Bulgogi - Juan Dissed the Cyclops Baby

Name: Bulgogi
Album: Juan Dissed the Cyclops Baby
Year:2016
Style: Emo, Metal, Prog, Hardcore
Similar Bands: Mr. Bungle, Mr. Big, Gwar, Dillinger Escape Plan, Majin Buu (the DBZ character), Braniac, Blink 182
"One-Word" Review: Terrified Chamber Prog Punk 
Based Out Of: Asheville, NC
Label: none

Insert Cover & Back, Sleeve Cover & Back

CD & Lyrics / Liner Notes

Juan Dissed the Cyclops Baby (2016)

1. School 4:46
2. Hymn 5:30
3. The Drill 6:51
4. Rotten 7:10

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Nick Jones - Producer, Mixing
• Drew Hall - Artwork
• Tim Tsurutani - Guitar, Vox, Lyrics (Forks of Ivy, Tam Tsu, CAW! CAW!)
• Galen Dotson - Bass (Antique Firearms)
• Ryan Comer - Guitar
• Hugh Huffstutler - Drums

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, and from first appearance, i wouldn't have thought they were american until i saw the back of the insert that said Asheville NC. The artwork and color scheme is gothic creepy & earthy, but they seem like a real band with media/arty backgrounds at their live shows from the inner picts. I'm going to guess it's a brand of sludgy dark metal / prog.

Album Review: Overall, there is more falsetto shrieky hair metal sounding vocals that sore over the sometimes prog, chamber or sometimes driving pop-punk. But often, the tone switches to dark, deep hard core grunting...a nice juxtaposition of styles, drawing comparison to the frantic work from Mike Patton and Dillinger Escape Plan. It is very arty and intriguing as the range of vocal pitch is vast. I kinda really like it, but would not be quick/proud to share it with others

This is their third album, but first as a four piece who set out to write a rock opera. With this 4 song ep, they nailed the operatic part of opera, and it is quite theatrical, so it qualifies as a Rock Opera Short. They've quoted influences from Queen, Ween, System of a Down...no surprises there. But Tim moved to Chicago in 2017, so the idea of the band making more music is at least on hiatus as of now.

Stand Out Track: School

Links:

Bandcamp

Broadway World

DMME let it Rock

Spotify
Keys and Chord

Rock Times
Musicguy 247
Music Street Journal

Midwest Record

Galen on Reverbnation
Reverb Nation
Asheville Punk Scene

All People - s/t

Name: All People
Album: s/t
Year: 2016
Style: Math Rock, Indie Alternative,
Similar Bands: Walkmen, Dismemberment Plan
"One-Word" Review: Diverging Soundscapes
Based Out Of: New Orleans
Label: Community Records

 Cover, Record, Lyrics/Notes

Record, Back

All People (2016)

1. Slow 3:40
2. Plain Essential Language 2:20
3. Naught 3:29 (single)
4. Fearful / Sick 2:19
5. Moonsteps 3:12 / 
6. Start Again 2:03
7. Balloon 3:06
8. New Rain 3:18
9. Of You 3:34

Album Rating (1-10):6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Ross Farbe - Recording
• Chris George - Recording
• Carl Saff - Mastering
•  Josh Campbell - Guitar (New Lands)
• Robert Landry - Drums (New Lands, Rooks, Static Masks, Keeping)
• Daniel Ray - Vox, Keys, Trombone (Fatter Than Albert, Flaming Tsunamis, Vox & the Hound, Thou, Rooks, We Are the Union)
• Greg Rodrigue - Vox, Bass, Synth, Album Layout (Fatter Than Albert, The Rooks, Keeping)
• Dorka Hegedus-Lum - Photos

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. The mesh hanging in the winter treetops looks like blood diluting in water. I anticipate the music to resemble a cold, songscape of sound, the kind that tells a story while simulating a vast open tundra

Album Review: Rodrigue and Ray founded the Community Records label this album was put out on. This is their third album as All People and release #65 for the label. The songs do wander around, exploring their heavy elements and light synth in conjunction. The result is a bit of a schizophrenic sound: tugging the listener in multiple directions, even throwing in some brass to give it a distinct New Orleans flair. The vocals are not the center of attention, but seem to be sung because someone else determined songs need vocals.

Stand Out Track: Balloon

Links:
Community Records
New Noise
NOLA article
Ghost Cult
Impose
Post trash
WKDU - review
discogs