http://hangloosereviews.tumblr.com/

Diplo and Zedd produce songs for The Biebs

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 08:27:00 -0500

It has come to my attention recently via a tweet from Zedd that he has had a hand in producing a song for pop super-star Justin Beiber called “Beauty And A Beat” that features Nicki Minaj.

For those of you don’t know who Zedd is, he is an electro house producer. Currently his single “Spectrum (ft. Matthew Koma)” is currently #1 on the Beatport’s Electro House charts and has been since the week of its release (which was about a month ago now). So in the electronic music community the dude knows what he is doing. When I caught wind of this that he produced this Beiber song, I was shocked and confused. Then curious. So I pried myself out of that weird part of youtube for a few minutes to have a listen…

Well, it definitely has that signature Zedd sound. I can really appreciate the little bit at 1:14. But (and I seriously went into this with an open mind), I have a hard time listening past the vocals of the teenaged pop sensation. (The parts where he says “eh eh eh” at 0:28 and so on especially grind my gears.)

A couple days later, a post on tumblr by some Belieber* caught my eye when I noticed that my favorite DJ/Producer Diplo helped to produce “Thought Of You”, the 9th track on Bieber’s new album called Believe. I was frightened. Because I knew I had to listen to it. I psyched myself up, accepted that I would most likely face more of the vocals that irritate me, and checked it out…

This song sounds kinda tribal with really heavy synth bass as expected from Diplo, who is also the man responsible for creating Major Lazer. The song is clean and features smooth transitions between melodic breakdowns and upbeat dancehall riddims**. If you can bear the stretch of “you-hoo-hoo’s” and the other super “popy” singing of this one-boy boy-band it makes a pretty cool song.

These collaborations make me wonder what pop stars will be next to scoop up an EDM legend to make them a song. INB4 Paris Hilton and Afrojack :(.

I’m sorry Justin, but I guess I’m just not ready for what you have to offer this planet yet. Im just going to continue to enjoy my lyricless bass and beats for now.

Hang Loose,

The Leatherman

*a believer/fan of Justin Beiber; ** Rhythms

Lady Gaga Vs. Pole

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 04:43:12 -0500

Lady Gaga Vs. Pole

Roger Waters performs Pink Floyd's The Wall

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:43:14 -0500

This was a while ago now, but I thought I’d mention it. This is not really a review of this concert; If anything, this show should be reviewing me!

On my birthday (May 31) this year I decided at the spur of the moment that I would hop on a bus to Winnipeg Manitoba that evening to see Roger Waters’ second show in that city the following evening as he performed “The Wall” (honestly probably my favorite album of all time). I travelled all through the night sitting next to a dude who was smoking joints and popping pills the and had a military issued combat manual in his seat pocket. When I arrived the morning I killed the day by checking out the many tourist attractions of the city and sleeping in various public places as a homeless person would.

Anywho. This show!! It was held in the MTS Centre and the place was sold out for the second night in a row. It was just a perfectly orchestrated show with a great studio band fronted by the vocals of Roger Waters. The show featured mind blowing visuals projected across an actual white-bricked wall that was erected throughout the first act of the concert. For the second half of the show, although the band was mostly behind the wall and out of view of the audience, the show became even more intense as the full-on movie-theatre-sized screen as well as floating pigs and other things kept us all more than entertained. Whatever I am writing here is not doing this experience justice, but i thought I’d give it a try. If you want to know more look up videos on youtube, but even those can not capture the immensity of it all.

At this point, I think Roger has brought his tour through most of Canada, and is currently touring in the states. He has also announced that he is going to do a very special performance in Quebec City, QC to wrap up the tour with a bang for all those crazy rioters.

Catch this show if you can still if you are a Pink Floyd fan, you will absolutely not be disapointed. If you are not a fan, and/or you haven’t listened to this album or seen this film, I would highly reccomend doing so as well.

Hang Loose,

-The Leatherman

Burton Cummings kicks off North American tour in the prairies!

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 04:39:48 -0500

-A young Cummings in Hawaii. Pic somewhat related.

Hey folks, I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. Ive been trying to find more time in my schedule this summer to write on here. (Blah blah excuses blah.)

Anyway, I was down in Estevan Saskatchewan last night, and was lucky enough to take in a show of an absolute Canadian rock and roll legend. The one and only Burton Cummings, former singer and keyboardist of The Guess Who made his first stop of his “Your Backyard” tour last night. “Why Estevan?” you are all asking. Good Question? If you check the other stops on his tour you will see that he is essentially hitting a series of hick-towns. He travels across all of North America and the largest centers he hits are Denver and Boston. But I cant really complain though because he stopped at a hick-town that was pretty close to the hick-town I live in.

