Recorded between shows on The Mars Volta's recent European tour, Omar Rodriguez' second solo outing is a different beast from his previous release on his GSL label, 2004's A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1. Recorded with a band partially recruited from Mars Volta personnel and other musicians, present to bolster the instrument count, the record serves not just as a side-project for a bored guitarist between concerts, but a genuinely engaging piece of work. Made up of five tracks cryptically titled in Dutch, Omar Rodriguez, unlike Omar's previous solo release, features no vocal contributions throughout the record. Also noticeable is the lessened importance of the guitar. While Rodriguez' ubiquitous free-jazz styled frenetics are still present, they occasionally take a backseat to seemingly improvised horn sections and occasional piano and synth moments. A major criticism of Omar's work in The Mars Volta is based on his own importance in the mix, and his somewhat domineering role in songwriting, so it is nice to see him sporadically stand down to allow other members to shine. Similarly to A Manual Dexterity, the record begins with an exercise in free jazz drumming, courtesy of Eric Salas, but also notably aided in percussive terms by … Read more
You might not have heard of Michael Lenzi, aka Resplendent, but if you have, you're probably wondering how a guy … Read more
A few years back, I used to be friends with this kid Lee. He played drums in a few local … Read more
Tantric music has its charms, but more often than not, it's boring as shit. What's tantric music you ask? Well … Read more
I don't think there's anyone on Scene Point Blank's staff that remembers Mid Carson July besides me and maybe Bob, … Read more
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If you are not familiar with the English trio known as South yet, it is my strong opinion that you do so, and quickly. My first exposure to these guys came in the form of the song "Here on in" off of their 2nd record From Here on In. Stylistically the song was simply a cool acoustic song with great harmonies and melody, but something in the music and vocals resonated with me enough to go on a search for the record. What I found was more of the same - quiet acoustic guitars, vocal harmony, orchestration, and tracks upon tracks of layered guitars. I was impressed. Upon the release of With the Tides I didn't know what to expect. I read several reviews stating the record was mediocre on … Read more
Punk rock has always been centered on the voicing of ones opinion, with the vast majority of those opinions taking direct aim at politics. In the 70's and 80's, leaders like Jello Biafra and Joey Shithead got so involved in political happenings that they found their way into jails and courthouses on frequent occasions. These encounters only added further fuel … Read more
Seattle artist Rocky Votolato has been a busy man of late. His debut record for Barsuk, Makers, has already seen an episode of cult teen series The O.C. use the opening track, "White Daisy Passing", on its soundtrack. Such lofty heights for the Texan-born singer were hard to imagine back in his Second Nature Records days. Makers is a record … Read more
Ok, so it's no secret that I really like A Wilhelm Scream. Like, a lot. I gave their most recent full-length, Ruiner, an 8.5 out of a possible 10. The full-length has yet to leave regular rotation in my listening habits, and the thing's been out since August! There had been talks from Jumpstart Records for a long time that … Read more
The Northwest is breathing new life into its hardcore scene. They've got a lot of great bands right now - Go it Alone, Shook Ones, The Answer, Sinking Ships, Betrayed, Daggermouth, and so on. And while those bands lean towards the traditional side of hardcore, there are others that aim for something a bit more metal. Seattle's Lahar deliver just … Read more
Whether a record is really good or really bad, it can be very inspiring to write about. You can either go on about how "amazing" it is or stoop on how much it "sucks." But in between, there isn't much inspiration and writing about one of these types of records can be boring in itself. Such is the case with … Read more
Rising from the wreckage of a failed record label and the departure of their drummer, The Appleseed Cast makes their return with Peregrine. This record marks their first with Casket Lottery drummer, Nathan "Nate Jr." Richardson. This band has many expectations to live up to on this record, especially considering the mixed reactions that their last album, Two Conversations, received. … Read more
Despite the obviously hippie-drawn, almost Narnian cover art, and a band name perhaps more likely to evoke visions of reggae or, even worse, Christian rock, Lion of Judah sound much more interested in the likes of Bad Brains and Fugazi than Bob Marley or Creed. Putting the DC back in hardcore - rightfully making it "harDCore" once again - Lion … Read more
Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey is a two-disc set of everything Lifetime released besides Hello Bastards and Jerseys Best Dancers. It's awesome to have the song "Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey" on a CD. The re-mastered versions of the Seveninchesare a great listen, especially for newer fans that wanted to hear exactly when Lifetime perfected the precise mixture … Read more
In wake of the hurricane of hype that followed the landing of The Strokes, I did my best knee jerk reaction in 2002 and flat out dismissed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In fact, anything with a pair of ripped jeans and a NYC zip code got the preverbal Ricky Lake hand for a while. 2003 rolled around though and the … Read more
Before we begin, allow me to digress and give a bit of background on the monstrosity that is Spitfire, because I want to get some things out of the way immediately. On their first album, The Dead Next Door, the band was vastly different from the current incarnation. This was 1999 or so; the record was recorded with Steve Evetts … Read more
Demos can be funny sometimes. They are called a demo for a reason; it's by no means a finished product. And yet many times these demos end up becoming just that. Ambitions will see No Limits mass-produced in both 7" and CD format in the near future, but with good reason. Over the course of these four songs, Ambitions have … Read more
It's taken more than a year, but finally, Inara George's All Rise opus has been given a UK release. Readily available on import at no extra cost, the necessity for it is questionable. But with a new album on the way, featuring songs co-written by Idlewild's Rod Jones, and a performance with the very same coming up in London, the … Read more
Biting through the flesh of the unwilling. Fingering eye sockets and spilling vast volumes of blood. Some want to smash the system; others want to skull fuck it with barbed wired bats, like Sabertooth Zombie, who just self-released an EP titled, The Only Good Politician is a Dead Politician. We are treated to six songs of fucked up punk/hardcore with … Read more
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