Category Archives: Music

Sunshine Vibe: A Place To Call Our Own Joe Symes & The Loving Kind 

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It took me a while to write about my decent observation/reaction about this new EP but I will soldier on. I am talking about the A Place to Call Our Own by Liverpool’s Joe Symes and the Loving Kind. So the music was just sitting there waiting for its time to be heard. And the surprise was all worth it. Remember, I wrote something about them a few years ago. I was struck by their sense of melody, harmony and that unique vibe that they can call their own. Is the title a nod to their native place? Perhaps it is. Or maybe it is up to the listeners to create their own story based on the imagery of each song.

The subjects deal about everyday life, relationships, nostalgia, and how life moves on in the midst of chaos and resolution. I notice a hint of Teenage Fan Club and Travis there but perhaps this is normal ion a band that is known to record memorable melodic songs. Their musical career spans a few years and they have grown better with each release. Even Joe’s singing has attained that depth of expression which is sweet, ironic and also sad at times. But if there is one word that defines this release it’s FUN. Yes! With somewhere around half an hour, you have songs that make you get off your feet, smile and supercharge your day. The energy and optimism is all over the second track Follow You. I love how the drums roll with such insistent glee.

Other songs are worth your ears if you are a big fan of Oasis, The Beatles and even The Smiths. There is that spoonful of Johnny Marr in It’s All Make Believe. There is no dull moment in A place To Call Our Own. When you find yourself struggling on a bad day, I suggest you pop this up and see how the mood changes. Music is there to uplift us when we are down. This is something that Joey Symes and the Loving Kind always deliver!

“May It Be” by The Dark Side of the Moon

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I wondered what “May It Be” sounds like with a different tempo, vocal rendition, and instrumentation. The Dark Side of the Moon has satisfied that curiosity. They did it in a way where it retains the atmosphere and imagery of the original track. Oh yes, for those who might wonder, this is a metal band playing loud music, but strange as it may seem, the cover still sits with my taste. After all, symphonic metal and all associated genres have classical and ambient elements. These sit well with the Enya sound.
I was curious about them, so I did a little digging. Here’s a blurb from their official website:

Who are the successors of classical composers like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven? You’ll find some of them if you listen to the themes of your favorite movies. The epic stories of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Game of Thrones and others would be nothing without the great musical pieces dragging you into other worlds, luring you into parallel universes.
The Dark Side Of The Moon is taking the most significant themes of cinematography, TV shows, video games, and are transforming them into epic and powerful modern metal tracks. They take you on a musical quest from the depth of Moria up to the Iron Throne, descending into the inner core of those masterpieces to search and find the beast inside. As every human has a dark side, so has every song. You will hear musical pieces you thought you already knew in a way you wouldn’t have thought possible.
Like the moon, every song has an unexplored side. This is where the band will be taking you.
It all started with a bet between Melissa and Hans. Whoever won would win a dare towards the other. Hans won and challenged Melissa to record a metal version of “Jenny Of Oldstones” with him. After hearing that one song, Napalm Records immediately signed the band to do a whole album. So the band started the epic quest to transform their favorite cinematic themes into powerful metal tracks! In addition, the album will also have a few songs of their own, and, to make this journey even more magical, they invited some of their musician friends to join them.
Melissa Bonny – vocals
Hans Platz – guitars
Morten Løwe Sørensen – drums
Jenny Diehl – harp
Well, that sounds exciting to me. What do you think? I didn’t mean to copy the whole thing, but it sounds alright for you to know what this band is all about. If you are lazy, check the website out for yourself. But, I think you should.

The Captivating Power of Ancient Greek Music: Daemonia Nymphe

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I stumbled upon Greek music band Daemonia Nymphe while searching for Dead Can Dance news. You can say that they are sister sounds and their cousin The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices are also making global waves with their new recording. So I got curious and listened to their two songs. It is great to have a reference point beforehand because it is easy to digest the music and appreciate the depth of their craftsmanship.

Daemonia Nymphe are comprise of Spyros Giasafakis and Evi Stergiou established around 1994. As you recall this was the start of many interesting music and various genres that were deemed ‘underground’ were at the time, regaining recognition. What drew me to the band is my fascination with ancient Greek music, which I also explored in the 90s. Stumbling upon them has a sort of nostalgic appeal.

Further research into their style tell me that their lyrics are drawn from Orphic and Homeric hymns and Sappho’s poems for Zeus and Hekate. In the music market they are categorized under neoclassical or neofolk for lack of better label. We have to remember that labels are important in the business or marketing sense-but never in the creative realm. The vocals are provided by Dessislava Stefanova leader of the London Bulgarian Choir (she sung in Hollywood films such as Troy, 10,000 BC and The Brothers Grimm).

 

Echoes by JASMIN STONE is a unique vision.

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Her new EP  Echoes is part mystical, part stylish electronic music that undulates all over you like soft sea grass. It is a wet sound, with classical and ethnic influences. The video for the single ‘Time” is arresting. It reminds me of Snow White as she croons to what looks like a dead guy in the forest. There are many interesting images in the video and it is open for interpretation. But one thing remains-Jasmin Stone has a voice that is really worth knowing.

Right now the music video for Time has more than 200, 000 views via YouTube and climbing. Echoes will appeal to fans of Goldfrapp and Bjork. And given more time, Jasmine Stone will become one of the important voices in pop music.

Lyrics and music: Jasmin Stone
Musical production and mix: Danton Supple
co-mixing: Marta Salogni
Mastering: Pete Maher

keyboards and back vocals: Jasmin Stone
Drums: Idan Green
Cello: Yuval Messner

Echoes has five songs and it is available through bandcamp: https://jasminevenjasminstone.bandcamp.com/album/echoes

Walking On Cars-The Hottest Irish Indie Pop Rock Band This Year

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Members: Patrick Sheehy,
Sorcha Durham,
Paul Flannery,
Evan Hadnett,
Dan Devane
Genre: Indie Pop Rock
Home Town: Dingle
http://walkingoncars.com/

Let me tell you how I chanced upon Walking on Cars. I am talking about the hottest indie pop rock band to come out of the Emerald Isle. I was browsing through YouTube for “fresh awesome bands” and their name came up. I remember it was Two Stones that caught my attention. It was one of the biggest hits in the UK when it was release and it is still massive. Currently it has more than one million views since its release two years ago. With their US tour on the way, I know that the band will gather more fans.12190961_1039796956040840_1991186454690506930_n.jpg

Their music stands between the delicate melodies-typical of bands using the piano/keyboards as a dominant instrument-and the big arena sound soaked in energy and sheer talent. This is due to supernova aura of lead vocalist Patrick Sheehy. His tall build and intense gaze can draw you to the music like a druid harnessing the force of nature to enchant you. You add talented and equally charismatic band members you got an insanely beautiful musical treat.

The band are Sheehy, Sorcha Durham, Paul Flannery, Evan Hadnett and Dan Devane. They emerged from the windswept Dingle, Country Kerry. Actually most of their music videos were shot on that location. Whoever is in charged of their music videos deserve a praise as the scenes really give justice to their songs. Their album is called Everything This Way released this year. It has twelve songs and many of the songs in this album have potential mainstream appeal. And I mean top -of -the -charts kind of hit potential.

The new single is Speeding Cars. Now if you haven’t yet, you better check out the music video as it is fucking amazing! It is the most haunting thing to come out this year and another kudos to the creative team for giving us something fascinating.

12540610_1076411879046014_5642465984581589876_n.jpgGuess what, Everything This Way can be addicting and I’ve been listening to it everyday when I go out on my morning exercise. Like I said about the song Two Stones-The Alleluia works on this one!