I’m a sufferer of event fatigue. With some of the big name companies pumping out event series and spin-offs every year like rabbits popping out litters of kits, it is hard not to get jaded with the near-constant barrage. When I heard that Top Cow was entering this market with their own event series, it was with some trepidation that I approached the first issue. Thankfully, Artifacts #1 was quick to calm my fears and even left me excited with anticipation. […]
People listen to music for a number of various reasons. It could be to rev everyone up before hitting town for a night out, as a atmospheric-building accompaniment to a romantic dinner, and so forth. No matter why people listen to the various forms of music that they do, everyone has a core set of songs or albums that they use to centre themselves or “reboot”, whether they know it or not. […]
Every now and then, a listener just wants to plug into some music that’s unashamed fun, and American space-rock band Elsinore may just be an ideal band to help the listener achieve that. With the upcoming release of their second studio album, Yes Yes Yes, Elsinore present the results of two years and over a thousand studio hours; a textured and dynamic album of vivacious yet personal songs that joyfully soundtrack the simplistic bliss of life in the Midwest. […]
Son of the Sun was formed in early 2007 from opposite sides of the United States. At the time, Joseph Stocker lived in New York and Zak Ward lived in California, and the two friends and former band-mates experimented with their reflective, lush musical tastes over the internet, swapping files which eventually brought about their first EP in 2008. After Ward moved back to New York, the duo went on to add Jeremy Franklin, Steve Matthews, and Brandon Delmont, and the band were soon tagged as a band to watch in the upstate New York music scene. Son of the Sun have now self-released their debut full-length album, The Happy Loss, and it’s an album that’s well worth checking out. […]
Elk City is a small Oklahoma city with a heritage in oil, agriculture, and transport, as well as being part of the history of Route 66. It is somewhat of a mystery then as to why a band from New York would name themselves after this small city, especially when the band’s music itself is full of the urban sophistication of their home city. Whatever the case may be, the band Elk City have been making a name for themselves with their foray into 1970s radio pop-style music, and have recently released their sophomore album, House of Tongues. […]
Hailing from Fargo, North Dakota, Secret Cities is a band that was born from the minds of a pair of 15 year-olds at band camp who discovered a shared love of psychedelica. Fast forward to 2010, and the now-trio are about to release their debut album Pink Graffiti. Listed by the influential music site Stereogum as one of their bands to watch in 2010, Secret Cities establish themselves with this album as something quite different but phenomenally good. […]
Take one part growing up in Idaho, add a dash of Portland, Oregon, and mix together with a healthy dose of Mississippi living. This is the recipe that’s led to the creation of the debut full-length album from Johnny Bertram and his band The Golden Bicycles. Blending together the indie folk-rock sounds of the Pacific Northwest with the southern country rock roots of the Mississippi, Days That Passed is a rocking good album. […]
It seems quite often in the music industry that random coincidence leads to the creation of a successful collaboration or composition. In 2006, alternative rock darling KatieJane Garside (QueenAdreena, Daisy Chainsaw) discovered guitarist Chris Whittingham busking in the London Underground, and was immediately drawn to him. Together, they formed Ruby Throat and immediately started producing their distinct brand of alt-folk music and eventually releasing their debut The Ventriloquist. In late 2009, they released their sophomore album out from a black cloud came a bird, named after a fatal plane crash that Garside witnessed in Nepal. […]
Brooklyn-based Slow Six have their feet planted firmly as pioneers in the classical crossover camp. Successfully combining classical music with rock, they create a sound that other artists strive, but can not attain to the same level. Originally playing twenty-minute electro-acoustic scores to stunned audiences in New York in the late Nineties, they have helped redefine what is possible when crossing the genres. Now, with their new album Tomorrow Becomes You, they return to their experimental rock roots and deliver a mesmerising post-rockesque experience. […]
New Zealand musician Chris Knox is a key figure in the development of the Kiwi music scene. Considered somewhat a living legend, Chris has influenced a number of musicians within New Zealand, as well as abroad, and he has been critically acclaimed by the likes of Rolling Stone magazine, New York’s Village Voice, and Billboard. Sadly, in 2009, Chris suffered a series of life-altering strokes. As a measure of the respect for him, 33 musicians gathered from around the world to record the double album Stroke – Songs For Chris Knox… the proceeds of which go towards him and his family. […]
