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Last Friday at the Mosaic, Dethiacon, Face the Tyrant, Castle in the Sky, and Number the Martyr got together to play a show that had a little bit of something for anyone who likes heavier music. Dethiacon are a pretty straight forward metal band in the vein of Machinehead, Lamb of God, etc. The songs are really well written and the best thing is they are relativity new to the scene and can only improve. Sick guitar playing, pounding bass, insane drums and brutal vocals made for a really enjoyable experience for someone who doesn’t venture into that genre all that often. Omaha metal scene, watch out for Dethiacon.
http://www.myspace.com/dethiacon
Next up was Face the Tyrant. They came off as a death metal style band but with traditional hardcore vocals I thought. They were really talented with amazing guitars and drums, and the keys even had some really nice additions. But the vocals were what really sold it for me. Their frontman had amazing presence and he really sold it. I was very, very impressed and can't wait to see them again.
http://www.myspace.com/facethetyrant
Castle in the Sky played next and they play a very different style of music in the vein of Protest the Hero and At the Drive-In, and they really play a style that not many bands around the area are trying to do. They play backed with electronics supplied by an iPod. And between their bass player and singer they have enough energy and stage presence for the rest of the band. They have an EP available and I suggest you go get it...
http://www.myspace.com/castleintheskyband
The last band I saw was Number the Martyrs. They play what they call deathmetalgrindcorecomedy. They were definitely death metal styled and had grind parts but I don’t know about the comedy, only because you couldn’t understand the vocals... But you know that’s how it works with death metal, right? They were talented and the kids were really into it so they must be doing something right. As with all the bands I saw that night I do want to see them again.
http://www.myspace.com/omahadeathgrind
So I had one of the best times I have had at a show in a really long time and can’t wait to see any of these bands again. Check out Face the Tyrant October 7th at the Practice Space on 49th and Q with Venia and Byleth.
I'll be there.
POSTED BY: ADAM
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Got nothing to do on Wednesday night, and an extra 5 bucks in your pocket? Make it out to the Sokol Underground to check out some new bands! I made it to the Sokol about 8:30 and Disfuntional Method was already playing. They played some good sounding 90's style punk rock with the drummer as the vocalist. They had good energy and you could definitely tell who they found as influences. There wasn't a big turnout but the band played like they were playing to a sold out crowd.
I would love to see them again and can’t wait to see the band evolve.
http://www.myspace.com/disfunctionalmethod
Next up was Eponymous. Now I have seen this band around for quite a while and they were very tight and sounded like a band that has been together for years. The drummer was very tight and was a perfect match to the Green Day meets the Ramones style of music they played. The lead singer had a good voice and had a presence that really said he had done this before. They played a cover of "Blitzkrieg Bop" that got the small crowd into their set. Their originals were catchy and I definitely wouldn't mind getting my hands on their disc. The show was closed out with a cover of Green Day's "When I Come Around" that was awesome as I have been a Green Day fan for almost 15 years now. Eponymous is a band that you have to see.
http://www.myspace.com/eponymous
Next up was Angry Eyebrows, who got a late start to their set, and because of it they didn't get to play their whole 30 minutes which was unfortunate. But they still played their set with all the energy and had a ton of fun. They played a good mixture of punk rock / ska, and I haven't seen a band play ska style in quite a while so it was very cool. They are playing Sept 27th at Club Roxbury.
http://www.myspace.com/xangryeyebrowsx
Last to play was Dummy Head Torpedo, the last punk rock band of the evening. I was super impressed by this band. They played an almost Against Me! style of music and they even played a pair of AM songs doing an excellent job with them. There weren’t many people left but the lead singer still played like it was the best show he could ever play, amazing energy and really tight music. I truly am stoked to see this band play again and again.
