THE MEMORIALS CD REVIEW

"Delirium"

By Dr. Abner Mality

The Memorials are one of the most unpredictable outfits in rock n' roll right now. They've labelled themselves "Afro-punk" but that doesn't even really begin to cover the swirling cauldron that their music has become. Their debut album was also pretty off the hook, but "Delirium", in fitting with its title, is more so. Yet it is also more refined in some ways.

Now basically down to a duo accompanied by talented session musicians, the band restricts itself from NOTHING on "Delirium". The odd beginning track "Dreams" is off putting with its heavy reliance on synth breakbeats, spacy sounds and rapped vocals from singer Viveca Hawkins. Suffice to say, it's not my cup of tea at all, yet it has a big, almost ethereal sound. One thing's for sure...Viveca Hawkins can SING. She has a soulful, multi-faceted voice that avoids the blatant "oversouling" that so many nightmare American Idol karaoke contestants beat into the ground. She is never less than compelling. With second track "Fluorescents", the heaviness of The Memorials' kicks in. Ex Mars Volta man Thomas Pridgen is a whiz on the guitar and cuts loose with both brutal riffs and screaming leads throughout the course of this song, which also includes saxophone and gospel-like female vocals.

You can hear just about anything at any time during the course of this album. There's way-out power electronics on "I'm So Anti-Me", jazz fusion improvisation on the title track, thrash on "Daiseys" and hardcore soul/funk on "Heavyweight". But never are those sounds just by themselves...they're coupled with other musical styles that come out of nowhere. The result is loose, unpredictable, progressive and sometimes jarring. Last cut "Mr. Entitled" is way, way too long at over eleven minutes and just seems like an unfocused mess. But excepting that and "Dreams", the album never fails to be exciting and mercurial and featuring some outstanding talent.

http://www.wormwoodchronicles.com/torture-chamber/memorials-the-2

San Francisco, California-based modern rock band The Illness

San Francisco, California-based modern rock band The Illness are premiering a brand new music video for their track “Lengua de la Muerte.” The song is the first track on the band’s upcoming full-length album, A Monument To Our Gilded Age, that releases this Tuesday, June 5. The album can be pre-ordered on the band’s official website. You can also check out a humorous “biographical” comic strip about the band here

http://thesoundalarm.com/?p=14947

THE MEMORIALS / Delirium (ind. - merci à/thanks to XO Publicity)

 

THE MEMORIALS / Delirium (ind. - merci à/thanks to XO Publicity)

Une collaboration entre la chanteuse Viveca Hawkins (qui a fait du chemin dans la soul) et le batteur Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta). Plusieurs musiciens les entourent. Un rock alternatif torché, aux influences diverses - hip-hop, métal, punk, afrofunk. Les chansons song longues (entre sept et neuf minutes pour la majorité) mais portées par des mélodies efficaces et, surtout, une attitude qui fait plaisir. Puissant et divertissant.

 

A collaboration between singer Viveca Hawkins (she has a track record in soul music) and drummer Thomas Pridgen (of The Mars Volta). Several musicians surround them. Edgy alt rock with a mixed bag of influences: hip-hop, metal, punk, afrofunk. Songs are long (7 to 9 minutes for most) but caried by successful melodies and, most of all, an attitude that won’t quit. Fun powerful stuff.

 

http://blog.monsieurdelire.com/2012/06/2012-05-31-nick-vasallo-1000-thinking.html

Sophie Barker Performs ‘Say Goodbye,’ Covers the Cure’s ‘A Forest’ in Asbury Park – Exclusive Videos

by: Joe Robinson 

YouTube

“I’ve managed to gather all the people around me that are right for all the different elements and influences I’ve had all of these years,“ Sophie Barker reflects as she winds down a brief afternoon acoustic set at Asbury Lanes, a punk rock-themed bowling alley and music venue one block from the Atlantic Ocean in the New Jersey town of Asbury Park. The British singer-songwriter recently stopped by Asbury for a performance to be featured exclusively on Diffuser.fm that included ‘Say Goodbye’ and a cover of the Cure’s ‘A Forest,’ both tunes from a recently released, eponymously titled split single.

