Kiss Me Like You Miss Me, the latest track from Closer to Zero, links together Strike Anywhere, Rise Against, and Alkaline Trio into a musically intricate effort with supersonic vocals. Hitting listeners over their heads with delightful guitar / vox dynamics, the many levels of this sample ensure that listeners will be playing the single over and over. A bit of fuzz is what unites these disparate elements, as Closer…
Although not always on the same page, every now and again country music flirts with rock n’ roll, and I’ve found that in these flirtations, it never sounds the same way twice. Sure, there have been hard pumping southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd or Molly Hatchet that have harnessed the sheer power and rumble of rock’s blistering guitars and thunderous basses, but there have also been more acoustically minded…
Picking the right time to release a record can be a challenging process even for the most experienced of artists. Winter albums are designed to warm us up during the coldest of months, summer albums are usually meant to get us excited about being out having fun in the sun. All of them are set up to fulfil the sonic needs of us, the consumers, but moreover they can artistically…
Abel Oliva Menendez has recorded and released music under the moniker Naurea and “stage name” Olimann since the early 2000’s and, nearly two decades on, sounds as witless and unconvincing as ever. His latest collection New Zombie Generation deserves the title Variations on a Theme as Menendez dazes listeners with twelve by the numbers cuts that often can pass as alternate takes on other songs. His understanding of what makes for collar-grabbing, hard-hitting metal/industrial…
Synthetic stripes of melody drift before our ears, and ticking of a clock reminds us that time is at hand. The pressure is on as the percussion starts to kick in on the club mix of AV Sunshine’s “Time Bomb,” and AV himself doesn’t even have to inform us that we’re going to have to act fast if we’re going to make it to our destination – dance ecstasy –…
Doom metal is usually a miss for me owing to a slew of bands devolving into a formulaic trudge through molasses of mediocrity. But ever so often, there comes a piece of music so gargantuan and animalistic that you cannot help but get excited. The fifth release To The Night Unknown by Boston doomsludgers Morne released on Armageddon Records and the first to be released on the band’s own eponymous…
Mika Means’ “Single Life” has a lush production that builds off the work of Sean Kingston, Nico & Vinz and Jason Derulo. Mika’s own vocals will bury themselves deep into the minds and hearts of listeners, while the bouncy beat provides the perfect counterpoint for these vox. The tempo ensures that listeners will make it out on the dance floor, while there is just enough in the way of differentiation…
Slothrust’s “Double Down” is a snarky bit of alternative rock that showcases a tremendous amount of instrumental skill with a bit of funkiness. The fuzzy guitar work that starts at about the 1:45 mark is a nice counterpoint for the smoothed-out beginnings of Double Down. As the guitar line continues, the bass and drums are able to add further depth to the composition. A bit of The White Stripes come…
The Aces’ “Last One” is a wonderful piece of 1980s power-pop that has just a hint of electro-funk contributed by the bass. The vocals and synths presented on this single weave in bits of Walk The Moon and Paramore. With seems as if with every subsequent single, The Aces are able to make a more engrossing and musically taut effort. Last One is light, airy, and contains enough twists and…
A lot of artists who are just starting out often wonder what it takes to create a solid Launchpad for their career, and it really boils down to several pretty basic qualities that can’t necessarily be taught. The first is having a good image for promoters to market, whether that be an image shrouded in mystery, vulnerability, happiness or depression. You’ve got to have some kind of identity. The second…
“Home” opens Brendan McMahon’s fourth release, About Joe, in slightly audacious fashion. The mass of backing vocals beginning the song with a choral arrangement is a bit of musical sleight of hand before the song shifts into a straight forward singer/acoustic guitar mold. This is brief, however; “Home” soon expands into a widescreen number with great melodic virtues and lyrical content that locks tightly into the musical mood. There’s some melodically…
Jonah’s Whale is the first track on Jon Allen’s fourth album, Blue Flame. The track links together 1970s soul with hints of funk and rock. The bouncing bass, the horns, everything works together to make a stand-out lead-off track. A cooler, chill sound predominates during the album’s next two tracks – Keep on Walking and Since You Went Away. With a subtle nod to performers like Rod Stewart and Jim Croce, Allen’s…
Andy Sydow’s titular composition on his new release Reasons For Departure is a bit Billy Joel, a bit John Denver. A rich set of vocals stand out from the instrumentation (piano / guitar). The narration will keep fans focused on to the track. As Reasons For Departure continues on, the the gradual incorporation of additional instrumental effort transforms the track into a rocking effort that by the three minute mark will…
Time Wave, the initial single from Nir Yaniv’s new album The Voice Remains, is a tremendously engaging effort that interlaces vocals and instrumentation in a complex, intricate fashion. Bass, drums, and vocal elements all are weaved together to keep listeners on the edges of their seats. The extended drum solo that occurs at the 2-minute mark gradually is lifted up through thee aforementioned vocal elements. The bridging between the song’s first…
Tammie Shannon’s I Got Rhythm is an effort that immediately draws upon the country and western style of the 1970s and 1980s. Upon that framework, she is able to put out some catchy vocals that do more than keep things catchy – they rise and fall through a tremendous range. The tautness of the instrumentation on I Got Rhythm will stand up to repeat plays – fans will continue to…
3,000,000 Years is the first track on Peter Kleinhans’ debut album, Something’s Not Right. The song blends together Dave Matthews with the protest tradition of performers like Neil Young and Phil Ochs. The production is robust, allowing the guitars, drums, and Peter’s voice the ability to shine alone or as contributing to the entirety of the composition. A Separate Time has a slower tempo, along Peter to weave a narrative…
Paul K has just released his new album, The Fermi Paradox. On Anomaly, the album’s initial offering, Paul K is able to involve listeners through contemplative arrangements that unite traditional and electronic instruments. The effort rises and falls, providing ample narration in an orchestral, instrumental format. Sagan, the title’s new single, has a haunting, echoing approach that will stick with listeners long after the effort ceases to play. Utilizing samples…
LINKS’ 97 BARZ is one of the catchiest rap efforts that we have heard this month. His flow builds off of the approaches of T.I. and Lil Dicky, while imbuing his latest single with his own unique energy. 97 BARZ’s flow is able to shine over a thick, bassy backing beat that links together Hypnotize Minds and current trap. The rapid-fire lyricism of LINKS is something that will stick with…
The English-based alt rock band James has turned to a familiar topic throughout Living in Extraordinary Times, their 15th studio album: the current, global political landscape. President Trump and his fellow right wing, nationalist contemporaries in the UK have brought every racism and jingoism to the forefront of everyone’s day to day life, so it’s not surprising that musicians from countless genres are tapping the Grand Wizard In Chief for…
Niva the Soul Diva has just released “Hennessy Love”, a track that links together the 1990s R&B scene with a current and contemporary vocal approach. The backing instrumentation ebbs and flows, while Niva’s vocals are able to rise to prominence by the one-minute mark. The bit of percussion works well with hints of a soulful/funky guitar line. Hennessy Love is able to stand up to repeat plays due to this depth.…