The Real Numbers “Welcome to the Numberhood”
This local San Francisco quartet released a short sweet album full of quirky melodic rock, and they cite Fastball and Fountains of Wayne as primary influences. “My Ugly Face” opens things up with a sharp guitar rhythm and a killer hook in the melody. Plenty of great pop energy here reminded me of John Faye’s band IKE in their early days. This feeling really comes through on “Silent Box,” lead by Dave Ambrose’s buzzsaw riffs. Lawrence Grodeska gives each track an ernest vocal, and at times like on “Numbers Game” it compares well to The Barenaked Ladies. Not every song here sticks however, and songs like “Rock n’ Roll Waits For No One” sound overly forced. But the band also does a nice lounge styled cover of “Hopelessy Devoted To You” and the ballad “New Of The Day” is a highly enjoyable composition. Overall a solid effort that deserves your attention.
MySpace | Band Website | Bandcamp
The Parlotones “Stardust Galaxies”
If you like dramatic anthemic rock with a dance beat then The Parlotones has what you’re looking for. They are currently considered the biggest band in South Africa and “Push Me To The Floor” is a prime example, where lead vocalist Kahn Morbee emotes in a theatrical style with each chord pounding to it’s full choral crescendo. The band’s themes are heavy stuff, dealing with AIDS, Nelson Mandela and social justice issues. The sound is surprisingly accessible and the tracks “Should We Fight Back” and “Life Design” are standouts for me. Think Coldplay meets Collective Soul here with sweeping epic sound on every track. This may play well in arenas, but it on some tracks (“Fireworks and Waterfalls”) it lacks the warmth to reach you at a personal level. The exception here is the beautiful duet with vocalist Zohlani Mahola on “Stardust Galaxies.” The strong songwriting and melodies will carry the band a long way toward success in the states, and the slick production polish will please fans of U2 and Oasis.
yow! I can't believe we missed this review. thanks so much for taking the time to listen to our album AND writing about it!!