Posts Tagged ‘Headbanging’

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

A woman should never take the stage unless she knows how to move, knows how to sing, and knows how to riot, one way or another. Taylor Momsen knows this well, and gives it all when leading The Pretty Reckless. They have an edge hot enough to cauterize your arteries, primed to slice up your ears. Sometimes I feel like they put a little too much hard into hardcore. They could turn it down five notches and still bust your chops!

For the record, I don’t care what you have to bitch about Taylor Momsen. I don’t care if she’s not your choice for a leading lady, I only care that she owns the stage and has a voice that rocks my socks off. I’m not here to talk some chalky celebrity gossip- I’m here to talk about music. And their music is something worth talking about. Who cares what a musician does when they’re not on stage?

It’s dark, but splices of light have a tendency to slip through. I can picture them touring with Die Mannequin, or anyone else who knows the truth of grit. Taylor always said the point of this band was to give people something they didn’t expect, something that would give people a double-take while they’re on stage. All about shock value, trashy truths uncovered in the dark corners of the night. Not only do I feel the passion behind their rock, but I feel the intense honesty in the songs, and that’s what keeps me listening. I know the dark dress, heavy bass, and whisky shots before showtime is a formulaic vibe, but The Pretty Reckless takes it and makes it their own.

Taylor’s voice is real, and so is the band backing it. That’s what I love: the reality, the integrity of it all. That’s what real rock should be. So mercilessly honest it breaks your heels.

Come on down to the basement of your brain. The Pretty Reckless is setting up shop here, and they’ve got a good party going.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Is it too soon to rave about these guys again? Nope, didn’t think so.

Hollywood Undead’s new music video for Been To Hell is coming to an eye socket near you. I’ve already had the pleasure of it splattering across my eyeballs, and now it’s your turn.

In case you’ve forgotten, Been To Hell is a ruckus of sound, terror, anguish, and paralysing strength. Now it’s got the visuals to match.

A word of warning: the story behind the vid is a pretty disturbing one. It jumps headfirst into the hard reality of how big cities can corrupt, exploit and destroy. It leaves no nerve uncut.

[Related Post: Hollywood Undead Rumbles On]

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Sleigh Bells are a–ringin’. Their debut album, Treats, showcases that Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss can deliver hard. Their musical selections can be labeled as a mixture of hip-hop beats and feisty vocals — collective with crunchy — loud guitars to make you move. Despite each track being moderately short in length, Sleigh Bells manage to compact enough punch and twist on each to make high school kids drive around aimlessly with no excuse, just to play the music. Each song — especially Kids and Riot Rhythm — is like gushers, with a juicy musical filling for your ears.

To be honest, you are likely to either love or hate Sleigh Bells, as I do not believe there is an in-between here. Clubheads will rejoice, audiophiles with retch, and parents will purchase earplugs. This is that flamboyant, energetic music that was intentionally mixed “into the red” so that you get intense distortion and feedback. Sleigh Bells’ music is designed to sound really fucked up, much like a cassette that’s been left in the sun, becoming warped. Revolutionary or crazy, you ask? They are reinventing the word loud. I say, let’s throw a party; a party with a soundtrack frolicking that is crazy, epic, and delicious.

If you’re in the fix for scoping out some fresh, loud, jamtastic tunes, look no further. Check out the video for Infinity Guitars below and witness a hardcore guitar player performing side by side with a sensual schoolteacher. Lo-fi. Noise. Pop. Dance. Need I say more?

[Related Post: Beyonce Werkin' With Sleigh Bells?]

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Hollywood Undead is the master of hard core rap metal, unafraid to explore the darker sides of pain and loss. Anyone with scars under their belt will feel a chill when listening to this act. Whether you like it or not, pain is a viable, palpable part of being human, and they embrace it. They don’t back down in the face of emotional adversity, they choose to fight. Hollywood Undead are true soldiers of the musical world, guitars taking the place of guns.

The lyrics for Been To Hell cut like a knife in the soul- the perfect antidote for salting your wounds. Bitterly they mock the pie-crust promises and celebrity scandals of Hollywood, and everything that it stands for. It cramps you like fire right under your chest, slowly eating its way into your rib cage. It floods you with an anger, a righteous anger that empowers you to speak up and to refuse to sit down.

Ready to rumble?
　

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

A party is defined as a group of people congregated together for pleasure. A funeral is defined as a ceremony marking a person’s death. What do you get when you combine the two? Complete opposite ends of the spectrum that mixes for something that goes down smooth, a combination that allows your ears to hear the influenced tunes that substitute the pessimism with boogie-inducing beats and a punk chi.

