New York-bred singer and songwriter Matthew Koma debuts his new video for the track “Parachute” today from his four song debut Parachute EP out now. Having already made a splash co-writing the hook on Sebastian Ingrosso and Alesso’s smash single “Calling (Lose My Mind)” featuring Ryan Tedder, Matthew also co-wrote and is featured on “Sparks” with rising DJs Nicky Romero and Fedde LeGrand. In addition Matthew Koma co-wrote and features…
Honestly, this is the second time that I’ve reviewed this disc; the first being for the radio station which I work for, WGRE. At the time, I must not have listened to the disc very deeply, as I did not recommend it to be put on rotation. But, the second time that I’ve listened to it, some of the more interesting nuances of the disc have really shown themselves to…
Stabbed in Back play a brand of fast, thrashy punk that tries to sound like DRI but ultimately more updated; this is a less tongue in cheek version of Sum 41. The track “Hopeless Romantic” is a few seconds over two minutes, but the band already seems to be running into a problem of not having enough in the way of material to fill their tracks. The track does…
I thought this was going to be much more of a jazz album than anything else. I guess that was due to the fact that SSM is an acronym much as Medeski, Martin, and Wood. Don’t be confused; when “Exit Strategy” starts out, all that one is hit with is a very noise and loud band in the rockabilly meets rock tradition. In a sense, the band reminds me…
HELLS HEADBANGERS announces January 22nd, 2013 as the release date for VOMITOR’s third and latest album, The Escalation. HELLS HEADBANGERS will handling the release of VOMITOR’s The Escalation in North America and South America while INVICTUS PRODUCTIONS will be handling the album’s release in Europe and the UK. Tracklisting and album cover (also attached) to follow below. Done bleeding the priest, after drinking the devil’s poison, VOMITOR increase the nuclear heat…
It has been about six months since I last heard SSM. SSM last time (on their self-titled full length album) was a band that had talent but did not always turn it into successes on the album. This is a six-song EP of newer tracks. The disc starts with “Put Me In”, a dance-worthy track that unfortunately has the vocals hidden to a fault behind the rest of the…
I have been lucky enough to hear of the Teen Idols before I approached this album but not lucky enough to have actually heard them. SO, I cam into this review with no pre-established notions about what either of the bands sound like. This is always a plus for me, as I do not have to go and delete any possible bias I have towards the band before I review…
Judi’s vocals are hard to get into, being simultaneously shrill and gruff, much like Apocalipstick’s lead, Jackie. If one can imagine it, “Rock This” is an ideological, harder sequel to the soundtrack to “Josie and the Pussycats”, which actually makes sense since the individual who was mainly responsible for “Josie’s” tracks was Kay Hanley (from Letters to Cleo). “I Hate You” moves into the territory of Bitch and Animal,…
Split Habit is an interesting band. While the first track on “Put Your Money”, “Rebel” is a perfect bowdlerized and mollified version of the original pop-punk mold of the Ramones, “City Girl” is a dangerous mix of frat-rock and an extensive Weezer CD collection. However anemic this track is, the sheer fact is that Split Habit is able to go and make the track one that every listener of…
First off, how is there not another band so far named The Kicks? Secondly, the latest full length from The Kicks is unabashed melodic rock just begging for a stadium. The Nashville band cites everyone from Queen and Aerosmith, Springsteen and the Foo Fighters as influences, but in addition they also sound a bit like (and this in no way is intended as a slam or to be ironic)…
I was just about ready to discount Spitfire as one of many of the hardcore bands on the scene until the band really got into their own groove. In fact, Spitfire is a furious ac that really takes part in some of the noise that their website alludes to; the scintillating rhythms of the band during tracks like “Dear John” and the spontaneity of their sound really makes the…
Spitalfield seems to have a lot more coherent effort with this album that they didn’t have the ability to have with their last album. The whole band works together to provide a solid, cogent sound that is at all times radio friendly and poppy, but the question remains whether it is good. Beginning “Stop Doing Bad Things” with the Rush-influenced (at least in terms of bass) “So I Heard…
The disc starts off with what I can only presume is a homeless person rattling on and on about religion. Sure, there is a light form of instrumentation, but this vocal track is a focus of Sparrows Swarm and Sing during the early part of this three-part EP, which clocks in at less than thirty minutes. I can see where the song may be very experimental, but the vocals…
Ska with pseudo boy band vocals. What I mean by boy band vocals is the fact that they are so clean and clear. The Spanish Word For Danger is very talented in keeping all parts of their band from making interference, and at one time the trombone, drums, guitars, bass and vocals are all playing, creating a very interesting song. The brand of ska put out by TSWFD is such…
The band is more based towards the ska style than Common Rider, but the two bands seem to share a lot of similarities. Both bands successfully integrate a number of different musical genres to create an entirely new style. Nevertheless, the Spitvalves are one of the very few bands that actually have not made the move over to making purely emo music, as so many of their stylistic family have…
The Spinto Band really feel as if they have just been transported by a time machine to the current period from the middle-nineties. “Did I Tell You” is a powerful piece of indie-pop, with definite influences touching the band through both Weezer and They Might Be Giants. Each track on “Nice And Nicely Done” is created with the utmost care, the style of music that indie-chic Velma would do…
The first track on “Seamless” is the title track; while it seems like a smart idea to start off the disc with a bold statement of one’s sound, the back and forth nature of the backing instrumentation really seems cold and impersonal, lacking in its duty to really uplift Spicer’s Cranberries meets Stevie Nicks type of vocals. There is an audible change in the style of instrumentation present on…
The beginning of Speed of Life’s “Mainstay” is admittedly slow; it is only during their second track on the disc, “Long Range Motion” that the band even begins to shine with a luster fitting of them. The music, a progressive-rock blend, really begins to excite when the band moves away from the traditional song structures and styles that ironically hold “Break Free” back.. The entirety of “Long Range Motion”…
There is a great pandering to the high end of things during “The Near Death Experience”. In fact, there is a fuzz present during tracks like “Violent Stink of Twitching Terror” that provides annoyance. I understand the need to properly allow the vocals on a metal band to shine, but not at the expense of listeners’ ears. This crackling and electronic sound does not leave during the follow-up track…
Released in 1987, Document was the first in a series of Scott Lilt-produced album by Athens’s favorite sons that took them from the heroes of college radio to the one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Their relationship with Litt would continue for the next five records. Thanks to the folks at EMI, who now own the IRS Records’ catalogue, Document is getting the anniversary treatment. Though…