Posts Tagged ‘Up and Coming’

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Turn up the amplifier and head to the bomb shelter. The Black Stars are now available at a missile silo near you. After you’ve experienced their crash course in kickass, your energy will have shrivelled. All of it will have gone full throttle into pumping your fist and banging your hair at their all-out, smash-up punkfest. They’re jumping out, drum sticks blazing, ready to rock through your solar system.

Their songs are like a step into the underground. Almost always they’ll start with a riff or startling drum solo that makes your brain cells perk up. The effect they have on your ears is massive. Like the sensation of striking liquid gold; it all gushes out and sinks through the pores, like you’re watching ink get absorbed in your skin.

Though they have some killer EPs showcasing their talent, their first full length album is only coming out, as they say on their Facebook page ‘mid 2010′. Can’t wait to see how all that unspoiled energy juice comes together!

Just when you thought there was no more good punk revival out there, two blokes and one miss from down under suddenly fall into your line of vision. They have the potential to become a lifestyle, synonymous to mornings like caffeine and cigarettes.

If the Beat Generation was assigned a soundtrack, The Black Stars would be a definite candidate. When you listen you may feel zapped up but misdriven, as if motivated to do something drastic, but unsure of what you’re going to do. Soon all that unfocussed animation will just go into dancing, and you’ll feel the joy come back to sunsets.

I long to get rock and roll whiplash from The Black Stars, up close and personal.

Best of all, the message they slam in their performance is one they roll with off the stage. All that rebellion and energy isn’t just put into rocking, but doing good deeds. They’re fiends to the slimy corporations, and friends to the animals. In fact, on their Myspace, their last blog entry was in protest of allowing hunters in the national parks of Australia. Fingers like lightning, and spirits that are as selfless as they are sweet –that’s what I’m talking about!

Go on now, and download their tracks from Itunes. But before you do that, take a peek at one of their older songs Alright Baby, with a vid that shows you don’t need a steel contract to make a sweet music video. Though I do warn you: playing this video may cause your monitor to spark.
　

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

There’s many things that are fun to YouTube: puppies, Jake Gyllenhaal, Wanda Sykes turd (no, really, do it!), etc. But one of my favorite YouTube subjects is covers. Yep, sometimes it’s annoying because a good majority of YouTubers doing covers have what I like to call AIAS (American Idol Audition Syndrom) — ya know, where one thinks they are the best singer in the world when in reality their vocal chords make you want to jump out a window. But sometimes you will land on something that blows your mind…and this is where Nikki Flores comes in.

Nikki Flores isn’t some chick in Wisconsin with a webcam though (not that there’s anything wrong with that!); she’s already a signed, established artist in many ways. She hasn’t really broke ground much in America but I believe she has a ton of potential to do so. I wrote about her last year as I discovered one of her songs and absolutely fell in love with it, the song Let It Slide, with its Ryan Tedder-like feel and drippy sweet lyrics.

The video you’re about to see is new and judging by the way it ends, apparently Flores will have a single out soon. Something I will definitely be looking out for (and so should you). Her voice was made for mainstream pop music as it fits nicely over the song she covers with piano in tow.

Check out Nikki Flores covering Alicia Keys’ Unthinkable, below.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Welcome to the underbelly of the musical sea, tuned to the key of awesome. Way, deep down here, you’ll find one of the most elusive, breathtaking creatures: My Sister Ocean.

I’m not just sending love to this tripwire twosome ‘cause they’re Canadian (I don’t play nationalistic favourites like that). Their velvety, grinding method of sonic experimentation is leaking with genius akin to morning dew or drips of sweat. Holden’s bass and gravelly singing will spoil your silence to perfection, and the smackdown of Eugenio’s drumming takes you right out of your comfort zone and into somewhere beautiful. Who would think such an earful of bliss could arrive from a band that doesn’t even depend on a guitar?

My Sister Ocean spat out an album earlier this year; let’s just hope they keep it going. For two dashing boys with great hair, they’ve got a lot more power than you’d expect, and a little more darkness than you may be used to rubbing shoulders with. But they’re a torpedo right through your brain, leaving a five inch hole in diameter on your occipital lobe. Don’t ever expect to listen to the duo without having every crack of your soul examined, and every last rusted edge of your brain scrutinized. My Sister Ocean is the shrink without the couch, the morphine without the needle — a devastating bodily experience that doesn’t even leave a scratch. What more can you ask for?

Of course, they’re not all about the mood and gloom. One hit from their slamming songs and you’ll be riding on the high wave of rock past midnight. Whether you’re looking to philosophize or turn it up a notch, they’re an endearing choice. These men are proof that living with a dream is the best way to flare up your talent; they’re always straddling the fence between reality and success.

