Presenting: The Tower and The Fool

It's not often a disc comes along that moves me from start to finish. As I sit here trying to recall, I am hard-pressed to think that the last CD that struck me this hard was The Dangerous Summer's Reach For The Sun. Sure, other releases like Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, Ultra strike me for awhile, but the lasting value in minimal and the songs became just that, songs. They don't carry their emotion from listen to listen throughout the days/months/years.

The Tower and The Fool released their first EP in 2010. Drawing influence from artists like Wilco, Ryan Adams, and Counting Crows, the band pushed forth in 2011 to record their first full-length with ex-Hot Rod Circuit member Mike Poorman on drums, and a few other members covering everything from slide guitar to the ivory. Over the year, they wrote, recorded, and produced what would become their first full-length, How Long, released on Run For Cover Records. With a week of listening under my belt, I can't promise that it will be one of those long lasting CDs like The Dangerous Summer, but after first listen, my heart felt like it did when I first heard Reach For The Sun, which is a good indication that this CD has lasting value for me. So, for clarities sake, I will pencil it in as a lasting listen, but due to time restraint and minimal time with the disc, I won't ink it yet. 

With a dose of Ryan Adams-indie-twang mixed with the feel of The Horrible Crows, lyrical content that is heavily influenced by Adam Duritz, and vocals, at times, reminiscent of AJ from The Dangerous Summer, this disc has won me over. It is one hell of a sad record, but sad in a good way. It's not depressing, it's just heartbreaking. Songs of lost love, songs of anguish, songs of brokenness, songs of relationships. The band has started to gain a notice on absolutepunk, being featured as an ABSOLUTExlusive, gaining praise from staff members and reviewers, and threads filled with listeners who are blown away by the bands work and claiming to as a early candidate for many AOTY lists. I encourage everyone to give this disc a listen from front to back, then again and again and again. It is powerful, and it seems like every new spin, I discover something else golden. Below is a stream of the CD, available courtesy of Bandcamp.

Personal favorites: "Dive Bar", "How Long", "Breach", "Scoliosis", "My Heart is Dead in NYC"

Rize of the Fenix

Stream the new Tenacious D album...

Revisiting: Lights Action

Amidst a week of work travel, I was given time to rediscover some bands that had seen the graveyard that is my iPod. While I constantly load it full of music, i'd estimate only 25% of the stuff actually gets listened too. While sitting on a plane scrolling through my rolodex of lost albums, I stumbled upon one that hasn't been listened too in quite some time. And that feeling of memories flooded back. And I remembered how much Lights Action debut (and to this date only) album impacted me.

The 5-piece British band got their start in the early 2000's, but didn't set the final lineup that would make Lights Action until 2007. In 2007, they released a mini album on British Sony imprint label, Xtra Mile. The early sound of the band never really caught my attention, and only had an average rating from Kerrang! After some time off, enhancing and adjusting their overall direction and sound, and deciding not to release their new work on Xtra Mile, the band started to write and record what would become Welcome to the New Cold World, with a budget of £15k. They sought out help from other recording artists, including Dallas Green (city and colour) and the boys of Canadian fan favorites Moneen. They produced a disc chock full of sound with varying Influences, but there is something for everyone. The band uses anything from piano to organ, to mellotrons, to live strings. With a sound of alternative indie rock in the styling of Death Cab, to stadium rock, to moments of Kings of Leon-esque country rock twang, the band covers it all.

Slowly, the band began to see benefits of their new sound, being hailed the British Arcade Fire by NME, The Daily Record calling their style "epic" and songwriting style along the lines of U2 and Coldplay. The CD was well received by the media, gaining 7/10 from NME, 4/5 from AU Magazine and Narc Magazine, but never really reached the masses as it should have. Here is the opening track, "Moscow", from the 2009 release.

Disconnected

Keane's beautifully shot brand new music video. They're back, everyone!



Just a reminder, the new album, Strangeland is due to be released on May 7th.

Burn It Down

For all those remaining Linkin Park fans out there...



Well, this is at least a lot more interesting than their last album.

