VIDEO FOR DEAD SARA'S "SOMETHING GOOD"

   If you don't know by now, I am pretty infatuated with an exciting band from LA called Dead Sara. Their latest album, Pleasure To Meet You, has been high on my playlist recently and I am generally in love with their writing style and Emily Armstrong's powerful vocals.
   Despite both the album tracks Suicidal and Mona Lisa preceding Something Good as singles, Something Good is the obvious chart topper off the album. It is beautiful, uplifting and catchy as hell. But then...I've already said this in a previous post. 
    They have now released a video for the track and I have to admit, I'm not totally blown away by it. It basically involves a lot of dancing, train stations and the band running around from place to place. It reaches a high point when the band finally join in with some contemporary dancers and everyone is just letting go and free, but I would have liked to have seen some band performance and more of Emily passionately singing her heart out. Either way, if this song doesn't finally get Dead Sara any [proper] mainstream success, I don't know what will.

             

Review: Dead Sara - Pleasure To Meet You [2015]

 

    I have been awaiting this album for quite some time now. Having fallen in love with the LA rock outfit Dead Sara since seeing the video for and hearing the song Weatherman, the self titled album blew me away. Frontwoman Emily Armstrong's voice stands out amongst many other singers out there right now, not even just the female ones. She is able to sing melodies that blend with guitarist Siouxsie Medley's sexy riffs in such a wonderful way. Dead Sara somehow manage to be both bluesy, heavy, energetic and mellow all in one album. The follow up, Pleasure To Meet You, has proven to have similar dynamics and just as catchy tunes.

   I already posted two tracks from this album already, Mona Lisa and Something Good. Mona Lisa was a little bit harder to grasp at first; there's quite a bit going on in the song. After a while, you find yourself humming the intro, playing the verses in your head and every so often shouting "I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BUT IT AIN'T GONNA BE WHAT YOU LIKE!" Something Good comes at you straight away as just a really sweet and well-penned country-tinged song. The melodies, both vocal and guitar, are something your gran could even appreciate, but there's enough bite that it just doesn't seem like a cheesy pop song. This song has already had a bit of airplay and TV exposure that I'd be quite disappointed if it doesn't become a massive hit. It's like a slightly harder HAIM song....and everyone likes HAIM, right?
    The song Suicidal was a good choice for album opener...unless it was purposely made that way. It shows the band's heavier side, in a similar way to debut album tracks such as Weatherman and my personal favourite Test On My Patience. I haven't asked the band themselves the real meaning behind the song, but judging behind the lyrics it does seem to be speaking to those who have ever thought their life wasn't enough and telling them that they should never give up. It seems to be almost laughing at one's own concept of wanting to end their life, which I for one can relate to. If this is not quite the meaning of the song, then that's at least what I take from it when I head bang along to "Run and blow my life away. I wake up to another day."
   All the songs on this album have something special about them; there's a little bit of something for everyone. Lovesick, Greaser and Feel Right At Home all lie in the mainstream hard rock category, with catchy choruses and mixtures of heavier and softer parts. "Baby we're lovesick" is a chorus you won't be forgetting in a hurry and Greaser's chorus will have you waving your arms side to side while also trying not to break into Buggles' Video Killed The Radio Star (you'll know what I mean). Feel Right at Home has more of a groove to it than the others, coming off a bit like Black Crowes (whom I love). Mr Mr has an almost Black Keys vibe. It has echoey guitars and bluesy riffs along with pounding drums. There's a riff at the midway mark and at the end of the whole song which gives the song a headbanging quality.
    Radio One Two is possibly the nearest this album has to a punk rock song. Starting off with more of a new wave sound, it breaks out into a joyous singalong. Every song could be considered to have mainstream likability. There are also two slow songs on the album; Blue Was The Beautiful You and For You I Am. The former is bluesy with an explosive chorus and the latter sounds at times like it could be an Alanis song (which isn't a bad thing) and is slow but builds and builds into something emotionally beautiful.
        If you haven't listened to Dead Sara yet and you consider yourself a rock music fan, then I suggest you get on it straight away. They are a super cohesive unit, with Emily's voice definitely being at the forefront. This album has every chance to hit mainstream success; hopefully, it already is. It's hard to pick highlights as it changes at every listen, but Radio One Two and Something Good stand out for me right now. Whether the album itself is as good as the self titled album, I don't know...but it definitely hits a spot.

5/5
   

ANOTHER NEW SONG FROM THE AMAZING DEAD SARA

  I bloody love Dead Sara. I was blown away by the self titled album, full of great riffs, infectious grooves (not the Suicidal Tendencies funk metal band) and amazing vocal melodies by singer Emily Armstrong. In the lead up to the release of new album Pleasure To Meet You, a music video for new song Mona Lisa was posted to Youtube. Now, via soundcloud, we can hear another new song called Something Good. Something Good both rocks and is quite beautiful and joyous. Some might consider it poppy in the same way Paramore's Still Into You was...but they are both still incredibly well written and performed songs. I've probably said it before and I'll say it again...I just can't wait for this goddamn album!!

