What Could It Be? is the initial track on The Great Deception, and it provides ample background for listeners. Touching upon the Roswell alien crash, What Could It Be? links organic and human elements with a more tranc-y, out of this world instrumentation. Instructions immediately brings listeners into a style that fans of Styx and Utopia would appreciate. Seconds Before Landing touch upon a wide array of influences from the…
While there seems to be a desire for individuals to want the lighter and more fruit-flavored beers during the summer months, I feel that porters provide a perfect counter-point to a big meal or long day of work. Summit’s Great Northern Porter is a rich brew that pours with an intimidatingly dark head and body. The lacing that remains stands in stark opposition to the dark coloration…
The original 1968 film of The Producers is a classic title, showcasing Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, and Zero Mostel in a deliriously funny and off-the-wall look into the Broadway of the 1960s. When Max Bialystock (Mostel) and eir accountant (Wilder) learn that making an unsuccessful Broadway show is more financially lucrative than dealing with a long-haul release, Springtime For Hitler is born. The machinations of Bialystock and Bloom are…
There is a high amount of energy that is present on this mixtape, and a considerable portion of that comes from the work of DJ Malone. Where the most common mixtapes around have DJs touting themselves at the expense of the songs that listeners want to hear, there is a much more organic feel to the compilation of cuts here. What DJ Malone Productions does here is blend the hottest…
Serena Altschul goes back to the Kentucky farm where My Morning Jacket formed their signature sound and learns they take cues from an unlikely source – “The Muppets” – in an interview for this week’s CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH CHARLES OSGOOD, to be broadcast June 30, 2013 (9:00 AM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. Critics have called My Morning Jacket one of the greatest live bands ever. They found…
Over the last few years, the genre of survival horror has taken a marked turn towards action horror. Later installments of series like Dead Space and Resident Evil play like Michael Bay blockbusters, and it’s rare to have an actual sense of dread for the monsters that you’re mowing down. That’s what makes State of Decay, the ambitious new XBLA offering from Undead Labs and Microsoft Game Studios, so refreshing.…
Kelsea Little begins Personal Myth with Blue Feather, a track that has a delightful sound. Little allows the instrumentation on this introductory effort to keep up with her effervescent and bubbly style. What results with the beginning of Personal Myth is nothing less than impressive – It Hasn’t Gone Away looks back into fifties rock just as much as it touches upon a current and contemporary singer-songwriter sound. Little’s vocals…
This indie movie about U.S. politics may have relied on B-list celebrities, but most bring their A game in this surprisingly solid light drama. Rob Lowe is great as Paul Turner a Democratic fixer, the guy you call when your politician is about to get caught screwing around or… well let’s just go with screwing around, because that seems to be the go-to vice for male politicians in Knife Fight. …
Irish quartet, Kodaline is set to release their LOVE LIKE THIS EP, on July 16th via RCA Records. The Love Like This EP was released in the UK and debuted in the top 10 on the iTunes album chart and reached #2 on iTunes Alternative album chart. Additionally, Kodaline will release their debut album, In A Perfect World, in the US on October 8th. The lead single, “All I Want” is…
Stripmall Architecture pushes all boundaries as they continue to set the tone for much of the Bay Area electronic music scene. With a long history in music and collaboration, their exceptional sound takes new form with each new release, be it a dancy single with sexual innuendos, or a dark and haunting full length inspired by despair. There is always a project in the works and when it surfaces, a…
Have It Your Way is a track that touches upon the work of Akon, Ne*yo, and Chris Brown. There is a certain twinkling nature to the track that will appease any fans of R&B. Michael’s vocals here could easily make it onto pop rotation, while the production pushes his vocals into an entirely separate realm from the average R&B fodder. One Night brings things back to a more time-tested tradition,…
Due to illness, Earl Sweatshirt has been forced to cancel all foreseeable tour dates until he is healthy. He announced the news to his fans via Twitter here.
There have not been any bottled margaritas that been wowed me. Every time that I have purchased one, there just seems to be something off about the effort. This means that some efforts go overboard on the lime flavoring, while others just miss the mark entirely. We were lucky enough to receive a sample of the Cayman Jack Hand Crafted Margarita (which is available at places like Spirit Smuggler), and…
Brownstone is an amazing brown ale, blending sweetness with a bite. Sixpoint is pegged at 6.0%, a shade higher than most brown ales. I feel that the additional alcohol works nicely with hints of fruit and bitterness provided by the hops. There is a decidedly more creamy feel to Brownstone that makes the beer eminently drinkable, a hint to the complexity that is present. As one begins on the second…
What specific forces facilitated the creation of Seconds Before Landing? I had just finished up a project that I had created, called “Mister C’s Beginning Drums. I, of course being Mister C. I love what I do so much, I wanted to be able to share some of my enthusiasm with kids. I created an audio book, and also a Cd Rom, that went over wonderfully. Once I finished with…
Considering how fantastically creative many of the gig posters for indie shows are these days, it’s not surprising that there’s a whole group of collectors out there that specialize in rock posters. The documentary Just Like Being There does a great job of profiling the artists behind these sometime sanctioned (often not) posters and flyers that advertise the local shows. This doc checks in with gig poster artists…
Lemuria is the quintessential modern pop-punk band. They aren’t a bratty band paying homage to Screeching Weasel or The Ramones. You will find no teenaged-inspired lyrics in their songs. They are a whole other beast. Taking cues from 90s emo, they combine pop sensibilities with indie intelligence, and a punk rock ethic. The music is smart and earnest. They graced the inside stage of Mohawk on Saturday June 15th and…
Old Habits are Hard to Break is the latest effort by Howard Salmon and Deborah Martin-Lemmon, and it represents an album that is continually hooky and infectious. Take Me Down is a current take on the halcyon days of nineties countries. The lively arrangement of the track allows for a walking bass line, dual vocals, and strings to push each other to a higher plateau. One of these Days slows…
Fireburst is built on risk and reward – set your car on fire to boost and destroy opponents, but hold that boost for too long and you go up in flames yourself. Water cools your car down, allowing for more sustained boosts, but fire barrels threaten to raise your car’s temperature at every turn. It’s an interesting concept, and reminds me a bit of the Nintendo 64’s Star Wars Episode…
Razor & Tie has been stocking their bull pen lately with a slew of metal and hard rock bands, so the recent signing of punk-tinged, synth indie rockers Born Cages was a bit surprising, in that they sound nothing like a majority of their label mates. But if this two song 7” is any indication, someone at Razor & Tie A&R needs a promotion or at the very least an…