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
The story that Remondini tells on his forty-five minute composition, Non Sequitur, exceeds that told on the entirety of a lyric-heavy effort. The changes in styles from funk to synth-pop and classical styles may all occur in the space of five minutes, but Remondini links together these disparate styles in a compelling and sensible format. The segues that are present here are organic and fit in well with the story…
Johnny Was is a track that touches upon the work of Alanis Morrisette and Fiona Apple, while showcasing Jules’ more mature, Stevie Nicks moments. The track comes forth with a very pop-friendly sound, but contains considerable emotional intensity – listeners will be able to pull something from their experience that parallels what Jules sings about during this song.
I Told You So has a tremendously emotive style to it that set the stage for the rest of Letters From High Latitudes, with the intricate arrangements present here blending organic and industrial elements. Coming My Way begins with a strummed guitar; when the vocals kick in, listeners are treated to a very cozy and inviting track.
Dance of Wrath is a track that introduces listeners to the wide and varied styles that Dark Model create on their self-titled release. Fate comes forth with a blend of dubstep, glitch, and the more classical elements that were originally heard on the onset. Dark Model’s early success comes in the create of a cogent and coherent narrative from the beginning to end.
Super Country Cowboy is a cool and confident track that works well in melding together country music from the eighties, nineties, and today. The production of tracks on Briney’s latest makes it easy for listeners to immediately fall in love with the disc.
Individuals listening to Nick Deutsch’s EP Crazy Ride will happen upon Run, a track that links together The Rocket Summer and hints of Say Anything and Owl City. Run is a track that could easily make it onto pop rotation, as Deutsch’s emotive vocals will capture listeners’ hearts while the solid production allows his inimitable vocals to hang with the biggies in the field. Green Light is a track that…
A Better Man showcases a very confident sound for Wetwood Smokes, opening into a distinct and unique vocal-heavy section. The act is able to work well in an alternative or pop-rock format. The sheer authority that the band creates during this track will ensure that listeners become fans. Madeline immediately succeeds with a fun challenge to traditional time-signatures. The funkiness of the composition here showcases a softer side of the…
A Baby-Step of Faith is a track that straddles the line between Conor Oberst-style indie rock and alt-country; the intensity and virtuosity exhibited by the guitar and drums establish Falbo as something considerably different than what is currently garnering buzz. Sacagawea’s Son’s is a lively mash-up of Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, and Mike Ness. The production of Sacagawea’s Son is immaculate, allowing the disparate elements of the track the ability…
One of These Days is the latest album from Canada’s Marshall Dane, and the album provides listeners with country music that draws equally from the late eighties, nineties, and oughts. The production on a track like Take You Home to Mama ensures that the track could easily make it onto country rotation, while the quality of the instrumental arrangements here is stellar.
All Right introduces 3D Friends as an act that deftly blends together pop-punk, emo, and electronic styles into a tremendously alluring style. The act is able to take influences as wide as The Red Hot Valentines, The Anniversary, Yellowcard, and Metro Station and provide their own unique twist. This track is produced masterfully, allowing listeners to distinguish between the disparate elements comprising the band. Just Wanna Hold You changes up…
The furious energy that hits listeners during Piqued Jacks’ Upturned Perspectives is impressive, but what is more impressive is the ability of the band members to create a compelling and controlled effort out of this initial salvo. The music here has guitars, drums, bass, and vocals unite to make a unique style of alternative rock. While the vocals are front and summer, the arrangements of each instrument receive their own…
Make It Look Like Nothing Happened is the new release from San Francisco’s Impuritan. The album begins with Show Us Your Hidden Daggers, a track that rapidly opens up to an intense piece of psychedelic / drone metal. While one can discern hints of Tool, Kyuss, and Soundgarden, I feel that the epic styling of the track is much more in the vein of Pink Floyd.
The Cosmonauts begin Take Me To Your Leader with Transgender, a funky bit of reggae-infused rock that will have listeners singing along. Tar & Feather is absolutely funky and relies much more on the instrumental side of things. When vocals do enter into the equation, they are utilized in a much more musical format.
We Need To Be Loved is Los Angeles’ Anthony Starble’s latest release, and it captures four distinct facets of this multi-element performer. The title track on We Need To Be Loved begins with a tremendously emotive piano line that yields to a similarly moving set of vocals. The sheer vocal range that is present on this first track will immediately create fans. Imagine a blend of Bruno Mars and Patrick…