Author Archives: Cody Jones
Waters – Out in the Light (TBD Records)
WATERS
Out In The Light
TBD Records
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Link: Waters Official Site
WATERS is a concoction of internal discovery for lead singer Van Pierszalowski. After the demise of the folksy Port O’Brien, Pierszalowski traveled Norway and everywhere in-between back to the Bay Area to find inspiration. Unintentionally, he discovered his muse was music once again. Port O’Brien aimed for a polished sound, while WATERS is more rugged in production but delicate in its overall context.
Out In The Light begins with the deformed crunch of “For The One”. Van wails with melodic angst throughout the song, sending a paramount message of contrast between WATERS and O’Brien. Tracks like “O’ Holy Break of Day” and “Out In The Light” display the true affliction of Van’s self reflection on his travels. Lyrically, the evidence builds that this personal journey has taken its toll on his already fragile soul.
“I never imagined I could be a free man this soon, Take my warnings just to find my way back through, Home isn’t waiting, Oh Lord I am overdue.”
Van Pierszalowski feels rejuvenated with WATERS and it is apparent. From Port O’Brien to WATERS, Pierszalowski has evolved as a profound song writer. Out In The Light is a selfish album, almost too much in spots. Each tracks leaks of self-importance and intimate reflection but the album stays modest in nature. For those who can relate to the lyrical honesty, WATERS divulge their heart for all to see with unbridled passion.
Tomorrow The Moon – The Dim, Distant Now (Self Released)
Tomorrow The Moon
The Dim, Distant Now
Self Released
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Link: Tomorrow The Moon on FaceBook
The Chi-Town trio Tomorrow The Moon’s debut album The Dim, Distant Now is bewildering yet fascinating. Self described as “Space Punk”; ‘punk’ is an overstatement but nevertheless I was very intrigued. Though when the fuzz-guitar laced fade into the opening track “French Goodbye” begins, I can’t help but be apprehensive and narrow my eyebrows to decipher each sound of this artificially conceived genre.
It’s not until the standout track “Accounts Deceivable” and its infectious chorus and wailing intergalactic guitar sprawls do I even begin to comprehend Tomorrow The Moon and their unique approach to creating music. “HeSawRed” takes the band a completely different direction and sounds like early Rated R era Queens of the Stone Age. Cohesively, robotic stoner riffs and desert-psychedelic fuse for this tenacious anthem.
The sound production is puzzling at best with abrupt fade in/outs of intermittent instrument tracks throughout songs and a generous arrangement of sci-fi effects. The original intention may have been to be clever but is misconstrued and ultimately a hollow distraction. The album regains its composure after each minor setback but it becomes glaringly obvious at this point of the album.
“Till I No Longer See” ushers in an alternate indisposed identity for the remainder of The Dim, Distant Now. Gone are the upbeat ample riffs as they are unceremoniously replaced by prolonged serenades of introverted reflection and space. “Those Grey Men” is a meticulously brooding track with vocalist/guitarist Steve Gerlach murmuring over each insidious bass thump and timid snare clash; each member forming their own layer of melancholy.
The Dim, Distant Now can be appropriately labeled a top-heavy album in terms of quality with a split personality complex. The conclusion of spacey (some instrumental) jams are enjoyable but borderline lethargic in comparison to the album’s diligent beginning. Amid the album’s unbalance in structure, Tomorrow The Moon showcases their ability to captivate the listener with their catchy mysterious ambience. As unorthodox as this band and album truly are, it’s just relieving to still see bands (successively) challenging normalcy.
RACES’ “Big Broom”
(Click on label to listen to the song)
RACES (formerly Black Jesus) have caused quite the stir in their home base of Los Angeles. It’s easy to respect a band with a blue-collar reputation constructed primarily by word of mouth by furiously traveling the golden coast. Races is a modern anomaly of sorts by attempting to fuse the grit of 90’s grunge rock with the subservience of indie pop.
The initial throbbing bass on “Big Broom” (the song is part of an upcoming EP of the same name) is deceiving as the song systematically compiles from a sense of dread to a campaign through this enchanted ambient forest. The luminous guitars segment the mysterious dark while the vocals act as an afflicted guide. Gingerly, they lead us through each ambiguous path to our eventual destination. The EP is a precursor to their upcoming full length, Year Of The Witch (Frenchkiss), due out March 2012.
So pack light and press play in The Jukebox already!
Curtains For You – After Nights Without Sleep (Spark & Shine)
Curtains For You
After Nights Without Sleep
Spark & Shine
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Link: http://www.curtainsforyou.net/
Historically, when all hope is lost in the present, people will look towards the past for answers. More than a musical trend, artists are progressively looking for inspiration away from the bleak confines of Top 40 Radio. To simply ignore the recent musical resurgence of the “retro-genres” would be misguided. The White Stripes and The Black Keys have “retro-rock” by the throat but Curtains For You can claim “retro-pop” all to themselves. Well…for the moment anyways.
