CMJ » Emma Hernandez

1000 Knives/MetalSucks: Pig Destroyer, KEN Mode – October 18

Emma Hernandez — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:23:34 +0000

Early Graves – Photo by Jeff Meininger

The front room at Public Assembly transformed into a real headbanger’s ball last night, hosting one of the heaviest showcases of the Marathon provided by 1000 Knives, MetalSucks and Metal Injection. There were only four bands on the bill, but with this particular showcase, it’s about quality, not quantity when it comes to noise.

First up, Chicago’s Encrust got the crowd going with its menacing roars and bass drum that equate to a kick in your gut. Encrust’s sound check alone was so loud that you needed earplugs, and the set followed through. Toward the end, vocalist Chris Angelucci took a sip of whatever was in his cup for relief after emitting a high shriek then dug deeper, growling into the mic and giving off a horrifying echo through the speakers.

Early Graves were intimidating with their threatening, war-like drum patterns. After a few mic checks and a request for “a lot of guitar,” vocalist Chris Brock gave the thumbs up and the band dove right into ear-shattering basslines and thrashing drums, with bassist Matt O’Brien sharing vocal duty. Brock introduced “Pure Hell” from the upcoming Red Horse album and dedicated it to the band’s late singer, Makh Daniels, and fans responded by throwing metal horns in the air.

Canada’s KEN (Kill Everyone Now) mode had a slightly more serious stage presence—and more tormenting as movie quotes were played in between songs. No banter, just straightforward, loud, in-your-face audio assaults. The industrial setting at Public Assembly gave the perfect backdrop to the intense, technical noise-rock that KEN mode provides. One of the few times singer Jesse Matthewson addressed the crowd, it was to make sure the crowd knew that Pig Destroyer was up next. The venue was packed to the door, seething with people pushing toward the front, to the bar for a drink and toward the door for a quick cigarette before Pig Destroyer took the stage. Purveyors of pure noisy, gut-wrenching grindcore, these veterans of the genre were greeted by the inevitable smell of pot and sight of metal horns. Camera flashes went off like lightning, but it was barely enough to distract the crowd from the wall of sound coming from the stage. Pig Destroyer hit hard and was relentless, giving everyone a steady, solid set to headbang to.

Photos by Jeff Meininger

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Murder By Death – Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon

Emma Hernandez — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:13:04 +0000

Midwestern quintet and band of whiskey aficionados Murder By Death digs deep into its Indiana roots on Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon. Supported by fans through the third-highest-funded campaign on Kickstarter and backed by Bloodshot Records, the band took the low and slow approach to writing this time around, and the result is a chilling sixth release and an appropriate followup to the band’s 2010 release, Good Morning, Magpie.

The album finds its tone immediately with “My Hill,” where a quiet, steady and slow guitar follows vocalist Adam Turla’s deep lament, mournful and bold. “Lost River” picks up slightly, Turla carrying the melody in the chorus with Sarah Balliet’s cello working well off of newcomer Scott Brackett’s (formerly of Okkervil River) keyboards. The song is the perfect stepping stone in the album’s gradual climb. Next, the more upbeat “Straight At The Sun” starts off with a moody bassline and confident drums, and it’s a nice switch when the roars and wails during the bridge come soaring in, courtesy of producer John Congleton.

Balliet and Brackett become a power duo on “No Oath, No Spell,” but the pair can barely hold a candle to Turla’s impassioned vocal delivery on the track. His full-bodied voice comes straight from the bottom of the barrel—it’s his most soulful performance on the record. “I Came Around” is one of the more upbeat tracks on Bitter Drink, a shuffling drum and a big chorus accompanying dark, depressing lyrics (“Now I sit weeping by your coffin, clutching a bottle in my fist”). They keep the momentum up with “Hard World,” where Turla gives us his best Johnny Cash impression, with whoas in the chorus, a rambling electric guitar an Balliet providing bleak backup vocals.

