Music Review - Sledding with Tigers

It seems a lot of people can make songs quickly these days. With the advent of sites like SoundCloud, Media Fire, Reverb Nation, and the more obscure YouTube (not sure if you've heard of it), some people seem to think they can just write a quick song and make it available and therefore they are musicians. Let me start by saying this...no, most people are not. But Sledding with Tigers is a bit different.

This week, Sledding with Tigers released The Hill Sheep, a collection of 8 folk-punk songs. If nothing else, SWT writes and releases a lot of songs. But these aren't some basement jams with shitty drum loops and some dude who was told he could sing in Junior High and thinks he still can. These 8 songs are something a lot of those quick-release basement singers are missing: honest.

It seems the biggest part of this massive honesty is the lead singer's ability to almost laugh at himself when he realizes what he's talking about is something everyone goes through yet is a ridiculous situation we should all be able to overcome. But no one can, everyone has been there, and it isn't going to change.

The Hill Sheep breaks a bit from the previous release No Randy No in that there is some new instrumentation (a violin, or fiddle for you hipsters out there, for one thing), some more subtle tonality changes, and a more dynamic vocal range. What hasn't changed are the great group vocalizations that make you want to start singing along...even before you've learned the words. It seems "sick & tired/sick & tired" is the best examples of this, with a chorus sung behind the main chorus...utterly brilliant when you consider this is mostly one vocal with an acoustic guitar.

This a great album to usher in the end of the year and welcome the new one. With an upbeat feel even in the songs with awkward moments ("5432 Fun"), the only negative I can find is it only being 8 songs long. Luckily, with this continued free-distribution paradigm moving forward, we won't wait too long for more good tunes from Sledding with Tigers.

Where to find them:

• Media Fire


• a few tracks from The Hill Sheep and other albums are on YouTube


• Shows and new songs and releases are always announced on the Sledding With Tigers Twitter Feed

RIYL: Matt Pond PA, Bright Eyes, Sinners Repent!

Top 5 Albums of 2010 - A Year in Review

I generally do reviews, but it's been a busy holiday season, so I will fill this space with what I feel were the 10 best albums I came across this year.

To say the Athletics had a great year is an understatement. An amazing album, a huge move, and a record deal with Deep Elm Records, what more could a talented, young indie band ask for. I'm looking forward to their tour schedule in 2011. Hopefully they'll be in my area at some point.

No Randy, No! by Sledding with Tigers was an unexpected gem. Coming from a guy and his acoustic guitar, these reflective punk tunes made a great listen...almost to the point of singing along with my headphones on (N.B. this is frowned upon in an office environment).

I've been listening to Matt Pond PA for awhile now and their latest effort The Dark Leaves was a welcome listen after 3 years without a recording. Deep and introspective, this album is filled with great rainy day tunes

While it was released in Europe in 2009, Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More didn't make it across the pond until February of this year. And we're glad it did. Every song on this album is powerful and passionate. There is no downside, even for a band with percussion, but no actual drummer.

What list of best albums is complete without Bad Religion? These guys are, hands-down, my favorite punk/hard-core band of all time. Although they have been doing this for 30 years, they haven't missed a step and are always poignant, fast, and intelligent. Dissent of Man is no different.

That's a quick list. There are many more bands I enjoyed this year, and I'm sure not everyone agrees with my picks, but time and space is limited. Let's hope 2011 is another year of great music.

Music review - The Last Dinosaur

Hailing from the metropolis of Newark, Delaware, The Last Dinosaur is a band ready to take on conventional alt/pop with some new sensibilities and true angsty rock songs.

Their latest EP, Tales, is a melodic blend of guitar and vocal driven post-rock. The team puts together a nice blend of off-kilter beats with pleasantly repetitive guitar hooks and vocals that range from melodic to passionately raised yelling. To be clear, this is NOT screamo. They do yell, but without resulting in screeching or growling.

Tales kicks off with with the upbeat and (dare I say) dancy "Fractions". This immediately sets a mood for the rest of the EP and gets you in the mood to move with the music. The title-track is more introspective and is perfectly placed in the middle of the album, and is quickly followed by "Sway" which is bit more experimental than other tracks with a heavy keyboard riff flowing throughout the song. "Sway" is a bit of a departure, but you will be sucked right back in by the high energy closer "Loughton".

