The Pinx "Look What You Made Me Do" (Not Lame Recordings) Sounds like: A cross between The Replacements, Brother Cane and The Who Grade: B
After two months in the studio, The Pinx have released their pulsing, driving, full-length, self-released album entitled "Look What You Made Me Do." This trio from Savannah, Ga., are known for bringing true rock 'n' roll back. Inspired by The Who and Led Zeppelin, The Pinx's sound is characterized by sweet guitar licks and tremendous drums. With the driving percussion of Jim O'Kane, the pulsing bass of Adam McIntyre, and dominating guitar of Joe T. Giddings, this Georgian trio's, first full-length record does not fail to deliver the true rock 'n' roll spirit.
The LP starts off with a mid-tempo, energetic, mostly instrumental piece called "The Desert," which showcases the guitars and drums. Called "your favorite garage band all grown up" by news/culture site Macon.com, the band's release is the kind of music you listen to in your headphones while skateboarding downtown, making some gnarly moves in the empty pool looking like the coolest dude around without a care. Average is not a word that comes to mind with tracks like "That is Free" and "Crypto." They pay tribute to the past, but are still fresh. The album's fourth track, "The Owl," definitely lives up to the band's reputation for playing "good old American rock 'n' roll" by keeping your head bouncing and proving that vocals are not always needed, because each instrument has its own voice. Overall, "Look What You Made Me Do" is a good first step in the world of full-length albums. And if you love rock 'n' roll of the past, The Pinx are just what you need to bring you there.
-CLAUDIA NUÃ?â??EZ-CESPEDES
Brian Bonz and the Dot Hongs "From Sumi To Japan" (Triple) Sounds Like: The Decemberists, Death Cab For Cutie, Ra Ra Riot and Fleet Foxes Grade: B
If you enjoy artists like The Decemberists, Death Cab For Cutie or even a little bit of Ra Ra Riot, then Brian Bonz and the Dot Hongs' "From Sumi to Japan" may be the next album for you.
On the whole, the album doesn't have very much grab to it. None of the songs have much pull, and you don't hear a hit jump out at you, except perhaps for "The Batman Song," but that may have been more for the fact that it was called "The Batman Song". This album is very relaxed and appropriate for anyone needing some down time. The songs are composed and put together well, but aren't very different from your classic cases of indie music.
The songs do have a variety of techniques, a little bit of acoustic, lots of echoes in the vocals, a few synthesizer beats here and there and a mysterious instrument whose identity is hard to discern, even after a few listens, but it worked pretty well in the song. There are also some violins mixed in, causing the album to echo the sound of other bands such as Ra Ra Riot or The Airbourne Toxic Event.
This album would be an enjoyable listen to anyone who has a taste for mellow indie music or just has a case of the Mondays and needs a breather. And while this album doesn't seem to have any big hits, it wouldn't be surprising if Brian Bonz and the Dot Hongs gave us one in the future. Stop by www.brianbonz.com to check out when they'll be touring.
- HALEY JARDAS
Karen O "All Is Love" (Interscope) Sounds like: childhood nostalgia with an eccentric twist Grade: A
Karen O's just-released "All Is Love" will be one of the songs in Spike Jonze's film adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are." Jonze's take on the famed fable debuts Oct. 16, and the first single from its soundtrack, written entirely by the Yeah Yeah Yeah's front(wo)man Karen O and recorded with the help of an untrained children's choir, is a fitting teaser for something sure to simultaneously be filled with childhood innocence and joyful terror. (The soundtrack, similarly expected to be spectacular, is due out on Sept. 29.)
Although the song is short, a mere two minutes and 48 seconds of children shouting about love underneath Karen O's usual strong voice, it is a pure delight. With the musical individuality of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's and the nostalgic impact of the oversized beasts who will soon play to its tune, it is a short but wonderful trip to innocence and naiveté. The song itself is a good summation of what the film is expected to be: erratic, outstanding and worth experiencing again. The lead-up to October is eased by a piece that Karen O should be proud to call her own, a harmonious and guitar-ready song made more enticing only by the strange melody of children's voices and her declaration that all, indeed, is love.
-CARMYN RIOS
The Hard Lessons "Wise Up!" (Quack! Media) Sounds like: everything you've heard before and not really anything you're dying to hear again Grade: C
Something sounds familiar when listening to "Wise Up!" by the Hard Lessons. The band, originally from Detroit, Mich., has attempted to create an album that relies solely on the fundamental elements of rock music, and the results vary. Musically, the band limits themselves to a variation of already vaguely recognizable power chords. The opening and closing songs, "Bamboo" and "Wicked Man," sound almost identical at times, and when an album stands at only six tracks, this poses a slight problem.
Band members Augie and Korin Visocchi share the vocal responsibilities throughout much of the album. While Augie provides the rugged and slightly off vocals that seem to be required of current rock bands, Korin's lighter, feminine vocal range provides a welcomed balance. This balance is most appreciated in "Move to California," when the pair slows down and performs a touching call-and-response in an ode to California living. While the band appears to be intent on creating a classic sound, the lyrics featured tend to be a strange and off-putting. The chorus of "Bamboo" falls flat due to its ridiculous lines: "You step forward and back/on a sidewalk crack/with an itty story that don't mean jack." The otherwise catchy and enjoyable song becomes hard to take seriously, as cracks in the sidewalk are irrelevant to anyone past the age of 10.
The Hard Lessons step into the music scene gimmick-less in hopes that their ability alone will captivate listeners. What comes out of this bold move is a generic rock album that will most likely be out of your head five minutes after it ends.
-JOSH LITTLE
fun. "Aim & Ignite" (Nettwerk) Sounds like: exactly what the band name promises, fun. Grade: B+
"Aim & Ignite" is a bite-sized rock opera.
Bite-sized is an appropriate term to explain fun.'s pop-y style, upbeat vocals and theatrical music. It's a throwback to Panic at the Disco's sophomore slump and an album full of interesting attempts. It is a great musical styling that only falls short because of that bite-sized problem: "Aim & Ignite" is clearly not a rock opera.
The lyrics don't connect, and the actual music isn't deserving of the guitar-and-lights invoked by the phrase "rock," but the album is fun (as the band's name promises), and evokes a strange nostalgia for of Montreal, Queen and PATD at the same time with its quixotic mix of instruments, choral numbers, strong vocal arrangements and the occasional shout. Full of brass brilliance and sheer euphoria, "Aim & Ignite" is a rainy day album; it's a reminder of our happier and more brilliant times. From the starting windup, "Be Calm" -- which features a tragic violin introduction that seems startlingly retro, yet singularly unique -- it is clear that fun. has great work in store for us.
The song "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" is transformational and goes through multiple different stages, from guitar and singular singing to a chorus over trombones. The marching band jubilation that fills the rest of the album is heard strong and fierce in the background, and the sudden shifts in music only serve as an effervescent reminder that theatrics are not going to come to a close whilst the CD is spinning.
-C.R.