On the way there I was a bit nervous that I might not be familiar with many of the tunes he played since he had quite solo career since leaving The Guess Who and that was mostly the material I was familiar with. But I had nothing to worry about. I knew every word of every song played and him and his band hit the nail on the head on every one! Despite being nearly 65 years old, Burton’s voice was still fully in tact and could crank out all the scatting and high notes we all know him for. I think I can safely assume that he went hard tonight in his home province of Manitoba as well. It was an absolutely excellent show and If you happen to find yourself in one of his obscure tour stops it is one you need to take in!

H.L.,

-Leatherman

New Rubiks Music and Video!

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:24:00 -0500

Our bros over at Rubiks Music have just released a new video with a collaboration with Merky Waters. Despite the fact Rubiks Music has set the bar high for hip hop in these parts, this song is exceptionally good. I was super impressed by the video too, it doesn’t have that corny, cheap look that hip hop videos can lean towards. But hey, don’t take this from me! See for yourself:

Pretty sweet, hey? Don’t wanna say I told you so… Anyway, if you like what you saw, you should go to Rubiks Music’s Facebook or Merky Waters’ Facebook and give this shiz (am I saying that right?) a share and a like (also don’t forget to give each group’s respective Facebook pages a like as well)!

Hang Loose,

Jumbo Shrimp

Public Service Announcement To All Bros: This Is The New "Call Me Maybe"!

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:35:00 -0500

On September 20th of 2011, I’m sure most of you know that Carly Rae Jepsen released the monster jam “Call Me Maybe” to the world. “Call Me Maybe” is still an excellent jam from my waifu Carly Rae, don’t get me wrong, but I think the namesake of her EP, “Curiosity”, is going to replace it very soon as the Carly Rae Jepsen song that radios play umpteen billion times. But don’t take it from me, let Carly Rae speak for herself:

Solid pop hooks and hella catchy, I would expect nothing less from Carly Rae Jepsen. Because I am a white, heterosexual male, I absolutely love ~~free internet porn~~ Carly Rae Jepsen. I whole-heartedly believe that this is the going to be the song of summer 2012 and I am completely stoked!

Apparently she is just as stoked as I am!

Album Review: Fur Eel's Perhaps Another Time

Sun, 27 May 2012 17:54:00 -0500

So Fur Eel’s long anticipated album Perhaps Another Time and its release package came rolling into my mailbox this weekend, and oh boy, am I excited to give this album a few spins and and a review! Perhaps Another Time is Fur Eel’s sophomore album and is set to be released on June 9th.

Before I share my thoughts on the album, let’s talk about the cover art (shown above). The album artwork (by Vic Roman at FloPrint) strikes me as edgy and modern, but more importantly minimalistic. I mean minimalistic in that the art gracefully portrays the name of the band, the name of the album and a portrait of the members in one simple but captivating picture. This leaves pictures of the band for the leaflet and alternate art for the CD without the exterior of the album looking cluttered and redundant.

I came into with this album with a good mood, but high expectations. As usual, Fur Eel did not disappoint. The album kicks off with a drum beat and a catchy guitar riff that carries the song “Blues”, I feel like this song was a good way to kick the album off as it is only about two and a half minutes long and could almost be used as an intro to “Elephant Summer”. It seems like the type of song that could let the listener know what the band is all about in a short amount of time. “Elephant Summer” starts with the a horn section and seems to draw more from funk influences than “Blues”. It blends Freddie Mercury-esque vocal melodies fronting a combination of the Jackson 5 and Parliament into a melody that is very easy to get stuck in one’s head (in a good way).

As I was about halfway into the catchy and radio-friendly “Ain’t Got The Time”, I couldn’t help but notice how good the production of this album was. This is saying a lot coming from me as I am VERY nitpicky about production from listening to metal and having to deal with tons of awful production. When I read that it was produced by the band themselves at St. Onge Studio here in Regina, I was even more impressed with the band and the production. It sounds like a professional high-budget album and none of the instuments over-power the others, nor do the vocals drown the band out.

