PhilaDIYphia

Philadelphia D.I.Y. music blog. Find your new favorite band. Keep up with your old ones.

[philadiyphia]

No Beauty In Routine: Feeny's Sophomore Success

Feeny has been driving up and down the lamentable Jersey highways for years, playing their music for a steadily growing NJ DIY scene primarily located along the shore and scattered around college towns. The group is no stranger to Philly, though, evident by the title of their most popular song, “We’ll Always Have Philly,” off of their debut album, Winter Of Our Disconnect. Four years later, the punk trio is releasing their second album, No Beauty In Routine. The album is slated for a February 29th release. On the new album, the Jersey natives coat their typical punk style with a fresh layer of indie rock. The album’s namesake track starts things off with ambient instrumentals and leads into a hard hitting, punky chorus you’d expect from Feeny. Guitarist Matt Koerner told PhiliDIYphia that the track was originally written as an extremely long poem, which was then condensed into the final product. No Beauty In Routine touches on adverse ideas and fears, such as an inability to enjoy a repetitive lifestyle and how that could affect a longterm relationship. The force of the album is slowed a bit in the next song, Spoliation (Uncomfortable). The five-minute track displays the band's lyrical growth since their last release in 2012, with relatable lines such as “You laugh a little too loud/you laugh a little too long/these words will pass on lips that misunderstand my song.” The song is very reminiscent of tracks on Brand New’s, “The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me,” with it’s subtle instrumentals backed by a distinct drum beat that perfectly accents the vocals. Spoliation is followed by Spacious Days, the album's first single (and the shortest track, at just under four minutes). Spacious Days’ uplifting lyrics and “wo-oo-oah”s are sure to be crowd pleasers. It brought me back to the core of New Jersey’s punk scene. Things are slowed back down with the third track of the album, Altercations, which beautifully uses a repetitive chorus to highlight key ideas of the album, such as the hardships of moving forward from something you’re not ready to let go of. Notably, the line, “I tried and I tried and I tried and I tried to tell you the truth/I lied and I lied and I lied ‘cause I’m scared to lose you,” which is skillfully complemented with echoing backing vocals. The catchy ‘Altercations’ is followed by my personal favorite track, Patience And Paranoia. The song immediately reminded me of The Hotelier or fellow New Brunswickers, Semiotics, with a certain midwestern flare that the vocals radiate, metaphorical lyrics, and lengthy verses. Patience And Paranoia strays from the typical Feeny vocal feel, but welcomes back those familiar “oo-oh”s about a minute and forty-five seconds in. The song reaches an emotional climax, with Koerner, yelling that, “those memories were never enough.” Last on the album is The Haymarket Affair, a strong close to a solid sophomore album. The track is a delightful nod to the more punk side of Feeny that older fans are accustomed to. Throughout the album, the band’s lyrics are continuously accentuated with backing vocals, which be seen more so on “Spoliation” and “Altercations.” The songs are finely crafted and tend to gravitate towards feelings of something that once was, an idea that most can find relatable in one way or another. Overall, No Beauty In Routine is a wonderful addition to New Jersey’s punk and indie scene and very well could be the start of something bigger for Feeny. When asked what Feeny’s favorite memory of Philadelphia is, bassist and vocalist Joe Macphee recalled a time when the band went to The Tattooed Mom on South Street after a show. He and Koerner had just turned 21, and the “first bar experience” stuck with them, from the graffiti on the walls to the bumper car seats. Macphee describes it as “the ultimate hipster bar.” He went on to tell me about their recording process, saying that “the recording was spread out over two consecutive weekends in late November and early December of 2015, at the Cannon Found Soundation in Union City, NJ.” He was surprised by how quickly the process went; recording wrapped in a mere five days. The album was originally written as a pop-punk album, but was scrapped and rewritten so that the band would be able to release material that they were content with and proud of. The only two songs they salvaged were Spacious Days, and Patience and Paranoia, the latter of which was written years ago and “could have gone on ‘Winter Of Our Disconnect’” had they had time for it back then, says Koerner. The guitarist continued by saying that his favorite part of the recording process was getting to work with Jesse Cannon and Mike Oettinger, who have worked with bands from Saves The Day to The Cure. He saw it as “an honor to be included amongst some of [their] heroes.” Aside from his work in Feeny, Koerner also co-founded The Moon Room in his hometown of Hillsborough, NJ a few short months ago. The Moon Room is a DIY venue located in the basement of a Presbyterian Church in the rural town, and has allowed the Boro DIY scene to progress and draw in more people than Hillsborough’s house shows were capable of. Not only does this help the exposure of Feeny and the other Boro local bands, it allows a younger crowd to perform and get into the scene early, all in a safe environment. As far as Feeny’s future is concerned, it’s safe to say you can expect more releases later this year, and it won’t be too hard to catch them in Philly or in their local Jersey venues in the coming months. Koerner says he’s “very excited about life right now and (he’s) hoping that continues,” and it very well could, following the release of No Beauty In Routine this Monday, February 29th. “No Beauty In Routine” was produced and engineered by Jesse Cannon and Mike Oettinger of Cannon Found Soundation in Union City, New Jersey and is set to come out on Monday, February 29th. It will be available on Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes and all other major digital retailers. -Jacob Naroden, staff writer Visit: http://feenynj.com/ Listen: https://feeny.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/feeny-594822228 Like: https://www.facebook.com/Feenynj

