Band to Watch: Trials and Ways

Posted on by tripletrex

I am going through all of my music to see who I can compare this band to. The fact that it is this difficult for me to find a comparative band is enthralling me. As an enthusiast that listens to music at least 3 hours everyday, it is extremely refreshing to come across a band that has a unique sound that you can actually enjoy. Trails and Ways has this sound.

The best way I can explain this band is as a combination of the personality and rhythm of Grizfolk meshed with the vocal styling of Milo Greene. They have achieved a style along the silver lining between dance and chill music. When their music plays, you will be left pondering whether or not you should get up and groove it or just lay down and absorb the ecstasy. Whichever path you decide, you will not be disappointed.

I actually began to listen to this band last December. I enjoyed their debut EP Trilingual (oh yeah and the male vocalist will sometimes sings in Portuguese and the female vocalist in Spanish as if the band wasn’t already sick enough), but I was more into Panama Wedding and the Strokes during that time period so I did not give them a real good listen. I actually got back into them the other day when I was trying to find covers for my “indie covers r 2 chill” playlist on Spotify. I found that they actually have a covers EP which included a spin-off of Miguel’s “Sure Thing” and an incredible cover of Frank Ocean’s “Lost” IN FRICKEN PORTUGUESE!!! Actually just listen to it below right now.

Great, huh? Well, recently they have been finalizing their debut LP Pathology. So far they have released two singles in anticipation for this debut and they are both brilliant. I predict this album to be a very solid career starter for Trails and Ways. Keep an eye out for them and check their touring schedule because they are hitting a ton of stops in the next two months. Listen to  their singles and always feel free to comment and share below!

The Grading System

Posted on by tripletrex

The most frequent articles you will find on this site are album reviews. The majority of these reviews will be of albums from bands that are more or less unknown to the average American. I am doing this to give lesser known artists a voice. A critical one but a voice, nonetheless. However, I will also do occasional reviews of some “pop” artists to give you, the readers, a sense of where the little guys fall amongst the big shots. I will judge all artists equally and fairly on a scale of 0 to 10 in each of the following categories for a total score out of 50:

  1. Lyrical Brilliance
  2. Vocal Style
  3. Instrumental Style
  4. Originality
  5. Flow

Assessment of these 5 categories gives the best reflection on the quality of an album. A truly great album withholds all of these attributes. To give you an idea for one that would score 10’s across the board, listen to Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album, if you have not already.

The sound of this album is so unique that there is nothing to compare it to in the era it was released in. The lyrics are as eloquent as any transcendentalist and the lead vocalist, Ezra Koenig, sings them in such a way that perfectly portrays the lyrical tone. If that wasn’t enough, the instrumentals further reflect the intellectuality of the lyrics through a collage of world sounds and unique riffs. While every song has a distinct personality, each is perfectly placed in a seamless order that is auricularly pleasing.

This album is the level to which the bar is set. It is the standard for perfect. Lets see where everything else lands.