The Pigeon Detectives – Emergency

This great band was a welcome surprise to me. Through the fantastic idiomag I was able to listen to a few brief clips. I was interested straight away. They had a certain catchiness that was undeniable. I soon followed the links to their MySpace page to get a better taste for what they were about.

I was impressed again and proceeded to find their entire album. Said album, then, became a quick favourite and was on repeat for quite some time. These boys are from the UK – and more specifically – Leeds. There undoubtedly is a British feel to the collection – which I like. The album peaked at number #5 in the UK in its first week but fell off the charts after only spending 3 weeks in the top 40.

In terms of style – it’s truly straight-forward pop/rock music. There’s not a lot of experimentation – and most songs hover around the standard 3-minute mark. A few tracks are a tad too poppy for me – but Matt Bowman’s vocals sear with enough honesty to satiate my inner tiger. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I adore albums that flow. Emergency rifles through at a brisk pace – taking no enemies – and winning me over in the meantime. There a few tracks that might have been left off, notably “Don’t Wanna Find Out” and “She’s Gone.” Yet, beyond these, I can’t find much wrong with the album. My immediate favourite was “Keep On Your Dress” but there’s just so much to like on the LP.


Some information about the band’s name now. I was actually wondering about their choice – as it does seem a bit daft. This is what I found on wikipedia: 1) "It came from an Australian guy who we met at the Leeds Festival. We were just discussing band names and he came up with The Pigeon Detectives. It became an in-joke for the rest of the festival. We thought nothing of it, but when it came to our first gig in Leeds the promoter was saying, 'What's your name?' We were like 'Oh, um The Pigeon Detectives.'” 2) "Dave breeds pigeons, and there's a pigeon that lives in a shed, that’s his special pigeon, and this pigeon actually writes all the songs." 3) The band said they have a tradition of having christmas dinner together and when they pulled the cracker they found the name in there. So, nothing conclusive – but interesting nonetheless!





The Pigeon Detectives official site
The Pigeon Detectives on MySpace

Senses Fail – Still Searching

I should have written about this album ages ago. To be truthful, I don’t think I wanted to admit how much it meant to me. I had heard of Senses Fail in the past – and loved one of their first singles “Buried A Lie” - but it wasn’t until I read a review on absolutepunk that I decided to give their second full-length Still Searching a try.

I had an idea of what to expect – straight-forward punk rock with a fair amount of melodrama. And, that’s pretty much what I got. I think a lot of my hesitance stems from the band’s lyrics which are a tad ‘high-school.’ They deal with things in a very ‘emo’ over-the-top way. That said, the songs have some gravity to them.

The album is based on the skin cancer that Buddy Nielsen, the lead singer of the band, suffered in the years before the album’s release. The story is told from the point of view of a character's stress and anxiety, including his battles with faith, alcohol, and depression. So, it’s certainly nothing to laugh about. I guess the overall tone is a little much for me at times anyway…

Why do I like this collection so much? I think I’m attracted to the ease of listening. Some of the choruses are simply just too catchy not to sing along with. I also like the combination of singing and occasional screaming. It adds enough bite for my taste. Last, I feel there’s something about the guitar work that is haunting and memorable. Oh, and I must like a bit of melodrama from time to time…

The thing is, I just downloaded Senses Fail’s newest disc Life Is Not A Waiting Room. I’ve only listened through a handful of times but it doesn’t have the same sense of atmosphere. I believe Still Searching will forever define Senses Fail for me and a good portion of my time spent on buses and trains here in Korea. Maybe I’m still searching as well…

Senses Fail official site

Senses Fail on MySpace

Senses Fail on YouTube

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night

Kings of Leon were a band that I was never really sold on. Even from the beginning, I couldn’t stand Caleb’s dramatic drawl. It all seemed forced. That being said, I do have one their albums on my computer Aha Shake Heartbreak. Slowly this collection grew on me – but never to the point of obsession.

Only By the Night is different. Typically, I would have bypassed any hype surrounding the release of this newest effort – unless it wasn’t for a buddy who personally recommended the disc. I took him up on his word and dutifully listened through the LP. At first, I wasn’t that taken. The single “Use Somebody” was obviously one of the better tracks.

However, after repeated plays, I was openly sucked in. There seemed to be an energy that wasn’t there on Aha and Caleb’s vocals seemed a bit more dominant and commanding – less whining. The subject matter is a tad juvenile considering the members are around my age – or older. Yet, my musical tastes might seem a bit juvenile too sometimes!

“Use Somebody” is still amazing me. It definitely stands out on the album – and its warm feeling seems to compel me to listen again and again. I guess I have my buddy to thank for some quality music! Some interesting tidbits on the band: three of the members are brothers – and one is a cousin. The group's name is derived from the band’s father and grandfather, both named Leon.

As for Only By the Night: In the June 2008 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, Caleb discussed how he believes his pain medication (which he took after a fistfight with brother Nathan) inspired him to write some of the "most beautiful" songs, so much that he's claimed he is "proud track-by-track." The album was released this past September and debuted at number 1 in the UK.

Kings Of Leon official site
Kings of Leon on MySpace
Kings of Leon on YouTube

Hard-Fi - Once Upon A Time In The West

I have the Ministry of Sound to thank for this awesome album. I downloaded their Annual for 2008 and Hard-Fi’s “Suburban Knights” was one of the tracks reworked on the discs. I was taken instantly by the remix as the rock soul was interwoven so dramatically with a dance touch. I listened to that track incessantly for awhile.

However, it wasn’t until months later that I got around to downloading the entire album – titled Once Upon A Time In The West. I thought I’d give it a quick go – but that never really happened. Somehow, the album found itself on repeat – again and again. The disc is a bit short as well – which promotes a certain amount of replays. Regardless, I loved it. The record did everything right – catchy choruses, powerful chords and pertinent lyrics. All the tracks mesh well together also – there’s no real need to skip ahead.

To be fair, I had heard of Hard-Fi before this newest attempt. I knew of their first LP Stars of CCTV and the singles released with it – and they were attractive – but not enough for me to indulge in the whole album. I’m glad I did for Once Upon A Time. What makes it all memorable is the urgency of some of the tracks. A few of the songs leap out at you – with real yearnings of the heart. At least, that’s what I get.

Some other trivia for you: Once Upon A Time debuted at number 1 on the UK charts the week it was released. If only bands like this could do the same in North America. And their name: “Hard-Fi” is the name given to the sound produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, a Grammy award-winning reggae and dub artist. Because the band likes Perry’s work – they decided to name themselves after his distinctive sound. I can’t hear much in the way of reggae in the collection – but there is a unique jangle to the songs. Well, give it a listen and you’ll understand first hand. It’s a nice little piece of work.





Hard-Fi official site
Hard-Fi on YouTube
Hard-Fi on MySpace