“Skipping Stones” starts off with an emotionally-full piano line that goes into some serious harmonies soon after. The great thing about this is that it opens up into a very reggae-infused sound, with horns to boot. There are no vocals present, but there is little need for them; the arrangements are that full and impressive that the inclusion of the vocal at the onset was not necessary. This is not…
Crocodiles are pleased to announce several US tour dates in support of their upcoming full-length Sleep Forever. Fat Possum will release the album, the duo’s sophomore effort, on September 14th. Last year Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell released Summer of Hate, their acclaimed debut album as Crocodiles. The album garnered them endless blog buzz and tours across the US and Europe supporting bands like Holy Fuck and The Horrors. The…
After years as members of the west coast hip hop collective Sweatshop Union, Pigeon Hole release their debut full-length record, Age Like Astronauts, this summer on URBNET Records. Their latest creation boasts innovative production from the mc/beatmaker team and a distinctive sound that borrows, bends, and shapes music without regard for genre. “We made the record using Canadian psych samples, 60’s lounge-pop LP’s, baby drum kits, and homemade cassette tape…
There is a heavy sixties sound to the opening of Mad Tea Party’s album. This song is “62 Years”, and while it resides in a different style than what is popular today, there is a humbleness to this composition that will allow it to be appreciated by a larger audience. In a sense, Ami’s vocals sound like Suzanne Vega and Jill Sobule; this tie to the present will also make…
The first-ever VEGAS ROCKS! Magazine Awards will be held Sunday, August 22, 2010 and will take place inside the original home of rock, The Elvis Showroom at the Las Vegas Hilton. Honoring local and legendary rock artists, the show, themed “I Wanna Rock,” will feature an all-star jam capped off with a performance by Dee Snider. The event marks the six year anniversary of VEGAS ROCKS! Magazine and will be…
Alive in Stereo come forth on their self-titled release with a very intense and emotionally-driven rock style. The band immediately puts everything into the red, with equal intensity given to the vocals, drums, and guitars, giving “Change Things” the perfect amount of oomph. “Impossible” improves on this first salvo, with a clarity of composition and grit that will remind listeners of Skillet and even Stabbing Westward. While “Change Things” was…
Listeners are greeted on “Many Waters” by an instrumental composition that has an incredible amount of narrative quality. With equal amounts classical, Enya, and even the arrangement intensity of an act like the Trans Siberian Orchestra playing out, “Many Waters” is brought to the next plateau when Cloud’s vocals begin. At times providing the narrative, at other bolstering the instrumental arrangements, Cloud’s vocals really are versatile. SargeantJohn Sargeant, writing on…
We really do not get enough rap music at NeuFutur. While we scour other media outlets like XXL and try to keep current with a site like Mixtape Torrents, Sab had previously flown under our radar. However, we received a copy of “The Artist” a few days ago and have made sure it’s been stuck in our stereo since then. The disc starts up with “Lookin’ At Girls”, a single…
“Walts In The Snow” is a great track in that it shows that Bird Call utterly refuses to be constrained by genre or style classifications. Listeners will find that this first track breeds familiarity, but will be unable to put their finger on a specific set of artists. This mysterious sound is further expanded upon with “The Animals Know”’s second track, “Berlin”. I feel that “Berlin” is a solid track…
The sheer expansiveness of the beginning of Nathan Sexton’s Grave is amazing. Beginning with a set of vocals that come right out of the James Taylor playbook, Sexton’s voice interacts with the epic instrumentation to flitter between David Bowie and Bob Dylan. “Satellite” is a much harder-rocking track, with the guitars struggling with Sexton’s voice for dominance. By putting the two sides of the act against each other, I feel…
