Music
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Wow!! (I was tempted to end the review right there… but I didn’t want to set any more precedents for tyler h.) Let me start off by saying that there’s a huge difference between a release that could make a ripple in the market and one that has the potential to literally hew out a niche for the artist. While I enjoyed Raining and OK’s first CD, The Devil On Your Shoulder quite a bit, this 5-song EP which is set to be released March 17th upon the unsuspecting masses, is a monumental step forward in every respect. It also has the potential to attract major label interest and make these guys a household name. It really is that good.
Beautifully crafted from start to finish, the music reveals a new depth of maturity as well as ability. Stylistically, Always Will Be reminds me a lot of the ethereal rock of bands like Moments In Grace and Turn Off The Stars. Although a little more catchy. This EP is somewhat a departure from the style of The Devil On Your Shoulder but that’s not to say that these guys are gonna leave any of their fans hanging in the balance wondering whether or not to jump ship. They knew exactly what they wanted to go after with this release and they nailed it. As far as I’m concerned, they did everything right… especially the little things. There are subtle flourishes that you really have to listen for but that help to give the music a life of it’s own. With a touch of Weaver At The Loom, a touch of The Verve, and maybe even a touch of The Beatles… it’s hard not to get drawn into the music. And once you’re in… you may as well surrender.
Obviously picking a standout track was not an easy task for me. I guess if I had to pick one, it would be track two, “Shadows.” This song really spoke to me both musically and lyrically… and is just an all around awesome song.
“I’m an old soul in a complex mind / I’m a young heart that’s been compromised / When I felt alone in a bitter cold / You were there right by my side and you told me / You are, you are a work of art / You’re a masterpiece you’re hiding in the dark.”
This is hands down one of the best CDs I’ve come across in a long time and I can say with full assurance that this EP will be one of my top ten for 2009. I know it’s still early, but it really is that good. My only complaint… it’s only five songs. Just enough to let you know you’re hungry for more. This EP is available for pre-order over at Smartpunk… so run… run like the wind…
- Indie Vision Music
10 out of 10
An unsigned band isn’t supposed to make a timeless wonder out of ten songs. That’s left to bands like U2, Foo Fighters and Oasis. Take those bands and add some current flavor like Muse and Coldplay and you have Raining & OK.
Their debut album entitled The Devil On Your Shoulder combines all the music from our favorite rock bands, adding thought-provoking lyrics with endless melodies. The visual imagery that’s created from their music, their lyrics and even their CD artwork is enough to put them in a league of their own.
“Break The Calm” starts the CD off with a subtle plugging in of a guitar and sweeps you into a wave of driving guitar and drums. The song is a blueprint of the rest of the album. It’s unpredictable, yet well crafted and has the undeniable smoothness of a veteran band. Except, this band was created in January ’07.
The Devil On Your Shoulder is an album that’s guitar driven. It’s rare to find an album with soaring lead lines, guitar solos and crescendo’s at this level. Don’t worry, there is plenty of bass, drums and piano but guitar is the lead instrument on this album. This is the style of the great 90’s alternative rock bands that are forever encased in our minds. Songs like “Break The Calm”, “Endless Love”, “Splinters” and “Wade In The Wires” encompass that style. They lead you wanting more of that guitar familiarity.
On the lighter side, there are plenty of piano-led tunes with the most thought-provoking lyrics that capture any mood you may be feeling at the time. You feel that from “When You See Me” and “I’ll Be Fine.” It’s very rare for me to favor the slower, more toned down songs over the rockin’ ones. But Raining & OK mixes piano and acoustic guitar so well with a soaring guitar buildup that I don’t even realize the tempo of the song. I just know I like it.
“The Devil On Your Shoulder” (also the name of the album) has, dare I say it, Lennon-esque qualities. No, the lead singer doesn’t sound like him. But he definitely captures the storytelling essence and the piano vibe of Lennon. And was that Enya in the bridge?? Whoever it may have been, it polished off the song with an amazing touch.
The songwriting of this album screams publishing deal. The lyrics, storytelling and music are all combined with a smoothness and precision that only the legends of rock can do. Raining & OK are the young incarnations that possess the potential to break into the big leagues of music through any media channel.
This is one of the few bands that made an amazing album on their first try. This band will go directly to a major label, directly into movie soundtracks and straight to your heart.
The Devil On Your Shoulder will be a breakthrough album for Raining & OK. There is no other band like them in today’s Indie world and there might not be another band like them in the rock world. Those are big time statements but it’s “OK”. This is a big time album.
