Customer Reviews

Source Tags & Codes

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I had heard before I listened to "source tags & codes" that it was a loud album, but eve after being forewarned I found my head snapping back at what I heard when I threw it in my stereo. As someone who regularly listens to grindcore, I know loud, and this album leaps out of your speakers with a sheer volume that's hard to match in any genre. Right from the first fierce howl by Conrad Keely, backed by a pummeling wall of guitars, on the opening "It Was There That I Saw You," I knew I was in for a scintillating ride, and this album didn't disappoint from there on out.

It's easy to be hooked right away by how freakin' loud "source tags & codes" is, but that's only a part of what makes it such a great album. After the initial adrenalin rush had faded and I was done banging my head, I started to notice just how much craftsmanship went into these songs. I've heard some comparisons to Sonic Youth, and those certainly aren't far off base, as the dual guitar interplay, flailing drum assaults, and extended instrumental passages that characterized such Youth classics as "Daydream Nation" are very much in evidence here. However, it would be a tad too simplistic to write these guys off an SY clone, for AYWKUBTTOD distinguish themselves from their forebears with leaner songwriting and a much more ferocious overall approach.

While there are some peaceful, even pretty moments on "source tags and codes," they serve mainly to provide a foil for the sonic onslaught that's more often on display. After the hard-pounding rush of the opener, things get even better with the awe-inspiring "Another Morning Stoner," which augments the band's destructive guitar sound with the kind of enormous, towering melody that can bounce around in your head for days. The primal screamers "Homage" and "Days of Being Wild" make some of the best use of dynamics since the Pixies' heyday, while "Monsoon" builds from a quiet beginning to a series of swirling crescendos. Even the hook-laden "Relative Ways" and the concluding title track, while perhaps the two catchiest numbers on the disc, are filled with screaming guitar lines that loudly assault your ears.

In all places, though, "source tags and codes" is an album of contrasts, sort of like the "album you play to get your blood pumping" and the "album you play to mellow out" combined into one. AYWKUBTTOD have managed with this release to position themselves as one the best modern rock bands out there right now, and they should only get better as they grow more into their own sound. And if you like these guys, be sure to check out McLusky, Hot Snakes, the Dismemberment Plan, and Modest Mouse for similar quality material.

When I was 17, I discovered Source Tags & Code almost accidentally. I think I stumbled across it while trying to get into At the Drive-In (which never happened), the band who a lot of people say the Trail of Dead owe their sound. Very shortly after that, I started to smoke pot. The two things are completely unrelated except for the fact that this became my favorite album to listen to when high, and I listened to this album almost everyday for more than a year. It seemed to embody everything I felt and looking back, it really seems to define that whole era for me. I remember listening to it and worrying what exactly I wanted to major in in college - which I imagined would shape the whole future of my life. I remember listening to this for perhaps the 79th time, while particularly baked, and outlining a review for this album in which I explained how it was a brilliantly subtle concept album with a story arc describing the ego of any and every teen in America (I won't get into it, but I still somewhat believe it), and wondering why it wasn't the most popular album in the country, and stating for sure that it would be remembered as ahead of it's time.

"It Was There (That I Saw You)" couldn't be better for the first song. A quiet, simple guitar riff quickly joins the sound of a distant tv and what could only be described as space static. No sooner than the 15 second mark, the bass distinctively drops in half a beat before the loud, distorted, chiming punk chords and Conrad lets out one verse and a chorus about an old girlfriend ("but as time went on, I wondered what went wrong, I wondered what became....of you...") which segues into a great bridge/fuzzed out guitar jam that builds and builds until it bursts back into verse two with another bass dropout and even faster, louder, chimier (is that a word?) guitars and a climactic repeat of the chorus. This sets up the tone for the whole album, as most of the songs go by that same formula of Intro-verse-chorus-cool breakdown-verse-chorus-climax, some more intensely, others less so. I actually didn't like this song so much at first only because it's sung in what sounded to me like the whiny Good Charlotte pop-punk that was circulating at the time.

"Another Morning Stoner" is, even on the first listen, immediate a standout. The two guitar intro, one playing a riff right up there with Cobain's best, the other adding cool atmospheric fills grabs your attention and leads in to melodic, buzzsaw guitars on the verse. I think it was the second single.

"Baudelaire" has fast power chords and lyrics about the poet most famous for writing about boredom being the greatest sin. The fact that this is one of the most forgettable songs on the album is a compliment.

