BAM, Vol. 1by Anonymous
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July 09, 2007:
Being a B-sides album definetely doesn't leave BAM! out of the competition for "Best Sister Hazel Album". Of course, it is impossibly hard to choose the best one - just as hard as it is to choose a favorite song out of BAM!. After listening to it a few times, you realize what a B-side means with Sister Hazel: instead of being not-so-good songs, they all fit right in with the rest of their work. The one reason why they didn't come out in previuos albums was lack of space, but they are really songs that should have always been there. Most of the tracks go along the same lines as the band's previous records. There are the upbeat feel-good songs like Grand Canyon, and Sail Away, which takes you right into the Rock Boat, the band's yearly music festival at sea. Then there are the beautifully written ballads like Sweet Destiny, On Your Mind, and Mona Lisa. For the fans who are always eager to hear the band doing something different, there's the punk-rock of Work In Progress, and the heavier Mosquito. But the one thing that is never different is that there is not one bad song in the whole album. Pretty soon you forget that these are songs you didn't know a short time ago, and each and every one of them becomes like an old friend you often find yourself thinking about. The cover of BAM! shows the guys as superheroes, and that's what they really are. Time and again they manage to write a song that relates so completely with what is going on in our lives, it makes us feel like someone out there understands us, we're not alone and everything will be all right in the end. For me, this time, it's What Kind of Living, a catchy song about being stuck in a relationship going nowhere. Sister Hazel has saved my life more than once in this way, by bringing music and beauty to every kind of feeling, and for that they really are my superheroes. Any Sister Hazel fan absolutely must have this album, because the collection would be incomplte without it. And anyone who is not yet a Sister Hazel fan... it's time to start! So turn up the volume, add a little BAM! to the Ginger Ale, and go have fun with this newest Hazel journey!
BAM, Vol. 1by Anonymous
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July 03, 2007:
Hazel’s ‘BAM!’ captures creativity, energy of band By Denton Ramsey Reaching into their vault of musical masterpieces, Sister Hazel has done it again – producing a top-notch album with amazing beats and harmonies their fans have grown to know and love. As well as appreciate. With the band’s latest release, ‘BAM! Volume 1,’ Hazel continues to blow me away – both as a lifetime fan of the band and a diehard fan of great music. These guys honestly rival bands such as the Beatles and Grateful Dead for greatest band of all-time. And they are completely underrated. In fact, if I were to be stranded on an island and could only bring one band’s CD’s with me, the choice would be simple. Hazel all the way. With the band’s latest ‘BAM’ release, Hazel goes back to their roots with many of these terrific tracks. The beautiful thing about this band is the fact that it’s more than just music – it’s a lifestyle. As a lifetime Hazelnut, this comes as no surprise. Since the band first blossomed from a trio of stars to the five-piece group we know today, they have created and produced incredible music. Years later, they continue to do the same thing – and their latest release has it all: from Ken Block’s beautiful vocals to Ryan Newell’s sweet riffs, this CD is clearly clever from start to finish. From song one to song 15, you’ve just got to love these guys. Just eight months after producing and releasing a musical masterpiece with ‘Absolutely,’ Sister Hazel followed up with another near-perfect album. The band’s first B-side release, ‘BAM! Volume 1,’ hit stores on June 8. And the music is already making waves with their fans, known simply as “Hazelnuts.” For the Gainesville, Florida five-some, ‘BAM! Volume 1’ was a perfect solution to a good problem to have when it comes to making music – having too much music. Due to everyone in the band writing, there tends to be an overflow of music for each and every album battling out for a space on a CD. Hazel’s solution: the creation of ‘BAM! Volume 1.’ “One day we just said, ‘let’s build a home for [these songs],’” drummer Mark Trojanowski said. “That’s part of the beauty of being an independent artist. When you get fired up about the music, you can just skip the red tape and pull the trigger.” And pull the trigger, they did. “One of the hardest parts of making a CD for us has been picking the songs,” lead singer Ken Block said. “We are a five-man democracy, and sifting through 70-something songs each time to narrow it down to one CD worth of music has always been challenging. Since we all write, there are always a ton of songs that we work up.” For the band, a CD such as ‘BAM! Volume 1’ is a first – but from start to finish, it’s full of typical-Hazel melodies and rhythms that make this band so remarkable. “This is our first hybrid CD,” bassist Jett Beres said. “There are full-blown studio tracks, live studio demos that captured our first pure swing at new songs, and some rare bonus tracks.” The excitement the band feels about their new CD is matched by a superb release filled with some of Hazel’s favorite hidden...
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