Hop Along’s”How Simple” is a contemplative piece of indie rock that draws on the tradition of 1990s alternative for instrumentation. The dynamic between the guitars, bass, drums and vocals pushes each into an entirely higher plateau. The vocals are able to pull double duty; they provide the narration for How Simple just as they add further complexity to the instrumentation. The tautness of this single ensures that fans will be…
At the Gates did a lot for metal music, giving a melodic edge to the oft-brash death metal genre, birthing melodic death metal, a genre now as established as any other, and Light This City are back after a decade long hiatus to rekindle our love for the band and genre with their newest record Terminal Bloom.
Conor Gains has earned a well deserved reputation as a singer/songwriter on the rise thanks to his work with the Conor Gains Band, but his first solo release Compass is a ten song collection representing how his expanding ability for realizing his musical and lyrical vision has taken a quantum leap forward. The process of assembling Compass has been a lengthy one and Gains pared down nearly a hundred songs…
Forget the Super Bowl, if you can figure out a way to predict who is going to dominate Top 40 radio in the next decade, you’re going to be one incredibly rich individual. It’s true, there is perhaps no other facet of pop culture as totally and unreliably volatile as popular music. Society’s taste in music changes a lot faster than its taste in politicians or trite sitcoms, and when…
Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) had only been in the public eye for about a year in 2012 when the mayor of Austin proclaimed February 9th, “Shakey Graves Day.” A hell of an achievement so soon out of the gate, but six years and several albums later, Garcia is still living up to the hype.
Kuwaisiana’s, Chapter 1, is an awesomely interesting release by an equally intriguing band from New Orleans with bridges to Kuwait who combine the vernacular of topics between there and the US southern region. They cross bread everything from Cajun to Pop music in their combination of styles that never leave out the two areas in which they’re grounded, yet they have a universal appeal in the process. Chapter 1 wins…
Few artists are able to provide listeners with a full sense of whom they are with just a single song, but Sweetness, the latest effort from Mauve, does a tremendous job in showcasing a bevy of styles and approaches used by the performer. What we were most impressed by with Mauve’s new single is how effortlessly that this Toronto performer is able to go and blend together a number of…
New York’s Greg Jacquin has released the full-length album, Hudson River. According to his biography, Jacquin traces his roots and inspiration to the Hudson Valley. He was born in Sleepy Hollow, New York, in 1970. Jacquin’s release is one of the more impressive Americana albums to come along in 2018 – his pulse putting to music feelings of being alone, depression and even people watching make Hudson River a two-thumbs…
If you thought the Pacific Northwest was the only place that grungy music could be cultivated, The Twindows are here to tell you to think again, with their debut album Valkyrie 2.0, out now on CD and digital download. Perhaps just as grimy as the I-5 corridor that links Seattle and Portland is the gritty industrial graveyard that is central Pennsylvania. Once the center of the western world’s steel industry,…
Deviant Motions is the third album from Jake Allen. The 14-song collection will surprise and please fans of pop rock, alt rock and even New Age music. Allen hails from Michigan and while he doesn’t subscribe to the often blue-collar rock and Motown soul, Deviant Motions expands upon Allen’s previous album, Etherica, with less jazz and more synthesizer, ethereal pop. And, it’s hefty song compilation is bigger than the eight-songs…
One-time go-to gun for hire Jeff Plankenhorn has played guitar and lap slide for everyone from Joe Ely and Reckless Kelly to Hayes Carll and Kelly Willis. But as of recently he’s walked back into the center of the spotlight with his own records. Sleeping Dogs, his latest, shows why he was so in demand in his adopted home of Austin.
The Grand Brothers & Dee, both important presences on the modern pop scene growing in reputation and ambition with each new release, are teaming for a new project dubbed Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite. The first single “Electrified” from the collaboration’s forthcoming debut Canyon Diablo illustrates the production talents of the brothers while also illustrating the talents that have allowed Dee to land coveted spots like a Ford auto commercial during…
It’s been just shy of 20 years since Social Distortion front man Mike Ness released his two (and only, so far) solo efforts, but they are finally getting a proper vinyl re-release.
Anyone who ever said that hip-hop can’t possess humility and make fun of itself would do well to examine the comedic stylings of Kansas-based rapper Dawg Gone Davis (aka DawgGonDavis or simply Rebecca Rogers Davis). Whatever you want to call her, her new single “Butt on Fiya” is a hooky, whimsical song that is certain to put a smile on your face.
Over the years, Bill Sullivan has served as tour manager for bands like Soul Asylum, Bright Eyes, Yo La Tengo, The New Pornographers and many more. All were clearly a walk in the park, compared to his first gig in music, a roadie for The Replacements, quite possibly the most self-destructive band in the history of rock.
Going from the front man of a strongly influential band to a solo artist has always been a tough act to pull off, trying to keep up the good will and credibility banked. But, Steve Wynn showed how to do it with style in the early ‘90s when Dream Syndicate called it a day and he decided to carry on in a decidedly different direction.
Almost Awake is an up and coming group which is lead by female vocalist Vick Liano. The energetic group hits the stage with a fresh sound which is influenced by Paramore, Nirvana, Joe Satriani, and Blink 82. The genre ranges from feel-good music to rock and roll with the hint of jazz percussion. Their music could be categorized as Alternative Rock / Punk / Rock. Almost Awake was formed in…
Brkn (Unlove You) is the latest single from Tiffany Devonish, and this thoughtful song links together pop, R&B and EDM styles in a fashion that will draw in listeners of all three genres. There is an outgoing personality that is weaved into the vocals, while the emphatic beat tattoos the track’s melodies deep into the psyche of fans. Devonish is able to refresh the sound of performers like Ciara and…
With summer coming up, it seems like the perfect time to find that next epic mix of road trip worthy music. This becomes a more significant challenge as families look for something that is not too dark, dripping with foul language or not lighthearted enough for a car sing-a-long. A British band that has finally leaped the Atlantic to share their spin on beach-worthy music may be just the answer.…
Christina Custode’s “Light Of Day” is a tremendously powerful single that needs little more than Christina’s vocals and piano to tell a story that resounds through the ages. There are nods to Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco and Natalie Cole here. The simplicity of Light Of Day makes it a must listen, as every note is carefully crafted to have the greatest impact. The piano would seem to be an equally…