Artist Spotlight: Bud Carroll

Hey everyone!

Closing out the month of January with an all new edition of Artist Spotlight! Today for all of you, we have an emerging singer-songwriter based out of Huntington, West Virginia named Bud Carroll. Bud has a soulful, gravely feel to his voice that features some soul/R&B rhythms mixed in that create something wholly unique and organic at the same time. It's rare nowadays to find singer-songwriters who are willing to take that extra push and experiment with genres that not many solo artists are able to accomplish these days to a great degree and fervor that Bud is able to do right here. A lot of solo artists these days experiment with genres that they wouldn't dare to come in contact with and others take that creative leap forward and sometimes it doesn't always pan out. However, Bud has that unique vocal ability that makes you feel the emotion pouring out of each and every song he performs with an excellent degree of passion and authenticity that shows everything that he has to offer in one fell swoop. Some recommended tracks for you to check out from him include: "I'm No Stranger" and "Thinking Only of You".

To check out more music from Bud Carroll, head on over to his BandCamp page at budcarroll.bandcamp.com From there, you can download his latest album, "At Least I Can Still Smoke In My Car". You can also name your own price when you buy the album, so you can pay as little or as much as you want! His music is also available on his ReverbNation page at www.reverbnation.com/budcarroll You can also get the latest updates on him via Twitter at www.twitter.com/budcarroll

The Ocean's Eyes Release Debut Music Video For "Room of Red"!

Hey everyone!

Upstart UK band The Ocean's Eyes have just released their debut music video for "Room of Red". The video features the band belting out a melodic, furious blast that will have you up and jumping out of your seat as soon as you watch it! I've embdedded the video below for your viewing pleasure:

The band is also headed out on the road in March with Room 94! These dates will take the band around the greater London area and will increase the band's visibility in the UK area music scene as well. Here is the band's full itinerary for their upcoming tour:

3/15/2012 OXFORD O2 Academy2
3/16/2012 SOUTHAMPTON Guava Bar
3/17/2012BRIGHTON Hydrant
3/18/2012 NORWICH B2
3/19/2012 BRISTOL Thekla
3/20/2012 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
3/22/2012 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
3/23/2012 BIRMINGHAM HMV Institute
3/24/2012MANCHESTER Roadhouse
3/25/2012 SHEFFIELD Corporation
3/26/2012 LIVERPOOL O2 Academy2
3/27/2012 GLASGOW Cathouse
3/28/2012 NEWCASTLE Riverside
3/29/2012 LEEDS Cockpit
3/31/2012 LONDON King's College (KCLSU)

If you live in England and would like to attend one of these shows, you can buy tickets from http://toetickets.bigcartel.com For more info on this new and exciting British band, head on over to the band's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/theoceanseyes You can also follow the band on Twitter by going over to www.twitter.com/theoceanseyes

Jack Jeffery - The Constant That Remains

Hailing from Bealeton, VA Jack Jeffery has returned with his brand new studio effort titled "The Constant That Remains". The follow up to 2010's "Passage to Agadir" finds the singer-songwriter picking up right where his first one left off with strong prog-rock patterns that present an artist just in the midst of discovering his true sound.

The disc opens up with "We Need It Back (The Modern Dreamer)", which has a consistent, melodic flow to it that is representative of the type of music he normally plays and his voice has a distorted quality to it that gives it a dash of authenticity and makes you want to continue listening to the rest of the album as well. "Rearranged" starts off on a more acoustic scale, before branching out into some groovy wavelengths that hearken back to the late 60's psychedelic heyday era with fervent rhythms that take you back in time a little bit. "Gavotte For African String Guitar" features many of the same musical characteristics that the other one did, and features the absence of Jack's vocals to place all attention squarely on the sound of the guitar and let the guitar do all the talking for you.  My favorite song from the disc is "Fade Away", which echoes the musicality of Pink Floyd mixed in with a modern sensibility that continues to transport the listener further into the musical realm of otherworldly sounds not heard in quite some time. "The Sirius Wall" is a purely instrumental track that is another escapist delight and continues the album's musical quest right into the unknown.

