Last Exit

I'm Jackson Balling, and this is my musically-inclined, sports-obsessed corner of the Internet.

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REVIEW: The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise

It’s been a bit over six years since the last time The Dear Hunter released a piece of their grand, turn of the century, six-act epic of a rock opera. Within that time Casey Crescenzo has drifted far and away from the continuation of Acts, which left the impending Act IV release in an awkward limbo on the conceptual madman’s backburner. But the releases of The Color Spectrum and Migrant allowed Crescenzo to not only escape the repetitive nature of sticking to a storyline, but also to cement a complete line-up of incredible musicians for the first time since Act II. Now here we are, six months following the surprising announcement of Rebirth in Reprise and we can finally hear their contribution to their namesake’s storyline.

Simply put, this record is phenomenal.

It pulls you in from the opening seconds of “Rebirth” with Crescenzo leading in a chorus of serenade us with a melody, separating to encapsulate the definition of the title and general tone of the record before being led out by a delightful arrangement of percussion and that signature circus-esque atmosphere that fans of the Acts have come to know. The fifteen track, seventy-five minute journey leads down a haunting path that skips between the band’s typical progressive rock sound and other elements that they have toyed with in the time since Act III. They bring every aspect of music they can to the table for what culminates in a whole and grandiose example of musical evolution rather than simple progression.

The first third of the album brings us back to the story’s mainland in a stream of consciousness styling. “The Old Haunt” asserts its dominance early with drummer Nick Crescenzo’s snare roll and the band is off to the races. It maintains it’s abrasion before weaving in more melody in the chorus, which then becomes a mainstay as the track seamlessly transitions to a calm before unleashing a fury to ride out on. Going from that through the more ballad rock single “Waves” is refreshing like a feeling of the ocean’s breeze that the track portrays. The underlying strings complement the band’s excellent instrumentation, one of many moments throughout the record that feel stronger due to Crescenzo’s experience dabbling in other records as well as composing his first symphony.

The haunting electronics and vocals that make up the first minute of “At The End Of The Earth” are another example of the band’s spectacular efforts to expand their sound, which then transition perfectly through impeccable chorus to a guitar solo a la Pink Floyd. It’s a dimension of progressive rock that hadn’t been represented much in their sound until now, acting as a dynamic foundation behind the transitions throughout the record. The potential of piano in The Dear Hunter’s sound was truly proven with 2013’s Migrant, and it takes center stage again in “Remembered”. It’s here where Crescenzo’s vocals shine as a complementing layer to the piano and a majestic orchestration rather than being in the front of the mix, in what proves to be one of the record’s more intricately arranged tracks.

Of course it’s fitting for all of that to be followed up by “A Night On The Town”, the 9-minute epic of a lead single that swings and blasts the album’s second act into the fold. The amount of musical diversity in this track is completely off-the-wall, switching effortlessly from the uptempo party vibe and brief moments of calm to pause, before one of the many reprises to the melodies of earlier acts pulls the curtain and devolves into a creepy combination of tones. That leads perfectly into “Is There Anybody Here?”, which maintains the record’s cinematic subtlety while channeling energy from Dark Side of the Moon, but standing out to be one of the best track on a record full of them.

The second half of Rebirth in Reprise is drastically different in both tone as well as diversity of genres. “The Squeaky Wheel” hits a very hard pop-rock note, leaving Crescenzo’s impressive vocal melodies to take center stage and blow everything away. The pair of “Bitter Suites” is trip through the center of the Acts’ antagonism, going from a spine-tingling, accordion-led “Congregation” to a despicably villainous “The Sermon in the Silt”. Both are eclipsed by the sixth part of the suite “Abandon”, which is comprised of such delicate instrumentals underneath some of the best vocals that Casey Crescenzo has ever recorded. It hits like a fist straight to the chest before being overtaken by barrage of ambient, post-rock sounds fighting their way past formidable stringed foes.

Where the record goes from here continues to surprise and blow me away with each listen. “King of Swords (Reversed)” combines a The Doors’ “Burning Down The House” , disco-pop style of swagger that unfurls into a pop-soaked monster of a Broadway musical chorus as Crescenzo belts “I never wanted my name up in bright lights/But I think that I might be there soon/I owe it all to you”. As the track fades out following the climax you probably aren’t expecting the Smash Mouth tone that opens “If All Goes Well” and clings to the background throughout, but it happens and works brilliantly. “The Line” shakes things up by offering the record’s gentlest moments, drawn from aesthetics found on the Green and Blue EPs from The Color Spectrum. “Wait” also yields comparisons to the nine EP effort, specifically the more industrial sounds on the Black EP. Desperate calls of fear for Heaven being real are backed up by the track’s intense synth wahs and yet another vocal performance that avoids becoming stale.

The culmination of the journey taken through arrives with “Ouroboros”, which at first haunts with ghostly guitar melody and dazzling rhythmic notes, then expands with Crescenzo’s vocals. The calls of “I fell down then I fell apart/I never wanted to hurt no one/I never wanted to be a city son” claw their way into your memory before an exchange of horns signals in the expanded instrumentation that eventually leaves a satisfying, cliffhanger ending to both the music and the story behind it.

I didn’t expect to love this record as much as I do. Being a fan for several years, I feel like most of that has stemmed from my adoration of their concepts more than their music. Their non-Act projects have helped to fully define what this band does and how they go about doing, which is what fuels Rebirth in Reprise to be so incredible. It achieves a peak level of cinematic presentation, instrumentation, and overall scope that we've yet to see from The Dear Hunter, which surpasses not only the band's entire discography but the general state of each genre that this record intersects. It only took six years, but the wait for Act IV as well as the band’s definitive release is finally over.

10/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/the-dear-hunter-act-iv-rebirth-in-reprise)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Defeater - Abandoned

It’s bizarre to already find classes starting back up again and August drawing to a close. Even more so is an apparent void in my diminished hunger for hardcore punk and its various stylings. Despite that, I suppose it’s appropriate to find myself with a new Defeater record in my lap and two weeks with it to not only experience the music, but to reinvest myself in the genre. It was a journey that revisited every memory the band has offered throughout their story-driven history, reevaluating every thread before concluding with Abandoned, which slowly unravels its connections to the others with every listen. The result was explosive.

For those unfamiliar, Abandoned is the fourth full-length entry into the universe that Defeater has been gradually building with each studio release. It follows a priest during World War II, torn between bitter vices and his contorting views of God, and his eventual return home; which, in a way, seems to complement the hip surgery and recovery of singer Derek Archambault that took place much of last year. It’s truly an aggressive tale that’s also ripe with unique glimpses of the band’s earlier material, such as lyrical references to the ‘Son’ from Travels and ‘Father’ from Letters Home in “Atonement” and “Divination”, respectively. While I am already a fan of the band’s storytelling, the fact that there is a canon at this point is astounding and it makes their discography that much more worthwhile.  

Sonically speaking, this is the tightest the group has ever been. Guitarist and long-time band producer Jay Maas manages to not only make sure that every member sounds the best they can, but he also maintains a cinematic atmosphere that earlier records lacked. Each track differentiates itself as a scene within the overall story, with recurring prayers from the priest ringing throughout. Lead single “Spared in Hell” is the epitome of what the record offers: Joe Longobardi’s drumming is spectacular, Archambault’s vocals have never sounded as crisply harsh, and the guitar work from Maas and Jake Woodruff add in a great middle layer in this fine-tuned hardcore blend. The band proves it can abruptly shift tempo on a dime in the abrasive “Penance”, slow things down completely in the aforementioned and beautiful “Atonement”, as well as bring in the help of friends when James Carroll of Make Do and Mend shows up for a guest vocal appearance on the more delicate “Bruised and Blue”.

