Big Rock Finish… reviews of independent music

Name: Tribe 11 Album: six degrees of desperation Released: 2005 Members: bass guitar - tom lewis drums & percussion - gary craig electric & acoustic guitar - mike hall keyboards - gary breit lead/background vocals - steven webster Website: www.tribe11.com Favourite Song: Sunny Boy (Track 6)

THE PACKAGING! OH MY GOD THE PACKAGING! Alright, I realize this is a music review site and I should be listening to the music and making my judgment on that. And I even have offered bands to send me mp3’s of their albums to save on postage costs. But there *is* something about receiving albums in the mail. And I just feel special receiving something in the mail. But this is AWESOME. Tribe 11 Sprung for a Digipack which is a card cover with a CD tray inside. These are more expensive to make which is impressive enough. I just finally pulled out the insert stuffed into the sleeve of the digipack. The lyrics are printed on this insert. Only.. it’s folded really funny. I went to school for printing so the folds intrigued me. The paper wouldn’t fold out flat. After unfolding a few times I realized I am unfolding a LOOP of paper, printed on both sides, in that infinite way paper can be looped to prove that paper really only has one side. I’m geeking out like crazy for some folded paper. I realize. I should start reviewing the music now, eh?

Rock, Metal, Alternative. I think this may very well be my first introduction into indie metal music. I never know what metal really is, because my friends who grew up with the 80’s hair bands say that was metal and I just don’t see it. I can’t classify music anyways so maybe it’s better this way. This stuff is definitely stuff I don’t normally listen to, because I didn’t know what it was before. I enjoy it definitely. So it’s not like I won’t listen to it again. I just offered my friend who is into remixing and being a sound artist to see what he can come up with. If something cool turns out I’m going to have to e-mail Tribe 11 back.

While I’m not great on appreciating lyrics, I love the lyrics the first time I listen to the songs on six degrees of desperation. I also have a horrible memory so I can’t remember the lyrics by the time I’m done listening to them, but what I do listen to, always sounds profound on this album. Everything sounds like a whole lot of truth, and a whole lot of expectations. And it makes sense. And for the 3 or so minutes that I can remember them, all I think about is how I want to remember these lyrics because I don’t want to forget… until I forget. Umm… I just realized now that my iTunes decided to not give me song titles but to give me “Ariadne for theseus’ sake provided the clue, a ball of line to unwind the maze which no one had entered and left.”… This is officially the weirdest band I’ve ever encountered.

I honestly waant to hear this in some club I walk into one night. Just a big dance floor with darkness and bright lights and glow sticks galore. Dark moody people and happy overgrown little kids.

Name: Volume Water Album: Underneath the Sun Released: 2005 Members: Mike Walker - guitars John Mamone - bass, voice Paul Salini - drums Website: www.volumewater.com Favourite Song: Underneath the Sun (track 2)

Rock & Alternative. The first song (also titled Volume Water) has this really cool intro with an electronic effect which totally makes me think some sort of techno until it dies off in the first verse. Trippy. It’s rock. It’s alternative. Really, they did good on the myspace definition.

Other than the first song being a surprise in that it wasn’t what I was expecting, the songs are all… rock. I don’t want to say “typical rock” because I feel that might be insulting. But it’s rock. It’s rock that you would listen to when you want to listen to rock. There’s a certain comfort in predictability. I will admit, while I have not a problem with a band having their album self-titled. Having a song self-titled is just weird because I’ve never encountered it before. Maybe it’ll start a new trend. It definitely got my attention.
Edit: The album is actually called Underneath the Sun. Oops Sorry guys!

I’m quite convinced that this band is a band that is best seen live. The album is quite awesome, no question about it. But I’m right now envisioning a live show and I think the music deserves a big stage with flashing lights, fireworks and crowds of screaming fans. And considering they will be gigging at venues multiple times within the next 4 months, I’m not the only one with that vision.

So check them out if you happen to be in Hamilton, Cambridge or Burlington, because it looks like you can’t hit a venue without hitting Volume Water as well.

Name: Howl Album: Howl Released: 2007 Members: Lead Vocals/Guitars/Piano - Will Hemmings Lead Guitar - Richard Lawrence Bass/Vocals - Scott Andrews Drums - Pete Rogers Website: www.myspace.com/howlonline Record Label: Sweet 16 Records Favourite Song: Hideaway (track 4)

Indie. Experimental. Rock. Now that I see the word experimental so much on profiles I keep thinking, isn’t music in general an experiment? All music should be since even though everyone claims that there are formulas to writing music there is still the element of will it work or won’t it work. For experimental I must admit Howl is pretty consistent and not experimental in what I would define it as being off-the-wall with crazyness that very few people are likely to enjoy. The further I delve into this album, the more I want to call Howl “Quiet Rock.” But I don’t want to go inventing new terms. There’s enough already.

