Recent Hours

Who is Recent Hours, you ask? Yeah, we know you've probably never heard of them - but that's the point of this feature, isn't it? Consider it our own personal mission, to expose you darling readers to some underdog talent. And that's what Recent Hours is: Five dedicated guys who just want you to share a great musical experience with them, minus the drama, the false pretenses, the manufactured and mass-produced crap that too frequently masquerades as "rock."

They're not all about the money or the fame; they're just a group of friends from the local area who happen to make some awesome music. I guess you could consider the band to be the "boy-next-door" equivalent of music: approachable, friendly and low-key, but also quite appealing and curiosity-piquing at the same time. (We hope they're not insulted by that comparison, 'cause it's really a compliment to their tunes- although, um, maybe you have to be female to truly appreciate it.)

Anyway. We got them to spill the beans about what they're all about, and we want you to check them out and listen to the music they're putting out there. It's fun, unpredictable and professional-quality - and we really think they're headed in the right direction.....


-Rachel Perry
Play Magazine - Play Magazine

Monday, August 31, 2009
Review: Recent Hours - The Definition Of Replacement

Recent Hours - The Definition Of Replacement
2009, Recent Hours

Recent Hours have been stalwarts of the Philadelphia Rock scene since their inception in 2006, continually pushing at the bounds of their self-styled "Euphoric Metal" with hard work, inspiration and a lightness of being that often evades the Metal Community. Recent Hours' debut CD, The Definition Of Replacement, shows musical growth even within the bounds of one album. Recent Hours are band going someplace quickly.

The Definition Of Replacement opens with a searing guitar riff that lights a fire under Head Gnomes. Dusty offers up a haunted, harrowing lead vocal line that takes off and soars in a memorable if atypically melodic chorus. Very early on Recent Hours will catch the ears of fellow musicians, as there is a great deal going on beneath the vocal line, from some really stellar work by drummer Andrei to an impressive presence by guitarists Mike and Andy. Take The Lead drives a hard melodic edge ahead of some tremendous guitar work. The song has an Emo feel in the verses but revs up to full capacity for the chorus. Drop It Proper kicks off with another vicious guitar riff and evolves into a mellow minimalist arrangement that feeds into a dynamic chorus. Halo has a dynamic and highly rhythmic arrangement but lyrically falls flat and seems to be missing some of the vocal intensity found on earlier tracks.

Insect Carci follows a similar path, although there is more vocal intensity here. Recent Hours seems to struggle to match the level of their musicianship with like quality lyric content. The Sweetness slows things down a bit (at first), before ripping into a slow and tortured guitar-driven chorus where the drum work is the definitive star. The Definition Of Replacement closes out with The Offer, perhaps the hardest and heaviest tune on the disc.

The more I listen to Recent Hours the more I wish they were an instrumental band. The vocalist is decent, but lyrically the band just leaves a lot to be desired. With better material to sing Dusty would be a formidable front man, but musically this band is insanely good. I'd love to hear what they could do with a more imaginative lyricist. Dreams of a post-Rush, post-Dream Theater super-band abound on The Definition Of Replacement.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Recent Hours at http://www.recenthours.com/ or www.myspace.com/recenthours, where you can purchase a copy of The Definition Of Replacement.
Posted by Wildy at 5:10 AM
Labels: Dream Theater, Recent Hours, Rush - Wildysworld

http://blog.sendmemobile.com/artist-interviews/recent-hours-interview
Ready to hear about another up and coming indie sensation? Strap yourself in because here we go.

This time, we had a chance to sit down with the five men behind Recent Hours and grill them on how they got started in music, the way they define success and hear about the battle of the bands performance that may have changed absolutely everything!

Recent Hours


1. Give me some of your top musical influences. Who do you love?

Mars Volta, Karnivool, Incubus, Deftones, 311, Glassjaw, Helmet, Clutch, Rush, The Police, Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, Hendrix, Various Hip Hop Artists like, Ludacris, Cash Money Millionaires, Lil Wayne… Any musician that pushes the envelope creatively.

2. Describe your sound?

Tapestry of music, beautiful chaos. We love to find that place that is both heavy & euphoric

3. How did you get started?

Andy - My father played guitar and I always loved hearing him play. When I was 13, I finally started playing. He showed me the basics and then I taught myself and learned through various friends.

