Adam Turla - Vocals, Guitars Sarah Balliet - Cello, Keys Dagan Thogerson - Percussion Matt Armstrong - BassThough they\'ve had eight years to refine their sound and vision, Murder By Death rolled out of the gates fully realized in 2000, playing a blend of rocking Americana noir and dramatic post-punk that erased old style and audience boundaries as much as it tested the limits of new ones. And with their fourth album and Vagrant debut, Red Of Tooth And Claw (3/4/08), the Bloomington, Indiana, quartet are emerging as true artists in the zero-boundary sense: cinematic storytellers whose albums c...
Beloved New York-based band Nada Surf will be releasing their new record, lucky, on February 5th, 2008. This will be Nada Surf's fifth record and third for Barsuk, following the successful and critically lauded let go (2003) and the weight is a gift (2005). The record is filled with songs of restlessness, longing and the elusiveness of love. Yet, in its inimitable way, the band beautifully counterbalances its signature lyrical wistfulness with its singular musical buoyancy. Intimate tunes become we're-all-in-this-together anthems, thanks to the chiming guitars, propulsive beat, and the ever-present yearning in singer Matthew Caws’ voice."I tend to be pretty hopeful about things further in the futu...
When Kaki King went into the studio in upstate New York to record the tracks for her fourth album, Dreaming Of Revenge, her producer, Malcolm Burn, had one condition: “He said, ‘If someone can’t be sawing a log in half and whistling along to the song, I don’t want it on the record,’” King recalls with a laugh. And so the bar was set. Burn’s mandate was just the push King needed to make her most accessible CD yet. “Even though half the tracks are instrumentals, I feel like I’m writing pop songs,” she says. “We really concentrated on the melodies. Everything I write tends to be dense and chordal, but this time the idea was to layer the challenging guitar work und...
Since forming in 2004, Time Again have taken their distinctive brand of adrenaline-fueled street punk from the club scene of their hometown Los Angeles to sold-out venues all over the US and Canada as well as across the pond to the festival stages of Europe and England. Supporting such acts as Social Distortion, Rancid, Tiger Army and The Casualties, just to name a few. A far cry from their humble beginnings when they were hustling their self titled EP\'s on the streets to raise money for tour. Time Again doesn\'t just build upon their already established sound with their second full-length album "Darker Days". They push the boundaries and deliver an album filled with emotional suspense and angst driven intensity; t...
Circular Sounds is the fourth LP from San Francisco’s home recording auteur Kelley Stoltz. Its 14 songs are a stereophonic advance on the lo-fidelity psych-fuzz of Antique Glow (Beautiful Happiness, 2004) and the mid-fi piano-rock of Below the Branches (Sub Pop, 2006): two modest masterpieces which, by a curious coincidence, both made #24 in MOJO magazine’s “Best Albums” list for their respective years.Kelley has also been praised by such esteemed publications as Uncut, Rolling Stone, Q, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Time Out London, The Independent, and Ptolemaic Terrascope. In Australia he is a bona fide cult sensation, having scored a radio hit with “Underwater’s Where the Action ...
Through combining pure brutality, an insane level of musicianship, and catchy yet searing riffs, BRAIN DRILL manages to accomplish creating a truly prolific and memorable brand of death metal with their Metal Blade Records debut Apocalyptic Feasting. BRAIN DRILL proves that death metal can be technical yet catchy, vicious yet cultured, intricate yet completely listenable. Upon pressing play, listeners will be blasted by drummer Lord Marco Pitruzzella’s speed and dexterity, guitarist Dylan Ruskin and bassist Jeff Hughell’s complexly scorching riffs and technique, and vocalists Steve Rathjen’s combination of low growls and blistering screams.Here’s what Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse, bassist for one of the all time t...
Founded 1988 in Stockholm/Sweden, Dismember were among those responsible for Death Metal\'s big breakthrough. The debut album, "Like An Ever Flowing Stream" from 1991, clearly showed that Dismember are an uncompromising band which resulted in their rise to cult status within a short period of time after the album took the scene by storm. Extensive touring with bands like Death and Cannibal Corpse showed that Dismember are a live force to be reckoned with and the number of fans grew steadily.Spurred on by success, it was easy for mastermind, drummer and producer, Fred Estby and co. to commence the songwriting for the next album. However, the band then released the 5-track EP, "Pieces", and went out on tour again instea...
