Ambient Aftermath

No Doubt Disappoints with Push and Shove

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:00:59 -0400

There is no doubt in my mind that Push and Shove is the most disappointing album to date. The hype surrounding one of the best bands from the 90’s coming back from the depths and releasing a new album crashed and burned.

Where is the jam-rock vibe? Where are the lyrics that influenced a generation? There is no ska element evident anywhere on the album and the pulse that No Doubt originally generated is flat.

Unfortunately the band picked up where they left off. I swear in between tracks you can hear the faint echoes of “Hey Baby” off their Rock Steady album in 2001. Push and Shove features a few melodies that mirror things early Lady Gaga would spit out along with over-synthed guitar riffs and a few other non-recognizable instruments slapped on as well.

As a whole, the album seems thrown together. It sounds like the new Ke$ha we weren’t waiting for. The lyrics have nothing to offer, and the overall disappointment that one of the bands that flowed right along with Dispatch and Dave Matthews Band is now going to be seen as a possible opening act for One Direction, or maybe even have a spot on Nickelodeon with Big Time Rush. For some reason, I hope for yet another album. Maybe this is just a re-introduction to No Doubt, and as more albums come out they will reverse evolve back into the group that sang of the hidden feelings underneath it all.

Check out “Settle Down,” the new single off of Push and Shove

Review will also be seen in the next edition of WSBU’s The Buzzworthy.

I forgot to post here, so this is a little late, but my radio...

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:45:26 -0400

I forgot to post here, so this is a little late, but my radio show Music My Friends Don’t Like, is from 7-9 p.m. on tuesdays.

Tune in here!

Fresh new single "Impressions" by Unabridged

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 17:46:00 -0400

Introducing Unabridged, a music trio from Bristol, Rhode Island. The new unplugged acoustic group has a very familiar sound to them. They feature a very relaxed and mellow sound, but twist it up with vocalist, Grace Ahl. Her voice has very deep and warm style. In “Impressions” she has an almost southern rock flair to her high notes with a jazzy undertone blowing a breath of fresh air into a genre that seems to put out a lot of the same these days.

The single is very impressive for a debut. If anything, I would say they could amp up the lyrics. Music today is getting more symbolic and artful, and while “Impressions” puts out an intriguing story of a relationship, it still has a little room to move around. Brian Prindle and Cooper Foster put out a praiseworthy dual-guitar performance. The balance is great and absolutely pulls the group forward amongst the seemingly endless stream of dull acoustic artists.

The New England trio plays around the Massachusetts and Rhode Island area. Check out “Impressions” below and like their Facebook page.

Stay tuned for more reviews to come! Ambient Aftermath is back! And remember to check out the WSBU FM music blog at www.wsbufm.net and follow Ambient Aftermath on twitter!

To all that still follow,

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:40:59 -0400

Dont lose faith! Ambient Aftermath will return soon with more reviews coming weekly!

School is starting up again soon which means the music department at WSBU FM will be stock full of brand new albums from all genres.

In the meantime here’s a new video from Matty Sheehan of Massachusetts.

“Dont Post Your Problems Online”

You gotta listen to Gemma Ray

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:32:00 -0400

Right off the bat Gemma Ray’s fourth full-lengnth studio album Island Fire grabs listeners by their ears and lightly throws them into cascading musical waterfall full of dream-like harmonies from another time period united with a wonderful and timely indie sound, landing into a pool of melody that holds the listener and carries them downstream on a journey not many artists will take their fans.

The album twists and turns on you, but never shakes you off or rubs you the wrong way. All the tracks are upbeat and combine a symphonic jazz sound with a surfer rock-esque undertone. There are layers of sound that are evident but also mysterious. In many tracks there are too many instruments to consciously keep track of, but they are never distracting, nor do they draw away from the overall effect the songs give. The vocals are simply superb. Easy to listen to, but not easily forgotten. Gemma Ray’s lyrics and melodies combined with her initial sound thrusts her forward among the rest.

“Runaway” by Gemma Ray -A DJ JMULL FAVORITE

Check this guy out: John K. Samson

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:52:09 -0500

John K. Samson is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is currently the front man for the folk-punk band “The Weakerthans.”

Provincial is Samson’s first solo album since 1993 and it features amazing acoustic noodling and story-like lyrics that are both sincere and unforgettable.

Each track on Provincial features Samson on vocals and guitar, bass and a drum kit. This classic sound doesn’t slip anywhere. All around, the music is robust and talentful. Each tracks completely varies, but never strays from the specific style that Samson portrays, even when he incorporates other styles such as the washed-out sounding guitars similar to the way the group Yuck records.

