Changing Clocks
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Changing Clocks

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"Changing Clocks' EP: Bluesy and Brooding"

Strong vocals, radio-friendly harmonies and jangly pop guitars make the Changing Clocks self-titled EP a smooth listen through all five tunes. Lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Matt Rod shows off an educated, eclectic style of composing, which shines on the brooding second track “Anne.” The South African-born frontman manages to pull of some tasty blues fusion licks without getting in the way of the song; not to say there aren’t some nasty solos that would maybe make Scofield raise a brow. The alluring interaction between Rod and female vocalist Erika Cole, especially on the tunes “Rescue Me” and “Blooming,” weaves through the tracks nicely. The dynamics that drummer Seth Botos lends to the orchestration, coupled with some spooky textures from backing vocal effects round out the band’s overall dark and soulful sound. An exceptional first effort from a gang of musicians who still attend Berklee.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor
Berklee Groove

http://bit.ly/1dgq4u
- Berklee Groove


"Changing Clocks Shows How Pop Should Be Done"

At first listen, Changing Clocks appears to be following the tracks created by the likes of Maroon 5- a pop group with powerful vocals, big harmonies and warm, bouncy tunes, that none the less become bland and uneventful to someone looking for something more in music due to the lack of real musical depth within the songs. But then something happened- my jaw dropped. Quickly. And I mean very quickly. Unlike Maroon 5, Changing Clocks does some seriously interesting stuff within their music.

Take their song Anne for example, a dark tale of love gone wrong, starts slow, but only gains power from there. The lead vocals, split by principle songwriter Matt Rod and female band mate Erika Cole, are beautiful- big, warm and confident. The song starts with just an affected guitar and vocals, but soon opens up to a syncopated layering of both staccato rhythm guitar and slinky lead guitar, bouncy bass, powerful rock drumming and beautiful, backup vocal harmonies, sung by 3 different female vocalists. What makes this song so interesting, is that it just never seems to let up- it is in a constant state of building. By the end of the song there is a dense wall of vocal harmonies and string arrangements to fill in whatever spaces could have been left over. The song form is also important to mention here. The song is a sort of verse-chorus-verse-chorus form, but the bridge used to resolve each chorus back into the verse is done so by guitar solos. After each chorus the solo becomes more powerful, matching the increasing power of the overall song- the first is just a simple solo, the second being more present, using notes in a higher register, and then the final solo being to a point of organized chaos, using, what sounds to be, a modal scale. If that weren't enough the last solo actually resolves back in to a key change! For a song that lasts only 2 minutes and 55 seconds, there is almost too much to discuss.

What I will discuss though, is the overall nature of the group. The musicianship is fantastic, especially for a pop group- who could most likely get a way with less musical knowledge being that their voices are so good. The Shared responsibilities of lead vocals actaully works quite well on this album, becuase Matt and EriKa match each other almost perfectly in pitch, tone and power. The quality of the musicianship really shows on the Changing Clocks EP, leading to concise, and most importantly uber-tight songs. A lot of times Pop bands can feel a little phony, leading to music that appears to have been written to back up the vocals instead of complimenting and pushing the vocals to further heights.

The lyrics are also quite good. Matt Rod really has a nice combination of qualities working for him- he has a phenomenal voice, he writes very interesting lyrics, and he is really one hell of a guitar player. The lyrics are very descriptive and straight forward, and are very rhythmically dense. This is one thing that really helps to give the songs substance. A song feels instantly repetitive when the same melody is used over and over again, but when the lyrics allow for the melody to variate, you tend to forget that the song is following a verse-chorus-verse-chorus form. Here are the lyrics to Anne:

She walks through the frenzied
Unmoved streets of the city
And she only stares down at her feet
Moving, heavy
She’s not the same anymore, no
She lost her soul some time ago

She could have been a bride
Charmed and dressed in white
Earth homes some foul men
But she’s a good girl
How could it be this way
Chance is so miserable

Face of despair
Spins in the air
Is happiness just one side of a coin?
(If) chance is the brewer’s yeast
(Then) he’s a sordid beast!

Anne had a little romance
With a rascal named Chance
Completely unsuspecting
Anne runs as fast as she can
When she finds the reason
He hasn’t been sleeping

Oh Luck keeps destroying her soul
Just to fill his own hole
It’s a matter of life or death

Though he tries to console
It’s beyond all control
Slowly he takes her breath

The Changing Clocks (EP), released in October of 2009, has only 5 tracks on it, but is absolutely worth buying. These guys (and girl) seem to have a very specific direction for the band and the music, and if this EP is an indication, there will be a lot more of Changing Clocks music to come in the future. I truly applaud Changing Clocks for such as worth first entry into their hopefully length catalog of music.

For More Info on the CHANGING CLOCKS, Check Out Their Profile Right HERE on MicControl

http://bit.ly/90yzDp
- MicControl.com


"Changing Clocks Feature"

Changing Clocks – A Rock, Pop and Blues fusion with all the flavors to attract and surprise every ear it caresses. A combination of male and female vocals, powerful harmonies and sincere lyrics with subtle but strong arrangements – rhythmic hits and textured guitars with memorable melodies – make for a truly interesting listen. Changing Clocks are worth your time and a lot more.

