This One’s For You Chuck…

One of my stepfather’s favorite singers- even with alzheimers he still remembered Roy Orbison’s voice.

Rest in Peace Chuck.

Roy Orbison- Crying

The Riptide Movement- What About The Tip Jars??

I first caught The Riptide Movement as support for James Yuill back in June and I have finally followed them up with their album What About The Tip Jars??

They have a great rock sound which varies between blues and psychedelic and comparison to the Doors is inevitable.  The concentration on the percussion is what makes them standout though- not only with the excellent drumming but with the syncopated type of guitar work.  With a few exceptions all the tunes have an abundant energy…and the ones that don’t I think are all the better for it in showing the subtleties of their sound.

The album kicks off with Reno and a nice driving pace which continues in Downtown Hotel and is followed by The Unknown which is  slightly more instrumental but has a great vibe.   Cry Cry Baby has more of a psychedelic element with the keyboards and a great jam at the end while  Face Dancer really highlights the drumming skills.

Good Times Roll feels like there was some fuel injection added and from the first note this is a fast paced number which contrasts with the follow-up Bringing Down The House which is quieter for most of the tune but has a good build up at the end.

Pale Green Eyes is a change completely from the previous tunes and in a way is the standout track on the album for me- excellent subtle instrumentation with understated vocals.

What About The Tip Jars brings back the rollicking vibe- very catchy indeed and is followed by the more instrumental In The Eye Of The Storm.   Cold Wind Blows cranks up the psych element again but it’s with Alive Inside that the head will really nod with the stomping bass drum and great guitar riff.

The album ends on a quieter note with Ten Days In The Desert- again some great subtle instrumentation but this time with harmonies and supplemented with sampling.

All in all its a great listen and some very solid tunes- as I had said previously there is nothing new about their sound but their take on bluesy rock is exceptionally good and well worth catching them live.

They will be in Crawdaddy tonight for their single release of Alive Inside and will be supported by Morgan La Faye & Yukina.   Doors at 8 and tickets are €10.

Alive Inside

Codes In The Clouds- Paper Canyon

One question that sometimes gets asked is how much post-rock is enough?  Almost always the same instruments with little variation between bands would lead some people to think that it’s a one trick genre.   The answer of course depends on how well its done and in the case of Codes In The Clouds it’s pretty damn good!

The UK band have released Paper Canyon on the excellent label Erased Tapes and there are 6 tracks that may not have the same force as an explosion in the sky but are great none the less and will have you checking out those clouds in the future.

The album kicks off with Fractures which has a slow but good start that eases you into the tune before hitting you with the riffs and is followed by Don’t Go Awash In This Digital Landscape which is more upfront and a great track although I did find the drumming intrusive over the guitars for some of tune.

Distant Street Lights is a quiet affair but nicely syncopated for the duration and We Anchor In Hope slows it down a notch but has a nice pace and a good finish.

You Are Not What You Think You Are is the standout on the album for me- the drumming, guitars and ambient synth sounds are spot on with subtleness being the key.  The final track Distance Between Us has another quiet start but makes up for it with the inevitable blast and leaves you on a high.

All in all a great album- especially considering it’s their first and the fact that it was recorded over 5 days!

For your listening pleasure…
Don’t Go Awash In This Digital Landscape

You can get the cd from Erased Tapes and while you’re there have a look at the bottom of the home page:
‘Visit ddc.erasedtapes.com and type in MY-FREE-ERATP010 to receive ‘ERASED TAPES Collection I‘ for FREE!’

Some good ones there so get clicking!