"Homage" is exactly what it's name implies. It's an homage to post-punk screamo bands such as Fugazi and Minor Threat. It's very fast paced and great if you were ever a fan of post-punk. If not, you won't like it.

"How Near How Far" is immediately another album highlight. The mellow, slowly crashing drums combining with a great echo-y guitar riff open the song then the pace is quickened for the verses, until it returns towards the end and builds while the refrain "how near, how far, how lost they are" is repeated about 15 times. This song is so amazing it will be playing in your head for a week after hearing it.

"Heart in the Hand of the Matter" begins with the coolest opening lyrics since "I was born in a crossfire hurricane" from Jumping Jack Flash. You just have to respect any song that begins with "ride the apocalypse" and a continues on with"there's nothing that could be done/we've lost all control/I walk in the shadows of your tortured realm/and I'm so damned/I can't win/with my heart in my hands again." At first, this song didn't really grab me. But, after actually listening to the lyrics I really came to think this is easily up there with the best songs on the album. "Heart in the Hand" leads perfectly into "Monsoon," which must be the most epic song of ToD's career so far. The great lyrics continue with such gems as "roll of thunder like a voice that commands/raindrops fall like the blood from your hands/pray to a God but I doubt that he's listening/this world's a gutter that he likes to piss in/millions of people quietly sleep/dreaming of deserts as the puddles run deep." Musically, "Monsoon" wears it's Sonic Youth influence right out on it's sleeve. James Reece even sounds like Lee Renaldo here.

"Days of Being Wild" blasts off right out of the gate. It's the loudest, fastest, and as far as I'm concerned, best song on all of `Source Tags'. The lyrics about "all night amphetamines" being "alive in jail/alive and well" fit perfectly being shouted over the hammering drums and guitars that sound like their trying to impersonate the sound of metal being viciously torn apart. The song climax's with a chorus being desperately shouted with the poem "Graffiti Deposition" read over it, ending in the line "a middle finger to the institution" and it all just works so surprisingly well.

"Relative Ways" was the first single, which of course means in this case that it's the most straightforward rock song here. Again awards for cool lyrics must go out for "our electric guitar hangs to our knees/got a couple of verses I can barely breathe/it's alright it's ok/it's coming together in relative ways" as well as the repeated lines "it's ok/I'm a saint/I forgave your mistakes".

"After the Laughter" is a instrumental interlude that continues the riffs from "Relative Ways" but quietly and on piano. It's a perfect comedown and a perfect lead-in to "Source Tags & Code" which is one of those perfect album closers where the guitars and lyrics just seem to put you into that totally warm, happy, nostalgic mood without fail every time you listen to it. There's nothing more to be said about this song, you can't not like it. Stick around after the song is over because after a few seconds you hear a very unlikely beautiful violin concerto which is the album's true coda.

Now I'm 21. Finally, I've answered all those questions I used to ask myself while stoned and blasting this in headphones. With the last grains of teenager-dom finally washed away, I still find myself coming back to this CD quite often. So, I'm starting to think that my very first impressions of `Source Tags' were totally right. This isn't just some teen angst [...] you listen to when you're young, then forget. This album is truly one of the greats, one that will be up there with those few albums that have seemed to define entire sections of your life. Albums that when played, have the power to transport you back to all the good times, all the bad times, and at the same time be an excellent album musically and lyrically. `Madonna' before this laid the groundwork, "the St. Elena's Tomb" EP hold's more of the same type of sound found here, before `World's Apart' blew ToD's possibilities wide open with a blend of different song styles. But none of those albums can touch the landmark greatness of `Source Tags & Codes."

I was very nervous when i first heard ..And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's new album, Source Tags and Codes. After a stellar second album, Madonna, i expected TOD to stay on Merge records and make another indie album. But when i found out that they had signed on to Interscope Records, i was shocked. I could see them guest appearing in Limp Bizkit videos, and having Fred Durst bust some rhymes for the chorus of their new hit single,"Da Partee iz Lyve!". I expected a failure.

How wrong i was.

I cannot even begin to tell you how stellar this album really is. The dense orchestration, layering of sound, and the overall skill and passion of Conrad Keely, Jason Reece, Neil Busch, and Kevin Allen, makes for one of the most engaging and emotionally draining albums i have ever experienced. Here's a track-by-track review of the album.

