A rock/electro-pop hybrid band that finds itself delving into an ocean of classical/romantic themes from famous composers like Schumann, Schubert and Rachmaninov. With the inspiring and emotional sounds of Muse crossed with the dynamic complexities of Radiohead and Bjork, this band is sure to do some damage on the Music Industry in the near future! ...
et found international popularity during the early 2000s, a period in which the band's mix of Exile on Main St. swagger and brash, AC/DC-styled stomp dovetailed nicely with America's garage rock revival. Hailing from Melbourne and comprising guitarist Cameron Muncey, drummer Chris Cester, bassist Mark Wilson, and frontman Nic Cester, the foursome formed just as the new millennium was beginning. They quickly self-released 2002's Dirty Sweet, a vinyl-only EP that proved to be quite popular in Australia. The EP sold out of its initial run of 1,000 copies, and Jet's acclaim grew in the U.K. as they issued another limited-edition run. An Ame...
On March 8th, critically acclaimed rapper Lupe Fiasco returns with one of the most heavily anticipated releases in recent years, a revolutionary album called LASERS, reaching new heights of lyrical and musical mastery, while aiming to reach even bigger audiences.The album has already spawned an exuberant hit single, “The Show Goes On,” which re-introduced Fiasco to fans after a four-year absence. It will undoubtedly continue to earn attention over the next year and beyond with mind-expanding and ear-catching singles like the incendiary “Words I Never Said” featuring Skylar Grey and produced by Alex Da Kid (Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie”), the thought-provoking “All Black Everythin...
Boston dream-folk artist, Marissa Nadler takes off independently with the release of her fifth full-length album and the first to be released on her very own label Box of Cedar Records. Produced by Brian McTear, the self-titled LP is set for a June 14th release. Marissa proclaims, 'It's the most honest, natural record I've ever written."Making music for nearly a decade and creating art for a lifetime her ethereal songwriting remains rich with imagery and beautiful textures. "I'm no longer hiding," She admits. "The mystery still exists in the music as an aesthetic tool, but the songs cut harder because of the vocal mix, with more varied colors than my other records." Before moving ou...
A game-changing artist and an impervious celebrity, Lil Wayne began as his career as a near-novelty -- a preteen delivering hardcore hip-hop -- but through years of maturation and reinventing the mixtape game, he developed into a million-selling rapper with a massive body of work, one so inventive and cunning that it makes his famous claim of being the "best rapper alive" worth considering. Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. and raised in the infamous New Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove, he was a straight-A student but never felt his true intelligence was expressed through any kind of report card. He found music was the best way to express himself, and after taking the name Gangsta D he began writing rhymes. Combining a stron...
Armed with horns, guitars, and everything in between, the six men of Great Caesar produce a brilliant and unmistakable brand of brass-fueled rock. Their sound is at once organic and electrifying, combining jazz roots with hard rock sensibilities in a way that does justice to both. On the plugged side, Great Caesar draws from bands like Destroyer and Minus The Bear, while its horns take cues from Spoon and RX Bandits. Together with the husky baritone of singer John-Michael Parker, the band has brought its gutsy sound and raucous energy to hundreds of audiences in and out of NYC, sharing stages with acts like Deerhoof, The Decemberists, Third Eye Blind, and Does it Offend You, Yeah.Great Caesar began modestly as a jazz tri...
Pop music is a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ world. A starburst of YouTube notoriety and then oblivion. Or at least it is for most. But when your journey has been as long and extraordinary as Nneka’s – when you’ve travelled 10,000 miles and are still only just starting out - then instant celebrity is the last thing on your mind. When your heart is as big as your Afro, when your talents stretch from teardrop soul-singing to freestyle rapping to a first-class degree from a top Continental university, when you’ve got so much to say about so much, then you are in it for the long haul. Every year since her musical career took off in...
Remember when indie music was wild and unpredictable? Remember when bands were hard to pigeonhole into neat little sub-genres? Well, Cattle Drums will remind you if you have forgotten. Hailing from upstate NY, you might shrug your shoulders at a band named Cattle Drums but you would be remiss by doing so. Mixing postpunk, emo/hardcore, shards of math rock and even traces of dark Americana, Cattle Drums distinguish themselves as purveyors of a sound not yet recognizable to our pampered, innocent ears. Lyrically ambiguous and instrumentally ambitious with harsh, aggressive tones, Cattle Drums truly are a wild awakening for the senses. The Boy Kisser Sessions + 3 is an eight song collection that puts togeth...
