The MRU Archives ::: B Reviews
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Benjamin Akira Tallamy
The Melody of Distaste
UK singer songwriter Benjamin Akira Tallamy formally of The mutineers, The pyrates and Catherine and the owl, has released his solo debut album called The Melody of Distaste, nine songs of a musical journey into the dark side of folk, Benjamin plays a multitude of traditional instruments and experiments to the edge of the folk genre music on this album.
Having the experience in writing novels and screen plays Benjamin expresses his song writing talent in each track on The Melody of Distaste, you may have heard musicians playing notes and being able to get inside the melody, well Benjamin's lyrics gets inside the melody on this album, the first song on the album is called The Sad Affair of Jack and Jill, yes it is the world famous Lullaby but Benjamin twists the lyrics to express a more darker side of this tale and purifies the melody.
Secret Life is the second song on the album, the song boasts a very dark eastern vibe, reminds me of David Bowie, maybe I'm just putting that out there but something about this song will leave a strange thought in your head.
Third track is called The Trials, on the style of a folk ballad song with some fantastic lyrics, it is also very flowing in the melody and Benjamin's voice really drives this song. Track four A Night on the Town, this is a short sweet tune, it has the theme of an old traditional ballad, the lyrics are very catchy and would be more of a commercial tune that would suit great listening on any radio station.
Blackspur is song number five, this is a very contemporary folk song reminds me of Bob Dylan with that ballad type swing to it. Track six is called Near Water, the lyrics are very poetic and deep in this song and it has a very nice melody compared to the dark vocals, although it has a contradiction in the melody over the vocals but it creates a overall fantastic song, if there was a genre for gothic folk music this would fall under its category for sure.
Fool's Cabaret is song number seven, soft and very easy listening with very poetic lyrics, I like Benjamin's voice on this song, he has a very unique tone that has not been heard in any of the other songs on this album, a love song with a dark heart and with its romantic moments in parts could be one way to describe this tune.
Track eight Your World is Over, if you like Nick Cave or Lou Reed you're going to love this, it's deep but Benjamin brightens the tone with his voice in the song with his lyric "Your Word is Over" even though it's dark they do lighten up the dark side of this song.
Final song the album is called Exeo, this is very nice soft flowing instrumental piece, with some beautiful tones and uplifting melodies, it is hard to label such a nice piece of music but you can hear some jazz notes even though it is folk or just the pure sound of Benjamin Akira Tallamy.
Review by T.Halpin
5/6
Black Suit Youth
Meet Me In Death Valley
Black Suit Youth are a Indie/Punk-Rock band from Long Island, New York featuring Bryan Maher on guitar and vocals, "DJ" on bass and Justin Damers on the drums. Forming in 2004, BSY have released a number of EP's including this one, called "Meet Me In Death Valley" which I am reviewing. And boy, what an album it is.
The single promoting the album, Dropout, made an instant impression on me. The clean guitars and vocals about boredom and loneliness in the opening verse instantly shift into a distorted anthem punk style chorus while the lyrics focus on the person in question realising he is (as the title suggests), a dropout. It's an earworm of a chorus that made me bob my head to the beat. The whole song climaxes with more distortion and anthem while vocalist Bryan Maher, with determination in his voice, tells us, after identifying himself with rats in a subway and the desire to make an impression, that he wants to "burn this whole damn town to the ground". Although many bands have done the "quiet/loud" thing (almost to death), Black Suit Youth somehow make this dynamic unique to them. Its catchy, memorable and one that I could picture many people humming while on their way to work.
Comparing BSY to any other band is difficult, and the best I could come up with was imagining taking the best parts from Finger Eleven, Therapy, Incubus and mashing them all together into a colossal mountain of goodness, until I realised that their description of their sound which is "an asteroid crashing though an atomic bomb factory" is probably the best description. Do you know what that sounds like? Neither do I, but I can imagine that it would be a distinctive sound that you wouldn't hear elsewhere, and until I hear the sound of a chunk of space rock smashing through a factory of doom, I'm going to take Black Suit Youth's word for it. They're one of a kind, and they know it.
Overall, in an age where the only way to get any commercial success is to rip off Nickelback or Creed and release yet another power ballad set atop a skyscraper at night, Black Suit Youth turns this theory upside down. This band has great potential and could make it huge domestically, and if one of their videos lands some rotation on a music channel in the UK, they could be big overseas too.
I give them a solid 5/6, with a high recommendation to download from iTunes while getting on the phone to your local promoter to get this band in to play in your area.
Review by Lee Thomas
Black Circles
Final Straw - Single
Black Circles are a three piece high energetic rock band from Kent in the UK, their new single Final Straw is pure uplifting and raw melodic rock music, the voice from their front man Dan is superb and it's backed up with a good thumping rhythm section on this song, I'm pretty sure this is the beginning of something big for Black Circles, just one listen to their new single Final Straw will have you wanting more from this brand new exciting act.
