Magnets And Ghosts Are Born To Rock

The duo that makes up Magnets & Ghosts returns with a six-and-a-half track mix that pushes aside some of the pop friendliness of their debut Mass, and allows more rawness into their sound. Some might even consider Be Born a rollback, adding more of Dean Roland's affinity for raw rock.

Partnering with Ryan Potesta for the second time in three years, Be Born finds the band splitting the EP between atmospheric ballads and alternative rock bruisers. The band is promoting the EP with an exclusive stream of the single Drug Money via Diffuser. The tone of it tells some of the story.

"The song was inspired from playing live shows," Roland tells Diffuser. "We wanted to explore a more raw 'in your face’ side of our musical selves."

The move is on target, given that the introspective moodiness of Mass was sharp, but clearly lacking in energizing live shows. In terms of rockers, the duo had largely leaned on Light My Flame as the cornerstone of their edge creds. It was just enough to let fans direct them toward a harder sound.

Of course, that is not to say they have given up on sonic prowess. After an interesting instrumental open that soars with a touch of orchestra-infused rock, Off My Mind delivers the smoothness that critics appreciated off Mass tracks like Hold On and Like A Sunday. But even with the riveting silkiness of Roland's softer side, the band brings a sharper guitar and percussive bounce to it.

Be Born splits between the difference between soar and blister. 

Drug Money is strategically dropped between the mellower fare of Off My Mind and Here To Save Me, which carries that dreamy rock quality that Roland has always favored. The song itself was written by Potesta in his car while searching to find some meaning in his current situation. He needed to be rescued. This EP might do that.

Magnets & Ghosts immediately follows the track up with I'm Not The Devil. The seed of it came from Potesta, with Roland encouraging him to finish it. The track itself is short on meaning but big on aggression — an exercise easily described as capturing how it feels to be pissed off.

The band closes with a grunge rocker that Roland had been holding on to for some time, Be Born. The title track came together with a promise to create a bigger vibe for the band. It works, giving fans every indication that the duo is ready to let go of the past and bring about something better. The result is a poignant EP that adds in some much needed rawness.

Roland and Potesta originally met in 2007, but it wasn't until Collective Soul was on hiatus in 2010 that the duo began talking about the possibility of a new project. The first night they started writing songs, they came up with three concepts that made Magnets & Ghosts a cohesive duo.

Be Born By Magnets & Ghosts Hits 6.8 On The Liqui Hip Richter Scale. 

Magnets & Ghosts is a unique project in that Roland and Potesta perform, produce, and mix most of the songs By writing and producing together, the artists feel free to take more chances until it becomes what both of them realize as their vision. And with the added ability to write some songs on the road, Be Born has become a deinfing moment for the duo. Expect more from them.

You can find Be Born [Explicit] by Magnets & Ghosts on Amazon. You can also download the Be Born EP from iTunes.

For more information and upcoming tour information, visit Magnets & Ghosts on Facebook. They are currenly playing independent shows, with most of them booked in California.

Ark Royal Charms As A Sci-Fi Campout

Ark Royal by Christopher Nuttall won't find fans in everyone. The story is straightforward. The characters are cutouts. The aliens are expectant. The tone is made-for-television military space opera.

And yet, despite several cliches and leaps of faith, Nuttall manages to wrestle what for other authors would be a cliche action story that crosses vintage military naval fiction and colonial adventurism into something surprisingly engaging as it skips along the surface of something infinitely grander. It isn't even hard to imagine why so many people seem to enjoy its predictable fun. It smacks of nostalgic sci-fi pulp fiction.

Ark Royal revives classic British adventurism in space. 

The novel takes place in a far future when humankind has mastered interstellar space travel and set out to colonize new worlds on distant stars. This technological leap has also ushered in a new era of nationalism, with several countries vying to colonize entire worlds in their own image.

Despite it all, expansionism has been relativity tame. With the exception of a few skirmishes between competing interests, the evolution of interstellar empire building has been peaceful. There seems to be enough space for everyone until the inevitable finally happens. Humankind makes first contact.

In this case, first contact comes in the form of an amphibian-like humanoid race that is strikingly similar, albeit slightly more advanced, than humankind. This advantage, however, is more than enough to devastate modern starships, which had been increasingly built for speed and not brute force.

There is one exception. The Royal Navy has preserved an interstellar super carrier, Ark Royal, a historic relic with solid-state armor and an outdated weapons system. Once the pride of the interstellar navy, she now floats in permanent orbit around Earth and serves as a dumping ground for officers and crew that the navy wants to keep out of the public eye, including its alcoholic captain.

In an act of desperation, the navy orders Ark Royal into active service. At her helm, Commodore Sir Theodore Smith leads a rag-tag team of reservists and the dregs of service against a superior enemy aboard a ship that will remind many readers of the seventies military space opera Battlestar Galactica.

The most admirable qualities of the book are its naive enthusiasm combined with some well though out world building. The weakest can be found in its character development and insatiable urge to shrug off conflict, internal or otherwise.

The captain, for example, is an alcoholic. He vows to stop drinking until after the war. For the most part, problem solved. A star fighter pilot learns that her lover has been killed aboard another carrier. She has an affair with a superior officer. Problem solved. The first officer has been asked to spy on the captain. He does with a perfectly appropriate amount of reluctance. Problem solved.

A few more graphs about author Christopher Nuttall. 

It's easy to admire Christopher Nuttall. He often describes himself as a product of his time, born in Edinburgh and shaped in part by what he read — science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers — and the socio-political atmosphere of the United Kingdom since 1982. After studying to become a librarian, Nuttall worked odd jobs while writing alternate history stories until an unlikely thriller changed his life.

It wasn't anything dramatic, he says. It was simply a novel about a protagonist who missed his chance to change his world. And it was the combination of this message and his realization that he could have written a better book that inspired him to try.

After writing his first manuscript in 2005 (which was rejected by publishers), Nuttall received permission from John Ringo to expand upon the author's Posleen universe. It was enough to catapult him toward writing approximately 30 novels, some with publishers and many self-published. Today he lives in Malaysia and writes full time.

Ark Royal By Christopher Nuttall Transverses 3.6 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

As one of his self-published works, Ark Royal is not without challenges. It could have benefited from better editing and, as mentioned, Nuttall shies away from making his characters suffer. But Ark Royal does a fine job doing what it set out to do. Nuttall is imaginative and writes with a charm that conjures up the adolescent escapist in the people who enjoy his Ark Royal series.

Ark Royal by Christopher Nuttall is available from Amazon. The audiobook, narrated by Ralph Lister, eliminates any printed errors while breathing additional life into the characters. It's especially entertaining for anyone who enjoys a nostalgic space opera. It deserves more merit than you think.

My Goodness Makes Shiver And Shake

The Seattle duo that shook things up with their self-titled debut three years ago recently took time out from a heavy touring schedule to release a sophomore album that is every bit as gritty as that now hard-to-find first release. The new album, Shiver + Shake, is a timeless take on blues-infused rock with all the ferociousness of a punk band.

