Ambient Aftermath

Stuff I don’t like

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! 

Caveman with “CoCo Beware”

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