Goodbye Tomorrow (Alive In Wild Paint)
Really, piano that sounds like a work in progress from the living room. Great stuff. The mood, the atmosphere – these are both very solid in the one tune available for new listeners.
But the question for first-time visitors to the world of Goodbye Tomorrow is – Where do we go from here? Actually, there is another question – What else do you have for us? Wait, there is a third question - Where are you?
There is a simple answer, provided by the musicians now known as Alive In Wild Paint. First time visitors to the new world of "Paint" will hear a short demo of "Ceilings" (Equal Vision Records). This piano-and-guitar driven ballad is simple in a pleasing way, and features some nice vocals. Love songs are always nice for driving and listening. Keyboards make this type of tune work better than they would without a piano or synthesizer.
Alive In Wild Paint is a four-person group: Travis Bryant – guitar and vocals; Matt Grabe – guitar and piano; David Roat – bass; Austin Wilson – drums. With a home base in Phoenix, Arizona, Alive In Wild Paint celebrates the life-filled desert and attempts to offer comforting sounds that just might be representative of a quiet night in the dry but beautiful landscape. A 2008 tour is in the planning stages.
Alive in Wild Paint at MySpace
Tags: independent music, indie music, indie, music, alive in wild paint
Forgive Durden
First of all, this is another talented group on the Fueled By Ramen label, a recognized name among "indie" aficionados. Coming to us from the musical hotbed area around Seattle, Washington, Forgive Durden seems to fall into musical mayhem with "Ants" (Wonderland 2006). But as good old Shakespeare supposedly wrote, there is method in the madness. The interesting guitar chording and the clean bass intro hold this song together, along with good lyrics.
"The Great Affair Is To Move" has a vocal sound that is eerily similar to a number of other current groups. Nice rhythm changes, by the way. But even an indie label such as Fueled By Ramen is bound to be attracted by similarity. This is what succeeds in the music business, over the long haul. (I hear Hawthorne Heights and the disbanding Junior Varsity, though it’s not exactly the same.)
Forgive Durden has been around a year or two. The four-member rock band takes its somewhat obscure name from the novel, Fight Club. Their label, Fueled by Ramen, released a full-length album Wonderland in 2006. Forgive Durden toured with The Almost and Classic Case in 2007.
Forgive Durden is: Thomas Dutton – vocals/guitar; Thomas Hunter – guitar; Andy Manning – drums; Jesse Bauer – bass.
Tags: music, independent music, forgive durden, indie, indie music
Dear Whoever
Dear Whoever, from Portland, Oregon, combines some good rock vocals with the now common growling on "Say Something Else" (2007 demo). At first, one is tempted to compare this group with The Sleeping. After all, they are both "post-hardcore." The mix of vocal styles makes the comparison accurate. (There is an angry "peanut gallery" here too.)
The whammy-bar driven guitar and the power chords put Dear Whoever squarely in the hardcore camp. As with The Sleeping, there is a mix, a combination of song styles that works with a certain segment of the population. "With Words" (2007 demo) provides more insight into the frenetic drumming style with double bass pedals that is now a must in hardcore rock and growl/screamo. Sam Snow gets this right for Dear Whoever. "More To This" and "Don’t Go Don’t" more closely resemble mainstream new rock.
Alden Louis, Mark Woodbridge and Jason Garner provide the bulk of the vocals. Garner and Woodbridge are also guitarists for the group. Steve Wescott adds to the foundation with bass.
The group’s current "tour" is just a couple of stops in Portland. A planned European tour has been moved into 2008 and Dear Whoever also plans a lot of recording work for the upcoming year. Fans will be happy to get their hands on a full-length CD.
Tags: music, dear whoever, indie, indie music, independent music
Action Action
Sure, Action Action is a rock group and fits well into the "indie" world. (Of course, "indie" has changed from a movement to a genre). But music from this Big Apple team includes some rather rare synthesizer and keyboard/ electronic ingredients. "Ghost Town" starts with some techno/electro items and slides into an interesting "Warhol" or late-British ballad. Maybe it’s Divo in new clothes. No, that can’t be. "The Ones Who Get It" is too straightforward for this to be the case. Nice melody here, but that feel remains.
The unusual sound/style probably stems most from the fact that all band members contribute some vocal and synth work. Action Action music is created by Mark Thomas Kluepfel – vocals/synthesizers/guitar; Adam Manning – guitar/synthesizers/vocals; Clarke Foley – bass/synthesizers/vocals; Dan Leo – drums/synthesizers/vocals.
The group lists Elvis Costello first on their influence chart. That influence certainly comes through in "Paper Cliché" (An Army Of Shapes Between Wars) and "Let’s Never Go To Sleep (Don’t Cut Your Fabric To This Year’s Fashion). Then there is the influence of greats like Billy Bragg, The Zombies, The Cardigans, Blur, Echo and The Bunnymen, and David Bowie. Personal note: I knew there was a reason I like these guys. With influences such as these, it would be hard to go wrong.
Action Action tours from coast to coast, accompanied by The Cult and others.
Tags: indie, action action, independent music, indie music, music
Brighten
This trio from the lovely town of Chico, California is variously billed as rock and "crunk" but overall many listeners would say the group’s name fits well with such tunes as "Love Me Honestly" (from the band’s demo disc). Music does not have to be complex, loud or hammering to be good and Brighten proves this with a couple of tunes. "Love Me Honestly" may remind the older listener of some early British pop groups. This is a good thing.
The three members of this Golden State band get a bit heavier (and darker) with "Treasure Island" (King vs. Queen 2007). This tune starts with some nice vocal work and soon sets into more energetic rhythms. "We Chose The King" (King vs. Queen 2007) has an interesting flavor. Lyrics tie this pop/rock ballad together. The vocals are very solid. Some of the influences are Goo Goo Dols, Feist, Third Eye Blind, Radiohead and Colbie Caillat.
Brighten’s trio of musicians is: Justin Richards – guitar and lead vocals; Alex Draper – bass and vocals; Jimmy Richards – drums/percussion. They take their show to several western United Stations locations, including Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona and southern California. A couple of these gigs are the early-evening, acoustic sort that Brighten fans should enjoy.
Tags: brighten, independent music, indie music, indie, music