Although the 13-track mountain of new goodness feels more thoughtful, it still retains the natural brashness of this memorably eclectic indie band. Guitarist Joel Schneider serves up unfettered vocals over relentless guitar work. And drummer Andy Lum has taken over for Ethan Jacobsen to lay down a long series of mind-blowing percussive romps in the spirit of his predecessor.

My Goodness was originally started by Schneider as a side project to his other electrifying alternative rock band, Absolute Monarchs, which released a full length in 2012. Schneider powered up vocals along with bass and keys in that band. He plays a heavy guitar and infuses more blues in this one.

My Goodness is potently loaded rock and roll.

The album name, Shiver + Shake, pays homage to the two sensations Schneider shoots for across the album. He aims to make everyone shiver and shake and, mostly, he does exactly that. Even on the more temperately mellow album leader Cold Feet Killer, Schneider frequently titters into either of those extremes.

Cold Feet Killer is one of the first songs that Schneider had ever written with an acoustic guitar. He wrote it with an open G and occasionally played it while on the road. It wasn't until recently when the track was rearranged and rerecorded that it began to feel ready for the record. 

Rearranging material has become a cornerstone for Schneider's creative process. He doesn't necessarily structure the composition on his own but rather brings in a chorus and verse that he arranges with Lum until it begins to feel right for the band. When blasted through his Fender Twin Reverb amp and his custom built Verellen amp at the same time, the tone become something no one else owns.

It's especially distinct on impossibly big bluesy tracks like the opener and title song, Shiver + Shake. As one of the rawest songs on the album, Schneider and Lum encapsulate the duo sound as stripped back and bass loaded. Schneider sneaks in some bass and keys to give it a fuller band sound. 

Schneider also gives ample credit to Lum, who he says has a solid meter while being able to balance both the technical precision and natural groove of the percussion needed. His influence also seems to give tracks like Sweet Tooth, Back Again, and Hangin' On a mellower and more polished sound overall. He says it is more indicative of the how band should sound versus the fiery abandon that struck chords three years ago. 

For anything that fiery, skip down to Check Your Bones when Schneider starts to snarl the verse and Lum tightens up on his rolls. A singular vocal reverb somewhere inside hints at a slight sixties psychedelia. The blistering pace of it is everything anyone remembers about the debut, even if it is amazingly balanced with the contemplative confessional Bottle as a folksy followup.

My Goodness bounces back again with the relationship reconstructor Letter To The Sun, big bass-heavy blues rock track Say You're Gone, and the squalling head-pounder C'mon Doll. Those three tracks together, along with Hot Sweat, will remind anyone that Schneider generally leans heavy despite the rock lullaby Lost In The Soul. It's the shiver after so many shakes. Play on. 

Shiver + Shake By My Goodness Grabs 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Listening to Schneider progress with a new bandmate shows plenty of the promise for a side project that sounds increasingly permanent. While the wild abandon and brashness of the debut will be missed by anyone who appreciated that sound, he retains just enough of it with Lum to remind everyone that it hasn't left. He just wants to lay down more diversity in the offering. Perfect.

You can pick up Shiver + Shake by My Goodness on Amazon or download the 13-track album from iTunes. Check Barnes & Noble for the upcoming vinyl release of Shiver + Shake. Touring information is expected to be released soon on Facebook.

Ryan Joseph Anderson Sweeps A Debut

Former frontman of the Chicago-based garage rock band Go Long Mule recently relocated to Nashville to record and release and his solo debut The Weaver's Broom. What happened next surprised even him.

"I had planned to make a very stripped-back record," said Ryan Joseph Anderson. "With the help of engineer/co-producer Andrija Tokic, drummer Dave Racine, multi-instrumentalist Jon Estes, and vocalist Jen Donahue, the songs quickly took new shape in the studio."

Anderson had written all the songs over the past year on his acoustic guitar and piano. But as he worked on them with Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Clear Plastic Masks) at the Bomb Shelter studio in Nashville, it became clear that the eclectic singer-songwriter was onto something with a much bigger sound.

The Weaver's Broom is a stunning surprise debut. 

With elements of Southern rock, country, folk, and a hint of blues, Anderson has captured a harmonic mix of soul-searched music. Some people will notice the new album features the open tunings of Nick Drake and empathic broodiness of Tom Waits's quieter moments.

The richness of the compositions immediately draw you into the music while the delivery locks in your attention and waits for something to happen. Anderson rarely disappoints in doing so, creating an assortments of confessionals, contemplative Southern folk stories, and occasional boot worn ballroom track.

The first video released from the album, Fortune And Fate, is a choppy stop-motion storyline created by Anderson along with his girlfriend and artist Jen Donahue (who also sings on the album). The stop-motion artwork tells the story in a diorama-like presentation and reinforces the morbidness of the song with nothing more than massive amounts of construction paper, glue, and Popsicle sticks.



Like many of his songs on the album, Anderson wanted to get out of his comfort zone. With most members of Go Long Mule pursuing other projects, it seemed like the right time to go out alone.

Fortune And Fate only represents one thread in a much larger musical tapestry created by Anderson. Crooked Heart, which opens the album, sets a cold and considerate mood. It's a folk song at heart, but with country overtones as its soul.

Weep Caroline is a much more predictable as a slow burn country slow dance song. It coveys Anderson's unique ability to deliver up sorrow and warmth at the same time. The lyrics are powerfully sad, but he sings them with such conviction that it is easy to feel redemption for it.

Jericho has a quicker, more upbeat tempo as he breaks into some solid, albeit moody storytelling. The track carries with it a remarkable stillness that he abandons in the next track. Wandering Apparition, much like When The Bees Went Mad, attempts to bounce his natural broodiness into ballroom scoots.

Both songs work for what they are even if they never quite capture the unsettling stillness of his slower and softer pieces. Before The War, The Weaver's Broom, and Mission Bell all carry his ability to transport his audience away from wherever they are into the outback, hills, and wildness. The music is reminiscent of a rural rain shower, somewhere far off from the trappings of the city.

The Weaver's Broom Is An Anderson Sweep At 5.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

All in all, The Weaver's Broom goes a long way in establishing Anderson as a brilliant singer-songwriter with a long solo career ahead of himself.

You can find The Weaver's Broom by Ryan Joseph Andersen on Amazon or download tracks from iTunes. Most of Anderson's shows are booked throughout the Midwest into July, but there is a good chance he will  expand his schedule deep into the summer. His upcoming tour dates are posted on Facebook.

Wolfmother Earns Its Big New Crown

In what some are calling the biggest surprise LP of the year, New Crown is a reasonably riveting and undeniably raw psychedelic rock album punctuated with enough punk to to rattle your teeth and heaviness shake your bones. The album is just enough to give Wolfmother some badly needed new life.

Whatever anxiety and trepidation Andrew Stockdale felt about carrying on the Wolfmother banner after the departure of Chris Ross and Myles Heskett seems to be gone. New Crown seems to suggest that he has finally found his groove with long-time bassist Ian Peres and drummer Vin Steele.

The new lineup has been crowned. Long live Wolfmother. 

Given it has been five years since the release of Cosmic Egg, with barely enough bits and twists to keep the dusty genre alive, it was anybody's guess whether Stockdale could shift his creative energy enough to tap the talents of his new bandmates. New Crown puts all that to rest.

