Review: Robbed By Giants - Worst of You, Best of Me

Georgia is famous for country stars, but recently the state has produced an indie band that has the ability to become larger than life. Robbed By Giants hails from Rome, Georgia, and they have just released their first album titled Worst of You, Best of Me.

The album features five tracks, fueled by the rawness of the acoustic guitar, and has a southern charm to it. Their stylings are slightly varied, but the band maintains an overall indie quality. While the band is new to the scene, their style of music seems familiar. The music is gritty, and the entire album was recorded in two days. The instrumentals are the real star of this album, Thomas Orr, vocals and guitar, does an excellent job of balancing his vocal abilities with guitar melodies.  Jordan Epperson, the percussionist is laid back with his style, he does not over play the drums, and he meshes the percussion perfectly with the vocals and guitar.

All of the tracks on this album are slightly varied. The first track “Satisfied” is a jumping track, complete with a horn section. The second track “London” is a textbook indie track, soft melodies, quiet vocals, and illustrative lyrics.  The following track “Part 1(Worst of You, Best of Me)” follows suit with the same quiet intensity as the previous track. This song is emotional, a true indie love song.  “Part 2 (Epps)” is an instrumental track, and showcases the band’s technical skills, featuring a reprise of the horn section that was used in the first track.  The final track “Anything” is another love song that is addressed to an unknown lover. The album deserved to have a few more tracks, because it feels like it drops off at the end. Some might find the album to be slightly boring because the last few tracks are all similar and have the same tone and slightly similar instrumentals.  However, the band’s musicality and Orr’s crooning vocals really set the stage for the indie album you didn’t know you wanted.

In conclusion, Worst of You, Best of Me is a tasteful, charming album that sounds as if it belongs in the soundtrack for Grey’s Anatomy. Robbed By Giants has the potential to make a name for themselves in the indie scene. (Konstantina Buhalis)

Favorite Tracks: London, Part 1 (Worst of You, Best of Me)

7.5/10

Stream and download Worst of You, Best of Me here!

For Fans Of:  Bon Iver, Dave Matthews Band, Ben Howard

The Weekly Tune-Up #2

Ouch That Hertz presents The Weekly Tune-Up! Once a week we carefully select music that we find absolutely necessary to add into your music library. And they’re all free to download by the artist! Of course, if you like what you hear, we encourage you to throw a donation their way!

This week we're giving you a wide variety from folk to jazz-hop. Check it all out below!

Jacky Bastek - "Wonderwoman" (Single) and " Cold Progression"  (Single)

A catchy and impressive fingerstyle singer/songwriter from Germany. If anything, you need to hear "Cold Progression"- a blues-y instrumental that will captivate your ears. "Wonderwoman" is one of her older works (with vocals). You'll find her voice to be quite soothing. 

http://jackybastek.bandcamp.com/track/wonderwoman

http://jackybastek.bandcamp.com/track/cold-progression

Jake Feeny - A Fit of Colours

Singer/Songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. A Fit of Colours is a breezy acoustic folk album mixed with an alternative-blues kind of style. You'll need this, trust me.

http://jakefeeney.bandcamp.com/album/a-fit-of-colours

Todd & Ryan Wright - "Snow"

A sweet, catchy holiday ballad written by a man and his daughter. Oh, yeah, you definitely need this. 

http://orangepopsongs.bandcamp.com/track/snow

Monster Rally & Jay Stone - Foreign Pedestrians

Rap/Hip-Hop set to surf-rock-esque beats. Mhhhmmmm.

http://monsterrally.bandcamp.com/album/foreign-pedestrians

Yeomans - Yeomans

Garage/surf-rock outfit from Toronto. Need I say more?

http://yeomans.bandcamp.com/album/yeomans-ep

Animal Flag - Animal Flag

Indie Rock that will have you wearing beanies and swaying like all the hip kids.

http://animalflag.bandcamp.com/album/animal-flag-ep

ProleteR - Rookie EP

Jazz-Hop/electro swing/abstract-ish... An eclectic mix that your ears need to hear.

http://proleter.bandcamp.com/album/rookie-ep

Review: Shakey Graves- Roll the Bones (2011)

At a time when ‘Folk’ is perceived as clean-cut boys with guitars and fedoras, Shakey Graves is refreshing reminder. He returns us to the rustic, haunting grit that traditional folk is based on. Above all, he reminds us that this genre is a mindset- it’s relaxing and laid back. He can charm even the most materialistic city boys drop everything and move to rural Texas. Shakey Graves takes us on a rural experience into traditional folk. For those unfamiliar with this genre, don’t worry- his sincere, intimate, and smokey tone helps the listener ease in effortlessly.

Low-fi finger picking and haunting harmonica riffs compliment his soft, gritty voice, resulting in an album that is soothing and unsettling. It’s hauntingly beautiful- I get chills down my spine when I listen to this album.

Opening track ‘Unlucky Sin’ introduces the listener to an isolated country feeling with banjo and harmonica laid in odd time signatures. Following this is ‘Built to Roam’, another track introducing us to that country isolation through the simplicity of guitar and bass. What’s intriguing in the production of both songs is the sound of some inconsistency- not a fatal, juvenile inconsistency, but a purposeful one. It’s a smart move on his part- he provides very refreshing versatile approach to the same subject.

While Shakey Graves’ style is that of the hauntingly depressing, his music is not trapped in an “every-song-sounds-the-same” sort of repetition.  He maintains integrity in his sound while maneuvering variation in pace and instrumentation. His live track ‘City in a Bottle’ is exemplary in this regard with his use of horns and energy. This song displays an amount of energy that isn’t found on any of the studio tracks. Not only is it refreshing for the album, but it also proves that he can make lo-fi pack a serious punch in live performances.

‘Business Lunch’, however, is one of his most stand-out tracks on this album. It takes you on a surreal ride with smokey tonality, catchy guitar riff, and a playful ‘drop your work and get drunk’ attitude without sounding like a rebellious teen from white suburbia. It’s a rustic style of play that he’s pressuring you to do, and you can’t help but play along.

This album is perfect for road trips, wandering thinkers, stray cowboys, or anything that breathes. Roll the Bones presents honest, heartfelt, raw songs that can carry your soul down any open road. It’s an album you can-and want- to get lost in. You’d be a fool to not include Shakey Graves in your music library.

His new album, And the War Came, is set to release this October.

Pick up Roll the Bones for free at his Bandcamp page. And while you’re at it, pre-order his new album. You don’t want to be caught dead without it. 

Shakeygraves.bandcamp.com

10/10

For fans of: Middle Brother, The Devil Makes Three, Alabama Shakes, Kingsley Flood

Katt Hass