We Don't Stand A Chance

Satellite radio is an amazing gift to music lovers. Yes it has its gross pop stations but it also has the amazing Alt Nation. It is through this station that I have found out about bands I would have not known about and get to be blessed with their excellent music, this is the case with AM Taxi. I heard one of their songs on the radio and was interested but didn't think much of it. An hour later I found myself humming the melody to the song I had heard. After hearing the song again I found the chorus stuck in my head. Through the next couple of weeks I began to understand why people have satellite radio, discovery of great bands is made so easy.

The Chicago based band formed about two years ago. With an old school punk vibe, the band is a rough throw back to days when music was about telling stories. The band mixes old school ideas with new age thoughts and makes an amazing album, We Don't Stand A Chance.

The album in itself is very good, taking the listener from bar bashing jigs to reflective choruses. A kind of flourish, We Don't Stand A Chance shows off everything the band does right. It is an refreshing throw back and an amazing escape.

"Fed Up" is the song that got me hooked on this band. Be it the catchy guitar or the driving bass, this song is energy. Each chorus screams of freedom and each verse pushes you to it. The bridge, in which things back down only to explode, is something memorable that will stick with you for a couple hours after you hear it. The background vocals are an amazing touch, adding a layer that you might not catch since it is there, but you would miss if it wasn't.

A song that slows things down and flexes the lyrical muscle of the band is "Tanner Boyle vs. The 7th Grade." A much more melodic song, it feels like the theme to the return journey of a forgotten son. The song is a strong anthem, with airy verses and full choruses. The explosion of sound that leads into the final chorus is an unexpected gift of raw emotion that gives the song its final push to the end.

A throw back to the simpler days of punk, "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" is a refreshing song. The song is driven by a strong bass line and an energetic guitar. The addition of the piano during the second verse is a nice touch that adds just enough new to the song. The drop out in the bridge, with everything dropping out except the vocals and the guitar, makes for a nice lead into a full final chorus.

Finally there is the ballad "Champagne Toast." A slow, sober song that reflects on past regrets, it is a vast change from the rest of the album. The song centers around the strong vocal power of the singer which is surrounded by light percussion and melodic guitars. The entire song doesn't ever get to a giant explosion but instead swells and subsides.

This entire album is a refreshing reminder of the old days. Listening to it is like running into your old high school friends and everything being just as fun as it was four years ago. Anyone who enjoys old punk should get this album and anyone who likes good alternative should also give this album a try, it is worth it.

Always Listening,

Nick

Zombies EP

I don't care what you say about vampires, zombies are the what take the cake for me. I mean they are brain eating mounds of rotting flesh that you have to kill by destroying their brain. The zombie apocalypse is something that is more looked forward to than feared and lets face it, we as a race will have our work cut out for us. A zombie swarm descending on a town would be a violent out cry of gun fire and screams, and what better band to put this mayhem to music than The Devil Wears Prada in their new EP Zombies.

I've already talked about this band once so for a background on them you should read the post on With Roots Above and Branches Below. I will say that since writing that blog I went and saw them live and I don't think any live act can top them.

The EP is made up of five brutal songs all with their own theme. Each song carries the horror and desperation found in a zombie onslaught and each song delivers the excellence that the world has come to expect from TDWP.

First up is "Outnumbered." Opening with a fake radio broadcast claiming the zombie out break has left the human race decimated, the entire song feels like the cry of a race overwhelmed. The mixture of screams and clean vocals in the choruses is a definite highlight. The expert drumming though out the track helps keep the song together and moving forward. The guitar run that keeps reappearing throughout the song is expertly played and adds to the mayhem amazingly.

"Escape" is the second track up. The first song on the EP, this song is all about running. If you don't believe me listen to the first minute. The constant sixteenth notes in the kick drum combined with the ever moving guitar makes for a sense of desperation and terror. When the singing comes in later in the song it is like breaking out of a dark woods into an open field, only to find your adversaries are still behind you.

Third up is "Revive." This song screams of giving up. The war is lost and there is no hope of winning the battle. This song is a last stand against the horde. But through all the build up there is a lack of hope. The random synth runs and background choir singing adds to the texture bringing this song to a soaring climax. Toward the end of the song everything falls away and all that is left is a fading singing voice and a piano.

Fourth on the list is "Anatomy." This song is arguably the most intense song on the record, never letting the listener rest but brutalizing their ear drums instead. The song pushes forward and brings the heavy, but never to the point where it looses itself in the noise. The introduction of the singing close to the end of the song is the last element needed to push the song through to the end.

Finally we have "Survivor." This song is full of regret and anger, regret for leaving loved ones behind and anger and the creatures who took everything away. This song is significantly slower than the other tracks, but that does not make it less amazing. It pulls back on the guitars for most of the song and has synths and vocals at the front. The guitars and drums move back up in the second part of the song to bring the heavy to the end of the record.

I was pleasantly surprised by this record. I expected The Devil Wears Prada to level off after that last record and just ride its coat tails for a while. Instead they have released another record that again sets the bar even higher for hardcore bands to reach. This band is in their prime right now and this record is proof that there is more excellence to come.

Always Listening,

Nick