The disc's second half gets into gear with "Everything Changes", and begins its quest into prog-rock rhythms, this time bringing in some influence from The Who to craft an orchestral jam that will definitely have you hitting repeat by the time the song is over, a truly remarkable track. "Valencian Cosmos" amps up the mysteriousness factor a bit and begins to factor in an ominous, mystical quality that gives the listener a bit of a chill when first listening, but then quickly adapts to the fervor presented here. "Ascendancy" starts off with a neat drum pattern before setting into a dazzling, electronic keyboard aided riff that sounds like something from a mid 80's Nintendo video game that is quite a entertaining listen. The disc closes out with "Carry On", a perfect track to close out the album with that familiar acoustic melody kicking in again and giving the disc a well deserved sendoff with Jack's distorted vocals presenting a quick overview of a disc that breaks the genre's boundaries and is an experimental opus of musical concepts that haven't been drawn up in quite some time. When I first discovered and reviewed Jack's debut album last Fall, I was impressed with his ability and musical candor to transcend musical boundaries and experiment with instrumentation that doesn't fall into any particular classification whatsoever, it's just calm and relaxing music that you can easily enjoy and fall in love with.

In retrospect, a terrific and well executed second effort from Jack Jeffery, who has once again gone above and beyond and delivered to us musical sounds that offer us an escape and gives us an opportunity to break away for awhile and experience what's outside the musical boundaries.

                                                                                                                          Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. We Need It Back (A Modern Dreamer)
2. Rearranged
3. A Plea to A Dreamer
4. Gavotte for African Steel Guitar
5. Fade Away
6. The Sirius Wall
7. Everything Changes
8. Trust the Dial!
9. Valencian Cosmos
10. Ascendancy
11. The Constant in the Chaos
12. Carry On

Artist Spotlight: Kingston 530

Hey everyone!

Bringing to you today another all new edition of Artist Spotlight! This week for you, we're presenting to you some local flavor directly from Boston called Kingston 530! The band consists of Chris Ferrara on lead vocals, Ben Caccia on lead guitar and backup vocals, Kevin Sullivan on acoustic guitar and backup vocals, Shaun O'Loughlin on bass, harmonica, and backup vocals, and Mike Dawley on drums. The band has a eclectic, straightforward sound that sounds like a cross between Pearl Jam and matchbox twenty with a melodic twist to them that puts them on a whole different pedestal than their counterparts in the music scene today. This band has a definite grasp on what their songs should sound like and present themselves as a band with an enormous wealth of potential to make it big in the music scene. I'm an avid supporter of all the local bands looking to get noticed in the local scene, but this band definitely has the "it" factor that sets them apart from everybody else out there today and have made an indelible impression on countless listeners from all over the Boston area and beyond. An incredible local band with an undying passion for what they do and have a direct link with their fans that enables them to  keep in constant contact with them as well.

To check out the band's latest single "Long Time Coming", head on over to the band's official website at http://www.kingston530.com/ You can also download the song free of charge from the website and spread word of mouth about the band as well! The band is on Facebook and you can 'Like' them by going over to www.facebook.com/kingston530 where you can also find the latest tour dates scheduled for the band. The band can also be followed on Twitter by going over to www.twitter.com/kingston530 where you can get all the latest updates directly from the band!

Note: For Boston area residents, the band will be performing this Friday night at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston for their album release benefit show. The band are official ambassadors to Ernie Boch Jr's "Music Drives Us" campaign, an organization that promotes awareness of music education in public schools and raises funds to purchase instruments for children aspiring to play a musical instrument. For more information on this organization, head on over to http://www.musicdrivesus.org/ and to RSVP for the album release via Facebook, click here to purchase tickets for the event that will feature raffles, silent auctions, and all sorts of entertaining activities that you'll enjoy!

BREAKING NEWS! Etta James Has Died!

Hey everyone,

Some sad news just coming into the music world this afternoon. Blues legend Etta James has lost her battle with chronic leukemia at her home in Riverside, California. She was 73 years old. She was one of the first women inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and began her career in 1954 at the young age of 15. Her vivacious and powerful vocal delivery put her in a class all by herself and was widely regarded as one of the best modern blues singers ever. Her most well known song was the classic "At Last" that was used at the inauguration of President Obama and pushed her back into the limelight.

Etta retired from recording just last year, soon after releasing her final studio album called "The Dreamer", featuring covers of tunes from Otis Redding and even a take on Guns N' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle". She was an incredible talent that contributed a great deal to the world of music and will be sorely missed by all her close friends and admirers.

Kingston 530 To Headline Benefit Release Show!

Hey everyone!