Review by T.Halpin
5/6
http://www.myspace.com/blackcirclesband
Boc Social
Shot One
Boc Social are a seven piece Ska/pop band from Wicklow/ Ireland, who said ska was dead? Far from it, Boc Social have been kicking around the music scene now for a few years and adding some new members to their empire of sound, their new single "Shot One" was released on March 11th 2011 and this is only a little taste of their forthcoming album due for release later this year.
Let's get down to business and turn up the volume and the bottom of the jeans, "Shot One" is pure raw ska to the bone, Music historians will tell you to divide the history of ska into three periods, the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s (First Wave), the English two tone ska revival of the late 1970s, (Second Wave) and the (Third Wave) ska movement, which started in the 1980s and rose to popularity in the US in the 1990s, well Mr historian its 2011 and Boc Social are the (Fourth Wave)..Like they say in this song "Shot Four", the new single "Shot One" will have you hopping and bopping all day long.
Review by T.Halpin
6/6
http://breakingtunes.com/bocssocial
Blasterbra
Soon
I’m about as punk as my Penney’s leather jacket. Upon seeing scary skeletons on the cover of Soon, I was worried I wouldn’t do Blasterbra justice. Turns out the band did themselves justice. This CD is three short kicks up the arse, a shove in a crowded dark bar, a meandering walk with your hands in your pockets; you even get kidnapped.
Opener Inactivist with its shouty “We won’t take that” refrain (words made for fist-pumpage) is firm anthemic territory. Every band needs one, Blasterbra are doing well here. It’s got brains too, in the layered, weird harmonies, and questioning lyrics.
Break in the Weather is rather epic, with Anna McCarthy’s vocals swelling and falling in tides with guitars and crashing drums.
My Sweetheart The Punk’s sexy Stooges-esque riffput a big smile on me ears. You could imagine it in a 80s film. This and Switchblade Romance were me personal faves, for their pure unadulterated energy.
Blasterbra are no disposable punks. They’ve got balls and soul. And you can tell from listening to Soon that they’d be fucking brilliant live, which speaks volumes. If they don’t scare you, their songs will.
In a good way.
Review by Aoife Kiernan
4.5/6
http://www.myspace.com/blasterbra
Building Picture
Closing Doors EP
This is the third EP release from Building Pictures, the talented John Gribbin 24 year old from Co. Derry/Northern Ireland is the driving force of Building Pictures, John has produced four superb songs on his latest EP Closing Doors, this is real folk music with pure emotion in every song,
comparing his wonderful voice to the likes of Villagers or Harry Nilsson, John has perfected the art of his song writing and the world better be ready to receive the Closing Doors EP, favourite songs on the EP for me is “Fair Weather” this is a slow form of musical beauty, every note is the tip of musical art and John’s voice justifies what he has on offer on the Closing Doors EP.
Closing Doors EP is Due for release in late October 2010
Review by T.Halpin
6/6
http://www.myspace.com/buildingpictures
Blind Pilots
Rosé Cheeks/Cocktail
I’m glad indie rock has moved away from simple garage band sounds in the last
few years. The keep-it-simple blueprint drawn up by bands like Pavement in the
nineties has been done to death. And so its refreshing that there is now some
original sounds about.
A lot of the new sounds coming across the radio waves these days sound like the
result of an aspiring musician getting both a guitar and a synth for Christmas
one year. And sure some of it sounds great but yet again this daring new sound
begins to get jaded. (Apologies for rambling, the review is coming soon)
Perhaps knowing this some bands prefer to go for subtle stylings of their music,
such as added atmosphere instead of obvious beeps and boops. One such band are
Blind Pilots.
This Dublin/Limerick/Louth group have obviously learned to utilize the studio
and its magic in their music. Their double A side single Rosé Cheeks/Cocktail
is a pleasure to hear.
Rosé Cheeks is a high energy but restrained song with real live feel to it. The
lead vocal is a highligh. Singer Jim’s ever so slightly creaky voice gives it
an emotional value which would have been lacking had it been “touched up”
digitally.
Cocktail is where the atmosphere really shows. The track has a confused dizzy
feeling to it, courtesy of some lovely reverb and backing vocals. This creates
a feeling of the narrator having a less than great day and drowning their
sorrows in a few (you guessed it) cocktails. The lyrics are great with a
dialogue between several characters giving the song a mysterious feel.
Blind Pilots have got something going for them here. Rosé Cheeks is the obvious
pick for a radio friendly single but by pushing Cocktail as an equal they show
they are not afraid to show their less ‘safe’ image. Definitely ones to watch.
The two tracks are available from bandcamp.