Funeral Party is an Indie/Rock/Alternative crew from California, whose name originated from The Cure song of the same title. They seem to have industrialized in an otherwise antagonistic stratosphere of metal and hardcore music, where the east outskirts of LA are more known for headbanging and grimacing anthems of the stiff edged music scene, but FREEZE. Funeral Party gravitates towards absolute sounds of newfangled wave and fashionable indie vibes, so get ready to party.

The way they pull off their combination of genres and sound is rather cool. When their music comes on you have many options: dance, rage, rock, bang, or search for in-depth meaning beyond one’s own control. Album Golden Age of Nowhere is due out at the end of March with high expectations and reviews. With mass-market hit potential, I’m excited to see what they have in store. While the band name itself may lead your mind to a downhearted idea, don’t let it sucker you or throw you into a state of metal confusion. For these dudes are full of sunlight.

Despite never seeing Funeral Party live, I really feel this band is over the top. After watching several videos, I’ve witnessed what is an implausible energy that seeps through holes that I didn’t even know existed. It’s palpable that all of these guys are predisposed by diverse styles of music, sampling in a bit of each. Their style is buoyant and catchy as all hell.

Until the album drops, check out the video for single NYC Moves to the Sound of LA.

Invite yourself to the party on March 29th, and buy the record.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Remember the boys who took us for a whirlwind down Ocean Avenue, while telling us we were the Only One? Yellowcard is back from their hiatus with a vengeance on the release of their new single For You, And Your Denial. This song touches all the treasured pop punk angles of Yellowcard that we have grown to love. With the powerful opening violin solo by Sean Macklin being backed up by Ryan Key’s ultimate powerhouse vocals, fans will quickly adore the rejuvenated lyrics and sound.

Get your fix now before the album embraces the world in March. After all, there’s nothing more exciting than a comeback.

Take a listen to a live version of For You, And Your Denial now.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Stutter nutter butter!

That’s it. I’m dropping the bomb announcement, proclaiming what you may already know: Fefe Dobson takes the crown when it comes to pop breakup jams. First, she seethed in her attitude-y (yes, I said attitude-y) Ghost vid and now she’s back for a second dosage of breaking walls with Stuttering. Clearly, the girl has a thing for bad ass cars and bad choices in boys. But we don’t mind. Bring it on, it obviously suits her well.

Check out Dobson in action below with a live performance + the music video following of the undeniable pop record, Stuttering.

[Related Post: Fefe Dobson Seethes In 'Ghost' Vid]

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Rock and roll veterans Social Distortion will be dropping a new release, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, on January 18th. For any music enthusiast in the genre, this has been long awaited and anticipated; six long years to be exact. Single Machine Gun Blues is an appetizer to the main course that is exceptionally filling; a contemptuous, up-to-date desperado anthem which incorporates the album’s insubordinate attitude. Mike Ness is hands down one of the tightest guitarists in the world, and this is the first Social Distortion album produced solely by the front man. Ness has explained in several interviews that it’s something he has always wanted to do. Well hell, Mike, we’re right there with ya, buddy.

Although I have only heard a few tracks, I am sure the band’s unique vintage sound will syndicate with their modern-day vision to create quite the banger. Their new record label has associated Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes to the “loves of Hank Williams and Exile-era Rolling Stones” — not the vilest company, if I do say so myself.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

[Photo Credit: J. Baxter]

Music at times is nothing more than a swift thrust into oblivion. Kisses laced with adrenochrome. Full of grit and grime. Death by way of poetry. I recall times when music pulled at me like gravity, and forced me to be honest about my pain. There are so many bands that saved my life in so many ways. But then, you push through the struggle, come out on top, and forget who helped you beat that horror down. I don’t wanna let that happen. So I’m going to send a solid high five and sincere thank you to Dope, one of the bands that delivered me from trauma.

Dope has never been anything but honest. They don’t put on airs, because they know the kind of people who listen to them are sick of all the fakery in the world. They’re the ones you go to when your blood is hard boiled and you need some angry escapism. After all the punches are pulled and your soul has been scooped out and cleaned, you leave feeling refreshed and powerful. They can pummel the magic through your mind or keep the underbeat slow and strong, but they’ll always give you a taste of pain, peril, and victory.

