Do You Believe? Is the first track on Love Transmitter, and it provides listeners with a solid introduction to the styles and approaches that will be presented on the remainder of the album. Taken separately, the track is something that could easily be on rotation at alternative and modern rock stations. All Used Up is a track that touches upon the work of Franz Ferdinand and an earlier new-wave…
Prince Avalanche is set in 1988 and benefits from a dazzling array of stars, which include Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch. While the film benefits greatly by the specific decisions made regarding the scenery, the writing is so taut that the story could easily be told on a threadbare stage. Throughout each part of the film, there is a certain laser-like focus that is put into furthering the narrative. The…
Simply put, Dogfish Head’s Kvasir is one of the most complex and fulfilling beers that we have tasted. This could be due to the fact that the beer is based off the remnants that were present in an ancient Danish cup. The 10% ABV may scare imbibers away, but the heavy alcohol content is moderated by an intense blend of syrups (honey, birch), berries (lingonberries and cranberries) and a slew…
There are very few holiday albums that look to do anything special. Joyful Noise is an album that will shatter all conceptions that listeners will have about holiday music. The album begins with Crunchy Drummer Boy, a much more eclectic and bouncy version of the classic Christmas track. The music here does come from left field, but it is done in a fashion that is absolutely catchy and hard to…
Once again, by popular demand, the legendary Chicago Mass Choir is headed back to Spain for a phenomenal 14 city tour throughout the country and the Canary Islands. The choir’s international Christmas tour begins December 5th and will culminate on December 23rd. While in Spain, Chicago Mass Choir will be in concert in the following cities, La Laguna Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, La Palma, Adeje, Tennerife, Barcelona, Gijón,…
Global Warmer has a piney nose with a pour that is very effervescent. The beer is a reddish-orange with a small, rapidly-dissolving head. The mouth feel contains a decent amount of hops, but dissipates quickly. Subtle hints of spice can be discerned alongside a dry malt backdrop. The overall taste of Global Warmer opens up as the effort warms up; a maltier and heavier fruit presence ensures…
Swedish indie rock’s finest – Örebro based The Tranq are full of contradictions and often controversial. They fight for your attention and demands that you reflect for yourself. The Tranq poses the question: What kind of change do YOU want to make in the world? All accompanied by their spot on mix of Swedish and British pop tradition The band’s debut album “Loss Is For The Masses” was released on September…
Brooklyn indie rockers X Ambassadors released their official debut EP Love Songs Drug Songs on KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records in May. After support dates with Imagine Dragons, Jimmy Eat World and the Mowgli’s the band is now prepping to join Panic! At The Disco on their Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! Tour in 2014 as well as joining their pals Imagine Dragons for a few more dates. Before the…
With the release of their new single “It Can’t Be Simple” via Stereogum, Secret Colours announce two releases due out next year in the form of Positive Distractions Part I and Positive Distractions Part II. “It Can’t Be Simple” could easily be looked at as the song that manifests the maturation process of a band finally finding their voice. Having recorded both debut Secret Colours (2010) and sophomore release Peach (2013) as a…
German Death Metal brutes SLAUGHTERDAY have officially released their debut album, Nightmare Vortex, on FDA Rekotz.The full-length successor to the limited-edition cassette demo, Cosmic Horror, Nightmare Vortex showcases SLAUGHTERDAY’s insane brand of cosmic Death Metal that falls somewhere between AUTOPSY’s Mental Funeral and HYPOCRISY’s Penetralia. Featuring stunning guitar melodies, fat bass lines, hellish vocals and annihilating drums, the movements from speeding ferocity to crawling crush are the stuff of traumatic…