Each song is well written, well balanced, and well produced. I can see The Last Dinosaur becoming much bigger than their hometown in the near future, if some wicked smart record company will scoop them up quickly enough.

Where to hear them:

• Tales is available for free download at Mediafire


• MySpace


• YouTube

RIYL: Athletics, Head Automatica, Rival Schools

Music Review - The Fairweathers

The Fairweathers are a 3 piece alt/pop outfit based in the small town of Caledonia in Ontario. Their self-titled EP will be coming out shortly, and I gave the songs a listen after hearing about them on reddit

The music offered up by The Fairweathers is a blend of upbeat pop with other influences that seem to change from song to song. For example, "Give My Love to Her" has a clear country twang, whereas "Just Jenny" is an attempt at something more punkish.

Each member seems to be pretty good at playing their instruments: a capable drummer who keeps the beat, a bass player who ably follows the guitar line, a guitarist who plays chords rythymically in line with the song, and vocals that are clear and concise. But there is something lacking here. It seems almost that the songs are too poppy, too simple. Listening through each song I realized I would forget almost as soon as I heard it. Each song, while wholly different, blends into the next and by the time you are through listening to all four tunes, you're ready to hear something else.

The tunes are likable, but the feeling that these tunes belong in commercials and not on my headphones can't be escaped.

Where to hear them:

• Sound Cloud


• The Fairweathers website

RIYL: Jonathan Richman, Sledding With Tigers, The Goo Goo Dolls (Superstar Carwash and later)

Music Review - Ember Wreath

Ambient music is by far a hard place to nail things down and critique. I must admit, though, my first problem with Ember Wreath's latest release, Ember Wreath II, wasn't the difficult concepts of the constructs of the music, but the use of a line from that ridiculously predictable television show, Lost. I watched that show for a good 10 episodes, gave it a chance, and never looked at it again. This album is likely to go the same way.

Ambient music, for those unaccustomed to it, is not just a bunch of sounds mashed together with a Jackson Pollack like randomness. Their is a purpose to it, and Ember Wreath definitely shows direction and some semblance of idea. The problem, other than gratuitous use of crappy television quotes, is in the production value. There is a definite hiss on most tracks which, to me, indicates use of less than quality equipment or a lack of knowledge on ow to edit those sorts of sounds out in production.

If there is a saving grace here, it is the track "sleeping with the lights on". On this track the cacophony overrides the hissing (or masks it really) so that a listener can enjoy the music and not think, "Is this recorded on my dad's old TASCAM?". There are also some nice parts of "prodigal" but over excessive tubular sounds demerit the darkness of the other instrumentation.

Where to hear Ember Wreath:

• BandCamp


• Last.fm

RIYL: Mogwai, Ghosts by NIN, Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Music Review - Orange Tour

Orange Tour, hailing from Minneapolis, is yet another great band willing to make it on their own, DIY style. Plenty of bands are doing this lately, but not all of them are as good as Orange Tour.

The first thing you need to know about the band is that they really like to make references to locales in the Twin Cities. While I'm not super familiar (read: I've been to the airport there twice) with the area, as a listener I get a sense of familiarity with their hometown. The lyrics take you on a kind of sight seeing trip through Minneapolis, but without all the corny jokes those trolley-bus drivers make.

The opening track on Reality Show, "Television Lover" is a little misleading. You might get the impression this a band of lazy drifting jam-rock. As you move forward through the album, however, you find gems of harder rocking songs ("Girls in Bloomington") and even an upbeat ode to the ever beautiful "Scarlett Johansen" (it's not really, but her name is in the song).

This collection of songs is upbeat, quirky, and fun to listen to. The music is pleasantly straight-forward and pop-ish without being bland, commercial alt-pop. Highly recommended for those rainy fall days.

Where to find them:

• BandCamp


• On their Website


• On Twitter


• You can follow them on Facebook

RIYL: Lighter Paul Westerberg, Phoenix, The Waves

Music Review - Dan Dectis

Moving toward a more eclectic group of songs, Parliament of Owls by Dan Dectis is a musical journey through flights of fancy and generally upbeat, melodic trek. Coming only six months after the release of Deeply Superficial, this album is anything but rush job.

With a mixture of instrumental tunes and vocal tracks, Dan Dectis seems to strive to keep a good feeling throughout each song, and he takes a wide spectrum of genres to do it with. From folk-rock ("Joy") to jazz ("Doctober") to new age ("Maskirova"), each song bridges the gap between the song before it and the one that follows, making it possible to just let the whole album spin on repeat and not feel bored with it at all.