[philadiyphia]

Yeah, No’s Philly Adventure

Photo by Lina Xinos

Coming all the way from State College, PA, Andy Corl stopped in Philadelphia on the 18th of December and never left. Better known as “Yeah, No”, an acoustic act with lots of drunken angst and a stubborn drive to call out all the bullshit, Andy came to Philadelphia with Smol, a two piece from State College, to visit friends and play local venues on his weekend tour.

His time here was packed. Andy kicked things off on Friday, playing at  local favorite The Nest. Located in North Philadelphia, the Nest is a house venue previously run by Kevin Brusha, a good friend of both Smol and Yeah, No.The musicians had performed there previously, and were already well known by the venue’s devoted frequent flyers. Joey DeMedio, the current booking agent and a resident at the Nest, was happy to have them back again. Although the turnout was good, “Yeah, No” opted to play in the living room instead of hitting the basement stage. 

With everyone packed into the tiny space upstairs, Andy handed his guitar to Liam Forst, musician and owner of the Fat House, to play, placed his bourbon and beer on the floor and began to sing. Before long, members of Smol, Kevin Brusha, and the rest of the room were singing along. Songs like “Cigarettes” and “Purple” had the crowd belting Andy’s simple, brutally honest lyrics.

Andy describes his music as “a little bit like Nirvana”, and after his involvement in Casino Smoker had ended, he began and has since been working exclusively on solo projects such as this one. But, he says that there are bigger plans in the works for future music collaborations in Philadelphia.

On Saturday, Andy hit The Fat House. As it turned out, the house has an open room, and Andy expects to move in and start permanently living and making music in Philadelphia starting in January. When asked what sparked this move, Andy said, “I decided that my real friends are here (in Philadelphia) and it’s better to surround myself with people who actually care about me.”  

Sounds like a good enough reason to move six hours from home, and the Philly music scene certainly stands to benefit from the addition of some new acoustic jams and a rad new neighbor.

Sunday’s show, the last of the weekend tour, took place at 205, a dorm style apartment that doesn’t regularly host shows. The show was a much more intimate gathering than those of the the previous nights, and a basement wasn’t even an option. Andy played in the living room, sharing the “stage” with acts such as Smol, Curtis Cooper, and Forest Ranger, before opening the floor up for an open mic. Yet again, everyone was singing.

Although Smol returned to State College, PA late Sunday night, Andy is inPhiladelphia for good, so you can likely catch him more often in the coming weeks as shows for the new year begin to get booked. For his existing fans, Andy has a piece of advice.

“Read a book.”

Listen: yeahno.bandcamp.com

Buy: Contact Andy directly for a cassette.

-Kayla Babicki, staff writer

[philadiyphia]

Do You Really “Support” Local Music? (Op-ed)

“So, I have two touring bands out in Connecticut tonight, they need a place to stay. Do you know anybody that would have them?”

“What genre?”

“Uh, hardcore, why?”

“I know you like a lot of genres that my friend won’t back.”

“Umm… does it matter? They’re not playing at the house, they’re sleeping there.”

“It takes a lot of effort to host bands. I wouldn’t host bands that I don’t like. That’d be like an atheist going to church.”

But support local music though, right?

That was a real conversation with someone whose self and friends would apparently rather see a band not to their liking sleep in a Wal-Mart parking lot than spare a floor for approximately 8 hours. Elitists are possibly one of the worst wrecking balls that will ever and have ever hit the scene. They are the freedom killers, the antagonizers, the absentees, and the people that apparently see music as a series of houses instead of an apartment complex. If one burns, the others won’t, right? Wrong.

The music scene as a whole is supposed to be this place that people can go to express themselves, and the constraints of genre don’t matter. You can be in a punk band and a jazz quartet, a twinkle-emo outfit and a sludge band...at the same time. Hey, you can dabble in whatever you want, and you should be accepted regardless of what else you’re doing musically or listening to most often. It shouldn’t matter, because it’s music.