Boston based band Kingston 530 is slated to take part in an album release benefit concert in support of Ernie Boch Jr's "Music Drives Us" campaign. This show will give fans a taste of the band's latest album, "Long Time Coming" and will be emceed by Kennedy, DJ of local radio station Mix 104.1. The concert will feature awesome raffles, exciting giveaways, interacting with other fans, and a silent auction with your chance to bid on some high end items! Other artists slated to perform at this concert include Nikolas Metaxas, In Like Lions, Massachusetts Delta, and Your Sisters Canary.

If you would like to purchase tickets to this show for a great cause, head on over to www.showkicker.ticketleap.com/kingston530 Premium admission costs $20 and that gets you a copy of "Long Time Coming", with general admission tickets also available starting at $10. To RSVP for this concert via Facebook, just click here.

25,000 Page Views!

Hey everyone!

MusicBoxPete hit another monumental milestone this morning as it officially cracked 25,000 page hits! I'm so thankful to everyone for their continued support of the blog, it means the world to me to have so many people compliment me on the blog, whether it's in person, by e-mail, or commenting on the blog posts really makes me work that much harder for you guys. And for that, I'm deeply thankful for all your support, thank you so much!

As you've visited the blog recently, you might have noticed a few changes. I've added a menubar at the top of the page so that you can navigate around the blog much easier than ever before. Scroll through all past Artist Spotlight features and peruse the latest news from around the music world by clicking on the respective buttons. You'll be seeing more substantial changes to the blog coming up fairly soon where the blog will undergo a complete transformation and will be moving to a new website as well. I'll provide more details on this as soon as it happens. Once again, thanks to all my readers for their incredible support to the blog!

Death Cab For Cutie Announce Spring Tour Dates!

Hey everyone!

With the influx of shows happening this Spring, Death Cab For Cutie have announced dates for their Spring tour in support of their latest effort, "Codes and Keys" released last Spring. Joining them on tour will be Youth Lagoon and members of San Francisco's Magik*Magik Orchestra. Pre-sale tickets for the tour will be available on January 20th from Death Cab's fan club site at www.dcfcunion.com General admission tickets will be on sale to the general public a week later on January 27th. Here is the full itinerary of dates for the tour:

4/10/2012 Ellie Caulkins Opera House; Denver, CO
4/11/2012 Omaha Music Hall; Omaha, NE
4/13/2012 Louisville Palace; Louisville, KY
4/14/2012 Covenant Fine Arts Center; Grand Rapids, MI
4/15/2012 Riverside Theatre; Milwaukee, WI
4/16/2012 Chicago Theatre; Chicago, IL
4/19/2012 Massey Hall; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4/20/2012 St. Jean Baptiste Church; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
4/21/2012 Citi Performing Arts Center; Boston, MA
4/23/2012 Veterans Memorial Auditorium; Providence, RI
4/24/2012 Kleinhans Music Hall; Buffalo, NY
4/25/2012 Tower Theatre; Upper Darby, PA
4/27/2012 Beacon Theatre; New York, NY
4/30/2012 Strathmore; Bethesda, MD
5/1/2012 Tennesee Theatre; Knoxville, TN
5/3/2012 Mcfarlin Memorial Auditorium; Dallas, TX
5/4/2012 ACL Live At The Memorial Auditorium; Austin, TX
5/6/2012 Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theater; Mesa, AZ
5/7/2012 Walt Disney Concert Hall; Los Angeles, CA
5/8/2012 Fox Theater; Oakland, CA
5/11/2012 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall; Portland, OR
5/13/2012 The Paramount Theatre; Seattle, WA

Anthony Green - Beautiful Things

Direct from Holland, PA Anthony Green is back with his highly anticipated sophomore album, Beautiful Things. The follow up to 2007's "Avalon" finds the singer-songwriter bringing his own unique, organic musical sensibility into an amazingly diverse and well rounded studio effort.

The disc gets into gear with "If I Don't Sing" a melodic, bombastic tune that is filled with Anthony's upbeat vocal presence fueling the song with vivacious rhythms and giving the song that little extra spark to make it stand out. "Moon Song" is an acoustic driven number that takes a bare bones approach and solely relies upon that and Anthony's divine vocal abilities giving the song an earthy, homey feel that makes you feel relaxed and right at home. My favorite song off the disc is "Get Yours While You Can" a full fledged, melodic delight that brings together a humongous amount of energy and charisma that it's almost impossible to ignore and makes you fully appreciate all the unique talents that he has put on display here. "Can't Have It All At Once" is one of the more intense rockers found on this disc with a faster degree of tempo to show off Anthony's versatility as a musician and also shows that he is more than capable of handling anything that is thrown his way.