The band lets up just slightly on “Dutch Lilly,” where things get grim with a ghostly tinge on both vocals and instruments. Murder By Death takes it and runs with it, embracing the morbidity on “The Curse Of Elkhart,” giving Brackett’s keys an organ-like groan. “Ramblin’” is heavier and shows some teeth with a little distortion cutting through Turla’s howl, and “Queen Mab” serves as a creepy piano interlude to the last three tracks. “Go To The Light” and “Oh, To Be An Animal” are both haunting croons, but the band lightens up slightly on “Ghost Fields.” The group took more time crafting these songs, and because of that, the album seems almost effortless.

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Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky

Emma Hernandez — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:27:39 +0000

With 27 years under its belt, Dinosaur Jr. has grown quite comfortable in its post-punk skin. But J Mascis and crew don’t confuse comfort for laziness on their latest effort, I Bet On Sky. The album marks Dinosaur Jr.’s 10th studio release and third since reforming in 2005, allowing the band to mellow out while still packing its signature punch.

On “Don’t Pretend You Didn’t Know,” Mascis kicks the album off with his distinctive jangly guitar, not nearly as distorted as it usually is but definitely moodier, and a synthesized piano joins in for added gloom. A chugging guitar intro brings a heavier sound to “Watch The Corners,” along with Mascis’s beloved buzzed-out guitars and Murph’s paced drumming, and it’s the guitar solo that dominates the latter half of the song with 1970s metal nostalgia.

The album jumps two decades forward on “Almost Fare,” a ’90s alt-rock jam complete with big drums and even deeper bass drones, all while Mascis whines with both his voice and his guitar. The drone continues on the chilled-out “Stick A Toe In” with lighter piano tones cutting through the fuzz and jagged vocals that turn somewhat sing-songy as the song plays out, with guitars to match. The jangle comes back strong on the upbeat shuffle of “Rude,” where Mascis hands the mic over to bassist Lou Barlow, and it’s as playful and fun as Dinosaur Jr. can get with Barlow singing, “I wish I didn’t care ’cause caring is rude.”

Mascis returns on “I Know It Oh So Well,” another ’90s homage complete with wah-wah guitar leads. “Pierce The Morning Rain” pounds through with a full-on instrumental assault, each musician playing hard and charging through what could be a classic Dino headbanger. That charge is channeled into a more controlled tempo on “What Was That.” Barlow takes over the mic again on “Recognition,” a song that crunches and digs deep while still keeping the slow and steady pace. The album closes out with “See It On Your Side,” a wailing rocker seething with guitar solos.

I Bet On Sky exhibits Dinosaur Jr.’s control over its instruments and the comfortable, complementary relationship that comes with the band being in its original three-person formation. It’s everything to be expected: Dinosaur Jr. sounds relaxed, takes a laid-back approach and still manages to make an album that stands up next to everything else that the band has released since its resurrection.

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Stars – The North

Emma Hernandez — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:39:21 +0000

On their sixth studio album, Montreal’s indie synth-pop ambassadors Stars show some pride in their homeland and in their musical repertoire. With the help of ATO on this side of the border, Stars combine what they do best: moody synth-rooted dance songs and sugary indie pop. The album starts with the quote “The only way I see this happening is in an extended ride North,” said by Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, and Stars gets the trip started with a dance party. “The Theory Of Relativity” is full of that dark synthetic buzz and a sway-inducing drum beat. Torquil Campbell takes the reins on the track, with Amy Millan’s lithe voice making an appearance in the background. She shines on her own on second track “Backlines,” her sugary sweet singing coexisting with the violins that come in on the bridge. Campbell returns to microphone duties on title track, a song with a touch of surf-pop warmth though its lyrics speak of winters in Canada (“It’s so cold in this country/You can never get warm”).

The band’s Smiths/Morrissey influence comes in strong on “Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It,” and “Through The Mines” features a softly strummed acoustic guitar backbone, setting the perfect setting for Millan’s gorgeous falsetto performance on the chorus. The album sees a back and forth between Campbell’s and Millan’s vocals, but they come together and split the job on the duet “Do You Want To Die Together?”, a swooning, morbid Doo-wop ballad straight out of the 1950s. “Lights Changing Colour” finds Millan on leading vocals again, sounding coy and quietly seductive. “The Loose Ends Will Make Knots” is another duet, an eerily sweet love song and a particularly strong track because of the way Campbell’s voice blends with Millan’s, especially on the line “I just want your past/I just want you now.”

