Los Angeles extreme metallers D.I.S., who kicked off their US tour late last month, briefly checked in from the road. “The shows are going really well. Only shredded one tire so far and no one has puked yet. Every city we’ve hit so far has been crushing. Killer bands, great people, weird smells…. one more week to go!” — Bruce Reeves; guitar/backing vocals The band will rage through 6 more…
The music created by Jed & Lucia is very sedate, and Jed’s vocals at the onset of ‘World on Fire” are of a level that Cat Stevens would be proud. There is not much in the way of instrumentation during this first track, but the harmonies that the two make during the track more than make up for that overset, whether planned or not. Having one of the disc’s longest…
Motorists in the sleepy town of Stevens Point, WI were in for a little treat on the morning of Thursday, May 27th when they passed by a digital construction sign on Interstate 39. Tampered with by hackers with a great taste in music, the four panel messages warned traffic of “Danger Danger… High Voltage… When We Touch… When We Kiss,” not coincidentally matching the lyrics from 2003’s hit single “Danger…
After her show stopping performance with Jeff Beck for the Les Paul tribute on the Grammys, Imelda May has been invited back to perform with Beck, including two shows at New York’s Iridium. These exclusive shows will feature Imelda May + Jeff Beck performing songs written and performed by the legendary Les Paul – with Imelda reviving the extraordinary vocals of Mary Ford in her own unique style. The show…
What individuals smell when they first open a spirit, whether it be Tequila, Vodka, Whiskey, or Gin, is not necessarily an indication of what is to follow. This is perfectly encapsulated with Herradura Tequila, which has a strong, biting aroma that immediately assaults imbibers’ noses as soon as the bottle is crack. The color of the spirit seems to be right in the middle of the Reposado range, not as…
Christian music stars Jaci Velasquez and Salvador will unite for a flood relief benefit concert on Saturday, June 5th at the Trinity Music City Auditorium in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The free event, which will also be taped for an upcoming broadcast special and DVD release, is sponsored by CCM Magazine and 94FM The Fish. Donations will be accepted, with all proceeds going to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s Emergency Response…
“Combat Zone Girl” shows that JDJ is a big fan of individuals like Mick Jagger. This is not the punk music that was expected from eir previous act, The Destroyed, but rather JDJ’s thought about what rock music should be. This style comes back for “Cream My Dream”, to the degree that JDJ’s vocals are done at the same level, the same loudness, and honestly feel as if JDJ was…
One of L.A.’s latest sensations within its extremely diverse electronic scene, Baths (otherwise known as Will Wiesenfeld) has spent years crafting his complex beats. Already making his mark under the alias Post-Foetus, Baths has dabbled in downtempo, classical beats and off-the-wall melodies across the scene. A chance invitation to perform at Destroy LA from the legendary Daedelus led to both a next direction in musical style and a number of…
The vocals of Hayley really obscure some of the best instrumentation that Paramore can muster, especially when the band opens the disc with their “All We Know”. What is most interesting about “All We Know” are the almost-perfectly sequenced drums of Zac on the track, which are so impeccable that individuals will think that a computer created them. When Paramore creates tracks like “Pressure”, one knows that they cannot be…
Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring, the long-awaited new full-length from UK psychedelic black metal ensemble, A FOREST OF STARS, is out today via Transcendental Creations! The now quintuplet — having added drummer John Bishop to the fold — took the elements brought fourth on their dramatic The Corpse Of Rebirth offering, to a whole new level, adding new sound textures with oriental percussion and peculiar string arrangements. Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring…
Pretty much what I thought, Jarboe’s style of pseudo-goth/electronic sound sounds a little dated in the fourteen years since this album first came out. However, when compared to some of the other goth-esque music from the period, Jarboe seems a fresh as a newly-created corpse. Some of the reversed instrumentation on “Red” provides a perfect backdrop for the heavenly tones of Jarboe’s voice. The sultry vocals of Jarboe’s present on…
Slow Six is touring Canada and the East Coast now until June 11 in support of the newest album, Tomorrow Becomes You, released January 26th. An emotionally unrestrained full-length infused with taught rhythms, unraveling melodies, and detailed ambiances, the NYC-based group’s newest effort is the first release of 2010 for Austin-based independent label Western Vinyl. Video: Slow Six — “Because Together We Resonate” (via Magnet) Slow Six Tour Dates: 06.04…
Bay Area punk rock group Heartsounds will release their latest album Until We Surrender on June 15 via Epitaph Records. The band will kick off a tour in support of their album beginning in late June. Formed from the ashes of now defunct melodic death-metal band Light This City, Heartsounds consists of founding members Laura Nichol (guitars/vocals) and Ben Murray (guitars/vocals) who after growing tired of banging heads decided to…
John Hughes has been given God like status by hordes of Gen X 30-somethings like me. His movies spoke to teenagers, not at them, in a way that had never been done before or since. In her completely engrossing study of Hughes and the actors that surrounded him, Susannah Gora has managed to turn a researcher’s eye to a topic that few would have bothered to tackle. In doing so,…
The fresh-faced players in Brothers at Sea better start thinking about quitting their day jobs, that is, if any of them have even started them yet. All five of the Orange County, CA musicians are under 20, but have more-than perfected their blend of uplifting, buoyant, guitar-driven melodies at a time most of us would be stressing neck deep in how to understand college life, all-nighters and the wealth of…
The global sensation John Butler Trio recently came out with their first studio album in three years, April Uprising, which is a potent mixture of rock, hip hop, and reggae/dance hall dominated by Butler’s incredible guitar playing and thoughtful, intelligent lyrics. John Butler Trio Tour dates Friday, June 4 Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater * Saturday, June 5 Kansas City, MO @ Crossroads Sunday, June 6 Ozark, AR @…
The Maine are set to unleash their new album Black & White on July 13th, and they have just revealed some new details about the release. Starting today, fans can preorder a limited edition package that includes a special keepsake book, exclusive studio journals, album art, bonus tracks, a behind-the-scenes DVD and more. Watch this new clip to find out exactly what will be included in the bundle straight from…
Royal Canoe is a deadly band armed with falsettos, guitars, effects pedals, drums, basses, tambourines, shakers, and a five-keyboard super-weapon. Royal Canoe play lyrically sharp pop songs that make people dance, sing along and weep uncontrollably. It all began in 2006, when Matt Peters (The Waking Eyes) teamed up with some Winnipeg friends and musicians (Nathan Blanchard, Rusty, Matyas, Tom Keenan, Jo Snyder, and others) to write a collection of…
The Parlotones will welcome the world to their homeland with a performance at the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert June 10th, 2010, a day before the world’s most watched sporting event is set to begin. The South African natives have already weaved themselves into the fabric of the country’s history with performances at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, Africa Day, Live Earth, and a record-breaking show at the Dome in…
Three decades after recording their first incendiary songs as teenagers reared in the budding hardcore scene in Los Angeles, Bad Religion are marking their 30 year anniversary with a new record, filled with both the free thinking ire that has fueled the band from the very beginning, and a certain introspection that comes only from long-lived experience. “While we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary as a band this year it’s also…