Death Cab for Cutie released an album last week called Codes and Keys. While the band is trying new sounds with the album (bassist Nick Harmer was reported as saying in an interview with Stereogum, “We really experimented with piecing the songs together in different ways and using the studio differently, so this is a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before,”) the sound is still distinctively Death Cab for Cutie. In fact, Codes and Keys’ sound is still so distinctively the band’s, one might wonder if there really is much experimentation going on.

But, it is true this is a much less “guitar-centric” album, which makes the melodies much sparser. The melodies on Codes and Keys are almost entirely carried by the vocals alone, while the rest of the instrumentation provides a rich tapestry for Gibbard’s sweet and melancholy voice. There is one notable exception to the lack of guitar-centricity, and interestingly it is the album’s first single. “You Are a Tourist” is the only song on the album that brings back the band’s standard guitar-driven, indie-pop sound.

Another interesting result of dropping the guitar from its place of prominence is the feeling of reflection one gets while listening to the album. All of the songs are missing the youthful bounce and exuberance the guitar would normally bring. Because of this, the album as a whole feels more mature and settled.

Lyrically, Gibbard is still covering the usual existential topics. He has gained a reputation for artfully and sensitively musing about love and life, life and growing old, death and the afterlife. While this subject matter is still all in play, Gibbard shows a shift in perspective and inspiration. His recent marriage to actor/musician Zooey Deschanel has certainly influenced his treatment of songs about love. No longer do we hear lyrics like, “The memories of me will seem more like bad dreams.” Rather, we hear the soaring refrain, “Cause when she sings I hear a symphony, and I’m swallowed in sound as it echoes through me,” from the song “Stay Young, Go Dancing.”

Living in L.A. also seems to be a common theme throughout the album. The song “Home is a Fire” on the surface seems to be about experiencing an earthquake. “Doors Unlocked and Open” references California explicitly, with lyrics about isolation, dotted lines, seas of concrete, and the hope that one day everyone will be able to live with “Doors Unlocked and Open.” In the song “Stay Young, Go Dancing” Gibbard sings about life in the “belly of the beast,” which is a phrase he has used to reference Los Angeles in the past.

Gibbard also is much clearer lyrically on his views of the existence of God and an afterlife. In the past, songs like “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” alluded to his questions and doubts regarding the Orthodox Catholic view of the existence of heaven and hell (Gibbard was raised Roman Catholic). In the song “Unobstructed Views” Gibbard sings, “There’s no eye in the sky…no perfect truths.” In St. Peter’s Cathedral he sings about death, “This is the end, and there’s nothing past this.”

With Codes and Keys, Death Cab for Cutie has released a strong album that shows a band that is maturing both musically and personally. It also shows a band that is still willing to step out and tinker with their sound. Ultimately, Codes and Keys is a nice addition to the band’s catalog and it’s an album that should satisfy longtime fans as well as garner new listeners.

Priory is one of those gems that has come out of the indie rock movement. Hailing from Portland, this four piece (according to their bio) “…includes honest vocal harmonies, some raunchy folk rock, and just a pinch of casiotone”. That’s a fair assessment of their music after listening to their EP Cold Hands. The harmonies are fun and raw, the melodies are inventive, and the keys are used tastefully. With a definite lean to the indie sound Priory doesn’t overkill their raw sound. That is, they don’t just sound like another indie band without limits and trying to be edgy for the sake of being edgy. They have a real sense of what works and what doesn’t and they bring that together well in Cold Hands.

I always like to take some time to highlight some notable tracks and one of those is definitely “Lady of Late”. At first it’s got a Postal Service vibe to it, but it’s done well and any resemblance to Ben Gibbard is a compliment if you ask me. But as the song progresses they add some fun picking electric and change the feel. The breakdown with the real drums is great, plus any addition of the xlyophone (or whatever that is) is fun. It’s a longer song (over five minutes), but you won’t feel it drags. Another great track is “Searching”. The band posted a version of them playing it live that impressed me. The acoustic drive is nice and you really feel the rawness of this band coming out. As well you’ll hear the vocal range along with some good background vocals. It’s kind of a stop and go song with drums coming in and out and I think that adds to the flavor of this band that I don’t hear a lot in others.

