The Burning Hotels Novels on The 1st Five

The Burning Hotels Novels
Posted by John-Michael - 04/27/10 at 11:04:00 pm

http://www.the1stfive.com/reviews/the-burning-hotels-novels/

The Burning Hotels
Novels
Miss Press Records



The cynic in me wanted to trash The Burning Hotels has a talented, but
merely serviceable, group about five years too late to cash in on The
Strokes success. All the signs are there to see. Simple foundations of
clustered guitar chords, crooning vocals, augmented by metronomic drumming:
a NME or Spin magazine wet dream, and a career that's equally as fleeting.
Only those signs are pretty much bullshit, traces of lazy writing and lazy
listening. Both of which I was initially guilty of while listening to
Novels. Until, somewhere around the fourth listen, it clicked. For all the
glitz of its perfect sound and tight structure Novels is indie rock for
Built to Spill or Get Up Kids fans who want, in their secret heart of
hearts, just once to hear their favorite band write a big pop record.

Now yes, both of those bands have written poppy songs, and lots of post-punk
influenced indie rock bands have signed to major labels in hopes of making a
big record. I'm not talking about that. Instead I want you to picture your
favorite artist getting fed up with trying to rip your soul out of your
chest with his words, picking up their guitar and using all their influences
to write a furious pop record. A pure pop record that isn't dumbed down, but
instead focuses underground sounds into short compact bites of melody.

Calling a band utilitarian is often considered an insult, but its original
meaning is roughly "the greatest good for the greatest number of people."
Selflessness isn't something we praise much in musicians. We moan about how
deep they are when they tell us our enjoyment of their music doesn't matter
to them, because writing songs only for your self is somehow more pure.
Novels is a exercise in utilitarian songwriting, in the classic sense.
Eleven songs with a easy to swallow pop coating that cleverly hides a
decidedly more complex core.

So while the sweet crooning might get your heart sighing your ears will hear
a stunning display of subtle technicality from drummer Wyatt Adams introduce
you to math rock rhythms. "Where's My Girl" rides a wave of reverberating
guitar swells that would give a Failure fan joyful pause, but without
alienating The Killers' groupies with a bloated run time padded with lots of
solos. The constant balance between The Burning Hotel's knack for pop melody
and their technical chops gives them a feeling of freedom I wish I saw in
more bands. Less concern for what they're supposed to do, more passion for
what they want to do.

Of course this is all just conjecture. Maybe they were just trying to write
a really good Killers album and just happened to produce such a compelling
take on the genre. Post-punk that remembers its roots, while forgetting all
the scene politics that said pop songs weren't allowed. Novels isn't quite a
classic, but it leaves plenty of reasons to anticipate The Burning Hotels'
next release. Not to mention keeping a close eye on their future plans.

ROMEO SPIKE ON NEW BAND DAILY

Romeo Spike (United States)

www.NewBandDaily.com

Is there such thing as futuristic rock with a classic rock edge? Romeo Spike sure has found it. Add a bit of a jazz funk edge, and we've got one uber creative and fresh rock band.

Mike Kunz and Donn Aaron met through friends while inhabiting different cities. Both had played with more famous acts and won critical recognition on their own. After discovering their musical chemistry songwriting together, Kunz moved to Atlanta with Aaron to make a record.

They have soaring vocals, an electrifying electric piano and a powerful guitarist, with a drummer and bassist who know how to keep the tempo going. After garnering attention from one of Elton John's engineer/producers, and collaborating with him on the record, Romeo Spike ! will be quite the modern success story.

Songs we recommend you listen to: "Spaceman" and "76."

EXCLAIM! on THE BURNING HOTELS

http://exclaim.ca/musicreviews/latestsub.aspx?csid1=143&csid2=870&fid1=46028


The Burning Hotels
Novels
By Travis Persaud

The Burning Hotels reach back five years, drawing on inspiration from the
Strokes and the Stills for their debut full-length album, Novels. It's
difficult not to enjoy songs such as "Austin's Birthday," "Silhouette" or
"French Heart Attack"; they're catchy, have lively beats and are the perfect
"everyday, anytime" sort of music. But that's just it: they don't evoke any
strong emotions or reactions; it's merely great background music, with a
track or two that might find its way onto a play list. If they could only
take what they did with "To Whom it May Concern" ? angular guitar lines,
frenetic drum beats and a soaring chorus ? and expand upon it. That one
track proves they have a keen sense of how to write a solid song,
unfortunately that same passion isn't conveyed across all 11 tracks. Novels
is worthy of a quick iTunes tryst, but not a record store romance. (Miss
Press)