http://www.myspace.com/dummyheadtorpedo
POSTED BY: ADAM
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Go Crash Audio had a homecoming show on Aug 30th, to release their latest album "Dear Song in My Head." So 100s of power pop fans gathered in Omaha at the Sokol Underground to watch Get Down!, Atavan, Lannen Fall, The Summer Set, Mercy Mercedes, and Go Crash Audio rock out at the AbsolutePunk Bands of the Future tour, and after being there I believe it. Get Down! had the task of playing first and being a local Omaha band opening a tour that consists of mostly bands that aren’t from Omaha. They had their work cut out for them. Within the first song everyone in the venue had moved right up to the front of the stage to get in the mix, with the boys playing their own brand of lovely catchy power pop. Get into Get Down!
http://www.myspace.com/getdownrock
Next up was Detroit’s Atavan. Atavan included Christian who used to be in Omaha's Haven 21. Another good power pop band who kept the crowd going for what was going to be a long night.
http://www.myspace.com/atavan
Lannen Fall from Massachusetts was up next and kept things rolling right along. And at this point in the night I am wondering how all of these bands aren’t huge and signed. Lannen Fall had a really great rockin’ show that really had the kids begging for more.
http://www.myspace.com/lannenfall
Arizona's the Summer Set were up next and while being by far the youngest band that played this night they also stuck out as they had an amazing drummer who also just happened to be a girl... A girl who destroyed the drums that is. With a guest guitar solo from B-Real from Mercy Mercedes in the second song I knew I was in for a treat. All the songs were really well written and their lead singer had an amazing charisma that the rest of the band fed off of and used to keep all the people rockin’.
http://www.myspace.com/thesummerset
Second to last was Mercy Mercedes and they really kept things interesting as in the middle of their set they had a medley of 80's covers that had everyone dancing all over the Sokol Underground. The songs included "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Don’t Stop Believing" and "Take Me Home Tonight," that included members from about every other band that played that night. It was awesome and I wish I would see bands that are on tour together do things like this much more often. What really put Mercy Mercedes apart from other bands of this genre was how great of a singer their lead singer was and how much the lead guitar player could shred. This only speaks volumes for the rest of the band, to let them be able to shine like that in a band of talented musicians.
musicians.
http://www.myspace.com/mercymercedes
Lastly the reason most of the crowd was at this show was to see Go Crash play their homecoming show and their CD release. The crowd ate it up and was singing along to all the words off the CD "Dear Song in My Head". They have a sound that is hard to compare but if I had to pick I would say they reminded me of bands like Forever the Sickest Kids, You Me and Everyone We Know, and Say Anything. Really great lyrics, catchy music and a good stage presence. This equation made for a really fun show that excites me for the next time I will get a chance to see them.
http://www.myspace.com/gocrashaudio
POSTED BY: ADAM
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Friday night Stolen Kisses, UUVVWWZ, and The Show is the Rainbow played a show in the Slowdown's front room. Of course I was there as this was going to be Stolen Kisses’ last show. And their last set before they called it quits was as good as ever playing songs from their pear tape and even a cover of "Louie Louie". It will be sad to see Stolen Kisses go but at the very least we will still have Talking Mtn. Next up was UUVVWWZ from Lincoln, Neb. I knew nothing about this band going in to this and was truly impressed with their Tilly and the Wall/Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound they had going on. They had an experimental indie sound with female vocals. Being truly original in the Omaha scene is not an easy task but UUVVWWZ seemed to have no problem achieving this feat. I am positive this band is going to be signed before we know and I can’t wait to be able to see them again before that happens.... You know we always like to be able to say "I saw them before they got big." Then the main reason everyone was at the Slowdown that night the always entertaining The Show is the Rainbow. If you aren’t in the know, The Show is the Rainbow is a one man music experience. This particular tour he is doing the punk rock thing again. It’s just Darren, his guitar, his computer and a screen. He played a trilogy of songs about things like the dentist, his favorite state (Neb) and male body builders. The songs were well put together and really made you wanna get up and dance... That is if you were able to sit down while Darren was rampaging like a madman through the entire front room of the Slowdown. All in all this show was everything one could hope for; getting to see an old favorite, hearing a new band for the first time, and seeing an always evolving artist who never disappoints. Check out these bands before they are the next big thing.