This very August, they’ll be touring in their maple leaf homeland, and, if I’m lucky, maybe stopping by my city. If you can handle it, then get ready to be sucked into the vacuum of their demanding, surrealist world. Take a listen to Please Don’t Say It’s So, a track that’s got a firm grip on what they’re all about.
　

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

The anticipation is over, and the verdict is in. I was blessed enough to get a sneak peek of The Stone Foxes’ new album (before it’s official release date of July 06), and a blessing it is, indeed. Bravo boys, bravo. Bears and Bulls is spreading like a plague of love; no one can ignore the encompassing sound.

This record is a standing ovation to creation, strangeness, and an altitude of nearly incoherent borderline antics. Some of the songs are lacking their upstanding, toe tapping energy, and mask themselves with a more mellowed tint, but it’s dandy none the less.

My love affair with The Stone Foxes has officially gotten serious. What can I say, I’m a sucker for gentlemen with a charming dream and a deadly chord progression. It hardly takes effort to enjoy their breezy melodies, exemplary guitar solos, and natural ability to either pump it up or tone it down. This is something I could listen to all night long and longer, and that’s no lie.

It’s like the album walks you through the very best stages of a celestial summer: from the cold drinks in the sunny afternoons to the smoked up party in some old friend’s basement. The sips of a slushie, vintage aviators on your eyes, while The Stone Foxes melt around your ears like ice cream…now that’s perfection. They have you set for snapping, crackling, and popping all over the place, but they’ve also got you covered for laying back and laying low.

The Stone Foxes aren’t going to wait for you to come to them, they’re going all out, and will hunt you down and force feed you their unsheathed musical prowess. Trust me, you’re going to enjoy it.

Top tracks off the record for sending me into glee mode: Stomp, Mr. Hangman, as well as the fired up track Hyde and Pine.

Top tracks for a snoozing afternoon: Passenger Train, Through the Fire, and the decidedly chill Easy.

I’m not usually one to vouch for commercialism but: be sure to put it on your ‘to buy’ list! These guys have a spirit and talent that absolutely needs to be supported. We’ve gotta keep their engine running!

Do get ready to run with the Bears and Bulls, ‘cause the stampede of an album is getting here soon.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Remember the low-class, grunge-loving rock n’ roll style of the seventies? One might think that kind of epic glory could not be found in a band still in its infancy, but these boys have got the grimed up, classic edge that seemed to have died long ago, reviving the style with a signature stamp.

When you listen to The Stone Foxes, you’re not only getting a breezy soundtrack, but you’re getting warped into a different time zone. And that air of surrealism only makes the band more lovable.

From the balmy streets of San Francisco, comes a foxy turbulence one won’t quickly forget. When you can’t get wrapped up in the conversation or literature that’s at hand in an afternoon, then music is the way to go. And The Stone Foxes are rock solid entertainment. Even their low-key demeanour is a relentless beat that makes your foot go tapping. Their ironic, witty expressions combat against the musical bullets ricocheting off the walls, while their guitars hold the unsettling hint of country twang. That kind of keen mix splices your heart with the totality and severity of a slow, massive hit. All in all, the perfect rock n’ roll experience.

Their second album Bears and Bulls, is going to be on store shelves July 6 (pre-sale through Itunes is on June 29), and the wait is full of anticipation. Thankfully, they’ve already released some tracks from the album, including the juicy I Killed Robert Johnson, which is definitely a slice of the promised land. The song featured in the video below is Stomp, which I just had to choose, not only for the spice in the number, but the psychedelic fest that is the music video.

Grow out your hair and leave your home behind; The Stone Foxes are here for you.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Check out the pleasant, fun, power punk-pop known as Free Energy. The quintet from Philly are on my bands to watch list, with similarities ranging from Thin Lizzy to Steely Dan. It’s almost as if 2010 met 1970, mated, and banged out a few good hits. Ok, so “glam-pop” patterns of any group nowadays aren’t precisely going to come off as pioneering or innovative, but their influences are not their only source of appeal. Songs like Bang Pop and Dream City ride you to a place with the top down, picking up a cheap keg for the backyard, in times when people drank cheap beer, just cuz it was, well, cheap. While other songs like Young Hearts and Wild Winds describe what they’re all about: good vibrations.

Front men Paul Sprangers and Scott Wells describe their music as “a physical dosage of happiness and good vibes.” Sometimes I am fearful of praise tarnishing the anticipation of a fresh group, but I can’t hold it in! I first heard about these guys in Spin Magazine, for I’m an artist to watch column kind of girl, and I never turned back. Debut album Stuck on Nothing has me stuck on something; a modern taste on classic rock. A pop-like frame of mind winning over the cock-rock aura doesn’t always fairly match, but the boys have a knowledge of real music well beyond their young years. It’s compacted with hand clapping, cowbells, and vocals, while concurrently wielding the modern garage-pop sensibility of bands like Jimmy Eat World and Sum 41. The boys played SXSW (South By South West) Musical Festival this year, which is a huge honor for upcoming artists.

