Indie Update

Listeners, be prepared!  There are sounds here that will generate comparisons, in spite of the strongest efforts to eliminate the "sounds like" statements.  The best bands of the 21st century don’t try to imitate classic groups from 30 or 40 years ago.  On the contrary, new talent is building on what great artists have done before.

Shiny Toy Guns is a rock music group.  That’s simple enough.  But there’s more.  The electronic keyboard and effects applied to the voices add rather than distract from the strength of "You Are The One" and "Don’t Cry Out."  To paraphrase that hack writer William Shakespeare, there is method in the madness of Shiny Toy Guns.  A portion of the listeners will enjoy the techno feel of "le disko" on the debut album We Are Pilots.

Jeremy Dawson has the synth/keyboard technique under control, helping to carry the Carah Faye (Charnow) vocals forward (she’s good).  Chad Petree’s vocals and guitar work and the flawless drumming of Mikey Martin make this music right for listening and studying. The style has captured a large number of UK listeners as well. (Those Brits always did know good music when they heard it).

Fans have numerous opportunities to catch this working group, as Shiny Toy Guns travels across Canada and the United States from September 12 through the middle of November.  Tour stops include Edmonton, Alberta and Toronto as well as New York, Washington D.C. and a huge number of dates in the western states.

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Getting past the interesting name of this hard-driving band is not easy.  In fact, some who read the name on a play list or cd cover may begin imagining just how scary these kids are.  Without knowing a lot about their personal lives, it would be hard to say if they are frightening as individuals or not.  But if band members are to be believed, the hard-edged sound and unique name don’t accurately portray the group’s motives.  In fact, former drummer Peter Costa once stated that the members of the band try not to take themselves too seriously.

SKSK relies on buzz and Web communication among fans as much as any alternative/indie band around.  They have built a small but loyal following among those who appreciate the angst and anger put forth in such songs as   "The Only Medicine" from The City Sleeps In Flames. This tunefeatures nice guitar work and crisp drums, along with the popular combination of clean vocals and scream/growl method.

Tyson Stevens provides the majority of the vocals, with support from Chad Crawford.  DJ Wilson carries guitar work, along with Steve Kirby.  The guitars and vocals are supported by James Ethridge on drums and Pouyan Afkary on keyboards.

Tags: indie music, independent music, scary kids scaring kids, indie, music

For Stone Sour, a band born 10 years ago, it’s true that what goes round…..  No, that’s too easy. Vocalist Corey Taylor’s travels from Stone Sour to Slipknot and back again are more like a Thomas Wolfe novel.  But in this case, you can go home again.

As Taylor emphasized in interviews, when he made the decision to return to the Stone Sour fold he planned to work with both bands.  Having two distinct musical outlets is something the veteran singer said he looks forward to. Slipknot is, without apology, a metal band.  The group plays heavy music, so there! But Taylor, along with James Root and Josh Rand (guitar), Shawn Economaki (bass) and Roy Mayorga (drums), takes a different direction with the original group.

Stone Sour delivers mellowness and pays particular attention to melody, with several ballads among their recorded work.  Not a surprise, since the group lists The Beatles among their influences, along with Led Zeppelin and Metallica. "Through Glass" on Come What(ever) May puts emphasis on lyrics and a contemplative mood for most of the song. "sillyworld" shows the strong English band influence in its early measures. (Is that sadness and philosophical questioning I hear?)  But the drums and guitars take a stronger role in the last minute or two of the tune.

Then there is "Made of Scars" from the 2006 album.  That song alone should keep metal/Slipknot fans in the fold. In spite of an extended break when Taylor worked exclusively with the masked marauders of Slipknot, Stone Sour seems to have recovered nicely.

Tags: independent music, indie, indie music, music, stone sour

A quick look at the influences band members cite for their full (but not complex) style leaves little doubt as to what the listener will hear. It’s no surprise that Metallica shows up on the Silverstein influence list, along with NOFX and others. But it is interesting and refreshing to see such groups as At The Drive-In and Sunny Day Real Estate in there too. Toss in the influence of Lifetime, Get Up Kids and Saves The Day and you have enough reasons for the years of Silverstein success.

The band seems to fit what a significant segment of young listeners are searching for – hardcore and screamo. Key parts of the Silverstein sound include the crisp and energetic drumming of Paul Koehler and the cutting guitar chords that have just enough distortion. Of course, Silverstein gives the required undercurrent of anger in its background vocals, quite a contrast to the clarity of each song’s front line melody.

Neil Boshart and Josh Bradford (guitar), Bill Hamilton (drums) and Shane Told (vocals) round out the group that occasionally offers an inkling of ballad style guitar and rhythm, as with the song "Heroine" from Discover The Waterfront. But this tease soon rolls into the pounding sounds similar to "Sound of the Sun" and other songs from the July 2007 Arrivals and Departures.

The Canadian band’s current tour includes several dates in Arizona, California and Colorado before swinging back to Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas and numerous eastern venues.

Tags: music, indie, indie music, silverstein, independent music

This is indie music. This is emo.

But most of all, The Academy Is…rock, a tuneful, hardworking group on the Fueled by Ramen label. The Fall 2007 tour twin bill includes Sleeping With Giants and The Academy Is… The schedule alone should get the members a few accolades, if not the sympathy of their fellow touring musicians.

At last count the bands have 60 dates on its calendar between September 5 and November 24. Tour stops are scheduled in about 29 states, so fans should have ample opportunity to hear the clear vocals of Williams Beckett backed by the guitars of Michael Guy Chislett and Mike Carden. The harmony vocals on "Neighbors" add to a refreshing (and successful) try at rhythm changes and stops. "Seed" highlights the changing dynamics of a well-rehearsed group, along with the watertight foundation of Adam Siska (bass) and Andy "the butcher" Mrotek (drums).

With the Chicago suburb of Hoffman Estates as a home base, the group traces its roots to conversations about music between Beckett and Carden in 2002. Various members contributed to earlier recordings, before the group arrived at its current lineup. A somewhat winding road to recognition includes kudos from the venerable (in some eyes) Rolling Stone, which named The Academy Is… a band to watch in 2007.

Tags: music, independent music, indie, indie music, the academy is