1. It Was There That I Saw You
A friend told me that he thought this song was too emo. How can a song be classified as emo when a string section and timpanies are present, to add to Conrad Keely's(he wrote this one) much improved vocal stylings. The beautiful soft mileu to this song, combined with the ravaging guitars that bookend this song, make it a classic. 5/5

2. Another Morning Stoner

The First Sign of the fantastic riffs that will come out of this album first appear in this song. A whirling, brooding piece that ends with the call-response shout, "What is Forgiveness\ it's just a dream\ what is forgiveness\ it's everything." Fantastic. 4.5/5

3. Baudelaire

Wow. Bassist Neil Busch's songwriting has come a long, long way. This on, curiously named after a French 1800's poet, has a great stuttering, recurring riff, and some killer bass drum stomping sound. One of my favorites. 5/5

4. Homage

Miss Trail of Dead's more raucous, apocalyptic thrashers like Perfect Teenhood and Richter Scale Madness? Here ya go. This one definitely shreds the speakers. The highlight is the atonal feedback "solo". Jason Reece is a madman. 4.5/5

5. How Near How Far

Another jaw-dropping midtempo tune with astonishing drum work and inspired lyrics by Conrad Keely. After the chanting is finished halfway through the song, Conrad storms back with more fury. A brilliant song. 5/5

6. Heart in the Hand of the Matter

All right, here we go. This is quite possibly one of the greatest songs that i have ever heard in my life. I'm quite serious. The stacatto piano and the surges of violins drove me back the first time i heard this. I can't even describe the damn thing correctly. It's godsent. Just listen to it yourself. You'll see. All i can say is "Ride the Apocalypse." Reece is God. 6/5

7. Monsoon

This one comes out of nowhere. The crunching riff, the soft breakdown in the middle, an Neil Busch's FANTASTIC vocals. My band and i are trying to figure out a cover of this one. This rockin' song is sure to please. "The Rivers are runnin' Red, With their Blood!" 5/5

8. Days of Being Wild

Another one of the more hardcore-inspired cuts on this album. This one rocks quite efficiently, at 3:29 or so. But Reece comes back with another killer. This is one of the songs on the album that just makes you feel good about the state of rock, even though the situation is dire, our boys of the Trail are giving hope. 4.5/5

9. Relative Ways

The first single off of Source Tags and Codes, and a damn, damn good song. The off-kilter rhythm and the simple riff work like magic, to produce a showstopper. Conrad is probably one of the best lyricists in rock right now, and his passionate cries of "It's Comin' Together in Relative ways now!!" make this one simply grand.

10. After the Laughter

A nice little segue using the piano riff from Relative Ways, with a distant radio in the background, and some beautiful harmony singing. Nice. 4/5

11. Source Tags and Codes

The mother of all album closers. This one may be the most simple of the songs on this album, but it may be the most effective and thought provoking. The string post-coda bit at the end is dripping in eloquence and beauty. Beauty. 5/5

Well, there you go. THE BEST NEW BAND IN ROCK. Forget the Strokes, with their Television and Velvet Underground posing. The Trail has made music on this album that will stand the test of time. Source Tags and Codes is one of my favorite albums of all time.

It's not often that a band as talented as Trail of the Dead gets some exposure. I was quite suprised actually when I ran across their video for "Another Morning Stoner" on MTV2, after giving the song a few spins I decided the album would be a worthwhile purchase, and that it was.

What really seperates Trail of the Dead from other modern bands is their rough and unpolished sound. With most bands it seems as if their songs have been polished until they sparkle, Trail Of the Dead is the exact opposite. Lyrically the album holds up quite well, as most of the songs have a deep meaning. And while lyrics and vocals are important, the actual music is what makes this band stand out from the rest. The guitar seems to float through the speakers, accompanied by an incredibly hard hitting and on point rythym section.

For those of you still puzzled about how Trail of the Dead actually sounds you could just check out their single "Another morning stoner". But, if I had to classify them I suppose they sound like a mix between At The Drive-In and an early Fugazi. Worhtwhile songs on the album include "Another morning stoner", "Days of being wild", "Monsoon", "How near how far" and "Source tags & codes".

So ultimately who is going to enjoy this album? Simple. "Source Tages & Codes" is for those of you who are looking for an all around rough around the edges in your face rock sound.