Howl is pretty mellow. I like mellow. It’s good music that takes you on an auditory adventure but still drops you off around the time of your curfew and with your clothes intact. I don’t always enjoy surprises as much as I make myself out to enjoy so this is quite nice. The non-vocal parts of songs inspire me a little I think.

I could see like a martini bar playing Howl. I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t go to many martini bars, or because I really want a lychee martini right now. Again, the obligatory “listen to in my car” works well. And with the number of songs it would be quite a good CD to play actually, since it won’t repeat TOO often I get a good mix. I’m feeling a bit experimental myself, I’m curious to find out if this would make good make-out music. I’ll be it does.

The Framework. Awesome. Show.

Really, there are no other words to describe the entire night. I’ve been to a lot of really good shows by now and this one was just cake. I’m seriously gushing but I don’t care.

It was fun and amusing in the fact that I brought my friend who in turn brought someone he works with who I am also on friendly terms with. (Not in *THAT* way you sickos!) And I got to hang out with two boys I have a good time with and admire on many levels.

Then there’s the fact that I’ve gotten to know the lead singer (Ryan a.k.a. Chisai Jackson) as a solo artist, and as an acoustic solo artist, and this was just excitement beyond words to see him perform different songs, with a band, plugged in.

Something I should have thought of but never really did, was the fact that since I knew someone who was going to be on stage, I would likely know people in the audience. And had very fun times catching up with various people all over the room. Nothing better than having the headlining band’s lead singer’s cousin’s mom ask me if I went to the same high school as her daughter. (We did.)

I’d never heard any of the music from The Framework’s camp before. I’ve read descriptions that they’re not attempting to be mind blowingly ground-breaking but they’re trying to make good music and trying to get it out there. I applaud that. So many bands I’m seeing are all about the “I’m different just like everybody else.” Which I always laugh at. Same way like I laugh at the poser teenagers or wannabe fixie bike thugs. I rode fixie long before it was fashionable. It’s called a unicycle.

I digress.

When The Framework hit the stage it was pretty rad. The place was packed which I haven’t seen in a venue in a long time. The people were up and the bodies were shaking. Not only have I not seen such a massive amount of crowd for a show before, well, for an indie band anyways, I’d not ever seen such a wide range of people showing up for a show before. And that’s what I love about music. It’s timeless and ageless. And The Framework made good on keeping it that way.

The songs were catchy, non-offensive, and good clean fun. It was a bit hard to see anything because of literally the mass of people but I got a few pictures, and had friends grab some too since everyone who isn’t a musician is a photographer, and in the cases of my friends… both.

Being a member of the audience and being how it was the CD release party for the band, I, and everyone else in the venue, received a copy of the CD with my admission into the space. Cracked it open and listened to it on the way home. Exciting. Just as catchy in the studio as they were on stage. But that review is for another time.

The Framework? Go see them if you can. Really. Next show appears to be September 3, 2007 at Horseshoe Tavern.

Name: David Steen
Album: Life
Released: 2007

Members:
David Steen - Vocals, Guitar

Websites:
http://www.davidsteen.info

He’s from Atlanta, Georgia, He began guitar lessons in sixth grade and knew from there he wanted to play music. He wrote his first song in the early 1990’s called “try this love” which he saids only took him 15 minutes to write.

His new cd called “Life” which you can purchase now at cdbaby is his second cd. His cd before which you can also purchase on cdbaby is “Out of the blue”!

Now to David Steen’s music on his new cd Life!

You know how there’s nice dance type country songs where you just want to get up and sing along so loudly and do a dance to a song, well On this cd there’s quite a few of those songs but also songs on this cd is the slow “can I have this dance?” as a couple songs. The songs are like totally about where you will go in life and who you will want to be with. This is why I love the whole cd is because it’s like I never knew how to answer my own question about where I will go and how I will get there, and who it’ll be with until I heard the song “I remember texas” to me this song tells me you can remember where you are from and it’ll remember you but you can leave your footsteps in other parts of the world with somebody by your side.

Now onto my favorite song. Not saying all the songs aren’t my favorite ;)….but…. Nights like these! Man this song it has a nice tune and how he sings it, it’s like heaven so softly, It’s like the only thing you can hear is his voice singing to you these words in the song. Heaven threw us down an angel named David Steen.

You know I’ve listened to this cd in the bathroom before lol it sounds weird but while taking a bath it’s just nice to hear some peaceful and then dancefull country music playing while relaxing to me, that’s the perfect relaxation. lol sounds weird? yea of course, but it’s true. also just sitting at home and listening to it on a computer and playing a game is the best way to hear this music

This review has been written by Connerz!