Apparently the band has signed a deal with record label called Expunged Records, which actually makes me a little sad. Not because they don’t deserve it, but because I think they could’ve done better. But such is the life of an indie band. Very little money and the hope of opportunity usually seal the deal. I hope it works out well for them and I look forward to the full-length due out in May 2011. I really hope this song is on it.

Follow Priory on Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter.

You can get the Cold Hands EP from Piory’s Bandcamp page. Currently the digital download is $5.

The third installment of Sleeping At Last’s Yearbook project is out this week. December brings another triplet of good songs from a band that just keeps writing songs that make me want to go do something creative. I feared the band would be tired by now or that the songs would lose their freshness, but Ryan and Dan knew what they were getting themselves in to and these new songs are the perfect fit for the month of December.

“Accidental Light” - A little bit of snare roll, some piano and a stretching melody at times, “Accidental Light” is like the light that breaks through a window in the morning. “If it’s all broken mirrors and a chance roll of the dice, then I’ll risk everything for a glimpse of accidental light”. That’s the pretty much the line that sums up this song. I’m still trying to understand what it’s all about lyrically, but it’s definitely a more intense, mid speed song. It always feels like it’s building, but that’s just how the song is arranged on the whole. I would say I like this song, but in general it kind of makes me feel sad, which could be the point?

“From the Ground Up” - The intro reminds me of their song “Unmade” from the Storyboards record, however the song does not. I’m loving the strings that accompany this track. “Right as wrong, soft as snow, it grows and grows, our home sweet home” is really the mantra o this tune. The title lends me to believe this song is about marriage and understanding how a “home” is built, but I could be wrong. Ryan stretches his voice at times, but that’s one of those Sleeping At Last things that I dig—he can hit those notes.

“Snow” - The lyrics to this song are beautiful. I could sum up Sleeping At Last’s lyrics and say they simply have heart. Few bands can say that about their words. It’s a very moving song in my mind and I would love to see it played live. The intensity in the piano and the mentions of It’s A Wonderful Life make it a great ending song for 2010. It’s becoming one of my favorite songs from the Yearbook project thus far.

You can purchase the entireYearbook or just December from Sleeping At Last.

Alchemy is Joe Hedges second solo album and fifth studio release. Hedges was once signed with the band July for Kings on MCA Records and was ultimately lost in the shuffle during MCA’s merger with Geffen Records. Hedges has experienced the music business, and thankfully has continued to release wonderful music.

Alchemy’s first track is appropriately entitled “Magic.” The term alchemy is commonly connected to the idea of “magically” transforming a basic element into gold, but it also conveys the idea of a mixture. Both of these ideas could be used to describe this album. Alchemy is a captivating mixture of acoustic and electronic music that makes you want to both tap your foot and stop to meditate on what you are listening to. Hedges has a knack for writing music that is both catchy and interesting to listen to.

Hedges, throughout Alchemy, alternatingly moves in and out of acoustic and electronic instrumentations, usually within the same song. “I Can Try,” Alchemy’s second track moves effortlessly from acoustic guitar and vocals to building into an electronic motif. “Ladders” is electronic through and through (do you hear that auto-tune?), but features acoustic drums. “Proletarian” is unabashedly and almost heavy-handedly electronic, but “Cicadas,” the very next track, uses acoustic guitar, piano, acoustic drums, and sensitive vocals.

Bottom line, Alchemy is a lovely album that (in my opinion) gets better the more you listen to it. Go check it out!

The last time I listened to The Autumn Film (TAF) was when they released “The Grey EP” for free back in early 2009. I wrote then that I though they were headed in the right direction as a band and was looking forward to future releases from them. Well, one of those releases came and it’s their new full-length album called The Ship and The Sea. The band kindly sent us a copy of the record and as I’ve had the chance to listen to it for the past few days I really keep coming back to it. In a word, the Ship and The Sea is a pretty big record for The Autumn Film and in my mind, pretty fantastic.

