When I first heard the epic new single “Say My Name” from the UK alternative/electronic rock band (IAM)WARFACE, I was hit by an atomic blast of music greatness. The kind that instantly blows you away, leaving you speechless and covered with goosebumps. I LOVE THIS SONG!
The exhilarating track begins with a snarling guitar riff, then explodes into an inferno of speaker-blowing drums, big synth chords, bombastic bass and thunderous shredded guitars. Band front man Matt Warneford practically shrieks the opening lyrics, backing himself up with distorted, soaring choruses. He then alternates those high-pitched vocals with smoother but urgent, impassioned phrasing.
The song is four and a half minutes long, yet seems over in an instant – always a sign of an incredible song. Take a listen, and turn the volume all the way up!
(IAM)WARFACE started out as a solo act by Matt Warface, who wrote and performed all the music, but he realized he needed a back-up band to perform live. Those band members are Louis Matthews (who plays a guitar/bass hybrid), Matt Whitehead (backing track coordinator and keyboards) and Alex Whibley (drums and percussion). The band name is a metaphor for their style of bombastic high-energy music, and their influences include Muse, Big Black Delta, Nero, Queens of the Stone Age, Tears For Fears, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Keys and MGMT.
Follow (IAM)WARFACE on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Their awesome music is available for purchase on itunes or streaming on Soundcloud or Spotify.
There are some singer/songwriters whose music stays with you long after hearing it, drawing you back for another listen. Chris Watkins and his band Drunk Poets make that kind of music, reminiscent of Bob Dylan, Shawn Mullins and Lou Reed – simple, pure and honest, but always with a compelling story. His smooth low-key vocals are incredibly soothing to the ear, yet at the same time quite powerful. Following up on their superb 2015 album London Can Take It, Watkins/Drunk Poets dropped their latest album Lights All Askew in July 2016, and it’s another work of musical art. Drunk poetry indeed!
Hailing from Alaska, which he still calls home, Watkins formed his original version of the Drunk Poets band when he was just 16 years old. He has continued performing and recording under the band name Drunk Poets – with various members – throughout the years and up to the present. (Currently, Drunk Poets consists of Watkins, Eric Cobb and Watkins’ niece, who provides the lovely backing vocals.) They play a beguiling style of alternative folk-rock that’s primarily acoustic, with awesome guitar and harmonizing vocals.
The beautiful title track “Lights All Askew” is a rather somber ballad with a mesmerizing, repetitive guitar riff and gently crashing cymbals. In his smoldering voice, Watkins sings:
“Bright red and blue, lights all askew in the twilight. The snow on the sidewalk like wool from the December sky. The rumbles of headlights that shimmer in spite of the cold. Black witches burning in purity fires of old. And the darkness is waiting for thee.”
Watkins told me the song was inspired by the Northern Lights, which he has the pleasure of experiencing in his home state.
My favorite track on the album is “Dark Old Houses,” a captivating song that seems – to me at least – to be about loss and the passage of time.
“Yesterday I saw a flock of geese over the rooftops. With snow on the wing and an auburn sun overhead. Like businessmen in shoddy suits at a funeral. Running for public office in the rain. Carpenters under the gun. Wrestle hammers from the wall. Shingles shiver in the gust. When the winter comes to call, on dark old houses.”
Musically, the song features a pleasing guitar riff with an undercurrent of gentle violin. I literally had this on repeat a half dozen times while composing this review.
Another personal favorite is the anti-war song “Munich.” I love the lyrics “I never made it to the revolution. The taste of teargas took its toll.” and the chorus “Tell me when the heathens reach the wall; I need some information.”
The other songs on the album – “Lasses and Ladies,” “Cheerleader in Love,” “Looking Glass Life,” “Soldiers and Dogs,” “Ivory Towers,” “Broken Gate” and “Souls Midnight” – are all exceptional.
On a side note, in an interview with heathmusicblogger, Chris stated his very first album purchase was Meet the Beatles, which also happens to be my own very first album purchase. That, plus the fact that he’s a nice guy who’s extremely supportive to his fans and followers, makes him a legend in my book!
