At Long Last… After 2 Weeks…

So this post took me A LONG TIME to write. Why you may ask? Well I’ll tell ya…  A few weeks back I wrote about Sean Wright. I talked about his Album-A-Month project and I only briefly mentioned his 26th album in 26 months “The Calling”, and believe it or not that post gave this blog legs of its own. It generated more hits than any other post I have written. Don’t think I am after hits because that is not my goal but more hits means more people are seeing the other posts and hopefully supporting other Indie Bands as well as Sean. But Going back and realizing that I never gave the album a review…I knew I had to come back to it, and review the album.

The Calling is album number 26 in as many months by Indie artist Sean Wright (He is now done with his 27th and #28 should be here in July). The Calling Starts off DARK… and I am not talking merely about using the low end of the acoustic range to give tracks an ominous feel, but the lyrics are from a place I wouldn’t want to visit. Here is what I mean. The Calling is the title track and it deals directly with a life changing event. You can hear sounds of water throughout the whole track, which eludes to how we are drawn to water, and the power that something we take for granted has over us.

The song Trust is a corner stone for the album and for this process as it signifies the beginning of new songwriting partnerships. Trust features the writings by poet, singer songwriter Reine Amodeo. The track “Could I Be a Dream” deals with some things that I often think about, which is “What if I wake up one morning and everything I know is gone?” or “What if everything I know is just a dream?”.  Could I Be a Dream has a beautifully  moving harmony and the chorus is one that will get stuck in your head and you wont mind. 

The latter part of the album sheds some of the darkness while keeping the lyrical intensity going. This album is impresses me on many different levels and every time I listen to it I am more impressed with its quality, its skill, and where it came from. 

In June 2009 Sean Release Album #27 in 27 months, it is Called Beautiful Blue. Please Check it out HERE

To get The Calling Visit Sean’s Site or Jamendo. 

Once again all of Sean’s 27 albums are licensed for free under the Creative Commons License.

AND PLEASE IF YOU LIKE THIS OR ANYTHING YOU FIND ON MY SITE SUPPORT THE ARTIST IN ANY WAY YOU CAN; ITS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE MUSIC FLOWING!

Less is more… Copper Dalton

The Prefect alt rock lyric in my opinion is one that says everything you are thinking without really saying anything at all. Simple lyrics that resonate with each listener in their own way should be the goal of all Alt Rock bands and any lyricist. Soul Asylum does a phenomenal job of this in their 1992 song Runaway Train. The lyrics mean something unique to everyone who listens to it, and yet it’s made up of a simple hook with verses that you understand and can relate to.

So I was searching Jamendo looking for something to post and I decided to use album art as my catalyst to listen to an album. I came what looked like 3 guys playing live in a smokey club (Very Indie IMO), and gave it a shot. The Band is Copper Dalton, the album is Slow Carnival. 

The thing about Copper Dalton is that I can’t find anything about them. There is no link to their website, or their Myspace on Jamendo, there is no bio or album information. Simply this, the genre, Rock. I see that and I know I have to listen to it. 

Track 1 is “Slow Carnival”, it is reminiscent of Johnny Cash country. The vocal is what makes it unique, a voice that sounds ravaged by cigarettes and whisky, but is still melodic and dynamic.  The Lyrics have a definite hook that can get stuck in your head.

Track 6 “High Horse” feels like America, or Cat Stevens, almost folk, punctuated acoustic guitar picking, with delicate cymbal work, and a haunting organ or horn part (Its hard to tell). Lyrically it has the same stylistic writing and passion for the message.

Track 9 is melodic and driving in sections an reserved and constrained in others. The song “Widows Walk” feels like a battle, and not just a battle between dynamics of loud and soft like in any song, but rather the epic battles that happen with your brain and your heart. The instrumentals following the chorus are loud and jarring and feel to me like the argument your heart makes in  this battle, while the lyrics and the subdued music of the verses and chorus feel like the reasoning and wisdom offered by your brain. The song really invokes a feeling of internal turmoil that present with hard decisions. This song is In My Opinion a Hit.

This album is Licensed under the Creative Commons License and is available for  legal download for free from Jamendo. 

GET IT HERE!

People With Glass Waves… Shouldn’t Ride Surfboards

This week the best thing I found is not my favorite thing ever but it has the most potential and is the most professional this week. Glass Waves are a 3 piece out of St. Louis made up of a group of guys who have spent years with other bands and came together in 2008 and made this album, their debut together called “One Day We’ll All Just Float Away”. A fluid musically  based style accompanied by a haunting vocal overlay this band as one to watch out for. To simply define a genre for Glass Waves is to try and “catch lighting in a bottle”, it cant be done, there are some strong pop and pop rock influences evident by their sound, but they also have a great indie rock sound with guitars that are reminiscent of the great Johnny Marr, the former guitarist of Indie forefathers “The Smiths”, and most recently of “Modest Mouse”. 

