Reviewsic [ri-vyoo-zik] -noun: Music worth talking about

Love it, Love it – Nana Grizol (Released May 2008)

With a name like Nana Grizol there seems to only be two options: delightfully spunky indie rock or the latest top 40 rap star. Thankfully for my preferences this Athens, Georgia band is the former, and with an impressive resume to boot: two of its members were formally part of the notorious Neutral Milk Hotel.
And in the same vein of Neutral Milk Hotel, Nana Grizol is a band that moves to the beat of its own drum, offering an eclectic mix of instruments and a slightly unpolished sound that makes it seem as if this album could have been recorded by the neighbor kids down the street. From the light, happy tone of opening track ‘Circles Round the Moon’ to the more relaxed melody of “The Idea That Everything Could Possibly Ever Be Said”, Nana Grizol is an interesting combination of unique and familiar. Featuring instruments such as the trumpet, harmonica, glockenspiel, baritone, piano, and clarinet among others, Nana Grizol’s artistic individuality doesn’t escape the listener entirely thanks to the vocal stylings of Theo Hilton. Part Piebald with a hint of Ben Barnett’s whine from Kind of Like Spitting, Hilton has been compared to the creaky beltings of Connor Oberst, but I think he deserves a little more credit than that same over heard indie grind. Having so many obvious links to his sound, Hilton and the rest of Nana Grizol run the risk of sounding like yet another rough around the edges indie rock band. Luckily each track on Love it, Love it comes with a new hint of another genre, ranging from the well known indie, into folk, to punk and a hint of ska, keeping each note fresh.
Hilton’s voice is more about what its saying than how it sounds saying it, trying to explain things gone wrong in this world in the most basic ways. From the bands urgings for us all to ‘Stop and Smell the Roses’ to letting us know that “the best books of our lives are being written all the time but not one of them is anywhere close to finished yet” in ‘Everything you Ever Hoped or Worked For’, Nana Grizol is trying to remind us of what makes us all human.
While impressively well rounded for a debut album, the easiness of its sound fits ever so naturally with its conception. Before writing Love it, Love it Nana Grizol took a DIY tour across the country, and the album was recorded at Orange Twin, the label that members of Nana Grizol and Elf Power co-own, which runs an eco-village for artists in Athens, Georgia. My one complaint about this album is petty at best, but: the album art is way too similar to that of Boy Least Likely To…’s 2005 release “The Best Party Ever”.
My hopes for Nana Grizol is that they continue to stay away from the teetering edge of cliché and keep spreading the good, wholesome urge for its listeners to “Love it, Love it”.

Having lived in a small county where local hardcore makes up the majority of the scene, I’ve seen from bad to worse when it comes to the hastily thrown together bands of Straight Edge “Brotherhood”. But despite what I’ve experienced in my own scene, I do still hold some faith in the hardcore genre. For every handful of noisy sound-splicing teenagers is one or two legitimate groups of musicians that know what good hardcore is made of. I had my faith reinstated the first time I saw Columbia, MO musicians Let Lions play.

With a performance packed with just as much energy as talent, it was almost impossible to walk away from their set. Vocalist Johnathon McDowell takes the stage by storm, pacing and climbing on top of amps as he gives his all to the microphone. His fellow musicians express a similar intensity, thrashing andjumping, giving nothing less than 100% to their own showmanship. The one exception in this performance is drummer Drew Sidel, who stays surprisingly cool and collected during the uproarious performances of Let Lions. While at first glance it may seem like Sidel isn’t doing much of anything, take a moment to listen and you’ll hear exactly where all his energy is being channeled. A great talent can make up for an unenthused performance, and Sidel is a prime example of that. Accompanied by flashing lights, each performance of Let Lions that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing has been consistent with its ability to draw a listener in. There’s very fine line between showmanship and showboating, and these Missouri musicians have never once teetered too far over it.

If I were to try to explain the sound of Let Lions I think the best comparison would combine characteristics of vocals from At the Drive-In with the instruments of As Cities Burn. Also featuring the voice of guitarist Sam Hunt, offering up his singing skills in a few songs, the accompaniment gives Let Lions a little more of an accessible sound than most hardcore bands. Screams that are still audible and music that goes farther than the abuse of a bass pedal, Let Lions is a brand of Hardcore that even the most devout of Indie kids can listen to and enjoy. A common complaint from naysayers of hardcore is the fact that it isn’t a music genre as much as it’s just a bunch of noise. To such people I wouldn’t argue, but simply hand them a copy of the Let Lions EP With no spine to speak of. This five-track c.d. is a strong representation of the band, carrying the same force as any live performance, and a good choice in song.

Lyrically the words screamed out by McDowell come with the same punch as his voice, with well-chosen language that gets straight to the point. Slightly abrasive without being too harsh lines such as “We speak of evil you can’t imagine, wrap your head around what could happen when you’re faced with this disaster” in the song Wyoming are a good example of the way Let Lions expresses themselves. While most of the lyrics in Let Lions have a slightlyharsh and warning tone to them, they diversify in the song The Muse and the Pugilist, repeating “To live for, to die for, all of you who helped me through. In the womb of the plenty, on the brow of the weary there is life”

Overall Let Lions is an opus of energy, combining the passion and talent of all five of its members. Personally I haven’t enjoyed hardcore this much in long time, and though the band has recently split I can’t wait to see what members of Let Lions will toss our way next. [myspace.com/letlions]