Support Chris & Drunk Poets by following him on Twitter, liking him on Facebook, and subscribing to his YouTube channel. His music is available for streaming on Soundcloud or Spotify, or purchase on itunes or Amazon.
Neil and Adam are singer/songwriters Neil McCloskey and Adam Hilligardt, who hail from suburban St. Louis, Missouri (my previous home), and are the second St. Louis-based band I’ve featured on this blog. The two men have worked together musically since high school, and make pleasing folk/rock/pop music that reminds me a bit like that of Gavin DeGraw and John Mayer. Their latest single “Everything is Alright” is an infectiously uplifting song that’s getting a lot of airplay on indie radio stations across the U.S., Australia, the U.K. and elsewhere.
The song’s hopeful lyrics speak to how inner beauty is more important than one’s appearance: “It doesn’t matter what you look like, look like, everything is alright, you’re still an open book. What makes you think he doesn’t want you, want you? Don’t you want to have another look? What’s it gonna take to get into your heart?”
Musically, the song opens with an assertive drum beat, then Neil’s beautiful, plaintive vocals take over, with a great hook that immediately pulls you in. The strong drum beat continues, propelling the song forward, accompanied by Neil’s deft guitar and Adam’s gentle keyboards that add a lovely undercurrent to the song. The more I listened to “Everything is Alright,” the more I liked it. Take a listen to this gem:
Support Neil and Adam by liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter and Soundcloud. You can stream their music on Spotify or purchase it on Google, itunes or Amazon.
U.K. rock band Partisan dropped their awesome new single “Juggernaut” at the end of July, and it’s a real winner! Following up on their previous stellar single “Two Lovers,” Partisan continues to amaze with their melodic, hard-driving alternative rock sound. Formed in Manchester in 2013, Partisan consists of Stuart Armstrong (lead vocals and guitar), Dan Albon (bass guitar) and Rob Jones (drums).
“Juggernaut” achieves lift-off with the sound of jets flying, backed by a thunderous opening guitar riff and hammering drums. Nimble guitars abruptly take over, then alternate with a repeat of the thunderous riffs, accompanied by Armstrong’s beguiling vocals that rise and fall with the intensity of the music that’s propelled forward by Jones’ aggressive drums. This is one gorgeous rock tune!
Partisan is coming to America, with concerts scheduled for September 24 in New York, and October 1 at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles (which I’m excited about seeing). To learn more about Partisan, check out their website, follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and subscribe to their Youtube channel. Listen to their songs on Soundcloud, and purchase them on iTunes, Google, Amazon and all other music sites.
I had the pleasure of seeing my current favorite band twenty øne piløts in concert at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on August 2, and my already high expectations were greatly exceeded. Not only are they amazing performers who put on a fantastically quirky show, but I also loved the two bands who opened for them.
I have to admit that I was not looking forward to having to sit through two opening acts I’d never heard of before seeing Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun play. But the instant the first band – Chef’Special from Haarlem, The Netherlands – appeared on stage and began performing their exuberant new single “Amigo,” I was smitten. They play a fun, energetic mix of hiphop, funk, reggae and rock guaranteed to have you on your feet. I honestly felt disappointed when, after their third song, band front man Josh Nolet announced the fourth and last song of their set. I followed them on Twitter, listened to more of their songs and am now a fan.
After a brief intermission, the second opening band – MUTEMATH, a four-man band from New Orleans – took the stage and, once again, I was more than pleasantly surprised, not to mention shocked I had never heard of them, as they’ve been around for years and play totally awesome music! Their lush, alternative synth/rock/jazz sound kept the audience – and me – at full attention and, as eager as I was to hear twenty øne piløts, I enjoyed every minute of their set. I was sorry they performed only six songs, including “Typical,” “Monuments,” and their gorgeous new single “Used To.” We were all blown away by the powerful drum solos by band member Darren King, who attacked his drums with fierce abandon. I’m now a big fan of MUTEMATH as well.
