The Stuff You Haven't Heard 02.10.06
Posted by Matt Shoemaker on 02.10.2006
Pennsylvania's rock scene and the debut of a new rating system.
For once, I'm glad to say I spent more time involved in music than football on Super Bowl Sunday. I had almost no interest in the Super Bowl, for the first time since I can remember. At least, for the past few years, when the Patriots made it, I could root for the other team to try and kick their ass, being a Jet fan. And speaking of the Jets… anyone catch Joe Namath during the pregame Sunday night? Oh man. He looked out of it. But anyway, congrats to Ben Czajkowski for being a Steelers fan. And for the Monday spot, taking over the Monday Morning Metal Spot. Go read his stuff. It's awesome. I promise.
My computer has been giving me a lot of problems lately, whether it be my internet or the god damn thing not even starting, it's been kinda hard to get around to this column. But hey, I did, and I'll make it worth the wait… I hope.
This week, Pennsylvania is the state of choice. There's a lot of great music from that state, and it was actually really hard to narrow it down to three bands.
First off this week, Ahimsa Sunrise. Quite possibly the coolest band name I've heard in quite a while. Without a doubt, this band is incredibly talented. Like all bands, I have to relate them so another band. Many people have told me that it helps to get a better idea of what the band sounds like before they listen to them. Ahimsa Sunrise brings sounds that sound like a mixture of Thrice's technical guitar work, Thursday's vocals and melodies, and the tone of UnderOath. Like I said, guitars would be a high point for this band. The guitars are very solid, and are both heavy and melodious at the same time on some tracks. The band cites UnderOath as one of their influences, and it definitely shows as their overall sound bears a resemblance to that of UnderOath's.
(The new) Star Rating System:
*** ½ / *****
Check This Song Out: Athena's Song
Up next is Clearview Kills. This band blends both acoustic and electric, creating an amazing sound. The acoustic songs this band has reminds me of band like Dispatch and Dashboard Confessional, but the sound is not the same. Those two bands are probably the only things that come close in comparison to what Clearview Kills sounds like. Their electric song offered up on their Purevolume page is great. I can't put my finger on an exact sound to put to this music, but it's definitely worth checking out.
***/*****
Check This Song Out: Sleep With The Light On
Finally, this week, is A Life Once Lost. The first thing that comes to mind when I heard this band was "They sound like Lamb Of God". Their singer sounds eerily like Randy Blythe, using a guttural, loud scream to emphasize the music. The music is comprised of low, blasting guitars, and matching drums. The drums fall into sync with the guitar perfectly. The music, overall, is very heavy, and unrelenting. This band is definitely my pick of my week. A Life Once Lost has a lot of potential to become huge in the near future, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a record label pick them up sometime soon.
****/*****
Check This Song Out: The Wicked Will Rot
That's it for this week. Hope you enjoyed reading about these bands. Again, anyone who wants to, feel free to send me some feedback, let me know about some local artists in your area, and I'll do my best to put them into the column. So remember kids, go support your local music scene. The best stuff comes from the underground. (I can't believe I have a little tagline. God.)