Trail of dead follow-up the deafening grind of 'Madonna' with their very own brand of paradoxed melodic yet vitriolic rock 'n roll. From the moment the amp hits 11, the Texans stun with relentless hooks emerging from the chaotic background with Conrad Keely's restrained vocals providing the perfect peripheral to intelligent and forceful compositions. 'How near , how far' thunders along with leaps and bounds making it the true gem in this crown collection of songs. Piano interludes provide scintillating moments of tranquille before engaging upon the storm once more. The band with the longest name in rock have laid the foundations for a bright future, although lost in their own vanity they may well continue to languish in the charts lower regions - and why not?

I picked this up after weeks of incessant urging by a friend of mine. I respect (although often disagree) with his taste in music and I had reservations about this one. I was expecting black spiked leather/gay biker/mullet speed metal or something in that vein. I couldn't have been more wrong. Not that this album doesn't have testicular fortitude- it flat out rocks. But it is subtle in the right places. I wouldn't call them ballads, but TOD scales it back a couple times, then hits you in the forehead with a claw hammer. The haunting segues between songs add a very nice feel as well. I can't recommend this more strongly. One of the few albums I'd classify as a "must have".

BRILLIANT. eventually Trail of Dead should take over music. but i doubt that, society is too hungry for what mainstrean feeds them. i've had this album for awhile now and hadn't really had a chance to actually listen to it. driving and folding clothes are really the only times that my mind seems to allow music to really sink in. this is by far one of the best cd's in my collection and i have a giant collection.

people say that they sound like sonic youth or the who, etc. so what? this band is like an accumulation of those other great bands. i don't know what's wrong with that. what band isn't an accumulation of others? probably 90% of music is just a re-incarnation of some previous sound. nirvana without the pixies? yea right. heavy metal without sabbath or zeppelin? yea right. any pop song ever written without the beatles? yea right. radiohead without pink floyd? yea right. ryan adams without dylan? come on... whoever without whoever?... the list goes on...stop complaining and appreciate someone else's take on an idea. the more time flies by, the harder it is to find originality.

That was my first thought the first time I heard this album... It reminded me of the glory days of The Who when they were the most dangerous and exciting band in the world. I don't write reviews very often, but I thought it was necessary for this album.

First off, this is normally not my kind of music. I'm a classic rock nut and metalhead at heart. Favorite bands include Opeth (progressive death metal), Dream Theater (prog metal), Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, King Crimson, Metallica, and the like. I've never been a fan of punk either. Too simple, too juvenile. But something just absolutely grabbed me about this album. Even I'd risk my rock/metal cred and boldly step up and proudly say, "Source Tags and Codes is a BRILLIANT album". One that I think can measure up to almost any of the all time greats.

I've asked myself why this album has grabbed me. Trail of Dead aren't particularly good musicians, nothing very technically dazzling here. Yet, the simplicity of these melodies seems to make them all the more powerful. The vocals, that higher pitched punk stuff that I usually despise actually WORKS with this album. Why? I don't really know. The melodies themselves are simple, but are able to intertwine between guitars and vocals just right. Maybe it just lies in the fact that these guys, without all the technical flair have been able to create some of the most stunning, memorable, beautiful, and powerful music I've heard in my 17 years of being a hardcore music fan.

The songs themselves are amazing. The opener It Was There That I Saw You is a great example of how a few chords and the right lyrics can give you a powerful punch to the gut and the brain with so little motion. Another Morning Stoner is one of the lead-off singles. With its smooth flowing guitar and memorable vocal melodies, it's definitely one of the best on the album. Baudelaire is surging and sexy with its guitar/vocal harmony lines before the breakdowns into those mini choruses. Homage is just a freak out, with pure thrashed instruments and hardcore vocals until the calming of the storm a few seconds in which ultimately leads into another violent eruption. Powerful indeed. How Near, How Far is like a brother to Morning Stoner... smooth guitar lines leading into a more surging verse and that unforgettable vocal melody.

Heart in the Hand of the Matter is a bit less immediate than the first 5 tracks. It's subtler, and maybe even more powerful than the previous tracks. The buildup to that excellent chorus is incredible. Monsoon is all build up. And man, what a build up. Quiet guitar with occasional drum crashes amidst constant vocals culminating in an awesome freak out near the end. Days of Being Wild is akin to Homage, with its hardcore style vocals (though less prominent than on the former). And just like it's predecessor, it packs a wallop. It also subsides eventually only to kind of silently erupt at the end (you'll understand when you hear it).

