Philly Music Review

Looking Backwards

2010-06-25T18:14:00.006-04:00

“Looking Backwards” by Twenty 30

Twenty30’s sound rests on a foundation built by bands like the Deftones and Stone Temple Pilots with a subtle punk rock edge. Lyle, the singer and obviously the glue of the band, has a tonality and energy reminiscent of John Feldmann from Goldfinger -- especially on the heavier songs. He sings like his voice has a distortion pedal; the clean channel soothing and inspiring, the distorted channel aggressive and turned up to 11. An excellent rhythm section supports him, and this lethal combination might just be the band’s key to success.

Looking Backwards is a live recording of 6 killer tracks. It’s refreshing to hear a studio-quality recording without the use of Auto-tune and a gazillion overdubs. If this is the way they perform in the studio, I definitely want to see them live. My only negative comment is that I can’t hear the keyboard/organ. I know he’s there, but I rarely hear him.

Looking Backward is alternative at its best. Be sure to get your copy, and check Twenty30 out at the Brown Bear Festival at Clark Park July 17, 2010.

My Favorite Tracks:
#1 New Beginnings - is the band’s crowd pleaser – def. And talk about an epic intro!
#5 Bail Me Out - its got good energy, melody, and harmonies. Get that on 104.5.

twenty30.com
myspace.com

-Adam

The Blasting Concept - Buy Star Bombs

2010-04-27T16:52:00.007-04:00

Buy Star Bombs recently released an album entitled “The Blasting Concept”. The CD’s DIY all the way, from the assembled packaging to the hand-written words on the CDs themselves. You know, when you get a CD and only half is worth listening to? Well, not here -- each of the 9 tracks has something to offer. They have this kick-ass Alternative/ Indie and in-your-face attitude throughout.

I feel the band’s sound is rooted in the connection between the singer and the drummer. Britten, the singer/ guitarist, has a cool vibe reminiscent of Sonic Youth and a vocal sound like Shannon Hoon. The drummer, Joe, is fast, intricate, and intense. (I want to see a drum-off between Joe and Jimmy Chamberlin!)

My favorite Track:
#5 - “Beyond the Sun”
About halfway through they break to 6/8 with an awesome melody and killer back-up harmonies rocks! This is by far my favorite part of the album!

Buy Star Bombs is a LIVE band. As great a job they did on the recording, you’ve got to see them live to get the whole picture and feel the magic of a great performance. Check out Buy Star Bombs next time they come to town and @ www.myspace.com/buystarbombs

-Adam

Part 2 - Take it Back

2010-03-30T13:17:00.006-04:00

That’s the Way the Industry Crumbles
TAKE IT BACK

The Last Barbarians, Philadelphia’s savage funk-punkers, are breaking out their battle-axes once again and destroying all that remains of the once standard music business model.

Formed in 2006, the Barbarians have worked hard and partied harder but never stopped writing, recording or performing. After releasing the raging Weekend Warrior in 2008, and regularly tormenting venues like the The Khyber in Philadelphia and The Note in West Chester, The Barbarians are bringing you more tunes – their way.

How, you ask? These Barbarians are releasing an experimental series of free singles, dubbed ‘Digital 45’s’, throughout 2010. Every other month, two new songs will be available for FREE at www.thelastbarbarians.com. The second in this series, Take it Back, is slated for release on March 30, 2010, and is an explosive follow-up to January’s Don’t Feed Them.

“The record industry may be dead, but there’s still hope for the music industry,” said Adam Barbarian between grunts and growls. “Screw trying to prevent people from stealing our music. We’re just going to give it to them. Take it!”

WHO: The Last Barbarians
WHAT: Take it Back featuring songs: The Curse and Slave Dog
WHEN: March 30, 2010
WHERE: www.thelastbarbarians.com
HOW: Digitally, and on disc at shows
PRICE: FREE

WEB: http://www.thelastbarbarians.com
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/thelastbarbarians

###

That’s the Way the Industry Crumbles

2010-01-17T00:51:00.010-05:00

The Last Barbarians are chainsawing in the New Year with a swift kick to the crumbling ancient ruins of the once standard music business model. Philadelphia’s feisty funk-punkers have been in the laboratory since summer and will be releasing an experimental series of free singles throughout 2010. The first of the series, Don’t Feed Them, will be available physically and digitally starting January 19, 2010.

Formed in 2006, the Barbarians have worked hard and partied harder but never stopped writing, recording or performing. After releasing the well-received Weekend Warrior in 2008, a six-track disc that “effortlessly transitions between straight forward metal and solid grooves steeped in jazz and funk”, and regularly rocking venues like the The Khyber in Philadelphia, The Note in West Chester, PA and The Annex in NYC, The Barbarians are ready to dish out more tunes – their way.

