Category Archives: Review

Jam, Metal, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

The Bakerton Group – El Rojo – CD Review

21 February, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

The Bakerton Group aka Clutch — The Bakerton Group (aka Clutch)

Rock band Clutch collectively released a new CD from their side project band, which some claim is an alter ego of sorts called The Bakerton Group. Focusing mostly on instrumental music, the four-some recently, with help from Per Wibeg of Opeth, released El Rojo. The outcome of this CD strays slightly from the stoner rock but travels more so down the jam band style of music with elements of jazz and blues.

The Maryland rock act Clutch has been rocking out since 1990 and although they never reached the mainstream level, they have a huge fan base and have sold tons of albums as well as toured the world. Their hard work over the years got them where they are today including a following of fans, more of a cult following as Clutch does not get played on the radio much nor do they have countless music videos for their material. The band, which barely slows down, tours constantly and has eight albums under their belts.

The Bakerton Group was formed around 1999 by the members of Clutch perhaps to just try something different and expand their musical creativity. Their first EP titled Space Guitars was released in 2000 and is still available for free download on the band’s website. It was not until 2007 when a full length self titled album was released on River Road Records. El Rojo marks the second release by the band and this time has been released on Clutch’s very own label Weathermaker Music.

The Bakerton Group is more of a rock jam session that will appeal to more than just one type of fan. It’s easy to compare the sound to Clutch as all four members contribute. I admit that while listening to some tracks I was waiting for Clutch lead singer Neil Fallon to bellow out over the music. While listening though I had to keep reminding myself El Rojo is an instrumental project full of a surplus of music types.

With El Rojo being my first taste of the Bakerton Group, I did not know quite what to expect other than instrumental songs. Starting off the CD was “Time Horizon”. All I could think of was how Clutch sounding the track was. Being as big of a Clutch fan as I am, I was glad to hear the music, and it rocked, but my first taste of this side project was nothing out of the ordinary to me.

The CD really didn’t hit me until “Bien Clasico” played with intermittent crazy saxophone playing that even John Zorn would smile at. The song had sort of a Disco Biscuits feel at times sans the electronics blips and bleeps. The potent organ solo on “Life On Lars” was something worth listening over and over again. “M.(F).H.S.” became predictable sounding at times but turned out to be one of my favorite jams on the entire album.

I could not help but smile while listening to “Work Em” as perhaps Neil could not control himself as he just screamed out in the middle of the song finally giving me that total Clutch fix I was yearning for. Whispering robot sounds added to the fun of this track not to mention the length of the song. If there is any song on the album you want to preview to get a taste of what the Bakerton Group sounds like, this is a perfect song to start with.

For those of you who think the songs on El Rojo might be Clutch songs that never made it to one of their CDs, you are to a degree correct. El Rojo to me was more intimate Clutch music that usually only can be heard behind closed doors when the band just feels like rocking out and not going to plan. This is the music you only wish you could have heard before perhaps as a b-side or as filler at a live show. The music is solid, composed, and extensive at times making for a great CD to just sit back and listen to.

The Bakerton Group will be touring with Clutch in support of El Rojo. Technically speaking Clutch will be touring as The Bakerton Group opening for Clutch. Does that make sense? Who cares. If you are a fan of Clutch you will love the Bakerton Group and should not pass up the opportunity of a full forced night of music when they hit your city. If you are not a fan of Clutch but appreciate good musicianship, you too should at least sample the CD, you might just like it.

-For more info on Clutch and The Bakerton Group check out www.pro-rock.com

-Head over to The Bakerton Group’s website and download the Space Guitars EP for free.

-For some extra content plus info on The Bakerton Group plus other Clutch projects check out Brooklyn Vegan.

-Here are some videos of The Bakerton Group from past shows:

Emo, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Screamo

Thursday – Common Existence – CD Review

12 February, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

New Jersey post-hardcore act Thursday has a lot to be proud about. Being credited with bringing the screamo genre to the mainstream level as well as have been labeled in 2004 as SPIN Magazine’s “The Next Big Thing” are just a couple of reasons why. This six-piece did not invent the screamo genre but rather took it to a new level. With all they have accomplished I can not believe they have been a band for just over ten years now.

Currently the band is about to release their fifth full-length album, entitled Common Existence. This time around the band has teamed up with the punk rock independent label Epitaph Records and hopes to continue to wow their fans while, at the same time, recruit new ones. The band will be headlining the Taste Of Chaos tour this year in support of their new release alongside rousing acts Bring Me The Horizon, Four Year Strong, Pierce The Veil, and the Cancer Bats.