Matt Whitehurst (aka Matt Horseshit), the de facto leader of Columbus, Ohio noise-mongers Psychedelic Horseshit, claims the band first played in public in the fall of 2005 when he and some friends scammed their way onto the stage at a hippie jam band festival in Delaware County; asked by the MC for the group's name, he said, "Just call us Psychedelic Horseshit." As the legend has it, the band unexpectedly went over with the nuevo-hippie audience, and the name stuck. While Whitehurst (guitar, keyboards, and vocals) and his musical partner Rich Johnston (percussion) don't sound psychedelic, at least in the traditional sense, the rich, organic funk of the second part of their name hits home, as the band conjures a sound that recalls ...
SEVEN AGAINST THEBES (SEATTLE, WA) Progresive Metal Band Seven Against Thebes (7AT) just releases their debut self titled CD in MARCH 2011. Music is reminiscent of classic Tool, STP, Deftones & Alice in Chains. Band members include Rusty Hoyle (Vocals) Cyrus Rhodes (Guitars) Bruce Burgess (Drums) & Mr. Black (Bass). This is a follow up to their EQUILIBRIUM (EP) released in January which has received many positive reviews here in the US & abroad. 7AT has been called the band to watch in 2011 & is a resurgance of Seattles glory days of amazing music. The EQUILIBRIUM (EP) can be downloaded for free on the band's URL - www.7at.net Full length CD can be ...
Björk first came to prominence as one of the lead vocalists of the avant pop Icelandic sextet the Sugarcubes, but when she launched a solo career after the group's 1992 demise, she quickly eclipsed her old band's popularity. Instead of following in the Sugarcubes' arty guitar rock pretensions, Björk immersed herself in dance and club culture, working with many of the biggest names in the genre, including Nellee Hooper, Underworld, and Tricky. Debut, her first solo effort (except for an Icelandic-only smash released when she was just 11 years old), not only established her new artistic direction, but it became an international hit, making her one of the '90s most unlikely stars.Though the title of Debut implied that it ...
Denbaya, which means family in Bambara, began as a collaboration between Malian artists Makane Kouyate and Balla Kouyate, and New York-based artists Marco Chelo, John Austria, Keith Gamble, Fred Pratt, Vince Warren, and Jose Rosario; Denbaya is Makane's family in New York. Kouyate sings about themes such longing for home, peace, spirituality, and most of all, love, which is the driving force behind Denbaya's music. With the exception of "Djarabi" and "Yiri Tule," which are traditional songs, all other tunes have been written by Makane. Kouyate, who was born into a Griot family, has been playing the drums since he was five years old. He has performed with artists such as Salif Keita, Habib...
There seems to be a common theme developing within recent reviews for Restorations‘ Strange Behavior - the terrific four-song EP released last year by Paper + Plastick - which is that this Philly outfit plays music for "grown-up punks." I'm not sure if that's necessarily true as the band's background, touring history and all-around response to its relatively short discography collectively point to the fact that its appeal spans generations of music fans. From hardcore, post-punk, shoegaze, americana, roots rock and even stoner metal, the overwhelming consensus that Restorations' singular sound is difficult to pin down (though it's fun to try) and originates from an undeniably earnest place - something tha...
In the cold and dreary winter of 2009, alone in his bedroom and hiddenfrom the darkness of the world outside Justin Paul Vallesteros had begunworking on something that would change his life forever. What began as acouple notes played in experimentation soon transformed into vibrantmelodies that soon shook Vallesteros’ musical foundation to the core.Guitar chords laced over pulse sating synth melodies and drum rhythmswas a departure from Justin’s previous work; he began to create thedreamy nostalgic pop music that is Craft Spells. Justin is a California native who now finds residence in the mid-size town of Stockton, the heart of California. Craft Spells is the epitom...