But, what happens when Mr. and Mrs. “Fuck Everyone That Doesn’t Sound Like Snowing And Wear Thrift Clothes” or Lieutenant “Crowd Kill Pop Punk Kids At A Mix Genre Show” have their collective way with the music scene? Drama happens, divisions and rifts in the scene happen, and nobody wants to support anybody else anymore.

That means that all of those now bloody and probably sniffling pop-punk kids aren’t going to go support the hardcore scene anymore because they think every one of those kids is an asshole, and all of the punk kids refuse to listen to emo ever again just because some girl with Keds on gave them side eye for way too long. The kids that might have driven to a house in Philly to check out new bands feel like outsiders, so they won’t. The kids that don’t want to get targeted for how they’re dressed at a show by some XXX elitists are staying home. Nobody’s buying new bands’ albums, nobody’s trying new things, everyone becomes either jaded or complacent with the music that they know and, when tied by friendship allegiances, isolated by snobby assholes, and disenchanted with other people, will stop supporting the scene as a whole and will compartmentalize.

So, fuck ‘em right? Their loss, we don’t need ‘em.

Wrong.

You see, as much as you may think your favorite genre is the best, it’s not, because there is no best and everything’s relative (NOTE: there is no best, but crunk rock is not the best). So, as much as you may believe that there are enough people to keep your scene going because, like, who doesn’t want to go see jazz punk folk hop bands, you’re wrong, because the answer is most people.

Unless, you know… maybe I’m open minded and everyone in the scene has always made me feel welcome and expressed interest in others’ work regardless of genre constraints. Maybe I’ve gone to a few mix genre shows where promoters helped each other out with booking. Maybe I’ve been treated kindly by people at shows. Maybe a few friends have said, “Yeah, let’s try this out, maybe it’ll be cool, and if not, at least we tried it.” Then, you know who’s going to Celtic Fusion Night at the cafe? We are.

It’s music, people. It’s not like your Netflix subscription is running out on the same night that a local band you don’t know is charging $3 for tickets to their show at a dive bar. It’s not hard or life threatening to go see bands and not cherry pick who you’re going to support.

Well, they don’t support me. They don’t know you, yet, either. Go network.

But, I know what I like! So... how’d you find out what you liked? Sixth sense? Tarot cards?

Yeah well, (genre) kids are pricks. They think you are, too, because nobody’s nice to each other and everyone makes assumptions just like that.

I’m not spending money on that. Then good luck getting anyone to spend money on what you like.

If you’d rather stay home like a self important prick than give someone in your scene a little support and contribute a body, a little cash, an open mind and ear, or even a floor to crash on, remember this:

They might not sound like you or your friends, but they share the one dream, the one love, the one passion that you have. They might dress differently and play differently and sound differently, but they’re not so different from you. Don’t sink the scene by being an unwavering elitist dick. Support all local music, not just a handful, or else there won’t be a handful left.

-Jordy Lyric, E.I.C.

PhilaDIYphia will support your band. To snag a music or show review, interview, streaming opportunity, or anything else, really, email [email protected]. 

To contact Jordy directly, [email protected]

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Sacks Of Phones” (Album” - Tisbury Obama

I adjust the volume of my headphones before hitting the play button. It’s honestly a fifty-fifty chance with this sort of thing. Regardless of whether the album is turn up worthy, I have to listen to it – all of it. Low volume is, if nothing else, safe. Tisbury Obama, I discover, is anything but and deserves to be blasted through speakers on repeat. Their album Sacks of Phones, recorded in only four days, is filled with catchy but not generic tunes that have you singing after just the initial listen.

The first song “Master Disaster (The Last Words of Old Willy)” establishes the tone of the album as a whole. Tyler Asay (lead vocals), John (guitar) and Matt Domenico (bass), and Matt Montella (drums) prove they know their way around their respective instruments. The thing about this track, like many others on Tisbury Obama’s album, is that behind the guitar riffs and drums, there are less standard sounds being used. The effect is an amazing first song that has listeners – specifically me – yelling along “never left another mother”.

The momentum “Master Disaster” starts carries throughout most of the album. The bass line in “Between The Lines” sets a groove that holds the track together and encourages toe tapping, head bopping tendencies. This song not only cements the bass and guitar skills but also happens to be my favorite track on the album for its bass line. “Bus Rider” and “Bedford Tower” are close behind – “(Bus Rider Intro)” being reminiscent of Ludo’s darker works and “Bedford Tower” being another track by Tisbury Obama which displays a funk bass line and lyrics that ask “do you love me?” All I can do is scream yes.

