Album A Day: The Boxing Lesson - Wild Streaks and Windy Days

Today's installment of Album A Day takes a trip to the underground with Texas space rock (their words, not mine) band The Boxing Lesson. I've received emails from The Boxing Lesson a couple times now, but as life goes, I'm only really giving a hard listen to and blogging about them now.

The biggest problem with the entire psychedlic/progressive rock genre is that its almost too broad. In its attempts to reach out and touch the farthest reaches of the universe, I always feel like I get left behind. Even the best in the genre (Rush, Pink Floyd) have a hard time keeping my attention from time to time. The Boxing Lesson have the same problem on their fourth release Wild Streaks and Windy Days, but its certainly not for their lack of trying. Tracks like "Freedom" and "Hopscotch and Sodapop" are wonderful, talent-laden rock songs that sound like they could've come straight out of the '70s. Even some of the longer, spacier songs like "Lower" have the allure to keep you involved more than usual. But once the lyrics are out and the token jam session gets going, The Boxing Lesson become a challenge to listen to again. Still, even for an underground band in a subgenre that has never impressed me, The Boxing Lesson show a remarkable amount of talent, and an equal or greater potential to bring something meaningful to the table. I can't in good faith slam or dismiss Wild Streaks and Windy Days since its not an outright bad album. I'm sure a number of my readers are seeing the description for the band and clamoring to hear it, and more power to them. The Boxing Lesson caught my attention for a little bit this time, and in the not too distant future I see them making another appearance on VLM.

The Boxing Lesson - Freedom [iTunes]

The Boxing Lesson on MySpace

==TJ==

Sorting Through My Inbox

A guest blogger for PMA did a post a few weeks back about the adventures of a low-level music blogger and his email inbox, a story to which I could relate all too well. I, too, a couple dozen emails a week from promotions companies asking me to listen to their next big thing. More often than not it's either terrible or not worth the time (example: "indie dance pop fused with rock" = terrible. Band saying 'check out our MySpace page for song samples' = "not worth the time". Don't make me work that hard to hear your music). Every once in awhile though, something good breaks through. I give you some of those examples.

Exile Parade are raw, raucous and just a little bit sloppy. In other words, they're exactly what rock music could use these days. With the Foo Fighters taking a break for a few years, the stage might be set for someone like Exile Parade to give rock music a swift punch to the kidneys.

Exile Parade - Heart into Suicide

Love, She Wrote take four-chord punk rock and give it a better-than-average lead singer (given the state of punk rock these days, that's a compliment) and some catchy lyrics. Overall they're not the most memorable thing you'll hear, but they've at least got enough talent and hook to warrant a few listens, which is more than I can say for countless others.

Love, She Wrote - December Nights

Lastly, I've got Letha Allen. Letha Allen is what I wish soft rock sounded like more often. It's got less forceful and more mellowed out than standard rock n' roll, but at the same time, it doesn't put me to sleep (looking at you, Fleet Foxes). If you're a fan of Counting Crows or Ryan Adams, this is a good place to pick up something new.

Letha Allen - You Do It Right

That's it for now, back with a little more soon.

==TJ==

Holding Mercury Begin Their Ascent with a Downfall

I'm backlogged on my Album A Day project, but I assure you it's still active. Friday's album came to me by way of a recommendation from reader Beth. It's from a band called Holding Mercury, the album entitled Downfall of an Empire.

Holding Mercury sound like they got sandwiched between the electronica-fueled rock of the 80s and the smoother, everyman rock of the 90s. Imagine, if you will, what OAR would sound like if they mixed in some synthesizers. Now take that analogous sound, and make it AWESOME. Now you've got Holding Mercury. They've got the sensibility and intelligence of some of the better mainstream acts like Matchbox 20 or even shades of Everclear, but they've also learned how to be loud and shout-along friendly like 80s favorites Cheap Trick or The Cars. Downfall of an Empire sounds like what I expected from the hugely disappointing Carolina Liar record. If you like your rock and roll with equal parts good hooks and brains, then I implore you to pick up Downfall of an Empire on November 4th.

Final Score: 8/10
Holding Mercury - I'm Not Well

Again, the album drops November 4th. Look for Holding Mercury to be on the radio show for awhile.

Back later today to play catch-up from the weekend.