Sure, there will be plenty of remarks from critics who will continue to call the work a rehash of the sixties and seventies, but the sound isn't as irrelevant as some would have you believe. While it might be true that Wolfmother never seems able to give its music the muscle it truly deserves, the band still manages to move things forward as a relaxed throwback.

Fans will likely find the album is a better pairing with the debut than the experimental commotion of Cosmic Egg. Some will even hint at grunge and blues rock influences, but that doesn't really capture what is going on here.

Breaking out with How Many Times, Wolfmother snarls and bangs its way through the first track. Never mind that the opening riff doesn't feel right or that Stockdale doesn't always sound like he is keeping up with his bandmates. The charm of the noise they make is the first-time feel that it has throughout.

Wolfmother follows it up with Enemy Is In Your Mind, which is about as close as they get to their debut sound. Like much of the album, the lo-fi feel and muddy distortion are cranked up as much as possible, intentionally giving the track the lowest production value possible.

Aside from the several blatant missteps as the band apparently grows too tired to finish out the four-minute track, Enemy Is In Your Mind does introduce Heavy Weight, which is a big, nonsensical, and mind-numbing slow motion stadium shaker.



Better tracks to dial up first include New Crown, which gives away the band's best Hendrix vibe, and My Tangerine Dream, which doubles down on the summer of love. Other tracks like meandering and confused Tall Ships or the travesty that is Feelings are better left off your sampling list.

I Ain't Got No isn't much better with its ridiculous lyrics and busted mix, but is marginally more listenable only because it becomes amusing as an accidental lampoon of the genre. The song puts Stockdale in the lobby of a hotel without a reservation. He tells the hotel staff what's up or something.

Not for anything, this is exactly why Wolfmother is still around . Even when their tracks fall short, like She Got It, they somehow schlock it up so much that every cringe or silly lyric makes sense. The trade off, of course, is that it is sometimes hit and miss. Radio saves itself but I Don't Know Why is absolutely awful.

New Crown By Wolfmother Crashes 2.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

If you are still reading this review and wondering why New Crown even made the review cut, there is only one way to sum it up. The band doesn't take itself too seriously these days. They play on stage just like they play off stage — somewhat sloppily while they have a good time.

If you listen to tracks like New Crown, My Tangerine Dream, Heavy Weight, Enemy Is In Your Mind, and even the grammatically challenged I Ain't Got No, you might have a good time too. New Crown can be found on iTunes where it received 4.5 stars from fans. The album isn't listed on Amazon, but you can find Wolfmother's debut there. Meanwhile, the band has booked a smattering of shows in Australia, Mexico, Russia, and the United States.

Tideland Is An Emerging Artist Pick

Not everyone has heard of Sterling, Virginia. It's a small town on the outskirts of Washington D.C. It's the hometown of actress Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill). It's home to a National Weather Service Forecast office. And it happens to have a thriving DIY underground.

Many of the bands there lean toward hardcore and punk, including a few notables like pg. 99 and Pizza. But not everyone who picks up an instrument in Sterling sticks with screams. Tideland set itself on an alternative music track, picking up more grunge and indie rock influences to evolve their sound.

Their latest release, Lull, is something of a step up with clearer focus, better writing, and more confidence. Although the band has put out other albums, including their well-received debut, Lull has landed them several national and international gigs outside the Maryland-Virgina circuit.

Lull puts Tideland's post-hardcore vibe in check.

Whereas Asleep In The Graveyard and Lost Bets were great angry outings indicative of the bands that Tideland members played in (and still play in) before they came together in 2007, Lull showcases them as heads down for something better described as nineties sub pop grunge. The result is a surprise — eight tracks of densely packed sonic savagery.

Leading off with Starblood, the band sets the pace and tone for the rest of the restrained set. It opens slowly with a patient build before finally filling every inch of space with a hazy wall of pop noise. Inspirations aside, Tideland manages to sink in some alternative newness and hooks too.



Mileless follows, continuing with a barrage of pop noise before dropping into occasionally clumsy offbeat and twangy guitar notes backed by the perfectly sure and steady drum work of George Crum. The band gets lost in the minimalism of the music before filling every channel with noise and throaty vocals.

By the time anyone digs into Carved In Mine, the reverb heavy dual vocals start to feel too strained. It's not always easy to immediately pull out their deep reflective meanings, but that will come in time. Jon and Chris share the vocals on most tracks, which can be a shame. They don't always sound as sharp together as they do apart. It could be the conflicting tones, but it's most likely the follow-along pacing that causes the occasional problem.


Outside of Desolate, tracks like Get Lost sound better with one set of vocals taking the lead. In giving the singers more space, Tideland gives listeners a good reason to get lost in their shoe gaze mood. It's easily one of the standout vocal tracks, even if it doesn't have the instrumental force of the others.

Other tracks worth a listen include the hazy indie rocker Edinburgh, the kickback drone of Dinosaur, and the escapist Way To Die. The only downside with the latter is the vocal transition again, which gives the song two riveting directions while shattering its cohesion in the process. It's still a good song, but one wonders how much stronger it could have been without the transition.

Even so, Tideland deserves props for breaking away from their post-hardcore roots to make Lull. They sound like a new band, and it almost feels like this is a second debut as much as an evolution. They even added a guitarist (Owen) to transform the trio into the foursome. Good things ahead.

Lull by Tideland Sweeps 5.1 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Lull by Tideland truly is a superb album that showcases this band's potential as an addictive indie pop-rock noise outfit. Sure, the sound needs to be fine tuned, especially as the band already has another album in the works for 2014. But something suggests that these Virginia underground vets will find it.

Lull by Tideland is available on Amazon. You can also find the album on iTunes. They are better as a grungy noise-pop band, but their post-hardcore work is worth checking out too. Keep up with them via Facebook. If you like indie rock and pop noise with some occasional punk flair, you'll be glad you did.

A Firefly Catches Meira Pentermann

After placing her marriage on autopilot for years, Beth LaMonte wasn't surprised to learn about the affair. It was her fault as much as his. Her husband merely gave up trying and accepted the attention and affection from whomever was willing to offer it. It wasn't her. It hadn't been for years.

The divorce did eventually wake her up, however. How long had it been that she neglected him and chosen to work long hours as a controller for a small company in the city instead? She didn't know.

But what she did know, as she finalized the divorce and packed up her personal belongings, was that she didn't want to be empty anymore. She wanted to escape  and find out if there really was a person lurking under her cool facade.

Firefly Beach is an emotional journey with a hint of paranormal. 

I picked up the book in October while looking for something supernatural and what I found surprised me. Firefly Beach by Meira Pentermann is one part personal transformation and one part paranormal.

When LaMonte decides to live off an inheritance for a few months and rekindle her long neglected artistic talent, she finds a quiet community in Maine and rents a cottage to set up shop. Maine seemed to be ideal.

Long before she ever took a class in economics in college, she had once imagined herself living on the coast and selling paintings of lighthouses or rocky coastlines. So this was supposed to be the reincarnation of a dream long forgotten. It might have been had the cottage not come with a visitor.