To say that the instrumentation is well-played is an understatement, and the voice on the vocal tracks you get the feeling Dan has been around a bit and seen enough to know it isn't always sunshine and flowers, but why not enjoy what we have and not what we have not. A great feel good album.

Where to hear Dan Dectis:

• BandCamp


• MySpace


• Uvumi

RIYL: Jack Johnson, Jakob Dylan, Bela Fleck

Music Review - Billy the Fridge

Hip-hop has been a bit stagnant when it comes to independent music. Enter Billy the Fridge, a portly gent from Seattle, WA, sporting overalls and a fresh sour cream doughnut for bling. He's vile, he's honest, he does not mince word...but does mince any MC who steps up.

It's hard to admit, but I had to pause a lot while listening through BTF's Million Dollar Fantasy Freak Show. The lyrics are so tight and food related, I had to stop, laugh, rewind, listen again. BTF is making what might be the best in fun hip hop.

The beats are tight and don't sound cheesy like some independent hip hop albums. Billy the Fridge keeps it fresh, the way he prefers his baker's dozen. With a crew that enhances, not taking away from, the melody lines and Billy's themes, songs like "Cadillac Rolling Fat" (the best line of which is "You get it, we fat and we ride in cars") roll out and make this whole album fun as hell. The best part: limited and tasteful use of Auto-tune. Thanks for that Billy...and keep being a "doughnut eating beast".

Where to hear them:

• the Billy The Fridge site


• MySpace


• Twitter

RIYL: Early Bloodhound Gang, MC Frontalot, Lonely Island

Music Review - This Is Not A Game of Who The Fuck Are You

With a name nearly as long as the last track on their latest album, This Is Not A Game of Who the Fuck Are You (TINAGOWTFAY) can truly be called a fun romp through the common concepts of angry, screaming post hard-core. Are they a bit sream-o...perhaps, but seems to at least not take it to the extreme with boring, expected movements on the 101010, an album named to either commemorate its release date or express their love of binary.

The album has a slow Intro track which is probably just to lull you into vulnerability. After that brief 56 seconds, you are assaulted with a full force double kick-drum attack with full-on guitars and throat blistering vocals. Then, just when you are about half-way through "The Great Psycho of them All", a ska like break-down comes out of nowhere.

This is what actually serves to make a mark of what TINAGOWTFAY are about: unexpected gems hidden in the serious hard core music they play. On songs like "Take to Your Guns" and "One Last Dance", the band strives to break out of the post hard-core expectancies and open up new musical ground. It's easy to see the appeal of these guys and the album in and of itself is diverse and genre breaking, which makes it a great listen for someone looking to get out of the mold of predictable music.

Where to hear them:

• Their website offers a download of the album


• MediaFire


• MySpace though they are looking for help as their page is all jacked up

RIYL: Alexisonfire, The Bella Donna, Say Anything

Music Review - Filbert

The band Filbert, a five-piece indie rock group hailing from the burgeoning Stockton, California music scene, brings to mind one word while listening to their album If Time Travel Were Possible: nostalgia. This might seem an odd word to choose, but if you were listening to independent music circa 1995, these songs will bring you back.

With lyrics delivered in a lackadaisical, rolling drone and instrumentation ranging from single guitar to full band, the songs of Filbert bring images of days hanging out with your best friends, smoking a few and kicking back. The wave of nostalgia reaches its penultimate point on the song 'Olly Olly', when lead vocalist Daniel Gutierrez brings us back to summer games of hide and seek, but from the playful eyes of the barely-adult-not-ready-to-grow-up perspective. And yes...that is a time in your life.

Each song seems to be written well and the album collectively is great. A brilliant combination of haunting melodies and politely off-kilter singing. A perfect Autumn rainy day listen. (I know that sounds trite, but I really agree with those words)

Where to hear them:

• Media Fire


• On MySpace

RIYL: Built to Spill, The Flaming Lips, They Might Be Giants

Music Review - The New Green

Another reddit find, The New Green are a 3-piece indie/folk outfit from Ann Arbor, Michigan. With their sophomore effort, Elaborate Maps, released September 24th, they sing songs of catharsis, growing up, finding one's self, without becoming cliche or trite.