When the lights dimmed and Tyler and Josh appeared on stage, the audience leapt to their feet and went wild. The guys were dressed in their signature black and red suits, their faces covered by black balaclavas, and opened with a medley of “Heavydirtysoul” and “Migraine,” then segued into “Hometown.” Halfway into the song, crew members pulled a tarp over Tyler and, 30 seconds later, he reappeared in the upper stands and finished the song and tore off his balaclava. From video footage I’ve seen from other concerts on the tour, this stunt is repeated at most, if not all, shows. They continued playing songs from their three albums “Twenty One Pilots,” “Vessel” and “Blurryface,” as well as their latest single “Heathens.”
At one point, Tyler and Josh moved from the main stage to a secondary stage across from where I was sitting, and performed a medley of songs from their self-titled first album. It was nice to be able to get a closer look at them, as I was sitting pretty far from the main stage.
Afterwards, they quickly climbed down from that stage and returned to the main stage to continue their show. Halfway through their set, Tyler pulled out his ukelele and led the audience in a singalong of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” then welcomed MUTEMATH and Chef’Special back to the stage, whereupon they all sang “Twist and Shout.” Next came performances of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” (with Josh abandoning his drums and playing a respectable trumpet solo), ending with a rousing rendition of House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” It’s always fun when artists and bands choose to perform songs outside their comfort zones. Here’s a snippet of “Jump Around”:
Here’s their awesome performance of “Tear In My Heart.” I couldn’t help but sing along and, unfortunately, my off-key vocals are audible at times. Yikes!
Toward the end of the show, Tyler climbed into a giant red inflated hamster ball that reminded me of the bubble that transported Glinda the Good Witch into Oz, and walked it out onto and over the audience while singing “Guns For Hands.” Again, this was another crowd-pleasing stunt performed at every show. As they played their last song, millions of pieces of red tissue paper confetti were shot into the air and quickly spread out over the arena. It was a dramatic climax to an incredible concert experience.
The Frontier is an indie rock/pop project by the talented singer/songwriter Jake Mimikos, who hails from the Washington, D.C. area. His new self-titled sophomore EP The Internal Frontier dropped on July 22, 2016, and is the follow-up to his excellent debut EP Chaos to Clarity. And what a winner this one is, with five stellar tracks that only confirms The Frontier as a music artist to be reckoned with. The songs on this EP have a somewhat more polished, radio-friendly sound than those on Chaos to Clarity, but are still every bit as good.
The first track “Wake the Dawn” is a gorgeous, celebratory song with an incredibly catchy hook, lush guitar and strong – but not overpowering – percussion. Mimikos’ beguiling vocals soar at just the right moments, eliciting goosebumps. He sings “And I feel free, free as I can be. Together we have found our destiny. And I feel free, free as you and me. Together we can be our remedy.” I guarantee you’ll be playing this on repeat.
The upbeat, melodic track “Neon Rays,” sounds like it could have been performed by the band Walk the Moon, which is a good thing in my book. “Gravity” and “Paradigm” are lovely, hopeful tracks with delicate guitar riffs, gentle synth and clean percussion, accompanied by Mimikos’ sweeping vocals. I love the video for “Gravity,” which wonderfully complements the song.
The fifth track “Bluff”, about the pain and bitterness from a break-up, is the saddest of the bunch, but one of my favorites. To swirling guitar and gentle percussion, Mimikos emotionally sings “And what you do is not what I’ve done. But it’s wrong if I’m not moving on. What you’ve done is hit and run. Now you’re gone like a bullet from a gun. And I need time to figure you out. Only took a minute and there’s not much I found.”
Support The Frontier by purchasing his music on Bandcamp, and following him on Twitter and Facebook. You can also stream songs from Chaos to Clarity on Soundcloud.
