In Pieces Learning To Accept Silence Escape Artist Records, 2002 "I made a list of everything I wanted to see before I left here. I think I forgot to put you on it.' While I had nothing to do at work today, I decided to write a review about this cd. The one thing that instantly caught me about this, was the cover of the album. A picture of where the ocean meets the sky. Very nice cover, with amazing colors. The booklet is laid out very good as well. They use a simple font, but it works out for the better. Lots of light blue colors, which ends up looking great. But, back to the main reason I'm reviewing this cd, the music. It's very reminscent of a pop-punk album, as far as the singing goes. It's rather Fairweather-ish, which isn't a bad thing, I happen to like Fairweather. While the singer may sound like Fairweather, the music itself sounds not too much like them. Not only does it sound a little bit like Fairweather, when he begins to scream it sounds quite a bit like Bane in my mind. When I first heard about this band I thought that they were going to be realy heavy shit. But, I was wrong, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I guess you people would consider this more melodic-hardcore than anything. So, I suggest this album if you're into bands such as Bane, and Fairweather. You may think I'm a moron for using those two as comparisons but I could give a rats ass. Even if you do happen to download them and not like them, the artwork alone is worth the 12 bucks you'll spend on it. I'd rather you spend it on that, than the new Mudvayne anyway. ray ::(1/23/03)

 

Iron & Wine Our Endless Numbered Days ( SubPop, 2004 ) "Papa died Sunday, and I understood. All dead white boys say 'God is good'". So hopefully it won't take all the major publications a year before they (again) confess that Iron & Wine is one of the most promising, delicate & infectious musical outings in the past five decades. 2002's stellar The Creek Drank the Cradle took many by surprise, shooting a much needed burst of fresh air directly through all that has cluttered the polluted music scene since at least the late 1990's. Okay - that may be a little extreme, but damn it sure had seemed like a long, long time since not only were we faced with an artist as honest & talented as Sam Beam, but also since the buying public had given any music outside of the "rock resurection game" a fair chance. The story of Iron & Wine is one to keep the dream alive: middle-class working & family man has a hobby recording his beautiful songs of nostalgia at home, and from time to time trades these tapes with a life-long friend. A handsome number of these songs (2 cds worth?) end up getting onto the hands of the right people who in turn make the right decisions and now we, the people, also have a bit of the magnetism that Sam posseses for ourselves. There is a long and exact version of this story circulating somewhere, and the campfire & marshmallows await. Nearly 2 years worth of touring - and what feels like longer in the waiting - later, we have the proper sophomore release (with The Sea and The Rhythm EP on the way) Our Endless Numbered Days. Like I even thought for one moment that this album was going to dissapoint. Jesus, if your most cherished dream had a soundtrack, this my friend(s) would be it. When I found out that a fair part of this album was going to be recorded by Brian Deck [Engine Studios], there was an instant "excited-yet-sad" moment. Brian Deck is a name I associate with many of my favorite artists (Modest Mouse, wheat), but how would Iron & Wine benefit from recording outside of the self-produced, homemade environment we have previously heard? That questionability came to a rest as soon as Our Endless Numbered Days began - opening track On Your Wings has been in the Iron & Wine live rotation for quite some time ("God there is gold hidden deep in the ground"), you may remember the thumping bass drum that caught you by surprise in it's final minute. That's exactly where an "actual" studio comes into respect - Sam has grown musically with the addition of percussion and a number of talented (tour supporting) musicians. No need to fear that the sound we have come to know has been replaced, for "Naked As We Came" is a track that is all Sam Beam. That delicate guitar and hushed vocals stream a tale of two lovers and the fate of one passing before the other. Simply put, it is a track that by itself could have been placed in between any track on Creek and would fit seamlessly. "Teeth in the Grass" is a welcome and equally strange little composition, very reminiscent of a long-lost Califone track with it's twisted imagery, "there will be food in our mouths / there will be teeth in the grass", and sparse banjo & drum arrangements. The pictures it will sketch in your mind alone prove that Sam is one of todays finest song craftsmen. Another song many will recognize from the past (2003) tour, "Each Coming Night" plays like a great friend returning from a long absence to spend the rest of time right beside you. "Free Until They Cut Me Down" is one of a few select tracks that truly encompasses the entire band sound: full drums, banjo and guitar all played in union most certainly benefitted album-wise from time in a proper studio. How can you not instantly fall in love with a track like "Sodom, South Georgia"? While quite possibly the most somber track Endless.. has to offer (much like "Upward Over the Mountain" from The Creek), it contains some of the most intelligent & thoughful lyrics you will find on any album this year. With a pleasant "less-is-more" approach, Our Endless Numbered Days could not dissapoint any fan of Beam's previous work, but can only find faith in new listeners. Blessed be the Iron & Wine. kaleb ::(02.20.04) :.:::... interview from 10.03 :::. . .. .

