Alternative quartet No Dry County – comprised of Dub Wood (bass, vocals), Trent Langford (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Matt Newsom (Drums, Vocals), and Bristen Phillips (Guitar) – recently released their latest track, called “Bittersweet”. The song is about understanding that things change consistently, that things cannot stay the same. The song is a slow dance single that will have you on the dance floor swaying slowly with your partner. The track talks about finding the cause for no longer communicating with one another and realizing what caused them and that person to no longer be on good terms. The lead singer in the song sings about Irreconcilable differences and the hope that those differences will be lit up again.
Lights & Bridges is a relatively new project from musician Tom Rossi, a fluent multi-instrumentalist who plays Ghanaian hand drums and African kora. Rossi serves as a therapeutic musician who has dedicated years in performing for patients in hospice care. His love for therapeutic music began after recovering for surgery for six months. He enrolled in the IM School Healing Arts in Manhattan and learned the art of healing through music over the course of six years.
The EP is a mixture of beautiful guitar songs that calm your spirit. Rossi uses his talents to further calm people during the most difficult time in their lives, death. Lights and Bridges has four songs in total. The song “Tears of Gold” from the album is a song full of melodies that relax you while lifting your spirit at the same time. “Superball”, the first song from the EP, was written with the thought of the rise and fall of everything. “Outside The Wall” is a song that is about the desperate need to fulfill everything in your life. Lemons, a personal favorite is a song about life giving you lemons and having to take those lemons and squeeze them. The EP is a set of compelling tracks that leave you relaxed and feeling motivated.
Punk is a genre that has always been known for its simplicity and raw, primitive sound. Many music fans write off the genre entirely because they believe that music must be complex and polished to be great. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In the 70’s a bunch of kids who grew up on a steady diet of classic rockabilly, pop, soul, British invasion, Motown, and ska took a look at the vapid and self-important hippies burning out on the radio and said fuck this. They cut their hair, put on the jeans and leather jackets of their early-rock-and-roll heroes, went into their garages, turned up the tempos, pushed their amps into overdrive, and invented the potent form of fundamentalist rock and roll we now know as punk rock. The following songs showcase just how much depth can be captured in a few minutes with a few chords and with some cheap equipment.
The Buzzcocks: I Don’t Mind
The unusual chord progression and surreal message makes this song the “Strawberry Fields Forever” of punk rock. Beginning with the beautiful phrase, “Reality’s a Dream” the verse starts out square but quickly gets mired in a swirling series of out-of-key chords and a disjointed melody that and builds and blossoms into short, simple, and joyful chorus about not caring. It perfectly captures the message of escaping the emotional torment of uncertainty and chaos by just not giving a fuck. During the bridge the song shifts to a minor tonality as Pete Shelley reflects on past insecurity and rejection, emerging at the end in a higher key to once-and-for-all assert his triumphant nihilism.
Stiff Little Fingers: Alternative Ulster
This song about kids caught up in ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland begins with a plaintive guitar melody drenched in reverb raw and almost in-tune. The lonely major-key drone expresses a combination of sadness and optimism that Stiff Little Fingers does so well. The song explodes into short punchy phrases in the verse over a restless 4 chord vamp in which Jake Burns lays out the frustration of scraping by under a repressive regime with throaty angst. Then it stretches out into the prechorus in which he explains that nothing’s going to change because nobody in power has any reason to change it. An usual extra measure builds anticipation before the assertive chorus chords in which he gives the solution to the problem: Do it yourself. Create an alternative of your own. “Ignore the bores, their laws…grab it change it’s yours.” After a powerful bridge rapidly dispensing with the naysayers, the original guitar melody returns over a shuffle drum beat. The meandering line returning with purpose and power before delivering the listener to a satisfying final chorus.
The Clash: Death or Glory
One of the many gems on London Calling, “Death or Glory” explores how high-minded ideals and righteous conquests are corrupted by time and routine. The song starts with a round and melodic bass line and syncopated high hat accents building into a grade-A punk rock groove underneath Mick Jones channeling Mick Ronson’s brand of channeling Chuck Berry via the English Channel. Paul Simon’s baseline walks under guitar stabs as Strummer howls his verse with great lines such as “love and hate tattooed across the knuckles of his hands, hands that slap his kids around ‘cuz they don’t understand” finally breaking into one of the catchiest choruses ever penned. During the bridge Topper Headon lays down a restless funky beat that is complemented by Jones’ rhythmic octaves and Simonon’s sequenced bass line. Creating the perfect musical backdrop for Strummer to quietly but insistently express the the will to fight and raise hell. After a final chorus the band ends the song on a slightly out-of-time, and out-of-tune final hit. Just in case you thought they were getting too refined.