I love Radiohead’s new single “Burn the Witch” from their latest album A Moon Shaped Pool, released in May 2016. The song’s dark lyrics, hauntingly sung by Thom Yorke’s beautiful falsetto, sharply contrast with the gorgeous arrangement by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and lush strings performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
So too with the clever, cartoonish video, as Radiohead wanted it to contast with the song’s darker meaning. Directed by Chris Hopewell, the video uses stop-motion animation in the style of the 1960s English children’s television Trumpton Trilogy programs. It pays homage to the 1973 horror film The Wicker Man. (Wikipedia) An inspector is greeted by a town official and invited to see a series of unsettling sights, culminating in the unveiling of a huge wicker man. The official urges the inspector to climb into the wicker man, whereupon he is locked inside and the wicker man is set on fire. As the flames build, the townspeople turn their backs to the burning wicker man. After the song ends, the inspector appears to have escaped, with birds chirping happily among the trees.
Pitchfork writer Marc Hogan suggested that the use of the Trumpton Trilogy style, which portrays an idyllic, crime-free rural Britain, is intended to satirize the rhetoric of family values used by right-wing politicians such as Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and members of the UK Independence Party.
As a footnote, according to an article in The Guardian, the son-in-law of Trumpton creator Gordon Murray stated that the family had not been asked permission to use the style for the video, and saw it as a “tarnishing of the brand.” He added that they would not have allowed its use, considered it a breach of copyright, and were “deciding what to do next.”
There’s clearly a British Invasion going on these days, with a seemingly endless stream of new emerging artists and bands from the U.K. making awesome music (in addition to the hundreds of long established ones like Coldplay, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, etc.). I’ve previously reviewed several musicians from the U.K., so was pleasantly surprised to discover yet another one – Mosley Bar – when they tweeted me their new EP Another Record Sleeve, which dropped on April 18. I took a listen to the four tracks and liked them instantly.
Given the huge number of new bands breaking into the music scene, it’s easy for many to get lost in the crowd, but Mosley Bar has something special. This four-member band from Northwest England plays some really exceptional alternative indie rock, which is all the more amazing given their youth – all are in their late teens! They wield their guitars with abandon, knocking out riffs that are sonically hard-hitting, yet captivating. And their song lyrics are fairly simple but authentically mature.
Formed in 2015, the band is comprised of Ryan Ward (guitar/lead vocals), Matthew Wright (drums), Tim Williams (bass/vocals) and Adam Eccleston on guitar. They cite as some of their music influences the Arctic Monkeys, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Two Door Cinema Club, Circa Waves and The Libertines. While incorporating some of those influences, Mosley Bar are developing a style all their own.
The band released their stellar debut single “Record Sleeve” in October 2015, which quickly received airplay on BBC6 Music, and in January 2016, the band was invited to play The BBC Introducing stage for BBC Radio Lancashire. This compelling rock song has incredible guitar work, with layer upon layer of melodic riffs over an awesome bass line. Ward’s smoldering vocals give the song a vibe so mesmerizing that I found myself replaying it over and over, wondering how such amazing music could come from teens.
The band dropped their second single “Risk” in April 2016. This exuberant song storms out of the gate and keeps the pace at full speed with shredded guitars and pulse-pounding drums. In this track you can hear Catfish and the Bottlemen influences.
The EP features two other tracks, “Rendezvouz” and “The World and I,” both excellent. My only criticism with Another Record Sleeve is that it contains only four songs. They’re so good I wish there were four more! Mosley Bar has incredible potential that I’m certain will be realized as they continue to grow and make more awesome music.
I loved the new dance track “Lucky” from Ricky Jarman featuring Sam Harmonix the moment it hit my ears like an sonic boom of musical pleasure. This is one hot tune! The song grabs hold with its sexy, pulse-pounding dance/pop beat and doesn’t let go. I literally hit ‘repeat’ five or six times, as I couldn’t get enough of it. https://soundcloud.com/ricky-jarman/ricky-jarman-lucky-ft-sam-harmonix#t=0:00
Ricky Jarman is a talented, charismatic singer/songwriter and rising dance pop/R&B artist now based in New York. His beautiful vocals, good looks and charm – not to mention warm, friendly personality – have given him broad appeal to a growing base of fans. As if that weren’t enough, he’s also an accomplished model!
