16 November 2005
6: Paramore, Maxeen, Relient K
It's been a while since I've posted here, I know, but I intend to make it a more regular habit now that I have more free time.
For today I've got three selections to discuss: Paramore's album "All We Know is Falling", Maxeen's self-titled, and Relient K's new EP, "Apathetic".
First off, Paramore. Anyone who knows my taste in music knows that female lead singers tend to be a major strike against a band for me. Paramore is one of the rare exceptions to the rule, joining Eisley and Straylight Run in the ranks of bands that make good use of a female singer.
I discovered Paramore at the Punk Video Guys' MySpace site, where they have a truly fantastic video. I've always been a whore for acoustic lo-fi, and this video delivers a raw energy from the singer that raises the hairs on my neck. I recommend Punk Video Guys in general; there's a good deal of excellent material on that site.
From there, the search went to iTunes, where I got their entire album. The album is immediately listenable and exhibits a soulful innocence that draws you in hard.
It's possible that my interest in Paramore is partly a reaction to the flood of Fall Out Boy sound-alikes, (see Panic! At the Disco, The Academy Is...) but that's not to say that a lot of bands that sound like Fall Out Boy is a bad thing, necessarily. Fall Out Boy sounds good, and one can hardly blame The Academy Is... for sounding so much like a band they developed practically alongside.
Up next, we have Maxeen. Maxeen is one of those bands that your favorite band listens to, one of those bands whose stickers you see everywhere, and yet also one of those bands of which there don't seem to be any actual fans. I was curious, so I took a listen on iTunes, and it's a love affair.
The sound that Maxeen cultivates has been described as "the Police on metamphetamines", and that's appropriate at times. The hyperactive punk sound is mostly pure here, moving only occasionally into the realm of hardcore and occasionally emo. The overall feel of the album, though, is that wake-you-up-in-the-morning unapologetic sound that I've missed in recent years.
If you've got some spare change lying around, check out Maxeen's self-titled album. I guarantee you'll need less coffee in the morning.
Relient K is a band that's been through a lot of change lately. With the release of their latest full-length, "Mmhmm," they've captured a much larger and more diverse audience than they've ever enjoyed before. Finally exploring a little of their hardcore side with songs like "Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet," there's a Relient K revealed under all that old softness that has enormous potential.
With their latest EP, they've moved just a little back towards their roots, with more repeated power chords and sugary harmonies. It's good to hear an edge remaining at times through songs like "The Truth" and "Apathetic Way to Be". The formulaic Christian-rock style sticks a little bit here, but doesn't control the quality of the new tracks too much. Fans of the old Relient K should find a lot to like in "In Like a Lion (Always Winter)" with it's sweet harmonies and heartfelt melody.
Where the album really shines, though, is in the acoustic re-recordings of songs from Mmhmm. They really show their musical ability on these, ripping through songs that I would have thought appropriate only for electric guitars with acoustic poise. Their acoustic treatment of "Which to Bury..." is a perfect companion to the plugged-in version.
In other news, the Gratitude/The Spill Canvas concert I was planning to attend in Indianapolis Nov. 20th has been cancelled. What this means is that I'll have to catch The Spill Canvas somewhere on the West Coast if I want to see them again anytime before next fall.
For today I've got three selections to discuss: Paramore's album "All We Know is Falling", Maxeen's self-titled, and Relient K's new EP, "Apathetic".
First off, Paramore. Anyone who knows my taste in music knows that female lead singers tend to be a major strike against a band for me. Paramore is one of the rare exceptions to the rule, joining Eisley and Straylight Run in the ranks of bands that make good use of a female singer.
I discovered Paramore at the Punk Video Guys' MySpace site, where they have a truly fantastic video. I've always been a whore for acoustic lo-fi, and this video delivers a raw energy from the singer that raises the hairs on my neck. I recommend Punk Video Guys in general; there's a good deal of excellent material on that site.
From there, the search went to iTunes, where I got their entire album. The album is immediately listenable and exhibits a soulful innocence that draws you in hard.
It's possible that my interest in Paramore is partly a reaction to the flood of Fall Out Boy sound-alikes, (see Panic! At the Disco, The Academy Is...) but that's not to say that a lot of bands that sound like Fall Out Boy is a bad thing, necessarily. Fall Out Boy sounds good, and one can hardly blame The Academy Is... for sounding so much like a band they developed practically alongside.
Up next, we have Maxeen. Maxeen is one of those bands that your favorite band listens to, one of those bands whose stickers you see everywhere, and yet also one of those bands of which there don't seem to be any actual fans. I was curious, so I took a listen on iTunes, and it's a love affair.
The sound that Maxeen cultivates has been described as "the Police on metamphetamines", and that's appropriate at times. The hyperactive punk sound is mostly pure here, moving only occasionally into the realm of hardcore and occasionally emo. The overall feel of the album, though, is that wake-you-up-in-the-morning unapologetic sound that I've missed in recent years.
If you've got some spare change lying around, check out Maxeen's self-titled album. I guarantee you'll need less coffee in the morning.
Relient K is a band that's been through a lot of change lately. With the release of their latest full-length, "Mmhmm," they've captured a much larger and more diverse audience than they've ever enjoyed before. Finally exploring a little of their hardcore side with songs like "Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet," there's a Relient K revealed under all that old softness that has enormous potential.
With their latest EP, they've moved just a little back towards their roots, with more repeated power chords and sugary harmonies. It's good to hear an edge remaining at times through songs like "The Truth" and "Apathetic Way to Be". The formulaic Christian-rock style sticks a little bit here, but doesn't control the quality of the new tracks too much. Fans of the old Relient K should find a lot to like in "In Like a Lion (Always Winter)" with it's sweet harmonies and heartfelt melody.
Where the album really shines, though, is in the acoustic re-recordings of songs from Mmhmm. They really show their musical ability on these, ripping through songs that I would have thought appropriate only for electric guitars with acoustic poise. Their acoustic treatment of "Which to Bury..." is a perfect companion to the plugged-in version.
In other news, the Gratitude/The Spill Canvas concert I was planning to attend in Indianapolis Nov. 20th has been cancelled. What this means is that I'll have to catch The Spill Canvas somewhere on the West Coast if I want to see them again anytime before next fall.
