On the Other Side of Bullets with June Divided

It's been a while since I gave you guys a brash and powerful female-fronted group to sink your teeth into, but that all changes today. I've been listening to this band for months now, and they've been on regular rotation on my radio show Underground Takeover since this winter passed. Drawing influences from bands such as Jimmy Eat World and Explosions in the Sky, June Divided is a hard rocking quartet from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania whose sound is a mix of energetic vocals and meditative instrumentation.

June Divided

Comprising members Melissa Menago (lead vocals and guitar), Chris Kissel (lead guitar), Lenny Sasso (bass), and Keith Gill (drums), June Divided dropped an explosive recording with their EP The Other Side of You in early 2011. Bombastic in its execution and powerful in its unflinching grip, The Other Side of You blew me away from the moment I started listening to it. It's a mix of soaring vocals tiptoeing on razor-sharp guitar riffs and balanced out with powerful rhythmic pulses.
The first song from the EP that grabs hold of me is also the EP's lead single: "Bullet." Accompanied by a devastatingly powerful music video, "Bullet" is immediately unforgettable in the opening sequence of drums and guitar notes. Kissel's guitar riff is contagious and addictive, and when Gill starts counting in on the high-hats (and then on the bass and snare drums), it's all over and I'm hooked. As Menago's sultry vocals begin a jagged cut through the instrumentation, the slice comes to splitting fruition as in the last line of the verse she belts it out high and far. With Kissel's guitar building over itself again and again, it all comes crashing down in the second that Sasso's basslines rip the ground apart, and with Menago's vocals climbing higher, the chorus of this song is as brilliantly crafted as any I've heard. It's no accident that this is the song that June Divided chose to be their leadoff single for the EP. One of my favorite things in the song is Gill's drumming, and I don't think I can give enough praise to this rhythm section; Gill and Sasso lock tightly to provide a thud-boom-crash dynamic that is certainly not lost on anyone who pays attention to it. With Menago adding rhythmic chords to Kissel's beautifully simple fretwork, the guitar section of the song is rough and rugged in all the right places, and smoothed over with a nice little hint of polish by Menago's heady vocals. If the song itself isn't enough for you (and it damn sure isn't for me, because every time I hear it I want more), then the music video that June Divided released for the track has gotta be. Portraying the band in simple performance scenes as well as an interesting story line, the music video for "Bullet" is for fuel for the fire. Like the title suggests, the body of "Bullet" is simple, powerful and unforgettable. Definitely the first must-hear song off The Other Side of You.  

At just under four minutes, "Bullet" is also shorter than some of the other songs on the EP. The opening track, "If You Were Here" clocks in at five minutes and spends every one of the making a case for June Divided. The opening riff that Kissel provides definitely has a '90s flavor to it, almost with that same sort of alternative rock feel that I loved when I first heard Counting Crows or Jimmy Eat World. But things get really 21st century really fast: Menago's vocals saunter in like it's the most casual thing in the world, and moving from the light taps he's been adding to the high-hats, Gill begins a choreographed dance with Kissel, trading powerful beats for hard-edged chords. Sasso sits back a little, content to drive the rhythm just under the surface, but the song would already be lost without his lines. One of the things that I love about "If You Were Here" is that it's not too over the top: Menago goes to town on the choruses and the stop-start rhythm of the guitar chords lends to a post-'90s dynamic. Yet it's not overdone, not too lost in itself, and still the track emerges from the tunnel strong and vital, like the sound of light just after a storm. The bridge of the song is not anything too ambient or experimental, but for that reason exactly I'm not lost in trying to follow it. A solid track to open what promises to be a great EP, "If You Were Here" showcases only a little of what June Divided are capable of.
One of the clear stand-out tracks on the EP must be the title track. "The Other Side of You" has a blasting rhythm that is like a shot of adrenaline in the night. The guitar chords are hypnotic and the vocals slice like a knife through hot butter, with melody that bleeds through every drum beat to every inch of the track. On "The Other Side of You," June Divided experiment with song dynamics that seem to be a slight departure from those on "If You Were Here" and "Bullet," but they only do so making sure they absolutely nail the final result. I know that a lot of people are going to label Menago's vocals as being Paramore-esque, and while her range and power are slightly reminiscent of Hayley Williams, her style is all her own. This band is certainly no Paramore knockoff, and on "The Other Side of You" nothing could be clearer.

