Month: October 2015

Band Of The Week: Back Pocket Memory

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In all my years as a music fan, there are a few things I look for in bands I listen to, one of the biggest thing is melody. You can be the heaviest band in the world, but if there is no sense of melody, it tends to come across as just noise. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing this band of the week feature to find great bands that are out there that people may or may not have heard of. This week I present to you Back Pocket Memory. This five piece from the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank, California writes music with great melodies and pure passion. The best way to describe the band is if you took Foo Fighters from the era of There’s Nothing Left To Lose and melded it with Incubus. There are heavy moments mixed with great amounts of melody, and softer parts that really show off the dynamics of the band. Their new full length album, Victory and Empire comes out in November and the first single “Rob The Young,” really highlights the growth these guys have shown from their first EP till now. If you like you music with great melodies and a delicate nature of passion and heart, then Back Pocket Memory is the band for you.

Rob The Young:

Catapult:

The Prisonser:

https://www.facebook.com/backpocketmemory

http://www.backpocketmemory.com/

By: Brian Lacy

Cover Thursday: A Bunch Of Neil Young Covers

Last night I saw Neil Young, and I’m still in awe. He played for three hours non stop. I wanted to write a review of the show but I seriously can’t put into words how amazing it was. Well in honor of that show, I thought I’d share some really great covers of Neil songs with you all. Enjoy!

Thom Yorke- After The Gold Rush:

Smashing Pumpkins- Cinnamon Girl:

Pearl Jam- Fuckin Up:

Bob Dylan- Old Man:

Amazing Must Own Albums: With Our Arms To The Sun- A Far Away Wonder

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When I first heard With Our Arms To The Sun, I was completely taken aback. The way this band captivated me was astounding. The gents in this band have such passion and skill it bleeds all over this masterful piece of music. There is a true artistic approach to what With Our Arms To The Sun create. They make music for all the right reasons. i’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live and I can tell you their live shows are one hell of an experience. Their album A Far Away Wonder was released last year, and has not left my rotation of albums I listen to. From the start of the album the songs build and explode with great prowess and intensity. There are elements of prog rock, metal, psychedelia and lots of melody throughout the album. Interspersed through the mainly instrumental album are bits of vocals, that add another dimension to the already impressiveness of the record. Every song on this album is in the right order is meant to be there. There is not one ounce of filler on it. Recently, With Our Arms signed to Fade To Silence records and are gearing up to re-release the album as well as preparing for multiple shows including a halloween show with Tool. With Our Arms To The Sun are a transcendent bright spot in a world that is lacking honesty and realism. Do yourself a favor and listen to this and buy it. You won’t be disappointed!!!

With Our Arms To The Sun- A Far Away Wonder:

http://www.withourarmstothesun.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WithOurArmsToTheSun

Classic Soundtracks: Spawn- The Soundtrack

41H5dwMniXLThe year is 1997 and one of the biggest comic books in the world, Spawn is made into a movie. Sadly, though the movie was wretched, but the saving grace of the entire thing was the soundtrack that accompanied the movie. Following a similar formula that worked for the movie Judgement Night, only this soundtrack paired rock bands with electronic artists as opposed to rap groups.. The likes of Metallica, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Filter, Incubus, and Slayer appeared on the album. This was definitely an experimental record that worked with certain songs, while some others not so much. The tracks by Filter, Incubus, Stabbing Westward, and Marilyn Manson are all standout tracks. Slayer teamed up with the very entertaining Atari Teenage Riot, for a rendition of “No Remorse.” that is absolutely nuts. So go back almost 20 years a have some fun listening to this!

Album Review: Hidden Amongst Us- Ugly

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If there is one thing these days that I really enjoy is when a band throws out the traditional rules, taking all their influences and make a record for themselves. On Hidden Amongst Us’s new EP Ugly, these guys have taken their love of 90’s rock specifically the “grunge” era and added a bit more melody to their already raw sound to do just that. The results are six songs of solid melodic heavy rock. Hidden Amongst Us is another of the bands that I featured during the early stages of Audioecelctica, and they have really grown as a band. This release shows their cohesiveness and willingness to do what it takes to make music with substance. In the past year as well, the band added another guitar player, thus allowing them to expand upon their sound and make it fuller. On Ugly, they accomplish that and then some. Songs like “Another Day,” “Can’t Take Anymore,” and “Bled Enough” show their evolution as songwriters, and the added dynamics in the band. This is definitely the right direction for the band. Take Ugly for a spin, and you’ll hear what I mean.

