Tag Archives: lp

Thursday – ‘No Devolución’ – Album Review

By Helen Brown


No Devolucion - Thursday – No Devolucion – Thursday		   Nowadays, the word ‘genre’ can be the kiss of death for a band. Unless they do something phenomenal and memorable with their music, they run the risk of falling into a certain category and being lost among the throngs of other musicians doing the exact same thing. Case in point: Thursday’s sixth release, No Devolucion. This New Jersey-based outfit have
created an album loaded with screamo American rock and impressive lead vocals, projecting a dark and broody atmosphere. Unfortunately, this effort is not ground-breaking and we have heard it all before. Licks of fuzzed-out guitar with sporadic psychedelic notes on No Devolución offer something else to the typical screamo mould, but it is not quite different enough to redeem the album. The tracks are

primarily average with hardly any substance, in some cases comparable to an emo church choir if such a thing existed.

One example is the track ‘Open Quotes,’ consisting of a mellow introduction with acoustic guitar and soft piano notes. This is but a brief reprieve from the hardcore onslaught of the rest of the song, with strong drumming and an ever-changing tempo that comes to a sudden halt at the end. The track is about someone sorting through their emotions, and trying to survive and find their place in a dark world, once again very similar to what we have all heard before.
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CD Review: Gay Paris – The Skeleton’s Problematic Granddaughter

The Skeleton’s Problematic Granddaughter is the debut LP release from Sydney four piece GAY PARIS and from all accounts, it’s a damn good one.

  Gay Paris list themselves as Swamp Stomp/ Shack Funk/ Bastard Rock, and that’s exactly what this album delivers. The growling, gritty vocals of WH Monks complemented by dirty guitar driven rock riffs and killer drumming. There is an underlying 80’s stadium rock vibe throughout and with songs like “My First Wife? She Was A Fox Queen!” setting the stadium rock anthmatic standard.

One noteable variation came in at track 8 “Soliloquy From Either Station”. Slow chant stomp with Elvis styled vocal and haunting violin hovering above. An unexpected highlight.

Rating: 7.5
The Skeleton's Problematic Granddaughter - Gay Paris – The Skeleton’s Problematic Granddaughter – Gay Paris
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Status Quo “In The Army Now 2010” [LP Review]

Review: Natalie Salvo
Status Quo are a group of Englishmen known for their brand of boogie rock and have gotten a lot of mileage over the years from power chords and the furious sounds of fighting. Now it seems the band are giving a little something back by releasing a charity single titled “In The Army Now”. This release serves as part teaser to their forthcoming studio album, “Quid Pro Quo” and support for the British Armed Forces with profits from its sale going to the British Forces Foundation and Help For Heroes charities.

The Quo covered this track back in 1986 and scored a hit on the UK singles chart.

The 2010 version sees the lyrics get a revamp (to be more pro-army) plus an update to the music. But rest assured, there are still power chords aplenty and a chorus of angry young men (as the band are assisted by The Corps of Army Music). But strangely there are also hints of the atmospheric and in particular (and I kid you not) Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”.

This mini-LP comes with the two 2010 versions of the title track including full length and radio edits. There are also two studio rarities “I Ain’t Wasting My Time” and “One By One” and five live Quo numbers taken from shows performed in England in 2008 and 2009. These include their classics “Caroline,” “Whatever You Want” and “Down Down”. There are also videos for the title song and “Beginning Of The End”.

Quo fans won’t be disappointed with this collection of music as it showcases more of their boogie rock with big beefy guitar riffs that hint at AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, but all while having an added rock and roll bent – almost like what would happen if Little Richard did his musical thing but replaced his piano with an arsenal of guitars. With the speed of a freight train, energy of a battalion and the heavy firepower of modern artillery, Status Quo prove they’ve still got the chops to go into battle and take a stand for what they believe in. Basically it’s three power chords and the rock uncouth.

Title: In The Army Now 2010
Artist: Status Quo
Status Quo – Status Quo

Review by: Natalie Salvo

Related:
More article by Natalie Salvo:
* Smoke on the Water – The Metropolis Sessions [CD/DVD Review]
* Cloud Control, Seekae and Deep Sea Arcade @ The Metro, Sydney 15 October 2010 – Live Review & Photos
* Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele – EP Review
* The Magic Numbers “The Runaway” – [Album Review]
* The Drums “The Drums” – [EP Review]
* All articles by Natalie Salvo…

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Status Quo: Just Doin' it Live – 40 Years of Quo

Buy It Now!		   40 Years of Quo Classics filmed Live at Birmingham NEC, England, May 21st 2006.Album DetailsRelease Date: 2007-01-12Genre: MusicRating: MAudio: Dolby Digital 2.0 StereoContents: 1 disc
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Yann Tiersen “Dust Lane” – Album Review

By Maria Bailey

  After two years in the making, Yann Tiersen’s sixth studio album Dust Lane was well worth the wait. Known predominantly for creating the innovative soundtrack for the award winning film Amelie, Tiersen stays true to form. While staying faithful to his trusty harpsichord and mandolins, the French composer and musician demonstrates a movement in his avant-garde style, incorporating an array of vintage sythesises, various musical genres and defying typical song structures. Tiersen is first and foremostly guided by his vision and intuition in creating the eight tracks on Dust Lane and has created a dreamy masterpeice at that.

