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The Old Ceremony - Our One Mistake, sonaBLAST! Records
What’s wrong with making a little good, old-fashioned pop every now and then? Maybe that was running through their minds, as The Old Ceremony entered the studio. The answer - fifty minutes of clever, well-crafted songs.
Fronted by Django Haskins, the North Carolina band sounds like Coldplay minus the infinite sadness - or Ben Folds Five minus the crushing sarcasm. Taking mellow, piano-driven pop to a new level, the twelve tracks are peppered with a million musical influences -from Elvis Costello to Ray Charles to INXS, with a bit of color added to the classic sound.
“Radio Religion” is a true dream of a song, with classic keyboards and moody, flowing lyrics. Really, every song is a pop masterpiece, with just a couple falling short of perfection. Fans of softer pop will appreciate their no-nonsense approach. There’s no more need to tolerate a whining Chris Martin or bitchy Ben Folds now that The Old Ceremony is here!
 (Jason Janik)
Hella - There’s No 666 In Outer Space, Ipococ Recordings
This disc is totally insane. Hella is avant-garde and experimental on every level. If you enjoy music that doesn’t conform to any formula or script, this CD is a necessity. It’s extremely “busy,” and the instrumentation is scattered, and though lyrical content might or might not contain or reference anything, it’s hard to get past the music’s complexity. If you want some new tunes that reveal how “open-minded” you are - then pick this one up. Rock? That is up to you.
(Shane Epting)
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Escape the Fate
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Escape The Fate - Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, Epitaph
For starters, this release contains some memorable and awesome tracks “When I Go Out, I Want To Go Out On A Chariot Of Fire” and “Situations,” both fantastic numbers. They’re easy to follow and highly accessible. On a sour note, a few songs contain screamo-constipated aspects that are “less than perfect,” but that’s the only downside of Escape The Fate’s technique. The remainder of the disc rocks on a deep-seated level. For the most part, these dudes have a pop-punk sound, and it works well for them.
(Shane Epting)
The Higher - On Fire, Epitaph
Emo. This is as good (or bad, depending on your preferences) as any/all other emo discs on Earth.
(Mark Beneventi)
Marcus Singletary - Rocks, Aviation
A blues/funk feel, this album is laden with emotion vocally, though tunefully it’s rusty (which is a good thing). It’s a great soundtrack for hot summer nights on the front-porch with a three-legged dog and a quart of Busch Light.
On the contrary, it does not “rock,” as the title suggests, though it is many miles form Suckville. It contains a few covers, but is mostly original work. If your woman has been cheatin’ or “The Man” done stuck it to ya - this might be what you need.
(Shane Epting)
k-os - Atlantis (Hymns For Disco), Virgin Records
The new disc from roots rapper k-os (Knowledge of Self) is a perfect journey through a prolific and gifted mind. The music is upbeat with a hippie feel similar to De La Soul, but with many more elements mixed in. Pop, reggae, folk and groove all take front-row seats from time to time. Lyrically, Atlantis is as philosophical as ever with stories that could have been co-written by Kahlil Gibran himself. Still, it never feels heavy, only smart. Highlights “Electrik Heat,” “Mirror In The Sky” and “Born To Run” are some of the catchiest Zen prophecy ever delivered.
(Mark Beneventi)
Adam Lopez - Stranded In Babylon, Pholk Souljah Music
Stranded is a nice mix of pop, rock, folk and reggae. The many different styles are reminiscent of Kravitz’ Mama Said. While there are interesting moments throughout, overall the sound is a bit fuzzy - mainly do to the unusual drum recording. It just doesn’t jibe with some of the clean guitars. Though the songs don’t ever hook the listener, highlights “I Am Your Brother” and “Pholk Souljaz” are still worth a download. This is close to being a real good disc, but just slightly lacking in too many areas.
(Mark Beneventi)
The October - Bye Bye Beautiful, Sparkgun Records
This album gets off to a great start with the cool number “Through The Waves And Stars.” Unfortunately, it pretty much ends there. The majority of the tracks are boring, monotonous and dry in lyrical content. The music drags on as if it was a tattered tire caught in a tuna net. It’s likely there are sappy chicks somewhere that dig this music. Hopefully, you are not dating one of them.
(Shane Epting)
Aiden - Rain In Hell, Victory Records
Mostly, this EP rocks. Exceptional tracks include “The Suffering” and “We Sleep Forever,” which are well above the norm in pop punk. On the other hand, the cover songs suck - “White Wedding” by Billy Idol and “Die Die My Darling” by The Misfits. If these were not included, the CD ‘s “rock meter” would hit 10 – 20% more. Included on a second disc are several videos and live footage for hardcore fans to enjoy.
(Shane Epting)
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The Coffee Nods
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The Coffee Nods - Grown, Hardcore Casual Recordings
Just how popular can an artist get rapping about traffic jams, mowing lawns and other everyday suburban activities? In a genre filled with gold chains, big rims and materialistic goals, this Dallas-area duo may never be accepted by the masses. But music this clever doesn’t need acceptance. It just needs to be played.
The Coffee Nods, better known as Benisanna and DJ Theory, sound like a cross between Eminem and Bubba Sparxxx, but that’s where the comparison ends. Talking about life as an adult in suburbia, the songs are filled with a satirical look at the mundane. Stories of mortgages, good credit, and being responsible never sounded so great set to music.
The best tracks include “Grown” and “Test Me,” though all 20 tracks are worth a listen. Even the silly skits that plague every rap album are somewhat interesting. Simply put, this CD is a breath of fresh air in a world of copycat rappers. So what if there aren’t any songs about drinking Cristal champagne on forty-foot yachts? That’s a good thing. (Jason Janik)
Hear the man behind the Coffee Nods on SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket. Ben Rogers is one half of Ben & Skin, who do the Mavs postgame shows and are frequent fill-ins for The Hardline, BaD Radio and The Musers. Rogers first gained notoriety on the station for fashioning many of the shows’ theme songs in his own unique way. (Kevin White)
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