I love every bit of the Sacks of Phones album except for their last track which is ordinary and frankly a little bit boring in comparison to the relatively experimental sounds of prior tracks. “All I Can Say”, to me, is merely a song created to break even with eight tracks on their album. Otherwise Tisbury Obama has been a pleasant surprise. Though they are from Scranton, PA, there are still plenty of opportunities to go catch one of their upcoming shows. Don’t miss out on a chance to listen to them live. I know I won’t.

-Blessing Olaode, writer

Listen: tisburyobama.bandcamp.com

Catch Tisbury Obama at the following:

7/22 Barnaby's, West Chester

7/23 at Fennario, West Chester

7/26 Metropolitan Lounge, Maryland

7/29 St. Elmo's Coffee Pub in Virginia,

7/30 Borjo Coffeehouse in Virginia

8/1 The Keys in Scranton

8/3 Silvana in NYC

8/9 Bourbon and Branch in Philly

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “The Acosmist” (EP) - Damien The Cat

Metal has long been an outsider to the hipness of rock music, always looking on another subgenre that is currently captivating the minds and hearts of another generation of youth. Punk rock and all of the music it inspired has almost never been outside of the center of attention for many generations of youth. Even when punk rock bands like the Melvins started to incorporate metal sounds into their repertoire, they always maintained a punk aesthetic and sensibility that kept them in line with an artier crowd, with the cool kids. It doesn’t happen very often that bands with a metal sensibility or aesthetic capture the ears of an artistic crowd. It happens even less that a band with metal vibes whose name is directly inspired by an allegorical reference in a DMX song capture the ears of an artistic crowd. Damien The Cat, a three piece outfit from Central New Jersey, made a strong case to become the first such band with their new EP entitled The Acosmist. An ambitious concept album that details Damien the Cat’s frontman McCann Painter’s attempt, after a series of personal struggles, to call into question all of reality and to make sense of the reality before him. The Acosmist fits in nicely with the pantheon of mathcore and metalcore bands such as fellow New Jerseyians, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and other bands like Converge, and even mid-80s Black Flag during their more experimental, jazz inspired period. Painter even admits that Damien the Cat got their start as a Converge rip-off band. Although the punk influences are definitely audible, Damien the Cat’s aesthetic is that of a metal band. And this record is no different. The Acosmist is a unique record because it’s an artful metal album that is technically sound, creative, and conceptually ambitious.

For an EP, this record carries a lot of weight. It’s as if Damien the Cat discovered a way to fit an entire LP’s worth of material onto a 5 track EP, and it works perfectly. By the end of the last song, it’s hard to imagine anything else being necessary; the record has already done what it originally intended to do. The first song, “Part I: The Furthest Corners” is hard and heavy from the jump, with pounding bass drum beats and the throaty monstrous screams of Painter. The song never backs down, with wild time and pace changes, discordant and jarring guitar, and a thick and heavy bass line. Painter’s songwriting seems influenced by a black metal tradition, with a combination of naturalistic and sci-fi elements that are incredibly abstracted. On “Part I: The Furthest Corners” Painter is describing an almost nihilistic view about the world and reality.  He suggests at one point that he’s longing for a purpose or maybe he’s actually longing for death itself. “Where we stand betwixt mountains/longing for a purpose/or longing for the twang/of appendage on iron hook/and the sound which pierces the valley of silence.” He goes on later to say that the stories of the dead are all around and always present, but apathetic to the living. The lyrical content and the song itself are wedded in their severity, equaling each other in intensity and frustration.

On the the second track “Part II: Bearing the Black Lotus” Damien the Cat puts their technical chops on display with a solid chunk of the song just instrumental that is complex and off-kilter. The music sounds like it could escape them at any moment, as if it’s barely in their control while being impressively tight at the same time. The song fades in and then explodes into a similar sound, though slightly more poppy, as the first song. “Part 2: Bearing the Black Lotus” has a much more somber feel, with Painter actually singing at parts and the music slowing down to a walk versus the all out sprint of the first song. This slow and somber feel compliments Painter’s lyrics that use a flower as a means of discussing the pain of resisting existence and the pain of existence itself.  The song leads into the third track and halfway mark “Interlude: Bloom” which is by far the most atmospheric and introspective of the tracks, at least musically. Painter’s lyrics are some of the darkest on the entire album, as the song actively ponders suicide. He “saw the void” and eventually declares “No Suicide.” He doesn’t decide this before stating that he is in “a state of nothing,” which makes it seem that the narrator is neither pained nor well; he is only made unique by a lack of both. He’s in some sort of limbo, fitting for an interlude.

