No radio show today as I'm getting ready to head home for Thanksgiving break. Lots of blogging today though.
This news will probably not get picked up by anyone else, but it means something to this blogger, so we're gonna give it its due.
Delaware-based rock outfit and friend to ¡Viva la Mainstream! The Crash Motive will be disbanding at year's end. In a message sent out to the band's mailing list, lead singer Derek Fuhrmann announced that The Crash Motive's remaining three shows in 2008 would be his last with the band, at which point he'll be leaving the band to record a solo record in New York. The other members of the band have further decided to not continue on as The Crash Motive. The nonsinging band members intend to continue on a new project, but details on that project are not available yet.
The Crash Motive were one of the first up-and-coming bands I wrote about here, way back in the early days of this blog. They were also one of the first bands to take VLM seriously, offering me promotional considerations and the like after I reviewed their album Consequence. It saddens me a bit that I will likely never see them live (their last all-ages show is this Friday), but all the same I wish the band nothing but great success in the coming year.
The Crash Motive - You Can't Know It All [iTunes]
==TJ==
Showing posts with label The Crash Motive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Crash Motive. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
A Day Late And A Dollar(Ish) Short
Because I'm lazy and posting a full chart takes more work than its gonna be worth now that it's 24 hours late, I'm just gonna widget the top 5 and talk about a couple tracks.
So yeah, the top track is from the CitizensFOB Mixtape I keep promising to talk about. It's pretty fantastic
Cobra Starship - I Kissed A Boy
And the other really noteworthy part is the new track from The Crash Motive, who finally released their EP Just Cause It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't earlier this week, and its gone into constant rotation already.
The Crash Motive - Between Us, You & I [iTunes]
And NO, I will not apologize or feel ashamed for having "Unwritten" in the number 2 spot. Just not gonna happen.
Promise to be back on track next week, when there are no drunk people in my apartment.
==TJ==
So yeah, the top track is from the CitizensFOB Mixtape I keep promising to talk about. It's pretty fantastic
Cobra Starship - I Kissed A Boy
And the other really noteworthy part is the new track from The Crash Motive, who finally released their EP Just Cause It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't earlier this week, and its gone into constant rotation already.
The Crash Motive - Between Us, You & I [iTunes]
And NO, I will not apologize or feel ashamed for having "Unwritten" in the number 2 spot. Just not gonna happen.
Promise to be back on track next week, when there are no drunk people in my apartment.
==TJ==
Friday, May 16, 2008
New Music From The Crash Motive Streaming on MySpace
First, apologies to my normal readers for the Idol themed tangent this week. I'm past it now and giving you more normal posts. Thanks for indulging me.
Over the last week Newark, Delaware based band-that-more-people-need-to-know-about The Crash Motive released five new tracks that will comprise its new EP. The EP, entitled Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't, is slated for a late summer release, and marks the second offering from the band in the last year.
The songs on Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't (tangent: Yes, I am going to write out the full title every time, because I think it's fantastic.) are a continuation of the best material from their debut album Consequence. The Crash Motive are at their best when they're trying to fill an arena, and that huge rock sound is all over this new EP. They show off the slower, piano-based stuff a little bit as well, but even that's got a grander, more epic touch to it, drifting away from the mishmashed tracks of old. The biggest problem on Consequence was when TCM wasn't sure what they were doing on a given song, i.e. the tready "Home to Home". Everything on Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't has a purpose, and it serves that purpose; nothing more, nothing less.
Opener "Walk All Over Me" starts things off with swagger, with a drum groove worthy of a fist pump and a chorus that mixes the attitude of Maroon 5 with the balls of early Green Day. "You Can't Know It All" lets frontman Derek Fuhrmann show off an awesome guitar line and another brilliant chorus. If TCM know how to do anything, it's how to write a chorus that'll get people screaming and jumping along (and maybe get an appearance on ESPN). "You Can't Know It All" has the potential to be a hell of a live track in the right circumstances. Easily the highlight of this EP.
"Heavy", oddly enough, brings in the piano and offers up the closest thing to a ballad that The Crash Motive will provide. Fuhrmann channels some Bryan Adams (in the best possible way), and the result is a solid power-pop track on par with anything else they've done. This may be the weakest thing on Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't, but that's in no way a negative. "Don't Shut Your Eyes" is another slowed down track, with instrumentals in the same ballpark as Snow Patrol, and another notch in the uplifting alternative rock category. Closing out the EP is "The Sound Of Our Lies", which lyrically might be the best song The Crash Motive have ever written. They take the Maroon 5 falsetto formula and infuse it with some rock and roll, and make it far more palatable than the former ever have. I hope Adam Levine is taking notes.
Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't is a big step forward for The Crash Motive. I can't wait to hear this in full CD quality instead of the craptastic MySpace streaming bitrate. TCM find their niche with this EP, and with any luck future albums will carry the same mix of swagger and emotion that they're showing off now.
Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't is streaming on The Crash Motive's Myspace page right now, and will be released sometime this summer.
The Crash Motive on MySpace
==TJ==
Over the last week Newark, Delaware based band-that-more-people-need-to-know-about The Crash Motive released five new tracks that will comprise its new EP. The EP, entitled Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't, is slated for a late summer release, and marks the second offering from the band in the last year.
The songs on Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't (tangent: Yes, I am going to write out the full title every time, because I think it's fantastic.) are a continuation of the best material from their debut album Consequence. The Crash Motive are at their best when they're trying to fill an arena, and that huge rock sound is all over this new EP. They show off the slower, piano-based stuff a little bit as well, but even that's got a grander, more epic touch to it, drifting away from the mishmashed tracks of old. The biggest problem on Consequence was when TCM wasn't sure what they were doing on a given song, i.e. the tready "Home to Home". Everything on Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't has a purpose, and it serves that purpose; nothing more, nothing less.
Opener "Walk All Over Me" starts things off with swagger, with a drum groove worthy of a fist pump and a chorus that mixes the attitude of Maroon 5 with the balls of early Green Day. "You Can't Know It All" lets frontman Derek Fuhrmann show off an awesome guitar line and another brilliant chorus. If TCM know how to do anything, it's how to write a chorus that'll get people screaming and jumping along (and maybe get an appearance on ESPN). "You Can't Know It All" has the potential to be a hell of a live track in the right circumstances. Easily the highlight of this EP.
"Heavy", oddly enough, brings in the piano and offers up the closest thing to a ballad that The Crash Motive will provide. Fuhrmann channels some Bryan Adams (in the best possible way), and the result is a solid power-pop track on par with anything else they've done. This may be the weakest thing on Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't, but that's in no way a negative. "Don't Shut Your Eyes" is another slowed down track, with instrumentals in the same ballpark as Snow Patrol, and another notch in the uplifting alternative rock category. Closing out the EP is "The Sound Of Our Lies", which lyrically might be the best song The Crash Motive have ever written. They take the Maroon 5 falsetto formula and infuse it with some rock and roll, and make it far more palatable than the former ever have. I hope Adam Levine is taking notes.
Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't is a big step forward for The Crash Motive. I can't wait to hear this in full CD quality instead of the craptastic MySpace streaming bitrate. TCM find their niche with this EP, and with any luck future albums will carry the same mix of swagger and emotion that they're showing off now.
Just Because It Never Happened Don't Mean It Won't is streaming on The Crash Motive's Myspace page right now, and will be released sometime this summer.
The Crash Motive on MySpace
==TJ==
Friday, November 9, 2007
How Cool Is THAT?!?!
I know I promised a review of the new Angels & Airwaves album, but this came across my desk just now and it's too cool to pass up. It's always awesome when I get messages from people regarding what I put here, and it's even awesomer (yes, I just made up a word) when those who message me are in the music business. I just got a message on my MySpace from Sarah at Wind-Up Records. She came across this very blog and saw that I had recently purchased Consequence, the debut album from The Crash Motive that I've raved about here and here. She asked if I could put a plug in for something, and being a fan of the music, I jumped at the chance. So here goes.
The image is pretty self-explanatory; make an iMix on iTunes containing at least one Crash Motive song and if the band likes it enough, you can win prizes ranging from signed CDs to an autographed Fender Squier guitar. I posted about this awhile back, but I already submitted an iMix called "GET AMPED" which can be found here.
Now, before I go on with a review of Consequence, I want it noted that neither Wind-Up nor The Crash Motive have promised me any compensation of any kind for what you read in this entry. The words and opinions are purely my own.
I've been waiting for a CD by The Crash Motive since their early days, back when they were known as Omnisoul, and just a bunch of college students fresh out of the University of Delaware. I heard "Waiting (Save Your Life)" on the Fantastic 4 OST, and fell in love with it almost immediately. Since then, I heard the singles they dropped to iTunes, got excited when I heard they got signed, and kept playing the three songs I knew.