What LaMonte suspects to be a firefly comes by the cottage night after night. She even considered it a nice diversion from all the unpacking in an effort to make an orderly home. It might have even been an insect to match her own mood, a dedicated loner trying to get her life back together.

She thought so, at least, until the firefly turned out to be something else. Slowly but surely and with increasing intensity, the firefly lures LaMonte into the woods and down an overgrown path that leads to the beach. It's there that she finds the diary of a young girl — bundled, waterproofed, and hidden away in a small recess in the craggy cliff.

At first, LaMonte doesn't pry into the contents. But when she finally breaks down at the urging of the firefly, LaMonte discovers the story of a girl who doesn't live in Maine anymore. And as she reads it, the questions in her begin to mount. Did she run away? Was she still alive? Did someone murder her?

A few graphs about author Meira Pentermann. 

Firefly Beach was the debut novel of Colorado author Meira Pentermann, originally released by Lyrical Press in 2009. Last year, she rereleased it herself, adding a digital edition to accompany her dystopia novel Nine-Tenths (2011) and children's book Sarah And The Magic Mayonnaise Jar (2013).

With the exception of Sarah, Pentermann's writing leans toward young adult fiction that delivers a blending of the unexpected. She has a gift for grounded, down-to-earth characters. They feel like regular folks, if not somewhat sheltered and innocent, which gives her work a slightly nostalgic feel.

In Firefly Beach, Pentermann sometimes comes across as slightly Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys. And if the "firefly" wasn't connected to something unexplained or supernatural, it might even be confined to that kind of vintage caper mystery. In most cases that wouldn't be enough, but LaMonte is interesting enough to overcome other shortcomings — the girl who wrote the diary is largely unlikeable and sometimes LaMonte is so linear that it's hard to see her as a painter.

Firefly Beach By Meira Pentermann Wisps 3.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

While considerably lighter than other books reviewed here, Firefly Beach demonstrates significant potential from this still-emerging author. Read it when you want something light, with the paranormal presence that creates intellectual mystery more than anything frightening.

Firefly Beach by Meira Pentermann can be purchased from Amazon. Last month, Podium Publishing released an audio version of the book read by Donna Postel. It is available from iTunes. Postel makes a great LaMonte but the diary writer even more annoying for her naivety. Still, it's worth sharing as a tightly written book with a well-oiled plot and several interesting sub plots.

Lightouts Disappear After Two Tracks

If any stateside city has had more than its fair share of startups, it would be Brooklyn. The music scene there has been burning brightly for years, producing so many bands that it's easy to miss a few.

The Lightouts are one of those that was easily missed but only because the band has yet to land a label or put out an LP across every distribution channel. They have managed to self-produce a few singles to create a solid back catalog along with the release of Want in March. Landing gigs doesn't seem to be a problem either. 

The band is a foursome led by New York music veteran Greg Nelson (vocals, guitar) and band founder Gavin Rhodes (guitar, bass, drum programming). The primary duo met after Rhodes left a cryptic want ad plastered across some post-industrial space near the Gowanus Canal.

"Robert Smith/Emily Haines, where are you?"

Rhodes didn't necessarily need another Robert Smith, but he did have the idea that there might be room in Brooklyn for a band that toed the line between darkness and light. They also had to be willing to work, producing a series of singles over the span of several months to make an album. 

Their newest addition to the growing collection includes Disappear and My My. Disappear is the track that caught my attention, a bright and bleak indie rock number that will have people crowing about how they sound like this band or that band.

While they do pick up some tricks from the early 90s, the sound is recast to capture a fresh and spacious desolation. Disappear plays like a lonely party song — someplace packed with people but you or someone else is feeling out of place and against the wall. 

They are not primitive, but there is a minimalist bent in the structure. The bass is simple. The beats are even. The power chords are choked. Somehow they layer it all together to make it work.

Lyrically, the band isn't nearly as uptight. They know what they want to say and they set it to a punky fuzz rock beat. The B-side, if you want to call it that, moves forward with the same steady sureness. Nelson barks a bit more to punctuate their punk leanings. 

Prior to the new release, Lightouts had already caught some attention for The Big Show last year. The single, along with Stray Boy and Push, created enough stir that some rags called them the next big thing. I don't know if the band is ready for such heady bigness, but they can play. This is the vid they put out last year. 

The Big Show is a great track to listen to after the new release because it makes the case that these guys really do have the right back catalog. They bring back a retro punk fuzz that has been missing from the music scene lately. It will take some people back, but mostly it moves everything forward. 

The Big Show does a brilliant job of blending that electronic bounce with indie rock grit. It works because the band never lets the music get too soft for its own good. It's almost what nu wave could have been had the entire genre not wimped out. 

Disappear By Lightouts Flicks 6.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

It's an odd time to release two new tracks with the March release still fresh (and not listed everywhere), but it really sets the stage for what everyone wants next year — another album. You can find the album Want in entirety on Amazon or clean up on 11 or so tracks right now on iTunes. 

Start with Disappear/My My on iTunes and then plow through the back catalog there. They also have plenty of free music up on Facebook. It's the same place you can find out where they might be playing next. Unless I'm mistaken, they're flying all the way to Singapore in December. Rock on.

The Jones Rival Expands With An EP

Earlier this year, The Jones Rival made a stellar first impression with their sonically spaced-out and free-spirited rocker Jumpin' Frog. The single was reportedly written to make people jump; its accompanying B-side, Tell You Again, highlights their natural crooner.

This time out, the sometimes retro-headed five piece hailing from the Southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia have something different in mind. Their self-produced debut EP is a showcase set. 

Inside of five tracks, the band is hoping to earn enough traction to expand their presence beyond the Sydney music scene. And for the most part, The Jones Rival proves it can do it with garage rock filling and psychedelic glaze. While there are some slips, the EP is a solid self-produced debut.

The Jones Rival EP serves up hooks and howls from Australia. 

The EP opens with Cults, a no-frills roots rocker that does a good job drawing anyone into the EP. It starts with guitar supported vocals before transitioning into a fuller mid-tempo five piece. With the entire song playing out in under two minutes, the pace feels just right, 

The lyrics are equally tight albeit less about cults and more about testing friendship with favors and forces opinions. What makes the words really work is that The Jones Rival cuts right to the point. All friendships have break points. Nothing lasts forever.

If there is a downside to the song, it's in the unfortunate production. The track is spliced together too much, making some sections (including the first transition) sound as if they were recorded in different rooms (including the vocals). The tonal change, even in the vocals, is too severe not to notice. 

The second track doesn't have those kinds of problems. Busted is the labor of love that we expected from The Jones Rival. Everything about the track works — with just the right amount of full band sound and individual instrument finesse. 

Busted is exactly the kind of groove you hope to get out of a band like The Jones Rival. There is a timelessness to the track, one that captures the energy of their live performances and the craftsmanship of their best material. 

It's also why the third track becomes a bit of a diaster. The song itself has potential, but the production and mixing sound like it was either rushed to completion or drummer Shaun Gaida convinced the band to give him some additional liberties. While there are some finer pieces that could be pulled out in a remix, it's largely unlistenable in this state. 

