TELL ME THAT YOU COULD HEAR IT

I’d like to keep this eulogy short.  The passing of As Tall As Lions should be less of a reason for me to go on about how amazing the Long Island four-piece is and more of a call for those of you who have missed out to familiarize yourself with one of the better bands of the past decade.  I will say, however, that the indie rock quartet’s 2006 self-titled release is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve listened to in my lifetime.  If you don’t believe me, check out “Ghost of York” below.  The band has scheduled three final shows in December.  If you live anywhere near LA, Chicago, or New York, I highly suggest you go.

MP3: As Tall As Lions – “Ghost of York”

Love,
Adrian

Can You Still See What You First Saw in Me?

It saddens me to hear that the Fall of Troy has decided to call it quits.  Although the latter half of the trio’s career didn’t produce any really good albums (with the exception of the final version of the Ghostship demos, Phantom on the Horizon), the band had released what for me were some hardcore classics when I was a young lad back in high school.  Their self-titled debut introduced me to the spastic, calculated side of hardcore music, showing me that even loud, catastrophic music can be reined in using unconventional song structures and intricate, original guitarwork.  Doppelganger did the same thing, although under the guise of better production.  From then on out things began to go downhill; Manipulator and In the Unlikely Event just didn’t impress me the way their earlier work did.  However, the band still killed it with their live shows.  My only complaint is that they never played my favorite song of theirs, “What Sound Does a Mastodon Make?”, when I saw them.  That song’s the reason I got into them and perhaps a significant influence on what I listen to today.  It feels good to post this kind of music again, but sadly it must be at the expense of the band’s demise.  RIP guys.

MP3: The Fall of Troy – “What Sound Does a Mastodon Make?”

Love,
Adrian