“The Part Of Me You’ve Thrown Away” is bound to be one of the biggest tracks of this summer, as it has a catchy hook and a sunny disposition. This is not to say that the rest of the tracks on “Overblown” can be written off, but the fact that Madrepore immediately hooks listeners in at that early spot of the disc bodes well for the rest of the album.…
“Age of Miracles”, the first track off of “Common Splendor”, is a fun little bit of alternative rock. Feldiken create a special musical style that takes up equal parts They Might Be Giants and Ben Folds, all while keeping their unique sound present. “Age of Miracles” has each element of the band working perfectly together, whether it be the vocals, splashy drums, synthesizer, or guitar. “Together In This Groove” changes…
A number of maxi-singles and EPs have a few iteration of an artist’s single, and Jita’s mini-EP “Power of One” does just that. However, I feel that Jita really goes above and beyond in regards to this concept, as she puts forth three distinct versions of the titular single. The style of music that comes forth on the studio version of “Power of One” is something that deftly blends pop,…
Wed, Aug 18th Houston, TX Scout Bar Fri, Aug 20th Tampa, FL State Theater Sat, Aug 21st Orlando, FL Firestone Club Sun, Aug 22nd Atlanta, GA Masquerade Tues, Aug 24th Springfield, VA Jaxx Thurs, Aug 26th Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance Fri, Aug 27th New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Sat, Aug 28th Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Sun, Aug 29th Boston, MA Harper’s Ferry Tues, Aug 31st Flint, MI Machine Shop Wed,…
In conjunction with the upcoming release Enemy Unbound from Tampa, FL area natives THE ABSENCE, Metal Blade Records is pleased to release the track-listing, cover art, pre-order packages, and the first single from Enemy Unbound. The title track can be heard on metalblade.com/theabsence. Preorder packages: CD: $10.99 http://www.districtlines.com/19539-Enemy-Unbound-CD/Metal-Blade-Records T-Shirt: $14.99 http://www.districtlines.com/19540-Enemy-Unbound-T-Shirt/Metal-Blade-Records CD/T-Shirt Bundle: $19.99 http://www.districtlines.com/19541-Enemy-Unbound-CD-T-Shirt/Metal-Blade-Records Track-listing for Enemy Unbound: 1. Vertigo 2. Erased 3. Deepest Wound 4. Maelstrom 5. Enemy…
The kids look like they play emo music, but one person is wearing a Samhain shirt and another is wearing an Iron Maiden shirt. The disc’s first track is “Shine”, and the band does play an emo sound; I guess the shirts are much more ironic than anything, even if there are hints of a hardcore “screamer” at the periphery of “Sine”. Regardless of what shirts the band may be…
Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and its Nozomi Entertainment division are pleased to announce the GRAVITATION Complete DVD Collection will be available on November 2, 2010. This new release collects both anime adaptations of Gravitation – the 13-episode television series and the 2-episode OVA series – together for the very first time. The set will feature remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 English audio, plus Dolby Digital 2.0 English and…
Music Road Records (MRR) launches a new website at www.musicroadrecords.com with an exciting roster of artists and upcoming releases. With their involvement in the Cherokee Creek Festival and their commitment to representing artists with integrity, MRR has established itself as a trusted resource for great music and hard-working artists. Musician Jimmy LaFave, recording engineer Fred Remmert and Dallas businessman Kelcy Warren founded Music Road Records in 2007. Realizing that the…
“Weight of His Words” is a track that is dominated by the acoustic guitar, and Madden taking the style of Tom Petty to heart. In this track, Madden attempts to fuse two distinct styles; mid-nineties alternative rock with the aforementioned style of Tom Petty. The beauty about “Gone” is that the compositions present all are airy while still having a great deal of clutter to them. For example, “Path of…
Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. and its Nozomi Entertainment division are pleased to announce the DIRTY PAIR: The Original TV Series, Part 1 DVD Collection will be available on November 2, 2010. The TV Series Pt. 1 DVD Collection is the first of two, 13-episode DVD sets, which will feature remastered video from the Japanese DVD release, as well as Japanese audio, English-language subtitles and English on-screen translations.…