The rich reggae-infused styles of Steve Wilks’ Iona will burrow deeply into the minds and hearts of listeners. A smart production allows the distinct elements of the track to shine, whether it is the thick and ropy backing beat, Wilks’ main lyrics, or the additional female vocal accompaniment.
The rich vocals that immediately issue worth with Erik Odsell’s current single Unapology will immediately draw listeners in, while the thoughtful instrumentation further fleshes out this track’s skeleton to something fulfilling for fans.
Cross My Broken Heart is a sun-drenched piece of Americana that touches upon hints of country, rock, and pop music. Smart guitar work and inimitable vocals make this salvo a must-listen. Lonesome Soldier builds upon the country and western and desert rock traditions to create something touching. The sheer amount of narrative that is established during this single will hold up nicely to repeat spins, while Spiritual Awakening is a…
Honesty is a richly-arranged track from Daniel Pye that is able to highlight smooth and forceful lyrics. The dynamic that is created between the thick and ropy bass line, the picking of the guitars, and the aforementioned vocals makes for something that will resound loudly in the minds and hearts of listeners long after the EP has ceased to play.
Incoming Transmission is a strong and emphatic introduction to City Light Vigil’s newest album, Under A Bright Shining Light. The forceful riffs, supersonic vocals, and unity amongst the constituent elements of the band make for something that will immediately bring listeners to the edges of their seat. Hints of the pop-punk of the early-oughts acts like Sum 41 and Blink 182 can be heard here, but there is a more…
Deathgrind has always been one of those genres that I can only listen to for a few songs by a few bands before I move onto something else, but I definitely love those few songs. Seattle natives Theories have definitely cemented themselves on my list of formidable artists in this niche genre. They can be easily hailed among the ranks of Aborted, Misery Index, and even grind-ier bands like Napalm…
You don’t immediately think funk when you hear the album title “For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder,” but from the opening bass lines of “Forces of Oppression” through the next eight songs, funk is front and center in this post punk hybrid from 1980. The short-lived British punk collective The Pop Group combined funk, jazz and industrial rock, long before the latter genre had a name, with…
The Vim Dicta blends together the psychedelic rock of the sixties with the tortured alternative rock of the 1990s, imbuing the results with their own unique flair. The vocals are front and center, contributing to the overall harmonies even as they give listeners a cogent narrative.
In the beginning there was Death, then there was Necrophagist, and now there is Obscura, paving the way for technical death metal in the new era. I loved their last offering in 2011’s Omnivium, but was dismayed by the amount of line-up changes that were happening in the German camp leading up to the writing of what would be Akróasis. As soon as the first song Sermon of the Seven…
When folks do the roll call nowadays of bands that stalked the stages at CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City in the ‘70s the Ramones, Blondie, Television and Talking Heads almost always get mentions. Sadly, The Miamis, a brilliant five piece that played those venues and helped shape New York punk rock and new wave before the genres had proper names, is too often overlooked. They never signed to a label,…
The first single from Living Hour’s upcoming record (out February 19 on Lefse Records) can stack up against any band who performed this style of dreampop/shoegaze when those genres were in their heyday. The uplifting, majestic vocals reach past heaven with a shimmering reverb taking the listener to a world of psychedelic bliss that is only present for a short time during our teen years. The two halves of the…
On Night Fiction, Cian Nugent creates the exact kind of long-flowing, pastoral melodies one would think of when picturing the green Irish countryside. Be they fast and rolling or slowly minimalist, the achingly beautiful sounds display a bucolic quality that lets the listener absorb every detail of the deep audio reflections.
Long before Tori Amos started writing about fairies and mysticism, she was one of the ‘90s most original musicians to ever take a spot behind a piano. Judging from her latest, Cure For Dreaming, Jenny Gillespie may be the second coming of Amos. The album manages to combine elements of jazz, pop, folk and ‘70s-era California rock.
The first time I heard the name Toothgrinder, I was instantly thrown back to San Francisco’s now defunct metal juggernauts Animosity and their 2007 song of the same name. I loved Animosity’s brand of metal, so I secretly hoped that this New Jersey five piece would live up to the hype created by its name alone. And my God, they did!
Some Serious Gravity is a tremendous effecting track that links together pop with Megan Trainor, Pink, and Kelly Clarkson. Easing Into Sanity is one of our favorites, as the track purely succeeds on the rich and varied vocals of Janita; she does double duty in weaving a narrative and contributing to the overall harmony of the single.
Newcomers Product of Hate, with their debut release “Buried in Violence”, are the heavy and technically ferocious kick in the teeth the thrash metal world has been longing for. “When you see the album art, right away you know what to expect: dark, brutal, and unforgiving,” says vocalist Adam Gilley, who along with Cody Rathbone on guitar, Gene Rathbone playing lead guitar, Mark Campbell on bass and Mike McGuire behind…
Shake Me Up is an emotive bit of pop-rock that soars on the inimitable vocals of Chris Riffle and a smoky, dense set of instrumentation that has guitars, drums, and bass all contributing to something beautiful. Nothing But the Waves expands upon Shake Me Up and adds a contemplative sound and blends together hints of desert rock with impeccable time signatures.
All The Love In The World is a rich track that deftly ties together the singer-songwriter style of Sheryl Crow and Natalie Cole with hints of country to make for something that sticks with listeners long after the EP has ceased to spin. The rich instrumentation of this EP continues into Little White Lies, a track that ebbs and flows to great effect.
Rockabilly with a laid back, sixties sort of country and western. Hints of Johnny Cash and the Nekromantix can be heard on Crazy Theory, while listeners will be treated to a slower and more intricate effort with NSA.
Having been a metalhead for over thirty years one genre I’ve never really gotten into was power metal. Not purposefully mind you – I had always steered toward the thrash and darker side of the metal family tree. After listening to this new Primal Fear CD Rulebreaker, I know for a fact I’ve been missing out on some great music all these years. The two opening songs on here literally…