Six songs strong, The Other Side of You is a brash and brilliant first step for the Pennsylvania band. But that's not all these guys are capable of, and certainly not all they're doing. Released just a week or so ago, June Divided let loose the first track from their forthcoming album Backbone, titled "Secrets." If this song is any indication of what I can expect on the full album's completed version, then I can't wait to hear the finished product.
With power and attitude enough for a mountain of bands, June Divided takes cues from bands like Jimmy Eat World and expands on what they set out to do. Nothing about this band is half-assed, and The Other Side of You is certainly one of my picks for a favorite EP, especially in the last few months. Backbone is sure to be this band's breakout success, but don't be fooled: The Other Side of You is where everything started, and if you're looking for an EP that will make your ears thank you, this is it.

Sounds Like: Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, Explosions in the Sky

Key Tracks from The Other Side of You: "Bullet," "The Other Side of You," "If You Were Here," "Perfect Storm"

Check out June Divided more at: their Homepage, Facebook, and Myspace 

Getting Pathological with Waking Elliot

It's been a little while since I gave you guys a great record review, but no worries, I have a lot coming up! Today is one of those days, and I'm sure that this will have been worth the wait. I've been listening to this EP for the last couple months and have been liking it more and more with every subsequent listen.
Formed in late 2009, Waking Elliot is a Connecticut-based five-piece that are pushing the boundaries of female-fronted alternative rock in the best of way. I got my hands on the band's EP Simply Pathological, and have been obsessed with the sound that's coming through the speakers. Comprising members Mary Carson (lead vocals), Allyson Brown (keyboard and vocals), Evan Forstrom (guitar), Kevin Bieler (bass), and Rob Jeffrey (drums), Waking Elliot's sound is a mix of Paramore-style vocals with the a more Meg & Dia musically alternative approach. One of the things I love best about the EP from the start is the artwork. Perhaps that doesn't really fit in with a music review, but anyone who knows anything about the music industry knows that a snazzy-looking cover and artwork certainly help a band to define its persona, and in that respect, Waking Elliot certainly understand the basic tenant of eye-catching artwork.

Waking Elliot; From left: Forstrom, Brown, Carson, Bieler, and Jeffrey 

But you guys came here to hear about the music, so here we go. Simply Pathological is rife with edgy guitar riffs married to slick and sexy vocals, dumped over rolling rhythms and sing-along choruses. One of my immediate favorite tracks from the EP is "Hide and Seek." The intro riff is brilliantly simple and amazingly addictive. Carson's vocals tip-toe a tightrope between soft and sugary and adrenaline-infused power. Rolling off her tongue like little demons creeping from the depths of a shattered psyche, Carson's lyrics are brilliantly matched by Bieler's bass, and as Forstrom shoots up the song with high-octane notes and dragging palm-mutes, a sense of hyper-paranoia descends, and this track is just incredible. The interlude of the song brings the rise of Brown's keys, eery in the twilight against the backdrop of Jeffrey's high-hat taps. The energy is hair-bristling, and as the interlude ends in a crescendo of power and pleasure, Forstrom takes off in a solo that is as neurotic as it is searingly catchy. Blending high above with Carson's vocals, Forstrom and gang crash down, and with the sudden ending in silence, I'm left breathless in the dark, like a patient in a sanitarium. "Hide and Seek" is a 2:45 minute triumph for Waking Elliot, and if this was the only song I heard, it would still be enough to blow me away.