Just in case you have no idea what screamo exactly is, imagine melodic emo music mixed with post-hardcore fury and occasional throat-destroying screaming throughout. Some find the music terribly annoying but there are many like myself who can not get enough. I just love the fragile, sorrow feel during some songs only to be smacked over and over with screams not many can endure. The first time I heard screamo was actually the first time I listened to Thursday’s debut with Victory Records called Full Collapse and I admit I was highly entertained.

I had already gotten a preview of the CD single “Resuscitation Of A Dead Man” earlier this year when the band streamed the song on their website, but it was not until this second helping that I realized how great of a song it is. Less screamo and more hardcore is all I can think about on this track that features Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath contributing vocals. “Last Call” follows with Geoff Ricky’s all-so-familiar, lamenting vocals.

Previously appearing on the band’s 2008 split EP with Japanese hardcore band Envy was “As He Climbed The Dark Mountain.” The song hinted towards Thursday’s juvenile years with more of their signature screamo fashion but came with a twist as heavy distortion and pitch shifts dominated throughout.

“Friends In The Arms Forces,” which featured Quicksand’s Walkter Schriefels, seemed a little cut down from the other tracks on the CD but was still enjoyable. The song, inspired by the band member’s friendship with someone currently serving overseas, is a protest of the basis but full of wishes of protection as different emotions spiral throughout. “Beyond The Visible Spectrum” was very astray from the Thursday norm at times with a more mellow, mostly post-hardcore sound. As much as I want to say I was not getting into it, the truth is… I was. I especially dug the reverb throughout the track and the sudden conclusion that left me wanting more.

“Time’s Arrow” was almost a whisper compared to everything else on this CD. The song started out ever so gentle and had this, dare I say, almost a Muse/Radiohead experimental style going on. I loved it. This song was the most untried song I have heard Thursday perform so far and I still crave more of it.

This album deserves to be listened to over and over again by old school fans of Thursday as well as by random newcomers. I myself can not keep Common Existence out of my CD player. The overall sound suggests that the band has taken a departure from the genre commonly attributed to them. It appears the one-time pioneers of screamo really focused on taking what they know and have expanded it with their musical creativity. The result is some really amazing songs, some of which I did not expect to hear.

It’s nice to see the band try something new while still holding on to their own uniqueness. Common Existence is ongoing evidence that Thursday continues to mature and, honestly, this album has turned me into an even bigger fan.

Here is a recently released clip of the making of Thursday’s upcoming music video for “Resuscitation Of A Dead Man”:

Thursday – Making The Video: “Resuscitation of A Dead Man” from absolutepunk.net on Vimeo.

???

One of the first songs that got me hooked on Thursday:

Music, Music Video, New Release, Punk, Review

Tom Gabel – Heart Burns – EP Review

11 February, 2009 Brian Mc Leave a comment

Tom Gabel had a busy 2008. Not only did the front man of Against Me! headline the Van’s Warped Tour with his associates all summer long but he also recorded his own solo EP called Heart Burns and toured solo on the Revival Tour this past fall in support of it. The seven song EP was released under Sire records and has Tom Gabel taking things under his control, making for a good listen.

Tom Gabel playing at the Vans Warped Tour in Cleveland 2008

Just in case you didn’t know, Tom Gabel was Against Me! from the get go. He started the band at age 16 all by himself and played acoustical shows in support of his first release the Acoustical EP. In a nutshell, his success with his solo material, which came from years of hard work and dedication, soon turned into the band Against Me! many are now familiar with. Hoards of fans have eaten up many of their albums that incorporated folk with punk rock and high sing along qualities. The rest is history.

Of course that history includes the heartbreak of many dedicated fans when Against Me! went so called “corporate” and signed to a nation label. They released the radio friendly New Wave, one of the band’s most successful releases to date. Tom Gabel and his band mates were called sellouts for what they did but, regardless of their decision making, they have moved on with new fans all over the world and seem to handle being seen in the spotlight quite well.

Now why Tom Gabel chose to do another solo album remains to be determined. Some may think he wanted to stray away from the band to focus on his individual talent while others think he went back to his roots as an apology to all of those die-hard fans.

