The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 106

This post was the first time that Dear Agony was mentioned in this thread

EDIT: At least according to the search function :)

 

this week i'll be listening to:
stef chura - messes
partner - in search of lost time

and @mattfreaksmeout will be listening to:
the pains of being pure at heart - days of abandon
pity sex - dark world

 

Up to 415 different albums recommended!

 

I’m sorry I suck you’ll get it before the end of this week

 

Hahaha nah you’re too cool to suck :) life gets busy

 

@Nate_Johnson Arkhipov Calm is a standout track!

 

I think that one, a single tear, the dusk in us and reptilian are my favorite tracks but that album is amazing.

 

I'm listening to the title track now. I love good long songs and slow burners

 

then check out Spanish Sahara by Foals.

 

I haven't listened to Foals in ages so I will do!

 

they're baby horses

 

how beautiful

 

You're lucky to be paired with her, she's a fantastic artist.

 

@Mary V gave me two great records to check out this week

Alvvays: Antisocialites (2017) Polyvinyl Records

Alvvays is pop band from Toronto that can best be described in one word: FUN!
To better describe them, they are a mix of Indie Pop, Dream Pop and Shoegaze with all their songs having fuzzed out jangly guitars.
All of the songs are very relatable as they are all about breakups and failed relationships. Lead singer Molly Rankin, paints each song in a fun and witty way so you feel like you experienced it along with her.
I personally prefer the tracks that are bubbly and poppy. The song Hey starts like 70's punk such as The Clash and transforms into 80's pop that reminds me of The Bangles. The band truly shines in these songs and you can picture the band bouncing around on stage having a blast.
The slower sort of ballad tracks are great as well and show that the band isn't a one trick pony. The bass line on Not My Baby is great!
My only complaint about the album is the track sequencing. The albums first song, In Undertow, is one of the slower tracks I mentioned and doesn't seem to set the tone of the album. It's a minor flaw and one that doesn't diminish how amazing this album is.

Favorite Songs:
Plimsoll Punks
Hey
Not My Baby
Lollipop (Ode to Jim)
Saved By a Waif

9/10


Bec Sandridge: In the Fog EP (2016) Farmer & The Owl Records

Bec Sandridge is a pop artist who is originally from Australia but also lives in Glagow, Scotland. Her vocals sound almost identical to Tori Amos and the album showcases just about every area of pop music.
The EP only contains 5 songs and is 18 minutes long but feels like a wild ride.
The second track, You're a F****** Joke has this Andrew McMahon and The Wilderness like piano/keyboard beat throughout the entire song and then in the last minute or so introduces this twangy guitar that contrasts perfectly.
High Tide has a great 80's vibe with a guitar riff ripped right from Journey, The Outfield, etc.
I Drove All Night is a straight ballad with this pulsating beat in the background with vocals that Tori Amos would be proud of.
The last song on the EP, I Keep Running Back, finds her at her most vulnerable with this whispery guitar that reminds me a lot of Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls accompanied by a choir echoing her singing.

This is a great pop record that shows a lot of diversity and my only complaint is how short it is. @Mary V had mentioned that there is a full length record coming soon and I am really excited to see what else Bec Sandridge has up her sleeve.

I'll say that I enjoy every track so they are all my favorites!

9/10

 

Wow, I'm so happy to read such glowing reviews for both recs! I'm really glad you told me you like 80s influenced indie rock music because I also love it. And Bec rules haha, she released a great single last year. It's a love it or hate it kind of track. But I saw her perform it live and she dedicated it to her "mum and her bible study group"; maybe it's an indication of what her album could sound like!

 

I watched all of her videos between her website and the label. She is great!

 

I'm already knee deep in my recs, but just for the record:

@Cody will be bangin' to:
DIIV - Oshin
Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins

and I:
Sade - Promise (this album is so sick)
Xploding Plastix - The Donca Matic Singalongs Revisited

amply hyped about my recs this week.