Waking Elliot's EP, Simply Pathological

But Waking Elliot are far from done. "One-Two" is the lead-off track on the EP, and from the start, Carson's voice and Brown's keys make for an epic intro. Like a dim-set street scene, I can see the fog rising as Carson is joined vocally by Brown as Bieler and Forstrom take their cue from Jeffrey's snare taps and work their way into the black satin-laced track. Forstrom's guitar chords grow in intensity with each passing chorus, and at the moment that Carson and Brown take a second to breathe, he lets loose with a mini-solo that skips along Bieler's bass-blasts to land smoothly in Jeffrey's snare-cracks. The loud-quiet-loud dynamic is a clear Pixies throwback, and adds to the overall power of the song in a way that makes "One-Two" a brilliant choice for the EP's first track. By the end of this epic ballad, I'm dying to hear more, and Waking Elliot have hooked me indefinitely.
My initial favorite track on the EP, though, is also the song I've had on regular rotation on my radio show, Underground Takeover. "Truth or Dare" is brilliant in its simple deception and misdirection. Seconds 1-10 are Carson's vocals laid nicely over Brown's keys and Jeffrey's drumming, and although the rhythm is somewhat fast-paced, nothing prepares me for the hurricane that follows. As Carson's last whispers float from the speakers, Forstrom and Bieler stomp onto the scene with a guitar-bass dynamic that screams passion and power. To add to the drowning effect of the music, Brown joins Carson on vocals, like two sirens surrounding me in the night as Bieler, Forstrom, and Jeffrey come at me from all sides. The best part about this song, though, is the bridge, which bursts at the seams with high-octane fumes and fury. Forstrom lets loose with a blistering riff that drills into my head, and as the tempo picks up, Carson and Brown vocally bring the house down as Bieler keeps pace with Jeffrey's gut-busting rolls. The absolute high-point of the song is when the bottom falls out, and Jeffrey crashes hard on the kit just as Brown and Carson take off to soar vocally overhead. As Carson's voice echoes into oblivion, Forstrom and Brown dance around their intertwining melodies. With Brown's keys draining out, Carson comes down just one more time, fading away on Brown's softening keystrokes.

The last stand-out track on Simply Pathological is also Waking Elliot's music video debut. "Second Star to the Right" is the ballad on the EP, and is certainly a change-up compared to "Charade" or "Truth or Dare." Starting with a mellow and resigned guitar riff from Forstrom and piano progression from Brown, "Second Star to the Right" builds from the first chorus into an epic track, buoyed by Carson's broad vocal range and the rhythm team of Bieler and Jeffrey. I'll be the first to say that this track was one that took me a few rotations to appreciate, but I hit a point where I was struck by the ethereal quality of the intermingled vocals between Carson and Brown set against the heavy-yet-melodic instrumentation of Bieler, Forstrom, and Jeffrey. A heavy ballad that finishes the EP in the best of ways, I can now understand why Waking Elliot chose this as the track for their debut music video. It doesn't fall into the category of the catchy 3-minute single for the first music video; instead it's heavy, epic, and as Carson's voice cuts through Forstrom's palm-mutes and Brown's keywork, "Second Star to the Right" is the best way for Waking Elliot to show all sides of their sound.
Just as comfortable in heavy romantic songs as in cropped and clever tracks, Waking Elliot are not a band to be ignored, and as the last of Brown's keys fade on the EP, I'm left dazed and wanting more. There's no feeling better than that for any music journalist, and there's just no better way for a band to finish a recording. At just over 20 minutes, Simply Pathological is a must-hear EP for anyone looking for the next alternative sensation gracing the music underground. I can't wait to see what Waking Elliot come up with next, because with the ability and potential this group shows, they won't be underground for much longer.

Sounds Like: Paramore, Meg & Dia, Evanescence, Hey Monday

Key Tracks from Simply Pathological: "Truth or Dare," "Hide and Seek," "One-Two," "Charade"

Check out Waking Elliot more at their: Homepage, Facebook, and Myspace  

Andy Gruhin Inks Deal with Sony/ATV

I'm stoked today to bring you guys some news that will knock you fucking over. Andy Gruhin has been a presence on NewRockNews43 since 2010, just after I started writing. He's one of the first artists I discovered, and one whose career I have followed through his two releases, and now up to the amazing news he announced at the start of this week. Gruhin went on record with me a day ago, saying that he has just concluded talks with and signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV.

Andy Gruhin

Gruhin released his first EP, World Out There, in the summer of 2010. The recording was the result of just four days in the studio (almost unheard of for the sort of production it boasts), and featured full-band versions of the title track, "Higher," "Little Piece of Summer," "Short and Beautiful," and the epic track (and Gruhin's own self-described anthem), "Sore Losers." The EP also included as a special bonus track a diamond-in-the-rough song that had been my favorite Gruhin track since I was lucky enough to hear a skeletal version of it about a year prior. The acoustically stripped-down track "Without My Wings" was (as far as I was concerned) a sign of things to come. While "World Out There" and "Higher" boasted high-octane guitar riffs and addictive drum fills, "Without My Wings" showcased a different side of Gruhin's artistic abilities. The guitar riff was simple, yet what drew me in form the first finger-pluck were the lyrics; "Lack of liquor broke my heart with a thud" are words every lover can relate to as they pen a retrospective love song, pouring over the letters that were sent and received months ago. And as the chorus is reached and crescendos, the piano and female backup vocals give the track an ethereal quality that makes it an unforgettable song, and one of Gruhin's best pieces, acoustic or otherwise. But the acoustic version was only the beginning for this song.

