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[REVIEW] Amely – Hello World
September 24th, 2010
Hot off the heels of PureVolume’s Top 20 Unsigned Bands of 2009 comes the power pop/upbeat rock quartet Amely, freshly signed to Fearless Records. Hello World, the title of their first full length album is somewhat ironic and appropriate, since they’re making their first official debut to the world. The first thing that hits me with this album is lead singer Petie Pizzaro’s vocals. It’s no exaggeration to say he has a very pretty voice. If I woke up and had a voice like his, I wouldn’t be upset. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing that stood out to me for this 8-track CD. It was enjoyable, don’t get me wrong, but most songs sounded very similar to one another. For example, the first two tracks sounded almost identical. It switched to track 2 and I had to look back to figure out if I’d heard that song before.
On the upside, to counter my negativity, the music doesn’t get old. A lot of the same thing isn’t always bad. I didn’t feel the urge to skim through the CD at all. As a matter of fact, I was rocking out quite the bit. It never has that tired “Okay, I need to listen to something else” feel to it. “Say Goodbye,” probably my favorite track on the album, really has a good paced, power-rock feel to it, very upbeat and energetic. “Now Or Never,” the inaugural track has that rocky tambourine sound in the background, which really gives it a happy sound to it, even though the lyrics are a very edgy tale about going for a girl when he has the shot, or missing it forever. It’s angsty, it’s fun, it’s repetitive, but it’s not bad.
“Have You Ever Known” is a real difference in the album, sounding more like a Daughtry-esque pop rock slow song than anything else heard prior. They utilize an orchestral sound, acoustic guitars and gang vocals, but in a choral way. Lastly, the titular track and album singer “Hello World” This song is just about the meatiest, most substance filled song on the album. The vocals are stronger, and the composition is great, there’s really a lot going on in this track. If you’re a fan or Breathe Carolina, All Time Low, and even Daughtry, I think you’ll really find some enjoyment in this album. An album that manages to stay catchy, even with a lack of variety.
2.5/5
The Word Alive Is…Alive!!
September 8th, 2010
Alive in the Billboard top 100, that is!! Straight out of Phoenix, AZ and straight into the Billboard’s number 96 with their new full-length album Deciever. This may be one of the years hottest releases, already prominently featured in the likes of Metal Hammer’s 2010 Hot List, and in AP, Revolver, OUTBURN, so on and so forth. They’ve been touring almost non-stop with lable-mates Alesana, and check it out! We totally have more tour dates for you here:
The Word Alive w/Bleeding Through, After The Burial, For Today, & Stray From The Path
09/03/10 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
09/04/10 – Riverside, CA @ The Vibe
09/06/10 – Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Courtyard
09/07/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
09/08/10 – Metairie, LA @ The High Ground
09/09/10 – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
09/10/10 – Augusta, GA @ Sector 7G
09/11/10 – St. Petersburg, FL @ The State Theater
09/12/10 – Ft. Lauderdale, Fl @ Culture Room
09/13/10 – Jacksonville, FL @ Plush
09/14/10 – Douglasville, GA @ The 7 Venue
09/15/10 – West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
09/16/10 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
09/17/10 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
09/18/10 – Acton, MA @ Nara Park Amphitheater
09/19/10 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
09/20/10 – Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights
09/21/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel Nightclub
09/22/10 – Buffalo, NY @ Xtreme Wheels
09/24/10 – Louisville, KY @ Headliner’s Music Hall
09/25/10 – Covington, KY @ The Madhatter
09/26/10 – Nashville, TN @ Rockettown
09/28/10 – West Dundee, IL @ Clear Water Theater
09/29/10 – Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose
10/01/10 -Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
10/02/10 – Wichita Falls, TX @ The Hanger
10/03/10 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep The Word Alive w/ Miss May I, Confide, Bury Tomorrow and Abandon All Ships
10/29/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Grop Shop
10/30/10 – Pontiac, MI @ The Eagle Theater
10/31/10 – Tinley Park, IL @ Fiesta
11/03/10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
11/04/10 – Boise, ID @ The Venue
11/05/10 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11/06/10 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
11/07/10 – Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
11/09/10 – Bakersfield, CA @ Jerry’s
11/10/10 – Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
11/12/10 – San Diego, CA @ Soma Sidestage
11/13/10 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
11/14/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
11/16/10 – Dallas, TX @ The Door
11/17/10 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
11/19/10 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
11/20/10 – Metairie, LA @ High Ground
11/22/10 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
11/26/10 – S. Hackensack, NJ @ School of Rock
11/28/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
12/01/10 – Montreal, QC @ Underworld
12/02/10 – Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
12/03/10 – Toronto, ON @ Annex Wreckroom
12/04/10 – Buffalo, NY @ Xtreme Wheelz
12/05/10 – Kettering, OH @ The Attic Club
[Review] For Today-Breaker
September 8th, 2010
For Today-Breaker
Release Date:August 31, 2010
Label: Facedown Records
Straight from Sioux City, Iowa comes another musical cataclysm from For Today that is sure to leave nothing in its wake. Right off the bat, the bass booms crush my small Bose speakers. There is no mistaking, this album is made for big things. So big, in fact, I had to go listen to the rest of the album in my car just to get the full effect. This thing drops, crazy lows, insane bass booms, listening to it is like getting punched through the chest repeatedly, in the best way possible.