The disc shifts over into the second half with "Big Mistake", a country tinged number that shifts gear a little bit and offers the listener something that they weren't prepared for, but is sure to enjoy anyways. "How It Goes" is an amazing acoustic based tune that continually leaves you in awe with Anthony's amazing talents bringing everything home in this outstanding tune. "Just To Feel Alive" picks up the melodic pace a bit and gives the listener more of Anthony's superb vocal abilities fueling the songcraft of this and all of the songs featured on the album. We begin to close out this effort with "Blood Song", a mid tempo number that continues to piece together melodic guitar riffs with Anthony's masterful vocal presence making sure you leave feeling satisfied with your purchase. The disc closes out with "Lullaby" a simple, lightly tuned arrangement that closes everything out on a quiet note with Anthony's voice drifting down into a whisper on a great way to close out the disc. Anthony Green has quickly grown on me ever since I started listening to his music with Circa Survive. I didn't start listening to his solo material until just last year and he has left me completely in amazement and in awe with his outstanding musical abilities. And being that he's from Pennsylvania makes me appreciate him even more as most of my favorite musicians reside from there (including his best friend and my musical hero Kenny Vasoli). Definitely well worth the purchase price.

All in all, a terrific second effort from Anthony Green, who continues to increase his presence as one of the most intriguing and fascinating singer-songwriters out there who brings it each time both on record and on stage and continually leaves you in wonder each and every time.

                                                                                                                             Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. If I Don't Sing
2. Do It Right
3. Moon Song
4. Get Yours While You Can
5. When I'm On Pills
6. Can't Have It All At Once
7. Big Mistake
8. Love You No Matter What
9. How it Goes
10. Just to Feel Alive
11. James' Song
12. Blood Song
13. Lullaby

Bamboozle 2012 Lineup Announced!

Hey everyone!

The lineup for this year's Bamboozle festival is starting to take shape! The festival just announced more headliners to this year's star-studded festival, that recently just added Jimmy Eat World and The-All American Rejects to its list of 60 acts that have been included on this years roster. Other notable performers include: Skrillex, Incubus, Mac Miller, We Came As Romans, and The Receiving End of Sirens performing on May 18. Performing on May 19 is: Foo Fighters, blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, The All-American Rejects, Never Shout Never, The Maine, Motion City Soundtrack, The Dear Hunter, and Hot Water Music. Rounding out the lineup on May 20 we have Bon Jovi, The Bouncing Souls, Boys Like Girls, and Bayside.

This year's Bamboozle festival will be held from May 18-20 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. 3 day passes are available now from the festival's website at http://2012.thebamboozle.com where you can also get the full list of performers that will be taking the stage during the festival.

The Mars Volta To Release "Noctourniquet" on March 27th!!

Hey everyone!

With the news I brought to you last week of At the Drive-In's reunion performance at Coachella this Spring, fans of Cedric and Omar's side project The Mars Volta will be happy to know that the band are planning to release their brand new album "Noctourniquet" on March 27th! The disc was recorded over the span of the last 2 years and sees the band returning to their original prog rock roots originally displayed on 2003's "De-Loused in the Comatorium" and 2005's "Frances the Mute". According to Rolling Stone magazine's website, this album will be another concept based effort, telling the story of a character that drew inspiration from the Superman villain Solomon Grundy and the Greek myth of Hyacinthus. As with their previous efforts, this album is produced by frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez Lopez. This will be another groundbreaking effort for the group, who have been one of my favorite bands for a number of years now. Below is the track listing for "Noctourniquet":

1. The Whip Hand
2. Aegis
3. Dyslexicon
4. Empty Vessels Make The Loudest Sound
5. The Malkin Jewel
6. Lapochka
7. In Absentia
8. Imago
9. Molochwalker
10. Trinkets Pale of Moon
11. Vedamalady
12. Noctourniquet
13. Zed and Two Naughts

Artist Spotlight: Cory Pesaturo

Hey everyone!