Skip the track and go right to Ketamine. It's a smartly produced psychedelic breakdown with two acts. After opening with a Doors-inspired beat (but not nearly as dark), Ketamine drifts into a trippy atmospheric confessional before the band builds it all back up. With so much room for solos, Ketamine feels like the band's crown jewel in composition. 

Broke Up ends the album on a significantly simplified note. As it follows Ketamine, it almost feels like the band is catching their breath and easing into a conclusion. It's not necessarily a memorable song, but it provides a nice fill between bigger tracks like Busted and Ketamine. 

The Jones Rival EP Gins Up 6.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

The EP would have likely gone much further for the band without the unfortunate third track mix and spliced together opener. But we're still bullish on The Jones Rival. Add Busted, Ketamine, and Broke Up to Jumpin' Frog and Tell You Again, and you'll have the EP this could have been. 

Keep an eye out for the remixes of Cults and Aim High, but pick up the rest of The Jones Rival EP on Amazon. You can also download The Jones Rival EP from iTunes. Check for upcoming shows in and around Sydney via Facebook. Let's hope a label can give them a lift around the world sometime.

Welcome To The Jejune Institute Again

"To those dark horses with the spirit to look up and see. A recondite family awaits."

Those are the opening words to The Institute, a documentary about the Jejune Institute, which almost immediately inducted 10,000 people after it resurfaced in San Francisco. Not one of these people understood what they agreed to join. They not only joined, but also became active participants.

Was it a game? Was it a cult? Was it one person's attempt to solve the  mysterious disappearance of a girl?

Or maybe the question to ask is whether or not the film is even a documentary. It could be a game. Or it could be an introduction to something else entirely.

You shouldn't just watch the film. You should experience it.

Somewhere in the opening of scenes of the film, there comes a recognition that the documentary may not be a documentary at all. It may be part of a game. Or it might even aim to make you an inductee.

This conclusion slowly begins to seep into your subconscious as the credibility of some interviewees and re-enactments begin to erode. The irony is that they only erode sometimes. And it is in this sometimes that the entire work teeters back and forth between unsettling and nonsensical.

As much as the people behind The Institute are talking about the people they are covering in the documentary, they also seem to be talking to the people who are watching the film. Is it a game? An induction? A waste of time?

But how could it be those things if the messages inside aren't a game?

This is one of the reasons so many reviewers and film festival attendees have called the documentary mind boggling. Sure, some people will finish watching this Spencer McCall creation and consider it all a waste of time. On the other hand, is it a waste of time if it opens up transformative ideas?

Just as an inductee recounts, the entire idea behind it is to blur the lines between fiction and reality until you aren't always sure what might be real and what might be a put on. For example, there really was Sun Yat-Ken, which the film references within the first 10 minutes. But whether he was a real-life antagonist of nonchalance could be hotly debated. As a revolutionary, maybe he was.

Likewise, just as interviewees recount how their paths began by being taken in when filling out an induction card, so can anyone who sees or plans to the see the documentary. There is a hidden place just for them. And there, they can obtain an induction card and begin to unlock more secrets to nonchalance when they watch the film.

The most unsettling part about the film is feeling it do what is says it can do. 

Assuming you don't dismiss it outright without medication or entrenched skepticism, The Institute does an amazing job at blurring the lines between what is real and not real, just like many documentary makers do to lead people to virtuous and villainous ideas, beliefs, and conclusions.

The only difference between this documentary and almost every documentary you have ever seen, is that they empower you to see the put on and as much as pop psychology. And yet, because there are so many hidden messages, meanings, and secrets in plain sight, there is some value within the vision.

In some ways, it's almost like a recreation of Room 237, but without the ominous nature of The Shining and mind of Stanley Kubrick. Instead, McCall has fun with it for better or worse.

A couple more graphs about director Spencer McCall. 

Personally, I lean toward the notion that he did it for the better. And what I love about him is that he is a multimedia producer at a tech company by day and a motion graphic adjunct professor at San Francisco State University (SFSU) at night. He graduated from SFSU in 2008 through the animation program.

The project came to him via Gordon Mclachlan (featured in the film) as an extension of the game. Right, there really is a game. Or perhaps, you never know, the movie might have existed before the website. Or maybe not. Its video trailer was uploaded three years ago.

The Institute by Spencer McCall Bends Perception At 6.7 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

There is a certain campiness that tries too hard at times, but this is otherwise a splendid independent that opens up your head. Most people will have a great time with it if they don't take it too seriously. Those who take is too seriously will simply feel like they wasted their time. Ironically, the film talks about that head on too.

You can find The Institute on Amazon Instant Video or you can rent or purchase it from iTunes. Having an induction card is optional, but there is a good chance you'll want one by the end.

Radkey Serves Up Some Devil Fruit

When the Missouri three-piece punk band Radkey released Cat & Mouse earlier this year, they were shortlisted and then set aside for other releases. There is no chance of that with Devil Fruit.

Whether it is merely a better compilation of tracks, a few extra months of touring, or more freedom under their Little Man Records moniker, Devil Fruit better embraces the band's passion for sludgy punk rock. The three Radke brothers — Dee, Isaiah, and Solomon — put down some tight and likable rock with big brassy vocals and wildly unrestrained choruses. It chugs and erupts throughout.

Devil Fruit locks Radkey to play crazy. 

Opening with Start Freaking Out, Radkey sets up its punk cred after opening with some big bass and bangs before a quiet beat and a breakneck sprint into a party song. Although it never ascends into hardcore punk, there is just enough aggression to grab some attention and give it a shake.

Read some live performance reviews and you'll find the track can work as an opener or closer, with the needle pointing more toward the band's 70s punk stylings instead of its 90s alternative flair.

Much of the music from this band is like that. They blend those stylings to create something fresh, especially when matched up with frontman Dee Radke's vocals. And when the noise balance kicks more punk than alternative, Radkey becomes an incredibly convincing band that simultaneously makes you miss 70s punk while appreciating that this is something new and not a throwback.

Interestingly enough, Start Freaking Out isn't what the band led with in advance of the Devil Fruit EP. They put out Romance Dawn instead, which gives alternative rock influences a bluesy baseline and a whole lot of sludge. Elements of it graze what makes roots rock stand out, except this is tougher.


The video also gives the track a psychedelic tickle, even if Radkey never really moves in that direction. The choruses, in fact, are much more counted in pop in contrast to the sections built from deeply addictive blues-infused verse. With just enough rawness and a few great guitar solo licks toward the end, the step-plateu-step arrangement progresses to a perfect climatic end.

Long before even getting to Romance Dawn on the EP, Radkey lays down a rant about their grandfather. The song hits hard because it's anything but flattering. Instead they flail on his lack of ideas and imagination in contrast with their own willingness to reach for bigness.

Maybe that's another reason Radkey is so addictive from beginning to end. They came together to set their pace and direction. Sure, they know it won't be easy. Their third track, Overwhelmed, says as much. Dee and company don't always feel smart about their decisions. Even if it all works for me.

Mostly, Overwhelmed takes a page from grunge-era anger and then loads up the end until it comes completely unhinged. Its position on the album makes sense too. After Overwhelmed, Romance Dawn helps ease everyone down from the adrenaline rush stirred up by the track before it.

