Barrow - Demo

If you like: Envy, Suffocate For Fuck Sake, The Carrier

This band is pretty awesome. As mentioned below (even though no one will read it because there's no pictures or "If you like"s), I saw this band play with Pianos Become The Teeth. It was similar to seeing I Am Alaska open for a bunch of metal and pop punk bands - don't ask. They came on after a thrashy metal break-everything-in-sight and your archetypal screamo band. Introspective, melodic songs with lots of pedals for a small band from Greensboro, NC. Really the best comparison is to Envy, but with less hardcore influence. Anyway, these guys are cool. Gave people this demo for free after the set and it sounds pretty good, although doesn't really do justice to their live sound. Song names might be on their myspace, if you remember that site. .../barrowband if I remember correctly - I just have these labelled "Demo 1" and "Demo 2". I believe they are going to try to tour next summer. If you have the slightest interest in this genre and don't ever find yourself whining, "Y iz ther not constant br34kdown!?!!eleven" (rough quote from band), go see them. They're good, and I know they'll appreciate it. Hell, even say you heard of them from a blog post from a kid at their Raleigh show, they might start thinking all this music stuff is worth it!

Album recorded: 7/10

Live performance (including these): 9/10

Long-overdue update.

Hello good people of the internet,

It has come to my attention that apparently people follow this, and a few of my friends actually check it occasionally. Therefore, I will resurrect it from the hiatus that happened due to moving, not having internet, and general negligence. I don't have anything ready right now, but hopefully tomorrow and this weekend will see a good bit of posting.

Anyway, I move to North Carolina to work 40 hours a week (although it ends up being closer to 50) in order to make money to buy vinyls and have something decently respectable on my resume. When I remember, I spend some money on food too (meaning when I only have Fruit Rings, expired milk, and a few pepperonis in the fridge). But I am proud of the 200 or so I have now, and even have some speakers to take back to school and show off. June was great for music: Cat's Cradle, Local 506, Lunchbox Records, etc. Even Raleigh had a Silversun Pickups show, which was fucking incredible. They played Creation Lake! July has been dry as shit though, with the only good show being Pianos Become The Teeth in a basement. Epic show, real chill dudes.

Which brings me to a point I'm making! A band "Barrows" opened for them. It was an odd assembly of acts.. Some kids I met did a crazy thrashy metal wreck everything 20-second long song series, and a good textbook screamo band. Also another thrashy metal group that sounded a bit like Heavy Heavy Low Low at times, but was far from scene-y. The other band was Barrows -- introspective, melodic screamo, like a less-hardcore Envy. I talked to the vocalist after the show and he gave me a demo, and I told him I would post it here. So it will go up tomorrow! It's good, but can't do justice to their live performance.

Expect great things soon (Arcade Fire, Menomena!, and more). Now I have to go home from this Panera knock-off that leaves wifi on all night to decide whether I want to spin Circa Survive's Blue Sky Noise or the Envy/This Machine Kills 7" while smoking from a $2 pack of Special Blends. Gotta love South Carolina defecit hawks. That is all for now. I love you for reading this, and if I know you somehow, I miss you but will be back soonish!

Sea Wolf - Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low

Tracklist:
01. You're A Wolf
02. The Garden That You Planted
03. I Made A Resolution
04. Ses Monument
05. I Don't Know If I'll Be Back This Time

If You Like: All Smiles, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie

Sea Wolf is one of those indie bands that you wouldn't really expect to stand out from the crowd, but they manage to pull it off. Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low is their debut release, featuring five relaxing indie gems. I've heard 'You're A Wolf' on the radio before, which isn't surprising since it is the most pop-sounding track on the album. The Garden That You Planted is very calm and relaxing with nice lyrics. I Made A Resolution opens horribly lyrically in my opinion; Alex Church says he'll never sing a sad song again but he clearly breaks this resolution. The rest of the song is nice though, kind of a mix between You're A Wolf and The Garden..., picking up towards the middle. Ses Monument is my least favorite song on the album, but it's still good. It's very upbeat, but I find I get bored of the song quickly. I love I Don't Know...; it's short and to the point with good lyrics. It's probably too far on the sad side for many people but it reminds me of Bright Eyes a little, so I like it. 8/10

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - Not Animal!

