Wooden Heart Review

It's an interesting sensation when after listening to album time after time, something finally clicks. It's as if something was hiding beneath the notes and words that your ears couldn't register until another twenty plays on a song, or perhaps just another play through the record. While the occurrence is fairly commonplace in music, it still remains perplexing the way music can grow on you, and this exact sensation came with Listener's 2010 LP, Wooden Heart. Led by Dan Smith, Listener is one of the more unique bands hiding in the poetic indie underground. They utilize a style, which Smith named "Talk Music", which is more a poetic reciting than a standard musical structure.  This may be rather off-putting upon first listen, but it soon begins to grow a rather intimate feel to it, feeling as if you've known Dan Smith for years after hearing the record. He shouts passionately in his disjointed manor, his voice twitching and jumping sporadically with the lyrics, but it adds a certain intensity which slowly grows and builds as the album swells until its passionate conclusion. The substance is there and the poetry is remarkable in the way it flows effortlessly, but for the listener it may take several efforts to fully digest what Wooden Heart offers -- and therein lies its beauty.

The record begins with a timid plucking of the banjo, supplying all that is needed for Dan Smith to enter with his shouts in a charming southern twang. His manner of singing, or rather speaking, is what makes this record so appealing. It strays away from natural and flowing vocal work for a more personal and passionate touch much like that of mewithoutYou's Aaron Weiss. However strange it may appear on the surface, it's his vocal work that holds the record together. The poetry he shouts could be told in a variety of ways, but this raw, unrestrained style helps slam the message and emotion across. This holds most true on "Seatbelt Hands", where the story of a waitress in the south never seemed more gorgeous. Smith's descriptions like "She's the kind of lady that calls everybody baby/Honey, sugar, sweetie, she's always making friends and she keeps us all locked outside her thick leather skin" are the most impressive moments of the album. He represents these characters in quick, concise descriptions but makes it seems as if he wrote a novel over them. Paired with the music, which composes mostly of electric guitar and pounding drums, along with a few scattered instruments here and there, Wooden Heart has the makings of a poetic magnum opus for the band -- and it's just waiting to explode.

And the group couldn't deserve the attention any more. Often performing in the basements of anybody who will take them, Listener are one of those groups who appear like a star in the space of the modern underground music scene. Like a diamond in the dirt, stumbling upon them is a true delight, and their fourth LP contains some of the best music of 2010. It rises and falls with its intense, compassionate songs like "Save Up Your Hopes Friends" and the slower, more flowing songs such as "You Were A House On Fire" which holds the diversity to make it worth the several listens it requires to fully digest it. Fans of poetic and passionate lyricism will be immediately attracted to Dan Smith's presentation and lyrical brilliance, and in no time will be hooked. Listener's Wooden Heart, could easily grow to be one of the several excellent records of the year, and for good reason. It holds everything that makes music what it should be.

Crimson Review

Progression is never a bad thing. Adhering too strongly to an old formula or style can be deadly for a band, which is why you always hear the hype for an artist's new record that they claim will be a step in the next great direction for them. People adore change if it is done right, but the fangs come out when it doesn't please them. In the case of Alkaline Trio's 2005 record, Crimson, the band faced a little bit of both. Fans of their earlier, gruffer work were appalled by their newer, more appealing style while newer fans were immediately hooked by their catchy choruses and cunning lyricism. Since their 2003 release, Good Mourning, the group had dropped their reds and blacks in favor of a duller gray, perhaps to portray the softer, more somber approach they chose to take for this album. No longer are they screaming with anger or holding you by the throat with their music, instead they intertwine their dark lyricism with a more depressive atmosphere to accentuate their trimmed energy. The music is softer, the lyrics are less furious, and it doesn't hit nearly as hard it used to, but fortunately for them they still know how to make a catchy tune.

Alkaline Trio has always somewhat relied on the hooking aspect of their music, but never has it been more apparent than on Crimson. The three singles, and arguably best tracks on the album, hold most of the addictive appeal throughout the record. The drums on "Mercy Me" and the pulsing chorus of "Time To Waste" are wonderful summaries of everything that the Trio has done wonderfully in the past, and the lyricism of "Prevent This Tragedy", teamed with the ever-dreary atmosphere really shine through as the outstanding successes of the album, but there is still a glaring absence of energy from the record during the small moments in between. "Your Neck" tries desperately to be what "Time To Waste" had already accomplished with its formula chorus-verse-chorus structure and Skiba's surprisingly boring vocal work followed immediately by "Smoke", which holds just the same hollow feeling. It's a harshly vivid display of what Alkaline Trio is without the pounding energy of their former releases; as well as a perfect transition into what their future work would become.

