100-Word Reviews: ZOMBIES! ALIENS! VAMPIRES! DINOSAURS!

now playing: hellogoodbye - Baby, It's Fact

This is the way May begins; not with a bang but a whimper. I really dropped the ball on this one, guys. I've been feeling ill lately (I'm pretty sure it's not swine flu), and that's compounded by the new job I just started (not music-related in the slightest) that's giving me hours wherein if I'm not working, I'm sleeping. I am still working on the Bamboozle review, slowly but surely; I hope to have that up by Wednesday or Thursday. Let's try to get things rolling again with a 100-Word Review.

hellogoodbye's ZOMBIES! ALIENS! VAMPIRES! DINOSAURS! is both the best-titled and the cutest album I've ever reviewed. Not "cute" like Cute is What We Aim For; legitimately adorable. From track one straight through to track eleven, every song is a catchy little ditty that could easily be used to describe any number of young love scenarios. Swinging back and forth between upbeat dance and slow ballad, the songs on this album show that hellogoodbye had a good thing going. The keyboardist and drummer split in late 2008, leaving founder Forrest Kline stranded, but far from hopeless. Check it all out here.

What I Can't Stop Listening To: April 2009

now playing: Concrete Blonde - The Sky is a Poisonous Garden

First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone who helped spread the word of the events at the TLA. I'll be keeping an eye on the situation, but as I said, I don't really think anything is going to come of this, unfortunately. Philadelphia police officers have been getting away with things like this for years. To speak of less somber things, the end of the month brings us What I Can't Stop Listening To once again. If you missed it last month, I am still providing a direct download of the songs mentioned in this article. Disclaimer: I have no vested interest, monetary or otherwise, in providing these links outside of exposing the readers of this blog to new music. I have acquired everything I provide legally and encourage others to do the same. With that said, here are the five songs I can't stop listening to for April 2009.

05) Silversun Pickups - There's No Secrets This Year

I've already written about Swoon earlier in the month, so I won't have much to say for this track. I will say that the chorus of this song is one that always finds its way back into my head no matter what I'm doing. I also enjoy the way the track slows down and blends into the style of the following track, "The Royal We", and it's for that reason that it feels almost wrong not to include it as well. Alas, you only get one from me. You know how that could be solved? Go out and buy Swoon at Amazon or iTunes today.

04) Guns N' Roses - Catcher in the Rye

To be honest, I doubt I'll ever understand anyone who says they dislike Chinese Democracy because it sounds too unlike Guns N' Roses' previous work. It's been 15 years in the making; of course it's not going to sound the same. What it does sound like is good, solid music that too many people are going to overlook for one reason or another. Let this power ballad help change your mind. The guitar is still incredibly strong without Slash, and the rest of the band is just as powerful; even, hard as it may be to believe, Axl himself, who still sounds as he did in GnR's heyday. If you don't have Chinese Democracy already, pick it up on Amazon or iTunes.

03) Styx - Queen of Spades

Putting this song in the article is pretty much pure self-indulgence. Styx manages to hit almost every single one of the thematic elements I love in songs: Lethal women, gambling, spiders, concept albums, power ballads, and guitar solos. I am a simple man with simple pleasures in my music. Pick up Pieces of Eight (featuring this, "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)", and "Renegade", among others) on Amazon or iTunes. And don't forget to get your tickets to the Can't Stop Rockin' tour, featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon, and .38 Special.

02) My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words

Back when I was shakily learning how to drive, I relied on music to help calm me down. Jack Off Jill's Clear Hearts Grey Flowers shared rotation with The Black Parade, but it was singing along with Gerard Way that finally got me comfortable behind the wheel. And yes, My Chemical Romance might get a lot of flak from... well, everyone, but this album is surprisingly strong as a concept album. I disagree with Way deciding to bleach his hair for the tour, but they can't all be perfect. If you feel like hunting down the special edition, Amazon can hook you up; otherwise, the CD alone can be found on Amazon and iTunes.

01) Concrete Blonde - Probably Will

This song off 1994's Still in Hollywood is strange for Concrete Blonde. The driving bass lines and aggression that initially drew me to the band are gone; instead, this song is stripped down to three-chord guitar, minimal drums, and vocals. It may seem strange that a song like that would be considered an anthem of rebellion, but the line "they will only make us stronger if they try to keep us still" proves that rebellion can have any kind of backing band as long as the lyrics are strong. Still in Hollywood also features live tracks, alternate takes of songs, and covers of Jimi Hendrix, Nick Cave, and others. Their cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" is superb. You can pick up this album on Amazon or iTunes.

