New TCM single…Drown in the Now
If you’re an electronic music fan, odds are you’re into The Crystal Method. This electronic heavyweight duo is set to drop a new album Divided by Night sometime this Spring. In the meantime, here’s a taste of their single “Drown in the Now” featuring the one and only Matisyahu.
Ace Enders & A Million Different People – When I Hit the Ground
March 24, 2009 by Keith
Filed under Album Reviews, Videos
Early November frontman Arthur “Ace” Enders has always been impressive. From his work with the Early Novermber to his first side-project I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business, Enders has that ability to pick up the tempo when he has to and then slow it back down when the time is necessary.
When I Hit the Ground, produced under the name Ace Enders & A Million Different People, guides the listener through a variety of upbeat hits and has them begging for more with Enders’ melodic ballads. The guitars are catchy. The lyrics build you up and take you on a journey.
For fans of Mae, The Morning Of, Death Cab for Cutie, or Relient K, Enders plays with the best of ‘em. Tracks like “Reaction”, “Take the Money and Run”, and “Leader” let Enders’ vocal range shine. If you decide to pick up this album, get ready to tap your toes and sing along…it’s inevitable.
The sound Enders developed with The Early November and his first side-project are still present…more refined than ever.
Less Than Jake
March 23, 2009 by Keith
Filed under Concerts, Featured, The Underground
3/20/2009 Experienced yet enthusiastic. These ska-punk juggernauts held nothing back at their Cleveland tour stop. Belting out classics from a variety of their albums, Less Than Jake proved they haven’t let up one bit.
Silverstein’s Latest Single: “Vices”
Silverstein’s latest single “Vices” hit the net this week from their upcoming album “A Shipwreck in the Sand.”
The song features the standard Silverstein mix of hardcore and melodic vocals screamed over fierce interlaced guitar measures and hooks…
Silverstein is certainly no Underoath or Atreyu, but they have definitely carved out a comfortable niche for themselves in the post-hardcore scene.
“A Shipwreck in the Sand” drops March 31. We’ll have the review right here.
Static-X – Cult of Static
March 20, 2009 by Matt
Filed under Album Reviews, Videos
Every year and a half or so we are forced to bow down to the musical savagery of Static-X, who never fail to produce a solid album that has just enough variation to keep us invested. Happily, their latest album “Cult of Static” warrants more attention than usual. The band’s sixth studio album, it is a crushing and brutal demonstration of industro-thrashing side-show circus rock that pays tribute to their loyal cult following.
The album’s first track, “Lunatic”, features a musical cameo from rock-idol Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, who rips his way through a menacing guitar solo that goes perfectly with the song’s initial assault.
Other notable tracks include “Skinned”, a surprisingly epic and surreal foray into apocalyptic soundscapes, and “Hypure”, which is a rhythmic and daring turn for the band.
Even darker and moodier than their last effort “Cannibal”, “Cult of Static” is Static-X at their most sinister. Its songs are longer, full of synths and techno arrangements, and more complex than any album they’ve released.
Thank the heavens we won’t have to wait long for their next album to drop.
Kottonmouth Kings
March 20, 2009 by Keith
Filed under Concerts, Featured, The Underground
3/18/2009 Headlining the Bring Tha Noize Tour, Kottonmouth Kings stormed the stage and never looked back. The beats were heavy, and the mayhem quickly ensued.
Put it on repeat…Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Zero”
Smooth. Driving. This song has all the pieces to be an indie anthem. We’ve had “Zero” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on repeat for a while now…
New CunninLynguists single “Don’t Leave (When Winter Comes)”
Check out the latest single from the upcoming CunninLynguists album Strange Journey Volume One. Smooth. Chill. Vibrant. This specific track featurs Slug of Atmosphere.
For more information, browse over to QN5.
STL’s own release new mixtape…Sound Cinema
March 13, 2009 by Keith
Filed under The Underground
St. Louis’ Scripts N Screwz just released their latest mixtape titled Sound Cinema. I met Damon producing in the SLU radio station my freshman year and have known him as a classmate since. Their 2008 album The New Noise really showcases their production abilities.
If you’re looking to pick up their newest mixtape, here’s the download link.
http://www.zshare.net/download/569021051a0a7fee/
New Found Glory – Not Without a Fight
March 11, 2009 by Matt
Filed under Album Reviews, Videos
I’ve certainly never considered myself a diehard New Found Glory fan, but I can’t knock a band that has had so much success in their ten year career, dropping six albums, three of them gold, and procuring a solid fan base that will always remain faithful.
That said, NFG has fallen into somewhat of a rut lately. The band’s last two albums, Coming Home and Catalyst, were nothing special and lacked the signature NFG hook, showcasing a more hard rock feel that didn’t really gel with the band’s image. On top of all that, bands like Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World were simply doing the whole pop-punk thing better to the point where NFG’s sound had become almost obsolete. By the time Coming Home was released, it felt like NFG had fallen off the radar.
Thankfully, NFG has returned to form with their latest, Not Without a Fight, the band’s seventh effort. It combines the best elements of Catalyst and Coming Home without the pretentious rock bravado NFG has become accustomed to lately. The album revels in NFG antiquity, featuring sounds similar to those heard on their earlier works, Hit or Miss and Sticks and Stones. Each song features the traditional NFG hook, especially on tracks like “Don’t Let Her Pull You Down” and the opening track, “Right Where We Left Off.” “Reasons” features a catchy acoustic ballad and “I’ll Never Love Again” finds the five member band screaming said title in effective unison. Tracks like “Such a Mess” and “Truckstop Blues” are filled with infectious guitars and choruses that reveal how much fun NFG seems to be having with their latest creation.
Amazingly, there aren’t many disappointments on this record. The guitars sound extra crunchy and even lead singer Jordan Pundik sounds slightly less whiny, one of my big complaints with NFG’s last two albums.
Even if Not Without a Fight proves commercially unsuccessful, it proves that NFG is back and ready to contend with pop-punk heavyweights in hopes that they may one day reclaim the genre’s crown.
Check the band’s myspace to stream the entire album!