Scott Mathews
25 posts, June 2005 to March 2010
Spotlight: The Helio Sequence
The Helio Sequence of Portland, OR, have recently released their highly anticipated third album Keep Your Eyes Ahead a few days past – January 29 th. The band is made of two; Brandon Summers, guitar and vocals, while Benjamin Weikel takes…
Spotlight: Papercuts
Papercuts, fronted by Jason Robert Quever, bring us two unique and refreshing pop/folk rock albums: his debut Mockingbird (2004), and latest release Can’t Go Back (2007). In both albums, Quever takes on airy vocals that blend beautifully…
All Out War - Assassins in the House of God
Assassins in the House of God starts hard and ends, well, hard. This metalcore outfit really knows what they're doing with their sound, and it shows in the resulting record. The album is fast, the drums punching and the guitar stabbing…
Between the Trees - The Story and the Song
This debut release from pop-rockers Between the Trees is synth-led and guitar-heavy, fronted by a vocalist that emboides the growingly popular slightly-high-but-not-too-whiney vocal style. Between the Trees is undoubtedly a rock group with…
Amiina - Kurr
The latest in post-rock from Iceland sounds surprisingly similar to Iceland's premier post-rock group, Sigur Rós, and with good reason. The quartet has performed with Sigur Rós on many occassions, both in the studio and live, typically as…
ActionReaction - 3 is the Magic Number
The latest -- and true debut, excepting a short tour EP -- from ActionReaction, 3 is the Magic Number , is a glossy work of pop-rock with an element of careful production. ActionReaction's attention to detail is apparent, what with a fair…
Betrayed - Substance
Betrayed's first full-length release, Substance , accentuates their hardcore stylings with more than just a tinge of punk attitude and the expected accompanying musical tactics. Substance features a thick wall of distortion (though not a…
Blue Merle - Burning in the Sun
The first time I heard Nashville's Blue Merle, I could have sworn it was a side project of Coldplay's Chris Martin based on the singer's voice. Although the singer may sound alot like Martin, the music itself goes in several different…