Category Archives: Review

Year In Review: 2008

31 December, 2008 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I suppose today is a good day to do this as we all say goodbye to 2008 tonight, so here is my best/worst of 2008. Enjoy!

Best Live Show:

Without a doubt the best live show I saw this year was at the 3rd annual Virgin Mobile Festival. The Foo Fighters put on one of the best live concerts I have ever seen. Their stage presence was like none other as they shared the fun they had with the huge crowd that gathered to see them.

Runners up:

-Radiohead at Blossom
-Filter at the Hard Rock Cafe Cleveland
-NIN at the Virgin Mobile Festival
-Against Me! at the Warped Tour
-The Briggs at the Warped Tour

Worst Live Show:

I have to say the worst live show I saw (or didn’t see since we waited 45 minutes for him to take stage) was none other than Lil’ Wayne at the 3rd annual Virgin Mobile Tour. As much as I wanted to see him perform live for years now, his neglect for other bands pissed me off. After his entourage galloped across the stage for 45 minutes the young rap star took stage. I already had enough and left, missing the performance. The thing that ticked me off the most about Lil’ Wayne’s delay in performing was that he kept playing over his alotted time and took up some of the Black Key’s time, a band I really wanted to see more of. The Black Keys had to end their show early all because Lil’ Wayne felt it necessary to disregard others.

Runners up:

-Any emo/scenester band that played the Warped Tour 2008

Best New Albums:

Tom Gabel – Heart Burns – The Against Me! lead singer’s first solo release is a hit to my ears. This CD proves Tom Gabel has a long career in front of him to look forward to.

3OH!3 – Want – After seeing them live at the Warped Tour this summer I picked up the album and was immediately hooked with the crunk punk.

Tim Barry – Manchester – The lead man of Avail put forth an amazing release. I loved the folksy personal rock he dishes out on his 3rd release.

Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue – From start to finish, I am in love with this CD.

The Black Keys – Attack & Release – Blues rock at it’s finest thanks to a very important duo of musicians.

Ninja Gun – Restless Rubes – Folky punky goodness. I love these guys.

Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies – I was drawn to this CD from the uniqueness of the techno meets hardcore genre bash.

She & Him – Volume One – Very classic album featuring the very beautiful sounding (and looking) actress Zooey Deschanel.

Gaslight Anthem – The 59′ Sound – Great New Jersey band that imitates what Bruce Springsteen might sound like if he were younger these days. I can listen to this CD over and over and not grow tired of it.

Albums I Was Not As Impressed With As I Thought I Would Be:

Metallica – Death Magnetic

Guns N Roses – Chinese Democracy

Portishead – Third

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple

Still Scratching My Head At:

Vampire Weekend – S/T – Still not sure if I like these guys…

Worst New Album:

Gavin Rossdale – WANDERlust

Best Movie:

The Dark Knight (enough said)

Runners up:

-Pineapple Express
-Son Of Rambow
-Wall-E

Worst Movie:

Strange Wilderness – Honestly from a Happy Madison film I expected more. I think I laughed once.

Runners Up:

-The Love Guru (can you say Austin Powers w/ a beard? Justin Timberlake was humorous though…)
-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (I expected more from this movie, way more)

Memorable Events Of 2008:

I hit up the 3rd annual Virgin Mobile tour once again with my pals Matt and Adam. I am proud to say it was my third time being there, and both my friend’s second. This year we stayed in a pimp hotel with free breakfast and free internet (no ghetto hotels for us this year). Adding to the three of us was T.J. of Viva La Mainstream. We all had a great time spite my GPS taking us for a tour in the projects of Baltimore. You can read about my adventures of that event HERE.

My friends Sam & Ryann tired the knot which lead to a wedding reception full of friends. It was nice to get to see some folk who I have not seen in a while.

I met Derek Hess, a Cleveland artist, twice as he was promoting his book with Kent Smith called Please God Save Us. I have been a huge fan of Derek Hess since I was a kid and was psyched to finally meet him. I owe the opportunity to Matt over at Addicted To Vinyl.

Even if the Browns sucked this year I was at that Monday night game where they spanked the Giants. I went with my brother and I must say that was a game I was glad I witnessed. The energy that night from all the fans added to the excitement of the Browns kicking ass.