The album opens slow, with a 44 second track with some spoken word from frontman Mattie Montgomery. His vocals then proceed to crush your ears straight through to the fourth track, where it’s almost like the first chapter of the album is book-ended by more spoken word, leading into the opening of track 5 with more gutteral vocals, hard hitting drums, and of course, Ryan Leitru’s brilliant guitar skills. No doubt the first thing I noticed about the overall production quality was the fact that the sweeps from Ryan’s guitar, as well as just about everything else sounded so much more crisp and clear. You could tell everything had been fine tuned and toned before the release of this masterpiece.
The overall brutality of the first five tracks is almost outdone by the sheer tenacity of the next seven. Vocals change up a bit on the sixth and seventh track introducing a little less of Matties crushing lows and adding some hardcore screaming, and gang vocals which were an exciting touch. Another touch I personally really dug was the addition of, as previously mentioned, the interludes of rap preaching spoken word style kind of thing. It really was a breath of fresh air, especially in the sense that behind held under such heavy metalcore for so long, it paces things nicely. This really makes the album more listenable, as you don’t find yourself overwhelmed, you can really get lost in it. I sure as hell did.
I have to make special mention to the final track. It’s truly one of the most beautiful things to ever come out of the metalcore scene. It consists of an inspiring rap which, religious or not, probably will be found moving, fading into Mattie leading off a chorus into the final moments of the album. It’s really unbelievable.
The album is really long, more so in feel than in length, as Ekklessia was about 45 seconds longer. However, don’t get turned off by the fact that it feels long. It feels like a journey to quest through, not like a task to bust through. It’s a desirable listen, and It’s one of the VERY few albums I’m giving my coveted 5 out of 5. Long Live The King.
[REVIEW] The Secret Handshake – Night And Day
August 23rd, 2010
Artist: The Secret Handshake
Album: Night & Day
Label: Triple Crown Records
Release Date: 8/17/10
Been missing the old sounds of Motown from your childhood? Perhaps you weren’t around in the 70′s and none of dad’s Jackson 5 records play on the Emerson Swingmate Portable anymore. Well lucky for you, The Secret Handshake just came out with a new album called Night & Day! Now, you might be like “OMG, WTF does that have to do with me? Isn’t Luis Dubuc like all electronica and Skee-Lo covers?” Well if you asked me that, I’d tell you this. “No, fair listener! Luis apparently thinks you need to expand your musical horizons!” Hence why he wrote a full, 11 track deliciously extravagant soul and motown Jr Walker Gladys Knight Jimmy Ruffin Commodores and Temptations style. No lie.
I don’t want you to get turned off by the sounds of that scary word ‘Soul’. The related food is pretty good as well, and whether you like the stylings of the witty and soothing Marvin Gaye or not, you better respect that soul artists got talent! Dubuc doesn’t lose any of that feel with this new venture either. The Secret Handshake is just as good as it was before, just with a relatively new sound. And if change scares you, worry not, fair listener, it still has that wonderfully smooth voice behind the sound, and though it has a motown-y turn, it still has all the feeling of a TSH album. See? Nothing to be scared about.
Every song on this album sounds like another song I think I might’ve heard while listening to Oldies 103.3 riding in the car to Wal-Mart on sunday mornings with my dad, good for a little reminiscing. They all make you want to move and boogie down like no other. Upbeat, and swinging, there isn’t really a slow track on the album. If you want to dance, check out the Jackson 5 sounding, “Domino”. Need some jams for making love? Throw on “Black Girl”. Put “Magic” on during a nice candle lit dinner, or just listen to it if you’re looking for the words to tell that special someone how you feel. It’s all good. Feel that piano? It’s like it speaks to you.
Adversely, there are a few tracks that are still about love, but more so about falling out of it. This CD’s got everything! A roller-coaster of emotion. “You Got me” is the track where he flat out says it, “Someone like you, and someone like me, were never meant to be”, to be precise. The last three tracks are pretty much the same deal, but it’s right in the title with “Is This Through?”, or “Used To Be Sweet”, and then the round out track “Here’s To You”, which is about letting someone troublesome in your life know how much of a bother they are. It’s like lyrical advice, you can’t go wrong.
All in all, Night & Day is a good time. If you’re feeling something a little different, a little moody, and very soulful, check out Dubuc’s new album.. I’ll give it a 4 out of 5.
All Time…High?
July 29th, 2010
All Time Low has just announced that they’ve finished their new album! Due out sometime in 2011.
Don’t Panic!…Cause They’re Back!
July 29th, 2010
Guess who finished recording their new album! If you guessed Fallout Boy, you’re probably wrong, but if it’s Panic! At The Disco that you guessed, you’re absolutely right. They hope to have the album out early 2011.
Forever The Sickest Kids…Still Sick As Ever
July 29th, 2010
Forever the Sickest Kids just announced that they’re going all-out. Formerly an EP, ‘Saturday’ has now become a full length album to be released in October. Thrilling news for all you FSK fan out there.
The Graduate Are Now Sophomores!
July 29th, 2010
Albumwise, I should say. Their new album, Only Every Time can be pre-ordered at their merch site, and they come with a few different options: including exclusive shirts and posters. Album comes out Aug. 31 so check it out!!
More News From First To Last
July 29th, 2010
I told you there’d be more on From First To Last Members, didn’t I? Well if you haven’t heard about Craig Owen’s little mystery project yet, now you have. Former vocalist Matt Good has been announced as the new guitarist for this little tight lipped secret.
From First To Last Time You’ll Hear Them For Awhile…
July 29th, 2010
From First To Last is going on hiatus…cry away little screamers…but rest assured you’ll hear more from band member side projects soon enough!