Andy Gruhin's first EP, World Out There

In the summer of 2011, Gruhin followed up World Out There with Let the Darkness Grow!, an EP so unapologetically brash and edgy that it stands out in ways other artists wish they could achieve. On the new EP were a slew of new songs, but I was immediately drawn to a rerecorded full-band version of "Without My Wings." I wasn't disappointed. I was blown back from second one as Gruhin's guitar exploded from the speakers, and his new anthemic vocals replaced the breathy whispers of the acoustic version. To join the new vocal arrangements and energy was a blasting rhythm section, and a note progression that Gruhin inserted just after the second verse, the latter of which still sends chills down my spine. My pick for the lead-single of the EP, "Without My Wings" has been on constant rotation on my college radio show Underground Takeover, and regularly draws thousands of listeners every week looking for new underground music. Along with the newly recorded version of "Without My Wings" were the high-energy tracks "The Fairest," "Wasted Words," "Under My Skin," and the power balled "I'll Follow You," as well as the title track. If World Out There was a solid hit for Gruhin, on Let the Darkness Grow! Gruhin hit it out of the park.

Andy Gruhin's second EP, Let the Darkness Grow! 

Yet as brilliant as the first two EP's were, during our last conversation, Gruhin let drop the comment that, "the material I'm writing now will make the first EP's look like shit." On the eve of inking a publishing contract with Sony/ATV, Gruhin stated that the new material he's working on will make the long wait worth it. "The first EP was only four days in the studio," Gruhin said, "and the second was only about seven. For the next recording, I hope to be able to spend more time so that I can really get the best versions of my songs on it. I'm also looking to do a music video, so I'm trying to see about that as well."
Gruhin has clearly made a full leap forward, but I still can't wait to see what happens next for him. From Gruhin I heard that new material is certainly in the works, and that he'll be working on sharpening his writing skills so that his next release will be his best yet. I have an interview with Gruhin in the works, so keep checking back, because you don't want to miss any of this! I knew it was only a matter of time until Andy Gruhin blew up, and NewRockNews43 is going to be there every step of the way as he takes off. In Gruhin's own words, the feeling behind the new opportunities on the horizon is simple: "I'm just excited to have this opportunity and I'm ready to show the world what I can do." 

The 2011 Pydromania Awards Are In!!

You guys out there voted, and made your choices known. All the artists did amazing jobs raising votes, and just to let you know just how amazing all their efforts were, the hit count for NewRockNews43 jumped more than 7,000 hits in a matter of weeks! Though a little belated, the Pydromania winners are here finally! (And the reason for the slight wait? Not only new results, but brand new promos from a couple of the artists too!)  From around the world, you guys all checked in and made sure that the artists you wanted walked away with the bragging rights of being the "Best of's" for another year. So without any further delay (as if you guys couldn't see the results yourself anyway haha), here are the 2011 Pydromania winners!! They are:

For 2011's Best Hard-Rock/Metal Artist:

Reapers Riddle

For 2011's Best Pop/Rock Artist:

Andy Gruhin

For 2011's Best Pop-Punk/Punk Artist:

Voted Most Random

For 2011's Best Electronic/Alternative Artist:

The Orkids

For 2011's Best Alternative-Rock Artist:

Fools For Rowan

Thank you to all the artists and fans who participated! This was an awesome contest, and you will definitely be hearing these groups getting massive airplay on my radio show, Underground Takeover! Who can't wait till next year, ha?!

A Spectator at the Darling Parade

One thing about this job that gets easier and easier the more I do it is how seamless the discovery of a new group translates into a detailed article. Even with the writer's block every journalist gets sometimes, I can't stay away too long, as these artists and many more just keep pulling me in to their incredible music.
Case in point is today's story, Darling Parade. A four-piece prophecy of things to come, Darling Parade is a cunning mix of power-pop sheen melted over alternative-punk attitude and rhythm. The anthemic sing-along choruses Darling Parade weave between their stop-start verses create a track-list that simmers with new melodies driven over classic pop dynamics.

A tight-knit group from Nashville- Tennessee consisting of Kristin Kearns (lead vocals and guitar), Adam Hatfield (lead guitar), Nate McCoy (bass), and Casey Conrad (drums), Darling Parade take the melody and anthemic song structure of Avril Lavigne and lay it over the punk ethic of Paramore to create a slew of songs that sound as fresh as ever and blow me away.

