Sick Puppies – All The Same
31st May, 2007 by Chewbacca
As the music behind the Free Hugs Campaign (YouTube link), you can expect this one to be a motivational, uplifting, feel-good piece of rock. And that’s exactly what you’ll get! The video might have been what got the band noticed, but they’ve been rocking out for far longer. Sick Puppies hail from Sydney, Australia, and since 2000 have been working hard on their music. They’re first major-label debut (thus garnering international exposure), “Dressed Up As Life” was released just last month and featured the inspirational “All The Same”:
Straight from London comes Headland, with an album deliciously titled “Touchy Feely”, and the track curiously “Freak Flag Fly”! I was going to link to the Amazon UK page for the album, until I discovered they were selling it (admittedly through the Market Place) at the godawful price of £32! It must be a good one then!
New Radicals is Gregg Alexander. And friends. The only constant member of the band, Gregg often got together with a mix of artists – which is why the only album ever released was performed by over 20 different artists on top of Alexander. They are known as a one-hit wonder band from the 90s for the big hit “You Get What You Give”. Gregg had planned to release a second single, but was tired from touring and the other works in the band and resigned to writing and producing songs for other artists (including many top UK artists). As such many do not know that there was in actual fact a second single, let alone an entire album, “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too.” Here is the aforementioned second single, “Someday We’ll Know”.
Jeff Cannata, former member of 1980s progressive rock band Jasper Wrath, is yet another veteran of the progrock scene. His newer solo albums, 2002′s Tamorok and the recent “Mysterium Magnum” (2006) present his astute talents in music – he plays most of his instruments (although this album also features several guest stars), writes his own tracks, and contributes a lot of the work on the final production. “4:17 (California)” is a nice ballad piece that represents his work in this album, and his lyrics a stinging look at American life, why not.
Going far beyond concept albums, Brighteye Brison really is a concept artist – there musical outlets tell the tales and myths of Commander Brighteye of the spaceship Brison. Okay, it may be a little out-there – very progressive, but its certainly some impressive music. Also, it serves as my apology for posting yesterday’s track late. (Oh! Am I incredibly sorry for that terrible pun/connection/thing!) “(Am I Too) Late” comes from the five-piece Swedish band’s second studio album, “Stories”.
Let’s take it down a notch today – Magnet, otherwise known as Even Johansen from Norway is a singer-songwriter who produces some lovely melancholic songs. Now this song might not technically be his, but Magnet’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s Lay Lady Lay, featuring vocals from Gemma Hayes, is every bit as wonderful as it is calming. Perfect for a lazy bank holiday weekend, oui? You can have your cake and eat it too.
(bargain price!)
The Revolutions, although now under a new banner and a new style of The Tunguska Event, popped up some very rocking tunes. From the rather thriving music scene in Cardiff, musicians Joe Mensor, Geat and Rich Hutchinson and Andy Christopher (later replaced by Ed Wyatt) formed their band in 2004, and released a fair number of impressive demo tracks, sporting a rather hard-hitting and jumpy classic rock style. Although the band is now dead, the artists have moved on to The Tunguska Event, a rather darker and more alternative sound, which will get a play on Something Chewie later in the year. For now, take a listen to “Lonely” from their first demo CD:
After the release of Clarity, Jimmy Eat World’s third studio album, lead singer Jim Adkins produced several solo demo tracks, all under the guise of “Go Big Casino”. Several of these songs, the likes of “Hear You Me”, “My Sundown”, and “Drugs or Me” have made it full circle back to Jimmy’s studio albums. In fact, their fifth album out later this year, will also include another, “Carry You”. Here’s one of the ones that hasn’t made it to the lineup, and for that I’m thankful – it’s a nice gentle song and works well as it is already. Give a listen to “Two Serenades”:
As always, I’m a fan of weird combinations of music – couple that with bizarre storytelling and then linking that story into the overarching Coheed and Cambria epic? Well, you’ve got a winner there with The Prize Fighter Inferno, Claudio Sanchez’s electronica-cum-folk solo project. See here now people, Jesse, otherwise known as the Prize Fighter Inferno died. That’s a bit of a bummer, but now he’s been resurrected on Earth, so that’s not so bad. Now he’s going to tell the story of the Armory Wars (ala Coheed and Cambria) but before he can do that, you need to know the story of “My Brothers Blood Machine” which revolves around two Bleam brothers Butchie and Long-Arm, whose crazy mother tells them that God has instructed her to make them into the new Death. Oh goodness I hope you’re confused. Maybe we should just get to the music!
(the album comes complete with the lyrics on individual tarot cards in very fancy packing!)
One is the loneliest number. Two can be as bad as one, its the loneliest number since the number one. Filter’s version of One was originally featured on The X-Files Album, released at the time of the motion picture, although you’ve likely heard them before (some of their biggest hits being “Hey Man, Nice Shot”, “Take a Picture” and “Where Do We Go From Here?” Interesting tidbits for those not in the know: Lead singer Richard Patrick (now frontman for the super group Army of Anyone) is brother of Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) who starred as Agent Dogget in The X-Files’ last two series; and “Hey Man, Nice Shot” was featured in the Season 3 episode, “D.P.O.”. Okay maybe those weren’t so interesting as geeky. Meh, you get what you pay for. And I’ve been paid nothing! Enjoy the track!