By: Brian Lacy

Album Review: He Whose Ox Is Gored- The Camel, The Lion, The Child

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A while back I wrote a band of the week piece about a band from Washington called He Whose Ox Is Gored. They have fast become a band that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed since I found out about them. Their influences of multiple genres have allowed them to experiment to zero in on just what their sound is. I coined them as doom-gaze for their love of doom metal and shoe gaze. Now they have just released their debut full length The Camel, The Lion, The Child. This album is epic by nature and pulls you in with each song. The band has really found their stride especially with songs like “Oathbreaker,” Crusade,” and “Cairo.” There is something aggressive and heavy to the songs, but on a deeper level. Lyrics are scarce yet meaningful, and the band lets the music do the talking, just like how Isis used to do. Another thing that I’ve noticed in the progression of He Whose Ox Is Gored, is that they have really adopted more melody into their songs. Rather than it being a wall of noise, there is a balance between the heaviness and the more delicate nature of some of the parts, especially with the keyboards. The album was mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis) and Randall Dunn (SunnO, Earth) and it really shows. This album is a great leap for this band, and it’s only the beginning of where they can go from here.

scale of 1-10: 9

https://www.facebook.com/hewhoseoxisgoredseattle

http://hwoig.com/

By: Brian Lacy

Cover Comparison: Smashing Pumpkins vs Bush (Fleetwood Mac)- Landslide

So this past week as you can tell I’ve been back on a Smashing Pumpkins kick. I was searching through covers that they did over the years and wanted to do something in those regards. So while looking up Smashing Pumpkins covers I remembered that Bush also covered Stevie Nicks “Landslide.” So what one do you think is better?

Smashing Pumpkins- Landslide:

Bush- Landslide:

Stevie Nicks:

Unsung Masterpieces: Smashing Pumpkins- Adore
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The process of following up a career defining album is a very serious task. The amount of pressure that is put on a band to follow that up with a great deal of success is overwhelming. The Smashing Pumpkins follow up to Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, Adore is one of the most daring and intriguing albums in the bands discography. Recorded following the death of Billy Corgan’s mother and his divorce, this was a significant change of style from the bands guitar driven albums. Adore saw the band venture into more electronic territory. This was in part to drummer Jimmy Chamberlain being fired from the band before the recording process. Instead the drums on the album were cut from drum machines and the assistance of drummer Matt Walker who toured with the band following Chamberlains release. During this time as well, the bands image shifted toward a more darker gothic sensibility.

Adore is the type of album that when you first listen to it, you are taken aback by it. There is a purity and solemnness to it, that delves even deeper than the bands previous works. Songs like “To Sheila,” “Crestfallen,””For Martha,” exhibit this notion. The more electronic driven songs like “Ava Adore” and “Perfect” show some similarities to classic Pumpkins material. Then there are songs like “Tear,” “Appels & Oranjes,””Pug,” “Behold! The Night Mare,” that show an added maturity to Billy Corgan’s writing.

Adore was obviously not the album that fans of the band wanted, but it was necessary to reinvigorate the band to come to terms with their issues. Over time, Adore has been one of those albums that with time and age has truly become a wonderful album. It really has a sense that if you’ve lived life and been through hell to an extent, then this album will really hit the mark. Take it for another listen, and you’ll see what I mean.

Smashing Pumpkins- Adore:

Op Ed: My Profound Musical Memories

My Profound Musical Memories

It’s really late right now and I just finished watching Almost Famous. Sitting there watching Cameron Crowe’s love letter to music, it got me thinking I should write a love letter to music and show appreciation to certain people that helped guide me on a musical journey. So without further delay, I share with you my musical memories.

My first absolute memories of music is being in the car with my parents. When driving with my mom and dad is when it really started. We would drive in either their dark gray Mazda RX-7 or silver Mercury Cougar.  My dad then puts the tape in the stereo and out comes “ You know a day destroys the night/Night divides the day/try to run/try to hide/ Break On Through To The Other Side.” The Doors were one of my absolute first loves and has played a huge part in my musical chemistry. I would go on to read every book about them to really understand what they were all about. Jim Morrison was and always will be one of my most profound influences in how I write lyrics and poems. My dad was really into The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane and tons of other great music from the sixties and seventies. Adding to those bands was my moms love of The Velvet Underground, Neil Young and Led Zeppelin. Granted I was way too young to appreciate The Velvet Underground at that time, there was something strange and mysterious about their music that captivated me. Lou Reed was such a masterful story teller in his songs. There was something truly poetic about the way he wrote. Sure he wasn’t a good singer, but neither was Bob Dylan and both of them were able to connect on such a level that is hardly touched.  Even to this day when I’m out with my parents, I can put all the albums on that they showed me, and it brings me back to when and where I was when I first heard them. Not to mention all the stories that both of them have of when and where they were, really make musical memories that you can not replicate. Those stories are some of the best things to hear.

