Kemikal Storm’s Spiritual Rebirth is a track that skillfully blends together EDM, ambient, and new age music in a fashion that will draw in a wide swath of listeners. The ability of Spiritual Rebirth to tell a story through each distinct section is unparalleled in instrumental minutes. Each disparate element in Spiritual Rebirth is bold enough to stand on its own while contributing mightily to a unique sound. Kemikal Storm…
Australia’s long running band The Church have had an envious career. Together since 1980, they’ve consistently managed to turn out one great record after the next and tour consistently without breaking up or even taking the expected decades-long hiatus like many of their contemporaries. There has been speculation over the years that singer/bassist Steve Kilbey would leave the band, but ultimately it was longtime guitarist Marty Willson-Piper who ended up…
The Tempe-based roots rockers Pistoleros are hardly a household name. But, damn, they sure deserve to be. With only a handful of studio albums to their name, the five piece is celebrating a reinvigorated line up and their 25th anniversary with the stand out “Silver,” easily the best in their five-LP canon. Throughout the years, members of the Gin Blossoms and other local bands have joined and left the ranks, but…
Even among musicians, Paul H.R. Hudson is certainly interesting guy. As leader of the seminal D.C. punk band Bad Brains, his primitive vocal style has influenced hundreds and just as it seemed the band was finally taking off, he left the group. He flirted with religion and switched his focus to Reggae when the world was finally coming around to his take on hardcore.
Today, we are speaking with Toronto performer Palm Baker. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? Yeah, uh, I guess a bit about me – I’m a singer, songwriter, producer, & DJ working out of Toronto. I was born in Mississauga, but grew up in Brampton. No one outside of the GTA knows/cares that Brampton exists though, & if they do…
Sonic Cartel’s new EP begins with Fires, a track that blends together punk with alternative rock with a high enough momentum to keep listeners involved in the next three tracks. Point of View blends together angular rock and emphatic drums to tattoo the song’s melody deep into the minds and hearts of fans.Consumed changes up the band’s style to adopt more of a reggae / Porno for Pyros style. It…
I, Useless’ Out of this is an interesting and unique track that ties together electronic and alternative styles into a slinky, dreamy effort. The distinct sides to the track – the more ethereal vocals and the chunky bass lines – are lashed together by an on-point percussion. The resulting automata is something that has a tremendously deep instrumentation and an impactful emotionality. Fans of Owl City and the Flobots will…
Jesse Eplan’s Earthquake is a track that blends together a T-Pain style of rap with hints of Riff Raff and Wiz Khalifa. A trap beat provides proper highlighting for Eplan, while the feature by Inf The God keeps things popping until the single’s last note. The hookiness of Earthquake’s chorus will burrow its way deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. By refreshing the late-oughts rap style with a…
GV “Tunnelz” has hints of Freddie Gibbz, Tyler the Creator and Tech N9ne. Dark subject material and a tremendous ability with the spoken word ensures that listeners will be focused in to any utterance from GV. The rapid-fire flow of Tunnelz works nicely alongside the industrial, cityscape-like backing beat. GV is the rare example of a rapper that can do more than just tell a story – he adds considerably…
Arisen From Nothing’s “Chaos” is a furious hard rock / metal track that starts with a breakneck speed. Sizzling guitar work, screamed out vocals, and boldly resounding drums unite to make something ferocious. There are nods to a number of distinct metal genres in Chaos. Hints of Hatebreed-styled hardcore, modern hard rock acts like Five Finger Death Punch and Avenged Sevenfold, and even sludge metal acts like Clutch and Corrosion…
Kristy Chmura’s “Nothing’s Right” builds off of the female singer-songwriter style of performers like Carole King and Carly Simon. The tempestuous instrumentation presenting during Nothing’s Right provides an additional twist to an already impressive style. Brooding emotions, a dark/light chiaroscuro, and utterly talented arrangement make this into an impressive work. There are numerous layers to Nothing’s Right that will have fans continue to play the effort. Kristy Chmura creates something unique…
Anana Kaye’s “American Smile” open slowly with little more than Anana’s vocals and a soft guitar line. The drums follow up shortly after, and as the single continues to play, Kaye is able to gradually shift to a richer, modern interpretation of Americana/folk styles. Hints of Stevie Nicks and Cyndi Lauper can be heard here. Fans will need to play American Smile multiple times before hearing every twist and turns…
My Silent Bravery’s “Girl You Think You Know” is a stripped-down track that gives the vocals ample chance to shine. The thoughtful instrumentation that is laced through this single swells into a wholly unique melange of pop, alternative rock, and modern country sounds. Emotion and passion are present in droves here, with the resulting effort building upon the style of acts like the Goo Goo Dolls and The Wallflowers. A magnificent production makes…
The Dead Daisies are back with a new single, “She Always Gets Her Way (All The Same)”. The track deftly blends 1980s hair metal with a current hard rock approach. Fans of Motley Crue and Ratt will find something they can appreciate, while the sizzling guitar work is top-notch. A slightly gritty set of vocals imbues the single with a weathered sound; this is an effort that will tattoo its…
TLUXX have just released a pair of singles. On “7th Angel”, TLUXX is able to blend together the horns of a Pet Shop Boys with the scintillating, hard-hitting house of an Avicii. Vocals aren’t needed here, as TLUXX are able to take listeners through a wide variety of sounds and styles. A banger from beginning to end, this is infectious while having enough influences present to keep fans focused in…
Last Gasp Collective’s “Small Town” is an eclectic track that blends together the R&B of the early 1990s, jazz, and chill electronic music into a laid-back effort. The different vocals heard during Small Town bolster one another; the ability of the male and female efforts here to both add to the harmony as well as the lyrical content is unmatched. Hints of Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, and The Pharcyde can…
Ryan Brahms “Love Dealer” is a bit of thick, luscious R&B pop music with a hint of EDM. Fans of Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, and Ed Sheeran will find solace in the hooky sound crafted by Brahms during Love Dealer. The production allows the instrumentation and Ryan’s vocals to shine equally brightly. The bit of a slowed-down middle of this single calls back to performers like The Weeknd, Ne*yo…
You know you’ve got a drug problem when Courtney Love – circa the late ‘90s – is taking part in your intervention.
Over the decades, Sting has evolved from being at the forefront of the punk/New Wave movement as front man for The Police, to being a go-to for adult contemporary radio programmers thanks to his mid-career slide to much softer fare. And yes, the jokes at his pretentiousness and self-indulgence are certainly easy to make, thanks in part to his fondness for the lute. All that aside, it’s hard to argue…
Guided By Voices are nothing, if not prolific. Despite breaking up a few times between the late ‘80s and now, they’ve already turned in 25 albums, ranging from great to, well, so-so. With a spotty track record, it’s nice knowing you can easily dip into their catalogue thanks to this fantastic live collection from 2004. Recorded on the set of Austin City Limits as part of the band’s first farewell…