The band slows things down with “Dance”, another Queen-like song that doesn’t really stick out but is not bad by any means and stays true to the band’s funk-pop-rock formula. “Sangria” kicks off with synth and a combination of 80s pop and Queen. The song actually has sort of a Prince feel to it and strays away from pop-funk, it even reminds me of hints from Gaga’s album “Born This Way”. “Smooth City” and “Zoo” brings the winning formula of Fur Eel right back, however. With “Zoo” reminding more of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. That being said, I would recommend this song to bassists. The bass in this song isn’t overpowering in this song per say, but the bass spends more time in the pocket than a socially awkward kid’s hand at the bar. “Lies To Myself” takes a turn for the R & B, and does so very well despite the song being fairly short. “Black Mountain” takes another turn in favor of a slower, heavier song. It sounds like there is quite a bit more rock and blues influence on this song than all the other ones with the exception of maybe “Blues”. “The Rhythm” is also a slower paced song with some serious pop hooks. It is another one I would recommend to bassists and funk fans, the heavy bass riff carries the songs rhythm and is complemented by the horn sections and the drums. The album comes to an end with the song “All Over Me”. This song felt like it drew the most jazz influence out of the album. The horn and string sections where unmistakably jazz, as were the drums. The vocals also reminded me of vintage jazz or the late Amy Winehouse. To complete the jazz ensemble, Karl Valiaho’s sax and Thomas St. Onge’s guitar work fantastically together.

If you are expecting a rating of this album /5 or /10 you are not going to get it. I do not think a person can put an opinion or the amount of enjoyment in music into numbers. If you listen to music based on what number it got out of 10 in a review, then you should go grease your joints as you are a robot. For organic lifeforms that eat, sleep and reproduce (or at least attempt to), I would say that this album is a genre-bending wild ride that has little something for everyone without being insincere or trying too hard. If this seems like something you would enjoy, you can download the album and make donations to the band here. I think the album is definitely worth throwing some money the band’s way and you should if you can! If you think MP3 files are “too digital” or whatever then you can also buy the album on June 9th.

My favourite tracks: Blues, Sangria, Ain’t Got The Time, Zoo

Fur Eel is: Justin Sheppard- Vocals and Guitar, Thomas St. Onge- Guitar, Travis Reshnaur- Bass, James Bellé- Drums and percussion (Additional Personnel: Cheney Lambert- Trumpet, Karl Valiaho- Sax)

Hang Loose,

Jumbo Shrimp

Look who’s back! Thats right, about a year after she...

Sat, 26 May 2012 01:08:00 -0500

Look who’s back! Thats right, about a year after she slammed onto the scene with her hit song Gucci Gucci, the one and only Kreayshawn has graced us with her highly anticipated follow up.

When I mentioned to Jumbo Shrimp that I was going to review this track, he made it clear that I should mention how much he <3’s Kreayshawn. And he’s not alone, I’ve been looking forward to something new from her for a long time, so lets see what “Breakfast (Syrup) ft. 2 Chainz” has in store for us:

The song greets us with a shitty midrange pitch-bent bass sound that is accompanied by a fake rating screen like you would see before the feature presentation on a VHS movie. We are off to a good start :P.

So, once she opens her mouth, its like she is reading from a grade schooler’s poetry notebook, rapping so slowly with basic-ass words including mostly the names items from the grocery store. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that she is trying to metaphorically tie these food words to the amount of money/drugs she has earned/used in the past year. Especially the perpetual mention of syrup (sizzurp).

*rhymes “breakfast” with “breakfast”*

Oh, I can hear some dude shouting in the background, it must be 2 Chainz… Yep! Apparently the dude was sleeping while everyone else was getting wild in the kitchen. Once he wakes up, he raps even more slowly than Kreayshawn for about 20 seconds until she cuts him off with that low budget synth, and another repetition of the shopping-list hook.

So all in all, this song is not very good. I can’t really sugarcoat it. But thats ok because she still super-good-looking. I’ll just have to mute it and listen to something good while I watch her and her hot friends eat pancakes and drink Aunt Jemima’s out of the bottle.

I hope this has been informative as well as educational.

~~Peace out.~~

I mean Hang loose.

-The Leatherman

Freddie Mercury's Return as Hologram

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:55:00 -0500

Unless you live on Europa, I am sure you have heard about Tupac’s Coachella “appearance” (I am not going to send a link because you have already seen it) via not-so-amazing hologram technology. Well apparently someone over at the Queen camp got cartoonish dollar signs in their eyes as Freddie Mercury made an “appearance” at the 10th Anniversary of the We Will Rock You Musical on May 14th (also old news). To be fair to Queen, this appearance was for Queen’s musical and the Freddie Mercury ghost did not actually “perform”, just appeared on stage. However, I am predicting many more holograms on the way for different festivals, tours, tribute concerts, etc (For bonus points I bet the next ones on the way will be MJ, Elvis, or Kurt Cobain).

When it comes to this whole hologram business I am definitely against it for a few reasons. Now don’t get me wrong, I realize artists using cheap gimmicks and ridiculous merch to squeeze every penny out of fanboys is nothing new, but exploiting dead artists for money and passing it off as “tributes” really does not sit well with me. Firstly, yes, these people are deceased and have no control over how they are animated, who does their impersonations, or what recordings are used for “performances”. Tr00 music fans are always the first to crucify artists like Ashlee Simpson, Shania Twain, or Jennifer Hudson for lip syncing, but I fail to see how hologram performances are any different. Instead of a human being mouthing along with a prerecorded performance, it’s a Pepper’s Ghost. This a step down from lip syncing in my opinion. At least a person lip syncing is, well, a living person and doing something that requires at least SOME thought, even if it is the same amount of thought required to open your mouth before you put food in it.

