Loomis...

Another sad and unfortunate tragedy of the Grass to Wind-Up Records switchover in the late 90’s was the promising Milwaukee, WI based indie-rock/emo outfit Loomis. After burning through a couple bassists in the bands earlier stages the group settled on the lineup of Mike Chubbuck (vocals/guitar), Dave Kawczynski (guitar), Chris Rosenau (bass), and Eric Marshall (drums). Although being based in WI, the band played a very similar sound to that of the Chapel Hill bands of the same era (Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, etc), but maybe with a bit less of the quirky nature of most of those. Instead they opted for some of the big melody approach of the Midwestern indie/emo bands of the time as well. While the combination didn’t really do enough to make them stand out, their lone 1996 album You’re No Tiger Meow, Meow, Meow released on Grass Records contained plenty of fine songs that should have and still could interest those that consider themselves fans of this type of thing. Solid all the way around, even if it isn’t something completely new or that hasn’t been done before. The band also released a few singles throughout their run together. Some of the odds and ends of the bands discography were collected on the 1999 2 disc compilation How Much is Too Much released on Sun Sea Sky Productions. Anyway, for those interested here are a few tracks from their fine 1996 album You’re No Tiger Meow, Meow, Meow.

Loomis – Conquistador [MP3]
Loomis – Kung Fu Girl [MP3]
Loomis – Pillow [MP3]

Like I mentioned earlier, the band was ultimately left in the dust after Grass eventually morphed into Wind-Up. Loomis was in the process of recording new songs during the time of the switch; however the band split up not long after being dropped from the label. Since then the band has reunited once back in December of 2006 with fellow reunited Milwaukee greats Compound Red and Alligator Gun. Talks of newly recorded/re-recorded songs surfaced both before and after the show, but have since been quiet for a little over a year now. Regardless, for those interested in their one and only album and are digging the tunes above by all means head on over to Amazon and snatch up one of the many used copies available for cheap. Good stuff.

Shutdown - Icarus

Just to get this out of the way, this is not the same band that is from New York and has released some records on Victory in the past. In fact, I sadly don’t know a whole lot about this Shutdown other than the basics. I do know that in their earlier stages they were a hardcore band from the UK however progressively ventured further towards a more melodic post-hardcore/emo sound. The band released the pictured album Icarus around 1996 on Golf Records. Shutdown might have already been defunct by that point; if they weren’t then they didn’t last much longer after this release. As far as I know they also had a self-titled 12’’ on Off the Disk records released in 1991 and one other album on Golf that I have absolutely no clue of its whereabouts, title, or year of release. If any of the readers out there know anything to help fill in the gaps for Shutdown, then by all means leave a comment or two. It would be very much appreciated. One other notable item is that the UK based label Boss Tuneage released a compilation of non album material a few years ago spanning the years 1990-1995, and that is still widely available.

As for Icarus, compared to the bands earlier material it still has a strong influence from late eighties/early nineties hardcore however by this point the band was more in line to comparables like Quicksand and earlier Shift. In fact the production and guitar tone on Icarus reminds me a lot of the latter. But anyway, this is definitely worth taking a look at.

Update: Reader Pete from the UK sent me a very informative e-mail about the band a day after this was posted, here is what he had to say...

"You're right about Icarus... it came out very late 96 if memory serves but
the group disbanded mid-late 97. I'm still unsure on the reasons, wasn't like a
major thing just a natural ending. Icarus was barely promoted to the extent you'd
hardly know it existed. Plastichead distribution who ran Golf were pretty slack to
say the least. They put more energy into the other Golf bands (mostly pop
punk/rubbish hardcore). The other Shutdown album you know nothing about was called
'Emits a Real Bronx Cheer' & although it has no date on it I'm certain is was
released in early 95? I listened to all their output last year & decided this album
was their high point. Its a perfect blend of uptempo melodic h/c with the DC
influence & their 'post h/c' tendencies."

Many thanks to Pete for helping out!

Shutdown – Kerbdrill [MP3]
Shutdown – Beacon [MP3]

Despite its import status, there are still copies of Icarus floating around on Amazon, Ebay, etc. I imagine for those that live in the UK that the album is pretty easy to find. Also, be sure to check out Boss Tuneage for the earlier mentioned retrospective of their non album material.

