Alternative pop/rock band COUNCIL has been on an upward trajectory since the release of their debut EP Rust to Gold in November 2016 (which I reviewed and you can read here). Based in rural upstate New York, the band consists of three handsome brothers –Patrick, Doug and Andy Reeves. Patrick (bass and lead vocals) and Doug (drums) are twins, and Andy (guitar) is a year younger, and I think it’s awesome that all three are talented musicians who’ve chosen to work together as a band, not to mention humble guys who are kind, gracious and appreciative of their fans.
Rust to Gold, which was self released, has been wildly successful, garnering over 2.6 million streams in 16 countries on Spotify. The superb lead single “Rust To Gold” spent the most time of any song on Apple’s prestigious A-List Alternative Chart this year. It also spent 14 weeks on my Weekly Top 20, peaking at #7. The guys have now dropped their new single “The World is on Fire,” and it’s certain to be another big hit. The single’s being released through AWAL and Tom Sarig’s AntiFragile Records, and was produced by Justin Gray (Dirty Heads, John Legend), and mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, Imagine Dragons).
“The World is on Fire” is an exuberant anthem that immediately grabs hold with a catchy, irresistible melody. The track kicks off with a galloping drumbeat and fuzzy synths that quickly build to a crescendo, before blasting open with Andy’s aggressive jangly guitar, Patrick’s heavy buzzing bass, and Doug pounding out the hard-driving beat with all the strength he can muster. Andy lays down some pretty awesome riffs, and there are moments where Patrick’s bass comes close to blowing the speakers.
With his impassioned vocals, Patrick sings about letting go of our lust and greed that threatens to destroy mankind, and learning to accept what’s really important and meaningful in our lives: “The world is on fire./I’ve seen enough, the violent birth of our souls. I’ve seen the lust, and I know it’s time to let it go./Sometimes less is more than you’ll ever need. Love is like a war, but you better be sure where you place your desires.”
The guys keep the energy level at full throttle from start to finish, and I love their soaring harmonic choruses. Hell, I love everything about this fantastic song that gets better with each listen!
Hollywood, California-based rock band Disciples of Babylon unveil “Freedom,” the first track from their forthcoming album The Rise and Fall of Babylon, today, and it’s awesome! “Freedom” is immediately available to fans who pre-order the album (pre-order begins Friday July 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET). The lead single “Without You” is scheduled to be released the week of July 24.
“These are precarious times we live in,” exclaims front man Eric Knight. “The Rise and Fall of Babylon signifies something that I feel has been a long time coming. Babylon, meaning our country (the USA) is slowly spinning out of control and entering into vast turmoil. I feel we are at the beginnings of a revolution. one of which the likes we’ve never seen before. As a nation, we are no longer viewed in the regard we once were. The title reflects this shift and quite possibly a prelude of what’s to come.”
Disciples of Babylon (DOB) was founded in 2012, and includes Eric Knight on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Ramon Blanco on lead guitar, Gui Bodi on bass and backing vocals, and Chris Toeller on drums. The band draws its influence from such Rock legends as Muse, The Foo Fighters, Queen, The Who, Stone Temple Pilots, U2 & Led Zeppelin. According to the band’s bio, “Our main musical aspirations are to incorporate key stylistic elements of all great Rock music eras into our music to create a large stadium-worthy sound that thrills all audiences, and proves once and for all that Rock music is here to stay.” I say hooray to that!
All seasoned musicians, the individual members of DOB, prior to joining the band, have accumulated several national releases independently, some having opened for some of the biggest names in Rock music, including Aerosmith, KISS, The Dave Matthews Band, and Kid Rock. The individual band members have toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad, and more recently, DOB was featured at the Vans’ Warped Tour in 2016. In June, the band performed at the extreme sports event Dew Tour 2017, and just last weekend on July 8, they kicked off the 2017 Gladiator MMA Championship Series with a performance at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Sports Coliseum.
