The Meltdown 2.80

New music from Emery, mewithoutYou, Fireflight, Ethan Luck, Lexi Elisha, and more.

Velvet Blue Music Adds Soda Shop

Velvet Blue Music has announced the addition of NYC based Soda Shop to the label. The band will release a new single, Keep Swimming, on August 4th and the band's self-titled full-length debut will hit shelves and digital outlets on September 8th. You can read their bio below.

"The NYC based Soda Shop began as the duo of Drew Driver and Maria Usbeck. “I had some demos and a band name, but I couldn’t find the right person to sing on them.” Drew recalls. “Fate led me to Maria. We met at a crowded Summer Air France DJ show and talked about music I was making.  I invited her to listen to the demos and things immediately clicked!”  Both NY transplants, Drew from Ohio and Maria from Ecuador, the two bonded over a shared experience of starting over in an exciting, transient city.  When they discovered they lived a brisk ten minute walk from one another, their friendship solidified . They began writing songs immediately.  Though neither of them is new to music–Maria fronted the buzz band Selebrities, while Drew had been moonlighting as the guitar player for The Drums–they were impassioned by the sounds they were creating together.

——– 

Soda Shop released a single which quickly appeared on UK’s BBC 6 and Sweden’s P3 Pop. Recently they began playing live shows, enlisting bassist Ed Chittenden and drummer Derek Lucci.  They also began recording their first full length record at their home studio. An obsession with nostalgia-induced perfection is evident on the result: 8 tracks that push the limits of simplicity and minimalism.  Mixed by Jorge Elbrecht (Ariel Pink), the record worships clean guitar tones, driving bass lines and uptempo beats, a la early Smiths records.

 ———

Maria’s voice adds an airy-ness to the melodies, furthering a early 4AD vibe.  She sounds confident and playful which magnifies the breezy fluidity of the music and belies the melancholy feelings just underneath.  Her honest delivery of such lines as “Please tell me you don’t love her” in “Fence” or “She seems to be the one who’s there, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not around” in “Longing” immediately make you feel for her.  You want her to succeed in her love, but you also feel the desperation of knowing it will never work out.  Luckily, the only thing that rivals Maria’s relatable love-sick struggles is the undeniable catchiness of the songs themselves.  The only truly depressing thing about Soda Shop’s new record is when it ends."

Kevin Max - Broken Temples

Whatever you might say about Kevin Max, you can't question the guys artistic integrity. After  brief stint fronting Audio Adrenaline, Max left over the creative direction of the band. Not content playing worship music for a steady paycheck, Max chose to go back out on his own.

Musically, you might not find much different between Audio Adrenaline's return and Broken Temple. Obviously, I attribute most of that to Max's unique and unmistakable vocal style. But it is quite a departure from the gutsy Cotes d'Armor (Max's 2010 solo full-length). Not just musically but lyrically as well. It might be Max's safest album laically since he parted with DC Talk. Which makes sense. Kevin said when he joined Audio A that he wanted to show he wasn't the "bad boy of christian rock" that he had been painted to be. While the lyrics might be "safe", Kevin's decision to leave Audio A shows his integrity as an artist and it isn't like Broken Temples is a worship album.

There's nothing wrong with Broken Temples. But it sounds like records we've heard from Max before. The songs are good. Upbeat and fun with meaningful lyrics. Good King's Highway is more fun than anything that was on the Audio Adrenaline comeback record. Light Me Up is another danceable track. Just As I Am feels like a nod to Max's love for the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds. Clear is a little moodier and introspective musically. Very new wave. Max stated he wanted to do something similar to Coldplay and that showcases itself on When We Were Young and That Was Then, This Is Now. White Horse isn't new wave, but it's another nod to Max's love for 80's music.

I really like and enjoy the songs on Broken Temples. The problem is, it doesn't feel new. And it doesn't have to. But because there's no pushing the envelope lyrically, it feels like something is lacking. So we're left with just a good record. A really good and enjoyable record. But it just doesn't have something that takes it to that next level. Maybe the record will grow on me more with time. Because I like the songs enough to keep listening. 4 out of 5 Stars.

Slow And Steady Announce Broken Circle Debut

Broken Circles is thrilled to announce the debut full-length album from Slow And Steady. In Time We Belong will be out officially August 14, 2015. Stay tuned for more details, song premieres and vinyl pre-orders!

In Time We Belong - Track Listing

—————————————————————————————–

1. Watching Life Go By
2. 35mm
3. Horizon
4. Out Of Touch
5. Disinterested
6. I’ve Never Left You
7. The Kind Of Warmth That Freezes You To Death
8. Pendulum
9. From This Side Of Time
10. Lost At Sea

You can listen to the song 35 MM below.

