FRPUA #7: Voyager – V

Tags

First Response, Music, V, Voyager

6:48 a.m., the twentieth of August, 2014.

I came across this album by Voyager, called V.

Apparently it’s progressive metal. I haven’t heard it yet, so that’s all I can go off of.

Let’s find out what this thing is.

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7:46 a.m., same day.

Voyager. V. The album was a nice little ride, sounded like futuristic metal from a space movie. Clean vocals, definitely not difficult to understand what the singer was singing. The album had some heavy riffs and a lot of high-pitched melodies. Again, very spacey.

So that’s all I really have to say about this album. The novelty wore off pretty quickly, and though some tracks gripped me more than others, overall, it was, as I said, a nice little ride. Nothing too big, but nice.

Not sure what I’ll listen to next, but as long as it’s something I haven’t heard before, then it’s all the criteria I need.

What about you? Have you heard of Voyager? What do you think? Any suggestions for future albums? Famous, infamous, underground… if I haven’t heard it, I’ll give it a listen.

Until next time…

FRPUA #6: Pallbearer – Foundations of Burden

Tags

First Response, Foundations of Burden (album), Music, Pallbearer (band)

7:20 a.m.

Alright, so Pallbearer. I’ve heard their first album, Sorrow and Extinction, and it’s one of my favorite albums of the past ten years. It was unique enough with its sound, told a pretty cosmic (and yet uncanny) tale of aging and death (or… sorrow and extinction). It was a fresh sound, with beautiful riffs.

Now their second album, Foundations of Burden is finally released. I haven’t heard any of the demos, so here we go, fresh and untainted. Pretty excited.

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8:32 a.m., same day.

Foundations of Burden was a nice ride. It definitely sounded like Pallbearer, a continuation of their previous debut album, and different enough to sound new. This is one I’ll definitely be purchasing to support the band, and hopefully they’ll continue to grow.

As for the genre, I know it’s considered metal… doom metal to be precise, but I can’t help but think of Pallbearer as something other than doom. I understand the lyrical content and themes of their first two albums have a lot to do with doom, but they sound so positive and empowering, almost as if, sure, death is inevitable, but the journey after death is a reflective time for the departed. Relaxing, almost.

It’s rock. It’s doom. It’s empowering. I honestly can’t really categorize them, and I don’t think it’s necessary. Take a listen for yourself. Sorrow and Extinction and now Foundations of Burden.

What about you? Have you heard of them? Or actually heard their music? Will you be checking them out? And what about suggestions? Leave any you like, whether it be famous, infamous, or otherwise underground. If I haven’t heard the album, I’ll check it out.

Until next time…

FRPUA #4: Baby Grandmothers – Baby Grandmothers

Tags

Baby Grandmothers, Music, Psychedelic

It is… 8:15 a.m., on Wednesday, August 13th, and today’s First Response is:

Baby Grandmothers, a self-titled album from… Baby Grandmothers.

Never heard it before now, and now it shall begin.

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9:15 a.m., same day.

Alright, Baby Grandmothers, psychedelic funk to the core. Good stuff, no complaints, first of the First Responses that I would actually listen to again for no other reason than I dug it.

There’s not much more to say other than check it out for yourself if you have not already.

Have suggestions? Famous, infamous, or otherwise underground, feel free. And if I haven’t heard it previously, I will be sure to try and check it out.

Until next time…

FRPUA #2: Shibayan Records – Magico Catastrofe

Tags

Magico Catastrofe (album), Music, Shibayan Records (artist), Trying New Things

6:27 a.m., August 11th, 2014.

A good friend of mine suggested I listen to the album Shibayan Records – Magico Catastrofe. Again, just like FRPUA#1, this is an album I haven’t previously listened to, nor have I heard of it. In this case, I don’t even know if this is a group, a band, singular artist, or even the year the music was produced. I know nothing! Fantastic. That’s what I’m going for.

Let’s dive right on in and experience this thing naked.

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Alright. It’s 7:32 a.m., and the music just stopped. The summary of my first response:

It sounded to me like pop and retro video game music with Japanese singing. Upbeat, made me want to move (and I did bob my head to the beat as well as dance while making lunch for later). Catchy tunes. Some of the songs went on for a while, but I suppose when played in a dance setting, people would appreciate it.

Sometimes the music reminded me of 80’s montage scenes from underdog films, as if the protagonist had already gotten her/his butt kicked and decided to train for a few months. Since I couldn’t understand the lyrics, I can only assume the singer(s) were saying things like, “I’m never gonna give up, never gonna give up… baby.” Maybe. Probably not.

But yeah!!! Shibayan Records- Magico Catastrofe, not bad at all. Not my personal taste, but what does my personal taste have to do with this segment? Nothing! Good time, unexpected, and heard something new. No complaints.

Have any suggestions? Feel free. If I can find what you suggest, and it’s something I’ve never heard before, whether it be famous, infamous, or underground in any genre, then I’m bound to hear it sometime.

Until next time…

FRPUA #1: Airbag – All Rights Removed

Tags

Airbag (band), All Rights Removed (album), Music

So I was going to edit some of my fiction when I decided that I’d like to write something non-fiction instead. I didn’t have any ideas until I had one (that’s usually how it works). So here it is… the first of perhaps many to come of… well, thoughts after listening to albums that I’ve never listened to before.

Right now I’ll be listening to what appears to be a band called Airbag. The album: All Rights Removed (2011). At this point, I know nothing about it other than the title, the band name, and the year. I’ve never even heard of the band. I’ll write about the experience after I listen to the album in its entirety. 5:21 p.m., August 10th, 2014.

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6:11 p.m., same day.

After listening to the entire album… in its entirety… here are my thoughts:

Soothing music. It reminded me of that 70’s band, China Crisis a little bit, as well as David Sylvian. Not vocally, but instrumentally. The production value was absolutely fine. There were no achy scratches, no muffled vocals, no ear-piercing pitches of the guitar work. Everything was fine.

I don’t know if I’ll ever itch to listen to this particular album again, but that has nothing to do with its quality as much as it does with my personal taste in music. How to describe this music in terms of genre? I won’t. I don’t think I can, to be honest, but I don’t think I’ll be describing these albums in terms of genre at all. If you’re curious, I would suggest you check them out (you can probably find the albums I’ll be listening to on Youtube, and if you like it, I would suggest purchasing a copy–either physically or digitally–for your personal enjoyment/library).

And this concludes the first of whatever these are… first listens? First responses? This one was short, but maybe I’ll end up writing a whole lot more if I come across something that strikes me a little harder. As for Airbag‘s All Rights Removed, I don’t feel much towards it. Like I said, soothing. Maybe something to paint or sketch to.

Until next time…