Ok, here's the forum. Let us know what you think. No, REALLY. The good, the bad, the ugly...
And we'll take it in stride, besides, its not like we could really get MORE depressed.

Here's your chance to lay it all out on the table. And thank you, for your opinion, and for listening.
ella/U7d

No, really, we mean it!

Every song on mine skips otherwise I would!

quote:

Originally posted by evader:
Ok, here's the forum. Let us know what you think. No, REALLY. The good, the bad, the ugly...
And we'll take it in stride, besides, its not like we could really get MORE depressed.

Here's your chance to lay it all out on the table. And thank you, for your opinion, and for listening.
ella/U7d

There’s no reason to be depressed, the Cd is very high quality and it has a great sound. I also like the layout of the cover and inside cover. The written lists are interesting and I laughed when I read the 0 health insurance. I’ve listened to it four times fully and it has a nice rock/pop feel with insightful lyrics, which can sometimes be confusing, but I like confusing lyrics. The bass and drums mix very well while the vocals and guitar don’t drown anything out. The keyboards and synth highlight bits and pieces in the songs.

It is a very solid album and for some odd reason I think it would be a huge hit in Japan.
My personal picks are “The Same”, “Sixes and Stars”, “Almost Home”, and “Dreams”.

Thanks again for the CD and I wish you guys the best of luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Winterlocked Geoff:
Every song on mine skips otherwise I would!

AhhH! Really!????
Come by Winnings tonight and let me know, I'll get you another one!
ella/U7d

Where's winnings?

Well, I missed that message. So now you have to come by the scooter shop for your copy. Its on 7th Street just north of Central, you can see it from the Launchpad.
Ella/U7d

Will do

"Lists" is a sprawling document. As the songs pile up, various moods, influences, and directions can be crossed off before they bubble up into the wake behind the boat that is Unit 7 Drain's latest album (yeah, I'm gonna play off of the Alibi's "ramming speed" comment - so sue me).

Unit 7 Drain's 4th (?) release burns obsessive compulsion as fuel, its boilers stoked by a dedicated crew. Dense, inpenetrable lyrics set a stormy course from truth to lies and all points between, then back again. Analog and digital clash and retreat, then mutate into symbiosis. The past and present are both well represented here, from the synthpop/nuwave roots to the poppunkemo dyejob, and they blend seamlessly into a juggernaut of joyous, manic-depressive "Popcore" that transcends its influences and is reborn, drying its colorful wings (every shade of blue under the sun, but if one looks closely, metalflake glints and candyapple colors surface briefly to keep your interest) in the fresh sea air. Really, the only (arguable) flaw to "Lists" is that the songs with Ella on lead(and sometimes trade-off lead) vocals are all packed tightly into the beginning of the album, which makes the rest of "Lists" sound a tad more "samey" than it might have with different sequencing. But that's nitpicking, innit?

Not overly long (attention: "some bands" - just because a CD will accept 80 minutes of music doesn't mean you should necessarily use it all) yet completely realized and attractively packaged, "Lists" makes my list of top 5 local releases of '06. The S.S. Unit 7 Drain may be sailing in uncharted territory for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were to hit some of the established trade routes soon. What next? Pirates?

So what do I win?

Hint: I ran outta mushrooms writing that review.

It's actually their 7th release. And a damn good one at that. I still like Red Halo most though... So I guess I'm okay with the rerecorded songs from previous albums.

wow I just realized I sound like a dick in my last post. I'll post a cheerful little image to make up for it.

Yay! JTHM always cheers us up.
Looks like Racer X does win,...unless any of you want to weigh in!
I wonder what racer x wins?
hmmmm.
Want some broken guitars?
ella/U7d

I'll just say I really like Lists. Being relatively new to the Albuquerque area, I haven't had the opportunity to listen to any of U7D's previous releases, but do enjoy this one immensely. The packaging and design are very slick and professional, and the music does speak for itself. I cut my teeth as a guitarist in the '80s, and U7D's style very much reminds me of many of the bands that I used to listen to in my formative years, very "New Wave-ish". It's nice to still hear someone making that style of music.