Lync - These Are Not Fall Colors

I was online the other day streaming some online radio and a song from the Olympia, WA trio Lync came on. Better yet, it was one of my favorite songs that they ever did, “Cue Cards”. While listening to the song it occurred to me that I hadn’t ever mentioned their excellent lone full-length album These Are Not Fall Colors on the blog at any point. Sometimes it takes a bit of a jarring of the memory, but I am pleased to feature this album on the blog for the final post of this week.

Lync formed around 1992 and would only stay together for a short two years before splitting up. In between they released the aforementioned These Are Not Fall Colors and some singles to my knowledge. However, the little output they had is certainly up there in terms of quality among the 90’s post-hardcore/emo set.

The band would release These Are Not Fall Colors in 1994 through K Records. To me it’s one of those records that you hear it and everything just works in its favor. The slightly rougher production, singer Sam Jayne’s buried vocals, all the odd tunings…there is no other way this record should sound in my mind. While I throw the term “emo” around, don’t let it fool you. Lync’s sound was far more complex and dynamic than that, which is largely the reason that even now after listening to this album for the first time in a while it still holds up today. The songwriting was leaps and bounds above much of what Lync is commonly grouped with, and it most definitely leaves anything these days that tries to sport the dreaded “e” word in the dust. Take a listen.

Lync – Pennies to Save [MP3]
Lync – Cue Cards [MP3]

In 1997 K Records put out the posthumous collection Remembering the Fireballs (Pt. 8), which collects the bands singles and compilation appearances along with a few unreleased tracks as well. Well worth picking up as well, but a little rougher around the edges. For those looking to pick up These Are Not Fall Colors or the ’97 compilation definitely hit up the K Records online shop.

Empire State Games...

Empire State Games were yet another band that had an all too brief existence and broke up right as things were starting to roll for them. Although I would say for their nearly two years together they made the most of it by putting out three singles (including a split with King for a Day) and CD EP on Makoto. In 2001 Elkion Records put together compilation of all the bands past singles along with a couple tunes from the bands Makoto EP. Also tacked on is a cover of “Just What I Needed” originally by the Cars and two unreleased songs, one of them live as it was never properly recorded.

I know now days it may surprise a few out there that there was actually some very well done and highly listenable emo/pop-punk around back before it became as huge as it is now…bands like Knapsack come to mind real quickly. However, Empire State Games did it about as well as you can do it and it definitely puts anything out these days to shame. I realize I sound like a bitter old man whenever I say that, however I am not that old and really don’t mean to, it’s just the sad sad truth of it all. I’ll opt for the non-watered down catchy sweetness that is Empire State Games any day over that sort of fodder. Regardless, don’t listen to me…take a listen and decide for yourself.

Empire State Games – The Wrong Way to Hold a Microphone [MP3]
Empire State Games – Circus Strongman [MP3]

You can still pick up this discography disc over at Elkion Records. Definitely do it if the tunes above are of any interest.

Kolya...

While many may remember Caulfield Records for some of their earlier releases in the early to mid nineties, it’s easy to sometimes forget about some of the better records that came out on the label in its final years. Kolya were a trio out of Boston, MA that put out one self-titled record through the label in 2001 and then were not heard from much after. However, that record makes for a fairly decent example. Not exactly obscure, but not as big as some of their early 90’s predecessors. They also put out a couple singles as well on other labels that are completely worth tracking down or purchasing if they happened to be stumbled upon one of these days

I hate to make it sound as simple as just mashing two genres together and leaving it at that, however I can’t honestly figure out a good way to describe what Kolya did other than saying that it was a very interesting and (in my opinion) successful cross between early to mid nineties emo and the rhythmic styled math-rock that was commonly coming out of Chicago almost during the same time. The vocals, which were shared between two of the members, give it a very nostalgic feel for some of those early DC bands, as they are often presented in a spoken…sometimes shouted manner. It works quite well however. The way in which the songs work through like a rollercoaster of climbs and falls, occasionally remind of past greats Boys Life and Christie Front Drive. On it’s own though, Kolya’s only album is a great piece of work definitely worth having for anyone that may have missed it the first time around and are fans of this type of thing.

Self-Titled:
Kolya – Robots Dream in Black and White [MP3]
Kolya – Resuscitation [MP3]

Iditarod 7’’:
Kolya – Iditarod [MP3]
Kolya – Still Life with Candle [MP3]

Kolya 7’’:
Kolya – The Story Becomes the Vehicle [MP3]
Kolya – Conversations and Smokescreens [MP3]

Kolya split up shortly after the release of their self-titled album; I am not so sure what followed. Although I do know that guitarist Todd Giles and bassist Craig Schechter later were in the band The Union Ares. Todd Giles these days is in bluegrass band called Poverty Line Old Time Band. If anyone else wants to fill in any gaps, then feel free. As for the Kolya record, it can still be had over Amazon and many other places of online retail. So do check that out and pick it up if the tunes posted are of interest.