Listening through the tracks on this freshman effort, it's easy to see this group did one of two things: a) knew each other for years finally coming together in band form or b) came together after finding common musical ground in order to harness their individual musical talents. Either way, they are without question capable musicians.

That said, there are a few issues. Songs like 'Almost' are a bit too laid back. While the sound is generally chill, it seems that song in particular lacks passion. It just seems to drone. In addition, the first track, 'Bigger than Me' is entirely too long at over 5 minutes for a pop song.

On the other hand, 'Grow Up' shows some initiative toward branching out. Perhaps this album is, in itself, a portrait of the evolution of The New Green's song writing ability and focus. As the album closes with the title track, everything has been brought out and it's easier to relax into the atmosphere of the music.

All in all, the album is satisfying as some light relaxing tunes. It could be emotionally deeper, but if it was, it would take away from the more relaxing nature of the songs.

Where you can hear them:

• on The New Green website. I would recommend downloading the album and donating. Not just because they've earned it, but there is static at the end of every song in the live feed.


• On Twitter


• Or the MySpace

RIYL: Stars, later Billy Bragg, Bare Naked Ladies

Music Review - Ten Cent Howl

Ten Cent Howl bills themselves as "The combination of savory music, seasoned musicians and raw rust-belt rocking alt-country, provides for some great, shit-kickin’ flavor." and that's perfectly fine. Four fine musicians from of all places, Buffalo, NY, bringing together the jam session stylings of more laid-back sounds and the rocking country sound of the upbeat, dancing crowd.

With superb song writing by lead-singer and acoustic guitar man, Bill Smith (yes that's his real name), TCH is bringing fun back into music scene of their hometown. While still putting together a formal release, they are currently hosting tracks on their website.

Admittedly, the recordings are well done, but even the live recordings fail to capture the energy of the band on stage. Known to play marathon shows of up to 4 hours, these guys can keep picking and grinning and staying fresh and fun while never delving into that cheese-ball country zone of popp-ish country that seems to dominant the alt-country charts these days.

Jerry Hall's bass playing on these recordings is perfect for bridging the under-stated drumming (which is shows simple can be complex when you have the talent of someone like Steve Puglisi) and the capable guitar work of both Harmony Griffin and the rock-steady Bill Smith. While I'm not an uber-fan of alt-country tunes, Ten Cent Howl puts on a great show that includes poking fun of themselves and the genre and still making everyone have a great time.

Where to find them:

• On their website


• ReverbNation


• Videos available on YouTube

RIYL: Wilco, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr.

Music Review - This One's For Cody

This One's For Cody is a techno duo spinning house parties and making remixes in the OC. After hearing about them on the Twitter it was time to give them a listen and see what they were about.

Sometimes it's difficult to gauge a DJ (or in this case a pair of DJ's) without actually seeing them live. If there live show is nearly as good as their tracks, anyone would have fun at a party where these guys were cutting it up.

The original track Drugs gives these guys some credence. The danciness of this tracks flows well with the vocal samples they use and the bounce is pretty sweet. Follow that with remixes of well-known dance/hip-hop tunes, such as Ol' Dirty Bastard's Got Your Money and you can fell the palpable fun. Although, I must admit...I laughed nearly the entire way through the remix of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's Fresh Prince of Bel Air. It was that funny.

Where to find them

• SoundCloud


• At Party's in Orange County, CA


• On Twitter

RIYL: Paul Oakenfold, Mr. BT, Daft Punk

Music Review - Ian Marquis

Ian Marquis is a solo artist I came across (uh-oh, here it is again) on reddit. It seems he's decided to go in a direction that would almost be toying with the listener. If you aren't sure what that means, listen to the first minute or so of the first track from his new album The Shivers, "Diamond Dust", and you'll understand what I mean.

Playing all the instruments himself, producing, and mixing shows that Mr. Marquis has a great deal of talent. I'm not sure if there is a genre to fit this, but I guess I'll try with retro-80's style/synth-pop/punchy/emo/gothic/new wave tunes. I don't think iTunes has a genre title like that, but then, their idea of genre is pretty limited.

Many of the lyrics are delivered in a languid, apathetic voice which still carry the emotion of the song, seeming to range from relationships to becoming an adult and wondering what exactly that means anymore. The guitar tracks are smooth, not reaching for superstar solo quality but coming in as accentuation more than bravado, (again, you'll "get" this when you hear the closing solo to "Going Down").

