Matt Pond’s first official solo release The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hands brings a lighthearted and soft-rock/alternative feel to the generally optimistic lyrics. The album is good overall, but the listener is left feeling unsatisfied with overly simple melodies and lackluster lyrics.
Artist vs Poet’s latest effort Keep Your Secrets is a light pop album that perhaps should have been released in early May, as it is ideal summertime music.
Candy Hearts are a female-fronted pop rock band hailing from the northeastern US with an upbeat style that’s certainly an attention-grabber. Despite its slow start, The Best Ways To Disappear makes for a solid third release by a band that’s sure to make a lasting impression on listeners.
Fall Out Boy got political at their Mesa, Arizona “Believers Never Die, Part Deux” tour opener Friday night, taking the stage in dress suits and black eyes – and in frontman Patrick Stump’s case, a grey Donald Trump-like wig – as a commentary on the current state of corporate America. Video screens framing Andy Hurley’s elevated drum kit aired footage of riot police and the conservatively dressed bandmembers walking through a backstage area. Hurley appeared onstage first, fervently pounding away on his kit as two men dressed in police riot gear banged on drums for opener “Disloyal Order of Water… Read more »
Billy Howerdel is usually the quiet giant in A Perfect Circle. Sure, the guitarist does most of the interviews, but frontman Maynard James Keenan has always been the band’s mouthpiece, even if he traditionally has been press-shy. With an important presidential election on the horizon, however, Howerdel is through keeping his thoughts to himself. “Ordinarily, I hate talking about politics,” he said. “I usually heed the warning of many elders that say, ‘Never discuss it with your friends, or certainly publicly,’ but it’s an important time to voice your opinions and feelings.” It’s hardly a secret which candidate A Perfect… Read more »
Their music has always been personal and uncompromising, expressing their distaste for authority and their penchant for classic punk. But Rancid have never worn their hearts on their sleeves – until now. The band’s latest album, Indestructible, is a musical manifesto of strength and courage, reflecting all the styles in the group’s arsenal – from the Clash-tinged groove of “Memphis” to the roaring punk firestorm of “Born Frustrated.” Lyrically, however, is where the real breakthroughs take place. Songs like “Ghost Band” and “Tropical London” are more poignant and confessional than most of the band’s past output, revealing a sensitivity that… Read more »
In a year fraught with political turmoil, turbulence and insecurity, music fans turned to their favorite songs to take them away from many of their problems and help them come to terms with others that were impossible to escape. Whether it was Eminem rapping, “Lose yourself in the music,” or Bruce Springsteen singing, “Come on up for the rising/ Come on up, lay your hands in mine,” the messages of unity were universal. At the 45th annual Grammy Awards, held Sunday (February 23) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, apolitical hedonists and social activists alike rallied together to celebrate the… Read more »
While many have left their hearts in San Francisco, Avril Lavigne will leave her clothes in Cleveland. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum intends to display the outfit the spunky 17-year-old singer/guitarist wore in her MTV Video Music Awards-nominated “Complicated” clip, according to a Hall spokesperson. While flattered at the honor, Lavigne is just as surprised as anyone that her baggy cargo shorts, fitted white tank top and signature necktie will hang in the same building that houses such illustrious memorabilia as John Lennon’s 1965 Rickenbacker 12-string and Hank Williams’ white wool cowboy hat. “I think that’s… Read more »
When the members of U2 walked off the stage on their 1997-1998 “PopMart” tour, the final image was a heart framed by the outsized “golden” arch – a juxtaposition that perfectly encapsulated that tour’s muddy concept, as the group had strained to find a balance between earnest emotion and smirking irony. On their current “Elevation” tour, the band wears their hearts on their sleeves or, to be more precise, on the heart-shaped runway that surrounds them and a portion of crowd, reaching halfway into the arena. Allowing much of the audience close contact with the band, the stage, along with… Read more »
New York punk outfit Bad Luck. surprised their fans today with their new single, “Turn It Off.” As the opening track of their upcoming EP, Books On Tape, the song opens with aggressive acoustic guitar strums and Dominick Fox’s frantic vocal delivery. This deliciously manic introduction opens up into a full-band arrangement that is just as cathartic and energetic. With a chord progression reminiscent of The Menzingers and Jimmy Eat World, “Turn It Off” is thrilling enough to get anyone on their feet and into the pit. Books On Tape, being released via Take This To Your Heart Records, marks… Read more »
