As soon as I get the time to start updating this blog properly, the power cable for my laptop breaks! Why does this sort of thing always seem to happen?! Unfortunately I will be without my laptop for a short time & since I am about to graduate, my University will also no longer let me use their computers. Hopefully I can get this sorted out soon & I will be updating regularly again.

I was going to wait until my first review was posted, but since I don’t know when I will be able to update next, I might as well announce it. I am delighted to have been accepted as part of the review team for the fantastic Wears The Trousers magazine/blog. My first review (for the new Chicks on Speed album) should be up in a couple of days, so if you’re missing Soul Drift, keep checking the Wears the Trousers website.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Today witnesses Legion Within’s first formal album release by KMFDM Records. Originating from Seattle, Washington, the band formed in 2000 & Mouth of Madness is their fourth full-length to date. The album was crafted over a period of two years & it was a tough process for the band. It was written during a time when band member’s lives were fraught with personal tragedy & upheaval. However, they seem to have powered through this difficult time to create a mature blend of darkwave & industrial rock.

On first listen Mouth of Madness sounded like the type of album KMFDM & London After Midnight would produce if they joined forces. The core sound is very typical of darkwave/industrial rock bands (synthesisers & distorted guitars), but that is not to say the album is generic. There are elements of enough different genres throughout the record to make it interesting & ultimately creating “a dark mosaic of musical styles” to set them apart. For example, ‘Memories of You’ is more melancholy & one of the slower tracks on the album, incorporating a haunting cello & ghostly electronics into their sound. ‘Demon’s Arm’ begins with a female soprano eerily singing over the intro, & even more surprising was penultimate track, ‘Mall Cops of Freedom’, a swing/big band-style track with tounge-in-cheek lyrics.

Their songs range from romance, escapism, & tragedy to dark humour & flights of sadistic fancy. They are also a band who are not afraid to get political. Many of their lyrics reflect disquiet with the current state of the world, particularly the title track which focuses on a “shattered world” with “corporate drones”, & ‘So Happy’ questioning how people can be happy living this life. ‘The Empire Is Burning’ is a similar track, openly criticising America with biting lyrics such as: “Torture’s back in fashion, it’s American chic, no one gives a damn about the frail & the meek”.

The album draws to a close with a remix of the title track by Käpt’n K (Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM). I’m not overly fond of remixes, but this does serve to highlight his obvious influence throughout this record. However, I do not wish to take anything away from the band, they have created a successful dark rock album of their own using many different elements. It may not be exactly the type of music I like, but its quality shines through.

You can download the title track for free via the KMFDM store.

Official Site | MySpace

I must admit that I was put off at first by the vocals of this band because they sounded just like every other pop/rock band around at the moment. However, I kept them on my ‘unsure’ list & found myself constantly going back to have a listen to them. I don’t know what it is, but there is something addictive about their music. It is catchy & sometimes even cheesy, but they’re great to listen to! I think their bassist actually summed up how I feel in a recent interview: “Good music is good music, you can find it everywhere in every genre.” I think I must have found the great in this genre! Bury The Bully hail from Ontario, Canada & formed way back in 1997, when they were all in highschool. They have remarkably had the same line-up for all these years & remain great friends. They are also a very charity-minded band, playing a lot of benefit shows & each month they designate a different charity to donate a portion of their proceeds to. Very admirable, particularly in this current economic climate.

Recommended Listening: ‘For Only Me To Know’, ‘Army Of Love’

Official Site | MySpace

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

According to vocalist Brody Dalle, Spinnerette was formed by accident after the birth of her daughter in 2006. She started demoing with Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Eleven) mostly writing tracks on bass, wurlitzer and then guitar, exploring a musically different direction to her previous band, The Distillers. Spinnerette is essentially Brody Dalle’s band with a revolving door of musicians and she has complete creative control, which was vital to her after some bad experiences with major labels. Despite the album tracks being quite upbeat & ‘dancey’, they deal with some heavy & dark subject matters lyrically. The record is said to be inspired by motherhood & also the death of Brody’s father.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that I have already discussed ‘Ghetto Love’ & ‘Distorting A Code’, & my opinions still stand on the two tracks. I think ‘Ghetto Love’ is a great track to kick off & set the tone for the record – it is the definition of a rock album you can dance to! Fast-paced ‘All Babes Are Wolves’ follows in a similar vein; another catchy sing-a-long track.

Other stand-out tracks for me on the album are ‘Baptized By Fire’, ‘Driving Song’ & ‘Geeking’. ‘Baptized By Fire’, the first single to be released, is probably the most radio-friendly & I have been singing the chorus over & over for the last few days – I absolutely adore it! However, ‘Driving Song’ has to take the top spot for me personally; it is an incredibly powerful & emotional song. I first heard it when Brody sang it at the Natasha Shneider Benefit Concert and it literally gave me chills. The way she sings ‘& I tried so hard to stay’ is so heartbreaking, it gets me every time. ‘Geeking’ is another notable track with some sad lyrics (‘going nowhere, nowhere fast’) that I like it a lot.

The other tracks on the album are not bad. ‘A Spectral Suspension’ is a thumping track with an interesting & sometimes chaotic sound. The gothy/dreamy ‘Distorting A Code’ has grown on me (although I think it could have done without the track being played backwards towards the end), as has the sleazy & dirty ‘Sex Bomb’, which similarly took a while.

Unfortunately after ‘Driving Song’, I always seem to lose interest & ‘Rebellious Palpitations’, ‘The Walking Dead’ & ‘Impaler’ seem to mesh into one. Perhaps I need to give these tracks enough time to grow on me too. They are by no means terrible, they just don’t seem to have the stand-out power than a lot of the other tracks possess. The album does draw to a satisfactory end though, with the long & stoner rock sounding ‘A Prescription For Mankind’.

Overall, the punk attitude is still there, as well as a lot of punky ‘woah-o’s’, ‘ooo’s’ & ‘hey’s’ but the music & vocals are a lot more mature. Brody Dalle sounds fantastic on the album & this new direction really suits her. There are a wide range of elements that you can hear on the record. The hints of Queen of the Stone Age is heard throughout, particularly in the slower & moody ‘Cupid’. I realise it must be annoying to be constantly compared to your husband’s band, but he & Alain Johannes must have had at least some influence! There are also traces of goth, grunge, dance & electro throughout the album, which give it variety. I personally think Spinnerette is maybe two or three tracks too long, but other than that, it works really well & I will definitely be purchasing it on June 15!

You can stream the entire album right now on their MySpace page & you can also download ‘Rebellious Palpitations’ for free at RCRDLBL.

Official Site | MySpace

A blog article I have written – highlighting under-the-radar female musicians as role models as opposed to a lot of mainstream ‘artists’ today – has just been posted on the fantastic Jemsite. Jemsite is an ‘informational site encouraging & helping others learn about everything from guitar playing to Ibanez guitars to specific JEM & Universal models’.

Head over to Jemsite to read my guest post & don’t forget to check out the rest of the website too!