I have to be honest; I had never heard of Merl Saunders before I put on this disc, and the only Greatful Dead song that I was familiar with was “Touch of Grey”. To say that I was a novice when I put this disc on is to give me credit that I do not deserve. On the other hand, I feel as if I am one of the better…
With their aptly titled new release “Good Shepherd”, The Niceguys showoff their musical prowess as they literally and figuratively prove themselves as leaders in the scene of burgeoning young hip-hop artists. With witty and discerning lyrics, Yves Saint, rapper and one-fourth of the Houston-based group, alludes to his pioneering position among the flock of less talented rappers with clever lyrics. “I never sheared ya brother/ And covered your face, appears…
The strong female vocals that start off “Penny jar” are not immediately reconcilable with any other artist on the market. There are hints of Plumb in Merit’s style of music, but nothing that screams “influence”. This bodes well for Merit, as the style of music that they play is a blend of rock and indie, allowing for the band to enjoy success wherever they end up. The guitar progression of…
9/26 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory 9/27 New York, NY Terminal 5 9/29 Chicago, IL The Vic 9/30 Chicago, IL The Vic 10/03 Ithaca, NY Cornell University 10/04 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub 10/05 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub 10/09 Austin, TX Zilker Park, Austin City Limits Festival 10/12 Oakland CA Fox Theater 10/13 San Francisco, CA The Independent For more about Rye Rye, please visit www.ryeryemusic.com. SargeantJohn Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as…
Frankie Rose has a reputation around here. And by here, we mean Brooklyn. And by reputation, we mean her minimal, Maureen Tucker-like beats and iconic presence in such buzz-stirring bands as Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, and Vivian Girls. Those groups spearheaded a scene that mixed the sounds of lo-fi garage, big reverb-drenched Phil Spector-produced 60s girl groups, the noise aesthetic of the Jesus And Mary Chain with a touch…
Miami duo ANR, consisting of John Hancock and Brian Robertson, will release their album STAY KIDS in the UK via the SOMETHING IN CONSTRUCTION label. Something In Construction is home to The Concretes, Memory Tapes, Guards and more. The album will be released in the US via 10K Islands. No definitive release date has been set yet, but expect the album to be available this Winter. Rising from various gallery…
“Merge is not just a band, it’s a business” is probably the biggest warning sign that I could ever be given before putting this disc in my stereo. I’ve proven time after time that individuals that feel that their act is a business usually spend too much of their time trying to work that angle and allowing their music to suffer as a result. This is what happened with Rawdialect,…
Kabajank Tree Of Mystery November 2, 2010 Label: ESL Music File Under: Electronic / Hip Hop / Reggae / Funk www.myspace.com/kabanjak www.facebook.com/Kabanjak www.kabanjak.wordpress.com www.facebook.com/eslmusic www.eslmusic.com Free download of CD track “Don’t Worry” www.rephlektorink.com/kits/Kabajank-Don’t-Worry.mp3 Kabanjak is one half of the block-rockin’ German hip-hop production and DJ duo Ancient Astronauts, and ESL Music’s newest unique artist signing. With a deep passion for music dating back to a childhood fixated on watching faded…
I’ve never heard of either of the bands on this split CD, which is always a good thing. Splits usually have some sort of gimmick to them, either that both bands cover each other’s songs or that there is some third band they are paying tribute to. However, this CD has nothing more than four tracks done by each act, a way to get some sort of idea about the…
Fountains Of Wayne have announced a select run of dates in late September and early October on the east and west coasts. The shows will include songs from their nearly-completed new album, the long-awaited follow up to 2007’s Traffic And Weather, due for release early next year. Fountains Of Wayne were recently described as “power-pop geniuses” who write “funny, sad, beautifully realized songs with the succinct brilliance and pointed detail…
With their split with Enemy Rose, Mercy Killers showed that they had something to them that individuals should find attractive. Given the entire space of a CD, would Mercy Killers be able to come up with enough material to stay on the top of a hill? Of course, when the band starts off “Bloodlove”, there are hints of the punkabilly style. “Hollow” is its own track, and while it does…
After releasing his most aggressive and sonically evolved record to date earlier this year, BEC Recordings’ Manafest continues an upward climb as he tours worldwide and receives his highest charting radio single. Since the release of “The Chase,” Canadian native and JUNO-nominee Manafest has traveled to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan and United States. He will soon be jumping on tour with Superchick across the U.S this fall. The Superchick…
On Wednesday, October 20th at NYC’s Mercury Lounge Converse Presents: True Till Def. True Till Def is being curated by Tee Pee Records and ChronicYouth.com. The line up will feature hardcore legends STRIFE (playing their first NYC show in years), DISEMBODIED, IRON AGE, EARTHLESS, PRIESTESS AND NAAM. True Till Def was curated with the intent of uniting heavy music fans of all genres. True Till Def will be taking place…
The Heavy have recently completed their biggest tour of North America to date over Summer 2010. The band followed two sold-out headlining shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York with a massive tour with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and a performance at Sasquatch Music Festival. No rest for the weary, though, because they’ll be back again in North America in October and November for another mind-blowing run…
Mephi – Music for Dead Blondes This is probably the last Israeli band I will have to review unless Useless ID sends me a disc in the near future. This disc has a really lo-fi sound to it,m and I am at a loss of words when I try to classify it as any specific genre. Rather, I would have to say that MEPHI really mixes indie, They Might Be…
CONDITIONS is pleased to announce their supporting position on tour with VersaEmerge, Anarbor, The Dangerous Summer this fall! The tour begins next Tuesday, October 21st in Dallas, TX, and comes to a close in Towson, MD on November 22nd! See below for all current tour dates! To sweeten these dates, CONDITIONS is offering a chance to win free tickets and a meet and greet with the Better Your Life Contest!…
The collection of tracks on this album really shows the hard-edge punk sound that Mental Pain has been trying to craft in the Southeastern corner of Ohio for the last five years. One cannot do any better but start off this album with “Together We Stand”, a track that puts Mental Pain alongside The Unseen and The Casualties for pure streetpunk. “Raw and Ruthless” may not have the pure catchiness…
The band, comprised of the phenomenal composer Józef Skrzek, the excellent guitarist Apostolis Anthimos, and the flawless drummer Gabor Nemeth, plans to release the new material this Autumn via Metal Mind Productions. They are currently working in RecRublica Studios in Lubrza (http://www.recpublica.com), again with Sebastian Witkowski, who produced their previous album “Iron Curtain” (2009). The trio offer a perfect blend of the sincerity of blues and the freedom of jazz.…
I had tried to ignore reviewing this EP for the longest possible time, because I had no clue how the Men of Gentle Birth (formerly Blacks) were going to be able to re-created their tremendous live act. However, they have been paired up with the best production and mastering, allowing for them to shine in all the right places without necessarily opening up the tracks too far and losing some…
On October 22, The Dallas Opera opens the 2010-11 season, its second in the glittering new Winspear Opera House. With 30 performances in all, the new season comprises five productions exploring “Dangerous Desires” – themes of romantic drama and political intrigue – kicking off with Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which stars Tony® Award-winner Paolo Szot. Szot’s appearance marks his Dallas Opera debut, which comes just months after his debut at the…