Juno...

Juno was a band out of Seattle that formed in 1995 and released a couple albums, This is the Way it Goes and Goes and Goes and A Future Lived in Past Tense, on Desoto Records before calling it a day. I like to think that they were a band that were just around during the wrong time, or hung it up a bit too soon. It might have not mattered, who knows. Despite that though, it seems as if an album like 2001’s A Future Lived in Past Tense was released now it would have a chance to be fairly successful due to the heightened interest in post-rock or just music that is of the epic rise and fall variety.

Members Arlie Carstens, Gabe Carter, and Jason Guyer made up a three guitar core that was joined with drummer Greg Ferguson. Over the years the band had a few different bass players both on record and on tour, one of them being Nate Mendel of SDRE fame. However, when it all came down to it Juno’s sound was very largely based around the interplay and the arrangements of the three guitarists that made up the band. They were certainly masters of creating a sound that weaved in out of different textures and riffs, and as to be expected they sounded massive when they completely let loose. Juno weren’t necessarily a one trick pony though. While they most certainly wrote songs that journeyed through the lows and highs of ambience, their sound was also very heavily based around the straight forward rock approach of post-hardcore music in the 90’s.

This is the Way it Goes and Goes and Goes:
Juno – The Young Influentials [MP3]
Juno – All Your Friends are Comedians [MP3]

A Future Lived in Past Tense:
Juno – When I was in _____ [MP3]
Juno – You are the Beautiful Conductor of This Orchestra [MP3]

Magnified and Reduced by Inches 7’’:
Juno – Magnified and Reduced by Inches [MP3]
Juno – Pablo Y Zelda [MP3]

Both of Juno’s fine albums are still available through Desoto Records. If you’re digging the music then definitely go and pick up a record or two. Well worth it.

Boys Life...

I really don’t want to count the number of times I’ve mentioned Boys Life on this blog when speaking of another band. I know it has to be quite a bit, which I apologize for, but they were pretty much the head of the class when it came to the whole Midwestern emo sound around here. Anyway, today’s post is actually going to focus on them instead of using them in one of those “RIYL” spots.

Boys Life were great, lets just get that out of the way. Their second and final album Departures and Landfalls is somewhere in my top records of all time. I can’t say where, because that list will most likely never materialize (too much time, and too complicated), but lets just say it’s in there somewhere for sure. The band was formed in 1993 out of the Kansas City area. In their beginning stages the band was a bit rough around the edges, influenced heavily by various ongoing post-hardcore acts at the time. However, even by their first album (Self-Titled), they were already shaping their sound into something incredibly special. Before that the band had already released a couple singles and splits with KC’s Vitreous Humor and Giants Chair. After the release of their first album the band went on did a split 10’’ with fellow Midwesterners Christie Front Drive. To me some of the bands best work can be found on this split, the song “Sight Unseen” is incredibly good. After the split, the band would release one final album, Departures and Landfalls on Cargo, before breaking up. That album undoubtedly helped, if not single handedly, define what Midwestern rock/emo was all about. The songs are plodding and spacious at times, however everything eventually builds itself up so much that it eventually tumbles out of control. Those are the pieces that Boys Life was able to make work so well, especially on Departures and Landfalls.

Boys Life:
Boys Life – Golf Hill Drive [MP3]
Boys Life – Lister [MP3]

Christie Front Drive/Boys Life – Split:
Boys Life – Sight Unseen [MP3]
Boys Life – Two Wheeled Train [MP3]

Departures and Landfalls:
Boys Life – Radio Towers [MP3]
Boys Life – Calendar Year [MP3]

All three of the above release can still be found over at Amazon used and some new. If you don’t already own these, then do yourself a favor and pick these albums up. They’re well worth it.

Vitreous Humor...

Vitreous Humor was a really great post-emo/indie group that formed sometime in the late eighties in Topeka, Kansas. However, they didn’t really fully come together until the early 90’s when they decided to just go with the trio of Danny Pound (vocals, guitar), Brad Allen (at that time bass), and Dan Benson (drums) after a revolving door of other bassists. With that lineup they released a three song 7” on Crank! in 1994. Soon after Brooks Rice joined up and took over bass duties while Brad Allen then moved to second guitar. With being able to have a second guitarist, it allowed the band to really expand on their sound and gave it the meatier punch that it needed.

