Fable Cry - Fool Me Once

Preface

Fable Cry is one of the more interesting bands I have come across recently. Their songs give you a sense that you might actually be in some kind of fable, or a play at the very least. I was turned onto this band by one of its members that happened to be streaming on twitch. Speaking of which she is quite talented and you can check her out here. Anyway, after I listened to a few of their songs I felt compelled to get their newest album and give it a listen. 

History

Fable Cry consists of Zach Ferrin, Jo Cleary, Scott Fernandez, Killian LaFave, and Andrew Core. Fable Cry is a theatrical rock band based out of Nashville Tennessee. Work for their first album began in 2010 with the help of Zach Ferrin's sister Kirstie Ferrin. They released their first self-titled album in 2011. In 2014 after Kirstie left, the band was expanded to include the members listed above. The now full band went on to write another album titled "We'll Show You Where the Monsters Are" that released in 2015. Five years later they went on to release the album that this post is about entitled "Fool Me Once." It is also worth noting that Fable Cry hosts the "Festival of Ghouls" every year which is a Halloween party/music/entertainment event.

Review

As I mentioned Fable Cry describe themselves as a Theatrical Rock band and quite frankly I think they nailed it on the head. The theatrics of their songs and especially their music videos make you feel as if you're watching a well made musical play. "Fool Me Once" itself tells its own story over the course of the hour or so runtime. The songs do not necessarily flow together like Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" but they do have a thru-line with brief preludes explaining what the protagonists are up to. The album even contains an intermission so you can stretch your legs for a bit and grab a drink before returning to the listening experience. Overall I would say that this is one of the more unique albums I have had the pleasure of listening to. That is not to say that I would listen to these songs everyday or even add them into my regular playlist. They work better together and listening too them piecemeal certainly hurts the theatrical aspect of the album. Below I will add one of Fable Cry's singles so that you can get a sense of what this band is about. While they may not become part of your regular listening material I think listening to this album full through once is a worthwhile experience at the very least.

  

Reviews

There may be more reviews coming soon. Not sure how many people actually read these but I kind of midd doing them and I think I might have more time and motivation to start doing them again soon. Thanks

-EONM

VARSITY (2)

VARSITY was the first band I covered on this review blog. Since making that initial review I have listened to all of their works and they have become my favorite band. They have released several things since that initial review so I thought it might be nice to come back to them and give my thoughts on some of their more recent ventures.

First, let's start with their 2018 album Parallel Person. I absolutely love this album. It's more melancholy than their earlier music but it still retains their refreshing laid back style. That's not to say it doesn't have its moments of intensity but overall I found the album was something you could put on while you relaxed or in my case drove to wherever my mood took me. This was my album of the summer if not the year. I don't know the exact number of times I've listened to it fully through but I know I listened to it around 20 times in the first week of its release. The emotion within the music is palpable and deep. There's not a good way to describe the feeling I get while listening to this album but the point is that I do feel something. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right. My only gripe is that when I purchased the disc and vinyl the album did not get added to my Bandcamp library. It's a minor complaint but it still would have been nice to receive that.

Later in the fall of 2018, they dropped two singles. These were U.F.O and The Dogs Only Listen to Him. These songs once again were works of art. I have nothing to say about them other than they are great songs.

Most recently they released a compilation album of their singles from 2015-2016 named The Basement Takes (2015-2016). This album also includes two new unreleased singles that I thought were absolutely stellar. They were better than U.F.O. and The Dogs Only Listen to Him and they fit quite nicely into the album.

Overall VARSITY has been kicking ass. I love everything they've been up to and I can't wait to see what they'll do in the future. Definitely go check them out if you're looking for some of the best music out there. I know I spent the whole post talking about how great they are but I swear they aren't paying me to say this. 😅

TEMPOREX

History: Not too much is known about TEMPOREX other than a couple of minor details. His real name is Joseph Flores and he's from San Diego, California. As of posting this, he's around 18 years old. His music used to be available for free and you could donate if you want but he has since changed that. He has one album on his Bandcamp but he has several other singles that aren't included there. You can find them on amazon music if your really looking to listen to them.

The Scoop: I started listening to TEMPOREX around the same time I discovered Beach House because they both encompass the genre of dream pop. TEMPOREX makes music that sounds very modern day rap/hip-hop inspired. In an interview (which I'll embed below) he talks about how he listened to Tyler the Creator and completely changed the way he started making his music. The songs are short and sweet but they pack a punch. I very much recommend checking out the tracks I've added below.

