Armistice Review

I haven't done an album review on here so I figured that Mute Math's new album would be a good place to start. I've read several reviews and talked to several people about this album. I love talking to people about music because I like trying to understand their opinions and it gives me a broader view about it.

After reading Indie Vision music's review ( here ), I was a little nervous about about how I'd feel about the album. But as I listened to it and talked to different people about it, I came to a conclusion.

For one thing, I think that because of all the hype that surrounded this album, there was bound to be a 'let down'. With an album as great as their self-titled, there was extremely high expectations. As was mine. It wasn't the same as their first album. There is a lot more variety on Armistice. That leads me to my other conclusion: Mute Math is an extremely experimental group. That is why we (me) love them. It's weaved into the fiber of the band. I believe that is their strongest trait about them ( and the drummer being a pimp ). People often don't like it when bands push the envelope.

I think there are a few songs that show a glimpse back to the 'old Mute Math'. 'Nerve' and 'Spotlight' show this through the tight drums and more traditional guitar. I also think that 'Backfire' gets you dancin' like some previous songs.

I also want to point out 'Electrify'. I like the upbeat-ness which shows off the more traditional MM, but the way that he sings in the verses almost gives off an R&B feel. Maybe I'm just a weirdo, which is true either way. With the contrast to that song, 'Pin and Needles' has a jazz feel to it. This song slows down the album but there is a lot of depth to the lyrics.

Sometimes I get tired of pins and needles,
Facades are a fire on the skin.
And I'm growing fond of broken people,
As I see that I am one of them.

That is what I love about this album; one song is a dance song and then next slows it down. I read the complaint that the songs are too slow and just tires the listener. I'd agree with that until I took some time to listen to the songs, individually. There is a lot of meaning in the lyrics that can be overlooked.

This review makes me sound like a fan-boy for Mute Math but I just really enjoy what they are doing and how they've progressed. This band will never be mainstream because of what I stated before: they are too experimental for a lot of people. Not for me though. That is why I love music. It gives bands the freedom to try something new and be different.

House of Heroes and Abandon Kansas Show

I went to Nashville for the day with my friend Keillor and Adam. We met up with Keillor's sister Kyrie for the show. The show was at the Exit/In venue. It was a simple but well-thought out venue.

The first band was The Compromise. I thought they sucked. No depth to their lyrics. Just the same ol' poppy stuff... So we'll move on.

Next was Abandon Kansas. They just recently signed to Gotee Records, which was started By TobyMac. This band is great. If you haven't checked them out yet, you really need to. They have a new record coming out September 8.

They played a few songs off their previous album including 'The Earth Falls Asleep' and 'Minutes'. They also played their single off their unreleased album, 'I Wonder if it's Me'. They kinda have an As Cities Burn kinda feel maybe with a little Manchester Orchestra. They played an amazing show. They sounded just as good live as they did on their CD. They made a fan out of me. Even though the lead singer had this mullet kinda hair style, I love it and I love him. I bet he would be a really cool guy to talk to. My only other complaint about them was their guitar player. He - literally - thought he was Michael Jackson. He had the curly black hair, the black hat and the dance moves. I think he had some good moves but it got a little carried away.

Next was the band Lorien. Never heard them before that night. They played a pretty good show. I think that Abandon Kansas should have played after them, but that's just me. I liked that they had a girl singer, it added depth to their sound. You can get their album for free here:

So check 'em out. They're worth it.

Well between Lorien and House of Heroes, I was told that TobyMac and Matt Thiessen (of Relient K) were there. I figured that TobyMac came to see his newly signed band play. It also made sense since Relient K is on Gotee Records. Thiessen had the crazy blonde hair still and TobyMac was in this suit with some sweet kicks. I can't hate on him 'cause i think he does a lot of great stuff, musically.

After the excitement went down from the 'celebrities' (gage me), House of Heroes came on. By this time, the whole front was packed with kids. That wasn't the case with all the other bands. They rocked the house. I've listened to them for a while. I enjoyed them that much more since i knew all the songs. You could tell they've been doing this for a while and they were very comfortable and confident on stage. They played all their hits - 'If', 'In the Valley of The Dying Sun', 'Code Name_Raven', 'Baby's a Red', 'Serial Sleepers', and 'Bucket for Bullet Wounds'. Everyone was into them and it was a great show.

Here's some House of Heroes songs:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/1iil6e

After the show, I bought myself a HoH shirt and patted TobyMac on the back as we were leaving.

Great day in Nashville.

Oh yeah, we saw Keith Urban earlier in the day. Random.

Evidence:

IIIIIIIIIIIII know. Keith Urban. OMG. Cool Car. Lame guy. That is all.