Upon first listen, Crimson holds everything that you could want from a pop-punk band. You have your catchy hooks and repetitive chord progression paired with decently clever lyricism sung by two fairly distraught men -- but how long can that last you? Alkaline Trio has been clinging tightly to this facet since their debut record, and since then have slowly shed everything that made their music so powerful. This record shows them choosing a slightly new path for their music to pursue, but never quite achieve the separation that's necessary to make it its own entity. Crimson's basic fundamentals make it an outstanding pop-punk record, but without that spark of life that has propelled other bands into success; it's just another unfortunately lacking outing from one of punk's former masters.

Would It Kill You? Review

The first years of Hellogoodbye's career showed the makings of a group on the verge of explosion. Their electronically saturated music fueled with middle-school romanticism seemingly grasped the hearts of teenagers everywhere like a cheesy plague spreading throughout the music industry. Just when it seemed that Hellogoodbye were about to break out into stardom, they disappeared. Very little was heard from the band since the release of their 2006 LP, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! and their name and music faded into obscurity partly due to their lawsuit with Drive-Thru Records which restrained them from releasing new material. However, now they have returned after a four year absence from the studio with their newest poppy achievement, "Would It Kill You?". Their return comes with a great breath of fresh air from the band as they incorporate a new luster onto their previously formulaic and progressively boring approach to music. They almost completely rid themselves of their electronic and synth fascination and move onto more traditional pop-rock instrumentation as well as shedding a layer off of their adolescent shell. With this album comes a major growth for the band, while somehow still remaining mostly the same.

The almost immediately present progression comes as a rather large surprise for those who were fans of them during their first few (and only) releases. They showed nearly no signs of change as they performed their synth-laden music with skill and fines. It would seem for certain that they wouldn't bother changing what was already perfected, but luckily they did. In the opening moments of "Finding Something To Do" they start quick and with a pop-punk like energy similar to that of Relient K or New Found Glory. The drums are swiftly pounded and the guitars sway and flow along with them. This, along with the appearance of a horns section on "Betrayed By Bones" presents a whole new side to the group that was never before seen prior to this. However, below this fresh facet their lyricism remains mostly the same, while showing some signs of moving past high-school romances onto the fear of growing older. They perform this nicely with a cheerful outer appearance with a slightly more melancholy subject matter on the appropriately titled "Getting Old".

While "Would It Kill You?" begins to lose its momentum toward the last half of the album, it serves as a great display of what a little change can do for a band. Hellogoodbye went from an almost overly poppy and synth-drenched quintet into a fun, fresh and catchy pop-rock group. Their flow is superb and they hold a decent ability of switching up sounds to keep the album interesting and ear-catching. They use the talent they have at their disposal to great effect in creating the best album of their career and a wonderful start to what hopefully comes next for the band. Whether it is an expansion on the sound they developed on this record or another direction entirely, it's for certain that they'll still be the cheesiest band in music at the moment. 

"Ruth" Review

Nana Grizol hold one of those names that are special in the way that you can infer what they will sound like just by saying it aloud. You were thinking an indie-pop group mixed with some folk influence, right? On their sophomore album, "Ruth", they associate these rather diverse genres to create one of the more pleasant albums of the folk and indie scene as of late. They bounce charmingly from smooth acoustic numbers to more intense, hard-hitting songs with ease within the brief thirty-one minutes that make up the album. As with most bands in the genre, they mash miscellaneous instruments and rhythms throughout the record to hover over the stagnancy border that plagues the genre. With the horn section from the prestigious Neutral Milk Hotel and the introspective and intimate lyrics from lead man Theo Hilton it's honestly shocking that the group itself isn't more well known -- though it could be argued that it comes with the genre. Regardless of media prominence, they still play their music and play it with stunning grace.

The thin line between melancholy and hopefulness is carefully trotted upon on the opening track, "Cynicism" on which the overall tone of the album is skillfully abbreviated. The vocalism of Hilton on these short but powerful tracks hold an anxiously timid tone that creates some of the best contrast when compared to when he breaks into all-out shouts on "Arthur Hall". His tonal shifts capture a very obvious influence of that of Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel) or even Jeff Buckley. This likeness is shown even stronger on the gorgeous instrumental track "Alice and Gertrude", where the horns swell and flow with a grand piano to create a very classic indie atmosphere. However, it may be all of these familiar indie facets that keep "Ruth" from reaching the grandiose status of those who created said formulas.

It's without a doubt that Nana Grizol's greatest strength is their ability to follow these past influences with such grace, but without enough deviation from the past, it takes a great deal of creativity to make a masterpiece -- but maybe that isn't what Theo Hilton wanted. The lyricism on "Ruth" is like a diary put to music, except with a fair bit of figurative language. The intensely personal feel of "Cynicism" and "Sands" really allows entrance to the thoughts and feelings of one man's travel through what he perceives as life. There are the songs about girls and sunsets, and they all feel entirely genuine when paired with the beautiful musicianship of everyone that backs Hilton. It's an almost overly familiar formula, but is done with such allure that it deserves admiration and a night of your life to lie in bed and enjoy the somber tones of "Ruth".