Samson does a great job of putting his emotion not only into the lyrics, but also into the music. The listener can feel everything he is putting out and it is never over-done or underwhelming. Provincial is a wonderful assortment of tracks that tell the story of a human experience, the thoughts, feelings and emotions that go through the average mind on a daily basis are wonderfully and tastefully presented on this solo album.

Recommended Tracks:

“Grace General” (A DJ JMULL FAVORITE)

Again, because of copyright, I’m going to have to just use a youtube video. Lo siento, compadres.

Check out the new O.A.R. single!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:52:31 -0500

Arguably the strongest single they have ever released. King dropped last august and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with it.

Hey Y'all

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:49:37 -0500

Be sure to tune into my radio show on Thursday evenings from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

It features a lot of music that you see here on the blog as well as classics that will never get old!

Every week DJ JMULL on WSBU FM, The NUMBER ONE college radio station in the country. Want me to play your stuff on my show? Shoot me an email and I’ll do my best of fit it in!

New UK Electronic/Dub-Step group "Nero"

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:37:00 -0500

Nero is a hot new Electronica group from England that brings a lot to the table. They present tracks that can be a dreamy mix of ambience and soft synth pads only to turn into this intense landscape of heavy electronic beats and hints of fantastic dub-step that will even have dub-step haters rocking their head to this thrilling one-of-a-kind album.

Say goodbye to Skrillex and pretend you never listened to Deadmaus. As Nero jams and beats its way into your ears, you will wish you never enjoyed other dub-step, because Nero raises the bar

Welcome Reality is non-stop intensity mixed with infectious vocal lines and ultimately fantastic, heavy bass and truly epic string synths tied together with face melting beat drops. They are like a heavier and darker Flux Pavillion blended with elements that mysteriously allude to the Tron: Legacy score by Daft Punk. The album can’t accurately be put to words. In a genre like dub/step where it is hard to present new beats and find new ways to capture a unique electronic sound, Nero is the answer to fans prayers.

Recommended Tracks:

Unfortunately due to copyright claims, I could not upload the tracks to sound cloud, but here is a youtube video! Sorry I couldn’t give you a high-quality version.

Here’s “My Eyes” off of Welcome Reality

Bombay Bicycle Club

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:21:00 -0500

Featured in WSBU FM’s The Buzzworthy

Presenting their third studio album in three years, Bombay Bicycle Club’s A Different Kind of Fix shows just how talented the group is. Featuring an impressive lineup of melodious, foot-tapping tracks, the English band continues its upward climb to show the world they have the skills and temerity to be on top.

Made up of a familiar arrangement of two guitars by Jack Steadman and Jamie MacColl, a bass played by Ed Nash, and a drum kit through the talents of Suren De Saram, Bombay Bicycle Club’s musicians exhibit a beautiful array of musical integrity, melodic audacity and ambient blissfulness that is both wonderful and deep.

Their new 13-track album dropped last August and already it has made waves among the group’s fans and dramatically increased their following from their last album, Flaws from 2010.

A Different Kind of Fix is a superb concoction of ambient and spacious sounds with the sublime complement of guitars and a noticeably talented drum kit to tie it all together. The tracks are dream like. Each one sounds as if the instruments and melodies are floating around the listener, creating an atmospheric and one-of-a-kind musical experience.

The vocals blend into the sounds of the instruments and, while you can easily distinguish the lyrics from the music, generate this single being of sound that is as addicting as it is an all around pleasant and heavenly resonance. Lyrically and melodically, the album is great. The contingency of the two elements work with each other in a seamless scheme, and their dependency on each other gives A Different Kind of Fix an identity that can turn heads.

Let the riffs assault your eardrums as the Bicycle Club tells you its story. Let the melodies take you up and beyond, but let the vocals be your mooring to the earth. A Different Kind of Fine is truly a fantastic album that will cause you to forget where you are for a while as you let yourself get caught up in a modern polyphonic symphony.

Recommended Track:

“Shuffle”

Starting to get backed up on school work

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:46:00 -0500

I have reviews ready to go, they just need lots of editing and I need to get files on sound cloud, but plenty more are coming soon.

Stuff I don't like

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:21:00 -0500

There are a lot of bands out there, millions. There are new CD’s from hopeful bands that pour into our radio station daily. Here and there I will group together the ones that shouldn’t have left the case.

Bands not to listen to:

“Rival Sons” with Pressure & Time

Reasons- Too simple, really. They have a sound that has been replicated hundreds of times over. Nothing special happens in their album, nothing makes them stand out. My head didn’t bob to the rhythms they presented and nothing could truly get caught in my ear.They weren’t very original and the whole album just seemed, well, half assed. Couldn’t even think of enough for a full-length review.

