popwreckoning

The Ireland-based Bell X1 evolved out of the Damien Rice-fronted Juniper. After Rice quit over an argument with the band about packaging their CDs with recyclable material, drummer Paul Noonan took over front man duties and the band changed their name. Though perhaps lacking the grandeur of Coldplay and Keane, Bell X1 fit nicely into the aforementioned’s category of UK bands boasting intelligent writing and sturdy composition, but lacking the edge needed to enthrall North American listeners not yet detached enough to listen to adult-contemporary radio stations. The touches of decidedly pretty piano and singer Noonan’s calculatedly gentle vocals all further indicate the band’s target audience to be 30+ers that prefer their music subdued and unchallenging.

On the first and more interesting half of Blue Lights On The Runway, this is less apparent. The songs are crafted around beats and contain some of the “oomph” the later half fatally lacks. Opener “The Ribs Of A Broken Umbrella” starts the album off well, with a variety of euphoric electronic sounds wrapped around its basic two-chord structure. On “The Great Defector”, with only a subtle shift in intention, Noonan’s vocals takes on a David Byrne-like character. He playfully sing-speaks lyrics like, “the accountants have taken the movie,” while interesting harmonies, 8-bit keyboards and an animate bass line all flit around the soundscape. Without question, it’s the album’s best track.

The rest of Blue Lights on the Runway, however, goes downhill from there. “A Better Band” shows more of the Talking Heads influence, but completely lacks the manic element that made Byrne and company so compelling. “Breastfed”’s chorus is a valiant attempt at harder rock but fails to convince. “Light Catches Your Face” is the shmaltzer you can expect to hear on “Grey’s Anatomy”.

On Blue Lights on the Runway’s better tracks, Bell X1 show that they have the ability to write music meant for more than network drama placement. Perhaps they just choose not to because there’s simply more money to be made off the “Grey’s Anatomy” audience than hipsters who’ll download the album (without paying for it), blog about how it’s the greatest thing since OK Computer, and then forget about it the next week. If a smart band isn’t necessarily a good one, in this case, Bell X1 is a very smart band.

Blue Lights on the Runway comes out March 3 on BellyUp Records.

Tracklisting:
01. The Ribs of a Broken Umbrella
02. How Your Heart Is Wired
03. The Great Defector
04. Blow Ins
05. Amelia
06. A Better Band
07. Breastfed
08. Light Catches Your Face
09. One Stringed Harp
10. The Curtains Are Twitchin’

Bell X1: website | myspace

The Rest

After a laborious, fulfilling year and half of writing and recording, The Rest is set to release their sophomore album, Everyone All At Once, this April. This Canadian septet found themselves leaving their respective cities in favor of a more secluded and natural environment to write the album. They returned to their urban settings for rehearsal and recording, the latter involved attempting to corral the songs and each individual’s energy into a preserved piece of electronic data. The fruits of the labors are emotionally charged shoegaze-esque indie rock gems.

The Rest – “Modern Time Travel (Necessities)”

The Rest – “Apples & Allegies”

website | myspace

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Finn Daniel

England’s Finn Daniel recently established indie label Stickman Records, named after the only think he’s able to draw (stick figures), to release his debut EP, Settle. Straightforward and passionate about his craft and his business, Daniel is sure to win you over with his earnest songwriting. Daniel picked up the acoustic guitar after years of classic piano training due to coming from a family that was deeply entrenched in performing music. The 24 year old Daniel has created a beautifully harmonic EP lush with beauty and creativity.

Finn Daniel – “If I Got Good”

website | myspace

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Crystal Antlers
Later this year, Long Beach’s Crystal Antlers will release Tentacles, the follow-up to last year’s lauded self-titled EP, on April 7th via Touch and Go Records. In support of the record, Crystal Antlers will hit the road with Cold War Kids this spring in a short trek along the West Coast. Their psychedelic garage punk is sure to incite a riot in venues around the world (the band is currently touring Europe) and will have you questioning all other musical forms.

Crystal Antlers: “Andrew”

myspace