Overall, this is a typical punk compilation, with a few standout bands. However, there are some interesting difference on this disc that really move it away from the typical compilation and really put it into the land of the bizarre, such as placing a Goth band on it (Deep Eynde). The punk that is played on this disc is usually loud, boisterous music that is really no apologies, and is…
“The Coast is Clear” is an interesting way to start off the disc. Drawing on the same elements for the entirety of the track, the song really doesn’t feel as if it is a good gateway into the rest of the disc. The incorporation of differing elements at about 2:30 really begins the disc and adds percussion to further quicken the heart and get individuals interested. When vocals finally find…
Duo 505 – Walzer Oder Nicht (Release 21.01.2011; USA: 15.02.2011) Forget about lyrics to convey feelings or moods: It’s all in the music, in the melodies, its harmonies. After all, these tracks don’t need words to say a whole lot. The same is true of their genesis: Bernhard Fleischmann and Herbert Weixelbaum hardly discussed any ideas or musical concepts while in the studio. Instead, these tracks simply emerged while they…
Poppy indie-rock that seems to be pulled up directly from a halcyon period of alternative rock, Ninja Gun should be placed in the Pantheon along with Matthew Sweet and Concrete Blonde. The mastering on “Smooth Transitions” is well, smooth and completely open in terms of allowing the band to do what they want without sounding as if this disc was recorded in a barn. Mixing in an adequate amount of…
Ghanaian hip-hop innovator Kae Sun’s brilliant debut album Lion On A Leash was released worldwide through MB3 Records on November 9, 2010. Previously, Lion On A Leash was released exclusively in Canada on URBNET Records (Moka Only, D-Sisive, DL Incognito). On October 12, Kae released his own interpretation of Bob Marley’s “Natural Mystic” as a stand-alone digital single, also via MB3 Records. Praised by influential urban music tastemaker Okay Player…
In the spring of 2008, the unassuming duo Oars (David Bratton and Earl Muehlenbach) began an intensive six months of recording, song crafting and experimentation in a closet-sized Greenpoint studio across the street from a fish-smoking plant. Relying on Bratton’s perfectionistic ear for melody and orchestration and Muehlenbach’s lyrics and sharp production skills, they composed meticulously. The resulting self-titled album seamlessly weaves cunning pop melodies with cascades of home-grown beats,…
Vonnegutt is a band that draws inspiration from several musical genres. And as a result of being co-signed to Big Boi and Manchester Orchestra’s record labels, they are constantly surrounded by different sounds and styles of music. Vonnegutt’s upcoming mixtape, Free.99, gives fans a little taste of what a day in the life of Vonnegutt sounds like and is sure to surprise many along the way. It wouldn’t be any…
After the last CD by Planet Verge, Fixer’s “Bend”, I was really expecting a lot from 9 Circles. Perhaps I had set too high of expectations for this act, as I can honestly say I was underwhelmed by 9 Circles. I see them to be musically similar to Lifted, but not as plastic as the aforementioned band. While both bands use the modern-rock formula to get where they want to…
Originally released in 1991, Onward To Golgotha redefined the bounds of brutality and blasphemy for death metal and has long been heralded as one of the heaviest and most uncompromising metal albums in the world. Decibel also named Onward… one of the 20 best death metal albums of all time as well as one of the most important records in the genre. Relapse Records will release a limited “Hall of…
The indie edge that Nine Black Alps bring to the retro-rock movement of bands like The Hives and The Strokes is refreshing, and the high-energy of “Cosmopolitan” shows a band that can use the typical punk arrangements to provoke a more thought-out track. The jangly guitars present on “Over the Ocean” mix well with the vocals of Sam, to make for a track that is as equally influenced by U2…
Forever (Official Video) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J4u8MG8r74 On the cusp of breaking into his R&B singer-songwriter career, Rotimi releases new hit single ‘Forever’, released Oct.26. After leaving audiences in awe, and placing first at New York’s famous open mic and urban music venue, The Apollo Theatre, Rotimi from New Jersey, started to seriously pursue his gift. In 2009 he released ‘Beautiful Music’ followed by ‘Already Know’ ft. Dawn Richard’s (Danity Kane/Dirty Money),…
“Get Your Guns” starts off “Everything Is”, and what one really takes from this first track is that the band is influenced by musically diverse genres. The grungy guitars reach out to the halcyon days of acts like MC5 while the vocals cross the Atlantic to take an Oasis-type of tone. Of course, the band stops to visit with Weezer and Matthew Sweet along the way. With each following track…
11/21 Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues # 11/23 Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance # 11/24 Boston, MA – House Of Blues # 11/26 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts # 11/27 New York, NY – Irving Plaza # 11/28 New York, NY – Irving Plaza # 11/30 Indianapolis, IN- The Earth House 12/2 Omaha, NE- The Waiting Room 12/5 Sparks, NV- The Alley # w/ Circa Survive, Codeseven,…
“Ironically, by recapturing an essence of the past, The Left cement their place in playlists and disc changers of the future.” HipHopDX.com “Gas Mask is 17 tracks of pure hip-hop. No filler. No fluff…While the “C” word is often thrown around, Gas Mask certainly deserves the label – and looks good wearing it…Classic.” PotholesInMyBlog.com The Song: It’s been only a few weeks since release and already the rave reviews have…
Gospel Music is the latest project from Owen Holmes (Black Kids) and as you may guess from the title features duets from members of Vivian Girls, Camera Obscura, Magnetic Fields, etc. I’ll let Owen tell you more about the EP: On me: Just turned 30. Currently live in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, which isn’t quite as bad as it sounds. Grew up in the Southern Baptist church, which is…
There is no lack to a radio-friendly sound that is only punctuated by a high about of profanity. The Nillaz comes through on their self-titled track with a sound that closely approximates the Kottonmouth Kings, the Insane Clown Posse and Fall Guy. “Home Wrecker” verifies this with a vocal flow that is almost indinguishable from Violent J’s style, and the eighties-reminiscent backing beat that was increasingly present on the later…
Despite the fact that many individuals only know Kevin Eubanks for the time that ey spent on The Tonight Show, ey is a pretty voluminous performer. This means, that since 1980, ey has been a considerable part of well over 20 distinct recordings. “Zen Food” represents eir latest work, the seven full-length ey has released in the 2000s. There is a sort of clarity present in this release, one in…
Critically Acclaimed singer/songwriter Sara Groves brings the Christmas spirit to the women of an Illinois prison in her upcoming holiday release Sara Groves O Holy Night Tour: Live The Prison Show. In the spirit of giving, Groves is making the album available to everyone for free through www.sararoves.com starting today. The INO Recording artist partnered with Hope Shows Ministry, an organization that produces Christian concerts in prisons and benefit events…
I love the fact that there are a number of North American companies that are falling over themselves to release all sorts of Asian films. Where the quality does tend to vary depending on the company that is releasing them, Well Go is one of the few that continually releases strong stuff. Case in point is Assault Girls, a 2009 film released by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, The…
“Dear Scene, I Wish I Were Deaf” has a nice mix of rock and emo; the end result with this is a sound that mixes Death Cab For Cutie with Weezer. The sound is mature and without some of the experimentation that mark the legion of emo acts coming from places as diverse as New Jersey and Minneapolis. There are sections of tracks like “My Life Is Trouble” that seem…