myspace music monday: Past Artist Update

No, that's not the name of an artist. You see, I logged onto myspace today, fully prepared to find the next big thing in music. Lo and behold, I am treated to a big helping of suck. Unable to find a single artist of note after about an hour of browsing, I decided to call it quits and instead revisit some past artists that I've featured. We'll see who has updated their page with new songs, and I'll rank them according to my own personal tastes. Sounds fun right?

Who's Updated?

Well, The Beams were the last band I featured before breaking for the holidays and they have since added two new songs to their page. Neither of them deviate from their "Hey, we're kind of like The Killers" approach to music-making. "Chemical Wisdom" is an unrelenting and upbeat dance rock/new wave track with group vocals and a really nice groove. The vocals are a little "meh" in my opinion and the song does go on for far too long, but if you're in the mood for a pure rock out session, it should be a good fit. Their second new song, "Watch" is just a mess. The guitars are way too prominent in the mix and far too skittery to feel infectious. The lyrics can be a bit humorous, but the song itself is completely uncatchy and borderline unlistenable. Skip it.

Of course, the group I most wanted an update from was Teacups. Alas, they have failed me. They did, however, get to open for Jose Gonazalez in New Zealand, which I'm sure was a great honor for them. I just hope that turns into some added exposure for them, because they need to be heard. Check out this sweet picture.

Swede-supreme, Sebastian Orre added two new songs to his page. The first, "Koschka" is a simple, but charming song. Staying true to his past music, his lyrics are very simple yet somehow poignant. He sings, "You saw me walking. Not much for talking, no." Clearly Sebastian. Clearly. The second song is called "Walking" and features some really excellent production. His accent adds a certain amount of innocence to the already childhood memory-inducing song. Again, the lyrics are simple but still effective. It may be the best song of his that I've yet to hear, which is a great thing. Both of these new songs show more depth from his songs that I previously reviewed, especially when it comes to adding layers on top of one another.

Ranking Them

So who do I like best out of all the artists I've featured on myspace band monday. Well if you read last week's feature the answer would be pretty clear. But to see where all the other artists stack up, just cast your gaze downward.

8. Thomas Dybdahl
7. Bicycles and Gravel
6. The Beams
5. Sebastian Orre
4. Teacups
3. The Eastern Sea
2. ContraNova
1. Hanne Kolstö

I know that you're a lazy bum and all, but you should really consider checking out all of the above mentioned artists. They are all pretty diverse and unless you only consider Linkin Park, 50 Cent, and Nickelback to be valid musicians, you should find something to your liking.

And hey, make my job easier by recommending a myspace artist for me to feature for next week. Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure what I'll come up with.

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The Top 31 of 2007 - #13

Cale's Pick

ContraNova: Infinity In All Directions

Released: May 2007 (?)

Preview/Purchase it HERE

In case you haven't been paying attention these last months, let me give you a quick recap about who ContraNova is, why I love them, and why you should too; because this very well may be the last time I ever write about this great album.

I'm always skeptical when an artist or label sends me an album to review. First off, it doesn't happen too often, as Audio Overflow is still a pretty small blog (though we're growing). Secondly, when I do get promotional copies of CDs, the almost always sound awful. The lone exception to this rule is ContraNova, out of Elgin, TX. Sean Craypo, who is essentially the only permanent member of the group, sent me an email several months back asking me if I could review his album, and I conceded. I received my copy in the mail just a few days later and put it into my stereo to listen. I listened to the first two songs. They weren't so bad. The lyrics were good, I thought, so I pulled out the CD insert to read along. It was then that I realized that Infinity In All Directions is a concept album. The official description reads, "This album tells the story of a man’s quest to build a time machine, his seeming success and the experiences that follow, and his eventual entrapment in the past that leads to an uncertain future." That's about as good as a description as any.

But the beautiful, genius thing about Infinity In All Directions isn't the sci-fi nature of the story, but the personal struggle that the hero must overcome. In traveling to the past without any way of immediately returning to the future, he completely disconnects himself from his true love. The album follows the hero as he tries to repeat his life exactly how he had in the past in order to once again end up with his love, and it chronicles the hardships he endures as a result. The songs on Infinity In All Directions are all introspective and surprisingly personal, considering Craypo writes as a disconnected omnipotent (or does he?), and the insight we gain into the hero's now-troubled existence is priceless.

But perhaps the greatest attribute that ContraNova flaunts is Craypo's flawless lyricism. Every moment of the album is flooded with perfect verses, and a single line will stick with you, haunt you, long after it is spoken. They are humbly written though, nothing as outlandish or whimsical as Ben Gibbard thankfully. A simple line like, "I have been told God hears all my prayers. God must be lonely to listen to me," not only speaks volumes about the hero's own loneliness, but can also be related to anyone listening to the song.

If I sound like I'm babbling, or writing review #2 of Infinity In All Directions, I apologize. Like I said, this is the last time that I intend to write about this great album. I wanted to make sure that it went out with a bang. Hopefully you'll take my advice and pick up a copy. You could go to ContraNova's myspace page and sample a few songs, but this is an album that really needs to be listened to in its entirety to be appreciated. It is one of the best albums of 2007, and you are cheating yourself if you let this one go by unnoticed.

For surprising me over and over again, ContraNova time-travels to the #13 spot on my list.