I also feel slightly insulted by the music industry because of this. Like do promoters and developers think that I am dumb enough to pay big money to watch hologram performances and get the same experience as watching living, breathing people perform their craft that they have worked so hard to perfect? One of the coolest parts of the concert experience is seeing your favorite musicians in flesh and blood.

Granted, there only have been two instances of hologram performances so far. At the same time, I would be willing to bet my life that there are a ton more on the way. I think in the long run this is going to hinder the music industry, if hologram performances keep coming rehashing the same music over and over how is music in general supposed evolve and grow? Like this shit would not fly anywhere else, imagine hologram Einstein giving lectures at Harvard, or hologram Babe Ruth being in the Red Sox roster for the 2013 season. People need to expand on these artists and create new things. It’s sad that artists die, yes, but we need to mourn healthily and move on.

Artist who are deceased have to stay that way. I mean yeah, it would be cool to see Ronnie James Dio perform with Dimebag Darrell, but none of it would be real. There are cool and tasteful ways to make tributes to artists, but I don’t think holograms are one of them.

Hang Loose,

Jumbo Shrimp

Australia Government Once Again Being Cool As Shit

Sun, 20 May 2012 19:01:42 -0500

So the Australian Military has already sealed the deal for being the coolest fucking army ever, and it seems like the government there is trying to be the coolest too. According to the all seeing and all knowing Blabbermouth, the Australian Council for The Arts just gave Australian death metal band OUROBOROS a $20,000 AUD grant to help the band with their next album which will include a symphony orchestra.

I find it sad that I have never heard of something like this happening in Canada, and if it did there is no hope in hell that it would happen to a death metal band. Even though we have some pretty sweet bands from here. Personally I think that it’s pretty cool that death metal is starting to get some artistic merit as it really is not easy to make and a really underrated genre of music in general.

As much as I hate giving the “Man there are tr00 artists out there trying to get by and deserve to be famous!” speech, I do think Canada should step up her game in supporting bands and artists of all genres. Sports too for that matter, we need some golds in London!

Hang Loose,

Jumbo Shrimp

Tomba - Time to Slam EP Review

Tue, 15 May 2012 21:02:00 -0500

So last week, Tomba released an EP entitled “Time To Slam ft. Inja” to Buygore (Borgore’s record label in case anyone cares). As a big fan of EDM (electronic dance music), in particular, hard hitting dubstep (or brostep if you are a diehard defender of tr00 dubstep), I was excited to hear about this EP.

Usually Tomba’s basslines feature growls, screams and screeches with a strong metal influence and so is the case with this EP. For having a really distinct sound, Tomba has really managed to show off many different styles with this EP. Here is a brief thought on each each track (click song names for a preview):

Time to Slam ft. Inja: The title track starts of with a creepy melody reminiscent of the theme from the Halloween movie series. Followed up by a little rap segment by who I suspect is Inja. And then, as expected, drops like a B0:55 (I hate that comment so much, many dubstep “fans” don’t understand why so many songs all have the drop at the 55 second mark. You just have to do the math. But I digress. The rest of the song is banging as well.)

A Spanish Lullaby: (video featured above) As the title suggests this is actually a spanish lullaby, featuring arpeggio picking on a classical guitar. Oh wait, I can hear something coming in the distance! Oh ya it is huge DnB (drum and bass) track. Im not even a real big DnB fan, but this really actually enjoyable.

Wanna Feel Good: Go ahead and correct me if I’m totally wrong, but I believe the optimistic lyric in this song is sung by none other than Tomba himself #funfact. When I first laid ears on this track, I was pretty sure I had heard this tune somewhere before so I did some searching around. Sure enough It has been out for a while, but this is the polished version of the track that has been kicking around the youtubes for a while now.

You and Me: It sounds like Ke$ha giggling at the very start, but its not. This song is straying away from dubstep genre for the second time in this EP; I guess it could be classified as moombahcore based on its 110bpm tempo. I can dig. He even doubles up the tempo near the end to give a more hyper DnB feel. Swate!

Kneeyan: Somebody had to do it. It had to be done. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for! A legit, well produced remix of the Nyan Cat jingle! The intro really incorporates the original tune but once the bass drops, there isn’t much to recognize from the vid, but no one cares because its such a heavy drop and bassline in this bangin’ drumstep/dubstep song.

