From A to C no B.

Originally, I had planned to write a review on the new Punchline album, Just Say Yes. I will leave it at this…. I Say Maybe. Better than 37 Everywhere but not as magical as Action, Punchline delivers an enjoyable album both with moments of musical genius and confusion. But hey! Sobasli is actually hitting notes instead of splattering them and you have the give the band props for not only releasing the album DIY but starting their own label as well! Watch the video and LOL a little bit.



http://www.myspace.com/punchline
http://www.merchline.com/punchline

I decided to move on to a more pressing matter- the economy. Fabtastic say what? Hear me out! Flipping through my television last night (after watching It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, of course) I landed on one of my favorite channels, CNN (The History Channel and Bravo beat it out). This morning I visited their site, as is my routine, and continued to follow the Wall Street damage and credit crisis plaguing the US right now…. And spreading worldwide.

The first thing to go in times of economic crisis are the arts. I am not only talking about funding for programs in schools and communities either. With gas pricing rising, inflation, and the devaluation of the dollar, it is becoming increasingly difficult for bands to survive touring. Due to the decline in record sales, labels have started turning to 360 deals to recoup the money they invest in artists; meaning that even some signed bands are even having trouble making ends meet during/after tour. Now is the time for fans to prove how much we love the music. Musicians need their fans more than ever. BUY CDs. GO to shows. BUY merch. I am not saying spend all your money on these bands, but instead of pouring money into a greedy Fortune 500 company put it back into the hands of the artists that you believe in. If you don’t support them, they can't make the music you love! Demand your schools keep their art programs! Refuse to let the drama department be dissolved while the basketball team gets new uniforms!

SUPPORT AND FIGHT FOR THE ART YOU LOVE, NEED, AND BELIEVE IN!


Because if you don’t….. who will?


Just saying..... yes.

This Quilt Won't Unravel

DING DING!. Turn off whatever you are listing to. It is Gym Class time. And here come your Heroes with The Quilt.

Each song on this album is an individual square on a winter project patchwork bundle of warmth. Distinctively different but completely coherent, every tune matches it's predecessor while leaving it miles behind. From 80s poprock ("Papas Song") to reggae swag ("Blinded By the Sun") to ballad fused hip hop "Fly With Me," this album is diverse and shows the bands artistic progression.

The harmonies and melodies on The Quilt are nothing short of phenomenal and supercede what any other hiphop group out there is doing. Singing, rapping and sometimes right in the middle of the two Travis, Erik, and Disashi are changing the face of not only hiphop but indie rock as well. Disashi wails on the guitar with siq guitar solos, Erik breaks down on bass, and Matt is a little drummer boy beating out his heart. Tyler and Dan keep the melodies alive on the keyboards making the band a…. REAL band. You won't find any back tracks here.

Laced with celebrity cameos (e.g. Daryll Hall to Busta Rhymes) GCH is solidifying their now "baller" status. Indie collaboration is also the name of the game with underground sensations such as the Icelandic beauty Patti Crash from Philly on '"Drnk Txt Rmeo" and the rising star Estelle on the opening track "Guilty As Charged."

Lyrically, Travis has left behind the self deprecation of The Papercut Chronicles and the self realization of As Cruel As School Children to arrive at an album full of stories, jokes, fights, love, and heartache (getting the quilt reference a little bit more now?). There is a song for everyone and every situation. And wit has not been spared.

The stand out jam on The Quilt is "Don't Tell Me It”s Over" where Travis lays out how he fells about all the "haters" (to the leeeeeft). Lyrically outstanding and straight up hiphop you can feel the passion in his voice and the intensity in the bassline.

What do I think of this album? Travis says it best for me:
"One hit wonder, my ass. What are you talking about? Let them keep blogging trash, I'ma take the garbage out."

www.gymclassheroes.com
www.myspace.com/gymclassheroes
http://store.fueledbyramen.com/albumview.asp?idproduct=60666

Secret Lovers Singing Covers

Other people write on this blog besides Dan! No! Really! I'm just going to ignore the fact that I've been slacking in my blogging and get right into it.

Cover songs.

I have such a love/hate relationship with them.

I know, I know, every band at some point in their career do a cover song. They're fun and a great way to get the crowd excited at shows. But I feel like 75% of cover songs are just awful. Here are some examples of the kind of cover songs released as singles that make me want to kill myself:

1. The cover song that sounds exactly like the original song.
So, you want to cover a song, do ya? Well, be sure to put NO original spin on it whatsoever! Especially if it was a huge hit--if it worked then, it'll work for a whole new audience now! This is the one that bothers me the most. Bring something new to the table! We want to hear what your band could do with it, not what's been done already (and probably better) the first time around.

2. The cover song that is just tragically horrificly badly done.
I'm talking embaressingly done. It always happens to be of an incredible song, too. Look, there are some artists that are just untouchable for me. Step away from the Bowie...slowly.

