Hello again.

Hey everyone--
I guess you could say this blog has officially been "launched" (or at least Facebook-statused); however, it is and will continue to be edited almost obsessively, and please bear with me while I get any kinks worked out and continue to work on material...

Please notice that I have added links to Hello Victor's and The Rock and the Hive's album reviews where you can download their stuff for free; I will continue to do this whenever possible. As you have noticed if you have read anything on here they are definitely both worth a listen, and I'm expecting to hear some great new stuff as I search for new local music...

One more thing: BANDS... please send any review requests and info to magicxhour@yahoo.com
Thanks again...
--thejunkie

The Rock and the Hive: [Untitled EP] (review)

With an untitled EP released through Anjuno, The Rock and the Hive crafts some of the most fun indie I've heard locally in a long time. This EP weaves feel-good mellow rock and stoner-indie, reminiscent at times of everyone from Silversun Pickups and the Shins to Rod Stewart and the Pumpkins' more mellow stuff. While this album doesn't take a lot of risks musically and sounds a little... "familiar," TRATH (?) have a sound that is so damn agreeable, it makes it hard to hold it against them. The road-trippy first track, "Icharus Roadmaps," has a that catchy, head-bobby toe-tappiness that I love... and after that, I was pretty much hooked. Though they are at no point "edgy," they do, eventually, delve into slightly less-sunny places, notably on the sober, sullen "Three By Three:" bookended by an ambient intro and outro, the song itself seems to emerge from a noisy fog, unfolding and eventually disappearing back into it, in a way that feels magically lucid.

They even play the country-indie card on "(Untitled)" (wtf guys? start naming stuff) and even then I can't get mad at them... The Rock and the Hive are one of those bands who have created a sound that you can wake-n-bake to and listen to with your grandma with equal comfort and appropriateness. Their noncontroversial versatility seems to be working out for them: TRATH have gained a noticeable local following, and even landed a gig with U.K. act the Arctic Monkeys (along with fellow K-zoo band Dead Scene Radio) in September.

While this album breaks little ground, the Rock and the Hive pull it off with fluent musicianship and lyrics that are thoughtful without coming off as brooding... As far as four-track demos go, they pretty much nailed it. More, please?
-thejunkie

[Download at http://www.anjuno.com/profile/therockandthehive]

Hello Victor: 1623 [EP] (review)

Kalamazoo's short-lived indie band fairvue (2007) has apparently reassembled with a new take on the genre. Their EP, "1623," released online, contains a surprising range of sounds: the Brand New- rendered emo of the band's former incarnation with newfound sophistication. The result is something that comes of as classic indie-emo with a hint of pop sensibility. The EP's opener, "Really Me," is unabashedly radio-conscious, with a memorable riff and an explosive chorus that feels almost too big for the song; led by the confident-sounding guitar and shimmering, cymbal-driven percussion, it is overinflated by the overzealous vocal line; the contrast between the grandeur of the music and the impassioned vocals in this song should be-- and almost are-- appealing, but in this case the two elements seem to compete, and the resulting sound is a little anxious. Similarly, the inexplicably-titled "Beer 30," contains vocals so over-exertive, even listening to it is exhausting.

This band experiments with fusing different genres into their sound, most succesfully on the EP's highlight, "Put Your Head On Straight," a surprisingly unpretentious blend of Hello Victor's own unique brand of indie with near-ironic E Street camp. Overall, the result is a refreshingly present, conscious- sounding record. The EP simply sounds like a young band's first EP should sound: cautious and slightly underdeveloped, but well-meaning and with the grass roots of good things. They seem to be finding a reconciliation between the band's creative past and what sounds like a desire to reinvent themselves. It seems like we can expect good things from Hello Victor: with their already- solid stance within the Kalamazoo music scene, a little direction might be all they need to hone their sound.

Regardless, word on the street is that Hello Victor is/ will be signed to an indie label. So we'll see what happens...
-thejunkie

[Download at http://www.anjuno.com/profile/hellovictor]

Kings of Leon: Only By The Night (review)

Like everybody else this side of 2009, I can't seem to escape "Use Somebody," the single from Kings of Leon's sophomore effort, "Only By The Night." Constantly sandwiched cozily between Taylor and Miley on the Top 20 Charts, it seemed that the bratty, brawing Followill Family Band behind 2007's "Because of the Times" had joined the ranks of rock'n'roll sugar-coaters and water-downers. Not so. "Only By The Night" is a pleasant step forward from their decent, but somewhat archaic debut. One spin of "Only By The Night" and every screechy, angsty echo from "Because of the Times" melted into a comfortable swirl of confident, grown-up rock: this time around, driven by dreamy, haunting guitar riffs. "Only By The Night" harnesses frontman Caleb Followill's out-of-control and sloppy vocals from the first record, producing a blues-y croon that complements perfectly the Kings' unique blend of classic, garage and indie rock: passionate, longing vocals soaring high above the sullen, no-nonsense rock below, flowing as thick and heavy as Tennessee moonshine.

TVJ Pick: "Crawl:" A quintessential bar jam, "Crawl" seems destined for singlehood. Distorted bass trudges over lazily-hypnotic drums, with a hyper, Jack White-esque guitar hook taking over before melting into a smooth, bluesy chorus.

-thejunkie