Some music blogs and ezines pegged Last Minute Letter to be “on the fast track to success.” (Substream Music Press). The four guys from Saratoga Springs, New York: Jordan Lilly- Vocals/Guitar; Mike Regina- Drums; Tyler Szalkowski- Bass; Jeff Henlin- Guitar, will be playing a few dates in New York, Connecticut and Vermont, stretching out from their home turf.

Billing themselves as punk and power-pop, Last Minute Letter’s players started out very young, trying to catch on to the indie/alternative music train as it roars around the country. The group has also been called “hard-working teenage kids from suburbia,” by Ashlee Dean, writing for The Daily Devil.

High energy would certainly be appropriate for describing such tunes as “Granite Ships” (2008 demo EP). Jordan Lilly’s voice reaches above the frenetic guitar and crashing drums, giving voice to the post-punk feelings in these young fellows. The pace of tunes such as “Granite Ships” gives vent to the pent-up frustration they must feel.

How about giving a listen to “It’s Gonna Be the Worst Night of My Life, No Matter What I Wear” from the same introductory collection? This tune has the same rhythm and feel as “Granite Ships,” yet gives the listener a taste of dynamics and stop/start pace.

“You Leave – Acoustic” from the 2006 EP Seven Weeks, shows a completely different side of Last Minute Letter. Don’t leave LML without listening to it!!

Last Minute Letter on MySpace

[tags]Last Minute Letter[/tags]

If you would play this type of grunge/punk/angry music around the country, you would probably fill some venues. It seems Glass Fence has found a way to do just that. To describe their 2008 travel plans as extensive would be an understatement.

The trio from Los Angeles is, according to their bio, “dedicated to unmasking social and political injustices abroad.” With that sort of confidence, Glass Fence offers “Let Them Eat Cake” from New Order of the Ages (2008). Taking pot shots at kings and dictators, Shane Sweet – vocals/guitar, Daniel Rodriguez – drums and Derek Brown – bass, do justice to the theme of political/social commentary.

“Windmill” from the same CD is interesting primarily because of its rhythm and overall sound. But the lyrics will draw the listener in too. This tune brings back some memories of Revolver from those one-hit wonders The Beatles. (Sarcasm intended). Even David Bowie would be proud of this tune. Check out “The Fault Line.” Great classic rock-and-roll.

It is hard to single out one of the three in this group of good musicians, but Rodriguez is an excellent drummer. He has what players call “the ear.” Sweet is obviously a talented songwriter and guitarist. Brown does justice to that fine Rickenbacker!

If these boys can keep it up for a few months, they’ll be the talk of the town.

Wait, maybe they already are!!

Glass Fence on Myspace
[tags]Glass Fence[/tags]

Once you get past this fascinating name, you find an experimental/rock group that is, by most accounts, pushing the boundaries of current indie music. “Jaundice Giraffe” from Second to the Last Frontier (Sarathan Records) has a rather frightening feel, with its “wee ooo” background and spoken vocal line. There’s a bit of screamo involved as well, but it’s nothing like the real screamo/growl bands making the rounds today. This is psychological stuff with sound effects!

“Zyghost” is for real. Just listen.

Here’s what some others have said: “not faking it,” “burning and manic,” “dark, unsettling.” This writer particularly likes “SpyGlass House.” Some reviewers have called Feral Children’s music “hymnal.” That is very close, because these fellows have a religious devotion to preaching about the truly unsettling society that we have constructed over the last couple of centuries.

In spite of the other-world sound and philosophy, the band is composed of some real guys – Bill Cole…Jim Cotton…Josh Gamble…Jeff Keenan…Sergey Posrednikov – who will be playing some dates in Oregon and Washington this summer. The difference may be that some of these guys are as close to feral children as you can get in our society. One review of a live show says it is difficult to listen to this music without having a visceral response.

That is right on the mark.

[tags]Feral Children[/tags]

It’s a combination of funk, rock and hip-hop, with a bit of true rap thrown in – that’s what makes Easy Way Out different, if anything does. The musicianship is certainly not in question. These boys can play.

Traveling to gigs from the home base of Toronto, Ontario, Easy Way Out has been doing their special thing for a couple of years. Starting as a trio of Mauro Cecchi – guitar, Andrew Ferrari – bass and Mark Cesario – drums, the group grew with the addition of Jason Flores-Holz, who brought rock vocal style to the band, and rap master George Reefah.

“New Age” from Steal The Show (2008) has enough traditional rock sound to please fans of that genre. But shortly, the listener is introduced to what makes EWO particularly interesting – the rap/funk ingredient of this musical cookie. “High Life” Remix from the same collection is more straightforward in its quick-rhythm rap and in reaching out to the hipsters. Yet there is the ear-catching backup vocal and the horns – nice!

“Relyin’ on Reef” is something completely different, to paraphrase the legendary Monte Python line. This is rock in a classic style, for those who are interested (at least until Reefah steps in). Then it becomes the Easy Way Out.

Try it, you may like it.

Easy Way Out on Myspace
[tags]Easy Way Out[/tags]

First of all, it may be a good thing to see barricades rise, though the reality of fighting on the front lines is bloodier and less glorious than some may think. This duo from the Midlands of the United Kingdome (Nuneaton, to be exact), has an EP launch scheduled for July 4 in their home town.

Jonathan Coates and Michael McEntee sing and play guitar in several locations on the island in the near future, including three gigs each in Leicester and Coventry. Perhaps the best venue name hosting Barricades Rise is The Slug and Lettuce in Birmingham. However, The Squirrell in Coventry has to be a close second. Those Englishmen…they have such a wry sense of humor!

This is pop/rock ballad music, for those who are not familiar with Barricades Rise. The pair has billed themselves as Indie Rock since starting out just a few months ago (December 2007, according to their own bio information). Putting the vocals of Coates with the guitar of McEntee for a decade has helped BR fine-tune the rough spots, leaving little to chance. But it is only recently that the duo has started marketing their effort under the new name.

Good listening music that some might consider an absolute favorite.

Barricades Rise on MySpace
[tags]Barricades Rise[/tags]