In contrast with the hopeful but less assured set that the band offered up with Cat & Mouse, Devil Fruit is the more unforgettable introduction. Not only do they open up more on the new EP, but they've also roughed up any hint of smooth edges because they have a better understanding of the road.

Devil Fruit By Radkey Catches A Big 8.6 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Yet another reason to like the band is that they deserve it. They are assertive but not pretentious, knowing that ego alone won't take them where they want to go. It's all about good hard work. Even their bios reflect it. Dee studies Japanese alongside guitar. Isaiah might love movies and fantasy fiction more than bass. And Solomon, the youngest, edges out the other two in video game hours.

Right now you can download Romance Dawn from their website (limited time). If you want the entire EP, which comes highly recommended, you can download it from iTunes or find Devil Fruit on Amazon. They have several shows lined up at the end of November and into December. Check dates on Facebook.

Alter Bridge Builds Upon Its Fortress

Anticipation for Alter Bridge to produce a fourth album began almost immediately after AB III was released. Better than half the album hummed along, especially the darker, heavier sound. They had forever established themselves as their own band, clearly distinct from previous connections.

This time out, there is no half an album. Fortress is a continuation of an aggressive direction, with the band being conscious that this material plays better on tour. Of course, that doesn't mean Alter Bridge has abandoned everything else they've ever done. They balance experimentation with expectation.

Fortress is more collaborative and the resulting sound is more cohesive. 

The real distinction in direction was established early on with Myles Kennedy recognizing that Mark Tremonti has an affinity for writing metal riffs. So rather than trying to fit those riffs into whatever he brought to the table, Kennedy brought in more aggressive riff-ready tracks to match whatever Tremonti had brought along. The matchup was near perfect.

After the initial structure was complete, Kennedy and Tremonti turned the work over to Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips. Marshall, on bass, and Phillips, on drums, were able to flesh out their their always unique rhythm together, sometimes altering songs in the process.

This all worked really well. Kennedy and Tremonti have become a true duo as songwriters. Marshall and Phillips have become their essential filters. It's also a far cry from previous albums, with Tremonti writing most of the first, Kennedy writing most of the second, and the pair more or less splitting the difference on their last outing.

While this collaborative approach is not necessarily apparent on first track released in support of Fortress, Addicted To Pain still foreshadows a tighter cohesiveness. It's straight-up rock.


Relying heavily on guitar riffs and melodic choruses, Addicted To Pain is decidedly radio ready (one of only a few on the entire album). Bleed It Dry is a better first listen, with its percussion-heavy open and powered-up vocals. It earns its place as one of the best tracks, with the guitar solo exceeding anything Tremonti has contributed to Alter Bridge.

There is a lot to like about the opener too. Cry Of Achilles begins with an acoustical front before dashing ahead with more than six minutes of alternating rock-metal arrangements. It largely sets the pace for the album while it seals a captivating live show pace for Fortress.

Expect the power ballad about betrayal to get plenty of attention with Kennedy underscoring the emotive quality of the lyrics. Like many of the immediately popular tracks, Lover proves Alter Bridge has mastered the ability to play accessible rock as much as its metal influenced counterparts.

Still, it will be the harder parts of Fortress that will make it memorable. The metal leanings of The Uninvited and bottomless textures of the experimental cut of the title track Fortress put Alter Bridge in a different class of music.

In contrast, tracks like Calm The Fire and Waters Rising ease off just enough to retain their rock sensibilities. The latter also gives Tremonti a chance as a lead vocalist, further underscoring how Alter Bridge will become even more dynamic over time. And it will take time.

Although all four members will be busy touring with Alter Bridge in the immediate future, Kennedy, Tremonti and Phillips all have side projects. Tremonti might use an upcoming window in December and January to write some new material. Kennedy is also chipping away at some new material with Slash.

Fortress By Alter Bridge Stands At 8.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Fortress makes it exceedingly clear that there is a ton of life left in Alter Bridge. It is easily their most compelling album, one that demonstrates their growth as musicians who aren't afraid to take more risks. There might be one or two tracks that someone might call traditional Alter Bridge, but the balance is better, making Fortress their best album to date.

You can pick up Fortress on Amazon. The album can be downloaded on iTunes or ordered from Barnes & Noble. Alter Bridge is currently touring in the United Kingdom and across Europe. For more information about the band, visit them on Facebook.

Broken Anchor Squeezes It Up Fresh

As a singer-songwriter, Austin Hartley-Leonard originally built his following and the St. James Inc. band in Austin, Texas. It immediately saw some success, enough to earn an invitation to Lollapalooza in Chicago en route to Los Angeles where the band even lent some tracks to film and television.

Shortly after moving in what seemed like the right direction, Hartley-Leonard met Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields) and broke away to restart his solo career. It was a smart move, one that further entrenched him in his folk-rock roots until last year when everything started to change for him again.

Looking for a more dynamic sound, Hartley-Leonard turned toward lo-fi indie pop with alternative folk leanings. The sound is still sharply Hartley-Leonard, but simultaneously bigger and lighter for the artist and his new bandmate.

Broken Anchor squeezes something fresh and easygoing. 

The album opens up with the bass thump and guitar jangle of Always, a song about having nothing to do about forever. Hartley-Leonard opens with warming vocals in the cold of January but it quickly slips away in the second verse with his muse leaving for a stranger.

The memory of being with someone who leaves you behind is bad enough, but he almost callously clings to the good times before the break. The chorus reiterates it, haunting with its repetitive "you were always in my eyes." Except, he wasn't always in her eyes.

This isn't the only place where there is a quiet depression laced into the lyrics and hidden beneath an uptempo beat. Despite the uplifting sound, much of Fresh Lemonade is about a relationship that looks like lemons. Even the best-known single, Leave The Light On, swoons and begs for second chances.



Subtle and subdued, the music alludes to a happy ending but there never is any payback beyond the memory of better times. And it's this contrast — an ocean spray tone but pained delivery — that is precisely what caught my attention.

Fresh Lemonade shoots for a tricky niche, with Broken Anchor trying to decipher an anthem-sized sound with the intimacy of an indie pop band. Sometimes they really nail the novelty of it. On a track like Canada, another good memory that ends in a departure, it feels big but never gives up on sprawling suburban closeness.

Much of the album is just like that, with little variation in theme or style but some big change-ups in fullness. Broken Anchor knows how to hold back on some tracks, keeping it simple on the overtly airy Dear Diary, dreamy Stencil Heart, and soaring two-part pop opera My Marie.

Except those lighter affairs aren't my favorites. The better tracks have a clearer rock undertone. Head Is A Hole starts out as a minimalistic track until allowing for a short instrumental explosion. Broken Anchor Blues rolls along with a mellow alternative rock vibe, thanks in part to the percussion of John Wells (tracks 8 and 9).

Other percussion credits include Simon Hancock (track 10) and the singularly named Quinn (track 4) with the balance by Mike Duffy, who has since signed onto the band. Other guests include producer Brad Gordon (bass, organ, piano), Jonny Flaugher (bass, track 4), and Jason Kanakis (guitar, tacks 5-7). Props to both Hartley-Leonard and Gordon for keeping it all consistent.