Fast forward; it's 2007, and Omnisoul changes their name to The Crash Motive, and out comes Consequence. Without a second thought I get the album (legally, mind you, an increasingly rare event). My biggest fear was that the album would be a typical debut album, with "Not Giving Up" and "Waiting (Save Your Life)" at the front of the album, and weaker, less enjoyable tracks filling up the remaining 10 songs. It's true that nothing on the album matches the one-two-three punch of "Not Giving Up", "No Tomorrow, Just Tonight" and "Waiting", but everything else on this album is quality stuff. These days heavy production and a clean sound is usually used to mask a band's lack of talent, but not so on Consequence. Everything sounds clean and polished, even moreso than some of the most shameless radio rock. But underneath the layer of production, there's still rock going on, as evidenced by "Things That Could Be Said" and the bouncy drum lick behind "Not Giving Up".
If you want to find fault with Consequence, then find it in their occasional lack of originality. Lead singer Derek Fuhrmann is a solid frontman, but there were times on the album that I couldn't be sure if I was just listening to Maroon 5 demos, and after awhile the songs can potentially blend into one mass, with not much variety. But it doesn't take much to snap out of it and realize that The Crash Motive are (or at least should be) legit, and their music a breath of fresh air.
The guys in The Crash Motive are what we all secretly hope for in rock music. Beneath the shiny top layer, there's a rock band under there, the kind of band that I can envision practicing in their parent's basement or in an empty garage. And now they've got a CD out and are on TV, in movies, and on their way to chasing that age-old rockstar dream. Let's hope they don't crash before they get there.
Ruling on the Field: 7.5/10
Highlight Reel: I've posted an mp3 of "Not Giving Up" twice now. If you haven't gotten it yet, you have no excuse, go find it. Note to Wind-Up; if you want said mp3s taken down, let me know and I will oblige.
I'll be back again this weekend, and be sure to check out the iMix contest as well as my submission!
==TJ==
The image is pretty self-explanatory; make an iMix on iTunes containing at least one Crash Motive song and if the band likes it enough, you can win prizes ranging from signed CDs to an autographed Fender Squier guitar. I posted about this awhile back, but I already submitted an iMix called "GET AMPED" which can be found here.
Now, before I go on with a review of Consequence, I want it noted that neither Wind-Up nor The Crash Motive have promised me any compensation of any kind for what you read in this entry. The words and opinions are purely my own.
I've been waiting for a CD by The Crash Motive since their early days, back when they were known as Omnisoul, and just a bunch of college students fresh out of the University of Delaware. I heard "Waiting (Save Your Life)" on the Fantastic 4 OST, and fell in love with it almost immediately. Since then, I heard the singles they dropped to iTunes, got excited when I heard they got signed, and kept playing the three songs I knew.
Fast forward; it's 2007, and Omnisoul changes their name to The Crash Motive, and out comes Consequence. Without a second thought I get the album (legally, mind you, an increasingly rare event). My biggest fear was that the album would be a typical debut album, with "Not Giving Up" and "Waiting (Save Your Life)" at the front of the album, and weaker, less enjoyable tracks filling up the remaining 10 songs. It's true that nothing on the album matches the one-two-three punch of "Not Giving Up", "No Tomorrow, Just Tonight" and "Waiting", but everything else on this album is quality stuff. These days heavy production and a clean sound is usually used to mask a band's lack of talent, but not so on Consequence. Everything sounds clean and polished, even moreso than some of the most shameless radio rock. But underneath the layer of production, there's still rock going on, as evidenced by "Things That Could Be Said" and the bouncy drum lick behind "Not Giving Up".
If you want to find fault with Consequence, then find it in their occasional lack of originality. Lead singer Derek Fuhrmann is a solid frontman, but there were times on the album that I couldn't be sure if I was just listening to Maroon 5 demos, and after awhile the songs can potentially blend into one mass, with not much variety. But it doesn't take much to snap out of it and realize that The Crash Motive are (or at least should be) legit, and their music a breath of fresh air.
The guys in The Crash Motive are what we all secretly hope for in rock music. Beneath the shiny top layer, there's a rock band under there, the kind of band that I can envision practicing in their parent's basement or in an empty garage. And now they've got a CD out and are on TV, in movies, and on their way to chasing that age-old rockstar dream. Let's hope they don't crash before they get there.
Ruling on the Field: 7.5/10
Highlight Reel: I've posted an mp3 of "Not Giving Up" twice now. If you haven't gotten it yet, you have no excuse, go find it. Note to Wind-Up; if you want said mp3s taken down, let me know and I will oblige.
I'll be back again this weekend, and be sure to check out the iMix contest as well as my submission!
==TJ==
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
About that Singles post...
...yeah life got in the way, and I'm only getting around to it now. What with the show opening I've been listening to a bunch of different stuff, some of it to get me pumped (or "amped" as Ernie liked to put it), other stuff just because it sounds good. Let's get started.