All in all, solid EP. Go get it.

Hang Loose,

-The Leatherman

Community Pool 4 Review

Mon, 14 May 2012 02:16:00 -0500

This event could be best summarized as being super artsy, except without all the pretentiousness artsy events seem to always have. The event took place at the Java Express in Moose Jaw. It had a small, quaint atmosphere that seemed really appropriate to have an art exhibition in. I also enjoyed the fact that it was in downtown Moose Jaw, I think Moose Jaw has a nice scene there and should be known for more than Al Capone eating breakfast there one time. The paintings on display by Ariel Feindel, Annerre Nedilenka, and Nicole Araneda (who wrote “Milk” in cholo-graffiti font on my arm for whatever reason) were all unique and spectacular works. They seemed like something I would have in my guest and living rooms if I were an eccentric millionaire, but because I am neither eccentric nor a millionaire I did not buy a painting for myself.

The first act to go on was Merv Gotti, who entertained with some acoustic pop. For the first couple songs Merv strung along with another performer called Jumbo Shrimp (who presumably borrowed his name from the greatest blogger of all time). Afterwards, a rapper by the name of Ajeah (who has performed with Skillaboo and Rubix Music) came on to add some hip hop flavor to Merv’s acoustic stylings. Ajeah’s raps were much like his biceps, that is to say, they were solid and very impressive. He and Merv did both written and freestyle which were both easy on the ear, Ajeah’s hip hop attacks seemed to mold nicely with Merv’s softer melodic bits.

Merv Gotti ft. Ajeah and Jumbo Shrimp’s Beard Power Rating®: 0/3

The next group that went on after a brief intermission was a rap group called Cause and Effect (no, not that Cause and Effect). I have to say, the main thing these guys have going for them is energy. That is not to say that their rapping and beats were not solid, because they certainly were, it is just that this group had so much aggression and raw energy it got the entire place moving in no time. It almost seemed out place considering the coffee shop environment and the act that came before, but since the crowd was so engrossed by the trio that these factors did not seem to matter. I believe most of the energy these guys had was brought mostly by the group’s dual rapping set-up; one guy raps while the other rests, then they switch. This resulted in the crowd being treated to a solid 45 minutes of straight rap with no breaks and no mercy.

Cause and Effect’s Beard Power Rating®: 1.0/3.0

After a second intermission, Descalso was up. I have reviewed Descalso before for their CD release party, and this set was quite similar to that one. What really impressed me about this set is the amount of dancing and energy in the crowd that Descalso caused for such a small venue. A full on dance party was formed in an environment that seemed more suited to sit down with a Mac, sip on a tall latte, and try to stop Joseph Kony via the blogosphere. That being said, Descalso did slow things down when guitarist Paul Lucyk’s sister, Amaya, joined Descalso to do vocals. As usual, Descalso closed with their jam song, “You Ain’t My Bitch”, in which they invited the Cause and Effect guys up to jam with them. For me personally, watching bands jam is a lot like watching people play video games or have sex, I can only watch and listen for so long before I get bored and want to get involved or leave. That being said, Descalso finds a good balance between jamming and keeping the song consistent. I never feel the grey, dull feeling of repetition despite the fact I’ve heard the song several times.

Descalso Beard Power Rating®: 1.7/3.0 (pass!)

Next time we hit up Java Express, we will have to ask to get paid for being bouncers at the place, because apparently a combination of our girth, Jumbo Shrimp’s backwards hat, our red t-shirts, and the fact that we were standing near the door with our arms folded for most of the night, had people thinking we were working there trying to keep people in/out. And we will be back. And we are not afraid to lay a smack down on people who are actin’ the foo’. Just kidding. But seriously.

Anyway,

Hang loose,

Jumbo Shrimp ft. The Leatherman

Note: For those with butts that are easily hurt, The Hang Loose Reviews Official Beard Power Rating is NOT a reflection of the talent or performance of the band in any way, just a measure of their facial hair growing capabilities/desire.

Lady Gaga Is Wearing An ANTHRAX Shirt, What U Think?

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:10:59 -0500

N2m just Caught In A Rad Bro-Mosh at the MadHaus of Gaga, u?

All Gaga/Anthrax puns aside, yes, this is Lady Gaga wearing a Anthrax shirt. To some this may look ridiculous, but to a pop culture connoisseur such as myself, not at all. It is no secret that Gaga is a metal fan, writing songs like “Heavy Metal Lover”, appearing at Iron Maiden shows (this pic makes me poop my pants btw via being a huge slutwave and Maiden fan), dancing to Metallica with her BFF Lady Starlight in her early days, and lots of her fashion being drawn from leather homosexuality and heavy metal (i.e. Rob Halford). Even her stage name comes from the Queen song “Radio Gaga”, so the influences are quite obvious if you look in the right places.