Revisiting: Abandoned Pools

While I do not post often, I have decided the majority of my posts for NAW will be revisiting bands from my past that I really enjoyed, but maybe didn't take off like planned. Previously, I took a look at the tremulous career of one Alpha Rev, dubbed one of the next big acts by numerous music biz people, but never got the push they deserve. For this post, i'll revisit the climatic sounds of Abandoned Pools.

The first time I heard Abandoned Pools was in the summer of 2001. Born from the ashes of Tommy leaving his perviously well-known band, The Eels, due to creative differences, Tommy formed a few short-lived bands before focusing on his solo work, later named Abandoned Pools. Humanistic was released in 2001, with the song "The Remedy" being pushed heavily in rotation at rock radio stations around the US. While it was classified as a solo project, many friends of Tommy often helped in the recording and touring process, including Bryan Head (worked with Foreigner, Live, Eddie Vedder, Dave Navarro, and others).

After falling in love with the darkness of "The Remedy", fans were starved of new music for 4 years. Abandoned Pools eventually signed with Universal, released the progressive rock gem Armed to the Teeth. The album had little push from the label, so a few months after its release, Tommy walked away from the label, went on hiatus from Abandoned Pools, and worked on two side projects - alt-rock band Glacier Hiking with Ryan Teddar (of onerepublic fame) and electronic band oliver the penguin - all while working at an Apple Store in California to pass the time and pay the bills. In 2011, he picked Abandoned Pools back up, signed a record deal with Tooth & Nail Records, and is planning the release of a new CD, his first release in 7 years, entitled Sublime Currency. Below are a selection of songs from his two previous LPs, as well as one new song. While Tommy has yet to hit the success many thought Abandoned Pools were capable of, there is one last shot of hope on the horizon for Abandoned Pools, Tommy, and his career under the moniker.

"Waiting To Panic" off of Armed to the Teeth

"Lethal Killers" off of Armed to the Teeth

"The Remedy" off of Humanistic

"Marigold" off the upcoming album Sublime Currency

Weapons

Here we go. Better late than never...

I'm far from what you'd call a typical lostprophets' fan. While I enjoy their debut and sophomore albums enourmously, I actually think they were getting continuosly better with time and that Liberation Transmission and especially The Betrayed are the best showcase of the band's capabilities.

But while on The Betrayed the band successfully stretched their range to both heavier and softer, more melodic sound, Weapons marks a safe return to their comfort zone. Lostprohets find themselves right back where they left once the Liberation Transmission tour was over. It's not necessarily a bad thing, though. Weapons is the closest they've been to Start Something, still the most popular album among their fans, ever since it came out. Needless to say, the fans are generally pleased with the newest effort.

The record takes off with Bring Em' Down, and just like we've come to expect from this band, the first track is also the heaviest. Weapons then races on, hardly ever losing pace (perhaps only in the rapping parts on Better Off Dead) and presenting one anthem after another. The band's pop sensibilities come to display on Heart On Loan or Somedays, while their experimental side shows up on the final track, Can't Get Enough. As usually, the closer doesn't quite fit with the rest of the album musically, which only makes it all the more interesting.



If anything, the album proves one thing. When it comes to writing big, catchy, stadium ready choruses, lostprophets have almost no equals. And they're remarkably consistent. They may never get rid of the 'kerrang band' stigma, but they are driven and there's at least the sense of honesty to everything they're doing. And then, there's the sentimental aspect. Lostprophets were one of the bands that helped to shape my taste in music and thus I tend to look past some of their imperfections. I'll always have a soft spot for them.

You shouldn't by any means miss the deluxe version of Weapons, which contains some great bonus 'Garage Sessions' songs. Especially Safe Yourself would make a killer track, had it been included on the regular edition. And if you want to read a track by track guide to the album by Ian Watkins, head over to NME.com.

Here's to hoping they'll tour the continental Europe someday...

Best tracks: Bring Em' Down, Jesus Walks, Can't Get Enough

Somebody That I Used to Know

I don't know if you've heard this song before or not, but I can't get enough of it! Before this song, I'd never heard of Belgian singer Gotye, but this song came on the radio in my hometown a few weeks ago and I fell in love! The video's a bit weird for my tastes, but I love the song.