I got to explore NYC with my wife and good friends Morgan, Molly, and Megan. We need to go back to explore more but I must say I will never forget that trip. I even have an Ol’ Dirty Bastard Cupcake tattoo as a permanent souvenir.

While in the midst of the NYC trip my wife and I decided to put down the bottle. Since the end of March my wife and I have been alcohol free. We feel great and are happy with our decision.

In October my wife and I met up again with the wonderful Morgan for an incredible adventure in her hometown of Austin and then to San Francisco. Great times in both cities with memories that will last a lifetime. I met new friends too in both cities all who shared some pretty awesome moments with.

And of course, I started this site! Thank you to all who drop by to read what I post. It means a lot to me to hear all the positive feedback. Starting this site has introduced me to some really cool bloggers out there as well.

Saying Goodbye In 2008:

RIP Grandpa Paul – A wonderful person who will be missed dearly passed just before J-Day. Thank you all for your kind words during that difficult time.

Saying Hello In 2008:

We adopted Zeus, an abused Boston Terrier in April. He is the newest and most loving member of our family. Don’t worry, Sweet Lou is still the coolest dog in the world, but Zeus is a close 2nd!

Looking Forward To In 2009:

The Watchman

9 (Tim Burton movie)

The Cleveland Browns 2009 Season (I am a die-hard fan for life you know…)

The 4th Annual Virgin Mobile Festival

The 2009 Van’s Warped Tour

I was looking forward to the Musink Festival featuring Social Distortion and Motorhead w/ tattoo artist superstar Kat Von D but recently learned that it was canceled due to the crap economy… That would have been a sick show.

New Releases In 2009 I Look Forward To:

Rancid

Lil’ John (no, I am not kidding, it may be one of the more entertaining releases of 2009)

Third Eye Blind

Avett Brothers

The Postal Service

Nate Ruess (from the Format)

Andrew Bird

Well that about sums it up for me. I am sure I have missed a lot but I did this without much thought and very quickly. If there is someone or something I missed let me know!

I would love to hear about your best/worst of 2008. Maybe you agree with me or disagree. Perhaps you know of an album I should have checked out and missed.

Happy New Years to you all! Have a safe evening and I will see you in 2009!!!

Folk, Music, New Release, Punk, Review

Tim Barry – Manchester – CD Review

10 December, 2008 Brian Mc Leave a comment

What do you do when you wake up one day and find yourself a little older, a little wiser, and still broke, even after you spend most of your life fronting a punk rock band? Chances are, if you are like Tim Barry, you keep doing what you do when you can just so you can get by and love every minute of it. The Avail front man recently has released his third solo project titled Manchester
again on Suburban Home Records and I must say it is outstanding.

Tim Barry rubs off more as a folk singer on Manchester, even though he is mostly known for being part of one of the more important punk rock acts from the 1990s. Still touring with Avail but not as a fulltime gig, Tim Barry also performs on his own with family members and close friends. I still have yet to witness a live show and after listening to Manchester I really hope he comes to my neighborhood again.

Currently residing in Richmond, Virginia, the carefree musician has his day job, loves his beer, and continues his passion with music. With help from friends and family Tim Barry has recorded a personal album that displays his thoughts as well as encourages you to think for yourself.

Not knowing Tim Barry had a previous solo album this was the first time I heard him minus Avail and I had no idea what to expect. Opening track “Texas Cops” immediately perked my ears with a more personal track about the law, not missing home, and admitting that having a “bad time is better than no time any day”. This track really reminded me of Hank III with the tough lyrics and fun country twang.

“On And On” is not as fast paced as the first track, but more a slowed down folk hymn. I really could feel the emotion in this track. The backing music was just amazing as well complimenting Tim Barry’s gruff voice. “South Hill” was one of the few songs that I have heard where I actually got angry while listening. The track tells the tale of a young soldier thinking he is fighting the good fight, only to return home not knowing right from wrong. I seriously was angry with the outcome of this story turned song and it was not because Tim Barry sung his beliefs, he left that up to me.

The cover of Avail’s “This November” was just awesome and sounded just as good slowed down a tad with the same message, take a breath and deal. “Sagagity Gone” was fun jam about not caring what one more drink will do to you.