Born and raised in North Carolina, Ricky grew up in an artistic and musically-inclined family, learning to love music through listening to his parents’ Earth Wind & Fire, Kool and the Gang, Toto, Phil Collins and Boyz II Men records. Besides those artists, he says his greatest musical influences are Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson, which is evident in his music style.
“Lucky” was co-written by Ricky and hip hop producer Sam Harmonix, who raps in the song’s bridge. The simple but optimistic lyrics speak to the joy of feeling passion for a new love. Production-wise, the song’s arrangement is tight, and the melodic dance beat keeps the energy flowing. The excellent video for “Lucky,” released on May 10, 2016, was written and directed by Ricky and produced by Harmonix. The video opens with a poignant scene of an elderly couple celebrating over dinner (their anniversary perhaps?) then transitions to themselves at a much younger age, falling in love, then closes with them back in the present together in bed. Take a look:
Ricky’s previous single “Get To Know Ya” is a fun, incredibly catchy and upbeat dance/pop track with a sensual hip hop vibe. He worked with a number of music producers to create a series of great remixes of the song in varying genres, including Latin, EDM, Funk and House. Check them out on Ricky’s Soundcloud page. The “Hot Vibe (Mumba Trap) Remix” is my personal favorite:
I’m certain that Ricky’s talent, charm and and drive will propel him to increasing success in both the music and modelling business. To learn more about him, check out his website, follow him on Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to his YouTube channel. Listen to his music on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Reverbnation.
I recently discovered a talented, hard-working young hip hop musician from the UK who goes by the name Twintwo. I loved his music the moment I heard it. Not only is he an amazing rapper, with a nimble, rapid-fire delivery, the music is joyously upbeat, with artful, melodically complex arrangements. His rapping with a British accent makes his voice especially appealing for me, plus he’s a nice, humble guy.
Twintwo was born 20 years ago as Robert Winterburn. Regarding the origin of his artistic name, he explained that he was the second of twins to be born, but before his parents could fully name him, he was designated “Twin II.” He’s been a big fan of rap music since the age of nine or ten, and started writing songs at around 16. In a recent interview with the blog Xustralia, he stated his music is influenced by Hopsin, Logic, Slaughterhouse, Machine Gun Kelly, and a bit of Calvin Harris.
He released his first song “Beggin” in June, 2015, and later that year dropped a 10 track mix tape All Day Everyday. That work featured original tracks, as well as his skillful rapping over a few hip hop songs by other artists, including the Logic/Ed Sheeran collaboration “All Along the Watchtower.” He ramps it up with fresh energy on his latest release, a semi-autobiographical EP titled Mr Winterburn. All five songs are awesome, but I’ll discuss three of them.
The first single, “Late Night Drives,” dazed my ears with its driving EDM-infused hip hop beat and Twintwo’s 100 mile-an-hour rapping. It’s impossible to listen to this exhilarating song without wanting to dance around the room like a crazy person. I never want the song to end so keep hitting repeat.
For the title track, “Mr Winterburn,” Twintwo sings about the challenge of growing up and struggling to have a music career, paying lyrical homage to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and twenty one pilot’s “Stressed Out” (two of my favorite songs). He sings “Yeah, I know I’m not taking this as serious as I should/I know if I could I would but I don’t understand the concept/Too immature for my own good.” Later in the song, he laments “I wish I could go back to when I was riding a bicycle.”
“Drug Dealers and DJs” has a jazzy, roaring 20s vibe set to a crushing hip hop beat. The old-time sounding horns throughout the song are a sonic delight, and perfectly tailored for the song’s theme. Since I wrote this review, Twintwo released a delightful video for the track.
Even if you’re not a big fan of hip hop or rap, I promise you’ll find yourself liking Twintwo’s music, which is available on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. Also, follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 