A major drawback to the Rye IPAs that we have reviewed in the past has been that they do not provide enough of the rye element to make for something that is significantly different from other IPAs that are on the market. Great Divide is able to create a nuanced and intricate effort in their Showdown that is able to corral two distinct flavors – the grainier rye side and…
Alaska’s Cliff and Ivy have just released a music video for their single, “In Your Hands (New Blood)”. The track itself builds off of the goth music of the late eighties and nineties (45 Grave, Sisters of Mercy, Switchblade Serenade) and succeeds based on the sheer energy and multi-faceted approach that the band takes. In Your Hands (New Blood) will require multiple listens to break free the multiple vocals, drums /…
Your War is Over is an impassioned track that showcases the vocal and instrumental ability of John Preston. The track is able to capture the spirit of John Mayer, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Fuel while having an intensity to each lyric that is hard to beat. The narrative created here provides light to a phenomenon that has largely went unreported by the national media – allowing current and former soldiers the…
The protagonist in first-time novelist Andy Abramowitz’s Thank You, Goodnight has quite a bit in common with his creator. Both men are lawyers in Philadelphia that have seemingly put left their time as musicians in the distant past. The big difference here is that Teddy Tremble, the fictional character, decides to get the band back together, while Abramowitz is using his spare time to launch a new career as a…
Never Shout Never, aka Christofer Drew and his fellow bandmates,will release their brand new, highly-anticipated studio album, entitled Black Cat, on August 7th via Warner Bros. Records. The album will be available for pre-order starting today, June 9th. The first single from the album “Hey! We OK,” will be available as an instant download for those who pre-order.
RUDIMENTAL are about to take the ‘Made In Hackney’ stamp and make it global. Since unveiling their brand new single ‘Never Let You Go’ to great international acclaim – and a brand new music video – they have also announced their eagerly awaited sophomore album,“WE THE GENERATION,” set for release on September 18th through Major Toms/Big Beat.
Last month Bay Area artist Charles Duff, a.k.a Matrixxman, announced his debut full length Homesick and shared the deep and dark, minimal yet very complex lead single Augmented.
Re-minders is a very interesting zine that hails from San Francisco, CA and is created by Rani Goel. I had the pleasure of finding her on the website We Make Zines (http://wemakezines.ning.com). We Make Zines online community for zine makers and readers.
Jvleel is a rapper from the southwest side of Detroit. How does your experience compare to that of other famous rappers? What sort of experiences do you have growing up in Detroit that are unique to those that live in the city?
Hattiesburg’s Southern Prohibition Brewery has released their Mississippi Fire Ant in cans, and what they have created may just be the best red/imperial red offerings that we have ever tasted. The beer pours with some of the darkest reddish-brown coloration that we have ever seen from an imperial red ale, and there is a strong (nearly old ale) nose that ties together spice, malt, and hops in equal amounts. Mississippi…
There is little flavor that a great many of the cream ales have; many are virtually indistinguishable from the beers that clog a gas station. However, Full Sail has created an offering in Session Cream Ale that is able to be refreshing without coming forth as banal and mundane. The beer pours with a yellow to light organge coloration without much in the way of head. The nose will yield hints…
Audiobender’s Reverb begins with Alright With Me. This introductory track showcases Audiobender as an act that is tremendously influenced by the rock of the seventies and eighties. This means that listeners can pull out hints of Rush, Bad Company, and Whitesnake with this opening salvo. Where many bands are more than happy to exist in a certain time period over the courses of their careers, the tracks that Audiobender include…
Ben Mauro has released Take Your Time, a hopeful pop-rock track that will capture listeners’ hearts with little more than a soaring set of vocals, guitars, and percussion. The positive track takes up island rhythms with the singer-songwriter style of Jason Mraz and John Maher.
Ordinary will hit listeners with Post Paradise adopting hints of Hoobastank and Fall Out Boy with a harder rock edge. The harmonies that Post Paradise create on their Ordinary will eagerly be devoured by fans of rock radio fare, but there is considerable depth to this track. The different elements – vocals, drums, guitars – all are doing their own thing.
The Boys of Summer is transformed into a much darker, more industrial-heavy take on the Den Henley original. There is a much different take on this effort that allows no:carrier ample space to make the effort their own. Taken alongside California (originally from Belinda Carlisle), The Boys of Summer are able to introduce the act to a wide audience while the act’s talent allows them to create something wholly new.…
Jef Joslin has just released his latest single, Do What You Wanna Do . This soulful track looks back at the Detroit sound of the 1960s while keeping things contemporaneous and fresh. Hints of Aloe Blacc and Bruno Mars can be heard as Joslin establishes a unique sound with this effort.
We were in the Detroit area and thought driving the hour or so to the Ann Arbor area would be a good day trip from the Motor City. While in Ann Arbor, we stopped at Elevation Burger on Washtenaw Avenue. We had an experience that was memorable and have found a new chain to hit up whenever we are in that quadrant of Michigan.
Revolt is the new single from Calgary’s The Unravelling. The song builds upon the rich musical tradition of Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails; the angry intensity of this industrial-rock act takes up the standards of Ministry and Atari Teenage Riot. The vocals are equal part Jonathan Davis and Chester Bennington, while the arrangements present in Revolt take on an epic feeling.
Jared Deck has just released his latest single, 17 Miles. The track builds off of the work of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, imbuing the effort with effervescent spirit and instrumentation that is on-point. The sizzling guitar work tie together pop, rock, and country music into an effort that will be bouncing around listeners’ ears long after the track has ceased.
Rick Elliot’s Why is a track that covers considerable ground, with hints of Travis Tritt, Jimmy Buffett, and even Willie Nelson present in Elliot’s rich vocals. The production of Why allows each element – Rick’s vocal tenor, guitars, drums, and bass – to shine separately and as a cohesive effort.