Last year I had the opportunity and good fortune to be able to see Iron Maiden shows in both Florida and Illinois and when the new US leg of their tour was announced I jumped on the chance to do so again this year. These would be my fourth and fifth Iron Maiden shows and even though knowing ahead of time the set list would be the same at shows…
Simple Minds may best be remembered in this country for their song that played out across the screen during the final shot of The Breakfast Club, but the band has an exhaustively large cannon of music that pre-and post-dates that mid ‘80s gem. And while we may not have fully appreciated the depth of this Scottish band here in the U.S., folks in Europe still hail the band as musical…
Reese and the Bonus Plan’s Sharing Size is a funky, rock-infused track that refreshes the sound of mid-seventies rock with hints of mid-1990s jam band and blues. Hints of Neil Young, .38 Special, and Drive-Thru Truckers can all be heard here. Sharing Size succeeds because of the sheer grit and virtuosic skill exhibited by the drums, bass, and sizzling guitars. A dusty set of vocals unites each of these disparate…
Brandon Stone’s Right Kinda Wrong is a track that could eaisly make it onto pop or R&B radio rotation. The production of the track allows for Stone and Breana Marin’s vocals to shine alone or as part of the greater whole. There are hints of EDM and trap that make themselves known during this track. What results is an effort that stands up to repeat plays, whil;e having enough depth to…
The Day She Left is an intense track that ties together hints of world music, gothic, and ambient styles. There are a number of distinct things that are occurring during this introductory track, which will continue to influence the rest of the tracks on An Orphan’s Dream. A Life so Changed is an interesting addition to the Anwaar Ali corpus, in that it links together a guitar line, vocal elements,…
The Burning Peppermints’ Don’t Try To Lie To Me is a slinky bit of 1970s Detroit rock-infused rock (MC5, Alice Cooper), with hints of 1990s alternative (Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins). The raw passion and fury that comes forth during this single is hard to top. Every fuzzy guitar line, drum hit, or tortured vocals make this into a fully engaging track. The Burning Peppermints are able to revitalize a style…
Tia P.’s “4 Seats From Beyoncé” is a fast-tempo track that buries an intense rap flow and pop sensibilities into this track. The production and instrumentation during 4 Seats From Beyoncé make this into an effort that could easily be heard on rap / R&B rotation. Tia P.’s strength and swagger during her latest single will endear herself to listeners, while each constituent element of the single is able to shine separately…
Patent Pending “Wasted/Wake Me Up” is a blending of Wasted (by Tiesto) and Wake Me Up by Avicii. There is a good pop-punk / alt-rock vibe that is given to the track through the splashy drum and the slightly quicker tempo over the original. Patent Pending are able to provide a nice boost to these tracks, putting an indelible mark on each composition. The bits of each track that the…
Metallica lit the Orlando sky afire with their mammoth stage production when they brought their “Hardwired…to Self-Destruct” tour to Camping World Stadium on July 5th. Four massive screens, seemingly a hundred foot tall, was the backdrop of a simple stage layout where the four metal horseman absolutely electrified a crowd of forty thousand plus with over two hours of pure in your face metal brilliance.
Minus the Bear’s Last Kiss is a perfect polished piece of alt rock. All parts of the performance – the rich tones of the vocals, the dynamic between traditional and electronic elements, and an overall sound that draws upon the mid-1980s – makes Last Kiss into a track we can get behind. The dynamism of Minus the Bear here is stellar; there are a number of points during this single…
