Category Archives: Reviews
New Sounds: Fire The Sun
A new recommendation for today, October 30th is the Southern California melodic hardcore punk band, Fire The Sun. The Ventura, CA. band just released their debut independent full length “An Evolution in the Creation of a New Self Being” via NoiseTrade that you can check out and download for FREE below. The album has that perfect combination of harsh, aggressive, hardcore tone mixed with melodic, fast and furious punk beats. It’s rough and raw yet great production for an independent band via Paul Miner (Thrice, Atreyu, New Found Glory, Throwdown, Death By Stereo, etc). Their sound takes on variance all it’s own and straddles the line between both punk and hardcore much the way bands like Death By Stereo, Thrice, Rise Against, Strongarm, Stretch Arm Strong, were doing more than a decade ago. It’s that old school inspired sound that keeps it interesting and yet current enough to keep it from being boring. These guys are spirit filled and certainly aren’t ashamed to say so. So check out this new album and also make sure you download the Strongarm “cover” of “Stand Together” right here.
http://noisetrade.com/service/widgetv2/c45d2bcd-4a37-4635-b41e-3af33006d3da
New Sounds: Come Wind
The fabulous indie rock band, Come Wind, have gone through somewhat of a reawakening and reemerging as forerunners in a scene overrun with stagnant clones and boring sameness. My pals at I Am Tuned Up have put up a brand new feature with this great band right here including two brand new songs as well as a feature on the group. There is plenty of tasty info and a backstory to keep you glued to your screen. Please read up on the band and listen to these deeply touching and introspective songs. I can’t think of a better band of their genre that are making music in the independent realm right now. Give Come Wind a whirl. Enjoy!
New Sounds: Mercy Street – Let Me Live
Former Rufio singer, Scott Sellers, starts new band called Mercy Street and completely blows the lid off the pop punk genre. What his band had accomplished in the past decade with Rufio is turned up to 11 on this new full length under the Mercy Street name, and then some. Picking right up where Rufio left off on their last proper full length “Anybody Out There” but heading in a more edgy, less “commercial” direction. Songs like “Building Tolerance”, “Out of the Question”, “Guilty Conscience”, “Caught by the Wind”, “Die Young”, and the great closer “We See the Ending”, show the band at their strongest, most captivating. This band hits you over the head with a two ton hammer of alluring pop-punk and doesn’t relent for the entirety of “Let Me Live”. If you’ve been on the hunt for a straight forward, fast, and melodic, slightly aggressive, pop punk record with a bite, look no further than Scott and his band or ruffians called Mercy Street. Recommended for fans of old Slick Shoes, Rufio, old old AFI, New Found Glory, Much the Same. Listen here:
New Sounds: Sean O’Donnell “Spirit Junkie”
I just recently purchased this new album from Sean O’Donnell titled “Spirit Junkie” off of iTunes and so glad I did. Sean has been playing in bands for nearly two decades including such groups as Dogwood, Yellowcard, and Reeve Oliver. Heck, his band Reeve Oliver even appeared on an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba that my kids were watching one day, that’s big time right? Anyway, back to the music. Sean has truly perfect his craft from years of past experiences songwriting and slinging the guitar around. It pays off on “Spirit Junkie”, a alt-rock gem hidden among and endless trove of bands all clamoring for the spotlight. Sean’s witty, and sometimes sarcastic lyrical input, gives these songs a certain charm lacking in today’s modern alternative rock. The songs strike me as finding a balance somewhere between Death Cab For Cutie, Yellowcard, and Jimmy Eat World if that makes sense.
I still remember watching Sean shred on stage many nights behind Josh Kemble (Vocals/Dogwood), some shows even I booked. Best show I witnessed was with Thrice and Dogwood at House of Blues of Anaheim in 2001. BEST.SHOW.EVER! Enough about that. Spirit Junkie is the album you absolutely need to add to your collections as soon as possible. It’s available in most digital formats including bandcamp here or on iTunes.
Freedom Like a Song 