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Art in Manila

Set the Woods on Fire
Saddle Creek (2007)

With the indefinite hiatus of Azure Ray, the duo of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink ventured into the lives of solo recording artists with different intentions. Maria offered up her 11:11 album, which was more or less a continuation of the established Azure Ray sound, focusing on the vaguely folk indie pop which had won her over her with the … Read more

The Starting Line

Direction
Virgin (2007)

I'm sure most people reading our reviews here at Scene Point Blank won't care about clicking on this album. The Starting Line is a pretty "mainstream" band; not something the readers would jump to buy, or even care to listen to at all. I know you're thinking that there was that slew of early 2000's Drive-Thru pop-punk bands that were … Read more

Lucinda Williams

West
Lost Highway (2007)

Ever wonder what it sounds like when a bunch of people are falling asleep while recording an album? Or how about the sound of an artist totally giving up on their craft, but still making music? Well, you're in luck because Lucinda Williams has released West, an album that does all of that and more! Lucinda Williams has previously been … Read more

Baroness / Unpersons

A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk
At A Loss (2007)

Baroness and Unpersons team up for A Grey Sigh in a Flower Husk. For Baroness, it serves as a precursor to their forthcoming album for Relapse Records and as a send off for former guitarist Tim Loose. For Unpersons, this split serves as some people's - like mine - first exposure to the band. The two bands have vastly different … Read more

Every Second Counts

Every Second Counts
6131 (2007)

Here's a band from Southern California that I'm not familiar with, and for the style they play I find that odd. There hasn't been any mention of them on messageboards or any bulletins on Myspace about them being "good dudes" who are "backed hard." It says on the one sheet that Every Second Counts tours but they have probably never … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Matadors

Flame the Whisper
Devil Doll (2007)

Yippeeeee! It's Matadors time! Plug it in and lets party like it's 1992! Yes, that's right. 1992! Forget those bands of way back when. Gas Huffer. Mother Love Bone. The Mono Men. All great bands that never had a tribute band until now (zing!). Fifteen years late, but who the hell's counting? Matadors work on Swedish time, baby. It's not … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Glorior Belli

Manifesting the Raging Beast
Southern Lord (2007)

See: Obscurus Advocam Just kidding. But let's face it. They are pretty interchangeable, no? Both bands are the vision of French musician Infestuus. Both bands are all just too melodic. Now, call me old-fashioned but melody has no place in black metal. Bleak, sure. Twisted? Frightening? Suffocating? These are all bad adjectives for relationships, yet all good adjectives for heavy … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Obscurus Advocam

Verbia Daemonicus
Battle Kommand (2007)

I've been told that France has been home to a few good bands over the years, but like you, aside from Air I'd be hard pressed to name them. Sure we've read about those wacky French kids jumping on the church-burning, murderous bandwagon, but can they play music? Well, let's just say they try, but don't quite get there. Obscurus … Read more

200 Words Or Less

By Night

A Shape of New Desperation
Lifeforce (2007)

Where to begin, where to begin... For starters they're Swedish, which would normally be a plus, but in this case it is not because they opt to sound like every other 'Mercan scream-core band you've ever heard and that's really about it. Do you like Lamb of God? Do you like every band like this that tries to sound like … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Hell Within

Shadows of Vanity
Lifeforce (2007)

Taken verbatim from the initial notes of the reviewer: Starts out promisingly enough with Derek Jay beating the snare like he just caught it pooching his wife. Same energy as early Metallica (hey kids! remember them?). Vocalist reminiscent of the Avenged Sevenfold dude. Christ, I hope he looks cooler.) The song being referred to is the opening and title track … Read more

The Geeks

Every Time We Fall
Think Fast! (2007)

The Geeks: Korean straight edge hardcore with a youth crew twist. I know what you're thinking; the first time I heard it I didn't believe it either. After hearing mention of The Geeks, my first inclination was to write them off as a novelty band. But then I heard The Geeks' debut 7" What's Inside and I knew they were … Read more

Funeral Diner

The Doors Open
Independent (2007)

So far this year the genre that is 'screamo' hasn't been delivering much of anything. Luckily we have Funeral Diner, one of the few epic screamo bands still out there who are still alive and together, and still have time to pump out a new release here and there while they aren't at their shitty part time jobs doing nothing. … Read more

Multiple Authors

Do Make Say Think

You, You're a History in Rust
Constellation (2007)

Instrumental music, I've found, requires patience to fully appreciate it. Sitting through detached, quiet parts of songs is by no means difficult, but it can definitely test a listener's musical patience. Canadian cohorts Do Make Say Think have been writing instrumental music since the mid 90's. Akin to label-mates Godspeed You! Black Emperor, they write extremely cohesive, powerful and moving … Read more

Multiple Authors

Do Make Say Think

You, You're a History in Rust
Constellation (2007)

In recent years, post-rock has become the urban sprawl of independent music. Invasive, bloated, and undeniably comfortable, it has steadily, albeit consciously, delineated from its richer, more substantive origins to assume the role of pleasant background music, antiseptically reliable but hopelessly predictable. Tortoise's feral meanderings and Mogwai's bulky, aggressive overtones have been replaced by Explosions in the Sky's brand of … Read more

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