Author - connor

GET SAD WITH RYAN HEMSWORTH ON "ALONE FOR THE FIRST TIME"

November 9, 2014

I had been studying in the library, poring over aggregate demand graphs and consumption functions when I saw a post about Ryan Hemsworth’s new album, Alone For The First Time. On a whim, I downloaded it and absentmindedly put it on while I returned to my graphs. It wasn’t until I reached Snow in Newark that I realized I was listening to a smart, melancholy record that deserved to be regarded as far more than background noise to economics notes.

Hemsworth is known for his ethereal rap production and loyal remixes of popular artists such as Grimes, Frank Ocean and Cat Power. On Alone For The First Time, we find all his musical idiosyncrasies and nuances amplified into hyperbole; this record is very Ryan Hemsworth, aka Ry Sremmund aka MR. STEAL YO WIFI aka PRODUCER GAME OMAR BORKAN AL GALAAKA. His personal sound and ironic-internet-sad-boy aesthetic converge to produce a toned and refined style; cold and well paced ambience, robust and tight beats, subdued vocals.

On Alone For The First Time, Hemsworth is joined by many of his fellow Soundcloud stars. Throughout the record they contribute a wide spectrum of vocals ranging from intimate mumbling, to layered whines, to the now-typical loud-and-powerful-female-beat-drop-vocals, to rap. While they present a difficultly eclectic mix of voices, Hemsworth finds a place for all of them. Or, perhaps, he found the right vocalist for each of these different songs, another testament to a real strength in this album: finding so many different ways to convey the same mood and theme.

This record draws many a parallel to emo: bright, twinkly melodies in dark key, melodrama, and an earnestness behind the simple and moody lyrics. Emo’s not meant to depress you, it’s meant to feel real. This record does a great job of capturing that sentiment. Hemsworth dropped this with impeccable timing; this record is best enjoyed cold, with a side of seasonal affective disorder in a heavy coat.

OFFICAL TRACKLIST POWER RANKINGS:

1. SNOW IN NEWARK

2. TOO LONG HERE

3. SURROUNDED

4. WALK ME HOME

5. BLEMISH

6. HURT ME

PUNK NIGHT AT THE BREWERY 11/13

November 9, 2014

connor

Events, Music, Penn State News Reviews and Interviews

DISCLAIMER: 21 & UP.

Cheap drinks and good music is what punk is all about, at its core. This Thursday night you can find both at the Brewery (223 E Beaver Ave, State College, Pennsylvania 16801). The open mic starts at 10pm and bands begin at 11pm.

The Facebook event page can be found here

open mic:
Derek Demarco – (acoustic) 10:00 – 10:15pm
Matt Chrisopher – (TCYK, sprwws) 10:20 – 10:35pm
Elizebeth Findley – (pianist) 10:40 – 10:55pm

bands:
Kevo Can’t Dance (acoustacore) 11:00 – 11:20pm
The Eastern Portrait (pop punk) 11:30 – 12:15am
Hot Jam Factory (freak out) 12:30 – 1:30am

GERARD WAY: HESITANT ALIEN TURNS OUT TO BE DOPE OBVIOUSLY

September 30, 2014

connor

Mainstream Music

“I have all these amazing Britpop records, and I have shoegaze records, but I don’t have anything on the radio anymore,” Gerard Way says. “So the main objective was to change the landscape of music a bit. To kind of re-boot Britpop in America, see how that goes.”

This shit is so tight.

Hesitant Alien is aptly named; Gerard Way’s debut solo album does not fit in with the American landscape of music at all. It’s a bold endeavor, one that may have failed under another artist in another time. Indie rock is feeling stale – Pitchfork hasn’t paraded around a new artist in quite some time; even the emo revival is winding down – and My Chem’s hella devoted fan base has been clamoring for more music from the band’s comicbook – writing frontman. If there’s anyone that’s going to bring Britpop to the table, it’s Gerard Way in 2014.

Way is the master of opening an album. The Black Parade and Danger Days both tout superbly memorable introductions, and Hesitant Alien’s – while much more subdued – possesses the same style. “The Bureau” pulls the curtains with a fuzzy discord, a slow march of chords that gathers syncopation and notes until it’s become a bizarre and cool pallet of harmonies, like a fine wine. That’s right, Hesitant Alien is like a goddamn fine wine.

Lyrically, Hesitant Alien is far removed from his previous and aforementioned works such as Danger Days or The Black Parade (and particularly early My Chem); it’s not a tight concept album, unless you consider the album to be a conceptualization of how cool Gerard Way is.

Way’s lyrics sound like a compilation of cool one – liners from your favorite books and movies. They appear over – the – top sometimes, clearly influenced by comic book swagger. Sometimes so punk it’s campy and tongue – in – cheek: “Death to the crown maynnee.”

A large talking point in his relevant interviews has been the guitar tones used in the album. Unlike My Chemical Romance’s, this album has a widely varying spectrum of tones. It’s evident from the start in “The Bureau” that guitar tone – ranging from warm fuzzes to harsh trebles – is a thematic element of the record.

In short, this record is killer, and from what Gerard Way has said in interviews, it’s just the beginning, and it’s only going to get better from here. Do not sleep on this record or this dude. So without further ado:

OFFICIAL TRACK POWER RANKINGS:

1. No Shows

2. Juarez

3. Action Cat

4. Millions

5. Brother

6. The Bureau

7. Zero Zero

8. Get The Gang Together

9. How It’s Going To Be

10. Drugstore Perfume

11. Maya The Psychic

ICEAGE Stream Adventurous New Album

September 1, 2014

connor

Mainstream Music, Music, Uncategorized

ICEAGE have posted their new album, Plowing Into The Field of Love, on YouTube. It’s available to stream in full, below. The Danish quartet are plowing into fields of cowboy-ass punk with this new venture; cowpunk, if you will. Listen below and watch for a full review post soon. Plowing Into The Field of Love will be released October 6 in Europe and October 7 in the U.S.

THE STORY SO FAR ANNOUNCE ACOUSTIC EP

April 24, 2014

connor

Mainstream Music

The mystery of what The Story So Far were doing in their short and discreet trip to the studio has been solved. The band announced today that they will be releasing an acoustic EP on June 17. Titled Songs Of, the EP is set to feature some new and old songs, and some covers. The band hasn’t released a track listing, but keep your eyes peeled as they’ll probably post it soon. Fans (including me) have been begging for more acoustic songs with Parker’s golden voice since Clairvoyant came out last summer on their split with Stick To Your Guns. The EP will be put out by Pure Noise Records, and you can catch The Story So Far on the Vans Warped Tour this summer.

Links with possibly updated info:

The Story So Far’s Facebook

Their Twitter

and

Pure Noise Records

OLD GRAY / TINY MOVING PARTS ANNOUNCE SPLIT 7"

April 23, 2014

connor

Mainstream Music, Music

The emo “revival”, or re-emergence, or whatever you might like to call it, is continuing with a new release from Old Gray and Tiny Moving Parts. The bands announced that they’re putting out a 4 – song record on May 20, on Kind Of Like Records and Broken World Media. (Dog Knights will release it in the UK, but that’s probably not who you’ll buy it from). The record is available for pre – order on the labels’ respective sites, and they’re going fast. This should be one great record from two great bands, so don’t wait to order it if you want the vinyl.

Pre – orders can be found here:

http://brokenworldmedia.bigcartel.com/

http://store.kindoflikerecords.com/

You can catch Tiny Moving Parts on tour with Modern Baseball and

Sorority Noise (which includes members of Old Gray) this summer.