On the flip-side, the general tone of the record does feel very similar to 2013’s Letters Home. Some tracks, such as “December 1943” and “Divination” feel as though they are either making musical nods to previous tracks or just sound similar, something I believe to be the former but many listeners may not. And while the band has become more cinematic this time around, that results in the loss of the rawness that was a staple of their sound throughout their first three releases. This record continues to progress the band into their own niche of refined hardcore, which certainly can rub some fans the wrong way.

Taking everything into consideration, I passionately believe Abandoned is not only incredible, but the best hardcore record I’ve heard all year. While I did enjoy a more raw Defeater, their continued focus on story and how it influences the atmosphere of this record is a lot more enjoyable. Their sonic growth is nothing short of exceptional as every element in their repertoire comes together into what feels like, and should be regarded as, their most cohesive and accessible release to date.

9/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/defeater-abandoned)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Citizen - Everybody Is Going To Heaven

Citizen hasn’t been a group to misconstrue their message, evident in title of their debut full-length Youth – a collection of tracks that unraveled into a winding road towards the end of adolescence. Now with their sophomore release Everybody Is Going to Heaven, the group makes strides into the darkness of adulthood while maintaining the smallest shred of that childish innocence. The abrasion has been cranked and proper amounts of sludge added into a concoction of sounds that is designed to take center stage in the emo-grunge genre.

The album’s lead single and opening track “Cement” continues the trend of cutting to the chase by throwing the chugging bass groove and haunting guitar strums from the get-go, with Mat Kerekes’ vocals melding their way through before fully stepping up to the plate for the chorus. The track comes off as fierce when it’s actually more in the record’s midrange of chaos, allowing for long-time producer Will Yip to come in with the added feedback and screeches to contribute to the atmosphere. He experiments with this throughout, which adds an uncomforting layer into the mix that ends up complementing the band very well.

At its most aggressive, Citizen pulls off a calmer Code Orange with the duo of “Stain” and “Ten”, the latter of which is as equally devastating as it is relatively simple. It’s this balance that the band can lose people, but the feeling of dancing on a fine line to the tone of absolute chaos before hearing some sort of laser-gun sound effect is an oddly satisfying experience. “My Favorite Color” captures a heavier and more blast-centric form of the band’s slow-fast tempo transitions in what is an incredible listen, given the transition from those equally praised on Youth.

Where the band truly shines is when they match or exceed their aggression with melody. The incredible dynamics between lead and bass guitars amid a standout performance from Kerekes in “Dive Into My Sun” proves to consistently be the catchiest track the record has to offer as he croons “Dive into my sun/I was once your mother/but I have come undone” with wondrous ease. “Weave Me (Into Yr Sin)” took a while to stick out among the other tracks, but its consistently calm instrumentals clear the room for Kerekes to lay everything he has out there in a way that no other track allows for.

The ending duo of “Yellow Love” and “Ring of Chain” reset the tempo following a string of heavier listens, reintegrating the more emo nature they had built up in their previous full-length. The former flows majestically, offering a delicate eye of the storm rather than a pause of filler, before fading into the latter with a brief piano-laden reprise of “Dive Into My Sun”. As the band closes out the record with its longest track, there’s actual beautiful chaos that steps into the spotlight. The last calls of “A ring of chain takes place of me/but where am I?” become lost among a chorus of strings before it too transitions to feedback.  

With the utilization of Will Yip continuing to grow as a trend within their genre, Citizen trusted him to take their progression to the next level. Among their peers in Title Fight, Turnover, Superheaven, and Balance and Composure that have attempted the exact same with a variety of result, they manage to avoid meddling in these other aesthetics so they can develop their own. Their progression through the various stages of their lives has continued to be ripe with open-mindedness and a constant focus on the best way to express themselves, and it’s this that allows Everybody Is Going to Heaven to flourish to a greater degree than its contemporaries.  

8.5/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/citizen-everybody-is-going-to-heaven)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: I The Mighty - Connector

I The Mighty has been on a trajectory of success ever since their signing to Equal Vision Records in 2011, releasing the impressive Karma Never Sleeps EP and their spectacular debut full-length Satori. In the two years following the release of the latter, the group has continued to develop their identity in post-hardcore, which we got a taste of in last year’s stand-alone single “Love Your Sin”, as well as many other influences, further evident in singer Brent Walsh’s debut solo album 7. With Connector, everything the band manages to do is beyond the scope of many bands within their genre commonly possess; something which shouldn’t be much of a surprise by now.

It is evident early into the album’s intro track that Walsh’s more soulful vocal delivery allows for even more fantastic melodies to match his lyrical stylings. The band behind him has no trouble matching the more diverse singing, continuing to implement the complex instrumentals they’ve come to be known for, while also experimenting to offer new, more synth-based sounds. Where “Lady of Death” falls in line as a more typical song by the band, “The Lying Eyes of Miss Erray” holds back that high-energy tempo until after a stunning opening verse that resonates throughout the rest of the track.

The album’s standout track comes at the end of its first half in the form of “Slow Dancing Forever”, the electronic ballad that lets Walsh’s vocals and storytelling take center stage. His chilling croons as he belts out a tale of a man being reunited with his lost lover after ignoring her warnings to miss his flight to her funeral. In the span of two verses and a chorus this story manages to be more heavy-hitting and beautiful than almost anything the band has ever done in the past. It’s followed by “Friends” featuring Max Bemis of Say Anything, which starts out with a synthesizer loop that is reminiscent of something out of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and progresses into one of the catchiest melodies on the album, as Walsh’s vocals act much like a wave, shifting from high to low with complete ease. Bemis’ appearance fits wonderfully into the band’s sound and adds that extra “umph” to the track.

Lead single “Playing Catch with .22” continues to feel like the most complete single the band has had to offer, combining mid to fast tempo verses and anthemic choruses with the intricate lead guitar work from Ian Pedigo and infectious rhythmic blasts from Blake Dahlinger. “Andrew’s Song” slows things down again in what is an excellent showcase of Dahlinger’s percussive talents and Walsh’s more introspective lyrics as his own personal storytelling proves to have evolved from what was featured on Satori.

It is worth noting the incredible work that producer Mike Green (Paramore, All Time Low) does throughout the record. Everything fits into the mix like a puzzle; the drums maintain the foundation with enough room to spread out and dictate the energy of each track, Walsh and Pedigo’s guitar work continues to mesmerize, Chris Hinkley’s bass grooves connect the two while occasionally stepping out on their own, and the extra layers added to the band’s sound aren’t overdone to the point of not being authentic. The addition of VERSA’s Sierra Key on “(No) Faith in Fate” is reminiscent of Satori’s “Four Letter Words” featuring Colleen D’Agostino of The Material, but Green’s hand in the mixing of Key and Walsh’s dual vocals feels inspired from his time in the studio with Hayley Williams and Paramore.

As Connector closes out with the final piece of the band’s “Frame” trilogy, I The Mighty rightfully claim their stake in the heart of the post-hardcore genre. Following suit with their influences and fellow genre-influential artists such as Circa Survive, Thrice and Coheed and Cambria, the unique elements that they have continued to offer for the past four years have become the foundation for their sound and identity. Where they were more technical on Satori, they are now wholly diverse from conception to execution. As a result we are left with yet another fulfilling release from a pool of talent that continues their rise in both success and unabashed creative flow.