The topic changes from love to politics when Campbell sings on “A Song Is A Weapon,” a protest song done entirely in Stars fashion. Millan’s “Progress” gives us a dance break before “The 400,” Campbell’s sorrowful piano ballad on which Millan joins at the chorus and repeats, “It has to go right this time.” That sad note carries over onto the closing track “Walls,” ending the album on love and another duet with Campbell asking, “But do you love me?” and Millan answering in gut-wrenching honesty, “What am I supposed to say?” Both Campbell and Millan shine on their own, but the album’s stronger tracks happen when these two team up together.

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Bloc Party – Four

Emma Hernandez — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:53:25 +0000

After a long hiatus in record label limbo and multiple side projects, it seemed that Bloc Party might call it quits. But the two years off were two years spent well, and the band is back with a bit of a vengeance on its fourth album, simply titled Four. The straightforward title leaves nothing to be assumed, and the band could have gone in either direction with its next musical endeavor—back to its indie-rock roots or continuing on the electronic path of its most recent albums. With producer Alex Newport on the boards (At The Drive-In, the Mars Volta), Bloc Party dug a little deeper, and the rocky years on hiatus fermented into an angsty return.

Four leads off a bit choppy, with “So He Begins To Lie” starting then stopping as it if were a cut track. But the band has a quick chat then pushes on with moody drums and overtly distorted guitars. A little feedback gives it attitude, and Kele Okereke’s distinct vocals hover high above the grit. “3X3” is predominately sung in a harsh whisper that grows in intensity while a menacing guitar line never relents. The first half of the album continues in an electronic modern grunge setting, complete with a head-spinning electronic guitar solo on “Octopus” and heavy, noisy guitars on “Kettling.”

But something happens on “Day Four.” The guitars are cleaner, clearer, and Okereke’s singing is softer, giving the album a light and almost ethereal break. “Coliseum” starts off with a Southern rock guitar twang and Okereke’s soulful vocal delivery but switches directions on the 60-second mark, and the guitar riff drives off into oblivion. “V.A.L.I.S” is reminiscent of Bloc Party’s post-punk past, uptempo and melodic, and the nostalgia continues on “Team A” but with more feedback. “Truth” is a sweet love song, and “The Healing” leads the album to a calming plateau, lulling the listener into thinking that Four will end on a lighter note. But Bloc Party doesn’t let up, and “We’re Not Good People” gets in your face with fast, chaotic guitars and a face-melting solo. The years spent pursuing other musical projects refreshed Bloc Party, and the unofficial reunion record finds the band making an intense comeback.

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Teenage Bottlerocket @ Santos Party House: August 22, 2012

Emma Hernandez — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:00:25 +0000

Southern California is a ways away from Laramie, Wyoming, but it’s close enough to influence Teenage Bottlerocket’s thrashy/skate punk sound. The band hailing from the Gem City were humbled by the turn out of the crowd at Santos Party House last night. In between sets, singer/guitarist Ray Carlisle explained, “I don’t think there are this many people in our town in Wyoming, and that’s pretty punk rock.”

Their set was nothing but punk rock, from their spooky entrance to the gentleman in a skull mask and hooded sweatshirt holding up a black and neon green sign encouraging the crowd to “Freak Out!” while the band kicked off the set with the title track off their latest album, Freak Out! Teenage Bottlerocket does what they want, even if it means stopping songs right before the guitar solo to thank everyone in the crowd for showing up tonight. Besides, who said guitar solos aren’t punk?

