Sleepless Nights - King Diamond (EP)

As soon as I heard the opening track "Radio Silence" off the Halifax-based Sleepless Nighs' new EP, something clicked. There are some bands you come to like over time and there are some that you instantly connect with. "King Diamond" was my first exposure to the band and I was intrigued by their shoegaze-inspired approach to punk. The EP is surprisingly dynamic and diverse considering it only spans 4 tracks. The vocals are defined and very comparable to those of the Weakerthans' John Sampson. Sleepless Nights are able to create the "wall of sound" effect often associated with shoegaze while working in hooks and melodies that compliment the vocals beautifully. After downloading this EP for free (!) off the band's website, I can now consider my self a fan. At 13 minutes and 4 songs, this EP is a cruel tease of what this band can do.

8/10

http://thesleeplessnights.com/

Arkells - Jackson Square

If you live in the Hamilton or Toronto are, chances are you've heard of the Arkells. While their debut album "Jackson Square" is hardly a new discovery, it most definitely deserves recognition. The Arkells blend catchy rock riffs with an indie style, making this album very easy to get into. The songwriting sounds very instinctive, but still manages to sound original and hold the listener's attention. All five members are very competent on their instruments and although the album doesn't contain any jaw-dropping musicianship, the music sounds very smooth and well-mixed. The vocals on "Jackson Square" are superb and the 12 tracks are filled with spots of backup vocals belted out so perfectly behind Max Kerman's solid voice that you can't help but shout them out along with the band. Overall, the album feels compellingly honest and easy to connect to. The Arkells are a perfect example of the kind of musical talent budding in Hamilton and their recent success across Canada is well-deserved.

8.5/10

Pissed Jeans - King Of Jeans

Squeals of feedback, pounding rhythm lines, and harsh vocals are Pissed Jeans' trademark sound, and on their new LP "King of Jeans" their sound comes together better than ever before. They've refined their songwriting and made their material more accessible without sacrificing their gritty, sludge-punk style. Songs like "False Jesii, Part 2" and "Human Upskirt" use the punctuating, percussive vocal style of frontman Matt Korvette to create hooks using rhythm rather than melody. The album contains a good ratio of fast punk songs to slow sludge tracks. It flows well between these styles for the most part (The placing of "Request for Masseuse" right before "Human Upskirt, for example) and the closer "Goodbye (Hair)" is the perfect closing song. Many of the tracks (especially the aforementioned closings song) are very reminiscent of The Jesus Lizard at the height of their career, so if you are a fan, I would definitely recommend this album.

Standout tracks: False Jesii, Part 2", "Request For Masseuse"

9.0/10

No Alestorm/The End Of Hostage Life

Opted out of going to see Alestorm after discovering that the show was a full-blown Norwegian Death Metal festival. It's just not my thing..... Anyway today is a sad day for Canadian punk as Hostage Life announced that they will be breaking up as of November 20th. I saw these guys twice this year and they were incredible both times, they will be sorely missed and I hope to see them again sometime in the future.

Believe it or not, I'm going to see pirate-metal band "Alestorm" at the Opera House on Wednesday. Any show that features bands who sing about wenches and mead is bound to be a good time. Updates to follow after the show. Band's MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/alestorm

Music From The Hammer

As the name suggests, this blog is music-oriented and written from Hamilton, Ontario. Most of the posts will be reviews or opinions or just cool stories about music and stuff i find "blog-worthy". Despite my hatred for the word "blog" and the stereotype that comes with writing one, it is an excellent way to voice one's opinion and being the opinionated music fan that I am, I figured I may as well give it a shot.