Posts Tagged ‘Headbanging’

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Halestorm is back with an insane EP entitled Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde. These are four songs that will be featured on their future full-length, The Strange Case Of… I was infatuated with Lzzy and the gang before, but this just seals the deal. Stand out track, Love Bites (So Do I), hits you like a knockout. I absolutely cannot get enough of this song. They sum it up completely in the lyrics: “It checks you in and kicks you down, and chews you up and spits you out.” Not only are the lyrics infectious and raw, but the drumming by Arejay Hale is absolute mayhem.

Halestorm sits among some of the most down-to-earth, brilliant bands I have ever met. A longtime favorite of BTB, the band will be joining Staind and Godsmack on the road this season. I am not sure how long this will hold me over until their CD comes out in April, but it serves as a damn good appetizer.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

My favourite Canadian rock boys are back with a new single, and a new break onto the charts. Their latest splash in the sea, Am I Wasting My Life, is a throbbing, honest piece.

My Sister Ocean has injected me with musical morphine. Again.

This song is an affront on apathy; the listener is forced to reconsider, reevaluate. The vocals hit you like air-borne alcohol. From the tip of the drumsticks to the vibrating guitar, all resonates with a heavy dose of reality. The song makes me taste smoke. I see lonely roadways lit up with the eerie glow of streetlights. I hear a soul seeking clarification. It’s the purest beauty, and the most devastating pain.

Thus far, the single has hit #50 on the Canadian Active Rock Charts, a first for this budding talent. Let’s push them even higher up the scale.

[Related Post: Duo To Watch: My Sister Ocean]

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Happy 2012; I hope you all had a magic New Year’s Eve, filled with champagne wishes and caviar dreams. I am never one to look back, but sometimes we need to reflect on the positive things in life; things like music. Way back when in 2011, some fortunate Chicago music buffs got to spend the night with one of my favorite groups, Cage the Elephant (the band also spent their New Year’s in the same town, only this time playing with friends at Aragon Ballroom). Now, if you have never seen this band live, please do yourself a favor and stop what you are doing to look up some tour dates; it is worth every penny. Then, please proceed so I can give you what you need.

I have heard time after time from several friends that Cage tore down The Vic in Chicago with one of their best performances to date. As I sat in utter jealousy crying the blues wishing I had taken some vacation time and been on site, it then took me by pleasant surprise that the band released the entire show, not only on DVD, but on iTunes as well. Happy New Year to me? I think so!

The energy of Cage the Elephant is like nothing out in the modern concert scene. Song by song on the DVD takes you closer and closer, making you feel not only as if you are front and center, but like you are surfing along the waves of the crowd. Nineteen tracks of pure adrenaline and head bobbing is a great way to start off the new year if you ask me. They were even nice enough to release their performance of Aberdeen (one of the many numbers from their Live From The Vic In Chicago DVD) to help convince us even more to own it.

Do yourself a favor in 2012; make it out to a live Cage the Elephant show. But in the meantime, purchase the band’s Live From The Vic In Chicago on iTunes for your ears, and the live DVD set for your eyes. In fact, do all three. Enjoy!

Cage The Elephant – Aberdeen (Live) – Music – More Music Videos

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Otep is a trip on the road of nu metal. Their album covers look like freakazoid acid trips, and their videos cause you to question everything. Sometimes, they’re too hard to touch, too chilling to listen to without the lights on. Sometimes, they’re the perfect soundtrack for a revolution.

Named for their lead singer, Otep Shamaya, this band lives, breathes and dies in their leader. This lady has more arsenic in her vodka and more ammo under her belt than any macho metal man. She is pure ferocity.

Unlike some in her genre, Otep is just as outspoken off-stage as she is on. She’s openly gay, an animal rights activist, and a proud spokesperson for the misfit.

Earlier this year, Otep released a new album, Atavist. It’s a push and a shove into the darkness, with some striking battle ballads, pain purges, and a cover of The Doors of all things. Classic rock turned black metal is strangely scrumptious.

If you need to let some rage out, this is the band for you. Grab an album, slap on your headphones, and ready yourself for a snapped neck and percolating soul.
　

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

BTB favorites, The Gaslight Anthem, are currently working on new album. But in the meantime they have recently released an iTunes session with great covers, alternative sessions, and some new material that you will probably want to check out.

On that note, this past weekend I saw the New Jersey success story live. I have seen the guys a few times, and they’re never dull, always rocking out so hard — but this show was something special. Compacted with a two-and-a-half-hour set of various tunes from The ‘59 Sound and American Slang, not only did they bring it, but they brought a legendary guest as well. After wishing the crowd a happy holiday, lead singer Brian Fallon brought out every Jersey girl’s hero, Bruce Springsteen. The crowd went bananas, and the two forces sang the hit single American Slang. Now, if that isn’t a Christmas gift, I don’t know what is.