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Radio Birdman “Live in Texas” – LP Review

Review: Lana Harris


Buy This Album Here!		   Radio Birdman are Australian old school punk rock, around since the times of The Saints and inevitably compared to them. Their punk elements blend with a healthy dash of the pub rock feel that often comes from Australian acts. Radio Birdman are the group you can chuck it on at a party and no-one will text you at four in the morning asking ‘who was that playing when I downed the tenth shot of tequila?’ because its one line chorus has been stuck in their head ever since. Instead, partygoers will subtly begin to sway and bop their head (way before it could be attributed to intoxication) or be heard humming one of the hooky riffs as they exit the bathroom.

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Bad Religion – “The Dissent of Man” – LP Review

Review: Lana Harris


Bad Religion		   It’s too easy to gloss over the name Bad Religion, tossing it quickly into the punk rock basket without thinking about semantics. Maybe it’s because the band has been around since forever (well, 1979) their name synonymous with punk and early influences and just ‘there’. But Bad Religion’s latest offering, The Dissent of Man, has a hard-to-miss lyrical focus on biblical styled topics across several of the tracks.

There are references to judgement day, evil, famine and plague (‘Only Rain’), Jesus and his impartial workings (‘Won’t Somebody’) and angels, devils and hallelujah (‘The Devil in Stiches’). These Christian references are the band’s way of exploring concepts

of freedom or the lack thereof, religion being a convenient metaphor when describing struggles around emancipation. Apart from the religion-as-oppressor imagery, the band’s lyrics have plenty of references to truth, lies and other social conventions which no decent punk rock act’s repertoire should be without.

The first few tracks on The Dissent of Man are stock Bad Religion songs, punk and energetic and immediately displaying the quality and technical skills that have seen the band last as long as they have. Opener ‘The Day that the Earth Stalled’ powers relentlessly along before bursting into a strong finish. ‘Only Rain’ moves fast with a strong chorus hook and ‘The Resist Stance’ lets loose in a blast of epic riffage. It is easily the catchiest song on the album. The tempo then drops a couple of notches with ‘Won’t Somebody’ and ‘The Devil in Stitches’ (first single). These tracks are quite melodic, a bit slower and more on the rock side of punk rock. ‘Pride and the Pallor’ introduces another wave of fast moving guitars that lasts for five powerful and compact songs before the speed is arrested with ‘Cyanide’. ‘Cyanide’ is melodic, a poppy anomaly only lightly tinged with rock and with a chorus line of ‘missing you is like kissing…’ inciting a bout of heavy cringing until the final word ‘cyanide’, which saves the line.

A lighter pace and sound continues for the rest of the album. ‘Where the Fun Is’ is the album’s nadir, disappointingly lacklustre considering its title. All the later tracks seem to be experiments in expanding what is traditionally considered the Bad Religion sound. This was an unexpected turn, but the songs do demonstrate the strength of Bad Religion as a band. All tracks on The Dissent of Man, regardless of style, are well executed. The only faults that can be placed on the songs are in regards to the personal preferences as a listener and expectations of Bad Religion as a band, and nothing to do with playing or song crafting abilities. The Dissent of Man has some new elements and some old, but all of the tracks demonstrate Bad Religion is a band who knows how to play.

The Dissent of Man (Deluxe Version) - Bad Religion – The Dissent of Man (Deluxe Version) – Bad Religion

Related –
More articles by Lana Harris:
* Weezer “Hurley” – LP Review
* Soilwork “The Panic Broadcast” – LP Review
* Danza Contemporanea De Cuba @ The Playhouse (Brisbane Festival), 15th September 2010 – Live Review
* Polarity @ The Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane 13th September 2010 – Live Review
* Betrayal @ The Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane 10th September 2010 – Live Review
* Crow “Arcane” – LP Review
* Search for more article by this author…

Infected from Bad Religion on Vimeo.

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Bring Me the Horizon “There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret” – CD Review

Review: Ben Hosking
Bring Me the Horizon (BMTH) have divided opinions since their arrival on the scene with 2006’s ‘Count Your Blessings’. While they certainly have their legion of fans – as evidenced by their recent chart success here in Australia – many more have been very vocal about their ‘hate’ for the Sheffield, England quintet.

2008’s ‘Suicide Season’ did well to win over some of the haters with its focused deathcore approach. However, it will be their newest release ‘There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret’ that will turn the tide for BMTH.

Only young tykes when they started, BMTH have clearly done some growing in the intervening six years. The addition of Jona Weinhofen (Bleeding Through) on guitars, backing vocals, keys and programming in 2009 has also brought a welcome intricacy and depth to their sound.
Continue reading Bring Me the Horizon “There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret” – CD Review →

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Interpol “Interpol” – Album Review

Review: Kenada Quinlan


Interpol - Interpol – Interpol – Interpol 		  Established in 1997 and with only 4 albums under their belt to date, Interpol have decided to go it alone for the self-released and self-titled 2010 offering. Kick starting with ‘Success’, the New York based quartet delightfully introduce their brand of Indie that over the years has refused to shift in any fashionable sense.