Fresh Lemonade By Broken Anchor Squeezes 4.2 On Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Broken Anchor is a great moniker for Hartley-Leonard to spin his songwriting efforts in a new direction. Much of the lo-fi California dreamy indie pop sound makes for a great debut. All Hartley-Leonard really needs to do is lock in permanent bandmates to move from a consistent sound into something more permanent. With Always, Canada and Head Is A Hole, he is on the right track.

You can catch the self-released, full-length Fresh Lemonade by Broken Anchor on Amazon. Fresh Lemonade also debuted on iTunes. Broken Anchor played a dozen or so shows in Los Angeles and a handful on the East Coast and Midwest. Follow them on Facebook.

The Howling Tongues Press A Debut

After putting out the hit EP Keep The Dust Down last year, the Howling Tongues (formerly The Revels) has followed up their good fortune with a self-released, self-titled debut album that the band hopes will propel them along.

They succeed for the most part, hitting the right notes to make their uncompromised brand of rock 'n roll sound cleaner and crisper. Some people might find it a bit bothersome in that many of the tracks lack a pronounced bass like the EP and too much dirt has been removed to make this album a classic.

But when you factor in that his band had the foresight to produce their own album at the Sound Emporium in Nashville, it quickly becomes clear this 5-piece deserves some credit. There are plenty of high points on this album. 

The Howling Tongues add Southern flair to rock 'n roll. 

The Howling Tongues celebrate two years together in August, but they sound like they've played together for years. Originally consisting of guitarist Nick Magliochetti, vocalist Taylor Harlow, and drummer Tylor James, it was the addition of bassist Zach Smith and keyboardist Thomas Wainwright that established the sound they're known for today. They call it “no regret rock 'n roll.”

While it took another year of live shows and two EPs to perfect it, the Howling Tongues feel confident in the product put together with the help of producers Stan Lynch and Billy Chapin. This time around, the band couldn't rely on computers. Everything was recorded straight to tape.

"We instantly knew that something great would come from working with Stan and Billy,” said Magliochetti. "However, none of us expected to be this blown away by the end result."


The underlying track to their album teaser is Gotta Be A Man, the lead-off track to their new album. It's a spirited, tough talking Southern track in the vein of veteran rock. The entire goal of the track was to lay something down that could get people on their feet.

From there, the album takes a dramatic down tempo turn, showcasing Harlow's ability to set a different mood with his smoky and slowly drawn vocals. Anyone who loves the Black Crowes will immediately have cause to contemplate the similarities. It isn't the only song that inspires comparison.

Other standout tracks include Strange Way To Say Goodbye, Another Heart To Bleed, and What's It Going To Take. All three present a more contemplative side of the group, painting them as a 5-piece brooder rock band with plenty of vocal depth and instrumental finesse.

Outside of those tracks, Too Many Times is a risky but well-appreciated departure from the band's sound as they try on some country rock. While the track isn't necessarily dynamic enough to close out the album the way many people would like, it does prove that the Howling Tongues have greater depth than either of their previous EPs suggested.

In many ways, that is what you can expect from their self-titled debut overall. The Howling Tongues are dead set on showcasing their diverse talent, even at the expense of a riveting rock direction that seemed to be set on Keep The Dust Down. The new direction is still good, but not nearly as moving or convincing as the six tracks that preceded it.

The Howling Tongues Wag At 4.6 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

As an album, the the Howling Tongues' self-titled debut is well worth a listen. There is no question that their brand of rock is cool. At the same time, with the exception of those standouts mentioned, it sounds best when added to their existing set list as opposed to a standalone.

You can catch the Howling Tongues debut on Amazon or download the album from iTunes. To keep up with the band as they begin to book shows and tour dates, follow them on Facebook. For anyone hoping to pick up a vinyl edition, visit the band's website. They pressed 1,000 vinyl records (gold).

False-Heads Are An Aspiring Artist Pick

There are plenty of people who could never conceive of grunge having a second life, let alone a second life in London. But there's a foursome that has been busy trying to bring some semblance of it back.

After forming up in 2010, False-Heads went largely unnoticed. They sent out early demos, but are among the first people to tell you that they weren't worth the listen. Frontman Luke Griffiths even summed them up as sloppy and under rehearsed.

But then something started to change. The band started putting in more time and produced Animation Draining Needles. The sound was solid, perhaps more punk than grunge but with a pretty brassy alternative rock. It was a good EP, but nothing like the rawness of what the band put out this year.

Tunnel Vision will turn your head to reminisce.

Even Griffiths thinks of the two EPs as coming from different bands. While he worked hard enough on Animation Draining Needles, he assumed he would start over when he left home for school.

"I planned to just make another band when I met Jack [Hertz] and Jake [Elliot]," said Griffiths, . "But we  didn't want to change the name."

New name or not, the new lineup drove the band deeper into the lower keys of rock, underpinning it with some dirty guitar work and strong riffs. The lyrics are appropriately apathetic in their fatality. Fall Around drives the point home. 

The sound isn't anything different, but there are some bright spots in how they deliver it. The lyrics too are something to think about it. False-Heads balances some of the angst felt today with the dreamy, smoke-embued dizziness of Alice In Wonderland. 

Fall Around is the single the band put out to promote the album, but it's the other singles that have gotten more attention on the other side of the pond. The ones receiving the most attention are Where Is Your Man and Without a Doubt. They've made a mark on Q Radio's Single of the Week and other student stations, including the BBC.

The break is great for the band, especially because Griffiths felt some trepidation after all the positive attention from Animation Draining Needles. He said he felt like everything good (such as labels taking an interest in the work) was happening at the worst possible time. Tunnel Vision is his chance to change some of that, with everything good happening at the right time.

The balance of the five-track EP that you'll want to own. 

The reason Where Is Your Man is attracting so much attention is in the lyrical content. It's a lazily sung call for intervention that doesn't necessarily question faith but makes a pointed statement about a different kind of apathy.

Without A Doubt is stronger if not darker with a similar sentiment. It moves off grunge and centers in on Griffith's punk leanings. There is an aggression that drives the track along, making it impossible to ignore. The guitar solo mid-track gives off an interesting and emotive distortion. Play this one twice.

Griffiths tries out a more poppy approach in Remedy, making the music light enough for indie pop enthusiasts to find something they like. It's a nice change of pace, with some folk influences tossed in too.

Comfort Consumption shares a similar tone. My first impression at the onset of the song was that it was going to close on too light of note as opposed to those big bassy riffs on the front end of the album. But as the song progressed, I dug in for another reason all together. This track shows Griffith's true strength as a lyricist while foreshadowing some future discipline in the way this band plays.

Tunnel Vision By False-Heads Spins 5.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Sometimes people ask me if I think a band will actually end up somewhere. Sometimes your gut knows, even if you don't let other people know. In the case of False-Heads, I can't really tell if they will take off or not, but I do know I want them to. There aren't too many people who can cue up grunge rock confessionals that are authentic (despite being a little rough at times). I believe in False-Heads and Griffiths is among my favorite lyricists.

Tunnel Vision is an independent release and isn't circulating around too many distribution channels. The best place to catch the Tunnel Vision EP is on their Bandcamp page. The download is free (with a decent bonus track), which is almost a shame because I would have liked to support the band with a name your price purchase. Next time around.