The Burning Motels - Novels Drops check out POWER POP OVERDOSE

http://powerpopoverdose.blogspot.com/2010/04/burning-motels-novels-drops-today.html

The Burning Motels - Novels Drops

orged under the inspiration of post-punk and angular melodies, the Burning
Hotels cut through modern rock with driving sounds and propulsive rhythms.
The band made their recording debut with a self-released EP titled Eighty
Five Mirrors, licensed by Razor & Tie. This EP won the Fort Worth Weekly's
Album of the Year and 3 of the Top 10 Songs of the Decade. Today, the
Burning Hotels will release their debut full-length LP, Novels, mmixed by
Mark Needham (The Killers, Bloc Party).

The Burning Hotels was a mutual project of Chance Morgan (vocals, guitar),
Matt Mooty (vocals, guitar) and Wyatt Adams (drums), as the three began
forming their ideas in the attic of a garage on a desolate farm. Following
the addition of Marley Whistler (bass), the Burning Hotels were finally
christened as a working band. The group has all of the pieces for indie-rock
stardom in place. Described by the FW Weekly as "One of town's coolest bands
period," they create a driving sound, strongly founded on dark thoughts,
dynamic rhythms, youth and, of course, the hipster look that's all together.

Spacemaker is cool CD from the band's attitude on down

http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-microtia-spacemaker/page-2/



You don't judge a book by its cover and all that rot, but that doesn't stop you from talking about it. The same is true regarding the insightful CD packaging of a new band from Portland. They are Microtia, their CD is called Spacemaker and the "jewel case" is made out of the cardboard remains of a Bud Light box. I was quite ecstatic that someone actually found a respectable use for the packaging of that beer. The logo and such is on the inside. The plain cardboard is on the outside, along with some artful stenciling. Some of it looks like Elvish script straight out of Middle Earth. The track listing is printed on the back of a Camel cigarette box. It was rather ingenious, I thought, and I hope others follow their pattern.

So we've got these young rockers - green musicians, as it were - who are, apparently, environmentally conscious, what with using this recycled stuff, and playing the music of rebellion: punk and prog-metal. It seems almost contradictory, ironic to a degree. Or is it? Are they making a statement in the battle of consumerism versus conservation? You decide on that front.

Maybe we can refer to them as punk earthers. I mean, these guys even reportedly make their own instruments. I almost can't help but like them. They have an independent, do-it-yourself attitude. It helps that their music isn't bad, either. As mentioned it's very punk-like. The vocals remind me of Ambitions and the rest is reminiscent of Crime In Stereo. And they also made me think of a punk version of Voivod. Yeah, wrap your head around that.

But it's not just punk. The whole record has a very, well, gothic texture to it with deep, sustaining tones. They're like a musical alloy of dark punk and progressive metal. They've even got some cool Viking warrior army chanting stuff (they call it combat rhythms) - see the seventh song, "That's The Problem With." A lot of the songs sound a little psychotic and meandering but that's not necessarily bad. Oh, and hats off, hands together for bassist Alex Buck and drummer Tim Steiner - especially Steiner. Those two beat out some fabulous grooves on every song here. "Tone Mtn Vs the Body of Riffage" grabs your attention by way of the rhythm section right away. "Interlude" is another showcase for them. Steiner never seems to stay still; he utilizes every piece of his drum kit, on every song it seems like, and yet it never feels like too much. In fact, it made me want to hear more.

I thought the band name was some kind of science-fiction-ish title, but it isn't. Microtia is the name of a congenital deformity of the ear. Now, when I was younger I would have probably been totally on board with a name like that, but for some reason now it disturbs me a little. Maybe it was the pictures of babies with deformed ears that I found while looking up the name. Now I look at the cool packaging and that's all I see. Obviously I'm just getting old. The word also means 'little ear.' At least it's related to the auditory senses.

The songs do seem lethargic at times, and while there are some tempo changes within each, as a whole the record has the same sound. Despite all that, Spacemaker is cool CD from the band's attitude on down.

a classic, top-down, hair-blowing-in-the-wind road trip rock song!

http://www.dryvetymeonlyne.com/2010/04/26/transient-songs-cave-syndrome/

Transient Songs
Cave Syndrome
Indian Casino; 2010



In my review of Plantation To Your Youth back in 2008, I wrote that, despite the band’s predilection for quality psychedelic Southern rock, the overall approach was a bit too fractured for me, which meant that there wasn’t much that stayed with me when the EP concluded. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I cracked open a preview copy of Cave Syndrome to hear that the group (now simply John Frum with some occasional collaborators) had retained its affection for The Byrds, Gram Parsons, and The Allman Brothers, while bringing in quite welcome spaghetti western tones and twinges of The Flaming Lips’ brand of psych-rock. The result is a more coherent full-length record that is decidedly more grown-up and structured.