DOB released their fantastic debut EP Welcome to Babylon in late 2015, which I reviewed. They will now follow up with their first full-length album The Rise and Fall of Babylon, which is scheduled for release in October. It was produced by GRAMMY award winner and longtime DOB producer Andres Torres, one of the producers behind the Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee mega-hit of the summer “Despacito” (which has held the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks and counting). The album was mixed by GRAMMY award winner Curt Schneider (Augustana, Richie Sambora, Joe Bonamassa), and mastered by Dave Kutch (Bruno Mars, The Strokes, Outkast, Joe Perry).
DOB The Rise And Fall Of Babylon Album Cover
The Rise and Fall of Babylon | Track Listing
1. Freedom
2. Without You
3. We Are The Ones
4. Lift
5. Idiosyncrasies
6. Simple Life
7. Civilized
One year ago, Kansas City alternative rock band Lost in the City released their monumental debut album Genesis, which I reviewed and you can read here. Now, after toiling in the studio with Bret Liber at Red Roof Productions (who’s also a musician in his own right, with the rock band Young Medicine), they just dropped the first single “You Stopped This Train” from their forthcoming album Leaving Home, due out later this year.
Lost in the City is Shane Radford (Lead Vocals/Guitar/Keys/Synths), Dustin Proctor (Guitar), Cullan Wiley (Bass) and Kyle Constant (Drums). They play dynamic post-punk alternative rock loaded with thunderous chords, blistering guitar riffs, heavy drums and passion-filled vocals. For their new album, Bret Liber also played keyboards in addition to recording, mixing and mastering the tracks.
“You Stopped This Train” is a hard-hitting rock song about someone who’s chosen to abandon a relationship the singer believed was strong and lasting. Musically, the track features Radford and Proctor’s gritty, shredded guitars and Constant’s pounding drums, all anchored by Wiley’s powerful bass. The screaming guitars at the end of the track are fantastic, and perfectly convey the pain expressed in the biting lyrics. Radford’s vocals are full of raw emotion as he wails “You stopped this train when everything was going great. You walked away as you let it fall apart.” And I love the guys’ soaring harmonic choruses.
It’s a terrific first song, and based on the quality of four other tracks I’ve been given the pleasure of hearing in advance, I can tell you that Leaving Home is going to be a killer album!
I discovered the band Rusty Shipp through fellow blogger Zezrie of Jealous Sounds and I love their music! Check out her review and Rusty Shipp’s awesome, hard-driving music.
On Oct. 24, I wrote up a piece about them crowd funding their latest album “Mortal Ghost”. Rusty Shipp did it! They succeeded, and now, “Mortal Ghost” is here for us to enjoy. It was worth the wait.
The first time Rusty Shipp graced Jealous Sounds was July of last year, when I reviewed their last EP “Hold Fast To Hope” . For the sake of brevity, I’m quoting myself here: “First the facts: The guys came from all parts of the country to Nashville, found each other (Russ found Andrew on Craig’s list), and formed Rusty Shipp in 2014. The band consists of Russ T. Shipp (honestly his real name!) on lead guitar/ vocals, Andrew Royer on drums, and Dustin Herres on bass. The band has an eclectic range of influences, from 60’s-90’s rock, Hardcore Metal to surf rock. Their first EP, Hold Fast To Hope, was released in 2014…
Australian indie rock band Calais strike gold with their fantastic new dance-rock single “Seeing It All.” The gorgeous synth-driven track has a melodic hook big enough to catch a whale, yet is so much more than just an EDM song, thanks to the band’s skillful musicianship.
Formed in 2013, the Brisbane five-piece includes Tim Lollback (Vocals, Synths), Joseph Fleming (Lead Guitar), Guy Stacey (Rhythm Guitar, Vocals), Liam Roberts (Bass), and William Mogg (Drums). They released their debut single “Animalistic” that same year, then followed up in 2015 with an EP Silhouette, which featured the outstanding single “Time & Space.” Calais has been on an upward trajectory ever since, building a loyal fan base in Brisbane and around the world.