NEW TRACKS FROM RECENT AND UPCOMING RELEASES

  I came across a few tracks and videos from recent and upcoming releases by some great bands.

Millencolin - Sense & Sensibility

  Sense & Sensibility, not to be confused with the Jane Austin novel and period drama of the same name, is the first track to be released off of Swedish punk band Millencolin's upcoming album True Brew. Back in my mid teens, I was aware of Millencolin because of the music videos for songs like Fox and Kemp. I don't think I ever properly liked them back then; same thing could be said about a number of skate-punk bands. It took me until recent years to check out albums such as Pennybridge Pioneers, which I remember the release of, and For Monkeys to really get the band. This new track stays true to the Millencolin sound, including the unmistakable voice of frontman Nikola Sarcevic and the bouncy rhythm. The song tackles the subject of racism and I guess the irony behind having just as much hate for racists as the racists do against the minorities. The "You're just a racist clown to me" line of the chorus is catchy and poignant enough to get stuck in your head. The video is cool and simple, being shot in the back of a van..or at least made to look as such. For those who like videos of the band just rocking out, this will not disappoint.
If this track is anything to go by, True Brew has the potential to be another great Millencolin record for the adoring fans. Due for release April 28th.

Dead Sara - Mona Lisa

   I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I only realised yesterday that I no longer liked Dead Sara on Facebook and had therefore completely missed the release of this single and video for Mona Lisa from upcoming second album Pleasure To Meet You. I fell in love with Dead Sara upon the discovery of the song and video for Weatherman. It's a bit of a task to label Dead Sara. They are a rock band but not simply a rock band. Their self titled debut is an array of groovy riffs, frontwoman Emily Armstrong's powerful vocals, heavy drumming and cool harmonies, managing to showcase both heavy headbanging tunes and beautiful ballads. I am hoping for the same, maybe even a tad more, from the followup. Mona Lisa, certainly seems to show off the band's more (dare I say it) "hipster" side, especially in the video. The song itself is certainly not a disappointment; it still has that familiar heavy Dead Sara sound which builds up to an "explosion" which you know must be getting everyone at their shows going nuts. I know I would be. They once again manage to come up with a catchy refrain in "I know what you want but it's not gonna be what you like". This is definitely a great easer for the album and I'm hoping to be "on it like a car bonnet" when Pleasure To Meet You drops late March.

Shredhead - Walk With The Dead 

   Shredhead are an Israeli metal band who are slowly but surely making a name for themselves abroad, having even relocated to Berlin during the recording of latest album Death is Righteous released back in January. The album was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (Suicide Silence, The Haunted, Sick Ot It All etc.). I haven't yet heard the album but if Walk With The Dead is anything to go by, it must be pretty damn cool. I have to admit, though, it's not really my thing. The video, however, is an absolute must-see. The South Park-esque animations show the band in different situations and encountering an absolute smorgasbord of celebrities and TV/Movie characters, including some Israeli local celebrities that I recognise who have helped the band throughout the career with both promotion, videos and shows. The video is worth seeing with friends so you can play a game where you need to write down everyone you see. The one with the most names wins!

 Bloodshot Eyes - Happy Ever After (Summer's Gone)

  I don't know that much about Bloodshot Eyes except that they are a melodic punk (I guess..) band from Hod Hasharon, Israel. If you like melodic pop punk, then check out their recent single Happy Ever After (Summer's Gone). Personally, for me, I think it may take time for me to really like it. There's something there...I just need to keep going back and looking for it. It's certainly not 2 dimensional, with dynamic changes which should appease a variety of punk/hardcore music lovers. It is, however, the vocals that I am finding slightly off putting but you can't do much about an accent. 

Raiden - The Devil's Handprint

  Finally, previewed this passed weekend, I bring you the heaviest track on this post. Raiden from Essex (which is basically very far east London, for those who don't know) are a band who I never thought would emerge with anything new. I knew they were doing the odd show here and there once or twice a year but they have actually brought out a new track. Raiden are one of those bands I was aware of in my teens when I was knocking about the HC scene in London. I believe they had a track on a compilation which at first I thought was too metal for me, but after a while appreciated it. I still never properly followed the band; I'm not even too sure I've ever seen them. They were/still are part of the EBD (Essex BeatDown) scene which is basically the insane younger brother to the LBU (London Black Up) scene. 
  New track, The Devil's Handprint, starts off with some beautiful yet also menacing classical guitar playing. Seeing as I was already familiar with the band, I knew this wouldn't last for long. As expected, after about a minute, the blastbeats, shredding and blood curdling screams kick in and we are treated to some proper metal. Also as standard, we get a beatdown near the end. It's short, which I normally prefer but I actually wish there was more. Hopefully this means there's a new record on the way and more tracks for me to check out.
  If you like death metal, black metal and/or beatdown hardcore, check out Raiden.