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Best Recording (EP) - RockWired Reader's Poll
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http://www.rockwired.com/2010winners.html
Face Time Police's EP, "The Definition of Deviation" wa...http://www.rockwired.com/2010winners.html
Face Time Police's EP, "The Definition of Deviation" was recently named BEST RECORDING (EP) in RockWired Magazine's Reader's Poll.
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Away Team Review
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http://www.away-team.com/cdreviews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1253647277&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3
...http://www.away-team.com/cdreviews.php?subaction=showfull&id=1253647277&archive=&start_from=&ucat=3
Review by Jen Conrad
This debut EP absolutely snatched me up on first spin! With some of the shit that is out there on major labels these days, I CANNOT believe that this band is unsigned! WTF?! OK, I’ll stop ranting now, on to the music! Face Time Police is the artistic creation of brothers Brian and James Serra. The Chicago-based brothers are do-it-yourselfers, making the entire EP themselves from the music, vocals, production, logo, and whatever else there was to create! The EP consists of 5 tunes...each of them as different and unique as the previous! The brothers share vocal duties on the album (Brian the melodic vocals and James the rap-inspired vocals) and drum programming and Brian plays all of the other instruments on the album. The opening tune is “None of the Below.” This one is very Green Day meets 30H!3. Brian’s voice has that Billie Joe Armstrong quality to it, and the melody and beat is just full of just enough guitars to make it punk and just enough hooks, rap-infused vocals, and handclaps to make it poppy! I’m just freakin’ digging this tune! “Seashells” is up next, and this swerves 180 degrees from Track 1. A beautiful piano intro swings into a mid-tempo number laced with a swelling melody and inspiring vocals...this one is very Linkin Park-esque. The first straight up ballad is up next in “Nothing Left to Break.” Acoustic guitar with emotional vocals...another beautiful, melodic gem! Turn up the funk on the next tune, “Minute Made!” This one is funky and fun, with a dance-rap vibe and a beat that borders on reggae... an awesome shake-your-ass track! The last tune is another swerve but my absolute fave on the EP. “Of Man and Monster” starts out with driving guitars and a haunting melody. Add in the frenzied vocals, a few shrieks and a bit of distortion, and you’ve got one KILLER tune! This one is Green Day meets Orgy! If you like Three Days Grace’s “Scared”...you’ll dig this one! This tune could totally be on a horror movie soundtrack TODAY! Brian told me that the song was partly inspired by an anime series called “Hellsing.” I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this tune! This EP is really awesome in every sense of the word! If this band doesn’t get their music heard, there is some serious injustice in the music world! Head over to the guys’ newly constructed website at www.facetimepolice.com or www.myspace.com/facetimepolice and show them some love! One interesting note about the Serra brothers is that they’ve done graphic design work for Mushroomhead since 2004. Coolness! This EP comes VERY, VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!
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Rockin' Review at Rock In Review
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http://www.rockinreview.com/2009/07/30/face-time-police-the-definition-of-deviation-ep/
Review by...http://www.rockinreview.com/2009/07/30/face-time-police-the-definition-of-deviation-ep/
Review by Adam D.
When looking at music today, it’s easy to find music that can be labeled in multiple styles, but no bands that truly transcend genres as the “Pop Macchiato” (Pop music marked or “stained” with other elements) band, Face Time Police with their new EP entitled The Definition of Deviation! Honestly, there’s no true way to explain this EP without including some version of the word “diverse”. Each of the five tracks brings out a different style including a sort of bouncy Pop-Rock track, a thumping club mix, an acoustic ballad, etc. In my extensive arsenal of music, I have NEVER heard a band that changes so much. It really takes “play what you want to play” to a whole different level. However, it pays off; this album is great! Out of the five tracks recorded on this album, my I really enjoy “None of the Below” (Track 1), “Nothing Left to Break” (Track 3), and “Of Man and Monster” (Track 5) the most. These three tracks seem to be the ones that fit well together with “None of the Below” being a pretty heavy/bouncy Alternative Pop song, “Nothing Left to Break” being the heartfelt acoustic ballad, and “Of Man and Monster” an Alternative-Punk-Metal mix. With this mix (plus the club thumping song “Seashells” and the Alternative Hip-hop track “Minute Made”), FTP is really freeing themselves of categorization and limitation. This is a smart move as far as I’m concerned.