Frum starts off the album with “In This Darkness Light Seeps Through” and “Smoking Slows The Healing,” two robust rock tunes that serve as a solid introduction to the record’s direction. With “Wide Open Skies” and “Golden Gardens,” we hear mournful, folky ballads that bespeak of long and lonely nighttime drives down dusty highways in the backcountry. It doesn’t hurt that there is some supple slide guitar and violin work on display casting a ghostly, ethereal mood across songs like “The Cancer In Our Bloodlines” and “A Burrow Patch.”

The only time that the record loses a bit of focus is with “Greenwoods Backyards” and “Astoria,” which are brief, under-two-minute attempts to slow down and/or shift the tone of the record. While I understand what Frum is trying to accomplish in those instances, they really just confused me and caused me to lose track of where the music was heading next.

In spite of those awkward transitions, I think that Transient Songs has crafted a good from-dusk-to-dawn record in Cave Syndrome, one inspired by both the American troubadour tradition and the classic American need to let off steam with a long, meditative drive. Just listen to the standout track “Sin Through The Summer” and tell me you don’t hear a classic, top-down, hair-blowing-in-the-wind road trip rock song.

Stephanie Schneiderman is a Northwest staple

Stephanie Schneiderman http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/node/1536



Stephanie Schneiderman is a Northwest staple, so I won’t go on and on about her past, but I do have to give some major kudos where it is deserved. Not only is she this amazing mix of Sade, Amy Lee and Stevie Knicks, but she also acts, raises large amounts of money for humanitarian issues, and moonlights in her successful side band Dirty Martini.

Schneiderman has released six solo albums and two collaborative albums, and has impressed the likes of well known electronic musician/producer/DJ Keith Schreiner and James Beaton of Storm and the Balls, both of whom collaborated with her on her last album Dangerous Fruit.

What I appreciate the most about her music, though, is her eclectic mix - one minute she sounds a little country, the next she throws down some Latin beats, and then she goes a little gangsta on us and sings with a T-Pain style voice box.

If you can only see one band this week, this month, or this year, I recommend it be her. Stephanie Schneiderman, Garrison Starr and Pat Kearns from Blue Skies For Black Hearts will be at Mississippi Studios this Saturday, May 1st, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

- Deanna Uutela

Burning Hotels' flame grows with full-length debut, 'Novels'

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/22/2135183/burning-hotels-flame-grows-with.html

Burning Hotels' flame grows with full-length debut, 'Novels'



Express your opinion in a letter to the editor
By PRESTON JONES



The Burning Hotels -- Chance Morgan, Matt Mooty, Wyatt Adams and Marley
Whistler -- are one of Fort Worth's sharpest acts, on record or in concert.

The full-length Novels follows 2007's Eighty Five Mirrors EP, as well as an
appearance in last year's feature film Bandslam. The punk-tinged precision
of the group's earlier work is only reinforced by Novels' blistering pace;
instant favorites like To Whom It May Concern, Austin's Birthday or Time
virtually reach out of the speakers and take hold.

Co-vocalists Morgan and Mooty, both given to infectious yelps of feeling,
trade off throughout. Adams anchors everything with his bone-crushing skills
behind the kit; Whistler threads his bass lines in between spiky dollops of
guitar.

The songs, which have many bloggers reaching for comparisons to the Killers,
dwell mostly upon love yearned for and lost. It's a startlingly romantic
record once the gleaming guitars and trip-hammer percussion are stripped
away.

If anything, Novels is the first chapter in what will hopefully be a long,
fruitful career. The band will play a CD-release show April 30 at the Moon.

Info: theburninghotels.net


Read more:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/22/2135183/burning-hotels-flame-grows-with.html#ixzz0ls9jpWk8

Bonedome happily delivers both, with a wink and a snarl.

Also here is our BONEDOME review, published & online (current issue, page
10): http://poprocketpress.com/

BONEDOME
THINKTANKUBATOR
SUMMER BREAK RECORDS
Say it loud, say it proud, I’m bald and I rock. Such is the veteran
musician’s credo needed to name your new project Bonedome. Head honcho Allan
Hayslip has played through numerous bands from his home base in Dallas. You
may suspect a scattershot approach with the first two songs ranging from
Metallica (“Sandman”) to Buddy Holly (“Fade Away.”) Relax. These originals
most closely resemble early Police and Elvis Costello, slowed down and
injected with a little Texan vitriol for color.
Mash-up “think tank” and either “masturbator” or “incubator” depending on
the quality of the resulting revelations and you get “Thinktankubator.”
Bonedome happily delivers both, with a wink and a snarl.