Dead Boys: Sonic Reducer
Whereas the Buzzcocks found release in not caring, Stiff Little Fingers found salvation in not caring, and The Clash believed we were sadly destined to not care, The Dead Boys just didn’t care. Two bold chords at the outset fade into a swirl of flanged cymbals and feedback overtop a foreboding minor-key guitar line which finally explodes into power chords and Cheetah Chrome’s brash guitar solo. The verse pummels forward as Stiv Bators lists all the things he doesn’t need including family, beauty, and the human race. It builds towards a chorus that tells you why he doesn’t need any of that stuff. Because he’s a god damn rock and roller and one day he’ll be a ten foot tall Pharaoh and you won’t be shit. The song barrels forward all the way to the end with Ohio’s trademark street-walking-cheetah-with-a-heart-full-of-napalm raw power and swagger.
The Jam: The Eton Rifles
This fantastic tune begins with an intro of crashing minor chords, splashy drums, and a catchy repeated bass figure. Then breaks in to a double verse based on a two chord vamp of clanging guitar stabs and punctuated by a two chord turnaround contained in an unusual extra measure as bassist Bruce Foxton proves that drums, guitar, and a Rickenbacker bass is all you need to fill up the sonic palette. Buried in the mix, Paul Weller cleverly tells the story of a street fight between working class protest marchers and students from the prestigious UK prep school Eton in his unpretentiously accented baritone. During the chorus his vocal line climbs and the chord changes accelerate climaxing with a repeated “Eton Rifles” hook based on a melodic figure made memorable by its widely spaced intervals. The tonality darkens to minor for the unbalanced-feeling 9 measure bridge, perfectly framing the lyrics in which Weller describes his feelings of shame and disappointment with his comrades who were more interested in posturing than repelling the attacks of the future ruling elite. An instrumental section sandwiched between repetitions of the bridge that includes organ and reggae-influenced guitar delay showcases the band’s versatility. A vitriolic final verse and extended final chorus decays into cacophony before it is tied together by several restatements of the main theme mirrored by palm muted guitar before a definitive final hit. As strong a song as was ever written.
Generation X: Kiss Me Deadly
Pre-White-Wedding Billy Idol and company turned out this masterpiece of a song which is built on a verse, prechorus, and chorus that flow into each other so naturally and evolve so organically through the song that they create a nearly inseparable musical unit. This brilliant structure provides the backdrop over which Idol paints a picture of rebellious youth in the UK in the late 70’s characterized by love, sex, fights, flights, drugs, and old-school rock and roll. It begins with delicate guitar arpeggios venturing through a chord progression that is more reminiscent of The Zombies than The Ramones. Bold drums enter during the second verse foreshadowing the huge guitar onslaught that picks up and carries the song through to its end. After a melodic guitar solo, the chorus is extended during the final musical unit repeating the memorable title, “Kiss Me Deadly.” Exploited may have gotten right to the point with “Sex and Violence” but Generation X was able to translate the eros/thanatos theme into a brilliant work of punk rock art.
Discovering that he has a unique way of allowing his audience to escape through his music, up and coming musician Pale Green Things – the moniker for Jack Traynor – has released a new single entitled, “The islands” that was crafted to do just that. As fans and spectators around the globe have commented, Pale Green Things allows them to leave behind the stress and anxiety of this world and experience the dreamy lushness of beautiful sound. “The Islands” was inspired by São Miguel Island in the Azores region of Portugal. The soothing melody is layered with gorgeous soundscapes that speak of both relief and safety. However, like all inspired pieces, this track is full of movement and, as the song continues, fans can feel the reality creeping in on the corners of their existence as they are pulled back into their true circumstance through skilled, flickering guitar acoustics.
As this indie-folk artist tours around his home in the United Kingdom, he has his eyes set on the future and what he can accomplish with his unique skills and abilities. With more experience and stage time over the past year, he has gained an international fan base that is continuing to grow, as he progresses and brings his music to a more advanced level. Without a doubt, as more time passes, Pale Green Things will continue to surprise and impress–effectively etching his name in the music community.
Fresh off the presses, Jaunt‘s new 5-track EP Cue is ready for your waiting ears. Launched on Friday the 13th, there’s nothing spooky about this release, though it does play with dissonance and ambient sounds to bring you into a whole different soundscape than what you might be used to. While first track “Machined” feels like a slight machine interaction – small noises that lend themselves to its overall 70s-inspired feel -,second track “Best Case” continues at a slow tempo, the occasional guitar riff lending itself to a far more groovy sound.