Hi everyone, here is a new and upcoming rock band, Superlungs. I'm looking forward to reviewing their debut album, which comes out May 2nd, but there are still some tracks currently up on their websites: official website, myspace, facebook, soundcloud etc... their single, entitled 'Nobody', is out March 28th, but is up on facebook and myspace now. as far as the song goes, it's great! great hook, great riff, great lyrics... i'm really looking forward to the album! other songs, such as circular track, show their versatility, and mark the makings of a great band - not every song sounds the same! i highly recommend that you check them out, i'd love to hear your comments and opinions, on my fi...
It's all but inconceivable that J Mascis requires an introduction. In the quarter-century since he founded Dinosaur (Jr.), Mascis has created some of the era's signature songs, albums and styles. As a skier, golfer, songwriter, skateboarder, record producer and musician, J has few peers. The laconically-based roar of his guitar, drums and vocals have driven a long string of bands-Deep Wound, Dinosaur Jr., Gobblehoof, Velvet Monkeys, the Fog, Witch, Sweet Apple-and he has guested on innumerable sessions. But Several Shades of Why is J's first solo studio record, and it is an album of incredible beauty, performed with a delicacy not always associated with his work.Recorded at Amherst Massachusetts' ...
Triptykon, the group formed by former Hellhammer/Celtic Frost singer, guitarist, and main songwriter Tom Gabriel Warrior, is proud to announce that the groups' own label, Prowling Death Records Ltd., has entered into a licensing agreement with renowned metal giant Century Media Records.Under the agreement, Century Media Records will release Triptykon's massive debut album, Eparistera Daimones, in Europe and North America on March 22, 2010.Eparistera Daimones was produced by Tom Gabriel Warrior and Triptykon guitarist V. Santura and recorded in V. Santura's own Woodshed Studio in southern Germany, in the course of the second half of 2009. Like Celtic Frost's universally praised Monotheist album, Eparistera D...
The urban music style of LelKem, founded 2009, can only be described as "Modern Lament" If you are listening to one of their songs, or even get just an extract you would probably say, they ae an Indie rock, pop or even a post rock band. You will be taken by suprise, because the following part will remind you on alternative rock from the nineties, as well as complicated rhythms and rough hardness from the Neo progressive rock genre. Nevertheless, this stylistic variety always submits to the intelligent Songwriting and never renounces on stamping Hooklines. The nearly classically occupied trio with Hungarian roots fascinates with bittersweet melancholy, experimental soundscapes some loops from the Elektro depart...
KYNG the southern California hard rock trio, originated in January of 2008 in Los Angeles. Singer/songwriter Eddie Veliz bassist, Tony Castaneda and drummer Pepe Clarke Magana, after years of working off and on with each other on various projects, decided to propagate the idea of a band that would closer fulfill their musical desires. Within months of sessioning the three were sold on the chemistry and shortly after that went into the studio to record their debut album. The sound they realized was exactly what they had sought after, ...
"For this record, I just had a sound in my head," says Norah Jones. "I wanted the grooves to be more present and heavy. And I also just wanted to do something different—I’ve been hanging with the same group of musicians for a long time, and I thought it was a good time for me to work with different people and experiment a little." The result of these experiments is the multiple Grammy Award-winner's new album, The Fall. The album is an exciting evolution from her previous three releases, which have sold a combined 36 million copies worldwide. The first obvious change on The Fall is a lengthy list of new collaborators. Producer Jacquire King&md...
Vessels & Veins is the second EP from Scottish post-rock monsters Penguins Kill Polar Bears. The band, formed in the winter of 2008, are Ben Proudlock (guitars, vocals), Fraser Sanaghan (guitars), Gavin Cormack (bass), and Kieran McGuickan (drums).The EP is a sweeping masterpiece, showcasing a band that are as comfortable with experimentation as they are with tried and true rock formulas. Each track explodes into action, with sheets of reverb-laden guitars, layered over the top of throbbing percussion, and offset by Ben's raw vocals. It's no surprise that Aereogramme are listed as one of their major influences.Following the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP Dawn in June 2010, the b...
With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what electric guitar could do, developing a blindingly fast technique with a variety of self-taught two-handed tapping, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and effects that mimicked the sounds of machines and animals. It was wildly inventive and over the top, equaled only by vocalist David Lee Roth, who brought the role of a metal singer to near-performance art standards. Roth wasn't blessed with great technique, unlike Eddie, but he had a flair for showmanship that was derived as much from loung...