They even taunted the crowd right before playing “Fatso Goes Nutzoid” (off of 2009’s They Came From the Shadows), saying, “This is a punk rock song, let’s see what you got New York City!” The crowd accepted the challenge. “30 Seconds Of Rad” was another test, but this time the crowd was instructed to pogo by yet another neon sign. It’s kind of hard to pogo dance with a beer in your hand, but the crowd handled it just fine. The set got heavy with “Headbanger,” another track off 2012’s Freak Out, which induced enough headbanging to make Santos’s owner Andrew W.K. proud.

The band closed their set with “So Far Away” and Blue from Masked Intruder providing guest vocals on the last chorus. Opening bands the Scutches (hometown boys from Long Island), Masked Intruder and Nothington were a good, gritty pop punk intro to Teenage Bottlerocket’s set, and the whole night was enough to garner approval of the Jaded Punk Hulk on Twitter. Which, again, is pretty punk rock.

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Big Picture Media Showcase @ Sullivan Hall: October 21, 2011

Emma Hernandez — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:17:13 +0000

States, photo by Tanya Gelman

There is ’80s metal playing over the monitors in between sets at the Big Picture Media Showcase at Sullivan Hall, giving out a huge party vibe to every showcase attendee–whether they like it or not. Blue lights line the ceiling on the wall, and while high-pitched male voices wail, Destry is doused in blue lights as the band tunes. Frontwoman Michelle DaRosa asks for more acoustic guitar in the monitors before the group gets to work, playing swooning folk pop. Destry is a step in the opposite direction of DaRosa’s former project, Straylight Run, and the band plays “Into The Rain,” a track off of its latest album, Waiting On An Island.

The lights on the wall change from blue to red as the night wears on and States takes the stage next. Featuring former members of Copeland and Lydia, States plays upbeat, sugary sweet pop rock. Female vocalist Mindy White wears red sparkly sequin pants that catch light, and mid-set the band goes into a slow pop/rock version of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” The band ends the set with its first single, a dance song, and White playfully threatens the crowd: “If you’re not moving, I’m coming out there.”

Hailing from New York City, Lily And the Parlour Tricks takes the stage with Lily and her two female backup singers dressed in vintage attire. The band is essentially a three-piece drums/guitar/bass setup with Lily’s thick, smokey voice at the helm. Her backup singers swoon and sway on her left, cooing oohs and ahhs, complete with hand gestures and all. Their dreamy, doo-wop ’50s vintage girl-pop sound is simple, and Lily dances through the set, hands on her hips and shuffling her feet, throwing in a Charleston every now and then, leading her band like a modern-day Betty Boop. Her energy is hard to resist, and by the end of the set, girls are at least mimicking her moves–or at the very least, tapping their feet.

All photos by Tanya Gelman

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City And Colour – Little Hell

Emma Hernandez — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:45:38 +0000

City And Colour’s—or Alexisonfire’s—Dallas Green has musically ventured out on his own for the third time. Green steps out a bit farther from the work on his previous releases and becomes more comfortable in his own solo skin with his most recent album, Little Hell, literally taking his musical influences and amplifying them.

“We Found Each Other In The Dark” opens the album on Green’s usual formula—soft, beautiful melodies and an acoustic guitar as the backbone—but then adds brushes against drumskins and bending electric guitar notes. “The Grand Optimist” is more blues-driven with deep twangy guitars in the beginning, then blending in heavy echoing keyboards with Green’s chilling gospel-like delivery.

Lyrically, the album is a snapshot of Green’s personal trials. Title track “Little Hell” celebrates the ups and downs in love, set to the background of a full plugged-in backing band complete with bass and drums. “Fragile Bird” has an indie-rock spin with a funky fuzzed-out guitar, but like everything Green does, it still has soulful sincerity. The acoustic ballad “Northern Wind” is what Green does best, quiet enough that you can hear fingers sliding against guitar strings, and soft cello adds dimension. “Sorrowing Man” broods and sways, and the chorus of “Silver And Gold” (“Everything I loved and fear had all at once disappeared”) is drenched in haunting uncertainty. The album closes on “Hope For Now,” with inward, self-critical yet hopeful lyrics (“How can I instill such hope but be left with none of my own?/What if I could sing just one song and it might save somebody’s life?”) and musically aching, driven piano notes giving way to distorted guitar solos and shimmering drum cymbals.