Other than a couple 7 inches and a split with Boys Life, the only other thing that the band released while they were actually together was their self-titled EP in 1995, which was also put out by Crank!. For those that are pretty big fans of that whole Midwestern emo/indie sound, then I sure hope that you own this EP. It’s pretty definitive stuff that kind of gets overshadowed by some of the genres better known bands.

After gaining a respectable following from basically just the EP, the band succumbed to tension within and called it quits not very long after. In 1998 Crank! put out a posthumous release of recordings from the band, not so cleverly titled Posthumous. It’s a pretty good collection of material from the band that rivals their EP in terms of quality and also features my favorite song the band ever did in “Why Are You So Mean to Me”, which was originally only found on the split they did with Boys Life.

Vitreous Humor:
Vitreous Humor – Applaud Water [MP3]
Vitreous Humor – Squares of Squares [MP3]

Posthumous:
Vitreous Humor – Why Are You So Mean to Me [MP3]
Vitreous Humor – Science Has No Soul [MP3]
Vitreous Humor – Tough Women [MP3]

After the band called it quits the original three members of the band reappeared as The Regrets, which also released one album but in my opinion never really were at the level that they were with Vitreous Humor. Both the self-titled EP and Posthumous are still available from Amazon, both used and new. Do check it out if you like the tunes.

Chune...

The San Diego based Chune were an interesting sounding band. They had an odd combination of the slow Midwestern emo sound, despite being located on the west coast, and the loud explosiveness of such acts like Drive Like Jehu. Their existence was rather short; however they released a couple albums and an EP all through Headhunter Records before breaking up sometime around 1996.

While most descriptions will often work in the “stoner” tag for this band, it’s sort of misleading to those that associate the use of that label to music that is thick and full of fuzz. Chune weren’t necessarily that sort of band. In fact, they were hardly that sort of band. Chune was a band that sounded like it had spent many of lazy afternoons in a place with absolutely nothing to do. You could tell from just listening to a couple songs that they played their instruments haphazardly and that wherever a song ended, that was perfectly fine by them. It wasn’t uncommon for the band to venture into the 6 to 8 minute territory with their songs. However, for a band that probably didn’t particularly have many cares in the world they managed to make some very captivating music. Being able quietly build up until out of nowhere a blast of distorted noise erupted, that was pretty much Chune’s bread and butter.

Chune was also a band that got progressively better as they went on. Although that didn’t amount for much time when looking back, there was still a noticeable step up in the bands sound from their first album Burnt to their second Big Hat, No Cattle.

Burnt:
Chune – C-Lord [MP3]

Nine Ways to Sunday:
Chune – Three Man Dream Machine [MP3]

Big Hat No, Cattle:
Chune – Fishwrap [MP3]

Both of the bands albums are still available through Amazon. As always, if you like the tunes please go and pick it up.

Solea - Finally We Are Nowhere

It’s truly odd how sometimes you completely lose track of members that were in past bands that you once loved or even still love to this day. That sort of thing kind of happened to me when I discovered Solea. Up until the Texas is the Reason one off reunion at the end of December, I hadn’t really been aware as to what Garret Klahn had been up to since he had been in New Rising Sons. Come to find out he’s been doing Solea with former members of Samiam and Sensefield as well. It’s completely crazy as to how I didn’t even run across this at any point. Even worse, they already have one album under their belt that was released in the US in 2005 and now they are set to unleash their second here in early ’07 called Finally We Are Nowhere through Bad News Records. It should be noted though that the album is already available in Japan and on iTunes.

While I missed out on the first album, I am proud to say that the new album is pretty good. While I imagine it’s often hard to set oneself apart in the world of emo/pop-punk bands these days, I imagine Solea won’t have to work to hard at doing that. Their sound is obviously well matured and that is probably no fluke with almost every single member having been in such amazing bands to begin with. The music is quite poppy at times and even uplifting, however never falls into a horrible lapse of clichéd out cheese ball lyrics or ever sounds like it’s trying to hard. The album is quite sincere in its approach and full of genuinely heartfelt lyrics. One of the things I am quite digging about the album is the nice use of reverb and feedback here and there, creating a nice lush atmosphere to back up the already strong melodies. Definitely quite a welcome addition to the list of projects the members have worked in.