You can download all five of these songs here (36MB).

May is going to start with a bang, as I'll be attending the Bamboozle in the Meadowlands way up in north Jersey. We had little luck with the Ghost Hounds' Vintage Trouble this month, but maybe we'll see it in May. Finnish power metal band Stratovarius also has Polaris coming out in the middle of the month, but you won't have to wait that long for a review. Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies.

Police Brutality at the TLA

I promise not to use this blog as a soapbox often, but I just found out about something reprehensible that happened at the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philadelphia last night. The Bamboozle Road Show, featuring We the Kings, Forever the Sickest Kids, the Cab, mercymercedes, and Valencia, was just finishing up last night when several police officers showed up and attacked members of the bands. Brendan Walter of Valencia writes:

Tonight at the Bamboozle Road Show I witnessed the worst case of police brutality I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure of the exact story of what happened, all I know is that I walked downstairs and was ready to leave the venue only to see Chris V being pushed back into the venue (from the alley) by 3 cops with billy clubs. They were screaming and pushing him to the ground, threw him down onto a glass bottle that he hit his head on, split it open. He was bleeding everywhere and they still continued to beat him with clubs. They would not stop, even when he was compliant. Everyone was screaming for them to stop, I just could not stop yelling, I was so angry. I wanted so bad to have us all go over and pull them off of him, but no one could or we’d be next. Finally they stopped and dragged him outside after a pint of blood left his head and was all over the stage of the TLA. After everything was calmed down a bit, I saw my good friend Ian Planet being shoved inside, slammed into a brick wall, his cell phone thrown across the room and his face shoved onto the concrete floor all because he wanted to go outside and finish his job. The same happened to T-Fair right out back as well.

In a thread on the AbsolutePunk.net forums, a member of mercymercedes mentions receiving several tickets and being aggressively shoved against a car. MySpace Video has footage of the interior of the club during the incident, found here (warning: language and blood). Additionally, two people present outside have posted YouTube videos hosted here and here (with language warnings on both).

I'm not certain if anything can be done about this now (I have my doubts that the officers involved will face any retribution), but I thought it best to spread the word.

This post was compiled with help from BuzzNet.

Album Review: Oxytocin

now playing: Concrete Blonde - Probably Will

If you'd told me that a bunch of developers from Harmonix, the company responsible for Rock Band and the first two Guitar Hero games, were going to make a hip-hop/electronica album, I would have laughed in your face, then gone to see what the internet was saying about it. In fact, that is exactly what I did before running across Oxytocin, a 40 minute continuous mix of hip-hop and electronica tracks from eleven Harmonix developers, including members of That Handsome Devil and BQEZ. The best non-musical part is that it's being released on the internet for free in its entirety.

This may not entirely come as a surprise, but I do not listen to hip-hop, so it's difficult for me to judge this album against others in its genre. However, listening to some of the tracks, I find it hard to put this album into one definitive genre, which is both logical and for the best. Rob Lynch's "Cathode Ray" reminds me very much of Anamanaguchi, whereas "Do It For Me" by Nay brings me back to the happy hardcore heyday in the early 90s. "Subway Tale", crafted by M-Cue and Tarashi, definitely makes me think Gorillaz above anything else. To put it quite simply, even if it is a cliche, this album does have something for everyone. I went in not expecting to like it in the slightest, but I nearly stumbled upon a strange mix of Poe and Jack Off Jill with Ligery and Inner Dialogue's "Perfect", spoken poetry backed by synth and beats. Before I even knew the song was coming to an end, it was transitioning seamlessly into "Blow Away" by Patrick Balthrop, a song that would fit perfectly in a trance club's rotation.

I suppose with the diversity of the musical spectrum already covered, my only other comment would be on the fantastic production of the album. Even with songs that fall under incredibly different genres and styles, the mixing remains consistent and in some cases imperceptible. I suppose that's to be expected in a group with six sound designers and two producers, but it's still very impressive. The people responsible for Oxytocin set a goal to make a project that "wasn't rock based", and with just one listen of the album, it's clear that they met this goal. With all the rock bands Harmonix produces (Bang Camaro and the Sterns, to name two), it's easy to overlook those musicians that don't fall under that heading but still have just as much talent as their conventional counterparts. If Oxytocin is a way to test the waters, I'll definitely be keeping my eye on the website to see what else they've got planned. At any rate, it's obvious that Harmonix can produce more than just quality video games. A

Keep your eye on Oxytocin's homepage to follow news on what's to come and download the album in its entirety. While you're there, check out the individual blogs and Twitters of the members and clear your schedules for a couple of shows in June with all eleven getting together to perform live.

