Immediately upon hearing the first track, “Rewind,” it was evident to me that their vocals are ear-catching and certainly unique to this band. The singer has a remarkable voice, almost haunting in a way. It reminds me a lot of bands who have been successful in years past. In my opinion, this is what is going to draw people into their fan-base. We all love those types of songs, the ones that get incessantly stuck in your head with no signs of letting up.

The second track on the EP I find to be the most notable, entitled “Believe.” The chorus is so catchy that I found it stuck in my head for days after just listening to it once. Obviously, I was back for more and you will be too. I believe that these guys are here to stay, they already have proven that with this EP and I cannot wait to see them progress.

Dirty Projectors are one of those bands. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, the band led by Dave Longstreth have released their newest album, Bitte Orca. At 9 tracks and running under 45 minutes, it’s a short and sweet album that never ceases to surprise you. You’d be hard-pressed to find word to describe this album to a friend, or even a genre to stick it in. And that’s just the way Dirty Projectors’ like it.

The opening track “Cannibal Resource” begins with a distorted guitar riff and bass plucking before Longstreth comes in with the opening lyric “Look around at everyone/ Everyone looks alive and waiting” and carries the song into many different experimental elements. The following track “Temecula Sunrise” is a catchy track that still regains it’s experimental influences, with an amazingly captivating chorus that echoes the track name. Coming in at track four is the album’s first single “Stillness Is The Move,” I can tell that this track will be a fan favorite, and I enjoy it quite a bit, although it is not my personal favorite on the album. “Stillness” is the first song on the album that primarily features female vocals, which is yet another refreshing element that the band brings to the table. “After all that we’ve been through/ I know we’ll make it after the wait/ The question, is it true?” is the haunting chorus that bleeds through the track. “Two Doves” follows the track with an acoustic/string assisted melody coupled with female vocals that could easily pass as a dead-ringing cover to a Nico song off of her album “Chelsea Girl”. While combining this simple melody with obvious Dirty Projectors elements, it makes a beautiful song that maintains its experimental roots. “Useful Chamber,” my personal favorite on the album changes from the beautiful chorus by Longstreth and bleeds right into the echoing chant of “Bitte orca/ Orca bitte” over and over coupled with insane guitar picking.

The only comparisons I can think to make with this album are possibly that of Grizzly Bear’s newest “Veckatimest” and purely by the experimental elements Animal Collective’s newest “Merriweather Post Pavilion”. Basically, it’s an album that stands on its own very well and amazes you with it’s musical intricacies and experimentation. If you’re looking for an album that will surprise you with its originality and make you want to listen over and over again, you’re in luck with this fantastic contribution by Dirty Projectors.

-Jeremy Froncek

Overall Rating: 9.3/10

The Dirty Projectors are:
Dave Longstreth (vocals)
Amber Coffman (vocals, guitar)
Angel Deradoorian (vocals, keyboard, samples, guitar, bass)
Brian Mcomber (drums)
Nat Baldwin (bass)
Haley Dekle (vocals)

Standout Tracks: “Stillness Is The Move,” “Useful Chamber,” “Two Doves,”

RIYL: Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Beards, Hipsters, Good Music

Buy it here, you won’t regret it.

When All Time Low came bursting onto the scene a few years back, they brought with them a certain charisma and sincere charm, helping to throw them into the forefront of the current pop-rock scene. Since banding together as brothers of electrocuted emo and pumped-up punk in 2003, All Time Low have brought forth their third studio album, titled Nothing Personal, the biblical equivalent to a musical Book of Partying, Falling in Love, and Gossiping Groupies. It’s Nothing Personal, but it sure as hell sounds like it was for Alex, Jack, Zack and Rian. Let’s dive into the music, shall we?

