Since founding members Ron Gallo and Mike Baurer began writing music for what would be Toy Soldiers, the group dynamic has blossomed from the grassroots duo into a seven-person collective. Geographically located throughout Philadelphia, Toy Soldiers sonically can be traced from the blues-rock bayous of Alabama to the honky-tonk bars of Nashville, Tennessee. Joined by Vinchelle Woods, Kate Foust, and like 37 other people, Gallo and Co. conjure up refreshing soulful blues/rock just in time for summer. Lately, Toy Soldiers have been coming up in conversation more and more. They've played at my friend’s wedding, sold...
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M.C.W. Murphy may have crawled out of the belly of New Jersey and roamed the streets and pubs of England, but one can only hope that he will grace Philadelphia with his music for an extended period of time. His folk inspired “EP” only contains six tracks, that represent the skin and bones of good music; this EP is devoid of fluff and filler and leaves its listeners with more than most full length albums. The album gets right to the point with the first track “BQE,” that has an unsoiled sound, magnified by Murphy’s clear vocals against the backdrop...
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Equal parts Tolkien and Zappa, Da Comrade! have an uncanny ability to be really interesting in addition to being really fucking weird. Their newest EP contains a barrage of unexpected sound. The music is well written, parts overlapping parts, without a strong presence of overdubbing. I walked away from the recording with the impression that these individuals know how to use their voices and have good instincts on how to arrange them. Sadly, the lyrics were difficult to decipher. Unless you make an effort to listen for the words you most likely will not pick up on...
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Filmstar’s official website misrepresents the contrived persona of the band as equivalent to that of their musical talent. On paper the band looks hip and charming, oozing charisma from their strategically posed photographs and slick self descriptions, boasting of their “cheerfully aggressive gang vocals.” The truth however is not as pretty or perfectly placed as their website would lead you to believe. The photographs prove that the lead female vocalist, Elise Wei, is a knockout and the band members come off as relatively hip; but bluntly put, Filmstar’s actual sound is more like the background music one hears when riding...
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It is hard to pinpoint the exact inspiration behind Quintero’s dynamic sound on their album 'Model C' but whatever the technical label, this band has created a sound that is unique and out of the proverbial box; exactly what the doctor prescribed for Philadelphia’s often predictable music scene. The initial track “Walk In The Woods” showcases Quintero’s multifaceted sound with Bevin Caulfield’s elongated vocals that soar above the melody, and creative effects with a haunting quality you are not likely to forget. The band’s collaborators hail from backgrounds in the United States, England, Canada and Columbia and it is the...
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Twenty 30 delivers with their Departure EP on the very first track “Pay No Attention". It's everything you expect from a rock band; booming vocals and a guitar driven instrumental solo which provides for a great intro. The band, comprised of five members, seems to have found a delicate balance in tempo and angry energy along with memorable songwriting, which sets them apart from other young rock bands on the scene. Their EP is a hit, especially the closing track “Departure” which is one their best. It is an honest display of DIY restless rock n roll alternating between even...
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Growing up, I was the biggest fan of 90’s alternative rock. Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, and The Pixies were some of my favorite bands. These three bands all have a common bond; recordings by Steve Albini. Steve Albini has a reputation of being a rogue in the dirty business of slinging sound. He records raw records, at reasonable rates, and takes little credit for what he does. Surgeon’s album “Angry Guest” was fortunate enough to be given the Albini treatment. I was very excited to have the opportunity to review an album produced by Albini....
Read More View CommentsDescribed as psychadeltronic, Gemini Wolf is the moniker of Philadelphia duo Michael McDermott and Megan Cauley, or Pandar and Mikronesia (if you’re nasty). The two have been working together for years but have hit their stride with their second album Synchronized Eyes. The 10 track effort refuses to sit still as it bounces from afro-pop horns, grooving bass lines, painfully catchy vocal hooks, and layers upon layers of electronic blips and blaps. The end result is one of the best albums of 2009. I’ve heard endless Animal Collective comparisons to these two and they are never truer than...
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The production on the new self-titled Conservative Man EP is really quite good, if you're into that sparkly, soulless electro-pop thing that these guys do. And is it really "these guys", or this guy? There are 3 members listed: Justin Sokol - Drums Darren Hyest - Keys, Synth Ian McCarthy - Vox, Bass, Guitars, Spite, Synth, Drum Programming, Bad Production, Non-Conversationalist, Songwriting, etc, etc. Wow. I don't have any inside information here, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that Ian is the one that wrote those descriptions. He didn't feel that just one "etc" would be sufficient, so he went...
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In the mood for a nerd boner? “Yes.” You say? Then it’s your lucky day! Joey Mariano or as he’s known in the chiptune scene (is there really a chiptune scene?), Animalstyle is set to release his newest album, Teletime, on NES cartridge. You might be thinking, “WHAAAAT, ON NES CARTRIDGE?” because I know I was. And yes, folks this album is being released in a very limited quantity of about 50 NES carts. Since Teletime has not yet been released, and because I don’t own an NES console anymore, I got my first taste of Animalstyle by listening to...
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If any one out there is planning a trip to outer space, I have the tunes that will help get you there. Overlook’s new release, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ is a soundscape album that takes the listener to infinity and beyond. Equal parts Radiohead and Muse, this Philly band is pushing the same sonic boundary lines the aforementioned bands have battled. The instrumentation is spectacular throughout, supplemented by Brian Eno-esque sonic experimentation. The album seems to have a jazz influence which is why comparisons to Radiohead are justified. Songs like “Stars” and “The Venom” bring out the band’s rock influence. “The...
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It's the Holiday Season and all, so I'm going to try and be as gentle as I can here. After giving the six songs that make up the new 'Reflect' EP several listens, I can safely say that Elder have a really cool album cover. The illustration by UArts alumni Mike Wohlberg is what drew my attention to the band in the first place, and after spending some time with the music, it's still my favorite part. As much as I generally hate the limitations of genres, Elder could easily be pigeonholed as "screamo", and that is their downfall. The music,...
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Alright, Junior’s five song E.P., 'Our Temporary Everything' picks up where their last release, 'Eudaemonic', left off; leading a visceral stampede of post-punk anthems upon our ear drums. Taking into account the vast amount of overdubbing and production tricks used on modern recordings, it's refreshing to hear one that sounds like the band is playing live in your ear buds. The sonic quality of the album is definitely an improvement upon 'Eudaemonic', progressing from rawness to a fuller, more polished sound. The grit is still very present due to the band’s ability stay disciplined without being boring. I would...
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