9/10

Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/?p=58062

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Emery - You Were Never Alone

Following the release of their last record, We Do What We Want, Emery’s future was all but unknown. Founding member Devon Shelton announced his hiatus from the band shortly after the album’s announcement, Matt Carter and Toby Morrell took their time away in the form of their acoustic venture Matt & Toby, and in 2013 the group left Tooth and Nail Records after eleven years on their roster. As a result of such events over the course of the past four years, Emery has managed to lay a foundation as more than just a band, but rather the musical center of their growing community called BadChristian. Their experiences in music fueled new ventures that range from a blog, podcast, and their own record label. Now, a year after an Indiegogo campaign that reached more than double its goal to fund a new album, we’re finally graced with You Were Never Alone - which proves to be the output of an Emery that is at its most inspired and creative peak yet.

With it’s first track “Rock, Pebble, Stone” the band’s alternative rock sound bleeds in rather than its post-hardcore tendencies, avoiding a typical heavy opener similar to “Walls” or “Cutthroat Collapse” in order to ease the listener in with something that would feel right at home on I’m Only A Man. Shelton wastes no time switching between lead vocals and the excellent background melodies that he made himself known for as he takes charge on the final verse before the song’s chorus is finally introduced. That calming first impression doesn’t last as “Thrash” explodes right after in what is undeniably the heaviest song the band has ever created, while also being the most creative. Toby’s screams have never sounded better while being even more raw, and behind him the band tears down any expectation with spectacular fury. While it is a very heavy track, throughout it slows for more melodic and often haunting moments before fading into pure blues and jazz.

While the first two tracks are dense with creativity, that shouldn’t be discouraging to fans of the classic Emery sound. Both “Hard Times” and “The Beginning” channel the same energy as previous tracks while maintaining their own sense of identity, the former is bounced throughout like a cousin to most tracks from ...In Shallow Seas We Sail while the latter is ripe with the classic three-way vocal melodies that the band made a name for. By the time “The Less You Say” begins, the band proves to not mismanage the momentum they’ve built as they make their way up into one of the catchiest choruses that the record has to offer, all while drummer Dave Powell leads the charge behind the kit. It all culminates in “Pink Slip”, which is feels like a track from a post-hardcore version of Rent; it’s very fast-paced and manages to cross through all of the dimensions of the band’s sound without getting lost.

The second half of the record follows suit with the first; “To The Deep” extends the band’s sound into more of a pop-radio friendly territory with superb layering of guitars and vocals. Matt Carter takes his turn to take charge both here and throughout “Go Wrong Young Man”, with his performance in the latter track resembling Will Swan from fellow long-tenured post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance. It’s a song that may not sit well with casual fans due to its density, but taking the time to dig through its various layers proves its worth and intricacy. With the final three tracks the band is simply on cruise control as “Taken for a Bath” hits a lower tone to spotlight the lyrical precision that Emery has as Morrell sings “You stole my eyes, so you I will take/You are the test of our grace/Threads become lines, we cross till they break/and they break from the seams to the bodies of men”. “Salvatore Wrytha” and “Alone” follow a similar pattern as the two-part closer from In Shallow Seas We Sail… as the first is an example of the band continuing their faster tempoed barrage with detailed guitar work that blends seamlessly into the album’s true closing track. Here the band is firing on all cylinders as the curtain closes, blending it’s opening calmness with an explosive climax and subsequent after-shock to round the record out.

Throughout its 41 minute running time, You Were Never Alone proves itself to be a record without any fat. Each layer, whether it’s the exceptional guitars, blasting drums or soaring melodic vocals, fits together like pieces to a puzzle. In the four years following a release that left most fans wanting more, this follow-up answers the call. It proves that not only is Emery one of the classic post-hardcore bands of this millennium, but that they can still make great, if not their best, music thirteen years into their career. What lies beyond is just as unknown as what the band’s future looked like four years ago, but even if the group decides to end it here then at least they did so with their very best effort.

9/10

Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/?p=57115

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: The Story So Far - The Story So Far

Since the release of 2013’s What You Don’t See, The Story So Far has certainly skyrocketed in popularity. Back-to-back summers on Warped Tour, notable face-time on The Wonder Years’ Fall 2014 tour, and a pair of small acoustic-focused releases to tide fans overs until the next full-length have made up the bulk of their last two years. Now that they are far removed from their sophomore record, the band is introducing their latest self-titled effort to the world. Unfortunately what was expected to be another milestone on a path of success is instead a misstep that lacks the band’s earlier cohesiveness, which leaves the band’s rise to the top in jeopardy.

Opener “Smile” rides in on feedback and percussion before eventually morphing into what should come to be expected from the band at the beginning of their records. It doesn’t take long to spot the separation in progression between Parker Cannon and the band behind him, in fact it takes about 60 seconds and it is an awful reoccurring theme throughout the album. Cannon’s reduced range from previous tracks such as “Stifled”, “Empty Space” and “High Regard” is widely apparent, and it honestly becomes a painful annoyance after hearing a consistent tone hit at the end of almost every line for nearly every verse, bridge, and chorus.

With the vocals throughout the record in such a state, most tracks aren’t able to escape that prevalence in the mix and break free to stand out on their own. “Heavy Gloom” starts off great with bassist Kalen Capener leading the group in with a chunky groove, an uncommon and welcome occurrence, but the song loses its steam when Cannon continuously sets himself up to showcase more of a dynamic range throughout the chorus and chooses to oversimplify it instead. Even “Mock”, which has some of the grooviest instrumentals on the album, becomes oversaturated with vocals to the point that it feels like a retread of material from two or three years ago.

The beginning of the record’s second half isn’t promising either, as “How You Are” proves itself to be the weakest of the bunch, opting to combine the instrumental and vocal melodies rather than experiment with them. But from there the group manages to make a resurgence in momentum as lead single “Nerve”, an example of them at their best, is followed by “Phantom”, an excellent change in tempo that is different than anything they have ever done - blending their Bay Area surfer style with shoegaze-y reverb for a stunning effect. Closer “Stalemate” follows the trend of experimentation by tossing some subtle southern twang into the mix, which is a simple layer that goes a long way in an album full of similarity.

By its end, The Story So Far’s self-titled foray is not a complete let down. When the band behind Parker Cannon is able to shine, they don’t mess around. While pop-punk is typically considered the same across the board, the instrumentation of this record experiments where it can to spice things up and that helps give more value to the full product. But overall, it all comes down to how bogged down almost every track is by the vocals. Whereas past material would complement the instrumentals and vocals, here there is a clear separation between the two in terms of production and quality. And with records still to come this year from bands such as State Champs and Neck Deep, the band’s future as a top-tier pop-punk act has become anything but certain.

4.5/10

Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/?p=56986

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Death - N.E.W.

The internet is an bizarre place, almost equally evil as it is magical. Where there is controversy, there are also miracles, and one of those miracles is a band called Death. For those who've yet to be acquainted with the group through the fantastic documentary that distills their history and importance in just over 90 minutes (which you can watch here), I’ll give you the abridged version of that distillation. Three brothers out of eight children born to a Baptist preacher formed the group in the middle of 1970's Detroit, inspired by Alice Cooper and The Who. Bobby Hackney led the group as frontman as well as bassist, while Dannis and eldest brother David played drums and guitar, respectively. Their unique garagey, proto-punk sound nearly took off when Clive Davis funded their recording sessions at the request of the group changing their name. When trio declined, the group quietly faded away with only seven tracks of a planned twelve completed.