Darling Parade; From left: Adam Hatfield, Kristin Kearns, Nate McCoy, and Casey Conrad

I discovered the Darlings a few months ago, and the reason I waited to tell you guys all about them is because why get the lowdown on one record when you can get it on three? The Darlings just released their most recent EP, Until We Say It's Over, just over a month ago around Thanksgiving, and it's a sick addition to the already burgeoning DP catalogue. One of my favorite songs from any of Darling Parade's recordings is the first song I heard by them, "Bells Are Ringing" from their self-titled debut. In its corner, "Bells Are Ringing" has a melody that kicks ass bred against a background of rhythmic guitars and drums. From its inception, "Bells Are Ringing" finds a home deep inside of Kearns' soaring vocals which hover somewhere in between Avril Lavigne and Paramore. Carving out her own little vocal niche for Darling Parade, Kearns leads the rest of the band fearlessly into battle as Conrad wrestles with his drums to blast for the most powerful rhythm he can muster from the skins. Tightly wound around McCoy's heartbeat basslines (that drive the verses of this song in an unforgettable way), Conrad's drums prove that a drummer, too, can create his own sound, if you're listening for it. Hatfield's fretwork is something that continues to intrigue me throughout the entirety of the song. Pick-slides and finger-trembles that pop out in the most unexpected of places, Hatfield finds a way to take a song that was already Top Ten material and make it even more so. If "Bells Are Ringing" doesn't hook you the first time you hear it, I will be utterly surprised. The keywork, too, provided by both Kearns and McCoy, takes the track to new heights with power and melody that I can't help but fall into. This song is everything that's right with the music coming out now. A great anthemic message wrapped up in the shiny wrapping paper of melody and pop-polish, I can't imagine what more the Darlings could do right.     

Darling Parade's debut: Darling Parade

Also from Darling Parade jumps "Far Away," a song that fights with the former to assert its dominance over the EP. Built on McCoy's blistering basslines, the vocal work by Kearns is some of her best. Hatfield's guitar riffs are the essence of the word "epic," and as his palm-mutes back up McCoy's distorted basslines on the verses, there is already something different about this track. Conrad's drums add to the epic feel of the track as they crash in a crescendo of rhythmic bliss over Hatfield's chords while Kearns is high above, a vocal angel with a certain type of edge. With "Far Away" and "Bells Are Ringing" on the same record, the Darlings prove that they have a candle to burn in the hard-rock parade.

One of the best things about Darling Parade is that they seem to come out with a new EP almost as quickly as I can go out and get them. Just before their release of their most effort, Until We Say It's Over, the Darlings released the EP What You Want, featuring such hit songs as "Take This City" and "What You Want," as well as the blistering self-contained single, "Perfectly Worthless" (which has seen substantial radio play on my own radio show, Underground Takeover). 

Darling Parade's newest EP: Until We Say It's Over

Yet even with Darling Parade, What You Want, and the "Perfectly Worthless" single under their belts, the Darlings are still not satisfied. So just over a month ago came their most recent triumph, Until We Say It's Over. I've listened to this album over and over (and it's also worked its way into my radio show playlists in a big way), and there is just no way to not love this record. The lead-off single (which comes along with a great music video) is "Never Wrong," a song that will have you singing even before you know it. Kearns' voice is hypnotic and Conrad's drums are rhythmic pulses of life as Hatfield's guitar chords blast through in technicolor force when the chorus begins. Clearly my favorite track on the new EP, "Never Wrong" is an instant classic in the DP catalogue. The high resonance of Hatfield's guitar bleeds seamlessly over McCoy's basslines, and like heartbeats in the darkness, Darling Parade's rhythms are so contagious, there's no way not to love this band. Among other five-star tracks like "Long Way Back" and "Remember" (which features guest vocals from Stephen Christian of Anberlin), "Never Wrong" is another grand slam for Darling Parade.

With the potential to be one of the greatest new bands of the 2012 musical year, Darling Parade burst onto a scene that will surely welcome them with open arms. A tuneful spirit signaling the renewal of true rock n' roll, Darling Parade soar in on the silk-tipped leather wings of true alternative rock. If one band makes it onto your playlist this year, this one has got to be it. The Darlings have arrived, and with them my renewed faith in the power of true melodic rock.

