Veda
The Weight Of An Empty Room

Veda formed in Kansas City less than a year ago and has released a debut as a fully formed adult, distinctive and bold. Seemingly, skipping the infant and adolescent stages that usually plague a band until they find their “sound” (hell some bands can’t even decide on a name in the first year!) Veda has already toured with heavyweights such as Thrice, Copeland, Acceptance and Straylight Run, and from reports easily held their own round for round.

Speaking of Straylight Run the first thought that comes to mind as Kristen May opens her mouth and lets the vocals spill forth is that this must be a Michelle Nolan side project, or maybe it’s the chick that sang Autumn’s Monologue for From Autumn To Ashes. But it’s neither and that is very quickly discovered as May’s ethereal vocals are more developed than Nolan’s and more powerful despite the inherent airiness than Melanie Wills’.

Veda supports May’s vocals with intricate, deep arrangements that are at times as airy as the vocals but that also carry a strong enough kick to play the same stage as Thrice.

Overall this is a great CD to compliment the rest of your current listening pleasure.

Hong Kong Six
Hong Kong Six

Hong Kong Six’s press package lists a myriad of influences ranging from Miles Davis to The Beatles to Fugazi but they only really needed to list one: The Pixies.

Which makes this a difficult review to write. How do I explain the immediate similarity between HK6 and The Pixies without making HK6 sound like a rip-off band (which they’re not)? Because the God’s honest truth is that I love every track on this disc. It’s currently in my Top 10 for 2005 and I think it’s going to stay there. I also love The Pixies. I think the phrase to use is that they have “built upon a sound” that was originally created and developed by The Pixies. How does that sound?

HK6 has crafted and interesting, intelligent and bizzarelly harmonic debut CD that somehow, despite it’s lack of conventional pop, sticks in your head for days. I walk around constantly now saying things like “dance around the flames” and “stop looking at me, please / leave but don’t leave / and don’t stop looking at me” in a bizarre sing-songy way that always elicits stares in the grocery store check out line.

Musically complete with a great “deal” of female backing vocals, unique lead vocals and a plethora of exotic instruments Hong Kong Six has brought listeners the ‘80’s creative days of artistically interesting bands like The Pixies, R.E.M. and The Minutemen to 2005 with a “now” sensibility that modern listeners will appreciate. The Pixies better hope that their rumored recordings this year are this good and not a rehash-cover-band sounding album because I’m far more interested in moving forward with a new band than looking back with some has-beens.