Fast-forward to 2006 when the demos from the band’s recording sessions began popping up online, and Bobby Hackney’s three sons unknowingly discovered their father’s band -which led to the beginning of their own punk band, Rough Francis. The increased interest in the band ultimately led to the aforementioned documentary and now to N.E.W., their first material in over 35 years. Unfortunately it comes without guitarist David Hackney, who passed away in 2000 from lung cancer, but his replacement Bobbie Duncan keeps his spirit alive in the music throughout their newer tracks as well as the various older songs that David co-wrote back in the 70's.

The end result is an interesting blend of their 1970's energy and spiritual sensibility with a modern production flair and a few decades of musical growth under their belts. They still manage to rip through each of the record’s ten tracks, showcasing their vocal grit, the importance for their incredible foundation of rhythm, and some of the purest guitar work to grace a genre that contains the word “punk”. They waste no time getting started either, opening track “Relief” chugs and pounds its way to its first pause for a spectacular guitar solo with a raw energy that is undeterred by the passing of four decades.

With that time jump, however, comes moments to glance at a lyrical capacity that was common during the band’s origins. The choruses here are rather simple, and lines such as “Detroit rocks!” and increasing to “The whole world rocks!” on the opening track are very basic in comparison to what makes up punk and its various sub-genres today. But as the record continues on, the use of vocals throughout isn’t meant to be as important as what it is now. The messages are straightforward in order to coincide the complex, brilliantly all over the place instrumentation. “Story of the World” creates a spectacular blend of these elements as it goes from an acoustic guitar opening with Bobby declaring “The world will never be free/the world will never have peace/the world will never be free/because we are not one” to a high-energy proto-punk barrage that uses the chorus as a chance to catch a breath.

The band makes a habit out of having fun as they bounce through tracks like the chug-filled lead single “Look At Your Life” and the short and summery “Playtime”, the latter feeling like an homage to the short period of warm weather that is typical in Detroit as well as their new home in Burlington, Vermont. One of the best songs of the bunch, “Who Am I?”, manages to create a blend of melodic tones across the board that range from the combination of guitar and drums at the beginning to the inclusion of Bobby’s vocals that start with the first chorus. As the song goes on he also experiments with tone shifts, and by the end you’ve experienced a track that feels like a precursor to the first Foo Fighters record.

Perhaps that’s what most magical about N.E.W., other than the fact it exists in 2015. It’s a collection of songs brought about by an unpredictable interest and appreciation for a band that was one of the forefathers for how we experience underground rock and punk today. Going through this record is like a history lesson, introducing aspects of raw rock and roll that have since become commonplace. The price of entry isn’t high either, in fact Death manages to make their older material work great outside of 1970's Detroit. Yes, you might find yourself chuckling at the occasional simplistic and cheesy lyric, but it won’t keep you from enjoying a trip through time.

8/10

Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/?p=56752

[jwballing-blog]

Tidal: A Wave of Music Exclusivity and Artist Disparity

Well, the world of music streaming managed to get more interesting last Monday with the formal introduction of Tidal. Wrapped up in an awkward mess of a press conference, which has managed to pick up it’s fair share of constructive and comedic criticism, is a new music streaming option that is majority-owned by some of the biggest artists in the music industry. While the current views of the service range from the mostly negative to the downright confused, there’s no denying the fact that any press is good press and Tidal has certainly benefitted from the response to the service’s announcement.

But in a world where music streaming has exploded - meaning more people are willing to spend little to no money on music today in comparison to peak of the CD, let alone the peak of iTunes - is there room for Tidal? Let’s first examine what the service has to offer:

Following suit with the short-lived Beats Music before it was bought up by Apple, it is a solely subscription-based service outside of a 30-day free trial. The two-tiered options range from the $9.99 “Premium” to the $19.99 “HiFi”, with the difference being the quality of the music and the videos. In fact, if you know anything about the service then you are aware of the “HiFi” buzzword of sorts. Rather than the standard 320kbps bit rate heard through the service’s standard option, which is the norm for a high-quality mp3 as well as the “Extreme Quality” option for Spotify Premium members, Tidal’s HiFi sound offers lossless FLAC files with a bitrate 1411kbps - over four times as much, as you math-lovers might have noticed.

It is here that Tidal can begin to be broken down into its more interesting parts. The increase of bit rate is incredible, there’s no denying that, but the audience to truly appreciate it isn’t there. In fact the service is aware of this, as they have a blind A/B test where you can attempt to tell the difference between each bit rate of five random songs and it’ll rate if you were successful or not. Even if you have headphones or speakers capable enough to project the smooth lossless nature of Tidal’s HiFi sound, you’ll also need to be prepared from the bandwidth side of things as well. If your Internet connection has buffering tendencies with Spotify’s normal quality (a measly 160 kbps), then you should shell out some extra cash on your bandwidth before committing to the HiFi’s $20/month option.

In addition to the technical side of things, the music catalog is also incredibly important. Tidal just launched with 25 million songs, which doesn’t look bad compared to the established Spotify and it’s over 30 million tracks. The service is also pushing towards Tidal-exclusive music, a competitive move that hasn’t been used too often in the music streaming business. Currently the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s albums stand as the only definitive (and I use that term lightly) exclusive that the service has, however owner Jay-Z certainly isn’t ruling out the possibility of releasing his own records through Tidal as well.

Of course this increased focus on music exclusivity could fan out like a weak flame, or Jay-Z could (unfortunately) be on to something that’s more of a reactive move against a changing market than a proactive one. If he were to lead by example and allow more artists, specifically those at the press event last week (Jack White, Daft Punk, Kanye West, to name a few), to release their albums exclusively through the service then it wouldn’t be long before other services followed suit. The privilege of listening to whatever you want, when you want to, would fall by the wayside to the competition, which is a forceful approach to get money out of the pockets of fans. The music industry doesn’t share similar ground as the film or video game industries, which manage competition such as this in a way that ideally benefits the fan as well as the business, because music doesn’t hold the same inherent value as those mediums.

While this may seem a bit extreme, consider the fact that Forbes has labelled the group of musicians at Tidal’s funding core as “The Avengers of Music”. Unfortunately when The Avengers of the comic and film realms have their disputes here and there, but ultimately save Earth/the Galaxy numerous times, these music-based Avengers don’t need to be heroes like their comic book namesakes. I mean come on, they are millionaires. While it is noble that Jay-Z can stand up and demand better royalties for the artist, he’s arguing for the same reason that Taylor Swift fights Spotify: profit.

Granted, if I were either of them I’d probably want as much profit as I could get, seeing as they are both superstars and they would be making a lot more money if CDs had never died. That said, screw them. They’ve made their millions, in fact they are two large pieces of the industry’s Superstar Economy problem. Similar to the global economy, where the top .1% controls 81% of wealth, the top 1% of musicians control 77% of the wealth within the music industry. While I’m not asking for musicians to give their income away, the best way to balance the distribution of wealth is the offer an equal chance to any artist that is talented enough to seize it. The “big break” into the industry can still be alive and well with music streaming, and it would come at a much smaller cost than the hundreds of thousands of dollars that were stereotypically thrown at new bands on rise before the Internet. If Tidal wanted to focus on getting artists their fair share, then sponsoring an “up-and-comers” streaming contest of sorts would be a great and unique first step towards truly doing so.

Tidal can certainly offer a lot to the conversation of music streaming, especially since it holds the unique title of being an artist-majority owned service. What it does with the momentum it has gained out of the gate remains to be seen. As of now it appears to be as focused on the upper echelon of music listeners as it is on the top tier of musicians, while somehow hoping for some sort of mass market appeal. This reason alone makes the price of entry too steep for the average streaming consumer, which is why Spotify doesn’t seem too scared about the new competition. If it manages to stay afloat long enough to truly develop into its own platform, its potential could range from setting another harmful precedent against music listeners to lighting an appropriate fire in the name of streaming competition.