This army of energy started up mid-nineties, and hasn’t slowed down yet. Their last album No Regrets was shouted down from the skies last year, and all I’m hoping is they’ll have some metallicious tunes to slam into our hearts in 2011.

To get a taste of their hard and soft, first get a whiff of the toxic stench in Violence, then cool off with the empowering I Am.
　

　

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

[Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America]
That’s our girl! Best performance of the night.

“VH1 was looking for the hip young rock band that could complement the pop country. You had your pop princesses. You had your R&B artists. You had your rapper. I think they were looking for that rock ‘n’ roll edge, and we slid into home base just in time. It was a real thrill! We got out there, and a majority of the audience had no idea who we were and I love that. Whenever possible, I like earning over new fans and surprising people. There are no high expectations or low expectations. It is what it is. You either mess it up or you get it right. I think we got it right. I was really proud of how the band played and how everybody pulled it together.”

-Grace Potter
[To Artist Direct on the band's performance for the troops (below)]

Divas |Divas Photos |Divas Video |Celebrity News

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

“You can’t be afraid to be yourself. You have to be yourself and you can’t let anyone tell you that it’s wrong!”

-Willow to Ryan Seacrest on the meaning of Whip My Hair

[Related Post: Willow Whips It & Whips It Good]

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Hellz yeah!

Pink is out with a new diddy that lifts a toast to all the “nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks” and as always she’s cheering for the underdogs. The just-released single, Raise Your Glass, is a headbanging, windows down, addictive pop crack road trip rollercoster. Produced by Swedish hitmaker Max Martin and co-written by Pink herself, the energetic track will appear as one of the two new originals on Pink’s forthcoming Greatest Hits…So Far!!! album, due out on November 16th.

According to a press release, the second original track that will be featured on the project is to be determined. But I have a feeling it will be a Glitter-like ballad since Raise Your Glass lands on the opposite end of the hot Pink spectrum.

So if you’re too school for cool
And you’re treated like a fool
You can choose to let it go
We can always, we can always
Party on our own

Listen to Raise Your Glass below!

[Related Post: A Big Toast To Pink]

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

If you want something light, exuberant and smooth, lay out the carpet for Aberdeen. They are so full of zest, like pop rocks on your tongue, clacking and clicking away. And I’ve got the recipe for their sweetness right here. Adam, the cheeky, fast-talking feller who keeps the beat going with bass and back-up vocals helped me fill in the blanks.

C: Unscripted question but, since this is a phone interview I want to be able to connect with you better before we start. So tell me where you are, what mood you’re in, etc.

A: Well right now I’m in Camrose, Alberta, and we just finished a show and got back here. We’re currently checking our new merchandise and doing all of our inventory and there are some kids here who just found out we are in Camp Rock 2.

C: So tell me, how did Aberdeen get its start?

A: Well originally Aberdeen was a band our lead singer and four of his friends were in. They started out in Hamilton, Ontario, where they recorded a CD. The story of the name comes from those original members who were sleeping on a street called Aberdeen Avenue. So they named the band after the street to remember where it all got started.

C: So you’ve really been around in the musical world. What was it about Aberdeen that made you want to commit to them as a group?

A: It was really our singer Al, he seemed to have the same drive and determination, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to align myself with someone who would work as hard as I would.

C: If you had to explain your band with one word or phrase, what would it be?

A: Word or phrase? That’s actually a good question! I’ve been asked what colour we would be and what flavour we would be…I’d say determination.

C: Has it been totally surreal filming for Camp Rock 2?

A: It was awesome, very comfortable to be there on the set. I do acting on the side and my agent called and asked if we’d like to film a movie as a band. We didn’t even know what the movie was but we thought of course it’d be cool to get our band on the screen. But they told us we’d have to get from Montreal to Toronto in an hour, so we ended up bailing on it. They searched 150 other bands, and we got a casting call saying that they’d chosen us even though we didn’t audition. They said they just liked the look of us and the feel to our music. Working on set with Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato was great. You’d think big Disney stars would be all high and mighty, full of themselves, but they were really humble. You know there’s this whole image that Disney portrays, everything being so happy and poppy and fun, and it was! We were having a great time while we stayed in a resort with The Jonas Brothers, and by the time it was all done we were high-fiving Demi Lovato.
　
C: Say you’re in a major inspirational slump. Where would you go or what would you do to get the drive back?

A: I would say the safest place for all of us to be to work on something would be anywhere where we’ll all be together with nobody else. No outside people, just all of us. We’ve matured to the point where we can talk to each other about anything.

