Category: Buzz Chart

Assemble Head’s new record When Sweet Sleep Returned is their third effort, and what a good effort it is. 8 Songs of atmospheric, experimental, space rock played in the vein of Pink Floyd and Crazy Horse. Combining catchy riffs with whimsical synthesisers and vocal harmonies.

Tee Pee Records definitely like their spaced out bands and Assemble Head don’t differ from these. The songs aren’t as balls out as other things on Tee Pee; nonetheless the label’s resume is building into quite a respectful one.

When Sweet Sleep Returned is a very sweet record indeed, it has a certain sincerity about it that hasn’t been heard for quite a while. It seems like music created for the sake of music, not to get big and famous, just some friends who like to jam. It’s a relaxing sound that comes straight out of Woodstock; the air of peace and serenity is always there.

Such strange sound effects as air raid sirens are frequently used, which really reminds me of the Floyd. Using these ethereal sound effects to create an eerie feel to the record. There is also a hint of garage rock hidden away in there, the track Drunken Leaves could be gritty punk song if it were played with rawness and more distortion.

Assemble Head are a band anyone could get into, they’re as eclectic as they are intriguing, and I’m sure seeing them live would be a mind blowing experience. Once you’ve wrapped your head around the beauty that can be found in not cranking your guitar up to 11 and letting the instruments do the talking, you can truly understand this album.

If you want to listen to a record that is actually nice to listen too, When Sweet Sleep Returns should be top of your list. It is calming, soporific, but definitely great music. This is the kind of album that works its way into your head and lingers there for a very long time.

By Jonathan Teggert

Here’s a disc that might well appeal to you skaters and punks. LOTBM number the legendary skater/tattooist twins Art and Steve Godoy in their ranks (on drums and guitar) as well as Radio Birdman lead guitarist Deniz Tek. Joined by bassist Troy Zak and vocalist Danny Creadon these grizzled rockers kick up some mighty fine jams on this 10 track album.

Clocking in at a shade over 30minutes, these snappy numbers pack plenty of punk rock punch which rocks in a hard edged UK ’77 meets SoCal ’82 vein. Art ‘n Steve have previously collaborated with Deniz in The Golden Breed, as well as performing live with him in a rejuvenated Visitors, but their best known outfit was The Exploding Fuck Dolls, who were fronted for a period by The Master of Disaster himself – Duane Peters. And there is a reprise of EFD’s ’93 single, the lurching “City Action” … “give me a box of matches, give me a load of pills”… guess they can hit up Dr Tek for that prescription!

“Day to Ride” from Deniz’s solo album “Outside” is given a welcome dusting down, as is a killer work out of ‘Birdman’s anthemic “Hit ’em Again” which is ramped up by some scorching fret work. Fantastico! There’s plenty of meat on the bones of the original material too, notably surf-punker “1959″, “Bottle Rocket” with snotty snarling vocals and slashing riffage. “Full Pipe” is a raucous celebration to vert ramps, front side airs, falling on your face, black eyes, and riding all night… can you dig it??!!

I’ve been spinning this disc repeatedly since it dropped thru my letter box. If the likes of US Bombs/Hunns, Birdman, Vibrators, Heartbreakers, UK Subs, Humpers, Agent Orange and Shattered Faith rock your planet, I can definitely recommend further investigation of Last of The Bad Men. Let’s Ride!

Pete Craven

The Audition are on a roll and they have the UK firmly in their sights. Having just pulled out of a tour with Kevin Rudolf (he collaborated with Lil’ Wayne don’t you know) in the States in order to jet to the UK lastminute and join Madina Lake’s headlining dates, they’ve also unleashed this album of pop-rock perfection on an unsuspecting world. Coming just over a year after their last rather under-rated record ‘Champion‘, the slightly ludicrously named ‘Self-Titled Album‘ will most definitely be the soundtrack to the summer for those who discover its carefully considered gems of singalong gold.

Every single track features an immense driving force of a chorus with an undercurrent of bubbling energy which makes the record exude positivity and confidence. The catchiness of ‘The Way You Move‘ is very in your face and slightly overwhelms the more subtle tracks on first listen, but when you come to know the rest of the songs it becomes clear that this song really only scratches the surface of what The Audition are trying to say here.