The only thing that really makes me question this kind of thing though is whether someone like Gaga is wearing this shirt out of actual fandom, fashion, or for attention in a music community that is not her own. Personally, I believe Gaga is a sincere fan of metal as her latest album definitely had hints of Judas Priest in there and her metal fandom on Twitter seems legit. Gaga as of late is really just suffering from some major Special Snowflake Syndrome, a conidition that can be especially lulzy/dangerous in women (see gamer girls, metal girls, hipster girls etc.). A combination of metal fandom and pecial snowflake syndrome can make for an especially groce disaster for a pop star her age.

Maybe I am just over thinking this and it is just a fucking shirt, which is probably the case. I just wish she’d turn the Special Snowflake knob down just a little bit and rerelease some fun slutwave.

Hang Loose,

Jumbo Shrimp

Atlas Shrugged/Hang Loose Is Back!

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:41:00 -0500

Hey everyone, remember me? Yeah, I know it’s been a while since I’ve called and I kinda left before you woke up, but I swear I kissed you goodbye and have been trying to get in touch, honestly! Anyway, Hang Loose Reviews is back in full swing and I swear The Leatherman and myself will be posting a lot more often.

I thought it would be fitting to do the first post back on the namesake of the blog, Hang Loose REVIEWS; so I decided to do a brief but exciting review on a metal band from Sandy, Utah called Atlas Shrugged. It may not be the most popular thing to review but if you want what’s popular than just turn on Z99 or listen to whatever the fuck Boyce Avenue is covering right now.

I checked out the band’s bookface and found 4 songs, which must be from their EP, The String Theory. I got my ear pussies all hot and bothered and listened to these 4 songs, here are my thoughts:

Darkness Fell: Before I even pressed play on this song, I counldn’t stop thinking of the band Shadows Fall, the similarities in names are eerie. But, I put my bias aside as bias is the type of unprofessional journalism Hang Loose Reviews does not stand for. The song itself starts out with a synth sounding intro and what sounds to be sweeping bass riffs, with clean guitar cutting in later. The heaviness kicks in with some growling vocals and screams, which is carried by the proggy rhythm section. For the chorus, there seems to be some solid but almost unfitting clean vocals.

An Enlighten Wakening: This songs starts right off with a super catchy and djenty riffs and some heavy hooks right off the bat. To be honest, I liked this song much more than Darkness Fell, though that song was awesome in it’s own right. This song is just heavy faster, catchier, and well-written. This time, the clean vocal section fits naturally into the djent-prog nature of the song, and it kind of reminds me of a heavier, less folk version of Ne Obliviscaris. The end of the song is carried by a chugging djent/deathcore riff that progresses the song to the end. I think Atlas Shrugged should stick to this song as a reference to song-writing formula and it is definitely a good song to show someone who has never heard of Atlas Shrugged.

Mapping Space In Time: Mapping Space in Time!? Oh boy, this is progressive isn’t it? All jokes aside, the song kicks off with a clean vocal prog segment that again reminds me of Ne Obliviscaris. With the heaviness and growl vocals in, I’d say that this is definitely the catchiest song from the EP. The riffs are very, very tight and the band even finds a way to make the chugging riffs interesting, which I was very impressed with as chugging is rarely worth even shaking a stick at.

Permenant Ink: This is the last song on the bookface player, and thus, the last song I am going to review for now. This one starts out with some solo bass and screams in the background. Once the bass drops, it goes straight into a rhythm driving and marching to the growls, it will definitely make your head bob. The clean vocals section is not as good as the other songs, though, it seems to just get thrown at you and the structure isn’t as solid as it is in the other songs. The rest of the song makes up for this, however, as the djent-breakdown riffs are catchy and it goes back to a standard metal drive that finds the perfect balance between heavy and logical. The singing over the breakdowns in this song is also superb; it is EXTREMELY heavy and has an Impending Doom feeling to it. The song ends with a guitar solo, which was a nice change of pace, not enough djent bands do this.

In conclusion, Atlas Shrugged are definitely worth your time if prog/djent such as Textures or Vildhjarta makes you feel funny down there.

Atlas Shrugged is: Jermey Neiheisel, Travis Cross, Brian Cavanaugh, James Mineer, Vincent Traylor

Hang Loose,

-Jumbo Shrimp

Leatherman's List Vol.2: Music Videos

Tue, 01 May 2012 05:57:00 -0500

Sup nerds?

This is a list of cool songs of varying genres (mostly electronic). I chose these ones in particular for this volume of the list because, in addition to being deadly tunes, they have really cool music videos for your viewing pleasure. Click on the name of the song to get sent directly to the music video!

