Our friends over at 1912 Records are really doing some cool stuff. Last year they released this album Snakepit by Tucson, AZ band Blues. The very cool beer-colored vinyl initially caught my attention, so I picked it up. The album artwork is equally as awesome, with the faith healers without faces, the full insert with photos and lyrics, etc. Such great packaging.
Musically, these dudes take that Botch metal-hardcore template that’s been the rage for the last decade, and they throw in some seriously great Unsane-esque riffs, lots of Helmet-style start-stop dynamics, and tons of those beefy Clutch riffs that give it an almost Southern Rock swagger. Unlike so much of the heavy stuff I hear these days, this record seriously rocks. They throw tons of furious riffs at you without relying on ridiculous time signatures, and there are no chuggy palm mutes or goofy melodic parts - really, just some seriously great heavy rock and roll. The production is warm and roomy, but still totally raw, and the vinyl sounds really nice on my stereo.
Another thing that really sets this record apart is the vocals. There’s plenty of throaty screaming, but they mix it up with some really great yelling that reminds me of ATDI or maybe Guy from Fugazi. And there is the occasional distorted vocal and gang yelling, right where you need it. And actually, all the members are credited with vocals along with the main vocalist. So yeah, awesome yelling and screaming all over this thing.
A great record with some great packaging, definitely worth picking up.
Rochester’s The Gifted Children have supposedly recorded over 1,000 songs in the past 12 years. They’ve recently released a backlog of several full-lengths and EPs in an effort to share these songs (and new ones) with the world, Always Stay Sweet being one of the first new long players. “The Straw Brigade” starts off the album with a biting guitar strum, a great vocal melody, and an interesting bass line. The full band kicks in for a big chorus, and the song is over in 60 seconds. Short but definitely sweet. Many of the tracks on this album are just as brief, and the longest is still under three minutes. Short pop songs are nothing new, and while there’s an obvious Guided By Voices, mid-fi, 90’s style indie pop-rock influence to the album, Always Stay Sweet is full of creativity and inspiration. The album has a very full and warm production quality, and a well-crafted variety of tones and instrumentation. No two tracks really sound alike, but the album is surprisingly cohesive. “How Important the Local Creek” is a grungier, darker, farily straight-forward rock song. “The Dancehall Atlantic” is all major-key with acoustic guitars, piano, and a cool drum beat. “Ankle Socks” is a distorted, drum-machine and keyboard-driven track that’s a lot of fun, and barely long enough to be an iTunes sample. “The Genius Of Me” reminds me of Beta Band. “Meeting The Great Bliss Queen” has weird organ sounds and more digital drums that could have been lifted from Music Has The Right To Children. The real gem of the batch is the title track “Always Stay Sweet”, a perfect noise-pop song, with walls of guitar fuzz, reverb, and a sing-along melody. However, the album is a tough sell as a full-length at only 20 minutes and 12 songs. Some of the tracks feel like bits and parts of songs that never got written, and seem to kind of wander before puttering out. And being such a prolific band, I’m wondering why they didn’t include more tracks to fill things out a bit. Still, this is a very impressive release - it would have been a shame for The Gifted Children to keep it to themselves, becuase it deserves to be heard.
Listen to the track “Always Stay Sweet”:
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AMFWPG is a music blog based in Rochester, NY. We feature music that we like and feel like talking about, with a focus on friends, local music, unheard up-and-coming bands, and some Music 2.0 content. If you'd like to get in touch, contact jason [at] amfwpg [dot] com