“Part III: The Ember’s Embrace” starts off as very traditional post-hardcore math rock, and then explodes into a terrifyingly heavy metal. The lyrics explode similarly, with the narrator detailing his utter sadness and weeping, until halfway through he claims that the “room is newly alive” and the narrator also becomes newly alive. The sadness and internality of the song erupt into an external frustration and despair. Painter screams “And a single tear/replaced the suffering/with astringent/asensory flumes/of despair.” Despite this despair, the person the narrator is discussing seems to have more vitality to him, he seems somehow more alive than in the rest of the EP up to that point.  “Part IV: The River’s Draught”  is the character of this story finally, I believe, commits suicide, in some way. Painter screams “And he wept/shouldering the burden/the somnambulation of eternal sleep/which he carried the down the river and into the sea,” Whether or not the person in this story committed suicide actually, some part of his humanity died with this acceptance of how this reality is and it’s lack of truth and purpose. This track is a perfect ending to the narrative of this EP. The song opens with firey off-kilter rock that desecends quickly into a slow, lumbering melody that feels internal and solemn. The true power of this song is in the final minutes where the slow, laborious sound comes back and seems to echo the footsteps that the person in the story takes leading into the river and the sea at the end of the song.

Overall, Damien the Cat have made an honest and solid attempt to detail the pain, suffering,  chaos, and often, hopelessness of this world with music that mimics that world in creating those same phenomena. The lyrics, at times, were slightly unwieldy, creating a picture so large that the record seemed unfocused at times. Despite that, the lyrics were often beautiful, moving, and honest. The music was often the most impressive and praiseworthy. The complexity and technically difficult music that Damien the Cat’s writes is remarkable, but it is no where near as remarkable as how well they can play music that is so complex, technically and emotionally. Damien the Cat’s The Acomist EP is a quality record that, more often than not, succeeds at what it set out to do; be a thought provoking  piece of art.

- Nick Silcox, writer

See Damien the Cat on the east coast between July 7th and 20th. 

Closest dates: The Boneyard, July 11th (Atlantic City, NJ)

                        Trocadero Balcony, July 17 (Philadelphia, PA)

Listen: https://damienthecat.bandcamp.com/

Like: facebook.com/damienthecat

Retweet: twitter.com/damien_the_cat

Double tap (Instagram): damienthecatnj

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Strangers” (Album) - Nathan Earl and Rachel Joy

This is the soft indie album you will fall in love to. I don’t care where you are in life emotionally, after listening to Strangers by Nathan Earl and Rachel Joy- you will be skipping around town with your heart on your sleeve until the end of the concluding song “Honey Eyes.” Strangers is sweet. It’s tulle, it’s lace, it’s shaking hands, it’s hastily combed back hair, stolen kisses. This is the second album put out by Nathan Earl and Rachel Joy. The album is made up of four short songs, but I guarantee you’ll leave it on repeat for hours as that unnervingly warm feeling that accompanies new love envelopes your entire body. 

You don’t even have to be romantically involved with anyone, this album will have you planning your shabby chic wedding to your fourth grade boyfriend with just a few listens. Crying violins and the gentle melodies of acoustic guitar perpetuate each track creating a unique folk indie vibe. I close my eyes while I listen and suddenly I’m at Jesus camp in the middle of nowhere (mind you, I’ve never even been to summer camp) sneaking off into the woods to exchange innocent kisses with the boy from the dance. 

Each jangling, folk dipped song creates the image of finding that one person who will come along and fill that empty space that you never even knew was there before you met them. With lyrics like “this hole inside of my chest started healing when I found you,” listeners will be walking around town with hearts in their eyes and butterflies in their stomachs for the next week. This group of five incredibly talented musicians plans to keep writing music with the hopes of creating their own style while still pulling inspiration from artists such as City and Colour and John Mark McMillan. They will be taking a break from performing until September in hopes of writing their next LP.

-Erin Blewett, writer

Listen: https://nathanearlandracheljoy.bandcamp.com/ Like: https://www.facebook.com/nathanearlandracheljoy

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Don’t Be Fucking Rude” (Album) - Southern Queers

Southern Queers is a two piece punk outfit from Philly (and South Jersey, but, same thing, right?) whose album, Don’t Be Fucking Rude, is a grainy collection of drum, guitar, and screaming. They’re not the kind of DIY punk that’s become a “thing” in modern days. They sound like they could have opened for Minor Threat, seriously, and it interests me. You never find a group quite this old school anymore.