“Seeing It All” starts off with a gentle throbbing synth chord, then erupts into a powerful dance beat, driven forward by pulsating bass and strong percussion. Nimble guitars enter the picture, accompanied by Lollback’s captivating vocals and backed by soaring atmospheric synths, all meshing beautifully to create an exceptional track. The arrangement and instrumentation are superb, and the guitar work is so richly textured and nuanced that I hear new sounds with each listen.
The song’s lyrics speak to a relationship in which each partner has lost their own individual identity in their quest to be the perfect couple: “I’ve been looking for you in my reflection, and time is passing me by. I’m seeing it all. I’ve been looking for you in my direction, and I don’t know why. I’m seeing it all.”
The dark but gorgeous video for “Seeing It All” shows the band performing the song, interspersed with scenes that tell the story line using scattered reflections in shards of broken mirror of a couple who can’t see one without the other when standing together, but become confused and disoriented when they’re by themselves.
Nashville rockers The Ivins have been making music for quite a while – both together and separately – and after years of challenges, roadblocks and frustration, they finally realized their dream of producing an album of songs that they could share with the world. In late April they released their debut album The Code Duello, and it’s quite an undertaking, with 13 tracks. The various tracks were recorded between September 2013 and January 2017 in New York, Virginia and Nashville, with the assistance of a number of important producers in the music industry, including Michael Rosen (AFI, Papa Roach), Mark Needham (Imagine Dragons, The Killers), Bill Leverty (Firehouse), Beau Hill (Alice Cooper, RATT) and Anthony “Rocky” Gallo (John Legend, Carrie Underwood).
The Ivins are brothers Jim and Jack Ivins. They share songwriting duties, and Jim plays guitar and sings lead vocals (and also bass and keyboards on the album), and Jack plays drums (as well as guitar, mellotron and backing vocals on the album). More recently, they’ve been joined by Hatton Taylor on lead guitar and Regan Akers on bass and backing vocals to complete the band’s stellar line-up.
In describing The Code Duello, Jim stated “stylistically, I call this a ‘3:00 A.M. album,’ [with] the vibe of the music as the sound of walking through the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 3:00 A.M., inebriated and wearing sunglasses.” When I asked him about the meaning and inspiration behind the album title and theme, he explained:
“A Code Duello is a set of rules for a duel. A fight, if you will. The title couldn’t be more appropriate because this album is about a fight. A fight to get the album made. A fight between us and the music industry. A fight to make rock music viable to an audience increasingly disinterested in the medium. A fight with society’s expectations about what we “should” be doing with our lives. A fight to be heard. A fight for a connection. Much of the album’s lyrical content deals with those themes and our struggles with the music industry.”
Hallmarks of The Ivins’ music are complex melodies, brilliant, multi-textured guitar riffs, and aggressive percussion (courtesy of Jack’s athletic agility with his drum kit) that create a rich and dynamic soundscape. Their unflinching, intelligent lyrics about love, relationship and career struggles are delivered by Jim’s skillful vocals that go from tender and heartfelt to raw and impassioned.
The album kicks off with a siren announcing the arrival of “Freefall,” a powerful song about coming to terms with a partner who’s no longer emotionally invested in a relationship that’s failing. Jim bitterly sings “Your sloth a hurdle in my way. Your passion is clearly concealing apathy. My back’s broken from your weight.” The layered shredded and swirling guitars are outstanding, and Jack’s hammering drums (he’s jackhammer!) and crashing cymbals add heft to this blistering track.
“Heartbreakers” erupts with explosive percussion and guitars, and Jim’s vocals are fervent one moment, then a screeching crescendo the next. This hard-driving track is about being interested only in casual sex, not wanting to get emotionally involved but feeling empty afterward: “Didn’t realize they were the same. Didn’t know that they were playing the same game. Didn’t realize nobody cared. Was surprised when they didn’t get hurt. Was surprised when it didn’t work. If this is what I wanted it to be? Then why’d I wake up feeling empty?” Along a similar theme, “Lay Me Down” speaks to looking for an emotional connection in casual encounters, but never finding it: “If you lay me down, thought I’d see God. But all I see’s a nameless face staring at me.”