The next step of ‘Memory Serves’ is an atmospheric, thumping masterpiece that captures loneliness and loss with beauty and an infectious groove. The vocal line “You don’t have say that you’d love to – but baby please that you want to – some day…” resonating far passed the song’s inception.

The off-kilter latter beats of this composition making way for ‘Summer Well’ – a more spritely drum and piano medley. Breaking into an uplifting yet damning verse of harmonies, vocalist Paul Banks inviting drones raise precisely on time for a hop, skip and jump to graceful emotional ruin.
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Filter “The Trouble with Angels” – CD Review

Review: Ben Hosking

  At least in this country, Filter has never attained the level of success that they deserve. Besides a couple of chart-bothering flirtations with tracks like ‘Hey Man, Nice Shot’ and ‘Take a Picture’ way back in the mid-to-late 1990s, Richard Patrick and company have travelled unfairly under the radar. Hopefully the Cleveland, Ohio group’s luck will change with the release of their fifth studio album, ‘The Trouble with Angels’.

For those not familiar with Richard Patrick’s talent, take note: he began his professional career with industrial genius Trent Reznor as a touring guitarist

with Nine inch Nails between 1989 and 1993. After this he started Filter in 1995; Patrick’s bread and butter ever since – although certainly not his only musical preoccupation.
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Melvins “The Bride Screamed Murder” LP Review

Review: Lana Harris

  More than 25 years making music, the Melvins are credited with influencing scores of bands (including Nirvana and Soundgarden) but no one sounds just like them. Their creations are grungy, often slow but still powerful and slide into sludgy metal territory occasionally. They have two drummers in what is currently a four member outfit (got to expect a few line up changes in two and a half decades) who have been together for three albums now.

On The Bride Screamed Murder the Melvins are, if not experimental, at the very least non traditional in their music arrangements. There’s never a sense of

bowing to any kind of convention in the music. When voice is used, it’s as an instrument itself, not as a way of conveying opinion or an observation set to music, and they don’t stick to one time signature or tempo. If you’re unprepared for this, the way the songs play out is disorienting. My first listen of The Bride Screamed Murder, particularly the first two tracks, left me wondering what was going on. ‘Evil New War God’ comes to an almost dead stop before changing direction. I thought it had skipped to track three but it was still the same song. Continue reading Melvins “The Bride Screamed Murder” LP Review →

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Dan Parsons – “Firestarter” LP Review

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Review: Lana Harris


Dan – Dan Parsons		   When writing about music, there’s a variety of words to use in order to avoid saying ‘song’ over and over again. For the most part, these words are interchangeable – the exact meaning matters little. Dan Parsons’ music took exception to this and the word ‘ditty’ just kept springing to mind. The exact meaning of ‘ditty’ is a short simple song, a poem intended to be sung, and this description fits his musical style like a ripped pair of skinny jeans fits indie pop.

The tracks on Firestarter are all short pop numbers, hanging around the three minute mark and taking inspiration from the catalogue of relationship

experiences that pop loves to work with. Parsons’uses a reflective, ruminative style to shape his words, which invoke images from the time of life found in the space after school, drifting past innocence but having not yet arrived anywhere else.
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Jez Mead “Beard of Bees” [LP Review]

Review: Lana Harris

  What deal did Jez Mead make with the devil to get that voice? He certainly didn’t trade his finger picking abilities (his mastery of the guitar is evident in this diverse mix of tracks), but the man surely gave up something for a voice that soars across octaves, that swings from gravel to whisper to a full blown resonance that seems to take up real, tangible space in the room. Beard of Bees is Jez Mead’s fourth recorded offering to the world, and a record that uses his vocal gift (no matter how it was acquired) to deliver a striking set of songs.

Let’s begin at the end: the last song on this album

was the best. A gorgeous, chilled out track called ‘Crooked’ was a resplendent way to finish, with slow chords and soulful crooning and Jez humming low and full, a honey coated vibration that left goose bumps in its wake (and was not the only track to do so). ‘Devil’ (featuring Julia Stone as Mead’s duet partner) is similarly slow and haunting, a love song which includes such lyrical blues gems as ‘Devil wants my blood for making whisky’. Continue reading Jez Mead “Beard of Bees” [LP Review] →

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Danko Jones – “Below the Belt” [LP Review]

Review: Lana Harris

  Danko Jones is a man born to wear leather, and if listening to this album doesn’t convince you, the shiny black outfit he sports on the cover of his band’s latest LP Below the Belt will. This is BIG rock, stadia rock, another-word-that-rhymes-with-rock rock – what else would be expected from a man who names his band after himself? Proving that he’s more than just a leather clad front man, Jones also plays lead guitar, is responsible for writing columns in rock magazines, hosts radio shows and has completed solo spoken word tours.

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