http://www.myspace.com/stolenkissesomaha
http://www.myspace.com/uuvvwwz
http://www.myspace.com/theshowistherainbow
POSTED BY: ADAM
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The show was on Friday, August 22nd at the Fine Line Cafe. The entire night was dedicated to raising awareness and donations for deaf children. A very cool cause. I really enjoyed The Voice of Sleep. Their music was very laid back and mellow. It kicked in at the most perfect times. A very cool aspect of the show was the lead singer's guitar playing technique. He used a violin bow to produce a smooth sound. I've never seen anything like it before. Unfortunately they were only able to play three songs. It was a short set and left me wanting more. Definitely the best band of the night!!!! Check out more from The Voice of Sleep at myspace.com/thevoiceofsleep (especially if you're a fan of Death Cab for Cutie)!!!!
POSTED BY: NICOLE
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Bands, bands, bands. Seems like there are a hundred new bands every day. So what does it really take to get ahead of the pack? A great sound? Pushing genre boundaries? Tons of MySpace friends and plays? While those things don’t hurt, what really connects with fans is honesty, sincerity and heart. For All Those Sleeping, from St. Cloud, MN, is the real deal.
These five gentlemen play a hybrid of metal, screamo, and hardcore that, at first, may seem like something you have heard before, but when you dig deeper, it’s so much more. This comes across the most in the lyrics. These lyrics don’t dwell on failed relationships, young love or teen angst. These lyrics speak of personal trials and real life that we can all relate to. They give hope that there is light in this world. And it doesn’t hurt that the music is killer. When these guys are melodic, it gets stuck in your head for days and when they are heavy, nightmare can be the result.
And who can forget the stage show. Once For All Those Sleeping begins, they pull you in and don’t let go. They put their heart, soul, blood and sweat into their performance. They aren’t above the crowd; they bring the crowd in and are a part of the crowd. If this band shows up in your town, get ready for the tornado...they will destroy everything in their wake.
Initially, you may think you have heard this before, but dig deeper and you will find a lot more. There may be a hundred bands a day, but there is only one For All ThoseSleeping.
www.myspace.com/forallthosesleeping
For fans of: Underoath, Bless the Fall, Chiodos, Burden of a Day, The Devil Wears Prada
POSTED BY: RADAR
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Bands, bands, bands. Seems like there are a hundred new bands every day. So what does it really take to get ahead of the pack? A great sound? Pushing genre boundaries? Tons of MySpace friends and plays? While those things don’t hurt, what really connects with fans is honesty, sincerity and heart. For All Those Sleeping, from St. Cloud, MN, is the real deal.
These five gentlemen play a hybrid of metal, screamo, and hardcore that, at first, may seem like something you have heard before, but when you dig deeper, it’s so much more. This comes across the most in the lyrics. These lyrics don’t dwell on failed relationships, young love or teen angst. These lyrics speak of personal trials and real life that we can all relate to. They give hope that there is light in this world. And it doesn’t hurt that the music is killer. When these guys are melodic, it gets stuck in your head for days and when they are heavy, nightmare can be the result.
And who can forget the stage show. Once For All Those Sleeping begins, they pull you in and don’t let go. They put their heart, soul, blood and sweat into their performance. They aren’t above the crowd; they bring the crowd in and are a part of the crowd. If this band shows up in your town, get ready for the tornado...they will destroy everything in their wake.
Initially, you may think you have heard this before, but dig deeper and you will find a lot more. There may be a hundred bands a day, but there is only one For All ThoseSleeping.
www.myspace.com/forallthosesleeping
For fans of: Underoath, Bless the Fall, Chiodos, Burden of a Day, The Devil Wears Prada
POSTED BY: RADAR
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Friday, August 22nd, The Abdomen graced the stage as the headliners of a benefit show for the Help Me Hear Foundation. It was a night full of inspiring music, and The Abdomen finished out the evening leaving all the fans satisfied.