WHO: The Last Barbarians
WHAT: Don’t Feed Them - the singles: eF and Mosquitoes
WHEN: January 19, 2010
WHERE: www.thelastbarbarians.com
www.last.fm
HOW: Physically and Digitally
PRICE: FREE

Chris Huff - DEATH IN TEXAS

2009-05-22T12:46:00.008-04:00

The Wailers are in the studio with David Bowie on the mic. They have songs written by Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd is manning the soundboard. Oh, Wait! No, it’s Chris Huff and his new CD – “Death and Texas”!

Chris Huff's recently released LP, “Death in Texas”, is a Rasta-fied/ Singer-Songwriter/ Rock CD. It quickly grabs your attention with the reggae rock song, “Hey Now Now” with its catchy melodies and excellent backup vocals. He awe-inspiringly orchestrates and performs throughout the entirety of Death and Texas, and by the end, the listener is left drenched in emotion and inspiration conjured by Huff’s many musical idols. The CD art is excellent too; it’s oddly dark yet quirky and fun like a Tim Burton film, which after listening to the CD many times, I find it well portrays the overall feeling I get from “Death in Texas”.

Chris Huff’s strong folk songwriting background reminiscent of Bob Dylan, makes him well-suited for the Philadelphia singer-songwriter scene. But what sets him apart from the rest of the Philly is his ability to take the songs to a higher level and play them in a true rock setting.

This is a must-hear CD worthy of frequent play on WXPN. Check it out and be sure to listen to my favorite songs, “Lost in the Mausoleum” and “Ghosts of the Past”. - Adam

Huffmusic.com - Check Chris out!
CDBaby.com - Purchase his CD

The Alternative Outfit - MELANCOHOLIC

2008-11-11T13:23:00.012-05:00

Chris Sulit’s new home grown and breathtaking band, The Alternative Outfit, has been slicing through the North East’s eardrums with their debut album, Melancaholic. It’s a Bermuda Triangle; a stormy journey through tortured love and lost treasures. The tracks take the listener into movie scenes drenched by Danny Elfman and vocal harmonies rivaling Freddie Mercury.

What’s even more remarkable, the album is entirely written and performed by Chris Sulit. While the bassist, Bobby Kay, plays a key part in the production, from what I could tell after talking to the two of them, Sulit is the one who spent the days, weeks and months locked in the studio pulling at his hair until it turned purple. Check this CD Out!!! Especially my favorites songs; “Waltz of the Ill” and “No More Dreaming”. - Adam

Mose Giganticus - The Invisible Hand

2008-02-25T13:34:00.009-05:00

The Invisible Hand - 10 tracks of Human vs. Machine

Without hesitation this album hits you with urgency, aggression, and ferocity through terrorizing vocals backed by an emotionless robot and its army of synthetic musicians.

As I read through the lyrics, I found an intriguing and futuristic look at life reminiscent of Isaac Asimov, where the singer tells of his struggle concerning nature and the overwhelming allure of technology. This dynamic story is riddled with a plethora of synth driven and machine programmed sounds. The vast digital pallet of tones is perfectly accentuated by Hardcore Rock, verifying Matt Garfield a king in both the techno and rock realm.

My favorite songs are: “Connect That Wire to the Black Wire” and “We’ll Overcome You Using Our Technology”

This Album is DIY, Punk, Techno, Unique, and definitely worth a listen. I can’t wait to hear what Mose Giganticus releases next. - Adam

Fan Reach

2008-02-21T12:05:00.013-05:00

Reverb Nation's "FAN REACH"

So, there's another peer network place, Reverb Nation. It's very similar to myspace, except it's only for music related people - Artists, Managers, Labels, etc. You create a profile, make friends with other users, comment on each other's pages, and post photos, videos, and music. I've joined and am setting up a page - here's why ...

I think Reverb Nation is better than myspace
- its not overrun by spammers (at least not yet)
- you can post lots of songs (I saw one artist with 50 songs posted for listening)
- "Fan Reach" - their cool email feature

Email- They created a fan mailing list built into your Reverb Nation page. You're given an html code and/or a widget for a sign up box that you can post anywhere you'd like - such as you myspace page or your website. When someone signs up, they are asked a few questions - age, gender, and location. They do not have to answer these questions and can be simply put on you email list. This is really cool, because now you get to see the demographic of you fans, and when you go to send out an email you can specify who it goes to by those questions. A good example would be - I have a show in NYC this weekend and want to inform only the fans in the NYC area. I pick send to people with in a 25-mile radius to NYC and email only them.