Barker, who later that day launched an eight-date Stateside trek, is referring to her entire music career, but her words could best describe the synchronicity of her current situation as a solo artist. Barker was grateful to recruit violinist Chloe Lander and guitarist Yul Desai to back her in time to record her latest solo album, last year’s warmly received ‘Seagull,’ and the duo is still around a year later supporting her on the road.
Barker may best be known for her work with Zero 7, the British downtempo duo that scored its biggest hit to date with the sultry, slow-burning jam ‘Destiny.’ Barker co-wrote and sang alongside Sia Fuller on that tune and several others from ‘Simple Things,’ the group’s breakthrough 2001 debut. She continued recording with Zero 7 on 2004’s ‘When It Falls’ and branched out for collaborations with a host of other artists in the intervening years before issuing her solo debut, ‘Earthbound,’ in 2006.
“I think there’s similarities and obviously there are differences in that I’ve now been able to write a whole album that I’ve been in control of in terms of emotions and the energy of it,” Barker tells Diffuser.fm when comparing her past collaborative work with the freedom of continuing solo with ‘Seagull,’ which mixes the eclectic influences of folk, trip-hop and even Motown into one coherent whole. “The things I’ve done with Zero 7 — the writing [process] is the same but the production is slightly different, and then of course we’ve all got quite a lot of ’70s influences.”
So, what inspired a band steeped in the sounds of the ’70s to cover one of the definitive bands of the ’80s in the form of the Cure’s ‘A Forest?’ “The sounds are amazing, the band is amazing, Robert Smith’s got an incredible voice [and] they write amazing songs,” says Barker. “I love singing it because it just reflects a different part of me.”

Watch Sophie Barker Perform ‘Say Goodbye’

Watch Sophie Barker Perform the Cure’s ‘A Forest’

 

http://diffuser.fm/sophie-barker-performs-say-goodbye-covers-the-cures-a-forest-in-asbury-park-exclusive-videos/

free mp3 from 6 xo artists!

grab them here:
 http://www.xopublicity.com/xofreesingles.html

Age Sex Occupation ALBUM REVIEW

Daniel Weiskopf is the CEO and chief songwriter of Age/Sex/Occupation (their friends probably refer to them as ASO). He plies his trade on vocals and keyboards as part of a post-urban-dance/art rock trio that aspires to be 70s/80s throwback white soul, and actually winds up being more than that. Although “Dirty Isn’t Dirty” is a little forced and comes across as slightly pandering, they immediately redeem themselves with the next song: “The Day I Ignored Street Signs.” They bust out the keyboards big time on “Hide And Seek” and there’s some strong female vocal action by Nicole Berke on this bouncy anti-love song. “Zombie” is quality work and energetic for a song named after the undead, and “Volcano” is pretty damn good as well. I’m not wild about their funny name, but who the hell am I? Disregard that. They got it going on. As you were.

http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/reviews-cfcf-john-singer-sergeant-frank-lenz

Album Review - The Memorials "Delirium"

Just a year ago I reviewed the incredibly exciting debut album from The Memorials. The self-titled disc was a challenging first listen, full of complex arrangements and progressive approaches to what heavy music can sound like. It truly was a unique album, one that I would not have imagined would be easy to top. After just a year's time, The Memorials are set to release their sophomore disc, Delirium. I've been listening to an advance copy of it for a few weeks now and I must say...

...this album is even better than their first one. Fans of loud music and intricate song structures will find much to enjoy within its notes. The band explores elements of fusion and jazz even further than on their first outing and blend it so incredibly well with their heavy sound.

This is not an album you casually listen to. Don't put it on as background sound because you are doing yourself a disservice. Put on some headphones to enjoy the subtleties or play it loud through your sound system. Either way, don't just listen, but listen to it and you will begin to understand why The Memorials are as good as they are. As I did a track-by-track break down of their first album, it only makes sense to do it again. So on to track one, where right from the start, Thomas Pridgen throws convention right out the window.