 

Sorry folks, I'm running a bit behind here, the holiday has been a lot busier than I expected but here's me thoughts from my second recommendation of the bonus week from @skurt:

Craig Manning - Life In The Rearview Mirror (2017)

It took me a good few listens to get into this as it's not something I'd normally check out but but by the 4th or 5th spin I really started to dig it. It's what I would describe as alt-country with a bit of folk thrown into the mix and Craig just has a really laid-back voice that's just great to have on in the background no matter what your doing. It's also one of them rare albums where I prefer the back half to the front with Try To Pretend, Life in the Rearview Mirror, Making Moves and Bon Voyage being my standout tracks. So far I've only had this on in the house but it's the kind of album that would be great for long night drives, has that sort of dreamy quality to it.
Thanks for the rec @skurt, I'm glad I give this album a chance, I reckon it's one I will go back to in the future.

 

@Craig Manning is a talented guy!

 

@Patterns in Traffic I didn’t forget you. I’ll have your review for Backwards Dancer up today.

 

I've got some catching up to do.

@JoshShulkin recommended "No Kings" by Doomtree (a long time ago)

Doomtree is a collective of rappers and producers. As such, this album feels pretty varied and every member has something different to offer. In the song 'Bangarang' they address the lack of fresh ideas in the game and I must say, "No Kings" has a distinctive and original sound. I wouldn't call it groundbreaking or anything, but some of these tracks incorporate elements of rock music or other genres in a subtle way, and I really like the result. Lyrically, I'd say it's okay, although I wouldn't say it is its main strength. This album has enough memorable moments for me to want to come back to it every now and then, and overall I have a positive opinion on it.

 

First two users review of my EIGHT albums this week. I know I normally just type them all out at once but it’s been a busy busy week. Anyway, the albums @Sheaver10 and @Joe4th gave me.

Funeral For A Friend- Hours
This album was a surprise for me. For one, because although I swore I’d listened to this band before I couldn’t name you a single song by them off the top of my head so I couldn’t remember what they sounded like. So when Sheevs (I’m calling you that now) recommended me this album I was excited to rediscover this band. Boy did I love this album! The guitar riffs, the vocals, everything about this album is what I used to like from this genre of music back in the early 2000s. Starting with a cool intro song that sets the tone amicably, the second track ‘Streetcar’ was where I first had that surge of excitement for what I was listening to. And it never stops from there on. The intro and overall sound of the next track ‘Roses For The Dead’ was a huge highlight for me and probably one of my favorite moments on the album. That’s the type of song you hope for a band to play live and when they bust it out everyone goes crazy. Another stand out for me was ‘History’, a softer side of the band(but still faster than most who do this type of song), it like many of the other tracks on the album contained stellar lyrical themes and an ear worm of a guitar hook. History and Roses are probably the two I found myself wanting to listen to the most, though I was also fond of ‘End Of Nothing’ in a big way, with a killer guitar, screaming vocals, and just an all out fun time. A banger for sure. I will be listening to this album again, mark my words. 9/10.

Fightstar- One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours

Another cool rec by the Sheevs, let me say I had never heard of these guys prior to listening to this. Shame on me for this. They have such a cool sound on this album, toeing the line between mellow and melancholy to fast paced rock, these guys fit in well with some of the bands I listen to. Tracks like ‘Floods’ and the title track ‘One Day Son’ show off these moods nicely, and with a guitar that sort of reminds me of a mix between A Perfect Circle and Funeral For a Friend, the lead vocalist carries each and every track with a phenomenal skill. ‘I Am The Message’ was another stand out track for me, and with lyrical themes such as self reflection and regret this album couldn’t go wrong in my eyes. I am glad to have heard this. There were many songs on this album I enjoyed, and it wasn’t just pieces of them. The songs are structured well, with very few flaws. It’s a well put together album and one I Feel is sequenced rather nicely too. 8/10

And now @Joe4th

Broadway Calls- Comfort/Distraction

Confession: my fiancé showed me these guys once before. I forget what song, but whatever it was did not hook me in. So I was a bit weary when pulling this album. Well about 15 seconds into the opening track I literally exclaimed “Oh, Niiiiiiice” out loud. This album seriously kicks ass. It reminds me of old school pop punk, like early Blink-182 and others from that genre. And I absofuckinglutely adore it. The guitars are fast paced, catchy, melodic, and make you just want to get up. The lyrics are sung at neckbreak speed, yet they are catchy and sometimes anthemic. Songs like ‘Open Letter’, ‘Surrounded By Ghosts’, ‘I’ll Be There’, and ‘Full Of Hope’ are stellar examples of this, and the album is such an enjoyable listen that the time spent listening to it flies by. This is a fantastic album, and the songs from it will definitley fit nicely on my playlists. I found myself singing a long to these songs sooner than I thought I would, and just jamming along to them the entire time. Fun literally is the word I will use to describe this album. 10/10