Soft Lions Sign with Velvet Blue Music

When I spoke with Jeff Cloud in February, he said he had big news in the works for Velvet Blue Music in 2015. Well the first of those announcements was made late last week when the label announced the signing of Soft Lions.

Their label debut, Spellbreaker, will be out on July 7th. (Available on cd, mp3, and vinyl). Below is the band's bio and their video for the song Soft As Lions.

“Every Soft Lions song is basically born out of my diary”, states Megan Liscomb, the shy, rainbow-haired singer / guitarist of the San Diego trio Soft Lions.  Liscomb’s songs evoke heartfelt memories, distilling in them a wide range of emotional states and colors.  To make the music come to life she sought out Lex Pratt to help with vocal duties.  Pratt replaces the traditional bass player with her percussive, psychedelic style on keys.  Jon Bonser serves as the backbone on drums.

The band crafts songs that are a blur of decades, mixing the sound of 60’s San Francisco pop with noisy garage-guitar driven tracks, lending the songs a definitive west coast vibe.  Liscomb’s songwriting is angular and interesting without losing any of the big sing-along melodies you want to hear.  Soft Lions have cut their teeth like any new band should : by playing a bunch of local shows and sharing the stage with numerous national acts.  They also made an appearance at this years’s SXSW festival.

On their new EP Spellbreaker, Soft Lions dive into dark, confessional material.  The high spirited title track as well as ‘Waitress’ showcase the band’s gritty rock potential.  The EP concludes with the ultra-tender ‘Phantom,’ a ballad about coming to grips with one’s past.  When Liscomb’s wounds are healed so are ours.  The overall sound of Spellbreaker draws on a broad range of inspirations, including retro surf licks, Sonic Youth records, and the vintage film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, creating a moody, groovy atmosphere.  The 4 tracks function as a narrative that looks back on the loss of adolescence and realizes how the end of destructive relationships can lead to the beginning of a new, happier life.  In just 16 minutes, Soft Lions prove they are deserving of attention.  We hope you’ll agree !

Red - Of Beauty And Rage

Radio rock is a tiresome genre stuck in a loop of mediocrity and songs that all sound like the same band. That doesn't mean there aren't bands who do it better than others, and it doesn't mean you can't bend the mold. Sure, it should be break the mold but Red doesn't break it. Instead they work within the confines of the mold and push against the mold and bend things just enough to make it interesting.

Red decided that the industrial/new wave elements from Release the Panic weren't going to carry over. Which is fine. As much as I enjoyed the fun of Release the Panic, that record didn't really move me.

But the band's not done experimenting with their sound. Of Beauty And Rage sees the band ratcheting up their sound by adding full orchestration to their hard rock vibe. Not sprinkled in, but running through each and every track. It's a part of the records DNA. On top of that, vocalist Michael Barnes adds to the intensity by bringing more screaming into his vocals. Those two factors create an intenser experience then any I've previously heard from thebans.

Honestly, it takes a couple of songs before I find myself connecting with Of Beauty And Rage. Descent is a bit of a throwaway intro. Especially since Imposter has it's own extended intro. Imposter has it's ups and downs. It's very cinematic in composition and vibe. But that movie score movement tends to take away some of the songs natural ebb and flow. The pre-chorus builds but dies to a melodic chorus. It's not that I hate the singing on the chorus. It's the music that creates a battling dynamic. On the flip side, it is the orchestration combined with Barnes' vocal that create this over the top operatic sound that feels weird on the chorus of Shadow and Soul.

Darkest Part feels somewhat like an Evanessence song. Which I don't hate. I actually love the movement and interplay of the strings and Barnes vocals. Fight to Forget goes back to creating an arrangement that makes the chorus seem out of place. I appreciate that the band is taking risks and not giving us standard hard rock arrangements of songs, but it just doesn't appeal to me aesthetically. The opening strings on Of These Chains are moving and beautiful.  It feels like a turning point in the score. The song is simple and offers a much needed respite from the over arranged tracks.

By the time we get to Yours Again, Red seems to get back to just being Red. The arrangements a little simpler and I enjoyed the songs a lot more.

Like I've said a thousand times, I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for bands trying to step out of the box and do new things. And honestly, I like Of Beauty and Rage more my first listen through then I did my fourth and fifth listens. So take that for whatever you will. Another solid hard rock record. 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

The Meltdown 2.79

Billy Power, host of Urban Achiever joins the show to talk about podcasting and music. Plus new music from Children 18:3 and KB.

