Browsing Tag

video

River Lynch and The Spiritmakers: Resonant Reverb For The Revivalists.

Posted on 28 October 2017

River Lynch and The Spiritmakers have dropped their brand-new track ‘Straight Through’ complete with a stunningly visual video that’s a serendipitous dream for all of my fellow rock revivalists. Their combination of Rock n’ roll, blues, and folk rock is insatiably delectable combined with the charisma of one of the most charming front men that’s graced the rock genre.

Originating from Rochester, New York; Lynch has his work cut out for himself contending with a drift of musicians that are all as heavy as the snow fall. Fans all across NY who have had the pleasure to witness this enigmatic foursome live, all know that they transcend the typical Rochester noise.

The band exude the same style of The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcyle Club & The Jim Jones Review, but with so much soul and modern energy behind their music the comparison hardly seems fair. Their debut track is packed full of resonant reverb from the effortless talent of lyricist, vocalist and guitarist River Lynch. There’s not many guitarists that are blessed with the ability to create the jingle of Johnny Marr, the guitar solo is everything you’d expect from a band that exudes vibrantly vintage nostalgic sound.

From start to finish the track is a true audiophiles delight. Undoubtedly by far my favourite element of this track was the lyrical diversity from Lynch as he transgressed from graunching gravelly vocals to hitting the resonant highs, whilst drenching you in gloriously riff heavy ensembles combined with piercing drum rolls and a uniquely delectable organ infused sound.

Finnish Duo Us! Release Mature Pop Video “Miracle”

Posted on 11 October 2017
https://youtu.be/b1pzgjd30_w

It is great when you hear bands and you struggle to see quite where it fits into the musical canon. Well, I think so anyway, what’s so good about conforming to what has gone before. That Miracle is based on a pop vibe is not in any doubt but this Finnish duo add so much more to the usual commercially viable package. Pop is at its best when it is slick and well produced, but on top of that here is a band which reveal in elegance and maturity and almost classical vocal deliveries, pop has often been big but rarely this clever.

It sits somewhere between chart accessibility and musical theatre, retaining the infectiousness of the former and absorbing the integrity of the latter, and in both audio and visual spheres Us! demonstrates that there is a welcome alternative to the jarringly saccharine careers pursued by several of her peers. Not only a great song offering an alternate take on what pop can be about but one which reminds us as much of where the genre has come from as to where it is going. Us! Are great and their success is not only most welcome it also seems inevitable.

MRCL.X Release Video For “1st LuV -Sweet Dreams MASHUP”

Posted on 11 October 2017

MRCL.X - 1st LuV -Sweet Dreams MASHUP ( Jam Session) from MRCL.X on Vimeo.

It’s always fun to see artists we love cover the artists they love, but many believe you can never truly replace an original piece of work. This said, the advent of DJ culture brought up the concept of bringing pieces together for a new, unique spin on old works. MRCL.X has found that taking the idea of a Mashup and applying it to more traditional songwriting as opposed to a mixture of two songs played simultaneously through samples and crossfading. With this idea in mind, we’re treated to an original song that trails off into the Eurythmics classic Sweet Dreams.

1st LuV tackles heavy feelings with dark sensibility to performance while the music is genuinely neutral –sounding in tone, leaving heavy contrast that emphasizes the ghastly vocals and evocative subject matter. To top off the haunting verse, the familiar lyrics come through to sing us a chorus from the past that has been done more than once for a radio hit, but never like this. To say it leaves an impression is an understatement. This mashup is worthy of the source material it uses and truly found art in the synergy of combining original and covered art.

-Paul Weyer

Frogcodile Release Melodic Indie Rock Video “Paperhouse” Live From The Basement

Posted on 8 October 2017

Frogcodile is an indie rock band with a passion for melodic indie rock. Their music makes me think of bands such as Radiohead or Horse Jumper Of Love, fueled by simple melodies, yet striking for its essentialism.

Their recent release is a live recording straight out from the band’s rehearsal space. The sound production is impeccable, and the band managed to capture their live performances in a really spectacular way, combining studio fidelity with the human touch of live sound…there is simply nothing as good as a band in a room, playing off of the real dynamics between musicians! The youtube pages actually features 4 performances, including the songs “Distant Days”, “Paperhouse”, “Molecules” and “Refractions”. The second tune mentioned, “Paperhouse”, stands as a great example of the band’s vision.

The guitar lines in particular, are really simple, but they have a special way to seamlessly cut through the mix and leave a mark in the arrangements. The drums are uptempo and dense, with a powerful groove serving as the backbone of the songs.

SABATINO SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE THE ITALIAN STYLE IN “LA BELLA VITA”

Posted on 9 September 2017
https://youtu.be/N30ABH8CRwI

Opening up with a steady groove that immediately captivates the attention, in combination with luscious melodic phrases and a laid back vocal, Sabatino manages to create a very atmospheric vibe that really depicts living the good life. Apart from this, as the name suggests, there is a touch of Italian flare in the music which is also very prominent in the immersive music video featuring picturesque Italian views of the Mediterranean sea, making for a brilliant summer song.

Apart from interweaving lyrics in both English and Italian, “La Bella Vita”  features mellow percussions, smooth and atmospheric guitar phrases and most prominently a rich breathy vocal tone which colours the song with deep and dark notes as well as high and bright sonorities. What was particularly intriguing in fact was the bridge featuring vocal improvisation at a surprisingly high register, drowned in digital atmospheric effects which truly highlight Sabatino’s unique sense of musical aesthetic. Apart from being a well crafted fresh summer song, “La Bella Vita,” indeed has its own character which allows it to stand out from the rest.

-Sarah Marie Bugeja

A&R Factory Present: J Lind

Posted on 5 January 2017

J Lind is an American singer-songwriter from Arizona. Following high school, J attended Princeton University on scholarship, where he formed an alternative rock band, Valley Academy. The group quickly became Princeton’s premier indie act, opening for artists ranging from Alus and Luke Christopher to the Grammy-nominated artist, Big Sean, before parting ways in the spring of 2016.

In August, J recorded his debut solo EP at The Chapel in Nashville, TN. Engineered by Joshua D. Niles (COIN, Taylor Phelan, Jason Gray), the record blends warm instrumentation’s with timeless folk signatures to touch on socially relevant themes. J’s debut EP is scheduled for release in January 2017, prior to a string of shows in Europe in the spring.