Review by Kevin McCabe
5/6
http://www.myspace.com/blindpilotsirelan
Brian Canavan
You're an Electron
I'm an Electron
Brian Cananvan's debut album You're an Electron I'm an Electron has so many properties to it's lyrics and based around indie pop music with hints of rock n roll, this is thirteen songs of emotion from one mans thoughts and feelings to the world and people around him, this would make great festival music it's got the live or help me I wanna be live feel to it.
Come and Get me' is great example of Irish indie rock music full of energy with tasty guitar licks and catchy melodies another song that caught my attention on the album is (Carol Vorderman) counting me down' although it's got some comedy in the lyrics it still has a great feel to it and shows the capabilities of Brian Canavan's talent on this album.
Review by T.Halpin
4/6
http://www.myspace.com/briancanavan
Berries Blue
Drinkin' To Heaven
Summer is here and Berries Blue's EP has got that sunshine feeling, Drinkin' To Heaven has that real deep New Orleans feel, only thing missing is the full sound of brass, soaked in jazz and blues tones each track has a beautiful take on music, "Tired Man" is a pure gospel ballad to the bone, passion in the vocals can be heard along with some superb lyrics. "Rainbow Rain" is a real lazy blues number on the vibe of Chris Rea but a little bit more fresher to the ears, I like the angle Berries Blue have taken on this CD we need to hear more of this in Ireland today,excellent stuff.
Review by T.Halpin
5/6
http://www.myspace.com/berriesblueband
Bailer
Running
Dublin four piece band Bailer have crafted eleven tracks of light carismic rock, Caitriona McGuinness on vocals adds some nice soft vocal clarity to the songs, dynamics are very important in music and Bailer use plenty of dynamics adding the jazz to the sound and the crisp to the album Running.
It is hard to pick a favorite from the album as they all have equal qualities, Restless is track four and has some nice melodies coming from the voice of Caitriona, the song has a nice flow to it and the addition of some nice alto saxophone work from Micheal Buckley, pop driven with high end jazz tones this is a cracking little number and album too.
Review by T.Halpin
4/6
http://www.myspace.com/bailerband
Black Rose
Brand new Four piece Dublin rock band Black Rose have all the raw and natural ingredients of pure streaming rock music with guitar harmonies and thunder roaring drums to die for. I caught a live show at the WDAR 96 fm fund raiser in Fowlers pub in Ballyfermot Dublin last Friday 26th March, this was the first time the roof was pumping in Fowlers as it is a change from hearing the karaoke and two piece super star wannabes in the pub.
Black Rose shifted a gear and brought pure rock to the stage with David Duggan on vox/bass grooving out some serious bass notes to keep Daniella Keogh on Drums busy, taking usual rock guitarist positions on stage left and right was fluent in melody guitar player Anthony Brennan and shy but impressive player Chris Cole, working together very well, I love the way they both were in sync reminds me of Brian Robertson and Scott Gorahm duo from the Thin Lizzy days, they did play a few Lizzy numbers along with some other cover songs but this was to keep the audience entertained on the night, strumming out a few of their original tunes worked very well into the 70's rock set list they had for the night, favorite song for me was "I ain't gonna leave" it's got the Peter Greene blues feel with a twist of modern rock tone' catchy little number.
Black Rose are working on releasing an debut E.P this summer, really looking forward to that, it should be a cracker.
Review By T.Halpin
5/6
http://www.myspace.com/theblackroseofficial
BleachBaby
"Stamp Her Out"
Bleachbaby are a five piece Electro pop band from Manchester/UK, cheeky styled lyrics and electro pop music is on offer on this EP almost a flashback to the 80's "Stamp Her Out" has full commercial potential with a great catchy melody and lyrics, "She Knows It" soft and melodic this track is very colorful and it almost has a Kylie Minogue feel to the vocals and tone, this would make a great little dance number! "Control Me" rock and pop are a great mix in a song and with the right singer its even better, Bleachbaby have done that in this song and created a fusion of 80's with today’s electronic technology, I think we have our millennium Blondie in our midst.
Review by T.Halpin
5/6
http://www.myspace.com/bleachbaby
Broken Son
Negative Boy
Co.Cavan have got some hidden talent as I discovered when i put Broken Son's Album into my cd player,the four piece band have got something on offer with Negative Boy eleven tracks of upbeat motivated rock songs or in our pop cultured world we can can say slightly progressive rock! the picks of the Album for me is "Monkey" kicks straight into the tune with some upbeat guitar and bashing drums to follow,if you crave your Foo's you will like this one! vocals are very relaxed and the indie tone from the backing vocals give the song a nice twist. "What You Want From Me" upbeat and very pop driven cool backing vocal melody gives the song its catchy feel,I love the electronic keys bouncing in the background almost adding elements of funk,excellent. "All My Friends" here is a cool catchy song that would work well on radio, it is very pop/punk upbeat and commercial in every drop of sound on the tune,the happy feel coming from the vocals creates the whole atmosphere on this track! cracking song. "By Your Side' the blues/rock feel from the rhythm section in this song including the excellent work by Simon Fagen on Trumpet create a full and explosive sound, This is one song I would love to see live, has to be the anthem song on the Album for me,superb stuff! 'Life is Short" well the title is the theme of this song, Great lyrics and the vocals have a super tone with the backing of some fantastic blues/folk strummed acoustic guitar, you can almost hear a southern country blues feel from the chorus..Broken Son are on a winner here excellent Album.
