REVIEWS
2
ANY WONDER BY VIOLET NINE
Straight out of Boston comes Violet Nine, a five-piece rock band with 6,784 MySpace fans, hipster rockstar fashion sense and a debut album out on April 4 — including a track already featured on the National Lampoon movie Cattle Call.
The band's MySpace page describes their music as My Bloody Valentine vs. Justin Timberlake; that's close. I describe it as The Strokes meets Our Lady Peace with a dash of Goth music. The higher points of the album
have a sort of indie rock flair, but are inevitably dragged down by clichéd heavy guitar riffs and pseudo-emo melodies.
It seems the band is trying to pull together some different genres, but fails to pull them together in a cohesive or credible way.
Joe Sibinski
Bring It Back by Mates of State
Two-piece bands are becoming more and more popular, but unlike most, Mates of State abandon the guitar and uses organ, drums and two vocalists. And they manage to make two people sound as powerful as a fourperson band.
KU alumni Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel make up Mates of State and create a catchy blend of power pop. Usually power pop induces heavy vomiting, but Mates of State manages to write cheery pop songs while keeping integrity and creativity as their main focus.
★★★
On Bring It Back, their fourth full-length album, they continue writing their anthmetic pop, heavy in experimentation and hooks.
"Beautiful Dreamer" and "So Many Ways" are some of the catchiest songs I've ever heard.
"Running Out" is a great six-and-a-half minute closer, complete with a memorable refrain.
In an age in which sugary pop music is reserved for 12-year-olds, Mates of State creates memorable melodies and catchy choruses that satisfy an adult audience.
Chris Brower
ergio Anello, bassist of The Early November, took a break before the band's Atlanta show to talk about their new triple album The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path. The
Q: How is each disc different?
A: It originally started out as two albums, a rock album and a second one that was a different style. But then we wanted to make a story with dialogue that went along with the music. Then we had one really long album.
Q: What made you decide to make a triple album?
album is awaiting release, but the band's Take Action Tour will stop by the Granada on April $ _{6} ^{th}. $
A: The first disc is a rock album. It's more mature than our old stuff. The second disc is kind of folky. Some songs have a country feel and there are some pop songs on there. The third album is a story with dialogue and music intertwined throughout.
Q: How do you feel this album is different than your last album, The Room's Too Cold?
A: We've all grown in our music styles, and we wanted to do something different. The album is still us, but it's a lot more grown-up.
Q: What's the story behind the title: The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path?
A. "The mother" just came off the top of our heads. "The mechanic" is the rock CD. We produced it to sound bigger than the other two albums. It's higher quality. "The Path" is the story CD. It's like a journey backed with music.
Q: When is the album supposed to come out?
A: We don't know. They just pushed the release date back. It should be out within the next six months.
Q: How have things changed for the band since you released The Room's Too Cold?
A: We did a lot of touring off it and we're still touring off it. It's coming towards the end, so it kind of feels like we're beating a dead horse. We've become a new band. As soon as this new CD comes out, it'll lift our spirits.
Q: Can you support yourself financially with the money you make from the band?
A: None of us have jobs. For the most part, if we're not on tour, we're writing, so it leaves no time to have an actual job. The money #s nothing fantastic, but it's enough to get by.
Q: Why should people come see the Take Action Tour?
A: There are a lot of good bands. Plus it's for a good cause [suicide prevention]. It's a good time.
Chris Brower
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03.30.2006 JAYPLAY <-17