Changing Clocks has teamed up with EspyRock to offer new and current fans the opportunity to listen to and download their self-titled EP as well as two brand new songs that are exclusive to EspyRock: for a limited time they will only be available, for free, here on EspyRock. But who are Changing Clocks? Read on more information and how to obtain the EP and two new and exclusive songs for free.

You can download the songs above for FREE right now by signing up to the mailing list found below.
You will receive two links, one for the EP and a separate link to the two brand new songs!

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By signing up you will receive links to 7 FREE songs!
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Changing Clocks are a young five-piece band from Boston. The core of the band consists of three members who founded the band in Fall 2008; Matt Rod (guitar, vocals and composer), Erika Cole (lead vocals) and Seth Botos (drums) and have recently been joined by Matthew Edwards (bass) and Andrew Rhim (guitar). They all met and continue to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

The name, Changing Clocks, comes from Matt’s traveling between Boston and South Africa where he was born and raised in Johannesburg. With the 7-hour time difference the name already shows clear significance. More figuratively, the name bears significance when one hears the variety of styles incorporated into the music: “The music industry is constantly evolving, as are peoples’ tastes. We just hope to be able to change and grow together with listeners, to produce music that can feel familiar but that isn’t bound by a particular period in time.”

Matt Rod really proves he has a host of qualities, from his technical prowess on the guitar to his lyrical talent. As Matt demonstrates his strength as a singer and guitarist, the alluring voice of country and soul singer Erika Cole, brings an added dimension to the band and the blend of male and female vocals is an incredible strength to their sound. Seth completes the band’s sound with dynamic and tasteful performances on the drums.

Changing Clocks

Changing Clocks

Each member of the band has their own influences that manifest in Changing Clocks’ overall sound. Matt says that The Beatles, Queen, Sting, Joe Satriani, John Coltrane, and The Cat Empire are real influences to him while Erika is influenced more by country and blues, her hero Patsy Cline and other influences from Bonnie Raitt, Dixie Chicks and Stevie Wonder. Seth shows his Jazz influences with John Scofield but is also a fan of Metal bands such as the noted Opeth.

Although Erika’s style was different to how Matt had envisioned the music for Changing Clocks, he stated: “I first heard Erika singing some country tunes on her MySpace and although her sound was vastly different from the singer I had imagined approaching, I knew immediately that I’d love to have her on board. Erika really sounds quite unique on these recordings and I think that singing in this style has really pushed her. It shows how incredibly diverse she is.”

While the group was formed in late 2008, they experience a run of bad luck on the lead up to their EP release in November 2009, with several guitarist and bassists leaving. Thankfully though, they continued on and were able to release a strong and experienced sounding debut.

Recorded between Boston and South Africa, mixed in Providence and mastered in Nashville, the debut Changing Clocks EP consists of five tracks:

1. I’ll Be Back This Summer – A light-hearted song about returning back home (to wherever that may be) to a warmer place, after growing tired of Boston’s brutal winters.
2. Anne – A song about uncertainty in a love relationship that is torn by chance and man’s inability to control much.
3. Blooming – A contrast between two worlds (inspired by Boston and Matt’s home, South Africa). Time’s constant and relentless motion with the image of “Purple flowers” (Jacaranda trees) blooming while “golden leaves”, presumably in Boston, fall.
4. Don’t Burn The Suit – A constantly shifting song speaking of the sacrifice of the human spirit for more worldly and material ideals.
5. Rescue Me – a catchy song about finding rest and ease in the comfort of another human being.

The band has since recorded two brand new songs which are exclusive to EspyRock: “Man Makes Man” and “3-Day-Weekend”.

Each and every song created by Changing Clocks stays true to each members’ roots, the bands focus of Rock and Pop are clearly noted but the fusion of Jazz and Blues with the talented and technical ability of each member truly shines giving them a dynamic and fresh exciting sound.

The power and effectiveness of the lyrics stand out from themselves but in order for them to have any effect, talent musicians are required and the members of Changing Clocks represent just that.

2010 can be the year for Changing Clocks to make an impact on several scenes with their range of styles and it won’t be long until they receive the attention they do deserve on a grand scale. With a now secure dedicated line-up, the band “just want to get out there and play play play – to share our music with everyone, and show people what we’ve got.” The ultimate goal as with any band is to achieve that major label deal and it would be a fool of anyone to not believe that one is in their future.

You can start your Changing Clocks collection now by receiving the bands EP and EspyRock exclusive songs by joining the bands mailing list next to the player, in which a link will be sent directly to your email account for you to download. - EspyRock.com


Discography

Changing Clocks EP (2009)

1) I'll Be Back This Summer
2) Anne
3) Blooming
4) Don't Burn The Suit
5) Rescue Me

Available on Amazon and iTunes

Singles

1) Three Day Weekend (2009)
2) Man Makes Man (2010)
3) Chance (2010)

Photos

Bio

Changing Clocks is a fresh Boston-based band playing music in the Rock and Pop idioms. The group comprises five young and driven students who met and continue to study at Berklee College of Music.

The band finished recording its first release (a five song EP) in September 2009. They are currently playing shows in and around the East Coast and has recorded 3 more singles since.