Review by T.Halpin
5/6
http://www.myspace.com/brokenson79
Blue Syndrome
Live review The Academy 2 Dublin
Blue Syndrome, a band from Swords, were signed to blast beat records but lost
their record deal as the company had gone into liquidation. But this hasn’t
knocked the lad’s confidence as they have kick started their tour around
Ireland to promote their debut single ”Kiss a Girl”. They performed their first
headliner gig in their old school in Malahide on the 1 April and they have had
positive support behind them the whole way from Ruth Blayney of Dante
Management.
On the 4th of April their gig took place in the basement of the Academy, now
known as Academy 2, which is a grand stage for smaller bands. Nothing much has
changed in the venue since it was ‘Spirit’ Night Club. The building inside is
still as dreary as ever.
The band had a matinee gig for the under 18’s on the same day and their manager
Ruth said “about 400 hundred people attended during the day”, so this was a
great turn out for them. “The over 18’s one though was only about 166 people”,
but this was to be expected with the older crowds.
There were three support acts on the night, Problematic, Jon Dots and Heritage
Centre. The one that stood out to the most for me was Jon Dots; he was a very
interesting character. He reminded me of David Bowie. There was something
almost arrogant but poetic about his approach on stage.
Heritage centre are good and their music is amiable. The first band on stage,
Problematic, I thought were a nice start to the gig and the singers voice was
strong and clear for someone so young. All the bands seemed around 18 years of
age and it was great to see so many of them rocking the electric guitar.
About 9.30 Blue Syndrome hit the stage and the crowds made their way to the
front. They had good followers in the audience; there were girls who even had
their own choreographed dance moves to go along with the songs. The first few
songs they played had little diversity in them but when they started playing
‘Over and Out’ the crowd began to catch on. The bands front man Colm seemed
very grateful by the audience’s response. The Debut single ‘Kiss a girl’ is
very catchy song but it does sound to me a bit like Coronas ‘San Diego song’.
Other great songs the crowd enjoyed was ‘Tomorrow I’ll be gone’ and ‘Eventually
Eventually’. They also did a cover of Paramore-My Heart. I must say they’re very
enjoyable band to watch but I do feel their music will be more appreciated by
younger age groups than older. Although the lads are still young and have loads
more years for their music to develop.
Review by Laura McGlynn
5/6
www.myspace.com/bluesyndrome
Brian Rochford
Live review
Downeys Ballyfermot,Dublin
support to Finbar Furey
15/1/09
Brian took his guitar and a deep breath to warm up a sold out show for Finbar Furey, you could see and hear the nerves from every word and sound that Brian made and only for his pure honesty and good home grown music the audience related to Brian's music in every way, Brian played some songs off the EP "Walking on a warning" from his forthcoming album out in 2009 they have more of a grasp of blues folk roots than Brian's first album, as you know supporting a traditional folk Irish act is not easy to follow when your music is on the other end of the scale but Brian pulled of a superb show on the night and the audience responded well too,excellent stuff.
Review by T.Halpin.
RANK: **** 4 out of 6
www.myspace.com/thebrianrochfordband
Baby Jenks
3 TRACK DEMO REVIEW
This four piece Dublin based band is on the scene since 2003, the demo contains three tracks of mesmerizing tunes with flawless melodic rhythm.
Exhale – A very soft but lifting tune, the vocals express the lyrics very well with some nice dynamics coming from this tune with moody tones and uplifting melodies this has the feel of indie rock with a splash of pop.
Sell yourself – There is a few elements to be heard from this tune, folk rock with a bit of southern American style feel, I would have liked to hear more from the cool melody used in the intro on the keys but it still sounds sweet and very clean cut tune.
Karman line – This tune has a nice flow in the rhythm it kicks in like an early Pink Floyd number but changes in a nice way with the vocals carrying the tune very well, the piano work sounds too much like a Cold play song this tune lacks a bit of originality but sounds great.
Review by T.Halpin
4/6
www.myspace.com/babyjenksmusic
Copyright © 2006- 2012 Music Review Unsigned All Rights Reserved