Something Like Sound

Young Coyotes decided to start off their career of recorded music with two EP’s, Exhale and Basement, released on March 10, 2009. Exhale consists of 5 freshly recorded tracks, while Basement (which will be reviewed on this blog tomorrow) is a compilation of the group’s previously released songs.

Exhale starts off with a strange guitar chord and an unusual drum beat. The distant vocals come in slowly. Listening to it seems to be nothing special. What could possibly come out of such a beat down beginning? Unknown to the listener though is that the song’s winding melody floats over the repetitious chord and simple drum beat, building, gaining strength, building tension until the vocals are calling out “What is this love in my house/It surely can’t be real.” At this point, the listener suddenly becomes aware that every bit of the song is still in his head. The airy “ooh”s become intimately familiar. The oscillating structure carries out the song in perfect fashion to the finish. And that’s just the first track.

The fast-paced songs continue through the rest of Exhale. The music remains subtle with repetitious chords and rare guitar riffs. Since the band only has a drum set and one guitar, the simple music technique lends itself to a vocal driven sound. The vocals themselves aren’t the smoothest around, but they certainly are catchy. Living up to their name, howls are found in every corner of the 20-minute EP, winding through the falsetto range. The melodies led through the vocals twist in ways unforgettable. Every song has the potential to be stuck in your head for weeks.

The skill this Denver duo brings to the recording studio on their first effort is unparalleled in structure, vocals, and lyrics by many of the more established bands of the same indie genre. This EP, Exhale, and its twin, Basement, are both available for purchase online via iTunes and AmazonMP3.

Listen to “Splitting Prisms (Demo)” here! The rerecorded version appears on Exhale

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Note: This album should appeal to fans of Black Flag, Billy Talent, Gaslight Anthem, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Since their formation in 1999, Rise Against has produced unstoppable anthems full of musical and lyrical brilliance. Appeal to Reason is no exception. Over their first four albums, the sound of Rise Against has shifted from hardcore punk to, most recently, mainstream rock. No matter what genre Rise Against has fallen in, they remain unique in sound and style, despite excessive numbers of bands copying them. When they released their fifth studio album in October of last year, Rise Against proved that despite their sound moving into a region of radio-friendliness, they can still retain those who simply want to rock out to solid guitar riffs and no-nonsense lyrics.

Musically, Rise Against can nearly be defined as post-hardcore punk. Every song is driven along by fast drums, fast guitars, and fast, powerful vocals. The chord progression in songs is predictable to say the least. Few songs pass without a pick slide. Despite repetition, no song becomes dull. The formula for every song on Appeal to Reason rarely changes. Nevertheless, things still are shaken up occasionally, such as a random breakout into a waltz time in the middle of the song “Entertainment” or the nearly all acoustic song “Hero of War.” However, consistency is not bad here.

Lyrically, Rise Against is in the same league as Flobots and Rage Against the Machine: every song has a political message somewhere. The album starts with the song “Collapse (Post-Amerika),” containing the chorus “This is cardiac arrest/Of a world too proud to admit our mistakes/We’re crashing into the ground as we all fall from grace.” Hopelessness permeates most of the album. The first single released from Appeal to Reason, “Re-Education (Through Labor),” references unskilled laborers who cannot put up with being taken advantage of any longer. “Hero of War” paints a powerful image of a soldier and the atrocities of war. Some songs like “Strength to Go On” and “Dirt Whispered” focus on how much information is unknown. Often, the lyrics are intended to incite the listener to action. The song “Kotov Syndrome” contains an excellent example: “Ten foot walls built around us/White picket death, so quiet, so safe/But if we fall, there will be nothing and no one to catch/So sit back and watch as we/Spin out of control.” The message Rise Against wants to portray is neatly summed up in the song “Entertainment”: “But can’t you see the end is coming soon?”

The major mark against Appeal to Reason is that there is not as much originality as in previous albums. There is very little that can be heard on Appeal to Reason that could not be heard on The Sufferer & the Witness. In fact, it is quite easy to mistake the opening riff of “Kotov Syndrome” of off Appeal to Reason to “The First Drop” from Siren Song of the Counter Culture, Rise Against’s third album. Despite having nearly the same sound as previous albums, The Sufferer & the Witness had dramatic tempo changes and breaks in the middle of songs that kept things unpredictable. Appeal to Reason cannot claim anything as ground-breaking as any previous album. Perhaps it is because this is the first album with new guitarist Zach Blair that makes this album seems to have traveled nowhere from The Sufferer & the Witness. Regardless, fans of Rise Against should remain fans after Appeal to Reason since it is exactly the same as what they have known.

