The band is based out of Brooklyn but the story of how they got together is hard to summarize in a few words, some met in Atlanta, “hooked up” (-not literally I think) in New York. The story isn’t as important I guess as they are a relatively band with next to none popular, say a few posts around the blogosphere.

Besides I feel like the other press they’ve received characterizes the music poorly calling them indie pop/dance. It really does sell this music short especially Matthew Dunehoo and Allen Orr’s work on the guitar. They are more like Les Savy Fav with hints of pop rock intertwined. I guess Dance-punk is a genre that could correctly characterize them but the key word is punk as the guitaring on this album is pretty damn fun with awesome intros and occasionally pulling off some rocking riffs. Definitely the most defining part of this album that allows Anthem In to stand out is the guitaring..who doesn’t like a band that just rocks?

Add into the mix Allen Orr who’s vocals are quite clean and one can compare it to a mix of Chris Walla and Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. I don’t think it hurts in the least bit to have a good singer who you could probably argue belongs in a “softer” band but that makes Anthem In unique. To add to the mix is Ashley Proffitt’s female vocals and wurlizter (it’s a piano/keyboard I think) where she doesn’t take away from the guitaring and is usually in background but it complements it perfectly. It gives them an incredible amount of flexibility of what this band can do. No song is boring, each is its own adventure.

This album has dominated my ears the past few weeks and I’ve come pretty enthusiastic about a band that has only has 7,000 myspace hits. They need some more publicity!!!!!! Obviously giving out a good review and recommending them to some friends is probably as far as I can go…if you like them do your best to spread the word.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5.
If anything while there are a ton of elements I whole-heartedly dig, not perfect because I think they can show more then just 2-3 minute songs but for a band’s first release it is excellent and I expect to go back to the album more often then not for the rest of 2008. Maybe not as strong lyrically either but that’s rather minor and just nitpicking on my part. If you notice, I gave Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours a 4 out of 5…I believe Anthem In’s self titled is a superior album.

Five Minutes by Anthem In

Down by Anthem In

8034 by Anthem In

Photograph by Anthem In

Owell, I won’t be reviewing it (I have too many to do anyhow) but the track Modern Drummer is a sick one. This band out of Norway which Ungdomskulen loosely translates to junior highschool they have a nice brand of prog/post-punk. Modern Drummer has some sick guitaring and the video must be drug induced. The video has guitarist and lead singer in a bear costume and their bassist is a fly?

I don’t care much for videos like this but nonetheless it’s a great track and I recommend you check it out.

Download: Modern Drummer by Ungdomskulen

I knew about Saxon Shore as they were the band that had the Tillmans part of their group. Zach and Josh are off doing bigger things these days in the Seattle scene with Zach part of Siberian (whom I’ve become a big fan of) and Josh with his solo efforts and now as a member of soon to be indie stars the Fleet Foxes.

Anyway Saxon Shore’s Marked With Knowledge is actually featured in a commercial but other then a fan, I’d say putting in an instrumental track doesn’t help the artist as much as when Feist or Yael Naim had their tracks in IPod commercials. I’m not going to put a link to the video (I’m not going to give a free advertisement to something that’s not important). I think the instrumental track works well with the commercial but the music is something I would find rather anonymous and would have no idea of if someone showed it to me.

More importantly in a press release Saxon Shore is back in studio with the same producer Dave Friddman for The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore for a new album. It should be good and suggesting that it’s been almost 3 years since their last release…it’s about time.

I don’t think I was ever expecting a press release done for Saxon Shore as they don’t seem to be too well known. I was excited to say the least and they are arguably the first post-rock band I’ve gotten to like and with hopefully more to come.

Marked With Knowledge by Saxon Shore

This Shameless Moment by Saxon Shore

I heard about them from the potential show I wanted to see featuring Cut Copy and the Black Kids. I didn’t know who Cut Copy was but the internet sure did and before I got the chance to check out Cut Copy, the show sold out. That show is ironically today and it probably would be a fun show to go to.

