SONI withanEYE’s “REBEL” is a strong, authoritative pop track that brings in a sizzling guitar line and a booming drum beat. With such a diverse array of sounds, SONI withanEYE is immediately able to draw some attention to the song. The vocals build off of the tradition of performers like Erykah Badu, Fergie, and Gwen Stefani. REBEL is a song that stands alone when compared to other tracks currently kicking around…
On repeated listens you can hear everyone from The Pixies to The Black Keys on the debut from Seattle-based trio Naked Giants. And despite the slew of bands who have name checked those groups over the years, there is a genuine connection on the part of Naked Giants. While it’s not particularly hard to simply ape another band’s sound, on “Sluff,” these guys seem to have internalized the endearing, shambolic…
Well, it’s not exactly a secret that UK artists have had a habit of, shall we say liberating, American Soul and Blues music over the years and remaking it in their own image. Everyone from Cream, and The Stones to Led Zeppelin and The Animals would be career-less if it weren’t for a bunch of self-righteous pilgrims who loaded up the boats with their bibles generations ago and headed for…
Let’s face it, we all have genres and subgenres and microgenres that we don’t get into not for any reason but because there is just so much content from bands in genres that we do like that we rarely find reason to stray. Doom and it’s microgenre drone metal is one of those genres, that I hear only good things about, but seemed so far away from the metal I…
Today, we are speaking with Donna Zed. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? Hello to all! Well … I was born and raised in Switzerland, in the city of Lausanne, a pretty peaceful place. I got into music at a very early age. I don’t really remember how I first expressed my will to learn music but my parents were…
The lyrical acumen on display with the ten song collection Swan and Wolf won’t surprise anyone who’s followed Nathaniel Bellows’ trajectory through modern American public life. He’s an artist with a wide foundation in various forms – music, prose, poetry, and visual art all fall within his purview. His second full length album Swan and Wolf continues his musical journey and shows his powers as a songwriter exponentially expanding from…
We were lucky enough to make it down to the New Orleans area a few months back and were able to see the Superdome, Bourbon Streets, and the French Quarter. Something we were not tremendously familiar with before our trip was the National WWII Museum. We were lucky enough to be invited into the museum before we began our trip back to SW Arkansas.
It was down to the wire for me and my buddy to work everything out to be able to go on the eighth annual Monsters of Rock cruise. We literally booked ten days before departure and got lucky by snagging a mid-ship, mid-deck cabin location (prime location for multiple reasons) from someone who had just recently had to cancel their reservation. It was an early morning as we left St.…
Over the past 10 years, Echo Bloom has been putting out an eclectic mix of styles, with a reliance on strong melodies and significantly expressive lyrics being the common threads that run through each record. Their fourth and latest, Green is the final in the trilogy of color-themed albums that each focus on different styles. While Blue pulled in more folk influences and Red a more traditional rock theme, Green mixes…
“Official” is the new single from rising Southern California talent Michael Capshaw, aka Cap, took a circuitous route into the music world, but it’s always been percolating through his blood. His youthful passion for the art experienced a temporary hold when Capshaw opted to join the military for a couple of years before returning to the country and beginning his musical career in earnest. He’s already experienced some commercial success…
For a British band, the guys in Brighton’s Harker have a pretty intense love for American music. You can hear everyone from the Bouncing Souls and Dinosaur Jr. to Jimmy Eats World and the Gaslight Anthem on No Discordance, their debut full length. And while there’s no denying the inspirations are all over this LP, the band has injected enough originality into the offerings that they still come off as…
The Last Gang split up for a bit in 2009, having lost momentum and the energy to get going again. But thank the gods of punk rock or whatever deity you want to credit, singer/guitarist Brenna Red and drummer Robert Wantland roped in Sean Viele to take over on bass and The Last Gang gave it another go.
Introduction During a trip up to Jonesboro, Arkansas for a conference, we were lucky enough to be invited to Tacos 4 Life. We had noticed a few of their locations during our travels but had not had the opportunity to visit. What we were immediately impressed by was how rapidly visitors had their orders taken. This quick turn-around continued into the dining portion of their trip, which had workers bring…
Jiggley Jones’ single “Truthseeker” Is a standalone release every bit as worthy of attention as his preceding two EP releases and current full length album release Not Your Typical Day Out. It embodies the same songwriting and performing virtues existing as a hallmark of his work since first debuting in 2012 with No Spring Chicken and comes with an accompanying video that further fleshes out Jones’ already vivid songwriting while…
Today, we are speaking with Monique Barry. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? I grew up in a very musical household. My Dad is an excellent piano player, mainly a stride player and can play anything by ear. We grew up with lots of sing-alongs around the piano both at home and at my grand parents house. I started taking…
Ali Jacko has crafted Working Man in a fashion similar to modern Bon Jovi or Fuel. The track is built off of a strong chorus and raw passion, making for a hooky effort that will stick with listeners long after the song ceases to play. I Found Love is the more pop-facing effort from Jacko, a light-hearted ballad that listeners will be able to appreciate no matter their tastes. Our…
Carolyn Marie’s Man Eater is a track that deftly links together pop and rock genres in a fashion that will appease a wide swath of listeners. Marie’s vocals are able to hit all of the right notes as the dark and brooding instrumentation provides highlights at all the right places. A hint of echo on the guitars, on-point drums, and smart repetition turns this from a solid track into something…
Jeff Rosenstock’s “Melba” a track that saddles the line between pop-punk and alternative rock. This means that there are the swirling guitars of Fugazi and The Pixies mixed in with the nasalness of The Descendants and The Dickies. Melba’s instrumentation is on-point, too; the chunky bass lines, jangly guitars and splashy drums will indelibly tattoo the melodies of the single deep into listeners’ brains. Vibrant and refreshing, Melba speeds up even…
MC YOGI has just released a new video for his single Heaven Is Here. The effort, which features Matisyahu, is tremendously effecting. The use of repetition is smart here, with Matisyahu’s inimitable vocals tattooing themselves deep into listeners’ minds. The instrumentation on Heaven Is Here is robust, with guitars and strings continually keeping listeners on their toes. Timeless, hard-hitting, soulful, and intricate, Heaven Is Here is an effort that is…
Tears Won’t Fall immediately draws in listeners with an emotive guitar line. The intensity of the vocals is similar to Antichrist Superstar-era Marilyn Manson. The two elements are all that is present on this effort, but they provide something much more cohesive and comprehensive when they are melded together.