It’s where the chunkier guitars back-up the soaring melodies from ‘My Temperature’s Rising‘ onwards that this band come into their own and demonstrate what they’ve got to prove. More consistent than ‘Champion’ and more overtly poppy than first record ‘Controversy Loves Company’, ‘Self-Titled Album’ should by rights propel this band to the big time. It seems that The Audition, with their slightly-altered line-up, have finally found their voice. And it’s definitely a good one. ‘Love With A Motive’, ‘Los Angeles’ and actual proper ballad ‘It’s Gonna Be Hard (When I’m Gone)‘ have the potential to be anthems and there definitely seems to be a more personal and thought-out motive behind the lyrics in these songs compared with the band’s previous work. This is definitely a step forward and a more mature outlook from The Audition.

Producer Mark Trombino (of Jimmy Eat World ‘Bleed American‘ fame) has obviously been a guiding light in the process of this record, making sure The Audition’s writing is presented in the best possible light. It’s the nuances as melodies turn the corner between verse, bridge and chorus that make this band special and Trombino has highlighted these perfectly with crystal clear clarity. Punchy percussive beats and crunching guitars lead into the most purely melodic moments that almost make you want to melt. And you definitely want to sing along. Danny Stevens’ characteristic warbling is reined in when it needs to be and the strength of the vocals throughout is faultless. ‘Love With A Motive’ is a definite highlight and flows from the band with ease and equal measures of rockiness and poppiness. The Audition have blended the rock with the pop with panache and class and in doing so have made their most accomplished album to date.

You’re not going to want to miss these songs live –

1 May 2009 – Manchester University w/Madina Lake Manchester
2 May 2009 – Newcastle University w/Madina Lake Newcastle
4 May 2009 – Sheffield Corporation w/Madina Lake Sheffield
5 May 2009 – Birmingham Academy w/Madina Lake (SOLD OUT!) Birmingham
7 May 2009 – Cardiff Solus w/Madina Lake Cardiff, Wales
8 May 2009 – Electric Ballroom w/Madina Lake London

Winey G.

It’s no secret that the Minneapolis hip hop scene is where my heart lies. From the well known [Atmosphere] to the hidden gems [Oddjobs], it’s a city that consistently produces beats that hit me hard and drive my love for hip hop.

With his third album, P.O.S has taken that love to a whole new level. His two previous albums were both great but after having heard Never Better, the progression on both Ipecac Neat and Audition is there for all to see. Layering incredibly dense drums over jarring samples one minute and then dropping rhymes over stripped back barren landscapes, Stef Alexander proves he has the know-how to mix it up but still bring cohesion to the fore.

Lyrically on point, be it talking about politics or domestic abuse, P.O.S is never preachy and lets his passion come through in his delivery and production. His hardcore past is very apparently on this record, but there are straight up hip hop bangers too, with his Doomtree family popping up on guest steez.

Click above to hear The Basics [Alright].

If an album comes out this year that betters this, it’ll have to be the most perfect record ever pressed.

Abjekt.

If you’re worried that Casiotone For The Painfully Alone might be some kind of horrific neon-clad electro/emo hybrid, then lay those fears to rest – the reality is a far more inviting prospect. CFTPA is the brainchild of a certain Owen Ashworth; a former California film-school student who, in 1998, set off on a musical journey with only his old battery-powered Casio keyboard for company.

To date, it’s been a largely successful journey, and Owen now enjoys a dedicated cult following – one that is surely set to grow with the release of ‘Vs. Children‘. That keyboard may have served him well, but – as on 2006’s ‘Etiquette‘ album – it’s been increasingly pushed aside in favour of pianos, organs, acoustic percussion and various samples. The result sounds almost like a lo-fi Johnny Cash tinkering with the instruments in his local church; a comparison aided by Owen’s deep, resonant vocals. It’s a more expansive sound in comparison to previous CFTPA records, but his signature sense of warmth and intimacy has not been lost.

