So it’s been a while now since both Hypnotize and Mezmerize were released and System Of A Down went on hiatus. Since then there has been tons of rumours that they have actually split up and will never get back together. This is totally false as they’re just taking the time right now to do what they want and go off and do their own things for a little while.
Serj Tankian came out with the highly acclaimed album Elect The Dead last year, which proved that he could do very well off on his own, and even landed some major dates in the UK, including his outstanding performance at the Download Festival this past June.
Since then there has been much talk about Daron and John’s solo project after SOAD, and there has been much speculation to whether Daron could pull out from being a back up vocalist to lead. Well the time has come and the name to add to the faces now is Scars On Broadway, which takes a great leap away from the traditional System of a Down we have come to love and drool over. Read more
Bryn Christopher is an R’n’B singer song-writer who hails from Birmingham. The 22 year old has recently come on to t
he music scene and after the success of his first single ‘The Quest’ he has followed it up with second single ‘Smilin’ from his debut album ‘My world’ which was released on September 8th 2008.
When I first listened to the album I could definitely see the motown influences on Christopher. The first track ‘Help Me’ is a Latino sounding, upbeat song. It really managed to show case Christopher’s voice which has a real Stevie Wonder quality to it. I wouldn’t say it was exactly my thing, but it wasn’t by any means a bad song and if you are a fan of jazz and soul then you would really like this. Read more
South African rock band DORP are not your ordinary kind of band, with two members of the band originating from Cape Town, one from Paris and another from London, it’s fair to say that in geographical terms they’re pretty diverse. Their music is diverse as well, with political tones in their songs, pop themes, lashings of electronica and elements of rock, it’s hard to categorise them as a band, which is a positive.
Their new album ‘Humans Being’ is a 13 track insight into their talents, and new singles ‘Cops and Robbers’ and ‘Pigs Do Fly’ are the opening tracks on the disc. ‘Cops and Robbers’ is a decent enough introduction, with simple melodies combined with occasional electronica which produces a great sound, and the chorus is a hit. It’s not groundbreaking stuff but is a good tune, and Prodigy spring to mind when thinking of comparisons. ‘Pigs Do Fly’ is a faster paced song, with soft drums used as a backdrop to the vocals with short guitar riffs complimenting the song. Again this is a fair effort, but both of the opening two songs are lacking a bit of aggression, it’s easy enough to listen to but if anything is a bit dull. Read more
‘Feed My Soul’ is the new single from heavy metal rockers Voodoo Six, who have already supported rock icons Iron Maiden, Metallica and Guns n Roses since forming in 2003. The band previously released their debut album in 2006, called ‘Feed My Soul’, but have now re-released it under a new name of ‘First Hit For Free’ after a record label change.
The opening of the track is great; a mesmorising solo guitar riff layered with punchy drums to boom into the song, it really works nicely. It’s a quite heavy sound as expected, but isn’t as thrust into your face as some of the bands of the same genre. Lead vocalist Henry Rundell makes his mark on the song with his strong and dominating voice, backed by neat drumming and random guitar riffs.
The chorus of ‘Feed My Soul’ is the best thing about the song, with Rundell’s voice to the fore and strong instrumentals in the background complimenting him perfectly. Voodoo Six certainly seem like they’d be a great live act, and when the song moves off into a brilliant guitar solo comparisons with one of the bands they cite as their heroes, Guns n Roses, spring to mind.
The single also comes with a bonus track, ‘Jam the Sun’, which is another nice little look into the bands talents. It’s a part acoustic version, which shows a softer sound to the band which many heavy bands struggle with; Voodoo Six however pass with flying colours. When the song does progress with the introduction of drums and more dominating guitars, it only helps to bring the song on and fits in like clockwork.
It’s really refreshing to see that Voodoo Six are actually a British Band, and I think they could go far. With a lot of music today sounding the same, this is a band that is different, and sounds more like the rock of the eighties. I’m not a big fan of heavy rock, but I’m definitely going to be listening around for more of Voodoo Six.
