Vocalist Mindy White chats about the making of States’ debut full-length, how she first got started with the Copeland guys, and her up-and-down past in Lydia.
Interview: Mindy White of States
Review: Marianas Trench – Ever After
It only took five minutes to prove that Marianas Trench were the real deal.
The opener to the pop-rock quartet’s sophomore effort, Masterpiece Theater, was breathtaking to say the least. “Masterpiece Theater I” presented everything to love about the genre – soaring harmonies, memorable instrumentation, and hooks to go crazy for. The band’s prime selling point took place within vocalist Josh Ramsay, who gave unreal performances on nearly every song on the album. Marianas Trench had something special going for them, and it was easy to say that their follow-up had a lot to live up to. In company with Masterpiece Theater’s incredible solidarity, it also ended up selling platinum (in Canada), with numerous platinum and gold singles to go along with it. That alone sets the bar enormously for the highly anticipated Ever After – and it’s the band’s best offering to date.
Read More “Marianas Trench – Ever After”Review: O’Brother – Garden Window
There’s a certain pocket of bands writing really good “rock” music these days. Maybe even “alternative” for the sake of genre-specific argument. For the sound I’m speaking of, I’ll define “rock” music as that of the genre most of us grew up with when the radio wasgood. Whether it was Nirvana, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc. – we knew there was beauty and thought between the layers. Every now and again a band will come along that will paralyze us with a sound built on grit, feedback and cryptic auras stacked like a triple pane glass wall thickly layered in percussion, deafening guitars and a guilt-ridden, beautifully sparked voice. All of these thoughts were running through my head the first time I heard O’Brother’s debut full-length, Garden Window, and they continue to do so.
Read More “O’Brother – Garden Window”Fun. Album Title and Release Date
Fun.’s new album is called Some Nights and arrives on February 21, 2012. An acoustic performance of “We Are Young” featuring Janelle Monáe can be found here.
Read More “Fun. Album Title and Release Date”Review: Yellowcard – When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes (Acoustic)
Yellowcard saw a triumphant return into the music industry earlier this year with its fifth studio record, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes. The album blended characteristics of the group’s breakout Ocean Avenue and its more ambitious Paper Walls, all the while making the bold point that they weren’t just back, but back with a new focus and hunger.
As is becoming something of a trend for Hopeless Records’ roster, we now get the opportunity to hear the entirety of When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes in an acoustic form. However, as is fully apparent from opener “The Sound of You and Me,” much more effort and time was put into this project than one might originally expect from the idea. Ryan Key’s normally high-flying vocals are kept slightly in check to match the stripped down instrumentation, but he still remains the backbone of Yellowcard’s instantly identifiable sound.
Read More “Yellowcard – When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes (Acoustic)”