“The Beautiful View” with Life is Beautiful

Reasons- Sound like a cheap indie knock off of Kings of Leon with a lead singer that just doesn’t make the cut. His voice isn’t bad, but it is not the voice that should be the fulcrum of a band. Their guitars were pretty impressive. Hopefully the players will start a new project someday, but Life is Beautiful, should be forgotten.

But, my opinion isn’t by any means the word of the Lord, so please, research them further!

Sonic Avenues with Television Youth

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:01:59 -0500

Sonic Avenues is a heavy-set, amped-up garage punk rock group hailing from our neighbor to the north.

Television Youth is the group’s second full length album and it features a classic punk rock sound, but also twists it in a way with chord progressions that can sound similar to an interestingly pleasing cross of Smash Mouth and MxPx.

Each track is short, sweet and to the point while also being upbeat and catchy. They have wonderful riffs and rhythms all complementing each other in a fast paced album that is over before you know it and will have you going back to the start for a second listen. Sonic Avenues is fresh, new and impressive.

The group truly has an ear for what good punk rock sounds like. I feel it has been awhile since a punk band has truly made waves in the music industry and the only one to truly make a name for themselves is Green Day, and even they have lost a lot of momentum even with the success of 21st Century Breakdown.

But Sonic Avenues is different, their choruses aren’t anthems or ballads, they don’t even sound whiny and their lyrics never sound ridiculous or out of place. Television Youth features just a straight and classic punk rock sound which makes them stand out in an industry that is currently dominated by several artists that all preach the same things.

The way I see it, they have intense drum fills and ever changing rhythms. Their vocals are solid, so, credit given where it’s due, Sonic Avenues nailed the punk rock sound and made it something worth listening to again.

You can check get their album and more on their website, here.

Tracks to check out:

Fadin’ Love

Always Looking For Something

Seriously, Hit this band up: SleepMakesWaves

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:35:00 -0500

A DJ JMULL FAVORITE

SleepMakesWaves raises the bar with their new EP. Their sound is one that is right up there with Explosions In The Sky, only at times they give a broad and tastefully intense side that never sounds out of place or overdone.

A lack of vocals give the group a chance to show the power a bass, guitar, and a drum kit (and a violin on track 5) can produce. They create a modern, amped-up rock symphony with elusive bass melodies, drum fills, guitar riffs and solos that echo the reverb of Jimi Hendrix.

SleepMakesWaves is a joy to listen to. They have all the right qualities for addicting and infectious melodies. They can be dark and heavy, they can be noisy, or they can be fun and The chords they create over their inventive rhythms pulled together by a hint of ambient sound surrounding the creative layers of every track, you cant help but enjoy the wonderful music.

There are bands out there that try to get the style Explosions In The Sky create, but credit given where credit due, SleepMakesWaves is above the rest. They are on cloud nine, as this album is fantastic. It is a great blend of intense, chill and fun straight up rock. Hit this band up. Whether you listen online, or buy the EP, they are worth it.

Recommended Track:

“One Day You Will Teach Me Not To Let Go Of My Fears”

More reviews coming soon!

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:04:29 -0500

Just got a bunch of new CDs so I’ll keep you posted

Caveman with "CoCo Beware"

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:03:00 -0500

From New York, Caveman is an indie band who have a Decemberists-esque style with a Youth Lagoon resonance.

Their debut album, CoCo Beware, dropped in late 2011 and there are many strong and genuinely good tracks. They incorporate a lot of four-part harmonies on top of their guitar, drum kit and synth setup, all recorded in a spacey, distant and hollow-sounding manner.

Caveman create a real mysterious vibe throughout the album. The synth is used as a dissonant and eerie effect to fill the space surrounding the guitars and drums, almost like an overtone at times. It’s really engaging sound, but at times it may seem over done or out of place on some tracks. The vocals can sound washed out at times, making it hard for the listener to understand the lyrics, but as for vocal talent, the harmonies are on point and concise. They do a really clean job vocally and that deserves respect.

According to a review in the NY Press, they write their music to what they would want to listen to. The group has been somewhat together for a few years under various other band names and are finally making serious strides to further their musical career. They have played in many venues in NYC including a few in the Lower East Side and have opened up for a multitude of artists ranging from Here We Go Magic to Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes.

CoCo Beware is available off iTunes for $8.99 and you can download the track “Thankful” off of their website for free.

Check out their Myspace Page too!