With Come Dionysus, we had a cool mailing list thing for a short while, but it kept all our contacts hidden from us unless we paid for the subscription. Reverb Nation and it's Fan Reach email is free and has safe guards built in to protect the people who sign up on you email list against spam.

Sounds good to me. I've already opened an account and plan on putting the email list on my myspace and website. - Adam

Endless Highway - Music of the Band

2007-09-28T14:37:00.003-04:00

Endless Highway

Musicians often get started in show business by playing in a back-up band for a big name artist. Jimi Hendrix got his break playing in Little Richard’s band. The story of “The Band” is a little different. In their case, the entire band was raised to stardom. Bob Dylan’s back-up band was able to separate from Dylan, and enjoy a successful career with many timeless hits.

Endless Highway is a tribute album that features some of The Band’s biggest hits performed by today’s top artists. Some of the more notable musicians on this album include Jack Johnson, Gomez, The Allman Brothers Band, and Bob Dylan’s son Jakob Dylan. “The Weight” and “Up On Cripple Creek” are two of the most popular song’s by The Band, and are featured on this album along with an amazing version of “King Harvest.”

The album opens with Guster’s powerful rendition of “This Wheels On Fire” The folky sounds of this track lead into a red-hot cover of “King Harvest,” done by Bruce Hornsby. This track is sizzling with amazing musicianship, and a powerful voice to top it off.

Some artists took the songs, and put a modern sound to them. My Morning Jacket covers “It Makes No Difference,” and brings a harder rock feel to this track. Distorted guitars and power chords don’t take away from the beauty of this song, they just make it rock.

The real meat and potatoes of this album starts at track five with Lee Ann Womack’s amazing performance of “The Weight,” one of The Band’s biggest hits of all time. Her sweet country voice sings the story. The train keeps rolling with Widespread Panic covering “Chest Fever.” My favorite song by The Band, “Up On Cripple Creek,” is grooved out by Gomez, and followed by a rockin’ live cover of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” performed by The Allman Brothers Band. If these songs don’t get your head moving you should check your pulse.

The familiar twang of country music is heard as the album goes on. Folk music shares similar roots with what is considered country music. The Band walked the fine line between country and folk music. Country-crooner Josh Turner covers the song “When I Paint My Masterpiece.” The down-home country sound of this track and others including “Acadian Driftwood” performed by The Roches makes the listener feel like they are sailing down the Mississippi River on a sultry summer night.

The many famous names of people and songs on Endless Highway are somewhat overwhelming. The featured artists come from all walks of today’s music. Artists’ like The Roches, three harmonious folk-singing-sisters, are featured along with modern rockers Death Cab For Cutie.

Even if you are not a fan of some of the more country influenced songs, you will surely find pleasure with the harder folk-rock songs. There is something for anyone who is a fan of The Band. Even if you are a fan of one of the artists featured on this album, I would encourage you to check this album out to hear a different side of your favorite band.

This album is aimed at fans who really know all of The Band’s hits. Before I heard this album I would have said that I was a fan, but after listening to this album I felt like I needed to go back and listen to the original versions of many of the songs featured on this Tribute. Endless Highway is a solid collection of music that can be listened to straight through. It is filled with familiar classics and modern renditions of lesser known songs that are worthy of comparison to the original recordings. - Ptah Gabrie

The Disco Biscuits - Rocket 3

2007-09-28T14:35:00.002-04:00

Rocket 3

Here’s an idea, book a show at the Hammerstein Ballroom on New Year’s Eve, tell your fans that their beloved drummer is leaving the band, and record it for release. Sounds like an epic concert giving way to a timeless recording, right? I thought so until I got about two minutes into the 33 minute long opener “Magellan”

Just in case you don’t know who The Disco Biscuits are, let me briefly break it down for you. The band is based in Philadelphia, and they played shows throughout the city at places like the now vacant Silk City before gaining the publicity they have now. I am sure that I saw them play at one of those drunken summer festivals down at Penn’s Landing but who knows.

When I picked up The Disco Biscuits new album Rocket 3, I immediately noticed there were only four songs, which led me to believe that I was in for some extended Philly-style jamming. Extended yes, but their jams are not very interesting and can be quite repetitive.

The guitar style is very similar to the Dead, and I feel like they are trying to with the vocals, but it just doesn’t work. It is not original. Pitch issues right off the bat took away from the quality.

The biscuits did manage to get a good recording of this show. Everything is well balanced. I thought the obnoxious keyboard noises were kind of low, but I wasn’t complaining. The first three songs all run into each other, which is cool for the stoners who want a 70 minute jam to back their session, but if you are not under the influence it drags on for quite some time. I can only listen to the same four bars for so long.