1. Destructo - Technology (warning nsfw. some nudity)

2. Cassius - Love U So

3. Zedd - Slam The Door

4. The Fuzzmaster - Pr0n

5. Modeselektor ft. Otto von Schirach - Evil Twin

6. OK Go - Needing/Getting

7. Major Lazer ft. The Partysquad - Original Don

Hang Loose,

-The Leatherman

Let's Talk About Buttrock

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:18:00 -0500

Say what you want about Canada, there are some things we do danged right. This includes hockey, holed pastries, being polite, being responsible for the best jam of 2K11/12, and pumping out some pretty sweet actors. However, you can’t have the dog without the dogshit, as I have noticed that Canada’s biggest music export seems to be buttrock. Buttrock is technically called post-grunge, but others call it radio rawk, moose rock, or alternative rock; for simplicity’s sake I am going to stick to the term buttrock.

Buttrock is huge in North America but it appears that the majority of buttrockers are from Canadian soil. The most infamous Nickelback, Theory of a Deadman, 3 Days Grace, Hedley, My Darkest Days, and Default have all been brought to American ears by ours truly. In fact, the biggest American buttrock heavy hitters I can think of off the top of my head is Creed, 3 Doors Down, Puddle of Mudd, and maybe Daughtry (being bald and having a goatee is close enough).

Usually I’d look at buttrock from an elitist metalhead perspective, but I wanna take another look because there might be something I am missing. Look at Nickelback for example, everyone claims to hate them, yet they have sold over 50 million albums worldwide (according to the all-knowing and all-seeing Wikipedia) and are played on the radio constantly. Now, going by premise that something is popular because it is either good or because Will Smith is in it, Nickelback’s popularity seems to be inexplicable. It must be either one of those things that cannot be explained, or one of those guilty pleasures that everyone does but never fesses up to, like peeing in the shower.

Being from a small town in Saskatchewan, I have heard more than my fair share of buttrock at parties, bars, hockey games, and other places where people with GEDs congregate. Whenever I listen to it, I feel like it could be a lot of fun and it really means well, it’s just doing it in the dumbest way possible; kind of like when your out-of-touch aunt gets you a video game for PS2. This dumb fun is such a contrast for me because metal is a super serious genre of music that is never over-the-top or corny, homoerotic, or ridiculous.

In my buttrock experience I honestly believe buttrock bands write songs about exclusively two things, getting fucked up/banging strippers/beer etc. or about how they want to find the one/their butts hurt cuz some gurl broke their heart/they need some gurl etc. It always seemed lulzy and hypocritical to me that Nickelback for example will go from writing songs about strippers and fucking in a car to wanting to find “the one” and how everyone srsly needs to overcome selfishness for world peace. I am not knocking buttrock cuz different strokes for different folks, I just really do not understand. Here’s a sample of Exhibit A- Songs about partying etc.

I can see it now. Girls everywhere with muffin tops and Fox jerseys gyrating to this song drunkenly thinking it is about them. Groce.

And now for the sake of comparison here is Buttrock Exhibit B- Songs about the one/my bb broke my heart. It just seems so ridicolous to me that this is all people wanna hear over and over.

Chad, bro, chill. We will find the right one for you <3.

In addition to that drivel, buttrock bands usually write about “deep life stuff”, really wanting a girl back, or motivation (such as “If Today Was Your Last Day”, which was my grad song, feelsbadman).

As I have said, I am not knocking buttrock at all and it seems to be very poplular, I am just confused as to how and why. Obviously buttrock is here to stay and will change with time, perhaps for the better!? Only time will tell.

Do you listen to buttrock at work? Are you seriously going to get your high school diploma after your second kid is born? Does “It’s Been Awhile” make you think about your life and relationships!?

As always hang loose,

-Jumbo Shrimp

A Nice Little Post-Semester Show

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:37:00 -0500

Note to self: take a picture or two at the shows I go to so these posts don’t look so boring.

So I went to take in a show at The Exchange last night. Last time I was there was like 3 years ago and I was at some ‘70’s themed cabaret and had just drank a bottle of home-made wine. I must say, this visit was a much better experience by far.

Nick Faye started off the evening with guitar in hand, and sang us a handful of his original tunes as well as a few well done covers. The sounds of his acoustic guitar playing complimented his really powerful voice which both echoed in the silence of the audience giving their undivided attention. Nick is from right here in Regina and will be playing again this sunday at an event called Red Hot Riot.

Next, Vancouver’s Jordan Klassen and his band appeared on stage. All 7 artists took their positions behind their respective instruments and began to play an energetic set of folk-pop. I had no idea what to expect from these guys (and girl), but let me tell you I was impressed. The frontman Jordan was joined vocally by the lone female in this band and their voices, often joined those of by the lead guitarist and keys player, harmonized beautifully throughout their set. The addition of a cello, a second partial drum set, ukulele, and glockenspiel, really added depth and character tho this bands sound.