Beach House

History: Beach House is a dream pop band from Baltimore, Maryland that formed in 2004. They have 7 full albums and 1 compilation album as of 2018. They released their first self-titled album in 2006. Beach House is the most critically acclaimed band within the niche genre of dream pop and has performed at many music festivals such as Coachella and Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The Scoop: Beach House is the first band to introduce me to the genre of dream pop. It's a sort of strange "floaty" music that's really great when you want to relax and forget about life for a bit. I listened to a couple of their tracks pretty heavily, my favorite being Space Song. I was in the middle of my second semester of college when I happened upon them and they helped me a lot to not stress out. I even included them in a college presentation about oddball music genres. Their music is very synth heavy with soft vocals to accompany. This combination works surprisingly well and delivers a sound that you'll want to listen to on repeat till you drift off to sleep.

Below I've embedded the aforementioned track "Space Song" as well as Lemon Colored Glow from their newest album "7". Give them a listen and tell me what you think.

Alvvays

History: Alvvays is an indie pop group from Ontario, Canada. They currently have two albums; Alvvays (2014) and Antisocialites (2017). Their music has been described as Jangle Pop or Dream Pop. The band has had several live shows and are still touring around as of this post going up. It's also worth noting that Alvvays is pronounced "Always".

The Scoop: Alvvays is a very cool and unique band that I happened upon while randomly clicking through youtube suggested videos. The first song I found was Archie, Marry Me. I really enjoyed the feeling that the song brought with it. It was almost like going back in time. I purchased the song and listened to it for a couple weeks before seeking more from this group.  I was pleasantly surprised to find another song I really enjoyed titled Dreams Tonite. I only listened to this song for a couple days before going and purchasing Alvvays' full discography. There was only one song I didn't end up adding to my playlist after listening to both albums. This band has such a unique vibe that you really can't get anywhere else. I highly suggest listening to the tracks I've embedded below.

Spotify

Check out this Spotify playlist with all the songs from my posts and more!

Courtney Barnett

History: Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter/musician that was born November 3rd, 1987. She has two albums and three EPs in her discography. Her album "Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit" won several awards at the ARIA music awards in 2015 and was nominated for eight categories.

The Scoop: Normally I'm not a huge fan of artists that practically talk during their songs but something about Courtney's style just gets me. The stories she tells through her songs are very relatable and I find them comforting to listen to. Not to mention her songs are extremely catchy and get stuck in my head constantly. It has a good classic indie/alternative vibe mixed with some very unique melodies that jive really well with each other. If you have the time go ahead and listen to the songs I've embedded below. You won't be disappointed!

The Crane Wives

History:
The Crane Wives are a folk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan that formed in 2010. They aren't currently signed to any record label but have been touring around Michigan and surrounding states.
The Scoop: 
I found out about The Crane Wives when I found out that they were performing a show near me. After a quick listen to their newest song I instantly fell in love with their unique folk style. I  purchased and downloaded their entire discography and have not been disappointed. Their composition and intense musical expression make a powerful combo that consistently blows me away. I'm not really sure how to describe their music so instead, I'll just link some of their work below. I highly recommend giving them a listen.

Hot Chip

History:
Hot Chip is an Indie Electronic band from London, England. They have six albums released from 2004-2015. Hot Chip has made appearances at many festivals such as Coachella and Ultra Music Festival.
The Scoop:
If you are looking for a fun Indie Electronic band with weird music videos, then look no further. This band is a delight to listen to and they have a very cool and interesting groove. I only listen to a handful of their songs on a regular basis but they are fantastic. I highly suggest listening to some of the tracks linked below.

Sarah Jaffe

History:
Sarah Jaffe is an indie artist from Red Oak, Texas. Her first EP Even Born Again was released in 2008 and gained recognition from both Rolling Stone magazine and the Dallas Observer. She has continued to release albums since then and has another one called Bad Baby that has just recently released.
The Scoop:
I genuinely enjoy both Sarah's first and second albums. The first one was a little underproduced due to budget but had a lot of heart. Her second album Suburban Nature is my favorite. It has a nice acoustic vibe with added violin for some really powerful moments. This is produced well, has good sound quality, and a lot of meaning put into it. After these two albums it kind of falls of in my opinion. Sarah Jaffe's music got more electric and "synthy" if that makes any sense. Her more recent albums sound like mainstream pop instead of the lyrical indie music I enjoyed listening to in her first two albums. I have listened to her full discography and the albums titled The Body Wins, Don't Disconnect,  Bad Baby, and Visions are very dissimilar from her early work, so much so that you can hardly tell it's the same artist.