Josh Garrels - Home

Josh Garrels isn't an artist I've ever loved. I enjoyed a bunch of aspects about Love & War & The Sea Between, but the album just didn't have staying power with me. In fact, my favorite thing Garrels has ever done is his hook on Beautiful Eulogy's Anchor.

But none of that stopped me from picking up Garrels' new album on release day and spinning it immediately. And spinning it again. And again. And according to iTunes, I've listened to Home 18 times.

Let me state this now: Go download Home right now!

If you're old enough to remember a time when listening to music was an activity, like you'd just go and listen to a record and do nothing else, this is the type of record you want to just listen to. To sit and explore and dive deep into and enjoy. Home is a record is soak your soul in to. Soulful, bluesy, expressive.

The strings that give way to a soul filled Born Again open up the album on an absolutely beautiful note. It could be Marvin Gaye, Ottis Redding, or Al Green singing over the track. Garrels has a flare for musical proficiency or quirks, which is probably why he find a hard punctuating a melody between the chorus and verse 2. The hook is infectious, but underrated in the way those great soul singers could deliver a love song. The way the music sways and interplays, between guitar sweeps, giant string sections and a harp, it's an orchestrated piece of genius.

Colors keeps the soulful vibe, while throwing in more of an Isley Brothers "rock" vibe. A Long Ways feels almost as if a ghost is haunting you. Like an emotional, painful past ghost. But only on the verses. The choruses feel like Garrels is breaking through the hurt. Which carries into the second verse, which builds to a triumphant closing. Leviathan is groove heavy and verse driven. Garrels falsetto carrying each and every tune. With each track, the styling and sound of the record has slowly been shifting and moving forward, punctuated by the bluesy rock and roll sound of The Arrow.

Heavens Light brings things down and showcases Garrels as the singer/songwriter he is. Simple and beautiful.The country, folksy influence find their way into Morning Light. It's a vast departure from the almost Motown esque sounds of Born Again, but the way the album moves and flows, it's not a shock to the ears and doesn't feel  out of place. It's just an artist showcasing their craft. Always Be is light and fun. The vocals and lyrics ebb and flow effortlessly in the background. Home At Last is another simple singer/songwriter song, but the instrumentation that is present creates a beautiful texture that keeps Garrels from ever being boring.

Benediction is the most stripped down track on the record and is a beautiful closer.

Home is a masterpiece. I don't feel like that's an overstatement. It's a record worth your time. Even if it doesn't sound like your style of music, the record is good enough to warrant a listen. You won't be disappointed. 5 out of 5 Stars!

The Meltdown 2.78

It's our 5th Anniversary show!!! It's an extended party edition of the Meltdown!

The Meltdown 2.77

New music from Josh Garrels, Britt Nicole, Sufjan Stevens, and The Frozen Ocean.

Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsugi

There was a minor indie kid freakout when Chris Walla announced he was leaving Death Cab. What did it mean for the future of the band? How was this going to affect the sound and style of everyone's favorite indie rockers? Settle down kids. It;s not like Death Cab hasn't changed their sound in the past (Plans, Codes and Keys) and survived to still be one of your favorites. Sure, a stylistic change is bound to happen, but there's no need to panic.

The guitar work on Kintsugi's opener, No Room For Frame, is some of the most intricate and interesting I think I've ever heard from DCFC. The song is light and fun, an almost Pet Sounds influenced track. Gibbard's guitar work quickly shines and continues to showcase a simple take on intricate sound lines in Black Sun. It's as if the band thought they might start to be losing fans by placing The Ghost Of Beverly Drive up next. The song is a jangly pop throwback that sounds like some of the band's classic work from The Photo Album or We Have The Facts.

Songs like Little Wanderer, which have a slightly dark undertone, are kept upbeat and poppy. It seems as though there's an infused new life and creative freedom for Death Cab.

Things do get dicey after that. You've Haunted Me All Your Life and Hold No Guns just kind of sit on the record. No bad songs, but coming off the fun pop vibes, they just sit there, like sad sacks, You've Haunted eventually picks up but following that with Hold No Guns is like a dead weight in your gut. It's not that the songs are bad, it's just that there's no subtle signs that a change is coming and instead you go from upbeat indie pop songs, to these pretty sad stripped down songs. This is why track order matters!

The band tries to infuse more energy with Everything's A Ceiling, a song that reminds you the band is now into electronics. (And you were trying to forget about Codes & Keys) It's a double whammy if you hated Plans because the melody reminds me of those songs. (FWIW, I loved Plans) Good Help Is Hard to Find is a disco/Marron 5 type of guitar riff. It's completely different from anything Death Cab has done before. From there we get El Dorado, with its open chord , heavy reverb guitar riff before busting into an electronic dance number. It's a reminder that indie guys like new wave. Ingenue is another throwback style song. Guitar heavy with enough space to make sure the track isn't over saturated and drowning in sound. Binary Sea is a little more upbeat than your usual Death Cab piano ballads, but Death Cab has also never been one to close a record out on a sad note. It feels like the song needed some extra layer. An epic instrumental build or something to give it that over the top punch to really close the album out strong.

