Chris Pureka 4.10.08

Chris Pureka returned to my school last night to play "Rock The Stacks" during our Spring Previews weekend. She played here last spring, and I was excited to see her return since I missed last year's performance.

Generally, I am not a fan of female folk music. I don't like the prevailing vocal style or the similar guitar work that the women use. However, Pureka has won me over with her beautiful singing voice, intense lyrics, and engaging banter.

She played for an hour and a half, drawing songs from her multiple albums and threw in a Bruce Springsteen cover ("I'm On Fire") for good measure. She cracked jokes inbetween all her songs. It was a bit odd to jump from banter to songs - the vast majority of Pureka's catalog is extremely depressing. In fact, she joked that the last song she played was the only happy one in her repertoire. She talked about how a friend sums up indie music by saying her record didn't go platinum, but rather went rusty can. She read aloud a letter she received asking her to try out for Miss Massachusetts. She kept the audience in stitches - if she hadn't, we might have all been in tears by the end of it due to her lyrics.

Her performance was near perfect - the acoustics in the library are perfect for this kind of performance. Pureka is a gifted guitarist, and her gravelly vocals complement her subject matter very nicely. Overall, it was a pleasant, low-key evening - one I wasn't particularly expecting to enjoy but ended up loving.






A handful of other photos can be seen here.

Easter recommendations.

This Will Destroy You.
I actually avoided listening to this band because I assumed they were hardcore or metal. Just goes to show that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover - they're an instrumental post-rock band.
For Fans Of: Explosions In The Sky, Caspian, God Is An Astronaut
myspace.com/thiswilldestroyyou


She & Him.
This is the result of a collaboration between M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel. Deschanel actually has a very pretty voice, and these songs are delicately beautiful.
For Fans Of: Coconut Records, Tegan And Sara, Bon Iver
myspace.com/sheandhim


The Hush Sound.
This Illinois group just released their third album, Goodbye Blues. It's a wonderful record that may even top their previous recordings.
For Fans Of: Straylight Run, Rilo Kiley, Eisley
myspace.com/thehushsound

Rosematter - Shooter's Gonna Choke

Rosematter - Shooter's Gonna Choke
Record Label - Oort Records
Release Date - October 23, 2007

Okay, time to be honest: I used to be a ska kid. Less Than Jake, Suburban Legends, Save Ferris...I loved it all. To this day, the opening horns of "Come On Eileen" can still get me up and dancing. I think that's why I'm as curious about Rosematter as I am - it sounds like the stuff I grew up on, minus the brass section. That may be a bit of an oversimplification, but you get the idea. Subtract the horns and replace it with a bit of the intensity that Paramore used to have, and you've got yourself Shooter's Gonna Choke.

Lead singer Katie Kolos wastes no time exploding to the front of the track on "Decadence Is Freedom With A Smile." She's backed by pounding drums and thick guitars that complement her vocal style well. Rosematter keeps the songs short and sweet, exactly the way high energy rock should be. The drums on "I Bet She Gives Great Helmet" pave the way for crowd interaction: clapping, jumping, and moshing made easy.

Rosematter have perfected the art of mixing upbeat music with downtrodden lyrics, which are probably best showcased in "Your Mom Doesn't Count As A Fan, Jesse:"

and you are pressing all my buttons / and throwing these colors at me / feeding off my failure / and I am trying to keep my composure / my blue eyes are turning green / but you will never see

The Pennsylvania-based band also often turns their eyes to the west coast, as they do in the beautiful "Fool Me Once, Strike One. Fool Me Twice, Strike Three:"

behind the wheel I am the only one with my eyes open / to witness the Pacific Coast Highway / stretch to become a breathtaking symphony for the soul

This song in particular shows similarities to bands like The Forecast in tempo and vocal style. it also nicely displays the band's versatility in lyrical subjects. On the flip side of that, however, the band doesn't slow down for any of the tracks - every one of them pummels the listener just as hard as the previous one. On one hand, none of these songs would work as ballads, but I'd like to see what other directions they can go in before they pigeonhole themselves. On the other hand, they seem to have no shortage of heavy hitting riffs or choral hooks, even when it comes to ass late in the album as "Being Brave Usually Means Having Your Adult Teeth Knocked Right Out."

"Pull A Fievel And Go West" uses some gang vocals, but they are placed rather far back in the mix. I think Rosematter could use gang vocals to their advantage, seeing how much their music already lends to crowd participation. The last song, "I Drink To Prepare For A Fight (Tonight I'm Very Prepared)," features the most graphic of their lyrics, and is thus one of the more powerful songs. The pop culture references and vivid imagery throughout the album is one of Rosematter's strongest points, and it all comes together nicely in this final track.

Rosematter intrigues me because their influences reach so far back, and at the same time, I am interested to see where they will be going in the future.