Tapes ‘n Tapes is a rock band from Minneapolis, MN, made up of Josh Grier on guitar and lead vocals, Matt Kretzmann on keys and horns, Erik Appelwick on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Jeremy Hanson on percussion. Grier said he formed the band in 2003, to "have fun with my friends. I always wanted to see if I could play music with others and for others." Grier and his buddies amassed "tapes ‘n tapes" of noodling, experimental jams and declared themselves officially a band. In the winter of 2004, the band now known as Tapes ‘n Tapes bought some recording equipment and headed out to a rustic cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. They recorded their self-titled, now long out of p...
Nero are drum and bass and dubstep producers from the United Kingdom. Also known as NERO UK, they first joined formation Records in the summer of 2004. Over the last couple of years Dan and Joe’s tracks have been causing quite a stir in the drum and bass scene, gaining huge airplay support from top radio DJs such as Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley, Steve Lamacq, Pete Tong, Rob Da Bank and frequently from Fabio & Grooverider (all from BBC’s Radio 1) as well as Hype on Kiss FM. In 2008, Nero launched themselves into the dubstep scene, making a good impression on the scene. According to the Me and You Songfacts, Nero have remixed the likes of La Roux, Daft Punk and deadmau5 and won the 2010 Beatport’s Best Dubstep Act. Their cut,...
2011 East Coast Music Award Nominees for "Fan Choice Entertainer of the Year", Alert The Medic is a four piece rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia, whose anthemic sound and high energy performances have been captivating audiences on the east coast and beyond! Alert The Medic's sophomore album, "We, the weapon", received 4 2010 Music Nova Scotia Award Nominations including the category for Group Recording of the Year and Single of the Year for "Atlas". "Atlas" achieved national rotation for over 14 weeks and cracked Mediabase's Top 50 Active Rock Canadian Charts. The album continues to break new ground, charting on college radio stations from coast to coast. In 2010, Alert The Me...
The metronome is not a device known for its deviation. It strikes a predictable, functional pattern. Each time Metronomy release an album, on the other hand, there is a scorched earth change of pace and tone. Yet the pulse never disappears, it just reanimates for a brand new dancefloor. Anyone expecting more of the same digital melancholia as heard on the universally-lauded Nights Out is in for a shock – but a pleasant one. The English Riviera, Metronomy’s third album – and second, after Nights Out, on Because Music – is a belting, unashamed pop album, a gorgeous record full of languid, sunset funk songs, which looks set to propel Metronomy even further than they have tr...
PERRY FERYA - folk musician born and working in Central Pomerania. In cooperation with two other folk artists: Maya (Skala, Cosmic Liar & Murderer, ex- Rzepczyno Folk Band, OKW, Tetmayer & others) and Lech - local animator of Western African drumming traditions - plundered sounds recorded with them over the years to form the „Back Out" album. Works of Perry Ferya Band descend from the culture of local proletariat clubs. „Back out" reflects tradition of collective music playing ‘under the influence' out of the longing for the big world and reflections on human fate. If there's still anyone with undisturbed joy of playing, it's for sure the Perry Ferya Band.Perry Ferya Band are: Robert Roger...
We are Dada Life. Destroy dance music and have fun. Don’t look back in the past. Always go forward. Don’t think too much. Always follow the money. Do the Dada. The result? Big tunes, no frills....
Ask Gotye about his new album Making Mirrors and he’ll speak not of songs, but of sounds. He’ll describe the various valves through which strings and choirs cycle on his Lowrey Cotillion, a vintage organ bought for 100 bucks in a second-hand shop that features on the record. Or how he constructed a bassline by sampling the Winton Musical Fence, an unlikely instrument he discovered in the outback of Queensland, Australia, comprised of five large metal strings attached to wooden fence posts and a resonant chamber. He may mention the horn break from a traditional Taiwanese folk song he discovered on a 1970s Cathay Pacific promotional record, which he sampled, sped up and dubbed out, before ...
Like the Velvet Underground, their most obvious influence, the chart success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was virtually nonexistent, but their artistic impact was incalculable; quite simply, the British group made the world safe for white noise, orchestrating a sound dense in squalling feedback which served as an inspiration to everyone from My Bloody Valentine to Dinosaur Jr. ...
