Now this is definitely my 3rd favorite thing to wake up to in the morning. A video has just surfaced of The Mars Volta playing one of four new tunes from their secret show last night in Austin. I love the feel of this song. The relaxed summery verses flow into explosive choruses in a way that hearkens back to their earlier work. The stripped down sound that began on 2009’s Octahedron is still noticeable but I think works well. Here’s hoping Warner Brothers gets the new record to The Mars Volta’s ravenous fans soon.
Archive for the 'Rock' Category
27
Feb
11
Ross’ “Album You Better Check Out Or He’ll Hunt You Down” Corner; Boris: Boris at Last- Feedbacker
Okay, I’m not going to sit here and write this expecting everyone to dig this. Because most people won’t. Drone music is something that only certain people can bear to listen to, it’s the fifty mile uphill marathon of the music world. Listening to drone music takes a certain level of active effort on the listener’s part: you bear the repetition, the dissonances, the long running times, and the ear-piercing feedback anxiously waiting for the cathartic moment where it all comes together into beautiful melody. The climactic release of all the tension that has been built up.
It’s also kind of like sex.
Continue reading ‘Ross’ “Album You Better Check Out Or He’ll Hunt You Down” Corner; Boris: Boris at Last- Feedbacker’
I feel like sometimes metal bands focus on the wrong aspects of what metal music should be. It isn’t all about breakdowns and blast beats and burning shit on stage. That shit’s got its place and there’s nothing wrong with it, but sometimes you just need to strip it all down and bring it back home to just fucking laying down some sick riffs and venting out every ounce of frustration. It’s that kind of energy and excitement that really gets me wrapped up in a band, and that’s why I am in love with Kvelertak.
Hailing from a country more well known for its equally epic and tired black metal, Kvelertak seem to turn their backs on the “safe” route by going for an “old school” approach to metal. They manage to mix some old school Sabbath-y doom with equal parts hardcore punk energy and the subversive beauty of Baroness. The result is a riff-happy, melody-driven, hard hitting and aurally fascinating brand of metal goodness. Enough of me blabbing like a fanboy, here’s their badass video for the song “MJØD” which is going to be on their debut album, which is coming out on June 21st:
It’s clear that, if nothing else, these guys have the respect of their peers, as they’ve got John Dyer Baizley from Baroness doing the artwork for their album. So hopefully they’ll get the recognition they deserve. Who knows? Maybe if Baroness blow up like High on Fire has we’ll be able to see this band stateside. For now I’m just hoping we’ll be able to get our hands on their LPs here.
Don’t forget to check out their other songs on their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kvelertak
This is the fucking greatest thing ever.
Brothers will be released May 18th. Buy it.
There aren’t words to properly explain Planes Mistaken For Stars’ last and most potent album. It’s very raw, gritty, in-your-face, and not always easy to listen to. Despite this, there’s something very beautiful about their music. Their sound tends to bring in elements of hardcore, folk, and metal (some post-rock even) into a strange globule of potent rock that is anything but boring. Sadly, I missed out on seeing these guys on their final tour because I was not yet 21 and could not get into the venue the gig was taking place at.
Here are some vids of this tremendous band:
These guys really knew how to deliver some badass rock and roll in an unusual package. Necessary (not recommended) listening includes “Mercy” and the compilation record: “We Ride to Fight! (The First Four Years)”
With the new album around the corner (May 18th), The Black Keys are giving us the first taste for free. They recently put up a new track, “Tighten Up”, on their Myspace (www.myspace.com/theblackkeys).
It’s a pretty damn good track, if you ask me. However, it is odd for a few reasons:
1. There’s bass.
2. There are a ton of layered guitar tracks
3. ????
4. ………
While these have showed up in other of their songs, I can’t recall it being as blatant as it is on this track. Sure, some of the novelty of the two-piece band from Ohio may have slipped on this track, but it’s still damn good and I’m already hankerin’ for some more!
Be sure to check them out on their upcoming tour, they’re known for rippin’ it up live:
THE BLACK KEYS US TOUR
April 8 Univ. of Iowa Memorial Iowa City, IA
April 10 Yuri’s Night Bay Area Mountain View, CA
April 17 Wanee Music Festival Live Oak, FL
April 18 The Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater Miami, FL
April 19 The House of Blues Orlando, FL
May 20 Madison Square Garden New York, NY
June 2 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT
June 3 The Fillmore Denver, CO
June 4 The Crossroads Kansas City, MO
June 8-9 First Ave. Minneapolis, MN
June 10 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
June 11 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN
July 27-28 Central Park SummerStage New York, NY
I’m not too proud to admit that when I was younger I was a hardcore Misfits fan. As I became a greater fan of B-grade horror flicks (specifically zombie movies), there was something great about the ‘fits that fit with that.
However, as I grew up, it seemed the Misfits didn’t and I grew disillusioned with the aspects of their music that once attracted me.
Then I found Calabrese.
Listening to Calabrese takes me back to a happier place, watching the Evil Dead trilogy, Zombi, or any of the countless B horror flicks that I love so much. Calabrese has such a great sense of old school rock, punk and camp that it’s nearly impossible NOT to love them.
Love the high paced energy of punk, the “woah-ohs” of 50s rock, and the soundtracks to old horror movies? Good, because that’s exactly what Calabrese delivers. And in spades.
On their latest LP, the three brothers take everything up about five notches up from their last release, “The Traveling Vampire Show”. The guitar work, especially, is way more involved and hold interest better than the predominantly “three chord” punk feel the first two albums had. Vocally, there are distinguishable differences between tracks, which is a welcome change (though I wasn’t complaining before, their vocals have always been my favorite aspect of the band).
There’s just something really appealing about three dudes from Arizona in leather jackets playing straight up rock ‘n roll about zombies, vampires, and ghosts in the campiest but awesome manner. They call themselves “The World’s Greatest Horror Rock Band”, and honestly, there’s nobody else who comes close.
As a college student (and an English major), I know firsthand the disastrous effects this drug can have on the mind, the body, and worst of all: the psyche. My heart goes out to Dave Grohl and I wish him the speediest recovery. Coffee’s a hell of a thing to get addicted to…
Here’s a short but potent documentary on Mr. Grohl’s situation.
{NSFW}
14
Mar
10
Massive Rock Band Brofest
Today, Red Bull, futile dreams, and idle stupidity combined in Mount Vernon, NY. Myself, TV’s Ross Colombo, and Emilio Herce got together to do the first of two spring break band practices for our band. Idol Collapse. We play a style of metal/hardcore known as “The Situationcore” because it is both very loud and very obnoxious and thinks it’s way cooler than it actually is much like Mike “the Situation”. We played through some Queens of the Stone Age covers and hammered out a nearly completed draft of a song called “Red Mountains”. We’ll be getting together with the very talented Chris “The Real” Diehl on bass this Wednesday so we can hopefully start terrorizing a dive bar in Brooklyn near you this spring. Here’s some pictures of the practice space from where I sit like a jack-off watching the new Every Time I Die DVD while Ross fixes a guit-box. Groovy.
Oh My Prog 