Favored Nation

Ok, so first let me say this, in some miracle of foresight I listened to Favored Nation the first time our wonderful editor asked me to start doing reviews. The first time I listened to this it reminded me of that Kids in the Hall song, "The Daves I know"

Now, being from Toronto, I have never ever heard of these guys, except through Steamroller, and I really found it pretty funny. I don't know if it's supposed to be, but hey, keep em guessing guys, that keeps it interesting.

The Good:

Screaming Pre-Pubescent Girls, Statutory Rape Charges, Trials, Notoriety, Good Family Friendly Sounding Music. You could be the next R. Kelly, and if you keep it in your pants, you'll never have anyone know you like to relieve yourself on chicks.

The Bad:

The Maritimes (where I grew up) have been churning out this kind of music since 1991, and the east side of Canada has been listening to this stuff forever now. Do you really want to aspire to be the next Sloan/Eric's Trip deal, even if you are trying to be funny? The sound is so, well, done. So good luck with that.

All in all, great shoe gazer music, nothing you haven't heard before, but hey, it's not like you've been locked up in a room with Ann Coulter, giving a speech on the decline of morality in America

Joel Out

"saved by the bell - rock rating"
kelly


huh? what the hell does that mean?

The Karabal Nightlife

Disclaimer: No member of this blog or the reviewer has heard The Karabal Nightlife's "The Other Shore" in it's entirety, only the tracks listed on their Myspace page.

When you listen to a band/song/album for the first time, you often wonder - 'Under what circumstances would I bump this record? Would I play this in my car, driving to work? Is this ideal music for a quick dip in the slough on a warm summers eve?'

I am here to say that The Karabal Nightlife's 'The Other Shore' is fantastic late-night hand job music.

All crassness aside, 'The Other Shore' has the dreamy quality ideal for a first-time grope session on your couch with the cute girl you just met at the bar earlier that night. The guitars are gentle and swirly, the melodies are simple, and the rhythm section is appropriately fragile. Make no mistake - this is scented candle-lightin' music, my friends. Karabal Nightlife front man Jesse Davis' high-pitched vocals warmly recall those of Mercury Rev's Jonathan Donahue - and in many ways, you could draw a lot of comparison between the two bands. Seriously - how many late night hand-jobs do you think The Rev's 'Deserters Songs' was responsible for? At least 3 in my neck of the woods. Don’t make me connect the dots for you here, people.

These kids have great pedigree, they look cute, and the hooks are there. Toss on the esteem of being mastered by Rick Parker (Black Rebel, Dandy Warhols, Von Bondies, etc), and you're able to easily forget the same-sounding redundancy that sets in after a few spins. Besides - hand-job music isn't about mind-blowing time changes; it's about getting her hands wrapped around that peen of yours, right? Right. And with that in mind, I present to you The Karabal Nightlife. Now just make sure you've got some semi-absorbent towelettes close by.

I'm giving this one a solid Jesse Spano.

"saved by the bell - rock rating"
jesse spano


huh? what the hell does that mean?

Country Night @ The Roxy

This Sunday April 1st, Worn Records recording artists Earlstown Winter are playing country night at The Roxy in Vancouver. This is going to be a great show. I have heard great things about country night at The Roxy, but have never been to it myself. We will have new Earlstown Winter merchandise for sale too. We have shirts, womens tank tops, hats, fridge magnets, buttons, and of course the "Easy Roads, Easy Skies" cd. See you Sunday at The Roxy!

April 1st @ The Roxy

932 Granville Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada, V6Z 1L2
(604) 331-7997

Doors 7pm

Cover $5

Natalie Illeana

Emergency meeting called! The review for this singer/songwriter comes upon me with a need for quick yet thoughtful insight: the time crunch is upon me. Originally from the Los Angeles area but who recently relocated to small-town Nebraska, this group shows heart and soul in each track that I listened to, one after the other bringing back memories of my youth with their lyrics.

Describing their sound as a fun and quirky listen. "Bored" I found to be one of the most defining yet free-spirited tracks on their website. And I was definitely not bored listening to the screeching sounds of the guitar intros, which knocked my socks off at the beginning of each song. Although, it did seem to me that the music was a bit similar throughout all the tracks I listened to, the rocking lyrics made me quickly put the thought to the back of my mind. I will definitely look for this album to continue my listening pleasure, as should you. You can find some of her songs on Natalie's myspace page or go right to the source http://www.natalieilleana.com. My over all rating for this collection of music is an A.C Slater, I think with a bit more time to polish the sound they can really rock the house!

"saved by the bell - rock rating"
a.c. slater


huh? what the hell does that mean?

Saturna - Review

Saturna
First off, I have to ask, what is "Shoegaze"? On Saturna's myspace page they list their three musical genre's as, indie/rock/shoegaze. Well I tell you, you learn something everyday. Sure enough "Shoegaze" is an actual genre according to Wikipedia. And now that I know what it is I have realized that I'm probably the biggest "shoegazer" in the history of music, not having seen Saturna live yet. Which brings me to their music.

I was able to listen to three songs by this quartet from just south of the border down in Portland, Oregon. My first impression was good, I was intrigued, wanting to listen further, and thats a good sign for sure. I'm sitting in my studio with the speakers just pinned blasting "Pop Rocks". This song first makes me think of The Kills, but way better. It starts with a great beat, followed by a wicked bass line that people could dance to, or just bop their heads. The chorus, while maybe a tad cheesy, comes off really well. This song would go over well at any house party, shindig, get together, or bar mitzvah.

"Just For Thrills" kicks my ass right out of the gate. It starts with that same kind of "Kills" feel, and then busts into a more old school rock tune. It feels like that train that used to pass right by my house when I was a kid. The vocals in the chorus are reminiscent of a somewhat sober Scott Wieland in Velvet Revolver's "Set Me Free". I like that song in case you were wondering.

Lastly, a little gem entitled "Blanket Of Stars" hits my monitors. This song starts off a little slower than the others. It takes about minute before I realize that this is the best song of the bunch. Kind of Deftones, maybe a bit Floyd even, but I think their is really only one word to describe this last song..... Saturna. This song is incredible from the first second to the final fade out. I love the haunting vocals, the distant almost infectious guitar tones. This song just melts together.

Saturna is a band that I would love to watch live. I enjoyed their recordings, but I'm sure it wouldn't compare to seeing them in a small club, having a few pints. You know Vancouver B.C. is only a few hours away?

"saved by the bell - rock rating"
a.c. slater and a half a zack


huh? what the hell does that mean?

jds308