The Fold – This Too Shall Pass

Even though we're still in the middle of a so-so summertime, there's still place for tasting the sound of the upcoming fall with America's own Chicago-based The Fold. Having been out with their first debut release "This Too Shall Pass", these guys are getting ready for some serious attention in the post-punk rock scenes in America. They're fresh and new, but that's not going to save them from a thorough review. As a band, The Fold has to show a drastic amount of originality in a genre where almost everyone sounds the same. But let's see what they have to offer with this whooping fourteen track composition.

"Let's start at the beginning of this story", well said front singer "Daniel Castady ". And with those words, the intro track "Gravity" kicks in, in all its pop-rock glamour. Voice effects, an overdose of cymbals in the track's choruses mixed with some very simple guitar and bass riffs makes the track very easy to follow. Maybe too easy, for the taste of the many experienced listeners, but the lyrics and singing performed greatly takes this track to a higher level of quality. As an icebreaker, this track perfectly lays the foundation of the whole style of the album. If you've ever heard the band Acceptance before, it would be very mysterious if these guys haven't met at sleepover and exchanged chorus recipes, since the differentials between "This Too Shall Pass" and "Phantoms" are seriously slim to none. Especially on tracks like the third track "New City" and the tenth track "Stay", a song you'd imagine any teenage emo girl crying hear heart out to. To throw some more stones at "Stay", these tracks seem to be musical mass production's wet dream as it sounds just like any other bull out there. Well, bull for experienced listeners, for newcomers, this would sound like…the same old same in a slightly, very slightly better way.

As an album, it compiles most of the emotions a pop-rock album can get around. Like Acceptance was a tad too sad and Jimmy Eat World a tad to suicidal and "no, I do not like you bad narcotics", this one can be sad, it can be serious, it can be hopeful and unsurprisingly also happy go lucky, in a way you'll just end up getting confused on whether it's passé or a new pop-rock coute dé arms, thanks to the fourth track "The Title Track". If you're a MySpace or PureVolume-go'er slash addict, you've probably heard this track a couple of times, and again it's really a quality decision weighted on something as little as a feather. It can blow to "Polished crap from Jimmy Eat World's garbage dumpster" to…"Polished gold from Jimmy Eat World's garbage dumpster". You won't make me say it's original, since it sounds undeniably like everything else, but it just sounds pretty alright in a hard to discuss the opposite manner. To make a lengthy album short, The Fold won't be the new messiahs and "This Too Shall Pass" will not be the pop-rock reproduction of God's old ten step program to become a better human being. The fourteenth track "I Believe You" may be your way of getting a career boost, but in these dark corners of the music review business you'll need to pray in a way much more creative than what you've produced so far. Repetitive use of chords and riffs, a boring, almost withdrawn drumming combined with some "fly high, fall hard" vocals just doesn't spawn any angel wings on my backs. <b> [4] </b>

<b>Download</b>: Gravity, Stay, The Title Track

<b>For the fans of</b>: Acceptance, the flops of Jimmy Eat World

<b>Listen</b> : <a href=www.myspace.com/thefold> MySpace </a>

 

Release date 02.21.2006

Tooth & Nails Records

Harvey Milk – The Pleaser

Legendary chaos rock'n'roll icons of the 90'ies, Harvey Milk is back again with their latest release "The Pleaser", which has already hit the stores worldwide. Some might have known their first release "My Love is Higher Than Your Assessment of What My Love Could Be" from 1994 , which combined extensive avantgarde percussion works with very alternative rock styles, something of which isn't for the inexperienced listener. We will be covering a review of that album some time in the future, so keep your eyes out for it if you're a fan of this particular band and musical trademarks. But today we'll be going under the skin of both "The Pleaser" and the band's actual development from its roots originating from the venues of America.

Like the thorough reviewer who I sometimes tend to be inspired by, I took the albums in chronologically, giving me quite a surprise. I won't spill the beans about their debut album, but it's quite a massive leap from old-school to neo new school. The welcoming track "Down" is definitely case-closing evidence on this new-found energy, which the three-man piece has found during their many years of playing. The track's got simple, but powerful vocals, sung with a very pleasing "whiskey and cigarettes" voice, which sets a pretty decent atmosphere of a seriously catchy rhythm. It's completely chaotic, but you'll undoubtedly be willing to throw yourself into this hurricane. If any hard rock slash alternative rock should need someone to learn welcome tracks from, then these rockers would be a definite recommendation. And to further heighten my encouragement of the album, the second track kicks you even more into the chair with finally bass line worth aiming your ears at. Then again, they've got the experience, so what's to expect for a band having toured over countries. After being sat in place by the previously mentioned tracks, the third track "Shame" lets you discover some of their past styles, especially the immense playing around with the guitars and drums. For some, it could be a little too experimental, but given that their development from their first album has taken drastic measures in the positive direction, these random fooling around acts is actually worth giving a chance. But as we all know, what comes up must come down, and the fourth track "Red as the Day Is Long" tends to become way too special. Sure, it meets its roots perfectly, but again it's too much of the good. Too much smashing around the instruments combined with a little (or way too much) more ethanol simply equals both this track and the fifth "Misery".