Tracks like opener “Chew Your Vitamins” and, well, almost all of the tracks, are short, vicious bursts that people probably break shit (bones? bottles?) to at the bar, whereas tracks like “The Depressing One” and “My Bed Is My Boyfriend” are just a little more rhythmic. The album, in this way, is enjoyable, because there are tracks I can beat someone or drive really fast to, but there are also at least two tracks that I could cry or dance to if need be. Guitarist Tony and drummer Gia confirm, saying, “It's really short. It's about 20 minutes in length, I think. We're pretty relaxed about writing songs so I guess each song has a different inspiration. The general theme (if I had to say there was a theme) would probably be about hating yourself and everything in general. It's pretty angry.”

Angry it is indeed. The band is talented and very much a throwback to the DIY punk culture that started our DIY scene. Their songs are short, they’re punchy, they’re punk at it’s purest, and I loved the album for both the nostalgia factor and for the songs themselves, each one a punchy, angsty little jam. Definitely check this out.

-Jordy Lyric, Editor In Chief

Southern Queers is going on a “super short” tour in July, and they’re “always down to play more shows”.

Listen: https://southern-queers.bandcamp.com/

Like:  www.facebook.com/southernqu33rs

Retweet: @QueersSouthern 

[woveninband-deactivated20220809]

Just Announced! Woven In @ North Star Bar in Philadelphia, PA - August 20th

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Bitter/Maxray Split” (EP) + “Aploy” (Track) - Maxray or Will

Maxray or Will is a two piece indie-emo outfit that split time between New York and Philadelpahia. In 2014, they released a 3 song demo split with Bitter Tuesdays. They contributed the final two songs on the demo, “2chrds” and “Harmonix.” The first song on the demo “Brighter Side of Mean” sounds like feel good folkish indie, that you can imagine a family singing this song around a campfire, which is odd for a band that is attempting to communicate the alienation specific to post-college twenty something experience. The song is extremely catchy with an upbeat melody  that repeats through most of the song. The song is a little simplistic and never fully grabbed my attention. The second track “2chrds” is a really simple, straightforward song that has, you guessed it, seemingly only two chords. The vocal styling’s draw from an emo aesthetic, but the instrumentation doesn’t have the force or size to back up the meaningful lyrics and powerful vocals. The end of the song has a strong finish that drives home the lyrics, allowing the song to be as large as it should be. This song makes it obvious that the band is a two piece, and feels like there should be something more to fill out the song.

The third and final song from the split, “Harmonix,” gave the exact opposite feeling. The emo American Football-esque guitar, rapid pace changes, and strong vocals fill the whole of the song, so much so that it feels like there is more than two people in the band. “Harmonix” is the strongest song of Maxray or Will’s on the entire split, and the strongest of all the songs. This song left me feeling like Maxray or Will was moving closer to finding their sound, whereas “2chrds” had me wondering what it was that they were aiming for.  When asked about the inspiration for the songs, Maxray or Will had this to say about the two songs from the split, “Each song draws from different points of inspiration: social anxiety/alienation/indeciveness  (sic) (harmonix), self mutilation/abusive relations (2chrds), and the plight of being weak, defeatist, ‘nice.’” These themes are fleshed out really well in the lyrics, but “2chrds” musically falls short of expressing these large and heavy themes. “Harmonix” does a much better job of creating the musical effect necessary to convey the themes that Maxray or Will set out to explore.

Maxray or Will recently released a new single entitled “Aploy” that builds upon the sound from “Harmonix” and is an even stronger song. I wasn’t asked to review this song, but I felt it was necessary to get a true feel for the direction Maxray or Will is going in. And I am really glad I chose to listen to “Aploy” because it’s well crafted and well executed, with effective use of harmony in the vocals and strong presence instrumentally. Having these three songs as my first exposure to Maxray or Will, it seems to me that this is a band that is growing more sure of itself and coming closer to its full potential all the time. Each successive song was better than the last. I’m looking forward to hearing more of their catalogue, and to see what they can do on an EP or LP release.

-Nick Silcox, writer

See the band at Pine Box Rock Shop on July 26th in Brooklyn and at The Elk's Lodge in Boston on July 11th.

Listen: maxrayorwill.bandcamp.com

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Disguised In Color” (Album) - Civil Youth

For their first album, Civil Youth has done a solid job of creating a release with a little something for everyone. Though the band’s beginning starts in Boston, MA, all of the members originate from Philly and their “brotherly-love” certainly shines through in their sound. Effortlessly able to combine the soft notes of the piano with a touch of techno noise and the sharp cords of a guitar, most of the songs on Disguised in Color will keep listeners upbeat, filled to the brim with a happy buzz of beautifully combined sounds. However, beneath the vibrant sound, lead singer Michael Kepko spills his soul with haunting lyrics.

