The Atlanta natives and “Grass ‘n’ Roll” pioneers, Seven Handle Circus made their first appearance in Nashville earlier this month. Looking to impress the right people in Music City, the group played The Basement – one of Nashville’s premier venues for intimate and personal concerts.
The guys opened the small show with an unreleased song entitled, “Break It Down or Don’t Give Up,” producing a collaborative foot-tapping throughout the crowd almost immediately. Passion for their harmonic take on modern bluegrass could be seen on each band member’s face. The six-man show continued by highlighting the tracks found on their EP, “Whiskey Stills & Sleeping Pills,” while adding one additional unreleased song, “Never Gonna Last.” Their unconventional style and mature lyrics were undisputed crowd-pleasers, garnering hearty applause at every break. To conclude the evening, Seven Handle Circus struck up a song called “Bluegrass Girl,” which somehow gloriously evolved into a cover of House of Pain’s 1992 hit “Jump Around.” This was a favorite for everyone in the room as several people (I presume they had more to drink than others) began to jump around and dance.
Seven Handle Circus put on an excellent show in Nashville and I feel certain they’ll be invited back. Anyone who has the chance to see them now should do it before tickets get expensive, because this eclectic Grass ‘n’ Roll band from Georgia is going places!
For more information on Seven Handle Circus and a list of upcoming shows visit their website: sevenhandlecircus.com
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Tapping into a dark and relatively undiscovered region of the alternative rock world, Lines In The Sky released their second EP: “Dig Deeper.” This new 6-song effort is refreshingly more memorable and better composed than “The Double Plus Good” (their previous EP). In juxtaposition to the deep and serious lyrics, the album, as a whole, is very up-tempo and head-bob inducing.
The strongest track, “Threads,” was placed at the beginning to catch the listener’s attention and that it does. After a short guitar intro, the grungy six-stringed bass of Zack Wakefield, stimulates the auditory nerves, while lead guitarist and vocalist, Jesse Brock, speaks his experience of losing a valuable relationship. The lyrics, vague by design, open the mind of the listener, causing them to consider the various possible meanings.
Track 2, “Element 115,” keeps up with the fast paced melody of the preceding. Jesse shows off his prowess for guitar playing throughout this track, while communicating a more abstract message about death, the acceptance thereof, and the heavy and complicated feelings surrounding the topic. The song concludes with a soft, sorrowful piano solo that masterfully projects the feeling of passing on.
“Sonata,” a minute-long instrumental, takes a break by shifting to a slower tempo. This track preambles the next with marvelous coherence.
“I Had A Dream That Everything Broke” pays more homage to the sound of indie rock than the other post-punk influenced tracks. Jesse Brock is haunted in this song by something that is unsettled in a fading relationship. Brock’s poetry resembles something that would be found in a literature course, rather than modern pop culture.
The final song, “Dig Deeper,” continues to expound on the theme of relationships. The musical elements lend a sense of urgency that the lyrics communicate as well.
“Dig Deeper” is a good sophomore work for Lines In The Sky. The album exhibits a predictable solidarity between songs both lyrically and musically and could benefit from diversity. I believe this diversity will come as the band matures and explores their full potential. “Dig Deeper” is a well-compiled album and is worth a listen. As for Lines In The Sky, if they continue to evolve and innovate, they definitely have a future in the music industry. I’m excited to see what’s next for them!
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Coming off their highly successful “History From Below” album, which gave the band their big break, Delta Spirit has sought to produce a similarly strong album over the past year. The result was a self-titled, 11 song album that brought an eclectic tempo and elegant sound. Delta Spirit is very proud of their achievement, but with good reason. Matthew Vasquez (lead vocalist) said upon release, “That’s why it’s a self-titled record, so we could connect our identity with the album, because this album is what we think Delta Spirit is.” If this album is what Delta Spirit is, they definitely deserve the public’s attention.
Delta Spirit’s classic folky sound meshed with southern California indie rock influences still rings out in this new record, but in a more refined and more confident manner. The first song on the record, “Empty House,” is comprised of the meaningful, easy to understand lyrics that Delta Spirit is known for. With his usual classy style and flare, Vasquez communicates the band’s liberal take on societal issues.
“California,” the album’s most popular radio song, is littered with guitar riffs that sound like the new-age southern rock popularized by the Kings of Leon, but with more sophisticated lyrics than the typical themes of homemade wine, cunning women, and youthful fornication. Vasquez communicates deeper emotions about a past or present lover, showing his lyrical maturity.
The adventurous “Idaho” conveys the fascination with rebellion and running from the law, that most honest human beings would admit to. The guitar rings in heavy and the bass part is distinct and entertaining to the ears.
The ball busting “Tellin’ The Mind” is sure to speak to any Modest Mouse fan with hard rocking vocals and musical creativity. The tongue roll throughout the song seems like an aural omen of the event being described.
The album’s ninth track, “Into The Darkness,” comes across as a realization of the cruelty of the world and potential meaninglessness of life. By the end of the song it becomes more obvious this is a call to action to address these problems in society. This veracious calling out of societal issues is a staple of Delta Spirit that never seems to get old.
The album contains two relatively slower songs, “Home” and “Time Bomb,” which provide variety in the album’s cadence.
The other songs on the album are equally well-written and composed recordings, deserving just as much airtime. Though I usually catch myself being a tough critic, I feel like this album has jumped through every hoop required for excellence in my book. They have succeeded in the quest to one up themselves. I would rate Delta Spirit’s “Delta Spirit” a 9 out of 10.
