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Folk, Music, New Release, Review, Vinyl

7″ Review: Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo – Fields Of June Featuring Frank Turner

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There is nothing in the world quite as mysterious as a relationship.  From the start until the end, however it may conclude, we have all been there.  There are easily a million songs that have been written over time  about relationships and love.  Some are positive tunes that end happily ever after, and then there are the ones that are straight up depressing with no light in the future for a resolution.  We all know these songs, and honestly almost all of them were written because of love and heartache.

Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo may have written one of the sadder love songs I have heard in my time in regards to the departure of love.  The chamber-folk song, “Fields Of June”, is just depressing as hell.  Considered a murder ballet duet by Barker, it actually was written back in 2007.  The song became even more poignant once the song was re-recorded and the male vocal duties were taken over by a good friend of Barker’s, Frank Turner.   The original duet is nothing compared to the re-released single on Xtra Mile Recordings.  Barker and Turner are perfect in trading verses, no matter how run down they may be.

To make things even more melancholy, the two made a music video, or should I say filmed a silent movie, to accompany said track.  The result is a clip I have watched over and over now.  It hits the heart hard and can cause a laugh or two as well.  Turner has proved quite the performer in the video.

Barker and Turner make for one hell of a duet act on “Fields Of June”,  and it would only make perfect sense that collaborate again in the future.

The song is available for download on iTunes as well as was released on a white 7″ in the UK with another Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo track “Nostalgia” that came from their album Despite The Snow.  The second track may not have been infectious to me as the first, but was really an amazing listen.

After hearing both songs, I must say I am really interested in hearing more of this chamber-folk that Barker and company creates.

Check out the video below for “Fields Of June” featuring Frank Turner:

Alt Rock, Music, Music Video, New Release, Pop, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Versus The World – Drink. Sing. Live. Love.

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Southern California’s Versus The World is what many night call a pop-punk /alt-rock supergroup. Made up with a former bassist for The Ataris, Mike Davenport, current Lagwagon guitarist Chris Flippin, vocalist Donald Spence and Crooks and Liars drummer Bryan Charleson, the band easily has years of experience rocking out and their recent release, Drink. Sing. Live. Love., certainly proves that.

Dropped though Viking Funeral Records (Fletcher from Pennywise’s part-owned label), Drink. Sing. Live. Love. was an impressive pop-punk/post-hardcore listen from the start.  I really did not know what to expect prior to checking out this release, all I knew was that the band consisted of some standout musicians from bands I have been a solid fan of for years.

Starting off the album was “She Sang The Blues”. a moderately heavy track with a good post-hardcore feel.  Spence and Flippin share vocal duties throughout over distorted guitar playing as well as some fun solos.  I am not going to lie, I was heavily impressed with what I heard, and I was only one song in.

There were plenty on singable opportunities on “A Fond Farewell”, a track that just screamed to be played on mainstream radio.  Yeah, it sounded like a Fall Out Boy song at times (mostly from the singing solo), but who the hell cares?

“The Kids Are Fucked” easily was one of my favorite cuts off the album.  Perhaps it was the Freaks and Geeks sample of Daniel  yelling at Nick, “rock ‘n roll don’t come from your brain. It comes from your crotch” that got me going.  Besides that, the track had all the qualities of a good listen: catchy hooks, lyrics I cold relate to at my tender age, and good ol’ fashioned guitar playing.  If there is one song you need to check out on this album, this is it.

“A Love Song For Amsterdam” easily could have been a b-side to an Atari’s album.  Then there was “Crooks And Lairs”, a likable typical moving-on-with-life-after-a-failed-relationship track that can make anyone who ever was in a rocky relationship can relate to.  “Donner Pass” was the shortest, fastest, and heaviest track on the album.  No offense, but I almost wish more songs on the album matched the tempo that this track kept.  I have the feeling that Flippin had something to do with this track.  Wrapping things up was “We Were Alive”, a track that was just not doing it for me.  With how the alumb started, I really was hoping for a nice finale.  To each their own of course.

Turns out, Versus The World dropped their debut release back in 2005 under Kung Fu Records.  I think that was the year I moved to Egypt or fell off a cliff…  Seriously, I am scratching my head on how I have never heard of this supergroup until today.  Regardless, I now know what I was missing out on and liked a few tracks off this release.  Pop-punk fans, you need to hear these guys.  They certainly fit the bill.

What i like the most about this band is that it is full of musicians who have taken their lives and dedicated them to music.  10 years ago things may have been different in their lives, but they have all moved on and matured into what they are today.  I respect that.  Rather than recall their past, they have moved on and formed something new to impress the world with.

Drink. Sing. Live. Love. recalled the pop-punk sounds of the early 2000s with close similarities to, you guessed it, The Ataris and also Fall Out Boy and even a young Taking Back Sunday.  Hell, I can even hear some old Alkaline Trio in there.  Leaning more towards a rock sound at times, the album overall was a good listen.  I have a slight feeling that this band might sound even better live.  Here’s hoping I can experience that.