"Dream (Future Perfekt Remix)" - You have to have all the confidence in the world and huge brass ones to open your sophomore disc with a remix of a song from your debut album. The Memorials pull it off in style with Mitchell Wilcox' Future Perfekt remix of "Dream". The track swerves across the EDM map from D+B to Dubstep but does so in excellent fashion. This is not a throwaway mix meant as B-side filler.



"Fluorescent's Unforgiving" - This song feels like it could have been the opener, but again, props to The Memorials for thinking outside the box. Viveca Hawkins goes from dropping lyrics like a pro to dishing out potent urban spoken word for good measure without missing a beat. The chorus is haunting and beautiful amidst the angst ridden message. A jazz trumpet at the bridge takes the piece in a wholly unique direction, followed by an acoustic guitar breakdown and Hawkins vocalizing in a Middle Eastern/Goa style, until the heavy riffs punch you in the face on the out. 



"Gone" - A computerized percussion assault opens this one, quickly shifting to a live drum and funky wah pedal guitar attack held together with an all to underused organ line. It is a curious mix of 70's funk and hard rock. Nick Brewer is melting faces and strings with his relentless riffing throughout the song and Viveca Hawkins' vocals, especially in the chorus will remain stuck in your head right alongside it. 

"Heavyweight" - Here is a slice of metallic jazz fusion you had no idea you wanted to hear. This one has a cleaner tone and trademark Viveca Hawkins multitracked vocals, which are just as key to The Memorials sound as the instruments themselves. Hawkins has a truly distinctive singing style, one that needs more ears to hear her. 

"Daisies" - A love song positively dripping in 80s metal riffage. The melodic guitar open slams into a heavier version of itself backed by a syncopated rhythm. Hawkins rocks a great vocal against Thomas Pridgen's pounding drums and Nick Brewer's six string. On its surface, this one seems much more straight forward and less progressive, but listen specifically to Thomas Pridgen's masterful stick work to reveal what is driving this song. 

"Delirium" - If by this point on the album you aren't convinced Thomas Pridgen is one of the best drummers currently active then obviously you weren't listening close enough. What starts as seemingly an in the pocket performance similar to the previous song, branches out with some wicked snake charmer riffing from Nick Brewer and a killer, drum powered breakdown at the bridge. Again, props to Thomas Pridgen for his subtle use of organ tones.

"So Anti Me" - With a heavy beat bordering on mosh inducing, Pridgen goes positively off the deep end, playing enough drums for three songs yet holding it all together and never drifting into drum noodling territory. Further use of an organ adds a nice extra tone to the track. The song downshifts into torch song jazz lounge mode and it totally works. This is another example of actively listening being a better experience. The piece further develops into just a throbbing bass line backing Hawkins as it pulses to a close.

"Mr. Entitled" - Running nearly 12 minutes, this is an epic way to close the album. Every note from The Memorials' play book is here: heavy riffage, masterful drumming, Hawkins in full effect and unexpected but deftly executed shifts into a jazzier space. A well placed flute accents the second section quite nicely. It runs back to heavy and then into a jazz realm again before an eye-popping synth bridge that I would love to hear more from The Memorials on album number three. Another furious, heavy assault and the piece ends on soft synths and a sax solo from Adrián Terrazas-González, who played with Pridgen in The Mars Volta. For an extended length song, it certainly does not feel overly long and the 12 minutes passes all too quickly.

Much like their debut album, I've enjoyed Delirium more with each successive spin, plus each song gets progressively better as you listen. So, for anyone who continually bemoans the "death of the album," I will counter with this.

If you are a fan of loud music, performed with artistry and passion but perhaps most importantly doesn't sound like anything else out there, get yourself a copy of The Memorials' Delirium to wrap your ears around. And if you have not yet experienced their first album, do yourself a favor and listen to both. Delirium drops on June 5th.
-rick

http://www.atlinernotes.com/2012/05/album-review-memorials-delirium.html

Introducing…Black Pussy

The perfect companion track to our earlier post today about Diarrhea Planet comes in the form of Marijuana from Black Pussy.