- The Daily Chorus.com by Tim Towner
The Indie Review By Sean Duregger. (Indieuprising.net)
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Raining & OK have made their mark, without the help of corporate label backing, millions of dollars and huge ad campaigns. All they had to do was release an impressive EP and now with the release of their full length The Devil on Your Shoulder, Raining & OK are another example that the role of a record label has diminished and the success in this business lies solely on the shoulders of a hard working band.
Listening to Raining & OK’s debut, you forget you’re listening to a debut album. The sheer maturity of the songs is astonishing and the polished production is better than a lot of mainstream releases. The Devil on Your Shoulder is a release that comfortably settles in alongside of my favorite Muse and Coldplay albums, but pushes through with enough originality to stand fully on it’s own as a solid and memorable release.
So, with all that said, I’ll leave you with this: Raining & OK’s debut release, The Devil on Your Shoulder has established itself as a must-have album destined to be as memorable as Coldplay’s debut (my personal favorite). I hope these guys are around for a long time and continue to make memorable music. Whether they find a home on a Major Label, or stick it out Independently, Raining & OK are here to stay.
Stand Out Tracks:
“Wade In The Wires,” “Break The Calm,” &
“Send Your Angels Down”
- Indie Uprising.net by: Sean Duregger
Discography
The Devil On Your Shoulder (LP) - September 7th, 2007
-Singles: "Wade In The Wires," "Send Your Angels Down," "The Devil On Your Shoulder," "Endless Love"
Always Will Be (EP)- March 17th, 2009
-Singles: "Always Will Be," "The Loveless (True Love)," "Shadows," "Empty Handed"
Living Like A Ghost (EP) - June 22, 2010
-Singles: "Safety Net," "Living Like A Ghost," "Waited Long Enough"
Photos
Bio
***SESAC/MusicNation Grand Prize Winner in 2007***
***Alternative Press Magazine called Raining and OK "one of the top unsigned bands in America" (Jan 2008)***
In the summer of 2006, Trevor Tillery decided to pack up his bags and leave his hometown of Phoenix to head up to Seattle. It was during the quiet, lonely and creative Seattle nights that Tillery first felt inspired to write down the songs in his head. “I felt like I had these songs in me for years and they all burst out of me at once because I had been holding them in for so long. I had always been just a closet singer until the songs called me to sing them. I feel like the songs found me..” says Tillery.
After just one semester of college in Seattle, Tillery felt compelled to bring his songs back to Phoenix and start Raining and OK with friends Nick DuPlessis (drums), Stephen Spears (bass), and Austin Tingle (guitar). In the next few years, Raining and OK built a steady fanbase by releasing their debut album THE DEVIL ON YOUR SHOULDER in September 2007, and following it up with the ALWAYS WILL BE (EP) in March 2009. Their EP was produced by Matt Grabe (The Maine, The Summer Set) and co-produced by Dan Young of This Providence. The response from both fans and the industry was overwhelming as they were praised for their “depth of maturity” and “beautifully crafted (songs)”, and proved to Raining and OK that people were really connecting with their music and the band.
Along the way, Raining and OK won over fans by playing throughout the Pacific Northwest with Barcelona (Universal Motown) as well as playing shows locally. Raining and OK was put in front of the masses when their song “Empty Handed” was placed on an episode of MTV’s The Real World, resulting in thousands of digital downloads, tens of thousands of Youtube streams, and even an fan-created anime video. An opening slot for Taking Back Sunday (Warner Bros) soon followed, where the band had the opportunity to play in front of an audience of 5,000 people at the Wells Fargo Arena in Phoenix, AZ.
With their latest EP LIVING LIKE A GHOST, Raining and OK has again taken things to a new level of maturity. As Tillery explains “The EP has an overall theme of yearning to live life for a purpose beyond what the world and the media wants us to live. These are songs of hope and anthems to hopefully help bring people out of the dark into the light; out of the hard times.“ The music has anthemic choruses, thought-provoking lyrics, and even a full string section on ‘Waited Long Enough’. The band is now looking forward to releasing the new EP and continuing to build their passionate fanbase. Raining and OK continue to prove that with the right tools, drive and ambition, their music will connect with people.
“We have been around for a bit, but at this point feel like we are really just getting started. We are striving to build a strong community of fans that will allow Raining and OK to be a trademark name for years to come. We want to reach people through our music as far and wide as possible.”
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