The album has its ups and downs midway through but Tim Barry really keeps up with his personal lyricism on all. In “Tile Work” Time Barry declares “consider where I been” possibly letting everyone know why he is the way he is. Slow jam “222” was very sad, yet passionate about not feeling alone, and was one of my preferred tracks on the disc.

For a guy who has been in the punk rock scene for years, it is great to see him continue even if it is a tad slowed down. Where I am a fan of Avail, I can say I am even a bigger fan of Tim Barry’s solo material. It strikes me stronger with his approach at life and personal battles.

With so many artists recording material on their own, some may say that this is a trend. For Tim Barry that is not the case at all as you can almost hear in each song that he is doing it for the sake of recording music, something you can tell he truly loves. His mix of punk and folk throughout really is appealing and begs to be played over and over again. The CD is genuine, honest, and a must have for any aging punker out there who is finally coming to terms with themselves that maybe it’s time to slow things down a little.

Want a taste of the CD?

“South Hill”

“222”

If you really want to hear more proof why I love the CD so much, click on Manchester, buy it, and check it out for yourself:

Head over to his website for some more music and info: http://www.timbarryrva.com/

Emo, Experimental, Music, Music Video, New Release, Post-Hardcore, Review, Screamo

Thursday / Envy Split (CD+LP) – CD Review

13 November, 2008 Brian Mc Leave a comment

American screamo teams up with Japanese screamo on the recently released Thursday / Envy split EP on Temporary Residence Limited. The two powerhouse bands contribute songs to this limited release that is being sold strictly CD+LP only (there will not be a sole CD or LP available) and can only be found in independent record stores. There is also a hand printed limited edition version that can be ordered exclusively on their website of on their label’s site. Both bands comprise exceptional tracks and really do a great job in doing so on this release.

Formed in New Jersey around 1997, Thursday has been a staple in the post-hardcore scene. Having released multiple albums, the band has had a very successful career despite ping ponging from record label to record label after mishaps and disputes. Currently the band is signed with Epitaph records for this full length to be released in 2009.

Screamo experimental rock act Envy, hailing from Japan, are unique in their own way with songs sung in their native tongue layered over post hardcore music, as well as a little experimental chill out on some tracks. Well respected all over the world by many and commonly known for their explosions of screaming on songs, I was really looking forward to finally hearing them.

So how did the two come to unite? Truth is Thursday is a huge fan of the experimental Envy. Back in April the Thursday posted news of the release on their site:

“It’s our pleasure to announce a split release with one of our favorite bands in the world. We are currently in the studio recording tracks for a 12” release with Japan’s Envy. For those of you unfamiliar with Envy, they are an experimental, epic, lush post-rock band that’s heavier than just about anything we’ve ever heard. Despite the enormous geographical distances between us, the bands have evolved from the same thrashy underground post-hardcore scene. Honestly, there’s no way to properly describe them.”

The split CD started out with four tracks by Thursday and opens with the impressive “As He Climbed The Dark Mountain”. Geoff Rickly and crew provided a solid track full of the sporadic singing styles I grew accustomed to with their previous releases, layered with some sick guitar playing and insane drumming. I really enjoyed this track a lot and after hearing this I can not wait to hear their next full length.

The dark instrumental “In Silence” was more of something you would hear the Crystal Method crank out. The techno strong song is far from the post-hardcore material the band is known for and I myself loved it. Full of distorted synthesizers, electronic drum beats, and a mellow piano solo, this song really showed a different side to the band usually known for their screamo.

“An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace” had it’s moments with more of an emo feel throughout the song and really did not do much for me. “Appeared And Was Gone”, another instrumental track, continued the dark trend and was remixed by Anthony Molina of the 90’s alt rock band Mercury Rev. The track once again is more of a techno experiment that had a God Lives Underwater feel, but was just amazing. Lyrics added to this track might have enhanced the song a little further.

Envy really impressed me with “An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction”, having not heard any of their material before. The song started out slow and really reminded me of The Cure for some reason but with a Japanese spoken word behind it. Think slow Dir En Gray, that is until you hit just after the 4 minute mark and the song completely explodes with lead singer Tetsuya Fukagawa’s dishing out some insane screaming over a faster tempo. The song was quite beautiful throughout although my lack of understanding the Japanese language wished to be informed.