John - When I was 15, people in my high school were looking for bass players. I always like music and it seemed like there was a niche that needed to be filled. So I started taking lessons.

Dusty - As a little kid I was always drawn to the songs I heard on the radio. As I got older I always wanted to have control over the excitement I gained out of music and wanted to share it with other musicians.

Mike - When I was 12, I decided to play the guitar because I was infatuated with Hendrix. I wanted to explore the genius I was hearing.

Dre - When I was 4 or 5, I had a need to play percussion. I started using things around the house like spoons or sticks and started messing around the house. And as I got older, the craving to play drums never went away. It only intensified the more I played. For me, it’s the same with all forms of music. Guitars, drums, vocals.

4. What gets you on stage? What inspires you?

To share the experience of creating music with people.

5. What do you want to accomplish with your music?

Music is our way of inspiring and connecting with people. We get excited about moving things forward and seeing how far we can go.

6. What’s the one performance or professional moment that stands out for you?

That would have to be a battle to get signed last spring. It was a battle of the bands in a new area for us. Long rides, no regular fans, and crazy temperatures had stress and frustration levels high enough to break weaker bands. And this was obviously from the way they openly displayed and verbalized their distaste for the situation at hand. For us, acknowledging the less-than-promising conditions would have been stating the obvious, so we remained focused on playing our best, end of statement. To further test our endurance, we had to deal with losing our first round. However, we stayed focused and managed to get back into the finals on the wildcard bracket by continuing to play 110 percent.

The finals found more stumbling blocks with less than expected turnout, heat and humidity that could suffocate, and Dusty forgetting to pack Mike’s only guitar. Luckily, a rival band loaned Mike an ax enabling Recent Hours to unload a blistering performance, one of the few that managed to get the crowd motivated enough to get rowdy in the stifling atmosphere of the venue. At the end of an intense night of music, we got the relief and satisfaction of being declared the events winner. It definitely felt like the focus and determination paid off. Although it was emotionally gratifying, in reality things with the event turned out not to pay up, but that’s a whole other story.

7. What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Have these evolved over time?

That can be broad depending on what you’re looking for. If you take the big picture of the band, music and the lyrics as a whole, you’re going to find layering, dynamics, depth and intelligence delivered in a way that can go from soothing to jarring and back in any number of new and interesting ways. It’s the sum of what each of us reflects into the band from who we are and what we go through and having music as a release. The evolution is always happening as we become more aware and in-tune with our own unique process and keep refining it.

8. What has been your biggest challenge as an artist?

Cutting through the over-saturation of our times to build a sincere fan base. We are all bombarded by so much that getting people to notice the music that’s right in front of them can be trickier than it seems.

9. What’s your music making process like?

It’s a naturally democratic process with each member having equal power to steer the vessel that is Recent Hours in spite of our often differing opinions. We are fortunate to have enough in common in the right areas that we respect and work with the differences because that’s what helps us to make original music.

10. What is success for you?

Being able to live a fulfilling life as a musician

11. How can fans gain access to your music? Do you have a Web site or demo out?

Come to a show or visit us online at www.recenthours.com. We are all over the Web and all the major social networks, which can be accessed from our main site. We also have our full length LP “The Definition of Replacement” available as a CD hard copy or downloadable MP3 from snocap and more.

12. Are you using the Web for promotion? If so, how?

Yes. It’s all about communication. It’s a very direct connection. We do our best to post blogs, bulletins, updates, shows, answer messages, and network with other musicians. As we mentioned earlier, we see it as an extremely powerful tool, that when used properly, can do great things for the artist and their fans.

13. What advice would you give to up and coming artists?

Look really closely at what you’re passionate about and, when you find it, go for it with everything you have because that’s what will get you where you want to be. Or just get a job.

Excellent advice, guys!

Thanks to Andy, John, Dusty, Mike and Dre from Recent Hours for sparing a few minutes to chat with us. Make sure to check them out at RecentHours.com, Recent Hours on Twitter or Recent Hours on MySpace.

Posted by A. Sogal
7/23/09
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