If life is a highway, FU MANCHU is its soundtrack. Over the last dozen years, the Southern California quartet has perfected the art of the riff, mastered the depth of the groove and sharpened the edge of the hook, and as their 10th album We Must Obey proves, the group's always-rockin' van still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Co-produced by Andrew Alekel (Weezer, Rancid, Queens of the Stone Age) and the band themselves, the record is infectious, inspiring and, most importantly, authentic, the sound of a time- and road-tested group cruising along confidently yet effortlessly.While FU MANCHU's music has been alternately described as stoner rock, surf-punk and desert rock, the truth is that it's all of the above. Rolling Stone probably sai...
Claudio Sanchez – vocals, guitar Travis Stever – guitar Michael Todd – bass Joshua Eppard – drums As celebrity gossip shows and reality programming continue to be the dominant choice of entertainment for millions, many musicians have opted not to challenge the masses and instead write short, simple and predictable songs that sound good on the radio...... then there's Coheed and Cambria.For three years now, the New York group has been releasing dynamic, multi-faceted albums that are as infectious as they are innovative. Their songs are packed with undeniable hooks and contemporary textures, but their sonic vistas are reminiscent of great progressive and atmospheric bands from the '60s and '70s. Bes...
Chimaira is proof that there is life after death. The months following the release of the band's self-titled third album, despite the record's blistering and undeniably killer content, were a dark time. Band members threatened to leave. There were face-to-face arguments. Problems stacked up with their record label. In Cleveland, it seemed like the sky was falling. "We had a wall in front of us. The question became: 'Are we going to just stare at it, or get over it?'" recalls Chimaira singer Mark Hunter. "We kicked ourselves in the ass. And now, we have life again." The sound of that life is nothing less than a sledgehammer to the face. An album cooked up in the rehearsal room with no pretenses beyond ...
Film is the first solo album by Stefan Németh, member of Radian and Lokai and the co-founder of Mosz Records. The album developed out of his years of work creating soundscapes for experimental filmakers and installation artists, but it was only after years of creating this work that he had he idea to repurpose it for an album under his own name. Since around 2001, Stefan Németh has been working with the creators of short films and experimental...
Brandon Summers was disenchanted at a time when he thought he'd be anything but. Following two epic, self-produced albums on Portland's Cavity Search, The Helio Sequence had just released Love and Distance, the duo's shimmering 2004 debut on Sub Pop. Brandon and best friend Benjamin Weikel were traversing the country with their impressive collection of synthesizers, pedals, guitars and massive amps all jam-packed into a brand new tour van (a two-seater obtained during Benjamin's stint as the drummer for Modest Mouse). And heck, the pair had even left their day jobs at their hometown music shop in Beaverton, O...
"My dad said I was an afterparty baby; this goes out to all the accidents out there; keep on making mistakes" - the final words that resonate from the daring acapella lead track "Do I Miss My Friends?" on Cadence Weapon's highly anticipated sophomore release, Afterparty Babies.In the course from his debut album Breaking Kayfabe to his sophomore record, Roland Pemberton has come of age. While most youths were struggling to focus on a sneaker brand for more than a week; the young (and underage) Pemberton would slip into clubs to play shows with Spank Rock, Lady So...
A couple of weeks ago a popped this EP in my cd player and was blown away. It was from a band called Eat Sugar. I enjoyed it so much that I actually made an attempt to contact them, via myspace. To my surprise Greg Poneris(co-founder and drummer) actually wrote me back. After a couple days of messages we set up a interview(I was stoked). So there I was sitting around when my phone rings. It was Greg calling for his interview. I answer a little unprepared and from there...... Q:What is some general information about the band? A: Jim(Bass) and I were in a band called, Chalk, for about nine years and when they broke up we formed Eat Sugar. Then we found Aide...