Progression is Green’s forte, starting out with nothing but his voice and an acoustic guitar on 2005’s Sometimes, then building with soft drums and harmonica flourishes on 2008’s Bring Me Your Love. Fans of City And Colour’s previous albums will recognize the folk, indie-rock, country and blues influences, but these ideas are fully developed through Little Hell’s production. Producer Alex Newport (Death Cab For Cutie, Mars Volta) captures a more complete and complex sound with lush acoustics and electric instrumentation that moves the album along, providing a live-show atmosphere recorded and mixed straight to tape. Green is no longer just a man with his guitar; he’s got the confidence to turn what started out as a side project into a fully functioning entity, mastering his role and presence as a solo artist.

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Against Me!, Lemuria @ MHOW: June 5, 2011

Emma Hernandez — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 19:18:06 +0000

Against Me, photos by Joshua Casuccio

Gainesville, FL’s Against Me! headlined in Brooklyn on Sunday, drawing in batches of people ranging from crust punks in denim vests exuding PBR from their pores to older punks sans denim vests (but still exuding PBR from their pores). Two female-fronted bands served as show support, both attending the same school of Superchunk but from different graduating classes. Lemuria (from Buffalo, NY) opened the show with “Pants” and “Yesterday’s Lunch” off of 2008’s Get Better then went into “Wise People” off of the recent Pebble. The switch in lyrical attitude of songs from both albums played back to back matched vocalist/guitarist Sheena Ozzella’s sugary melodies with drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns’ low monotone drawl. New Brunswick, NJ’s Screaming Females provided similar crunchy indie punk but with a quicker pace and a sharper bite than that of the relatively sweet Lemuria.

Against Me! wasted no time with introductions or stage banter, and the band’s back catalog had enough attitude to sustain an hour-long set. Although the group’s five albums span lineup, record label and style changes, Against Me! played “New Wave” right into “Pints Of Guinness Make You Stronger” without anyone in the crowd noticing the switch from the band’s Sire-era to No Idea-era. For a group that’s endured accusations of “selling out,” its live set is still full of confidence, completely evident in frontman Tom Gabel’s grin. When the band went from “White People For Peace” right into “I Was A Teenage Anarchist,” the clash of lyrical ideology in both songs’ lyrics was the ultimate “fuck-you” to anyone who said AM!’s punk cred lagged during the its almost 10-year career.

More Against Me! photos by Joshua Casuccio after the jump…

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Plan B @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg: May 5, 2011

Emma Hernandez — Fri, 06 May 2011 17:19:29 +0000

“I heard this shit’s called blue-eyed soul. I just call it soul.” That’s how Plan B (aka Ben Drew), the British rapper-turned-R&B singer, opened up his headlining set at Music Hall Of Williamsburg last night. Taking a break from his opening slot on the Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae Hooligans In Wondaland tour, the Londoner took the stage dressed in an all-white suit and cradled his microphone closely with as much swag as a modern-day Motown crooner.

Performing songs from his sophomore effort, The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, which saw its American release last month on Atlantic, Plan B paired his smooth falsetto with beats from a live band and two backup singers, hand motions and all. It’s a big departure from Plan B’s debut album, Who Needs Action When You’ve Got Words, which found him spitting crass rhymes backed by acoustic guitars. On The Defamation, those rhymes are replaced by high notes and a storyline of the downfall of a soul singer. Streaming through songs like “Writing’s On The Wall,” “Hard Times,” “Welcome To Hell,” “Love Goes Down” and “The Recluse,” Drew entertained his crowd with microphone-stand spins and by playfully bumping into his guitarists and removing the hat from his fedora-wearing bassist. The reinvented neo-soul persona suits him though, and he’d almost convinced his crowd that he’s reformed, until he stopped to chat and introduce the next song, addressing his audience with swear words (to screams and applause). He’s got soul, but he’s still got bite.