Tracks to Check Out:

“December 28th” (Favorite off the album)

December 28th by AmbientAftermath

“Great Life”

Great Life by AmbientAftermath

“My Time”

My Time by AmbientAftermath

Hit this up: More covers by Matty Sheehan

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:19:49 -0500

We Found Love (acoustic mix/mashup)

Save All The Lights (acoustic mashup)

Where Are You Going? (The Dave Matthews Band cover) [A DJ-JMULL Favorite]

Check this group out: Makeshift

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:17:00 -0500

I’m proud to present, Makeshift. A jam band hailing from Chicago. They have an impressively familiar sound thats like listening to O.A.R.’s the Wanderer.

Their first EP, These Days, gives a really strong island vibe. Makeshift features a two guitar, bass and drum kit setup with a keyboard and saxophone on top, giving them a lot to work with in terms of style. They have a really cool reggae side to them that they play with and blend in rock elements. They do this very well and a lot of the elements they introduce to each track have a really cool way of presenting the mood of the song and truly making the group stand out. The lyrics are very impressive on this EP. They are clear and they have a nice flow to each line, immediately noticeable in “One Day”

These Days was a really strong EP and after one full listen it is truly worth a second and third.

Their second EP is called On the Horizon and was just released on the 15th and with it they brought back the same sound and talent as they did on These Days only every track is fresh, new and well mixed. The quality of recording increased dramatically between the two EP’s and it only makes you like the band more.

In On the Horizon their style changes just slightly to include a Slightly Stoopid kind of guitar melody. It’s fantastic. They have elements from a lot of the greatest jam bands out there like Dispatch, O.A.R., Sublime and SOJA. In their track “Pure Imagination” they even feature a vocal style that sounds like a Mighty Mighty Bosstones tune. And then out of nowhere in On the Horizon, “Out of Control” sounds like early an early Dave Matthews Band. Bassist Joe Messersmith gives a real display of talent on this EP.

After just one track, you will want to listen to another, and then from there you gotta at least listen to a whole EP. They have a solid sound and a really chill quality to them. They are fresh and new and they are good. Tt will be really great to hear more from the up and coming band. Check them out on their Facebook fan page. They could be big.

Follow them on twitter: @makshift_IL

Seriously, hit these tracks up:

One Day- off of These Days

One Day by AmbientAftermath

Island Song- off of These Days

Island Song by AmbientAftermath

Pure Imagination- off of On the Horizon

Pure Imagination by AmbientAftermath

What We’ve Done- off of On The Horizon

What We’ve Done by AmbientAftermath

Check this group out: Kartica

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:06:00 -0500

Kartica is fresh and crisp. They are a nice break away from the norm but don’t spend their time trying to come out with the next crazy unique indie sound. You won’t find a synthesizer or a weird casio organ effect. They play straight up indie/alternative and, believe it or not, it works for them.

Like previously mentioned, their sound is just a classic indie sound. Acoustic and/or electric guitars playing nice and smooth riffs that easily get stuck in your head and a relaxed calming drum beat. Kartica does it right every time. The group doesn’t have an album yet, but you can download some tracks on their Facebook page. Take a listen to their tracks and keep an eye on the blog for when they release more, as I am looking forward to it.

Hit this track up (and then go to their facebook for more!):

“Back In My Seat” (A DJ-JMULL FAVORITE)

Back In My Seat by AmbientAftermath

Red Herring with "Chasing Windmills"

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:33:00 -0500

Red Herring is an indie-rock trio that has a similar sound to Yuck, but with that solid indie rock sound they blend in elements of blues that, when used right, honestly sound sublime.

The guitar melodies with the indie style vocals that Chasing Windmills offers seem like enough, but then they hit you with a folksy-esque, distant and hollow sounding harmonica. The harmonies they present take awhile getting used to, but are really impressively interesting.

The tracks are loud as the vocals are recorded around the same volume as the instruments. This respectable style of recording really gives the Red Herring a natural and classic style. By merging the traditional and scratchy sounding recording with a modern indie rock sound they create a space that can only be filled by the truly unique vocals. The track “Cities Under Siege” offer this exact scenario. The duet harmonies by the female vocalists are superb. While the band may seem basic sounding, they are truly separated from the rest with their vocals.

I recommend giving their whole album a listen. At times they have guitar melodies and riffs that could have Kings of Leon cancel another tour. It’s rare to find a modern blues band that you can tolerate for more than three tracks. Blues are a dying art and Im happy to say there are still people out there innovating and bringing more music to the table. Don’t get me wrong, Chasing Windmills isn’t the the greatest album out there, but if you’re looking for somebody to tell you a few stories, nod your head, or chill out and lose yourself in infectious melodies, then I highly suggest the Red Herring.

Check out these tracks, they get better and better every time you listen:

Cities Under Siege

Cities Under Siege by AmbientAftermath

Valhalla

Valhalla by AmbientAftermath