The Abdomen is a 3-piece band made up of two brothers and a sister. Originally, the band was all made up of all men with the last name “Abdo”, hence the name The Abdomen. Their set contained a variety of different songs that provided fun for the entire family. They had a great time on stage doing what they love, making music, and it showed in their performance. The Abdomen is a great band that I would recommend to go see with your family. Their set had something for everyone.
myspace.com/theabdomen
For fans of Eisley, The Cars, and The Raconteurs
POSTED BY: MIKEY
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Why do bands play music? To meet girls? Make money? To be on the road? To hang out and have a good time? All reasons that some bands start. The Revival Grenade, who call Minneapolis, MN home, isn’t “some” band. They exist to create bold, graphic, passionate music about God. If that scares you, maybe you should stop reading. But if you are open-minded, you might just find your new favorite band.
The Revival Grenade plays a hybrid of hardcore, death metal, and grind not unlike if The Acacia Strain and Impending Doom hung out with White Chapel and started a new project. The Revival Grenade is heavy. Punishing drums, buzz saw guitars and ground shaking low end, and the vocals....these are some of the heaviest vocals this side of the lake of fire.
The live show is one that is in your face but a lot of fun at the same time. The Revival Grenade are jokers, always ready with the one-liner and die hard Twins fans, which they aren't ashamed to let you know. But their serious side comes out as they pour their hearts out, vocalizing their stance on the issues of today. They are very vocal about their beliefs which show honesty and sincerity, something severely lacking from a lot of bands in the scene today.
If you like your music honest, heavy, with some funny on the side, The Revival Grenade, meet your new fan, new fan, meet The Revival Grenade...ah...a match made in heaven!!!
www.myspace.com/therevivalgrenade
For fans of: Impending Doom, The Acacia Strain, White Chapel, With Blood Comes Cleansing
POSTED BY: RADAR
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Made my way to Club Roxbury on Wednesday night so I could check out Eyes Catch Fire open up for Hawthorne Heights and Armor for Sleep. I have never been to a bigger show like this at the Rox so I was very curious how everything was going to go down. When I pulled up I was very surprised with how many people were in line. The doors weren't open yet but I was still pretty shocked to see how many people came out to the show. Get Down from Omaha opened up the whole shebang and they were a young band that had a pretty good sound to their music, poppy, catchy, and they had a pretty good stage presence for such a young band. I can’t wait to watch this band grow and grow into the band they are going to grow to be. Next was Eyes Catch Fire. I haven't seen them in a while and was anticipating what their new stuff was going to sound like. Well they defiantly did not disappoint. They took that crowd that wasn’t there to see them and had them in the palms of their hands. Every twist and turn of the set the crowd was right there with them. Especially with their rendition of Rhianna's "Umbrella." Even to where their set was supposed to end, the crowd was begging the sound man to let them play one more. This is one band I cannot wait to hear a new record from. I was told they are going in later this month to record it and I think it will be one of the best albums from the area in a long time. Next was Armor for Sleep and I have been a really big fan of them for a while. They played a good set with songs from their newest album "Smile for the Camera" and songs from both of their previous records. They played all the songs I wanted to hear and Ben even just sang for a few songs instead of playing guitar and singing the whole set. So that was pretty cool to see. The band was tight as always and Ben was like a madman hanging from the rafters at one point. The crowd ate it up and gave Armor for Sleep the energy they gave tenfold. Next Hawthorne Heights played. I have never really been a fan so I wasn't planning on seeing much. They played Nikki FM first and it sounded good, I just didn't know much of the next few songs they played. They were truly who the crowd came out to see that night though. But in conclusion, be on the lookout for Eyes Catch Fire’s new disc when they finish. It looks to be as they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Eyes Catch Fire will be back at the Rox on Sept 26th.
POSTED BY: ADAM
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On Saturday the 16th, amidst all the buzz about the sold-out Tokio Hotel show in Maplewood, there was still plenty of fun to be had at Club 3 Degrees! The lineup was filled with young, aspiring musicians doing what they love most; making music. The highlight of the evening was the headlining band: Aiming for Aurora. AFA is a five-piece band from the Twin Cities with a sound similar to those of the Killers, My Chemical Romance, and 30 Seconds to Mars. They performed a great set starting with a familiar song “December Addition” found on their MySpace profile. AFA’s stage presence was made known leaving no member of the band to be ignored. Midway through their set, Kelsey, their vocalist, performed a well written, heart-felt acoustic song, slowing down the momentum allowing the crowd to take a breath from the high-energy, tight-sounding performance. After Kelsey’s solo, the band reformed on stage to rock out the rest of the set. The last song left me wanting more. I could feel their emotion pour out as they gave all that they had. I am totally looking forward to seeing these guys again on December 17th at Club 3 Degrees.
