I Refuse EP by False Idle
Old school punk rock. For free. What more do you need to know? You can also buy these songs on vinyl. False Idle avoids anything “pop” and goes for the throat with four songs that will have you shouting along and pumping your fists. There is just enough grit around the edges to make this feel authentic… but not so much that it feels sloppy.
Mercury Light EP by LCNA (Lucena)
I’m a late comer to this album. Any fan of Jyro Xhan needs to get this. Download only as far as I know, came out in 2007. What you have here is a fuller, slowed down Fold Zandura, add in some Radiohead influenced ambiance, and the droning guitar of “Loveless” era My Bloody Valentine, and it’s some really amazing stuff. I think this is Jyro’s best release to date, great lyrics as always, good layered vocals too. 6 solid songs, each as good as the next. I guess they “split up” in 2009 while recording a full length, but are said to reform under a different band name. Would love to hear more.
Looserville by Crunchy
A must have for all Galactic Cowboys fans. A very focused and solid release start to finish. A concept record about losers, love, loss, and rock n’ roll. Some of the heaviest riffs Monty Colvin has written as well as some of the most melodic catchy chorus’s you’ve heard in years – just try to not sing along. Colvin handles all the guitar, bass, and vocal duties on this album, just like on 2003’s Clown School Dropout (another solid release that I highly recommend). He also recorded and produced the album… as well as releasing it independently like he did for Clown School Dropout. Great layered vocal harmonies – Monty’s voice always reminded me a bit of John Lennon. Kerry Livgren of Kansas fame drops a guest solo on a song. So what you have is great Power Pop, Pop Punk, Metal, and Thrash – even a bit of Screamo influence can be heard in the chording. This one goes to 11!
The Sound And The Fury by The Alarm
This latest release from Mike Peters and Co. features rerecorded versions of “Unbreak The Promise” (an out take from Declaration, the original was released on the remastered expanded edition of the album), “Howling Wind” (Declaration), “Only The Thunder” (Strength), “Shelter” (Eye Of The Hurricane), “The Rock” and “How The Mighty Fall” (Change), “For Freedom” (83 Alarm EP), “Fade In Fade Out Fade Away” (Coloursound), “Who’s Gonna Make Peace” (Mike Peters – Breathe), and “Back Into The System” (Mike Peters and the Poets). “Strength To Strength” and “Peace Agreement” were the only two tracks on this I had not heard of before. Really great versions of all the songs here, outstanding! Peters never releases crap, always top notch! The Alarm is one of those extra important bands like The Clash and U2 – and in a way they’re a combo of the two. I also recommend their past 3 releases Under Attack, Guerrilla Tactics, and Direct Action. Peters has kept it more rockin’ than ever, and the new stuff defiantly holds up.
Destroyed by Moby
While I am not what you would call a Moby “fan,” I do check out most singles and videos he posts online and find myself enjoying them. But when Moby released the video for “The Day“, I was blown away. Maybe it was the angel slaying the demon, but I really connected with that song. I signed up for the Moby mailing list and was given access to stream the latest full-length by Moby, Destroyed. It was weird and electronic and for some reason I loved it. So I went out and got the vinyl version (which also came with a CD) and after several listens I am now hooked. Apparently these songs were recorded on tour while Moby was suffering from insomnia. Being a night owl myself, maybe I just connected with that aspect. Most of the songs on the album don’t even sound like “The Day”, but are unique electronic expressions on their own. Some are instrumental, many have vocals, but all seem to have a bit of restless air about them. Some songs like “Be The One” and “After” have a great beat and a dark edge to them – like they are straight out of a Bourne spy flick soundtrack. Other songs are more ambient noise that are pretty relaxing. An eclectic but creative collection to be sure.
Peanut Gallery EP by Jeff Elbel + Ping
Just in time for the Cornerstone Festival, Ping drops an EP that finds Jeff Elbel and Co. laying down four tracks that are probably the best work that they have ever done! I know that is saying a lot because Jeff has been making music for years as Ping (prior to that he was in the alternative act Farewell to Juliet and has played on more songs from other artists than I can count). There is something about Peanut Gallery that just sounds remarkably full and solid and like they are just having fun!
The EP gallops out of the gate with “I Can Change” – an awesome fusion of doo-wop infused Americana that sounds like the Jesus Music of yesteryear, but so much more streamlined and fluid. It is the fastest track on the disc and sets the pace. Up next is “In A Place Where Shadows Grow” with a melancholic tinged guitar and violin work. It sounds beautifully desperate and emotionally driven as the music builds into a fairly intense plea about learning lessons relationally and becoming a better person through what we have experienced. “Your Wicked Mirror” picks it up again with lead vocals being handled by Maron Gaffron – whose vocal style reminds me of Maria McKee. This track is bluesy roots music that is spiced up by the stellar percussion, the thumping bass line, the soulful howl of the organ and what I think is the best lyric on the whole record: “Eve may have pulled the fruit from the tree, but Adam took the biggest bite.” The disc is rounded out by “Comfort Me” which achieves a worshipful tone that is carried along by a great drum rhythm punctuated by violin. The track builds and flows effortlessly until the end when Elbel’s vocals hit the high end in a prayer and petition to our Father for comfort along the road.
