Simply put, Dogfish Head’s Kvasir is one of the most complex and fulfilling beers that we have tasted. This could be due to the fact that the beer is based off the remnants that were present in an ancient Danish cup. The 10% ABV may scare imbibers away, but the heavy alcohol content is moderated by an intense blend of syrups (honey, birch), berries (lingonberries and cranberries) and a slew…
Fun Fun Fun Fest is a festival weekend like no other. I arrived around 4:30pm on Friday to find comedian Patton Oswalt doing a standup routine inside a sweaty and claustrophobic tent. Outside of the tent was the orange stage which had Johnny Marr doing How Soon Is Now amongst other hits from the group which he played guitar, The Smiths. The sound was clearly bleeding into the tent as…
The intuitive nature of the DaVinci Ascent allows individuals to easily find the temperature that they would like for their herbs. The easy to read screen allows users to know precisely the level at which they would like to vaporize their plant material. The product is able to impart the effect of medicinal material without having to combust it. The Ascent is very light and will fit into any sort…
There are very few holiday albums that look to do anything special. Joyful Noise is an album that will shatter all conceptions that listeners will have about holiday music. The album begins with Crunchy Drummer Boy, a much more eclectic and bouncy version of the classic Christmas track. The music here does come from left field, but it is done in a fashion that is absolutely catchy and hard to…
Global Warmer has a piney nose with a pour that is very effervescent. The beer is a reddish-orange with a small, rapidly-dissolving head. The mouth feel contains a decent amount of hops, but dissipates quickly. Subtle hints of spice can be discerned alongside a dry malt backdrop. The overall taste of Global Warmer opens up as the effort warms up; a maltier and heavier fruit presence ensures…
Likely one of the most underrated rock bands to come out of the ‘70s, a decade that inexplicably made everyone from Journey to Styx famous, Memphis-based rockers Big Star always seemed on the edge, (but just not quite there yet) of making it big. Their debut, 1972’s #1 Record, arguably their best, boasting songs like “The Ballad of El Goodo,” “Don’t Lie to Me” and “In the Street” (sadly, best known…
Yes, a lot of the pre-movie publicity surrounding Lindsay Lohan’s comeback movie, The Canyons, focused on the fact that her co-star James Deen is a porn star. But Lohan aside, who does a pretty solid job in this clunky erotic thriller, it seems just about every other actor here was trained in pornos as well. The acting is stilted and dialogue pretty weak, thanks to one-time literary hit maker Bret…
The beer pours with a very dark brown, reddish tint; there is a small amount of an off-white head. The initial nose is not too assertive, with minor hints of hop and malt. Each sip is very smooth and provides imbibers with hints of fruits (berries, cherries), ginger, and spices (nutmeg, vanilla). The specific constellation of flavors changes as the beer approaches room temperature. Breckenridge’s Christmas Ale is one…
Cajun Queen is a catchy bit of blues-rock that unites a strong instrumentation with a narrative that is weaved through the entirety of the album. The smooth, soulful vocals that listeners experience through this introductory track buttresses well with Broken Road. Broken Road has considerable pep and stands at the juncture of country and rock. Fans of the sixties C&W heyday, CCR, or contemporary acts like Mumford and Sons…
All My Money is a track that would work perfectly on rock rotation, as the band’s overall sound ties together the disparate works of acts like Papa Roach and Our Lady peace. The vocals touch upon a rich tapestry of influences including Kid Rock, Every Mother’s Nightmare, Moot the Hoople, and Cinderella, while the accompanying arrangements take up the standard of acts Foo Fighters and Guns ‘N’ Roses. All My…
The Boston Red Sox were the 2013 World Series Champions, and this documentary showcases the nail-biting intensity that marked each game of the World Series. The 90 minute runtime of this documentary provides ample time to go into the nuance of the team’s journey, all while touching on the individual contributions that fed into the victory. The clarity of the footage is astonishing, providing viewers with the next best…
“Steal With Pride” is your latest album. How did the release move from initial thought to finished effort? The initial thought was very much in the mind of Nigel Clothier, our sole songwriter. Nigel wanted to mix sounds that were evocative of the classic albums of the 70s with lyrics about things that are happening right now and wrote about 14 songs which tried to achieve that. Four of those…
The Art EP may only have three tracks, but the variety of styles and approaches chosen on the CD ensure that listeners have a good idea about whom Alexander is and what he may do in the future. Emiline is a track that could easily make it onto top 20 rotation. Alexander’s vocals built off of the work of Adam Levine and Chris Martin, imbuing their easy-going style with more…
Jupiter, It Won’t Be Long begins with I Don’t Really Wanna Go To College, a track that provides listeners with some semblance of the styles and approaches which Cassata will broach throughout this effort. Liberation is a track that touches upon the work of Contravene, The Devil Is Electric, and even Defiance, Ohio. There is a certain catchiness present to this effort that will make this a good fit for…
Formerly of Broken Poets, Lana Antropova has just released new music as Addicted to Pop. Over the course of five tracks, the mystique behind the new act is explored and Antropova is able to forge a bold new course with her musical career. This self-titled EP begins with Outcast. Outcast has a high amount of energy and immediately privileges the instrumental side of things. When Antropova’s vocals kick in, the…
Powder Hound is a great blend of sweet and hoppy bitterness. The orange-red that pours from a can of Powder Hound makes the white head pop. An initial sip invites hints of toasty malts, caramel, and even touches of ginger. Piney and citrus elements are present as well, creating a nuanced and layered experience. The 7.2% ABV of Powder Hound provides a hint of a burn to…
The Messenger is a soulful track that deftly blends the instrumental and vocal sides of Vaudeville, creating a statement that is much greater than the sum of its constituent elements. The production of this track (and is present on the whole of Vendetta) allows the strengths of Vaudeville to be highlighted; V represents a distinctly different side to the act. Soaring upon hints on indie-rock, peppered by hints of surf…
Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! is one of the few games that adds a decent amount of the lore of the inspiring show while having a graphically distinct art direction. The gameplay style is reminiscent of the Zelda titles for the Super Nintendo, while the choice of characters (Finn, Jake, Cinnamon Bun, and Marceline) really provides a Gauntlet-like sheen to this game. The game…
Stryper is an act that has came back strong, while still maintaining the same concern for quality and engrossing music that has made them such a lauded band over the course of the last thirty years. The band’s rendition of the Arthur Reid Reynolds class Jesus is Just Alright completely changes the overall sound of the track while keeping the positive message present, providing listeners with the momentu Jesus…
How did “Shut Off Your Mind” move from initial thought to finished effort? Well “Shut Off Your Mind” is not so much a concept CD as much as it is a group of songs that speaks to my emotional life in the past year, though there are threads of themes that tie certain songs on the CD together. I write songs continuously and as I rehearse and develop these songs…