The guys’ awesome guitar work really shines on “Stockholm Syndrome,” where they throw down a cascade of razor-sharp riffs that snarl and chime. Jack pounds the hell out of his drum kit, while Jim’s electronically-altered vocals implore: “Building me up to tear me down. You say I’m not what you crave, and yet now here you are, but I’m screaming stop. You may be gone but you’re living a lie ’cause you could never fully give up and let this die. Standing on shoulders just to say that you’ve grown, but I won’t be your Stockholm syndrome.”
A catchy, upbeat melody belies the bittersweet lyrics in “Masquerade.” The track features lovely, intricate guitar work and the guys’ wonderful harmonizing vocals that contrast with its story line about realizing your partner doesn’t really love you and has just been going through the motions. The lyric “If love is blind, then I’m wasting my time with eyes” is especially poignant.
A standout track is “Roam the World,” with instrumentals so terrific they honestly send shivers down my spine. Upon hearing the opening jangly, reverb-heavy guitar riff, it’s clear this song is going to be something special. There’s a lot going on musically, with amazing multi-layered guitars, heavy buzzing bass and power drums, along with some well-placed synths. Jim’s captivating vocals match the music’s power note for note as he sings: “And I can’t stop running away. But even if I die I know I’m home with you. If I die I’ll roam the world with you.”
The band just released a fantastic video for “Roam the World.” Directed by Kylie Rebecca and filmed in black and white, the video stars Ivy Rhodes & Jordan Fitzsimmons as a couple with a complicated relationship, juxtaposed with footage of the band performing the song in an airplane hanger.
One of my personal favorites is “The Seeker,” a stunning rock song with one of the most beautiful guitar hooks I’ve heard in a while. The track opens with dreamy synths, followed by haunting chiming and jangly guitars and heavy doses of strong percussion. Jim plaintively sings: “Come follow me into the dark. Come and be the second heartbeat for this vagrant life, that which I chose.” I love this song.
The guys ramp things up with frantic riffs and rapid-fire drums on “Nothing Left to Say,” then segue into the melodically complex “Mountains.” I continue to be blown away by the Ivins brothers’ musicality, as the guitar work on this powerful track is impressive. The lyrics speak to persevering in the face of obstacles and self-doubt: “We’ve come too far. We fell so hard. We’ve come too far to pay for a loss of who we are.”
Another standout track is “Tell Me,” perhaps the heaviest and darkest of them all. The story line has the singer on an airplane that may crash, thinking about his past transgressions and regretting things he never got the chance to do. Wanting to atone, he asks for God’s forgiveness. “And life flashes before our eyes. But all I could see was all I hadn’t done. I couldn’t tell the wife I never had goodbye. Love was always what I wanted most, but kept from me through lies.” The song features the guys’ signature intricate, guitar-driven melodies and strong percussion.
Closing out the album is the heartfelt “Bring Life,” about finding the strength to go on after the death of a loved one by holding onto memories of them. “Even though your grave lies in the shade, I know the grass still grows, and brings life to this place of the dead. You bring life to this place of the dead and ease my mind, ’cause even in death you bring me life.”
The Code Duello is outstanding from start to finish, and even with 13 tracks, none seem like filler as is sometimes the case with other albums of this length. The Ivins have a great album on their hands, and it should also be in yours.
Ghost Color is a band that likes to make music their way, without following convention or what anyone else seems to be doing. No catchy hooks for them, but rather complex, nuanced melodies that always deliver the unexpected, compelling you to lean in and really listen. The band’s music can generally be described as Post-alternative or Progressive Rock, but one can hear strong influences of hard rock, shoegaze, post-punk, psychedelia and even jazz in their arresting sound.
Based in the California state capital of Sacramento (where I happened to live from 1989-94), Ghost Color consists of Chris Winstead (Drums/Lead Vocals), Eric Davis (Guitar) and Bryan Harty (Bass/backing Vocals). They released a pretty solid debut self-titled EP in 2015 with a decidedly experimental rock sensibility, and are now set to release a new EP American Book of the Dead on May 30th. The EP features four tracks that draw inspiration from the band members’ personal experiences with life and relationship challenges, making for a darker and more lyric-driven EP than their previous effort.
