Awesome Underground &#9733; Music Review

Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

Friday, July 8, 2016

EVERYTHING IN SLOW MOTION: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW

Everything in Slow Motion (EISM) is an American music project by former Hands frontman and Christian metal musician Shane Ochsner from Fargo, North Dakota

I decided to present this review to you just as I wrote it: Going through track by track and giving my first impressions and initial feelings about this body of work.

Coma:

Spacey with echoey vocals and that underwater sound with the guitars. Then the drums come in like crashing waves. I like the instrumental shifts. They go quickly, but it isn’t jarring. I have to say though that at first listen, this vocalist sounds mediocre at best and maybe even inexperienced. He sounds like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Like maybe he’s singing on a completely different track. His timing is off from the instrumentals. The piano was a lovely addition and added to the emotion of the track.

The instruments are very good with building feelings. Hope, excitement, disappointment, anger.

Bad season:

The drums in the intro are nice but I’m not sure the guitar that quickly follows fits just right. However, as the song builds, it begins to sound much better. Yes, I love this drummer. No matter what is happening, he holds the song together. I’m warming up to this vocalist, but I still feel like his timing is off. His voice is good, but it’s like he doesn’t know when to stretch his words, or more accurately, when NOT to. It’s like he drags way too many words out and that just discredits them all. But his voice really is something I would pick. He just needs to learn how to use it. Perhaps some lessons with a vocal coach would help. Their guitarist is good, too. But he’s constantly overshadowed by the drummer, even during the long riffs

I am Laid Low:
This song reminds me of being alone outside in the middle of the night. When I was younger, I used to walk from my house to my cousin's house with headphones in. I loved the way the night felt. This song reminds me of that feeling. It surrounds you and creates a peaceful atmosphere.

Runaway:
I don't know how many people actually know this about me, but I absolutely loathe excessive repetition. And the lyrics of this song have way too much of that for me. However, the instruments portray a very real and common feeling, which happens to be what the lyrics are trying to get across. So, in this case, the lyrics didn't do much for me... but the rest of the song accomplished what the lyrics had set out to. I love how this song seems to fall apart at the end. It gives great symbolism.

Capella:
This song wraps up the EP with a very eerie, somewhat depressing, but realistic "Band of Horses" type of feeling. I love how the vocals really stand out. I felt like I was in a room with the vocalist singing his frustrations at me. As if I were the one who had done him wrong. And all of the background oohs and ahs only built on that feeling. The instruments are very minimal in this track, but it's so powerful in the way this song is delivered.

Overall, I feel like this is a great body of work. Each member of this band has a great amount of talent. I would suggest the vocalist take some lessons with a vocal coach to learn better focus and expand on his already present talent.

Video Review:

EVERYTHING IN SLOW MOTION LINKS: FACEBOOK TWITTER OFFICIAL WEBSITE

For the indie musician and indie music lover: Rockstars Glued Remnant X Radio ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ SEND SMOKE SIGNALS HERE: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: hpfansonghost@gmail.com Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

Sunday, June 26, 2016

RIVAL TIDES: AWESOME UNDERGROUND ★ MUSIC REVIEW #15

This is my underground music review of Rival Tides, a Los Angeles-based rock band that thrives on mixing aggression with positivity. Since forming in November 2012, the five-piece group continues to pour their hearts into their music and live performances to create deeper connections with their fans.

This was one of those magnificent surprises. I had been searching for nearly 3 weeks for a new musical act to love, and this band had fallen in my lap (or onto my Twitter) quite some time ago and I hadn't even noticed. Out of, let's face it, desperation, I decided to go through my Twitter followers to see if there was anything there worth sharing. Surprise! About four artists in I found magic. All I would like to know is where are all of the A&R guys at and what are they doing with their time? Wasting it I guess, because why aren't these guys signed?! Finding musicians like this just makes me want to go take out a gigantic loan and start up my own small label, no joke.

One thing I found that I loved about this band (aside from their amazing sound) is their level of support for artists they believe in. What I found when I stumbled over to their official website was a list of other amazing band, from which I went on to find some of my even greater loves. When I did my video review, I bought the physical copy of their album. I got it in the mail and went on with life, enjoying their music and the music of other bands they had suggested to the world. Later on, I found the envelope that CD had come in, but before I threw it away I checked inside and found a small note I had missed when I received my CD, thanking me personally for my support and saying that they hope I'm enjoying that list of bands (which I had mentioned in my video review). My point is that not only is this a clearly talented band, but also clearly a bunch of great human beings. And trust me, following them on their social media is something you won't regret!

