Hello, Seattle Album Review for 'Improper Greeting'

Hailing from Long Island and Oneonta, NY, Hello, Seattle just released their debut album, Improper Greeting. 

This female fronted group consisting of: Kimberly Berg (singer), Amy Maxwell (guitar), Frank Cicciarello (bass), Andrew Platt (drummer), and Jason Psanis (pianist), blew me away with some great alternative/awesomeness music.

The opening track, "Let Go," is a brief intro into the musical stylings of Hello, Seattle. The singer comes in about midway through and sings the name of the track over and over – powerful start.

"Camouflage" has a very familiar tone to it. I think the chords sound a bit like Cute Without the E by Taking Back Sunday, except this track adds piano and gives the song more of upbeat dance like feel to it before slowing down and changing tone. Berg's vocals are great on this.

"Broken Glass" is a bit heavier than the previous track and the singer is more aggressive to match. The song features killer piano that drives the song.

The next track, "The Divide" is an acoustic ballad. Her voice takes a lovely folky catchy tone to it. I love the harmonies and the airiness to the vocals. The subtle keys that come are wonderful, and then quickly followed with the rest of the band coming in. Almost as subtle as the piano is some really good bass work.

"Fire Eyes" prepares the listener for a quick tempo fun song right from the chattering hi-hats in the beginning of the track. The chorus is especially strong, and at times she sounds like a more indie rock version of Hayley Williams. The music over the bridge is great, the whole band comes together so well.

"Peter Pan" is another acoustic track featuring piano. I really dig the vocals and words in this song. It's a good concept, and simply puts the feelings of many people into something that is easy and relatable. 

A slick bass line and an even better drum beat open this song. "Ghost In a Common Place," instrumentally, is my favorite track. You really hear their talent on this track. The song features a much different bridge then the others. I really feel the creativity is at a max here. The layering of the vocals with the effects, the drop out, and then guitar solo. Just really a brilliant song.

"The Cure" has prominent bass playing by Cicciarello, and continues the overall feel of the album. In my opinion this song does not resonate with me as much as the others, but it is still solid.

This next track sort of opens up like "Fire Eyes" with quick hi-hats hits and rhythms, but the overall feel is totally different. "Horizon" makes you feel like you are on the run and as I'm writing Berg began singing, "I'm already moving," so maybe I got the point! This song could definitely be a single, and I can also hear it as part of a soundtrack for a movie.

"Strides" is up next, and follows a sort of bluesy tone to it in the beginning. It is probably the most different of the tracks on the album, and has differing parts. Perhaps my biggest gripe on the whole album is that this song is only about two minutes long! I want more!

Closing out the album in "Leaving." It sort of has a march to it in the chorus. It is super catchy and mixes a few different styles on it. I love the string work on this song, and Berg sings with such passion here. It is the perfect closing song for an album because it sounds like the closer of a set. Well done on this track.

Hello, Seattle is super tight! Everyone in the band is on point and they definitely play well together and are comfortable writing together. Piano, bass, guitars, drums all hit the nail on the head with consistency and pin point fluidness. Maxwell is a great lyric writer, and knows how to engross the listener. Berg has a bit of Hayley and a bit of Avril, but yet is able to find her own voice among the comparisons to really deliver on all the songs.

Improper Greeting is a wonderful first step into music for this band, and as I told the bass player, I had no sort of idea of what the band sounded like coming in, and boy was I impressed!

Check them out at - 

facebook.com/helloseattlemusic 

reverbnation.com/helloseattlemusic 

www.wix.com/helloseattlemusicny/home

The Royal Guard Interview - Bringing Straight Up Rock and Roll to Everyone

Where does the Royal Guard name come from, and why pick the theme?
Apparently, every name we came up with happened to be taken, Foo Fighters, Def Leppard, Green Day, etc... So when we saw that The Royal Guard was still available, we jumped on it!

Is the band a continuation of the Todd Davidson Band, or is this something entirely new?
It's not as much of a continuation as it is an extension. The Royal Guard has definitly become it's own entity even though the song writing is still mainly done by Todd, every one brings their own unique talents to the table.

