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15 Jul
2010

CD Review: 22-20s Shake/Shiver/Moan

By drainu182 , Tags :

By Mariana Lopez

Shake/Shiver/Moan, the sophomore effort of British rock band the 22-20s isn’t anything groundbreaking. When listening, you shouldn’t expect to be blown away by originality, but you should expect to bob your head and tap your feet. The 22-20s have managed to put together a succinct and appealing album, ripe for multiple listens. When you listen to the songs, you get a sneaking suspicion that you’ve heard something like it before, but you can’t exactly put your finger on it. This isn’t a bad thing. The 22-20s have managed to take the old and polish it to their liking- producing their own sound that’s all at once catchy and nostalgic. The first track, Heart On A String, pulls you in with its thumping, driven beat and commanding lyrics. Just when it gets your adrenaline going, the mood takes a turn for the melancholy with Bitter Pills. “Everybody’s going somewhere/My life’s going nowhere/moving so, so slow” Martin Drimble croons, as he proclaims his self-disappointment over lazy guitars and sluggish drums. The pity party ends with Talk To Me, another fast paced, driven beat that’s worthy of some serious foot stomping when the chorus hits. Ocean feels like an early Beatles tune that they picked up, dusted off, and put a modern twist on. By the time Latest Heartbreak comes on, you realize a definite pace of the album; high-key, high-energy songs are alternated with low-key, laid back tunes. This doesn’t mean that the album lacks coherence, quite to the contrary. The change in mood from song to song keeps you hooked, the 22-20s take you on a ride. The album is bisected by the title track, which slowly builds intensity until it explodes. 4th Floor, 96 to 4, and Let It Go follow the aforementioned undulating pattern, high-key to low-key, until the last song, Morning Train, the perfect ending to the album, soft, and calming, with just the right hint of sadness.

Pick up Shake/Shiver/Moan on Amazon or iTunes.

http://the22-20s.com/
http://www.myspace.com/2220s
http://www.facebook.com/2220s
http://twitter.com/2220sOfficial


16 Feb
2010

Cold War Kids Behave Yourself EP Review (WIN THE CD!)

By drainu182 , Tags :
cwkbehaveyourself

Cold War Kids – Behave Yourself! EP Review

The Cold War Kids bring us a teaser to some new music with the Behave Yourself! EP. They took some time off, and the fans have been rabid about getting some new tunes, and CWK deliver. This short but sweet EP show how far this small band from Northern CA have come. As a whole the band is really start to find their own sound and truly coming into their own. Behave Yourself brings more melody, and dare I say soul into their music.

Audience Of One opens up the EP with a melodic piano driven song that you can’t help but to move to. Coffee Spoon and Santa Ana Winds don’t exactly bring the rock, but keep with the flow of the record as solid movers. The real highlight of this EP for me is Sermons vs. The Gospel. You can hear in Nathan Willit’s voice that this is an emotional song. You feel his pain and hurt, and his begging. His voice, in an almost Jeff Buckley sense, screaming for mercy. This track is not only the highlight of the record but of their live shows where the audience forgets their differences with each other and it unites everyone. The EP ends with a short jam called Baby Boy which doesn’t fit at all in the sense of this record and it is seemingly just the band noodling around on their instruments with no clear direction.

this gets 3 and a half out of 5 rock fists in my book.
key tracks: Audience Of One & Sermons vs. The Gospel

Pick up the album on iTunes, Amazon MP3, CD, VINYL.

-Rock C.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER!

WANNA WIN THE EP? Email us at theaudioperv@gmail.com (with the subject: GIMME MY CWK EP!) with your name and we’ll email you back if you win! (US residents only)


08 Feb
2010

Jimmy Gnecco 2/3 Mercury Lounge NYC Review/Pics

By drainu182 , Tags : ,

By Stephanie Kibbe of Some Kind Of Awesome

After what felt like a “pallet-cleansing” of sorts from the opening acts via a 20ish minute dark/romantic set of instrumental songs by his band mates, Jimmy Gnecco took the stage Wednesday night to a packed crowd at Mercury Lounge. Opening with “Light On The Grave” from his upcoming album, due out in April or May according to Gnecco from the stage, he set the tone for a night full of songs that consistently pulled at your heartstrings. The whole set he was very chatty and opened up to the audience about various topics, ranging from the grieving process due to recent passing of his mother to his two cents on the negative reactions after Michael Jackson’s death last June. Gnecco spoke very highly of Jackson and his love for his fans, citing how Jackson gave his everything to us, so saying terrible things such as the accusations brought against him were no way to properly pay ones respects to someone who had such an impact on the world. With that a Thriller-esque t-shirt was hung on the single snare drum behind him and Gnecco performed “I Heard You Singing” in Jackson’s honor.