This is a great release that finds Jeff getting better and better at what he does. There is a total of somewhere around nine players on this EP – so it sounds like a full recording with plenty of sounds to beef up the songs. I said earlier that there are 4 songs on this EP…technically that is true, BUT, the instrumental version of each track is also provided so that actually rounds Peanut Gallery out to 8 tracks total. The cool thing about this disc is that once you get to the instrumental tracks it reminds me of how jam bands like the Grateful Dead would play and record their ‘space jams’. It’s like the music just keeps on giving and trucking along, definitely a cool feature. Swing by the Ping booth at Cornerstone where you can lay your paws on this release quickly!
[2011 Marathon Records | Purchase: MarathonRecords.com]What a Joke (re-issue) by Deliverance
When Deliverance first unleashed What a Joke in 1991, fans thought that surely this album was the extent of Jimmy Brown and company’s experimental side. They had no idea what was really in store in the next few years, but at the time this album had a few people scratching their heads. Extremely short songs about food? An intro that seemed to mock the killer albums that had preceded by just a year? Fans have been debating for years which songs should have been cut. I’m in the camp that loves every song on here and wouldn’t change a thing – the shorter songs break things up a bit and add a diversity that was missing on the previous discs. The 2011 re-issue has a much improved sound and a bonus track. I only had the cassette of the original, but you had to crank it way up to get to head-banging levels, and by then it was too distorted. Now you can crank it up and enjoy each bone-crushing note. One note to companies re-issuing CDs: could you please tell us where you dig up the bonus tracks? The bonus track here is a mellow but nice addition – I just wish I had some context for it.
Much has been said about the ‘updated’ artwork included on the re-issue. Many out-right hate it. I don’t necessarily hate it, but I wouldn’t have gone with it either if the choice had been up to me (sine when do cups have football-shaped lids?). It looks like the beginning of an idea rather than a final one. I would have gone out and bought a generic meal like the one on the cover, set it up like it is on the cover, and then taken the business end of an Ibanez guitar with the Deliverance logo on it and smashed it right in the middle. Take that to Photoshop, add a few funky color effects and filters, and that would have been one seriously metal cover.
Lion’s Roar ep by Men as Trees Walking
This ep is a great release from Allan Aguirre’s latest band Men As Trees Walking. The thing that is cool about this on a couple of different levels is 1) finally there is some authentic reggae that we have access to! Also 2) the package comes with a t-shirt and a 6 song EP – and 3) there are also a couple of Scaterd Few songs on this disc! When you think back through the history of the music scene, Aguirre is definitely without a doubt one of the innovators with what was really the first Christian punk rock (not surf punk or pop punk) band, Scaterd Few. Scaterd Few was controversial, loud, brash, reggae-influenced, and ahead of their time for Christian music.
Allan has (again) really done something so unique and new with his band Men As Trees Walking. But add to that this 6 song reggae EP and the stakes are upped again. There is nothing else out there that is like this. Men As Trees Walking has done something so different – and to add to the mystique and the singular focus of prophetic worship – they have brought a whole new generation before God with the sounds of reggae. They are really good at what they do.
The 6 song EP breaks down like this: two songs are from MATW’s first release 1518. These two tracks are “Song of Moses” and “Lion’s Roar”. (If you haven’t already scooped up that full release, give it a go – you will not be disappointed!) Two more tracks are Scaterd Few tunes; “A Freedom Cry” (from the Sin Disease release) and “Rise Up!” (from the Omega No 5 disc). The last two tracks are from the next MATW album to be released sometime in the fall. Those two tracks are “Lion of Zion” and “I Will Deliver You”.
The music is authentic reggae; relaxed beats, shakers and full percussion that is layered with nice punctuated bass lines and rounded out with guitar work that carries the tracks along in an almost whimsical manner. Allan’s vocals are crisp and upfront which is a perfect blend between the music and his unique vocal style. There are also female vocals which at times sound like a background chorus and at other times are right up front and leading the way. This is a welcomed release as well as a patented sound from Aguirre and Co. They have found a way to bring praise and worship to a very different level through a very different sound. This album is full and the music is precise.
The t-shirt and EP package is inexpensive and the music is fresh and inspiring. Support the band and visit their site today! Also, for a very detailed interview with Allan about Scaterd Few, check out Down the Line’s archive section and download (free) the first issue. Also keep your eyes peeled for a great interview with Allan as he talks about Men As Trees Walking in the next issue from Down the Line. See the regular MATW website for band information or the pre-order page for Lions Roar EP.