==TJ==

Under the Radar: Deas Vail

A few weeks ago one of my friends (I can't tell you for the life of me who; if you're a friend of mine and you read this and you can claim the following conversation a yours, tell me) and I were talking music and they dropped the name Deas Vail to me. I treated it about the same way I treat most of the rec's my friends give me; the band was added to the list of bands I should investigate, but no further action took place.

Until I get an email from someone from the Deas Vail's management firm, encouraging me to check out the band, and offering two MP3s to boot. With a name like Deas Vail I was expecting music somewhere in the metal genre, something in the ballpark of HIM. Let this reinforce the lesson that band name's can be deceiving. Deas Vail is much more accessible than modern metal. At first glance it's a ballsier form of punk; iTunes lists Anberlin among their nearest neighbors, and I likened them to The Spill Canvas. But neither of those really do the band justice. They're both fine comparisons, but Deas Vail also has a very intelligent air about them. The music might be vaguely punk-ish, but it has way more dynamic than most punk bands. Deas Vail has a very smart pop sensibility to their tracks. The lyrics and some of the music, most notably on "White Lights" could very easily be found on a Matt Nathanson album. Far from what I initially expected from both name recognition and an initial iTunes search.

Granted this praise is based solely on two songs, "White Lights" and "From Priests to Thieves", both on the White Lights EP. But those two tracks are sufficient fare to convince me to hear the new record when it comes out. I advise you folks do the same. Look for more news on this blog from Deas Vail.

Deas Vail - From Priests to Thieves [iTunes]
Deas Vail - White Lights [iTunes]

==TJ==

Under The Radar: Sound The Air Raid Sirens, It's a Freakin ARMY of 'em

EDIT: MP3s are now posted underneath each artist. Have at it! The good folks at Ariel asked if I could make the files stream-only. After teaching myself how to embed FLV players on the site, I declare success. Sorry for taking away the free music, but hopefully it won't kill anyone to go out and support these artists!

I'm hoping you all noticed the new banner at the top of the screen. If you didn't, you REALLY need to pay more attention. The one up now is the second one I've made, and you can check out this one and all future ones by going to my flickr account.

Last week I got an email that pretty much opened the door to enough Under The Radar posts to last me the rest of the year. The message came from the folks at Ariel Publicity, who basically help represent dozens of artists by putting their music on their site and letting all manner of folks, from potential labels to bloggers like me to hear the music, download stuff if we so choose, and it's all actually a pretty cool setup. Ariel promotes over 80 artists from any genre humanly possible. The only common thread I've noticed so far is that it's all pretty good. I just grabbed a couple random tracks from artists that I thought I'd like, and gonna give quickie previews to you guys.

First up is KaiserCartel, a folk-rock duo whose nearest mainstream neighbors are The Pretenders, My Bloody Valentine, and a touch of Snow Patrol. Don't let the strange influences turn you off; KaiserCartel are a cheerful, hearty, emotional band, and their song "Okay" reminds me of something that could've come off the soundtrack to the movie Once (if you haven't seen it yet, rent it. It's effing brilliant). And for bonus points, if you have nothing to do this Friday afternoon and are gonna be in Philly, they'll be at the World Cafe around 1PM. Go check them out, they're something else.

Okay

KaiserCartel on iTunes
KaiserCartel on MySpace

Next up is Blood Red Sun, a punk rock act that takes an 80s mindset and puts it into modern rock terms. The guitars on "All At Once" are an awesome blend of 80s electronic and 00s explosiveness. On top of it all, the track is lyrically on par with early U2 and Coldplay, and as a result Blood Red Sun could be one of the bands to fill the void that hard-rock message bands like Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down left behind.

All At Once

Blood Red Sun on iTunes
Blood Red Sun on MySpace

The first artist recommended to me was Tori Lewis. Tori Lewis is an R&B singer listed as being in the style of Alicia Keys and Jordin Sparks. That comparison sort of works, except Tori Lewis takes that formulaic R&B sound and adds a punk rock edge to it, with a guitar backdrop that would make "Umbrella" blush. Imagine if Avril Lavigne went back to her Let Go era style and did a collaboration with Rihanna. Except now make it awesome. As someone who doesn't particularly love R&B (I put up with it on the radio, but it's far from being on my iPod in any volume), Tori Lewis' debut Attitude might end up being one of my next few purchases.

