Category: Features

Posted on: May 6, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Sweet As Pacific Ale (GoodLife Brewing)

Sweet As Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing’s newest effort, is a beer that a wide swath of imbibers can appreciate. The beer pours with a maple syrup/cider coloration and a small amount of whitish head that laces its way down a beer glass. The beer has a nose that feels equally balanced between straw, grass, and hops, while an initial sip yields tangerine and orange flavors with hints of more tart…

Posted on: May 6, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Mercy Breath Review

There is a sultry and slinky sound to Mercy’s vocals on her latest track, Breath. There are hints present here of Shakira, Christina Aguilera, and Megan Trainor, but the cut succeeds on the unique twists and turns that Mercy does here.

Posted on: May 6, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Only On Tuesdays Darling Dearest Single Review

Only On Tuesdays have released the Darling Dearest single from their Break Free EP. The track sits at the juncture of pop, country, and mid-nineties alternative rock, succeeding due to smart instrumentation, lush production, and a set of vocals that are awe-inspiring, strong while ageless.

Posted on: May 6, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Ghost Lit Kingdom You Don’t Know Me Single Review

Ghost Lit Kingdom’s You Don’t Know Me is led by ethereal vocals and a haunting composition that echoes and twinkles throughout. The vocals are fresh and interesting while still having some special quality which listeners can love.

Posted on: May 6, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

weareTheBigBang Smoke Single Review

There is a bouncy sound that works well for Smoke, which has weareTheBigBang blend together pop, EDM, emo and rock into something that is fresh, fun, and interesting from beginning to end. The production allows the rich bass, guitar, vocals, drums, and synth into something unitary without losing out the passion or the intricate arrangements that lead Smoke to the mountaintop.

Posted on: May 5, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Jason Griggs (MaxOut) Interview

We are speaking with Jason Griggs this morning. Hello, Jason. How has your week been? It has been a great week both personally and professionally.  My oldest daughter went to her senior prom and my company MaxOut Strength Studios began working with the U.S. Military to help provide a training solution for their elite forces – both very exciting!

Posted on: May 5, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Prefunk American Pale Ale (Worthy Brewing)

Prefunk, Worthy Brewing’s latest beer possesses a nose that is fairly hop-heavy with a slightly sweet upside. The beer pours with a cider brown coloration and a creamy head that is fairly tenacious as it laces itself down the glass. There is a lightness to this beer that belies the heavier hop presence (Prefunk is pegged at 50 IBU) that makes the beer go down incredibly easy. In fact, the…

Posted on: May 4, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 2

Counter Clockweisse (Destihl)

Destihl Brewery (Bloomington, IL) has crafted another beer for their Wild Sour Series, a Berliner Weisse that they have dubbed Counter Clockweisse. This sour effort possesses a nose that is equal amounts tart and wheat and pours with a hazy light-brown coloration and nothing in the way of head. The delicate blend of sour and sweet makes for a refreshing experience, one that would pair perfectly with fish, chicken, and…

Posted on: May 4, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Faith Healer – Cosmic Troubles Vinyl

It’s a little surprising to hear that Faith Healer is actually the alias for Canadian folkie Jessica Jalbert. Her first solo album, Cosmic Troubles is under this new moniker, while still having a softness thanks to Jalbert’s light as air vocals, is complimented nicely with a strong psychedelic pop vibe.

Posted on: May 4, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Simple Minds – Sparkle in the Rain [Deluxe Edition]

Simple Minds’ sixth studio album, Sparkle in the Rain, was released in 1984, a full year before the band would permanently be wedded to The Breakfast Club movie, a feat that defines the band in the country to this day. But the album was still an impressive collection on its own.

Posted on: May 4, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Velvet Lane Sitting on the Fence CD Review

Babe that Boasts is the first track on Velvet Lane’s latest album, Sitting on the Fence. The track ties together the psychedelic rock of the late sixties and early seventies with mid-nineties alternative (Happy Mondays, Oasis); what results is a track that is tremendously infectious.

Posted on: May 3, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Whorrifick l.o.l. Single Review

Whorrifick creates a flow in his “l.o.l.” single that is more beat poetry and Gil Scott-Heron than it represents current sorts of rap music. The instrumentation utilized in this track ties together electronic and industrial styles, intruding just enough to highlight specific lines and phrases.

Posted on: May 3, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Inspekta Jump Jump Single Review

Inspekta’s Jump Jump is a track that touches upon the trap and electrified-rap style of Juicy J; Inspekta’s flow here is dark, dingy, and dirty. This means that there are hints of Gravediggaz and Bone Thugs n Harmony that can be discerned, but with a cleanness to the arrangement that will garner radio play for the track.

Posted on: May 3, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Matthew Charles Roam CD Review

Nothing’s Out Of Reach is the first track on Matthew Charles’ Roam and it ties together Crimpshrine, Defiance, Ohio and hints of Against Me! into a frenetic track that straddles the line between folk and punk. While this introductory track is only a hair above two minutes, there simply is a lot of material for listeners to digest. As a result, the energy that listeners have when they move into Reliance…

Posted on: May 3, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Ian and the Dream California Cauliflower CD Review

Girl From California is a feel-good sort of pop-rock that takes equal parts seventies rock, funk, soul, and an easy-going sound and makes them something that will work on current radio stations. The infectious harmonies created by Ian and the Dream will stick with listeners long after their album has ceased; this is one of the first albums that we have heard in 2015 that makes it seem as if…

Posted on: May 2, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Phenteus Evidence Review

Woman Clothed with the Sun is a track that tells more with an instrumental arrangements than most bands can do with four members and an entire page of song lyrics. There are nods to the organic and the electronic throughout the entirety of this album, which takes an epic turn with Apocalypse. The track possesses a very deliberate beat, which is fleshed out with strings and atmospheric soundscapes into something…

Posted on: May 2, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Upslope Pale Ale

Upslope Brewing’s year-round Pale Ale provides imbibers with a wide array of flavors in a beer that is not too hoppy, malty, or otherwise flavor-heavy. Upslope’s Pale Ale is a perfect beer to drink as the spring warms up.

Posted on: May 1, 2015 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Mittenfields – Optimists

D.C.’s Mittenfields have been pretty under the radar since the release of their 2011 EP, The Fresh Sum, but rather than just taking it easy, it seems the five-piece have spent the time evolving their sound from simple indie rock, drawing in influences like shoegaze and noise pop. The result can be heard all throughout their solid debut full length, Optimists.

Posted on: April 30, 2015 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Hop Harbor (Full Tilt Brewing)

Full Tilt has just released a new Imperial IPA, Hop Harbor. The beer is able to succeed because of the bold flavor profile that it possesses. While the hop flavors come into focus at the end of each sip, there is a considerable smoothness that runs through the entirety of the beer; Full Tilt’s effort here is something that will appease those that are fans of IPAs and would like…