Popular Californian rock band Weezer are back with their sixth studio album, Weezer (The Red Album). The band has already had success with the new record with debut single ‘Pork and Beans’ proving a hit, and the latest single ‘Troublemaker’ is anticipated to do just as well.
I’ve never really been a huge fan of Weezer, but I’ve got to admit I do like some of their classics like ‘Buddy Holly’, ‘Beverley Hills’ and ‘Hash Pipe’, which got me quite looking forward to hearing their new stuff. Unfortunately I don’t think this song does Weezer justice compared to their past material.
From the start of ‘Troublemaker’ you can tell it’s a Weezer song, with a decent guitar introduction followed by the familiar vocals of lead man Rivers Cuomo, all mixed together with a steady if not spectacular beat. It’s not the start of the song that’s the problem, it’s the chorus. All the good Weezer songs have a catchy and dominating chorus, this one doesn’t. If anything I found the chorus repetitive and boring, with “I’m a troublemaker, never been a faker… I’m a troublemaker, not a double taker” played simultaneously over a dull melody. It’s a bit the same as past efforts, and not as good to be honest. Read more
Online-concert-channel Fabchannel.com released this week an exclusive live video of the Guillemots live set at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. The entire set from the Mercury nominated band is now available for free viewing below or at www.fabchannel.com/guillemots including the eagerly anticipated new single ‘Kriss Kross/ Clarion’ from the album ‘Red’ (released March 2008).
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Our fave Cassette Electrik release the video for their 28 days EP. And here it is in all its glory!
28 Days from flippers on Vimeo.
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gn=”left” marginheight=”0″ marginwidth=”0″ style=”width: 120px; height: 240px”>It has to be said that is has been a pretty good year for singer song-writer Duffy. After the major success of
her second single ‘Mercy’ her music career is really starting to take off. The Welsh born singer is set to release her fourth effort from her best seller debut album ‘Rockferry’ titled ‘Stepping Stone’ and fans will be pleased to know Duffy is still rocking her unique style.‘Stepping Stone’ is a soulful and emotional tune with a hint of girl power thrown in for good measure. The verses which are sung in Duffy’s beautiful, soft, sultry tones are perfectly matched with the punchier chorus saying ‘I will never be a stepping stone.’ It is similar to her last song the very sweet heart tugging ‘Warwick Avenue’ but I preferred this song because it shows a racier, more independent side of the singer. Read more
Muse have warned their fans not to expect a new album anytime soon, despite previously revealing that they have plenty of songs ready for it.
Having previously said they were heading to Italy to write new material, they now say they are a long way off from actually beginning the recording process.
Bassist Chris Wolstenholme told BBC 6music, “There’s about six or seven songs that we’ve started work on, but they’re still very young. I don’t think there’s anything that we’re ready to record yet.”
“We just wanted to get started this year, to get the ball rolling a little bit rather than wait for a year doing nothing then get in the studio, and go, ‘What do we do now?’.
“Sometimes you can suffer from having too much time off.”
The band’s last studio album, ‘Black Holes And Revelations’, was released in July 2006.
The Infadels are a five piece rock band who hail from London and have been present on the music scene s
ince 2003. They released their debut album ‘We Are Not the Infadels’ in 2006 and followed it up with their second ‘Universe in Reverse’ in June 2008. Latest single ‘A Million Pieces’ is the third offering from this album, and has four tracks on it.
Lead track ‘A Million Pieces’ starts off with a strong techno beat but is quite rocky and indie at the same time, a bit like American rockers The Killers. I would describe their sound as a cross between the Pigeon Detectives and Bloc Party. I liked the way the song switched between a fast paced verse and a slow bit, and although the lead singer Bnann Watts has a pretty ordinary voice, similar to Oasis front man Liam Gallagher, it worked well. Read more