Any Minute Now


Tori Lewis on iTunes
Tori Lewis' MySpace

Lastly I've got Five a.m. I think I grabbed this track because the name reminded me of Sixx AM, whom I love. A dumb reason to pick a band, but there's nothing bad about these guys. Five a.m. are the most radio-ready band out of all the ones I've mentioned so far, and I mention this in the best possible way. They've got all the hooks of 90s post-grunge pop a la Better Than Ezra and Dishwalla, and lyrically they've got the brains of some of the best soft-rockers out there (read: Matt Nathanson, Howie Day, etc.). If these four acts are any indication of what else Ariel Publicity has in their lineup, then there's even more good music waiting to break out than I realize. Suffice it to say I'm gonna have my hands full when it comes time to get back to work on the radio station.

Be Still

Five a.m. on iTunes
Five a.m. on MySpace

That's it for now. I'll post mp3s from all these acts once I've got confirmation that it's OK. You have them now. I've been asked to make the MP3s stream only. Working on that now...

==TJ==

Drive A: Honey, I Shrunk The Rock N Roll

I've been positively dreadful when it comes to posting things that I say I'm going to. This post is prime example. I promised a follow-up on a number of Under the Radar bands (as well as introducing a few new ones) some time ago, and this entry will at last make good on said promise. A week or two back I exchanged emails with the management of Drive A. The result was me receiving a small press package that included, among other goodies, a copy of Drive A's self titled debut.

Before I dip into a review of the album, I need to point out one thing. Lead singer Bruno Mascolo is 15 years old. 15 $&#@ing years old! I don't know of many 15 year olds with the motivation and talent to go out and find a job, let alone front a rock band of Drive A's caliber. Just keep that in mind while reading the next few paragraphs.

Drive A explode into the rock and roll universe by way of bands like Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, and Velvet Revolver, with a dash of modern punk rock. Think Sum 41 with the energy and musicianship of AC/DC. When they want to rock, they will melt your face off. Tracks like "Everyday" and "Alibi" are pure rock and roll the likes of which you haven't heard in the mainstream for years. As a frontman, Bruno Mascolo shows charisma beyond his years. Even when the band misses (as they almost do on "Broken Bones", which sounds a bit too much like an early Avril Lavigne track), I can't help but listen on anyway. And thank God for that, because Drive A regains its form just as quickly. I shit you not when I say Drive A has got more balls than most of rock radio right now. Members of Daughtry, Seether, Puddle of Mudd and Finger Eleven...watch carefully and start taking notes. There'll be a quiz on your next album.

[Tangent: I originally had David Cook in that last sentence, but then I recalled the stuff I heard from his old band Axium, and he was spared.]

Drive A takes their name from "when a musician strums the note A repeatedly and creates a wall of sound". In that case, I'd say their aptly named. And with a tour record that includes appearances with the reformed STP, Cheap Trick, Avenged Sevenfold, and on-the-record praise from everyone from Tommy Lee to Don Henley to the guy from Children of Bodom, it's only a matter of time before Drive A bring an ass-kicking back to rock 'n roll. They'll be selling platinum records before they're old enough to drink. All active rock bands...ye be warned.

Drive A is giving away their album FOR FREE on their website, listed below. In case you still don't believe me, I'll give you "Rule the World". But for frak's sake, go check out their MySpace and official site. You might find something you haven't heard for awhile. REAL rock music.

Drive A - Rule the World
Drive A MySpace
Drive A ROCKS

==TJ==

Under the Radar: Your Favorite Enemies

Imagine if all the preaching and ranting and raving that Rage Against the Machine did actually got something done? Maybe that's what it's like to be in Canada and a fan of Your Favorite Enemies.

Your Favorite Enemies (YFE to fans) are a five-man-one-woman metal band from Montreal, who, according to their bio, pride themselves on community values and dedication to human rights. Unlike RATM, that isn't as nakedly prevalent in their music (not necessarily a bad thing), but it's certainly an important part of what they do. The music itself kind of reminds me of a more metal-influenced The Who, with lyrics meant to empower and decry teenage helplessness. All that mixed with the kickass harmonies of lead vocalists Alex Foster and Miss Isabel (yup, they've got two lead singers). YFE have already released their first EP on their own record label, which sold nearly 30,000 copies. Not bad for having only formed in '06.