Sounds Like: Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Letters to Cleo

Key Tracks from Darling Parade: "Bells Are Ringing," "Far Away," "Never Fall Down"

                   from What You Want: "Take This City," "What You Want"

                   from Until We Say It's Over: "Never Wrong," "Long Way Back," "Remember"

                   Singles: "Perfectly Worthless"

Check out Darling Parade more at their: Homepage and Facebook  

2011 Pydromania "Best of" Contests Up Now!!

Hey all, to mark the end of a great year for NewRockNews43, I decided to start a new little tradition. With all the amazing groups we've heard and discovered this year, who do you think is the absolute best?! I'm calling it the Pydromania "Best of" Contest because these artists are so hot, they're cool (figure that one out if you can, ha!). Five categories, over 30 bands and artists, and more amazing songs than I can count that have shaped this year for NewRockNews43 and my brand new radio show Underground Takeover, so which artists really rocked the hardest?! The winning artists of each category will get a promo of their choosing displayed on the front page of NewRockNews43 as one of the first posts of the new year. They also will receive bragging rights not only for the whole year as being voted the best and hardest-rocking, but will receive bragging rights for being the FIRST artists to ever win this brand new annual contest. Winners may also receive amped airplay on my show Underground Takeover in Boston, so who's looking for some airplay?? ;D Polls are on the right side of the pages, and voting closes in just under 2 weeks, so get listening, and get voting!!

The nominees are:


For Best Hard-Rock/Metal Artist of 2011:

• Diamond Eye
• Tetrarch
• Reapers Riddle
• All I Know
• Homebrewe
• Into the Night
• Almost Kings
• The Swear

For Best Pop/Rock Artist of 2011:

• Andy Gruhin
• Cloé Beaudoin
• The Head
• Ratham Stone
• Aerials
• The Heartshakes

For Best Pop-Punk/Punk Artist of 2011:

• Darling Parade
• The Lightweights
• Minds Without Purpose
• The Honesty
• Voted Most Random
• Versus the Robot!
• Start Up 45

For Best Electronic/Alternative Artist of 2011:

• Lost In Atlantis
• The Orkids
• The Blue Pages

For Best Alternative-Rock Artist of 2011:

• 49 Stones
• WeSurrender
• Season to Attack
• The Riot Tapes
• The Life Review
• Radagun
• Sound Express
• Death is a Dialogue
• Fit For Rivals
• LOVELOUD
• Fools For Rowan

There they are guys, so keep the votes coming, and we'll cap off this year with an explosive bang! More articles to come, and I have some awesome reviews, interviews and lists coming, so keep rocking and we'll make 2011 the best year NewRockNews43 has seen yet!

The Riot Tapes Shake Up The Village Dublin

Check out this awesome video of The Riot Tapes from this summer. The Irish alternative rockers tear it up on their sick single "Photograph" in a shoot with slick production and great camera work. I haven't been able to stop watching this since I saw it. Check it out!

Darling Parade Debut "Never Wrong" Music Video

Darling Parade have been making a lot of headlines here lately (and I promise that review and interview are coming, just be patient guys), but that can only be because this band is just on fucking fire. With the release of their new single "Never Wrong" not more than a week ago, the Darlings follow it up now with the music video. "Never Wrong" will see Darling Parade growing and maturing in their musical style and power. A retro active song that makes the best use of pop-punk rhythm married to smooth, evocative vocals, "Never Wrong" could easily be Darling Parade's entrance into the mainstream. We'll see, but for now, this is Darling Parade's new music video for "Never Wrong." Check it out!!

Hold Tight: It's All in Your Head

There are rare times within the music world when journalists and fans can see a new talent on the fast track to worldwide attention. Yet when those realizations do hit, they come on with the power of a whirlwind hurricane. Those of us who have ours ears to the ground are sometimes lucky enough to see such a musical revolution take place, and with this new talent today, it's one of those very rare revolutions. In the same way that The Strokes broke the mold and took first the nation, and then the world, by storm, The Head too are gearing up for a takeover the likes of which we haven't seen in a good long while. 