Do yourself (and your loved ones) a favor and pick up the new Gaslight iTunes session now.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Cutest new group on the block? Courage My Love.

They hail from Ontario, three cool kids with a mighty dream. Thus far, said dream is becoming their reality.

No, they don’t satisfy my headbanging qualifications. But with that incendiary salt and undeniable pep, who needs it? They’re making some competition for Paramore, Hey Monday, and all those neo-pop-punk bands with righteous leading ladies. They don’t sever my nerves, but they do enough to slice the skin and make me see stars.

The attitude of the vid takes me back to the days of Avril Lavigne when she was singing about skater boys. I’m hoping young girls can take a look at this band and be inspired to kick ass.

A final note: it’s rare to see a female drummer. And I love it.
　

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

They rock because they can.

That’s just the vibe I get from these guys.

Inner City Elegance is a three-man army who shout-out against all that is varnished and fake. They’re a neon splash of unique in an otherwise colour-coded atmosphere. A perfect cut between the manic and the mild, they let me get my rock on without falling off the edge.

Not only do they appear legit in their love of music, but they seem super-pumped about getting their album out there. They’re blogging, tweeting, and touring, and I’m glad to say such efforts garnered my attention.

I feel they’d find home in tight, underground clubs, the beaten down venues, the shady pubs, all the places where misfits are likely to congregate. They’d need to be close enough to reach out, grab the audience by the hair and shake them to pieces.

Their music wouldn’t settle for anything less.
　

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Some people collect things. I collect concert memories. It’s rare that I take the time to actually write about a show, but I just cannot allow this one to go by. On Monday night, I saw the Foo Fighters for the first time. Yes, shame on me for being a virgin to this band’s live experience for all of these years, but trust me, it was well worth the wait.

Foo Fighters played for over three hours. In my 25 years of life, I have been to countless shows, and even with the combined three to four bands, sometimes full shows don’t even last that long. The bottom line, two words: Dave Grohl. This dude has more energy than a rechargeable battery. It amazes me how his voice doesn’t even fade out, for he is not only an amazing vocalist, but a screamer on top of it. I sometimes have to remind myself that Dave used to be all about the drums (now having someone like Taylor Hawkins, it is easy to forget). As one-third of Nirvana, Dave kept the beat while late frontman Kurt Cobain kept a crowd engrossed. Back to present times, Grohl is virtually a guitar god and the indisputable star of his own show, and it’s hard to imagine a time when that wasn’t the situation. Just sayin’.

Foo Fighters played SO much from their amazing discography, compressed with everything from The Pretender and Everlong, to newer tunes like Dear Rosemary and Walk. As odd as this may sound, it was like I was reborn a rock and roll fan and heard music for the first time (and busting out brief covers of Pink Floyd was just the icing on the cake).

Even if you aren’t a supporter of the rock n’ roll genre, you can’t deny pure talent when it’s obvious. Seeing Foo Fighers in concert helped to re-establish the fact that good music still exists. I was sitting in an enormous arena, and it felt as if Foo Fighters were playing in a high school auditorium. Do yourself a favor and check out their tour schedule.

Thank you, Foo Fighters, for an amazing night.

Salud.

[Related Post: Foo Fighters Shine 'Wasting Light']

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

What am I listening to? It’s something sleek, fresh, and a hard hit of seduction. Something I could take on a treadmill or out on the town. Something called Midnight Mob.

They describe themselves as ‘five strangers’ who came together with one blazing motive: ‘to set the world on fire’. Now we’re cooking with gas. That’s the kind of ambition I like to hear about. As soon as I took a sip of their love potion, I was done in. I’ll bet they’d play until their instruments begged them to stop.

They’re arsenic-pumped, fully armed, and refuse to submit to apathy.

And here I thought hard rock was dead.

//
CAITLIN HOFFMAN: Explain your sound in three words.

MIDNIGHT MOB: Loud, Energetic, Fun!

CH: Midnight Mob is a wicked cool name. What sort of impression do you want to have evoked by it?

MM: That our music is kick-you-in-the-face fantastic!

CH: What group or singer is your ultimate inspiration?

MM: Iggy Pop, he’s a god!

CH: How would you guys orientate yourselves in a zombie apocalypse?

MM: Well we already got a van so I guess if we strap some rockets to it we’ll be okay.

CH: Are you where you hoped you’d be by now?

MM: Totally! Sometimes we look back and are amazed at how far we’ve come in so little time.

CH: If you had to have a plan of attack for not selling out, what would it be?

MM: To keep everything we do personal. We love talking and hanging out with all the people who come to our shows to support us and those who happen to catch our show by chance.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

New Found Glory is back with a new single entitled Summer Fling, Don’t Mean A Thing. One thing I can praise this band for, is consistently pumping out upbeat, pop punk tracks without trying to be something they are not. It’s what they are good at and what they know. Oh btw, it’s free on i-Tunes this week. Um yeah, you heard that right…

Summer Fling, Don’t Mean A Thing is very title considered, with not wanting to be the victim of a short, bittersweet summer love that won’t last much longer than an ice cube on a stovetop. Life changing? No. Catchy while throwing a house party? Yes.