Starting off with “Roll Over Me” the album begins very light and airy. The sea theme is very strong throughout the whole record and the opener is a great start. It seems that TAF have done some work with the drums this time around because they feel huge. “Roll Over Me” has a killer minimal hit breakdown bridge that leads to a really fun and big ending. Again, it’s a great start. This leads to “Always The Same” and “Mended”, both of which could be singles. The drums on “Always The Same” stick out to me again. They’ve done a good amount of production here, but it’s well done. “Mended” has become one of my favorite tracks on the album. I love the melody and the subtle drive, and in a word (and not one I use often): it’s epic. It builds perfectly and they haven’t ruined this song (or album for that matter) with too much production–I really think they could handle it live.

I’ve always enjoyed TAF’s songwriting, but I have felt that they’ve always written slower songs. However, this album is definitely not the case. I like the direction they’ve taken here in their speed and quality of each song. Songs like “Ships On The Ocean Floor”, “Follow The Sound”, and “Because We Are” (another favorite) explore an area I don’t think they’ve been in the past. I have a feeling this wasn’t an easy album to write and it took time to really capture it all well, which they have. If I said it before, I’m saying it again: this band is going places. They have matured well and their time playing live and recording together has paid off on this release. I hope this album pays off for TAF and that they start to see a greater following in the next year. I can honestly say that The Ship and The Sea is going to be on repeat for a while.

Follow The Autumn film on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.
Purchase The Ship and The Sea from The Autumn Film’s official site.

It’s the first of the month which means our subscription to Sleeping At Last’s Yearbook project comes in. If you didn’t catch our review of last month’s October EP, be sure and check it out. This month we are greeted warmly with a different mix of songs and it’s just a perfect way to start the month. Let’s take a look track by track:

“Bright & Early” - Sleeping At Last have always been lovers of the piano and the start of this EP is no different. Maybe it’s the title, but there’s no other way for me to think of this song than if the sun were rising on a new day. And for the first time in a long time the electric guitar is back, though only for a short time and tastefully. This track is slow and building until the drums finally break in for a new vibe and direction. It’s good to have the drums back, especially on this song since they’re mixed a little old school style. One critique is the amount of white noise I’m hearing when the vocals enter, but maybe that was on purpose? The song ends a little abruptly for me, but the background vocals are a nice change and I’m not thrown off by what I feel is a rather quick outro.

“Emphasis” - Piano intro and a beautiful melody (as usual). Make no mistake, Ryan and Dan know their strengths and stick with them. But just because many songs are piano and melody driven doesn’t mean that every song sounds the same, because they don’t. “Emphasis” has a soft and flowing drive. It makes me want to watch a movie. I often wonder what they would do if they could visualize these songs because my mind is racing. The background strings to this track are lovely and I’m struck again at they can keep pumping out these songs.

“101010” - Acoustic and shaker intro with some light ukulele. In general there’s just some fun playing on the guitars and uke during this song. The drums are back as well and provide some fun building elements. I really hope we are able to see these guys perform these songs one day, it would be a great date for my wife and me. This song, like the one before it, is just under four minutes and I’m definitely disappointed when it ends. I never feel like there are any dead spots or missing elements to any songs and that’s probably why they are keeping their song length manageable. What else could be said, this song is fun and I’m completely impressed again.

If you haven’t already, subscribe for all 36 songs on this Yearbook project at Sleeping At Last’s website. It’s worth every penny. And don’t forget to follow Sleeping At Last on Twitter to “listen in” on their writing process throughout each month.

[Please excuse the quality of the included photos. We tried to bring a camera in, but we were rejected because “it has a strap”… seriously. iPhone photos had to get the job done, so that’s what you get.]