Kanye West - Stronger
This one is just a given. It played on the radio once in the dressing room, leading me to start rapping along since I knew every word to the track (having heard it a million times by now). After that it just got played every single pre-show after that. My love for this track is well documented on this blog.
Black Sabbath - War Pigs
A favorite of my castmate and friend Ernie. Before "Stronger" rolled around, this song was the song to which we all danced, moshed, and air-guitarred prior to curtain. I'm not a huge fan of Black Sabbath or even metal for that matter, but this song did what it had to do.
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
Another dance around the dressing room favorite. Very sad to hear this song somehow got snubbed on the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock setlist. Awesome riff, the beat is simple, but unforgettable, and its just a great song by a band that most people wrote off.
Speaking of which, what should a band do when its core fans abandon them for having "sold out" for getting a radio friendly hit? Do what Finger Eleven did and get a new fanbase. I bought Them vs. You vs. Me the other day, and their new brand of bouncy hard rock is positively amazing. It'd be easy to assume "Paralyzer" is just another one-hit wonder track, but in reality its matched by the likes of "Falling On", "Change the World", and "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague". It's not earth-shattering, but dammit if isn't better than the by-the-numbers angst rock we've become so used to. I hope you're taking notes, Seether.
Ruling on the Field: 7.5/10
Rihanna - Umbrella (Cinderella remix feat. Chris Brown)
I know I'm way behind the times on this "Umbrella" remix, but it got played on Alex, Helen, and Amanda's show and I fell in love with it. The more I listen to Top 40 R&B, the less I find myself hating it. I ruckused Good Girl Gone Bad to see what I was missing, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be (and nowhere near as sickeningly sugarpoppy as the new Backstreet Boys album). While I'm at it, Shut Up and Drive is equally good at getting the adrenaline flowing.
Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up To Boston
Anyone who saw The Departed will know this song, and it's textbook DKM with it's throat wrenching vocals, pulsing drums and sick guitars. Another fun song to get yourself worked up to.
The Crash Motive - Not Giving Up
Yeah, I know I posted this last time, but it's still just as appropriate. Every time I hear this song, I feel like I need to get up and fight someone. The drums sound like they belong on a rap album, and you can't not bounce along in your chair to the chorus. I'm playing through their debut album, and can't stop raving about these guys. If you don't have this song, you really have no excuse.
All these tracks and others can be found on the iMix I just threw together, aptly titled "GET AMPED". Go check it out on iTunes (I posted it as an entry for a contest The Crash Motive is holding right now). I'll link to the mix tomorrow after the updates I made to it take hold.
Back later with other stuff.
==TJ==
Kanye West - Stronger
This one is just a given. It played on the radio once in the dressing room, leading me to start rapping along since I knew every word to the track (having heard it a million times by now). After that it just got played every single pre-show after that. My love for this track is well documented on this blog.
Black Sabbath - War Pigs
A favorite of my castmate and friend Ernie. Before "Stronger" rolled around, this song was the song to which we all danced, moshed, and air-guitarred prior to curtain. I'm not a huge fan of Black Sabbath or even metal for that matter, but this song did what it had to do.
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
Another dance around the dressing room favorite. Very sad to hear this song somehow got snubbed on the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock setlist. Awesome riff, the beat is simple, but unforgettable, and its just a great song by a band that most people wrote off.
Speaking of which, what should a band do when its core fans abandon them for having "sold out" for getting a radio friendly hit? Do what Finger Eleven did and get a new fanbase. I bought Them vs. You vs. Me the other day, and their new brand of bouncy hard rock is positively amazing. It'd be easy to assume "Paralyzer" is just another one-hit wonder track, but in reality its matched by the likes of "Falling On", "Change the World", and "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague". It's not earth-shattering, but dammit if isn't better than the by-the-numbers angst rock we've become so used to. I hope you're taking notes, Seether.
Ruling on the Field: 7.5/10
Rihanna - Umbrella (Cinderella remix feat. Chris Brown)
I know I'm way behind the times on this "Umbrella" remix, but it got played on Alex, Helen, and Amanda's show and I fell in love with it. The more I listen to Top 40 R&B, the less I find myself hating it. I ruckused Good Girl Gone Bad to see what I was missing, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I was thinking it would be (and nowhere near as sickeningly sugarpoppy as the new Backstreet Boys album). While I'm at it, Shut Up and Drive is equally good at getting the adrenaline flowing.
Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up To Boston
Anyone who saw The Departed will know this song, and it's textbook DKM with it's throat wrenching vocals, pulsing drums and sick guitars. Another fun song to get yourself worked up to.
