Head over to our events tab to see some cool events that are coming your way for the end of the year! We have 2 yes you read that right…2 different 24Hour onairathons (Sports and Rock&Roll Hall of Fame Day All Vinyl Show) coming in April AND for EDGEFEST the edgiest music festival of the year!! All details will be posted under the events tab for specifics!
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Gang of Youths debuted on the scene with The Positions, a 10 song album produced by Kevin McMahon.
The first song on the album, Vital Signs, starts light but gives a sense of the creative jams that follow. A melody of bass and drums overlaid with soft vocals give a nice sound that introduces the album well. For an intro song, over 7 minutes is too long. A good chunk of the song is just repetition of sound and is dreadful because of the length.
All of the songs are lengthy, which is too long for this style of music. If the songs were unique from each other, it would be acceptable to have over 6 minute songs, however this genre is becoming oversaturated and this is a poor way to set a band apart from the rest. If a song is going to be this long, it needs to have catchy hooks to keep me listening or it has to be a dynamic rollercoaster of sound.
This album would be great to purchase on vinyl to play in the background of a small party with friends, or for purchase to jam on a lengthy road trip, but not for individual songs. The lengthy songs would be appropriate if the album was much shorter than 10 songs, an EP perhaps. The songs blend and marry well, and are technically produced very well, with the exception of one song. Knuckles White Dry somehow snuck between the poppy, upbeat indie tunes. The piano ballad fits awkwardly but is an appreciated mix-up from the rest of the songs.
This album is for the die-hard indie fan who is looking for something to listen to while relaxing or busy with some other task. I would have enjoyed this better if it was a much shorter album, I feel like a release this size would have done better after they had established themselves on the scene a little bit better. Kudos to Gang of Youths and producer Kevin McMahon for putting together a technically well done album, but next time cut it down a bit. -Amber
Mike Pachelli released the album Faded to Blue recently. The Kickstarter funded album released on March 4th and it is one that you should definitely check out if you are a blues rock fan. An accessible album that might not introduce anything new, but instead excels at creating a diverse track listing that does each song well. I could immediately picture this album being played in a downtown nightlife scene over the summer months. The atmosphere created jumps back and forth between energetic and relaxing making a nice blend.
It might as well been released in the early 70’s since its first couple tracks such as ‘You Make Livin’ Fun’ are reminiscent of The Doors instrumentals & lyrics, and vocals that have a similar husky, brash style to that of Steppenwolf. ‘Magenta Haze’ is a wonderful tribute to Deep Purple and Jimi Hendrix hard rock with guitar and synthesizers included. If you’re a fan of Motown era funk such as Earth Wind & Fire then you’ll enjoy ‘Steppin’ Stone’ before jumping into the 50’s Vegas Rat Pack stylized “Let’s Cut a Rug”. The album ends of with the soothing track ‘These Arms’ which sounds very similar to David Gillmor’s guitar work of Pink Floyd, slow reverb and all included.
The album goes for only $10 online, a good buy from a respected artist with a well-deserved following. The mix of styles prevalent throughout the album displays the best parts of blues whether it is upbeat and lyrical or slow, instrumental and jazz based. This will be one you’ll appreciate each individual track for many listens before becoming tired of the album. -Ken
The 1975 just released their new album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It on February 26, 2016 and I’m going to be honest, I was a little bit worried that their second album couldn’t top their first one. Their first album, The 1975, was written with an 80s romance vibe. The lead singer, Matt Healy, wanted to capture 80s movies like Pretty in Pink, and Breakfast Club type of vibes in his songs and the band did exactly that. Their fans started as a small following (one of them being my 18 year old sister) and then the fan base began to grow to people who follow alternative rock artists regularly. This new album is beyond what I expected. The band had changed its image a few months before releasing this new album so I was worried with this new look that they would stray to a new type of sound, but the band stuck true to its roots and the album has so many songs that remind me of their first album. Songs like “The Sound” and “Love Me” are some of the more popular tunes on the album. However, if you take the time to listen to every song, they all have the same type of beat and lyrics. This is probably going to be my go to playlist/album for a very long time. I suggest this album to anyone who previously listened to the band, or anyone who enjoys alternative rock albums. For lack of a better way to describe them, this album is perfect for a night drive. I give it five stars, as I will for the following albums they choose to release. -Emily L
Classic and familiar, yet, new and fresh, the Greg Merritt Jazz Quartet makes their presence known in the jazz world with their debut album New York Sexy. The quartet consists of headman and guitarist Greg Merritt, keyboardist, Mike Eckroth, bassist Yoshi Waki, and drummer Brian Fishler. The four men, all accomplished and experienced musicians, pay tribute to Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck and other jazz greats. They not only show their off skills playing famous songs loved by generations, but demonstrate their talents as song writers with half the album consisting of original works. The opening track Jakubu Jam, transports the listener’s mind to a 1970’s detective show. The listener can easily imagine Jim Rockford (from the show Rockford Files) carefully tailing a suspect while in tune with Merritt’s slow, but steady guitar playing and Waki’s suspenseful sounding bass. The third song, Cats and Dog, gives off an overall relaxing vibe with session musician Tommy Mattioli’s vibraphone acting as the cherry on top of a de-stressed sundae. Song seven, Barcelona, offers a vision of the hustle and bustle in this Spanish city during a summer evening. Eckroth plays his piano quickly with a soft touch along with Merritt’s fast pace plucking of his guitar strings. The song 4 5 6 follows, beginning with a distortedly spooky arrangement of sudden piano keys, abrupt drum beats, and a swiftly played bass. The song then later on starts to quicken in pace, yet still continues as a blender of sound, making it the most bizarre and unique piece on the album. Cab On The Fdr, like the song before it, has a hectic vibe that will leave the listener scratching their head in wonder. The influence for this song may have been a cab ride from hell one of the band members experienced while in New York. Fast and frightening, this song may act as the perfect soundtrack for someone being driven by a mad man. In the end, Greg Merritt Jazz Quartet can be thought as a meal you never tried before. There are some familiar tastes, yet, there is a brand new flavor you cannot get enough of. New York Sexy, will cause any jazz lover with sense rubbing their hands in anticipation for another album. -Jonathan