Fingers crossed for the latter, if anything at all.

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/editorials/tidal-a-wave-of-music-exclusivity-and-artist-disparity)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Made Violent - s/t EP

The story behind Buffalo, NY’s Made Violent is a lot different that most bands these days. Formed at the tail end of 2013, the trio’s first move was to seclude themselves in a cabin and make music. A few weeks later they released their first single “Wasted Days”, a blistering garage rock anthem with obvious yet satisfying influence from The Strokes, which was enough to blow away the writers at NME and guarantee an explosion of popularity. After a year of releasing a few more songs and going back and forth across the pond, they’ve now released their debut self-titled EP on Startime International / Columbia Records. But what should’ve been a buzzworthy first impression to a worldwide audience prior to the release of their upcoming full-length is instead a wasted opportunity at something different, choosing to play it safe instead of offering something new.

After releasing the trio of singles with “Wasted Days”, “Inside Out” and “Dirty” by the end of last March, and even following them up with a double A-side a month later, I was surprised to find all three of them as the latter end of the EP. Now all three are great songs on their own, but when combined with the two new tracks included in this release they lose the magic they originally had. This is mostly due to the fact that there is more variation in the production between the new tracks - “Two Tone Hair” and “On My Own” - and the latter three, than there is in the songs themselves. The offering here is simply too small, homogenous and repetitive, which feels like the opposite of the band’s image and attitude.

Despite this, and as I mentioned before, these songs are great. “Two Tone Hair” is simply gigantic, demonstrating the band’s lyrical and instrumental appreciation for The Rolling Stones and the UK in a ferocity of gritty and Britpop-y vibes. And “On My Own” manages to hold itself back to just Joe White’s raspy yells before all hell breaks loose in the form of the incredible pop sensibilities that it’s chorus holds. Although the production value varies between the remaining three tracks, it’s also convenient for new fans to have these earlier tracks compiled into one place prior to the release of the band’s debut LP.

Made Violent has managed to do so much in so little time, and that’s what should be praised. In terms of Made Violent, it acts and maintains the cohesion of a sampler rather than a full-fledged effort, which I don’t expect to be an issue when they actually release a full-length record. Despite a consistent upbeat tempo throughout it’s thirteen-minute running time, these songs should get a lot of love as the summer months approach and the countdown to what the band does next ticks on.

7/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/made-violent-made-violent)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: You Blew It! - Pioneer of Nothing EP

January is about to close it’s (mostly frost-covered) doors, but not before the Orlandoan emo-revivalists in You Blew It! can release a 7” EP called Pioneer of Nothing through Jade Tree. Their third release in just over a year, the band has not only found a way to mature their sound past what was heard on last year’s Keep Doing What You’re Doing but managed to do so in less than ten minutes, allowing for the perfect sampling size of what the band has to offer.

As a fan of their aforementioned sophomore LP, the songs on Pioneer of Nothing do much better at getting my attention. From the opener “Lanai”, which weaves its way through it’s under three minute running time in what feels like a matter of seconds. The clean guitar tones neatly buried in the mix managed to mesh fantastically with the distorted ones as well as the energetic rhythms from drummer Matt Nissley. All of this is in the background to Tanner Jones’ stellar vocals, which stick to more of a welcoming midrange tone this time around compared to the coarser vocals on previous releases.

For those who prefer everything that “Lanai” isn’t, “Bedside Manor” and “Your Side” are here to get you to sway. The former wobbles around in dreamy atmospheric manner before bringing it all in by the midpoint, then quickly fading out to leave you wondering what may come next amidst the gentle string of guitar notes and eventual up-tempo drum work – both flushed in a reverb-filled distortion.

By the time the latter begins with it’s much more mellow approach, you’ll find yourself in disbelief. The slower pacing displayed an even more sensitive and emotional side to the band that we’ve yet to see in their past year of releases. Again the guitar tones dictate the song’s progression, with help from the Nissley’s bass drum-heavy rhythms, until Jones wraps his thoughts with a calmly sung “I am by your side tonight, no matter how many times you’re convinced otherwise” and a gentle swell of organs leads the group to the quick end of the release – leaving the listener wanting more for all of the right reasons.

8/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/you-blew-it-pioneer-of-nothing-ep)

[jwballing-blog]

Jackson's 2014 EOTY Wrap-up Recap of the Year

Happy 2015 everyone! 2014 was an interesting ride that left me woozy with a little whiplash (not far off from my first rollercoaster experience), so I apologize for being a little late with this EOTY wrap-up post. A lot of work is stirring around my hemisphere right now and I’m stoked to get it all condensed and shared with the ether that is our modern world. Enough about that, here’s this:

Midway through the year I was incredibly fortunate enough to begin working with Mind Equals Blown as one of their staff writers. I have worked on a dozen articles for the site and cannot explain how excited I am to be apart of such a great group of people.

Below you will find links to my personal top 10 records of the year, the cumulative top 10 list from the staff at Mind Equals Blown, as well as the 2014 MEBBIE Award List and an art clickgrid with links to stream each record mentioned. For those who prefer the tl;dr route, a simplified list follows the link dump, along with my re-ranked top 10 records of 2013. Thank you for being apart of the writing process of a 20 year old music nerd. Much love.

Personal Top 10 of 2014

MEB Top 10 of 2014

2014 MEBBIE Award List

Best of 2014 Art Clickgrid

Top 10 of 2014:

10. Seahaven - Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only 9. La Dispute - Rooms of the House 8. Gang of Thieves - Thunderfunk 7. The Hotelier - Home, Like Noplace Is There 6. Pianos Become the Teeth - Keep You 5. Modern Baseball - You’re Gonna Miss it All 4. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways 3. Hostage Calm - Die On Stage 2. Every Time I Die - From Parts Unknown 1. Circa Survive - Descensus

Re-ranked Top 10 of 2013:

1. (1) The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation 2. (3) I the Mighty - Satori 3. (4) letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful 4. (12) Have Mercy - The Earth Pushed Back 5. (8) Defeater - Letters Home 6. (2) Balance and Composure - The Things We Think We're Missing  7. (6) The Story So Far - What You Don't See 8. (-) Modern Baseball - Sports 9. (10) Turnover - Magnolia 10. (9) State Champs - The Finer Things

Drop outs: (5) Pearl Jam - Lightning Bolt, (7) Citizen - Youth

<3

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Circa Survive - Descensus

It doesn’t take long for Circa Survive to bring their tried and true form of post-hardcore and progressive rock to your ears in Descensus, short of a second to be exact. For almost ten years, the band has been proving that they are one of the top musical acts today, both in the studio and with their unrelenting live performances. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the band would want to change things up after this long, yet no one expected a move to Sumerian Records and a new record out before the end of November. The change in scenery on the business side of things doesn’t change a thing about the band’s sonic output, instead complementing the experience and meaning behind the record. Right off the bat, it is clear that this is not the same Circa Survive you thought you knew.

Upon starting the record, you can immediately hear progression, and I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve experienced that in a manner such as what Descensus does. Every member gives each song their 110%, especially drummer Steve Clifford and the dual guitars of Colin Frangicetto and Brendan Ekstrom. All aspects of the sound have been cleaned and dirtied again by producer Will Yip in his typical masterful fashion, proving once again why he has been so highly regarded by bands and fans alike. As a result, the band feels like an ensemble cast. Each song has ripe instrumentals built around it with lyrics complementing the sound almost perfectly, instead of the other way around. For once, the sound is dominated by all aspects of it, as opposed to having vocalist Anthony Green help lead the way.