Photo by Damion Hellstrom
To my ears, Ghost Color’s music style is reminiscent of Incubus, who’ve long been one of my favorite bands. Aggressive shredded and gnashing riffs layered with beautiful jangly guitar, and driven by buzz saw bass lines, are a defining characteristic of their music. Furthermore, Winstead’s superb vocals at times bear a striking resemblance to Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd.
The first track “In Other Words” launches with a powerful riff, then jangly quitars enter the scene, aided and abetted by crashing cymbals, pounding drums and Harty’s weighty bass. Davis’ intricate guitar work is jaw-dropping as he coaxes forth sounds ranging from gritty to gorgeous. Winstead’s earnest vocals soar as he sings “Tortured and beaten, according to life. You can’t run.”
“Endeavour” seems to address the differing emotional reactions of each partner in the aftermath of a breakup, with the singer still in pain while the one being sung to appears to have already moved on: “Pour out your heart, you almost shed a tear.A bridge between our hearts. You blew me away, all away.”
More stellar guitar work is on display on “Stay Asleep,” with Davis shredding his guitar nearly to the breaking point. So too with “Grieves,” teeming with psychedelic riffs and wailing guitars making sounds like human screams. The heavy bass has a noticeable jazz vibe at the beginning of each chorus, as Winstead moans “So I grieve again, feeling nothing normal now.”
American Book of the Dead is a brilliant EP, and my only criticism is that it’s over too quickly, leaving me wanting more. But that’s not a bad thing, really, as it never overstays its welcome.
Oli Barton and the Movement is a London-based indie alternative rock band with a winning combination of talent and personality. They released their terrific debut single “Photograph” through Coke & Dagger Records in late 2016, and in April they dropped their brilliant new single “Sleeping With the Enemy.” The band deftly melds alt-rock with a bouncy psychedelic punk groove to create a complex song that’s equal parts catchy and menacing.
The four member band is headed by Oli Barton, who does the majority of the songwriting, plays guitar and sings lead vocals. Their hilarious Facebook page bio cleverly introduces each band member, so rather than attempt to paraphrase, I’ll just copy and paste as is for my readers’ enjoyment:
“Oli is an alternative musician who is the only modern artist to truly inherit classic British eccentricity. By utilising a unique sense of humour and an unequaled songwriting talent, along with the Movement [he] creates a sound that is personal yet anthemic, alluring yet pensive, and enjoyable yet thoughtful.
The Movement are: Guy Monk – Drums Guy is a strange fellow, ridiculously talented but crazily articulate for a drummer. He likes to spend his time going into toy shops and rearranging stuffed animals into a Circle of Life arrangement. Marco Paone – Bass Marco is the resident Italian Stallion. Famed for his close friendship with Gary Barlow, he is known to enjoy country walks and simply adores taking the time to visit zoos and pet the penguins. Ryan Wilson – Lead Guitar Apparently an admirer of fine wines, Ryan’s expertise are most credible playing lead guitar. He is said to have a pedalboard longer than the Great Wall of China and is also said to be the finest guitar player in the South of England. One of these statements is true.
The band has been playing lots of gigs in and around London over the past year or so, building a loyal fan base with their engaging performances. In an interview with Johnny’s New Music Lowdown Blog, drummer Monk said “Our gigs are just mental. We have amazing crowds. That connection on that night when its just us and the audience is extraordinary. We get into the crowd and pull fans up on stage. The vibe of the audience is contagious and it pushes us even further!” The band took some time off from performing while finishing up on the album and making the videos, but has several shows lined up in the coming months.
In the same interview, Oli said of “Sleeping With the Enemy: “I hate to say it’s about Trump because everyone’s making tracks about Trump.” My personal take is that the song is essentially about rampant duplicity in politics of late that always seems to leave people feeling like they’ve been screwed, and the biting lyrics get right to the point: “And I know what it’s like, to be stabbed in the back with a knife. It’s just my life, and I’d better learn to take it from behind. Sleeping with the enemy. Denied any sympathy. Sincerity will soon erode, when you’ve got nowhere to go.”