Rise Against has broken away from their origin and joined the much more generic sound of post-grunge, mainstream rock. Driven entirely by speedy guitars and heart-felt lyrics, Rise Against’s formula has produced a successful album that deserves a listen from fans of the many forms of rock: punk, mainstream, hardcore, and grunge. Although Appeal to Reason is the least innovative release from the Chicago-based group, at least they pulled their sources from good places.

On Monday, November 17, about 70 people gathered in Friedhoff Hall for a relaxing night of music. The ever-smooth sounds of the CSM Jazz Ensemble and Jazz lab band filled the hall as they put on a concert. Despite the piles of homework many people in the room faced, it was all put off for a night of live jazz.

The concert began with the Jazz Ensemble, a big-band, with a set of three songs. The set started quickly with “Bernie’s Tune” by Bernie Miller. Dueling saxophones highlighted this song and was an excellent piece to start off the evening. The Ensemble continued with two more songs which included many solos and sweet melodies.

After the Ensemble played their set, a switch was made to the Jazz Lab. Focused more on pure jazz instead of big-band pieces, the Lab had a much more organic feel. The director, Ron Bland, even admitted he did not know how one song, “Blue Monk,” was going to be played out. He would simply point to a person who would then play a solo. The Jazz Lab’s set included pieces from Thelonious Monk, George Gershwin, and Miles Davis. Both starting and ending with songs by Thelonious Monk, Bland joked that it was a “Monk Sandwich.” Playing through that sandwich involved many solos, several by the talented Steve Petruzzellis and Esteban Rubio, tenor sax players. In a climatic several minutes, both Petruzzellis and Rubio played a spectacular duel, only being broken up by several occasional drum solos.

Following the Lab’s four piece set, the Ensemble came back on to play another set of three songs. Continuing with their big-band style, they sustained their way with the authoritative brass. In the midst of the classic jazz pieces was an arrangement of the theme song from the television show, “The Simpsons.” The night continued sweetly as the Ensemble played on. For those who were there soaking in the relaxing atmosphere, a much-deserved break from school could not have been better spent.

The story of a group of musicians who have overcome obstacles and difficulties to achieve their dream of becoming “Rock legends” has been told far too many times. It is an interesting story, but generic nevertheless. However, it still happens to a select few. Perhaps these stories inspired Ra as they overcame their own difficulties with changing band members and record labels over the course of a decade. The feel-good story would end with Ra producing epic, inspiring music that would last for generations. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Much like the stories, Ra’s latest album is interesting, but generic.

Ra’s third studio album, Black Sun, might have been a moderate hit about 10 years ago at the birth of the nu-metal genre. However, since Korn and Disturbed and the endless spin-off bands filled out the genre, there is little room left for originality. Black Sun begins with a promising Latin guitar riff that quickly fades to grinding, crunchy guitars. The heavy guitars carry a catchy, simple riff that is enjoyable until it becomes monotonous. In all, the opening track, “Broken Hearted Soul,” is decent, but it is nice to move on from the continual repetition of the same riffs. This relief is not found anywhere on the rest of the album.

Taken individually, none of the songs are too bad. Repetitive and generic, but still catchy and fast. However, listening to more than one is a monotonous experience. One unique aspect of the album is the distinct Middle Eastern sound found on many of the tracks. As a result, some of the guitar riffs are different than those typically found in mainstream rock. However, they are simply repeated too often. One song, “I Believe Again,” breaks away from this sound with a good mix of a strong piano and heavy guitars. Another plus is a considerably good use of harmonized vocals. The lead singer, Sahaj Ticotin, is a strong vocalist who holds the world record for holding the longest single note recorded. He demonstrates this ability incredibly on the third track, “The First Step,” where he holds one note for 24 seconds. All of the members of Ra are skilled in their musical ability and possess a solid sound as a band. Despite this talent and songs that sound good at first listen, the album as a whole fails to hold interest and quickly becomes boring. Although Ra desperately wants to be different, and made a good effort, they still fall securely in the nu-metal/hard rock genre.

If listeners want songs of hope and encouragement, they should not look to this album. Anger, despair, depression, and heartache fill every track. Lyrics from “Waste of Space” appropriately describe the mindset of the album: It wasn’t meant to be/This thing with you and me/It took a year to figure out how much you lied to me/I never understood/How much you’ve gone insane. The album starts with the theme of broken relationships, which are the central topic of “Broken Hearted Soul,” “Faulty Information,” and “Lost Along the Way.” General shock, dismay, and depression can be found in “Genocide” and “A Poet’s Dream.” Although Ra does an excellent job at keeping most of their lyrics direct and to the point, they remain disembodied and leave little to think about.

