Unconventional Warfare Podcast #4

Here's a new podcast for you. Check it out, here's this month's playlist:

A Storm of Light - Vast & Endless
Godflesh - Frail
Swans - New Mind
Catharsis - Exterminating Angel
Econochrist - Fuck Your American Dream
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
Mayhem - Freezing Moon
Goatwhore - As The Reflection Slowly Fades
Mutiilation - Cosmic Seeds of Anger and Dementia

Link:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/1972293190baa917/

October Mixtape

I kinda missed September, so i'm gonna go ahead and post a mixtape for October. Check out some new music.

1. LCD Soundsystem - Big Ideas
2. Justice - Planisphere
3. TV On the Radio - Halfway Home
4. Damien Jurado - Gillian Was a Horse
5. Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
6. Mount Eerie - Lost Wisdom
7. Mogwai - I Love You...
8. Brian Eno and David Byrne - Everything That Happens
9. Deerhunter - Never Stops
10. Stars - A Thread Cut with a Carving Knife

http://drop.io/ettgoctobermix

Upcoming Shows In Little Rock

I've updated the show listings on the side of the page. Once again I obviously couldn't include every show so be sure and go to the venue's website in the links section to see a certain venue's full calendar.

I've been on a bit of a break from the site as i've been occupied with other things lately, but I will be posting a lot more often(seriously this time!) from now on. Sorry once again for the lack of new content. I'll be posting a delayed Mixtape for September as well in the next day or two, and since Muxtape has apparently been shut down(a shame, it was a great site). I'm going to be posting the mixtape as a downloadable file instead. Thanks.

Under Review: TV On the Radio - Dear Science

TV On the Radio - Dear Science

Interscope Records

1. Halfway Home

2. Crying

3. Dancing Choose

4. Stork and Owl

5. Golden Age

6. Family Tree

7. Red Dress

8. Love Dog

9. Shout Me Out

10. DLZ

11. Lover's Day

TV on the Radio's new album "Dear Science" has been one of my most anticipated albums of the year, so i have been biding my time for quite a while waiting on this disc to finally surface. Originally catching my attention with "Desperate Youth, Bloodythirsty Babes" a few years back and then continuing to peak my interest with 2006's fantastic "Return to Cookie Mountain," TVOTR have proved to be one of the more unique, interesting bands to come out since the turn of the millennium. Fusing alternative rock with everything from soul to electronica to hip hop, this Brooklyn based rock band have not only caught my attention, but the entire world in the six short years they've been a band.

With "Dear Science," the band continues to progress in the distinct style that they've been slowly solidifying since their inception. The album leads off with the track "Halfway Home," a tune that at first seems to recall the upbeat hit "Wolf Like Me" off of "Return to Cookie Mountain" before turning into a mid tempo, yet driving tune that shows vocalist/guitarist Kyp Malone take over lead vocal duties, while vocalist Tunde Adebimpe falls back during the verse and takes over on the chorus section. The way their soulful vocals intertwine make this track one of the better songs on the album, while also making for a good introduction into whats to come on the album.

Where it goes from there is pretty varied stylistically without sounding erratic or disjointed. You've got Tunde Adebimpe's not quite-rapped, not quite-shouted vocal lines in "Dancing Choose," the electronic undertones of "Stork and Owl," the funky grooves of "Golden Age," and the delayed pianos and strings of the ballad "Family Tree," that come one right after another weaving in and out of each other seemlessly. The second half of the album continues to show off their ample songwriting abilities with standout tracks like the smooth "Love Dog" and the dark, almost trip hop style beats of "DLZ," before closing out with yet another Kyp Malone-led, horn-laden ditty called "Lover's Day" that seems to be the polar opposite of the preceding track(DLZ), ending the album on a much lighter note.

I do have to admit that it took a couple days to sink in completely, but with repeated listens it will continue to grow on you much like the rest of their back catalogue. Those looking for another TVOTR track like "Wolf Like Me" or "Staring at the Sun" may be hard pressed to find another song like that, but if you're wanting a rock solid album thats worth listening to as a whole then this should satisfy you with no avail.

8/10

Sorry For The Lack of Updates....

It seems I've been pre-occupied with other things the past few weeks. I'll be posting a couple new reviews as well as a new Unconventional Warfare Podcast very soon.

Under Review: Have Heart - Songs to Scream at the Sun

Have Heart - Songs to Scream at the Sun

Bridge 9 Records

Tracklisting:

1. The Same Son
2. Bostons
3. Pave Paradise
4. On the Bird in the Cage
5. Brotherly Love
6. No Roses, No Skies
7. The Taste of the Floor
8. Reflections
9. Hard Bark on the Family Tree
10. The Same Sun



Have Heart have come a long way in the 5 years they've been a band, I remember first hearing their debut EP "What Counts" a few years back and thinking that it was pretty promising, if not a little generic, youth crew hardcore. Even though they tackled issues in their lyrics that have all been said before, it was still done with a lot of energy and heart(no pun intended). I didn't really keep up with them after that EP, but I had heard a little of the next album, "The Things We Carry," and seen them live in the time between that EP and the new album, "Songs to Scream at the Sun." Even though what I heard on "The Things We Carry" was much like that of the EP, it seemed like a logical progression for the band. Now with the new album, it seems like they've started taking a few more steps in the right direction, shedding most of the generic qualities of the first two albums to create an album that makes a decent attempt to stand out amongst its peers.

Bands trying new things is often looked down upon in hardcore, a scene that prides itself on tradition. While the mentality of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is fine in and of itself, I personally look at a band trying new things as a breath of fresh air. Thats not to say that Have Heart are reinventing the wheel by any means, that they are most definitely not. That being said though, the straightforward hardcore formula is almost non-existent here, rather we find Have Heart incorporating more melodic guitar work into their repertoire without sounding pretentious or redundant. There's definitely a similarity to Modern Life is War, but I would also say this has the epic feel of some of Verse's slower moments on the "Rebuild" album.

The lyrics are another thing that have improved for the better, deciding not to beat the dead horse of "the scene" or unity and instead turning to lyrics that are the most personal topics Have Heart have ever touched on. Mind you they still have a song here that's an ode to touring(Pave Paradise), but for the most part the lyrics deal with personal issues, namely family issues and dealing with relationships coming to an end.

"Songs to Scream at the Sun" may not be heralded as a classic hardcore album for years to come, but its definitely a solid effort and a surprisingly creative album compared to usual hardcore standards. Fans of bands like Bane, Modern Life is War, Verse, and Killing the Dream should take note. Those not into emotional hardcore will probably not be swayed with this release, but its worth looking into.

6.5/10

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/haveheart
http://www.bridge9.com

Two New SEAHAG Tracks Available Online!

Little Rock sludge metal heavyweights SEAHAG have posted two new tracks from their upcoming debut album, "Our Presence Here is in Vain." These tracks are simply crushing and you can stream them for free on their myspace page. You can catch these guys again in Little Rock on September 19th when they play Downtown Music with the mighty Vore.

http://www.myspace.com/seahagdoom