Age of Progress is Chains of Logic’s new album, and the 12 cuts on the album provide fans with a considerable amount of genres, styles, and looks into his soul. I Love You creates a dark and emotionally intense atmosphere that is punctuated through the rapid stylistic shifts that occur. As the track continues to gain speed, listeners will begin to pay attention – Chains of Logic is able to…
Sounding like very few bands around today, on The Bastards of Fate’s sophomore record (Vampires Are Real And Palpable), they offer up a perfect example of how refreshingly creative a group can be if they simply don’t give a fuck about pleasing anyone but themselves. Over the course of just 10 songs, the Roanoke-based band pull apart pop, psychedelic and college rock and then twist and force it into their…
Earth & The Next Society are currently preparing their latest effort, The 100th Monkey. Cheap Hustle has a soulful and funky groove that builds off of eighties rock into something vibrant and current. Confident bass, drums, and vocals elicit comparisons to Hall and Oates and later Eagles, while the bold and front-forward vocals ensure that listeners will be on the edges of their seats.
Three dudes and six songs can still add up to a lot of noise. On their latest 12” EP, Guilt, this Minneapolis trio conjure up an aggressive, eclectic mix of atonal music. Whether or not the result is impressive all hinges on how much you can take of the barrage of sounds. I gave up after just two go rounds with the record.
Whiskey & Wine is the new EP from Dyanne Harvey, and it contains five new compositions that, taken together, paints a good picture of where Harvey has been and wants to go with her career. The titular track Whiskey & Wine is catchy, with both the instrumental arrangements and Harvey’s vocals tattooing themselves upon listeners’ minds and hearts. The track is destined for radio (and online) rotation and represents a…
Together has a blend of pop rock and mid-seventies styling; there is a current and contemporary feel to this effort that is provided further depth through the sheer eclecticism of the styles that McMorris has included here. The track Lo & Behold expands upon McMorris’ repertoire with slightly hard rock styling; the track comes forth as a blend of Matchbox 20 and John Maher while still having a bit of…
Long before they became catnip for modern hippies and jam band devotees, the Dave Matthews Band was just another group trying to find their niche in an alternative rock music world. Remember Two Things, featuring mainly live tracks, was released on the band’s own label in 1993, when radio stations were liberally defining modern rock as something between Liz Phair and Pearl Jam. It was pretty adventurous then for a…
Kiran Murti begins Namasté Yoga with a timeless sort of composition that provides listeners with an authentic feeling; by the end of the track, listeners will be able to tackle the nearly ten-minute Guru Charanam by Sacred Earth. The track has an atmospheric feel that approximates the winds and cold chill that a late-Spring outdoor gathering would have. The momentum ebbs and flows in a fashion that ensures that listeners…
There is a very intricate and dense tack taken during Soul Searching by the Calgary alt-rock band 36?. The track has a tremendous vocal harmony that is further highlighted through the turbulent and tempestuous arrangement. The act is able to further establish their own unique styling with Beauty/Strong, a trip-hop inspired track in the vein of Massive Attack or early-oughts Bjork. There is a warmth to this composition that keeps…
I Won’t Stop Loving You showcases Best Not Broken’s confident approach to rock, touching upon hints of Green Day and the Goo Goo Dolls. The drums, guitars, and vocals push each other to greater heights as the track comfortably settles down. Breaking My Heart is a mash-up of Weezer and Interpol; Best Not Broken keeps the momentum high with a sentiment that will be understandable if you have ever loved…
Australia’s Villainettes have all spent time in previous bands, providing them with ample opportunity to hone their sound – what results is nothing less than amazing. The act is able to provide new luster to the rock style with intelligent arrangements, catchy compositions, and a sense of depth that simply is unable to be found in current music. The interplay between the guitars, drums, and bass lines during a Villainettes…
Heat Wave is a tremendously hopeful pop-punk song that is replete with sizzling guitars and emotive lyrics. Tan is carefree music in the vein of Metro Station or Sum 41. The production of tracks on A Summer to Remember is tremendously lush, making it easy for these tracks to make it onto pop rotation. If I Could I Would is an effort firmly ensconced in the pop tradition; Tan’s vocals…
Ride Ride Ride is a straight-forward retelling of early country. Rose’s vocals are gritty with a tinge of sweetness; taken alongside the guitars and percussion, they make for a track that will stick with listeners long after the track ceases.
Few artists are able to do the acoustic-only release to the same effect as Nirvana and other acts took to MTV’s Unplugged twenty years ago. England’s Matchstickmen are able to imbue their own unique style and a radio-friendly demeanor into each track on their latest release. Jealous Times hangs perfectly with the Counting Crows and Blues Traveler, while Dark Blues is darkly emotional and simultaneously touches upon the seventies and…
Heal Me Friend is the first track on In The Shade from the resurrected Dog Society, and it showcases a band that is able to delve deeply into the works of Goo Goo Dolls, Stabbing Westward, and Stone Temple Pilots while still cultivating their own unique style. Listeners are immediately thrown into the fray.
Fresh out of the clink, pop punk’s saving grace are finally back with a new record. The Masked Intruder, who turned in one of the genre’s most satisfying records in years with their 2012 debut, has managed to top that effort with M.I. A baker’s dozen of three-minute sing-alongs that are tighter than a set of police-issued handcuffs wrapped around your wrists.
The titular track on Be Careful What You Wish For is an energetic metal track that ties together Lemmy, Ozzy, David Lee Roth, and Axl Rose into something that is contemporary while perfecting the art of an earlier period. This same frenetic style continues into Little Green Fairy. While the band is firmly settled into the hard rock / hair metal format, I feel that there is a thrash (Suicidal…
Ode To K is a darkly emotional track that blends hints of Godsmack, Corrosion of Conformity, and Soundgarden. The resulting track is heavy, intense, and gains momentum until listeners are being blown away by the band’s output. There is a tender side to the vocals that shine through at points, providing an additional laer of complexity to an already dense arrangement.
For You (My Love for You) is a heartfelt and touching composition that succeeds on little more than a guitar and Farrell’s vocals. When he drums kick in, what tissues forth from listeners’ speakers is something greater than the sum of its constituent parts.
A.T.A. Boyz have just made their By Any Means Necessary album available for download on Datpiff