“Bumblefuck” begins the album, and it really shows SOS as a band that meshes together a number of different traditions. For those into the current state of rock music, there seems to be more than a hint of Disturbed-like riffs. Riffs also resemble Metallica and the thrash-rock of old Anthrax, while the tempo is more reminiscent of early punk music. “Star Killers” is more of the same, but what is…
“Target Market” starts off “Waking The Mystics”, and it shows Sophe Lux as being very influenced by The Turtles and The Doors, with more than a passing hint to Spanish guitar work and ambient music being tied in to their music. The eclectic sound of Sophe Lux is enough to allow individuals from all different genres to pick up the album and find something that they appreciate. The strong female…
The way that Sons and Daughters start off their “Repulsion Box” is far and away one of the best ways to get individuals to listen in. “Medicine” is a straight-forward rock track (with more than its fair share of punk influence) that will cause any listener to focus in and devote eirself to the music completely, even as their body bounces to the beat. Sons and Daughters do not let…
I’ve always felt a little bad for California’s Incubus (though not too bad, once you factor in all the money they raked in and the hot and cold running groupies… but I digress). Coming on the radio in the mid-to-late-90’s their record label took the easy route and simply tried to cram them into a box alongside the other nu metal mooks who were ruling the world at the time.…
Kent, Ohio’s Slave has just released a new track / DJing tool. Slave provides some backstory about the cut: “Here’s a short bootleg track I put together while at Big Dub Candy Mountain, first played when I opened for Doctor P. There’s not that many transition pieces like this out there, so I’m making this a free download in hopes that my fellow DJ’s will find it useful during their…
Despite the best efforts from U.S. music mags to try and recreate the same Blur vs. Oasis rivalry that their British counterparts had been able to set up and milk for years, the competition never really caught on over here. In fact, Brit Pop as a genre never really made as much as an impact in the U.S. as it did in Europe. But for those of us who did…
You know you’re getting old when those bands that first surfaced in your college years are now touring as a packaged nostalgia acts alongside fellow graying rock bands. In the case of Everclear, now celebrating 20 years as a band, that means hitting the road with the Gin Blossoms, Lit, Marcy Playground and Sugar Ray. And if audiences are permitting, Everclear can even sneak in some new songs from…
Encanto is a groovy bit of rock that will keep listeners swinging. Hints of soul, funk, and Caribbean music can be heard alongside a more continental and Spanish flair. Encanto is incredibly rewarding; subsequent listens will spotlight sides to the track that were previously hidden. Birth of Music has a unique sound that unites psychedelic rock, funk, and even surf into a retro-futuristic sound. Suns of Orpheus continue to…
Ascent provides a musically intense and a lyrically dense sound for their listeners. This means that tracks like Act of Grace are able to appeal to a wide swath of listeners. There is a momentum to Act of Grace that will have listeners sitting on the edges of their seats. Ascension keeps things interesting through a space-rock frame. Throw in a ropy, catchy bass line and what results is…
Four is available now via iTunes and GalleryAC.com where it can be purchased in multiple formats. Production on Four began in the winter of 2011 following a year-long hiatus during which the group contemplated disbanding, only to find its determination towards making a new record stronger than it had ever been previously. Of Four, frontman Kele Okereke says, “It is the best thing that we have ever done and finishing…
Sonic Youth is one of the most influential acts to still be playing music at this point of their career. How can they keep providing a bright light of brilliance to those individuals that will be creating bands in the near future? “Rather Ripped” starts out sedate, with “Reena” using a deadpan delivery by Kim coupled alongside a post-punk set of guitars that at times threaten to go into…
Somerset plays the brand of emo that has been popular for the last few years, throwing in slightly interesting sounds (such as strings during “Clockwork”) that try to bring up listener’s interest, which flags even at the onset. The fact is that there is nothing truly compelling about the music on “Pandora”, as Somerset tries their best to create a product that in no way will offend or otherwise…
There is a lot more in the way of palatable music on “Heaven’s Pregnant Teens”, to the point that Some Girls actually could get a track onto college alternative radio. This is not to say that the band has lost any of the fury of past albums; the band fits in thirteen tracks into a disc that ends before the twenty-fifth minute. Some Girls show another dimension to their…
Talk about stopping on a dime. Maryland’s The Soma Solution can move from Weezer to Korn to so many other musical genres in the space of a song, and it is through incredible talent that The Soma Solution so cunningly accomplishes it. Crunchy guitars come t the forefront in tracks like “Abort”, a System of a Down-style crooned track that bubbles over continually with all the energy that Rob…
T.I. has just released his video for “Go Get It”. Warner’s finally letting explicit videos go through.
Destiny’s Alone is a track that will immediately bring listeners on board with Ellen M. Wilson. This track needs little more than vocals and a piano to shine; the resulting track uses the interplay of human and instrumental efforts to draw listeners into the fold. Shelter Me possesses a foreboding feel to the track that ties together equal amounts Nightwish and Evanescence with Switchblade Symphony. Each element of Wilson’s…
Mourn For Me Like The Prophet is the initial track on My Magic Last Days, and it is a track that blends together the gritty sound of late-eighties industrial with hints of psychedelic and new wave. What results is something that is always nuanced and requires a number of listens before listeners can get a full semblance of what is happening. The track keeps listeners firmly focused in, despite…
Empire Trashed is a track that provides a tremendously interesting atmosphere to listeners. The use of electric and organic sides during this track create a haunting effort that takes on hints of Enigma, Enya, and Massive Attack. The track possesses a number of distinct movements; Drop Electric are able to unite these into one cohesive track. The drum track that kicks towards the bottom of this track adds just enough…
Everything What We Recorded is one of the rare breed of EPs that provide listeners with a solid sense the band’s influences and repertoire. Hammer & Nails is the first track on this EP, and it brings a catchy melody to the fore. The band works together in an incredibly tight fashion, with the vocals, drums, and guitars uniting to make for something that is decidedly greater than the sum…
Night Owl is a hot track; the effort will have listeners singing along after the first spin. Where many have likely heard this track by Ames, I feel that it only provides a small snippet to the mythos that is Ames. The rest of the tracks on Night Owl showcase a performer that is constantly changing and pushing each track to its logical extension. Taken together, Night Owl is one…