As you might expect from the instrumentation, there’s a certain lyrical fascination with religion on show here (check the weary, organ-led shuffle of ‘Harsh The Herald Angels Sing‘) and also with crime (opening track ‘Tom Justice, The Choir Boy Robber, Apprehended at Ace Hardware in Libertyville, IL‘ is apparently inspired by the arrest of one of Owen’s former co-workers). Yes, this is a man with stories to tell, and a pretty damn fine way of telling them.

‘Vs. Children‘ may not instantly grab you, but give it two or three listens and its understated charm will rapidly take hold of your senses. Check out ‘Optimist Vs. The Silent Alarm‘ on the link above.

Alex Gosman

Self-styled pioneer of “post-punk laptop rap” MC Lars is the musical equivalent of The Simpsons – he’ll make you laugh, he’ll make you think, and he’ll tackle just about any aspect of 21st century Western culture in an entertaining manner. ‘This Gigantic Robot Kills‘ is the follow-up to 2006’s ‘The Graduate‘, and sees Lars taking more of a band-centric approach to his songs (as opposed to previous efforts, which were mostly composed by Lars alone on his laptop).

He’s amassed an impressively long list of collaborators for this record, too. His hero Weird Al Yankovic plays accordion on the maddeningly addictive ‘True Player For Real‘ (essentially a self-introduction song), whilst Paul Gilbert from early 90s rockers Mr Big handles guitar duties on recent single ‘Guitar Hero Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Doesn’t Make You Slash) – sample lyric: “Dimebag brought the dope harmonics, my five buttons are electronic”.

Elsewhere, there are songs about such diverse topics as Lars’ drummer’s filthy house (’35 Laurel Drive’), an imaginary tale of a kid forced to become a pro video-game player by his father (‘O.G. Original Gamer’), and a surprisingly poignant tribute to a dead friend (‘Twenty Three’)

There are a couple of duff tracks towards the end of the record, but with so much variety on offer, ‘This Gigantic Robot Kills’ is never dull. Check out ‘We Have Arrived’ on the link above.

Alex Gosman

Four bright-eyed, freshly tattooed teens from Leeds, brimming with enthusiasm and odoured with a lust for the top. Whilst their influences (Hot Snakes, The Jesus Lizard, Fugazi) might be clearly worn upon the skin of their intricately decorated sleeves, the potential for Holy State to do incredible things in the not too distant future is tangible.

Crossfire have caught Holy State’s live shows three times over the past few months and each time been massively impressed with their burgeoning stage presence, huge sound and glaring panache. Similarly, their demo, released last year on Holy Roar Records (previous artists including Gallows, Rolo Tomassi, Dananananaykroyd) has recently been a mainstay on the Crossfire stereo.

It’s early days for these northern scamps, but bright things are most definitely on the horizon. Certainly a good time to go and check them out cos we’ve no doubt that a year or two down the line “I saw them before they were famous” glory will be yours.

Trotty P.

Ok, that name is quite a mouthful, and it does sound kinda pretentious. But seriously, put aside your preconceptions, because NYC’s The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are well worth it. There’s a healthy indie-pop scene brewing in Brooklyn these days, and The Pains Of… are amongst the cream of the crop, sprinkling beautiful pop tunes over tidal waves of fuzzed-up guitars.

The band have never been shy to admit their fondness for UK indie heroes such as My Bloody Valentine and Teenage Fanclub, and whilst they aren’t really taking those influences anywhere new, it’s hard to argue with songs like ‘Everything With You‘, ‘This Love Is Fucking Right!‘ and ‘Come Saturday‘ (you can check the latter out on the link above). Swoonsome, melodic choruses? Check. Boy/girl vocals? Check. Sense of wistful yearning for something or someone that is just that little bit out of reach? Oh yes, and then some.

It’s early days for The Pains Of…, but with a debut album like this under their belts, it’s hard not to feel like they’re on to something potentially very special. In the meantime, summer is on its way, and whether you’re going to be spending those long sunny days in love or lovelorn, this is the perfect soundtrack.

They’ll be returning to UK shores for a bunch of shows in May:

Thu 14th – Brighton, Great Escape Festival
Sat 16th – London, Brixton Windmill
Sun 17th – Leicester, The Musician
Mon 18th – Wrexham, Central Station
Tue 19th – York, The Duchess
Wed 20th – Glasgow, Nice & Sleazy
Thu 21st – Leeds, Cockpit
Fri 22nd – Manchester, Chorlton Irish Centre
Sat 23rd – Bristol, Dot to Dot Festival
Sun 24th – Nottingham, Dot to Dot Festival

Check the website for additional UK dates in June.