Overall, liking 3/5 of the songs makes The Definition of Deviation a great EP in my mind. FTP have proven to be a great band with a lot of potential! On a side note, I have some extra respect for this band because they are a 100% DIY band. These guys write all of their music, record all of their own music, design the logos, they produce their own stuff, they do all the marketing, shoot and edit their own music videos…everything. Honestly, this is the first band I’ve heard that does EVERYTHING by themselves, and I commend them for it.
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Rock Wired Feature
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Full Feature/Interview by Brian Lush at:
http://www.rockwired.com/facetimepolice.html
As much ...Full Feature/Interview by Brian Lush at:
http://www.rockwired.com/facetimepolice.html
As much as people love to applaud the D.I.Y mentality, it really isn’t something that people can stick to. When was the last time anyone saw punk clothes that weren’t purchased at HOT TOPIC? To most people, the notion of ‘doing it yourself’ is a cute little three-letter acronym, but for a band like the Illinois-based FACE TIME POLICE, it is how they approach music and life. Comprised of brothers BRIAN and JAMES SERRA, FACE TIME POLICE has its heart in the right place when it comes to combating any sort of cynicism there may be with regard to surviving with your integrity intact in the music business. It will be interesting to see if the brothers SERRA can maintain this sort of muscle grip on their burgeoning careers but in the meantime we have their EP THE DEFINITION OF DEVIATION which does what most LP’s fail to do – take the listener on a musical journey. The genre hop kicks off with the thrashing opener NONE OF THE BELOW and eases its way to the epic electro pop number SEASHELLS. Also included is the lilting acoustic ballad NOTHING LEFT TO BREAK, the positively thumping hip-hop of MINUTE MADE and the manic punk slam-dunk - OF MAN AND MONSTER.
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Praise from industry professional
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Mastering engineer Roger Lian of Masterdisk, whose body of work reads like a who's-who of legendary ...Mastering engineer Roger Lian of Masterdisk, whose body of work reads like a who's-who of legendary artists across several genres of music (Smashing Pumpkins, The White Stripes, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, LL Cool J, Pantera, Sum 41, Madonna, Slayer, just to name a few) lauded Face Time Police's fruits of labor:
"I didn't expect much from a home set-up, but the mixing and overall production of the pre-mastered tracks they gave me to work with were very impressive. They're definitely on the right track and know exactly what they're doing."
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MuzikReviews
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http://www.muzikreviews.com/reviews.php?ID=824
4/5 Stars
Face Time Police
The Definition of D...http://www.muzikreviews.com/reviews.php?ID=824
4/5 Stars
Face Time Police
The Definition of Deviation
Face Time Police have come a long way since their first live show in the summer 2007 as a part of a online talent competition in Texas. And that same fall they went on to open for legendary hip-hop aritst Common in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The music world is taking note too as well-known mastering engineer Roger Lian has given them praise. Lian was impressed with their production and believes they are on their way in the music business. Lian has worked with the who’s-who of artists like Mariah Carey, The White Stripes, Madonna, and LL Cool J.
This band is a true example of indpendent music. Brothers Brian and James Serra have coined their own unique sound as ‘pop macchiato’. A sound which they describe as pop, but marked and stained by their influences. They have a long list of influences which include Green Day, Jewel, Kanye West, and Nine Inch Nails. They produce and write their music from their home in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. They also created their own graphics and promotions. They even shoot and edit their own videos.