Then we come to Relative Ways... THE single from the album. Chiming guitars that just mesh gorgeously with drums into those smooth textured verses. The vocals are similar, smooth, until half way through when it picks up and by then end everything is so aching it's almost unbearable (in a good way). After the Laughter is a short epilogue of Relative Ways and at the same time intro to the monstrous title track. Source Tags and Codes is, fittingly, the perfect summation of the entire album. Memorable vocal melodies laid over equally memorable guitar, drum, and bass lines. It's much more subtle than most of the album, but by the end, it's power is obvious.

There are more things to judge an album on though than just songs. One major factor is cohesiveness... How does everything gel? On this album, it couldn't be more perfect. It's a ride all the way through that never lets up. The tracks are so perfectly sequenced that with every song, every change, every link you get the right amount of everything. Well what about the mood? This album covers it. Uplifting, sad, aching, mournful, triumphant... It can make you feel how you want to feel. The lyrics are excellent as well. I'm not a big lyrics nut, but the stuff here is well above the average soul-less mainstream stuff.

Finally, I think the thing that amazed me most about the album is the fact that they manage to pull out every emotion, every feeling one can feel with music and cram it into one album. Beauty, power, danger, rage, calmness, ugliness, weakness... It's all here. Sometimes all in the same song, some at the same time. Few albums can pull that off. I also wanna mention the same day I bought this I bought Mars Volta's De-Loused in the Comotorium. It's rare you find two life-changing albums in the same month, let alone the same DAY. Two very different albums, two very UNIQUE albums, two very amazing albums that could, in my opinion, change mainstream music as WE know it for the better. Hopefully this, or Mars Volta, or both is a glimpse at the future of music.

I had heard of AYWKUBTTOD a while back. I was skeptical to listen to them. Like many music fans, when I hear the name And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead two things come to mind, Goth and Death Metal. Two kinds of music I avoid like the plague. However, after reading a favorable review of Source Tags and Codes on "The Onion A.V. Club", I decided to check out the Trail of Dead. I promptly went to their site... and clicked on the handy link to "listen to Trail of Dead". A window came up that included a short little list of songs off of TOD's new album, Source Tags and Codes. I fell in love. I bought the album a day later, and have been listening to it for about a month straight now. The Trail of Dead write incredible songs, and have been doing so since their self-titled release, but this album is definitely their best work. The music is just as powerful as ever, but has a maturity to it that lends a bit more accessability. One thing truly interesting about ToD is the way they play guitar. The two guitar players have numerous moments of brilliance, but what really sticks out is how on some songs, the guitars don't sound like guitars, they sound like bells. Yes bells. It's strange, it's catchy, it's damn cool. Their lyrics can be hit or miss. At some times they are thought provoking, even painfully beautiful- "I've rendered every line/ Every contour of a muse's eye", "Is heaven to you, a perfect place? A look of sorrow on a sufferer's face/ A field of light/ to sow and to reap?/ That some of us will never see?/ Why is I don't feel the same?/ Are my longings to be blamed?/ For not seeing heaven like you would see/ Why is a song the world for me?" The drumming on this album is frantic, but never out of place. Quite the contrary, the drumming on Source Tags and Codes elevates every song. Please, try this band. I nearly passed them by because of my own prejudices, and that would have been a tragedy. Don't do the same. If you don't want to just buy it, go by their site- ...and listen to the 5 or 6 tracks available. If those don't hook you, nothing will. Now I just hope this band doesn't break up like their fellow Texans, At the Drive-In.

What if Godspeed You Black Emperor turned up the tempo? What if they put their Canadian mannerisms on the back burner and were fronted by an angst ridden vocalist? I had often longed for something that embodied just that: beautiful orchestral laments with more of a biting/edgy sound. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have answered my prayers (I don't pray). This Texas ensemble will not leave you trailing behind nor will they stick their fingers in your bum without prior permission.

Their third full length album, Source Tags & Codes is probably as close to a 10 as I'd give any album released in 2002. The songs flow together seamlessly, all the while evoking a sense of nostalgia in the active listener. I am constantly reminded of the disorderly nature of bands like Sonic Youth and the spaced out mantrap of Radiohead. Trail Of Dead go from passive, to chaotic, to downright punk - without skipping a beat.

This CD is consummate for those long solo road trips - when all that is separating you from death is a firm grip on the wheel, and the center divide of a choked up freeway.