Alex Gosman

Fuck. Have you ever tried to review a fucking Mastodon record?! It’s not easy! Imagine trying to untangle your headphones with no thumbs. Mastodon’s sound has always been a multi-layered and almost impossible to simplify into a five hundred word review and their latest release ‘Crack The Skye‘ is no different. Mastodon have been around propping up mega line-ups at heavy metal festivals and gigs for years now. Playing second fiddle to unspeakable shit like Machine Head (Yeah I said it….and fuck Rob Flynn, too!) and generally getting buried by the flavor of the month “metal bands”.

Of course, Mastodon have headlined their own shows, have their own base of die-hard fans and have released some seriously heavyweight metal albums in the forms of ‘Remission‘ and ‘Leviathan‘ but it is with ‘Crack The Skye‘ that Mastodon catch their fan base off guard with an album from way out of left field. While this album shows that the band have grown and will continue to evolve, die-hards need not worry. The ever present dueling vocals and guitars that encapsulate Mastodon’s trademark sound are ever present on this album but it’s the individual vocal talents of Brent Hinds and Troy Sanders that shine through as both opt for a cleaner, less distorted sound as is evident in album opener ‘Oblivion‘.

In a move away from the guitar driven metal records of the past, the band have experimented with various different instruments adding a ton of depth to the record. There is use of a vocoda on title track ‘Crack The Skye‘ the continuous use of a keyboard throughout the record and even the addition of a sodding banjo as in an intro to ‘Divinations‘. All of this is fused together by Brann Dailor’s drumming. His skill and technique are executed with such precision it’s not even funny. Sanders’ tech bass rounds off the rhythm section perfectly and it’s these two that really drive home the record in places where it could easily disappear up its own prog-metal arse. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Hinds’ and Bill Kelliher’s blistering axe-work.

The jewels in the crown are by far ‘The Czar‘ and ‘The Last Baron‘. Each an epic, ten min, opus to Rasputin and Czarist Russia. For those of you who did GCSE history, this should be a familiar subject. Both tracks are a weird mix of echoing mantras, melodic choruses and layered solos with added groove to boot. These tracks really show case what Mastodon are about. From the technical aspect of their sound to the epic riffs to the mythology behind the song writing. It all culminates in these two amazing pieces of music. I don’t know if the term ‘prog out’ exists but that’s exactly what I was doing when I first heard these awesome tracks.

‘Crack The Skye‘ seems much more calculated and focused in comparison to previous release ‘Blood Mountain‘ and I’m sure people will criticize how “polished” it sounds as well. I think that if you lose production values, the complex nature of Mastodon’s sound gets easily lost. Super producer Brendan O’Brian knows this and has worked with the band to produce one of their best albums to date. Many believe that this is the album that is going to give Mastodon the final push to the “next level”. I’m not so sure. Mastodon have always been at that level for many years in my eyes and if you didn’t get them before, why the fuck would you get them now? Either way, there is no other band out there today doing something as original and something as technically impressive as these four men from Atlanta.

Tom Lindsey.

The name may have changed [drop the MF then hit the caps lock] but the metal faced villain’s output hasn’t with this new solo album, the follow up to 2004’s MM..FOOD.

This album showcases everything that is great about DOOM both as a rapper and a producer with his ridiculously multi-dimensional lyrics flowing around the usual superhero styled samples whilst guest spots from the likes of Ghostface, Raekwon and Atmosphere’s Slug only help to enhance the high standard DOOM sets.

Even when he’s not producing, DOOM is able to rope in the likes of Dilla [R.I.P as always], Jake One and Madlib, all of whom are able to lace tracks which compliment the rapping on show. DOOM even sings on That’s That and though he’s off-key and clearly not a singer, it fits, proving there isn’t much that he can’t turn his hand to and make it sound dope.

The track you can hear is Gazillion Ear, produced by Dilla. Peep it by clicking above and see just why this album is the best thing Metal Face has done since Operation Doomsday.

Abjekt.