Label: Roadrunner Records Released: May 6, 2008 There is really no shortage of bands out there today who are mining the 70s for the source of its hard rock gems. The Parlor Mob is one such band. They’ve obviously spent some time with Zeppelin and the Nuge and they’ve certainly gotten quite a bit out of that. And You Were… Read more »
BRASS – 3 New Songs for Free Download A SMALL BREATH EP now available digitally Also download songs from debut Set & Drift Philadelphia’s Brass have officially released their new three-song EP, A Small Breath, for free digital download. For more information, go here. For instant gratification, voila!. The band will also be pressing a very limited run of 100… Read more »
Label: Rhino Released: April 22, 2008 Otis Blue is a widely accepted soul classic and for good reason. It finds Redding running through some great soul tunes, many made famous by others, yet it never makes you long for the other versions (even Aretha’s version of “Respect”). He’s just that powerful of a singer. “Satisfaction,” one of rock’s most overrated… Read more »
Label: 24 Hour Service Station Released: December 7, 2007 What happens when Fugazi meets Black Sabbath? History. Okay, so time will tell if History the band actually makes history, but there’s no denying that the potential is there. Their album, Ghosts in the City, isn’t just the result of these influences slapped together in some random fashion, but a natural… Read more »
Label: Mercury Released: April 29, 2008 Lots of people are complaining that Third doesn’t sound like Portishead. These people are smoking crack. In fact, they’re probably trying to smoke crack through their ears, which means the crack smoke is blocking out the music. I don’t get the complaints of the crack smokers. Third sounds like Portishead. It is filled with… Read more »
Label: self-released (digital only) Released: February 2008 In the mid-90s, Trever Keith’s band Face to Face was releasing some of the best pop punk around. Big Choice still finds itself in at least my semi-regular rotation. However, they lost me with Ignorance is Bliss at the end of the decade and I never really came back. Now I find myself… Read more »
Every indie label has its niche, but Parks & Records also has a mission. They’ve combined a commitment to great music with the broader purpose of making the world a better (and greener) place. Having just made their first release, the self-titled Carcrashlander album, earlier this year, Parks & Records is now poised for the release of the debut of… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: 2008 “Warning! The recordings contained on this disc are raw and far from perfect. Just how we like it!” That’s the warning on the CD, but it’s more like a mission statement and they back it up with the tunes. Another Shitty Band’s First Demo is raw beyond belief. Thick, sludgy guitar and bass are essentials in… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: May 24, 2008 I had the chance to catch the Niki Barr Band open for the Cult a few months back and they were an outstanding live band. They played with the confidence and intensity of a headliner, not the caution and tentativeness of a local band opening for an international act. However, when I heard their… Read more »
THe BAcksliders tap into a wild tradition of Texas rock n roll, mixing garage rock and girl group pop into a manic, melodic ride. Their new album, You’re Welcome will be out on June 3rd. I recently had a chance to get a bit of the inside scoop on the band from Chris and Jason Bonner. RnRnMN: You’re Welcome is… Read more »