Bonedome: Thinktankubator review on SEA OF TRANQUILITY

http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=9171

Bonedome: Thinktankubator

Bonedome is the brainchild of Texas musician Allan Hayslip and have recently released their first album Thinktankubator. Besides adding his considerable vocal talents, Hayslip plays guitars and bass and has help from a few other musicians including Gerald Iragorri on drums and percussion and Ed McMahon on guitars.

Having never heard of this band before I was pleasantly surprised after listening to Thinktankubator. The music sits directly under the alternative umbrella with occasional references to classic and progressive rock. This is a guitar based album but you will not find any solo extravaganzas here. Instead listen for edgy guitar textures with off kilter melodies and spacious rhythms. Oh sure there is the odd solo here and there but that is not what this band is about. Complimenting the guitar sound are the vocals of Hayslip. He has a deep rich baritone which is more than a little bit similar to David Bowie which is not a bad thing in my book. Other points of reference would be 80s-90s Iggy Pop, XTC, Nirvana and The Beatles, especially regarding the layered vocal harmonies which are a staple of this disc.

Some of my favourites include "I Can Loose You", featuring an edgy guitar rhythms and vocals that harkens back to XTC and the richly textured "Easy" with its sparse guitar arrangement and Hayslip's excellent vocals paying homage to Bowie's musical stylings. Other notables include the late 70s retro rock of "Steven" reminiscent of The Cars' debut and the album ending "Custody Lullabye" with its pretty guitar melody and excellent layered vocals that took me back to The Beatles circa 1969. Perhaps the proggiest song is "Red Flags R Trouble" demonstrating quirky guitar rhythms and more great vocals.

I should point out there are some weaker moments here like the somewhat pedestrian rock of "Better" but overall this is a strong alternative rock album with plenty of hooks and one that fans of the genre should check out.


Track Listing:
1. Sandman
2. Fade Away
3. Girl One
4. Slow Jesus Xing
5. Eraser
6. I Can Lose You
7. Easy
8. Red Flags R Trouble
9. The Other One
10. Steven
11. Better
12. Custody Lullabye

Added: May 6th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 26
Language: english

Bonedome: Revives 90’s alternative and grunge

Bonedome: Revives 90’s alternative and grunge

Group from Texas recently released their first album “Thinktankubator”

Anni Simpson
Asst. Copy Editor


Texan alternative group Bonedome released “Thinktankubator.” The name is incredibly indicative of what the album becomes. It seems to be an out-of-the-ordinary musical experience intended to force a new perspective on its listeners. The Dallas-based group was formed under the leadership of Allan Hayslip, who intended the group “as the nom-de-rock for songs and performances that have never quite fit in his other bands,” according to the website. Hayslip fills a lot of roles for the group, including “vocals, bass guitar, guitars, tracking engineer, composer” and “producer.” He is joined by Gerald Iragorri on drums and percussion, Edward McMahon on guitar, Paul Williams on guitar and keys, Colin Boyd on guitar, Jonathan Lacey on guitars and composition, Gregg Prickett on guitar and Chad Stockslager on keys for the album. Stewart Bennett served as the tracking manager. The music is a strange combination between Frightened Rabbit, Green Day and Dishwalla, with the same eccentric, esoteric and cynical lyrics standard in 90’s alternative rock. If you listen to the “90’s lunch” on 106.5 and want a fresh band for a similar sound, Bonedome is for you. “Slow Jesus Xing” epitomizes this sound, with slow, drawn out riffs that, on the surface, mask a critique on American, religious culture. The lyrics are akin to the style found in Porno for Pyros’ "Pets” and the Butthole Surfers’ “Pepper.” In “Eraser,” Hayslip croons to losing a woman he’s abused. Whether he’s looking at an outside situation ironically or being brutally, apathetically honest about a situation of his own, he turns the normal breakup song on its head. This is a consistent pattern. Bonedome turns normal sounding alternative music into an interesting play on the expected; He turns normalcy into abnormality. The most brilliant of any of the songs on the album in this way is “Custody Lullaby.” What’s normally considered a way to comfort an unhappy child, a song that serves to remind the world is indeed
a safe place, becomes an apology for a child stuck between an unfair situation that punishes the least responsible. Not all of the songs impress, however. “I Can Lose You” is not only generic musically, but so are the lyrics. Nothing complex in the way of musical style or lyrics are offered to the listener, with simple
lyrics like “if losing me now makes you better somehow, all right” and “the signals we’re used to
aren’t very strong.” It seems like they’re making an analogy between a failing relationship and losing signals at NASA (“Houston, we have a little problem”), but David Bowie and Pink Floyd did that already. It’s
either that, or they’re referencing the city of Houston, making the song even more simple. With songs
like “Custody Lullaby” and “Slow Jesus Xing,” I’m disappointed, because it’s clear they’re more clever than that. It’s obvious that’s what the group was going for. The album is self-described as “a product of a musical omnivore” whose lyrical style is “dark, indeed often chilling” because of “his massive grudge against the world,” according to the website. All of that is evident in everything the band does. If that was the point, they’ve more than succeeded. The band also proclaimed to encourage on their website, promising that “it’s an album that rewards each further listening, as layers of guitars reveal hidden melodies and a previously unnoticed line reveals itself to be a subtly clever bit of vindictiveness.” On the second and third play of the album, this is precisely what happened. The album’s better songs will make you thing, and you’ll skip past the less impressive ones on your playlist. Let’s be honest, though. What album doesn’t have songs that displease someone somewhere, even if the listener actively likes the band? If you want a throwback to the shockingly blatancy of 90’s grunge and alternative, check them out. You won’t regret it if you do.