90's, Alt Rock, Emo, Grunge, Indie, Music, Music Video, New Release, Pop, Post-Hardcore, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: The Fake Boys – Pig Factory

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Massachusetts threesome The Fake Boys have somehow taken 90s indie rock and mashed it up with a little DIY pop punk as well as post-hardcore in a good good way on their debut album Pig Factory.

Released by Animal Style Records, Pig Factory was recorded by the great Jay Maas (Title Fight, Transit, Polar Bear Club) and pretty much kicked ass from start to finish.  I will admit, I was super hesitant before listening to this album, but am stoked I checked it out.

“This Is Our Band” opened up the album with the lead vocalist having a very Billy Corrigan singing style (as well as a Ravishing Ride Rude resemblance), but not that “despite of my rage I’m still just a rat in my cage” annoyance.  “This Is Our Sound” followed making this listener think back to the alternative / grunge days, especially with that J. Mascus-like guitar playing.

The sound kept consistent through and didn’t get old at all.  “Don’t Live” might have had some deep lyrics that I could not crack, but the song was great.  “You’re A Loser” followed with a perfect grunge to post-hardcore ratio making for an impressive listen.

“Best Post” had this Five Man Electrical Band sound at first that was completely off from the rest of the tracks.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a good listen with acoustic guitars and such, but that only lasted a moment as the rest of the band kicked in making for a good ol’ 90s alt-rock listen.  I found myself really digging that track a lot.

I really enjoyed the 90s alt-rock-heavy “Hi Friend”.  There’s nothing quite like a fun, friendly song that   just makes you gently rock your head.  Hands down, this was my favorite cut off the release, well at least I thought it was until the next track came on…  Just wait till that distorted bass kicks in, and you will most likely agree with me – “Realist World” ruled.  Lots of emo and post-hardcore going on the track.  I’m sold.

The Fake Boys sounded like a punk rock Smashing Pumpkins with a gracious nod to 90s rock.  I caught hints of Jawbreaker, Briad, and even Texas Is The Reason as well  as Dinosaur Jr.  Spite what I think they sound like, the truth is, this band knows how to deliver their own style and the result is a pretty solid listen.  There’s nothing fake about these guys at all and I am sure they are fully aware of that.  Do you like 90s rock?  Yes?  Go listen to The Fake Boys now.

Music, New Release, Pop, Punk, Review

Album Review: Teenage Bottlerocket – Freak Out!

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Small town pop punk heroes Teenage Bottlerocket have done it again…

You know what?  Why make you all wait to read this entire review to find out what I think, Freak Out is nothing short of what I would ever have expected from this Wyoming foursome.  Full of hilarious, catchy, and memorable pop-punk tracks, Teenage Bottlerocket has released one of their best albums to date.

There, review done.  Go buy it.

Ok, for the sake of those who might want to know a little more, I suppose I can talk about Freak Out a little more.  After all, what else do I have to do right now?

Formed in 2001 in Laramie, WY, Teenage Bottlerocket started small and soon got noticed the old fashioned way.  With no gimmicks and hard work the band was not only picked up by Red Scare Records, but also grabbed the attention of the Groovie Ghoulies who had them play their stage at a Warped Tour.  In 2009, Teenage Bottlerocket signed to Fat Wreck Cords and dropped They Came From The Shadows, an impressive release that immediately grabbed this listener’s attention.  It’s had to believe that it’s been 3 years since that album dropped; I still listen to it regularly.

Freak Out is the band’s fifth release and immediately started off where They Came From The Shadows dropped off.  The 39-second title track screamed Ramones in a good good way.  I loved the “1, 2, 3, 4” count in the background.  Following the opening track was “Headbanger”, and it straight up ruled.  There is nothing quite like a punk rock song glorifying an 80s metal party and especially one that rocked out from start to finish.  I loved the fact that said headbanger got a concussion from whipping around his hair and the band noting “that shit can’t be good for your brain.”

“Necrocomicon” was brilliant.  The song revolved around “the comic book of the dead” in San Diego.  Fun lyrics with Yoda and Captain Kirk aiming to attack thanks to an evil curse.  Seriously, I totally expected Teenage Bottlerocket to write something like that.  “Maverick” continued as a catchy ass track talking about the other guy in Top Gun that did not go on to have a flourishing career making movies while battling to stay in the closet.

Not all jokes and tributes to movies, “Done With Love” was more serious about anti-love surrounded by riffs and hooks that made for one of my favorite tracks on the album.  “Punk House Of Horror” was another track I really got a kick out of that had Teenage Bottlerocket just producing fun pop-punk music.  “Never Going To Tell You” followed in the lines of something Screeching Weasel might have written without ripping them off one bit.

At my current age, it was nice to find out that “In The Pit” actually made fun of mosh pits rather than glorify them.  Once upon a time my dumb ass ran around in circles and probably pissed off tons of people.  That was then, and this is now and I appreciated that song a lot and apologize for my mindless actions as a confused youth in the 90s.

“Summertime” screamed to be the anthem for the rest of my summer.  Singing of being sick of the cold and snow and going to where it is “hot as Mexico”, I am sure some of you can sense why I liked this song so much.  Beyond that, it was a punk rock love song I am sure many of my Ohio friends can relate to.

