Who? This Texas based quartet met and formed three years ago in Austin. Having emerged from the Christian rock scene, Bill McCharen (vocals/guitar), David Kiesel (guitar/vocals), Brandon Johnson (drums), and Shane Fling (bass), have reimagined themselves a bit on their first national release. Hello from the Children of Planet Earth is a clever combination of emo and space rock.
What’s the Deal? The album kicks off with a burst of positivity, thanks to a quote from Florence Nightingale — “I hope my voice may perpetuate the great work of my life” — and a melodic chant: “Here’s to new beginnings, here’s to a new start.” And those beginnings just keep on going: The band makes little attempt to limit their lengthy songs, stringing them out with eerie instrumentals and recorded voices of iconic leaders. But it’s not all deep thoughts about the meaning of life. First single “Yesterday We Had It All” steps away from cosmic pondering to deal with a more pertinent issue: “Why are we breaking up when I still love you?”
Fun Fact: In 2005, Hundred Year Storm unknowingly toured in a stolen van for nine months. This resulted in a court case with the State of Texas where they finally retained proper ownership of their van. ILLYRIA TURK
Now Hear This: Hundred Year Storm – “Yesterday We Had It All” (Download MP3)
Talk: Could you ride out this storm for 100 years? COMMENT
On the Web: hundredyearstorm.com