We took to the streets of Hollywood on Friday night and caught the Civil Twilight, Crash Kings, and Anberlin show at the House of Blues (HOB). Actually, we missed Civil Twilight because of a Jack Johnson show at the Hollywood Bowl that kind of interrupted our timing on getting to the venue, but we heard the end of the last song if that means anything (which it doesn’t, but we try). I was a little bummed because according to Crash Kings , Civil Twilight have a killer live show, but traffic is a Los Angeles virus and we caught it. But the band I was most excited about seeing was the Crash Kings and thankfully we didn’t miss their set.

They opened with “Mountain Man” just as their full-length does and they honestly sounded better live then their record—it was just a crystal clear sound coming from those guys. But we could tell that their lead singer, Tony Beliveau was struggling with something and motioning to the sound guy. I just thought it had something to do with his monitor levels, but after they ended their first song Tony sat down on the ground and was trying to fix his sustain pedal along with the sound guy. This ended up being a dark cloud over their show and Tony even begrudgingly said, “This is what a Crash Kings show sounds like with no sustain pedal.” He was obviously bummed, but their show great despite the loss. As a three piece they have a tight sound and from what I could tell they really don’t have an ego (at least on stage). They played well together on stage and looked like they were having a great. My only critique is why the heck they didn’t play “Raincoat” which is hands-down one of their best songs. Sure, most of their album is singles, but I really wanted to hear that song. But they did rock out on “1985” and “It’s Only Wednesday” which I guess makes up for it.

Headliner, Anberlin had the edge on the other bands of course with both sound and production of their show. More stage space, crazy lighting rigs, and just a full sound really made them feel huge on that little stage at HOB. We struggled to hear the vocals though as I don’t think they were high enough in the mix which really sucked. They opened with a huge drum intro which required three guys to do and it sounded great. Every song was tight for the most part, that is, they play well together. I would assume after five albums you’ve spent enough time together to really perfect your live sound, and Anberlin has definitely done that. Hands down one of their best songs was “The Resistance” from their last album New Surrender. That song just hit hard and had more emotion and energy then any other song from the night. And they never backed down from playing songs from across their entire collection of albums. I thought for sure this tour would be heavy on their new album Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place, but they really only played a couple tunes like “Pray Tell” and “Impossible”, both of which I expected and both of which were fun. Stephen (lead singer) even dedicated a song to Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday who were in attendance that night. We can actually confirm that because we shared a standing room with the guys from Yellowcard. Nevertheless, Anberlin was good, but I still don’t know if they can beat the clarity of Crash Kings at this show. Sure, the Kings didn’t have the huge light show and the sustain pedal died, but for some reason they just really stuck out for the whole night. It’s not that Anberlin was bad, because they weren’t by any means, but I really wouldn’t mind seeing Crash Kings taking a headliner spot here in the next year.

Aaron Hale is a worship leader and Christian recording artist out of Kansas City, and he kindly sent us his newest EP Ghostly this week and we were happy to take a listen. I’ve been around the Christian music scene long enough to know that I’m pretty much a skeptic at this point when it comes to “worship” music. However, I don’t think Aaron shouldn fall into that category as his songs aren’t really “worship” tunes if you ask me. These are more like original songs that you would hear on a new indie film. Sure, he’s singing about Jesus and how a Christian should live, but musically these aren’t your typical “worship” songs to be sung by the congregation. Maybe that’s his intent and if so, I’m sorry but he should just move forward with his songs as just songs and not label them “worship”, because he’s got enough talent to hold his own in that crazy Christian market without having to drop the big “W” buzzword.

At just three songs the EP is short and sweet. Mostly acoustic, it’s got a pretty relaxed feel throughout. The title track “Ghostly” is probably the better of the three songs both in writing and production quality. The chorus is very light, airy and radio-friendly. Simple verses and his voice is a little more “dirty” which is kind of fun, but as you approach the chorus you’re treated with some good harmonies and the “I’m ghostly white…” line which gets stuck in my head. The second song “Got A Lot to Give” is nice, but I really don’t think it goes anywhere dynamically—it just stays the same throughout. It’s not a bad song, I just think it’s my least favorite of the three. Finally, “Wake Within Me” is more along the lines of the title track and the melody is nice. I struggle with what they have done with his voice on the production end of things and I don’t like the the reverb or whatever that is, but the song is good and actually quite perfect for the rainy day we’re having as I write this.

