Brand It On Me is a R&B infused effort that has Diamond tattoo his vocal melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Hints of Ne*yo and Akon can be heard here, but the backing instrumentation is the most surprising effort here. 80s synths, smart sequencing, and a bit of an edge makes this into an effort that would do well in dance clubs and raunchy rap bars alike.…
A Beach And You is a sunny testament to true love. The distinct elements of the tracks combine to create something utterly special; Apfel intersperses his vocals with intricately-sequenced keys. By ensconcing considerable depth in a poppy introduction, Apfel is able to go into further complexity in subsequent songs. Comin Home To You builds upon the same wistful remembrance of A Beach And You; the dual duty done by Apfel…
Ottawa’s Dead Air Republic creates a heavy, hard, and sludgy form of metal that will assault listeners from the beginning until the ending of their new release, With Extreme Prejudice Just Another Bullet is the first cut off of their latest, taking up the standards of Corrosion of Conformity, Arrested Sevenfold, and ratchets it up to ten. Taking turns in the spotlight, the constituent members of Dead Air Republic create…
New York’s Pontus starts off his latest release, the IV EP, in a very challenging way. He has front-loaded Ten, a ten-minute composition, requiring listeners to immediately strap in and experience his unique form of progressive metal. The song weaves intricate arrangements that will keep listeners on the edges of their seats; challenging popular conceptions about time signatures or complex arrays of instrumental interaction, IV’s beginning tells a tremendous story…
Whiskey is the first track off of the For Mama EP by Oklahoma’s Small Town Sound, providing fans with an intricate and soulful style that blends together equal amounts alternative, singer-songwriter, and even country styles. The act’s vibrancy kicks into high gear shortly after the track begins; Small Town Sound is able to showcase the allure of alcohol with the somber (sober) beginning and the eclectic, energy-filled second section (after…
Till Dawn is a sultry, emotive, and intense single from Aiym, which immediately strikes listeners with nods to Kelly Clarkson, Pink, and Lady Gaga. Aiym’s vocals do more than tell a story as they join with the instrumentation to push each side to an entirely higher plateau. The tempestuous instrumentation shines in the background of Till Dawn, while listeners will be impressed with the sheer range of notes that Aiym…
What’s That is a smart bit of rap that showcases a deep and detailed flow from London’s SinForCalais. The track benefits from an inventive sort of instrumentation that will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. There is a timeless sound to this flow that will please fans of late nineties, oughts, and current forms of rap music. The melodies that are achieved with this ornate vocal…
Leave the Light On is a slow and deliberate track, providing listeners with a sound that will stick with them long after this introductory effort has ceased to spin. The track represents the perfect slow dance effort, building up into a place where the sheer range of Kohr’s vocal abilities can be discerned. This backing instrumentation creates something special, providing the right amount of pizzazz for this song. SargeantJohn Sargeant,…
Creeper is a high-energy track that has each of the constituent elements of Bad Mary creating a charismatic and musically dense effort that will stick with fans long after the track has ceased to play. Marz Attaqx is an effort that builds off of the work of late-1990s Lookout acts while having a crispness to the composition speaks to the current state of rock music. Multi-part harmonies are used to…
Raleigh, North Carolina’s Jack the Radio begin their Badlands with Bad Man, a track that links together psychedelic rock with hints of country and jam band styles. The eclectic styling of Jack the Radio is hard to pin down, meaning that the act takes up so many different standards during Badlands that fans of any styles will find something that they can appreciate. Ain’t So Bad has Jack the Radio…
Mal De Mer is the latest album from New York’s The Morning Sea, with an eponymous track that is tremendously emotive and effecting. Taking up hints of alternative and indie, The Morning Sea to establish something that is instrumentally and vocally compelling. The meandering tack taken during this introduction will have listeners on the edges of their seats Don’t Be Moronic, Merriam speeds things up and adds hints of ska…
Jesse W Johnson’s Primal Scream EP begins with the titular effort, an insistent type of rock that builds upon the framework of Placebo and dusty desert rock. The intense guitar work and immersive instrumentation will immediately interest listeners can keep them focused in as Johnson moves into Fucked Up First. The challenging time signatures of Fucked Up First benefits from a ropy bass line and a deft blend of indie,…
As a magazine from the Akron area, it’s always invigorating to find a talented band from our neck of the woods. The L.A. Knights create a track in Devil On My Heels that links together the work of metal acts like Motley Crue and Malice, tying together intense guitar works, a vocal braggadocio that has the chops to back it up, and on-point drums that fit perfectly while amazing with…
Dropped down like Manna from heaven (or more specifically, from the folks at Legacy Records), Elvis Presley fans across the globe can now pick up the ultimate fan set – a 60-CD collection of records from The King. Included are restored versions for 57 Presley albums originally released from RCA between 1956-and-1977 in addition to three separate discs of rarities dating back as late as the ‘50s. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
This chugging dance track ties up hints of late-nineties electronic with hints of Miami dance to create a nostalgic look back into an earlier EDM tradition. There is a vibrancy to Fast Work that ensures that the cut’s melodies are tattooed deep into the psyche of listeners, along with a breadth of influences ensuring that fans of a wide variety of genres can find something to appreciate here. The hammered-home…
The Brooklyn-by way of Athens- indie band Great Lakes has been spent the past two decades churning out five records and managed to keep their sound evolving thanks to a collective of musicians that have come and gone with nearly each effort. Guitarist/singer Ben Crumb has been at the center of each record and for the latest, “Wild Vision,” he pulled in singer Suzanne Nienaber, bassist David Lerner, drummer Kevin…
The process by which one brings draft beer home is a perilous one despite the technological innovations that have occurred over the course of the last decade. When one utilizes the brown bottle glass growler that has a screw off top, there’s a good chance that the carbonation and nuanced flavors of a beer will be lost by the time the one leaves the brewery to say nothing about the…
On our trip down to the Columbus area we were able to drive on Interstate 76 until we got to the exit immediately before its terminus with Interstate 71. We decided to get off the road and get into a restaurant. We found a rarity around this part, a franchise of the storied Huddle House chain. Huddle House is for those uninitiated a restaurant with hundreds of locations available through…
The Classic Saison by Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm Brewery has such a unique blend of flavors placed upon a wonderfully dry backbone that individuals that may not even like the Saison style will find something that they can appreciate. Hints of grains of paradise, pepper and the smallest taste of lemon can be discerned in the early goings of the Classic Saison on while a bready, yeasty body rises and falls…
The Spanakopita sold by Athens Foods is some of the richest and flakiest appetizers that we have ever had. There are a wide variety of Spanakopita available on the market and depending on what company that you purchase them from, the quality can dip considerably. There is a popular offering by Trader Joe’s supermarkets that is tough and mealy instead of lightening a meal; while it is perfectly serviceable when…