As for the music itself...well, I wouldn't be doing a feature on this band if I didn't love it. The way Miss Isabel and Foster blend on every song is unmatched. The rest of the band is pure balls-to-the-wall rock and roll. Top it off with the fact that I'm a sucker for music that can inspire and empower, and yeah, I'm sold. Of the tracks available on their MySpace page, "Sunset Blow" is far and away the best example of what YFE does well. "No Time Left For Confusion" features some incredible keyboards, and guitarist Sef (to my knowledge he has no last name) is just plain awesome on every track.

But YFE doesn't just do music. They've also got a video podcast on iTunes called YFE-TV. For the most part its just Sef being weird on camera, but it shows the band has a sense of fun beneath all the metal. Plus, they're one of the more interactive bands I've been in contact with. When the MySpace for the blog first started, they were one of the first bands to show support for VLM and they're pretty good with keeping in touch with fans, which I can't say about a lot of other MySpace bands.

YFE have an EP available on iTunes (link below) and will have an album out sometime this Spring. There's a download of "Midnight's Crashing" on their MySpace and in the link below, but seriously, go listen to "Sunset Blow". It's beautiful, in a hard rock sort of way.

Your Favorite Enemies - Midnight's Crashing [iTunes]
YFE on MySpace

==TJ==

Under the Radar: Drive A

Here I am, getting ready to make plans for the evening, and I realize that I haven't posted yet today! Shame upon me. Anyway, on to today's Under The Radar Band:

Last week I got an email from someone representing a band called Drive A, who enjoyed the blog and wanted to know if I would listen to and/or do a piece on the band. I decided to go ahead and check out the band's MySpace page, with few to no expectations at this point. Looking solely at the MySpace picture, I found myself with mixed reactions; these guys looked like they were 15 years old (as I write this, I still haven't confirmed their ages), and just in general looked pretty second-rate. Until I heard the music.

Drive A's list on influences span the entire history of rock and roll, ranging from Sly and the Family Stone to the Sex Pistols to the Foo Fighters. They're sound most noticeably reflects a blend of '60s and '70s punk rock (Ramones, Clash, et al) and '80s hair metal. Think Motley Crue with a mohawk. Guitarist Jason Mott is on a different plane of existence with most of the young bands out there today. Lead vocalist Bruno Mascolo's androgynous voice, despite what you'd think, works. At first listen he had a bit of Joan Jett/Girl-from-The Donnas sort of feel to it, but a few songs in, it melded into a more Scott Weiland/Axl Rose (without the combined drug and alcohol use) quality to it. As a whole the band does Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver better than most hair metal clones out there (in some spots, even better than either band). To top it off, their MySpace page boasts praise from some huge names in the industry: Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee, and Don Henley, to name a few. For added fun, their concert schedule has them sharing the stage with many of those same names. Ignore how they look; Drive A sound like no other rock band to come out recently.

Drive A have a record in the works, due out sometime in 2008. In the meantime, they've got a bunch of music on the MySpace, and have a pretty impressive set of concerts lined up, including an appearance at this week's SXSW.

Drive A on MySpace

==TJ==

Under the Radar: Dropsphere

Remember that period of music after Nirvana but before the Backstreet Boys (or Korn, if you went in the other direction)? Well, the guys from Dropsphere do.

Dropsphere is an alt-rock group hailing from Tuscon, Arizona, and their sound hearkens back to the oft-maligned post-grunge era, with echoes of Live, the Goo Goo Dolls, and early Matchbox 20 in every note of every song. Formed in early 2006, Dropsphere lead singer Chris Sahlin says that for him and his band, the song itself and playing the song is the most important thing. Dropsphere isn't interested in doing something outlandishly creative or groundbreaking; they just want to play some great songs. Based on what I've heard on their MySpace, mission accomplished.

The music itself is something refreshing when pressed against current popular music. Self-described as " hooky AAA pop rock", Dropsphere seems to have the anthemic pop ballad down to a science. I've only heard the 5 tracks on their MySpace player, but "In My Hand" and "Dose" stick out to me as their best work both lyrically and musically. Hearing this band play and more importantly, hearing why they play what they play and the fact that they don't care about the stereotypes and stigmas tied to radio-friendly pop-rock, it's understandable how they got to open for Collective Soul shortly after forming, and why Sahlin is "a sucker for the John Rzezniks and Rob Thomas' of the world."