Kintsuigi might not be overly ambitious, but at times it feels like it's too much. Maybe that was Walla's primary function in the band. To take all the ideas and make sure there was a singular direction and flow to the album. Kintsugi feels complete and well thought out through flur songs before changing directions and the band is on to the next thing. I appreciate the creativity, but it's not cohesive. 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

The Meltdown 2.76

New music from Sareem Poems, Eshon Burgundy, White Lighter, Mat Kearney, and more.

Eshon Burgundy - The Fear of God

I have been waiting for Eshon Burgundy's official Humble Beast Records debut. I liked Blood Rushing To My Head and I thought his For God's Sake mixtape was on point. And his verse on Jackie Hill Perry's The Solution was on fire! I just knew when Humble Beast announced his signing that his record was going to be special. I just had that gut feeling. And thankfully my gut was right!

The Fear of God is a blistering hip-hop record! The production teams (Beautiful Eulogy, Daniel Stelle, Wit, Swoop, and Street Orchestra) worked well, creating unique soundtrack that feels cohesive. It's not like you have a bunch of tracks from producers that you can point to and say they did this one. It helps keep you focused on Burgundy's lyrics and message, all the while appreciating the beats, but not being distracted by them.

The opening line of the record, "One time for the realist who shows us love even though he could kill us" isn't holding anything back. It sets a strong tone for the record. Blood Money is a reminder that as believers it's not money but the blood of Christ that paid for our freedom from sin. Higher Learning addresses hood life and the fact that it is by Jesus that people will be redeemed. Education and programs to get kids off the streets and out of gangs is good but real transformation only comes through Jesus. Control Issues, quite obviously, takes on the things people do in life to show that they are in control and how that doesn't compare to a life of serving Jesus. Certified Gold, again, talks about those things we want that distract us from God and doing the Father's work. Retro Sunday features a verse from Braille that just makes my head spin. It sounds like pre-Beautiful Eulogy Braille and I love it!

The Fear Of God is straight forward, gospel centered hip-hop. Where Eshon tackles social or persoanl issues, everything points back to the hope and love of God! Don't read that and think this is watered down, second rate hip-hop. The production is top notch and Burgundy spits fire on each rhyme! You can tell that the craft of hip-hop is not slacking for the message but both the message and his craft matter! It's art!

Just a fantastic hip-hop record start to finish. I've listened to this album almost two dozen times according to iTunes. 5 out of 5 Stars!

Mat Kearney - Just Kids

Young Love was a special record.

Before I talk about Just Kids I just want to throw that out there as a reminder. Young Love was special!

That is not my way of saying I hate Just Kids. But I loved Young Love. More than anything else Kearney had done previously. And Just Kids carries some similar vibes as Young Love.

And there are moments on Just Kids that I absolutely love! The album opener, Heartbreaker Dreamer is upbeat without going super pop. While the spoken word piece at the end of the track is a little long, I like the message Kearney is trying to get across. The title track is the standout on the record for me. It has that forlorn delivery that Keanrey used so well on his more singer/songwriter projects. The track isn't sad, but contemplative. It's one of my favorite tracks Kearney has ever released.

But the rest of the record just didn't click with me. Heartbeat, the album's first single, is very pop oriented. I've seen comparisons to Owl City and One Direction. I wouldn't go quite that far but I understand why people would make that leap. Moving On and Billon have a pseudo island feel to them. It's different. Let It Rain brings in that hip-hop infused pop sound that worked so great on Young Love.

And that's the difference. Just Kids is a pop record through and through! Young Love was equally as pop but it was more hip-hop influenced. Which is not a slight on Just Kids. It just means that as Kearney stretches and grows and tries new things, while mixing in the old, it's just not my cup of tea. Because I loved Young Love. And I haven't been a huge fan of or blown away by Kearney's previous work, it just means that I shouldn't be surprised that I don't love Just Kids. 3 out of 5 Stars.

The Meltdown 2.75

New music from LA Symphony, Social Club, We Are the City, and Wild Earth.

The Meltdown 2.74

New music from Mat Kearney, LA Symphony, Kevin Max, Eshon Burgundy, and more.