Tracklist:
01. A Children's Crusade on Acid
02. German Motor Car
03. Broadripple Is Burning
04. Holy Cow!
05. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes
06. Hello Vagina
07. As Tall As Cliffs
08. Real Naked Girls
09. Pages Written On A Wall
10. Shivers (I've Got 'Em)
11. The Ocean (Is Bleeding Salt)
12. Hip Hip Hooray

This album doesn't have much new material on it; half of the new songs are also on Animal!, and most of the others are remakes of their earlier Demos. The only two songs that I think bring attention to Not Animal! are Pages Written on a Wall and Shivers. The first was amazing live and tends to get stuck in my head. I just wish Margot would sometimes try making songs longer than 5 minutes, because the instrument part alone could easily last for 6 minutes without getting old. Mariel's Brazen Overture and At the Carnival are the longest of their tracks, both lasting 6:01. Maybe their next album will have more variety? Based on their progression so far, I hope so. 7/10

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - Animal!

Tracklist:
01. At The Carnival
02. O' What A Nightmare!
03. Hello Vagina
04. I Am A Lightning Rod
05. Love Song For A Schubas Bartender
06. Mariel's Brazen Overture
07. There's Talk Of Mine Shafts
08. A Children's Crusade On Acid
09. German Motor Car
10. Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes
11. My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)
12. As Tall As Cliffs

If You Like: Balance Problems, Band of Horses, Cursive

I saw these guys play near my house last year after releasing this album. They opened with At The Carnival, which did sound better live. Just hearing A Children's Crusade on Acid was enough to make me immediately love this band though. That song is definitely my favorite on the album, followed by Cold Kind and Lemon Eyes and Hello Vagina. German Motor Car, Love Song..., and Mariel's... are also great songs. Mariel's Brazen Overture is the most distinct song on the album since it features a lot of Emily Watkins' vocals in addition to Edwards'. 8/10

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - The Dust of Retreat

Tracklist:
01. A Sea Chanty of Sorts
02. Skeleton Key
03. Vampires in Blue Dresses
04. Quiet As A Mouse
05. Jen Is Bringin' The Drugs
06. Dress Me Like A Clown
07. On A Freezing Chicago Street
08. Paper Kitten Nightmare
09. Barfight Revolution, Power Violence
10. A Light On A Hil
11. Talking In Code
12. Bookworm

This album is the main reason I love Margot. It is a perfect transition between their older demos and the Animal! albums since it has more complex music then the acoustic demos but is not as spacey as the new stuff. It also has all new songs; a fault I find in the Animal!s. Jen Is Bringin' The Drugs and A Light On A Hill keep the old sound while Skeleton Key and Quiet As A Mouse foreshadow Animal!. It has the sadness of Broadripple is Burning (from Demos) in A Sea... and A Light... but also fun sing-a-longs like On A Freezing Chicago Street and Skeleton Key. Every song has it's own reason for amazingness, even Paper Kitten Nightmare -- the lyrics annoy me to death, but the title is clever (who can have a nightmare about kittens??) 9/10

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - Demos

Tracklist:
01. As Tall As Cliffs
02. Holy Cow
03. Broadripple Is Burning
04. Hip Hip Hooray
05. The Ocean
06. Open Your Eyes
07. Things You Shouldn't Do
08. Real Naked Girls

If You Like: Bright Eyes, The Early November, Nada Surf

This is the first album from Margot, who sounds completely different now. These demos are a bunch of acoustic, bare songs by Richard Edwards. Most were re-recorded on Animal! and Not Animal! to fit with their new style. Though the new ones are good, I much prefer these demos. Broadripple is Burning has more emotion and better lyrics as the demo, since some of the words were tweaked on Not Animal! I also like The Ocean, As Tall As Cliffs, and Real Naked Girls better as demos. If you don't like the acoustic sound, Open Your Eyes and Things You Shouldn't Do are not on any later releases, so this album is worthwhile for those two if nothing else. Enjoyable songs -- 7/10