The Traitorous Heart video is a nice extra. I, being a NOT so observant person in this case, just discovered it, weeks after the fact. Most local band releases don't seem to have hidden easter eggs like this on their releases, so this is a very nice touch.

All in all, It's a very good release, and one I highly recommend!

I would like to review it. Where can I get a copy of it?

thanks

You can get it at Music Go Round (875-0100),or next week you will be able to get it at Natural Sound, or you can get them from us at a U7d show. you can download some Mp3s from our website: www.unit7drain.net or our MySpace: www.myspace.com/unit7drain or our record labels site: socyermom.com/unit7drain

I am no expert reviewer like Mr. RacerX on mushrooms but here are my thoughts, after listening to it a bit.

All in all, it's a good mix. Everything sounds right.

Performance is on point. I didnt really feel any push/pull with the tempo anywhere or hear out of tune vocals.

There are a lot of pretty nice complementary guitar parts. The bass tone stands out where it should.

On some tracks, the drums (snare in particular) sound a bit processed. It doesnt really interfere with the overall mix, but it struck me.

I dig the new songs. My favorites are Traitorous Heart and Almost Home. I end up in the 80's listening to these. All in all, I think the album is a success. Honesty and sensitivity to many of the more reclusive aspects of life seem to shine through.

quote:

Originally posted by evader:
Ok, here's the forum. Let us know what you think. No, REALLY. The good, the bad, the ugly...
And we'll take it in stride, besides, its not like we could really get MORE depressed.

ella/U7d

more depressed?... you guys (and gal, though ella deserves more than a parenthetical inclusion) are a cheerful, fun lovin' bunch. why, i know whenever i'm in the mood for some moon pies and chocolate milk i can go to the scooter store, eat some snacks, and listen to the positive sounds of the DC Talk playing from your stereo. you can't fool me.

anyhoo, i feel ready to include my much anticipated review to this thread. first, i must say a word or two about myself (really, how could i not?). simply, i think too much. this review will surely be reflective of that tendency. i can't think about the 'vibe' or 'mood', though i may refer to those aspects of the music. it is in the spirit of a total analysis of an analytical philosopher that i disect your music, leaving it hopelessly devoid of the emotion it seeks to portray, so without further ado,

at the first listen i said to myself, "u7d, one step forward in the same direction as before," but as i listened the album grew on me (literally, i've astoria sand in my pants). i couldn't define the moments that made this release better and different from the previous releases, but it is. i can safely say the steps forward are in nearly all directions for many paces. i'd like to sub-categorize some things;

vocals- my, my! michael hennisen (hennigeson?, henniegeansoon?, halpenstance?) always said HRB was the best local vocalist in town. while i cannot agree, i cannot disagree. Mr. Brown's vocals are solid, powerful, and have their own tonal quality fitting a lead singer. most boys with guitars think they have a right to sing, that if you have lyrics and the desire to open your mouth it makes you a singer. Harry shames those emo or indie kids who are trying to find their voice while trying to sound like others. here it must be said that the Cure comparrison must be left in 2003, with an independent Iraq the fear of elevated terror threat levels. harry has his own stlye, and this complicates the next aspect of this review, namely the introduction of ella's vocals. i cannot think of a better compliment of harry's tone than the smooth, tender leanings of u7d's female bassist. the only aspect that becomes apparently complicated is one of consistency. those things do not concern me, but major labels thrive on sounding the same and being predictable. in only that way is u7d less than marketable to corporate shills, and may it be so. i commend the bravery of any band to do as it wishes and to follow its muse. sometimes i want more ella vocals doubling, sometimes i want a non-syncopated melody from a two vocal part, but mostly i'm surprised by the way this works vocally. overall, i'm left with the desire to watch this band get better and beter, only because it's an easy prediction to make and anticipate.