It's unknown what Dropsphere's plans are for 2008, or whether they have an album out/in the works. But if you go to their MySpace page you can hear their music (definitely worth it), and they have about a dozen songs available through SnoCap. Also, a few members of the band saw brief success in a band called Nevershine. CDBaby has both of their albums.

No MP3s from these guys yet, but for God's sake go give them a listen for yourself.

Dropsphere on MySpace
Nevershine on CDBaby

==TJ==

PS: My feature on Sheena Beaston is up on her site now. Thanks to her for the support!

Under The Radar: Blue Collar

On their MySpace page, Philadelphia band Blue Collar refer to themselves as a Pop-Punk outfit. Having heard their album and seen them live, it's safe to say they err more on the side of punk. With guitars that have never known a volume below 9 and vocals that straddle the line between harmonious and blood-curdling, Blue Collar is one of those punk bands that make bands like Yellowcard or The Ataris ashamed to consider themselves in the same genre.

Blue Collar is quick to boast about two things; one, the list of bands they've played with in their 10 years of existence, an impressive list including Phantom Planet and Sugarcult, and second, the absolute dedication of their fans stretching from Philadelphia all the way as far north as Vermont. BCPA (as they're called by fans to differentiate them from the comedy group) makes it clear how proud they are of their accomplishments. Sadly, in 2004 founding member Vinny Green died in a car accident, causing the band to record and dedicate their debut album Vincent to his memory. Suffice it to say it's a fitting tribute.

The sound on Vincent goes all over the place both musically and emotionally. It's almost as though the album goes through the band's dealing with Green's death. Album highlights "Rise Up" and "Microphone" both make direct references to the subject at hand, and carry pretty much the same message; that the only way to honor Green was to keep playing. And play they do.

At this moment BCPA is touring the tri-state area while they work on the follow-up to Vincent. If you get a chance to see them live, do so. Either way go check out their MySpace page and get a copy of Vincent. Trust me, it's well worth it.

Blue Collar - Microphone
Blue Collar on MySpace

Don't search Blue Collar on iTunes unless you want to end up punching things...or if you like Larry the Cable Guy (God help you if you do).

==TJ==

Under the Radar: Quick Step John

Welcome to the beginning of this week's series Under the Radar, where VLM takes a look at bands that aren't quite mainstream, but deserve to be. I'm still sort of making this series up on the fly, so it may change over the course of the week (or longer if I decide to keep it up). I'm also going to try to keep posting normal entries, but again, making this up as I go. But without any more apologies, let's get started:

Two weeks ago Arcadia had a battle of the bands featuring 5 bands from the Philadelphia area. Since they were the first band to arrive, I got the best chance to interact with the guys in Quick Step John, a five-piece band with a HUGE sound. Their performance was almost undoubtedly the most spirited of any of the five bands there, and having heard their album that same energy and grand style carries over to the studio. Their album reminds me a bit of Augustana, with a great blend of heavy instrumentals playing pop music, matched by frontman Craig Whitaker's vocals. Songs like "One By One" (which the band is quick to point out appeared on a recent episode of ER) show off their range between pop and post-grunge ferocity. At the same time, ballad "Up On A Satellite" is a crowd favorite in the style of Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional, right down to the chorus that begs for the crowd to sing/scream along.

Lastly, keyboards in a band can be a risky thing. Too often I hear them as virtually nonexistent until the token ballad, and in concert they tend to be relegated to the back of the stage, a certain energy-killer. I can't speak for last night's show at Tom & Jerry's, a bar up the block from my house in suburban Philly (fucking drinking age...), but at the Arcadia show, in a gym with around 150 people inside, keyboardist Ed Bagden positively wrecked his keyboard set. I mean, he destroyed the thing, the kind of thing that would have made The Who say "Holy crap".

Quick Step John released their debut album, The Multiple Personalities of Last Week and Next Year late in 2007. It's available on iTunes now. In the meantime the band is touring up and down the east coast in support. Check their MySpace for details.

I'm going to make it policy for these pieces not to predict future popularity, because that's a dangerous situation. Suffice it to say that for QSJ and every other band I profile I hope for nothing but success for them, since they sure as hell deserve it.

Quick Step John - Up On A Satellite [iTunes]
Quick Step John on MySpace

==TJ==