The album ends with a song called “Hope” It’s a nine minute long jam that begins with a most-Jerryesque-riff, which isn’t too bad, but right before the five minute mark the tempo picks up and the song changes. I don’t know what sound Aron Magner, keyboards and vocals, is using in this section, but it just didn’t do it for me.

I thought the live jams would have more variation. I thought the performance quality could have been better. Rocket 3 is recorded and mixed well. My favorite musician is definitely the drummer Sam Altman, but he is not in the band anymore. They even list their new drummer on back of the CD, but under it is a disclaimer that says “Drums on this CD were performed by original drummer Sam Altman.” I guess it’s a legal thing. The music probably sounds cooler when you are sipping on a rum and coke, and hearing it live at the Festival Pier. - Ptah Gabrie

The Roots - Game Theory

2007-09-28T14:32:00.002-04:00

Game Theory is the latest release by South Philly’s funk-hop powerhouse The Roots. This album dives further into the realm of soul and jazz, and shows a progression of the group’s style. I am a huge fan of the funkier Roots sound, and I think it shows the versatility of these musicians.

An album with just The Roots would be killer, but it wouldn’t be right of them to leave their crew off of this album. It’s packed with special guests including John-John and Dice Raw of Nouveau Riche, Malik B, and Mercedes Martinez of the JazzyFatNastees.

The signature funky-jazz beats provide a surreal background for Black Thought’s lyrical flow. “Clock With No Hands” is a premium blend of jazz, hip-hop, and the R&B vocals of Mercedes Martinez. South Philly is represented on this album, especially in the triumphant call to the streets “Long Time.” These guys are world class, but haven’t forgotten their origins.

The door comes crashing in with Quest Love’s raucous beat in “Don’t Feel Right.” Maimouna Youssef sings the choruses on this track. Her voice elevates this song to from bangin’ to hot. It’s one of those songs you crank up as loud as you can, while driving down Broad Street with all the windows down on a hot summer night. As soon as the beat hits, your head is moving.

As a long time fan of The Roots, and Funk music, I appreciate the deeper soul in their music. They are tighter than ever, and I think that Game Theory shows this group’s maturity. I still love Illadelph Half-Life and Things Fall Apart, but this is a return to their roots. It is solid, and can be listened to straight through. I recommend that you play this album at max volume while driving through Philadelphia. - Ptah Gabrie

mewithoutyou - Brother Sister

2007-09-28T14:26:00.001-04:00

Me Without You is a band, nay, a musical conglomeration of five members that one may have a difficult time categorizing. Aaron Weiss’ one-third sung, one-third shouted and one-third spoken lyrical delivery is initially disconcerting, quite possibly because it’s not something you heard done (at least not well) with much frequency. He is backed by a very competent band of musicians who seem to err on the side of melancholy, which complements Weiss’ lyrics perfectly. Brother Sister is filled with minor chord progressions and crunchy, slightly overdriven guitars spitting out well-constructed riffs that add greatly to the overall feel of the album. The album is very well recorded and produced and is something Me Without You should be proud of.

The artwork adorning the album makes for a bit of aural and aesthetic harmony as one can see the visual images in their mind as the album plays on. On the front cover there are images of fish and an amalgam of motion in the still pictures. The opening track, Messes of Men, which begins with the words “Í do not exist…” feels as if it was written in this somewhat nautical setting, something perhaps that Herman Melville would have written. Also on the front cover there is a moon to the upper left and a sun to the upper right. In song number (7), The Sun and the Moon, Weiss repeats the phrase, “…the sun and the moon are my father’s eyes…” possibly religious imagery to which the front cover is surely tied.

Weiss utilizes an almost narrative stream-of-consciousness style in his lyrical delivery. Sometimes it feels as if he is merely telling a story, unrehearsed and straight from memory. Other times, however, is clear that Weiss is a poet and has constructed his lyrics carefully not only in rhyme schemes, but also in theme and meaning. A rather organic feel is applied to approach deeply emotional spiritual issues. There are a number of Biblical references including a description of Moses “…floating downstream in the Nile… in my floating basket raft..” the closing track, In a Sweater Poorly Knit.

Now, as for that explanation I promised at the beginning of this review, here it is. I mentioned that I listened to Brother Sister, but what I really should have been doing is experiencing and submerging myself in the numerous layers that reveal themselves only upon repeated experiences. I’ve listened to this album numerous times since my initial listen and have found something new that I like about it every time. The phrasing and lyrical delivery are impeccable and the music is nearly perfect in its ability to support and add feeling to the array of emotions metaphorically described throughout the album. And with that, this review ends as does Me Without You, Brother Sister in the same way it begins with a declaration that “…I do not exist…”

-Trevor Krauss