Perhaps I am biased because I have a true appreciation for rock. I mean actual rock. I mean a couple of guys or gals, their trusty instruments, and the raw energy that can only come from a string vibrating against electricity. That is the kind of rock that comes with San Diego natives, Machines Learning.
There might be a particular singer out there who in 2011, said that rock would never die. Most of us music fans already knew this, because rock doesn’t have to live on the mainstream charts in order to live. And local players like Machines Learning are proving that fact, everyday.
I really miss the feeling that comes from the perfect balance of melodic music to edgy noise, a balance that can be seen all over the band’s debut album, Pendragon’s Lullaby. Machines Learning creates the kind of music that reverberates in your chest, and yet you can still sing (or yell or scream or whatever) along with it. Songs like “Bulletproof Tiger” will become instant anthems as you chant along to the punchy guitars. It fades to just the perfect level of subdued melancholy before hitting you right back again with intense energy that was definitely meant to move you.
Not to mention, the guys are talented and seasoned instrumentalists. Comprised of Black Box Studios‘ own Mario Quintero on drums, Bradley Botbyl on bass, and Paul Balmer on guitars and vocals, the group created the perfect trio. Their precise use of rhythm is not only fun, but it is what sets them apart from any other local rockers. There’s something that is just a little bit different about their debut; just different enough to set them apart, but not so different as to put them in hipster category. They have the meaty parts of the dish, but their potatoes are the little surprises that come from the dynamics, effects, and down-to-earth lyrics that puts them just on the line of rock and something else. Which is probably why the guys dubbed themselves “post atmospheric indie space rock.” Say that five times fast.
The ‘atmospheric’ will definitely come in on tracks such as “this destroyed me”, an instrumental treat which uses just the right amount of effects before leading into the chord-heavy, structured guitar and slightly syncopated, heartbeat-driven drum patterns that are very customary to the group, and heard throughout the album.
Final verdict? Machines Learning has a sound that is sure to please, whether you’re looking for something to jump around to, or looking for something to sing along with. And if you really want to get a good opinion on the band, check out their show at The Tin Can Alehouse on Thursday. They’ll also be in L.A. before the year is up!
mmovable Objects created their most recent recording, I’ll Know to Believe in Sparrows, where the band explores the nuance of the album as a complete piece and the ideas of instrumental music as an emotive and visual experience. For his first return to the U.S. this October, Gagin plans to perform the latest Immovable Objects’ record in its entirety with a video accompaniment. “I feel like the music expresses itself with or without a projected narrative but I think without lyrics or a true front man to engage the audience, and believe me I ‘m no front man, their can be a lack of connection for some people. Others, however, enjoy it more because there is no voice.”
Have you ever been to a show by your favorite band in the perfect, intimate setting that made it possible to not only enjoy the show, but also feel like that band is singing right to you? Well, if you haven’t, get out to the Griffin while the summer’s hot (or, while the summer’s as sticky as a roll of duct tape). The Griffin is getting a shiny new summer series, including a stop by pop rockers Carolina Liar on July 31st. And this is quite possibly the perfect setting for them.
The Indie 