Piebald Review
by Diana Ciuca

To say this isn’t my style of music would be a lie. To say it is would be a stretch. Somehow, my feelings on Piebald span from uninterested to quite moved. Now, the band is looking back at former hits and releasing a 3 Volume compilation seriesWhile listening to the two discs of their newest CD, Volume I, their earlier years, I occasionally paused and appreciated the blaring sounds as more than just background music. Undoubtedly, they have a genuinely unique style that does not necessarily fall under the preferences of an indie rocker nor an alternative lover. .
Formed in 1994, Piebald flourished in the underground scene releasing song after song. They depicted the indie/hardcore crossover, which is why, possibly, their sound is so fresh. At the first few plucks of the guitar in Protagonist, I fell in love with the contrast of the harshness of the lead singer’s voice, yet the guitars sound grew and disappointingly, the singer’s voice was lost. Nevertheless, the song takes a soothing intermission, as many of their songs do, and allows the guitar to finally breathe without having to compete wit any singer for air. Discordant voices are scattered in every song, sometimes creating a dual harmony with two singers. While this might work for the better (such as in Two Rocking Chairs on a Porch), quite often the result is a distraction from the smooth dance between the guitar and the drums (such as in Pretty Face). The seemingly sporadic guitar mingles on occasion with a progressively faster drum throughout most songs, generating a wave of music which culminates in the lead singer’s lyrics.
Once in a while, a song will sound absolutely unrelated with the rest of the album, like Piano Song in a Minor, but these oddities achieve the desired effect of keeping the listener on his/her feet. Nevertheless, the songs seem to display a similar pattern, of a simple, eloquent beginning, such as in Intro and Small Town Outside of Boston, where it almost sounds as if notes are gently falling onto the ground. But, the songs completely change to a more grating, almost blaring noise. This cacophony eventually give way to the retreating guitar, giving most songs, most not all, am idyllic ending.
Both discs of Volume I represent the roots of hardcore indie music, as Piebald has slightly emo tendencies (yet they are almost as frequent as their propensity to play surf rock). With few exceptions, these songs entertain the senses since they amass a harmony of sounds that most would not expect. Even if a obscurely pleasant harmony is not what the band members were going for, the album is still packed with energy that is sure to amplify at a live show.
Be sure to check out Piebald at Bamboozle in May as they embark upon a reunion tour and release two more volumes of their CDs, featuring ancient, lost versions of their songs that will make you beyond nostalgic for the 90s.

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The Futureheads “Heartbeat Song” Review By Samantha Ponoroff
Finally, something I can listen to without cringing. Although their lyrics may not be of the highest quality, The Futureheads have a very unique sound—a sound that intrigues their listeners. The video accompanying “Heartbeat Song,” again not stellar, definitely has its moments: their retro-inspired game show is very cute-sey. All in all, The Futureheads have potential, but definitely need work: their lyrics need major retouching and their videos need to have more of a story life. But, needless to say, The Futureheads are much closer to fame than many of the other struggling bands and artists out there.

Blowing Trees “Goblins” Review By Samantha Ponoroff
After watching this video a few times, I have come to the conclusion that the star is not the lead singer, Chris Madden; the star of this video is its director, Ryan Scheer. While the band delivers music reminiscent of a bad high school sponsored concert, Scheer makes use of stunning visuals through his manipulation of light, televisions and angles. Because of his artful manipulation of the camera and light, Ryan Scheer is who should be remembered when one watches this video: he is the strongest artist in association with this lackluster band and their lackluster song, “Goblins,”
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If you were to imagine the major cities of America by a genre of music, I’m fairly sure you would generally see New York City as being a hub for underground music of all genres; Los Angeles as the hang out for the ska and punk rockers; Nashville as, obviously, the country music haven; Atlanta’s infamous hip hop and rap scene; and Miami as, well, a large mixing pot of culturally influenced music. If you want a good pop song with a Latin beat, or maybe a Bob Marley inspired reggae band, Miami is the place to be. Many popular artists like Nelly Furtado, Akon, Sean Kingston, Shakira, and Rihanna thrive in this area because of their cultural backgrounds and music.

Jaiko, an up and coming artist from the Barbados, is a musician I could possibly see becoming quite popular in the Miami area, as well as with the rest of the US. Caribbean beats are infused with a poppy hip-hop beat and laced with catchy lyrics to create something that ultimately reminds me of the early music of Rihanna, along with Sean Kingston, Akon, and even Chris Brown. Although some of the beats and lyrics are somewhat cheesy and almost juvenile in a sense, reminding me of something that would be on the Disney channel or Kids Bop, he does seem to have some redeeming qualities in his debut album entitled “Can I.” Jaiko has a good voice, perfect for the genre of music he’s getting into. And I can tell from many of his songs that he has radio potential, which is extremely important as it is one of the hardest methods of advertising music now a days. I would recommend this album to those who only listen to music on Y100, or love anything on MTV.

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This interview was done in his van with flashlights hence the low light and video quality.

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