Seattle based Curtains For You find solace in drawing parallels to 60’s pop such as The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson psychedelia years), The Beatles and The Kinks. These influences are readily apparent on the first track “Daisy.” Soaring drums meshing with subtle Flanger EQ guitar strums, this five-piece achieves far beyond nostalgic jams. “What Good Am I To You Now?” swoops in with ease on the wings of Mike Gervais’ crisp falsetto and crooning rich vocals. There definitely is the signature surging chorus structure of The Beatles but with an individualistic indie power-pop injection. Curtains For All are not merely copycats as each song structure may be vintage but yet it incorporates a modern sound that is oddly refreshing.
“The Wasteland” is the album’s centerpiece, relying heavily on the Fab Four’s designative harmony manipulation (prevalent on Abbey Road – notably “Day in the Life”) and ambitious songwriting. The studio mix is proficiently structured and an orchestra helps romance the lyrically somber undertow; “Keep telling yourself that the concrete beneath you, will just swallow you whole one day.” Gervais is a former winner of a John Lennon Songwriting Contest. After hearing “Wasteland” and its poignant lyrics, that bland fact becomes nearly ironic.
Curtains For You seem out of place in the modern world of mass production with glossy CDs and the hollow technological wonderment that is downloadable digital audio formats. After Nights Without Sleep belongs on vinyl; collecting dust and nestled between The Beatles Rubber Soul and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds in the back of a Goodwill somewhere. Obviously it would be too premature to put them with such legendary company. Brilliant songwriting with cerebral execution was needed to craft a retro-classic such as this and that won’t be overlooked for long. With the proper growing resume; bands thirty years from now, issuing the ultimate form of flattery, may be imitating Curtains For You.
Hero, Jr. – Midwest’s Heroes
MP3: “Don’t Hesitate”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:53 — 5.4MB)
After hearing the music of Hero Jr. you may begin to wonder; who are these guys and why are they playing a show labeled Punk Rock Night? Well in a sense, you have a point but labels aside, that doesn’t negate the simple fact that Hero Jr. is a gleaming gem submerged within the primordial sludge of Indianapolis’ rock scene.
This trio, with its emerging potential piggybacking on Evan Haughey’s transcending voice, is intent on making a name for themselves with their brand of kinetic alternative rock. So fight through the stagnant heat into the glorious nipple tingling air conditioning at the Melody Inn for Punk Rock Night this Saturday (8/6/2011). I was able to catch up with the co-founder of Hero Jr., guitarist/vocalist Evan Haughey, to let us all in on one of Indianapolis’ best kept secrets.
Link: www.herojr.net
After visiting your website, it’s easy to notice you guys aren’t prototypical Punk Rock. For those who don’t know, how would you describe your music?
Hero Jr. is a very high energy dead ahead rock band with great hooks and melodies. We put a great deal of emphasis on lyrical content and songs that will keep you coming back for more. We have been compared to Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Cage the Elephant and Jet.
You and your brother (Drummer Matthew Haughey) are founders of Hero Jr. but also another former Midwest cult classic, Ether. From the early success of Ether to now; how did Hero Jr. come together in Indianapolis?
Actually Dave (Bass) and I are the founders of Hero Jr. I was in Ether with my bro while we were in high school together. After I graduated I moved to Bloomington to work on solo stuff and he went to Michigan State to play football. After living in B town for about 4 years, I relocated to Indianapolis where I met Dave. Dave and I played in numerous bands together but nothing too serious. After my bro graduated with a degree in Kinesiology he decided that he missed the music and he wanted to give it another try. So he moved in with me here in Indy and the trio Hero Jr. was born!
Hero Jr. has been called ‘radio ready’ from some sources. Which can have its admirable pros and its resentful cons. Is the ’like-able’ tag something you embrace?
Hell yeah the likeable tag is something we embrace. If anyone who is making music tells you that they are not looking to make something that someone likes or can relate too, they are full of shit.
You guys seem to be ready to put on some serious miles on the upcoming Fall tour traveling around the Midwest. What town/venue are you excited about revisiting or possibly to play for the first time?
Yes, we are very excited for the fall tour. We are playing 32 shows in 25 cities from the beginning of September to Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to many things on the tour. I think one thing we are most excited about is the fact that we have two wonderful musicians from the UK (Mark Morgan and Lora Kirk) joining us on most of the October dates of the tour. As far as venues and cities, we have a blast everywhere we go!
What exactly are the future ambitions from a band like Hero Jr.?
Take Over The World.