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Thursday – No Devolución

Emma Hernandez — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:47:09 +0000

A decade after the release of the genre-defining Full Collapse, New Brunswick, NJ’s post-hardcore band Thursday uses its sixth studio album, No Devolución, to break the mold it set.

In a graceful progression, the band takes everything it’s done in its past—the urgency of Full Collapse, the experimentation of A City By The Light Divided, the cinematic composition of the Thursday/Envy split—and magnifies it. The album opener, “Fast To The End,” is a burst of heavy bass and intricate guitars, with Geoff Rickly’s voice at its softest and most melodic.

“No Answers” begins like a fuzzed-out Cure b-side with organ-style synthesizers over a drum machine-like beat. Rickly’s quiet echoes hover over the instrumentation like a mist, then guitar pedal effects cut through like gravity, pulling down through the atmospherics until keyboard notes fade out the sounds.

“Sparks Against The Sun” layers Andrew Everding’s piano notes underneath Tom Keeley and Steve Pedulla’s distorted guitars and Tim Payne’s resonating bass. Rickly’s vocal bite comes back in the heavier “Open Quotes,” and “Past And Future Ruins” is a full-fledged assault by Tucker Rule, with ricocheting kick and tom drum patterns. “Empty Glass” sounds like a funeral requiem with drawn out organ-synth and chilling vocals.

“Turnpike Divides” is the album’s stand-out track, where heavier, older Thursday meets the band’s newer swirling, sweeping styles. The title and lyrics suggest loyalty to New Jersey roots, with Rickly singing “Home is the place you can never escape/From the Camden City graves to the edge of the Palisades.” The album closes on the same theme with the eight-minute-long epic “Stay True.”

Producer David Fridmann (Flaming Lips, MGMT) helped the band explore the lush landscape of experimental indie rock, fully blending it into Thursday’s post-hardcore backbone to create a more modern take on a sound bred in basements in the suburbs of New Jersey. No Devolución is an evolution in Thursday’s sound, pushing past its boundaries and taking it further than it’s ever gone. The result is a beautifully poignant and cinematic album, a post-hardcore masterpiece.

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City And Colour @ Webster Hall: March 31, 2011

Emma Hernandez — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:42:14 +0000

Photo by Emma Hernandez

Dallas Green, the man otherwise known as City And Colour (or one-fifth of Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire), made his somewhat-annual springtime NYC solo tour stop at a sold-out Webster Hall last night, but he wasn’t alone. This time he brought a full backup band with him, which helped him give his usually acoustic songs the plugged-in treatment.

Green opened the set with “Sleeping Sickness” with just his voice and his guitar. Drums, an electric guitar and an electric hollow-bodied bass joined in on “The Death Of Me” and “Waiting,” adding dimension without overpowering the songs’ foundation. Green’s voice and acoustic guitar still remained at the heart of each song.

Trading off his acoustic for a hollow-body electric, Green and his band played “Sam Malone,” and the electricity in the instruments brought out the song’s already bluesy undertone. That same sound carried over into a new song from the forthcoming album Little Hell (due out in June), matching the soulfulness of Green’s voice.

The set continued that way, with Green playing updated, blues-soul versions of songs from 2005’s Sometimes and 2008’s Bring Me Your Love, introducing newer material, stripping back down to bare-bones acoustic then building back up again. It was a gradual transition from acoustic older songs to newer ones, and the material blended together because he designed it that way. If Little Hell is an electric departure into a more blues-driven sound, Green made sure to give it a proper preface last night.

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AIDS Wolf @ Death By Audio: January 15, 2011

Emma Hernandez — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:35:50 +0000

Flier by L.V. Wishnia

Purveyors of abrasive noise-rock, Canada’s AIDS Wolf plummeted into an audial onslaught at the warehouse otherwise known as Death By Audio on Saturday night. Headlining an eight band bill of loud art-rock artists, AIDS Wolf was part of a fundraiser for Throat Art, an up-and-coming non-profit art space in Brooklyn.

