I remember hearing mewithoutYou for the first time back in 2002 when they premeired the video for Bullet to Binary. At first, I thought it was far too pretentous and just not good. I ignored them until 2 years later when I heard their new song, January 1979. It was good enough to convince me to buy Catch For Us the Foxes and eventually I got their first cd too. I saw them at Purple Door in 2005 where they put on one of (if not) the best shows there. When I got their newest cd, Brother, Sister, it blew me away. You really can't talk about mewithoutYou unless you mention Aaron Weiss' poetic lyrics which will blow your mind if you're into that kind of thing and this cd showcases them brilliantly. They are not afraid to try things other bands would never think of and use many instruments that are rarely ever used in rock including an accordian and horns are present throughout. This is their most brilliant, experimental, and accessable work so far and yet it's still not for everyone, but if you want to hear an amazing band at their peak so far, get this now.
Just like you can't talk about mewithoutYou without mentioning Aaron Weiss' vocals and lyrics, the same goes for Copeland with Aaron Marsh's voice and lyrics. When it comes to guys with voices such as his, there is a very fine line you don't want to cross. You usually come off as having a beautiful voice or being wimpy. He has no problem making his vocals shine and really set this cd apart. He also writes the best songs about love you'll hear these days. This is the perfect cd for lounging around reading a book or thinking about someone you hold dear. I wouldn't really know, but it seems like it would be good for that.
Indie rock pioneers Starflyer 59 has one of the most extensive catalogues in all of music that includes 10 full length albums and 5 EPs and for whatever reason, this is the one that stands out in my mind. Jason Martin is the only member to appear on all the albums because sf59 is essentially just him and whoever else backs him up which changes from album to album. For this cd, it was only Jason and drummer Frank Lenz, which led to a much more simplified sound. Lenz also made a lot of string arrangements that make some songs such as Night Life, just that more amazing. The only complaint I can muster about this cd is that it is only 9 tracks and 32 minutes long. But even that isn't really a complaint because when the music's this good, it's just that easy to listen to it over and over again.
Underoath-Define the Great Line
Jay mentioned this album in his favorites and it was definitely a good choice. Like he said, their first Solid State release with Dallas Taylor was great, then Spencer joined, Aaron took over a lot of the songwriting, They're Only Chasing Safety came out, and they joined the screamo elite. Sure it was an alright cd, but I just couldn't accept that it was Underoath. I was fairly tentative since I bought this cd as soon as it came out and I was very pleasantly surprised. The thing to me that makes this cd stand out so much is that Spencer no longer just screams, but he yells, talks, screams, growls, and covers the whole gamet of vocal techniques. Musically, it isn't as complex as a lot of bands, but it definitely gets the job done. Great cd if you ever feel like kickboxing a rhino.