50 All-Time Best Last Lines in Literature

I was sent this website by a viewer of the site and I thought it would be an interesting read for anyone interested in such a thing. Enjoy.

http://www.mastersineducation.com/famous-last-words-50-all-time-best-last-lines-in-literature/

Faux Reality Review

When it comes to local bands in Kansas, it can be a risky business. The music scene in the Wichita area, as it stands, is something of a grab bag of heroes and zeroes. In the case of El Dorado's up-and-coming indie rockers, Faux Reality, you get a taste of the more talented side of the state.

 Since their humble beginning in early 2007, they've built upon their foundations as a pop-punk garage band up to seasoned Saturday night show heroes. They have certainly earned their spot on top of this small-town music scene with their long track record of performances all around the city, and it comes without surprise that they would hit the studio in late 2010 to record their debut EP, Faux Reality. With this release they display not only their growth as artists, but as individuals as well. They've transgressed the adolescence of their infamous Bonita demo and have found their footing as performers as shown by their superb instrumental work throughout the EP. It's been in the works for years, but now Faux Reality finally shows that they are a legitimate group worthy of a serious glance.

The most apparent and surprising change from Faux Reality's past work on their new EP is the gorgeous production value. The instruments all sound crisp and clean as they flow smoothly during the opening moments of "Nothing To Prove" up until they crash together for the first verse. With this they show their mixed influences from alternative and pop-punk bands of the last decade, the chorus of the aforementioned song displaying a blink-182-esque energy while the crescendo of "To The Sky" utilizes a classic indie formula. These varied styles allow Faux Reality to shine in what they do best -- performing with youthful vigor. It's clear upon first listening how far this band has come in terms of instrumentation as they create smooth and appropriate soundscapes for the lyrical content of each song.

And in terms of said lyricism, they provide what is expected. They float comfortably over their former adolescent rhymes in a fresher zone of above-par writing and give the listener a very enjoyable experience when paired with the other superb aspects of the EP. The catchiness of "The Vessel" is perfect for singing in the car and the wide variety of instruments and melodies on "To The Sky" work wonderfully as the soundtrack to a night walk. Fans of pop-punk, alternative, and even a little indie will find something to enjoy on this release and that's all that could be asked of for this slowly evolving group. If they hadn't yet caught your attention, perhaps Faux Reality can obtain your interest with their most recent (and easily most impressive) release, Faux Reality. 

Good Mourning Review

Matt Skiba sees the beauty in bloodshed and Dan Andriano sees the compassion in a glass of scotch. It takes little to understand why these two are the perfect duo to write some of the cleverest and gruesome lyrics in punk. After all, what else would you expect from the guys who joined the Church of Satan for kicks? Since 1998 they, and the abundance of drummers they've gone through, have released album after album of only the finest quality of hatred and alcoholic discontentment - and it's no different on 2003's Good Mourning. In terms of comparison to their previous outing (From Here To Infirmary), Alkaline Trio take another step forward from what they established and add more tweaks and bits of polish in order to properly display their talent. FHTI saw them dipping into their pop-punk side while Good Mourning finds the band returning to the gritty, unadulterated anger that fueled their previous albums, and would unfortunately fade upon their next.

 To say that Alkaline Trio aren't formulaic is perhaps giving them too much credit. It's always been the drug metaphors thrown in with a few songs about death and hate - but my God have they done it well. Skiba and Andriano couldn't make better writing partners, always supplying a wealth of profoundly personal songs and still finding a way to make them catchier than most pop tracks. The production value is once again another appreciated step up from their previous efforts as well as the consistency in the energy (which has never been insufficient to begin with). There's a certain intensity that has been added to the group's personality for this record that shines superbly when the bass lines twang and flow ("This Could Be Love", "Blue Carolina") and when Skiba thrashes the strings ("Donner Party", "Continental") and of course when Derek Grant provides a pounding onslaught on the drums.

This raw emotion isn't only present in the music - though it borrows greatly from its energy to really get the point across - it also emanates immensely from the songwriting. Both Andriano and Skiba's lyricism reaches top form on the bitter numbers like "100 Stories" and the Trio classic "Blue In The Face". The contrast they create with their very similar, but still blatantly separate lyrical styles is such a unique treat. Andriano relies heavily on his self-conscious and brooding tone while still containing that raw, bitter aftertaste to portray the punch to the gut sadness that he so effortlessly creates. While Skiba, on the other hand, embraces that bitter resentment with lines like, "Fighting back the tears and every urge to Van Gogh both our ears", utilizing his talent for clever writing to mask his agony.

While their proceeding albums would begin to disappoint certain die-hard Trio fans, it is a common consensus that Good Mourning was the album that really showed them at their prime. Everything was put into place perfectly -the energy, the emotion, and the slight necessary polish. The formulas may begin to expire for some newcomers, but it still holds that passion and aggressiveness that Alkaline Trio's career-defining debut brought. With a promise for destruction and a lust for hate, Good Mourning dots the i's and crosses the t's to seal Alkaline Trio's place as one of the best punk acts of the past decade.