Stylex is going through an identity crisis. After their EP False Start, I was ready for more of the same, great, new-wave dynamite explosion recorded on the compact disc medium. The first song, "Out of Focus," holds a lot in common with that EP. It's loud, chaotic, and moves along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately the rest of the CD doesn't hold up. "Wiggle While You Work It" is the second track and one of the best on the disc. Featuring video-game type synths and dual vocals that yell at you, this song is just a shining moment in the career of Stylex altogether. The bridge into the chorus with one person screaming and then the next is excellent. The chorus is catchy as hell with lyrics claiming "I'm not the one you control. I am a machine and I do as I'm told." Fitting lyrics as frontman, Dustin Hostetler, puts on a front that could put a robot to shame at times. "Run Off" had the potential to be an amazing song. It's got a rather slow tempo but the vocal melodies used for the verse are great. The bridges are perfect in context to the song. The breakdown … Read more
Combining the hardness of nu metal and the catchiness of pop punk, metalcore has been created. Similar to the way … Read more
By now, if you haven't heard or at least heard of Elvis Costello, something is terribly, terribly wrong with you. … Read more
Hardcore is a genre that is known to be stifled in it's own mediocrity. Creativity is frowned upon, in fact, … Read more
Sometimes I find myself shaking my ass, clapping my hands, and just plain out getting down. I can say that, … Read more
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Waking Giants marks Life in Your Way's jump from the farm leagues to the, well, the somewhat bigger indie league. This is their first effort for Solid State, home to many bands that seem to be ultra popular with the kids these days: Underoath, The Chariot, etc. So with the new label comes an increased opportunity for success; opportunity that the band should have no problem achieving with the content that comprises this album. However, one other question remains: "Is this for me?" After repeated listens to Waking Giants, I can say that I enjoy nearly all of the music that comprises the album. There is a significant amount of bruising metalcore very much in the vein of Strongarm, or more recently Misery Signals. However, they also mix it up … Read more
Not looking to rest on their laurels of having three of my favorite CD's ever(LLO 1 & 2, Mare Vitalis), The Appleseed Cast defected to Tiger Style records for their newest effort, Two Conversations. The concept of Two Conversations is one of broken hearts and rekindled love. The first five songs of the record are about a relationship that is … Read more
Zed recently turned me onto this guy, and I've become fairly obsessed with his work ever since. The formula is simple, and been used a million times before - a man, his voice and an acoustic guitar. I'm not going to claim to be an afficienado of the whole singer/songwriter thing, but I know what I like, and I like … Read more
First of all, I'm going to apologize for only reviewing records that I like a lot. With that being Said, American Nightmare/GUTG has done it again. I've been a fan of American Nightmare since their first 7" came out, and I've loved all of their subsequent releases. This is is no exception to the trend. We're Down Til We're Underground … Read more
You might be asking yourself, "who the Hell is Give Up the Ghost?" If you are, you missed out on the hardcore scene's answer to the OJ trial, in which some shitty band from Nantucket sued hardcore favorites American Nightmare over the copyright of that band name. AN had no choice but to change their name to Give Up the … Read more
The Jealous Sound has written one of the most infectiously catchy records I've heard in years. Poppy hooks and lyrical substance are quite a rare combination these days. The Jealous Sound plays a style of music that, while staying true to the early/mid 90's emo-rock sound, also offers a fresh take on a style of music perfected by bands like … Read more
Ted Leo and his Pharmacists are sweeping the nation's rock and roll scene. People first began to take real notice of Mr. Leo with the release of his second LP, The Tyranny of Distance, however a few may remember Leo from his days with Citizens Arrest and Chisel. With a growing fanbase and critical acclaim to fuel their creative DeLorean, … Read more
So many bands have release their first albums to nothing but fanfare only to dissapoint with their sophmore release. I was certain Denali would not fit that mold and release another gem. Unfortunately, they proved me wrong. First things first, this is not a bad record by any means. It's just incredibly average. The record starts off very solid. Opener, … Read more
Everybody likes Outkast. How can you not? Aside from some kind of genetic predisposition to bad taste, there really isn't an excuse. Carefully blending innovation with standard hip hop elements and topping it off with an amazing pop-sense, the dynamic duo of hip hop have been able to please all kinds of people, regardless of their typical musical taste. From … Read more
Who is the Hawnay Troof, you may ask? The Hawnay Troof is a hip-hop project in the vein of early Beastie Boys headed up by 18-year-old Vice Cooler (aka Chris Touchton of XBXRX, K.I.T). The project has many, many contributors, including 900 Dixxx (Bratmobile), Baby Donut (Bratmobile), Lil Jenny (Erase Errata), and Soft Pink Truth, as well as countless others … Read more
Nothing is more excellent than when a fairly unknown semi decent band out of nowhere transitions into a butterfly etched in silk and razor wire. What does this all mean? Let's jump back a few years, more in particular, when Circle Takes The Square released their original album, which strangely happened to be a demo. The concept of releasing a … Read more
Picture, if you will, a buffet comprised of the most delectable cuisines imaginable, prepared by a skilled staff of gourmet chefs. Now envision an angry mob running toward the buffet, toppling over all the trays, and gobbling every morsel of food with unreasonable haste. Not stopping to chew or swallow, the members of said mob are simply trying to jam … Read more
So I get this girl up in my room and we start licking each other's tongues, and before you know it, our clothes start to come off. But then all of a sudden, bam! I realize I need to put on some good love making music, or I ain't gonna get no gerjiner tonight. I start flipping through possible albums … Read more
While there definitely are problems with musical priority in this album, after listening to Good Health, the most negative thing I can say about this album is it pales in comparison to PGMG's debut. While "slow and soft" is not necessarily a bad thing, it is in the case of The New Romance. When your biggest feature is the guitars … Read more
'What is this band? Quasi-popular tripe not worth my time. What's the problem? The band is way too dependent upon the guitars to entertain the audiences. Although the guitarists do excellent work at times in the album, it's not enough to make this bad band good. Is the band any good? Not with what they emphasize. It's pretty easy to … Read more
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