Exotic Fever Records

Keep Singing! A Benefit Compilation For Compassion Over Killing

admin — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:50:00 +0000

Beautiful art graces the cover of this album, entrancing me as I hear Gina Young introduce both the tone and ethics of the compilation. I quickly feel enveloped by the politics and clarity of these artists. I make a game of picking up on notable lyrics, such as quoting Gandhi with “you must be the change/ you wish to see in the world” and showing feminism in “eat what you like/ especially if you are a girl.” Speaking of girls, although there are some female artists on this compilation, I would prefer to hear more women rocking out on the album.

Ranging from warm acoustic ballads to intense punk rock chops, each musician sings intelligent lyrics from the heart. It’s wonderful to hear songs with substance! There is no mistaking the messages of compassion and animal rights in this album. Keep Singing! offers a breath of fresh air to thinking people sadly wandering amidst vapid pop star-worship and destruction of the planet’s resources.

Flipping through the CD booklet, I notice vegetarian recipes submitted by the artists betwixt attractive pictures of vegetables and advertisements for small, ethical companies. A vegetarian cookbook is included on the disc as a downloadable PDF file. I’m pleasantly surprised by the creativity and thoughtfulness of this project.

Written by: Jacquie Piasta, April 13th 2008

Hope: and Songs to Sing

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 03:51:00 +0000

By Eulcid

Exotic Fever Records

Mike Law started Eulcid on a whim in 1996. Although the band wrote the music for their first song in one evening, their first album, The Wind Blew All the Fires Out, took a year to put together and debuted in 2000. Six years, and several different band members later, Eulcid has released another full-length CD.

The theme of this album, Hope and Songs to Sing, seemed more about crying out at injustices than about hope, although perhaps crying out in complaint is a first step in that direction. I was not very impressed with the music or singing in the first few songs. It was loud and unmelodic; however, the words were the best part. The song “Checkbook” was a bit better; the sounds of the music did not overshadow the singing quite as much, which allowed me to more easily hear and appreciate the lyrics. “Word of Mouth” has a very nice steel guitar solo with a short succinct message, perhaps my favorite of them all.

This style of music is one that does not easily cross age, ethnicity and cultural lines. I had a hard time classifying the music. The music style seemed almost, metallic but not quite. The words being more shouted than sang were almost rapping, but not quite. Those who like the harsh, abrasive sounds of heavy drums and steely guitar will likely love this work.

Written by: Teri King, March 23rd 2007

Outer Space

admin — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:17:00 +0000

By Mass Movement of the Moth

Exotic Fever Records

This 10-song album is the first full-length recording for DC hardcore band, Mass Movement of the Moth. Post-apocalyptic lyrics about civilization crumbling amongst all its technology, this band offers music that is simultaneously melodic and chaotic, beautiful and messy. Layered and complex, this album presents classic hardcore with a dance-y keyboard edge that makes the band seem like they are doing something new with a genre that can get a bit tired. Songs alternate between scream-y lyrics that demand a reference to the lyric sheet enclosed inside, while others provide a soundtrack for the music listener who prefers a more straight-forward sing-along with fists raised approach to the classic DIY hardcore punk song. The highlight for me is the track titled “Seven” which includes the lyrics, “and if everyday is supposed to be a war, how am I supposed to find this love that I’m looking for?” It is self-reflective lyrics such as these that allow momentary breaks from the machismo so characteristic of a lot of hardcore. Judging from the past shows’ page on the band’s website, it is clear that this is a DIY hardcore band that appeals to audiences who prefer a small show in an infoshop or punk house to a corporate bar show. It also appears that the band has performed in benefit shows for many radical projects including the feminist project, Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls.

Written by: Ailecia Ruscin, February 21st 2007