Overall it was a night of friends, family and fans spending time together enjoying the beautiful melodies that Gnecco belted out of his small frame. To this day witnessing him scream out notes gives me chills with every shade of red that his faces transitions to and every vein that pops from his forehead and neck. It was obvious that his voice was not at its usual 110% from the few off-pitch milliseconds that I caught as a well seasoned fan. Having said that, even on his off days, Jimmy Gnecco will absolutely blow you away with the amount of power that he can project from deep inside his chest. He drove this point home, closing the night with “Lost”, from Mercy (Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy).

(Photos below setlist)

Setlist:

Light on the Grave
Rest Your Soul
Mystery
The Heart
Here Is The Light
Ran Away To Tell The World
Bring You Home
These Are My Hands
I Heard You Singing
Worst Things Beautiful
Crying
Take A Chance
Darling
Murder
God Only Wants You
Fallen Souls
Lost

Photos by Stephanie Kibbe

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03 Nov
2009

CD Review: Mayday Parade – Anywhere But Here

By drainu182 , Tags :
maydayparadealbumcover

I first heard the band Mayday Parade with their 2007 debut album A Lesson in Romantics. I feel like so much of an album relies on the opening track and once I heard “Jamie All Over”, I was instantly hooked. Again, on their recently released sophomore album Anywhere But Here, Mayday Parade fails to disappoint from the start. The first profound drum beats of track one, “Kids in Love” acted as the sounding of an alarm to ready myself for the musical party that was about to blare from my speakers. The song reeled me in and the rest of this intoxicating compilation was never able to spit me out.

There is something for everyone including vivacious songs like “Anywhere But Here”, about a love that must be hidden from the rest of the world and “Get Up”, an ode to life on the road and connecting with fans in various U.S. cities. The album is also forcefully held together by ballads like “The Silence”, the album’s first single, and “I Swear This Time I Mean It”, an acoustic guitar driven love song.

Since the release of A Lesson in Romantics, The band has taken a turn from alternative/pop tunes to a more upbeat pop/rock style and Anywhere But Here is proof. This time around, they worked with David Bendeth who produced albums for Underoath and Paramore and it’s impossible not to feel that energy oozing from every song. Also this is the band’s first full album without co-frontman Jason Lancaster who is no longer part of the band. For fans of Mayday Parade, don’t let the change in direction and band members hinder you from purchasing this new album. Anywhere But Here is refreshing and just as powerful and engaging as what you’re used to, if not more so.

Grade: 8/10
Tracks to check out: “Kids in Love”, “The Silence“, “Get Up” and “The End”

Review by Genevieve Jacko

For more on Mayday Parade, go to www.myspace.com/maydayparade. Pick up Anywhere But Here on iTunes, Amazon MP3, or on CD.


05 Apr
2009

Papa Roach – “Metamorphosis” Review

By spidersex , Tags :
paparoachalbumcover470

When you listen to Papa Roach’s album “Metamorphosis,” you should know that you’re getting two different albums. You’ll find the Papa Roach you’ve grown to love (hard fast paced melodic rock about love gone wrong) and the newer Papa Roach that you’re not quite sure how to deal with (ballads, acoustics, comments on society). It’s still unclear which half dominates this new album.

Musically, the band sounds better than ever. Jerry Horton on guitar plays solid hooks and really drives the band’s sound, especially on songs like “I Almost Told You That I Loved You”, a tale of misguided love on a physical relationship (with a stripper or hooker?). Jacoby Shaddix’s vocals have expanded in range and he sounds great whether he’s singing (as showcased on the hit “Lifeline”), shouting and screaming on “Live This Down” (a pledge to combat a cheater by sleeping with all of her friends). What really carries this album is the rhythm section with the newly added drummer Tony Palermo (ex-Unwritten Law). Original drummer Dave Buckner left the group last year before tour and I hate to say it but Palermo’s playing blows Buckner out of the water. Palermo and longtime bassist Tobin Esperance shine on the track “Change Or Die” which is so good that it could’ve been on 2000’s “Infest”.

This album has two quality singles in “Hollywood Whore” (unofficially released last year about a girl whose “fame” has been overshadowed by her partying) and “Lifeline” (a song of depression or inspiration depending on how you view things). “Lifeline” is part of the newer Papa Roach that has spawned a new generation of fans for the band since “Scars” (2004’s “Getting Away with Murder”) was released. “Lifeline” is the best rock song of 2009 having hit #1 on all the rock charts. “I Almost Told You That I Loved You” is indicative of where the band is heading and we love it. Unfortunately, “Metamorphosis” has songs like “March Out Of The Darkness” and “Carry Me” which sound like weaker versions of other songs already on the album. It’s not quite filler but it would been acceptable to have a ten song album. Overall, “Metamorphosis” is a rocket powered of ass-kicking melodic hard rock.