Like many bands, Ra does not want to be classified. However, with a lack of anything except generic alternative metal, little qualifies Ra as different. It is unfortunate that a band as talented as Ra makes music as bland as that found on Black Sun. If you want some angry music to fill the silence, this album will work just fine. Fans of System of a Down, Incubus, Three Days Grace, and Disturbed may find Black Sun fitting in well with their music preference.

Anberlin has been known for their driving beats and melodies that are impossible to forget. Because of this, many expectations were placed on the band for their fourth album, New Surrender. Although the change in their sound was significant from their previous albums, few fans will be disappointed with New Surrender.

The album starts quickly with “The Resistance.” The fast, palm-muted guitars and fast beat that start the song in typical Anberlin fashion is a promising introduction to the rest of the album. The album continues to progress with a wide variety of song styles. Anberlin fans will love the second song on the album, “Breaking,” which sounds like it could have been directly off of Anberlin’s previous album, Cities. A change Anberlin has incorporated in their music is a larger use of synthesizers, which can be heard on almost all tracks, and is highlighted on “Disappear” and “Haight Street.” Unlike most of Anberlin’s previous music, many songs on New Surrender have a dance beat to them, especially “Blame Me” and “Haight Street.” Another notable track is a redone, harder version of “Feel Good Drag,” originally found on their second album, Never Take Friendship Personal.

Although many bands are able to write lyrics that sound beautiful and poetic, Anberlin does so while still having meaning. The varieties of topics in the songs are about as diverse as the songs themselves. A few songs like “Younglife” remember good times shared with friends and lovers. “Breaking” describes a girl who is skilled at breaking hearts and probably has had much previous experience. Many songs are about living for something more, as is the case with “Disappear” and “Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights).” Only a few songs, like “The Resistance,” are difficult to pick out meaning.

New Surrender remembers the past and hopes for the future. Relationships, ambitions and life fill the album from start to finish in a remarkable musical work. Although Anberlin has changed their sound slightly, the end product is worth every minute. Full of unforgettable melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, New Surrender is sure to be a favorite of both fans of Anberlin’s previous albums and those who have never heard of them before. This album is highly recommended for fans of Paramore, Emery, Dashboard Confessional and Self Against City.

Most bands take years to develop. The guitarist needs to learn how to play with the bassist. The vocalist needs to write lyrics appropriate to the music style. The drummer needs to bring it all together with the beat. Throwing in a violin and cello usually makes the balance even harder to achieve. However, a band from Syracuse, New York, seems to have pulled off the mix in less than two years.

Ra Ra Riot’s first album, The Rhumb Line, proves that upbeat music can still be relaxing. Although a violin and cello can be easily lost with most bands, Ra Ra Riot promises that this will not be the case for their group. The opening track, “Ghost Under Rocks,” begins with the cello and continues to be string-driven through the rest of the song.

This trend continues throughout the album as the strings continue to be the centerpiece. Pop string arrangements appear especially strong on “Winter ’05,” a song reminiscent of the Beatles classic “Eleanor Rigby.” However, Ra Ra Riot’s style shifts throughout the album, starting the album with the easy listening tracks “Ghost Under Rocks” and “Each Year.” The Rhumb Line becomes dance-worthy on “Dying is Fine” and a cover of Kate Bush’s “Suspended in Gaffa” while it takes on an 80′s power pop sound on “Too Too Too Fast.”

For lyrics, Ra Ra Riot aims for poetry. As a result, some songs are difficult to pull a meaning out of. Sentences often run together, giving the songs a sense of continuity, but occasionally sacrificing meaning to do so. Despite this lyrical structure, some songs do have evident meaning. An example of this is apparent on “Can You Tell,” wherein singer Wes Miles wonders if a girl knows the way he feels about her. The general theme throughout though is focused on poetry. One song, “Dying is Fine,” is based extensively on a poem by E. E. Cummings.

Over all, The Rhumb Line combines an upbeat tempo with a laid back, relaxing sound and poetic lyrics. The three songs in the middle of the album, “Winter ’05,” “Dying is Fine,” and “Can You Tell” seem to set themselves above the rest. However, the entire album complements itself and ties together through all the different styles. This record is a must-own for fans of Vampire Weekend and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.