Musically, the song alternates between an aggressive, fast-paced beat and a slower, almost hypnotic cadence. Wilson and Barton’s guitar work is awesome, with lots of shredding and distortion going on, and Paone’s bass anchors the track without overpowering. Monk’s drumming is spot on, matching the bass line note for note, while Barton’s fervent vocals convey his sense of powerlessness and exasperation with the state of things. At the bridge, it all builds to a cacophonous barrage of heavy buzzing bass, distorted guitars, pounding drums and impassioned vocals.
The band plans to drop their third single “Kinky” at the end of June, and their debut album soon after. I’m looking forward to hearing both.
Candid is an up and coming indie band from Coventry, England who play ridiculously good alternative rock. Following up on their wonderful debut single “Moving On,”released in the fall of 2016, the four-piece just dropped an exciting new single “Rumours” on May 12. Making the music are brothers Rob (rhythm guitar and vocals) and Dan Latimer (lead guitar), Sam Baines (bass) and Ben Williams (drums). Hallmarks of their dynamic sound are catchy melodies, outstanding guitar work, wicked percussion and Rob Latimer’s commanding vocals.
“Rumours” starts off with a tasty little riff, then explodes with multi-textured guitars, guided by Sam’s throbbing bass and Ben’s rapid-fire drums pounding out the driving beat. Rob and Dan’s guitar work is exceptional, employing layers of intricate riffs and solos that give the track a complexity that’s incredibly satisfying to the eardrums. Rob’s vocals are beguiling as sings in earnest about people acting ignorant and spreading hurtful rumours: “So let ’em talk if they’re gonna, pick you up when they want to. And pass you up like a stranger, as soon as they’re done with you. ‘Cause all they talk about, is what they think about, the way we go about our lives.”
Candid’s sound has been compared to Catfish and the Bottlemen, both with regard to their music styling and Rob’s vocals, which at times bear a striking similarity in tone and delivery to Bottlemen lead singer Van McCann. I love Catfish and the Bottlemen, so it goes without saying that I would also love Candid – which I do based on just their two released songs. At any rate, similarities or not, they’re four talented guys who play some terrific music, and I’m eager to hear more from them soon.
I seem to keep featuring UK artists and bands on this blog, but there are just so many good ones to choose from! Another artist I recently stumbled upon is a solo act that goes by the name That Hidden Promise. Based in Somerset, That Hidden Promise is the artistic alter ego of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Wayne Lee, who has been performing live and recording under that moniker since 2011. The talented and versatile fellow creates all his own music, including beats and percussion, and plays electric guitar.
He’s produced an extensive catalog of alternative rock music over the past six years, often incorporating blues, post-punk, electronic, psychedelic and shoegaze elements into the mix, resulting in a decidedly eclectic sound. Overall, though, I’m reminded of Oasis when listening to several of his songs – a good thing to my ears. The last few months have seen him writing and recording new music. He released a track for a Blackpool charity album (Goodbye Avenue), a lovely instrumental track “To Drift and Dream,” and what he calls a ‘non-Christmas’ Christmas single “Snow Won’t Fall/A Day Can Change Your Life.”
Now, the release of “All Things, All Will Come” on May 12 marks the first new material of 2017 for That Hidden Promise, with more planned for the coming year. He also intends to go on tour later this year to promote his new music. He explained his inspiration for the new single: “It was written in a moment of boundless optimism, in the belief that despite what’s going on, despite what you feel is keeping you down, despite the negativity clouding the world, if you keep going, things will come right for you.” The single was self produced, with all instruments played by him, and mastering was done by Audio Animals.
“All Things, All Will Come” storms out of the gate, instantly bombarding us with gritty riffs of shredded guitar, awash in crashing cymbals. This hard-hitting track is adrenaline-raising rock at its finest, with some awesome guitar work, and the production is first-rate. He fervently sings “Thought a crowded web of lies, I can see the truth. I can see the path ahead, so leave your binds behind. / In time you know that all things, all will come to you someday, my friend.” It’s a great song.
To learn more about That Hidden Promise, check out his Website, and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 