Grade: B

http://www.paparoach.com
http://www.imeem.com/paparoach
http://www.myspace.com/paparoach

Lifeline – Papa Roach

Hollywood Whore – Papa Roach<


12 Feb
2009

Like to laugh at dick jokes and white guys rapping? You’ll love The Lonely Island’s ‘Incredibad’ (A review…kind of)

By Mr.Hopeless , Tags : ,

It’s clear that The Lonely Island’s “Incredibad” is a hit. It’s number one on iTunes’ Top Albums.
Popularity from Saturday Night Live gave Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone the jolt needed to move from web comedians to mainstream successes.

The young group understands what makes a funny song: the male organ.

Here’s a rundown of a few references:
“Dick In a Box” first appeared on SNL and is a song about exactly what the title implies.
“Jizz In My Pants” (same as above).
The video included on the album titled “Bing Bong Brothers” involves the line, “And then I’ll show you my penis” repeated ad nauseum.
The title track, “Incredibad” is about a sexual encounter with an alien.

They really didn’t hold back when it comes to getting a laugh from sex. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but it’s a big leap from what made their first song on SNL, “Lazy Sunday,” a hit.

What would I guess The Lonely Island’s biggest influence is?
Adam Sandler? The State? South Park?
No. The 1997 blockbuster movie, “Titanic.”
Why?
One of the songs on the album is titled “I’m on a Boat.” It’s about enjoying the good life on a boat. Containing the lyrics “Arms spread wide on the starboard bow.” (This video is not included on the album).
Another track titled “Space Olympics,” involves escaping a planet about to explode.
An SNL skit from last November involved Samberg drawing Paul Rudd naked.

Hmmm, those ideas sound familiar. Why would a comedy group pull ideas from a tragic love story? My guess is too much marijuana with Michael Phelps.

It’s crude, inappropriate, filled with expletives, and sexually juiced up — mindless humor at its finest.


19 Nov
2008

The Cure “4:13 Dream” Album Review

By drainu182 , Tags :

A wave of nostalgia crashes over me as I listen to the first track “Underneath The Stars”. The instrumental build-up and the sweeping crescendo of other legendary album openers. It reminds you why you love The Cure. This would be a great song for them to open a show with (Checking The Cure’s setlists from their tour this year, it turns out that they have been opening with this song).

Although I was merely a baby when The Cure were at their peak, I became a fan thanks to the influence of my sister, who loved Robert Smith, the lead singer of The Cure. Robert Smith’s aching, emotionally wrought voice is still there. It carries the first half of the CD. The second track “The Only One” brings back memories of older Cure songs like “Friday I’m In Love”. A surprising standout track is “The Real Snow White” which wasn’t released as one of the album’s four singles. It’s a bit of an attempt at modern emo/pop rock which somehow carries. It feels like All American Rejects if they were more mature. Otherwise, the first half of the album hits the same emotional chord and seem to blend together except for “Freakshow” which has a bit too much cowbell. Unfortunately, the second half of the disc is mostly filler where the band seems to have grown bored with the whole dream theme. It sorta just drags on without any real direction.

It’s hard to listen to a Cure album and do anything else because the music does dominate and commands your attention. I had to drive around for an hour twice to fully accept the album. This record is The Cure formula at work trying to go somewhere new. It almost seems as if Robert Smith is happy. We like that.

B+ for nostalgia
C+ for creativity
B- for overall enjoyment

Recommendation: Borrow your friend’s copy or buy it cheap.
Download: Underneath the Stars/The Real Snow White


09 Sep
2008

Review: People in Planes “Beyond The Horizon” (Video and Audio included)

By drainu182 , Tags :

People in Planes’s second major label album “Beyond The Horizon” drops today. Sean Conover over (can I use “over” over and over again?) at The Trades was kind enough to write a review of the album. Don’t worry, I’ll get the next one. People in Planes rocks so much. I love them. That’s why we here at The Perv chose them as our Featured Band. Anyways, here are some pull-out thoughts for you:

  • “From the first song to the last, singer Gareth Jones and his band mates ride the spectrum of nearly every possible rock sound, from alternative to pop to unplugged (“Flesh and Blood” could have easily been penned – and sang – by Cobain).”
  • “There is an underlying rock theme to the whole album, but they won’t be easily labeled as ‘sounding like’ someone as a whole. This is a rather refreshing change of pace in today’s single-driven music economy – listeners need to hear this whole album to fully get a feel for People in Planes.”
  • “…one of the few full rock albums that I’ve enjoyed from beginning to end in a long, long time. Every song is good, and the feeling isn’t diluted by the time the final track ends. This is probably due to the fact that People in Planes’ sound is so hard to categorize because there is a refreshing change of pace every few minutes. A fun album and definitely a group to keep an eye – and ear – on.”

Read the rest here.

You can stream the whole album over at at People in Planes Purevolume page and watch a live concert here.