Simple Minds’ sixth studio album, Sparkle in the Rain, was released in 1984, a full year before the band would permanently be wedded to The Breakfast Club movie, a feat that defines the band in the country to this day. But the album was still an impressive collection on its own.
Babe that Boasts is the first track on Velvet Lane’s latest album, Sitting on the Fence. The track ties together the psychedelic rock of the late sixties and early seventies with mid-nineties alternative (Happy Mondays, Oasis); what results is a track that is tremendously infectious.
Whorrifick creates a flow in his “l.o.l.” single that is more beat poetry and Gil Scott-Heron than it represents current sorts of rap music. The instrumentation utilized in this track ties together electronic and industrial styles, intruding just enough to highlight specific lines and phrases.
Inspekta’s Jump Jump is a track that touches upon the trap and electrified-rap style of Juicy J; Inspekta’s flow here is dark, dingy, and dirty. This means that there are hints of Gravediggaz and Bone Thugs n Harmony that can be discerned, but with a cleanness to the arrangement that will garner radio play for the track.
Nothing’s Out Of Reach is the first track on Matthew Charles’ Roam and it ties together Crimpshrine, Defiance, Ohio and hints of Against Me! into a frenetic track that straddles the line between folk and punk. While this introductory track is only a hair above two minutes, there simply is a lot of material for listeners to digest. As a result, the energy that listeners have when they move into Reliance…
Girl From California is a feel-good sort of pop-rock that takes equal parts seventies rock, funk, soul, and an easy-going sound and makes them something that will work on current radio stations. The infectious harmonies created by Ian and the Dream will stick with listeners long after their album has ceased; this is one of the first albums that we have heard in 2015 that makes it seem as if…
Woman Clothed with the Sun is a track that tells more with an instrumental arrangements than most bands can do with four members and an entire page of song lyrics. There are nods to the organic and the electronic throughout the entirety of this album, which takes an epic turn with Apocalypse. The track possesses a very deliberate beat, which is fleshed out with strings and atmospheric soundscapes into something…
D.C.’s Mittenfields have been pretty under the radar since the release of their 2011 EP, The Fresh Sum, but rather than just taking it easy, it seems the five-piece have spent the time evolving their sound from simple indie rock, drawing in influences like shoegaze and noise pop. The result can be heard all throughout their solid debut full length, Optimists.
The self-titled album from Birds of Night marks their third full-length in four years, a pretty impressive feat for the label-less Denton, Texas four-piece that show DIY is still alive and well.
Wonderful is a tremendously soulful effort on the latest album by Ferni, Afterburn; the track is one that needs little more than a piano and a strong set of vocals to succeed. The two elements combine to create something that would work well on pop radio (taking a similar tack to Sam Smith and Charlie Puth) as well as appeasing those that want something deeper and more intricate with their…
A major failing of Christian rock is that a number of bands are not able to reconcile their faith with a sound that is catchy and would be alluring to individuals that may need a hand up.
Omar Bowing has released a new single, Warrior. The track is able to tie together the work of Judas Priest, Dio, and Mercyful Fate into something that is extraordinarily catchy while being heavy as all get out. There is a certain theatricality to this track that is reminiscent of Alice Cooper or early Aerosmith, while the complexity of this single calls forth comparisons to Megadeth or Blind Guardian. Taken together,…
There is a deliberate beginning to eM’s When You Were Here that will immediately draw listeners in. There is a narrative quality to this composition that is spun into an entirely new realm when eM’s vocals begin. The track is able to work in a wide variety of genres, meaning that fans of EDM, traditional dance music, and pop can find something that they can appreciate with this single.
Mpathy’s Golden Boy is an electronic-infused track that will have listeners singing along after the first few listens to the titular EP. During the track, there is a deliberate and intense drum beat with a sterling set of vocals that are reminiscent of acts like They Might Be Giants and Depeche Mode. Taken together, what results is a fun track that will get listeners on the dance floor. The track…
A Scene Like That has a strong beat and will immediately get listeners up and on the dance floor. There is an electrified style to the songs on Gumshen’s latest album, DIGIBITES, that link together Trans-era Neil Young, Fame-ish David Bowie, and AWOLNATION into something that is catchy, fun, and musically fulfilling. Those that want to get on the dance floor as well as those that wish to dissect what they…
There Are No Leagues has solid multi-part harmonies and allows all elements of History of Something ample opportunity to shine. Better When You’re With Me is an energetic track that ties together The Replacements, Boston, and Brookside into something incredibly catchy and radio-ready.
Amina begins their Cannibalize CD with I Saw You Float Away, a dreamy track that twinkles with smart instrumentation and good balance between the loud and quiet, dark and light. Hints of OK Computer-era Radiohead and Bjork can be heard.
Noah tape’s Green EP has an interesting interplay between the organic and the electronic, creating a haunting sort of indie rock that is wholly different from anything else that we have ever heard. Pin me has a deliberate beat that is interspersed through its four-plus minutes, while Renegade cheers things up with a slightly quicker arrangement.
Antonito is an energetic track that links together R.E.M. and Death Cab for Cutie, with ample amounts of funk and soul that are inserted into the track. A strong production makes these tracks ready for rotation as the band rockets into Schubert Hits Plympton Street.
I Would is a tremendously effecting indie / alternative track that is made by the contribution of the titular singer and the backing instrumentation laid down by a cast of talented musicians. The track works in the current but is built off of the dreamy fare of the seventies and nineties.