There is an audible progression between the Circa Survive of the past and that of the present, built up around their psychedelic debut and subsequent releases. For this reason, Descensus feels like the most complete and cohesive record by the band yet, a true follow-up from 2012’s Violent Waves. I cannot recommend only one track off of it because it needs to be indulged as a whole. As much as I love opener “Schema”, I also adore the calm façade of “Child of the Desert” which disintegrates into one of the purest raw jams that the band has ever done. “Quiet Down” reeks of classic Circa with some added Clifford and Ekstrom swagger, while “Nesting Dolls” is much like an ode to This Will Destroy You or Explosions in the Sky. The true standout lies at the tail end with “Sovereign Circles”, which keeps up the group’s pattern of intense penultimate tracks, and fades into the delightfully heavy title track to close out the experience, offering nearly nine minutes of consistent chugging guitar distortion underneath Green’s reverb-filled background bellows and foreground croons.

It seems cliché that such a great record from one of the best bands out there feels like it’s doomed to be seen as a commercial flop in comparison to their past releases, despite all the critical praise it’s bound to receive. The way Sumerian has handled the pre-release hype-building has drawn out concerns among fans, myself included. It falls in line with Thrice’s Beggars and Thursday’s Common Existence for this reason, which, in hindsight, has proven to be a fair consolation prize for both bands.

No matter what the sales indicate, this is a record that goes above and beyond Circa Survive’s sonic spectrum without breaking it. It will bring in a lot more revenue from all of the new fans that the band will gain from it than record sales alone. So if you’ve managed to miss out on the bandwagon this long, this is the most perfect moment to make the leap and experience what countless others have been raving about. Descensus is yet another gem in Circa Survive’s already impressive crown, which should come as no surprise at this point in the band’s incomparable career.

9.5/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/circa-survive-descensus)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways

Sonic Highways is not a Foo Fighters record. Instead its eight different amazingly well-crafted arena rock tracks, made as perfect as humanly possible by some of the most revered musicians in the genre and beyond. It combines elements from other sounds in order to broaden their target audience to be large enough to fight with the heavyweights in pop music, and for this reason it is the first huge rock record to come out…, well since 2011’s Wasting Light, with Reflektor taking a close second. These songs yearn to be blasted within arenas and stadiums all over the world, and they deserve to be. But it is the creator’s reputation that tarnishes what’s special about this record, and it results in an extremely unfortunate catch-22.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this record sounds amazing, as I subtly alluded to in my introduction. It’s catchy as hell in every way, and it infects everyone differently. In my case, I’ve caught myself faintly shouting along to the latter chorus of “What Did I Do?/God As My Witness” while my roommate drummed along to “The Feast and the Famine”, only to have another aspect of a different song stuck in our heads about two hours later. It has the Foo swagger and grit in its presence and delivery. Every member has a moment to flex his muscles and really show off, such as Nate Mendel’s bass groove in “Subterranean” or Chris Shiflett throughout “Congregation”.

Of course the documentary series is a huge part of what makes this record. The eight individual hour long journeys into a particular region’s musical history, which is designed to teach you enough amazingly interesting things so that you may get the true meaning behind each of Dave Grohl’s last minute lyrics. This, in turn, makes the songs much more emotional and powerful, and each listen becomes more enjoyable and fun. Listening to this record as I write this right now is absolutely wonderful for this reason.

There are two sides to this coin though. Since the show makes the record yet only four episodes had aired by the album's release, I only had that feeling with the first four songs. The latter four tracks had no context, which made them feel weird and seem worthless in comparison. Even now I only have the context for five tracks, with “Outside” now being one of my new favorites because of the relation to its back-story. My criticism of the latter three tracks as of now is only based on sounds with no meaning, and that’s one half of what harms this record. This could have been prevented by showing the show first and releasing the record with the show on the Tuesday following the finale, something that is completely feasible with the band. Given their history with double albums, simultaneous record and band documentary releases, and Dave Grohl’s directorial debut with Sound City, it seems like a CD/DVD combo is just a logical next step.

My other issue with this record is what I mentioned at the very beginning; it isn’t a Foo Fighters’ record, it’s a Dave Grohl concept album. He planned out this grand music history project and took the other members of Foo Fighters to eight cities in order to learn more about their music, culture, and legendary musicians, then condensing that into an audio-visual experience. He conducts most of the interviews and is the major focus point of the series, which is fine as this is a piece of passion for Grohl after his experience with the aforementioned Sound City. But these circumstances result in the loss of universal emotion, something the band has been building up since it was just Grohl. It takes the knowledge to attach the meaning, which makes for a special feeling but in the end it’s more of a consolation prize.

Despite all of that I bought two copies of this record, an LP and a CD copy. Why wouldn’t I? It is a fucking damn good record and it says Foo Fighters made it. While it isn’t the Foo Fighters record I was looking for, it opened my eyes to other avenues of inspiration and sound. It justifies its existence by rocking my socks off. By doing so I am satisfied, but also hoping that the band releases a new record within the next two years. Sonic Highways is a painstakingly contrived and wonderfully executed revitalization effort, I want to know what comes next.

RECOMMENDED

[jwballing-blog]

INTERVIEW: Christian Holden (The Hotelier)

Now on tour with The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, The Hotelier continues to reinforce the emotional spectrum of their latest record Home, Like Noplace is There. After their set in Burlington, Vermont, I was fortunate to spend a few moments with their singer and bassist Christian Holden to talk about the tour, the continued critical and crowd response to the record, and what their plans are looking like going into 2015.

MEB: Your tour with The World Is… just started, how has it been so far?

Christian: The tour has been great. There were a couple dates where we thought that no one would show up but then they all showed up later (Laughs). The shows have actually been really, really good; well attended and got a good response, which feels good ‘cause we worked a lot this year. It’s nice to see a payoff.

It’s been 5 months since your last show in Burlington; are you excited to be back?

Well the last Burlington [show] was alright; low attended, but I had fun. We met some kids who were really stoked on our band and drove from really far away to come see us, so that was nice. That was fun, but this show was much better since the space is really cool. I’m obviously not bashing 242 Main since that space is awesome and historic. This place is just different; I like the height of the stage and the feel of it.

If it’s not Burlington, then what date are you most excited for on this tour?

Well in Richmond we play the same day as Laura Stevenson, so I’m going to try to see her set and also go to the venue that she’s playing at and buy one of these sandwiches that’s a vegan grilled cheese, a bunch of vegan meats, and then another vegan grilled cheese underneath it. I’m excited to eat that and be there to see that set.

It’s also been just about 8 months since the release of Home, Like Noplace is There. How have the reactions to the record and the band changed during that period of time?

It’s hard to say because, you know, we have different responses depending on the tour we run. When we were on the Modern Baseball tour, the environment was a little bit different in that people were always jumping on the stage and stuff, and it would be really rowdy. Then we went on the Foxing tour and it was a little bit rowdy but not necessarily too much. And then we played with Laura Stevenson and the shows were very tame. Now we’re with The World Is… and they’re still pretty tame, which is fine because I like to just be able to play on stage and have people watch and sing along and have fun, that’s what’s cool about it.

How has the band responded to the critical response to the record and the constant flow of “album of the year” comments?

I don’t know. It’s really nice and awesome, but whenever I see that stuff, it makes me too excited to that point that I have put myself in perspective for a second and remember that it’s one person’s opinion and has no bearing really on what we’re doing or if our work is important. Some people listen to our music because it catches them in a certain way, others see it as good art. It’s all one person’s opinion so we take it with a grain of salt.

What do you believe the next step for the band is?

