I recently discovered a two piece indie rock band, Dead Man’s Bones. Their self titled album is unlike anything I’ve heard before. Band members, Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields, share a mutual fascination with the supernatural and decided to write love songs about ghosts, monsters, and zombies, giving us a unique Halloween themed record, Dead Man’s Bones, which was released in 2009.

One unique aspect of Dead Man’s Bones is that the entire record is a collaboration with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir. Another factor to consider is, Gosling and Shields didn’t want to have many takes  on a song in recording the album because they believed the imperfections would highlight the anchor of their music. They also played all the instruments used in the record, including ones on which they had never even previously laid hands.

Each track off Dead Man’s Bones is very different from one another. The record starts off with the track, “Dead Hearts”, which is very slow, and the following track, “In the Room Where You Sleep”, is very upbeat with a strong rhythm. Next, “Pa Pa Power” gives off a laid back vibe while “Buried in Water” exudes an eerie feel. “Young & Tragic” is a short song that doesn’t have many lyrics however, concentrates on the instruments and beat. For the most part, each track emits a different mood.

Dead Man’s Bones is an album replete with songs that you wouldn’t normally hear on the radio. When I first listened to this record, I believed that this was the weirdest record I’d ever heard. After I researched about Dead Man’s Bones and discovered that their goal was  to create music that revolved around love and monsters, I went back and listened to the record again. Then, I realized that even though Dead Man’s Bones is a bit odd, it is an excellent record because Gosling and Shields didn’t create generic music; they created an eerie record about monsters in love. Not only do I appreciate how that they valued the impurities of the songs while recording, but I also am inspired by how they took generic topics and combined them with the supernatural while featuring a children’s choir, to create music I’ve never heard before.

Even though I generally enjoy the record, however, I am only really fond of a few songs. I favor “My Body’s a Zombie For You”, because of the rhythm and how the children’s choir is incorporated. I also like “Paper Ships” because of it’s catchy beat and fun vibe. “Lose Your Soul” is another track I like because of it’s captivating, fun beat. Although I’m not the record's biggest fan, I still believe Dead Man’s Bones is worth a listen.

Allyson Chavez

British indie folk rock band, Mumford & Sons, have finally released their sophomore album, Babel. They’re known for their hit, “Little Lion Man”, off of their previous album, Sigh No More, which was released in 2009. Within three years, prior to the release of their new record, Mumford & Sons have worked their way to success and exposure in the United States by playing small shows in support of their first record. Now, Mumford & Sons have gained the popularity they sought, along with winning major music awards in the US and the UK and playing much larger shows.

This sophomore record, Babel, consists of a lot of folk aspects, which reflect Mumford & Sons’ sound. Usually, bands experiment with their sound in their second album and somewhat lose who they are as a band, but Mumford & Sons did not, instead, they improved their sound and gave us an emotional, yet overall uplifting record. Most of the tracks off of this record start off slow and later morph into louder, upbeat songs.

The theme of this record seems to be about love. Perhaps lead singer and songwriter, Marcus Mumford, found inspiration from his own love life and recent marriage to actress Carey Mulligan.

The diversity of instruments used in the record is what makes me fond of this album. Piano, guitars and banjos could be heard throughout the record and the way Marcus Mumford incorporates his voice with these instruments is great.

Overall, Babel is an awesome album, especially if you are a fan of Sigh No More. Whenever I listen to a new album, I know it’s a good one if I subconsciously find myself tapping my feet along with the song. With Babel, I immediately found myself doing so after about a minute into the first track.

Allyson Chavez
   

The Maine released their third full length album, Pioneer, last December. With this album, The Maine has definitely found who they are as a band. In previous years, they've been labeled as a pop-rock band; however, broke out of that label when they released their album, Black & White. Black & White is nothing like what they released before, yet it still consists a few aspects of their pop rock background, which can be heard in the songs like "Listen to Your Heart", "Color", and "Every Road".

Black & White was just a prologue to The Maine’s new and improved sound as an American rock band. Pioneer is the climax. If you’re a fan of the sound of loud drums, low bass, awesome guitar playing, sexy vocals and a featured piano, this album was made for you.

Pioneer kicks off with the tracks "Identify", "My Heroine", "Time", and "Some Days". These tracks are all loud and are great intros of the album to start with because they give you a feel for what you should expect for the rest of the album. In the next apologetic, slow, mellow track, "I’m Sorry", acts as a “relief” from jamming out to the previous songs. Another slow song off of Pioneer is "Jenny," which features an awesome guitar solo.

I believe the guitars on Pioneer make the album because they set the mood of the song. They can be heard in various ways; however for me, I like them sweet, low and slow. The guitars are played to my satisfaction, but in some tracks, as it progresses, the guitars are played to a higher upbeat sound that gives character to the song. This transition can be heard in the tracks "Misery" and "I’m Sorry." These songs start slow and as it progresses, not only do the guitars get louder, but so do the vocals and drums.

As a band and as individuals, The Maine has definitely matured over the years. I've been a fan since when their first album came out and to have watched them grow makes me feel that Pioneer is their establishment as a band they want to be viewed as – an American rock band.  

Allyson Chavez