The other moment that really changed everything happened when I was three. My parents were having work done to our house and the guys that were doing the work would play their music. One day I heard the song that set everything in motion. “Shot through the heart/ And you’re to blame/ Darling you give love… A BAD NAME.” I was blown away. I had to have this, only I didn’t know who it was. I would soon be told it is Bon Jovi. The next thing I know I’m at The Wherehouse with my mom buying Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet. I must have listened to that tape over a thousand times and wore it out! Of course then I had to have everything Bon Jovi, all other albums, all their videos, magazines, assorted other odds and ends and of course I wanted to be Jon Bon Jovi. The walls of my room were covered with posters of Bon Jovi. My first concert would of course be Bon Jovi. It was in 1989 at the Forum in Los Angeles. I was four going on 5 and my parents asked what I wanted for my birthday and I said I wanted to see Bon Jovi. Then it happened. I was with my mom and dad seeing my favorite band. It was during the New Jersey tour that I went. I still have the t-shirt from that show. Mine is quite too small to wear now, but my mom had bought a bigger extra one and as the years have gone on I’ve rocked that shirt to every Bon Jovi concert I go to. And That concert changed my life

A few years back, my wife took me to Outside Lands festival in San Francisco. One of the main headliners for that year was Neil Young. In all my years Neil was on my list of bands/people I needed to see before they/or I pass. So on the first night of the festival, it happened. Neil Young on stage and the tears of joy started coming. There out in the audience, standing next to my girl, I watched and listened in awe of Neil Young rip though so many of my favorite songs. I remember also as soon as the show was over and calling my parents and telling them how amazing Neil Young was and to thank them. That was such great musical moment in my life that without my mom and dad showing me so many great bands, I would have missed out on seeing someone in concert that would have a lasting effect on me.

My wife causally listened to music before she met me. She hadn’t really been to many shows or heard certain albums. Needless to say, I saw a perfect opportunity to pass along my musical knowledge to her. It’s truly a wonderful feeling to be able to pass along what you were taught about music from your parents to people that really soak it up and get as excited as you do about certain albums. Sure there are some that don’t always connect with her, but she sees it for what it is and appreciates it. Being able to explore different genres with her and take her to concerts and see bands she never in a million years would have ever heard of or listened to is exhilarating. One of the biggest bands that she has really grown to love is Nine Inch Nails. Her love and appreciation of them makes me really happy. Not only are they my favorite band, but now hers too. This sure makes things easy when it comes to asking what should we listen to. I proposed to her at a Nine Inch Nails concert and at our recent wedding we walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of “The Fragile” by Nine Inch Nails. Not something you would see at a normal wedding. It was perfect for us though. Over the years and all the albums and concerts, it’s still great to still give her albums to listen to and hear what she thinks of them as she listens for the entire album for the first time and take her to concerts that will leave her speechless.

I wasn’t an easy kid to raise, and got grounded a lot. Even with all the times I was grounded, my parents never took away my music. Music was always my saving grace. It has been the one constant in my life that has truly allowed me to be me and express myself. Through all the genres and phases I’ve been through, music has been there to guide me. It didn’t matter what I was going through, I always had a soundtrack to accompany me. Over the years I’ve gone back and looked at my collection and asked myself why did I buy this? Then take it over to my stereo put it one and listen, trying to remember what was it about this band that made me buy their album. Then I remember how old I was, where I was when I first heard the song that made me want to buy it, and who I was friends with at that time.

Its quite interesting to look back on all this and realize that some of my favorite memories involve going to a record store and buying a new album. I have a ritual when I buy a new album. I immediately have to open it and look at the booklet and skim through it. and then if its a cd I have to listen. Then when I get home, I grab my pillow and headphones and head right for my stereo and begin to listen over and over, just soaking it all in. As I lay there reading the lyrics and liner notes, I delve into the songs with each listen, finding my favorite songs and loving every minute of it. I love listening to music. There is no better feeling than hearing a great album that takes you on a journey that soothes everything and puts you in a space that is all your own

Mom and Dad- Thank you for sharing your music with me. You started me on my journey and let me pursue what I wanted to do with music. They say it’s got to start somewhere, and what better place than at home. Oh and there is nothing wrong with long songs anymore.

Alisa- Thank you for letting me share my musical wisdom and collection with you. You have helped me continue on my musical journey and allowed me to keep pursuing my musical ambitions. I can’t wait for us to pass on our music tastes to our kids. Just try to limit some of that silly stuff you listen to.

Album Review: Sidewave- Glass Giant

a1133937347_10When I first started Audioeclectica the main goal was to spread the word about great music and bands. Sidewave was one of the first bands I wrote about and have had the pleasure of watching them bloom into a great band. From their first show till now, Sidewave has grown by leaps and bounds. Now the band has released their debut album Glass Giant and it is a tremendous album that really captures the bands essence. Sidewave incorporates the right amount of influence and individuality to make this debut stand out. Their mix of influences includes Siamese Dream era Smashing Pumpkins, Hum, and Shiner.  Mixed by Aaron Harris (Palms, ISIS, Puscifer), the epic, bombastic sound of Sidewave, fits perfectly in with the resurgence of 90’s rock. The songs go from heavier to spacey, to delicate, in a way that allows a gradual flow to the album. Songs like “Lace,” “Supersonic,” “Illusion Of Light, and “This Is Who You Are,” are all standouts on Glass Giant. The foursome of Phil Golyshko (Vocals / Guitar) William Collins (Guitar / Synth), Matthew Russel (Bass / Vocals) Brandon Dickert (Drums / Vocals) have created music that can help bring this music back to the forefront. Do yourself a favor and check out this album. It’ll be well worth your time and money!

Sidewave- Glass Giant:

By: Brian Lacy