Not as sad (Laughs). I think that’s the logical next step for us.

What else do you have coming up following this tour as the year winds down?

After this tour we have two regular shows that we’re gonna play before the end of the year, two sort of holiday and New Year shows. Then we’re probably going to take a long break. I think we toured a shit-ton this year, we weren’t really stoked on it so we’re gonna take some time off and write a bit and make plans to record next year while touring a little less than this year.

Would you say that touring more than you wanted to would have an influence on what you write next, or is it just its own separate thing?

It’s its own separate thing. With the last album, writing was a pretty cathartic thing, but I don’t think I’m writing from that place anymore. Writing’s like its own sort of thing that’s in my life but not necessarily is my life or a big part of it.

Let’s end on a fun question: what is the best about being a part of The Hotelier?

Hmm…[long pause]. Chris [Hoffman, guitarist], what's the best part about being in The Hotelier?

Chris: Traveling.

Traveling? Yeah that’s pretty awesome. As much as you meet a lot of people who you maybe don’t connect with or even hate in music, you also meet a lot of people who you really love. I’m thankful for being in a band and meeting people who I care about enough to really trust. That’s what I think I like the most about this, especially friends in other bands and a greater understanding about how the music and art world works.

Awesome, thank you very much for your time!

Thanks for coming out, man.

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/interviews/interview-christian-holden-of-the-hotelier)

[jwballing-blog]

A Vinyl Collector's View of the World's Largest Record Store Chain

The other day one of my best friends and I were downtown with nothing to do, so we went to our local record store. It’s something that I’ve taken for granted lately, mostly due to the sub-par service and selection at this particular store, but nevertheless I walked in to browse and left with the new Braid record and The Blackest Beautiful by letlive., in exchange for a little over thirty bucks. As we left we began discussing vinyl in general, a discussion that couldn’t help but swerve into a piece of buzz-worthy news that I managed to keep running into across all corners of my little space of the Internet.

The headline may sound familiar to you as well: “Urban Outfitters Claims It's Now The No. 1 Seller Of Vinyl In The World”.

At least that how Hugh McIntyre of Forbes chose to put it. It’s a sentence that seems to spark a lot of negative emotions, and yet I can’t pinpoint where mine are amidst the spectrum of public opinion. As we discussed the topic, both after we left that local record shop and during our weekly radio show the following day, a lot of great points came up that exchange blows with the mass media that is simply misreporting it.

The first point, plain and simple, is that it’s a great thing. While I despise the Urban Outfitters brand and everything the company has come to represent, being able to claim the title of "Best Seller of Records in the World" is nothing that vinyl connoisseurs such as I can complain about. The obvious negative response can include jabs at their selection, which is extremely disappointing in my opinion, or the culture that such an accomplishment can raise.

Let’s dive into that culture really quick. Urban Outfitters has a target demographic of 18-28, and yet personal experience shows that their true demographic is more along the lines of 13-21. Their stereotypical shopper is a suburbanite teen, presumably female more often than male, living in upper-middle class with enough money to afford much of the store’s hefty price tags several times over, or enough to warrant the purchase of vinyl there. Enough visits to any one of their stores can allow anyone to notice their vinyl and turntable selection, planting a seed that may eventually lead them to spend their money on something other than clothes. This, coupled with the obvious "hipster" image that the store casts out continuously, is a catalyst for those who are attempting to find their own image. And that’s where the store can shine; you can get clothes and accessories to adapt to a new image, then when you’re attached to it you can go all-in and jump on the "millennial hipster vinyl craze". Or, to quote Mr. McIntyre again, “The fact that Urban Outfitters sells so much vinyl just goes to show that for many who are buying, it isn't about utility, it’s about a lifestyle”.

With that last statement, my true opposition arises with how this minuscule story is being reported. The general belief I’ve heard across the board about this topic is that Urban Outfitters is providing a greater way to "be hipster", instead of being a record collector. Sure, the worth and care of a record that can be bought in any one of the 178 Urban Outfitters locations across the United States may be less than someone who picked up collecting from a family member or takes the DIY approach with the help of the Internet. And my fear for the average buyer of records at Urban who doesn’t have the knowledge of caring for vinyl is that they’ll break their records, perhaps due to the types of turntables sold there. The aesthetically pleasing Crosley brand that the company carries in their stores has universal negative reviews, often called "record shredders" and the like across many DIY vinyl message boards. This leads to the potential for records to be scratched, in order to be inevitably replaced due to the class of the aforementioned stereotypical shopper.

However, like almost everything, Urban Outfitters is more of a trend than a store. It’s has the same appeal as Brokencyde, "screamo", or any other potential staple to a post-millennial teenager because it acts as a bridge between pre and post-adolescence. Sure, there may be a few people who really love the store and stay on that bridge as long as they can, just as there are somehow still fans of Brokencyde and Blood On The Dance Floor that aren’t thirteen. The point here is that, as far as vinyl sales are concerned, those who are just now jumping on the "vinyl bandwagon", which Urban Outfitters utilizes to provide a very small glimpse of with their selection, may be learning enough about the format to eventually extend their knowledge and understanding out of Urban Outfitters and into an actual record store. Thus they may be able to grow and become a part of the conversation that is based around the revival of this ‘dead format’, while becoming more conscious of their purchases and how they treat their belongings.

Ultimately, a vinyl collector at Urban Outfitters is an ideal target demographic for local record stores or any other method of record purchasing - such as Amazon, the actual largest seller of vinyl. And while some may hate the store chain and what they stand for, they are acting as a point of entry for future lovers of vinyl as well as contributing to the expansion of the format, something that those who dismiss the record resurgence need to support instead of labeling as a trend.

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/editorials/a-vinyl-collectors-view-of-the-worlds-largest-record-store-chain)

[jwballing-blog]

INTERVIEW: Chris Martin (Hostage Calm)

With their new record Die On Stage releasing this week, the Run for Cover veterans in Hostage Calm are on the cusp of a breakout. Fortunately I was able to talk with singer Chris Martin for a bit about the band’s progression, their recording process with Will Yip, and other changes that came this time around as they worked on their latest record.

MEB: From Please Remain Calm to Die On Stage, what was the band’s personal progression between the records?

A pretty defining event in my life is that I had gone from being in a very long-time relationship to going off on my own, and I think the record sort of documents that process of going off on your own and kind of embraces both the highs and lows that define young American life. This record came on the heels of that move, and sonically we’d been on tour with legendary punk bands for two years. Everything from Saves the Day, Anti-Flag, etc. – we were on tour with the greats. I think that also continued to inspire us from the standpoint of trying to make a record that didn’t sound like them, but one that was as singularly important and iconic as those bands made.

This was the first record where you worked with Will Yip (Title Fight, Circa Survive). Did he have a hand in that process of creating a record that was inspired by the bands that you toured with the past two years?

Well, we were inspired to rise to that sort of greatness and I think that Will definitely is the type of person who we could tell wanted to make iconic records, he wanted to make records that were timeless and were super articulate – emotionally and sonically. For us that became a no-brainer. He helped really capture this band in a way that emphasizes the grandeur and enormity of these songs. During this record we talked albums that had big defining impacts on bands’ careers and a singular importance in rock history, whether it’s a Stone Temple Pilots record or Born in the USA, which had a fully realized greatness. And that’s what Will helped bring to the table; he had that hunger to make a timeless classic record.

Definitely. When you’re listening to it you hear those grand moments that were always there, but really hit the top notch in a way that he has proven to do in the past. In addition to that, what other things were different about the recording process this time around?

