The reason critics bandy the term “emo” about as a pejorative and the reason the bands associated with the word get such a bad rap is that — like the the diminuitive label they get — the music (and especially the lyrics) has wussified the grand tradition of romanticism in rock ‘n’ roll. In the past year or so we’ve seen an upsurge in intense bands reclaiming the romantic tradition of rock. Murfreesboro’s The Falling is among these. Their new EP for No Karma, Cardinal, flails itself against dreary rock constraints and comes up shining. Tired of verse-chorus-verse, The Falling push their songs into linear arrangements that aren’t that expected. “The Grand March�? begins with a huge drum and bass head-bobbing riff. Singer/guitarist Tyler McDaniel yells his lyrics into the crashing sound. Soon snaking guitar lines lead the other instruments into a hard-driving straight-ahead rock pile-on and back again to the serpentine up-and-down. Just as you think you’ve got it, it ends. Throughout the 5 songs, McDaniel’s vocal delivery is full-throated but back somewhat in the mix making it sound all the more desperate. The howls of “I turn red�? which accompany the coda to “Jane�? bring to mind the painful “I love you so much I’m miserable�? romanticism of the Cure, New Order, and the Psychedelic Furs, albeit ballsier. In “Toward the Night,�? the EP’s 7-minute closer, McDaniel relates a story of regret and loss that might be a touch cringing if it weren’t so dead-on. The endless crisp guitar arpeggio and the plodding drums build around the spoken word narrative to a musically satisfying but emotionally interrupted ending. I think it’s safe to say there isn’t another band like the Falling around these parts. Their sincerity never dips into cheesiness and their music seeks out new forms within its known restrictions.

[This piece appeared in the Nashville Scene.]

With the tremendous amount of good music this season, it’s only fitting that there’s a pile of local releases as well. Glossary are good people. The Murfreesboro band has been around for almost 6 years and turned over a few members but never lost their heart. Now a 6-piece and performing only Joey Kneiser’s songs, Glossary are hitting a comfortable stride. Their new self-released EP, Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts, is a well-documented 5 song introduction to the band. “When Easy Street Gets Hard to Find�? is a rocker with Stone-y guitar interplay and Wilco (circa Being There) tunefulness. It captures the American spirit and independent direction the band has aimed at for years. Kneiser has found his strengths as a singer and plays to them. The band’s musical versatility allows them to frame his voice in different contexts. “Hold Me Down” features pedal steel accompaniment by Paul Niehaus in an easy-going alt.country song. “We Keep Changing�? strikes a chord right in between their country and indie rock sensibilities – like Dylan slumming it with Malkmus. “West Liberty�? (from their 2000 record This is All We’ve Learned about Living) is re-interpreted as a back-porch southern anthem complete with hoe-down. Glossary are more than a band; they’re a family and spending time with this EP is like drinking with an old friend

At times Phantom Planet sound so much like Travis that it’s unreal. One gets the idea that they like sounding like Travis — all unsure of themselves and sensitive. The worst part is that the further they veer from Travis’s territory, the better they sound. “Always on my Mind” (not the Willie Nelson/Elvis song) is the best song here and it smacks of 60s pop in its drumbeat and harmony vocals. One track later “Lonely Day” sounds like Travis in its acoustic-led sadness but shifts in the big chorus to sound in snatches like Oasis. Or at least like something they’d do. “Turn Smile Shift Repeat” sounds exactly like Travis doing Radiohead. While Travis have done a fair job on their last two records of balancing syrupy ballads and nice melodies, Phantom Planet is nowhere near old enough to adopt this mode of quiet, creeping cynicism. When your singer and drummer are Hollywood stars, the jaded lyrics of businessmen and “dollar signs” ring a bit hollow. Still, it’s not bad. “Nobody’s Fault” sounds so much like Elvis Costello that I had to pull out the liner notes to verify it wasn’t an old Costello song. Phantom Planet’s members may be young but they’ve made a fine record. They may mock some of their influences to a degree but when they find their own voice, they excel. “The Guest,” included on the special edition companion CD, is the best song here. Its angst and mood are totally the band’s own. Do more like that one.

In my mind there are few bands as vital to American Rock ‘n’ Roll as Rocket From the Crypt. I was once a reluctant believer. I turned my ear to the hype ’til last year’s Group Sounds and a sit-down with Petey X. I had never seen them until after I interviewed Petey and it’s safe to say that had I seen them before the meeting, I’d have already snatched up all their records and been in complete awe of the bass player who sat across from me in Rocket’s touring motor home. I’ve since gotten the RFTC bug and collected as much of their music as I can find.

(more…)

The three songs on this EP are each mid-tempo, slow-burning pop tunes. Think of Lou Barlow’s heart-on-sleeve tunes circa Bubble & Scrape. At moments the lyrics will send a familiar chill down your spine — “Been staying in school just in case I’m untalented” gets me every time. The guitars are that sweet match of clean and fuzzy. The recording is excellent. “Just Like Everybody,” the second track, is the easy favorite. It may be a bit too deliberately radio-friendly at times, but, you know, not everybody’s an angry punk.

Skiba and Seconds (of Alkaline Trio and 7 Seconds respectively) each contribute 5 “solo” songs here. Though all the songs are led with acoustic guitars, by no means are these acoustic-only cry-baby indulgences. Each plays all the instruments with one exception — a bass on one of Seconds’s songs. I kinda wish they’d mixed up the tracks, but as it is, there’s Skiba’s five and then Seconds’s five.

(more…)