The guys in Lonely H started out as a garage band in Washington State, but over the years and albums, they have gravitated towards more of an alternative country sound. They can still rock, but there’s a bit more of a worn in, dust-crusted on the boots swagger with their songs now. And decamping to Nashville before working on this record has made the evolution that much more stark. …
Superstitious Mind deftly blends country and hard rock, providing listeners a perfect introduction to Lim’s rich set of tracks. My Perfect World looks back to the days of Joan Jett and even Joni Mitchell / Joan Baez. The hooky style of My Perfect World will resound loudly in listeners’ minds after the disc concludes. Broken Promise Blues is a stand-out track on this album, as it shows listeners a considerably…
Religious narrow-mindedness, like conservative politicians, has always been a boon for the music world. So when musician bree (no last name necessary) – raised in a religious cult led by her pops where secular music was a no-no – and was cast out at 17, she naturally she turned to the Devil’s music. And to wildly paraphrase Dusty Springfield, no one rocks as hard as the child of a…
Don’t you lie to me / Yooplaaa! is the band’s latest EP, and it showcases a certain eclecticism to hooyoosay. It is this certain undefinable quality that will bring listeners in by waves. Hints of They Might Be Giants, XTC, and Devo can all be heard in this introductory track. The funky electronic-infused style of the band during this effort will burrow deeply into listeners’ psyches, while there are enough…
The biggest and most welcoming surprise about Hold, the debut from Highness, is that it sounds very little like what you would expect, given the resume of its band members. Collectively, the group members have put in time with Darkest Hour, Christie Front Drive and City of Caterpillar, among others. And while Highness does take elements from all – emo, metal, post-hardcore, the sound is not an obvious carbon copy…
Though it may not have the cool back-and-forth mail delivery lore of The Postal Service’s one and only record, This is Thunder is still a testament to putting up with geographical barriers to cobble together a great record. And while The Postal Service juggled different time zones for an entire full length, for This is Thunder it was just a four-song EP and not a full album yet, but the…
In just over nine years, the wildly prolific lush pop (I honestly never know what to call this genre – Orchestra pop? Chamber pop?), Morning Bell has churned out four EPs and six full length. Aside from Willie Nelson and Ryan Adams, that type of pace hasn’t been kept by musicians since the 70’s and all those bands were likely locked in the studio thanks to fists full of speed.…
“Peace and Hate” is the perfect opening for The Submarines, as it shows their ability to create a catchy indie-rock track that continues pushing on listeners even though the tempo is slower than many comparable songs. The inclusion of airy guitars during the track will make individuals remember acts like The Red Hot Valentines, while the blend of vocals scream The Anniversary. While the second set of vocals drops…
The Subjects start off their “With The Ease” with “Speaking Parts”. The falsetto voice that marks the beginning of the track is a little pointed at times, which does not mesh perfectly with the more shoegazer sound of the instrumentation of the band. Still, the track is a solid entry into the minds of most listeners, who have not had a chance to listen to the band up to…
Simply put, this is a ton of noise put out by another artist on Breaking World Records. I cannot really say that I would have this CD on heavy rotation in my portable cd player, but I try to look at it as more of an artistic piece, as Penderecki is to classical music. One tries to see the beauty inherent in a CD like this, and tries to figure…
This is the perfect middle-ground between pop-rock and emo, with the same Linkin Park-esque guitars (especially in tracks like “Gun In Hand”) and Hawthorne Heights-esque double-vocals. While a number of the earliest tracks on “Bled of Color” really don’t rise above their constituent parts, the first real exciting track comes soon after in “Bury Me (The Scarlet Path).” “Bury Me” has guitars that in their virtuosity pull up the…
The high energy of the opening of Release You will invite listeners into the track, which is helmed with AxelJordan’s stellar vocals. This means that Release You has a Jason Derulo meets Chris Brown feel, all while having the electronic crunch that EDM fans will eagerly devour. Release You is a stellar dance track that has the chops to make it on pop rotation; where there seems to be…
Send Me A Sign is a fun track that soars not only because of the two-part harmonies that are present, but also because of the fuzzy, warm backing that the Hammond establishes. The track could easily make it onto rock rotation, and entices listeners to continue with the titular EP. If You Want (the buh bah song) allows the vocals to take double duty. Where there is a decidedly narrative…
The Water Village has just released a self-titled album, which can be purchased at a variety of online retailers (which include Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon). The first single released off of “The Water Village”, The Potato Song, showcases the instrumental and vocal sides of The Water Village. This soft bit of pop music looks to break a number of the assumptions about what music is and what it can do.…
Egypt Central begat Devour the Day. I feel that the tracks that comprise Time & Pressure showcase an act that is mature enough to make thoughtful music but still possesses the ability to kick ass and take names. The album begins with Respect, a punk-infused track that ratchets up the work of Avenged Sevenfold and The Offspring into something much more toothy and in your face. Good Man does…
It’s been two years since Ben Folds got the band (the Five)back together and they’ve been making up for lost time, hitting the studio for last year’s The Sound of the Life of the Mind then doing a lap around the globe on their reunion tour. It appears Ben and the boys were kind enough to record those shows, so that they could give us Ben Folds Five Live (clever…
Yes’ Magnification, originally released in 2001 warranted a few footnotes in the bands decades-long history. It was the last studio album to feature longtime vocalist Jon Anderson, only the second record to feature a full orchestra and it is the only album to not feature a keyboardist (and this from a band who is known for their keyboards!). The album, one of the band’s strongest in the past 10 years,…
Son of the Tongue’s Prison has a diffuse opening, while gradually bringing listeners into something that melds fury with technical virtuosity. Masters of loudness, Hierophant is able to create something that looks to redefine what metal can do. Cutting off at the three minute mark, Son of the Tongue’s Prison is an early hit for the band. Son of the Carcinoma is the album’s shortest effort, but Hierophant is able…
Styx was captured late in 2010 in Memphis at the Orpheum Theater. During this performance, Styx played the entirety of two of their most well-known albums, Pieces of Eight and The Grand Illusion. The audio quality of these CDs are excellent, with the crowd response being the only tell that this was a live performance. The current Styx (including new lead singer Lawrence Gowan) are just as much of…
Fitz and the Tantrums start out their latest album with Out of My League, a resounding single that touches upon early eighties new-wave like The Cars and Flock of Seagulls. The band is able to inspire current listeners through smart arrangements and hooks that stick with listeners long after the CD has ceased. More Than Just A Dream continues on with Break The Walls, which brings a cacophony of…