Free Energy’s contagious passion and general intensity of talent has me yearning to see them on the road this summer, for I’ve heard nothing but rave. Check out this live performance, grab a beverage, pull up a stool, and enjoy some great music. Their energy is forceful exertion, and it goes to show that sometimes the best things in life are Free.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Too cool for skool!

Most 16-year-olds are not as cool as Daisy Coburn. Let’s face facts: most teens her age are awkward little people having mild panic attacks every time Justin Bieber comes on the radio. But not Daisy. Daisy’s writing her own creative music and shooting polished music videos, like the one you’re about to see.

Daisy Dares You is out with the video to the new single Rosie which features You Me at Six, the 2nd release from the British pop singer’s debut album Rush, due out soon via Jive. The single is out just one day after Independence Day on July 5th.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

States of Emotion recently released a sharp music video for their proper single The Unsung. The four songwriters who draw influences from the likes of Oasis, Nirvana, and Coldplay, pour out emotion in the dusky black and white clip.

Over the past year the band rocked support slots all over the UK, preparing for a breakout. The alternative sound of the Essex group certainly does not lack edge as you will see in the clip. It’s brooding, punk, and melodramatic in a way that only Euro bands seem capable of pulling off.

Check out the video below.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

The Gaslight Anthem’s new album, American Slang, is mayhem. New Jersey natives and local celebs (shout out to my home state), if you don’t know the band, you should. They’ve made a name for themselves by touring consistently and by letting their music do the talking. They are the explanation of hard work paying off, rapidly rising to fame. I cannot wait for the world to hear this album on June 15th, rhythmic drive that is catapulted by the raw vocal shield of Brian Fallon, marking the lead single and title track. This dude’s voice is extraordinary, down the line, and could be one of the most dominant in the genre.

Like most of their work, American Slang describes the struggle living as a median class individual, but their music is nothing short of first class. Screw the commonplace rotation pop songs; this is an unpolluted rock n’ roll group made for the fans. In the words of Fallon himself in an interview: “American Slang is just what we do. That’s who we are. You’re presented with this American Dream and all these American possibilities — and then there’s the reality of what actually happens with your life.”

Stand out tracks We Did It When We Were Young and Stay Lucky are like any anthem, songs of devotion and loyalty. In my opinion, there are two ways you could view this album: what you would hear the band play in some club that would make you get gone in the sway of the music with some other directionless soul, or just get lost riding into the lonely nights with the sunroof open and half a tank of gas.

At the end of the day, Gaslight Anthem is a group that leaves me torn. One part of my music embellished soul wants to call up everyone I know and talk about them. Another part of you wants to keep it to myself, for I know it’s just a matter of time before my hometown heroes become a world-wide phenomenon. All of the ingredients are there for the fame monster recipe.

Check out this album for The Gaslight Anthem is as good as it gets.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Back in July of last year, one of my entries was dedicated to singer/songwriter Tamar Kaprelian, after discovering her music and falling in love.

Now, almost a year later, Tamar has dropped the official music video for her single New Day. And like the majority of her music, it’s beautiful.

On the positive message behind the song Tamar says: “It’s about struggling, persevering, and being in a situation where you don’t know how you’re gonna dig yourself out of it. And at the end of it, life is like a road—you don’t stop in the middle of it. I really want people to listen to this record and get a sense of hope from it.”

The song is taken from Tamar’s debut album, Sinner Or A Saint, due out later this summer on Interscope Records. Check it!

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Band you should know!

Southern (Ft. Worth, Texas) and full of soul, comes Green River Ordinance, a 5-piece pop/rock band that displays heartfelt chemistry through the lungs of sound. The Texan boys refer to Third Eye Blind, Coldplay, Switchfoot, Radiohead, Lifehouse, Tonic, Goo Goo Dolls, & Flickerstick as their musical influences.

The band took their name from a street sign found in a back yard. The Green River Ordinance outlawed door-to-door salesmen from visiting homes without an approval from the house owner. This appealed to the band as their fan base was growing in a door-to-door direction it seemed by word of mouth.

Check out the music video to the beautiful On Your Own, below.

And for a free mp3 download from Green River Ordinance, click here.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Hard Rock from Las Vegas, and no I’m not talking about the casino. Adelitas Way; the edgy, empowering rockers self-titled album is a delight. Single Invincible is self-explanatory in its connotation. It’s in-your-face, percussive, fast-paced and mysteriously attractive for an alternative song, “I’m rising up, I’ve had enough,” — it’s not just a debut smash; it’s also a pertinent explanation of singer Rick DeJesus’ willpower to succeed and overcome his background of a childhood ravaged by drugs and poverty. I was recently given the opportunity to see these guys on the road with Papa Roach, and heard various people in the crowd noting this band buzzworthy. I bet these guys sell a majority of their records on the road, because their live set gains fans. Lights down, music on, fists up.

