For fans of disco and early dance music, the name Anita Ward will bring fond memories. Ward’s Ring My Bell was a massive hit in 1979 and still garners radio play. Not content with the fame brought by Ring My Bell (and Don’t Drop My Love after that), Ward released her Another Big Mistake. This 2016 single showcases Anita staying true to her roots with a bold, bouncy beat and inimitable…
June Is the Coldest Time is a haunting, expansive track that immediately requires listeners to focus on each movement that Alien Skin includes. This bold gambit provides listeners with some semblance of where Alien Skin is going to go on his latest release. The sound of this first single is reminiscent of Spandau Ballet and The Smiths. Hints of electronic fuzz bring a bit more ambient and techno into the…
The straight-forward, fuzzy punk music that Lexington’s Rampancy At Midnight create during Spooky and the Karoushi is tremendously catchy. The guitar work present at this early part of their current EP Late is the Hour will immediately draw listeners in, while the frantic and haunting vocals that play at the top of the track further very the track. Hints of surf, psychedelic, and desert rock all can be discerned with this opening…
Janey Street creates a tender and complex track with her latest single, (I’m Not) The Girl I Used to Know. The stripped-down instrumentation that represents the backing beat is assertive with little more than a guitar and set of drums.
Paper Pilots craft a unique form of electronic-infused alternative rock. A distinct set of vocals shine above the track, building off of the style of R.E.M. and They Might Be Giants. A bit of California rock from the sixties and the instrumental brilliance of the mid-nineties are the cornerstones of Paper Pilot’s output here.
The short-lived Scottish jangle pop band Close Lobsters never really got the recognition of some of their peers like Aztec Camera or R.E.M., but damn did they deserve it. Around just long enough to put out two proper albums in the late ‘80s, the band disappeared soon after. They reformed in 2012 to play a handful of festivals and again in 2014 to play another festival and release the two-song…
Summer Job is the latest single from Boston’s J Roy Champion, a track that immediately kicks into high gear due to the gritty flow that issues forth. Kloud Nine’s production on Summer Job is distinctive, building off of the work of J. Dilla and Dr. Dre, providing considerable highlights to J Roy Champion’s lyrics.
Good To See You, the latest effort from Berlin’s 7field, draws upon the rich tradition of The Velvet Underground and Tom Waits. The gravitas created by the brooding instrumentation and deliberate percussion is considerable, while the rich, smoky timbre of 7field’s vocals puts the cherry on top of the song’s sundae. Twinkling piano works with an atmospheric, expansive sound to merry together the two parts of Good To See You. There are…
Hotei’s Move It is a powerful hard-rock track that utilizes the inimitable vocals of Richard Z. Kruspe (Rammstein). Hotei’s ability to meld industrial rock together with a downright funky groove makes Move It into a must-listen single
The United Kingdom’s SEEP AWAY creates a powerful piece of sludge metal on Snakes that has a bit of early Deftones chugging, the guitar crunch of Black Sabbath, and the distinct vocals that tie up each section. Again, the B-side to Snakes, drops some of the outward heaviness to allow the punkier elements of the band to shine through.
Chelsea Shag brings back a bit of the disco beat with her latest track, New Perfume. Emotive guitars, thick bass lines, and sweeping synths build on top of an assertive drum. Shag’s vocals on New Perfume are strong and confident; she infuses each note with nods to The Breeders, Natalie Cole, and Adele. New Perfume’s extended instrumental interlude provide the perfect basis for Shag to enter back into the track in…
Stormy Strong’ Holiday is a rock track that has hints of pop-punk and indie-rock. The band creates a retro/looking-back sort of sound that deftly links together alternative rock, ska, punk, and indie styles.
Bjorn Ingar Pedersen instrumental electronic music that builds upon the electronic music of the early 1990s. Hints of drum n bass, Kraftwerk-like synths, and a bit of wobble on Trance Experience, the disc’s first effort, keep individuals interested and focused in on the next track, Lightning Strike. The synths that begin Lightning Strike are quickly spun out into a wide variety of styles. The starry, sleek sound that Pedersen creates during…
Imagine the metalcore-world we live in now, where Asking Alexandria is still trying to find its way back to its metalcore roots, and Bring Me The Horizon have arguably made the decision to go in a more commercialized direction with their new record. Pray tell where should we find our new Warped Tour-core messiahs now? I have found the answer: Bad Omens. They are setting the scene on fire with…
The Commuters create a touching track that ties together a strong piano line and wispy, raspy vocals. The track is pushes further with the inclusion of brilliant strings. The Commuters are able to tug on listeners’ heartstrings with You’ll Stay Right Here.
One Horse Town is a sizzling guitar track that has Todd’s vocals given just enough distortion to contribute to the overall harmony of the composition. Apfel is able to cross over quite nicely from alternative to pop-rock to hard rock, all while including nods to a variety of other genres. The gradual movement into different, distinct sections during this introductory track makes the four-plus minute run go by quickly.
Cold Soup is the first track on the new album from Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels, and it immediately comes forth with a hooky alt-rock building off the style of Talking Heads and Radiohead, with hints They Might Be Giants. There is an earlier musical tradition coming forth here as Angus Crowne pulls influence from the B-52s and Willie Nelsons. This eclectic opening ensures that fans will be treated…
Crooked Eye Tommy immediately draws listeners in with a blues-rock style. The narrative that Crooked Eye Tommy immediately starts Butterflies & Snakes with ensures that listeners will be on the edges of their seat. The emotional intensity of the guitar that is weaved through this effort further heightens the overall gravity of the recordings.
Hal B1n0 is able to make a feel-good sort of summer track with his current single “Sour Grapes”. The effort deftly blends together the singer-songwriter approach with a rapid-fire vocal delivery. This means that fans of rock, pop, and rap will be able to find something that they can appreciate. In the space of three minutes, Hal B1n0 is able to carve out his own unique space in music. With…
Juliet Huns’ Realized is the latest single from her Behind the Scenes EP, released earlier this year. This single is a fun mid-tempo track that links together pop and EDM into something that can be enjoyed either in a chill format (chatting, playing games) or as part of a DJ’s set / time spent at a bar.