How did you all get together and what dynamic do you each bring to the table? 
Our friendships go back to childhood. It just so happened, that we all wanted to become rock stars! As for the dynamics, Todd is the comic relief. The scenarios of what could go wrong in a simple everyday situation, are endless. Despite the fact that Andy is a mad scientist and the greatest virtuoso any of us have ever met, he's the most laid back of us all. Fred is most likely to go for his doctorate next. Finally, Vin brings his good looks and a  Facebook status "single," and he's the only fighting chance we have against all boy bands!

Rockstars by night, what do you all do during the day?
If you saw us during the day, you most likely will find Todd playing with his model trains, Fred reading a book, Andy soldering, and Vin hitting a home run! Oh ..or did you mean how do we pay our bills?

What would you label your sound, and are there any bands you guys model yourselves after? 

We like to think of ourselves as a rock band. We like Muse, Green Day, My Chemical Romance and The Foo Fighters, and lots of 80's hair bands. All this comes to play in our music.



What's the whole point of your music? What's the message, and why is it so important to you?
The whole point of our music is that you have to follow your dreams. You've got to find something in life that you love and do it. For us it's music!


What is the goal of the band and where do you see yourselves in the future?

The goal of the band is that we want our music to be heard. We hope to see ourselves on big stages.

The band's fan-base has been growing as of late. Tell me about some of your recent opportunities?
We've been working a lot with Loaded Rock Shows playing venues on Long Island.

Are there any plans of touring? Recording?
We have some new songs that we've been introducing at our live shows. We are just getting started with pre-production for a new album. But until then, our main focus is playing live and introducing our latest album, Showdown.

On Nov 4, we have a show with Candlebox at a brand new venue in Long Island, The Emporium. There's a lot of buzz around this show because it's the first rock show to be held there. We're very excited to be on that bill!

Tell us about the album you have out now.
The name of the album is Showdown and it features the best of The Royal Guard. We had a lot of fun writing these songs and recording them. We believe that it will bring out the "air guitarist" in you!

In one quick sentence, why should listeners give the Royal Guard a chance?
We believe the listener will receive in return. It's original, it's creative. It will definitely be worth your time.

Anything you'd like to add?
We always put a great effort into our live shows because we want you to have just as much fun at the show as we do.



http://theroyalguardband.com/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/showdown/id314311624
https://twitter.com/theroyalguard
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalGuardMusic

Face The King Interview

Face The King is a rapidly growing rock band from Long Island that is making waves with a slew of big shows and the release of their latest EP, The Burning & The Falling Down. 

The band is entering the studio again this month to bring forth their new musical venture to the masses and are very excited to do so.


The band recently became involved in the "I95: Rumble At The Room" contest, where they are competed for supremacy over some of their peers at the Room in Brookfield, CT and won. A&R judges from EMI Records will be judged the bands and they received free recording time at the Factory Underground. 


So be sure to check out the alternative/indie sounds of Face The King and get to know them right before they blow up.

INTERVIEW
Where'd you guys get the name from?

It was a dark and stormy night when a single bolt of lightning struck the ground and left the words Face The King burned in the ground.  How dramatic is that!!! We got the band name from a song that I wrote for a previous band.  The idea comes from that time when you feel you need to answer to a higher power for the life you have led.  More specifically it is the time before that - when you have to face yourself before you answer to anyone else.  I still like the lightning story.  

Describe your style of music and what makes the band stand out among others?

I think we are a alternative rock band at the core of it.  The music we write is very theatrical and dramatic.  It takes you somewhere from start to finish.  We understand that the music is as important as the lyrics.  But what makes us stand out the most is where we all are rooted as musicians.  Each one of us individually is comfortable with a different style of music.  The end result of combining all those styles is Face The King. We have heard from bands that we play the music they want to play but they don't because they play what they think will make them famous.  We stand out because we play the music we want to play - getting famous would be a bonus.     

I hear many different influences in your music, how do you feel the "modern" up and coming rock band within your genre is evolving?

I think that the modern up and coming rock band is being pushed into the unique blend of a produced and raw sound.  Studio magic is great for some bands - but there are bands that are coming around that are better live than in the studio.  I think we are on the verge on seeing the opposite of what has happened to music.  So many bands sounded great in the studio these past years.  Then you see them live and they let you down.  It is an illusion.  Now - there are bands that sound great on record and understand that they need to be better live.  The modern rock band is learning what it takes to put on a show.  

What was it like working with Steve Haigler and why do you feel the album is the band's big break? 

Working with Steve can be summed up in a great saying that he repeated time and time again in the studio.  Steve pushed us to the point of tears.  I honestly think I saw Joey curled up in the fetal position in the corner - rocking back and forth - wishing he had never stepped into the studio.  Steve would say to us "Let's piss on some trees."  This translates to - leave your mark.  Once your music is released - it can not be taken back.  I think that Steve helped us all learn that concept.  As for the big break part - I don't think we go in thinking that this album is going to make us huge.  We go in to make the best record.  You hope at the end that you feel as though the music has a shot of being the band's big break.  If you don't get that feeling - you should be working harder in the studio and go and higher Steve. 

How does the song writing process work, and what goes into perfecting and mastering the song?

We have a formula for song writing:

Eric + Dan x Anthony + Joey - Ego = Song

How great would that be if that worked?  Honestly, the song writing experience starts like a good conversation.  Someone starts and you hope everyone is interested enough to contribute. Dan says that the songs come together faster and easier in this band than in any other he has played.  I agree with that.  When the song begins to take shape - that is when we break it down.  We make it as great as we possibly can. Sometimes we over think it and go back to the start.  Sometimes we just let come out and never question it.  The rule of thumb is that the song is never done until it goes to tape.  And even after that - things can change for the live show. 

What's a Face the King live performance like?

It is pretty mediocre at best.

Actually the thing I am most proud of is our live show.  We sound good on record because we sound great live.  We put our all into every show.  Each show is the most important show we are going to play.  We bring the audience on stage to sing.  We talk to the crowd as if we were sitting around the dinner table.  Somewhere in between we play music for our fans.  Face The King believes in the show - from the moment we get on stage - until the last note.  At the end of the show we want you to want to see and hear more.  The comment that we hear a lot is that your sound is too big for this venue.  You should be playing arenas.  Someday I think that will happen - but we are definitely enjoying the ride. 

Tell me about the z100 contest and what does it mean for the band if successful?
The Z100 Hometown Hero contest is where bands and solo artists compete against one another to play a slot at this year’s Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden.  The performance takes place in the garden’s Coca Cola Access Lounge. There is an A list panel of judges including the program director of Z100, and the presidents of both Universal Republic and RCA Records. The top acts are determined by the listeners/fans. Our main goal with entering the contest was to enter the top 25, since it allows us gain great exposure. It also ensures that high-end people in the business will be reviewing our music. Due to the immense and much appreciated support from our fans, we successfully made the top 25, placing 11th out of 400 competitors. Now we play the waiting game, where they will choose 5 finalists from the top 25 to enter a final round of voting. If a rock band such as us were chosen to play for a pop contest, I would be shocked for words. It would only mean greater things for the band if successful. Wish us luck!


What's the band's biggest rockstar moment/biggest failure?

The biggest rock star moment hands down was when Anthony dove into the crowd naked.  That never happened.  I would have to say that the moment that made us feel like we were on the right path was the first time we saw the crowd filled with fans - not friends - singing the words to all of our songs.  You never think about that - and when it happens - you can't stop thinking about it.

As for the biggest failure -  I would have to say not quitting our old bands sooner - so we could have started Face The King earlier.   

What are the future goals for the band and what can we expect next?

Right now we are working on the next EP. It has to be bigger and better than everything before it.  To be blunt though - we would all like to play music full time.  That is our goal - to support ourselves with our music.

Also - to use the WaWa coupons that were sent to us by WaWa's corporate office for the poem I wrote on our website.  This might also be up there for the biggest rockstar moment.  If you think that is strange - it means you have never been to a WaWa.
 

