Artist Of The Week - Anchor & Braille

It's been about three years since we've gotten an album from Anchor & Braille, the indie side project of Anberlin's Stephen Christian, but this week, on July 31st, the band's sophomore album will be released. The Quiet Life is a collection of haunting melodies and catchy percussion, certainly a maturation of sound since 2009's Felt. The Quiet Life is available now in stores and online through Tooth & Nail Records.

Admin

Christian Rock Rocks - Copyright 2012. Powered by Blogger.

Follow CRR on Twitter

Follow empmag on Twitter

Search

Like CRR on Facebook

no image



The Poughkeepsie, NY-based Come&Live! band Abel are currently using Kickstarter to fund their upcoming third album that will be recorded this January. The new album is expected to release next spring through Come&Live! as a free gift, and the band need to raise $10,000 to completely fund the project. You can visit the widget below for more info on Abel or to donate to their Kickstarter, and you can also be on the lookout for our video interview with the band from SoulFest this summer!

no image

Major / Minor

Artist: Thrice
Album: Major/Minor
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Label: Vagrant Records

Chances are, if you've read any interviews or talked with any indie or hardcore bands over the past few bands, there's almost always one band that they all say influence them, and that always recurring band is none other than Thrice. Thrice have been constantly progressing through the years, from being a punk band early on, then moving into the post-hardcore scene (before it became over run with countless scene bands with auto-tuned vocals), and are now currently dwelling in indie rock, most notable over their past few albums, especially Beggars, and now on Major/Minor.

Although Major/Minor is still distinctively Thrice, do not just assume that it will be Beggars part two. While the two albums have similarities, Major/Minor finds the band really infusing past elements (not the heavier ones) with the indie rock grooves, for an overall great outcome. The songs on the album range from a more raw, aggressive side ("Blur") to big, melodious, rock songs, including "Anthology" and "Cataracts," the latter with a, dare I say it, soaring chorus, and still even a somber, more contemplative feel, especially on "Call It In The Air," which builds up to a chaotic ending, and emotional, passionate vocals from Dustin Kensrue.

Dustin Kensrue's lyrics are very deep as always, and show of a desperation. One of the best lyrical spots on the album comes on "Listen Through Me," and speaks of Jesus bearing the sins of the world on the cross, and pouring out His love for us. Other topics focus on things such as abuse, on "Yellow Belly." Kensrue's lyrics have always been one of Thrice's best aspects, and Major/Minor is no exception for that.

Overall: For a band that so many others are inspired by, it is no surprise that Thrice have once again put out another great album. Major/Minor truly finds the band honing in on their (now subtle) post-hardcore elements, with a much more melodic, indie, and almost alternative, rock sound. This album is musically a step up from Beggars, which I actually really enjoyed, so in saying that, Major/Minor is a very strong contender for album of the year. Do yourself a favor and go pick up this album, maybe even on vinyl. It's worth every penny.

Rating: 9.5/10

Reviewed by Brooks Ginnan

Tracklisting:
  1. Yellow Belly
  2. Promises
  3. Blinded
  4. Cataracts
  5. Call It In The Air
  6. Treading Paper
  7. Blur
  8. Words In The Water
  9. Listen Through Me
  10. Anthology
  11. Disarmed
(Buy Here)


no image



California's indie rockers From Indian Lakes have recently posted a new song, titled "We Are Sick," which can be heard here. The band's new album is in the process of being finished up, and their vocalist, Joey, will be playing the west coast section of the third living room tour that Abandon Kansas' Jeremy Spring has done this fall/winter, and dates will be announced soon.
no image



Life In Your Way have just released a brand new song, "Like A River," which comes off their Kingdom of God EP, part of their upcoming album Kingdoms, which will be out October 25th through the band, and as separate EPs through Come&Live!. You can stream "Like A River" at the band's Facebook page.
Family Force 5 Return with III on October 18th




Since 2005, FAMILY FORCE 5 has been galvanizing audiences with their incendiary dance floor mix of dirty South dance-rock anthems, thunderous beats, Southern-fried guitar and good-time lyrics. After raucous performances at Sonisphere, the Vans Warped Tour and a handful of U.S. festivals this summer, the Atlanta quintet will release their genre-obliterating new album III on October 18 via Tooth & Nail Records//III Entertainment.

