So if you didn’t know Franz Ferdinand is back and, after about a four year hiatus, has finally put out a new album entitled: “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand.” Now back in the day, if any of you remember 2004/5 that is, I really liked Franz Ferdinand. They were another Brit Pop invasion band (well technically Scottish, but who keeps track of that stuff) with attitude and style with that high and tight twangy sound that the kids loved back then. This was the era of reformed garage bands like The Hives and Kaiser Chiefs and others. But it’s a new age of music and has Franz kept up?
The answer would probably be yes, another case of an older band growing up with the times. The base of their new album is, well, very Franz but they sprinkled a little of what the kids like these days. Like a lil keyboard electro-dance rock. But when you peal that away and actually listen to the band you realize that they haven’t lost a step in their time off. It’s poppy and aggressive, and swinging and shouty, and raw on some tracks. Everything you like to find in a UK band really. I was afraid at first when I popped into the ol’ CD player that it would come out over produced, or fake. Something that Simon Cowell would invent in his basement. I was worried that since they’ve been underground for so long that they would need some hot shot producer to come in and mix it all up turning them into a band that they just weren’t. But again I was presently surprised and very pleased with the results. I mean, I better be good considering they’ve been working on it since 2007.
The band hits the states this year on April 13th up in Seattle and the closest they’ll get to San Diego is this year’s Coachella Valley music and Arts Festival on the 17th of April. I do believe that Franz Ferdinand will return to the lime light with great success. I mean come one, they’re featured on an iPod commercial, and we all know what that can do for your musical career.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Local Band- The Old In Out.
Ok. The Old In Out. They are…..a band. A band of the rock punkish variety. They have a singer, a couple guitarists, drummer and bassist. The songs are….ok, they’ve got some click………ok The Old In Out sound like every other San Diego dive bar punk band around. Yes they can get the kids hopping around after they’ve had a few but is there really anything special about them? If there is I just can’t find it. I guess if you had to put it some way they’re a bunch of really nice guys who play in a band and gig around the city. They’ve got a fan base of lil indie punk rock kids with they’re tattoos showing and nerd glasses on with they’re thick beards or "Vintage" garb on.
After getting a hold of their music I gave it a good listen for a few weeks. At first I liked them, they seemed to have a pretty good vibe around the, but then I was poking around myspace and switching out some other local band CDs and realized it’s the same. And that kind of made me a bit depressed. When I look for a good local band to get my feet off the ground I’m looking for their signature, the little thing in the music that makes you say, “F**k Yeah Man!” But I couldn’t find it in this particular instance. If you stack them to some of the really good local punkers and rockers that are blowing up or have already made local rock gods status you can probably see what I’m talking about. Bands like The Creepy Creeps, Wild Weekend, Scarlet Symphony and so forth. They’ve all got an act, they’ve all got a sound, and they’ve got something memorable about them. Something that keep you from saying “yeah there was a band playing that night, who were they again?” Vice “Yeah man, *insert band name* were freaking crazy.”
But I digress and to sum it up The Old In Out are decent. They may even have potential if they pull together and find something to help them stand apart. Again they aren’t bad, they have a pretty decent live performance they just have some room to grow and soul searching to do in my opinion. And as we like to say around the office, we know someone out there’s gotta like em.
After getting a hold of their music I gave it a good listen for a few weeks. At first I liked them, they seemed to have a pretty good vibe around the, but then I was poking around myspace and switching out some other local band CDs and realized it’s the same. And that kind of made me a bit depressed. When I look for a good local band to get my feet off the ground I’m looking for their signature, the little thing in the music that makes you say, “F**k Yeah Man!” But I couldn’t find it in this particular instance. If you stack them to some of the really good local punkers and rockers that are blowing up or have already made local rock gods status you can probably see what I’m talking about. Bands like The Creepy Creeps, Wild Weekend, Scarlet Symphony and so forth. They’ve all got an act, they’ve all got a sound, and they’ve got something memorable about them. Something that keep you from saying “yeah there was a band playing that night, who were they again?” Vice “Yeah man, *insert band name* were freaking crazy.”
But I digress and to sum it up The Old In Out are decent. They may even have potential if they pull together and find something to help them stand apart. Again they aren’t bad, they have a pretty decent live performance they just have some room to grow and soul searching to do in my opinion. And as we like to say around the office, we know someone out there’s gotta like em.
The Deadly Syndrome- The Ortolan
Innocent. Really innocent sounding. At least that’s what comes to mind when I listen to The Deadly Syndrome’s debut album, “The Ortolan.” Starting out with the ping of a small piano sound the likes of a children’s song and breaking in with some whiny yet soothing vocals is all something just so pleasant. It’s weird because you can compare them to other sounds from other bands but at the same time you can’t because they’ve got such a “put together-ness” about them that you’d swear they were the original. Not quite that California country happy sound like The Elected, but not quite the acoustic mellow yet happily depressing sounds of Death Cab and all mixed with other accent sounds and melodies. It really is fantastic. All this coming off Dim Mak Records, the guys who brought you Foreign Born, Sean Na Na, Whitey and others.
Consisting of Christopher Richard with vocals, William Etling on guitar, Jesse Hoy on drums and Michael Hughes on keys the four of these guys apparently put on quite the rock show for their style of music. Granted it’s not all melodic soothing music, a few of the tracks are very much the head banger sway back and forth genre. The album all in all is well rounded and progressively phenomenal, starting out like stated, something out of a children’s book read with piano in the background and ending with an all out keys and noise big sound boom at the temple of some 1980s video game. It really is outstanding and definitely something you and your children and your children’s children should check out. Keep a look out for these guys. Oh and keep an eye out for Mustachio.
Consisting of Christopher Richard with vocals, William Etling on guitar, Jesse Hoy on drums and Michael Hughes on keys the four of these guys apparently put on quite the rock show for their style of music. Granted it’s not all melodic soothing music, a few of the tracks are very much the head banger sway back and forth genre. The album all in all is well rounded and progressively phenomenal, starting out like stated, something out of a children’s book read with piano in the background and ending with an all out keys and noise big sound boom at the temple of some 1980s video game. It really is outstanding and definitely something you and your children and your children’s children should check out. Keep a look out for these guys. Oh and keep an eye out for Mustachio.
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