Aaron Hale may not be the next CCM artist to top the charts but I like the direction he’s going. It sounds like he’s hanging with the right people (Robbie Seay to name one) and trying to get his music out there and we hope the best will come of it. As well, he has been giving proceeds from his song “Got A Lot To Give” to work in Haiti and we obviously respect that effort. Oh, and we’re digging that front cover—3D for the win!

The Ghostly EP comes out on October 12 and you can purchase it from Amazon.
Follow Aaron Hale on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

We’re always on the lookout for new artists that we think everyone will love—The Heyday is one of those artists. Their new six song album Till We See The Sun is fun, upbeat, and makes me want to hop in a truck with the windows down and go for a drive to anywhere. The Heyday have taken everything I love in the new Hanson sound and added a little more Americana to it thus creating an great album that you can listen to any time of the year and in any mood.

Kurt first posted our anticipation of this record last week, but after finally getting to listen to the entire album we can’t recommend it enough. It’s still amazing that bands of this caliber get passed up by those pesky A&R agents, but maybe this post will help these guys get the exposure they deserve. Till We See The Sun is more of an EP than a full-length album with just six songs, but that doesn’t bother me one bit. Every song is a single—no doubt about it. From the first song “Had A Feeling” you’ll have a feeling that you’re going to like these guys. Its just that classic American guitar rock and it’s a great opener for the album. “Good Old Days” utilizes the keyboard to keep the record flowing. A steady kick drum, tambourine, and the line “these are the good old days” couldn’t be more relevant. Seriously, you could just give us those two songs and we’d be stoked.

The third song “Fools Go Fallin’” is where I hear the Hanson sound. Some of you are turned off by the mere mention of the “Mmm Bop” boys, but if you haven’t listened to their newer sound you’re missing out. “Fools Go Fallin’” is again another hat tip to good old fashioned American rock and roll. I really do get a Southern vibe from their sound, almost like a more rock and roll Needtobreathe. I haven’t checked, but if this album is self-produced I’m going to flip out. Either way the fact that this is being released independently is just out of control. I’m not even going to bother discussing the last three tracks, because you just need to go listen to this entire record and buy everything these guys touch. I’ve a feeling their live show is probably incredible too just based on their sound. Go buy this record. Don’t bother with the “preview” button, it’s unneeded. You can get the digital album today via AmazonMP3.

Follow The Heyday on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

The Militia Group
Released: February 12, 2008
The debut album Mending from The New Frontiers is still holding strong as one of the best albums of 2008. As we move into the stillness of fall, I find myself coming back to this inspiring album. When the album came out on February 12, 2008 I was a little pre-occupied and overlooked the hype and excitement for this new release. As time had gone by, I’ve heard more and more about this band and that it was a must have for fans of Coldplay, Copeland, Sleeping At Last and Keane.

It didn’t take long at all to appreciate the uniqueness and quality music The New Frontiers had made. Immediately you can feel the specialty with the opener “Black Lungs” giving a taste of the talent in their vocals and blaring guitar swells as it leads into the album. The opener on the album is probably the hardest hitting sound with full band compared to the majority of the album. I think to get the real taste of the band keep listening to the second song “The Day You Fell Apart” which I feel will be the next song on one of Zach Braff’s soundtracks for his next film—watch you’ll see. If not this song definitely another song from this album. This band is by far one of the most mellow, relaxing sounds that I have ever listened to, but am sure that it can change people’s lives.

My personal favorites of the album are “The Day You Fell Apart”, “Mirrors”, “Passing On” and the finale “Who Will Give Us Love?”. These songs to me prove that The New Frontiers are a band that will go far with a sound so inspiring and relaxing that it will melt your heart to hear the perfection within Mending.

Buy Mending from Amazon or iTunes (currently $7.99 )
Socialize and hear full length tracks of Mending at Last.fm.
Visit The New Frontiers website.
Download some previously unreleased songs here and here. Enjoy.