Music Review - Jeh-sea Wells

It has been a long time since the lone acoustic singer-songwriter has attempted something with a little more gumption than "boy meets girl/girl leaves boy/boy writes lots of songs about it". Jeh-sea Wells seems to be moving back to the line of dark storytelling with the release of an EP entitled When We Die.

Vocally, the influences of Cobain come to mind, but in a way that we can hear it is from the first generation of folks that were not quite of age when Mr. Cobain called it a night (or had the night called for him, if you prefer). It's also slightly reminiscent of the solo work of Jeremy Enigk, though more straightforward. The themes are dark, the voice is a bit haggard. There is a roughness at the edge of Wells' voice, but it doesn't break or crack when expected. He manages to hold that line well. The pain of each song is apparent, but with a smart resolution, an acceptance of reality, though it may seem dismal.

For the most part, the voice is accompanied only by itself and an acoustic guitar. No fancy string arrangements or keyboard overlays. Just a guitar. It's well-played and simple, but in a way that helps you to focus on the lyrics and let go of everything but the story of the song.

The EP kicks off with "And if the Sun is Real" and it sets the tone for an album that is reflective, but do not expect it to leave you feeling happy. A few of the songs (especially the back to back duo of "When we die" and "You Don't Know What It's Like") seem to get a bit redundant. By the end of the EP, the bleakness continues, but so does the desire to hear these songs again.

Where to Jeh-sea:

• Bandcamp
• Restorm

RIYL: Hayden, City and Colour, Jeremy Enigk

Music Review - Bad Religion's Christmas Songs

I'm really not sure what to say about this. It is literally an album of well known Christmas songs (and a remix of "American Jesus" thrown in for what can only be ironic purposes) by well-known punk-hardcore band Bad Religion. Yes...those guys with the famous crossbuster logo.

I think that sums it up. If you like Christmas music (I can't stand it) or you like Bad Religion (I'm a huge fan) or you want to confuse everyone you know who knows Bad Religion...buy this album.

This one is kinda goofy. It really has me at a loss for words.

Where to find it:

• Epitaph Records
• Bad Religion's Website
• iTunes or Google Music Store

RIYL: Bad Religion, Christmas Music

Music Review - Mo Lowda and the Humble

First albums are often a jumping point. They can be a sign of what is to come and be a little rough around the edges. Not so with Curse the Weather from Mo Lowda and the Humble. This is their first full length release and it comes fully formed and utterly polished.

Identity can be an important part of a band's development. It seems Mo Lowda and the Humble have eschewed that in order to express more in the songs themselves. This diversity of style let's them branch out and find spaces that specific genre selection might hinder. This album shows them stretching a bit and finding those spaces. Production-wise, this is a decent album. It would be nice to hear the bass guitar and low-end a little more up front. The vocals and lead guitar are generally in the forefront. Even with this, the album as a whole is still a wonderful patchwork of songs that form a whole.

One of the big stands out with this album are the use of normally neglected instruments, such as the flute and saxophone back and forth play heard on "Where the Whitetails Go". But they also manage to kick around genres and play it all capably. Mo Lowda and the Humble can alt-rock it out ("Lost in You"), play something a bit more straight rock ("The Way Home"), or put something similar to a dark pop song out ("Curse the Weather"). Usually jumping around like this would be a distraction or a gimmick, but here the songs seem to coalesce to form a loose narrative that invites more innovation and more break outs.

If this is just a first full-length, this is a band that will likely skip the "sophomore curse" and we'll see a brilliant second effort when the time comes.

Where to find them:

• BandCamp (listen free or toss them the $5 for the download)
• Reverb Nation
• SoundCloud

RIYL: Citizen Cope, G Love & Special Sauce, Kings of Leon

Music Review - Ian Marquis

Ian Marquis is a solo-artist extraordinaire. Playing all the instruments once again on his latest release Faces from the Static, Ian has moved a little away from the harder sounds on previous efforts and really embraced the 80's new wave sound that lead to the harder sounds of later bands.

This new album sees the marriage of two influences it seems: the industrial sounds of the 90's and it's technologies and the poppier sounds of new wave from the 80's (which of course gave birth to the former). With a good sense of production and each piece is in the right place. The only draw back in regard to instrumentation is Ian's voice, which can seemed strained at times, monotonous at others. This is rare though, and overall, it's the right voice in the right place.

The songs that majorly stand out as exceeding expectations on this album are "Everybody Plays to Win", a sonic anthem with an odd Brit-Techno-Pop feel to it, and, the real new-wave hit, "Paper Hearts / Paper Friends", which has some of the most poignant, cutting lyrics on the album. These songs would be the radio hits, if radio was still a thing, and would make the club remix scene without doubt. The real dynamic tunage, though, comes with "I Know Better (We Are Broken)", where Mr. Marquis stretches over all genres and makes a rocking/techno/pop/guitar/piano/alt hit. This is hopefully a direction to be further explored.