Solea – Finally We Are Nowhere [MP3]
Solea – Far and Wide [MP3]

For anyone looking to purchase the album now, please steer clear of Amazon (they have it for $27 dollars imported) for once and head on over to Momibello and you can pick it up for considerably cheaper. This is the Japan version, so do keep that in mind. It’s also available on iTunes as well, for those that are willing to go that route. Finally We Are Nowhere will officially be out in the US sometime in early ’07. Enjoy!

Compound Red - Always a Pleasure

I don’t know how many people remember Compound Red, but they are apparently doing a reunion show come the end of December (more info on that later). Seeing that got me thinking about one of my favorite releases of theirs, Always a Pleasure. The album was their second and final before breaking up in 1999. Sometime after the split, there was a release of a 2CD anthology which I am pretty sure is available through their website.

The band originally formed in the late 80’s in Milwaukee and released a number of singles, comp tracks, and cassettes before releasing their first album Mr. Microcosm in 1993. In between albums they lost their original singer Jon Lyman and he was replaced with Greg Steffke for Always a Pleasure in 1998. The album, while being their second, would also be their final before eventually breaking up in 1999. Always a Pleasure saw the band basically coming into their own, and to me, put themselves on the list as one of the Midwest’s finer emo/post-hardcore groups. Although they often toured with many other mid nineties emo staples like Mineral, Promise Ring, and Braid they never quite received the amount of attention as some of those groups. It’s not entirely surprising since their sound occasionally shifted more towards the hard hitting and lumbering qualities that of like Shiner. However the vocals from Steffke often led them to be generally associated more with the ongoing emo scene during that period of time.

Compound Red – Versus the Ocean [MP3]
Compound Red – Cancel the Sound [MP3]
Compound Red – Sky [MP3]

For those that might have been a fan of this band when they were around, you can visit their website and get a bit more information on to where and when the reunion show is taking place. Unfortunately Always a Pleasure is out of print. If you don’t mind the digital format, it’s still available for download at iTunes or you can ravage Amazon where I am sure there is a few used copies. Regardless, I suggest picking this up some way or another.

A Quickie...

I apologize for the quick update today; I got a few things going on that I need to take care of. However it’s just for today and possibly tomorrow. Just hold tight and things will return to normal shortly.

I imagine that a lot of people my age or even a bit older probably got wrapped up with How It Feels to be Something On when it came out in 1998. It’s often considered THE Sunny Day Real Estate album, although I think Diary has its legion of backers too and rightfully so. However, it’s getting colder and beginning to actually feel like fall, which means I start listening to what I consider to be “fall albums”. I always hate saying that because it just sounds pretty lame, but it is what it is and How It Feels to be Something On just happens to be one of those albums that seemingly get more spins because of the season.

Sunny Day Real Estate – Guitar and Video Games [MP3]
Sunny Day Real Estate – Days Were Golden [MP3]

I imagine no matter how old I get or the level of insanity of the music I listen to reaches I will probably always listen to this record. Regardless, for whoever likes this and doesn’t own it, which by this point would be pretty surprising, probably needs to do so. So head on over to Insound and pick up a copy.

Our First Taste of Escape...

I think I am going to do away with the playlist feature for awhile. With mixes and everything being posted a lot as it is, I don’t think it’s necessary every week. I imagine it will make an appearance from time to time whenever I get a good idea for one or feel like putting one together. So yeah, that’s the deal from now on with that.

Today I am going back in time again, however not to terribly far, and posting about the extremely overlooked and under appreciated Penfold. I know I mention a lot how certain bands go under appreciated, but it’s ridiculous how unnoticed this band went. Penfold was originally formed in 1997 in New Jersey and in between then and 2003 they released an EP, album, 7 inch, and many songs on various compilations. They played what most would consider to be emo, however they played it in one of the truer senses that you will come by. Despite being a bit late to the game when it came down to the whole emo-core deal of the mid nineties, they managed to crank out music that would have easily eclipsed the quality of many other bands output during that time. That right there could very well be why they never got the amount of attention that they rightfully deserved. However, for those of us that did manage to find Penfold during their time together, we were reminded of what this type of music can and should sound like. Their music contains a certain sort of honesty that just isn’t found a lot anymore. Penfold were a band that set out to make music for the sole purpose of making music and something entirely cathartic at the same time. There isn’t much to say about the overall sound of it. If you were a fan of the mid nineties emo push then you probably know what to expect from this. Any of their material is so amazingly well done that I don’t see how anyone couldn’t enjoy it.

