Bw’s Blog

Oceans Will Rise is the new album from a Canadian band called The Stills.

Hailing from Montreal, The Stills have recently signed to Arts & Crafts who have provided us with a long list of great bands.

The break out single, Being Here, has received a lot of radio play in Canada and gets a thumbs up from me. It’s energetic, interesting, and really catchy. Sure, it’s a pretty basic rock song, but it’s still good!

The rest of the album doesn’t really “wow” me. Some of the songs sound like they did a crossover with some other generic band from Montreal.

I can’t really recommend any other songs off this album, because none really stood out for me. This almost seems like a trend for The Stills - one good song that becomes popular, but the rest of the album fades away.

So, go listen to Being Here…but skip the rest of the album.

Sincerely,

BW. 

Now to talk about the band with the best name ever. None other than your mom’s favorite: Fucked up.

This hardcore/punk band from Toronto is fast becoming one of my favorite new bands. They are extrememly busy touring, as we speak, in support of their latest album: The Chemistry of Common Life.

The album starts off with a solo flute performance, which is a little unexpected for a punk album.

The song that follows is amazing. Son the Father is one of the most energetic songs I’ve heard in a long time. Fast drums, piercing guitar, and scratchy vocals - simply beautiful.

Other songs worth a mention are: Twice Born, Black Albino Bones, and Days of Last. Each of these songs are full of raw energy.

There are however, a few lighter, instrumental songs on this album. They usually start with a clean guitar line and gradually build with textures of keyboards and vocals. Pretty interesting, and a nice change from the normal punk tracks.

If you’re interested in hardcore or punk music, you might want to check out Fucked Up. You won’t be disappointed in this album, and I’ve heard they put on a great live show as well.

Sincerely,

BW.

I know I’m two years late on this one, but I just finished watching the documentary, Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing.

For those of you who don’t know, this doc deals with the repercussions of lead singer Natalie Maines’ comments about the war in Iraq. The comments were made in 2003, and resulted in at least one death threat to Maines. 

Apparently, in the country music world, speaking against George W. Bush is a bad idea. The movie comically highlight the red-neck backlash that proceeded for the next few years.

A surprise for me was the appearance of producer Rick Rubin and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. They both played an integral role in the recording of the Chicks’ “come back” album. There was some cool footage of the band in the studio, as well as a few typical shots of Rubin lying on the couch.

As a response to the negative feedback, the Dixie Chicks wrote a song called Not Ready to Make Nice. This song is pretty phenomenal. I remember enjoying this song when it was first released back in 2006, but hearing it again was quite refreshing.

Another highlight of the film was the inclusion of the hyper-active and enthusiastic manager, Simon Renshaw. This guy seems like someone that you’d want on your side in any situation. He always remained positive and spastic no matter how pissed off or depressed the women were.

So if you’re looking for an interesting documentary, I’d recommend checking out Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing. And for your listening/viewing pleasure, check out the video for Not Ready to Make Nice:

Okay, now we’ve gotten over the shock that this album is finally finished, it’s time to talk about the music.

I was far too young to appreciate the original Guns N’ Roses in their hayday, in fact, Axl has been working on Chinese Democracy for most of my lifetime.

I’m sure most of you share the desire to work on something for as long as it takes to get it right…and this is what I thought Mr. Rose was doing. Unfortunately it didn’t really turn out to be “the album to end all albums.”

The first single, and title track, is a little bit disapointing. There are solos blazing in traditional Guns N’ Roses style, Axl is wailing to his heart’s content, but nothing about the song is all that memorable.

If the World is one of the best songs on the album. The vocal melody is catchy and sing-a-longable. The music contains strings (synth?), a simple drum beat, flamenco guitar, and yet again Axl wailing. This is the only song I would listen to again.

Overall, the album seems like a bad 80’s nightmare. I think we all left the sound of this band in the past a long time ago…and for good reason.

It’s great to see someone finish something that they’ve been working on for years, but the music just isn’t that special.

Sincerely,

BW. 

After hearing a few songs off of Death Cab for Cutie’s latest album - Narrow Stairs - I’m quite anxious to hear the rest of the album.

The first single, I Will Possess Your Heart, is a great song that builds up painfully slowly until it blossoms. The instrumentation is simply wonderful and inspiring.  

The vocal melody is what makes the song special. It really stands out from the steady jam of the band. This song is the epiphany of Death Cab’s “spacey” vibe.

The second single, Cath, is even more memorable than the first. The guitar playing is extremely tasteful in this song - it’s driving, yet relaxing; subtle, yet exciting.

This song is capable of making you feel emotional, which is not surprising coming from a band that is often labeled as “emo”.

I really can’t wait to hear more from this album and this band. I was never really a fan in the past, but this new music might be able to convince me to take another listen.

Well done Death Cab, well done.

Sincerely,

BW. 

As a drummer in an independent band I find that a lot of people are wary of listening to new music.

