Category: Features

Posted on: March 9, 2019 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Indie rock juggernauts The Vics release 2 new Singles

BANDCAMP: https://thevicsofficial.bandcamp.com/ A lumbering, jazz-influenced beat greets us as we descend into the clutches of a bulging bassline, which itself is peppered with a lusty texture that is as intoxicating as it is chill-inducing. Soon, a rich, multifaceted vocal scrapes against gilded guitar strings, shifting our focus away from the cerebral grooves resonating from the drums for a moment. There’s an air of mischievousness that we cannot escape from; it’s…

Posted on: March 9, 2019 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Casey Ahern releases He Was Summer

URL: www.caseyahern.com Among country artists, standing out can sometimes be as big a challenge as breaking through to the mainstream is, but for Cali country girl Casey Ahern, carving out her own identity in a sea of sameness isn’t difficult in the least. The singer/songwriter gives us a little bit of herself in four awesome songs that comprise her new EP He Was Summer, and though it isn’t the expansive introduction…

Posted on: March 8, 2019 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Anti-Social (LP) by Derrick Davis Band

URL: https://www.derrickdavismusic.com/ Playful tempos punctuated with funk-influenced electric guitar. Twelve-bar blues taken out for a walk with a chilling bassline that throttles us into a wistful chorus. The lusty timbre of Derrick Davis’ honeysweet singing infiltrating an iridescent harmony at the peak of its catharsis. Whether it be “Best I Can,” “Blow Song,” “Hunter” or any of the other seven tracks that comprise his all-new album Anti-Social, Davis is bent on…

Posted on: March 8, 2019 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Way Down Wanderers – Illusions

Chicago alt folk/Americana upstarts The Way Down Wanderers have managed to spike their music was some interesting elements on their sophomore effort, adding in snatches of jazz and pop here and there, while still remaining true to the sound that made their debut a satisfying affair. Though not vastly too different from their self-titled record, Illusions takes small steps forward both musically and lyrically for a more consistently appealing sound.…

Posted on: March 8, 2019 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

New York indie star Matt Shapiro returns

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/mattshapiromusic/ New York indie star Matt Shapiro returns with his latest effort Fade In, an extended play that sees electronic grooves clashing with melodic, urbane poetry in six brilliantly produced tracks. Featuring such thrillers as the breakout singles “Rockaway Girl” and “The Addict,” as well as fresh cuts like “Johnny” and “Water’s Edge,” Fade In fuses vicious dance beats with likeable and familiar pop song structures, but it isn’t overly ambitious in…

Posted on: March 7, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Stopping by the Kemah Boardwalk

About a year ago, we received the CityPASS ($62) for Houston, Texas. We were able to hit up a number of different attractions, including the Houston Space Center and the Aquarium. Our most favorite part of the trip had to be our visit to the Kemah Boardwalk. While it was still a bit on the chilly and windy side of things (our visit was in February), there were still enough…

Posted on: March 7, 2019 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Jeff Whalen – 10 More Rock Super Hits

Bands like Sweet and The Cars have long since stopped putting out any new music, but their sound still lives on powerfully strong on Jeff Whalen’s debut, 10 More Rock Super Hits. Whalen, singer/guitarist for the fantastic, albeit short-lived power pop band Tsar, has not lost a bit of the energy or the pop sensibility that made his last group so infectious. But, while Tsar mixed a bit more punk…

Posted on: March 6, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

FÄR – Throw Them Out

Throw Them Out hits hard on two fronts. The supersonic vocals that strike out above the track will immediately draw listeners in, while the assertive, intensely driving beat will keep them there. Switching between modes here – either leading listeners through the stanza or smacking them with a happy hardcore meets 1990s dance beat – FÄR ensures that the effort will stick with fans long after the track ceases to…

Posted on: March 6, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Chasing Abbey – Hold On

Hold On is a track that deftly links together pop and R&B with sweeping, atmospheric back beat. The vocals are able to pull double duty here, with a raw passion and sensuality that is weaved through the lyrical and instrumental side of things. The dynamic between the synth and the drums provides considerable depth to the track; listeners will continue focusing into the song as it winds down. Chasing Abbey…

Posted on: March 4, 2019 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – The Best of Everything (CD)

It would be easy to write off this latest Tom Petty Best Of as just another cynical cash grab from record labels; that is if this 38-song set wasn’t such a brilliantly-curated, meticulous collection of Petty’s best work grabbed from his solo catalogue, his long tenure with The Heartbreakers and his pre (and sometimes post) Heartbreakers gig with the band Mudcrutch. Spread out across two CDs, though the songs are…