[2011 Faceless Gen Recording Company/Come&Live! | Purchase: Lions Roar EP]Strange Negotiations by David Bazan
I am so pleased to review this release by David Bazan. I loved Pedro the Lion when the band was together, and I equally love Bazan’s solo career. I think that Bazan is an amazing songwriter and a brilliant communicator. I was so stunned by his last release, Curse Your Branches, that I really didn’t think it was possible for him to top that. Branches was released on vinyl, CD, download and as a DVD which was up close and intimate just like the music. This newest release, Strange Negotiations, not only tops Branches, but it exceeds that potential and moves in a forward progression that gets better with each and every listen.
Musically I would classify this as indie pop/rock that is full of melody and strains of angst. Bazan’s voice is an instrument in and of itself and it lends so well to the emotions that charge and incite the lyrics to penetrate and provoke. The other thing that I love about this record is the timing. The timing and delivery are always off balance in a way that works so well and really lets Bazan explore the framework of the song and the best place for lyrical impact. The fragility and depth is conveyed in a language that demands the listener’s attention.
The stories told here are unique. To not acknowledge Bazan’s personal journey would be like avoiding the big elephant in the room for a Christian magazine like Down the Line. Bazan solidifies his search for what the truth is in his own life, and he continues to question and address the circumstances that he faces as it relates to himself as a person, a father and a husband. I appreciate the music, the story and Bazan’s willingness to be honest and share his journey. I think that is what makes art real. This is a great release, and it is available in any format you could want. Support this artist and check him out. Bazan really lays it out there this time and he continues to just get better and better!
[2011 Barsuk Records | Purchase: davidbazan.com]Shotgun Angel (collector’s edition) by Daniel Amos
My introduction to Daniel Amos came through the Fearful Symmetry album which was released back in 1986; I probably came across it somewhere around ’88 or ’89 when I was 14 or 15 years old. It absolutely changed the way that I viewed Christian music and stamped Terry Taylor’s name on my brain. After finding and purchasing everything prior to Fearful Symmetry (and everything that came after), I easily rank Terry Taylor’s creative genius in my top 5 favorite artists of all time. The man has an incredible gift!
The Shotgun Angel re-issue is simply amazing. This is really the record that I would consider to be the hub track that all the various projects of Taylor and Co. would be birthed from at later dates. For example, listen to Meal (track 5 on the first disc); it could be released as a Swirling Eddies track at any point and stand right there with the best of them. That is another thing that struck me about the brilliance of this deluxe reissue: these songs are so good and sound so strikingly crisp and well done that they hold up amazingly well today some 30+ years later. Hearing in these songs the sounds that were to come (in other formats with other bands) is a real treat for the listener and a testament to the creativity that not only helped create the industry, but also helped to define and expand the musical scope of the “Jesus music” genre. In addition it also speaks to the talent that these guys’ posses – a talent that would continue to push musical boundaries and define the sounds as the standard which so much would be compared to over the next several decades.
To try and define the songs and the sounds here is difficult because when this came out in 1977 there was nothing else quite like it. I would definitely give this a laid back country type feel, but it also has an Americana rock ‘n roll vibe saddled right there in line with it. Once you throw in all the quirky zaniness that only comes from Daniel Amos, this is a release that stands in a category by itself. Take a healthy dose of early Eagles tunes, whip that with some beautiful harmonies a la the Grateful Dead, season that in a container with The Beatles and shake vigorously…that is what Shotgun Angel sounds like.
Lyrically this album is rich with imagery that is as broad as the sounds themselves. Topics range from a person who gives up pursuing money to pursue spiritual riches instead (“Black Gold Fever”); a truck driver who finds Christ by talking on his C.B. radio (title track “Shotgun Angel”), all the way down to the first disc’s closer about the return of Christ (“Posse In the Sky”). The lyrics run a gamut of situations with a spiritual focus on many day to day living situations. The parallels that the lyrics draw are as unique as the songs and circumstances themselves. From the longing ache in “Days and Nights”, to the comedic chorus of “Meal” or the worshipful colored “Praise Song”, Taylor has crafted a journey of lyrical life experience in his unique humor and style.
The remastering on this release is superb. This is the classic line up of Taylor (guitar, lead vocals, BGV), Jerry Chamberlain (guitar, lead vocals, BGV), Marty Dieckmeyer (bass, BGV), Mark Cook (keyboards, lead vocals, BGV) and Ed McTaggart (drums, percussion, BGV). The songs are vibrant, clear and sonically pleasing. When Daniel Amos releases a re-issue you know it will be first rate and top notch. Such is the case here as well, 2 discs with a track count of the original 13 tracks on the first disc, and a staggering 26 tracks on disc 2. This release has it all: four-track demos, pre-production demos, alternate mixes and a 24 page color booklet that has over 30 never before released photos as well.
This is a great re-issue, a classic album and an amazing band! Look for this to be available on the Daniel Amos tour this summer. It will also become available on the website as well. It doesn’t get any better than this! Check out www.danielamos.com and support the band, spin the tunes and catch a show this summer!
[2011 Born Twice Records | Purchase: DanielAmos.com]