drums- chris is not only a bad-ass, but his parts compliment, fully, the parts of other instruments. he seems to know the true role of the drums. to be sure, he is no john bonham, but he does not need to be, nor should he want to be. THIS how you play to this type of music, and i'd like to see anyone else with his double-bass prowess play so tastefully, yet deliver the power he does at the same time.

keys- really, could i not talk about little bobby? he's my 4th brother. he's the mary-ann to my professor. and he can play the keyboards. a true discussion of bobby cannot be had in this thread, but in the context of this band he has improved after playing with u7d, and they have improved with him, if in only that they have come to accept this proto-type of a man as one of their own. albuquerque is doing something right, and it can be reflected in the sheen of bobby's pink hair as the sun sets over the west mesa.

guitars- chunky, powerful, distorted, and a bit loose; u7d's harry and tony can be all of these things and more. lists makes me wonder if tony got special treatment during the mix. where i hardly hear tony live, he is a driving factor on the album, and i'm not sure how i feel about that. he is playing what i am implying in my head during the live shows, and i don't know if my version or his version is better. his playing no way detracts from the songs, and it really only hits you if you are used to the live versions of these songs. there is always some melody creeping from one guitar or another, and you're never sure if a huge power chord or a single note is going to hit on the next 1, but the decision is almost always a tasteful, reasonable, and exciting one.

bass- ah, the female bass player. one might even think it cliche (french accents not included, though the smell of brie is implied). in this setting, thankfully, ella stands as a bass player alone. her lines, like all parts of u7d, are a compliment to the song. they work with the 'mood' (i knew i couldn't get out without including that word), and i even wonder if she secretly listens to geddy lee's playing when no one else is around. she's come a long way from her first gigs with the band, but her presence in the band has elevated (sorry about the pun)them beyond where, no offence intended here, harry could take it alone.

lyrics- i'm a fan of dylan, cohen, roberts, barrett. these lyrics are not of the same category, but, in a way, they can strike the same effect. there are emotional ques in the songs, and these are powerful regardless of any literary illusions or biblical refrences. there are no bad lyrics, none that make me cringe, and in a world where nearly every song on the radio does that to me, that's a supreme compliment.

early u7d makes me think of a band that missed the boat on some popular trend in some alternate universe. now, however, the band seems less adrift and more ahead. it will be a forward-thinking label to sign this band, and to be sure this band should be signed. i can see many people enjoying this music. the album, in the end, leaves me with questions. what would u7d sould like if they worked with a well known producer? how would a nigel goodrich, a steve albini, a george martin effect this band? what is the next album going to sound like and can they sustain the progress made here? lists is solid, and promises a firm future of good music if these young musicians are allowed to create freely, to move without hinderance. the next time i see the pope, i'll ask him to say a special prayer for these ragamuffins, though they may not need it. may u7d continue to be praised by the local pillars of our scene. they are what is right in albuquerque. go see them live, and though there is a woman on stage, let that no way detract from your wanting to throw panties at them from the auidence. i promise bobby will smell them.

please excuse any spelling mistakes, for there is no spell-check on rocksquawk.

i still need to get this record

Holy Crap! You Rocksquawkians make wonderful reviewers, and we all really truly appreciate all of the feedback that you have so graciously taken the time to give us.
Now, for the big question: As these reviews keep coming in, I feel compelled to include exerpts from them for our website and press pack.
How does that stirke you? Please let us know if you feel positively or negatively about that.

Also, Webmonkey: We sent a whole pile of CDs over to The Alibi... Maybe Laura has a couple under her desk that she would be willing to part with. Otherwise, remind me at a show, and I will happily kick one your way.

Finally Mr. Racer X,
Mushrooms are a commodity that we happen to have plenty of... just letting you know.

Thanks again! I hope that if anyone feels like continuing the reviews, we will be thrilled to read them.

Ella/ U7d