Canals - Tunnels/Your Time

http://canalsuk.bandcamp.com/

uk indie/math band.similar to Foals.

Pastoral - Pastoral

FIRST OFF:
The reader submission's around here are really starting to blow my face off... sincerely appreciate all the email's, keep em coming guys and gals.

So lets speak about a musical venture from California.  A one man affair played by one, Zachary Thachet. Chances are strong that at its base you've heard this instrumental post rock/math before (this is not a negative). Think Kinsella...the Mike variety.  Nothing too technical but just that right amount of skill and rhythmic change that keep you on your toe's. It is unique however in a couple of exciting ways. Zach has an admitted love of finger style acoustic music and the acoustic guitars in Pastoral are a delightful tribute to the giants of the genre. Not so much in style or speed but in spirit.  I'm always shocked more bands don't use acoustic guitars for this sort of music, it really just makes sense.  This is some brilliantly executed solo bizz that I could see evolving even further either into full band territory or deeper into solo town. Production is incredibly solid as well here.  If your looking for something calming for the night then you should look no further. Some strong ideas going on with this one.

hit dat linkage for the downlowd :)
Pastoral

Plenty of Swords is looking for new blood

Greetings fellow readers. Would like to inquire if anyone here would be interested in writing for the blog. Its been awhile and some new blood would certainly do the joint good i'd say. If anyone is considering please feel free to email us and we can dispense with more specifics:


plentyofswords (A) gmail (.)com



PS: extra credit for anyone that can tell me what semi-popular anime this is from :)

Give Zombies The Vote- Dominions (2012)

I have a bunch of friends, and some of these friends play music; for some they play music as just a hobby, for others because its fun to get together with likeminded friends and make up songs and stories together, and for a lucky few, they play music because they have found a tight group of pals to seriously spend the time to produce the music they love together. Two of my oldest and best friends have been playing together since high school; they were called Teabag back then, and remained together through times of separation and hiatuses. They are a solid core that always worked very well at writing songs with each other. These friends are Shaun and Clayton, singer/guitarist and lead guitarist for Give Zombies The Vote. Although I wasn't very close with their drummer Jim until recently (who has also been a member of the band since its genesis), they have been a trio for as long as I can remember, and they have always had a unique connection in their skills at coming up with super badass metal songs together. Now, its time to celebrate.

Give Zombies The Vote has at last released the proper debut it deserves. Dominions serves as a mix of greatest songwriting accomplishments/ new badassery, showcasing all of their finely tuned melodic death metal skills as a cohesive unit. They are darned tight. I have played a lot of music with Clayton over many years, and this dude is a serious guitarist. He is at his best on this album, kicking out so many tasty licks and tight solos throughout its tracks; I've also played music with Shaun since always; he is a singer and guitarist who is incredibly diverse in a variety of styles of vocals and has the skills to play a tasty groove on guitar while he belts out the lyrics, utilizing melodic harmonies in his verses and choruses; Jim, he is just insane. His powerhouse techniques in solid skill and timing work as a perfect backbone to the madness at hand. In the last year or two they have added a new bassist who I still have yet to meet; I do know that they were very happy to find him, and that he rocks the hell out on this album.

Enough of the history lesson on our personal relationship: meat and potatoes time. After listening to this album a bunch since it was given to me, I feel like they are at their best in the title track, Dominions, which is also one of their most recently written songs. The album kicks off with a bang and doesn't let up; its balls to the wall fist pumping metal. The title track comes in after a string of five songs, including a personal favorite, Corpsicle, which includes the awesome line "this road is made of dudes!"; the song begins typically enough for an album full of nastiness- badass licks, drum lines and vocals- but after a ripping solo finishes up at 2:50, a new taptastic math section begins. This section and the ensuing awesomeness is, to me, a high point in their songwriting together. It is fucking badass. So tight; reminds me of Ebu Gogo and Toe with a giant helping of In Flames and Tool. Check it:



Also, theres this: a video they threw together with the help of Anthony Jarvis as they were recording the album. Its a neat little ditty, and rings in at track 3 on Dominions:

Congratulations guys, this stuff is awesome.

Dominions (bandcamp)