I started off by saying this isn’t one of my favorites, so you may be asking “Why on earth did you post it then?”  Well you’ll notice this is the second time I have posted an album that has not been my favorite or that has been disappointing. The reason for this is that these albums are note worthy and show signs of potential superstars. 

What drawbacks do I have with this album? Well there is only 1. I find myself so entranced by the instrumental parts of the song that the soft almost wispy vocal goes largely unnoticed. It often feels like something is missing because the vocal is fading into the background.

All that said Glass Waves have a great debut on their hands and I can assure the world that if they continue and stay with this project “The Future (for them) is so bright I gotta wear shades”.

Their album is available for free download from Frostclick.com and they are featured on the main screen of Frostwire for the time being, for free on Jamendo, and is also available for free from their website glasswavesmusic.com

This album is Licensed by the Creative Commons License

Hit the Road Jack… Cause the Crazy Ivans said so!

I posted that video because the second I read the title of the Debut from  The Crazy Ivans, this was the only song I could hear in my head.

 

That being said… Take young people and force feed them, generic passionless radio pop rock and the result will be the lost generation. These were the circumstances that bread the Sex Pistols and the Punk rock movement. The Crazy Ivans are a product of this same formula. 6 young people from the heart of Texas inundated by  “bubble gum” and repulsed by that have started a return to  real American Punk. 

In the UK, Punk Rock is held in high regard, with names like The Sex Pistols, and The Clash, being uttered with the same reverence as royalty, and these band’s leaders, Sid Vicious, and Joe Strummer being in the company of God. But here in the U.S.; punk has become washed out and watered down, Green Day who used to be American Punk royalty, has been to reduced to bubblegum pop. This album is a brilliant reminder of Punk Rock’s glory days.

The Crazy Ivans have surpassed merely a “Punk” album, as it features some toned down acoustic piano rock, and even some thrash metal.

Their debut, “Go Back to Russia, Sucka” (Thus the Video post), has feelings of punk, and piano rock, and even metal, with good musicianship and, vocals that are reminiscent of female rock innovator Janis Joplin, this is a great debut. 

The one drawback to the album, is that the bands lack of experience writing an album. Lyrically it could be better but lyricism is not something that can be taught, its only learned by experience. So I wait anxiously for their next release but in the meantime, this album Rocks!

Downloads are available on Jamendo in MP3 format, and Licensed under the Creative Commons License.

Get it Here

A Musical Marathon… This Will be his year

How would you do if you were tasked with the job of making 1 complete album every month for 26 months? Its HARD… How do I know? Well I am in the middle of trying something like this myself. I decided to post something everyday for a week (Starting Tuesday May 25, 2009)* and I have come close to failing TWICE already. Well this is what Sean Wright is doing. He has written and recorded 27 Albums in 27 months… 

What really impresses me is Sean’s quality of recording. You would think that over the course of more than 2 years there would be one album thats not perfect but thats not true of Sean. Every album is just as good and just as heart felt as the last. 

A strong Acoustic Blues sound with a flare for the mellow dramatic, Sean puts his own spin on the things he sees around him, the good and bad in the world. 

Check it out Sean Here

Download Some of his Albums from Jamendo, and whats not there is on Last.FM

All Songs from the Album A Month Project are Free to Download Licensed under the Creative Commons License.

Ladies and Gentlemen… The Next Neil Young!

 

What do you get when you cross Neil Young with the musical styles of Nickelback or Saving Abel? The answer is The Liquid Kitchen. 

The Liquid Kitchen is a 4 piece band from Texas and they have seemingly perfected the concept of true Southern Rock in the prog rock age. This is music that would make the likes of Ronnie Van Zant (The late frontman and founder of Lynard Skynard) , and Neil Young sit up and take notice. 

A powerful rock sound with poetic lyrics, lead by a unique voice, TLK is not going to be under the radar much longer…

Their Debut is called “2 Days A Night” is described on their site as:

” ‘2 Days a Night’ is the culmination of over one year of playing, writing, and recording together.  We have put ten of our best tunes together to take the listener through an emotional rock and roll rollercoaster.  The opening track establishes the vibe with the blues-rock infused “It’s Alright”, followed by the tight groove of the glam-inspired “Song #9”.  For fans of The Rolling Stones and The Faces, “Big World” will suit you just fine!  If you still feel like rocking, check out “Graveyard”, “Better”, and “Serial Killer”. The ladies seem to love “Mexico”, “Bleed”, and “Hello”. The track “Soldier” will provide you with the trippy Pink Floyd experience.  The bottom line is, there is not one weak spot in this record.  All of the songs stand on their own and create a congruent theme: life.  From politics and war, to strippers and killer women, and of course love, “2 Days a Night” may be the best audio companion to help you relax, tune in to the world, and of course, practice lots of baby-making!  All the best friends!”
-Gio from TLK

If you haven’t downloaded an album from here yet… Make sure you get this one… And If you like it please contribute to the band… What they do needs to spread… and that can only happen with your help.