Where to find:

• His Website

RIYL: Stabbing Westward, The Wombats, Ellie Goulding

Music Review - Golden BC

In finding new artists, it often takes some digging. Luckily there are sites such as BandCamp that make this endless search a little easier. It was here that Golden BC can be found, with a new release of a 5 song EP simply titled Golden BC - Sampler

Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Golden BC is a single man show. Brian Offredi plays all instruments on the album, commits all the vocals, writes all the songs, and does all the promotion. The interesting thing here is it appears these songs are recorded with mostly live instruments, making Golden BC stand out by not exploiting beat packs and other silly electronic drum tricks.

The voice here is the standout instrument. Brian's vocals are reminiscent of a low, methadone-induced gothic moaning whisper. At times sparse with desperation, at other times quiet with urgency, the vocals are the story teller on each of the five songs presented in Sampler. This is not to say the guitar work is not quite good as well. The percussion is, well, simple, but as there is one person doing all the playing, we can let that slide a bit.

With an EP of this size it's easy to mention every song. The record kicks off with "Afraid to Wake Up", a seeming call out to the life of staying high and letting that be a shield to living up to one's potential. This may have been recorded a bit more hastily than the other songs on the EP, it seems rushed and a bit less polished than the others. It was a rough song to start with, perhaps a bit of a gamble. "I'm Not the One You Want" seems to showcase more of what Golden BC should be known for. Understated instrumentation and a vocal line that showcases the pain of love wanted but perceived as not good enough. This theme carries over to the next track, "Maria", which is a bit of a lazy slog pinpointing the best and worse of a relationship. "Don't Ever Bet Against A Man On His Way Out" is a Louisiana pub owners dream. A down home stomper that tells of how a person can't lose when there is nothing left to lose. The final track, "Memories Lie", is probably the best produced of the EP, from a sound perspective. It breaks away from some of the desperation in the previous three songs. Unfortunately, leaving that pocket takes away from the feel of the songs overall and perhaps the middle three show the strength of Golden BC.

After a full run through, the best parts of the music are the three songs in the middle. These seem most representative of what should be "Sampled" from Golden BC and it would be good to look forward to more songs along those lines.

Where to find Golden BC

• Bandcamp(free download)
• Golden BC website

RIYL: Mazzy Star, City and Colour, Geron Hoy

Music Review - American Stories

Assuming American Stories is a an Americana band would far too one-dimensional. An Americana/punk-influenced/Adult Alternative band might be something closer to the mark...though it still falls short of what they've offered up on the latest.

The new album, Where the Grass is Green is their first as a full band. There are some songs rehashed from their previous effort, Prelude but the new arrangements do nothing to detract from the sound of the songs. If anything, the addition of a second guitar and a full time bassist, as well the exploration of other instruments like ukelele, keyboards, and mandolins, brings a fuller sound to the stories previously told.

Stand out songs on this album include "Sing Along with me California (Interlude 1)", a song that matches vocals to music succinctly and shows a bit of that feel of "we used to be punk rockers, but we are quieter now, yet still a bit pissed off". Many of these songs seem to be observations on the transitions that occur for many musicians and their styles change and their lives start to break in on the music itself. "City of Angels" is another song that strikes a chord with traveling musicians. It shows the expansiveness of the band and the rekindling of songs with new sounds. "Halfmast", originally recorded on Prelude is still probably the best piece of story telling on the album and probably the most radio ready track.

At the end of the day, this isn't just americana and it isn't just an album for musicians to enjoy. This is a great group of musicians showing the level of their craftsmanship at this stage of the game. A different stage than their roots, but a good place to be.

Where to find them

• Spotify
• Rdio
• Amazon

RIYL: 10 Cent Howl, The Dirty River Boys, Paul Westerberg

Music Review - Ten Cent Howl

Seems every trumped up pop-band playing acoustically with a little bit of banjo or mandolin are calling themselves Americana these days. Ten Cent Howl is an exception to this rule. These folks are rocking hard, but the feel is definitely what Americana is all about. Like the Osmonds, Ten Cent Howl is a little bit country and a little bit Rock-n-Roll.

Continuing to push their latest music independently, Ten Cent Howl has brought another 11 songs to the modern vision of American splendor in a modern world. The first eleven songs featured in the widget on their home page represent their "new album". What a modern world we live in, indeed.

With brooding vocals to match the dark chord strumming of an acoustic guitar, TCH is driven by the melodies of the words and the music, where the attention to detail shines through. A steady bass carries that low-end and ties in the drums and percussion. These two pieces form a pocket the guitar and vocals feel free to build on. Add to that a number of extra instruments brought in to round out the sound and you have a finely played album.

Kicking off with "Bourbon Sea", this collection of songs is often deceivingly upbeat. That is, until you listen to the lyrics. Each song has a fecundity of ennui as experienced in a straight forward life. The protagonists found in these songs are striving for a sense of perfection without accepting that perfection is so far away. This is re-enforced in songs like "End of the World" and "Downtime". These are songs that remind us of love lost, love never tried for, and the feeling of the open road, the back-handed compliment it makes of being for everyone and utterly lonely all at once. That's, what Americana should be. That's what Ten Cent Howl is.