3. The ever-popular "ironic" cover song.
"I'm an artist that isn't really hardcore, so I'm going to cover a really hardcore rap/metal song and make it more my style, oh man I am just so crazy bananas!"

But see, then these amazing artists do these amazing covers and I'm left loving covers again. Let's talk about them!



Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb



I realize that this song is breaking one of the big three rules (covering a super popular classic), but I don't even care. Truthfully, I HATED this song when I first heard it (and truthfully, I can't stand the original version. College pothead friends kind of ruined it with overplaying). Then, slowly but surely, it grew on me until this was one of the songs I was looking forward to the most when I saw them live the first time. And they KILLED IT. I felt like I was on another planet...They manage to make it completely different while still retaining a very unsettling feel.



Nine Inch Nails - Get Down Make Love



Of course I included NIN, yes I AM predictable, shut up. Queen is another one of those "untouchable" artists to me, but I've loved this cover since the first time I heard it. Two totally different sounds. They don't do this one live anymore, but they used to--and there are some GREAT videos on YouTube of them performing it. Plus I just like to hear Trent say "You want my body, I give you heat. You say you're hungry, I give you meat."

...shut up, just...shut up.



Cat Power - I Found a Reason



Original song was by Velvet Underground, and I'm hesitant to say that I PREFER this version but....I prefer this version. Argh, no wait, I can't decide. They're both so good. I love her voice on this track and how it makes me feel like I've been punched in the gut, in a good way. That's right, at the end of the day, I'm still a girl who is suckered into emotional chick-on-piano ballads.



Mark Ronson and the Daptone Horns - God Put a Smile On Your Face



Wow. When I first heard this song I couldn't pinpoint the cover...I KNEW it was a cover, but couldn't figure out who it was! Once it clicked I was very surprised--mostly because I avoid Coldplay (sorry, Coldplay, but I'm pretty sure you've put out the same record 4 times). This version gave me an appreciation for it I never had before, so there you go, Chris Martin. I want to rollerblade to this song. And yes, I realize how lame that sounds.

That's it! There are many more covers I'm into, but I think this is a good mix. Why haven't any death metal bands covered Disney songs yet? I feel this would be excellent. If these exist, someone tell me. I demand a bearded, tattooed man screaming the lyrics to "Prince Ali." Seriously.

New video from OTGL: Opeth Interview & Bus Tour

by Dan Harpaz

Life isn't all morbid in the world of death metal. This interview and bus tour with Swedish quintet Opeth proves it. (That's right, more Opeth!) We brought our crew aboard the band's tour bus at the Chicago stop of Progressive Nation 2008 on May 13, where guitarist Fredrik Åkesson speaks about the new album Watershed, punching meat, and Swedish Snus!

On the Guest List with Varsity Fanclub

by Dan Harpaz

Varsity Fanclub. Left to Right: Drew Scott, Thomas Fiss, Bobby Edner, David Brandt, Jayk Purdy. Photo by by Marina Chavez. Courtesy of Capitol Records.

If you're prehistoric enough to remember the days you had to drive your Flintmobile to the record store to buy music, you're probably looking at the picture above and feeling either nostalgia or deep-seated disdain. You're probably not even sure why you feel the way you do-- chances are, you've probably never even seen this fine group of gents before. But for some reason, most people (generally speaking) have some sort of emotional reaction to these types of promotional pictures. You're either a lover or a hater. I am, of course, referring to an ancient, mystical (and possibly underwater) species classified by Rolling Stone Magazine as "boy bands."

Now, I'm aware that I'm poking fun at this Rolling Stone article on boy bands in the modern, digital music industry, but it brings up an interesting trend that most people my age (or to make another economic assumption, 16+) probably aren't aware of. I am referring of course to the comeback of the Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, and an influx of new talent, including Varsity Fanclub, the "new" Menudo, and a modest collection of others. The truth is, boy bands and pop stars never actually "ruled the planet." Nor did they ever go extinct. They were, however, a huge commercial success in a time when major labels thrived on physical album sales and traditional, mass marketing strategies that largely controlled our tastes. Obviously, times have changed.

Most of us know by now that the digital music format has already begun to replace CDs. People learn about music through friends and MySpace today more than ever. The "digital shift" in the music industry has practically overturned the rules of economic scarcity and "shelf-space." But my intention isn't to summarize the pop-econ analyses simplified by Chris Anderson in "The Long Tail." I'm here to present Varsity Fanclub, an LA-based group of talented young dudes who are trying to make it in a world where nearly all musical ecstasy is only a click away. Having already hit it off with the Radio Disney generation with their single "Future Love" (written by Ryan Tedder of One Republic), these guys bring an R&B / soul flavor to what you would normally expect to hear from a boy band. With dance moves as tight as their harmonies, Varsity is set out to conquer the arenas, but not before taking out the utterly annoying, poofy-haired Jonas Brothers. Listen to my phone conversation with Varsity's Jayk Purdy and hear what he had to say about songwriting, the boy band's reality-TV-esque lifestyle, and his 24/7 work schedule.