Part party-bangers, part grimy rockers, FAMILY FORCE 5’s booty-quaking beats and face-melting synths have earned them a loyal following culled from their ceaseless touring and chart-topping albums, the group’s previous album 08’s Dance or Die debuted on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #30and the Modern Rock chart at #8 with 13,000 copies sold in the first week.

III marks a dynamic shift for the group, a return-to-rock sound that resurrects the heavy guitars and bombastic beats of their debut. Opening track “Can You Feel It” explodes with searing guitars and vocalist SOLOMON’s distorted voice slices through the boom-bap of tumultuous drums. “Our goal was to make jock jams for the future,” DEREK (guitars) says about the album opener. “At the time, we were listening to a lot of Sleigh Bells, and we wanted to create something mean and gritty. This track gets people hyped up, and it perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album.” Unadulterated energy ties the band’s unstoppable genre-hopping as FAMILY FORCE 5 explores low slung bass booms and harmonica howls on “Wobble” and the tongue-in-cheek “scenie baby” call-out pop song, “Tank Top.” These are songs for blaring at maximum volume, blasting from a sweaty club or alow-riding pick-up truck. “III sounds like rock and roll with barbecue sauce,” DEREK laughs. 

III is the follow-up to 08’s Dance or Die which pushed the band into electro-groove territory, as a synth-powered cavalcade lead with SOLOMON’spassionate vocals. An Alternative Press magazine cover story followed the album’s release and the group co-headlined the completely sold-out “Alternative Press Fall Tour” with 3OH!3 and The Maine in late 2009. Ever since their frenetic ’06 debut Business Up Front, Party in the Back(Maverick), FAMILY FORCE 5 has forged their own path. After leaving their major label deal, the band pushed on to sell over 350,000 digital singles and well over 150,000 albums. It’s this DIY-style that has continued to make the group (made up of the brothers JACOB, JOSH, and SOLOMON OLDS, and brothers-from-other-mothers, NATHAN CURRIN and DEREK MOUNT) into self-made juggernauts that steamroll audiences with their upbeat party anthems and raucous stage antics.

Although they aren’t afraid to take a trip on the ironic side, the band tips their hats to authenticity. On III, they infused a taste of reality, exploring more than just the party scene they’ve espoused during their career. On “Paycheck,” the band addresses the challenges of living in a country suffering with economic collapse and seemingly incurable unemployment. “I’m broke/broke as a joke/thinkin’ ‘bout movin’ back in with my folks,” Solomon sings on“Paycheck.” FF5 heard the stories of their fans who are down on their luck, unemployed and struggling to survive. “A lot of America is pretty poor right now,” SOLOMON explains. “We kept hearing our fans say they were living paycheck to paycheck. So we wanted to write a song about that, with a positive message that turns it around.”

After a lifetime of making music, FAMILY FORCE 5 have unmistakably come into their own. They’ve forged together their disparate musical influences, their reckless attitude, and heartfelt authenticity into III. Now, with hardships behind them and the open road ahead, the band is on a mission to keep their fire spreading and their family growing. “FAMILY FORCE 5 is a real, authentic community that transcends the music,” Derek says. “We make music that we love, and we hope other people love it too, whether it makes them break-dance, two-step, or simply smile.”

www.FAMILYFORCE5.com
no image

Track By Track/Exclusive Stream: Oh, Sleeper

Solid State have pushed up the digital release of Oh, Sleeper's highly anticipated album, Children of Fire, and the album is out today, September 6th. You can pick up Children of Fire on AmazonMP3, iTunes, and wherever you buy digital music. If you want a hard copy however, the album will be in stores on September 27th.