Album Review: Neverender - Night IV

now playing: Coheed and Cambria - Feathers (Live at Neverender)

While I'd love to continue the trend of going into the story, the truth is that not even the people at Cobalt and Calcium are all that sure what goes on in Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World for Tomorrow. There's a definite end, to be sure: Claudio Kilgannon finally confronts Wilhelm Ryan and ends the Keywork, as has been fated. But it takes the entire album to get to that point, so just what's been going on? Who is the Hound of Blood and Rank? Is the little back porch lady someone we know? And just what is the change that's finally come? Hopefully the upcoming prequel album will shed some light on this, but I'm not counting on it.

Neverender - Night IV is definitely my favorite of all the performances. It starts with the crowd screaming "Raise your hands high!" in the album's title track; that keeps up to the final strains of "The End Complete V: On the Brink", which does not go on for 18 minutes but is impressive nonetheless. Ever since I started listening to Good Apollo II, I knew that one day I would have to hear these songs live. It's the hardest-hitting of any of the band's albums for me, with "Feathers" (which took time to grow on me), "No World for Tomorrow", and the always popular "Gravemakers & Gunslingers" sticking out the most. I've already given my thoughts on "Justice in Murder" and "The End Complete" in other posts; even though it's live and I really do like live performances, I find it difficult to sit through 30 minutes of disjointed music. I feel at some points the audience does, too. If I could turn off this album after "Justice in Murder" (or perhaps "The End Complete II: Radio Bye-Bye", which I actually can stomach more often than not), I would gladly do it, to be honest. Despite that, Neverender - Night IV still stands as my favorite performance in this grand work. The crowd fills in the gaps more often than not, whether Claudio asks them to or he just runs out of breath. And I think at this point, we all know my thoughts on crowd vocals.

I've gained something from this series of reviews, I think. I've had the story of the Amory Wars explained to me in summarized form, yes, but this is the first time I've actually gone out and tried to comprehend just what's going on. And so far? SSTB is still a little incomprehensible, but I've developed a new appreciation for IKSSE:3 and even the latter half of Good Apollo I. I doubt Coheed's albums are ever going to stop growing on me, which means longevity in their future. And keep in mind that they do still have one more album to go: A prequel, taking place long before Coheed, Cambria, and Jesse existed as characters. If it keeps up this pace, I expect even better things.

The Second Stage Turbine Blade: B-; Neverender - Night I: C+
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3: B+; Neverender - Night II: B+
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness: A-; Neverender - Night III: A
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World for Tomorrow: A+; Neverender - Night IV: A

I'd like to thank Cobalt and Calcium for their analysis of the story of The Amory Wars. Coheed and Cambria will be playing a short tour in late May; you can find dates and get tickets on their official website under the Tour tab.

Album Review: Neverender - Night III

now playing: Coheed and Cambria - The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut (Live at Neverender)

Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness brings us into the world of the Writing Writer, who is responsible for penning the story we've been following so far in the previous two albums. (His world is possibly better known as our world.) The Writer is slowly going insane, tormented by visions of casting his ex-girlfriend into the ground, burying her alive. His visions continue in the form of Ten Speed, a demonic manifestation of a bicycle the Writer had when he was a child. Ten Speed brings the Writer to the realization that he's placed his ex, Erica Court, into the story as Ambellina. The only way to end the visions and regain his sanity, Ten Speed says, is to kill off Ambellina. Though the Writer initially resists, after realizing that he is the one in control of the story and he is more than able to kill whomever he wants, resolves to listen to Ten Speed's words and go through with killing the manifestation of Erica Court. Meanwhile, in the Keywork, Claudio Kilgannon begins begging to God, asking what he did to deserve this and just how he's supposed to accept his destiny. He and the Writer both come to the realization that they must end the Keywork to end the suffering, and as Claudio approaches the House Atlantic, the Writer approaches the Willing Well, a full-length mirror that serves as a portal between the two worlds. The Writer joins our battle, already in progress, and assaults Ambellina. Claudio attempts to use his abilities as the Crowing to stop the Writer, but is unable. It's pretty impossible to kill God, after all. The Writer explains his motivations to Claudio, and the album draws to a close with one final cut. Told you it gets confusing. Cobalt and Calcium, as always, has more on the story.

