The News Review:

- Freedom Rock
- Were 3 teens railroaded?
- Local hard rock bands shudder Club Sonar speakers
- Indie-Pop Tarts Get Worldly
- It is only just beginning for Mississauga’s The End
- Noisy restaurants hit a crescendo

Freedom Rock
Washington Post – Mar 18, 2008
Start the petition. _______________________Falls Church Va. : God bless Lou Reed for being dissatisfied with the dismal state of inferior modern recording and sound reproduction! I know I can really only appreciate the subtle nuances and aural detail of his LP Metal Machine Music when I listen to it on a State-of-the-Art analog audio system!!J. Freedom du Lac: Well then you’ll probably be mortified to know that I have a super low-end set-up at home. I just always figured it’d be best that I listen to music in the same way that most people listen to it. Which is to say: n a crap system. _______________________Washington D.

Were 3 teens railroaded?
augusta.com – Mar 18, 2008
Echols levitated him; a woman said he wore dog skins around his neck. Lyrics from the suspects’ notebooks Stephen King novels and Mr. Echols’ interest in heavy metal music were used as evidence against the teenagers. There is no DNA evidence linking the trio to the crime scene; however there are two hairs found on two boys that could possibly match up to a victim’s stepfather. A knife found in the creek was never proved to belong to the suspects. Police failed to test blood found at the crime scene.

Local hard rock bands shudder Club Sonar speakers
Loyola College Greyhound – Loyola College Greyhound (subscription) – Mar 18, 2008
The local music scene in Baltimore at least is for the most part slowly starting to blend into the mainstream bill. Bands tend to develop fan bases with constant playing becoming regulars at certain music venues. They become recognizable and are soon part of the city itself. Every Grammy winning band starts off as a local act. Some local bands choose to take a different route… Some local bands choose to take a different route. Instead of repetitive shows at the Recher Theatre or local music showcases to build up their fan base they hit the scene full force by opening for national headlining acts. Female-fronted metal act Forgive the Fallen is one of these bands. After opening up for Dutch Goth-rock sensations Within Temptation in ctober they soon lined up a slot on the Balls Volume and Strength tour featuring metal legends Hellyeah and tep. With their recent self-titled EP release the band has definitely climbed the local music ladder in record time having just formed recently in 2005. n Saturday night in lieu of taking part in the fake St. Patrick’s Day festivities I managed to catch Forgive the Fallen’s headlining performance at Sonar.

Indie-Pop Tarts Get Worldly
Village Voice – Mar 18, 2008
In 2002 buzz for Dodos El Guincho or Ruby Suns would be anomalous; in 2008 it’s routine. Dodos a duo from San Francisco make hectic tom-tom-heavy folk-pop equally reminiscent of Animal Collective and Death Cab for Cutie—references that emote serially one in imitation of animals the other in imitation of humans. Singer and guitarist Meric Long studied West African drumming and Balinese gamelan; drummer Logan Kroeber used to be in a metal band and plays like it. Their coup then is “conventional” moping—over Roxy Music and coffee—with a studied abandon that gains more currency with each prefab primal scream. Visiter’s anomaly is American blues an influence that pokes through several songs; beyond that browner sounds only exist as a trace element. Unfortunately the album’s about 25 minutes too long and while curlicues in their songs temper aggression with prettiness (and vice versa) a few lose their truest moments to jamboree—understandable at a harvest festival but in journalism as in pop music it’s burying the lead.

It is only just beginning for Mississauga’s The End
Brock Press – Brock Press (subscription) – Mar 18, 2008
substring(0 thispageresult. For this Mississauga based five piece this includes rediscovering their roots and that which drew them to music in the first place. With their latest release Elementary they seamlessly blend the rock and roll that has always inspired them with the heavy metal that they have refined over the years. “In an era in the early and mid-’90s when rock ‘n’ roll was just rock ‘n’ roll it had heart it had passion. There wasn’t all this crap behind it” said vocalist Aaron Wolff… It just seems like things fall into place whether it’s extremely painful sometimes or whether it happens with smiles the whole time” said Wolff. With a live show that flows just as well performing for an audience has become an experience that Wolff feels he has grown to love just as much as any fan might. “When you’re a musician once the music touches you you can’t let go of something like that. It’s been in my blood since I was a kid” said Wolff. Losing himself in the music has become life for Wolff driven by the sweet release of performing live.

Noisy restaurants hit a crescendo
San Francisco Chronicle – Mar 18, 2008
But when my favorite tapas restaurant decides to have a Flamenco dancer stomping and working her castanets 10 feet from my table that’s more than I care to hear. Same goes for a swing band or rock ‘n roll group. It’s not that I don’t appreciate culture or music. Just not while I’m trying to enjoy dinner with friends and family!Posted By: LBIguy | March 18 2008 at 06:04 AMI enjoy the atmosphere that’s accentuated by a lively din but I’ve always had an issue with being unable to hear conversation above noise levels. Last week one of my vendors took me out for drinks but I only stayed for a little while because the place is noisy (tile floors). Noise level of a place definitely plays in role in my choice… Many place eschew carpeting and draperies for hardwood and wide open windows. In the case of carpeting it’s a cost issue: usually carpeting get stained and stinky in a couple of years so places don’t put it in opting for hardwood or tile floors with their lower (price of a broom and a mop) lifetime maintanence costs. Also the “industrial chic” look with metal and other hard surfaces add to the crescendo. bring back button tuck boothes!Posted By: loomco | March 18 2008 at 08:27 AMI’ve never been back to Town Hall because of the noise level. Went there with my brother who lives in Chicago and we could barely hear each other over the din.