For as much creativity and immersive artistry that has emerged in the last decade, one aspect of the entertainment business has continued to suffer, almost, ironically, in silence. I’m talking about pop music, specifically it’s more electrified rock n’ roll realm. Pop’s heavier side has been going through some particularly rough times since the fusion of electronic and urban subgenres to create super-scenes that know no boundaries both sonically and…
There is seems to be a strong sense of inauthenticity with the vast number of bands who are suddenly unplugging their guitars and calling themselves “Americana” now. But soon enough, another genre will come along and be ripe for exploitation. And when it does, you can bet Riley Moore, a refreshingly genuine voice in the Americana/Folk movement, will still be playing his brand of no frills, but deeply satisfying music…
Over the past several years, when not on their seemingly endless global tour, Mike Peters and his bandmates have been busy breathing new life into old classics. First came the 30th anniversary of their debut, “Declaration,” which saw the songs re-interpreted and re-recorded for a new decade, followed quickly by “Peace Train,” another series of re-recordings, this time of lesser known B-Sides. But, after an eight-year break, the band is…
Rumors of the Great White Skunk, the third album from Oklahoma based duo Cliff and Jeana Downing, builds on the success of Captain Ledge Band’s first two albums with a collection that shows their exponential growth as songwriters since the band first formed. The duo’s journey to a third album has been well chronicled and you hear a lot of the gratitude they share for making music together coming through,…
Karen Atkins’ cover of the classic Paul Simon track “Slip Slidin’ Away” is fantastic as it is able to possess the spirit of the original while imprinting her own unique tack on the track. Little more is needed on Atkins’ version than her inimitable vocals and just the lightest touch of guitars and drums. One will be teleported into close quarters with Atkins’ recording (a video is below) as she…
Kristy Chmura’s “Abandoned House” calls back to the strong female vocal style of Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. Chmura is able to pull double duty on this single as her vocals tell a story as well as contributing mightily to the overall harmony of the track. Abandoned House is fairly spartan in its instrumental arrangements, but uses each flash of guitar, drums, or strings in a fashion that highlights Kristy’s…
The Broke Royals’ “Higher” is a hopeful track that builds upon the rock of the Goo Goo Dolls and Imagine Dragons. While the chorus of this single is incredibly infectious, I think that the backing instrumentation far outstrips what is heard on radio stations. The band is able to turn on a dime here, with a number of distinct sections ensuring that the final few notes of Higher are as…
The time between when we first covered Cowboy Mouth and today may just be the longest we’ve ever seen. We covered the band’s Fearless about a decade ago. The band’s still together and has just released a new single, “Broken Up”. Broken Up is a bouncy effort that comes with a catchy set of vocals, sizzling guitar work, and a close and cozy production that makes it seem as if…
Earthquake Lights’ “The Fix” is one of those special tracks that absolutely pops. The instrumentation is absolutely perfect, with the guitars, drums, and bass both contributing to a cohesive sound while providing just enough in the way of highlighting to the rich vocals. The ebb and flow of The Fix ensures that listeners will be on the edges of their seats. Earthquake Lights build upon the alt-rock of the late…
U2 is the latest in line to get the re-release treatment on vinyl and the occurrence serves as a great reminder of the band’s ability to redefine their style again and again. Their latest records to get a proper 180-gram double LP treatment are 1991’s Achtung Baby, 1993’s Zooropa and their first of two hits packages, “The Best of 1980-1990”. Achtung Baby was their first proper studio album in four…
BHC DIPA, a double IPA released by Ska Brewing (Durango, Colorado) is well-balanced, linking together the traditional hoppy, piney, and floral elements of an India Pale Ale with a bit of juiciness. By hitting both of these marks, Ska is able to make something that any fan of hop-forward beers can appreciate. With an 8% ABV, the specific array of flavors that have been imparted upon this brew are extraordinarily…
We’re sitting down with Maryland’s 3 Dice Ceno. Let’s get right to it – What’s your story?
When people are living in harmony and love is plentiful, communities at peace and joy is more common than fear or hatred, there is always music. In times of distress and chaos, where no one seems to want to get along and there isn’t any singular uniting shelter that we can come together under from the storm, there is always music. Music is in fact the one element of our…
England’s classic street punk torchbearers The Filaments had a couple of solid releases under their belts before calling it a day in 2005 when their singer emigrated to the U.S.
On Insane, Taylor James is able to craft a release that touches upon a wide swath of distinct musical genres. On Back 2 U, the album’s first track, James is able to blend together pop, soul, praise and funk music into a very dense and detailed effort. The vocals on the single do more than tell a narrative; they are able to come forth and bolster the aforementioned instrumentation. Say…
Today, we are speaking with Paul K. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? Sure. I’m Paul Kirkpatrick, aka Paul K, and I’m a UK based songwriter, composer and producer. I write instrumental music that is a mix of electronica, classical, rock and ambient and I’m also one half of the electro rock duo “Glitch Code”. How did you get into music? I got into music at…
Arguably one of the best punk rock/goth supergroups of all time, The Lords of the New Church was sadly close to being forgotten by an entire generation. Comprised of Dead Boys singer Stiv Bators, Brian James from the Damned, Sham 69’s Dave Tregunna, The Barracuda’s Nick Turner and occasionally the Damned’s Rat Scabies, the band’s fantastic 1982 self-titled debut mixed punk rock, British goth and some of the earliest hints…
While we have had beers sent our way for NeuFutur nearly a decade now, actually visiting breweries is a fairly new frontier for us. Luckily, we were able to join up with Emily from RadCraft to see what was going on at Strange Craft Brewery. Head brewer Tyler Bies has crafted a considerably wide collection of efforts available both year-round and seasonally in the Denver area.
El Gato Dice have released their third album, Tres. The disc begins with Simplest Design, a work that calls back to the alternative rock of the mid-1980s (The Replacements, Yazoo). The guitar work is complex and adds considerably to this initial effort’s gravitas. With the shift to the second set of vocals at the 1:45 mark, listeners will be further impressed at the instrumentation’s ability to shift to something wholly…
While we were in the Denver area, we had a moment during the afternoon to visit the city’s Ocean Prime location (a second location will be opening later this fall). We were able to drop off our car at the valet without much in the way of hassle – Larimer, the street that the restaurant was on, was busy but the restaurant had placed the valet corral front and center…