Inherent to the tradition of his past and present influences, Guillermo Scott Herren has delivered Golden Pollen, an album that explores a wealth of history and exceeds all expectation. The songs featured on this album, some of the first Herren has written with only himself as the primary vocalist, are indicative of a lush, organic texture that reflect mainly on the very personal and transparent nature of their arrangements. Recorded over a period of isolation, these songs enabled Herren to ...
With Justin Townes Earle’s pedigree come mixed blessings. As the son of legendary singer/songwriter Steve Earle, high expectations are the name of the game, and he’s shown that he is up to the task on The Good Life, crafting stark portraits and narrative tales with elements of blues, classic country and rock n’roll. A modern-day troubadour, Earle blends genres seamlessly, framing his songs in warm musical settings and creating tunes that could easily be mistaken for classics. “I started out to make an old timey country record, but I listen to so many other kinds of music,” Justin...
Dallas, Texas-based intodown, a band that has garnered illicit descriptions along the lines of progressive, psychedelic, space, stoner, and experimental rock, will celebrate the release of their latest full-length, "Brave New World", in February 2008. Often referred to by peers and fans as "the 60s band from the future!" because their sound fuses some of the best elements of the great bands of that time period, with a fresh, contemporary palette, "Brave New World", takes the listener on an intense, epic, psychedelic sonic journey; down the rabbit ...
How does a band from a little town outside of Leeds end up going by the name Your Vegas? “It was one of our first songs,” says the band’s singer Coyle Girelli. “Your Vegas seemed to sum us up. It’s about escaping to a different place, wherever that is.” Escape, along with brotherhood, is at the core of Your Vegas. Four of the five band members grew up in a small suburb of Leeds called Otley. Forming a band came naturally; according to Girelli. “There aren’t many people in Otley. You find three other people near the same age into music, you’re probably going to meet up and form a band.&rd...
Broadway Calls is the sometimes pop, sometimes punk, always ultra-catchy band hailing from Rainier, Oregon. Having been compared to bands like Latterman, Green Day, Alkaline Trio and Kid Dynamite, Broadway Calls appeals to an audience of intense, genuine music lovers: The kind of crowd that loves to sing every word to every song. After playing one hometown show, Broadway Calls took a sink-or-swim approach and headed straight out on tour with label-mate Daggermouth. The tour was a great success and Broadway Calls made a name for themselves in the hardcore community. In the year that followed the band hardly had time to come up fo...
Miracle Fortress create a doorway to reflection and gyrationMontreal based reflective and groove crafting muso Graham Van Pelt, explodes his solo production project of Miracle Fortress into a bolder, groove inducing and happy-go-lucky parade in a live environment. Graham is joined by family members, including the personable guitarist Jessie S, adding buoyancy and speed to his searching and reflective, electronic base;“Yeah, the live sound is louder, faster and heavier. There’s not as much of an electronic slant as there is on the album (‘Five Roses’ out now on through Rough Trade Records), either. We do pla...
The Cubical are coming and you better run for cover!This ostensibly blues/garage band will provide the long overdue kick in the teeth that the music scene has been desperately crying out for. Drawing on influences from the world of blues, jazz, folk and good old rock n roll this band truly have done their homework. Their debut album Poor Man’s Disease recorded in Hollywood by the Grammy award winning producer Dave Sardy (Oasis, Jet, Marlyn Manson) pulls the listener by the lapels and drags them on a journey from the staccato heart pounding sounds of 60s psych (Beefheart, Bo Diddley) to the melancholic musings of folk infused country (Cohen...
Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Shauna Burns burst onto the music scene in 2005 with her debut album “Every Thought” to rave reviews and acclamation. Musical Discoveries declares "There is no doubt that “Every Thought “contains a dynamic energy in its complex blend of sounds and striking lyrics. Shauna has a unique style of singing, and combined with her virtuoso piano instrumentals, she has put together an album that is moving and intense." While Smother.net quotes "Every Thought," as "a new fangled fusion that will ignite a spark that will ...