Along with a few bands like Blink 182, New Found Glory, in my eyes, is one of the key founders of this genre, continuing to hold onto that title belt. This song really did its job by leaving me wanting more. Looking forward to their new album.

Enjoy!

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

BTB favorites, The Parlor Mob, are back after a long hiatus with a new record called Dogs, due out on October 11th. Produced, engineered and mixed by Matt Radosevich (30 Seconds To Mars, The Hives, Taking Back Sunday), Dogs is the follow up to their acclaimed debut album And You Were Crow. The boys have been streaming four tracks on their website, including lead single Into the Sun. Coming from a girl who is a hardcore Mob fan, this is it.

If you are not familiar with The Parlor Mob, they are that piece you’ve been missing to your musical puzzle. This is a real, raw, rock and roll band in a category all their own. The Parlor Mob, a name the band took from the notorious 19th century gang, is comprised of Mark Melicia (vocals), David Rosen (guitar), Paul Ritchie (guitar), Anthony Chick (bass), and Sam Bey (drums).

I asked David (guitar) to describe the album in his own words: “If you ask me, Dogs is the sound of us being upset and kicked around, basically. That breeds anger, sadness, yearning, despair, resolve, loyalty, determination. Things like that. Parts of it are far heavier, parts are softer; it’s simultaneously pop-ier and more experimental than our last record. But then again, to even compare it to the last record is like comparing a recent photo of yourself to your yearbook photo. That was old. This is new. Dogs is who we are now. We’re the same band, but we live different lives than we used to, so these are different songs.”

I am not here to proclaim my love for them, for I have done that once before. I am here to send you a verbal and musical save the date, October 11th. Please RSVP.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Los Angeles; where dreamers belong. Talent is produced like toys, including a new Californian quintet/indie powerhouse, Grouplove. Single Colours off of their just-released album, Never Trust a Happy Song, will get them on the musical map to somewhere. Full of giddiness and eagerness, it’s concurrently insubordinate, childish, and promptly appealing. Who doesn’t want to throw up that rebellious middle finger every once in a while?

I just picked up the full length so I could spin the lead single to death (although I don’t regret playing it out, for it molded a characterization of Grouplove for me, and how they have a real knack for animated pop jaunts). So far, so damn good. I taste songs with a zest for life, and despite the title of this record, it is hard not to trust the bright melodies of these happy songs.

Exploring new musical territory, bon voyage.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Puhlease? With a cherry on top?

Also, never shut down your Southern Hospitality restaurant because A. I like to get fat here on the weekends (hello, Southern fried goodness — it tastes like home!) and B. the “Mason Dixon” Red Velvet Cheesecake is better than sex. K? Thanks.

NSFW comedy + two recent NYC appearances (including a surprise performance at the above-mentioned Southern Hospitality in Hell’s Kitchen) following.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Sometimes original isn’t so cool. So why not try something fresh? Rock posse Puddle of Mudd has been on the road promoting their new CD compacted of re-done classics entitled Re:(Disc)overed. The captivating part of this record is they stay completely true to the original songs yet add a distinct, funky twist to make each their own. Trust me, I’m not sitting here saying this is the best thing Puddle of Mudd has ever done nor anything close to it (I do not think that was the purpose of this release), but regardless, it’s fun to watch bands go off in different directions, showing off their musical makeup.

Here you can find tracks from Led Zeppelin, The Steve Miller Band, The Beatles, and many more. After all, these are the classic rock songs/bands that are accountable for making Puddle of Mudd want to become musicians in the first place. They have taken the songs and covered them in a way only they could, bringing them newfangled life while wholly respecting their original prodigy. In some words of their own: “It wasn’t our plan to do an album of cover tunes. We were on a bit of a break, during which time some touring offers came in. We didn’t want to go out there without something new, and one day the idea of a covers album came up, and the whole thing seemed very exciting.”

I just saw them live on the road, and indeed, their idea was legit, with an incredible expanded lineup any Puddle of Mudd fan would appreciate. Pick up a copy now and sing along.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Young dudes from Bowling Green, KY that know how to make attractive music while adding Southern twang; witness Sleeper Agent. These rock stars are bursting with energy and personality in their lyrics, and what they do, they do it well. Recently touring with BTB favorite, Cage the Elephant (also hailing from Bowling Green), I heard a lot of show feedback stating how the opening band was worth the ticket price. Amen to that.

There is a downpour of new bands that lack the attention they deserve, but Sleeper Agent should hop on the musical radar in no time.

Check out single Get It Daddy, for a fun change to your playlist. It’s a splendidly earsplitting track merging with a sing-along power-pop chorus.