“Isolation Of A Light Source” had enough screaming to push you to the ground. Again, I had not the faintest idea of what was going on, but I enjoyed the severity of the screams added along with the heavy music. The final track on the other hand,“Pure Birth And Loneliness,” was a gentler track than the previous two Envy songs… that is until about the four minute mark again. Surprising screaming snuck its way into the mostly mellow song and you could tell how full of emotion it was.

This really is one of the best split CDs I have heard in a while. Being happily introduced to Envy on this split may have added to some of the charisma but I have been listening to the whole CD over and over and so far have not grown bored with either party contained.

Thursday’s instrumentals on the track were the winners as it was something unexpected yet appealing. I almost wish there were more tracks on the CD as I was left with a craving for more. That’s ok though because I can now get more involved with Envy’s catalog and no longer wonder why they were so enthralling to Thursday.

Want to hear? I found the following songs on the Temporary Residence Limited website:

Thursday – “As He Climbed The Dark Mountain”

Envy – “Isolation Of A Light Source”

And while I am at it, here are some videos from both bands:

Thursday – “At This Velocity”
(This song/video reflects a true story about the band almost being involved in a plane crash…hence the beginning)

Envy – “Scene”

90's, Cleveland, Live Shows, Music, Review, Rock

Filter @ Hard Rock Café – Cleveland, OH 11/01/2008

11 November, 2008 Brian Mc 1 Comment

So I am a little late on this post… I have been so busy with work and just life in general and have not had a moment to sit down until this now.

A couple Saturday’s back I was invited to check out Filter at Cleveland’s Hard Rock Café thanks to Big Machine Media. Little did I know, I was invited to a more intimate setting with proceeds being donated to the Cleveland Food Bank. It was also the world famous rock n’ roll restaurant’s ten year anniversary since it first opened it’s doors in Cleveland.

Just a quick note and tip for that matter… If you want a free Rolex, all you need to do is work at the Hard Rock Café for ten years. It’s no joke; a bunch of hard working employees were recognized for their decade of service before the show with an expensive timepiece. Just before the show started, a handful of dedicated workers at the Hard Rock Café were all presented with a fancy Rolex. It was nice to see such an award/thank you handed out, but who am I kidding…on with the show!!!

With the venue usually operating as a restaurant, it was no surprise that there was not much room for people to gather around the stage. Meeting up with Matt from AddictedToVinyl.com, we chose to stand our ground by the stage with our backs to the security gate that protected the large soundboard. Not the best place to be standing for picture taking, but I did my best to capture the evening.

Opening act Electric Touch from Austin, TX hit the stage for a set that I really was wishing could have been sped up. The rock act, reminding me of all sorts of acts from the Strokes to the Rolling Stones (the lead singer looked like Elijah Wood with Mick Jagger like moves), blew through their songs with high energy but really did not do much for myself or the rest of the crowd for that matter. Even if the lead signer had an English accent and two of the musicians were twins, their pop rock sound did not sit well with many who anticipated Filter. I am sure this will not the the last time I hear about Electric Touch though, with their self titled Electric Touch hitting shelves over the summer the poppy rock act should be gaining some attention…just not mine.

Cleveland’s Filter took to the stage that very well may have been the smallest stage they have ever performed on. That was the least of the industrial/hard rock’s worries though as they delivered an amazing performance to the very lucky crowd opening with “Welcome To The Fold” off of the band’s second release Title of Record. The current line-up all looked great and appeared to be having a great time. Lead signer Richard Patrick was full of smiles and energy that really lead the band through the eleven song set.

My highlight of the evening was when the band broke into “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do”, a song that was actually created by Filter and electronic music duo The Crystal Method found on Spawn: The Album (1997 Film). I immediately sang along from start to finish is it is one of my favorite tracks by Filter. It sounded amazing live.

It was fun to people watch while the band continued to play. There were lots of fans there who clearly have been fans of Filter during their 13 year career. Having grown up, well most of them, some even brought their kids to the show. At one time Richard Patrick stopped in between songs to ask how old a certain young fan was. She let everyone know via microphone she was only nine years old.

The band continued through their set and performed “Hey Man, Nice Shot” the bands first commercial hit. Everyone sang along to the track pumping their fists in the air. It was indeed a very interactive evening. After the song ended the band left the stage with all, if not every, fan begging for more.

