Until June CD Review

By Greg Swan, on February 28th, 2007%

Until June (MySpace)
s/t
Label: Sony-BMG
Release Date: April 17, 2007

Phoenix to L.A. transplants Until June aren’t sitting idle while Sony-BMG absorbs their label (Flicker Records) and postpones their album. They’re touring the country with Sound The Alarm and The Transit War, including three shows at SXSW next week.

The album has been scheduled for June 6, 2006; August 2006; February 20, 2007; March 20 and now April 17. We think at this point, they should just wait until June (haha).

Modern melodic pop rock in the vein of The Fray, Ben Folds, newer U2 and Coldplay, their debut self-titled LP is 10 . . . → Read More: Until June CD Review

Disincarnate : Dreams of the Carrion Kind

By Greg Swan, on February 28th, 2007%

Disincarnate
Dreams of the Carrion Kind [1993 LIMITED EDITION ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
Label: MVD Audio

Disincarnate features brutal riffs and spine-puncturing double-kick fueled thrash drumming of the most complex and uncompromising strain on their first and only album, Dreams of the Carrion Kind. Although the music is almost always fast and demonic-sounding, Disincarnate changes things up so quickly and mercilessly that the tunes never get boring or redundant. A musician’s band, these guys are almost ridiculously talented.

Songs like ‘Entranced” have dark poetry and a hypnotic misery that makes it fragile and beautiful, even while the punishing and relentless beats swarm . . . → Read More: Disincarnate : Dreams of the Carrion Kind

Gorguts : Considered Dead

By Greg Swan, on February 28th, 2007%

Gorguts
Considered Dead [1991 LIMITED EDITION ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
Label: MVD Audio

Fronted by lead-growler Luc Lemay, a devotee of death-metal progenitors DEATH, Gorguts originally released Considered Dead (their first album) in 1991, just as metal was about to go deep underground in response to the grunge wave. The Quebec-based band just recently called it quits, but Luc Lemay is already hard at work on a demo for his new band, Negativa.

Gorguts tackles a wide range of topics on Considered Dead. These include death, corpses, bleeding, waiting to die, being hunted to death, freezing to death and rotting to death . . . → Read More: Gorguts : Considered Dead

Hawkwind : In Concert: Out of the Shadows (2007)

By Greg Swan, on February 27th, 2007%

Hawkwind
In Concert: Out of the Shadows (2007)
Studio: Mvd Visual

As one of the earliest Space Rock groups, Hawkwind pioneered the association between Michael Moorcock’s 1970′s sword-and-sorcery novels and the prog-rock genre.

Do you think geeky 70s space rock has no bearing on your musical taste?

Henry Rollins is a fan, the Sex Pistols have been known to cover “Silver Machine,” and Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), Monster Magnet, Sam Roberts and Kula Shaker also claim influence.

The new Out of the Shadows DVD — released just last week — features a 14-song Hawkwind set recorded on December 4, 2002 at . . . → Read More: Hawkwind : In Concert: Out of the Shadows (2007)

Minneapolis SXSW Kickoff Party

By Greg Swan, on February 27th, 2007%

The Minnesota Music Academy (MMA) and ASCAP are throwing a South by Southwest (SXSW)Kickoff Party at the Nomad World Pub this weekend.

In an effort to recognize and support Minnesota musicians performing at this year’s SXSW Festival in Austin Texas, ASCAP and the MMA invited each performer to take part in this fundraising event to raise money for travel support to SXSW. Proceeds from the event will be divided and donated to each musician performing at the kickoff event. These are some GREAT bands, so please come out and help support their trip!

Saturday, March 3, 2007 @ Minneapolis’ Nomad . . . → Read More: Minneapolis SXSW Kickoff Party

Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack (10th Anniversary Edition)

By Greg Swan, on February 27th, 2007%

Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack
Romeo + Juliet (10th Anniversary Edition)
Label: Capitol

If you’re a fan of Baz Luhrmannâ€™s Romeo + Juliet, undoubtedly you know the soundtrack contained tracks from the likes of Garbage, Radiohead, The Cardigans, Everclear and Butthole Surfers.

The 10th Anniversary Edition of the soundtrack came out a couple weeks ago and includes all the aforementioned songs from the first album, as well as some extras: Quindon Tarverâ€™s version of “When Doves Cry” and Baz Lurmannâ€™s 2007 version of â€œEverybodyâ€™s Free (to Wear Sunscreen)”

Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack Full Album Streams: WIN; MOV
Baz Luhrmann feat. Quindon Tarver : Everybody’s Free . . . → Read More: Romeo + Juliet Soundtrack (10th Anniversary Edition)

My Loving Tiger : Problem Set EP

By Greg Swan, on February 27th, 2007%

My Loving Tiger
Problem Set (EP)

My Loving Tiger, a Minneapolis-based soft rock duo, have a new EP out.

Straight from the bedroom, Problem Set showcases the lighter side of Midwestern rock — complete with laidback indie vocals, clean guitar, muted drums and non-confrontational lyrics. For example, take the last track on the EP, a 6/8 builder called “Sorry I Spent All My Money on Natural Gas.”

In my bedroom reprieved from
This weather that cages my home
My heater will battle
The cold air that sneaks in the window.

We sat down with the band to talk about the group, the new EP . . . → Read More: My Loving Tiger : Problem Set EP

PR Housecleaning

By Greg Swan, on February 26th, 2007%

Pennsylvania’s Illinois (that’s not a typo) have a new disc coming out this spring, What the Hell Do I Know? (Ace Fu Records). They’ll be at SXSW hoping to break into the mainstream. Here’s a mp3 sneak preview:
Illinois : “Screendoor” (mp3)
Haley Bonar’s “Captain Captain” is a beautiful song said to reveal Haley’s ability to completely capture a moment in a song, off of her most recent album Lure the Fox.
Haley Bonar : “Captain Captain” (mp3)
Minneapolis’ Mouthful of Bees charted #3 on the CMJ Top 20 ADDs chart with 90 top five adds last week.
Mouthful of Bees : “The . . . → Read More: PR Housecleaning

King of Cars Contest, yo

By Greg Swan, on February 26th, 2007%

Did you watch King of Cars last fall? The show features a Las Vegas Dodge dealership run by a hip-hopping car dynasty magnate named Chop. It’s a fascinating window into the used car salesman’s mind. You definitely won’t buy a car the same way again!

Chop loves cars almost as much as he loves his rap. In fact, Season 2 promises to follow Chop into the studio to lay down new tracks with his own group Tru Cents and special guests like Sonny from POD – sweet!

King of Cars airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. CST on A&E. To celebrate . . . → Read More: King of Cars Contest, yo

Sevendust : Alpha

By Greg Swan, on February 26th, 2007%

Sevendust
Alpha
Label: Asylum/7 Bros. Records
Release Date: March 6, 2007

Sevendust, alt-metal veterans from Atlanta, GA, have recovered from 18 months of silence following injuries, recording and label changes. And with the band’s sixth studio album, Alpha, the group celebrates the group’s 10 year anniversary with a return to the ball-bustin’ days of the “Black” and “Bitch” era.

Alpha‘s 12 tracks continue the one-word song title trend (9 of the 12 tracks, at least), with names like “Clueless,” “Aggression,” “Feed” and “Suffer.” Fans disappointed by the uneven mix of hard and soft on next will be happy to hear Alpha is a . . . → Read More: Sevendust : Alpha