POSTED BY: MIKEY
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Last Wednesday I made it out to the Jesse Lacey/Kevin Devine show at the Waiting Room. It was my first time going out to the Waiting Room so after spending what seemed like forever trying to find parking I made my 3 block walk to the venue. Brian Bonx played first and I came in while he was already playing and he was playing a song that Jesse and Kevin had come out to do background stuff for him. He was pretty good, nothing mind-blowing but not horrible either. Next Kevin Devine came out to play his brand of emo pop. His songs were catchy and on his last two songs Jesse came out and played guitar with him and sang back up vocals, even when Kevin started singing part of "Tautou". Then Jesse took the stage. I have been a Brand New fan for a really, really long time. I have seen the whole band twice and was really curious what he was going to do solo. I knew a lot of the slower songs would easily transfer to an acoustic set but would make for kind of a boring show. However the setlist did not disappoint. Of course he played the slower songs I knew he would. He also threw in older BN songs I never thought I would hear live. He also did a short Q&A session in the middle of his set where some kids asked some good questions and Jesse told us all about what Brand New was up to and what their plans were. Kevin, Brian and another guitarist who I can’t remember the name of. It was hands down one of the best shows I have ever been to. I am and always will be a huge Brand New fan and seeing Jesse play the songs by himself was just mind-blowing.
Setlist:
Untitled 1
The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
Trailer Trash (Modest Mouse cover)
Jude Law
Luca (with Kevin & Brian)
Play Crack The Sky (with Kevin)
Moshi Moshi
Two Headed Boy, Pt 2 (NMH cover)
Hunger Strike (with Kevin & Brian)
Jesus (with Kevin & Brian)
Cotton Crush (with Kevin & Brian)
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself (Morrissey cover)
Soco Amaretto Lime
Degausser
Coca Cola
POSTED BY: ADAM
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Wednesday night I made my way to the Slowdown to the I'm Drinking This showcase. Stolen Kisses were releasing their split tape with Pachyderm. The lineup included both of those bands and the Nether Friends and Talking Mountain. I have seen Stolen Kisses before but that was back when they were more industrial and not so rock and roll. But it was all good in the hood as they played all the songs from their tape. Stolen Kisses have adopted an almost 60's pop/rock and roll type sound. I really felt like they sound like the Rolling Stones combined with the Beach Boys with maybe Jonathan Richman thrown in for good measure. One of the more interesting things about the show was in between bands they had other people playing. One of those people was Reflux Recoil and he was a one man sound machine I guess I would say. He would make a sound or a series of sounds, record it and then sing over it. Sometimes he would beat box which I have to say was pretty dang cool, sometimes lay some acoustic guitar down and do more over that. Some of the songs had a Bjork feel almost. Pachyderm played next and he was also a one man band almost in the same vein as the one before just a lot more noisy. After he played there was a guy who sat in the middle of the venue and sang a song with his acoustic guitar and we had the pleasure of a fellow whose name is escaping me at the present moment play a song about dinosaurs working at Wal-mart with his little keyboard right at our table. It was pretty sweet. The next band was the Nether Friends who were an interesting mix of a guy who played the keyboard and guitar and a girl who played a lot of electronic items, I couldn't quite figure out what all of it was. The songs ranged from indie pop to some more garage type of stuff. They were good and they also had a tape out on I'm Drinking This. Then last Talking Mountain played. They had 3 of the 4 members of Stolen Kisses all playing a different instrument then they did in Stolen Kisses. The songs were great and catchy and the members played with these awesome fluffy monster masks on. It ruled. So all in all if you are in Omaha go see either Stolen Kisses or Talking Mountain. If you just so happen to have any of the others coming through your town check it out. You might just find something you'll like.
POSTED BY: ADAM
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