The 26-year-old Amsterdam artist has never been more focused as she prepares to explore the U.S. market. Artist Cinnamon Brown is destined for a fulfilled life in music. Born Cindy Limon, May 21, 1981, in Amsterdam, the R & B, Hip Hop and Pop singer/songwriter is the daughter of parents who hail from the Caribbean nation of Suriname. She derives her artist moniker from the first letters of her first…
Fanny Grace – Rise and Shine / 2008 Self / 14 Tracks / http://www.fannygrace.com / This Oklahoma act has shared the stage with luminaries as well-known as Merle Haggard, and even a cursory glance at “Rise and Shine†will show listeners why they were tapped for that honor. The band has been recognized before – they have won KZLA’s songwriting contest, and have played with other country stars – Willie…
Hippie Casual #1 / Half-Sized / 16 Pages / $1/2 stamps / zeropunk@hotmail.com / Andrew, 104 Harrington Point, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Note: this issue is over ten months old, and Andrew might have gotten some other issues out, but this is yet another zine that reaches out on random tangents, not easily fitting into a political or perzine design. Actually, if one would get rid of the food content…
The Jealous Girlfriends make it work. The Brooklyn four-piece pull together the tunefulness of Anglo New Wave and BritPop, the aggression and energy of Washingtonian indie rock – both district and state – and infuse it all with a little soul, working an alchemy that transforms these base musical elements into songs crackling with tension and excitement that are instantly memorable while revealing something new with every listen.
Little Beirut – High Dive / 2008 Self / 12 Tracks / http://www.littlebeirut.com / The style of music with which Little Beirut start off their “High Dive†is somethignt hat is emotionally intense but full of the same jangly, guitar-driven indie rock that individuals have heard from acts as wide as Coldplay and Radiohead. The band starts the disc with “She’s A Martyrâ€,  a track that links together these two…
Features SpankRock & Produced By Chris Zane (White Rabbits/Asobi Sesku/Les Savy Fav) The NME declares, “Shy Child are to Kraftwerk what The White Stripes are to Led Zeppelin!†And here is their story… Nate Smith (Drums) and Pete Cafarella (Vox/Keytar) met at Wesleyan University in the mid-90’s where Nate had invited Pete to join his band. Although Pete was kicked out a few days later the two formed a fast…
The Hilt Issue #4, Vol. 2 / Free / :25 / 16M / TreeHugger029@aol.com / Reviewed 14 June 2006 The Hilt is an anarchist publication. There are just a few pieces during this issue, and they are based on trying to give individuals a true idea what anarchist is and why it is separate from ideologies like communism and socialism. At one point, the pieces do not seem as strong…
Just because a CD will hold 80 minutes of music doesn’t mean it should. Ten songs totaling just over 25 minutes in length, Long Gone and Nearly There, the debut album from Washington D.C.-based quartet Julie Ocean makes a case for fast over fatuous, poppy over prog, and concise over complicated. The album is being released by Transit of Venus, distributed in the U.S. by RedEye.
Lemuria – Get Better / 2008 Asian Man / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/lemuria / http://www.asianmanrecords.com / Lemuria excites me. I had little expectations for the band coming out of just looking at the CD, but it really took me sticking the disc into my player and hearing “Pants†to really get behind the act. There is not really a referent to any of the band’s unique style. Two vocalists –…
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles Deon Dirks, A.K.A. Young Grim grew up during the late 80’s and became a fan of hip hop the moment he was introduced to artists and groups such as the Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, LL Cool J, and Run DMC. However, it wasn’t until he heard NWA that he fell in love with hip hop, because NWA spoke to his reality. They…
Dan In Real Life / 2008 Buena Vista Home Entertainment / 98 Minutes / http://www.video.com / Individuals in comedy, such as Will Ferrell have distinctive features but change up their hairstyles, behaviors, and even looks for each role that they are in. It seems as if Steve Carell has found eirself in a specific role. I don’t know if I would call it a form of typecasting, but there definitvely…
For longtime visitors of my site, you may remember that a review of this zine was up for about a week. This is because the person that was giving me the free webspace couldn’t maintain the upkeep, and was forced to drop the domain. Anyway, this zine really hits home for me, as the main topic of the magazine, as one can imagine, is living alongside some of the worst…
Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the addition of Pennsylvania-based CENTURY to the label’s roster. Boasting a forward-thinking approach to heavy music, the band has already garnered critical praise from 2006’s ‘Faith and Failure’ and plans to release its latest effort, the concept-based ‘Black Ocean’ April 29 worldwide, and a day prior in Europe.
Mar 23 2008 8:00P Music Hall of Williamsburg (with Xiu Xiu) Brooklyn, New York Mar 27 2008 8:00P Black Cat (with Xiu Xiu) Washington DC Apr 2 2008 8:00P Canal Room (Headlining) New York, New York Village Voice – “[Music for Tourists] It’s soft, honest, and wholeheartedly intimate†Time Out NY – “His strong command of the piano and quirky operatic voice call to mind Regina Spektor. Like her, he…
High Maintenance #2 ($3, PO Box 63022, Philadelphia, PA 19114-0822) Another of the glossy zines that I always tend to get for review, this one is actually not that bad. Interspersing heavy musical content with different approaches, High Maintenance makes it easy for the average reader to get through the magazine in just under an hour, and without stopping to put the zine. Highlights of this issue include the listing…
In just the first two years together Kelowna, BC’s SLEDDOGS, consisting of Kenny Byrka lead vocals, electric bass, electric piano, synthesizers, Michael Donley; electric guitar, backing vocals, and Eric Funk; drums and percussion, backing vocals, have made a significant mark on the Canadian rock landscape. Following a hectic 2006, SLEDDOGS settled into a West Coast groove to test the waters for their highly anticipated follow up with producer Steven Drake,…
The South Florida store Merchandize Liquidators provides individuals with an easy way to get wholesale clothes for a price that individuals will be happy with. Whether it be men’s clothing or a number of other types and styles of clothing, they will have everything an individual could want. Check them out.
When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold Out April 22nd On Rhymesayers – SXSW Listening Event Friday, March 14th at 2pm. If five releases from Atmosphere in less than a year doesn’t have you already convinced that Minneapolis’ Slug and Ant are the hardest working men in the biz, 19 North American tour dates through April and May across the US and Canada should set the record…
Hermana, Resist #2 / Half-Sized / $3 / 44 Pages / Noemi Martinez, PO Box 809, La Blanca, TX 78558 / noemi@chicanawriter.com / Before receiving this zine, I really heard some great stuff about Hermana, Resist and Noemi. I even went as far to do a link exchange with Noemi and eir’s website, CS-Tiendita. However, when I actually read through the zine I was shocked about how intensely personal Noemi…
On their third full-length, the long-awaited “A Long, Lovely List of Repairs” (Adrenaline Music Group/Alternative Distribution Alliance), Portland, Oregon¹s Amelia – Teisha Helgerson (vocals/drums), Jesse Emerson (bass) and Scott Weddle (guitar/vocals)  deliver a beautiful, spellbinding album of rustic pop, Americana, and heartbreaking rock. Critical praise has followed Amelia throughout their career, with publications such as Performing Songwriter Magazine describing their music as “Ša lush mid-tempo world of vibrato guitar,…