Tracklisting
01. Decadence Is Freedom With A Smile
02. I Bet She Gives Great Helmet *
03. I Don't Cheat, I Get Results
04. Fool Me Once, Strike One. Fool Me Twice, Strike Three *
05. Do Re Egon
06. Chuck Norris Jokes Aren't Funny Anymore
07. Anyone Who Hates John Hinckley Doesn't Understand True Love
08. Your Mom Doesn't Count As A Fan, Jesse
09. Being Brave Usually Means Having Your Adult Teeth Knocked Right Out
10. Pull A Fievel And Go West
11. I Drink To Prepare For A Fight (Tonight I'm Very Prepared) *

* - standout tracks

For Fans Of: Paramore, The Forecast, Kenotia

Listen: MySpace | PureVolume

Buy: iTunes | Amazon

Say Anything 2.25.08

Say Anything at James Madison University, 2.25.08.

Say Anything played a one-off show at the end of their tour at JMU. The opening band was a local jam band called Electric Baby. They played for an entire hour and it was difficult to not tear my ears off. Luckily I was able to doze off for awhile until they finished.

The show was advertised as reserved seating, since it was in a theater. However, as soon as Electric Baby left the stage, the audience was allowed to move about. Of course, this quickly turned into people rushing towards the stage, where there was not enough room for everyone. We decided to stay towards the back so we could see and just stand at our seats.

As Say Anything took the stage, the recorded intro to "Belt" played through the speakers, and the band tore into the track. The set was roughly as follows:

Belt
Woe
Skinny, Mean Man
The Church Channel
The Futile
Shiksa (Girlfriend)
Baby Girl, I'm A Blur
Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
Every Man Has A Molly
People Like You Are Why People Like Me Exist
Alive With The Glory Of Love
***
Vexed
Spores
An Orgy Of Critics

The band had incredible energy throughout the set, and Max Bemis alternated between being congenial with the audience and ridiculing them. The crowd varied in the songs they knew - some people clearly had only heard ...Is A Real Boy, while others seemed to be newcomers. I was surprised to hear "The Church Channel," since Hayley Williams' voice is such a large part of the song. However, Bemis handled it well and the song was not lacking. Overall, it was easily one of the best shows I have seen in a long time.

Sherwood 2.23.08

Sherwood, Houston Calls, The Higher, & We Shot The Moon at the Masquerade - Atlanta, GA 2.23.08.

We Shot The Moon took the stage at 7:15 PM and rolled their way through a quick set that included four songs from the EP (all but "Julie") as well as two or three newer songs. The band was working well as a group, seeing as how the lineup is still being solidified. Jonathan Jones still knows how to work a crowd, and his singing was near perfect.

After a quick break, The Higher stepped up for their set. I'll admit it, this band is a guilty pleasure of mine. Unfortunately, singer Seth Trotter is much more nasal live than recorded, and sounds like he's really straining hard to hit his notes. You'd also think that a band with such high octane songs would be more active onstage. To their credit I do think they were a bit more interactive than the last time I saw them. Nonetheless, they are still fun to dance around to.

I'd heard all kinds of good things about Houston Calls' live show for awhile now, so I was pretty excited to see them, and they did not disappoint. They were very high energy and continually working the crowd. The room exploded when they began playing "Exit, Emergency," and things never slowed down from there. The band closed with "Bob And Bonnie," who were apparently in attendance that night.

Sherwood took the stage with their usual sunniness and charm, and played a very brief set - only about 45 minutes or so. Songs played included:

Middle Of The Night
We Do This To Ourselves
For The Longest Time
Alley Cat
Traveling Alone
The Best In Me
The Town That You Live In
Holiday (Get Up Kids cover)
Never Ready To Leave
Give Up
Song In My Head

To my dismay, the entire crowd stopped moving with the Get Up Kids cover - no one seemed to recognize the song! However, their set was very good, even if it was so short. I don't think I will ever get tired of going to see this band.

2.17.07 recs

We Shot The Moon.
The newest project of former Waking Ashland frontman Jonathan Jones. These piano pop songs are catchy as hell, and I can't stop listening to them.
myspace.com/weshotthemoon


Kiss Kiss.
I should have listened to people earlier when they told me about this band. Their odd brand of darkly theatrical pop-rock is creative and always impresses me.
myspace.com/kisskiss


The Faint.
I recently rediscovered my love affair with this bizarre Omaha-based electronic group. Their dark lyrics and detailed instrumentation can get just about anyone out onto the dancefloor.
myspace.com/thefaint

2.10.08 recs

Mercy Mercedes.
Usually I'm not a fan of dance-rock, but Mercy Mercedes are the catchiest new band I've heard recently. "Dr. Huxtable" has been on repeat ever since I got a hold of their new Casio Rodeo EP.
For Fans Of: The Years Gone By, Farewell, Cobra Starship
myspace.com/mercymercedes


Once soundtrack.
Once is one of the most beautiful and touching movies I've ever seen, due in no small part to the incredible soundtrack featuring Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. These are songs that can easily bring me to tears.
For Fans Of: Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, The Frames
myspace.com/oncesoundtrack


At The Drive-In.
Here's a classic for you. Complex prog-rock band that had a brief and intense career before splitting up to form The Mars Volta and Sparta. If you don't already own the album Relationship Of Command, you should probably go to your local record store immediately.
For Fans Of: Fugazi, Bear Vs. Shark, Death From Above 1979
myspace.com/atdi