The Definiton of Deviation is their proper EP and it lives up to their motto of “This isn’t about thinking outside the box..it’s about destroying the box entirely.” You can defintely hear their influences throughout each of the five tracks as well. “None of the Below” has a catchy punk feel to it that sounds a lot like something Green Day would do. “Seashells” is a great hip-hop and dance jam. It has many elements to it and would sound great in a club. “Nothing Left To Break” is a nice and smooth acoustic ballad. “Minute Made” is a clear cut alternative hip-hop track. It possesses catchy lyrics and a memorable chorus. “Of Man and Monster” is their heaviest attempt toward rock and metal. There is also a unique tempo change during it.
Overall this is really enjoyable. I think they have excellent production and catchy lyrics, they do deviate from normal pop music standards nicely. Their take on hip hop and club music is great as “Seashells” and “Minute Made” are the stand out tracks for me. “Nothing Left To Break” is also another stand out for being their softest song. It holds the strongest vocal performance on it as well. Face Time Police have a one of a kind genre bending style. It will be interesting to see what is in store for them in the future.
Aaron Bontrager—MuzikReviews.com Contributor
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Chicago's Independent Music Review
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Face Time Police – the Definition of Deviation
Posted by Jason Petros on June 24, 2009
As soon as ...Face Time Police – the Definition of Deviation
Posted by Jason Petros on June 24, 2009
As soon as I see something along the lines of “this is a DIY recording” – I immediately prepare my ears for a unprofessional thrashing of recording concepts – bass that’s too loud, close to zero panning, and/or vocals that are too quiet, too loud, don’t use any compression, and are generally pitchy – and that doesn’t even get into the drums. This record surprised me – the recording quality is actually clear – and most of the elements sit in the right place. They describe themselves as “pop macchiato” – and I can’t say I disagree with the assessment. The lead vocals sound a lot like Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong, and the music doesn’t stray too far on the experimental side – songs when they push electronics (Seashells) aren’t overpowered by the studio and contain just enough ‘live’ instruments to keep you from forgetting that it’s a band playing this music, not a DJ.
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Target Audience Magazine
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http://www.targetaudiencemagazine.com/uploads/Fall_Reviews2009.php
Face Time Police - The Definit...http://www.targetaudiencemagazine.com/uploads/Fall_Reviews2009.php
Face Time Police - The Definition of Deviation EP
The Face Time Police have several musical faces: The song, “None of the Below” sounds like Mr. Bungle mixed with Beck and the vocal harmonies add an extra level of depth to an already catchy chorus. Next, they take you through a world of moving ballads, dance and rap with “Seashells”. On “Nothing Left To Break” Face Time Police try to wipe up spilled tears with a heartfelt song we all have sung at one point. A bit of Green Day can be heard in the vocals.
This extremely versatile act will find a way into your musical collection, no matter what your taste is. As the press kits states, “This isn't about thinking outside the box... it's about destroying the box entirely.”
You can purchase their music on http://www.facetimepolice.com.
Review by Russell Eldridge
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Unbelievable! Great Job!
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Drowning Pool - Professional Recording Artists:
"I am diggin' this song. Y'all made a great vide...Drowning Pool - Professional Recording Artists:
"I am diggin' this song. Y'all made a great video with stuff lying around the house...unbelievable!!!!! Great job."
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In the Summer of 2007, Face Time Police entered into Season 2 of the "Famecast Fenom" Contest. During the semi-final round, a panel of Industry Experts provided their feedback to all of the contestants. The preceding comments were made in regards to FTP's song/video, "A Different Road."
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Two horns up!
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Waylon Ford - Co-Owner of Halo Custom Guitars and Professional Bassist:
"Love it! The video kind...Waylon Ford - Co-Owner of Halo Custom Guitars and Professional Bassist:
"Love it! The video kinda reminds me of early Suicidal (Tendencies) stuff. And the song is good. Two horns up!"
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In the Summer of 2007, Face Time Police entered into Season 2 of the "Famecast Fenom" Contest. During the semi-final round, a panel of Industry Experts provided their feedback to all of the contestants. The preceding comments were made in regards to FTP's song/video, "A Different Road."
supersonic