Another slightly iffy band name, and another track crying out for the open road, beer, and a bag of weed. This one comes barrelling down the road a whoopin’ and a hollerin’, wearing a shit-eatin’ grin and its anthemic heart firmly on its sleeve. Resistance is futile.

The track comes from forthcoming album On Blonde, out in the autumn, and featuring one of the best sleeves of the year too.

Download Black Pussy – Marijuana mp3 (from On Blonde)

http://madmackerel.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/introducing-black-pussy/

The Memorials - Delirium

The Memorials "Delirium",2012
(Bloodthirsty Unicorn)

Often a mix of various genres doesn’t look good on paper but can still sound great. Take Faith No More for example, their fusion of heavy metal, funk, hip-hop, and progressive rock sounds like the worst concept in the universe on paper however the band themselves are great. Similar to Faith No More, The Memorials are also San Francisco dwellers. The Memorials feature drummer, Thomas Pridgen, who was once in the MARS VOLTA and that alone correctly suggests unpredictability for the group’s song structures and a drummer who bangs the rhythm out hard and steady with the sticks.

The band combine hip hop rhythms combined a no-nonsense garage rock approach although there is an interlude where a brass section lays a downbeat jazzy vibe amongst the angst in “Flourescent’s Unforgiving”. In the song, the band lyrically take on the American prison system using free labour and the illegality of the growth of a sometimes medicinal herb. Funky bass rythms blare out in “Gone” as the soothing soulful voice of Vivecia Hawkens smooths out a smattering of the jagged edges although later in the tune the guitarist suprises due to an allowed permit to go wild. Deceptively “Daisies” starts out like an all to familiar radio rock song but then Hawkins sings in the fashion of the Throwing Muses, Kirstin Hersh and is able convince that she genuinely is sorting out her lovelife by picking the petals off flowers. Deftones style nu-metal weighs heavily in the title track but the band’s potpourri of colliding sounds ensures that there is much more for the listener to be dragged in by with soul and progressive rock all hanging out the bait. “Heavyweight” carries a Mike Tyson punch with steady drumming right through and the soul crooning belies the rock layered underneath until concluding with a strong self-assurance. The close to twelve minutes “Mr Entitled” ensures that the song’s duration doesn’t equate tto edium owing to the band constantly surprising.

Often listening to “Delirium” is akin to peeling an onion with multiple layers underneath. A quirky catchiness mirrored with unpredictability provides the often-lengthy songs with an easy listenability. The vocal talents of Vivecia Hawkins are definitely a huge part of the band’s sound with her ability to provide smooth sultry vocals and then rapidly seethe with rage. It’s tough to pick a highlight or a lowlight on “Delirium” as all the tunes are equally electrifying. Those that need a change from their Bellrays albums will find similar yet far gruntier tunes with this album. I haven’t heard The Memorials’ first album but if it’s of the same merit then ownership is mandatory.

5/5

www.thememorialsmusic.com
The memorials on facebook
The small takeover on facebook

http://smalltakeover.blogspot.com/2012/05/memorials-delerium2012-bloodthirsty.html

New video of the day: ‘Every Night’ by the Family Curse

The Family Curse

Every Night by the Family Curse by Joseph Seuferling or JZAR:
Video and free digital download for “Every Night” by The Family Curse. Track is part of a split 7″ release with blackQueen on Fainting Room Collective. Free download of the entire album available here. 
JZAR says:
Video is directed and produced by Iosis Media. Both bands are from Seattle.
I wanted to give the video to “Every Night” a kind of weird, retro, public access tv feel to capture the rawness of the music.
 The song speaks to me of relationship troubles and emotional intensity, so there was no question that we needed to do a live performance that ignored the narrative and was only subtext.
 I thought, if sound is the soul of form, then The Family Curse just gives birth to mutants. Various sized mutants that crawl all over you.
So… I decided to portray them as archetypes on a psilocybin-fueled schizo-trek, but also like condiments on an inedible haunch.
 The video explores themes of:
1. Psychological weather
2. An interior world inhabited by disassociated projections, both paralytic and in flux.
3. A testimony of encroaching danger.
4. Loss – this is reflected visually as in a loss of data, a glitch, the skipping around of a scratched cd or laser disc.
There is certainly a menacing undercurrent, but also elements of humor. I feel this accurately reflects the band members who are all artistic geniuses, but extremely approachable.