The Head (from right): Jacob Morrell, Jack Shaw, Mike Shaw

Atlanta's newest three-piece pride, The Head, a power-trio comprising Jacob Morrell (lead guitar and backing vocals), and twin brothers Jack Shaw (lead vocals and drums) and Mike Shaw (vocals, bass and keys) are bursting onto the indie-rock scene with a flair and polish that gleam in the spotlight while still retaining their hard-rock heritage. With their first album Puckered and their subsequent EP Stockwood opening the doors, The Head's newest album, their sophomore recording Hold On, is turning all sorts of heads in the music industry, and things are just starting to heat up for these Atlanta rockers. Building off of tracks like "Miles Away" and "There Is an Ocean," songs whose rough-cuts graced their first album, The Head come back with ear-prickling tracks like "Separate Bodies, "I'm Fine with It," "Sneeze," and "Top of the World" to fill the digital bites of their second album with power, melody, and toe-tapping, catchy songwriting prowess.
One of the things I like best about the track "Separate Bodies" is the intro: simple, melodic and catchy, everything that should go into a song with crossover appeal. The intro also gives me a clue as to the influences hidden behind the backdrop: Jacob Morrell's guitar playing is immediately reminiscent of R.E.M. and Sonic Youth. Using palm-muted arpeggios to bring the melody to Jack Shaw's first snare beats, Morrell makes sure that "Separate Bodies" starts right, and just below the palm-mutes, Mike Shaw's basslines add a whole new level of depth to an already talent-filled track. As The Head build forth into the first verse and subsequent chorus, one thing is clear as can be: these guys draw from a multitude of influences to create a sound accessible not only to the hardcore alternative fan, but to the fans of power-pop, indie-rock, and prep-rock as well. As the guitar chords and arpeggios progress into full flares of sonic rainbows, The Head's rhythm section of the Shaw brothers mixes in a little of Vampire Weekend's prep-rock with the R.E.M. and Beatles-influenced melodies cranking out of Morrell's guitar. With a bridge and winding-down that hold melody tightly wrapped in rhythmic heartbeats, The Head's sound is truly that of an Americanized Oasis on Strokes steroids with Beatles polish. A clear choice for the lead-off single from Hold On, "Separate Bodies" is an immediate triumph for the Atlanta trio (and the music video's pretty sick too, see for yourself).   

As the indie-rock boys keep on rolling, "I'm Fine with It" bleeds through the speakers like a Posies-influenced aloe for anything wrong with the world. Perhaps a little lighter and brighter than The Posies (after all "Dream All Day" and anything else from Frosting on the Beater had a bit of a dark edge), The Head shine brightly on "I'm Fine with It," reveling in indie-rocking guitar notes running through forests of cymbal-cracks and bass-bumps. Jack Shaw's vocals are mesmerizing and and melodic, and from behind his kit, one would never know that he's not front and center. Proving that drummers as much as anyone can be lead vocalists, he's joined by brother Mike Shaw, whose vocal talents are no less admirable. With the Shaw brothers taking care of the lead vocals and rhythm section, guitarist Jacob Morrell fills the air with sonic butterflies of the brightest tint, as his "Ah, ah, ah's" lift up the Shaw twins' vocals to even higher plains. Most certainly one of the songs I'm sad to hear end (and more than happy to play again on "Repeat"), "I'm Fine with It" is a homerun for The Head, plain and simple.
If "Separate Bodies" and "I'm Fine with It" aren't enough to sate your indie and pop-rock pleasure, then tracks like "Stockwood," "Sneeze," and "Top of the World" will have you happier than a pyromaniac in a fireworks shop. "Sneeze" brings a Strokes-esque rhythm from the Shaw boys, and married with Morrell's Vampire Weekend-influenced guitar parts, there's nothing more I could ask for. "Stockwood" is perhaps one of the more interesting track on the album: showcasing Mike Shaw's keyboard talents, the track has a decidedly '60s sound, courtesy of Morrell's guitar chords and notes. And right on top sits (literally) Jack Shaw, the drummer with the voice of a born lead singer. Boasting lead vocals from both brothers and fretwork from Morrell, "Stockwood" could quite possibly be the undiscovered jewel on the album. Yet with "Top of the World" providing even more incredible rhythm and melody to the album, I find myself beginning to wonder if there's anything The Head can't handle. I'm inclined to answer "no."
The next level in an intensely growing catalog, Hold On takes everything The Head learned on Puckered and Stockwood and amplifies it 10,000 times. If this is any indication of what these guys are capable of, then the news is out and the future is clear: The Head have the ability to go as far as groups like Oasis and The Strokes did before them. The Shaw brothers and friend Morrell exhibit an astonishing amount of talent for a group so young, yet age is never a factor when true artistic creativity is at play. The album title says it all: hold on, and hold tight, because with The Head behind the wheel, things will never be the same.  
   
