We originally experienced Cigar City’s Maduro Brown Ale about 10 years ago as one of the first beers we received from outside of our distribution up in NE Ohio. Luckily enough, the distribution footprint for Cigar City increased over the last few years to include Texas, and we were able to check out CC’s beers once more.
With influences that range from Nine Inch Nails to Dolly Parton, and a touch of Lana Del Rey thrown in for good measure – genre bending Outlaw Pop artist DEVORA has released a new EP “God Is Dead” via Tiger Tone Records / [PIAS]. The EP contains four songs, with previously unreleased track “Bonesaw” leading the way. DEVORA says of the ominously enchanting track: “Bonesaw” is about a night in a motel room gone wrong, in a dark…
Lone Tree’s Double IPA pours with a bit of haze and a goldenrod coloration. There is a tremendous amount of fluffy white head that laces its way down a glass. Hints of wheat and hops are present in the beer’s initial nose. The first sip of this double IPA yields a bit of bitterness but much less than one would imagine from such a heavily-hopped outing. Where the beer will…
The tendency throughout craft brewers in the United States has been to move to incredibly sweet, “bakery”-style imperial stouts. To experience a stout that has a sharp, bitter element to it is much less common than its used to be. We were lucky enough to receive a bottle of Lost Coast’s Imperial Stout a few weeks back and had a moment to crack it. The beer pours with a dark…
Tom Keifer’s A Different Light is a rock track that blends in ballads, hints of country, and a hopeful disposition to create an incredibly hooky effort. Keifer’s voice is what will immediately bring in fans, while the confidence exuded by the guitar work will keep them focused in. The song builds upon the overall feel of Warrant’s Sometimes She Cries even as the band brings in a bit of intensity…
Director Alexander Sharp serves up sexy, slithery vampire with a steely, black-and-white grindhouse aesthetic in the video for Josh Jones & Trevor Kidd’s “Salvation” – available now. Laser-sharp closeups of a pick strumming a guitar string, a drumstick hitting a cymbal, and the beater hitting the bass drum highlight the slowed-down sensuality of the song’s intro, while overexposed film negatives flash over longer shots of the band performing. The result…
Sonarpilot’s “Gorgon” is their latest chapter of The Mirage Project. From the onset, there is a decided sense of brooding, a sort of industrial cityscape in which some force is immediately watching the listeners. There’s considerable technological trappings here, providing a sense of intensity through the single’s early moments. The momentum gradually ramps up the further one delves into the composition, increasing is volume until one feels nearly swallowed up…
Maiden Seoul cultivates an 1980s-infused style during their new single “Verve”. The vocals build off of the tradition of performers like Debbie Harry and The Waitresses, while the taut instrumentation that plays at the bottom of the song draws influence from 1990s alternative and later midwest emo styles. Together, these two elements build something that stands up to repeat plays. We’re enamored with the twinkling guitars and ropy bass lines…
Let’s Get Back To Rock And Roll is a stripped-down hard rock track that will immediately draw in fans of Thin Lizzy, Poison, Boston, and KISS. There’s considerable focus here on the narrative weaved by the vox as well as the assertive guitar work. Filling out the soundscape are booming drums and an emotive, dynamic bass line that flits through the track. There’s an honest effort here to imbue Let’s…
Take It Back is the new cut from Shaheed and DJ Supreme. From the single’s onset, listeners will be greeted with brilliant wordplay and a backing instrumentation that calls back to mid-oughts Chicago and New York. The mentions of rap’s royalty is an homage to the genre, all while the track is able to bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. This is a song that will…
Robert Abernathy’s “Big Bass Problem” is an ode to country music from the early 2000s. During this single, Robert is able to call forth the spirit of Craig Morgan and Blake Shelton. The dulcet tones achieved by Robert play perfecrtly with the immaculate honky-tonk that is crafted by his backing band. There’s a vibrancy to this song that ensures that the second that each watering hole and honky-tonk happens upon…
Make The World Go Away has Sudano slide into a thoughtful, funky sort of track that will immediately be appreciated by anyone that has had any sort of anxiety about how human interactions go. The intimations laid down here by Bruce touch upon David Bowie and Phil Collins with a hint of Thom Yorke interspersed in here. The bit of horn that presents itself during Sudano’s latest single take up…
Jasmine Crowe’s “The Shirt Song” has an allure to it that will speak to fans of pop and singer-songwriter genres. There’s a vibrancy to Jasmine’s vocals that build off of the tradition of performers like Pink and Meghan Trainor. The backing instrumentation is incredibly taut here, with the bass, drums, and a whistle all combining to comprise the main body of the track. The distinct bridge that separates The Shirt…
Allende starts out Russ Hewitt’s new album, Chasing Horizons. Listeners will immediately be drawn into the soundscape Hewitt’s guitar crafts. The titular track “Chasing Horizon” features Nuno Bettencourt, a decision that provides the single with an additional richness. Together, the guitar, bass and drums combine to render something brilliant. The distinct twists and turns that listeners will experience when they progress through this single will stick with fans long after…
Actor Linda Collins has a huge slate of projects slated to release this year. Whether it is the upcoming show Clique or a role in Omar Moore’s Paper, Collins makes sure that her dance card is quite busy. This seems to be the modus operandi for Collins, who’s turn in Three For The Road has been routinely lauded through numerous showings at film festivals. Of all the roles that Collins…
The titular, opening effort on Ruby Topaz’s new album Rabbit Hole has the guitar sizzle and alluring vocals of a BTO or Boston. Therre’s a quality to these guitar / drum dynamics that will stick with fans long after the song ends. The robust momentum achieved from this opening salvo will keep listeners firmly locked to the edges of their seats. You’re Still Running benefits from a production that allows…
Kate Fenner’s new album Dead Reckoning begins with My River, a track which sets the stage for the album. There is deliberate and careful piano arrangements which act as the backing for Fenner’s vocals. These lyrics build up a narrative that will draw in listeners even from the earliest segments of the release. Transit of Venus has a bit of 1970s lounge and Carpenters intertwined with Kate’s hopeful voice. The…
What Love Is, the first single on Doc City’s Welcome to Doc City has an absolutely timeless feel. There’s a fair amount of lounge, a bit of jazz, and all the passion and charisma that one could conceivably desire. It’s not just the vocals here; each element that contributes to the composition has their own immense sound that resounds loudly. When You Are Near shifts up things a bit. The…
Sprockets, the introductory track from Globus’ new album Cinematica, acts as a set-piece for the tracks that are to follow. Peace In Our Time has the act build up a dramatic, dark cityscape that represents the perfect backdrop for the sensual, charismatic vocals that are laid down soon after. The momentum of PIOT gradually increases to a break-neck piece; Globus will have listeners firmly on the edges of their seats…
Driving, stripped-down rock music begins Baba Jenkins’ new single, Touro de Lide. The guitar work builds upon the sizzling style of a Slash, while there’s a hooky and pulsating beat that is contributed here by the bass and drums. Alongside with the eclectic vocal work, these elements touch upon acts as diverse as Tom Morello, Audioslave, and Blue Oyster Cult. Touro de Lide is a rare example of a song…