http://oregonmusicnews.com/2012/05/24/new-video-of-the-day-every-night-by-the-family-curse/

White Orange serve fresh-squeezed doom rock

Sep

You know what I always found odd? I don’t like oranges, but I like orange-flavored things. Orange soda, orange drink, orange candy, orange cake, orange gum. All good stuff. The actual orange? Not so much.
I’m not sure I’m going to get the Vitamin C I’m missing by listening to the new, self-titled full-length from Portland doom rockers White Orange, but I’m sure willing to find out. Actually, my guess would be if anything of substance were to affect my body because a White Orange album was playing, it probably wouldn’t be all that good for me, if you catch what I mean. You do.

Anyhow, I’ve had my hands on their debut, that is just getting ready for release, for a few months now, and it’s been a bit of a strange trip for me. First few times with it I was OK with the music, but it didn’t quite resonate. I returned a few weeks later, and something about it caught fire with me, and now I’m spending a lot of time with the record. Part of this could be I now have a better pair of headphones, and all of the psychedelic color is coming at me full force. It’s a record that’s all over the map, as you can hear strains of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Dinosaur Jr., the glammed-out David Bowie era, really early Soundgarden and Mudhoney, and so much more. It’s kind of doomy at its base, but it swings. It has a lot of pre-grunge-explosion-era Seattle in the guitar work and melodies, and the vocals are clean and smooth, but with a snarl and attitude. It’s a really cool approach that, while it draws on many camps for the formula, sounds pretty unique compared to many of today’s bands of the same ilk. I could see these guys winding up on Tee Pee Records at some point.

The songs rock pretty hard, but calling them straight-up metal is a bit of a stretch. Still, I think for those who like, say, The Sword, High on Fire and even a band like Baroness could find plenty to enjoy on this disc. The nine-track effort opens on a gnarly, stoner-friendly note with “Where,” the song most likely to get you into a full-on brawl at one of their shows. Not that we condone that kind of thing. “Color Me Black” has a bit of an ominous feel initially, with a dark, almost Danzig-like lead-in, before it melts into a sludgy groove, with Dustin Hill settling into a Josh Homme-like croon; “Dinosaur Bones” has that early ’90s indie rock slide, like it could have been something on the “Singles” soundtrack, and is one of the catchiest songs on here; “Kill the Kids” is dark, abrasive and almost hardcore-minded; and dreamy ballad “Sigourney Weaver” closes the disc on a trippy, honey-dripped note that keeps ringing out in your head after it’s over.

White Orange are like a fresh-squeezed glass of doom rock, with chewy pulp and a kick. It’s a great rock record, front to back, in an era when those things are growing increasingly rare. The songs are a blast and might even get you digging back into your dusty cassette collection from an era when the term “alternative rock” existed and when stoner metal was a drop of water on the floor and not an ocean of a genre.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/whiteorangeband
To buy the album, go here: http://whiteorange.bandcamp.com/releases
For more on the label, go here: http://madeinchinarecords.com/

Ears Wide Open: The Janks

L.A. rockers the Janks have stuffed a whole lot of rock history into their sack full of tunes “Hands of Time” (out Sept. 27) — so much, in fact, their debut album threatens to split at the seams. Classic rock, sprawling glam-tinged arrangements, shimmering balladry, blues stomps, lovingly twangy folk: The Janks’ principals, brothers Zack and Dylan Zmed along with Garth Herberg, cover a lot of geography in their meditations on youth and its waning. “Dead Man,” with its Sin City chorus, may be what the Janks do best, but the blues blast “Demon Dance,” the classic rock freakout in “Rat Racers” and the slow burner “Billy the Kid” reveal an admirable range in a bunch of guys who aren’t afraid to experiment.

||| Download: “Dead Man” via the Pop Up Live page on Facebook, where the Janks are among 50 L.A. bands offering free downloads.