 

 

iron and wine Tour EP ( Patchwork ); 2002 This 6-track gem is hand labeled, CD-R formatted, and 110% beautiful. I saw these folks opening for Ugly Casanova earlier this year at the Cat's Cradle, and the performance was so delicate that singer Sam Beam had to ask the rambunctiuous audienece to "quiet down" so that he could be heard. I was so amazed by the performance that I made my way to the merchandise table to find out all they had for sale was this homemade ep for $5, and a very wise buy it was. There has been quite a buzz about Iron and Wine, as they have since released their full-length debut 'The Creek Drank The Cradle' on SubPop to very high praise. These songs pave the way to the equally impressive debut, and continue in the same vein of delicately hushed vocals, gently plucked guitars and an acoustic banjo not far in the distance. Truly one of the best finds in my collection for the year that was 2002. Track Listing: 1. sea and the rhythm 2. jesus the mexican boy 3. red dust 4. someday the waves 5. overhead 6. dead man's will kaleb. 11.01.02

 

ISIS Panopticon ( IPECAC ) 2004 A few years back I went out to see the Tossers, a fun Irish punk band play here in DC. They were opening for this band I had never heard of before called Mastodon, and I stuck around for maybe two of their songs because I couldn't stop laughing and the hairy, seven-foot tall dudes standing around me didn't seem to appreciate my attitude. Looking back I wish I had stayed; Mastodon is clearly doing quite well and their fellow post-metal acolytes, Isis, seem to have carved out one of the best post-rock albums of the year. It just happens to be turned up to 11. Panopticon monolithic opener, "So Did We," deserves to be turned up. It doesn't matter how high your receiver is set or how much your ears are bleeding, that song needs to be louder. It's also pretty indicative of the album in its scope. This is not to say the album is by any means formulaic. Rather, the thing is just HUGE. The understated strings on "In Fiction" build slowly, never really exploding in the way you want them to, while the fantastic "Wills Dissolve" moves away from the climactic nature of post-rock to a more technically focused approach to melody. And then "Syndic Calls" dissolves your brain with its high devil horns factor. Panopticon deserves a lot of listens. The guitar work is fantastic, and sinking my teeth into a record of such epic scale is one of those joys of music fandom that I've come to really enjoy. Even if the rest of the fans are seven feet tall and hairy. Peter 01.09.05

 

It Dies Today Froever Scorned ( life sentence ) 2002 These cats is bad dude, bad breakdowns and errrrythang'... nah, seriously, this band slays my mom with her own kitchen knives. I figured it'd be some typical, "jud jud jud reeeeee" metalcore-icameoutin1998-band but... i guess you could say i was fooled. First off, these guys are from Buffalo, NY which gives them some points because i liked buried alive, etid, and kid gorgeous. I found their first demo to be good but pretty repetitive. The new EP contains one song from the demo called "Blood Stained Bedsheet Burden." This song is really heavy and is pretty all the same due to the singing at the end of the track. A lot of this EP is pretty up-to-date metal along with these brutal breakdowns that are slow and make you want to throw spinkicks in slow motion. Each track is pretty versatile but always sticking to catchy metal riffs and slow breakdowns. The singing on tracks like "The Requiem for Broken Hearts" displays the bands emotional feel as well with their ability to belt out notes like they're getting paid for it. All in all, if you're into metalcore and like it when it's done right and captures everything, buy this EP, it's eight bucks. We all know you're not poor because you're reading this review using a computer. "you booze you lose punk" corey ::(1/23/03)