“Go With The Flow” ended the album on a rather personal level about growing up and moving on.  I liked how the song circled back around enough to show different levels of hurt from each side.  The music that played with it was a tad different over the other songs in the sense that there was what sounded like a keyboard in there.   Seeing two sides of the departure made the song that much more interesting to listen to.

The album is a quick but lasting listen with 14 tracks carrying just below a half hour.  Freak Out is one of those albums that easily can be listened to over and over without getting sick of it, trust me on that.  Teenage Bottlerocket easily has dropped their best release to date and intend to take their talent to the road for all to hear.

Fans of the Ramones and Screeching Weasel (even early Green Day) probably already know who Teenage Bottlerocket is and what they are all about: pop punk with fun, easy to sing along to lyrics.  Nothing more, nothing less.  It’s hard to not like this band, especially for the fact that they have not really changed up their style much and still drop excellent releases.  It’s nice to see a level of consistency for a 10-year-old band not because they have not gone anywhere, but because they choose to stick to what they do best.  As they are just starting to get heavily noticed, I hope to hell they keep their sound for 10 more years.  It’s perfect.

Acoustic, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock

Album Review: Joey Cape / Tony Sly – Acoustic Volume 2

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Has it really been been 8 years since Tony Sly and Joey Cape released their first solo album collectively?  I can remember the day I heard cuts off that release and bragged to my close friends about it.  Soon they were just as hooked as I was with the acoustic renditions of Lagwagon and No Use For a Name (NUFAN) songs.

Hearing those punk rock songs acoustically was just something so new and exciting for this listener.  Keep in mind, this was before many of the punk musicians started their acoustic projects.  It was a new method of sorts and would pave a side road for punk rock music forever.  It’s save to say the revival was made possible by Cape and Sly.

Cape and Sly would continued with their solo careers separately after the release and both dropped some remarkable albums, but nothing was as memorable as their first attempt.  Over the past 8 years, Cape and Sly really built their reputation as solo artists and decided it was time again to take some of their classic songs and create acoustic renditions of them for all to head.  Needless to say when I found out via Fat Wreck Chords that Cape and Sly were releasing Acoustic Volume 2, I got a tad excited.

Once again the duo took 5 songs each from their back catalogs and turned them into acoustic masterpieces.  To keep with the idea of their original attempt, they both wrote and recorded brand new tracks to add to the mix.  The result is a sequel to an amazing release that follows the same path of awesomeness.

Cape took the first half of the album and started it with “I Must Be Hateful” taken from 2003’s Blaze. The already amazing song sounded more powerful than ever when broke down into acoustic form.  Cape loses the rasp in his voice and gently sings with assistance from soft piano.

“Know It All” was one of my favorite tracks off of 1994’s Trashed, and 18 years later it continued to impress me on a different caliber.  “Alison’s Disease”, originally found on Live Fat, Die Young, was a tearjerker to listen to.  I remember the original on the Fat Wreck compilation, but this round was almost as hard to listen to as Fat Mike’s acoustic version of “My Orphan Year”.  Amazing on how slowing down a song can unleash so much emotion.

I was so happy to hear “Resolve” on this release.  Listening to Cape play a more folky version brought a smile to my face even though the track pays homage to their drummer Derrick Piourde who passed in 2005.  “Broken Record”, Cape’s all new track, followed the same path as previous tracks with a mellow mood.  The song perked up half way through but ended just as soon as it started.

Sly took over the remainder of the album with a powerful version of “Black Box”.  Maybe it was the accordion in the background with piano and a strings section, but the new and improved version taken off the 2005 NUFAN release Keep Them Confused sounded better than ever.

“Soulmate” was my choice track off this release.  The track was already one of my favorites in the 90s on Leche con Carne! and hearing it all over again in a different way was just refreshing.  A new take on an old classic was just what I was looking to hear.  I could not help but feel the same way I did when I heard “Justified Black Eye” for the first time in acoustic form back in 2004.  It brought a smile to my face and I instantly sung along.

“Chasing Rainbows” was a fun take on the original found on More Betterness!, but overall I still preferred the 1999 original.  “Pre-Medicated Murder”sounded nothing like the version found on Hard Rock Bottom. The slowed down version was eerie in a sense to listen to and enhanced the lyrics so much more.

Sly’s original, “Liver Let Die”, was a barroom masterpiece in it’s own carried by strumming acoustic guitar.  The song was likable and held out an instant invite for me to learn the chorus and sing along.  The track ended with a crowd chanting “one more song, one more song” and to me was a perfect way to put this release to sleep.  It also provided for a taste of what Sly has in store for his listeners in future releases.

What happens when punk musicians age?  They grow up, maybe have a family, live life, but never put down the guitar.  If you are thinking that this album is “just another punk rock side project” you are wrong.  This album is a celebration by two men and their career featuring some classic songs.  I am glad I only had to wait 8 years for this because honestly, 10 years might have been too long.

If you like NUFAN and Lagwagon, chances are you already know about Acoustic Volume 2.  If you dig acoustic music, check it out, you will not be disappointed.  Punk rock or not, this duo make for some amazing renditions of classic cuts I feel many can appreciate regardless of what genre of music is preferred.