||| Live: The Janks celebrate their album release with a show Sept. 22 at the Bootleg Theater.
||| Watch: After the jump, check out the video for “Dead Man”:


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sickkkkkk picture disc! WHITE ORANGE

WHITE ORANGE: :

 

 

“…And This Is Why I Speak to You in Parables” : 12”

Thick vinyl picture disk with trippy, quasi-religious art. Side A: One thirteen-minute psychedelic metal song that alternates between hardcore slowbuilds and cool desert rock. The song carries the long run time well. It’s focused without being monotonous and dynamic without being scattered. Side B: Five-minute edit of Side A, for when you’re smoking a one hitter instead of a bowl.

–CT Terry (Made In China, madeinchinarecords.com)

http://www.razorcake.org/record-reviews/white-orange-and-this-is-why-i-speak-to-you-in-parables

Stephanie Schneiderman, “River Stone”

http://popdose.com/new-video-stephanie-schneiderman-river-stone/

New Video: Stephanie Schneiderman, “River Stone”

On Portland-based songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman’s new release, Rubber Teardrop, there is an almost instant realization that it is the perfect blend of two very different artists who have found their collective voice. A fluid recording that seamlessly combines the synthetic and organic into a single powerful compilation, Rubber Teardrop plays like an epic movie soundtrack, at once evocative, entertaining and dramatic, even mesmerizing at times. In fact, it is difficult to imagine that she hasn’t always been an emerging international electronic artist.

The Memorials' Delirium on CD

The first track on the new album from The Memorials might throw you. Titled "Dreams," it's fairly typical pop diva stuff, slick and over-produced, something that might come from any one of a dozen chart-topping pseudo-icons. It even plays that ubiquitous deep-bass synthesiser bend over and over, probably the same one that's sampled gratuitously in the trailer for the new Katy Perry concert movie (which I was subjected to when I saw The Hunger Games last month). I almost yanked Delirium out of the CD player and moved to the next album in the stack.

It's all a ruse, however. The Memorials consist of singer Viveca Hawkins, who usually sings with the likes of Cee Lo Green and The Coups, and Thomas Pridgen, who is best known as the drummer for The Mars Volta. Nick Brewer, who attended the Berklee College of Music along with Hawkins and Pridgen, rounds out the trio with his guitars. Let that sink in a little--prog metal meets R&B diva? What does that sound like? Exactly what you expect it does--manic, mean, edgy and very, very experimental, all with a big helping of soul. Once you get past that orphan of an opening cut, Delirium kicks in like an angry mofo, a thrilling hybrid idea, bolstered by Pridgen's truly phenomenal drumming and programming skills.

This is second album for the Memorials; their 2010 self-titled debut and its follow-up tour in 31 cities garnered them quite a following. With their sophomore release they're trying to accomplish something more confident and chaotic at the same time, the proverbial wall of noise. While this may sound familiar to fans of the Mars Volta, who were musical anarchists who often left their fans behind in a noisy, turbulent wake, the sound of The Memorials is always anchored by Hawkins' lovely yet powerful voice. It's a cross between the gutsy soul of Jill Scott and the straightforward pop sensibilities of Debbie Harry--I challenge you not to be reminded of Blondie at least once during Delirium. It's not obvious, but it's there.

As thoroughly as this album rocks--and most of the cuts are so epic in length that they will wear you out--I'm still perplexed by "Dreams." The rest of Delirium is so very consistent from the grinding rhythms of "Fluorescents" to the flute and keyboard flourishes of the closing cut, "Mr. Entitled." ("I'm So Anti-Me," the penultimate track, starts off much softer and more acoustic than the rest of the songs, but it does make more sense relative to the whole--especially when it gets going.) "Dreams" sounds like it belongs on another album, that the sound mixers at the studio put someone else's track in by mistake. So if you get this album, and I recommend that you do, either jump ahead to track 2 to avoid confusion, or go into Delirium complete informed about its contents. Once you get over that opening cut, you'll be amazed at the balls-out energy, the inventiveness and the soul of Delirium.