Sounds Like: R.E.M., The Beatles, The Posies, Vampire Weekend, Oasis, The Strokes

Key Tracks from Hold On: "Separate Bodies," "I'm Fine with It," "Stockwood," "Sneeze," "Top of the World"

Check out The Head more at: http://theheadmusic.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/theheadrocks  

Andy Gruhin, Not Without His Wings

It's been just about a year since Andy Gruhin's last EP, World Out There, came out and captured my senses and revamped my faith in true pop-rock. The EP, with tracks like "Sore Losers" and "Higher," blurred the borders between pop-rock and alternative rock with a pop-sheen in the best of ways. In fact, that was one of the reasons that the six-song EP so strongly gripped me and didn't let go.

Now Gruhin is back with his sophomore EP, Let the Darkness Grow!, an effort that shows clear artistic growth as well as an evolution in direction and musicality. From the start, my favorite thing about the new EP is Gruhin's reworking of his song "Without My Wings." This was the sixth song on World Out There, a bonus track that came in acoustic form and presented itself as something more than a run-of-the-mill pop-rock song. Even on the most primitive recordings of this song, Gruhin's original lyrical style is front and center, and on this new, full-throttle recording, the lyrics are clearer than ever, and the only thing I can say is that I only wish I could write the way Gruhin does. If nothing else about the song worked, the lyrics would still bail it out time and time again, and it's clear that the wordplay on Gruhin's other songs that stand out (such as that on "Higher" and "Sore Losers") is not a fluke of good luck. Musically, "Without My Wings" has had an interesting history. The first version of this song was simply Gruhin on unaccompanied guitar: just a guy and his strings. Yet the second evolution saw the introduction of piano notes and female background vocals at the breaking of the chorus. This most current recording, though, has taken the song to all-new heights. The song blasts forward with a combination of riffs that tear at you in the best of ways; already it is impossible not to be getting into it. Then the beat of the drums seems to drive it further and faster, and as the first chorus rolls in, Gruhin's vocals climb the latter to show his true range. The palm-mutes are addictive, and the guitar notes that spike up over the bridge just before the second chorus literally make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Intentional or not, "Without My Wings" is the stand-out track on the EP, and clearly my song of choice for the lead-single. Record execs listening to this track would be out of their minds not to rush to sign a deal with Gruhin as soon as they could find a pen.
Just behind "Without My Wings" in terms of energy and Gruhin-originality is "The Fairest," a track that exudes clever new lyrical concepts that add to Gruhin's clear creativity as an artist. The double-beat drums in this song are rhythmically addicting, and the chords that shake with just the right amount of distortion mesh with Gruhin's voice just right. The choral vocals here amaze me: Gruhin pushes himself to his limits and hits notes that I wouldn't expect. Vocally, the song is also set apart by its bridge, and the interactive female vocals provided by Tessa Traux. Truthfully, the intermingling of Gruhin's voice with Traux's is one of the high points of the EP, and for me, I hope to hear more of this in the future if Gruhin sees fit to stick with it.  
With the tracks "Wasted Words" and "Let the Darkness Grow!" providing some more attitude on the album, Gruhin also experiments with newer song styles. "I'll Follow You" is the ballad of the record: piano-driven and reveling in Gruhin's inventive diction dynamics, this track is more than a simple sappy song. The eventual building of the song sets it apart from other cheesy ballads. Relying on an evolution from piano keys to hard guitar chords, "I'll Follow You" surprises me at every turn, when by the end, the rhythm is faster and enters the territory of the anthemic arena chorus. This is the song to pull out your Zippo lighter and light up the night as Gruhin pushes forward on stage. As close as anyone can get to a power-ballad now without ten cans of hairspray, "I'll Follow You" is a true triumph for Gruhin, as he really begins to spread and flex his wings before taking flight.
With a debut EP like World Out There and a follow-up like Let the Darkness Grow!, Gruhin is making himself impossible to ignore. Any college would be lucky to book him for their spring semester concert, and I don't think it will be long before that's what's happening. Crossing the bridge from underground act to mainstream success has proved difficult for many artists, but with songs like these, Gruhin will have a much easier time with it. Write-ups in school papers and online blogs are just the beginning for this original singer-songwriter; soon it'll reach the breaking point, and from there, there's no looking back. And that's just where Gruhin is heading. Full steam ahead, Andy Gruhin is on the expressway to the top.

Key Tracks from Let the Darkness Grow!: "Without My Wings," "The Fairest," "I'll Follow You, "Let the Darkness Grow!"