Written by: Rachel Burke
New Jersey-based rockers, Ours, recently released their third major label album, Mercy, on April 15th of this year, after spending over five years working on it. It was recorded by legendary record producer, Rick Rubin, who has produced numerous albums including the Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Linkin Park’s Minutes to Midnight, and sessions by Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, among many others.
Who is Ours, you ask? Unfortunately, I think it’s a shame how much talent these guys possess and how little people have heard of them. Well, if you’re someone who loves loud, emotional, gut-wrenching rock music, then please, by all means, read on.
I think everyone reaches a certain point in their life when they discover an artist that makes them fall in love with music all over again. Artists whose music is so inspiring, you often wonder what life was like before discovering them. For me, this occurred about three years ago when I discovered Ours.
At first listen, my impression of the emotional, Gothic rock sound of their music was a bit like a mix of Radiohead and Muse. Considering those are two of my favorite bands, needless to say I was pretty impressed. Since I enjoyed what I had heard so far, I decided to see them at the Avalon in Boston. I had no idea that what I was about to see that night would change my entire outlook on music forever.
To be honest, ever since the early 90’s Seattle grunge rock explosion, I had yet to hear a band or see a performance that actually moved me. In the early 90’s, there were some great bands that had evolved: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, etc. They were all so passionate and intense. Their music made me feel something. Even if it was something sad, it was something. It was real. It had affected me one way or the other, and it takes a great musician to do that.
As I got older, my love for music started to fade. It wasn’t that I loved music any less. It was the fact that there seemed to be a lack of talent in the music scene. A lot of musicians weren’t even writing their own songs anymore. How can you be passionate about what you’re singing if you didn’t even write it? How can you expect to move other people with your music when you’re not even moved by it yourself? The answer is simple: you can’t.
In my late teens and early twenties, I went to a lot of concerts, but I can’t tell you one show that I went to and was actually moved by the performance. Luckily, in 2005, I saw Ours in concert for the first time. They opened with a song titled “Murder,” which is one of the tracks off their recently released album Mercy, but at the time it was unreleased. I don’t know what in God’s name happened to me during this performance, but it completely mesmerized me. Finally, THIS was what I had been missing. This intensity, this passion, this emotion. It was indescribable.
The giant voice that escapes frontman Jimmy Gnecco is surreal. When that man opens his mouth to sing, the rest of the world seems to fade away. His voice was described in a novel How To Kill A Rock Star ,written by Tiffanie DeBartolo, as “…a voice that swept up and down the scales and was, at times, filled with deep, lush, apocalyptic emotion, and at other times was a burning falsetto of hope and love and seemed too big to come from his throat, lungs, or diaphragm. From his soul, I decided.”
The author is actually describing the voice of a fictional character in her novel, which she admits was inspired by Jimmy’s incredible voice. But it wasn’t even just his voice that amazed me, it was everything about him. The entire band has such an intense stage presence that it’s hard to take your eyes off the stage when you see them live.
At most concerts, by the time the first song was finished, I was usually ready to take a walk and grab another drink. Not this time. By the time their second song ended, I forgot I even had a drink in my hand. Actually, I think I even forgot where I was at that point. But I knew one thing: I had to hear more.
I didn’t move or take my eyes off the stage for the rest of the show. I stood there in a hypnotic state, listening to every electrifying riff and chord, praying that it would never end.
I haven’t missed one Ours show in Boston since that night. There’s something to be said about a guy that can not only scream rock music, but can cover Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” as well. Enough said.
I think it’s a shame how many talented artists exist that don’t receive the recognition they deserve, not only for the band’s benefit, but also for the audience’s. It’s hard for me to imagine what life was like before the semi-annual anticipation of seeing Ours perform once again.
I am extremely grateful that I discovered these guys, not only because of the beautiful music and amazing performances they deliver, but because they made me realize that real music… intense, emotional, passionate, soul inspired music… still existed in the world.
For those of you who haven’t been fortunate enough to experience the music of Ours, I would highly encourage you to see for yourself. You don’t know what you’re missing.
ttp://www.myspace.com/oursmusic
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Today I am going to be talking about a Rock band that I have written about before. HDR! Joe Mora, guitar and vox, Amy Tung, Bass and Vox, Johnny Lord , Drums. This band is one of the hardest working bands in LA today. Their perseverance over the past few years is beginning to pay off.
Let me explain. For one HDR has been on a warpath to play shows and good shows at that. Insisting on playing with other good bands in the scene and bringing in bands from out of town they are really starting to stand out as a leader in the rock community. Quoting bassist Amy Tung “one of our goals is to create a scene in Hollywood, we have a great core group of bands that we play with, we support them they support us. Our fans get to see other great bands and their fans get to check us out. The old saying, there’s strength in numbers is so very true, yet so many bands can’t quite see that”.
HDR just recently released a full length album, WE ARE HDR. This gem was recorded LIVE to tape. Not many bands do that anymore in these days of Pro Tools. The Album starts off with a bang and never let’s down. To put a album on these days and be able to listen to the whole thing through without getting bored says a lot for this group. Solid writing and catchy songs are what this band is known for.
HDR recently opened for Bad Religion 4 times. That’s a feat worthy of mentioning. Another noteworthy accomplishment is them getting ‘Wide Open’ (a song off their new album, We Are HDR) in the Matt Hoffman Evil Knievel tribute that aired on MTV during the Jackassworld MTV 24 hr Takeover. They also had their video for the song Thailand (from the EP ‘Make A Wish’, Produced by Rick Kosick) played right after the Matt Hoffman special on MTV!
Future plans for this band? “Continuing to play as much as possible” says Amy Tung. They have a tour coming up with Super Giant from Albuquerque to prove that.
If you haven’t seen this band live you are missing out on something special. Expect to have as much fun being in the crowd as HDR is having on stage.
Oh yeah another amazing point if that was not enough, you can catch the HDR Jazz Trio playing a couple of Jazz sets down at La Cita , on Hill St between 3rd and 4th on Mondays during April. Trust me when I say that HDR is at the top of their game right now and it will pay off for them in 08.
HDR the band is a dream come true in the music world of today, talented musicians that are incredibly down to earth people. Check them out on the web at myspace.com/hdrtheband.
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