Andy B. Franck – vocalsTorsten Ihlenfeld – guitars Milan Loncaric – guitars Dieter Bernert – drums Formed in 1989 by Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric on guitars and Dieter Bernert on drums, BRAINSTORM released their first demo “Hand Of Doom” after one year of existence. Followed by many shows and several compilations and demos (“Heart Of Hate” / 1992; "The Fifth Season” / 1994) the band signed their first recording contract in 1997.The self-produced debut album “Hungry” was an immediate winner wit...
There are few artists that need no introduction, but Sweden's SOILWORK are definitely one of them. Their reputation as one of the country's finest exports (aside from mustaches, Swedish fish and porn) is well-deserved. Few bands have melded the aggressiveness of metal with genuinely catchy choruses to such impressive results. Before you start name-dropping the latest metalcore sensation, let's just get one thing straight: SOILWORK did it first, and better! One listen to the band's latest, Sworn To A Great Divide, makes it obvious that they're still miles ahead of the competition. SOILWORK - which is not a reference to cultivation, but to wo...
Air Traffic's Fractured Life is a debut album of brilliant, occasionally brutal, mood music. From the sexual euphoria of "Charlotte" to the bleak introspection of "Empty Space", its mindscape is one we have all experienced, or soon will. By turns anguished and exuberant, cocksure and crestfallen, it is rock lived at a pitch of bi-polar intensity that reminds you why you got into this stuff in the first place. Because life is fractured, actually, and its highs and lows have a disconcerting way of interrupting each other. (Which is one reason why Fractured Life makes its point - all 12 of th...
FORMATION: After the breakup of the cult doom/death band Thorr’s Hammer in 1995, Stephen O’Malley, Greg Anderson and Jamie Sykes formed Burning Witch. The band then added G. Stuart Dahlquist and vocalist Edgy 59, rounding out their lineup. Anderson left the band and moved to Los Angeles to form the band Goatsnake. In 1996, the band (without Anderson) recorded songs with Steve Albini, which would become the Towers… EP. This collection would actually not see a formal release on 12 inch until 1998 on Slap A Ham Records. After the sessions for these songs, Sykes left the band and was replaced by B.R.A.D. The sessions that followed the Albini recordings resulted in the Rift.Canyon.Dreams EP, which would&n...
They say modern day Renaissance folk are simply multi-talented. For Love in October, The Musik Group’s Minneapolis- based movers and shakers, they transcend what it means to have their fingers in a little bit of everything. Their debut full- length, Pontus, The Devil, and Me, is set to be unleashed January 22, 2008, and showcases LiO’s ability to diversify all the subgenres found in pop. “It doesn’t bother me to say that we’re a Swedish pop rock band,” says frontman Erik Widman. “Actually it bothers me more to be called a &...
Alice Smith is in Los Angeles, staying high above Sunset Boulevard at that most iconic hotel of ripened Hollywood sensuality, the Chateau Marmont. Someone asks Smith if she likes it there. "Oh yeah," Smith answers with zero hesitation, "I do." She has more to say on the subject of the hotel: "Here's the thing," Smith says, "the one room here that I went to is the best room. It's all windows -- you can see all over the hills. It's overlooking the whole city. It's up on the seventh floor, and it's all windows, and they all open." She mentions her dislike of the mysteriously muddy lighting that Los Angel...
Harper Simon and Edie Brickell have written and collaborated casually during their many years of friendship. Yet in the last two years that collaboration has become more formalized thanks to a series of recording session in New York City with several friends including Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto). Naming themselves The Heavy Circles, the two will release their debut recording on February 12, 2008.Many years ago Simon had an idea to invite Brickell to join him in the studio with several of his friends. P...
Colleen Duffy created Devil Doll one late, smoky evening, many blue moons ago with the mission of putting sex back into rock and roll. Deciding that the world of music had not heard the truth since Joan Jett and Johnny Cash, and hadn’t blushed since Mae West, she grabbed her bass, a microphone and hit “record.” Colleen was born in Cleveland and was raised on Elvis Presley and black and white movies. After conducting homemade Elvis performances for her neighbors, her life was changed forever the moment she heard Joan Jett’s “I love Rock and Roll” on the radio. She picked up a guitar and started tellin’ the...
