The Dead and the Naked

Harley Poe is can easily be grouped into the genre of folk music, but they are so much different than anything else within the category. Acoustic, folk style as well as punk music is evident here, but the song content brings something I’ve not seen anywhere else other than Harley Poe. While lyrics containing rather graphic story-telling, Harley Poe doesn’t hold back when it comes to writing music.

Being a fan of horror, and also a fan of acoustic music, this album has got all that I like to see in music. With stories about vampires, zombies, murders, and other horrors contained within the lyrics of their songs, many listeners either absolutely love Harley Poe or absolutely despise them. One thing, I believe, that makes Harley Poe what they are, is the emotion and passion behind the songs. These monsters they sing about become the object of the stories within the songs. Listeners then hear these songs are then touched and can easily relate to what the protagonist of the song goes through. Given, Harley Poe is a much different outfit than most bands you’ll hear, the unique art they bring with their music is hard to overlook, whether you’re a fan of them or not.

Their album The Dead and the Naked was released back in 2006, but I’ve recently discovered the album and it’s hard to put it down. This album conceals a massive array of story-telling; from cannibals to vampires, and zombies to murders, as well as necrophilia (yes, songs about necrophilia), there is very little that is left out in the stories on this album. Songs like Transvestites Can Be Cannibals Too, Corpse Grindin’ Man, Corrupting My Better Half, and It’s Only the End of the World, appear on other albums, though with a different version of each. Half of the album is compiled of songs that were recorded in studio; the other half is made up songs that were recorded live.

Whether you are a fan of horror, acoustic, or even neither of the two; Harley Poe is still worth the listen.

False Idle

If you’re like me, you’ve grown up singing Christian hymns on a weekly basis. It’s always fun to see your favorite bands covering those same hymns on their albums. It’s even better when those bands have a whole album dedicated to doing so. False Idle does just that on their very first release. Hymns of Punk Rock Praise is exactly what the title implies; Christian hymns redone with a new punk rock twist. Bringing us covers like The Old Rugged Cross, It Is Well With My Soul, and Great Is Thy Faithfulness, we can all relate back to those Sunday mornings we’ve spent singing the same songs. False Idle isn’t afraid to experiment in order to splice fast-paced, old-school punk rock with these classic songs we know. Giving us a new edge on 6 century-old songs, Hymns of Punk Rock Praise is Christian punk at it’s finest.

With this being their first release of original music, False Idle makes an everlasting impression with their I Refuse EP. With the punk scene slowly decaying, False Idle gives us hope that the scene just might have a chance. With quality punk rock that makes them stand out among a mass of other bands, False Idle sings not about drugs, anger, or self-destruction; they sing a bold song of hope and determination in a dying world. With no holding back, False Idle ventures to bring you passion-driven punk rock without the usual devil-mar-care attitude. I must say, the only set back about it is there’s only four tracks, ending with the thirst for more. You can download this EP here for free:

http://www.indievisionmusic.com/2011/06/07/false-idle-i-refuse/

With Our Powers Combined

Destroy Nate Allen (if you aren’t familiar with them, you’re terribly missing out) is a husband/wife folk punk duo of Nate and Tessa Allen. They were the first folk punk band that I’ve ever heard of, in fact, I didn’t even know there was a thing such as “folk punk” prior to my knowledge of them. But since my introduction to this hybrid breed of punk, I’ve been quite an avid fan of many different bands within the genre.

Breaking away from the usual-unusual style that is Destroy Nate Allen, they’ve ventured out to bring us something totally new and unpredictable with their up-and-coming album, With Our Powers Combined. This time around they’ve got a full band backing them, the band that is known as Gnarboots (has-been members of Link 80 and Shinobu). But don’t expect any let downs with this new adventure in sound; the fun is still evident, and no fan of pop punk will be disappointed. The punk rock tendencies of DNA are still just as evident as ever, as well as their usual folk themed tunes. Even if you’re just someone who’s out looking for new, original music, look no further; you’ve found it right here. I feel this new album will catch the eyes of an even bigger variety of music fans than ever before.

Now that they’ve got a full band backing them, they’re still utilizing each instrument with wonderful ability, just like before. Still entwined with the classic tambourine and punk rock chords, they’ve also added in some drums, ska chords, a dominant keyboard throughout, as well as a horn section. (Yes, a horn section!)

 As far as the album as a whole, there’s really nothing wrong with it. With much of the music I’ve heard from bands who’ve been in the industry for years, they seem to be getting more and more mediocre with every new album. That is not the situation with Destroy Nate Allen. They seemed to have topped every album they’ve done so far with this release. There aren’t any “hidden jewels” within this album, from track 1 to track 15; each individual song has something in it that makes it stand out from the whole lot. The album is a packed with thrills and beats that will drive you insane and is guaranteed to make your face hurt by the end of it from all the laughs and smiles it will bring.

With Our Powers Combined will be available on June 5th.

Here are some links:

http://www.destroynateallen.com

http://www.facebook.com/destroynateallen

http://www.twitter.com/dstrynateallen

http://www.destroynateallen.tumblr.com