Sperry Alan’s third LP, Before Our Time, documents the Nova Scotian’s journey after his decision to not commit suicide. Needless to say, this makes the contents quite raw and familiar to anyone who has had a really bad day—in short, everyone. It’s quite fitting that Alan’s genre is alternative rock, as so many powerfully emotional… Read More Music Review: Sperry Alan – ‘Before Our Time’
Have you ever had mango? Then surely you have your own experiences with its seed. When I think of a mango seed, I see myself holding one after having eaten the delicious flesh around it. It’s both a sad sight – the mango is finished! – as well as one filled with the promise of… Read More Music Review: Mangoseed – ‘Basquiat’
From Singapore and currently living in Austin (Texas), Ras Xix released his self-titled full length albumon May 1 of this year. When listening to the album’s multidimensional and complex sounds, it is sometimes hard to believe that all 11 songs were written, arranged, sung, and produced by Ras Xix, and that he played most of… Read More Music Review: Ras Xix – ‘Ras Xix’
When reviewing a music release, I prefer delving straight into the meat (i.e. the music). But sometimes, the band’s story is so unique and/or inspiring that I feel compelled to share it. This is the case with a band I just discovered, Boy + Kite (pronounced boys plus kite), a band that started strong, opening… Read More Music Review: Boy + Kite – ‘Blueprint’ EP
While there is a certain joy in discovering edgy music that reimagines the rules, there is another type of joy in discovering music that is new and fresh but sounds deliciously familiar. Scott Krokoff’s latest EP, the adult contemporary Realizations and Declarations, Vol. 2, is a collection of familiar sounds that come off as new… Read More Music Review: Scott Krokoff – ‘Realizations and Declarations, Vol. 2’ EP
Magnificent Birds of Prey are releasing their new album next month, the 11-track Kaleidoscope. Carl Kunz Jr. (guitar and vocals), Chris LaFrancis (bass, synths, and backing vocals), Joel Adams (drums and percussion), and Lyle Kelch Jr. (vocals and guitar) have put together what can be loosely described as an alternative rock album with heavy punk… Read More Music Review: Magnificent Birds of Prey – ‘Kaleidoscope’
This six-song EP, titled Morphine, is the brainchild of Phoenix heavy psychedelic rock/metal group The Oxford Coma. Recorded live, Morphine is indeed psychedelic in its intensity and the auditory distortions that feature it. The three members of the band, Billy Tegethoff (guitar and lead vocals), James Williams (bass and vocals), and Anthony Chamberlain (drums), take… Read More Music Review: The Oxford Coma – ‘Morphine’ EP
Delta Deep is a project headed by Phil Collen of Def Leppard. Collen brought together Rob DeLeo (bassist for Stone Temple Pilots), Forrest Robinson (drummer for TLC and India Arie), and Debbi Blackwell-Cook (background vocals for Michael Bublé and Gregory Hines). Their self-titled album, released June 23, 2015, features special guests Paul Cook (drummer for… Read More Music Review: Delta Deep – ‘Delta Deep’
Monterey (California) band Direct Divide, makers of what they call “violin intensified rock”, are releasing next month their five-song EP Own Your Ocean. Members Razz (strings and vocals), Kevin Proctor (guitar, synth, and keyboards) and Valdemar Huguet (drums) have created an almost cinematic sounding set of tracks that will appeal to lovers of Muse and… Read More Music Review: Direct Divide – ‘Own Your Ocean’ EP
The nine tracks on Kings of the Brushwood Thicket’s debut album, The Lies You Leave Behind, more or less follow the laid-back style of “He Was a Man”, the release’s first single. They are all stripped down to an almost bare minimum without sacrificing the richness of the final sound. The album, released earlier this… Read More Music Review: Kings of the Brushwood Thicket – ‘The Lies You Leave Behind’