The titular effort on Shut Off Your Mind (“Shut Off Your Mind”) will ensure that listeners are on the edges of their seats. During this song, sizzling guitar lines unite with on-point drums and sultry, slinky vocals to create something special. This introductory track feeds into Only Heaven knows, which has a very strong momentum that allows listeners to be sent along the way with intense rock, rockstar-confident vocals,…
There is no shortage of books out there about the love ‘em or hate ‘em thrash band Metallica. But at almost 400 pages, and just the first part of a two volume set, Birth School Metallica Death, might just be the only book you need on the band. While many of the stories in the first volume are lore at this point, the access these two longtime metal…
Be Here Now is a tremendously emotional track that links together instrumental and vocal elements to create something that is tremendously effecting. McLean’s vocals are able to draw listeners in and keep them while the deftly arranged instrumentation provides the perfect backdrop. Give Me One Reason has a bouncy sound and allows McLean to take up both jazz and funk styles, ensuring that this Tracy Chapman track is provided…
There’s a reason why The Angels’ Share took home the Jury Prize from the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Finally available in the U.S., the film is funny without being forced and endearing without being sappy, almost a novelty nowadays. The movie, from Ken Loach (The Wind That Shakes the Barley), focuses on Robbie (Paul Brannigan), a Scottish juvenile trying to clean up his act after his girlfriend delivers his son.…
10 Pimp C ft Bun B and Mike Jones – Pourin Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLSsx6mBXbY 9 Masta Ace – Jeep Ass Nigga 8 Eightball & MJG – 9 Little Millimeta Boys 7 Hustle Gang – Here I Go 6 Big KRIT – 4EvaNADay 5 2 Chainz – Used 2 4 UGK – Diamonds and Wood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oomPSRNXHr0 3 Bun B ft Z Ro, Lil Flip Mike Jones, Paul Wall – Draped Up 2…
Australia has brought a number of impressive musical forces to our shores the last few decades. Get Out, Meliya’s latest single, showcases a new force that looks to take America by storm. The sonic assault that is present at the opening of Get Out will immediately draw attention, while the unique interaction between vocals and instrumentation ensure that those listeners stick around. The track exists at the juncture of…
The track comes forward in a very strong and confident way, with a stripped and straight forward rock approach. The guitars, drums, and vocals unite to make something that is melodic, hard-hitting, and is ultimately something that will be kicking around the minds and heards of anyone that has listened in. The specific strain of rock that Morley utilizes during Mad Men is a blend of seventies rock like AC/DC…
Top Rap Songs of 2013 This list represents the hardest and catchiest tracks to come out throughout 2013. Rap music has enjoyed some brilliant resumptions to form and some drastic drop-offs, but these tracks contain the passion, soul, and talent that showcases exactly how vibrant the art form has been so far this year. What did we forget? Who is on deck for 2014?
“I Believe You Can Survive” has become a bit of an obsession lately. Lebanon Hanover is a minimal wave project comprised of power couple Larissa Iceglass from Germany and William Maybelline of England. This song is lyrically endearing while never giving up on the somber aesthetic that makes them what they are, the king and queen of post-punk revival. It’s hard to make music that idealizes the past while looking…
This is quite possibly the first gingerbread stout that we have reviewed. The beer pours with a head that does not dissipate, whiel the overall color of the beer is an incredibly dark brown / black that permits no light through. The nose of the beer is a little bit of an enigma; while it has hints of alcohol present, what will ultimately present itself to imbibers is considerably different.…
Witch Hunt pours with an amber/orange color and a slight head that dissipates shortly after the initial pour. There is a spiced flavor to this beer that is moderated by the presence of a slight hop bite. The beer is able to stay lively with the presence of a decent dollop of carbonation; the beer is able to steer away from an overly sweet character, instead opting from something that…
On the surface, Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus, starting even with the film’s title, sounds like a bad indie movie cliché. A coming of age/road trip movie with plenty of subtitles, drawn out discussions about life, blah, blah, blah. But somehow the movie manages to play within these same overly-familiar set ups, but with impressive results. Michael Cera plays the typical American jackass abroad (well cast,…
Destruction Unit – Void and Deep Trip (Jolly Dreams Records and Sacred Bones Records) Destruction Unit started off as a side project for Reatards members Ryan Rousseau and the late Jay Reatard. With the addition of Jesco Aurelius ( ex Pigeon Religion/Avon Ladies) this band has become a whole new beast. Deep Trip and Void are great companion pieces for one looking to reach unexplored spaces of the mind or…
Refill is Umbrella Bed’s new EP, and it showcases a mature and polished act. The EP begins with Wish That It Would Stop, a sonic assault that recalls the hazy alternative of the early nineties before the band shifts gears and takes a Less Than Jake meets Reel Big Fish approach to ska. There is a heavier end to this track that provides listeners with a wholly unique experience. The…
Bottom of the Ocean is a high-energy track that has the proper blend of punk, rock, and pop. This means that fans of Avril Lavighne, The Distillers, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson will be able to appreciate what Scalies is doing here. For those listeners that appreciate the instrumental side of things, the overall production allows an impressive arrangement to push the track to the next level. Small Talk Friends…
No Good is an innovative blend of rock and electronic music, allowing the track to immediately catch listeners and keep them interested through the whole of this seven-track EP. A strong set of female vocals works alongside an emotive and technically brilliant instrumentation. The guitar that whips up at points during No Good provides additional narration to an already dense and detailed track. On My Mind has a slower burn;…
Love Me Inside is a track that builds off of the foundations laid by a variety of electronic styles – there is ambient, chillwave, and trance all present here. The band is able to create something fresh and vibrant off of the works of acts like Morcheeba, Massive Attack, and even Homogenic-era Bjork. The band creates an infectious track that does not sound like anything that is currently being…
Q: How would people know you? A: I starred on Broadway in the Original Cast Of “Beatlemania” in the late 1970’s. I was a Pioneer of MIDI Guitar and Tapeless Recording in the 1980’s. I worked for Score Productions from 1984 thru 1989 in New York City in Jingles and TV Music. I enjoyed 16 #1 singles on mp3.com in the early 2000’s. And I’m now innovating with the Starr…
Ironwood pours with a very dark brown, nearly black color. The head is pretty thin (about ¼ to ½ of an inch), and is off-white. The initial sip will provide imbibers with hints of chocolate and cocoa, along with a slight hint of sweetness at the end. This allows the 7.0% alcohol percentage to be shrouded perfectly, making for an eminently drinkable effort. As the beer warms up, the dark…
Autumn Fall begins Distant Sun, and the sheer amount of emotion that is showcased in this piano composition is impressive. There are no vocals here, but Karran is able to imbue this introduction (and the subsequent works on Distant Sun) with a nuanced and alluring sound. The four minute-plus run times that are commonplace on Distant Sun provide Karran with more than enough time to properly express himself. Dance of…