Cut Copy are referred to as dance by some, pop by themselves and have electronic moments with some looped samples intertwined. Cut Copy is one of those bands that I wouldn’t immediately “label” or slap on with a genre because they do sound different and are unique.

Okay time to finally get into In Ghost Colours. I don’t like IGC too much as the rest of the internet does and I think I recall myself not liking my first listens after they put the first 6 tracks of IGC up on their myspace. However, they have a lot of enjoyable elements to each and every song sometimes it’s the looping of various samples such as on Feel The Love, or on Far Away the vocals and beat make some songs quite enjoyable. A few of the problems sometimes is that some songs have that upbeatedness but it doesn’t quite intertwine well with the rest of the music and some of the songs feel like they are rather similar.

A pet peeve on mine on this album which contains 15 tracks, is that there are 4, count em 4! transition tracks on this album. By transition tracks I mean songs that are only one minute long or sometimes 30 seconds and do not add ANYTHING to the quality of the album. Usually these tracks head to my trashbin but I’ll give some slack to Visions which is a pretty sick track but things like “We Fight For Diamonds”, “Voice in The Quartz” and “Silver Thoughts” kill the momentum and made it a lot more difficult to get into this album then it could’ve been. I don’t think anyone would call foul on having 12 tracks as there is a lot to offer from the album to begin with.

Another thing I just noticed is the similarities between Hearts on Fire and Nobody Lost, Nobody Found…they use roughly the same sample as an intro (at least with the beats) which kind of bothers me in general. Songs on IGC took a little while to develop and ended up better then I thought especially after taking an indepth look…however it’s still a disadvantage. Another thing I must say…there isn’t one track that jumps out at me that has me saying “song of the year” or even this track “stands out”. It’s all a crap shoot which tracks you’ll probably like but the album is solid regardless.

Rating: 4 out of 5
I WAS going to give it a 3.5 out of 5 but after further examination there’s a reason why some are batshit crazy about Cut Copy. Songs aren’t catchy but if you give it time you’ll be rewarded. It’s a very solid album, with quality, quantity and originality. Not the greatest album of the year in my opinion but I tip my hat to anyone that does think that. Some songs just didn’t work for me as a whole which why I hesitate to give it a better score.

Here are my two favorites from the album:

Far Away by Cut Copy

Unforgettable Season by Cut Copy

Buy this album at CDUniverse/Insound/Amazon

I can only describe Rest as ambient and experimental, as Gregor Samsa seems to widen their instrumentation uses with this album. There are a lot of different instruments and sounds I didn’t hear on their previous albums, like the use of chimes or other miscellaneous sounds, such as subtle buzzing and whirring. The main idea of Gregor Samsa is the same, though: all music is slow music (their “Sounds like” description on MySpace used to be something along the lines of, “sometimes sad, sometimes angry, never fast, always slow”). And so it seems that the title of this album has some appropriateness to it. I found this album to be a lot more creepier than anything Gregor Samsa have ever made, probably due to them taking a step away from the post-rock indie pop sound. Lyrical focus is conveyed in a manner of gentle whispers rather than singing, as I was used to with previous albums. Each instrument seems to be intricately weaved together to form an overall soft and endearing sound.

For me personally, I found this album way out of the Gregor Samsa context. It’s hard to accept that they are trying to find a new sound in what many say is an overdone and dead genre. I think I need to accept the fact that they are still relatively new, with only two full-length albums and a couple of EPs released thus far, and that a band needs to develop their own sound to really set them aside from other artists/bands, which is pretty hard to do in post-rock. Like the band states on their website, they didn’t think they’d take a literal meaning of Gregor Samsa (Kafka’s The Metamorphosis), but they sure done it!

That being said, I did like this album. It has many elements that I like (I heard a lot of mum elements), and still holds onto the Gregor Samsa disposition of nice and steady wins the race. There’s no real reason to hate on it unless you’re a stubborn old fan. I would recommend those who’ve been introduced to Gregor Samsa through Rest to check out their older stuff, too, because it’s quite different but very delectable.

