Month: March 2014

Wood Spider – Decadence

As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes I get suggestions of things to review from my friends. Usually these are bands I have never heard of before, but I always keep an open mind and if I dig their music I’ll gladly do a review for them. This time it was a pleasant surprise to see a name cross my virtual desk that I had already heard before: Wood Spider. Not only had I heard of them before, I remember seeing them live once and being really impressed. It turns out they had a new album that just came out in February, and I was more than happy to review it and give them a shout.

The album, which is titled Decadence, starts off slow but it is simply an extended introduction which builds to a more energetic piece. That is a recurring theme in this album. Throughout its entirety the energy starts slow and gradually builds, only to come back down and start the cycle all over again. Some people might find some of the more drawn out parts a bit strange, but I find it unique. It creates a sense of intrigue that finds me actively listening and wondering where it all is leading to, instead of simply putting it on in the background and only hearing a blend of sounds.

My final conclusion: If you want something catchy but predictable, this might not be for you. If, however, you want something new and experimental then enjoy the ride that Decadence takes you on.

Out of System Transfer – Same Rat, Different Hat

When I first heard Out of System Transfer live, I knew they were a different kind of band. For one thing, while a lot of bands can be described as “fun” and “high energy,” these guys take it to another level. This is something they demonstrate with their new EP “Same Rat, Different Hat”. Two songs in and you’ll already be exhausted from the dancing. Nothing gets me going more than hearing a blazing horn section, and these guys definitely have that. Oh, and if great music isn’t enough for you, the EP also comes with a fun zine which includes artwork and song lyrics.

 

album cover

For those of you who live in/near Brooklyn, you are lucky enough to experience this band for yourself live and in person TONIGHT. For those unfortunate enough to live too far away, FEAR NOT. You can still download the whole package from Bandcamp.

St Patrick’s Day Shenanigans

You know what they say, “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day”…

Well, that’s bull-cookies, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have fun. Just don’t tell me that drinking Guinness and whiskey one day a year makes you Irish. I drink whiskey every day, so hush.

*ahem*

Sorry, back to the entertainment… With St. Pat’s just around the corner, there are plenty of fun things to do around the city. Here are a few on my list of potentials:

1) Tonight a friend of mine is DJing at what used to be my local bar – Project Parlor. If you don’t want to wait until the weekend to get your drunk on, this is the place to be. I’m sure there will be plenty of Irish punk songs to make your little Irish heart happy.

2) For all you Long Island kids, The Slackers are playing at 89 North in Patchogue. I know, they’re not Irish, but they’re fun. And since it’s the day before St. Pat’s they might do some covers fitting the occasion.

3) There are plenty of things happening on the actual day of celebration, even though it’s a Monday. There’s a cool show at Gramercy with the Shipwrecks, NonStop to Cairo, Beat Brigade, and Narkatta for one thing. If that’s not your scene and you just want a place to drink, Project Parlor will have specials all night for ya. Or try whatever your local bar is; I’m sure anywhere you go will be doing something for one of the biggest drinking days of the year.

4) For those of you who don’t want to be around a bunch of drunk strangers all night, try staying home with a bottle of whiskey, some friends, and The Boondock Saints. It’s one of my favorite movies ever, and definitely Irish enough for the day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d46hgS4CVi4

So there you have it, a handful of real fun ideas to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with, Just remember to be respectful to those around you. Don’t be a drunk asshole; Don’t be a dick; and especially DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. Get your ass on the drunk train with the rest of us and stay safe, kids.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Pandora: Now Taking Submissions

I registered with this website called “Indie on the Move” a couple years ago when I started helping out with a band’s booking. I don’t work with them anymore (totally friendly terms, keep doing what you do guys), but I am close to multiple people in the industry who could find this a useful resource, so I still allow myself to get emails from them on occasion. A couple weeks ago I got one with a link to an article on how Pandora had changed their submission process and no longer required artists to send a physical CD for consideration. This is great news for those “little engine that could” local bands who are trying to get their music out to a wider audience. The submission process sounds easy enough.

  1. Go to their submission page and give them basic info (name, phone number, etc)
  2. Provide a link to your bio, a link to where you can purchase the CD, and a link to 2 songs they will use to review your submission

The only other requirements are that you already be signed up for Pandora, which is free to do if you haven’t already. The article also suggests you sign up with another free service, Sound Exchange, which helps you collect digital royalties when providers like Pandora stream your music. I don’t have any experience with the site myself, but it seems straightforward enough. Based on their website, it seems that they collect royalties on your behalf and then release them to you. They can only do this if you register with them, however, because otherwise they don’t know where to send your money to. Simple! That’s the name of the game though… In this day and age, the Internet has become a great tool for giving everyone a fair shot to get their name out there. You just need to know where to find these tools to help you succeed.

Middle Finger Salute – #Redux

Middle Finger Salute are a band from England that a friend of mine introduced me to recently. When putting out the call at the beginning of the year for possible topics to post about here, this was one of the first responses I got. The only reason I waited so long to finally do it is because they were scheduled to have an EP come out February 28th, which is what this review will focus on today.

When I first got this pitch I admit it was a band I had never heard of before. The friend in question has pretty good taste though, so I gave a listen to the song she sent me.

I fell in love pretty quickly and knew their upcoming EP would be worth listening to. I was not disappointed. The whole thing is high energy. It’s short, only 20 minutes, but that’s enough time to help most subway rides become far more enjoyable. Bonus: if people get too pushy you’ll have the perfect soundtrack in your ears while you push them back. Not sure that’s what the band intended, but the album is definitely a lot of fun and something I plan to give a spot on my already full iPod towards. There’s even an acoustic version of a song to slowly wind down as you get closer to home. Your choice if you just start the album over again and jam out in your living room. No judgment here because these tunes are infectious and definitely leave you craving more.

For more information on the band or to download the new album, you can go to their Facebook and Bandcamp pages respectively. As always, anything worth buying is worth sharing too, so please share this post (and the album) with your punk rock loving friends.