Browsing Tag

Taking Back Sunday

Interview: Jesus B takes us deep into beautiful Alaska

Posted on 9 April 2023

We recently had a chat with the multi-skilled musician all the way from ice-capped Alaska, Jesus B. Surging through with a 2013 Macbook Pro, small island life and where the best places are to watch live music.

We appreciate your time and for speaking with us. Firstly, what is your favourite way to start your mornings and what is a usual breakfast entail?

Jesus B: I usually wake up, brush my teeth and shower. Then I get ready for work. I work on a Coast Guard base and eat breakfast there, usually something like eggs, bacon, and whatnot. I’m not in the Coast Guard though btw!

Please let us all about your latest music and what songs should we be listening to?

Jesus B: I just released an album called “Yours To Give” which is some of my best work, also anything from my “Jesus B. Best Songs” playlist on SoundCloud is good too.

How did you first get into music and what connected you to this art form?

Jesus B: I started about ten years ago with my 2013 Macbook Pro when I discovered my ability to have fun doing something new, what I like about music is that I can express my feelings and hopefully make someone else’s day a little better. My name “Jesus B.” is inspired by a psychotic break I had when I was 18 where I thought I was Jesus LOL.

What was it like growing up on a small island in Alaska and what are your fondest memories?

Jesus B: I lived in a small island of 60 people yearly, my some good memories were of the freedom I had. I would kayak to school everyday. My fondest memories were spending time with my friends and learning who we were while growing up in a way that not many people do.

What are the perks of being a music producer?

Jesus B: What I love about producing my own music is that I have more freedom to make my own style of music in the alternative/emo setting. I can play around with different elements and that helps me tell my song’s story a little better. I love using guitar, it’s such a beautiful instrument.

Where should we go watch live music in Alaska?

Jesus B: Well I think Anchorage is most likely the best place in Alaska to see live music, however I will be performing live here in Sitka soon, I might try to make a film about it.

Last, what kind of music do you personally like and how does it inspire you?

Jesus B: I love Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, and Lil Peep mainly, the pain and intricate display of emotions in their delivery leaves a lot to the imagination and is well executed. I aspire to make music like them.

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Hear the music on SoundCloud.

Interviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Get acquainted with La Roma’s sonic sophomore single ‘Strangers’

Posted on 17 February 2021

After a successful debut with their single, ‘So Long, Adieu’, in 2020 Alt-Rock artist, La Roma, delivered their evocatively iron-wrought single ‘Strangers’ which captures the agony of social tethers tearing.

With sharp lyrics which reflect commonly thought but rarely spoken sentiments such as ‘what have I done to disturb you, it’s like I no longer fill the void in your day’, your soul’s capacity to feel will be well and truly be tested. If Strangers was released in 2019 it would be a raw hard-hitting release, but as it dropped in January 2021, while plenty of people were locked away in their rooms re-evaluating their relationships, it’s overwhelmingly resonant.

Any fans of Thrice, All Time Low, Taking Back Sunday and Jimmy Eat World will definitely want La Roma on their radar. Their nuanced take on Hard Rock comes complete with cuttingly angular guitars, intense percussion, viscerally restraint-less vocals and the sense that La Roma is going to take the scene by storm once COVID has finished destroying it.

Strangers is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chiptune and Grungy Garage Rock converge in Fake-Bit Rebel’s debut single “Green Eyes”

Posted on 30 August 2020

Never did I think I’d see the day where I’d get to experience grungy Garage Rock in 8-bit form. But after the release of Fake-Bit Rebel’s debut single “Green Eyes,” I got to appreciate the alchemy which spilt by the raucously evocative aural ingenuity.

The glitchy notes spiked through the walls of noisy distorted guitars which carved euphorically galvanizing choruses and created the perfect platform for Fake-Bit Rebel’s vocals which will be a hit with any fans of Blink-182, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday.

It’s the kind of track you hit play on and immediately want to tell your friends about the aural gem that left you endeared and excitable in equal measure.

You can check out Fake-Bit Rebel’s single Green Eyes for yourselves on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Colors In Mind Reach Music Peaks

Posted on 5 November 2017

If you draw a Venn diagram of exploratory music, where the intersection between technical metal, progressive and post-rock occurs you won’t find a whole lot of bands, but you will find Colors in Mind. With their latest release, Yugen Peaks they build their sound on a wonderfully fluid post-rock template, one that eschews the 4/4 signature and rigid verse-chorus ethic of traditional rock and instead wanders its own musical journey, often lingering in one lush musical landscape before flitting through more minimal territory, languishing in gentle, bucolic beauty and then climbing dramatic peaks.

It isn’t hard to see this approach as a modern day progressive classical music, the instruments may have been updated from the traditional format but the symphonic nature of the music is obvious to all. And l it tells its story as much through symphonic sound as it does the lyrics, it maybe be a less obvious, less direct method, but it is no less heart tugging, emotive and effective. It is music of the heart and soul, requiring total immersion. Whilst most music contains its own user manual amongst its beats and notes, one that tells the listener exactly how to interpret the message, this is more about osmosis, a vibe to be soaked up and ingested.

Fox Harbor Release Heart-Warming Song “Some Kind Of Magic”

Posted on 4 November 2017

Fox Harbour are a Nashville based band fronted by two voices which complement each other perfectly in a blend of vocal harmonies, strong driving melodies and an authentic country sound with pop influences. Nathan Cogan and Claire Cooper have not only joined forces to make this project come to life but they have also crafted their very own distinguishable sound and artistic vision along the way. “Some Kind Of Magic” is in fact their latest release which presents a delicate yet strong balance of harmonies and tuneful melodies as well as a heart-warming spirit in the whole arrangement and performance quality.

The duet aspect in “Some Kind Of Magic” is indeed what brings it to life and makes it so impactful and infectious. It is primarily a dance of conversation between the two which culminates in a unifying chorus that truly brings out their vocal compatibility and highlights their ability to create one homogeneous sound. Apart from this, the gentle guitars and strings instrumentation also makes room for the tuneful melodies and vocal tones to shine bright. The two vocal tones in combination with this instrumental arrangement in fact create a very particular balance and character which is truly difficult to find. A characteristic of sound which only true artists with careful attention to detail can obtain.

-Sarah Marie Bugeja

Masses release dark experimental alt rock track ‘Owl Eater’

Posted on 4 August 2017
Masses by Masses

Masses is a musical outfit hailing from California. This song instantly appeals to fans of dark experimental alternative rock music, with a penchant for post punk melodies and a love for industrial landscapes.

The massive riffs and wide-open melodies of this track make me think of the music of artists as diverse as Thursday, Taking Back Sunday or At-The-Drive-In, just to mention a few. The guitar tone is monolith, and the bass and drums lock in together perfectly, to form the backbone of a powerful rhythm section. However, what makes the band stand out is definitely the backdrop of unique ambient sounds and drones, adding a lush, dream-like and sometimes dark atmosphere to contrast with the band’s alternative rock energy.

The song, clocking in at 3.35, is a perfect example of what this band stands for in a nutshell. This track has everything you would expect from a great post-punk band: melody, energy, darkness and light.

Find out more and listen to “Masses” directly through their official page on Bandcamp:

https://masses1.bandcamp.com/track/owl-eater

-Andrea Caccese