Ok, so I think this review deserves a bit of back story. Last week I went to an open mic night to support my best friend. We were the first to arrive and as we were sitting at the bar talking in walks the most magnificent top hat. This top hat was being worn by a man with a guitar (not the most unusual of sights, especially in Nashville). The man introduced himself as Curtis. As we sat there talking we learned that Curtis was from Australia and had left on a round the world trip to play his music (at least partially funded by the album I'm reviewing). A couple of other interesting individuals gathered around us and we began discussing music, the places we were from, the places we had been, the places we were going, and there may have been a few buffalo jokes in there as well. As Curtis began talking about his style he described it as “Eclectic Acoustic Rock,” and went on to state that it may be a bit different since Australia doesn't have a Blues tradition in its music. Needless to say, my interest was piqued. Curtis got up when it was his turn and played two songs off of his album. I left shortly after, but not before getting Sleeping Lions, and his permission to review it.
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Hey everyone! This week I will be reviewing Interpretum (Tape One) by The Crux, a self-described folk punk band from Santa Rosa, California.
Before I get started, let me say that I would not exactly describe The Crux as a folk punk band. After listening to 2 of their full length albums (Be Merry and Ratcatcher) and the EP that I'm currently reviewing I would probably place them more in the folk category. There are some punk influences, but there are also some jazz influences, and about a half dozen other styles thrown in for good measure. Then again when I hear folk punk my mind immediately goes to bands like Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Larry and His Flask, etc. The Crux is like none of these bands, but by the same token they're not really like any of the obviously folk bands you could think of either. I'm not sure which circles they run in, but I think Steampunks could really enjoy this band. True, their lyrics aren't stereotypically steampunk, but their sound is definitely interesting. More over, while the vocalist probably won't make it on anyone's list of the greatest singers of all time (and to be honest, he doesn't need to be a great vocalist given the style) they are incredibly competent storytellers and musicians. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a fun New Year's celebration. This week I'll be doing a double review for the Workhorse and Firehorse EPs by Downcity Armory, a self-described electrocore band out of Providence, Rhode Island.
The Antikythera Mechanism by Nathaniel Johnstone is a concept album based around Greek mythology. The album contains new perspectives on old stories and characters such as the flight of Icarus, Persephone's role in the changing of seasons, and the nature of Medusa. However these aren't the only offerings within the album. Dance With Me is a song about dancing when you know you're about to die as told from the perspective of two victims of Thera's eruption on the island of Santorini. It's folky, nihilistic, and more raucously fun than than it has any right. Lacrimosa Aphrodite is a sad and groovy retelling of Aphrodite's marriage to Hephaestus with a definite Steampunk bend to the lyrics. Flyover Country is a dark, electronic song with a hypnotic feel to it that gives voice to Odysseus' thoughts of Penelope. Steam (Prometheus) is a song from the perspective of Prometheus (obviously), but moreover is about deciding to do what you feel is right regardless of the personal consequence. In the song Prometheus is talking about how the regrowing of his liver is incredibly painful, but then he looks at the humans making use of his gift of fire and the tone in his voice lets you know he believes it was worth it. Then there's Snugglefish. It is definitely the most stylistically different song on the entire album. It's a bright and folky indie rock song about Poseidon's love for his pet in the vein of Johnathan Coulton or They Might Be Giants. Also, it has dueling kazoos! That's just awesome. There's also Stardust which is a straight forward rock song, and the hauntingly beautiful Epitaph.
Overall, The Antikythera Mechanism is a great album. I would have loved a few more low harmonies in Flight of The Ikarus and Cassandra Knows but their absence does not detract from how good the songs are. Stylistically speaking, it runs the gamut from folk to electronica inspired rock that shows Mr. Johnstone's versatility as an artist, but there's always this underlying Mediterranean/Middle Eastern feel to the music (except for Snugglefish) that ties it all together. The influence of bands like The Cult, Bauhaus, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, and maybe even a touch of Depeche Mode can be felt at various points on the album. Most of the songs have a very dance-able groove with great bass lines and wonderful tones. You really should go and check out The Antikythera Mechanism by Nathaniel Johnstone at www.nathanieljohnstone.com As this is my first post, many of you may be wondering about my credentials as well as what you can expect of me as a reviewer. So, here's a little back story for those of you who didn't bother to look at the “Staff” section. My addiction to music began early (3, maybe 4 years old). It started with 80s Metal ranging from bands like Loverboy and Whitesnake to artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Dio. I grew up on radio, MTV (when it still had music videos), and Fuse after MTV's fall from grace. As time wore on, as it is like to do, I began to branch out. As the 90s and 00s came and went I discovered a variety of music genres that I thoroughly enjoyed (Alt. Rock, Classic Rock, Blues, Funk, Soul, and even Pop/Rock just to name a few).
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