According to the band, their first full-length album rides on the concept of never trusting a happy song. Kepko states, “I had a lot of things plaguing me while writing this album, and telling people was my way out. I believe in putting positive energy in the universe, but honestly the world isn’t always what it seems to be.” Beneath the happy exterior that the instruments are able to construct, the despairing and thought provoking lyrics crawl through the cracks and listeners catch a glimpse of Kepko’s vision. Those who can see through the happy facade will be pleasantly surprised with gravity of the words Mike sings and possibly form a connection they weren’t expecting to make.

Like I said before, though, the album provides a little something for listeners of every kind. Even if you’re not staying up late at night to poke and prod at the lyrics to find a deeper meaning to life, Civil Youth’s album provides the energy invoking and upbeat sounds one might desire to listen to before a night out. In a quote from the band,

“Civil Youth is having a voice to what you believe in. It’s yelling at the top of your lungs your biggest troubles plaguing you. It’s being a part of a family who will have your back no matter what, because we’ve been to the bottom and back. Civil Youth uses the power of music as a vehicle to try and change the world, to save a life, & to make the common uncommon. Civil Youth is you, and you are Civil Youth...Will you join us?”

Civil Youth is a band with big goals, and those goals to bring their fans together while providing them with music and sound to make their own come through in Disguised in Color. Even those who may not consider themselves fans of the band will be able to find something to like.

.“Who Rescued Who” is available everywhere July 2nd, and the band embarks on a 2 month national tour, The Cannonball Tour, starting July 3rd.

- Devon Swanson, writer

Listen: http://civilyouth.bandcamp.com/

Visit: www.civilyouth.com 

Like: https://www.facebook.com/civilyouthband

Retweet: twitter.com/civilyouthband 

Double tap (Instagram): civilyouthband 

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Sux” (EP) - The Great Depression

The Great Depression’s debut EP, Sux, doesn’t suck. It actually kinda rules. When I first hit play I thought, shit, if the Beatles drank forties and cried in their beds sometimes and played in basements and listened to Julia, it might sound like track “Purple Skirt” does.

The band resides in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and though some people call them shoegaze, songwriter Ben Luckman assures me, “we aren’t. We smoke a lot of the pot.” In fact, I can picture these songs being played in a sound room that smells like “self-loathing and dank,” the inspiration for the EP according to Luckman.

The album is (sorry) a little shoegaze-y / emo production. Cleverly enough, they sort of twinkle the way that those bands that they insist “If Algernon Never Gets Back Together We Are Just Going To Keep Hearing Shitty Twinkle Songs from Shitty Twinkle Bands” twinkle. But, they’ve got a more unique vibe than a lot of the emo circuit does. It might be the female vocals, which are beautiful and soft as opposed to the wiry and shrieky male vocals that we all know and love in the emo scene. It might be the calmer, slightly more sophisticated and more layered guitar production. It might be the little retro vocal elements. It might be the dank. Whatever it is, it’s working out pretty well for the band and I’m stoked to hear what they do next. Look for them on the NJ show circuit and, starting in August, Philly, too.

- Jordy Lyric, Editor In Chief

Listen: www.thegreatdepressionnj.bandcamp.com

Like: www.Facebook.com/thegreatdepressionnj

Follow: www.thegreatdepressionnj.tumblr.com

Retweet: twitter.com/theokdepression

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: “Feel” [Album] by Woven In

Genre: Dark Surf, Shoegaze

Surfing shoegaze and crooning vocals blend beneath a vintage filter. I can hear Woven In coming from a jukebox in a black and white movie, I can hear Feel glowing softer than the neons but brighter than the dark in the back of a surf-shack hot dog and ice cream joint. But I can hear much more than simply a sweet, nostalgic snapshot. I can hear Mariah Johnson, the one behind the moniker Woven In, fingers pressed to a glass, humming and warbling paint strokes. Feel is art. Warm, retro art.

Feel is the command, and feel you will. Behind the smoky production, tying each separate part of each song together in silk ribbons, I feel raw and jagged glass edges cutting through the album. I feel the tenseness of surf jam “Love is the Land (to drowning hearts)”. It sounds like the time I threw my then ex’s shirt in the closet and slammed the door before quietly taking it back into my arms. Woven In doesn’t just make music, Woven In paints sounds and makes oil slick masterpieces out of a simple palette. Feel buzzes. It hums softly to me. 