Ian Marquis' synth work made me want to tease up my non-existent hair, call a party-line and head down to the local new wave club. It's brilliantly pulsating and drives each song in a direction that would be lacking without synth there. Given the style, I am even willing to overlook the drum machine abuse going on. As I've said before, as a drummer I know there are places where drums could be user and aren't. With the exception of "Redline" (which would benefit from live drums), the drum machine use is tastefully done.

All in all, a great listen, kind of nostalgic, but original enough to let it stand on its own laurels.

Where to find it:

• Streaming and for download here at bandcamp


• Hopefully it will show on iTunes soon, I'll update this when it happens

RIYL: early NIN, late Ned's Atomic Dustbin, any era Depeche Mode

Music Review - Anberlin

The fifth studio album for Anberlin shows they can keep up a relentless pace and still produce songs that aren't stagnant or formulaic. This becomes apparent immediately on the first track of Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place, and carries on through the pace of each tune on the album.

The songs for this album find Anberlin reflecting on relationships and the things that go with them. While the lyrics are a bit more ethereal than concrete, the words are easy to apply to a relationship for anyone who has moved past the High School style of being with someone else.

This offering starts with an uplifting lilt in the form of "We Owe the to Ourselves", getting you ready to hear more and in the mood to move along with the story of each song. The great back and forth between the rhythm section and the guitars and keyboard build something few artists can manage. For example, on "The Art of War", the drums are driving a hard beat people would expect to be coupled with raging voice and crushing guitars. Instead, the beat keeps that pulse, while the vocals and guitar nuance the rhythm, instead of covering it up.

Where to find them:

• iTunes


• Amazon


• Links on their website


• Anywhere music is sold these days

RIYL: Jimmy Eat World, The Killers, AFI

Music Review - Tiger Riot

I don't know what it is about reviewing bands with the word "Tiger" in the band name. Maybe I'm starting a theme, or maybe this is a new band naming trend I wasn't aware of. Anyway...

Tiger Riot is living the dream. Today is apparently the last day their album, Look Up! will be available as a "pay what you want" download as they are signing with a label and going legit. Needless to say this is good for anyone...but these guys certainly have a sound that shows they deserve it.

With an indie leaning sound, make no mistakes, Tiger Riot is what one might begrudgingly call nuEmo. These aren't tunes that bring in mind Sunny Day Real Estate or Rites of Spring. To be clear though, this doesn't mean they aren't good. On the contrary, the guitar playing is great, clever and non-obtrusive. This is important, as the lyrics are the melody carrier here. The vocals provide the driving harmony to pull in the guitar lines and bass lines which buoy the song.

The percussion here is clever. Sticking to straight beats would have been easy to do with this songs...but the drummer branches out using fills to emphasize where necessary and understate when it's the right thing to do.

All in all, these 7 songs are nice jaunt through a pop-minded, hard-but-not-too-hard sound. Put all together the band gels in a well produced group of tunes that are fun without being too negative in attitude.

Where to find them:

• Today you can get the album here...but how long that will be available after today is anyone's guess


• I assume once paperwork is done they'll be on iTunes, Amazon and even that place no one ever goes, the local record shop

RIYL: Fall Out Boy, The Brand New, Kings of Leon

Music Review - Sledding with Tigers

Another album found via our friends at reddit, No Randy No! from Sledding with Tigers is a quick jaunt through some punk inspired folkish tunes. When I first opened to file on this to listen, I was shocked by the song lengths...none of which reach the 2 minute mark.

So, unsure what to expect I gave it a listen and I'm glad I did. This crazy cross-mesh of Connor Oberst and Green Day and the Descendents wasn't what I expected. The songs are well executed and fun and easy to sing along to. The guitar playing is quite good and comes through clearly.

The interesting thing with Sledding with Tigers is their need to have a sing-along section on just about every song. While the main vocalist rises above the rest with his slightly off-key (not in a bad way) falsetto-ish voice, the group singing makes each song more enjoyable. The main point is, it could come of as cliche...but it doesn't, which makes you want to jump in and sing along. It helps that the lyrics are pretty simple and easy to remember, especially on tracks like "Not Trying to be Awkward" and "Sunshine".

A pleasant surprise that I think everyone can pick up and enjoy...for the 7 or so minutes it takes to get through the album.