The Album “2 Days A Night” is available here on Jamendo, and is licensed under the Creative Commons License and is free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make sure you Listen to BLEED and MEXICO… They are my personal favorites!

It’s not a Paper Moon… It’s Paper Tiger!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paper Tiger as a band are hard to figure out… From Genre to style to influences its really hard to pinpoint where this band started. Paper Tiger is currently made up of 2 friends from The Netherlands (They are usually a 3 piece band and are currently looking for a drummer). This release is their debut album, its titled “Everyone Here” and it has something for everyone.

This album takes pages from the play books that made The Beatles, Ricky Nelson, and the Everly Brothers popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s with the production values, techniques and electronic additions of 1970’s disco stars The Village People and The BeeGees, and 1980’s pop bands Flock of Seagulls, to weave an intricate sound that I haven’t heard before. Combine this sound with lyrics that feel as if they were penned by Alternative Rock legends like Michael Stipe (R.E.M.), Bono (U2), or Beck, and you have the future of Alternative or Indie Music.  

This Album is truly a joy to listen too.

Please Download and Enjoy, and contribute to the artist if you like it.

Album available on Jamendo.com, and is Licensed by Creative Commons.

Its offered for a Free Download Here

I promised a Review….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I promised a review of the albums I posted last night so here it is.

 

Adam McHeffey: Lets Kick Fire

Adam McHeffy, has the beginnings of an absolute acoustic Gem here. And for this being his Debut Album I am super excited about his potential future work. Songs like Song 66, Wonderlust, and Esmeralda show great songwriter who is coming into his own by putting together an album.  In parts the slow acoustic whispery voice gets a bit redundant, and boring, but overall its a great album to use to kick back and relax. It will go in my playlist for when I go to bed.

 

Fading Autumn: My Transparancies

Fading Autumn disappointed me with this album. It is their second album in my collection, and it is a let down. While it has some major redeeming qualities, they cannot overshadow the lack of change from the first to the second album. What I mean by this is that in January the released “Boy loves Girl” which had tons of potential, and this album which was released in March doesn’t seem to make any progress, at all. I hope they keep at it and that their next release incorporates the experience they should have gained from making these 2 albums. It does have redeeming qualities as I said, those being the style and skill of the playing. It is a very good acoustic alternative album especially if you are looking for background or mood music thats relaxing.

 

Zero Gravity Toilet: Antidotes for the Imaginary

With Zero Gravity Toilet you get what you want from it. Experimental Instrumental… If you want to have a moving experience it is possible, if you want to be entertained that can happen too. With a definite rock feel, and a flare for the untested Zero Gravity Toilet have made a record that I am glad I found. It has so many uses and so much potential, from things like movie scores to highlight films for sports, this is a truly fun listen and a great album.

 

I guess I was disappointed last week because I strive to find the best of the best thats out there in the unknown music world and bring it to you and I was unable to find that one album that I felt met those standards. Put these 3 together and you got it… but I still felt disappointed. 

On a side note: Sorry for the review seperate from the post itself I felt like I needed more time to give an accurate review.

A disappointing week…

I post this Video because No Doubt is what is on my player at the moment. They are back together and touring. If you buy a ticket for one of their shows they are offering their entire catalogue for digital download. This is a video for “Don’t Speak” which was released in 2003 (Before Gwen sold out and went pop)

Now for the Important Stuff 

Well. This blog is failing. By failing I mean that I listened to over 30 albums this week trying to find something worthy of posting, and I found nothing. Ok thats not true. I found 3 Albums that I want to post. I am disappointed because I couldn’t find one that stood out. The three Albums I want to post are ok as individuals,  but when you put them together they are a decent days listen. I would suggest you download all 3 and then throw them into a playlist and throw it on you portable music player, and turn on shuffle. All three are licensed under the creative commons license and posted on Jamendo

 

1. Adam McHeffey – “Lets Kick Fire”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Fading Autumn- “My Transparencies”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Zero Gravity Toilet- “Antidotes for Imaginary Friends”

 

 

 

 

 

I have linked the album covers to the downloads for each album. I will review each individually in the next couple of days.

Jamendo Widget Week 1

Every week I will post a Widget from Jamendo which is a MASSIVE site for free creative commons music. This week We have Josh Woodward who is one of the forefathers of CCL music. I hope to spend sometime on here telling his story and sharing his work.

PS… 3 days later and cant get the Widget to work… I am not what the cause is.

 

One other thing I felt like posting… This Article I found about Creative Commons Free Music  (Word Press sent it to me)