New Music Crush: The Jealous Sound

The fact that I have gotten into The Jealous Sound is further proof that I am becoming an old person. That I found them when searching through dubstep-influenced metalcore on Rise Records is little consolation. Still, they’re an excellent band, one that could easily, eh, ‘rise’ to Jimmy Eat World heights with some persistence.

Achieving personal yet darkly poetic lyrics without sounding like a douchebag is something that not many can do, and I’d put TJS up with the boys from Alkaline Trio. High praise indeed. Of course TJS have ‘been around the block’ both as individuals and as musicians, with an impressive back catalogue of releases from various indie bands in the 90s and 00s.

I love the flow of this song. Nothing feels forced, instead it all builds up naturally to a crescendo chorus, then descends smoothly into the verse, then back to the chorus. You can tell the songwriters have been writing songs for a long time, there is a maturity and confidence in letting the different pieces come together.

Speaking of maturity, the guys are pretty damn old looking! Are they tired gig parents, waiting for their kid to get out of the pit? Are they band parents, proud and bewildered as their child plays breakdowns to teenage girls? Nope, they’re one of the bands, they’re on next! In a lot of ways they are everything Rise Records would be seen not to represent, so kudos to both band and label, for getting there and taking a (calculated, I’m sure) risk, respectively.

New Music Crush - The Front Bottoms

As I have mentioned, I am in a wee bit of a music rut and therefore am susceptible to stuff I usually would unfairly not give a fair chance. For example, The Front Bottoms, two guys playing indie-influenced folk punk on an acoustic guitar and drums. It doesn't sound exactly like what I like but dammit, it works!

00.30 - Bang of a slightly more in tune Tom Delonge off the singer.
00.49 - The puppet makes me inexplicably happy
1.30 - They're reeeeally playing up the 'we just have music, but we're happy' thing, they better not be rich!
1.40 - Love the little change taking out the instruments and adding backing vox
All of the video - I think it's great, all the random filler that's nicely shot
2.40 - Moooore backing vox <3

What I love about this band (apart from the name) is the fact they seem to be two average lads, who aren't particularly handsome or rich, having fun and making the best music they can with their limited resources. (I am going to be super bummed if it turns out they are English Majors from the suburbs with rich parents)
Sure they have some additional instruments in the mix, but the video is just the two of them rocking out with the bare essentials.

Most of all I love the lyrics. Part confessional, part metaphor, possibly part nonsense, there's a really Matt Skiba vibe off them. Then there's the slightly awkward way they are layered over the music. Not sure if he had too many lyrics to squeeze in or if it's purposely done to be slightly unnerving (which wouldn't surprise me given all the 'uncomfortable' references). Either way, it works! The best example is in the second verse of the song Flashlight from 2.10 or so. It doesn't follow traditional structures at all but works wo well. Genius or awkwardness?

At the root of it all seems to be a bromance, and that's nice too.They're on bookface and loads more social meejas.

New Music Crush: Symphony of Distraction

Even though skate punk is probably my favourite of all genres (I've been listening to it for 10+ years now :/) I find it hard to keep up with new bands or get properly excited about new releases. Maybe it's because I've heard alot of it before, maybe it's because, paradoxically, I want it to also keep to the same formula, but most of the newer bands pass me by for one reason or another.

Luckily though the good folks at skatepunkers.net are there to kick me up the arse every now and then, giving me access to the most crucial of knowledge, with a kind of collective, manic grin borne out of the joy of sharing music and their exasperation that I haven't heard so many great bands!

The latest find for me from there has been Symphony of Distraction. Ever wished NOFX had a better singer?  Ever wish melodic punk bands could be faster? Ever wish Pennywise had a sense of humour? Well then Symphony of Distraction are the band for you! Their EP Pudwack was released in 2010 and it's fast and melodic, sure what more could you want?

• Really nice production, clear and heavy but not over-produced
• A drummer that plays as if he wants ppl to circle pit rabidly the entire time
• Lyrics that have just the right amount of humour, anger, satire and self deprecation
• Occasional forays into sweet guitar riffs
• Samples that are used sparingly
• Melodic vocals and harmonies

It's hard enough to track them down on youtube...this currently be my favourite song:

• Samples = always fun
• Breakneck speeed
• The vocal melodies are so good
• 00.53: The guest (I'm presuming..) vox and the 'oooohhhs' in the background <3 <3
• 1.30: Samples are still always fun (when not over done obvs)
• There's some of that occasional riffage in the outro, mmm.
   

• Harmonies!
• Uncoventional timing for the vocals <3
• Lyrics that pit resignation to being an alcoholic against a dark sense of humour, always good
• It's just good skate punk, no over-analysis on my part can explain it!

So yes, I've just ordered their new album 'Call It Off John' (which I'm sure is another hilarious in-joke that I'm not privy to) and you can do the same here. I'm sure to be rambling on about the album when I get it from the wonderful playground that is Japan. They also use the facebooked and have criminally few likes so go there and set that right and ask them to get in here and explain some damn in-jokes to me.