Tag Archives: Alternative rock

I can feel the tidal wave of Pressures by Avid Light

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Pressures is the new album by Avid Light available now.

Avid Light releases an irresistible new album Pressures. 

They grew up playing together in their church. And now they have a new album out. Pressures was released late October. Their sound is wrapped in beautiful melodies and anthemic harmonies. It is alternative rock in the style of bands like Muse, Coldplay, The 1975, Switchfoot, and Radiohead. In their quieter moments, their atmospheric sounds is comparable to Sigur Ros.

Pressures opens with Fear with sweeping chords and the tidal waves of sounds in the chorus part. Singer Chase Castleberry has awesome pipes especially when he hits the high notes with intensity and also sing in heartbreaking nuance. Fade Away is a potential radio hit as it is great to sing to. I found myself singing along and even though belting is not my strong point, it is really fun to do it with this song. I noticed tal-pressures-album-cover-hi-res-1024x1024that the guitars have luminous sound courtesy of Tanner Terhune. Strong Enough to Last is another fave ballad. I like the robust drums of Colton Baum. Journey has that soft intro that sounds like church bells but the beats catch you by surprise. It’s really awesome. It’s a nice track move your body to. And yes once again Castleberry steals the show with his amazing singing. I don’t know how they make it, but every song is catchy. I think you can play their record everywhere and get a positive response from people. Like they would say ” hey I just listen one time and I already memorize the melody.”

Walls has an operatic rock quality. It is due to that melodic line from the guitar that repeats all throughout the song. 110 has a warm cello and strings. The song is wrapped around the acoustic guitar. The poignant subject is further enhanced by the melody that reminds me of the sky lightening after the rain. This is the band’s masterpiece in my opinion. Ethereal instrumental sounds gather in Dream of Fire. Like wading a pond steeped in flowers under the noon sun, this song shines brightly with each listen. Rise and Fall is typical mainstream rock. Not really my favourite but I am sure it will appeal to people who are into complex rock melodies.

I like this band. Next assignment is to listen to their Christmas album!

Download Pressures via iTunes.

 

Under the Wire releases Everything Haunts Me

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Band: Under the Wire

Album: Everything Haunts Me.

Songs: I am nothing/Oceans are none/Drifter now/Down/Black out/Melancholy/Self Medicated.

What you can expect from every Under the Wired releases is the electricity that flows through each song. There is the freshness yet the nostalgic not to the great bands of the 80s. I like to imagine them as a band that continue to carry the torch of great music without sacrificing their credibility to the evil of mainstream pop.

Everything Haunts Me is the new EP, which is their second, and contains 7 tracks. I am nothing has a mellow style with chilled beats. The fullness of the music is done by layering. Under the Wire is comprised of two people: Tom Lugo and Jason Ellis. I am nothing reminds me of old This Mortal Coil. Remember the 4AD project headed by Ivo Watts-Russell in the 80s? I am not sure if UTW have embraced the 4AD credo but I can sense a bit of that in this EP.

Oceans are None is explosively beautiful. I haven’t heard something like this in ages. The only artists that come to mind are Peter Gabriel and early Sarah McLachlan. The beats are seductive. The vocals are really awesome. Like the first EP, the tunes from Everything Haunts Me showcase a distinct guitar style that shows its loyalty to the dream pop genre.

Either it’s The Cure or Fiction Factory, Drifter now nods on these bands. Two thumbs up to the keyboards. And since I am not a lyrics guy I paid more attention to the sound effects than the stories behind the songs. But if you want to know what they are all about then I will tell you. They deal with either unrequited love, despair, loneliness, inner conflict-the stuff of Gothic rock. For some reason, Under the Wire makes depressing themes sound like Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

There’s Down-a kind of suspense and moody tune in the vein of Siouxsie and the Banshees.  Blackout behind jangles with Bauhaus inspired chords and distorted drums. Melancholy has an ethereal style that reminds me of early Dead Can Dance and at times it’s Joy Division. Self medicated closes the EP and I think it is the most cinematic track in this EP.

Under the Wire continues to challenge the status quo of music, as these
two musicians write and record tunes that you can never -and will never-hear again in alternative rock.

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I recommend these Soundcloud artists

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I am so passionate about Soundcloud. That is where I hear cool music all the time. That’s where musicians that I respect and admire post their tunes. That’s a place where I love to repost and tweet the uploads of these fantastic artists. So today it’s less talk and more Soundcloud links. These are the musicians that are hot on my list. I hope you enjoy their music as much as I did. And oh, it’s 5 am in the morning here.

The Cornerstones : Britpop with an edge.

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The Cornerstones:haunting, uplifting but with a beautiful dash of sadness.

Smack me in the Face has now become one of my most played singles from The Cornerstones. The song is gorgeous. It features a haunting piano and drums with awesome vocal harmonies in the chorus section. As the song dips into the minor chord, it kind of gives me a vague reference to the greatest alternative ballads of the 90s from bands like The Verve and Fuel.

This is artsy Brit music but with radio appeal. Stand in Line is another personal favorite which also happens to be the title of their new EP. Although I used the term Britpop in the title, I think their music is diverse and they incorporate many styles and instruments in their songs. If you love something rock oriented but not too noisy and with an adequate dash of elegance then The Cornerstones is for you.

 

Learn more from their website : http://www.thecornerstones.co.uk

 

Back Home by J.P. Kallio and the inspiring coffee Instagram

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New album coming out soon.

J.P. Kallio is releasing his new album “Read Between the Lines” soon. I see it as a progression from his Northern Boy album. You can still expect crystal clear recordings and straight forward songwriting which are part of his style as a solo artist.

Back Home is a teaser for more goodness to come. It is a smooth acoustic track with alternative folk rock flavor. I know artists who complain about lack of inspiration. Or lack of time to put materials together. These issues don’t seem to hamper J.P. Kallio in any way. You should follow him on Instagram. I enjoy his coffee posts.