The album kicks off with “Weightless,” a furious homage to optimism, built on a catchy tune and memorable lyrics. The duration of the album bears a similar sound, not straying far away from their signature upbeat punch of pop. “Break Your Little Heart” comes to save the single-sickness day with a fresh chorus that’ll keep you singing the line “laughing all the way to the hospital”. “Damned If You Don’t” follows, allowing the songs to flow together to mold the makings of a solid sophomore record to their label debut, So Wrong, It’s Right. Make room for “Stella” too, a track reminiscent of SWIRI’s “Holly”. It’ll catch your ears before most of the other jumpy tracks.

All Time Low break it down and slow it up towards the last half of the album, offering the heart-felt ballad “Too Much”. The final track, and arguably the band’s best one, is the goosebump-inducing “Therapy,” featuring Alex Gaskarth’s most promising delivery of vocals to date. If you’ve ever doubted their abilities, skip to the end and bask in the sweet timbre of an un-vocoded voice.

While Nothing Personal is a solid album throughout and showcases growth in the maturity and musicianship within All Time Low, the CD is missing that little oomph of stand-out material. Maybe it’s the substance in their lyrics or the current slew of pop-punk acts whom they have to contend with. Regardless, the boys will surely come to find themselves, as this album is a test of their sustainability and relevance in today’s popband-eat-popband scene, which they’ve passed. But for crying out loud, let the boy sing. Gaskarth can do fine on his own without all the digital touching up and auto-tune. This ain’t no grade 12 music creation class! Whether this album will break All Time Low through to the mainstream is uncertain at this point. They’ll need to wait for 3OH!3 to cool off a little, at the very least. They have the auditory goods, but just need to fashion them into a more cohesive package.

Final Score: 7.5/10

All Time Low is:

Alex Gaskarth-Guitar/Vocals

Jack Barakat-Guitar/Backing Vocals

Rian Dawson-Drums

Zack Merrick-Bass/Backing Vocals

Produced By:

Matt Squire, Butch Walker, David Bendeth, S*A*M & Sluggo and The Dream.

For Fans Of: Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Paramore

They began the whole album with their song “Sassafras”, which had been released earlier on their MySpace page. This was deceiving because I heard Sassafras before the CD’s release and was asking myself how it could get any better, but, as always, I was wrong, and it did. Sassafras was only the beginning. I am somewhat impatient when listening to music, and so I like it when a song draws me in right off the bat, and the moment track two started I was hit with a surprisingly intense wave of music that just pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. I had one of those moments where you don’t even realize how hard you’re playing the air drums until you accidentally hit something and hurt yourself.

You don’t get to hear any solid vocals that aren’t screaming until track 3, but really, who’s complaing? TDWP are an extremely smart band, they know when they’re doing too much of something, or not enough, and so they seem like they’ve built their songs from the perspective of the listener. Everyone can agree that their vocals, screaming and singing, are amazing, and they seem to have worked out the balance to an art form. When you think you’re just going to be listening to the screams for three minutes, they mix in some beautiful melody that almost brings a tear to your eye. When’s the last time you can say you cried while listening to hardcore music?

Another thing that people seem to miss isn’t just the sound of the singing / screaming, it’s the actual words. I know they might not be the easiest to make out, but if you take the time to listen, like actually listen, to the lyrics, you’ll realize, and hopefully appreciate, the amount of work that goes into these songs. You can tell that they don’t just sit at a table and try to find words that rhyme then throw them in a song, these words actually mean something to them, which alot of bands seem to be lacking these days. Something that kind of contradicts what i just said is the way they go about  naming their songs. TDWP are known for their ridiculous song titles, but not only are they ridiculous on this album, they can trick you also. When i saw the title Louder Than Thunder go across my iPod screen I prepared myself for some epic music, and i definitely got what I was prepared for, just in a different way than I expected. Louder Than Thunder is easily the best representation of song writing on the whole album, and it definitely sends a message you wouldn’t expect from a band that thrives in the hardcore world.