Gregor Samsa - The Adolescent

Gregor Samsa - Du Meine Leise

Get Rest through:
CD Universe, Insound, or just go to sleep.

The first track, Water’s Edge, starts off with warm vocals over an array of clean addicting guitar riffs. The use of a piano sheds light on that cherry style one might expect from a movie soundtrack. Combined with positive lyrics, it’s a song that’s not musically upbeat but more so hopeful and thought provoking, which has me smitten by the end. We Shot The Moon provides the kind of music that can bring cheer to a rainy day, and is overall a smooth and relaxing listen. Opting to keep a rather clean and simple sound, listeners will find the music to be lively but not action packed.

The second track aptly named Sway Your Head, with a carefully placed piano lead-in that tantalizes you with lyrics that are inspiring. The catchy chorus and accompanying vocals, combine to create another excellent hit. Continuing the role of giving hope through music, Sway Your Head provides just that. We Shot The Moon speaks volumes through the lyrics and general nature of their music. Sway Your Head is definitely my favourite track because it offers timeless lyrics, over an excellent musical backbone.

Songs such as LTFP and Perfect Time play a different role. They are more serious but still provide a positive outlook. Lacking the upbeat melody of other songs on the album, We Shot The Moon explores a different aspect of their style of pop-rock. Lightly touching the alternative feel you might expect from radio jams, We Shot The Moon still provides that movie-soundtrack feel. Using very soft vocal tones, and soft muted guitars, Perfect Time starts off with a slow verse that leads in to a dramatic chorus which brings that musical beauty along with it. A very inspiring piece, it sounds very mainstream-lined, but the emotions feel very real and appropriate. Overall this more solemn half of the album is a very soothing listen for those times of relaxation.

We Shot The Moon bring an infectious brand of rock that is sure to hit the spot. With consistent vocals, catchy riffs and melodic piano mixed together, the music is a can’t miss. While they don’t rock your socks off with aggressive energy, they bring the feel-good out of mellow rock while making you grasp your chest. For fans of Sherwood, this is more of what I love in a soft package that will accompany you nicely on a lonely bus ride.

Check out their Myspace for official tour dates and album info.

We Shot The Moon - Sway Your Head

We Shot The Moon – Perfect Time

I’m totally in love with this cover…granted I’ve never heard the first version. I usually dig duets vastly especially of the male/female variety. It’s an awesome love song and it made me realize that Mya sings this part in Pras’ Ghetto Superstar (I didn’t even need wikipedia for it!).

You can buy the single here.

Anyway, I don’t normally like posting singles especially if its like “Violet Hill” or CSS’ new single unless I’ve got a great excuse. I don’t want to be a lame duck blogger either because everyone else is doing it. Not too many bloggers have discussed this track.

Just enjoy a great single, not original but it’s fucking lovely.

Islands in The Stream (cover) by The Constantines and Feist

On their myspace, they use “ghettotech” as a genre and because I don’t think I’m going to have much to say when reviewing this album…let’s talk about what “ghettotech” is. I’ve seen a few bands with this label on their myspace and I don’t use myspace genre labels as actual genres because half the time it’s supposed to be funny. Straight from wikipedia: “It combines elements of Chicago’s ghetto house with electro, hip hop, techno, and grafts the perceived raunch of Miami Bass as the vocal stamp of the music. It is usually faster than most other dance music genres, at roughly 145 to 170 bpm, and features often pornographic lyrics.”. Okay…

I think I went back and forth and ultimately decided to blog about Unicycle Loves You (I hand pick bands I like from e-mails and this was under what I liked but at times I was very unsure). What makes them good is that they do a good job of adding a variety of sounds and influences and instead of being mess they’ve made some great. It’s a mix of power pop and punk and some songs end up being very enjoyable. My favorite tracks are the ones with the good guitar intros like Kiki Bridges. The weaknesses on the albums lies on them slowing down the pace and going back and forth (which annoys me).