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Aaron Jernigan / Blog
Show Review: Seven Handle Circus
The Atlanta natives and “Grass ‘n’ Roll” pioneers, Seven Handle Circus made their first appearance in Nashville earlier this month. Looking to impress the right people in Music City, the group played The Basement – one of Nashville’s premier venues for intimate and personal concerts. The guys opened the small show with an unreleased song entitled, “Break It Down or Don’t Give Up,” producing a collaborative foot-tapping throughout the crowd almost immediately. Passion for their harmonic take on modern bluegrass could be seen on each band member’s face. The six-man show continued by highlighting the tracks found on their EP, “Whiskey Stills & Sleeping Pills,” while adding one additional unreleased song, “Never Gonna Last.” Their unconventional style and mature lyrics were undisputed crowd-pleasers, garnering hearty applause at every break. To conclude the evening, Seven Handle Circus struck up a song called “Bluegrass Girl,” which somehow gloriously evolved into a cover of House of Pain’s 1992 hit “Jump Around.” This was a favorite for everyone in the room as several people (I presume they had more to drink than others) began to jump around and dance. Seven Handle Circus put on an excellent show in Nashville and I feel certain they’ll be invited back. Anyone who has the chance to see them now should do it before tickets get expensive, because this eclectic Grass ‘n’ Roll band from Georgia is going places!
For more information on Seven Handle Circus and a list of upcoming shows visit their website: sevenhandlecircus.com
Reply
Album Review: Dig Deeper
Tapping into a dark and relatively undiscovered region of the alternative rock world, Lines In The Sky released their second EP: “Dig Deeper.” This new 6-song effort is refreshingly more memorable and better composed than “The Double Plus Good” (their previous EP). In juxtaposition to the deep and serious lyrics, the album, as a whole, is very up-tempo and head-bob inducing. The strongest track, “Threads,” was placed at the beginning to catch the listener’s attention and that it does. After a short guitar intro, the grungy six-stringed bass of Zack Wakefield, stimulates the auditory nerves, while lead guitarist and vocalist, Jesse Brock, speaks his experience of losing a valuable relationship. The lyrics, vague by design, open the mind of the listener, causing them to consider the various possible meanings. Track 2, “Element 115,” keeps up with the fast paced melody of the preceding. Jesse shows off his prowess for guitar playing throughout this track, while communicating a more abstract message about death, the acceptance thereof, and the heavy and complicated feelings surrounding the topic. The song concludes with a soft, sorrowful piano solo that masterfully projects the feeling of passing on. “Sonata,” a minute-long instrumental, takes a break by shifting to a slower tempo. This track preambles the next with marvelous coherence. “I Had A Dream That Everything Broke” pays more homage to the sound of indie rock than the other post-punk influenced tracks. Jesse Brock is haunted in this song by something that is unsettled in a fading relationship. Brock’s poetry resembles something that would be found in a literature course, rather than modern pop culture. The final song, “Dig Deeper,” continues to expound on the theme of relationships. The musical elements lend a sense of urgency that the lyrics communicate as well. “Dig Deeper” is a good sophomore work for Lines In The Sky. The album exhibits a predictable solidarity between songs both lyrically and musically and could benefit from diversity. I believe this diversity will come as the band matures and explores their full potential. “Dig Deeper” is a well-compiled album and is worth a listen. As for Lines In The Sky, if they continue to evolve and innovate, they definitely have a future in the music industry. I’m excited to see what’s next for them!
Reply
Album Review: Delta Spirit
Coming off their highly successful “History From Below” album, which gave the band their big break, Delta Spirit has sought to produce a similarly strong album over the past year. The result was a self-titled, 11 song album that brought an eclectic tempo and elegant sound. Delta Spirit is very proud of their achievement, but with good reason. Matthew Vasquez (lead vocalist) said upon release, “That’s why it’s a self-titled record, so we could connect our identity with the album, because this album is what we think Delta Spirit is.” If this album is what Delta Spirit is, they definitely deserve the public’s attention. Delta Spirit’s classic folky sound meshed with southern California indie rock influences still rings out in this new record, but in a more refined and more confident manner. The first song on the record, “Empty House,” is comprised of the meaningful, easy to understand lyrics that Delta Spirit is known for. With his usual classy style and flare, Vasquez communicates the band’s liberal take on societal issues. “California,” the album’s most popular radio song, is littered with guitar riffs that sound like the new-age southern rock popularized by the Kings of Leon, but with more sophisticated lyrics than the typical themes of homemade wine, cunning women, and youthful fornication. Vasquez communicates deeper emotions about a past or present lover, showing his lyrical maturity. The adventurous “Idaho” conveys the fascination with rebellion and running from the law, that most honest human beings would admit to. The guitar rings in heavy and the bass part is distinct and entertaining to the ears. The ball busting “Tellin’ The Mind” is sure to speak to any Modest Mouse fan with hard rocking vocals and musical creativity. The tongue roll throughout the song seems like an aural omen of the event being described. The album’s ninth track, “Into The Darkness,” comes across as a realization of the cruelty of the world and potential meaninglessness of life. By the end of the song it becomes more obvious this is a call to action to address these problems in society. This veracious calling out of societal issues is a staple of Delta Spirit that never seems to get old. The album contains two relatively slower songs, “Home” and “Time Bomb,” which provide variety in the album’s cadence. The other songs on the album are equally well-written and composed recordings, deserving just as much airtime. Though I usually catch myself being a tough critic, I feel like this album has jumped through every hoop required for excellence in my book. They have succeeded in the quest to one up themselves. I would rate Delta Spirit’s “Delta Spirit” a 9 out of 10.
Reply