Titled Debut

    From the bizarre wreckage that was the breakdown of popular metalcore band, As I Lay Dying, comes Wovenwar. The band is comprised of the entire As I Lay Dying lineup, sans disgraced vocalist Tim Lambesis – recently sentenced to six years in prison for the attempted hiring of a hitman to murder his wife; taking his place with vocal and guitar duties is, Oh, Sleeper’s, Shane Blay. With so much controversy surrounding the formation of the band, could they craft an album that would cut through it all?

    wovenwarThe lead up to this album was a bit of a mystery. Details about the band outside of the lineup were kept from public knowledge. They seemed to appear out of nowhere during all of the Lambesis news coverage. The project was unveiled with a series of short videos posted online. It wasn’t until the release of lead single “All Rise” that anyone had a clear idea of what the band would sound like. The choice to debut with that song was the perfect one as it’s the strongest cut on the record and really does sum up what Wovenwar sounds like. As the release of the self titled record loomed, two more songs were released, finally giving fans a clear understanding that Wovenwar might have something special up their sleeve. And they certainly do.

    Wovenwar have unleashed one of the most impressive debut records in a long time. Where As I Lay Dying was marred with stagnation, Wovenwar feels fresh beyond fresh in a metal landscape where everyone seems to be competing with each other to create albums that sound like their chosen genre and nothing else. Wovenwar certainly have ties to metalcore but to label them as such is unfair. The guitar work is split between the lead going off on wonderfully catchy noodily melodies with the rhythm section absolutely holding down the fort with driving force. This is guitarists Nick Hipa, Joe Sgrosso, Shane Blay, bassist Josh Gilbert, and drummer Jordan Mancino at their best. One has to now wonder if they felt limited within the confines of As I Lay Dying, because this album plays like these guys felt like they had something to prove. The songs on Wovenwar’s debut are full of melodic layers, the right amount of aggression, and riffs and lyrics that will stick in your head for months to come.

    Despite the masterful instrumentation, the star of the album is vocalist Shane Blay. This guy has pipes for miles and can start laying claim to being one of the best vocalists in modern metal. He has a dynamic range that flows with the music and proves that the decision to go with predominantly clean vocals was the right move thankfully avoiding the good cop/bad cop clean/screamed vocal trap bands like Five Finger Death Punch suffer from.

    Wovenwar will satisfy both metal fans and fans of radio friendly hard rock which open them up to the chance for the mainstream success their former/other bands never reached. Time will tell if the buzz around the band will switch from bizarre curiosity thanks to Lambesis’ predicament to praise for creating a phenomenal album, but Wovenwar deserve to be at the top of the metal/hard rock world. If Avenged Sevenfold can do it with an album that sounds tantamount to a cover album, Wovenwar can do it with originality, creativity in songwriting, and the ability to create catchy music you can’t, and won’t want to get out of your head.

    Key Tracks – All Rise, Father/Son, Profane

  • Foo Fighters to Release Eighth Album November 10th

    Foo Fighters has been teasing fans for what seems like forever about their new eighth album, and last week they only fueled the speculation after the release of an eight-second clip of Dave Grohl belting out a scream, “All rise!”

    Today, the band finally confirmed through an announcement on its official site, both the album title and track list.

    asset-PreOrderCoverThe band is to release their eighth album, Sonic Highways on November 10th, 2014.  The album is produced by Butch Vig and Foo Fighters. Vig  is known for being the drummer of alternative rock band, Garbage and producer for Nirvana’s Nevermind album. Sonic Highways is set to be 44-minutes long with the following track list:

    1. Something From Nothing
    2. The Feast and The Famine
    3. Congregation
    4. What Did I Do?/God As My Witness
    5. Outside
    6. In The Clear
    7. Subterranean
    8. I Am A River   

    “The 180-gram vinyl album includes a download card and comes in an assortment of nine different covers including eight variants each themed for one of the cities in which the album was recorded: Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.”  The band quoted on their website about the cover.

    Fans can pre-order the album HERE and will also be available in vinyl.