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

One Year Anniversary - Has It Really Been That Long?

Yes lads and gents... it has been one year.  One whole year....  If you can't believe it, how can I?

I specifically remember writing my first post here on The Local Natives one year ago tonight.  Except that when I was done with the post it was about 4am in the morning.  Tonight cannot possibly run on that long, and if you haven't had a chance to read the The Local Natives post, or listen to some of their music, then I implore you to do so.

In the meantime, I wanted to update the masses (all 15 of you) that I have been doubling down on my efforts on the music production side of things.  What does this mean you ask?  Well... as you may have noticed you haven't seen any finished products yet.  Why is that?  A couple of reasons..

1.  Mixing with headphones is very difficult.
    a.  The Bose cans I have been using are specifically designed to make crappy music sound good.  This is why my mixes are so ridiculous, but not the only reason.  So I am looking into purchasing some new KRK Rockit8s, and a new set of cans (Beyerdynamic 770s).  That should help in the mixing, as I also purchased a book to help in sound design and mixing.  Lots of reading!

2.  Ableton is 50x the tool I thought it was.  When I thought of mixing, I assumed it was just, you put all these tracks together, adjusted the volume, and boom.. song.  Not the case.  There are 50 different kinds of filters, EQing, Compressing, Mastering... you name it.  I was in way over my head, but luckily I really enjoy reading about this kind of stuff, and I am learning.  It is a truly incredible tool.

3. I have spent the vast majority of my time reading about Ableton, watching videos on how to make Dubstep beats like Skrillex, and trying to match the lessons therein.  It has been utterly fascinating, and it.. takes... hours....

This means that I have not really put too much time into actual production, I.E. creating songs that I want people to hear that I am not embarrassed to release.  I will say though that I am on the fast track to making that happen, way more so than I was ever before.  I have learned so much even this week, and I am absolutely starving for more.

It is so funny, you try and put a deadline on a hobby just to simply do it, and what ends up happening is that you make just as many excuses as to why you can't get that done as you would if you hadn't finished a work project.  I absolutely view this as a hobby (obviously), but I am committed to making this the year of acceleration.  I am going to be busting my hobby-ass to make this happen.  There are many things that I want in life, from the petty to the not so petty, but my biggest dream is to be able to create music.  2012 is the year.  No doubt.  Even if I don't complete all of an album, I want to be damn close to finishing one, EP or LP.

They say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert.  I'm working on it.


So enough about me, what do you think about me...  onto some music.


GOLD PANDA - MARRIAGE (STAR SLINGER REMIX)

This song is absolutely as tight as it can be.  I am thoroughly impressed by some of the sonic techniques employed here.  I love the hat paired with the kick, as it really brings it through in the mix, and I think the snares that connect the kicks are just as compelling from a beat-standpoint.  I am obsessed with the melody, and I love the breakbeat style of everything.  Some of the synths in the breakdowns are a tad cheesy sounding, but the overall mix is truly impeccable.  I don't see it as muddy at all, and I think the musical showmanship is over the top amazing.  I think some of the analog sounds they use are incredible as well.  This really is a great beat to jam in the car on full blast.  Check it out..




ELECTRIC GUEST - THIS HEAD I HOLD

Calling all the Alt-rock fans.  This is a great jam.  I love the reverb/distortion they have on the vocals, and I think the overall composition is just a feel-good song.  You want something to pump you up in the morning on the way to the office?  Yeah, you're welcome..



Only two for tonight, but I hope you enjoy.

In the meantime, let me wax poetically here for a second.

What have I learned in a year?  I have learned that no matter what, I have no regrets about writing this blog.  Spending the time trying to find things that I thought people might like, and even opening dialogues about music simply because I mentioned I wrote a musical blog.  I have learned what other people enjoy about music.  I have learned about other genres of music, and how and why to appreciate them.  I have learned that just because a certain song incites an ear-gasm for me, doesn't mean it is the same for someone else.  Needless to say it has been ABSOLUTELY fascinating.  It also helps me stay somewhat dedicated to realizing a small dream, and it is something that I enjoy doing.  I will of course try to do it more often!

In a year, this small, obscure blog has had about 7,000 visitors.  I want to thank each and every one of you for stopping by, and I want to encourage all of you to leave your suggestions, comments, and ideas.  Not a one is any less important than any other.

Cheers,

-CS