I attribute the sonic clarity and energy that comes across to Will’s ability to capture and coach great takes. I definitely hit a real stride with him singing, where I feel like he and I got this flow where we could just go for hours and hours to get better takes. He figured out how to work me harder and that’s reflected across the album. On top of that, there were other aspects that Will was able to bring to the table. We had access to everything we would need. We were playing Rickenbacker twelve-string guitars, playing on Billy Joel’s piano and Sheryl Crow’s acoustic guitar. It was a crazy fuckin’ rock and roll field trip for us.

But this is also the first time we did a record where we had almost two months in the studio, and a house to live in. We had infrastructure to make what we thought was a legendary record or something that was timeless. We didn’t have to work during the day or come in after class. I have to thank Run for Cover [Records] for putting us in that position to succeed by believing in us to go into Studio 4 and come out with a record we would be proud of forever.

Of all these different musical aspects you had access to, which inspired the barbershop quarter part in the middle of “Past Ideas of the Future”?

(laughs) That was just something I was trying to do since I didn’t want the song to have a chorus. I love songs that have a chorus and it’s pretty obvious to anybody who’s listening to Die On Stage or any of our other records. I wanted the song to be a dramatic piece that built to a climax, with little climaxes along the way. But that was one part that was going to be the dramatic entrance of the band, so we put in that little a cappella spot, which we’ve known how to do with “Patriot” and all this other stuff.

An interesting track was “Raised”, which has more synth-based sounds, which you haven’t really done in the past. What inspired that shift?

We were talking to Will while we were producing it and we wanted “Raised” to kind of take rock music into the future. I don’t want our band or our genre to be this thing that’s just celebrating the past and reenacting that past glory of punk. I want our band to help bring the genre into the future, so for that track we were like, “let’s do a song that kind of takes on a whole different electronic element but stays true to the intensity of the band, both emotionally and sonically.” But as we were going through it I was like “how can we get an almost drum sound in samples, things that could give this almost a hip-hop or club flair while still having the punk over it?” And we realized that they still have this Yamaha drum machine in the studio that was used on a Fresh Prince record with Will Smith, which was tracked at Studio 4 like a lot of old Philadelphia hip-hop. I actually was playing a beat on the drum machine that looked like a yak bak; it was almost a joke playing it. But it being mixed in made the record sound really special at that moment and gave it this little flair that exists in a lot of other music besides punk. It was a neat touch.

That’s probably the greatest random fact from any production of a punk record ever.

(laughs) Yeah it is. I don’t know if was also used on the House of Pain track “Jump Around”, but I believe that was recorded at that place too. So many records were recorded there.

So with all of these different elements and themes and Will Smith drum machines, how did they come together to form the title Die On Stage?

I think Die On Stage has been a mantra for our band for a little while, I say it sometimes before we go on stage to get everybody stoked to burn it all down. It captured the mentality we have of going up there and kind of sacrificing ourselves for the art. By making music or art, you’re giving yourself to it and you become vulnerable. You’re giving up the comfort you normally have in everyday life by expressing the different ways you feel.

Death is the end materially, for a person, a relationship, or a band. It’s the limit of physical effort. After that death, all that you have is the memory of you. For this record I think we were striving to make something that was so timeless that it could live beyond us. Once we finished recording and it got pressed, it’s out there forever and it’ll live on in some kid’s record player or the memory of some set we played. There’s something romantic to us about that; to make such a great push and striving to create the most intense moment we can in our young lives, in hopes that somehow through it – we can live forever.

That was beautifully put.

Thank you.

Well stemming from that, you’re going on tour with Citizen, fellow Run for Cover bandmates. What is the approach for your setlist as far as playing songs from Die On Stage? Are you going to stick with the singles or just go right for it?

We’re definitely going for it, we like to play what we like to play. Among those we may play some singles off the new record or others we’ve done because we do like those songs, but there are other songs that aren’t singles or older songs that were singles that we’re gonna play just because we love playing them.

And this tour lasts until the middle of October, what are your plans after that?

We’ll be going to Europe with Man Overboard next spring and other than that, we plan to be in as many towns as possible in support of this new record.

I hope that all goes well, thank you for talking with me!

Anytime, you can always count on me being verbose and answer the questions for ten minutes longer than what’s needed.

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/interviews/interview-hostage-calm)

[jwballing-blog]

REVIEW: Hostage Calm - Die On Stage

I believe that for a record to be considered timeless, it must be properly timed. Two years removed from their critically acclaimed third album, Please Remain Calm, Hostage Calm returns with Die On Stage, which starts out swinging from the very beginning and weaves through the band’s trademark combination of ’60s pop sensibility, ’70s punk vigor, and ’80s new wave gusto – all while incorporating new inspirations and emotions into what is a record that is perfectly timed in my life.

“When You Know” kicks things off in uptempo fashion, and fans can recognize the developed sound that the band made popular with their previous record, while experiencing invigorated guitar work from Tom Chiari and Nick Balzano. The stunning guitar solo extends the inaugural track’s catchy melody and kicks off the album in spectacular fashion. Producer Will Yip flexes his aural muscles right off the bat and throughout the record, which proves to be a valuable asset to the continued progression of the band. His work with Balance and Composure can be heard in the standout track “Someone Else”, which wonderfully combines that Hostage Calm sound with that of ’90s alternative rock.

Tracks such as the blissful “Love Against!” and the energetic “Fallen Angel” demonstrate the full potential of a band in the middle of their comfort zone, allowing for impeccable drumming from Keith Sidorowicz to be properly showcased. However the record is far from a comfortable one, as it casts a theme of the post-millennial challenges that plague the American youth – inspired by singer Chris Martin’s recent end to a long-term relationship and venture into the unknown of the future.

Sonically the band dives into the future with a sound that expands more in the latter half of the record. Lead single “Your Head / Your Heart” draws heavily from the band’s ’60s influences, while incorporating more modern sounds such as the subtle synth in the background that crescendos as a bridge between verses. The following track “Raised” takes full advantage of Yip’s experience with hip-hop records, utilizing a drum machine and synth in the background in order to create a sound that may become a more common theme in future punk releases.

“12/31” is the emotional powerhouse of the record, as it slows things down to paint a despondent portrait of a lonely New Year’s Eve that acts as a turning point in a failing relationship. While great strength lies in the gang vocals among a calmer acoustic guitar, the strongest portion of the song comes in as the track allows you to visualize the ball drop while Martin sings – “Let all acquaintance be forget/And wander far from mine/I hope to you/I hope to God/that someday we’ll be fine” – in the tune of “Auld Lang Syne”, a truly beautiful moment that continues to leave me speechless.

Die On Stage ends with “Past Ideas of the Future”, a closer that includes the band’s attempts to pursue tomorrow while integrating as much of their varied influences to create a finale that appropriately closes the back cover on what is truly a masterpiece. From the ’60s barbershop quartet that builds up to an explosion of raw ’70s punk, to ending with a culmination of calls for peace that have been preached for decades to the tune of millennial new wave and rock, it acts as a beautiful last hurrah both musically and thematically.

At its core, Die On Stage is the frontline of personal conflict, doubts and the kind of existential crisis that can come about from a severe shift in one’s life, such as the end of something you’ve considered to be normal like a long relationship with someone. While I may not be going through the same experiences, my transition from being with someone I love every day to only being able to communicate with a phone is a mental and emotional change that finds solace in a record like this. Chris Martin’s punk versification is the purest of gems this record has to offer and the musicianship that surrounds it is top notch. Hostage Calm set out to create a timeless record, and they have achieved just that.

9.5/10

(Originally published here: http://mindequalsblown.net/reviews/hostage-calm-die-on-stage)