The three-piece played through its catalog of material, about ten-odd splits and EPs and three LPs, including 2010’s Skin Graft release March To The Sea. With the band’s compositions of near-improved noise (think free-form jazz, but more invasive) coming out of one guitar via two amps, a drum kit and voice synthesizers, AIDS Wolf pushes past the point of musical arrangements to art pieces with no set rhythm, no patterns, and no repetition.

Guitarist Alex Moskos bent guitar strings to alternate between making
slow moaning sounds and higher pitched wails, while vocalist Chloe Lum swayed back and forth. Meanwhile drummer Yannick Desranleau lifted his hands high above his head, releasing devastated blows to his drums and cymbals and stood up in between songs as if he couldn’t bare to sit still. Lum spat beeps and blips through her mic, rocking and jerking with the crowd pulsating beneath her, with the blue stage lights casting long dark shadows on the paint-splatter wall behind them. By the time AIDS Wolf was done and the band’s chaotic set came to a halt, the trio proved that its trademark sound cannot be confined to convention.

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Lemuria – Pebble

Emma Hernandez — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:30:38 +0000

Buffalo, NY’s Lemuria has been toting its catchy, scruffy ’90s-era indie power-pop since 2004, being consciously consistent by releasing material on split EPs and 7-inches throughout its six-year career. On Pebble, Lemuria’s sophomore effort (released via Boston-based Bridge Nine Records) and the follow-up to its 2008 debut Get Better, the band strips down and sheds its innocence.

Album opener “Gravity” sets a moody, almost ominous tone, where vocalist/guitarist Sheena Ozzella’s vocals are left feeling vulnerably exposed over minimal guitars, droning bass and quiet drums. “Wise People” churns the album forward with the same biting lyrical tone, but sugarcoats things slightly as Ozzella cheerfully declares, “because I mind, and I certainly matter/unlike you, I have time to think ways up to take you down.”

Drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns delivers on “Pleaser,” both behind the drums and on supporting, monotonous harmonies, and carries his own weight with songs like “Yellowstone Lady” and “Different Girls.” The latter is a bold-faced lie to a lover about his (lack of) infidelity while on tour, with Ozzella playfully teasing, “It’s in your imagination, of course.”

Production by J. Robbins (Jawbreaker, Against Me!) ensures that the guitars and bass are fuzzed-out but clear, the songs are crunchy but clean and that Ozzella and Kerns’ dual vocals function on a left-brain/right-brain level. When one steps back, the other shines, and songs like “Ribcage,” “Chautauqua County” and “The One” find balance between the two. With Pebble, Lemuria strikes a balance with an album that’s just as bitter as it is sweet, trading its youthful optimism for an older, and wiser, outlook.

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Math The Band @ Silent Barn: January 9, 2011

Emma Hernandez — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 18:47:28 +0000

Photos by Em Hernandez

Providence, Rhode Island’s Math The Band exploded in the cold, dark room at Silent Barn in a frenzy of motion and bursts of energy, making more noise than two people could comprehensibly ever possibly make.

Opening the set with a reference to Andrew W.K. (vocalist/guitarist Kevin Steinhauser announced that they would be playing I Get Wet in its entirety), the duo blasted off with its cover of “It’s Time To Party” with more energy than the king of party himself could muster.

Without skipping a beat, Math jumped straight into its original material, playing “Hang Out/Hang Ten,” introduced by a shrieking war cry from keyboardist/drummer Justine Mainville. She had her left hand on the keys and held a drum stick in her right, while Kevin jumped hoops through his guitar straps. The crowd matched them with its own calisthenics-inspired dance moves, and some fans were streaking neon through the air, holding glowsticks in their hands, mouths, or various holes through their clothes and facial piercings.

In between songs, Kevin and Justine stopped long enough to barely catch their breaths, make more Andrew W.K. references and announce the next song. They tried to end the set on “Why Didn’t You Get A Hair Cut” but pleas and shouts from the crowd were enough to get the duo to perform an encore. They closed their set with the same song they started off with (“It’s Time To Party”) which is appropriate enough because it’s always time to party—if Math the Band has its say, anyway.

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