Trance-inducing quasi disco beats; cold, monochromatic vocals and “drippy” synthesized bleeps and dots characterize “You Are Mine,” the first single from Daddy’s upcoming record “Let Me Get What I Want.” The spring 2016 release is a part of a multi-media project consisting of a record, poems, individual music videos and an hour-long film with no beginning or end.
Winter Ale, Smuttynose’s current seasonal, comes forth with a fulfilling and complete set of flavors. Pouring with a dark brown coloration and a small amount of off-white head, this Winter Ale has strong notes of malt, alcohol, and tart cherry. Based on an amber ale and bolstered with Trappist yeast, this beer is warming and possesses a wide array of different flavors. With hints of dark fruits, spices including cinnamon,…
Brandon James is gaining a head of steam before his new EP is released on February 1st. This Chicago-born, bred, and based performer builds on a tremendously deep R&B tradition while establishing his own unique take on the art form. On tracks like “How Does It Feel”, James is able to create a sultry and soulful sound that will shake listeners to their very core. Perhaps most alluring about James’…
Uncle Tadashi & Da Boyz – My Old Stompin’ Ground is a track that possesses a timeless quality. The ability of the act to create such a sweet and soulful song with their latest sound is amazing; while there are 7 distinct forces here, the music that they create is unified and with a singular goal. The passion and care taken in creating this effort means that anyone that fancies…
WhiTeNoySe begins his Jumped on a Plane with Alice, a trippy bit of rap music that expands upon what listeners will experience with the style. The richness of the backing instrumentation here will ensure that listeners are firmly on the edges of their seats. No Dreams has a more sinister, brooding sound that continues to allow WhiTeNoySe with ample opportunity to tell a story. Hints of The Streets and Eyedea can be discerned…
While there was a certain complexity given to Tallgrass Brewing Company’s Buffalo Sweat when it was given time in bourbon barrels, we found the base-level Buffalo Sweat to be on of the most engrossing and delectable stouts we have reviewed in 2015. This oatmeal cream stout pours with a decent thickness and a dark-brown coloration. A fair amount of tannish head pours on top of Buffalo Sweat; the nose of…
The My Turn series by Lakefront Brewery is an institution at this point; employees of the brewery get the chance to do a one-off effort in a style that the brewery does not create. Todd (quality manager at Lakefront) suggested that a Belgian-style quadrupel be made, and we were lucky enough to receive a bottle.
We cook all the time in our kitchen but did not have a scale to measure things – sure, we had measuring cups, but nothing in the way of a digital scale. The simple fact is that a lot of the measuring cups suffer in determining the difference between liquid and dry ingredients, which means that there are different portions of flour and sugar and that for broth and water.…
Boomsauce is a pretty heady IPA (India Pale Ale) from Woburn, MA’s Lord Hobo Brewing Company pouring with a dark yellow to golden coloration and little in the way of head. The lacing from Boomsauce is barely present. Immediately present in a glass of Boomsauce is a good amount of effervescence, which imbues upon the effort a certain lightness. This lightness ensures that one will delve into Boomsauce with aplomb and…
Apollo LTD’s obvious understanding of what makes a good “pop” song is highlighted in “What Are You Waiting For.” All elements are present from bouncy dance beats to hook-laden vocals (which include falsettos) that will make this song fit in at parties as well as on mainstream radio.
Stumptown CandyPeel IPA , BridgePort’s latest offering is an India Pale Ale that comes forth with a little more of a sweeter and more citrus-heavy elements than a typical effort in this style. There is a mild nose to this one, heavy with hints of grain and bready malts. The beer pours with a dark-yellow to orange-brown coloration and a decent amount of whitish head. Stumptown CandyPeel has a decent…
Washington, DC-based Vandaveer take predictable Indie folk/roots rock and give it a majestic sheen. “But Enough On That For Now,” the first single off their upcoming release The Wild Mercury waxes philosophical on the mortality of humans to the sound of Coldplay-meets-Emmylou Harris vocals.
The German hard rock mainstays, Scorpions, may not the most commonly name-checked band by young metal groups looking to up their street cred when citing musical influences, but the band has been rattling teeth longer than many and has turned in some great albums over the years. In the documentary “Scorpions Forever and a Day,” filmmakers document the band’s three-year long farewell global tour, which kicked off in 2010. As told…
Today, we are speaking with Mundo, a performer that deftly weaves together birthright and his current living arrangement. As a polyglot, would you agree that language is powerful? Music has a similar transformative ability. What does your mélange of the two say? (smiles) Well it’s my personal belief that it’s really very very difficult to understand a people if you don’t speak or at least know a little bit about…
I am familiar with a great many of the different types of blenders that one can use, from food processors to the normal bowl ones, but I do not believe that I have ever had the chance to use an immersion blender. The immersion blender looks more like a power tool than something that would be in a kitchen, but the rugged styling that Waring puts on their SB10 is…
Charlotte, North Carolina’s Sugar Creek Brewing Company has crafted a unique and alluring Pale Ale that has a richness and fullness to the effort that separates it from other pale ales currently on the market. There is a good amount of off-wheat head that sits on top of the beer. The decent amount of malt that is included in this effort makes the beer stand up well; the sharpness of…
Illinois’ own Destihl Brewery has created a dubbel that hits all of the high notes of the Belgian style without moving too far into the pruny tastes that sink many a dubbel. The beer pours with a brown to mahogany coloration and a small amount of off-white head that rapidly dissipates. The initial nose of this Dubbel is sweet, heavy with raisin. and concludes with a bit of malt at the…
Sean McMorris has released a new album, Elevated Man, that will take listeners through a number of styles and approaches before spinning to a close. The eponymous track is a sedate effort that ties together the easy-listening rock of the seventies with a more contemporary alternative style. The instrumental and vocal sides of the track create something that stands up to repeat spins. Bent Out of Shape is a bouncy track…
Death Pony Express is the opening track on Toronto’s R10T’s Digital R10T EP, and what listeners will immediately take from this track is that vocals are not required when attempting to tell a story. The rich narrative that is weaved through samples/arrangements in unparalleled. Hints of Plastikman, Prodigy, and “Pretty Hate Machine”-era Nine Inch Nails represent the bedrock upon which R10T creates his music. The dynamic sound of this opening salvo…
Nation of Winners is an emotive bit of rock from Run To Life on their latest, Can’t Write Love Songs, that blends together tremendous instrumentation with a haunting set of vocals. The dynamic allows each side to shine while creating something that is decidedly greater than the sum of the constituent parts. Is It for Good is a tender and touching composition that is sedate and soft before opening up…