Where to find them:

• Their home page
• Their ReverbNation Page

RIYL: The Dirty River Boys, John Fogerty, Johnny Cash>/p>

Music Review - TTNG - 13.0.0.0.0

With lots of lineup changes and even a change in name (kinda, going from This Town Needs Guns to TTNG), consistency is not what the math rock (now) power trio from Oxford would be known for. With a melodic and percussive sound underscored by lamenting (dare I say emo?) vocals, the one thing TTNG proves on their latest release 13.0.0.0.0 is they can consistently deliver solid tunes.

There were concerns that the move from a quartet to a trio with the main vocalist leaving might lead to a drastic change. As the one remaining original member, Tim Collis, is still the driving force behind the writing, the sound of the band itself still contains the expected percussive tap-on sound. The drums on this album seem a bit more pedestrian and reigned-in compared to earlier drummers on earlier albums. Whether this was a production choice or an individual style is unclear but the frenetic, raw emotion seen on Animals is noticeably missing. The vocals are a bit less persistent on this album and leave a bit of a filling in the blanks feeling compared to the urgency of earlier vocalists.

Stand out tunes on this album are without doubt "Cat Fantastic", which leads off the album with a transition from the previous album seemingly. The quietness of "Nice Riff, Clichard" brings a solemn note into the mix and it's a good mid-album resting point, though and "Triptych" is a call back to previous work from TTNG.

When all is said and done, 13.0.0.0.0 is good follow-up for a long awaited band that some thought we might not hear from. The important word here is good not great.

Where to find them:

• the entire album is streaming on YouTube
• iTunes
• SoundCloud

RIYL:American Football, Toe, City and Colour

MUSIC REVIEW - Doctor Dirty Sanchez

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years (at least) since Dr. Dirty Sanchez have graced a stage together. Part of Buffalo's punk and hardcore resurgence in the early 2000's, DDS have given us one last gem to sit back and enjoy. After years sitting unfinished, Greg, Tim, Phil, and Jesse have released Prepare for the Worse - a misnomer if ever there was one.

Let's start by looking at the instrumentation. Greg and Tim keep the guitars super tight, with a guttural growl over Phil's clean and clear basslines that hold down every song. Then comes, Jesse: one of Buffalo's most accomplished and versatile (and bloody fast) drummers. These guys were tight. Every line is followed and every beat is rock solid. There is some datedness in the sound on the recording. The drums are often too far in the background with the bass holding up the rhythm section's weight by being up front. Vocals are well placed and clear regardless of who's singing or providing the oohs and aahs.

It's easy to see how this album will be a fun trip down memory lane for folks into pop-punk and hardcore in their youth. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I remember having tons of fun playing shows with these whack-jobs. If only this could be a DVD). Songs like "Make Up My Mind" and "Missing Nuns" are fun, the type of fun that makes you want to run around and light things on fire...you know, like you did when you were a kid and the punk show didn't start until the sun went down. The title track shows a bit more of the hardcore roots of the band and the scene that spawned them.

The only drawbacks of this album is that (a) there will be no more albums after this and (b) there will be no shows to go to in order to see the songs performed live. Alas...Dr. Dirty Sanchez is in fact a blast from the past. But we should all be thankful, they gave us one last backflip off the amp stacks to enjoy.

Where to get it:

• BandCamp(name your price!!)

RIYL: Seaweed, The Descendents, Snapcase

Music Review - Bad Religion

Bad Religion is easily one of the longest running bands in history. Technically, only one member has been in the band since it's inception in 1979 (singer, Greg Graffin), but there are six current members and they continue to make music that remains against the grain.

Their latest, True North remains in the vein of there albums since about 2000. The songs are all good, solid guitars (they should be as there are 3 guitarists now), killer beats courtesy of Brooks Wackerman, and always foundational bass lines from Jay Bentley. Vocals, both the lead vocals and the "oohs and ahs" Bad Religion is so well known for, are all right as expected.

The concern here is that, as they get older, will they slow down? Thus far, it doesn't seem to be the case. Songs like "Robin Hood" and "Land of Endless Greed" show there is still a stance against the oligarchy and consumerism of corporatized American life. And they are still punk rock enough to have a song called "Fuck You".

The problem here is that album seems to get a bit flatter around the middle. This has been the case with the last few Bad Religion albums: as if the songs were written well, but half way through they become just filler (see "Dharma and The Bomb" and "Hello Cruel World"). Perhaps it would be better if they released EPs instead of full albums.

That said, all in all, the world of music, and in general, is a better place for Bad Religion being in it.

Where to find True North:

• in true punk fashion, the full album is streaming for free on YouTube
• Available for pre-order from the Bad Religion Store

RIYL: NoFX, Offspring, Rancid