Regardless why he chose to do the Heart Burns EP, I was looking forward to it, as I became a fan of all of his material once I finally pushed aside the hype and decided to actually listen to the band. The first time I was told about Against Me! I wanted nothing to do with them. I hated them without ever giving them a chance. Soon thereafter I was working at a record store and a little scenester girl I worked with played the CD and I was hooked. I have since seen Against Me! live every time they come to my city. They put on an amazing show.

Leading up to the EP’s release, Tom Gabel took use of networking wonders MySpace and released one man performance videos for each song released from the EP. The videos were just a taste of the EP with rough cut versions of politically charged songs and were visually pleasing. Check out Tom Gabel’s MySpace page if you want a taste of them and while you are at it, check out a previous blog I posted with some other videos there for your viewing pleasure. (I also posted a couple of my favs at the bottom of this blog…)

After seeing the videos I figured this EP would in fact be a collection of those mostly acoustical songs and nothing more. When “Random Hearts” started with electronic beats leading to Tom Gabel’s trademark raspy singing I realized this was something entirely different. My initial taste of Tom Gabel’s new solo material sounded like Against Me! meets The Faint without all the dancing.

The following “Conceptual Paths” added elements of folk with very mild reverb on his voice at times. I loved this song and to think I just stared playing the CD. “Cowards Sing At Night” humored me; it was clearly about John McCain as the song ended “your war is over Johnny”. The simple indie rock riffs kept the song flowing

“Amputations” seriously reminded me of classic garage rock with its heavy on guitar distortion. At one moment I am reminded of “Ballroom Blitz” with the way Tom Gabel sings “There’s no heat between lovers and a summer night.” Perhaps if you hear the song you will know what I am talking about. Aside from the sweet similarity, the song is incredible and by the end you are surrounded by the trademark Against Me! group signing. The song was initially played by Against Me! acoustically last March at in-store events causing a lot of fans to question if the song happened to be a New Wave b-side.

Just when I thought I could not be more impressed by this EP “Anna Is A Stool Pigeon” came on. The lyrics, a hidden secret love story revolving around an activist guy who fell in love with an undercover FBI agent unknowingly, were an adventure alone. Chuck Ragan from Hot Water Music added back up vocals and harmonica kept my interest. Butch Vig from Garbage, who also is the executive producer of the EP, even added his drumming skills to pull together one hell of a track.

This EP is continuing evidence that Tom Gabel is to be heard by many regardless if he does it on his own or with Against Me!. I have high expectations for his musical career and I see him not slowing down anytime soon. You don’t have to like Against Me! to enjoy the Heart Burns EP. Sure it has its sing along moments and for the most part sounds like Against Me!. I am sure all the die hard will rave about it, or bitch about it for the sake of it not being Against Me!, but it is a genuine effort and to be enjoyed by all.

Music, Music Video, Punk, Review

Bouncing Souls – “We All Sing Along” – Song Review

4 February, 2009 Brian Mc 2 Comments

So the groundhog saw it’s shadow the other day. Yup, that means more winter for some of us. Don’t threat though, the Bouncing Souls have released their second song on their website called “We Sing Along”!

Last month I wrote a little blog here about the Bouncing Souls celebrating their 20 years as a punk rock band by releasing a single a month (you can read about it HERE). As promised, each month I will be reviewing their singles until the year’s end.

What is it about the Bouncing Souls that is so appealing to me? I know, they are a great bunch of musicians that continue to create great punk rock and “We Sing Along” is no exception.

The track starts out a little less polished giving for a gritty entrance to the newest punk rock singalong but smooths out nicely. This punk anthem is aimed at everyone who has their own problems or misguided plans and dealing with them in a positive way.

I loved the line, “but the world has its own ideas, we all must play the hand fate deals. When our plans have come and gone we all sing one heart song.” The positive upbeat approach this song has is perfect for all of the folk out there who have dreams but have not accomplished them just yet. The song is very likable and honestly now one of my favorite Bouncing Souls songs to date.

Want to hear it? Like I mentioned before you will have to buy it in order to listen to it. The song costs $0.99 and you don’t even have to leave home to buy it. Check out the websites of the Bouncing Souls or their label Chunksaah Records to purchase “We All Sing Along” and be sure to remember to return to either site at the beginning of each month to grab their next single for the rest of the year.

Also check back here on good ol’ brokenheadphones.com as I will be reviewing each song every month! Two down, ten more to go, I can honestly I say I am very excited to hear next month’s installment.

