Category: Alternative (Page 88 of 155)

ASHES dIVIDE: Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright

May 23, 2008 / Mike Farley

ASHES dIVIDE, despite the odd spelling of band, is the debut project of Billy Howerdel, who founded or fronted A Perfect Circle and Tool, respectively. This project is more along the lines of A Perfect Circle — that is, heavy music that is more about dark, powerful feel rather than walls of guitars. And just like his previous work, Howerdel pushes all the right buttons with ASHES dIVIDE. This is music to close your eyes to and let pulse through your veins, and you don’t necessarily need augmentation from alcohol or some other recreational substance because the music will take you there on its own. A times, the songs do tend to run into each other, but as a whole, this is pretty strong work.
“The Stone” is the first single, and while that track is tailor made for active rock radio, you’ll find that material such as the pulsing rocker “Denial Waits” and the brooding, alt-tinged “Ritual” are more representative of the band’s overall sound. (LABEL: Island)

ASHES dIVIDE MySpace Page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Rock

Ferras: Aliens & Rainbows

May 23, 2008 / Mike Farley

Ferras is the first name of a dude with a last name that’s hard to pronounce. Hence, the moniker. But let’s talk about his music, because Ferras’ debut, Aliens & Rainbows, is pure adrenaline-drenched pop driven by his own keyboard playing. Ferras got his big break much the same way Daniel Powter did a few years back, landing an “exit song” spot on “American Idol.” That song, “Hollywood’s Not America,” is not just perfect for the role — it’s a brutally honest yet powerful track in its own right. But Ferras, inspired by the likes of David Bowie and Elton John, uses his knack for melody equally well on rockers such as “Liberation Day” and “Blame, Blame, Blame” as he does on ballads like the title track, or the riveting “Take My Lips.” Ferras’ nasal tenor is closer to some of the Warped Tour vocal fare, but his music bears so much substance that you won’t mind. This is definitely an artist worth keeping on your radar, if he’s not on it already. (LABEL: Capitol)

Ferras MySpace page

Alternative, American Idol, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Curtain Call: New Songs From Past American Idol Finalists: Volume 2

May 16, 2008 / Mike Farley

The first edition of this compilation of former “American Idol” contestants was pretty bad, and while Volume 2 is itself pretty bland, the songs as a whole are a little better this time around. This round of singers is also moderately talented, but you can’t listen to this album without feeling like you’re hearing glorified karaoke. Maybe it’s the production, maybe it’s the arrangements, or maybe it’s the talent compared to everything else being released in the pop world, but there is just something missing. Alaina Alexander from Season 6 delivers three tracks that probably won’t have you humming along, and her voice isn’t all that memorable either. Rudy Cardenas, also from last season, has three distinct styles on here — R&B/pop/Jason Mraz, rock, and sappy ballad — and the third one is so bad that it evens out the fact that the first two songs are pretty decent. Then there is Sarah Mather from Season 4, who has a decent enough voice, but the songs are only average. Finally, Gedeon McKinney chose to write all of his own material, which was not a good idea. McKinney’s material is very amateurish, and brought the rating of this whole set down a full half-star. So we’re halfway with these four Volumes, and by this time next year, it’s likely that you’ll all have forgotten about these four singers from Volume 2 the same way you did when their seasons on “Idol” ended. (LABEL: Artists Addiction/Rocket Science)

Website: www.artistsaddiction.com

Alternative, American Idol, CD QuickTakes, CD Reviews, Pop, Rock

Joseph Arthur: Crazy Rain

May 9, 2008 / Jeff Giles

Like a less prickish Ryan Adams, Joseph Arthur has a skyscraper’s worth of ambition – and the assload of songs to back it up. The eight-song Crazy Rain is his second EP of 2008, with two more to follow, and a full-length LP to cap it all off. If you’re reading all that and feeling a little lazy, don’t feel too bad; although Crazy Rain is heavy on the rock star swagger (check out those retro shades on the cover!), it’s light on…you know…songs. Arthur doles a ladleful of swampy electronics over these tracks, shoves his vocals way down in the mix, and plays host to his pal and fellow indie rock god Greg Dulli on a track; it’s got plenty of attitude and a not-insignificant amount of DIY fizz, but the whole thing just kind of staggers past in a blur. Saying it’s strictly for fans would sort of be beside the point – and even if you hate it, you don’t need to worry, because Arthur’s next EP, titled Vagabond Skies, is due out in less than a month. Throw enough stuff at the walls, and something is bound to stick eventually. (Lonely Astronaut 2008)

Joseph Arthur MySpace page

Alternative, CD QuickTakes, Rock

SHIM: Feel Like a King

May 9, 2008 / Mike Farley

SHIM is a four-piece guitar-driven rock band from Seattle, but you shouldn’t immediately draw comparisons to birth-of-grunge bands like Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots. No, SHIM is more of a throwback to the days of pure rock. Think maybe a cross between AC/DC, Aerosmith and Deep Purple – with more modern influences like the Black Crowes thrown in. However, that’s all for reference, because SHIM really does have its own sound. Feel Like a King pretty much picks up where the band’s debut, In the Veins, left off. Singer Ragan Crowe has a powerful instrument, a rock tenor that may remind you of Billy Squier. And of course, the bombastic guitar-bass-drum attack is never a bad formula for any rock band, especially when they are delivering songs named “Animal” or “We Got Guns.” But on here, the riff-driven “Highway” is the album’s best track. Still, even though SHIM gives us hope that the Rock is alive and well, Feel Like a King is more of a continuation of In The Veins, rather than an upgrade. (LABEL: self-released)

SHIM MySpace Page