Another extremely impressive thing about this CD is the amount of variety in their songs. Alot of times when I’m listening bands with hardcore backgrounds i feel like I’m being hit with the same stuff over and over, like all the songs are kind of swirled into eachother, but this album doesn’t have that problem. They somehow found a way to make every song have it’s own sound and feel to it, and with 11 songs on the album, I’m sure that was no easy task.

If you’re a fan of heart pounding music, songs that’ll get you up and movin’ in ways you didn’t know you could, crazy beats and crazier vocals, then your definitley in luck. Unless there’s no more copies of this CD left at your local store because everyone bought it. I tried my best, but i can honestly say there’s no way for me to describe how amazing this album is unless you go out and listen to it for yourself, believe me you won’t regret it, even if you’re not a fan of the genre.
5 out of 5, 10 out of 10, 100% awesome, with a dash of amazing on the side.

Noteable tracks

I Hate Buffering, Big Wiggly Style, Danger: Wildman, Louder Than Thunder

*To be honest I wish I could put all the songs on the noteable tracks list but that would destroy the point of it.

For those who aren’t too familiar with the concept of 21st Century Breakdown its about a couple named Christian and Gloria and it follows them through the mess and promises of the century thus far.

The album is broken down into 3 chapters: Act I: Heroes And Cons, Act II: Charlatans And Saints and the final section, Act III: Horseshoes And Handgrenades. Each act is 6 songs in length. the 1st song acts as somewhat of a prelude to the album with front man Billie Joe Armstrong crying out “The era of static and contraband that’s leading us to the promised land, Tell us a story that’s by candlelight, waging a war and losing the fight”.

The first act kicks off with the song 21st Century Breakdown kicks the wonderfully crafted album into gear. The next song and first single “Know Your Enemy” is very Ramone-esque, with a simple structure. Another standout track during the first act is “Christian’s Inferno”, which is seemingly the most angry song Green Day has ever written.

The second act opens up with “East Jesus Nowhere” which is a track about organized religion and goes back to the newer sound Green Day have created for themselves on this album and also on American Idiot.

The third and final act opens with “Horseshoes And Handgrenades”, another politically-charged song which brings out a more raw side of Billie’s vocals. The best song on this album happens to fall during the third act and is titled “21 Guns”. This song is essentially the “Wake Me Up When September” ends of this album. Really makes you appreciate those who have given up their life fighting to protect this country.

Make no mistake about it, this album is huge, beautiful, ambitious, and is probably one of the better “concept” albums up there with American Idiot, The Who’s Tommy, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon and so many more. There are no filler tracks here or anything of that nature.

The album does not slow down once and keeps a consistent pace throughout. The lyrics on the album are without a doubt controversial and will draw some ire from the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Religious Activist (East Jesus Nowhere), and supporters of the war (21 Gun). This is also the best Green Day album written to date and their formula to success is simple on this album: Great lyrics, simple structure.

The production on this album is top notch as the band worked with super producer Butch Vig, who’s responsible for Nirvana’s Nevermind and The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dreams.

This is without a doubt Green Day’s best album to date, as they upped the ante big time.

Green Day Is:

Billie Joe Armstrong-Guitar/Vocals
Mike Dirnt-Bass/Background Vocals
Tre Cool-Drums

Produced By:
Butch Vig
Green Day

Release Date – 5/15/09

Final Score
10/10

You get Fireworks’ debut album All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion.

The album opens up with “Geography, Vonnegut And Me” and sets the tone for the rest of the album. This album is full of catchy melodies, hooks and gang vocals and it is reflected throughout the entire album.

The first single and arguably the album’s best track, “Detroit”, kicks off with with a bang, and it’s a track you’ll find yourself singing along to, and going back to, over and over.  Lyrically and musically it’s a fun, poppy album.

Also, mad props should be given to Chad Gilbert who did a wonderful job as producer. I, along with many can hope this is one of many to come.