C: One of the things I love about you guys is you’re ‘touring with a purpose’. Could you tell me a little more about the charity you’re touring with and what it means to you personally?

A: Well, the cause affects each of us since we have gone through our own things with school. I was bullied when I was younger. So I get up and speak in the presentation, talking about overcoming bullying. The program is called Absolute Leadership Development. They go around to schools and do this presentation called ‘Think Day’, which is essentially getting kids to think about hope, positivity, and creating awareness. We come in and play a couple of songs in between speeches. It’s been a good thing to do because for one, we have a teenage demographic but for another it’s good because we like showing that we’re caring people. We want people to know we’re not just one of those bands that just cares about themselves or are selfishly driven.
　
C: What’s a magical moment that stands out for you guys as a band?

A: I think without a doubt the most magical moment was in either in the airport meeting Tommy Mac from Hedley, since he helped produce our album, when we met him in person, or in warehouse studios where we recorded in Vancouver. Just being in certain studios, like walking into Bryan Adam’s studio, knowing he operates that studio, knowing AC/DC recorded here, so and so recorded there, bands that we love like Hedley, Marianas Trench… it’s just a really cool environment to know where really good products come from. That’s a big thing for us-quality. Not just our songs, but the production of them, that feeling of going in the right direction.

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

A: A plan of attack for not selling out would be to continue doing exactly what we’re doing, because this is what feels right. We don’t hire guys just because of their name, we hire them because of their reputation. Aligning ourselves with real people is essentially what we strive to do.
　
I know, the awesome tops the charts. And soon, so will Aberdeen. You’ve heard it all exclusively at BTB — they’re honest, open, determined and truly ready to set the world straight.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

I recently interviewed the insanely infectious POWERLIFTER (an up & coming 8-bit band from Wichita, Kansas). Check out the highlights below.

ROB BRAYL: What’s the deal with the name, Powerlifter? Do tell.

MARTIN SWIGGART for Powerlifter: We decided to name the band POWERLIFTER because Matthew’s (vocalist) dad used to be a powerlifter when he was younger. We thought it was a pretty triumphant name for a band.

RB: Many elements are used to make up music, but not everyone would agree a Gameboy is one of them. How did the idea of using the Gameboy in your music develop?

MS: I used to have my own band (Martendo) about three years ago in which I made 8-bit sounds in a computer program. One night Matthew and I were drinking and hanging out and I showed the songs to him. He fell in love and told me about how there are people who use old computer systems and gaming devices to make music. I instantly researched and figured out how to use the Gameboy.

RB: There’s several crotch shots in your music video for Buffalo. Alcohol and crazy dancing, too. Clearly the point of the video is pure fun, eh?

MS: [Laughs] Pretty much. We do love to party and have fun. When we were talking about video ideas I told them I wanted a party video like in those late ’90s teen high school movies. The parties you always wanted to go to because it looked so fun. I think in the end we did a pretty good job at achieving that.

RB: The video and the sound coming from Powerlifter is so Brooklyn. Any New York shows in the future? Tour?

MS: Oh really? Didn’t know we were “Brooklyn” — that’s pretty awesome. As of yet we do not have any New York shows. We are about to go on a short tour to play the Gen Con convention. So yes, tour is a big part of our future. We’d love to make it up to New York.

RB: Be random. Tell us something we should know about the band and the music you’re proud to be a part of.

MS: We have an alter ego named Annoying Dead Best Friend. We want to start a restaurant called Blue-BQ. Where everything in the restaurant is white and the BBQ is blue. We are also in the works for shooting three/four more videos and working on a dvd. Currently writing/recording an EP for an Italy release on COUCOU net Label. I’m proud of this band because we always have fun when we play and hang out and encourage you to have fun with us.

Check out Powerlifter’s music video for Buffalo, below.

Powerlifter on Myspace

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

[photo by: matt vardy]
Totally diggin’ this video/song at the moment!

There For Tomorrow is out with the music video for the single Deathbed, from their album A Little Faster, and the outcome is pretty radstical (it’s a making up words kind of day).

The energetic heartbreak jam features the band playing in a dark warehouse, with duct-taped microphones smashing the hell outta some TV (and other various objects). Which basically sets perfect against the message of the song (ya know, with deathbeds and all). In all honesty, I think the track meshes perfectly with the video.

Hey, dudes of TFT: I’m really feeling this one!

Check out the Jonathan Bregel-directed video below.

There For Tomorrow – New Music – More Music Videos