Where to find it:

• I found the album on reddit linked to a blog with a nice video link


• The direct download can be found here


• There is also a static video for the first track 'the 405 (is for lovers?)' on the YouTubes

RIYL: Bright Eyes, The Brand New, The Descendents.

Music Review - River Jack Lee

I discovered the latest effort (debut effort?) of River Jack Lee, The Best and Most of Everything, on reddit, where I've had the opportunity to find other self-made/self-promoted music in the past. As always with randomly found tunes, I wasn't sure what to expect when putting my headphones on.

According to the post River Jack provided, this effort was 5 years in the making. As he points out, life often has a way of interfering with the recording process. That being the case, this album is definitely polished and well produced.

Lyrically, it's quite good with a nice story-teller feel to it, though mostly via metaphor. Musically, the guitar lines are nice with bass lines flowing more or less in line without becoming obtrusive, definitely good in this indie-southern feel genre the album seems to be reaching for. On the negative side...a drum machine. There are fewer things I object to more than using a crappy drum machine to play simple beats on any music that isn't techno. Surely, there was someone around who could have laid down this straightforward drum tracks.

When all is said and done, it seems this album is lacking in passion. While the themes are often meant to be subtle, especially on songs like "The Machine" and "Battle Hymn", there seems to be a lack of passion in the vocals. It's a relaxing listen, but easily forgettable once that spin through is over. With any hope, River Jack Lee will continue to work on moving that passion felt in the melody through his voice...and we won't need to wait another 5 years to see if he can do it.

Where to find this album:

• I found it on reddit here


• That link led to River Jack Lee's site on Bandcamp


• Should it become available elsewhere, I'll update that here

RIYL: Ten Cent Howl, Wilco, softer hits by country tinged artists

Music Review - Athletics

Athletics is a five-piece out of Oneonta, NY and might be the perfect example of small town meets big sound. With their latest upcoming release Why Aren't I Home?, it seems they have plans to bring back the good parts of post-hardcore and leave behind the corporate schlock we're being fed.

With an ambient air and soaring main vocals, Athletics' music is somewhat of a journey. Lyrically, they are relatable, in a way we relate to the language in our daydreams. The pounding cadence set by their drummer, especially on tracks like Jordan and the title track, remind listeners that it's possible to be hard and melodic at the same time.

This album is a next step from their EP Sleep Comes in Interludes which laid a brilliant foundation for Why Aren't I Home? to be built upon. The mixture of fast and slow, hard and soft, with pulsating guitars and occasional keys makes for an amazing listening trip that is, unfortunately over before you realize how far you've come. So then you really need to listen again. And there is no disappointment on the second trip through.

With any luck, I will get a chance to see these characters live in the near future, and I am sure their stage performance will overtake the awesome power of this studio effort.

Where to find them:

• UPDATE: Now available on iTunes and Amazon.com - GO GET IT ALREADY!!


• I was able to get an advance copy, but I'm sure these tracks will find their way to their MySpace page soon enough


• They are also on Facebook


• Their ep Sleep Comes in Interludes can be found here

RIYL: alexisonfire, The Stay Lows, The Appleseed Cast, American Football

Music Review - Far

Far is more than likely one of the most influential bands people have never heard. If you were into the sound of post-hardcore (read: emo) in the mid-90's however, you know exactly how much Far could bring to the sonic table and how upsetting their break-up in 1999 was. Luckily, Jonah Mantranga, Shaun Lopez, John Gutenberger, and Chris Robyn came to their senses and realized it was high-time someone came along in order to bring the music back in this world of Justin Beibers and corporate slap-patch bands.

And we are not dissappointed by their 2010 resurgence record, At Night We Live. This album puts together their biggest "hit" record Water and Solutions and their more grounded-in-hardcore earlier effort Tin Cans with Strings to You. The heart-felt lyrics and aggressive guitars alternate with a soft and melodic core that moves each song back and forth, like mid-90's emo kids on a club floor balancing precariously between the pull of their backpack and the weight of their horn-rimmed glasses.

It was with some trepidation I began listening to this album. After so much time, could Far continue to deliver the sounds of longing and aggression so many people enjoyed over 10 years ago? It seems not only they can, but they did.

In a world where it seems it is getting harder and harder to find good, well-played, well-made music, Far's At Night We Live gives us just what we need at the time we need it.

