Category: Features

Posted on: September 30, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Bud Summers The Way CD Review

That’s Why is the introductory effort on St. Louis’ Bud Summers new album, The Way. This first track does well to showcase Summers’ eclectic blend of styles. Hints of rock, blues, jazz and pop can all be discerned with this first track; the rich musical backdrop that Bud crafts here will ring in listeners’ ears long after The Way has ceased playing.

Posted on: September 30, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Shelia Moore Piper Are You Ready Chapter 2 CD Review

Shelia Moore Piper hits off her latest release Are You Ready Chapter 2 with Get Excited, a soulful effort that turns up the tempo considerably with hopeful vocals, inspired brass, and an on-point percussive element.  What a Friend (feat. Gene Moore Jr., Derrick Leon & Tachina Danielle) is a tremendously complex track; the contribution of each element during this composition makes for a varied and deep arrangement that stands up…

Posted on: September 29, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Zedd Cleveland “True Colors” Tour Stop (Wednesday, September 30th)

The weather has been a little on the wonky side the last few days, but the Jacobs Pavilion is covered and spirits could not be higher for Zedd’s True Colors Tour date Wednesday, September 30th. Current weather seems to portend a normal autumn northeast Ohio night, with 20% chance of rain and a high of 63. The venue is going to run a lot hotter tomorrow night.

Posted on: September 29, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Ted West – Bittersweet Descent

Los Angeles’ Ted West has released a new track, Bittersweet Descent. This effort is slinky, soulful, and builds off of the work of Placebo and Stabbing Westward. There is a dichotomy of electronic and windswept desert, a complexity that is given further depth with tribal drums and jazzy brass. At the center of the single are West’s vocals, dripping with charisma.

Posted on: September 29, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Toaster Pastry (21st Amendment)

Toaster Pastry marks the previous life of 21st Amendment’s facilities; this effort is described by San Leandro’s 21st Amendment as an “India style red ale”. The beer’s name is a bit of a misnomer, but what ultimately results from Toaster Pastry is an eminently drinkable beer that takes the best points of the IPA and red styles and melds them together seamlessly. There is a good malt presence that imbues…

Posted on: September 28, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Black Tears La Ghooste / Liquid Fabulous

The Black Tears’ La Ghooste is modern rock that is darkly emotive and rich in instrumentation. The layered approach that The Black Tears take during this effort will require a number of spins to hear everything that has been inserted into the composition.

Posted on: September 28, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 2

Oktoberfest (Left Hand Brewing Company)

Left Hand Brewing Company (Longmont, Colorado) has released their latest seasonal, Oktoberfest. The beer is a marzen with a dark yellow / light mahogany coloration. There is a decent tannish to brown head that laces its way down the glass, with has good amounts of sweet and malt elements. The 6.6% ABV of Left Hand’s Oktoberfest calms down the sweeter elements of the beer; instead of taking on a more…

Posted on: September 28, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Capital Grille Pittsburgh

We were lucky enough to be invited to The Capital Grille in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (301 Fifth Ave) and made our way into the restaurant a few minutes before our reservation. We were invited into The Capital Grille’s lounge and offered a drink in the few minutes while the restaurant prepared for its 5 PM opening; a smart usage of wood, prominent display of luxurious liquors, and plush seats made the…

Posted on: September 28, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)

The 1980s were a boon for independent punk rock scenes in America as kids from the suburbs to the city realized they could start a band with little more than angst and a willingness to play loud music. Washington DC, thanks in part to the conservative Reagan and Bush administrations there, gave rise to one of the most exciting punk scenes at the time.

Posted on: September 28, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

All American High Revisited (DVD)

This 1987 documentary was never really considered a seminal film. It was selected for Sundance, seen by some and then forgotten. But with the release of American High Revisited the film gets a second chance. It shows what an average California high school in 1984 looked like, through the eyes of a foreign exchange student attending the school for a year.

Posted on: September 27, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Andy Evans Miracle CD Review

Andy Evans begins his Miracle with a brief introduction before moving into the eponymous track. The soulful rock that Evans creates here links together John Mayer, Rob Thomas, and Jack Johnson. This track is single-worthy as Evans crafts a dense instrumentation that will stick with listeners long after the track has concluded. A Santana-esque guitar solo adds a sizzle to the track, keeping listeners on the edges of their seats.

Posted on: September 25, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Bergamonster Imperial Wheat (Two Roads Brewing)

Bergamonster Imperial Wheat is the latest offering in Two Roads Brewing’s Road Less Traveled Series. This unfiltered wheat ale pours with a light yellow coloration and a small amount of whitish head. Lacing is pretty thick along a glass. Two Roads’ imperial wheat ale packs a kick at 8.2% ABV, blending together a strong alcohol bite with sweeter (the titular Bergamot, lemon, and orange) and hoppier elements.

Posted on: September 25, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Tim Neumark Interview

We had a few moments to sit down with Washington DC’s own Tim Neumark. Can you give us a little biographical information about yourself?   I grew up in Western Maryland where my focus was sports, primarily baseball. At about 16 years old, I started tinkering around with the piano. I started writing my own music in college, and I released my first album about eight years after college. So…

Posted on: September 24, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Doppelshot Doublebock (Maui Brewing Company)

The inclusion of coffee into the latest Maui Brewing Company seasonal, Doppelshot Doublebock does a good job at hiding some of the overly sweet elements that can sometimes be discerned from the bock style. Doppelshot pours with a hazy dark brown – light orange coloration and a small amount of wispy white head that trails its way down a glass or mug. The ABV (8.2%) is similarly well hidden with…

Posted on: September 23, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Texas Rising (DVD)

After countless bizarre alien-based TV shows, The History Channel finally decided to take itself seriously once again with the 10-episode drama Texas Rising. And despite some questionable playing around with facts, the series is solidly entertaining

Posted on: September 23, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Love & Mercy (DVD)

Easily the best music-based biopic to come along in years, Love & Mercy focuses on the tragic period in the life of Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson when he was struggling with mental problems and under the control of Svengali Dr. Eugene Landy (played flawlessly evil by Paul Giamatti).

Posted on: September 23, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Commotion APA (Great Raft Brewing)

Great Raft’s Commotion APA pours with a yellow/gold coloration and a solid amount of fluffy white head. Lacing traces its way down the glass, showcasing the progression that one has on the beer. The ale’s nose is heavy with mango, pine, and caramel.

Posted on: September 22, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Scorpions and Queensryche Set To Rock Cleveland Tomorrow, 9/23

The timeless Scorpions are celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band and have been performing throughout the United States in a blaze of hard rock, pulling out classics and deep cuts alike for their World Tour. This 50th Anniversary tour hits up the Jacobs Pavilion in Cleveland, Ohio tomorrow night at 7:30 PM. Queensryche will also be performing at the concert, ensuring that anyone attempting will be rocked for a solid…

Posted on: September 22, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Hobbsy Risen From The Dead CD Review

Hobbsy begins their Risen From The Dead with Second Coming, a brief introduction to the sounds and approaches that Hobbsy will present during the EP. The haunting arrangement, echoing guitar work, and deliberate pacing ensures that listeners will keep focused in to the rest of the album’s 7 tracks. The Few and the Many is a furious hard-rock track that leads off with solid guitar riff and a tortured, impassioned…