Luckily, the sixth track "U.S. Force" saves it all with a guitar slide that I've never found more suiting any track. It'll greatly remind you of the first two tracks, when thinking of energy and the whiskey voice, even though this track seems to be more of a moral boost for American troops stationed in the many hot zones in Iraq. Who wouldn't be a little motivated by some real, catchy and speedy rock'n'roll, flavored by a little: "U.S. Force, unstoppable!" sung through the speakers of a "dressed to kill" Humvee™? I place my bets on this track to be used in a soon to come recruitment video, it's just a matter of time before I find it on YouTube. What's interesting though, is that the band gives you a chance to relax when you get to the eighth track "Lay My Head Down", even though this would be a good time to close the bar for front vocalist Creston Spiers, since this track almost lets you visualize him rocking back and forth a barstool, only a little push from falling down into his empty bottles.

All in all, this album is almost pure, good rock'n'roll, but as their addiction for an avantgarde twist on some of their tracks tends to pull the entire album into a wrong direction, only to be leveled out by a mint tracks like "U.S. Force". Sadly, there's just not enough good to counter the bad on this release, even though the band's got experience and has shown quite some development. For fans and newcomers, this would be a worthy album to keep in your collection, but expect yourself to frequently clean it from dust. [6]
Download: Down, U.S. Force
For the fans of: Corrupted, Rwake, EyeHateGod
Listen: MySpace

Release Date 30.07.2007
Relapse Records

Ellegarden – Bring Your Own Board!!

Like the J-Rock fan(atic) that I've been for quite some years, it's pretty lousy of me yet to have reviewed any album of the particular genre. Especially when my very first review that got me into this seat was of Asian Kung Fu Generation's "Sol:Fa" album. I'm ashamed…anyways, cutting the emo, I'll be bringing you an early release from Ellegarden, a little band I mentioned in my old article about J-Rock. These J-Pop-Punk rockers has been credited for being the sole Japanese rock band who can both sing in their domestic language and at the same time almost pronounce their English lyrics flawlessly. Probably because of lead singer "Takeshi Hosomi 's" American dorm roommate, when he was visiting Japan. But these are simply only the tip of the iceberg. They have that special musical energy, which I personally think is what Japan majors and America minors. Yes, Sum41 sounds great to some, Blink182, no forget them, but what they lack is simply this unreal creativity in sound which bands like Ellegarden and Asian Kung Fu Generation can produce. It's just something special, a so to say musical oasis in an already dried-out punk-rock desert. "Bring Your Own Board!!", apart from its cheesy title, is by far some great documentation for this unique "land of the rising sun" sound. But is it really so much a classic as it has been claimed to be? Let's get through our ramen first and then dig deeper in our cup to find out.

Composition-wise, "Bring Your Own Board!!" consists of a realistic and survivable amount of eleven powerful tracks, some holding some quite interesting titles such as; "Surfrider Association" , "JITTERBUG" (capitalized, of course red.), "My Friend Is Falling Down" and "Kinsei (Venus)". Notice the user-friendly translation from Japanese to English on the last mentioned track, unlucky for us; the Japanese vocals on some of the tracks are strictly bound to praising their mother language. But hey, what's J-Rock without indecipherable lyrics? Nevertheless, what really makes you jump around is clearly the overall good sound which Ellegarden can produce. The guitars are of course the main artillery here, with the drums used as their commanding officer along with the vocals. You will immediately feel that speedy riffs and some repetitive, though quite professional drum works are the main focus on a majority of the tracks. To keep it simple; you get a feel of it in the welcoming track "Surfrider Association" and the feeling just enhances throughout the entire album, until "So Sad" kicks you out of the club with a sense of having been touched by something holier than thou.

What amazes me so much is the innovation these guys find in a minefield of bad pop-punk chords and riffs. Take one of my personal favorites, the number eight track "Dancing in A Circle"; Heavy Jimmy Eat World-ish chord plays in the first eighteen seconds, the base guitar riff continues and the chaotic second guitar chords are replaced by 's quirky voice and some sound effected drums, which then switches to the standard sound. The base chord riff then changes slightly into something similar, but still feels new and catchy. A bridge part then takes over, only to let Takeshi sing solo along with a little guitar plucking, further allowing the whole band to finish off the track in one, swift explosion. Simple, clean, but deadly like a Fender-wielding ninja. And it's like this on practically all the tracks, which is something impressive for an almost completely unknown band in the Western venues. I'm not being a blasphemer here, but seriously, you Western pop-punk acts; you're getting your asses kicked threefold by a band who doesn't even master your language! Shame on you…

All in all, "Bring Your Own Board" is a great J-Rock album and a milestone for fans of the genre. It isn't perfect as it still needs a little more creativity in some of its dusty corners, but it's a definite personal recommendation to both freshmen and experts of the genre. In addition, gather a band together and find their tabs, playing their songs are relatively easy and so freaking amusing. Good luck with the Japanese parts, though. <b>[8]</b>

<b>Download:</b> Dancing in A Circle, Kinsei (Venus), the entire album.

<b>For the fans of:</b> Asian Kung Fu Generation, Sum41, Weezer

<b>Listen:</b> <a href=www.myspace.com/ellegarden> MySpace</a>

 

Release date 07.02.2003