The Side Deal is not your run-of-the-mill rag tag band. These guys can play and they have themselves a solid hit in the updated rendition of “I Can See Clearly Now” out now via Goldie Records. If one song could encapsulate the hopes and dreams of a nation, and the summer of what to come, this is the time. “I Can See Clearly Now” is a bright, bright hit. Originally…
Few songwriters today can claim to be as eclectic as Seattle’s Electric E. A former resident of New York City, there’s no doubt the songs on Babylon Music and 3 Sides to Every Story have a distinctly urban flavor, but Electric E never confines himself to electronic music alone. Babylon Music is more varied overall than 3 Sides to Every Story – this is clear from the first song. The title track recalls Tom Waits in some ways…
I Want It Now is a powerful opening to the new album by Sundogs, The Code. With sizzling guitar work and an emotive take on the song’s arrangements, the act is able to bring listeners in by the barrelful. Settling into the seventies style of rock that links together early Ted Nugent with Boston and Bachman-Turner Overdrive with a dollup of 1980s hair metal (e.g. Ratt, Cinderella), Sundogs immediately kick…
Elly Ball’s Control begins with a funky, layered approach that acts as a nice counterpoint for single’s poppy vocals.There’s a nice chiaroscuro exhibited during this composition with Ball’s soft and sly vocals interacting with the bassy synths. These two elements combine to make for an engrossing sound. The slowdown that occurs at around the 2:40 to 2:45 mark allows Ball to move into a vocal approach that draws from traditional…
Jenn Nucum’s Out For Blood hits listeners with introspective guitar work and tender yet strong vocals. With an uncanny ability to create a vibrant landscape with each lyric, Nucum will immediately draw fans into the track. The dynamics established between the guitars and Jenn’s voice pushes each to an entirely higher peak. The deliberate arrangements here are reminiscent of OK Computer-era Radiohead or Bush’s Glycerin. Indie rock and twee are…
On NEOMI’s new single On Your List, a slinky vocal style is matched to an assertive, bassy synth. The hooky vocal style of NEOMI will bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Instrumental sections do well in refreshing the track immediately after On Your List’s chorus. With Kevin Jardine building off of the eclectic and dance floor-ready style of producers like Shock Value-era Timbaland, NEOMI is able…
ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons is best known for three things: playing a mean guitar, his obsession with exotic hot rods (check out any band video from the ‘80s) and one of the most impressive beards in rock. His book, Billy F Gibbons: Rock + Roll Gearhead, tackles two out of three. Initially out in 2011, this latest book is an expanded version with over 200 pages devoted to Gibbons…
There have been countless attempts by Universal to reboot and retell the classic H.G. Wells story of The Invisible Man, but thanks to an inspired modern twist on the classic story, the studio has finally turned in possibly the best and easily the scariest telling yet of this classic monster movie. Written and directed by Leigh Whannell (best known for his screenplays for Saw and the Insidious franchise), the movie…
Though not as attractive as the guitar parts in the song are, the synthetic shards of melodicism that comes skating through the backdrop of Gianni Bodo’s “Hurricanes and Butterflies (Flowers Don’t Die)” are an irreplaceable cornerstone of the track’s harmony. As integral to the development of the hook as any of the other components of the composition are, the synth element in this single serves to create balance and warmth…
There aren’t many independent players in Canada that have the kind of buzz that Francine Honey has going for her right now – and justifiably so. Honey has been on a whirlwind ride through the last three years, and in 2020, she’s taking all of her professional knowledge and hammering out one of her best performances yet in “I Carry On.” “I Carry On” is being released as a double…
All in It Together is a track born out of the current pandemic. Showcasing the collaborative element of humanity while insisting upon the need for safe behaviors, Dos Floris are doing their due diligence to keep the whole of humanity safe. With a hopeful set of vocals and guitar-led backdrop, Dos Floris is able to create a catchy set of harmonies. These harmonies will bury themselves deep into the minds…
NOLA Resistance has crafted their own re-tooling of Gil Scott-Heron’s classic “The Revolution Will Not Be Television”. Updating the vibrant lyrical examples to the current period, the act has given the composition a new lease on life. More than changing up the narrative, NOLA Resistance has also created a wholly distinct set of backing instrumentation for the song. Where there was an insistent flute and a forceful tempo on Scott-Heron’s…
On JFK, Head Fake create a compelling track that blend together slinky late-1990s rock (e.g. Stabbing Westward, U2, Pulp) with a gritty set of vocals that build upon the tradition of Tom Waits and late-era Johnny Cash. The production on JFK ensures these numerous sections are able to shine alone or as part of the greater whole. The bass line, keys, and splashy drums establish a vibrant soundscape upon which…
2020 marks the third time that Anchor Brewing and San Franpsycho have teamed up to create an India Pale Ale that exemplifies the spirit of the city. This time around, the duo have released an IPA that utilizes apricots and peaches to give a little tartness to the oftentimes sweeter juicy IPA style. The brew pours with a darker yellow / goldenrod coloration and a little less than a finger’s…
Today, we are speaking with Chicago pop/punk act Dead Freddie. Can you give us a little background information about yourselves? The current members of the band are: Gintas Buinevicius on Drums, Guitar and Backing Vocals, Gary Vacha on Guitar and Backing Vocals, Karl Sperling on Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals, Sam Steagerman on Trombone and backing vocals and Donatas Ramanauskas on Lead Vocals and the occasional Punk Accordion. Gintas, Gary,…
MC Homeless & HaplogroupX (Transplant and Bernichus) released their Duress EP in late May. First off is Disarray, a single that utilizes a backing beat that calls back to 1970s folk rock. Taking turns tackling the track with disparate styles, listeners can pick up hints of mid-1990s NYC and a bit of the Digital Underground in the triad’s vox. The extended instrumental interlude (beginning at 1:30) gives listeners a second…
Silence Is Violence has some sick synths interlaced into the track. The message that Sanya N’Kanta impress upon the track is timely and showcases the need to provide consistent pressure on one’s oppressors. Guitar riffs punctuate the different segments of the single, making for a delicious blend of instruments when considered alongside a bass line playing at the bottom of the track. Silence Is Violence is a track that should…
Change My Life is a dance / pop track that blends together confident and positive vocals with sweeping synth lines to make for something easy to bop along with. The track has a message that anyone that has ever fallen in love will be able to understand. The backing instrumentation is simultaneously familiar and interesting; rising and falling to properly bolster Kolette’s vox, it represents Change My Life’s backbone. Kolette’s…
The Light, Forrest Isn’t Dead’s newest single calls back to eighties-pop rock and modern emo music. Charismatic vocals link together Brendon Urie and Jakob Dylan, while the instrumentation ties together hauntingly beautiful guitars and an insistent synth beat. The production of The Light keeps each element separate, joining together the riffs, synth lines, and calming vocals for the chorus. The song is so unlike anything currently out on Spotify playlists;…
Klassy is a hard-hitting track that brings a ton of lyrical fire even as listeners are brought into a scintillating musical backdrop. Touching upon issues of racism in the music industry, the cut is able to put a spotlight on a behavior that can be traced back over 100 years. Touching upon R&B, Dr. Dre’s 1990s production and even a bit of trap, Klassy just works. Where there’s a number…