As much as they are pretty good as molding different styles, I can argue that everyone song on their release is pretty good…it doesn’t flow that well due to lack of continuity.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.
A pretty decent album overall, not sure if other blogs/magazines will pick up this album and give it some press like it deserves. They have a lot of extra instruments which makes Unicycle Loves You stand out more then a typical band.

Kiki Bridges by Unicycle Loves You

Dollars + Cents by Unicycle Loves You

Woman Bait for Manfish by Unicycle Loves You

Buy the album at: Highwheel Records

As many of you know by now, probably from me blabbering on and on about it over the past couple of posts, that the event happened last Wednesday at Arrow Hall in Toronto and I would like to share with you my unique Gigantour experience. First of all, the venue was like a football field sized aircraft hanger. It was so big and dark that I lost my friend Roman as soon as we got there and I never found two buddies that I was suppose to meet there. The place is said to have a capacity of over 8,000 and frankly I’m really glad that the show didn’t get sold-out (I’ll explain why later).

Roman and I arrived at the show two hours late just in time for Children of Bodom to start. I made my way into the pit and slowly pushed my way into the front. I was at front and center for the rest of Children of Bodom and the first half of In Flames. If you ever played rugby before or know rugby terminology, the whole crowd at the front of the concert was in a continuous ruck. There were people pushing you in every direction and I was getting the living hell squeezed out of me. While there, I got elbowed in the eye, was disconnected from my shoe three times, and got kicked in the head several times by crowd surfers.

By the time In Flames came on, I was so tired and thirsty from all the pushing and shoving (yes there were pushing and shoving during the SET-UP!) that I decided it was best if I went to get a drink and take a break so I can come back for Megadeth all refreshed. Little did I know that the crowd at the front was so dense that the only way out was to crowd surf to the front where you can walk around to the back. For a good 10 minutes, I was stuck at the front, not being able to breath or move until the mosh behind us slowly engulfed some of the crowds at the front.

After In Flames had their gig, a lot of the crowd left (most of whom were 13 year-olds) and I was able to get back in front for Megadeth. Once they began playing though, the crowd became quite dense again and there were mosh pits forming and conjoining everywhere. Megadeth put on a really good show and overall, the concert was mind-blowing. I was able to find Roman at the end of the show, only to learn that he lost his glasses but found someone else’s which were all bent and scratched. While walking back through the parking lot, we learned that some guys got the gas siphoned out of their car and that two people got carried out in stretchers. LOL.

Children Of Bodom - Downfall

In Flames - Take This Life

Megadeth - Peace Sells

There is just something weird about the style of this album…I don’t know much about the rest of the discography but are his other records similar? I mean I heard good things but Trouble in Dream is one random piece of work.

One way of being random is that it’s usually hit or miss with people. I think it’s a miss with me but I’ll do my best to examine it as it’s more of me just my own brain rejecting the sum to all the parts.

Boring is definitely not a word I could use to describe the album. There’s always something there that you can like whether it’s the intro, composition or guitar melody. On the other hand sometimes it just feels like there’s too much or the song doesn’t turn out the way you want to. Destroyer is barely pop….at least with my definition but I’ll slap it with the generic experimental rock tag. There’s a lot to like this album will probably be great for some or just average for some. I personally like it when it’s kept rather complex and really structured (though others would hate it).

I feel like stopping the review here. If I listen to it for another 100 hours I could probably end up saying this is the album of the year but my brain is finding it difficult for whatever reason. I would probably have nightmares if I continued listening to this album. The composition is extremely odd and while it’s none of that explicitly annoying stuff…it manages to strike a chord.

Lyrically/vocally it doesn’t do much for me and it’s really the musical composition that makes this album great. Bejar has a kind of talkative type vocals and lyrically it may be alright but after awhile my main focus is hearing all the different guitar variations, even if it gets to me…it stands out.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Take this with a grain of salt. You’ll have to decided for yourself on this album, pretty hit or miss and not much for me to discuss unfortunately. One of those, I can’t really explain why I don’t like it but just do kind of thing.

The State by Destroyer

Introducing Angels

Buy it from Insound/CD Universe/Amazon