So, everyone remembers the Spin Doctors for their “Two Princes” song. Fast forward about a decade, and a track like “Nice Talking To Me” has the perfect amount of classic rock crunch, putting the Spin Doctors alongside acts like Lenny Kravitz without much effort. At some points, especially during tracks like “Sugar”, the perfection achieved by the Doctors is almost too much; there is little humanity strewn amongst the…
The Specifics have played live during my shows a number of times, but most the time, have had extra-band incidents sully their sound. For example, we had to rush their set during an early-summer set, and towards the end of the summer the acoustics in one of our venues didn’t work too well with the band. Here is the band, mixed and mastered by themselves, sounding as amazing as…
The style of music that Speakers For The Dead start out their “Finally” is the same style that a number of nu rock bands have started their disc. There are the same styles, ropey guitars, and smooth vocals that have littered many a 10 Years, Slipknot, Disturbed, and Godsmack track. The one strength that individuals can immediately hear is that Speakers For The Dead have spared no expense getting…
In what comes forth as Spinal Tap meets Queen, the opening track to “Hello Young Lovers” is an interesting opening, especially to those listeners that have not had the luck to hear Sparks in the past. In a sense (as someone that was not even alive when Sparks started their career), I would have to say that Sparks must have had a great influence on They Might Be Giants.…
I first was turned onto The Soviettes when their track “Paranoia! Cha-Cha-Cha” was featured on April’s Rock Against Bush compilation. Finally, we are given more than a taste from the Minneapolis act, and they do not disappoint in the least. Mixing the earliest strains of British punk with the straight-forward rock strains started in America, The Soviettes make radio-friendly tracks that are nearly impossible to ignore. Whether it is the…
The British band Roxy Music never really achieved mass success in the U.S., but like The Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart, they have become one of those bands indie art rockers need to name check in ticking off influences lest they be shamed as musical poseurs. But listening back on their catalogue, you can’t help but be impressed by the bands creativity. Fronted by Bryan Ferry and at one time…
Moondancing is a tremendously emotive track that is able to weave a narrative that is richer than those created by even the most vocal-heavy acts. Beyond the Turning possesses a more cohesive sound due to this; listeners will easily be able to find common elements to My Peace Piece to The Long Way Home, Passage 1 and Adungu Inspiration. The sheer amount of tools available to Breyer is astounding. Listeners…
There is little more to Birds in Trees (or the solid ground) than Nico’s vocals and guitar work. There is a tremendous amount of work placed into this seemingly-simple track; Rivers’ rich narrative provides this track with some serious legs. To The Bone continues to gain momentum with the EP’s second track, Molotovs & Medicine. The inclusion of a harmonica to Rivers’ repertoire adds a further intensity to the…
O.N.E. opens up Royal Flush, and the track will immediately find its home with any listeners that find themselves digging alternative or traditional rock styles. Hints of Jet, AC/DC, and Cornershop can all be heard during this introductory salvo. The Jack strips things down, allowing the act to craft a blend of blues, surf, and psychedelic rock. This track opens with an extended instrumental introduction, ensuring that the vocals…
Miles Jones has created in The Jones Act (Part III) an album that showcases an eclectic and impressive effort. Catch Me in the Rye will immediately draw listeners in through the challenging time signatures employed by the backing instrumentation. Jones’ vocals gradually gain momentum until the chorus. Hints of Kid Cudi and Consequence can be heard during this trippy effort. All; Lies is one of the hottest tracks on…
Girl in Need of a Lullaby is a darkly emotive track that is reminscient of the work of a Paramore or a Coheed and Cambria. Mouthful of Daisy is able to insert a chugging instrumentation to the tracks of Twice Renewed. Lost Love gives the drums and guitars time to sparkle. When the vocals kick in, Mouthful of Daisy builds an enveloping track that will keep listeners sitting on…
You Don’t Know A Thing About Love is a solid introduction to Roxie Randle’s inimitable style. This introductory track takes equal parts pop, singer-songwriter, and country genres and ties them into a cohesive entity. Heading up this track is Randle’s vocals, which set the stage for the rest of the album. Few artists would be able to create such an emotionally-charged presence with their vocals, but Randle is able…
Chris Riffle’s music on Another Dream showcases a performer that is mature while still evolving. The album begins with All That We Hold, a coy track that will immediately have listeners take attention. I feel that the progression that is presented here is tremendously affecting, to the degree that the track will stick with listeners long after this effort (and album) finishes. And I Love Him has a…
It’s taken a few years, but I am finally able to accept that “World Punk” is a legitimate genre. Thanks to bands like World Inferno/Friendship Society, Gogol Bordello, and most importantly Firewater, I realize this is far more than a novelty, but a full on movement, building on what punk bands like The Clash were evolving to in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Firewater’s latest, International Orange, is a…
The slightly-electronic sound of The Southland makes for a mass of tracks that are eminently ready for alt-rock radio, and some even have the hooks necessarily for The Southland to make it even on the relatively closed set that is TRL. “Aftermath” is one of these tracks, which couples a very savvy arrangement with a soulful guitar solo. The Southland’s cover of “I Only Have Eyes For You” transforms the…
It is not often that the band can work for over a decade and finally get the notice that they deserve, but the highly distorted blackish, brackish sludge of Sourvein provides all aspiring bands with a brief glimmer of hope. “Emerald Vulture”, the band’s first EP on This Dark Reign, finally brings this brutal form of music to a larger audience than any Mardi Gras performances could ever have. Sourvein…
The band starts off in a tremendously emotive vein of instrumental rock that subsides only a slight bit when the vocals kick in on “Fools and Thieves”. What really will strike listeners first is the interesting arrangements that Sound the Alarm create in tying their listeners down. There are at one time two conflicting elements in Sound the Alarm’s music; first off, there is an insistence by the vocals that…
Keith Williams is an artist that provides an expansive addition to jazz with each track on New Beginnings. The context in which each of these tracks exist is considerably more dense and detailed than much of the fare that is currently popular. I believe that the instrumental arrangements that are encountered during the opening of New Beginnings (in particular, the ending of Fever and the start of Cry Me a…
I feel that for the moment, purchasing Used Steinways is the way to go. A number of individuals had to sell their pianos with the recession, so the market has the lowest prices that I have seen. There is a wide variation on the prices that are available, so finding the right company is absolutely essential.
Sven Sundberg begins his 4 Seasons of Bliss with In Your Love. This track is a perfect introduction for those that have not had the chance to introduce themselves to Sundberg’s music. The piano is able to come forth with emotive authority, and provides listeners with a narrative that is richer than many efforts out there. With this introduction, Sundberg is able to collect fans from far and wide. Spring…