Where to find them:

• iTunes


• MySpace


• The Far website


• If you still have a decent record store

RIYL: Quicksand, Rival Schools, Onelinedrawing, Sunny Day Real Estate

Music Review - The Stay-Lows

The The Stay Lows spent the past two and a half to three years working on their latest CD, Signature Bridge, leaving many of their fans wondering, "Will it be worth it?" The band elected to answer that question with a live show, playing the album in its entirety, at Mohawk Place in their home of Buffalo, NY.

The answer: Yes...it was worth it.

With a blending of style that is best described as instrumental with occasional lyrics, the Stay Lows are a power house of amazing instrumentation and orchestration. On stage and, one can only imagine, in the studio, the band has the wherewithal to bring was needed into each song, but without overdoing it.

While seeing the band live brings out more of what they are trying to get across, the new CD Signature Bridge is definitely a good reproduction of the feeling of the Stay Lows live show. Once you get over the quirky song titles (e.g. Ugly Babies, They Smoked the Moon Landing), you realize that instrumental music (with occasional lyrics) isn't all pretentious art rock. It can be fun and fanciful, in the same way music is when someone sings on every song.

I listened to the CD while driving around in my car this weekend and found it to be a perfect soundtrack to what I was doing. The mix works well making sure everything from the guitars to the keyboards to the cello (yes, a rock band with a cello player) comes through and is balanced without any one instrument overpowering another. I would have liked to hear more drums though, but that's just me (read: drummer's bias).

In short, it may have taking awhile to get this album out of the studios, but now that it is, no one should waste anytime running out to get a copy.

Where to find them:

• at their website


• MySpace


• Facebook

RIYL: Mogwai, Sunny Day Real Estate, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, American Football

Music Review: The Helio Sequence

It seems once again Sub Pop records has their eyes on the prize when it comes to mining the dives and dirges of the Pacific Northwest to find the good music.The Helio Sequence is no exception. The two-man electronica-fied indie group has released a few albums under the re-invigorated Sub Pop and it's easy to see how they got there.

Blending an ever-present Seattle sound (e.g. Death Cab for Cutie not Seattle sound like fellow Sub Pop artist Mudhoney) with a feel more along the poppier escapades of France's Phoenix, The Helio Sequence brings a sensible balance to the indie rock scene. It's nice to see bands "getting away" with not writing dirges and yet still expressing some sort of feeling.

It is important to note, though, if you are looking for Death Cab type depth of lyrical content, The Helio Sequence is not the place to find it. Their lyrics aren't bubble-gum by any stretch of the imagination, but they do tend to leave you a lot of space to fill in your own reasoning and meaning. This is, sadly, something more corporate and radio-friendly bands have a problem doing. The Helio Sequence are well-equipped to use vague wording and still accomplish excellent musicianship.

Where to find them:

• Myspace


• iTunes


• The Sub Pop megamart!


• Your local record store (not FYE or any other corporate, soulless hell-ride in a mall)

RIYL: Phoenix, Death Cab for Cutie, Mogwai, Bright Eyes

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BONUS VIDEO

Music and Megaman - The Protomen Review

Who knew awesome rock grew out of Nashville, TN?

Enter The Protomen, an obscure band who makes their way through the world of modern rock by creating a continuous rock-opera-like set of songs based on (of all things) the MegaMan video game series. Think Coheed and Cambria but with less of the death and dismemberment. Their songs take a simple video game back story and make it into a dramatic life-story spanning battle of one scientist against the oppression of the corporate science used to enslave society.

One of the best parts of their style (if it can be called that) is its ambiguity. The Protomen seem to borrow from any genre that fits the feel of the story portion they wish to convey in the song. For example, on their first self-titled album, the song "Unrest in the House of Light" is a wild-west romp through the thoughts of Dr. Light, appropriate to the message of the song and the character singing, while "Breaking Out" from their second album, Act II: The Father of Death , is worth of the stage on Broadway with the best of modern rock operas.

Both albums tell a story almost reminiscent of early Springsteen (think Greetings from Asbury Park) and are a rollicking good listen.

It occurs to me, I may like them because I enjoyed the game when I was younger (and still do), but also because they add brilliant back story that simply can't be conveyed on the screen.

It should be added little is known about the actual band, save for the fact they dress in helmets and emulate the characters....and they're from Tennesee...

• RIYL: Coheed and Cambria, Old Springsteen, Rush, Arm Cannon


• Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


• Available at: iTunes, www.protomen.com, myspace

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