By Chad Hoyle (@chadillacgrilz) In many cases, describing an album as a mix of various musical influences isn’t necessarily a positive. When describing The Time Was Right, the new album from San Francisco’s Tone of Arc, it refers to completely the opposite. Derrick Boyd, a self-proclaimed “Dr. Frankenstein”, with his literal and figurative “bride” Zoe Presnick, have drawn on a multitude of sources and have molded them together in way that reminds yet never overpowers, in turn creating one of the freshest sounding albums I’ve come across in a long time.
by Rob Duguay One of the golden rock & roll treasures out of the legendary music scene of Austin, TX, Black Joe Lewis is back with his third studio album Electric Slave. A lot of fuzz and a big punk influence resonate on the album to separate it from the rest of Black Joe's catalog, it's an absolute step in the right direction for a band that's putting forth an effort to progress their sound. There's still that blues, soul & rock & roll that makes Black Joe Lewis' music so special, also that lovely horn section is still there as well. Not much has changed with Black Joe on the new album, everything still kicks but also has gotten that jolt of unbelievable brilliance. Think as if an 800-pound gorilla got injected with hi-octane adrenaline and started destroying a bunch of nuclear tanks, then take that thought and put in into a rock & roll record. Enter Black Joe Lewis' Electric Slave.
By RA Bartlett This Thursday, perhaps one of the most explosive reactions to a pre-production film element in the age of new media took place. Warner Bros. pictures announced that their Batman in the upcoming team-up film that follows up the events of Man of Steel would be played by none other than Ben Affleck. By Dan Martin (The Comic's Corner) Hey Everyone, welcome back to the Corner! We are back blogging and back on the air. New episodes start Wednesday, August 28th at 7 PM, Streaming LIVE with all new guests, segments and comic topics. Bay Area rock & roll phenom Ty Segall has been in so many different bands that the amount might compare to your average music junkie's record collection. He's put out music as a member of The Perverts, The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps and currently with Fuzz along with collaborating with the likes of Mikal Cronin and White Fence just to name a few. Ty has also released 8 solo albums by the way, and the kid is only 25. In fact, his 8th solo record titled Sleeper is coming out today. The album is a slight departure from his trademark dirty amplified brilliance with the songs being all based on Ty's strumming on an acoustic guitar. With his Bolan-esque voice, Ty holds it all together in an album that definitely has that 60's psychedelic feel but keeping it honest through his skills on guitar.
Finally, the wait is over. After 5 plus years of hard work and rocking crowds all over New England, Providence Alternative Rock band For The Love Of Sloane has their debut album Curses, Spells & Charms currently out. The album shows that not much has changed in the band's catchy sound since their inception back in 2007. Jay Jefferson has that seismic ability on the drums to pound your eardrums along with Michelle Salgueiro on bass forming a rad rhythm section, Stephen Moniz is still one of the most underrated guitarists in The Creative Capital and Elese Morrone is a force with her emotional lyrics and powerful voice. All of these amazing skills come together in a jewel of an album and a piece of music I've been wanting to hear from For The Love Of Sloane for a long time.
By Chad Hoyle (@chadillacgrilz) A Paracosm is defined as a detailed imaginary world often developed during childhood that continues over a long period of time. The word serves at a fitting title to Washed Out’s newest album, which transports the listener to a calmer, more idyllic place than their current reality- an approach firmly rooted in front man Ernest Greene’s intention to provide “a soundtrack to this daydream.”
Boston has being going under a revival of Alternative Rock over the past few years with the likes of Mean Creek, Gentlemen Hall, The New Highway Hymnal and Pretty & Nice gaining significant fanfare and blowing up venues to smithereens wherever they go. Reminiscent of the late 80's when bands like Buffalo Tom, The Lemonheads, The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. were ruling the Boston music scene, it's interesting how a new breed of alt-rock acts are coming out of The Hub among what are mostly punk and ska bands. With a funny name but a raw & powerful sound, you can consider The Interrobang to join this exclusive group of Beantown contemporaries with their self-titled EP that's currently out.
When it comes to psychedelic folk music, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are a blast from the past with their take on laid-back 60's soul-rock while at the same time having that modern sound that anyone can fall in love with. They got some funky songs, a few R&B tinged Americana numbers and even a few ballads. A great combination of these styles of music is what sets Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros apart from a lot of bands out there today and is also the reason why they have such a huge fan base nowadays. Never afraid to push the envelope a bit in an effort to progress as a band, the music collective led by vocalists Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos have their third self-titled album currently out and it's bound to put you in the groove to make you move along with a couple others that'll put you in deep thought.
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