I have linked the full Suburban Nature album below.

EDIT: I believe Sarah's record label removed the video I linked due to copyright violation after they saw my post. My point still stands though please look up the songs individually if you have to. It's good stuff!

Eluveitie

I'll be honest. I've been listening to Eluveitie for a while now. I decided they deserved a post though, regardless of when I started listening to them. Eluveitie is a Celtic/Folk Metal band that combines some very interesting instruments into a hard and heavy hitting sound that leaves you wanting more. Many of their songs are not in English although the ones I listen to are. Eluveitie was founded in 2002 by Chrigel Glanzmann. Since then they have put out 8 albums including their demo album. They have plans to release a new album in 2018 titled Rebirth. The best way for me to describe this band is as a strange mix between Paramore and the Dropkick Murphys. If you have to time I recommend listening to the tracks I've linked below.

Neutral Milk Hotel

This band has far exceeded my expectations. The first time I heard their album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea I only liked two of the songs on the album. This was mostly due to my cousin also only liking those two songs and only playing those songs. I suppose their music is a bit of an acquired taste in that sense. Regardless I really enjoy both the theming, lyrics and instrumentation of this band. A tale I heard (not sure if it's true) is that in the song "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" there strange ghost like sound that plays in the background and is then later featured was created by taking a hand saw and using a violin bow on it while bending it back and forth. Once again, not sure if that's true but I thought it was interesting none the less. Overall I find them to be a really unique and cool band with a nice chill vibe. I hope you agree. I'll link some of their songs down below for you to listen to.

The Prophet Nathan

This band took me by surprise when I first heard them. They don't really sound like any band I have ever heard before. My cousin is the one that introduced me to them and I'm glad he did. I can't really say I like all their music but the album 1.414 to 1 is absolutely fantastic. 1.414 to 1 is the only album with lyrics from what I have seen. All their music can be found on their Bandcamp page here: https://theprophetnathan.bandcamp.com/

My cousin was kind enough to upload some of their music to youtube though. I'll embed my favorite song bellow which is called 9 Gates and the Kingdom of Shadows.

Guster

Guster is an amazing band with a really great sound. One of my favorite albums, Parachute, features some excellent acoustic guitar playing and has a really good flow to it. Their most popular album Ganging Up On The Sun is quite different than their other albums but delivers 12 excellent songs that will have you listening on repeat for days. If you are looking for a band to chill out and listen to try giving Guster a listen. I've linked some of my favorite songs below.

Princess Chelsea

Princess Chelsea is a solo artist from New Zealand. She had a hit song in 2012 called “Cigarette Duet” that really got her recognized. She has many other great songs, though, the newest of which came out in 2015. Princess Chelsea has a style ripped right out of the late 80’s to early 90’s that sounds very nostalgic and cool. Chelsea is a great singer and it accompanies the style quite well. Many of her songs have music videos to go with them. Her cat makes a cameo in several of them. I've embedded some of my favorite songs below for you to listen to.

VARSITY

For my first post, I will be reviewing a band that goes by the name of VARSITY. I stumbled upon them while aimlessly clicking on Youtube suggestions. The first song I happened upon is a song called "So Sad, So Sad". It's one of their more and possibly their most popular song. For a while, that was the only song of theirs I listened to. After a while though, I decided to explore some more of what this band hand to offer. I hit up their Youtube page and began clicking on some of the videos they had posted and I must say I was very surprised. This band is very talented and as on person put it in the comment section "your music makes me take a huge sigh of relief. ah." Speaking of the comment section I have never seen a comment section on Youtube that is more positive than the one they have. I fail to find even a single negative comment. This music really feels like a fresh breath of air compared to much of today's music. It's Simple, it's Clean, and It's just pleasant to listen to. The lyrics are complex and they give you something to think about. If you are looking for something new to listen too I definitely recommend giving VARSITY a try.

Links:

BandCamp

Youtube

Intro

Hey, so this is a blog about music. If you are looking for some new bands to sink your ears into then you have come to the right place. That's pretty much all I have to say. First post coming soon.