The Gaslight Anthem- American Slang
I had only heard Gaslight Anthem once before this. Opening for that band I will no longer name, I wrote them off and had no desire to check them out, so this was really my first exposure to them in a non live setting. I don’t see why I did that now that I actually listened to them. Similar to acts such as Alkaline Trio, Frank Ocean, and Rise Against, I can see why many people have such a high regard for this band. They are definitely talented in their craft, and the lyrical content of these songs was deep in places and yet still catchy. I found myself really digging songs like ‘Stay Lucky’ and ‘The Queen Of Lower Chelsea’ more than I initially believed I would be, and over my three listens of this album I found myself picking up on lyrics I missed the first two times through. This is a good band, one that sounds like they’d be awesome live and one that I Feel I need to spend more time with and dig into their catalog more. I have to say the crowning jewel of this album for me was ‘The Spirit Of Jazz’ Though. In your face fast guitar, catchy lyrics and vocals. This was my favorite point of the album on all listens and by the third time Through I knew every word. Call me a believer in this band now. This album is also a fun one to listen to driving down back roads in the night, as odd as that sounds! 8/10

@Contender and @SaveTheEarth to come tomorrow!

 

For my first review, @Larry David gave me Blindside’s Silence (2002).

Going into the record, I was aware of the band, but never heard them before. I have to say I was a bit nervous when they were categorized on Apple Music as christian rock. Nothing against that kind of music, but it's not really my thing, when the lyrics become borderline worship music. That said, this record was nothing like that. In fact, it was a nice trip down memory/nostalgia lane from when I was getting into my own music. Finding my own way if you will.

The album starts off with a couple high energy numbers in Caught a Glimpse and Pitiful. The former starting off like you were going to be getting some underground screamo song, but ends up being a classic early 2000's post hardcore song. The latter of the two openers is more of a groovy/bouncy song with a good pace to it. Sleepwalking reminds me of the late '90s/early 2000s heavy radio rock/nu metal stuff that was getting popular at the time. It has the classic hard hitting start and then a mid tempo melodic chorus that is pretty catchy. The Endings and You Can Hide It are catchy songs in the middle of the record. Time Will Change Your Heart is maybe the hardest hitting and most urgent song on the record. It's the one that probably doesn't fit the rest of the record, but it's a really fun song.

Painting is a song that I imagine was intended to break the band across broader audiences. It features their heavier side, but has some slower tempo verses and opens up to a poppier chorus. I didn't read the lyrics, but what I could tell it had a personal tone to it. For some reason I imagined a music video to this song playing in my head featuring a kid skateboarding and their parents arguing with each other. After Painting, the only other song that jumped out to me was Coming Back to Life. Three of the last four songs were my least favorite, with the album closer Silence being my least favorite. It's a slow acoustic song that ends the album on a mellow note. Quite simply, I thought it was a pretty forgettable song. I was hoping for a better book end to the record.

My reaction after multiple listens (on AirPods and in the car) was that this record is pretty strong up until the back handful of songs. The record sits in a really interesting place between late '90s heavy radio rock/nu metal and early 2000's post hardcore. I think fans of early Emery and Finch can find something to dig just as much as someone listening to Chevelle or P.O.D type of music. They remind me of a band like Trust Company that kind of flew under the radar of that era and type of music. Listening to this album, I thought a lot about those time periods of MTV2 and Much Music. I could easily see this band having a video on there, or buying Etnies shoes at Journey's and hearing them in the store.

Overall, this was a very fun listen and way better than what I was expecting to get based on the genre in Apple Music. While it may sound very much like something from the early 2000's it's not necessarily a bad thing. I would recommend to anyone unfamiliar with Blindside but listened to some of the more accessible heavy music of this time period to give this album a listen. It has a time and place sound while feeling somewhat fresh. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

Wow nice write up

 

Thanks! I only was given one record so I wanted to give it an honest review. And I didn't want to mail my first review in haha.