The next act came totally out of the blue. I noticed, no one had sound checked before the lights dimmed and was somewhat confused. Suddenly, Jayden Pfeifer emerged from the darkness and said that he was going to do some stand-up comedy for us. I’ll admit i was a bit skeptical that this would fit with the rest of the acts this evening, but he had me laughing within a minute and and crying with laughter in jut a few more. Jayden is hosting the event I mentioned earlier this Sunday so if you are around be sure to check him and Nick out!

Since the last time I saw Andy Shauff, he has changed his look drastically, his new haircut/mustache combo makes him look like a 40 year accountant or something. But they most definitely did not take away from the way he sounds. The way he melodically picks away at his guitar is great on its own. But it is his crystal clear voice that is steals the show. It is absolutely unique and he can control it perfectly send chills down your spine. He has joined Jordan and his band and are just wrapping up their Canada-wide tour. Check out a sample of his sound here.

Until next time,

Hang Loose,

The Leatherman

I just want to make a quick post about this song, to raise a...

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:39:43 -0500

I just want to make a quick post about this song, to raise a little awareness about its greatness.

I heard a 90 second clip of this song on a teaser video about a month ago, and could not get enough of it for some reason. It is like the most chill song I have ever heard, it is simple, groovy and addictive and I still can’t get enough. Major Lazer has been hyping and hinting about this song for a while now on their twitter and have just released the full version of this song this week along with their signature cartoon style video featuring the Jamacan Major himself. The music video for “Get Free” is like the polar opposite of “Percumajor” which is more their usual style.

“Get Free” (featuring Amber Coffman) can be downloaded for free right here, just put your email address in the box. (They also will send you a bonus remix which is awesome as well!)

And rumour has it that there will be a full length album released some time in April. I will be looking fully forward to that i’ll tell ya.

Hang loose,

-The Leatherman

"I don’t have delusions about my band. I know what a lot of people think about us, and..."

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:03:00 -0500

““I don’t have delusions about my band. I know what a lot of people think about us, and I’m okay with that.””

- Chad Kroeger

The Delta Throats and Real Boys at O Hanlon's

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:48:00 -0500

The lights dimmed at O Hanlon’s last night as The Delta Throats were about to take the stage. The atmosphere was fairly relaxed but still in anticipation. Things started to pick up as a sexually repressed white woman in her 30s and her secretary/office girlfirends, presumably out for a few drinks after a long work-week at H and R Block, started a chant of “Music! Music! Music!” She clearly had no idea what was in store for her for the rest of the night as her and her friends left before the band even started, probably because one of them had to take care of her step-child.

Anyway, The Delta Throats started off the night with a classic Lynyrd Skynyrd tune “Freebird” as they were asked to play it. On a side note, I really have to give these guys props for being real crowd-pleasers; not only did they play “Freebird”, they played it three times out of request, as well as “The Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show*. I was also impressed by the variety the band had to offer in their songs, they had some super-upbeat tunes as well as some chunky blues type songs that were on the slower side, all while staying true to their blues rock influence. The drumming of this band was tubular and really provided a solid foundation for the rest of the band. The guitarist provided the stage presence with his moves as well as raspy vocals that could have surely seduced the H and R Block workers that left. The bassist also played his chunky riffs, offered some funny stage banter and provided the band with most of the score on the Hang Loose Reviews Official Beard Power Rating ®. All in all, The Delta Throats provide some fun, swinging, bar-suitable blues rock that is dancable and pleasing to the ear.

The Delta Throats Beard Power Rating ®: 1.6/3.0

Next, Real Boys from British Columbia set-up quickly and started playing. The first thing I noticed was the voracious thrashing of the drummer, he was beating the heck out of his drums and kind of reminded me of Travis Barker in both looks and sound. This was appropriate for the band however, as their pop-punk influence definitely shone through. The guitarist/vocalist sang some higher-pitched pop-punk esque notes that were kind of unexpected but worked with the rest of the band. The way he held higher notes and fluctuated them (again, I mean this in the best way possible) almost reminded me of Bjork. The band as whole was comfortable and energetic and seemed to have their music well rehearsed. They kept kept the crowd guessing with trade-off tapping and odd breakdowns. Real Boys are currently on tour now, don’t forget to pick up their EP which you can buy at one of their shows or download here.

Real Boys Beard Power Rating ®: 0.5/4.0

*The Delta Throats did not even play “Freebird” or “The Time Warp” once. C’mon son.

Hang Loose,

Hang Loose Reviews