Bonedome - Thinktankubator (CD, Rock)

Bonedome - Thinktankubator (CD, Rock)
Instantly impressive stuff. The folks in Bonedome are yet another band incorporating the ideas and sounds of the 1980s into their music. We can hear traces of a wide range of folks while spinning this disc...but specific artists that come to mind include David Bowie, The Psychedelic Furs, and Peter Murphy. The tracks on this album feature layers upon layers upon layers of overdubs and lots of instruments and effects. But fortunately the vocal melodies don't get lost in the process, as the songs themselves take center stage here. We have to admit that at times the super thick production is a bit much...but considering how strong the melodies are that seems like a teeny tiny thing to whine about. Twelve cool heady tracks including "Sandman," "Girl One," "Easy," and "Custody Lullabye." Top pick.

http://www.babysue.com/2010-May-LMNOP-Reviews.html#anchor125927

THE BURNING HOTELS review on RICH MCCRACKEN II BLOG

THE BURNING HOTELS
http://richmccrackeniiblog.blogspot.com/


The Burning Hotels
"Novels"

by Rich McCrackenII

This new band called The Burning Hotels has a very contemporary sound that
is a blend of the most current sounds at this time during this era of music.
At first listen,you can hear elements of bands like Kings of Leon,and The
Killers, but The Burning Hotels have their own individual sound with great
vocals and very melodic guitar riffs that create the sound of contemporary
pop/rock. A mark of a good band is how much musical information the listener
can aquire off of listening to one tune from a band's CD/album. This
happened here during the review for The Burning Hotels and their song, "To
Whom It May Concern". This is a hit song and will be on the radio soon.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for listeners of contemporary POP/ROCK

BONEDOME Thinktankubator CD on pirate radio

BONEDOME Thinktankubator CD
Filed under: Album Reviews, Reviews — russelforster @ 1:11 pm

BONEDOME / Thinktankubator CD / Summer Break Records / 2010

The strain of ‘70s power-pop that got assimilated by ‘80s gothy New Wave, especially by bands on the other side of the big pond, is in full force on this quirky release. Allan Hayslip, the singer/songwriter/producer here, might have been born 30 years too late to cash in on the original dark pop craze, but better late than never. Like the Silverlake pop explosion of the ‘00s, I give a thumbs up to good sounds even if they aren’t all that original.


SOUNDS LIKE:
XTC, BAUHAUS, CURE


SUGGESTED TRACKS:
4 “Slow Jesus Xing” (shades of TEARDROP EXPLODES)
6 “I Can Lose You” (BYRDS meet BEATLES’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”)
9 “The Other One” (CARS meet GUIDED BY VOICES)

http://www.piratecatradio.com/wordpress/?p=20960

Bonedome — Thinktankubator on THREE IMAGINARY GIRLS

http://threeimaginarygirls.com/frontpage/content_cd_review

Bonedome — Thinktankubator

Bonedome has spent what sounds like a lot of time perfecting the sound in Thinktankubator. The production is polished and clear without sounding overproduced and the songs are thick with crisp musical resonance and often multi-tracked vocals. If the marriage between 1990s influences and current recording technology is what they were going for, then this album has hit its target straight on....