Fangs
by
Falling Up I will say going into this review that Falling up has always been one of those bands that never registered much on my radar. I worked at a Christian rock radio station for over a year and have been a fan...
On The Cover II
by
MxPx After giving On The Cover II (2) by MxPx a few spins on the old iTunes
I was struck by a couple of things.
One: There are many songs on this album that I know, but didn't know I knew.
Two:...
Canvas Tears
by
The Contact Geoff and the rest of the guys in The Contact have had this album done for a while now having finished it in 2007, but it is just now getting the attention and distribution (via 7spin) here in the states....
That about Covers it... | Posted March-23-2009
After giving On The Cover II (2) by MxPx a few spins on the old iTunes
I was struck by a couple of things.
One: There are many songs on this album that I know, but didn't know I knew.
Two: I wonder how long it will take for some poor unsuspecting clerk at a local Christian Book store
to get a good talking to about the lyrical content of this "Christian album" by this "Christian
band." See "500 Miles" originally by The Proclaimers
"When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
...If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you..."
The sheer fact that some of the songs are originally from such secular punk mainstays
as The Ramones, The GoGo's , The Clash or even arena rockers Queen may raise a
few eyebrows.
But, all that being said, this is a solid album of covers.
I especially enjoyed their take on "I will Follow" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go."
Special little treats like the liner notes including pictures of Tom, Mike and Yuri
dressed as all the bands they cover, and guest vocals from Bryce Avary of The
Rocket Summer, Ethan Luck of Relient K make this album stand out.
If you are an MxPx fan you should enjoy this album, if you are a fan of 80's punk
you should enjoy this album, if you have never heard of MxPx and like good upbeat
pop-punk music, you will enjoy this album. The first two apply to me and I enjoyed
this album, it's a keeper. I will have to delete The Best of Yani to have room to let it
stay on my hard drive permanently, but let's be honest, this isn't a great loss.
Fangs! can be scary, but this is just good. | Posted March-24-2009
I will say going into this review that Falling up has always been one of those bands that never registered much on my radar. I worked at a Christian rock radio station for over a year and have been a fan of Christian rock my entire life, but yet they never did catch my attention. I have always liked the singles played on the radio and the free mp3 downloads here and there and yet they never made me want to buy their albums to hear more. Until the new single from Fangs! "Streams of Woe at Acheron" registered on the chart for my show.
I was intrigued.
Once I got a copy in my hands, I listened to it once, then again, and now it is still playing even as I write this review.
This album is a concept album, based on a screenplay written by Falling Up's guitarist and lead singer Jessy Ribordy. The sci-fi storyline it follows is introduced in at the beginning of the liner notes and sheds light on the albums lyrics. The story even makes the odd yet intriguing album cover and art layout make sense. I won't reveal more about the storyline than that, but I will just say this, it is fascinating.
As far the sound of the album, it is still recognizable as Falling Up, but as the sci-fi theme of the album might imply, it has a space rock sound. Still aggressive and heavy in places, don't expect to rock out and mosh to much of anything from this disc. Fangs is very atmospheric and a joy to listen to, and this is coming from a person who usually prefers his music hard and heavy from beginning to end.
This is a great album. I honestly don't know who else to compare it to. Fans of Falling Up should pick Fangs! up for sure, and if you ever wished that bands like Radiohead would tame it down a little bit and be less experimental and ramp up the heaviness a little then I think you will like it too. It's a keeper.
The Canvas Tears, tears down the house | Posted March-16-2009
Geoff and the rest of the guys in The Contact have had this album done for a while now having finished it in 2007, but it is just now getting the attention and distribution (via 7spin) here in the states. This album is one that many have been praying for, for a long time. For fans of secular acts like Radiohead, Elbow and other smart rock bands this is a must. Geoff's vocal's vary from sounding like Radiohead on the edgier tracks to Snow Patrol on some of the more mellow tracks. Black Sea, the first single off of Canvas Tears is a spectacular track, and has the moodiness of Depeche Mode but still the feel and sound of Radiohead. I cannot get over how good this album is, especially considering how little attention it has received. This album is a must and should be part of any collection. It is the perfect compliment to any cd self already stacked high with cd's by the Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Mutemath, Depeche Mode, or Elbow. GET IT! You Won't regret it.
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