The Top 31 Songs of 2007 - #13

"Taking Control" by Eisley, from the album, Combinations.

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Jill's Pick

Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger

Released: June 26, 2007

It's really hard for me to truly appreciate any new Ryan Adams song for one reason: "Magnolia Mountain." It is one of my favorite songs and I am guilty of hitting repeat once it's over so I can hear it again. It is a song that is always (I mean always) floating around inside my head and that makes it this near impossible standard for Ryan Adams to meet.

I don't think the man will ever create another song as glorious as that one, but he does try. And this time, with Easy Tiger, he tried it the sober way. (You know, for some people, sober just doesn't work.)

It's like a classic Country album. Like I've busted out some old Willie Nelson and fired it up for my listening pleasure. It's a mix of Pop and Bluegrass and Country. It's poetic. It's another one of those short albums. It takes a while to get used to and once I did get into it, I realized it's all of his albums and styles meshed together into one.

Songs about love, pain, self-loathing, fear, onesided relationships, want. "Magnolia Mountain" they aren't, but they aren't that bad.

My favorite track: "These Girls"

Songs you should give a listen to:

--"Oh My God, Whatever, Etc."

--"Off Broadway"

--"Pearls On a String"

--"These Girls"

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myspace band monday: ContraNova

Hey everyone, and welcome to the very first myspace band monday! Starting this week, and lasting until I get bored with it, myspace band monday is a new feature on Audio Overflow that will introduce you to some talented up and coming artists out there (on myspace).

This week, I chose to kick things off with a not-so-old friend.

ContraNova

If you think back about a month or so, then you'll remember I reviewed ContraNova's debut album, "Infinity In All Directions," and gave it a near-perfect score! It's beauty, musicianship, and storytelling are pretty much unparalleled this year, especially when you put it up against other bands on myspace. Of course, calling ContraNova a band is kind of deceptive. The only member that appears in every song is Sean Craypo, who does most of the singing, guitaring, and writing on the album. The other peripheral members are essentially just friends and family of Craypo who lend their skills when necessary. Though their role is small, it is important, as ContraNova would not be near as effective without them.

Music
The band's myspace page is pretty basic, nothing flashy at all, but it feature four of the stronger tracks from "Infinity In All Directions." If at all possible, I recommend listening to the album as a whole, but these tracks should give you a pretty good idea of what the band is capable of.

The first song listed on the band's page is "In Disguise," possibly the most upbeat song on the album. It features bouncy piano and bassoon and Sean Craypo singing, "Look over your shoulder, uncover your eyes. Around the corner, it's me in disguise." Soon after it deconstructs into something completely different, sounding unbelievably like Sufjan Stevens, complete with banjos and muted trumpets. Here, Craypo shouts "Get Up! Get Up! Show Yourself!" with about as much enthusiasm as he ever does on the album, and certainly on the myspace page. It's a wonderful song that doesn't make a lot of sense when taken out of it's place on the album, but still succeeds as a fun listen.

Song number two is "Slanted Light," arguably the strongest song on the album with really vivid imagery and a melody that you can sing along to after just a listen or two. Here Craypo (or rather, his protagonist) sings about being transported back in time and arriving back at home during his teens. He says, "I arrive to slanted light, old homework on green carpet. I'm here again. This house is smaller than I remember," and you immediately picture the scene in your mind. This happens again and again as the song continues, and it really shows Craypo's strength as a lyricist.

"Follow Through" is a song that I initially didn't give a lot of credit to, but since then it has quickly become my favorite track on the album. Craypo's lyrics are once again flawless as he sings, "I have been told God hears all my prayers. God must be lonely to listen to me." It's my favorite line on the whole album and when accented by fluttering bells and a perfect bassoon line, it really comes to life. His vocals start to wear a little thin towards the end as he enters into a falsetto tone, but the song is not really hindered by it all that much. It is a beautiful and passionate track. You may want to listen to it first.

"Andeline" is a beautiful track, and one of my favorites on the album, but when separated from the rest of the album as it is here, it really loses its power. Still, it does display some of the cooler instrumentation on the album with the addition of the haunting contrabassoon line under Craypo's voice. In fact, of all the songs on the band's myspace page, this one probably displays the group's talent the most, making it a worthy addition to the page even if the meaning of the song is entirely lost.

Verdict
ContraNova is a fantastic group who could have a bright future ahead of them if they so desire one. "Infinity In All Directions" is pretty much assured to have a spot in my Top 20 Albums of 2007, and if the world were a decent place they'd end up on even more Best Of lists. Considering that the band is not backed by a notable record label, the chances of that happening are slim. That is kind of why I chose to make them my first featured myspace band; because I want to do my part to spread the word.

Do yourself a favor. Go to ContraNova's myspace page and listen to the tracks that they have available. If you like what you hear, add them as a friend and tell your friends about them. Or better yet, pick up a copy of "Infinity In All Directions" and prepare to be moved! ContraNova is awesome, and I don't think I can say anymore without being redundant.

Links
ContraNova's MySpace Page
Buy "Infinity In All Directions" on CDBaby.com
Diabolical Genius

Do you have a band in mind for myspace band monday? Send us a tip at audiooverflow@gmail.com or by leaving a comment in this post. See you next week!

All ContraNova photos provided via myspace.com.

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