thePULSEDeath Cab for Cutie’s Codes and Keys
By Katey Khaos
For all of those Death Cab For Cutie fans ~ after a two year break, the band has finally released their seventh studio album entitled Codes and Keys.
Codes and Keys, released in May 2011, features eleven tracks about life, love, and heartbroken characters ~ you know, the themes Death Cab For Cutie is well-versed in and well-known for ~ it’s why we love them! However, this album is much more experimental than what they’re previously released. Personally, I think the change is a good one ~ they’ve injected new life into the music that has become so formulaic for them.
The album opens with “Home is a Fire,” in which DCFC keeps the audience in suspense; each time you expect the song to hit a climax, it calms down again. It’s a style similar to that of lead singer Gibbard’s other project, The Postal Service.
Again, DCFC’s lyrics still reflect characters dealing with heartache. In “Underneath the Sycamore,” Gibbard seems to be singing about a couple who only get along when they’re underneath a particular sycamore tree. After hearing track that follows, “St. Peter’s Cathedral,” I got the impression the couple was buried beneath the tree and that the band was exploring themes of death and the afterlife.
Considering the vast musical differences this album has to offer, I can’t help but wonder how many tracks didn’t end up on the album. One can only hope an EP will be released at a later date.
For more on Death Cab for Cutie, and to check out the entire album, please visit www.deathcabforcutie.com and
www.facebook.com/deathcabforcutie.
Egypt Central’s White Rabbit
By Alex Kantarelis
Nu-metal/rock outfit Egypt Central has released a new album ~ White Rabbit. This is their second release, following up their 2008 self titled album that debuted at number 8 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and had more than one single make a splash on the top 40 active rock chart. White Rabbit is continuing on the path that the band’s first album blazed. Heavy, yet melodic riffs, mixed with well written lyrics and songs that flow almost seamlessly into one another, which is a sign of a good band. 
Things kick off heavy with the opening song “Ghost Town,” only to get even heavier with the next song ~ the one after which the album was named. “White Rabbit,” the album’s first single, is loaded with heavy guitars and screaming vocals and will definitely get you pumped up. It’s a good track to listen to at the gym, if that’s your style. Things take a turn in the third song, as vocalist John Falls shows off his range, softly singing “I’ll bury this inside, it’s my last kiss goodnight.” The song fits well in the mix; it’s as a softer track, but by no means a ballad. After all, this band if all about making “kick ass rock,” so they won’t be giving us any boring songs.
The success of their last album put Egypt Central in with producer Skidd Mills, better known for his work with Saving Abel and 12 Stones ~ among many others. Mills was the missing link that the band needed to take the next step musically and to create an album that is strong from start to finish. And more importantly, Mills found a way to capture their blistering live show on wax (or on iTunes, since nobody listens to records anymore… except for me of course).
Check them out at
www.egyptcentral.net.
Vanna’s And They Came Baring Bones
By Jennifer Russo
“Does death divide us all by light the same way as the day decides the night? Is darkness just where it begins? Bring me your bones.”
It’s always remarkable when an established band with a few albums under its belt comes out with a new album that is inexplicably a definition of who they are as a band. Vanna’s latest album ~ And They Came Bearing Bones ~ brings back what we know and love about Vanna’s previous albums, but elevates it to a much heavier and much more aggressive level. The sound is more melodic across the album and offers greater diversity than we’ve heard in previous albums. The intense speed of songs like “History on Repeat” and “Eyes Like the Tides” beg for a circle-pit, but then comes along comes the heartfelt ballad “Scarlet Shroud.” It’s the epitome of musical balance. Evan Pharmakis’ angelic vocals are weighed out perfectly with the shredding screams of Davey Muise and melodic guitar is in perfect proportion to a pounding drum kit.
Muise tells me that the album name is a metaphor based on a medieval war tactic he once read about. “Because it was impossible to just walk into a castle and kill royalty, the King’s enemies would first kill the blacksmiths, put on their clothes and assume their identity. They would work their way up, killing the guards and taking their role, etc. Ultimately they would assume the role of a member of the king’s court where they would attempt the assassination. They were caught and ordered to be executed. The king asked to see them first wearing their own clothing ~ letting them bare their bones.”
Muise offers that the title speaks to how Vanna just puts themselves out there as a band. There is no attempt to be fake or something other than what they are. “The fake bands will ultimately be bumped off until only the real ones exist,” he tells Pulse. The new album certainly shows confidence in what they’ve bled for, and begs us to take them for who they are ~ a band that hides nothing and lives their lives every day as their songs decree.
See what else Vanna has been up to at:
www.facebook.com/vannamusic or www.myspace.com/vanna
Drive A’s Loss of Desire (plus bonus disc)
By Alex Kantarelis
Los Angeles punk band Drive A is proving that in a world of auto-tune and over-production, a band can still do it the right way by playing their hearts out and avoiding the money grab that most bands fall victim to at some point. With their relentless devotion to touring and the punk scene, the band has proven to be a permanent installment in the world of punk music. 
Their love of punk bands like Rancid and Rise Against is obvious in their 12 song debut album, Loss of Desire, which was recently re-released with a bonus disc. Their style is reminiscent of The Descendants, but with a heavier edge. They keep things upbeat the entire time and avoid the boring emo sound that was so popular ten years ago. In the song “The Hell with Motivation,” they show their hardcore roots with the fast opening and shouted vocals, ending the track with a screaming breakdown. Most bands who attempt this end up sounding like a pop band gone horribly metal, but Drive A manage to keep it within their style. They follow that with the song “Wake Up,” which would please a crowd if they were opening for Hatebreed. But don’t get me wrong, they are not a hardcore band ~ just a punk band with heavy parts, but not cheesy in the least. The album never slows down and is exactly what fans of punk want to hear.
The bonus disc only further shows off Drive A’s passion for punk rock, with cover versions of The Clash’s “White Riot,” The Buzzcocks’ “What Do I Get,” and a live version of “Are You Blind” from the album. Great covers from a great band.
Drive A have toured up and down the country with bands like All Time Low, The Used, Third Eye Blind, LMFAO, and local Worcester dudes Four Year Strong.
Definitely check them out.
