We live in challenging times. Economic, social and political forces in every part of our interconnected globe are triggering an unprecedented transformation in the way we govern, the way we do business, the way we interact and the way we live. For many of us, the challenges can be overwhelming, and perhaps even a bit frightening. For many of us, it’s time for a break.
With a hint of Motorhead poking its turtle head out of “Six Feet Undergroundâ€, the slightly middle-ground of the opening track primes the listening base for the rest of the CD. Each cut on the disc is so similar to the tracks immediately around it that a certain type of cohesion is created; however, the lines are blurred between tracks to a degree that it becomes hard to delineate specific…
These post-Spoon Austin indie-rockers ease into their four-song followup to Maps and Organs with a spacey little ballad that feels something written in the middle of a Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin bender, with bandleader Cody Ground’s vocals cracking right where Wayne Coyne’s vocals would have cracked. – Blurt, for Flashlights EP [8/10]
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Double Fine Productions, Inc today announced that Brütal Legendâ„¢ will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on October 13th in North America and on October 16th in Europe. From the mind of Tim Schafer and Double Fine Productions, Brütal Legend is a 3rd person action game rich in combat, imagery and storytelling, delivering…
Madjack Records announces the release of Little Red, a new CD/LP from the powerhouse Memphis soul singer Susan Marshall, on April 28, 2009. Recorded during several trips between Memphis and London by Jeff Powell (Afghan Whigs, Primal Scream and Bob Dylan) and Henry Olson (Primal Scream, Beth Orton, and Nico), Little Red further solidifies the often overlooked connection between the soul music of Memphis and the club scene of London.…
There are a number of comparisons to be made between Blue Velvet and the Velvet Underground, in that the interesting compositions that start out the track (during “Docile 1†are fairly cold while still being very interesting. The drums are bold and brash, and while they may sound a little too assertive in their context, they work well.
The Last Resort joins I Scream Records for the release of their long overdue and highly anticipated new studio album “You’ll Never Take Us”. Formed in 1980 in South London, The Last Resort are, together with Cockney Rejects, The 4 Skins and The Business considered one of the leading Oi! bands and an absolute legacy.
“Elly Jackson, is a cooler Sophie Ellis Bextor: her dance-pop tunes are infectious, she looks striking (her vertical red hairdo attracts frequent comments from strangers), and she says what she thinks.†– The Guardian
Milwaukee-based metal band 9mm Solution is set to release its sophomore album, “The Dream Is Dead,†on Rock Ridge Music on June 9, 2009. The band was brought to the label’s attention by new labelmates Psychostick. Says band guitarist Dave Gregor: “Working with the Rock Ridge team has been a great experience. They know what they are doing and they want their bands to succeed. We have been searching for…
Much more rough and scruffy than I imagined, Blue Sky Goodbye is a band that I’ve heard a lot about but never actually bothered to listen to. A harder-edged type of popcore punk than their fellow labelmates Sleep Comes Down, Blue Sky Goodbye nevertheless makes a good song that is not just all fluff. In tracks such as “Cover Your Eyesâ€, dissonance is used in multi-part singing and guitar work…
For a generation of Guelph music fans, Royal City was something akin to a supergroup. From his early teens, band ringleader, Aaron Riches had been a figurehead of the city’s hardcore punk scene, fronting numerous politically charged punk bands and promoting DIY gigs (including one of Fugazi’s first Canadian shows). At the same time, while bands like the Constantines were still gestating, the Jim Guthrie Quintet was a go. A…
French death metal masters THE SEVEN GATES will have their debut album Angel of Suffering unleashed on the masses in the United States on May 12th and in Europe on June 2nd 2009. As a primer, HEAVY ARTILLERY is offering a preview of the album’s title track “Angel of Suffering†as well as “The Serpent’s Wheel†on both the label and band’s myspace profiles.
Using the traditional falsetto voice along with the very technical guitar lines and drum beats, Blue Shade Witness plays the lost-love card with a very sharp sound. Aside from the incredibly short run time of this disc, clocking in at under twenty-eight minutes, the thing that really hurts the credibility of Blue Shade Witness is this completely polished sound of each track, which might have sounded more sincere if a…
On May 8th, Dirty Projectors and Björk will be collaborating for a one-night only benefit show at the Housing Works Bookstore in Manhattan. The event was curated by Stereogum senior writer Brandon Stosuy and will feature an original piece composed by Dirty Projectors’ David Longstreth. The material will pair Björk and Longstreth with the Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Dekle. There will be two openers, Kurt Weisman…
Cage The Elephant’s self titled debut album just became available on iTunes and entered the iTunes Album Chart at #54! The record will be available in stores this Spring. Newly signed to Jive Records, Cage the Elephant created a stir at last week’s South by Southwest Festival with their compelling live performances. If you weren’t able to catch the Kentucky rockers at SXSW, you will have another chance this April…
Japan’s Coffins is finally making it back to the US after last year’s successful East Coast tour. This time they will bring the doom/death to the American West Coast. Going along for the ride are their Oakland label mates Stormcrow. The tour will start in Seattle on April 30th and culminate with both bands appearing at the infamous Los Angeles Murderfest alongside such bands as Samothrace, Eyehategod, Despise You, General…
“You Make Me Smile†is perhaps the most eclectic single that any band has ever came out with. In this track, Blue October touches on hints of Momus, Modest Mouse, and Cake all in rapid secession; where Blue October ultimately settles into is something that seems like a more amped-up, secular version of the Newsboys meets Crazy Town. The band goes to so many places during their “Foiled†that individuals…
Check out New York City’s The Virgins and their new video for “One Week Of Danger”: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4020141001/?bctid=ref:A10302B0000657710N
After being heavily pursued by multiple record labels, BC Jean, a hit-making songwriter and gifted vocalist, has signed a recording deal with J Records.
The style of music that Chrisopher Blue plays during “Room Tones†is a blend of rockabilly and lounge, with a little bit of John Maher throw in for good measure. This means that tracks like “Ghost in the Night†are ready for big time radio, even if the instrumentation is a little on the odd side. This instrumentation has a lot of blues (scat-era) present in its overall sound, which…