Click on the thumbnail for my video review of this band:

Rival Tides links:

SEND SMOKE SIGNALS HERE:

Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

Rockstars Glued

Remnant X Radio

Monday, June 20, 2016

YELLOWCARD / ATREYU: WARPED TOUR 2016 ► BAND REVIEW

Yellowcard is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997 and based out of Los Angeles. Current band members include Ryan Key (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano),
Sean Mackin (violin, vocals), Ryan Mendez (lead guitar, backing vocals), Josh Portman (bass guitar)
Atreyu is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California formed in 1998. Current band members include Alex Varkatzas (lead and unclean vocals), Dan Jacobs (lead guitar, backing vocals), Travis Miguel (rhythm guitar), Marc McKnight (bass, backing vocals), Brandon Saller (drums, clean vocals, percussion, guitars, piano, programming, keyboard, strings)

Yellowcard is a band that so many people know and love. And I'm the same way in some sense. I hold some of their older songs dear to my heart, but the more they put out, the further they move away from the sound that I adore. "Empty Apartment" is probably my favorite track of theirs. "Southern Air" was a bit of a letdown for me. I felt like their sound and their lyrical content changed a ton in that album. However, I found "Lift a Sail" to be far more enjoyable. It's not the exact same sound as they had in "Ocean Avenue" but it's definitely reminiscent of it.

Atreyu is a band that I always thought would be perfect minus the screams. With every single song I listen to of theirs, I fall in absolute love... until the screams start. It's not that I'm always opposed to screaming, it's just that I don't care for their type of screams and I don't feel like it adds anything to the sound. Instrumentally, they're brilliant. Vocally, they're brilliant. Even lyrically, they're good. This is a band that a ton of people absolutely love. I really feel like they're perfect to be on Warped Tour.

ATREYU LINKS:

YELLOWCARD LINKS:

SEND SMOKE SIGNALS HERE:

Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

Sunday, June 19, 2016

WE THE KINGS / EMAROSA / SECRETS: WARPED TOUR 2016 ► BAND REVIEW

We the Kings is an American rock band from Bradenton, Florida. Band members include Travis Clark (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Hunter Thomsen (lead guitar, backing vocals), Danny Duncan (drums, percussion), Charles Trippy (bass guitar), Coley O'Toole (keyboards, backing vocals, rhythm guitar). Emarosa is an American post-hardcore band from Lexington, Kentucky. Band members include ER White (lead guitar), Jordan Stewart (keyboards), Bradley Walden (lead vocals), Marcellus Wallace (rhythm guitar, backing vocals). SECRETS is an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California. Band members include Michael Sherman (lead guitar), Richard Rogers (lead vocals, rhythm guitar clean vocals), Joe English (drums), Wade Walters (bass, unclean vocals)

We the Kings is like pop/rock and it's cutesy love songs and fantastic instrumental elements with a matching lovely vocalist. I do really enjoy a lot of their music. My favorites include: "Check Yes, Juliet" and "Say You Like Me." I would definitely say there is a larger element of pop with this group than rock. This is a feel-good band, which is perfect for summer tour!

Secrets is a lot heavier than I usually care for, and I have seen them live. Not to say that they weren't a good live band, but my favorite part of that show was the audience. Their fans were really enjoying the show they put on. Like I said, they're on the heavy side for me and I'm not a big fan of the type of screams they do, but that doesn't make them not talented. They're just not the right band for me. if you like super heavy music, you'll probably love this band.

Emarosa
The first time I heard this band was live at warped (and I think it was 2014). I really enjoyed them live. So much so that I took the time to save a note in my phone to listen to them later. Which I never did (until now). WHY DIDN'T I DO THAT?! I absolutely love this music! The vocalist is perfect and the guitar is magical and the lyrics are even great! There are moments of funk. In one song, the drums sound like they're on the outside for a second, surrounding the track and creating a feeling of helplessness. They have catchy beats and every instrument falls in line, interlocking and playing off of one another, as every band should (but not all that many do). This creates an amazing complete sound.

WE THE KINGS LINKS:

EMAROSA LINKS:

SECRETS LINKS:

My links:

Actual Mail: P.O. Box 424 Gruetli-Laager, TN 37339

Rockstars Glued

Remnant X Radio

WATERPARKS: WARPED TOUR 2016 ► BAND REVIEW

Waterparks is an American pop punk band formed in Houston, Texas in 2011.

Waterparks:
They classify themselves as "most things"
I hear a nod to old punk, which I always love to hear. Old school punk is possibly one of my greatest loves. However, it's also mixed in with some futuristic techno effects and solid rock riffs. So, perhaps "most things" is accurate, at least within the broader genre label of "Rock"
They seem to be tossing around hints from a few different subgenres, which is brilliant.
The thing I enjoy least about this band is the vocalist. I don't care for the way he annunciates some words and his voice just isn't anything spectacular in my opinion. He gets choppy a lot and I really just don't enjoy choppy vocals. And perhaps, that's my greatest reason for not being too enthusiastic about this vocalist. However, it does fit well with the largest portion of their sound: old school punk. I really love this band's overall sound, though!

Waterparks Links:

iTunes

SEND SMOKE SIGNALS HERE: