I Can Make a Mess Changing the Music Business

Whether or not you're a fan of Ace Enders (ex The Early November), this is something you should be interested in if you consider yourself a music fan.  Under the I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business heading, Ace is releasing a new record, Gold Rush, under the new Do-It-Yourself group Sound of Evolution.  The record is out May 5th.  You can preview "Gold Rush," the title track and download another new song, "Lame Duck," for free.

I think we can all agree that the music industry needs some form of revision before it is able to monetarily support the artists we love.  What's interesting about this project is that it is cutting out the middle man: the traditional record label.  The labels make their money primarily from the fans, then only giving a percentage of that money to the artists.  With today's social media advantages, the usefulness of joining a record label has seriously come into question.

This new business model should not be seen as taking advantage of the fans, as some idiots would suggest.  Rather, it puts them in the driver's seat and on a path towards a much more intimate listening experience connected with the artist.  Furthermore, allowing fans to fund musical projects, as Ace and the Sound of Evolution aims to do, is a brilliant strategy for music collectors.  For example, the basic fans will be happy with paying $10 for the mp3's.  More dedicated fans might offer up another $5 for a signed CD booklet.  True music snobs will fork out the cash for higher quality sound files.  And the most obsessed fans will pay almost anything for extras such as signed posters, thank you's in liner notes, and even, in ICMAM's case, the chance to host a live concert in their own living room.

Ace Enders, as well as a few other people, are setting a precedent for other artists to follow and, so far, it seems like something we should get on board with.

OH MY FUCKING GOD

Allison Francis Video

Remember Allison Francis? She stopped by the studio during an episode of the Fleshy Fresh a few weeks ago for a live performance and interview. BU Today made a video for her. Check it out below:

Upcoming Concerts

Thursday 04/08
Dashboard Confessional
@ House of Blues

Cymbals Eat Guitars
@ Middle East Downstairs

Saturday 04/10
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
@ Paradise Rock Club

Monday 04/12
A Day to Remember
w. Silverstein, August Burns Red
@ House of Blues

Evelyn Evelyn
w. Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley
@ Club Oberon

Tuesday 04/13
Evelyn Evelyn
w. Amanda Palmer, Jason Webley
@ Club Oberon

This Providence
w. Anarbor, The Audition
@ Middle East Downstairs

The Gay Blades
@ The Great Scott

Wednesday 04/14
Blue October
w. Stars of Track and Field, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
@ House of Blues

Straight No Chaser
@ Wilbur Theatre

Thursday 04/15
Jakob Dylan
w. Kelly Hogan, Neko Case
@ Wilbur Theatre

Friday 04/16
Bo Burnham
@ House of Blues

New Tunes Tuesday - Brighten

Today is March 23rd which means two things: April Fool's is but a week away and Brighten's new EP Be Human is available for purchase.

Be Human is true to Brighten's style with a creative exploration into new ways to express new experiences. The whole of the collection of songs comes across as a person's struggle to get over the loss of a romantic relationship. But without falling into whining and wailing, as easily happens, Brighten maintains some dignity with hooks that allow the listener to catch on, sing along, and experience the story that is being told as much as one can through a pair of headphones.

"Where We Belong" opens the EP with a catchy, optomistic guitar riff that kicks in with singer Justin Richards singing, "Oh, thank heaven, she's so beautiful." He vows to never lose her, foreshadowing the poor transgression of the EP that will lead up to the final track, "I Lost Her."

"Without You" again offers some insight into the possibility of not always having a beautiful woman around. Immediately, this is the most memorable track on the EP, which was put up on the band's myspace several weeks before the release of Be Human. Of all the tracks, "Without You" points back to the beginning of Brighten in King vs. Queen but with the maturity that they achieved in Early Love.

Be Human takes a bit of a turn on the third track, "While The Fire Was Out," giving the EP a bit of a home-on-the-country-side feel that will carry through the next couple songs. The mood is beginning to change, forcing the listener to begin to question what the true story behind the songs is and what The Fire is meant so symbolize. The song goes from simple old-south reflection to solid gold with a female guest vocal (I don't know who she is, someone should fill us in!).

When "That Girl" kicks in, Brighten returns to the indie-pop hook-masters that got them as many fans as they've acquired through enduring years of rough touring schedules and trouble with tricky record executives. This song will make Carbon Copy Media wish they hadn't screwed up their relationship with them.

The EP wraps up with the title track and the final conclusion of this short story told via mp3's, "I Lost Her." "Be Human," though connected to the whole of the EP by its title, is not the best song of the six. Brighten get points for ingenuity and creativity, but it doesn't sit well with a casual listen. "I Lost Her," however, is a beautiful, haunting song that finally places the listener in a relationship with the outcome of the story that has been told between the lines of the EP. Richards croons a melody that softly creeps under your skin as the song begins, which then becomes the anchor for the song to launch its climax. Richards may have lost her, but he resolves to get her back, as he sings, "I will work to be a man, as you will see."

As a whole, this is a great EP. Brighten have recently taken a hiatus as Jimmy Richards is doing missionary work in Africa and Justin tours with A Rocket to the Moon; hence, they have said that the release of this six-song EP is "just for fun." If this is what they do when they're just having fun, then we are sure to be blown away by an all-out, no holds barred full length. But you don't have to take my word for it. Go buy Be Human on iTunes for a meager $5.94 here.

Against Me! - White Crosses (Early Review)

So Against Me!'s forthcoming fifth full-length release leaked a few days ago.

After a few listens, it becomes clear that this record has spent a lot of time in post-production. Never mind the fact that the band wrapped recording in October and the album still isn't officially out yet. The music is full and incorporates instruments, such as piano and a layered mix of acoustic and electric guitars, absent on previous Against Me! releases.

White Crosses is an album that stays true to the band's punk roots while pushing the group into experimenting with more of a straight ahead rock'n'roll feel. The songs are excellent. But they come from a band that has been decried as sellouts by the wannabe anarchists who initially gave the group a fanbase. It's a shame, too, because this is some of singer/guitarist Tom Gabel's best songwriting. Nevertheless, this is easily the best release of the year so far and it isn't even scheduled to come out until June. For those of you who just can't wait any longer, it is not all that difficult to find on various file-sharing and torrent sites. Also, Tom Gabel graciously gave everyone his blessing by acknowledging the leak and offering the lyrics to the songs on his blog.

And now, a brief yet triumphant review of the songs themselves:

1. White Crosses - A song that addresses the debate surrounding abortion. The white crosses the song references are supposed to represent all of the fetuses that are aborted daily in the U.S. Gabel passionately sings that he wants to smash them all. Guess which side he's on?
2. I Was A Teenage Anarchist - Scheduled to be the first single, this song is very catchy and deals with Gabel's earlier anarchism and subsequent dissociation from that type of politics.
3. Because Of The Shame - Against Me! put on their Bruce Springsteen costumes, play a little piano and also sneak in a little bit of Green Day influence (although they might not like to admit it). This is a killer track that deals with the loss of a close friend.
4. Suffocation - This one opens with an 80s style guitar intro before moving into a more standard Against Me! guitar line. Overall, one of the weaker tracks, but even at their worst, this band is still better than most.
5. We're Breaking Up - Buoyed by tasteful piano arpeggios and a muted guitar riff during the verse, this song explodes into a triumphant chorus. An excellent ode to the end of a relationship, perhaps addressing the band's near break-up in the time between their last record and this one. A time during which long-time drummer Warren Oakes left and was replaced by former Hot Water Music drummer George Rebelo.
6. High Pressure Low - The intro to this song could be right out of a John Hughes movie. Another catchy track that showcases how well this band constructs bouncy, melodic punk songs with hook-laden choruses.
7. Ache With Me - If the last song showcases the band's ability to make punk catchy, this one proves that they can also write slower, more contemplative songs that win you over on the strength of the lyrics and their delivery over an acoustic rhythm and simple drum beat. Spoiler alert: this one's a bit of a downer. The moshers might not know what to do when this song is played live...
8. Spanish Moss - The intro is a definite nod to The Who, followed by some beefy power chords and excellent drumming from Rebelo. This is an idealized song about getting away from it all without owing anyone an apology.
9. Rapid Decompression - An incredible burst of sheer energy. This song is one minute and forty-three seconds of punk injected directly into the bloodstream. The best punk song on the album.
10. Bamboo Bones - Against Me! knows how to end an album. Write a song with lyrics about God, throw in some passionate guitars, bass, and drums, then give it 135%. And that's exactly what they do.

Disclaimer: Remember that this review is based upon a leak of what we believe to be the full album, not necessarily the actual album that will be released. It is quite possible that the record will contain more songs, different songs, or have a different track listing.

New Tunes Tuesday - Lonesome Mississippi Drifters

For this week's New Tunes Tuesday we bring you the Lonesome Mississippi Drifters. Go check out their version of "My Humps" that they played live on our show last week by clicking here.

Top 5 Albums of 2009

I Know. It's a little bit late for the "Best of 2009" article. But I was busy trying to beat Super Mario Bros. 3. And no, I haven't done it yet. World 8 is just impossible. But before I drive myself to eating a different kind of mushroom just to deal with my inability to beat this 20 year old game, I figured I'd distract myself by finally doing this. I give you the Fleshy Fresh's Top 5 Albums of 2009.

5. Metric - Fantasies

Hello. This is Metric. They are relatively new to popularity, but they showed that they deserve it with their release of Fantasies last April. It seems that everyone these days is trying to get somewhere with a female-fronted band, but few groups can do it successfully; and Metric is one of them. Emily Haines is a strong frontwoman with a unique voice, giving the band a unique sound. The best part of this album is Haines attempt to deal with what seems to be an existential problem in "Help, I'm Alive" and "Blindness." The miraculous thing, though, is that she tackles these issues while keeping the music up-beat and avoiding the typical depression-ridden sound that groups like Bright Eyes made so popular (and eventually so hated).

4. Maria Taylor - Ladyluck

Ladyluck brought everything we at the Fleshy Fresh love about Maria Taylor, and then some. She has her slow songs, where she gets to show off her unique ability to lull you to sleep with her soft, infectious voice. She has her full-band songs that show off her grand vision without trying too hard. And she still has strong song-writing skills. This girl has a long career ahead of her, and she proved it with this release.

3. Dave Smallen - Everything Changes and Nothing Changes

It was very tempting to put Smallen's Waiting For the Pills EP on this list of the best of 2009. But Everything Changes and Nothing Changes has all of the songs that Waiting has plus a few extra goodies. Where do we get started? "Waiting for the Pills," "America," "With the Sky All Blue," "I Think It's Getting Better." The record is overflowing with brilliant songs of homelessness, desperation, and self-challenges. It's reassuring to know that he can capture his intense honesty in his recordings. Well done, Dave. Well done.

2. Thursday - Common Existence

Sadly, this is a band that has gotten little attention on the Fleshy Fresh, but for Thursday to be forgotten after such an epic release in 2009 would be an injustice. Common Existence is a breath of fresh air after their previous A City by the Light Divided, which seemed to either be missing something or simply the result of Thursday trying too hard. But the band brought back their tension building intros and stress-relieving power in Common Existence. Welcome back, Thursday. We missed you. Now keep it up.

1. Paramore - Brand New Eyes

I imagine that to some, the fact that Paramore is first on this list will be mildly upsetting. I have checked several "Top 5" articles across the internet that claim to give the best records of the alternative genre for this year, none of which include any of these 5; and most of the picks are things I've never heard of. In other words, this selection might not be musically elitist enough for someone who blogs about music. But the simple fact is thus: Brand New Eyes packs the punch. Hayley Williams is one of the most amazing female frontwomen that this country has seen in years, and she proved it on Brand New Eyes. The pipes in this little woman are astounding! Take one listen to "All I Wanted" and I guarantee you will be blown away. And the record really delivers with the strong song-writers and talented hook-writers that make up the other members of the band. Sure, some songs stand out more than others, such as "Ignorance," "Brick By Boring Brick," and "The Only Exception," but there is not a single bad song on this record. If you're going to listen to anything I say here, listen to this: Paramore deserve all the attention that they have received in the past few months. They are here and here to stay.

Honorable Mentions: Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio, Silversun Pickups - Swoon, and The Von Bondies - Love Hate and then There's You.

Upcoming Shows

The Fleshy Fresh Recommendation: Bob Dylan on Friday, Brand New on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Lenka next Saturday.

Thursday 11/12
Mute Math
w. As Tall As Lions
@ House of Blues

Friday 11/13
Bob Dylan
@ Citi Performing Arts Center

Static of the Gods
@ Middle East Upstairs

Saturday 11/14
Bob Dylan
@ City Performing Arts Center

Lenka
@ Great Scott

Sunday 11/15
Bob Dylan
@ Citi Performing Arts Center

Tuesday 11/17
Brand New
w. Glassjaw
@ House of Blues

Hit The Lights
@ Harpers Ferry

Wednesday 11/18
Brand new
w. Glassjaw
@ House of Blues

Less Than Jake
w. The Swellers
@ Paradise Rock Club

Friday 11/20
Devandra Banhart
@ Berklee Performance Center

Upcoming Concerts

The Fleshy Fresh Recommendation: The Academy Is... on Thursday, Allison Francis on Monday, Bob Dylan next Friday.

Thursday 11/05
AP Tour
Academy Is...
w. Set Your Goals, The Secret Handshake, Mayday Parade
@ House of Blues

Mae
w. Jenny Owen Youngs
@ Middle East Downstairs

Monday 11/09
Ada Jane
w. Allison Francis
@ All Asia Cafe

Miley Cyrus
@ TD Banknorth

Rob Thomas
@ Citi Performing Arts Center

Train
w. Uncle Kracker
@ House of Blues

Wednesday 11/11
American Hi-Fi
@ Middle East Upstairs

Thursday 11/12
The Low Anthem
w. Blind Pilot
@ Paradise Rock Club

Mute Math
w. As Tall As Lions
@ House of Blues

Friday 11/13
Bob Dylan
@ Citi Performing Arts Center

Static of the Gods
@ Middle East Upstairs