Around Hear Page 2

Even when attempting to be melancholy, as on “A Good Fight,” the 11 tracks on Love By Design‘s Let The Outside In are generally optimistic, innocent pop rock numbers. The whimsical, almost childlike, vibe, especially with “Busy Bee,” is likely due to the immaculately produced studio sound and the soothing, harmonizing vocal style. A rich mixture of heavily produced electric guitar rhythms and soaring steel guitar leads develops on “Good Fortune (Is On Your Side),” while piano and multiple guitar and vocal tracks carry “Over The Moon.” (www.lovebydesignmusic.com)
– Jason Scales

Lunar Breakdown‘s latest release, the five-song EP Remains, offers basic hard rock with roots in the early 1970s. The band’s mid-tempo arrangements, led by vocalist/guitarist Mike Melie, are professionally rendered but could use more variety. Melie provides some of that needed spark with his innovative strumming on the title track. (www.lunarbreakdown.com)
– Terrence Flamm

The “instru-metal” magnum opus “Machines” is clearly the standout work on the new self-titled CD from Machined. Lasting more than 30 minutes and recalling the over-the-top excesses of acts like Rush and Joe Satriani, the suite is forceful and musically multifaceted. Four subsequent cuts are much shorter in length and significantly less substantial, but overall the recording is a skillful and solid effort. (www.machinedmusic.com)
– Jeff Berkwits

The package that accompanies Eric Mantel‘s The Unstruck Melody includes a five-and-a-half-page bio with quotes about Mantel’s virtuosity from every reviewer, musician, or music biz rep he has ever came into contact with. The record itself is just as grandiose, with 21 songs – separated into Act I and Act II – that showcase Mantel’s ability to apply his exceptional skills to every musical genre. But it isn’t immediately clear what Mantel’s aspirations (exasperations) were beyond this. I don’t think he needs anymore quotes to make it six pages, but just in case: “Eric, less is more.” (www.ericmantel.com)
– Penelope Biver

The indecisively named May Or May Not definitely packs a lot of energy into the quartet of songs on the Bike EP. “Holiday” is an effervescent blend of new wave synthesizer and 1960s-style harmony vocals. The peppy “Drown In The Sun” warns against wasting your life away while “Work By Nine” is a tale of a woman who parties all hours every night. The title track is a festive tribute to bicycle messengers. (www.mayormaynot.org)
– Terrence Flamm

You’ve got to hand it to Tatsu Aoki. Rather than fit in under the heading of an existing genre, he’s attempting to define an entirely new one. Aoki gathered nine musical companions under the moniker The Miyumi Project to pioneer a new music form: Asian American jazz. Their 72-minute journey, entitled re:ROOTED, definitely explores uncharted territory, blending a vast array of horns with nearly every conceivable type of percussion. The result sounds far more like the soundtrack to the latest Jet Li movie than anything else, but they do get points for talent and originality. (www.asianimprov.com)
– Carter Moss

Plaid Pennmanship aren’t sure who they would like to emulate as evidenced by the quintet’s self-titled debut EP. The first two songs stiffly sound like Franz Ferdinand, if Prince sat in on keyboards and provided his signature funkiness. The dynamic quickly changes as primary singer and songwriter Ian Hoffman takes a cue from Muse and utilizes his falsetto on “Twilight” and “To.” All in all, the five-song offering is a bouncy, memorable affair. (www.plaidpenmanship.com)
– Janine Schaults

Given the band’s two-decade legacy, one expected a little more than what Prairie Town‘s Population 4 delivers. A certain purposeful sameness of non-pretentious rock song styles/sound/tempos aside, it’s hard to excuse what comes off as stumbled hesitancy during transitions. There’s some nice Edge-like guitar playing at times, but it’s often set against vocals that sound stretched to a breaking point. That leaves the two slower, more acoustic cuts – where the vocals are equally warmer and relaxed – as the most pleasing. (www.prairietown.net)
– David C. Eldredge

The Red Tie Affair‘s full-length, Photographs And Broken Glass, never seems to gel, due to the band’s obsession with adding sudden bursts of hard guitars and drums to almost every song. Guitarist Daniel Kemp plays numerous interesting snippets that deserve to be explored further, and promising vocalist Brooke Blary needs some subtle material she doesn’t have to shout over to be heard. (theredtieaffair@yahoo.com)
– Terrence Flamm

On their fourth release, The Lowest Point In Rock ‘N’ Roll History, Team Rockit play revved-up rock with simple lyrics about relationships. Catchy, guitar-driven tunes like “I’m Glad” and “Something I Said” are fun, but the band gets annoying when it deliberately dumbs things down on “Teenage Queen.” “Carbombs” adds a touch of punk anger, and Team Rockit also offer the hard funk of “Living Proof.” (www.teamrockit.com)
– Terrence Flamm

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Category: Around Hear