Medicated Mitch has just released a full-length album, Heavily Sedated. It is the rare example of an album that bangs from beginning to end. All Star Weekend blends together a catchy flow and an airy backing beat that will dig itself deep into the minds and hearts of anyone listening in. There is a unique sound that Medicated Mitch establishes with this track, but is done in such a way…
Two Roads Brewing’s Unorthodox Russian Imperial Stout pours with a dark reddish-brown to brownish-black coloration and a thin amount of off-white head. Unorthodox has a strongly sweet nose and a smaller amount of hop bitterness that can be gleaned from an initial sip; this beer will immediately take imbibers’ breaths away after the first quaff. There is a decent alcohol bite presented with dark fruits, bitter chocolate, and malt elements to…
UK prog-metal band, TesseracT, are set to release their first live audio/video concert. Titled TESSERACT, the CD/DVD and LP/DVD package welcomes back One vocalist, Daniel Tompkins. Odyssey, the audio portion, was recorded live during various stops in the autumn of 2014 throughout Europe and Russia on the Altered State World Tour. Scala, the video portion, was filmed live on November 6th, 2014 at Scala, London, UK.
Girlhood is a difficult movie to describe, if only because it is so beautifully complex that it cannot be easily summed up in a paragraph or two. It features the talented Karidja Touré as Marieme (also known as Vic in later portions of the film). Marieme lives in a poor section of France with her younger sisters, her abusive and frightening older brother, and her largely absent and overworked mother.
Bixel Boys have been tapped by Skrillex, along with his independently-run label OWSLA, to bring their aesthetic and creative vision to a limited edition release of collaborative tees and sweaters, available exclusively online. The 3-piece capsule, titled ‘The Night Team Collection,’ continues with Bixel’s signature theme of oversized black garments loudly covered with bold white graphics, more often than not, paying homage to their hometown through cleverly spun reinterpretations of…
The Pilot Rock Porter by Oregon’s Caldera Brewing pours with a tremendously dark coloration and a fair amount of cream to tan-colored head that remains stubbornly on the top of the beer. There is a solid amount of coffee and mocha flavors that immediately are noticed, while a malt and sweet set of notes can be discerned shortly after. The beer is well-balanced, ensuring that a different set of flavors…
Boulevard’s Pop-Up Session IPA is a rare example of a session IPA that still remains a hop-forward flavor while dialing back the alcohol content. At 4.3%, Pop-Up is refreshing and will do admirably as an effort that one continues to come back to during bonfires, after long, grueling chores, and as an introduction for those individuals that wish to take the plunge into more hoppy beers. Pop-Up possesses a slightly-sweet…
Hello, eM. In a few sentences will you provide some information regarding your musical background and career so far? I started singing at 6 years old in choirs then learnt piano, then clarinet. I started singing solo in a school band when I reached 13. Over time I sang country then rock and started listening to EDM music in my late teens. I’ve been involved with acoustic duos to singing…
A Peaceful Event showcases a tremendous narrative skill by Ian Green, telling a story with nothing more than a piano. The arrangements that he utilizes during the onset of Starlight are incredibly deep while being delicate, intricate without bogging down the overall sound of the album. Cycles of Sound speeds things up considerably, showcasing Green’s ability to stop and change styles on a dime. The more playful sound of this…
This zine opens with a pleasant letter to the reader, and a helpful Table of Contents. The reflections on the Black Lives Matter movement are personal and from the perspective of the white, middle class author. The author talks specifically about tactics that may or may not be successful when bringing a movement to the attention of the boarder public. The author identifies as white and middle class person, so…
It has been about 18 months since we last set down with Sharp Practise. What has the band been doing in the interim? Some shows around the UK, but mostly Nigel has been locked away writing our new album.
Saranac’s Clouded Dream (from their High Peaks Collection) pours with a brownish-orange coloration and a decent amount of whitish head. Clouded Dream laces itself down a glass as the head is persistently remaining on the top of the effort. The beer has a spicy (cinnamon, hop) nose that is fairly sedate, while the initial sip refreshes while exhibiting some strong flavors before dissipating as quickly as it began. The beer…
Aventyr’s Driven (the eponymous track) comes forth mightily, with a late-seventies to early-eighties metal style in the vein of Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, and Twisted Sister. The production on Driven is fantastic, with sizzling guitar lines, splashy drums, and catchy vocals working together to create some of the most memorable metal that we have heard in 2015. Betrayed starts with a strong, thick drum beat that has a number of…
Maui Brewing Company’s CoCoNut Porter pours with a dark-brown, almost black coloration and a thick, light-brown / tannish head. Lacing is substantial with the CoCoNut Porter and will work its way down a glass with few breaks in the foam from beginning to end. There is a toasted malt nose that does not provide imbibers with too many of the tricks that the beer has up its sleeve; an initial…
Drift Away immediately places listeners in a rainy night somewhere urban, with a harmony created from the interaction of the different elements. There is a deliberate story being told here, with a guitar representing the narrator. Tolar is able to break free of the domination of vocals and creates something that is as rich and fulfilling as any lyric-heavy artist.
There is a timeless sound to Nikia’s Maybe I single, which is versed in the soul and funk of the seventies, the post-disco 1980s, and the rich female-led R&B of the 1990s. The production of this track allows the instrumental and vocal sides of the composition to shine on their own and together, creating something that will resound with listeners long after the song has ceased playing. Nikia’s vocals are strong enough…
In a few sentences, can you give us the specific points in your life that brought you into rapping? I always would ride with my older brother in his regal with the 12s” knocking just soaking up game from all the different artist he would play artists such as E40, AZ, Nas, Jay-Z, Notorious Big just a name a few. I remember as a kid in the 90s sneaking listening…
John Roy Zat has been based in San Francisco, but the sheer amount of influences that are showcased on his latest album Who Zat (released on Flyin Bayou) represent a road map through some of America’s most memorable musical cities. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Zat is that the specific array of sounds and styles that are broached during each of the compositions on Who Zat are modified based…
There is a sultry and richly emotive sound to Holly Elle’s vocals during the beginning of Mirage that will ensure that listeners are firmly ensconced in the single. The track builds upon the framework of artists like Sia, Madonna, and Rihanna.
Immortality is Saranac Brewing’s imperial amber ale, and it pours with a mahogany to ruby red coloration and a small amount of white head that lays on top of the beer. The beer has a small amount of malt and hop nose initially, and one’s first experience with the beer will yield small amounts of dark fruits, a light alcohol bite, and a good amount of wheat, cereal, and malt…