The Crash Motive - Not Giving Up
Yeah, I know I posted this last time, but it's still just as appropriate. Every time I hear this song, I feel like I need to get up and fight someone. The drums sound like they belong on a rap album, and you can't not bounce along in your chair to the chorus. I'm playing through their debut album, and can't stop raving about these guys. If you don't have this song, you really have no excuse.
All these tracks and others can be found on the iMix I just threw together, aptly titled "GET AMPED". Go check it out on iTunes (I posted it as an entry for a contest The Crash Motive is holding right now). I'll link to the mix tomorrow after the updates I made to it take hold.
Back later with other stuff.
==TJ==
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Too Many Albums, Too Little Time...
I've listened to a lot of stuff over the last week or two, some of it leaks of stuff and other random songs, and now I'd like to offer up some of that to you lovely people.
-Just for the hell of it I snagged a leak of Say Anything's concept album In Defense of the Genre. I generally tend to sneer at concept albums (these days they're overdone, and only My Chemical Romance and Nine Inch Nails have done them REALLY well). But with the help of a laundry list of guest acts (Gerard Way, Chris Carrabba, Adam Lazzarra, among others), Say Anything puts together a fun, meaningful group of songs that may not be immediately memorable, but you can't help but want to keep listening to see what happens next. I'm only a couple tracks into the second disc, but it's a really strong set from a band I never really took seriously before
Ruling on the Field: 8/10
Highlight Reel: The Church Channel
A few weeks ago iTunes offered up a free song called "Pictures of You" by a band called The Last Goodnight. The track was amazing, and after they dropped the album price down to $5.99, I decided to give it a shot. I still haven't played the whole CD yet, but comparisons to a young, slightly more diverse Maroon 5 are accurate. That said, it doesn't appear to be that exciting either. Still giving it a shot though, so a rating is pending. In the meantime, I offer you "Pictures of You"
The Last Goodnight - Pictures of You
I meant to post this awhile ago (like back in July), but forgot till now. After 3 years of releasing singles to whet the appetite of fans and a change in moniker, the band formerly known as Omnisoul released their debut album under their new name, The Crash Motive. The album, entitled Consequence, was released on October 9th and somehow managed to sneak under my radar and the collective radar of the rest of the industry. The album contains the three songs already released under the old name ("Waiting (Save Your Life)", "Not Giving Up", and "When You Go") along with 10 other tracks. Haven't gotten to hear the new material, but very excited to pick this up.
The Crash Motive (formerly Omnisoul) - Not Giving Up
I think that'll do it for now...expect a singles entry tomorrow. Just to give a peek, popular tracks on my iPod right now include a remix of "Umbrella", Snow Patrol, Sufjian Stevens, and a whole mess o' stuff. Also expect early reaction to the leaked Backstreet Boys album.
==TJ==
-Just for the hell of it I snagged a leak of Say Anything's concept album In Defense of the Genre. I generally tend to sneer at concept albums (these days they're overdone, and only My Chemical Romance and Nine Inch Nails have done them REALLY well). But with the help of a laundry list of guest acts (Gerard Way, Chris Carrabba, Adam Lazzarra, among others), Say Anything puts together a fun, meaningful group of songs that may not be immediately memorable, but you can't help but want to keep listening to see what happens next. I'm only a couple tracks into the second disc, but it's a really strong set from a band I never really took seriously before
Ruling on the Field: 8/10
Highlight Reel: The Church Channel
A few weeks ago iTunes offered up a free song called "Pictures of You" by a band called The Last Goodnight. The track was amazing, and after they dropped the album price down to $5.99, I decided to give it a shot. I still haven't played the whole CD yet, but comparisons to a young, slightly more diverse Maroon 5 are accurate. That said, it doesn't appear to be that exciting either. Still giving it a shot though, so a rating is pending. In the meantime, I offer you "Pictures of You"
The Last Goodnight - Pictures of You
I meant to post this awhile ago (like back in July), but forgot till now. After 3 years of releasing singles to whet the appetite of fans and a change in moniker, the band formerly known as Omnisoul released their debut album under their new name, The Crash Motive. The album, entitled Consequence, was released on October 9th and somehow managed to sneak under my radar and the collective radar of the rest of the industry. The album contains the three songs already released under the old name ("Waiting (Save Your Life)", "Not Giving Up", and "When You Go") along with 10 other tracks. Haven't gotten to hear the new material, but very excited to pick this up.
The Crash Motive (formerly Omnisoul) - Not Giving Up
I think that'll do it for now...expect a singles entry tomorrow. Just to give a peek, popular tracks on my iPod right now include a remix of "Umbrella", Snow Patrol, Sufjian Stevens, and a whole mess o' stuff. Also expect early reaction to the leaked Backstreet Boys album.
==TJ==
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