Album Reviews :: LODRO, Radio Reds, Left of the Dial, and The Post-Apocalyptics
Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor
LODRO :: If Life Was Like A Movie :: Tracer Sounds
LODRO’s If Life Was Like A Movie release is the inaugural release for both the band and Tracer Sounds records. LODRO describes themselves as “neo noir punk”, and I’m not sure how punk I think that they are, but noir is spot fucking on. This 2 track EP is a trippy, groovy, seductive, indie creation.
The title track, If Life Was Like A Movie, has a hybrid sound. With male lead vocals, it mixes a 60s/70s psychedelic rock sound with a staccato beat and an indie alternative sensibility. There is just the right amount of feedback and there is this great scream near the end of the track that is just so raw and fantastic.
Side B, Snake Song, has female vocals that totally embody the noir sound. Her voice is smokey, dark, and so so so seductive. The guitars in this track are metallic-y and ever so slightly distorted, the rhythm is broken and haunting and adds so much vibe to the recording.
What I really loved the originality and independence of LODRO’s sound. I haven’t heard anything like these tracks. These songs beg for a dark club and an audience who lets music permeate them and their surroundings. There is a lot of musicality, artistry, attitude, and atmosphere packed into this two track EP. I am totally psyched to hear more of both LODRO and Tracer Sound Records.
Radio Reds :: Memory Loss :: Scaredy Cat Records
Memory Loss is the Radio Reds debut album yet it seems to have existed in another time. As if it is just a slight bit out of step with current music, and I think that is what makes me enjoy it so much. It is melodic yet has a distant feel to it. Remember back in the 80s when alternative was called college rock and REM reigned supreme? This record would have found a comfy place with those fans.
I could go on for a few paragraphs trying to describe this sound to you, but I think that the bands list of influences can do a better job than I can. They have listed The Replacements, Joy Division, and Jawbreaker as influences, and once you read that, you can totally understand exactly where their unique hybrid sound comes from.
The stand out track is Knife, a sad beautiful acoustic track that comes out of nowhere and settles somewhere deep inside you. This album leaves you with a distinct feeling. It changes something in your chemistry, even if just for a few hours.
Left of the Dial’s Idly By is a heavy record. Not like heavy hardcore, but it has a heavy vibe. The music is solid and fast punk rock, yet the tone and cadence of the vocals take on a somber, serious sound. These tracks are emotionally driven yet nowhere near emo. The first track Idly By, is a slower track that sets the mood, yet and Rusting On Your Laurels are gruff yet catchy yet still somber. Most of the other tracks exist in between those two points, each one stronger than the one before it, or maybe this is one of those albums where each track builds on one another. To me, this is such a great winter album, it is one to put on in your car when the nights start to come earlier and earlier.
The Post-Apocalyptics :: Demo :: Self Released Free Download
This is a self released demo from Bright and Barrow’s Ryan and his brother recorded because, well, they had an itch to make music. It is a super fun pop punk collection of songs that will put you in a good mood in under ten seconds. The music is infectious, the vocals are fresh, and they tackle the popular song writing fodder, you know, like love, break ups and brain eating girls. Though I had a lot of fun listening to this whole demo, my favorite track is Luggage. Luggage is super fast, there are these great moments where there is the slightest bit of mic distortion, killer “whoa”s, and hooks that you will be humming for hours. Go check it out, it’s free and all.