Despite an album tinted with simple lyrics, the strength of Adelitas Way is in their ability to lay out the songs in a way all can understand. Although hard hitters, the band is not all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. It’s more about the way the music reflects the lyrics, by putting themselves in the shoes of the listener. Adelitas Way is definitely the right one, for it has something for everyone; it’s fresh, it’s hot, it’s thunderous, it whispers, it rocks, it’s poignant, and most importantly, it grips your soul.

If you can’t catch these guys on the road, be sure to add the album to your collection. For we all love a good dosage of balls to the wall, never let you go, in-your-face rock and roll.

By: Maria Ciezak
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Now that you all know I put my life in the hands of rock n’ roll bands, I was recently thrown an unexpected curveball of melody this past week; folk. When not initially liking a genre of music, one should make a point of listening to it more closely. I have yearned for the day I would stumble upon a female talent who could transcend sounds of the past with the present, and she has arrived; Lissie (Maurus). A 27-year old country-folk rock singer/guitarist is the pink elephant in a room full of bears. A clear-as-glass singing voice, effortless melodies, and a Stevie Nicks like tone make her a direct line to your emotional core.

Everywhere I Go off of her debut EP Where You Runnin’, stopped me dead in my tracks at a local record store (yes, some still exist), showcasing her achingly raw and evocative voice. How often has this happened to you lately? Think about it; sound that hits you so hard you can feel it? Now that’s music, what feelings sound like.

The bright intensity of Lissie’s voice will cut through any disdain your jaded heart may have built up against present day “singers” and “songwriters”. In my opinion, she belongs in the 1970’s with the brilliance of female musicians whose material will be set in stone for countless generations. Her sound seems as if it should belong to someone twice her age, both coarse and beautiful; a combination which, when it works, is something to behold. Her pipes are her instrument, and she commands them. Upon downloading more of her tracks, I found the songs range from hand-clapping and foot-stomping, to breathtaking ballads that all make up her ingredient; a spine shivering, rustic soul.

Lissie is an artist to watch, listen, and embrace. So raise the volume; she’s about to mend all the broken hearts of boring, pointless music trends!

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

It’s truly a glory when you find a band that is not only fronted by exceptional musicians and awesome music, but when that music is empowered by a genuine connection to the human spirit. The human spirit is as gorgeous as it is complicated, and the same could be said for the up and coming, deliriously rad band, a’tris.

Not familiar? Then do yourself a treat by tuning in. Saying that they’re a straight-laced indie rock wouldn’t do the band justice, as the music is far too smooth and elaborate to be typecasted. Listening to a’tris is like a fleeting but nourishing experience, like being struck with some special moment that only lasts for a few seconds, but changes the colour of everything around you. The strong, crooning vocals are a splice of audio magic, matching well with the raw skill found in the instrumental accompaniments.

Each member of the band forms a piece of the musical puzzle, individually contributing to the cornucopia of strange splendor. a’tris has a deep, moody vibe, accentuated by the uniqueness of their voices and the fabulous underbeat thrumming through them all.

Their most recent album, Lensing, released in 2008, is full of professional potential. All of their songs, particularly ones such as Light and Shadows or Automatic Doors, create a sense of eerie wonderment, as if the music is literally peeling back a part of your mind that you didn’t know existed. It seems that there is nothing entirely definable about it, and that is what makes it such a treasure to listen to. There is something really special about a song or an album when you can make it your own.

The explorative edge doesn’t stop with their music; even their name continues on the same trek of interpretive philosophy. As Nate Lueck, (who plays both guitar and bass for the group), puts it, “People often ask what our name means–remember 10 years ago when the word Google didn’t really mean anything? Now, it’s a noun, a verb, a concept, a tool…that’s the intent of our name; a word to which people assign their own meaning, with no right or wrong interpretation.”

This band realizes that in both life and music, the only way to truly be free is if you let yourself look at the world from every angle, no matter how strange or impossible it may seem. The only way to be completely happy is to know your insides through and through, and to accept that those insides will be constantly changing, like how water is constantly moving. It seems they really live by this, and it’s clear in their music. Nate goes on to say, “I think people are so used to being told what is popular or ‘right’ according to the current style, and we really want to break that habit, to get people to be more critical about how they think and what they listen to.”

Obviously, these fellas aren’t driving with their eyes closed; they are committed to knowing, learning, and guiding others to do the same. Pair that with their outstanding talent and piercing sound, and what do you have to lose?

Go on, give in to the awesome.

Automatic Doors from AirPlay Direct on Vimeo.