Anything you would like to add?

One last thing - this next EP is being written by Face The King and by fans.  What I mean is that the lyrics are being inspired or are being written from the words of our fans.  If you have a story or a poem that you think would be a great song - send it to us.  We have told our story and now we want to tell yours.  You can send it to our email: facethekingmusic@gmail.com.  

LINKS:
Official Website
http://www.facethekingband.com

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/facetheking

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/facetheking

Reverbnation
http://www.reverbnation.com/facetheking

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/facetheking

Album Review for The Things They Carried 'There's Something I Can't Tell Anyone'

The Things They Carried a.k.a 3TC, are a Metal/Screamo band form Long Island who are making headway in the scene after releasing their first full length on 12/17/10, There's Something I Can't Tell Anyone, releasing their first single "364 Day Anniversary" on 1/15/11.

3TC released their debut EP Attention Crisis in 2009 and immediately began touring in promotion of it. In the summer of 2010 they hit the studio again to begin recording their current album. "We wanted to create something ...that all of us were equally excited about. We wanted every song to be as good as the next, no fillers!" said the band's singer, Steve Schwartz.

What you get from the band is a unique blend of metal, melodic screamo, and the famous post-hardcore sounds from Long Island music. The band has the uncanny ability to switch styles up in songs and still put unique musical parts over stunning vocals and catchy choruses. Vocally they are like a heavier Silverstein or Used while musically they compare to Dead Poetic and at their softer moments, Hawthorne Heights.

There's Something I Can't Tell Anyone opens strong with the quick pulsing and guitar riffed "Rationality of Failure." The song stands out because of the the unconventional guitar work not heard in their style of music. It has more of a mainstream feel to it.

The next track is"364 Day Anniversary," this song was the first single off the album and deservedly so because of the heavy scream filled opening that captivates from the start. The verse has a great back and forth flow of screams and vocals, but the best part of the song comes from calm part on. Once the calm building bridge sets in, the song quickly jumps into a heavy fast passed transition ending with awesome double bass and screaming.



"Less Fun Than Being Dead" is definitely a radio single if they go that route. It has a poppy hook and is one of the catchiest tracks on the album.

Perhaps the song with the most moving parts musically and certainly the most unique, is "Mosely." The song almost tells a story without the words and does a good job of staying interesting the whole way through. And of course the track ends with their signature heavy ending.

"Doubt" has a slow creepy intro with  good back and forth between the clean vocals and screaming like on "364 Day Anniversary." The chorus is very catchy and it also has a singlesque feel to it.

The following track, "18G," has an intense screamo intro switching between low bellows and high pitched shrills with singing following. Then it goes into this really dynamic psychotic screaming spoken word sounding part. It is without a doubt the favorite on the record.

"Is That Your Idea What a Girl Should Look Like?...Not Mine!" While posing a question and being extremely long, it also proves to be another strong track on the album. It features a soft intro with a strong chorus and a hop skip and a jump feel about it. In other words, it switches up between fast and slow and mixes patterns making a cool effect musically.

This next track is by far the best song musically. The guitar and drum work on here is phenomenal. There are plenty of strings and piano parts intertwined throughout the song, but they stand out the best toward the end when mixed with the choir like outro.

"An Ode to Rachel Winters" is more of a story telling type song and remains solid throughout. It has a soft intro and outro and brings some of the strings back. It features a nice smooth bridge with great guitar work layered with strings.

"Memoriam" is an excellent closing track. It's a stringy and acoustic ballad with "big" sound reminiscent of a radio soft single. The listener can definitely feel the emotion in the song that coincides with the music ending with electric guitars and harder vocals It's a build up that makes sense and is a nice capper to the record.

There's Something I Can't Tell Anyone stands out among many bands who dabble in the same genre because of the way they approach and create each song to be a work in of itself. They do a superb job of making every track unique but yet have the same feel with the rest of the album. The music seems to have a central theme and tells a wonderful story from beginning to end.