Amateurs and Professionals (EP):
Penfold – M [MP3]
Penfold – Breathing Lessons [MP3]

Our First Taste of Escape:
Penfold – The Opportune Moment, Fate, Confidence and an Encounter [MP3]
Penfold – Kissing the Nightmare [MP3]

VA – Emo Diaries Vol. 3:
Penfold – Microchip [MP3]

After Penfold broke up three fourths of the members recollected in a band called The Moirai, however after releasing just one EP titled Bury Yourself they also split up. Since then Penfold has reunited once for a one off show they did in February of ’06.

Unfortunately both Amateurs and Professionals and Our First Taste of Escape are sort of hard to come by. I guess that comes with the territory when bands like this break up. However, scour your local record shops or search around online. You might be able to turn up something and if you do, by all means buy anything you find by this great band.

EDIT: Thanks to a reader, it was pointed out in the comments that you can buy music by Penfold on Itunes. So that's pretty cool. However, for those looking for the real deal...then your search continues.

Thirty Ought Six...

I recently busted out my copy of Hag Seed by the greatly under appreciated Thirty Ought Six and I felt like it was time to revisit the bands material on here. The Portland, OR group was founded in 1992 and consisted of members Sean Roberts (vocals/bass), David Blunk (guitar), and Ryan Paravecchio (drums). Leading up to their eventual first full-length album the group released the single “Huck”, the “Radon” split with Gern Blanston, and the 7” inch Eris. In 1994 the band saw the release of their first album Bosozoku through Candy Ass Records. The album resulted in a nationwide tour with emo staples Sunny Day Real Estate. The band had some success on the tour and found them selves with a bit more attention. They would shortly thereafter sign with Mute Records whom would release their second album titled Hag Seed in November of 1995. The album spawned two singles “Adamantine” and “Moreau”. After a stint of touring in the US and then over to London from ’95 – ’96, the band did their last run on Lollapalooza which following those dates Sean Roberts left the group thus pretty much ending the band completely.

Although fairly short-lived Thirty Ought Six released some pretty good tunes during their years together. Despite being lumped in with the majority of current emo groups of the time, their first album Bosozoku actually reveals an influence from the genre’s much earlier days. It featured a much thicker and dense sound that probably proved to be a bit to abrasive for much of the audience that the band was playing for at the time. Their second album Hag Seed was really a big step for them, it sounds much more accomplished and thankfully they didn’t drop any of the edginess and opt for a cleaner and watered down album. Instead they greatly expanded upon the sound of their first album, helped along with a bit cleaner production as well. The vocals from Sean Roberts are much more of a prominent player on Hagseed, allowing them to lend to the more emotive qualities of the band. One of the shining moments of the album is “Tourmaline”, which features guest vocals from Sunny Day Real Estate’s Jeremy Enigk. The combination of both Enigk’s and Robert’s vocals really blend well together making for an extremely awesome song.

Bosozoku:
Thirty Ought Six – Huck [MP3]
Thirty Ought Six – Dealt [MP3]

Hagseed:
Thirty Ought Six – Hag Seed [MP3]
Thirty Ought Six – Wheeler [MP3]
Thirty Ought Six – Tourmaline (feat. Jeremy Enigk) [MP3]

The album Hag Seed to me really is a hidden gem. It’s sad that the band broke up not to long after the release of it. If you can track down a copy of this through Amazon, eBay, or whatever it takes, I highly suggest you purchase it. The members of the band went on to do their own things after the band broke up. David Blunk still resides in Portland, OR and has played in local bands Bastinado and Roaring Lions. Sean Roberts went on to play in the short lived Umberhulk. Drummer Ryan Paravecchio who apparently packed up and headed for L.A. where he works as an artist/carpenter.

Tiny Entry...

Just a couple small things for the blog today...

While skimming through my routine of websites after I got home from work, I found that Jesu had posted samples up on their MySpace account. Granted, they are fairly short clips, but just in the few seconds you get to hear from the three songs posted from the new EP Silver, you will automatically notice that it's a bit more uptempo than the full-length. I am super excited for this EP though, the samples sound amazing and I don't expect this to let me down at all. Anyway, go here to check those samples out.

Also, a bit of randomness, here is a nice live version of Texas is the Reason's "A Jack With One Eye". I want to thank Margaret from I am Daylights for graciously putting this song up for me to grab. I would have to say I enjoy it a bit more than the actual recorded song. A great great band indeed...

Texas is the Reason - A Jack With One Eye (live) [MP3]