Since I can’t share the song I thought I would at least throw in a couple of videos for your visual pleasure:

Bouncing Souls – “Kids and Heroes”

Bouncing Souls – “Anchors Aweigh”

Experimental, Indie, Music, Music Video, Punk, Review, Rock

Nobunny – Love Visions – CD Review

24 January, 2009 Brian Mc 2 Comments

Chances are if you were to pick up a CD and see a Ramones looking cover with a guy wearing a bunny mask dressed like Joey Ramone, you would put it back down and continue with life. In the case of solo act Nobunny, I almost did the very same thing. In fact I have had the CD for a few weeks now and could not for the life of me force myself into playing it; that is until today. Today was like any other day except I finally put Love Visions into my CD player and what I got out of it was a complete surprise.

What is Nobunny you ask? Nobunny is a man of sorts, a jokester performer who is more of a modern day GG Allen. A gimmick act who sounds a lot like a mix between the Dead Milkmen and the Ramones, all while sporting a bunny mask. His live shows are for the less timid mostly because the masked Nobunny loses his pants during performances after drowning himself in booze and sings into a microphone that looks like a carrot. The result of his actions, on top of his music, however have won over an elaborate array of fans. This is Nobunny’s first CD release thanks to 1234 Go Records.

Not much is publicly known about the man behind the mask or the band that backs him up. The only known fact about Nobunny is that he is from Tucson. From there it is said that he was living in a trailer with no utilities and came to realize he wanted to be an Animal Elvis impersonator to help pay the bills. Soon thereafter Nobunny was writing his own material and booked his first show in Chicago on Easter Sunday in 2001. The set was in fact dedicated to Joey Ramone, who had actually died that day.

Nobunny has been known for his shenanigans while touring. He once booked two shows on the same day, at the same time, and had a fill in for the show he did not perform. Sometimes he doesn’t even show up to the venue at all leaving fans with a not so funny feeling. Nobunny even mentioned receiving a gift while on stage at Cleveland’s Tower 2012, but you will have to read the interview to find out that gift. You would not think that someone who acted like this would have fans, but the truth is a lot of folk like him and have paid outrageous amounts of money to acquire his Love Visions record on Ebay.

With knowing what Nobunny is all about I finally checked out Love Visions. As soon as “Nobunny Starts” played I could not decide what I liked about it except that it was a direct rip off of a classic song from the past that I can not for the life of me grasp the title. I only imagine Junior Senior while listening to it and realize it is only a gimmick.

The second “I Know I Know” started I realize I was hooked. I am reminded of classic punk rock from the 70s like Iggy & The Stooges. “Mess Me Up” started mixing that said 70’s punk with good, garage rock fun for a great sing along of sorts. I loved the guitar and simple drums and the baritone “Bo bo bo bo” at the end.

“I Am A Girlfriend” is a clear imitation of The Ramones and I loved it as well as the following “Tina Goes To Work”. Perhaps one of the more memorable songs “Chuck Berry Holiday” had me thinking at times of the Rolling Stones in the earlier years. The song was a continuing surprise to my ears as I moved through. “Boneyard” was a track that stood out above the rest with a drum machine sounding beat backing up some easy going distorted guitars. It almost sounds like a White Stripes b-side with a twist.

Ending the CD is the DIY sounding “Not That Good”. I sure hope the song was not how he felt about his debut because I would have to disagree. I enjoyed the simple punk rock entertainment throughout. The CD is not solid by any means and the songs are short and sweet, possibly aiding in the appeal to the act.

Having not heard of Nobunny before and reading a very short bio on him I was not expecting much of anything when I initially put the disc in. I was guessing what I was about to hear was going to be either too artsy for a simple guy like me to understand or just downright ugly. I was wrong. I was dead wrong.

Indie rock, punk rock, and even a little garage rock, it’s all there in Love Visions. Even if the guy wears a mask that is sure to scare the hell out of small children he should not be underestimated and will be heard. His live performances are to be left determined as I have not had the opportunity to see Nobunny in the flesh yet but I did notice on his MySpace page that he will be playing at the SXSW this spring in Austin, TX.

Catch him live if you dare as I have heard good and bad things about him. The bad outweighs the good of course mostly because by the time Nobunny has finished he is hammered and pants-less which may not be appealing to all viewers. The good thing is that regardless how he presents his act, solo or with a touring band, he is there to entertain, bunny mask and all.

Here are a couple of videos I found of Nobunny… Try not to be too scared.