Pigeon Park Stings With Black Widow

When Vancouver-based Pigeon Park released their eponymous EP last year, diversity underpinned the emerging artist pick. The five-piece band prided itself on never really having a consistent set list, making flexibility an important part of their music and where they were headed.

You might never guess that from their new release. The 4-track EP, Black Widow, finds the band settled into a signature blues groove rock. It's a great sound for the Pigeon Park, centering squarely on their strengths. But that's not to say the band has given up on its sometimes soulful and funky sound.

Where they've matured is in developing their overarching style while still managing to weave their diversity into the arrangements. Think of it as the perfect middle ground for the five-year-old band. It helps define their music but gives them enough freedom to make their material feel spontaneous as individual styles emerge within their compositions.

This is the kind of recording that one hopes for from an emerging talent like Pigeon Park. They don't play a collection of solid songs anymore. They have a sound that is clearly becoming Pigeon Park.

Black Widow is a bluesy, sometimes soulful excursion.

The title track, Black Widow, is straight-up hum-along-if-you-want-to rock song about a dangerous seductress who bends men to her will before sucking them dry. And yet, the song itself isn't nearly as dark as the summation implies.

Pigeon Park prevents the track from becoming overtly as dark as the lyrics by infusing temptation into some well-placed guitar licks. Frontman Nick Weber (vocals) might conclude that "it's the last time" at the end of the song, but Kevin Okabe (guitar) and Logan Pacholok (guitar) clearly imply a longing for the next time. It's a warning. It's a dare. And it's held together with a perfect beat and bass line from Hunter Elliott (drums) and Artur Lepert (bass).

It's also not the only place where the band juxtaposes an adrenaline high with a dangerous even disastrous risk. Although the video casts Come Down Slow in a different light, with two teens chasing down a dangerous high, the original concept is drawn from the plight of a homeless girl.


To hear the band members tell it, the lyrics capture the alienation and desperation of life. Although the song doesn't necessarily cut new ground as a straightforward storytelling rocker, it's an extremely tight track and easily the most radio friendly of the lot. Where it wins is in how the band delivers it.

It's very clear that the band has a newfound confidence built on their long-standing camaraderie. It's one thing to lose yourself as a free-spirited rock band but another all together to trust your gut and the guts of your bandmates. It was always just a matter of time.

"We were all friends jamming since childhood," says Weber. "We all went to school together, discovered bands together and jammed together. Eventually, we just bridged that gap."

Forging out a new, streamlined sound isn't the only gap the band is trying to bridge. Money Beats Soul aims at connecting to the groundswell of young adults trapped between picking money or soul. Both soulful and aggressive, Weber peels back the warning as matter of fact. Money wins every time.

Money also wins with its guitar solo, even if there are some splendid solo notes inside the EP's closer, Feel The Rain. The last track starts out as a throwback rock crooner with some funk and psychedelia but ends as a robust, atmospheric howler after its layered build finally reaches a crescendo. Sure, there is a touch of theatrics in the final track but it's all for the right reasons.

Black Widow By Pigeon Park Stings 7.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Every time this band puts something out, they turn everything inside out to make the most passionate blues groove rock possible. With Black Widow, Pigeon Park had never sounded better or more promising. The EP has fewer frills but more thrills as an accessible EP saddled with the right amount of blues, soul and funk finesse. This is the collection that locks them in as a band to watch.

You can find the Black Widow EP by Pigeon Park on Amazon or download it from iTunes. The band is hosting an EP release party at the Venue in Vancouver, British Columbia, tonight (Aug. 8) with support from other local bands like Whoa! She's A Babe, The Slovos, and No Century. For future tour dates, visit Pigeon Park on Facebook or give the EP a spin on Bandcamp.

Blackwater Fever Rises To New Depths

The Brisbane-based band might make its home halfway around the world, but their music carries a weight equal to or greater than any heaviness that has ever escaped the dense and dirty South. The Blackwater Fever has swamp rock down. They got it as a power duo. They get it as a power trio.

The addition of keyboardist/organist/bassist Jed Walters occurred just as they wrapped In Stereo, the band's dense and riveting sophomore album. And that alone is what makes their newest album, The Depths, so memorable. It marks the first time that the trio has laid down an album together.

The result is surprisingly organic, partly because that's the direction they wanted to roll. But also because every stitch of it was recorded in a home studio. There were no time constraints to abide by this time. They played on and measured every note until they got it right or broke something trying.

"The Depths is our best release yet and the first we have made entirely under our own steam," says vocalist-guitarist Shane Hicks. "It was a huge learning curve with much trial and error but in the end I think the result has vividly realized our ideas and vision. This is how we will make albums from now on."

Vivid can readily be dismissed as an understatement as The Depths climbs in, out and around 14 tracks of dark, atmospheric rock that sometimes borders on the edge of metal. But then again, metal isn't what accounts for the mysterious drone of the Blackwater Fever. It's how they bend blues, soul, and trip-hop.

The Depths is another triumph for the Blackwater Fever.

The album opens with When The Night Comes, a three-minute introduction that establishes the eerie atmospheric spirit of the band. The influence of Walters is also immediately apparent. He adds even more heaviness between the bass, organ, and keys while giving Hicks and Andrew Walter (drums) more room to roam, allowing them to ease into some arrangements instead of powering through it all.

The flexibility lends itself well to a diverse, fully realized album with some epic experimental moments. Even the added reverb feels right at home. Sometimes it lends a psychedelic flair to the guitar and bass work. Other times it fills out the foundation of a song without being overdone. And occasionally it  stretches notes a beat or two longer in precisely the right places with an impeccable, unforgettable effect.


Won't Cry Over You balances the band's garage blues and the husky, oft throaty vocals that smolder over some lyrics instead of singing them. At the open, the song chugs along as Hicks leads it to its blistering conclusion — love hurts until we're over it. At two minutes in, the band is over it breaking into an instrumental-driven jam and diverse arrangements. Hicks revisits for a subtle refrain.

Like most of the album, there is a toughness to it. Hicks and company are very serious about conjuring up the rawness and roughness of the old South as much as the outback. Tracks like Seven White Horses, Tide Rider, and End Of Time are heavy with a rugged sense of identity and purpose.

Other standout tracks include the aggressively cast Can't Help Yourself, the shuffling and smoky slowdown in Rat Eyes (complete with thunderclaps), and the pained and soulful brooder Oh Deceit. To round out the album, add in the raspy, Southern-fried storytelling in Don't Fuck With Joe. Although more fun than fiery, the tongue-in-cheek ditty features some nice keyboard work.

The Depths By The Blackwater Fever Brandishes 9.4 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

For anyone  looking for garage blues-driven rock with more depth, musicians of diverse talent, and an album laid out so well that it will earn its playtime, The Depths by the Blackwater Fever will deliver for months and years to come. This year might have only recently eclipsed its halftime mark, but  The Depths sets a high water mark as the best self-produced indie rock album out this year. It's infectious.

You can find The Depths by the Blackwater Fever on Amazon. You can also download the album from iTunes. For show dates in Australia, catch the band on Facebook.