Woven In soothes the heart, and as I listen and my eyes shut, projections of lovers on beaches and sweaty sex in the back of a Mustang playing on my eyelids like a movie on a drive in screen, I wonder if they’re soothing their own heart with these songs, too. It seems like the soundtrack of someone picking up the pieces. It’s unsure in places, but who isn’t?

“Feel was recorded and mixed by me at my home in Atlanta,” says Johnson. “I curated just about everything that is heard [,] all except for some of the drum tracks. It's a pretty atmospheric album. I really want to evoke a feeling more than I want to get a message across. It's my attempt of bringing my vernacular and my favorite musical elements together.”

Curated is definitely the right way to put it. Success, I’d say. Success by the way Johnson defines it, and success in that this artwork was pieced together in a home. I picture it warbling through the vents, through the floorboards, seeping like magic dust up through the cracks and bathing the house. I’m happy to have had it in mine, too.

The back end of the album (a long eleven tracks, but something you wouldn’t tire of on a long drive by yourself) slows on song “Shallow”, a soft and dissonant track, laying down. Slowly it rises with “Hate State”, a song I can picture bouncing around the room at an art gallery opening, couples spilling their little champagne flutes on the floor and twirling around giggling to. People could fall in love to this album even though it’s evident that somebody fell out of love at least once to make it. The album is a soundscape. You get it because you’re falling for someone and this is your soundtrack. You get it because you’re in love and laying next to them, smiling at what you’ve built and the quiet way they lay on your chest even when, God, you’re a little fucking unsure sometimes, but you’re trusting that the way they looked at you on your first date is the way they look at you when you haven’t woken up in the morning yet, but they have. You get it because you lost someone and you’re drunk on someone’s couch, maybe your own, and all you can do is replay the last kiss they gave you.

The title track transitions into “Shannon”. God, Shannon, whoever you are, you’re lucky you’re included, and the song is beautiful at that, but the best song on the album might be the last one, a catchy and pretty perfect conclusion. I’ll leave some to the imagination

“I like surf. I like shoegaze. I like post-punk. I like rock n roll. I like dancing & fashion. I move a lot. I don't have the best love-life. Feel is a culmination of these experiences and sentiments,” Johnson says succinctly.

Here’s some advice for you all.

Download this album.

Dim the lights.

Don’t turn them back up until it’s over, and maybe not even then.

- Jordy Lyric, Editor In Chief ([email protected])

Woven In performs at Kung Fu Necktie on July 28th and North Star Bar on August 20th. 

Listen: https://wovenin.bandcamp.com/

            http://soundcloud.com/woven-in

Like: facebook.com/wovenin

Follow: http://woveninband.tumblr.com/

Buy on Tape: popnihil.bandcamp.com/album/feel

Retweet: http://twitter.com/WovenIn

Watch: http://youtube.com/user/wovenin

Double Tap (Instagram): Woven_In

[philadiyphia]

REVIEW: "Trivial" (Track) - Chick Tracts

So, I won’t lie to you; upon first listen, I wasn’t over the moon about Trivial, but after listening a few more times, the track really started to resonate with me. This trio of Philadelphia locals, headed by vocalist Jennie Simonson and featuring drummer Ron Borisovsky and bassist Jeremy Lordan have created a piece that embodies the essence of small town America teen angst and confusion. 

You thought it was just a phase, didn’t you?

 The song itself is well written with very few but present kinks in word choice and timing, and maintains the über cool and reserved vibe that so many emo bands and artists strive for. This track serves as a representation of a point in Simonson’s life in which she realized that most people have serious apathy regarding potential threats to others as long as it has no immediate effect on their own lives.

“The last verse is a coalescense of anger towards my past self for not acting on my feelings during the events I witnessed and anger towards my current self for not understanding as to why I couldn't act,” says Simonson.  “I think people treat death this way out of fear of facing it.” 

The song remains guitar and vocal heavy until about two minutes in, at which point the song picks up and Borisovsky and Lordan really begin showcasing their own skills. With her slightly nasal style of talk-singing, Simonson reminds me faintly of Courtney Barnett. Although, the difference is that Barnett tends to stick to the alt/indie side of the music spectrum. Jennie doesn’t. 

Trivial has earned a place on my playlist and I look forward to seeing much more from the talented group. Chick Tracts has been recording recently, and they have a couple of new songs coming soon. They plan to release new content by the end of the summer and may appear on a split with another band in the late autumn/winter. 

 Listen: chicktracts.bandcamp.com

 Like: https://www.facebook.com/chicktractsband

- Erin Blewett, Writer