Of course with all the positives come some negatives. While there aren’t many drawbacks, there are two big ones that are noticeable. This album, in a way, sounds like it has been made before, whether it be by New Found Glory or Set Your Goals. While not a bad thing, it is a slight problem

The other problem I have is some of the better parts on the album are where Chad Gilbert’s guitar and vocals outshine the band themselves.

Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives and this album is VERY catchy and you’ll probably find yourself driving to it with the windows down all summer long, as it is the start of a good string of summer-friendly albums to come out this year.

Fireworks Is:

Kyle O’ Neil

Chris Mojan

Brett Jones

Tymm Rengers

Dave Macklinder

Produced by: Chad Gilbert

Release Date: 3/24/09

Final Score

8/10

This thirteen-track album combines the best elements of the previous three to create a solid album. On the first track and also the albums first single: “Cutthroat Collapse,” the song opens with the howling vocals of Toby Morell and a more raw side of his vocals that we haven’t seen before.

Another standout track on this album is “The Ghost Of You”. This track shows the lighter side of Morell’s vocals before kicking it up a notch and hitting at a high pace for the rest of the track. Many of the other songs on the album have the same pace and brings out a great feel to the album.

Throughout the album you can see the band has gone back to their roots and combines it with a more melodic side of Emery that was evident on the last few albums. The somewhat new sound Emery has created shines throughout every track and pulls you in and doesn’t let go until it’s over. This is the most mature Emery album in every sense of the word, both musically and lyrically.

The production on this album is also top notch as the band teamed up with producer extraordinaire Aaron Sprinkle and it’s a match made in heaven. Sprinkle has brought out the best of Emery on this album and as I previously touched on the combination makes this the best Emery album to date.

I don’t have many complaints about this album. While it might fall short at points in what it could have been shouldn’t take away from what otherwise is a brilliant album. Emery came out swinging and they hit one out of the park.

In a year to be dominated by Pop Punk and the new terrible trend I dare not speak of, Emery lets the world know “Don’t Forget About Us.” There is very little wrong with this album and a lot right with it. This is a definite pickup and 6 months into the year may very well be the best album released this year.

Emery Is:

Toby Morell – Vocals & Bass
Matt Carter – Guitar
Josh Head – Keys & Screams & Drums
Devin Shelton – Vocals & Bass
Dave Powell – Drums

Produced by: Aaron Sprinkle
Label: Tooth And Nail

Release Date: 06/02/09

final score:

9.2/10

‘Brother’, an ambient and earthy melody that transforms into an orchestral indie/rock song, really sets the tone for the entire album. Each song reels you in and gets you comfortable only to jerk you in another musical direction even better than the first. Whether it be the easy listening groove of ‘The Bull, And The Goat’, the waltzy rhythm of ‘Complete, Or Completing’ or the synthesis infused indie pop track ‘Bleary-Eyed’, ‘Be He Me’ manages to change with every song, while keeping the Annuals’ distinct sound in tact.

The only negative thing I can say about the entire 12 song album is that there is a lack of a lyrical base to really make these songs tell stories. Actually, most of the words end up sounding like something your elementary school janitor with the lazy eye would say. This excerpt of ‘Dry Clothes’ proves my point perfectly.

“There’s A knapsack Rally for the stranger who told of a spider and a purple toad.
The things I heard were wretched and slurred.
Oh my ears would be cut off at mention.”

So. Although creative! They won’t be stuck in your head while you’re sitting in class or taking an extra long bathroom escape from work. You will, however, long to get back into the melodies that made you really feel something. Luckily for us, these moments are found constantly throughout this exceptionally well produced and executed album.

Closing comments:

Pros:

-Beautifully composed songs, intricate and rich that will keep you coming back.
-Great new band to introduce to your library.
-Your friends will be happy when you show them one of their new favourite groups.

Cons:

-The words, though they add color to the song, mostly sound like drug induced gibberish.

Rating: 9/10            “Fantastic.”

Album: Be He Me
Artist: Annuals
Record Label: Ace Fu
By: Jesse Smith.

RATING: 8/10