Thumper Punk Records to Release Angel City Cafe Benefit Compilation

Thumper Punk Records is pleased to announce the release of the “Angel City Cafe Benefit Compilation,” an album featuring 30 live recordings of fifteen TPR bands to raise money to support the great Christian music venue Angel City Cafe, in Bellflower, California (https://www.facebook.com/angelcitycafe1).  The release celebrates the 20th anniversary of Angel City Cafe, and its outreach ministry to the homeless and underprivileged. Angel City Cafe remains one of the few places where Christian artists share both their craft and their Message. It also provides jobs, and the occasional meal and shelter, for the local homeless.  It has roots in the community. It matters.  

Participating bands (donating two songs each) include The WAY, The Lonely Revolts, False Idle, Christ’s Sake, Saint Hooligan, Peter118, The Poor Geezers, Ambassadors of Shalom, ABSOLVED, The Hoax, Platoon 1107, A Broken Line, uniSEF, True Liberty and Living Fire.  Thumper Punk Records will be hosting its annual TPR Night at Angel City Cafe again this year on July 11, 2015.

All profits from this album go to Angel City Cafe.  Available for purchase in CD format from the Thumper Punk Records webstore (http://thumperpunkrecords.storenvy.com/collections/35134-all-products/products/12505005-angel-city-cafe-benefit-compilation), and digital versions are available now at the Thumper Punk bandcamp page (https://thumperpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/angel-city-cafe-benefit-compilation).

Judgement Day - The Altar EP

Let's just be honest. It's 2015. No one is really going to be breaking any new ground in the hardcore or metal genres. What's done is done. It's either good music, or it's not. Judgement Day's debut ep The Altar, is good!

In the simplest of of descriptions, The Altar is what I imagine Pantera would have sounded like if they were a brutal hardcore band. The Altar features some great guest appearances including the frontmen from Messengers, World Of Pain, and Bleeding Through. Each guest vocal adding a different depth and color to the songs that make each and every track on this all too short ep very interesting and different from each other.

Ago of Innocence's is a blistering opener for the ep. Chad from Messenger's vocals add a nice low guttural tone to Godfather's almost sing-songy yell. The hook on Seek feels like a classic Seventh Star chorus. Easy to sing and a song that would make it a great crowd song live. Vision of a Sanctuary simultaneously combines one of the most brutal breakdowns you'll ever hear with an angelic like vocal that creates a dynamic I don't think I've ever heard before. Rise is a pure circle pit song. Fast, short, and to the point. Get the crowd up and moving! The title track is the most metal song on the album (which makes sense since it features Brandan from Bleeding Through).

It's an ep that I wish was a full-legnth. Is there a better compliment than that? I just wanted more. I can't wait for more music from Judgement Day. 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Aaron Gillespie - Grace Through The Wandering

There's instantly something more compelling and interesting about Aaron Gillespie's second worship full-legnth. I hate to say more honest, because I don't think there was anything disingenuous about Anthem Song. Maybe it's the maturity. Between fronting the Almost and leading worship, there's a comfortability that comes through on Grace Through The Wandering. There's a lyrical richness in certain songs on Grace, that moves beyond the typical congregational worship and into a personal outpouring. And I think that it the biggest difference between Anthem Song and Grace Through The Wandering.

Grace takes a while to really hits it's stride. I enjoy the first couple of tracks, but the artistry and more crafted moments don't appear right away. Wake Us Up is a nice opener. Upbeat, but not crazy. It's a very nice congregational song, which I have no problem with! You need those on a worship album and I would love to be singing Wake Us Up in my church. Gillespie's spin on Praise Him is nice. He doesn't stray too far from the original, but makes it his own just enough to give it a fresh spin.

A Love Like Yours was the first track to really grab my ear. From the outset, the instrumentation sets a different tone. The hook is simple and easy, but impactful. The bridge being the chorus of None But Jesus creates an almost dark undertone. It's a beautiful and interesting arrangement that creates this weird dichotomy in the song. It works and you can see how live it could hit with chilling and heartbreaking impact. Keep Me In shows off the musical richness of Grace Through the Wandering, another area where Gillespie has grown since Anthem Song. Like on Keep Me In, the usage of strings on In You There's Hope is understated and almost forgotten, but they add this beautiful texture, and even though it's only momentary, it's perfect! Gillespie's country spin on Come Thou Fount to close the record, while not my favorite version of the hymn, is a nice step to really push the bounds of what something traditional should sound like or feel. It's the artist coming out.

I enjoy Grace Through The Wandering, and like I said, I think it's a huge step forward from Anthem Song. But I don't see this becoming a "go to" worship record for me. 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

The Meltdown 2.73

New music from White Lighter, Eshon Burgundy, Rapture, and Sollunar.