Musicians are notoriously a sensitive group. Even more so when it comes to poking fun at their own legacy. So it was particularly admirable of longtime cult rocker Graham Parker to play himself in 2012’s This Is 40, a film where Paul Rudd’s character is losing money because his record label banked on the failed notion that there was still an audience for Parker and his longtime band The Rumors.
Since the last time we had met with DownTown Mystic, much has changed. The band has gone through considerable successes (reaching the Top 25 on the Euro/Americana charts) in Europe, and Sony Music spreading their Standing Still album throughout the continent. Jingle Punks had slated their music to be played on US cable & network television, ensuring that millions of viewers were familiar with DownTown Mystic through programs like American…
People don’t normally consider Canada to be a hotbed of extreme metal. When talking about the best black or death metal bands, Scandinavia is constantly mentioned, along with a few American bands, German bands and various regional scenes but the Canadian scene is often overlooked which is a shame because some of the bands to come out of the Great White North are some of the best bands metal has…
Prospect is a very emotion track that requires nothing more than Thorpe’s fantastic voice. The different harmonies that she achieves before the whistling begins is simply unparalleled in music, with comparisons being drawn to Sarah McLachlan or Paula Cole.
Monk’s Blood has a wonderful reddish-brown color and a small tannish head that sticks around for a decent time. The beer has a decent amount of hop flavor that is moderated by a bit of sweetness. These two elements combine to make for a beer that is eminently drinkable despite having a considerable (8.3%) alcohol percent.
Jeff Bobbin is a musician that is looking to expand the progressive metal genre into bold new directions. Calling Orlando, Florida his home, Bobbin’s band The Conduit has just released the Six LP. This disc begins with a cover of a Tesseract track (Perfection) which Bobbin has twisted and contorted into his own unique style, providing the proper momentum that listeners need to stick through the rest of the album.
Three Philosophers pours with a small off-white head and a vibrant brown / orange coloration. The beer nearly approaches the 10% ABV mark but hides this considerable alcohol percentage with a nice amount of sweetness and a deceptively cloying overall mouthfeel.
How has your time since the release of your last album changed your outlook toward life? When I released Standing Still in 2010 I had no expectations about anything. Little did I know what kind of adventure I was in for. lol From the start, it was the longest recording project I had ever tackled, recording 15 songs. Just prior to starting the project I had a bout of pneumonia…
Gramatik (https://www.facebook.com/gramatik ) will be showing and performing at the Agora Theatre and Ballroom (5000 Euclid Avenue, in Cleveland, Ohio) on Sunday, April 6th. This concert is in support of his latest release, The Age of Reason. Torture is one of the singles on the album that distinguishes Gramatik from other performers, while Brave Man (featuring Eskobars) is a tremendous track that rivals prog-rock in terms of sheer epic feel.…
Do You Believe? Is the first track on Love Transmitter, and it provides listeners with a solid introduction to the styles and approaches that will be presented on the remainder of the album. Taken separately, the track is something that could easily be on rotation at alternative and modern rock stations.
Lonely Place begins Breathe Air in a very emotional and touching way. This effort has hints of Elton John and Styx, even as a darker and more rock-oriented style bubbles beneath the Broadway façade. The track gradually picks up steam and ensures that anyone focusing in to this introductory effort will be glued to the edges of their seats.
A Beautiful Way is a perfectly polish track that showcases equal amounts of Adam’s soulful vocals and intricate compositions. Hints of Coldplay, Jason Mraz, and The Wallflowers can all be discerned as influences during this introductory track. Our Man is a track that looks back to the work of Blur and James. while keeping things fresh and interesting. This track combines with A Beautiful Way to showcase that beautiful instrumentation…
Always the bridesmaid… Seattle-based rockers Mudhoney were there at the very beginning of the grunge movement, marrying punk rock and metal. Shit, Mudhoney frontman Mark Arm was one of the first to bring the obscure term “grunge” to Seattle using it as a tongue-in-cheek derogatory description of one of his earlier bands in a letter to a local rock magazine. Nirvana, the ultimate lottery winners of the genre, worshipped Mudhoney,…
Follow is an album that shows a variety of styles, providing listeners with a great introduction to the band. The album starts off with Wrecking Ball, a mid-tempo track that takes on hints of Maroon 5, Mumford & Son, and Matchbox 20.The track deftly blends equal parts instrumentation and alluring vocals. The track moves into Water from the Well, an intricate effort that provides just as much narrative with the…
Darling is a wonderful bit of lo-fi rock that will appease fans of the seventies and eighties. With equal parts stoner and hair metal, what The Falling Birds do on this intial track is immediately bash their fans with catchy melodies and Edgar Winter-esque heaviness. The track keeps listeners on the edges of their seats for four minutes, and provides brief hints into the band’s influences. This means that bits…
Roll On is a solid bit of seventies rock that keeps a frenetic amount of energy from beginning to end. The track benefits from a solid production, allowing the guitars, drums, and vocals to shine separately or as a cohesive unit. The switch between instrumental and vocal elements keeps things particularly fresh, while the narrative that is created by Morley here allows listeners to be firmly involved with the track.…
Ophelia is a beer that looks to provide some much-needed teeth to the wheat style. The beer is able to have a fairly substantive hop bite while still being approachable to a wide segment of beer drinkers. There are fruit elements brought by the wheat style that are spun in a completely new direction with the inclusion of Mosaic and Palisade hops. The beer pours a hazy gold with a…
Believe it or not kids, there was a time when Elton John was not only cool, but wrote songs you didn’t have to listen to on the sly with the windows rolled up in the car or through earbuds, pretending you were listening to The National.
Gunfighter is an album that has a number of twists and turns, allowing The Heart Pills to take on hints of mid-90s California, The Anniversary, and even hints of Bright Eyes before the initial effort Concrete ceases. Cowboy has a bouncy feel to it that will appease fans of NoFX and The Aquabats, even as an electric sound (think The Red Hot Valentines) plays at the periphery. The dynamic that…
The restaurant’s house salad is a great value with its price, serviced very quickly with the correct dressing. Their Ultimate Pepperoni pizza had two types of pepperoni; Boston’s sauce is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The pizza was simply one of the finest we have had in the Columbus area. For those wanting a different take on Italian cuisine, the spicy chicken and alfredo contains a great…