Opeth Delivers a Beautiful Beast with Watershed

by Dan Solera.

Album cover courtesy of Roadrunner Records.

Leave it to Opeth to surprise us with every new album. Riding on the momentum built by their last two albums and recent successful tours, the Swedish quintet released in May their ninth studio album, Watershed. Known for their wall-of-sound compositions and overall crushing tone, the album starts off with "Coil", a 3-minute acoustic song featuring diverse instrumentation, Mikael Ǻkerfeldt's softer side, and a cameo by female vocalist Nathalie Lorichs. It's quite a bold move for a progressive death-metal band, but it pays off as it leads into the merciless "Heir Apparent", arguably an upcoming single.

From there we are treated to a diverse tapestry of sound, most of which we can call "vintage" Opeth, with several surprises thrown in the mix. The band had received some criticism on their previous studio album, 2005's Ghost Reveries, namely that their trademark loud-to-soft transitions were becoming too forced. Whether or not they chose to acknowledge this criticism is moot, but the transitions in this album are much more fluid and graceful. Songs like "Hessian Peel" grow slowly from folk-inspired acoustic passages to the chthonic assault that makes Opeth such a powerful force. Along the way the band makes use of flutes, ("Porcelain Heart"), and strings to create dramatic effect ("Burden").

Though their 70's-prog influences are still shining in this album, the Swedes are far from going soft. "Heir Apparent" and "The Lotus Eater" (Ed Note - or is it the "The Louts Eater"...hmm...) contain some of the roughest, fastest riffage heard since My Arms, Your Hearse. This is no surprise - Ǻkerfeldt has been saying for a long time that it was a worthy successor to the album, released a decade ago. In between, it is clear how tightly the band has honed their craft. Even with a lineup change, replacing longtime guitarist Peter Lindgren with Frederik Akesson and drummer Martin Lopez with the aptly-named Martin Axenrot, there is a definite sense of consistency in the band's catalog. The dynamic, and often frantic, balance between intense and soothing is still there, but not as deliberate and self-aware as it was in Ghost Reveries.

With Watershed, Opeth have created an eponymous album that vastly exceeded my expectations. Much like prog-metal peers Symphony X and their release of 2007's Paradise Lost, they have perfected their style and created a remarkable work of power, consistency, and beauty. Though not perfect, as exemplified by the album's lackluster closer ("Hex Omega"), it is a solid musical statement, driven by Ǻkerfeldt's intricate and disciplined songwriting. Whether you're a fan of the dark side of distorted metal or the serene landscape created by lush acoustics, Opeth will deliver.

The Legend of the Devil's Orchestra

And so the tale begins... there once lived a legendary orchestra in Sweden that produced music so beautiful and virtuosic that it inspired the formation of an early equivalent of groupies-- hordes of followers who trekked across Scandinavia to indulge in the divine melodies and harmonies played by what would later be known as "the Devil's Orchestra."

The year is 1501. The Church makes it rain more than Fat Joe himself. As generations passed, the Church became increasingly pissed (and rich.) Despite the Church's global influence via continuous funding through gifts and control over real estate, the orchestra had a way of striking a chord with the people and gave them an alternative outlet that did not directly involve religion. Consequently, the Church fire-and-brimstoned the shit out of the sixteenth century Swedes and labeled the enormously popular orchestra as the spawn of Satan. Forced to live and travel as fugitives, the orchestra eventually realized that its career was coming to an end... but before disassembling, the sextet signed a pact, agreeing that their descendants had the mission of reviving the orchestra in 500 years. They disseminated six sealed envelopes to trusted family members and played one final concert. Upon ending their epic grand finale, the members of the orchestra were arrested, incarcerated, and sentenced to death by hanging.

Flash forward to the year 2003. The reign of Britney Spears is coming to an end and iPods are about to get huge. Two complete strangers individually browse through a music store in Stockholm and bump into each other, prompting a conversation about about instruments, music, and life...until [imagine a pathetic explosion of thunder] they realize that they are both descendants of two of the original members of the Devil's Orchestra. Having each inherited the responsibility of reuniting the Devil's Orchestra, they embarked on a mission to find the remaining successors-- a goal they accomplished within three months of hard searching. Coincidentally, each successor happened to play music.

As the original scores were permanently destroyed by the Church, the descendants agreed to create a modern, rock version of the original orchestra. The sound would be a unique, but relatable combination of metal, swing, and opera. With a drummer, guitars, bass, and a celloist handy, the band recruited a talented female opera vocalist to front the group. Their lineup, and hence, their mission was finally complete. And so, Diablo Swing Orchestra was born... [imagine some more pathetic fallacy here... only this time, in the form of DSO's original "Balrog Boogie"]



Help Diablo Swing Orchestra take the world by storm again-- buy their album "The Butcher's Ballroom."

[Author's Note: Doesn't DSO kind of sound like the Max Rebo Band in Star Wars?!]