The Better Friends EP is the latest release from WhenTheClockStrikes. The energy brought by the first track (Too Many Cooks) permeates through the entirely of the release. WhenTheClockStrikes is able to blend together the strongest sides of Blink 182, Sum 41 and Yellowcard into a hooky and current sounding version of pop punk. A polished production allows the splashy drums, emotive vocals, and crunchy guitar lines to shine alone while contributing to…
Merideth Grace Puckett creates impassioned covers of hits, making them all her own. Grace’s version of Ed Sheeran’s Photograph imbues the original with tremendous passion and a wholly different story than the Sheeran version.
Ashes on My Cup is the opening effort of Lori Jean’s There’s a Way Through, a track that builds upon the R&B style of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Further hints of trip-hop and trap can be heard in the backing instrumentation, marrying a rich musical past to the present.
Night Marcher is Rivertown’s Brett-conditioned pale ale, and is one of the most unique beers that we have covered or even experienced this year. The beer pours with a pale yellow coloration and the head is lacking to the point that it does not seem to exist. The initial flavors that one will kick around their mouth is juicy, tying together orange and pineapple flavors with just a hint of hoppiness. While…
Cooper Phillip creates a catchy pop / EDM track in “Party By Myself” that builds upon the rich vocals of performers like Echosmith and MØ with a stellar backing instrumentation. Vocal and musical elements are weaved into a confident and hooky composition.
Hello, guys. What’s happening musically in Lexington this October? M: Honestly, I have no clue! I’m all over Kentucky and out of state doing a lot of things, but a couple of months ago, I met and talked with Andy Cubbage of the Lexington band, Dad Shorts. He’s an overall swell guy, and they released some music this year; I recommend giving them a listen on their bandcamp!
Warmin’ Up is the first track off of Take The Good With The Bad, the current mixtape by Richmond, Virginia’s F.Low. Take The Good With The Bad (featuring Lady Starr) has a retro sound that permeates the track, while F.low adds to the narrative and overall harmonies achieved here. Lady Starr’s lines add a considerably different feel to the single, giving F.Low’s next bars a nice highlighting.
Big City Cowgirl’s Game of Love begins with a strong set of vocals and emotive strings. The back and forth of the instrumentation and BCG’s voice weaves a deep and detailed narrative that touches upon a number of decades and styles in country music.
Twinkling guitar work opens up the titular effort from Thomas Charlie Pedersen’s latest album, Second Hand War. While a great many of the songs on this album have a vocal component, one cannot help but listen to the confident arrangements that comprise the backbone of the title.
WhenTheClockStrikes create an energetic pop-punk that builds off of the framework of Unwritten Law and early Good Charlotte. The frenetic energy that the band includes on Contact will ensure that fans are firmly glued to the edges of their seats. The tautness of the band makes for a musically intricate and catchy arrangement; Contact stands up to repeat listens as there are so many things occurring every second. Whether it…
To say that I had waited a long time in between Metallica concerts is an understatement. I, along with the majority or North America, have patiently waited as we fans have not had a proper tour by the metal icons in almost seven years. When the show in Minneapolis was announced back in March it was just a goof when I thought about trying to get in on the fan…
The latest effort from Pavo Pavo (slated for a November 11th release) kicks off with “Ran Ran Run,” an ethereal, mood-inducing number that recalls clearer, less-awash-in-effects sounding Cocteau Twins. The track sets the stage for a record that seems to pulsate with life and feeling, channeling the changing of the seasons as the earth practically breathes.
We were invited to try out the Chuck E. Cheese’s location on West Market Street in Akron, Ohio. Previously I had not been in a Chuck E. Cheese’s location for the better part of 20 years so I was a little unsure of what there was to expect from the pizza-cum-arcade location. Upon arriving we put in our order and picked out a booth for our family. I had thought that Chuck…
Electrified is a wonderful example of a crossover pop track that takes on equal amounts of EDM, alternative rock, and pop to make something that is tremendously infectious and catchy. The backing instrumentation keeps things interesting, while Sylvia G’s passion and charisma bubbles up at all of the right times. I Walk Alone has a retro, late-nineties vibe that is refreshed with a robust snap/clap sound to the backing beat. Fans…
Lord Have Mercy is a hard-hitting rap track that effortlessly blends together smart wordplay and a backing beat that highlights Overlord Gruff’s vocals at all the right points. Tha Baddest One is a crossover track, a banger that pulls some of the slinky California beats of late-1990s Snoop Dogg with the polished sound of a 50 Cent of The Game. The production is on point, allowing each syllable to be…
Magnetic Ghost create a powerful form of indie / noise / drone rock with Vanish / Vanishing, the first effort off of their November album “Loss Molecules”. The track builds up a disturbing and haunting fuzz that is further bolstered through smart use of repetition and haunting, ethereal vocals. Fuzz is used to provide further ambiance to the opening track; by the time that Vanish / Vanishing completes, listeners will…
Devil Eyes is the first track from the new EP “Put Me On” by Colorado band One Way Ride. This type of blues-rock blends together hints of KONGOS and Alabama 3. The dynamic between the male and female vocal pushes each to a higher plateau, while the drums and guitars make for a dense instrumentation.
Denver’s Float Like A Buffalo has released a new EP, Enjoy The Ride. The release begins with Whiskey Dreams, a track which calls forth comparisons to acts like The White Stripes and the Drive-By Truckers. Brooding bass lines blend with punchy drums and sizzling guitar work to tell more with the opening minute of instrumental arrangements than many artists could do in the course of an album. Tremendous charisma bubbles through during Enjoy the…
What Sukha does on their current album Rise is create a unique style of music that ties together folk-rock, rock, and alternative styles together with a singer-songwriter feel. There is a powerful one-two punch that begins the album; Ong Namo has vocals contributing to the overall melodies achieved by the band, while there is an approach taken during Wah Yantee that seamlessly links together Sarah McLachlan and Natalie Cole with Neil…
Ballad Of Everything is a confident, polished indie-pop song that gradually opens up into something that is instrumentally complex. The swirling eddies of guitars, splashy drums, and richly emotive bass lines that confront listeners during this introduction to the Night and Day EP will capture fans’ hearts and minds. Breakthrough is a tremendously catchy effort. The dusty vocals of The Killers and the Goo Goo Dolls can be heard here,…