Posted on: March 3, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Quarry – Super Arcade

Quarry’s newest album begins with the titular track, a track which provides the first chapter in a cohesive work. The song touches upon the styles, approaches, and genres that will ultimately be broached throughout the entirety of the disc. The bouncy tempo of this introduction builds upon 1960s rock, while the crunchy guitar builds upon the framework of The Black Keys and “Hitchin’ A Ride”-era Green Day. With assertive instrumentation…

Posted on: March 3, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Love X Stereo – “Zero One”

Love X Stereo are back with their new track, Zero One. The track deftly navigates an 1980s synth-heavy style with pop influences. Emotive instrumentation pushes the vocals to an entirely higher level. The organic / electronic dichotomy is nice here, showcasing a different context than traditional compositions. Fans of Portishead and Massive Attack will find something impressive here, while those that dig Bjork or mid-1990s Madonna will absolutely love the…

Posted on: March 2, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Menny ft. Sean Kingston “Wings”

Menny creates a powerful early season track that will easily spread out throughout the word. A happy beat, intense vocals, and a quick tempo ensures that listeners will go out onto the dance floor. The presence of Sean Kingston on Wings provides a nice separation between the different segments of the track. Taken all together, the effort keeps listeners’ interest high while taking up the standards of acts as diverse…

Posted on: March 2, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Them Guns “Fireworks”

The immediate beginning of Them Guns’ Fireworks ties together the Bay City Rollers’ Saturday Night with a harder rock / industrial approach. With notes of Nine Inch Nails and Mindless Self Indulgence weaved in, Them Guns are able to make a futuristic track that is well-versed in the down and dirty rock of the MC5. A confident vocal track and a stellar set of visuals for their Fireworks videos makes…

Posted on: March 1, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Earthquake Lights “Moonlight”

Earthquake Lights are back with Moonlight. The track looks back to the jazz of the 1950s, psychedelic rock, and soul to create something special. Raw passion and a Rat Pack amount of cool demarcate the first half of the song, while the instrumental heavy second side of the single showcases the ability of the band. The echoing vocals that play at the top of the track make this into something…

Posted on: March 1, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Waterfall Wash “Colors”

Colors is a synth-heavy track that showcases Waterfall Wash’s love of 1980s electro-pop (Spandau Ballet, Disintegration-era The Cure) and the richly emotive music of acts like The Red Hot Valentines and Taking Back Sunday. There is so much of Waterfall Wash’s own self in Colors that each guitar line, fuzzy synth note, or splashy drum beat contributes to music in bold new ways. This is a dense, bushy track that…

Posted on: March 1, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Hand Habits “can’t calm down”

can’t calm down is one of those tracks that effortlessly take up the standards of 1980s rock, 1990s indie, and even look back a bit further to a bit of the 1960s pre-Hippie California rock. The vocals laid down here are beautiful and pull double duty in both establishing the song’s narrative and adding a further bit of complexity to an already-heady instrumentation. I personally dig the increasing chaos that…

Posted on: March 1, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Black Belt Eagle Scout “Indians Never Die”

Indians Never Die opens up slowly with a guitar and vocal dynamic before gradually including a more etheral, haunting sound as the single continues along. The bit of cymbals that are brought in at around the two-minute mark will get listeners’ hearts racing before the track returns to its intensely personal focus. The repetition of “wasting” shortly after is tremendously effecting, acting as the “dark” side to the often-“light” vocals…

Posted on: March 1, 2019 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Adrianne Lenker “symbol”

On symbol, Adrianne Lenker is able to call forth the lighthearted spirit of mid-1990s alternative performers, all while including hints of Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco. Little more is needed with Lenker’s latest than a dreamy set of vocals and a surprisingly deep guitar line. With gradual progression of the instrumentation on symbol, listeners will be transported to a place much different than they were when they first cracked open…

Posted on: March 1, 2019 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Jonathan’s latest album To Hold

Vocals sung in a half-whisper line the melody that greets us at the onset of “Monkeys,” one of eight new songs that makeup the whole of Jonathan’s latest album To Hold. Slowly, an unforgiving master mix crushes us with its compelling strength and gives way to an ethereal mixture of surreal guitar play and aching lyricism delivered in a passionate, tuneful wail. The band’s chemistry is tighter than ever before, and…