“Intimate Sunset” exists in a soundscape similar to what the title infers. Beachy vibes almost drop from the speakers, and we’re already feeling like we’re on a much needed vacation. “Faster Interactions” is chill, groovy and psychedelic. With the use of a keyboard organ, soft high pitched vocals, and a variety of electronic sounds “Faster Interactions” stays true to its name. The video for “Faster Interactions” also really displays the band’s creativity with a psychedelic feel of fast paced iridescent lights and unexpected visuals.
Of “Faster Interactions” Jaunt says:
“Faster Interactions” is probably our zaniest track to date! It was one of the first written for Cue, but also took the longest to complete. We quickly knew that it would be a single, and playing it repeatedly live has helped us finesse it’s nuances. Caitlin and Eliza really helped bring a new energy and dynamic, ultimately making the song more joyous. We’re also trying very hard to bring back the sound of cheap keyboard orchestra hits in pop music.
They round out the magic with “Cued”, a slower track with more of a vibey, enchanting sound to it all. It’s the perfect bookend to what we have just experienced, and we’re enthralled enough to hear more.
Musical duo Black Satellite – comprised of Larissa Vale and Kyle Hawken, who met in their hometown in Pennsylvania – is not only dynamic, but also diverse. Their beats and powerful vocals make them a force to be reckoned with, and they’re back with a new single titled “My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend”. The song is a tribute to Type O Negative’s late founder Peter Steele, and is an absolute adventure to listen to, as well as to watch in the dark, brooding new music video. “My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend” has a use of heavy guitars and drums, and is something you can get up and dance to while feeling carefree.
“My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend” honors the legacy of Peter Steele perfectly. The track is well worth the listen.
Brooding, cinematic and filled with movement, “VHS #2: Masks” is here. Philadelphia based four-piece Sixteen Jackies have just dropped this brand new track, a song that heralds the coming of their Movie Was Bad & Mascula double EP being released on a 12” record in May. The track will appear on the Mascula side and references the classic horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Nodding to the dimensions of personality in the movie, “VHS #2: Masks” takes on many angles and forms as well. Sixteen Jackies is delightfully different, and anyone looking for a slightly off-kilter track will not be disappointed.
Sixteen Jackies is comprised of vocals and guitar by Joey DeMarco, guitarist/keyboardist Jeremiah Bull, Ian Staley on drums and keys, and bassist Tim Davis. Where some bands try to be different in all the wrong ways, Sixteen Jackies nails it, owns it, and maintains authenticity. “VHS #2: Masks” is the result of a band knowing their sound and vision, as well as being able to clearly communicate it. This track is not one to miss.
Soothing, well-crafted, and moving. That’s what Sammy Strittmatter’s brand new track, “When She Sleeps” is. This new song will appear on Stritmatter’s upcoming record, Get Out of the City, dropping May 18 via Palo Santo Records. The Texas-bred, L.A.-based artist has clearly honed his craft, and it shines in “When She Sleeps”. This track is heaven for anyone needing some great acoustic guitar in their life. The chords perfectly accompany the confident yet soft vocals.
Says Strittmatter of his new track:
I first tracked this song while living in Arlington, TX. For about five years, I lived in a house that was built in 1916 for the Mayor. It was the first house built in the South Center Street Historic District. The house was all wood, so it had amazing acoustics in every room. Also, it had this stunningly tall stairwell, and I would place microphones at the very bottom, top, and in between, capturing a unique natural reverb. It was an inspiring place to think and create, which led to me writing the guitar part for this song.
“When She Sleeps” is not a track you’ll want to miss out on, so give it a listen today.
Watch for Get Out of the City, out May 18. Stay connected with Sammy Strittmatter: Bandcamp – Facebook – Soundcloud
Breaking out of the mold and into the limelight that is so highly sought after is fresh new band The Hails. Over the past few months, Robbie Kingsley (lead vocals), Dylan McCue (guitar), Franco Colari (vocals and guitar), Andre Escobar (base) and Zach Levy (drums) have taken their raw talent and turned it into a new single that has now reached over 150 thousand fans in less than one month. Their latest single, “Younger,” alone has created a name for this young group in the music industry that is not soon to be forgotten.
Since the release, streaming stats have flown through the roof which landed them the #1 spot on Hype Machine over the past few days. This hot new single has won over the hearts of fans and critics alike with its alternative rock rhythms and 70’s groove throwback vibes. Not only do they put a fresh twist on a classic sound that has been loved for decades, but they are also able to add their own unique flare that has set them apart from the rest of the alt rock community. Another stunning aspect of The Hails is their high levels of confidence in their live performances that blows fans away and far surpasses their competitors. No doubt this is a group to keep an eye on as they continually grow and fill the expectations that they have set for themselves.
Don’t miss out on any of The Hails’ new music! Follow them on their official website!
