The Boxer Rebellion - 'No Harm' In Checking These Guys Out

Received an email this evening from my sister about these guys, and so far I have been VERY impressed.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention that, yes, they do hail from England.  I am starting to think that maybe I am just destined to like British bands more than other bands...? Who knows..  The caveat here though is that they are made up of a Tennessee vocalist, an Australian guitarist, English bassist, and English drummer.  So I guess they garner their creativity from all over.

THE BOXER REBELLION




They actually have three (3) albums out, but I am only focusing on their two most recent.  Union & The Cold Still are both very solid all the way around.  I am going to have to spend a lot more time on these guys, but my first impressions have been stellar.  I feel as though they have a really crisp sound that still has haunting chord progressions, and it isn't too heavy on the reverb.

I have come across a handful of songs just in a short couple hours of listening that are really something.  The vocals are very tight, the harmonies are spot on, and the chord progressions are more complicated than most alt-rock groups are willing to work through.  There really is nothing less satisfying than 3 chord rock-and-roll.  However, these guys bring some real depth, and some vibrant color.

I also really like the name.. why not right?  Let's hear some tunes.

THE COLD STILL


-No Harm-
This is the first track from this album, and it basically set the pace for me.  It was the piece that got me going, and I think it is a good impression of the type of sound they have.  Really fond of the chorus here.



-Step Out of the Car-
This is a really solid song as well.   It starts out with a rather abrasive bassline, but really launches into some nice lead-guitar riffs and passionate vocals.  Definitely a favorite.



-Organ Song- 
Really like this little guy as well.  Some really awesome harmonics on this track.




-Caught By The Light-
A little bit slower of the a track, but some really beautiful simplistic work.  I am fond of it because it is so minimalist, and yet still works.




UNION


-Semi-Automatic-
I think this is maybe my favorite off of this album, though I would have to go back and listen to the entire album again to be sure of it.  I just really think its a great song, and I love the chorus.




-Soviets-
Like the acoustic work on this track, has some really compelling elements to it.  The vocals for some reason sound different on this track though, could be the new headphones...  Listen to the part that starts at 2:36.




-Spitting Fire-
Just a nice track.  Solid fundamental alt-rock.  Some really nice pieces to it that lend well.  A great listen.




If you want to hear some more good songs, I would sincerely suggest just downloading both of these albums, as they are seemingly spot on.  As I said, I need to spend more than 1 day listening to these guys, but needless to say I have been really impressed.

Hope you enjoyed, and be sure to leave comments if it so pleases you.

Cheers,

-CS Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Quick Hits - Pogo, Owsey/Stumbleine/Shura, Last Days, Last Night Flavor, Coolbalance

Been spending some quality time on Turntable.fm this week, and ran across some really nice stuff.  You will notice that some of it can be somewhat repetitive, but overall I think the sonic quality is a bit hard to pass on sharing.  I found all of this on the Ambient/Trip-Hop channel that they have on Turntable, and there is actually one guy who consistently plays things that are worth listening to.  So kudos to him.

On another note, I put in some quality time on one of my two songs I have been working on, and am starting to make some slight progress.  Still learning Ableton as I go along, and reading as much as I can when I have a moment.  Needless to say, some things are sort of starting to come together.

Let's hear some tunes..

POGO - BLOOM (DISNEY REMIX)

You might want to pay attention to the Youtube video on this one, as it is absolutely amazing.  I have no idea if that is actually how the song was mixed, but it appears that it was made with little samples of all our favorite childhood disney movies and then matched visually.  I was pretty impressed by how well it was put together, and I had to share it.  It's very cool.





OWSEY, STUMBLEINE, & SHURA - YOU CAME OUT OF NOWHERE

This song is gorgeous.  There really isn't much else to say about it.  You won't be out there dancing around to it, but if you are contemplating the meaning of life, put this one on.  I really like the mix on this track, and the vocals.  It is repetitive, but the harmonization in there is just 'magnifique.'  Absolutely mesmerizing song, and I like the little painting in the video.





LAST DAYS - YOUR BIRDS (SEA)

Very chill song.  Kind of reminded me of the same sort of style that you might hear when listening to 'Explosions in the Sky'.  I know a lot of people like that band, and I too enjoy some of their work.  I think I like them more just because I associate them with 'Friday Night Lights' (great show btw).  I don't think it's an incredible song, but there is some interesting stuff going on in there, and the dark and ambient elements you hear in there can be pretty though provoking.





LAST NIGHT FLAVOR - LOST IN TIME

This is more of a remix between a couple tunes that are in the 'my favorites' category.  There is some Thomas Newman mixed in with Reflekt, but at an incredibly chill tempo.  It's an interesting track, but not one that I would listen to to get pumped up.  It has a nice deep, rich and dark sound, and anything that uses Newman is a good idea.





COOLBALANCE - AGAIN, SHE'S HAUNTED

Again a deep and dark chilled track, but I love it.  If you are feeling pensive, give it a listen.  I feel like ambient or chill music can really help me get work done, as it isn't invasive.  Sort of the modern day symphony, but obviously made with a computer.





Hope you enjoyed some of the tracks here, and as always feel free to leave any feedback.

Cheers,

-CS

Quick Hit - Great Skies & Ivan Dubsky

This little beat has some very smooth sounds to it.  This is something I would absolutely love to sample at some point.  Has a really solid mix, without getting too muddy on the reverb aspects.  Really like this tune..

Check it out.




Almost the weekend!!

Cheers,

-CS