With a brief pause the band returned to the stage for their adoring fans and broke into “The Take” off the band’s 2008 release Anthems for the Damned. From there the band played “Take A Picture”, one of their other mainstream hits. After the last note was struck and the mic was put down, the band gave out sincere thank yous to everyone in the house. With a quick bow and many handshakes and hi-fives the band exited and called it a night.

I admit this was the first time seeing the band live. For some reason I thought I saw Filter live back in the day at a festival in the 90’s but apparently I was wrong (sorry Matt, I have no idea who I was thinking of) I found out after the show by rifling through my huge stack of ticket stubs and then went so far as to research the number of times Filter played Cleveland.

It was a great experience. Minus a couple of folk who clearly had too many pre-game drinks, most of the fans were really excited to be there and, like myself, really enjoyed their Saturday evening. After the show staff from FYE were selling the band’s latest release Anthems for the Damned for twelve bucks.

What I didn’t know was that if you bought a CD, the band would sign it for you. I picked up copy as I had not heard the politically charged album yet and needed something to listen to on the drive home. After making my purchase I was handed the CD and given a wristband and pointed where to stand in line if I wanted my CD signed. Since I was the only person standing there I decided to start the line and get the CD signed. After I chatted with the band briefly I turned around to make way to the parking deck and discovered that the line had grown quite large. Good timing on my part.

Thanks to my music loving guru Matt, who spoke about the show as well on his site AddictedToVinyl.com, I was able to score the entire set list:

Welcome To The Fold
American Cliche
Dose
(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do
It’s Gonna Kill Me
So I Quit
Jurassitol
Cancer
Hey Man Nice Shot

Encore:

The Take
Take A Picture

More pictures from the evening:

Art, Experimental, Indie, Live Shows, Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

Japanther – Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt – CD Review

6 November, 2008 Brian Mc Leave a comment

I didn't know Shaun White was in a band... — I didn't know Shaun White liked ice cream...

Japanther, an amusing, Brooklyn, experimental, trash punk rock act has recently released Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt on Wantage Records. This twosome do-it-yourself band has been going strong for over seven years thanks to their inimitable style and rareness. If you are artsy or into performing arts, chances are you may have already heard of this duo. Far from being in the spotlight, they hold their own having played shows in famous NYC museums and venues but have caught a taste of mainstream recently opening for Against Me!

I heard their band name before I ever actually heard their music and I must say after checking out Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt I have to say this is a weird yet interesting band reminding me of Negativeland meets the Dead Milkmen. It’s good though in the sense that the duo, art school heroes, do things all by themselves with limited assistance.

Opening tracks “Um, Like Your Smile Is Totally Ruining Me” sounding like a high school basement project and the unusual “Bloated Corpse” made it clear that these guys are in their own little world. Their sound is not what I thought at all but I found myself enjoying it.

“Bumpin’ Rap Tapes” was a cute friendless love track with lyrics that reminded me of something I might have written back in the days of high school hell. The cover of New Bad Things “The Dirge” entertained with under processed rock, but just wasn’t enough for me.

I was impressed to see that legendary Crass drummer Penny Rimbaud was not only the executive producer of their album but also contributed some of his poems for use in “Africa Seems So Far Away” and “I Thee Indigene”. Both tracks were spoken words of sorts with strange beats accompanying Penny Rimbaud reciting his works. Perhaps boring to some but when you are a fan of William S. Burroughs or spoken word in general, like I am, you tend to like stuff like this.

MC Spank Rock from Baltimore added his style to “Radical Businessman” an indie sounding track inspired from actual events of MC Spank Rock getting arrested. “Before The Sun Goes Down” closed out the CD with a track I favored over the rest. The song was a little more punked out over the previous.

The CD may not seem too exciting at first listen but then again this band is more of a DIY performing arts band and probably could care less what anyone thinks. They are known to take their music to the next level with interesting live shows that have featured synchronized swimmers at one show and puppets fighting at another. Not knowing this in advance may really stray you away from their material but once you see a clip of a live performance you can start to understand what the hell is going on…maybe.

The following videos are from previous releases. After viewing them I really see that Tut Tut Now Shake Ya Butt really strays in a different direction and I am thinking it was a result of Penny Rimbaud working with the duo. From what I have seen I think it would be best if I checked out Japanther’s catalog.