In the wake of numerous year end accolades for their landmark fourth studio album Random Access Memories, Daft Punk have issued an official video for the album track “Instant Crush“, featuring vocals from The Strokes front man Julian Casablancas directed by Daft Arts collaborator Warren Foo. The video can be seen here: http://youtu.be/a5uQMwRMHcs Random Access Memories has featured prominently in year end album and song round ups, including a #3 spot in Rolling Stone‘s Best Albums of 2013 list and…
Century Media Records has signed a worldwide deal to license the entire discography of Sweden’s DAWN! Formed in 1990, DAWN quickly evolved from the pure death metal found on their first demos into a more complex, melodic, epic and atmospheric style that culminated in the masterpiece, Slaughtersun – Crown Of The Triarchy (1998). Along with DISSECTION, UNANIMATED and EUCHARIST, DAWN is considered to be one of the most underrated acts…
At the age of 17, Dylan Iuliano recorded and produced his first solo record Disarmonia (meaning Disharmony in Italian) under the moniker The Delay in the Universal Loop. Dylan Iuliano lives in a small village on a hill in southern Italy (population 500), where time moves at a leisurely pace. The culmination of all his feelings and musical experiences, the album is entirely self-made, featuring Iuliano on synthesizers, guitars, bass, piano and…
Due to overwhelming demand, a second Cinquanta show has been added: May 11 at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Cinquanta is Maynard James Keenan’s 50th birthday celebration featuring performances from Puscifer, A Perfect Circle and Failure. “On the off chance I don’t make it to 100,” said Keenan, “let’s just do both now.” Tickets for both dates, May 10 and 11, are on-sale now (Dec. 6 at 10:00 am…
Los Angeles underground spectre, Jack Name, is releasing his rock and roll sci-fi novella, Light Show, on January 21st via Drag City imprint God? Records. Whiffs of young Brian Eno, Gary Numan, Chrome, ELO, Bruce Haack, Richard O’Brien (a la “Rocky Horror”) and Stefan Wul stain the sleeves of this story. It’s a chilling glimpse into an imaginary world torn apart by a war between rival gangs, the shadows, and the wooly…
Brooklyn band CHAPPO has announced their sophomore LP, Future Former Self, to be released March 4th via their own Rouse Records. The album comes as a follow-up to 2012’s Moonwater, which included the iPod commercial-featured single “Come Home” and earned praise from fans and critics alike. A departure from CHAPPO’s previous releases yet as catchy as ever, you can get an early taste of Future Former Self with single “I Don’t Need…
The Neurot Recordings family is pleased to welcome the audio devastation that is Portland’s STONEBURNER to their expanding roster of forward-thinking music. Featuring four members with a compelling musical ancestry that winds through Buried At Sea, Buried Blood, Heathen Shrine and more, STONEBURNER — named after a subterranean weapon from the novel Dune — spews forth a churning orchestration of crust-strewn, hypnotic, sludge metal, their torrid odes glazed…
Mystical Weapons’ Crotesque is out now! This super-limited, 19.50 minute Record Store Day Black Friday 2013 12” can be found at retail stores near you. It’s one-sided with a screen-printed illustration by Sean Lennon on the flip. In a chat with Interview Magazine, Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier said “It’s really surreal, nothing about this band seems realistic.” That same sentiment perfectly applies to how the Northern Spy team feels about working…
Shawn Rosenblatt, professionally known as Netherfriends, began his career in the mid-aughts composing layered indie-pop music after graduating from Chicago’s Columbia College. He spent nearly a decade touring constantly, sometimes with other musicians, playing thousands of shows and releasing dozens of musical projects and unique online components. In early 2012 he shifted from doing straight indie-pop, layered-noise tunes to more hip-hop inspired rhythms, utilizing original and sampled sounds. In…
Veteran Jamaican reggae artist Christopher “Norris Man” Campbell invites us on a Mystical Journey with his 13th full-length studio effort, available worldwide from all major digital retailers on December 17, 2013, with pre-order available now, from FOX FUSE. The Rastafarian singer is known for spreading positive vibes and socially-conscious messages through his uplifting, feel-good sounds, and this collection of new works is no different. Boasting 17 tracks, Mystical Journey is…