Neverender - Night III begins the parts of the Amory Wars story I enjoy most. My first exposure to Coheed and Cambria was "Welcome Home", appearing on Rock Band. It had been so long since I'd heard accessible modern rock with guitar work like that; I was immediately hooked. (In fact, I think that song is the reason I like prog as much as I do now.) Even if I initially thought that Coheed got royalties based on the number of words in the title, I picked up Good Apollo I anyway and never looked back. I didn't know about the storyline at the time; I just had a bunch of really great songs that didn't leave rotation on my iPod for months. Listening to the album performed live brings more nostalgic feelings, which are always welcome. And since I am so familiar with the studio album, the imperfections that add flavor to the performance are that much more noticeable. This is not necessarily a bad thing! I like getting to hear the band's mistakes. I'm still not entirely sure what happened in "The Lying Lies & Dirty Secrets of Miss Erica Court" that caused Claudio to start early and miss a couple lines, but there's a very human element there that you just won't get in a studio.

Something else you won't get in the studio is the technical proficiency displayed in the 18-minute jam of the final song of the night, "The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut". Unless you're some sort of combination of Jethro Tull and Peter Frampton, you won't be able to get away with dueling talkbox and theremin solos from Claudio Sanchez, guitarist Travis Stever, and a guest keyboard player on a studio album. And it would take some sort of love child of Keith Moon and Neil Peart to justify former Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Chris Pennie's blistering seven-minute drum solo. Overall, Good Apollo I is even technically amazing live. If IKSSE:3 is where the band started to hit their stride, Good Apollo I is a near perfection of their sound. I still enjoy Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World For Tomorrow better, but that's a review for tomorrow night.

Album Review: Neverender - Night II

now playing: Coheed and Cambria - Blood Red Summer (Live at Neverender)

In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 begins by taking us ten years into the future. Claudio Kilgannon has had time to grow, and Jesse, a character introduced as the Prize Fighter Inferno in The Second Stage Turbine Blade, has had equal time to grow his rebel army, with which he can depose Supreme Tri-Mage Wilhelm Ryan and Head General Mayo Deftinwolf and bring peace to the Keywork once again. If you think it's weird now, folks, just wait. One rebel, Sizer, is captured by Ryan's organization, the URA, and brought to the planet Shylos Ten, where he is tortured and left for dead. Claudio, waking from his ten-year slumber on Shylos Ten, meets Jesse, Sizer, and a new character, Ambellina. Claudio learns of his fate as The Crowing, the prophesied bringer of Armageddon. The four enlist the help of a freighter pilot named (surprisingly) Al and take his ship, the Velorium Camper, to the House Atlantic, Wilhelm Ryan's headquarters. Al hands them over to the URA, but can't bring himself to give up Ambellina and at the last moment helps the group to escape on Jesse's ship, the Grail Arbor, while he remains behind. The album closes with Claudio dreaming of what may have happened if he had been able to protect his parents the night they were killed. I'm actually leaving out some parts, so if you're curious to learn more, read up at Cobalt and Calcium.

With an instrumental flourish and thunderous applause, Neverender - Night II begins. Claudio Sanchez retains his astounding command over the crowd, not simply telling the story of Jesse in the title track but becoming Jesse, ordering the audience "Man your battlestations!" and receiving unwavering response. In fact, this night's performance is leagues above and beyond the previous night's with respect to audience participation. Even when Sanchez is left breathless, the crowd fills in the missing lines by heart, be it wordless vocalizations or Al's final words to Ambellina. Even though this album is not my favorite, I still find myself longing for the opportunity to have seen it live simply for the crowd participation.

As I listen to this live performance, and especially after writing out all that information about the story, I feel like this album is where Coheed and Cambria really began to hit their stride. SSTB was decent, but it lacked many of the things that I seem to identify the band with. Not the least of these things is the story itself. With a slew of new characters, conflicting motivations, and conflict in general, the songs in IKSSE:3 are strikingly diverse. This diversity draws attention easily and saves the album from sounding too generic, which was my major complaint with SSTB. Had the band's first album been my first experience with their music, I would have written them off as nothing more than generic rock. Fortunately, my first experience was with "Welcome Home", featured on Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness, which will be featured in tomorrow's review of Neverender - Night III.