When I ask someone “Hey would you be interested in listening to my band?” the response is usually them trying to say no in a polite way. I don’t even bother asking if they would fork over a measly $5 for an album.

I know you might be thinking “Well, maybe your music just sucks?” but about 90% of the people who actually listen give me some positive feedback. This leads me to believe that my music doesn’t necessarily suck, but that it is being pre-judged based on the misconception that most independent music sucks.

The thousands of teenage bands butchering their instruments and playing god-awful music have made it difficult for anyone with genuine talent to have a chance. But a lot of those awful teenage bands will evolve into something worthwhile in a few years. So, music can’t really go on without them.

The only way someone will listen to your music is if they are just being polite, or if someone else tells them it will be worth while. Most listeners have learned long ago, never to trust the artist’s opinions. Self-promotion is a dangerous addiction and one that often matures far too early.

The result: people lack confidence in new music. I can’t say that I blame them.

Sincerely,

BW. 

If you paid any attention to punk/hardcore music in the 90s you will know of a band called AFI.

The band formed in 1991 and released four albums in that decade. Each of these albums had a distinct punk feel to them - fast drum beats, yelling vocals, etc.

But once the new millenium struck, AFI went through a transition of sorts. With the release of The Art of Drowning, the band started moving in a direction that focused more on Davey Havok’s softer side. 

In 2003 AFI had their major label debut: Sing the Sorrow. While still a great album (in my opinion), most of the hardcore/punk sound had been completely irradicated.

If fans were confused by this, they were simply baffled by the 2006 album Decemberunderground.   

While working with the late(and great) producer Jerry Finn, the band developed a much “poppier” sound. Soon after Decemberunderground, Davey Havok and guitarist Jade Puget came out with an electro-pop album under the name Blaqkaudio. This further outraged fans of the band’s previous punk edge. 

While some might say this transformation was a natural one for the members of an 18 year old band, others might argue that they succumbed to the all-mighty dollar. The truth may lie in the next album…we’ll soon see.

Sincerely,

BW. 

I have a serious issue with these two newlyweds. To my surprise, I find myself more irritated by Pete.

After all, Ashlee’s music came and went fairly quickly, but Fall Out Boy is here to stay (kill me).

If you happen to see the front cover of a certain magazine, you will be blinded by Pete’s dumb-ass pants…not to mention his dumb-ass pose. I will gladly overlook an annoying image to hear some good music, but Fall Out Boy has nothing to offer in that department.

This begs the question: why do I still remember Ashlee Simpson’s name? Is it the same reason I knew it in the first place? (Jessica). No, its because her and her moronic husband are plastered on every magazine, website, and TV in North America.

Ooh, they love each other! Ooh, they got married! Does anyone actually care? I wonder what craaazy thing they’ll come up with next…a baby? Oh dear god…

So what’s the truth about Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz? Absolutely nothing. They’re as fake as they come.

I just hope that one day they will go away.

Sincerely,

BW.

I recently read about the recording of Travis’ new album Ode to J. Smith in the new issue of EQ magazine. The article inspired me to take a listen.

As I expected, the recording quality is great on this album - the songwriting is quite good as well.

The album sounds very natural and open. Nothing is overly-hyped sounding or greatly effected, which can be contributed to the live-in-the-studio recording process.

Broken Mirror is a great song on this album. It’s very moody and dark, but it’s also really interesting to listen to.

Friends is another song that stood out for me. It’s memorable, and the lyrics are interesting. Immediately after, Song to Self  comes out of nowhere. It’s my favourite on the album, and I’d pick it for the second single (Just after I wrote this, I checked their myspace and it turns out it is their new single…I’m pretty proud of myself!).

As a whole, the album is very solid and each song fits in perfectly. The consistency of Fran Healy’s voice is simply inspiring, and each song is beautifully performed.

I think they’ve successfully won me over…what about you? Check out myspace.com/travis to sample some of their songs.

Sincerely,

BW.

Here’s my January list of 5 punk songs you should know. Next month I’ll give you 5 more. If you don’t know these songs, you must find them and listen to them over and over. They are all classics in their own right.

Tearing Everyone Down (Anti-Flag) - This opener to Anti-Flag’s 1999 album, A New Kind of Army, is extremely energetic. It’s definitely a must for this list.   

Arcarsenal (At the Drive-in) - The opener for this band’s most well known album: Relationship of Command. Let’s just say it starts with a bang - this song will make you want to destroy everything around you. 

California Uber Alles (Dead Kennedys) - This list wouldn’t be complete without the Dead Kennedys. California Uber Alles highlights this bands intense playing and insane attitude (see picture).

Turnover (Fugazi) - I consider this song to be the best thing to ever come out of Fugazi. You may argue against me, but I know you’ll enjoy this song.

Tonto (Battles) -You might argue that Battles isn’t a genuine punk band, but their experimental music is pretty close. Tonto, from the album Mirrored, is a necessary listen. Try not to bob your head to the slow-down at the ending…I dare you.

Go listen to these 5 songs. You’ll thank me later.

Sincerely,

BW.