Kicking off your Tuesday with another edition of Artist Spotlight! This week for you guys, we're checking out a different kind of flavor as I present to you today an accordion player based out of Cumberland, Rhode Island named Cory Pesaturo. Normally, I don't typically cover this genre of music too often here on the blog, but I thought I'd give his music a try after hearing him make a guest appearance on the radio last week, and something inside of me made me want to hear more of his music. His music evokes a feel of smooth jazz with his rhythms conjuring up melodic undertones that make you feel like you're in a gondola cruising the canals of Italy with warm sounds greeting you as you glide on the waterfront. Now, some people might not think of the accordion as a hip, cool instrument to play, but Cory adds a dynamic element that makes you want to continue listening and feel inspired by all the talents that he has to offer you. In just a short amount of time, Cory has captured the attention of music lovers from all over the world, and just recently won the 2011 Primus Ikaalinen World Championship and the Coupe Mondiale World Digital Accordion Championship in Auckland, New Zealand and became the first American champion in that category in over 25 years. Cory has an amazing, unique talent to share with everyone and he exudes confidence and charisma that will carry him a long way in the music business. Some recommended tracks for you to check out include "Under Paris Skies" and 'What is This Thing Called Love".

To check out more of his music, head on over to his official website at www.corypesaturo.com While you're there, you can check out his biography detailing some of his great accomplishments and  also check out a list of some of his future upcoming performances, and you'll also find links to purchase his music off iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/cory-pesaturo/id251055896 and at CDBaby by going to: http://cdbaby.com/cd/corypesaturo

Thursday - No Devolución

Fresh out of New Brunswick, New Jersey hardcore rockers Thursday are back with their latest release, No Devolución. The follow up to 2009's Common Existence is also the very last Thursday album we'll be hearing and is also a testament to their devoted and adoring fanbase, who has stuck by the band all these years and have had a deep respect and admiration for what the band does and how much they've inspired their fans with their amazing songs.

The album kicks off with "Fast to the End", a no frills, straight to the point rocker that gives lead singer Geoff Rickly the chance to show his familiar vocal refrain among the bevy of guitars breaking out intermittently throughout. "A Darker Forest" is a dark, mysterious tune with ominous sounds generated throughout that makes you look off in wonder and hear the band's meticulous craft hard at work. My favorite song off the disc is "Sparks Against the Sun", an emotionally resonating, climatic track that best encapsulates this album and the career of Thursday as a whole with drummer Tucker Rule making sure his drum beats have a loud and explosive texture to them that really is the heartbeat of the song as a whole, a truly magnificent track. "Open Quotes" is one of the more melodic, intense tracks you'll find on the album with the song moving at an incredible pace right out of the gate, and really never lets up right until the very end.

We start off the disc's second half with "Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart" a nostalgic, throwback track that features elements of "Signals From The Air" from their 2003 disc War All The Time, with the midtempo breakdowns giving it that extra spark to get it to the finish line in time. "A Gun in the First Act" begins to set in the sense that the record is almost done and that it's Thursday's final album with Geoff's vocals melding in together beautifully with the dark and brooding guitar riffs and Tucker's masterful drum work once again put on display here. We start to get ready to end it all here with "Turnpike Divides" a heavy, fast paced track that features an assortment of midtempo guitar riffs and Geoff's vocals provide for the emotional sparkplug that sets this whole song ablaze with greatness. It all comes to an end on "Stay True" an amazing, almost 8 minute opus that encapsulates everything about Thursday in one fell swoop and is also a synopsis of their career up until this point, a point that none of them wanted to come to but as they say, all good things must come to an end. Thursday have always held a special place close to my heart, and always have been one of those bands who were never afraid to experiment in their songs, and absolutely loved and adored their fans and treated them like family at their shows. I managed to catch their final Boston show just before New Years Eve at Royale, and I was so glad that I finally got the chance to see them before they went their separate ways. I will continue to support the guys in whatever musical endeavor they embark upon.

All in all, a gritty and consistent effort from Thursday, who put a cap on their 14 year career with a highlight reel of all the elements that made them a terrific band, and sees them setting off into the sunset with the world at their fingertips.

                                                                                                                           Album Score: 3/5

Track Listing:

1. Fast to the End
2. No Answers
3. A Darker Forest
4. Sparks Against the Sun
5. Open Quotes
6. Past and Future Reins
7. Magnets Caught In A Metal Heart
8. Empty Glass
9. A Gun in the First Act
10. Millimeter
11. Turnpike Divides
12. Stay True

Artist Spotlight: Brian Medlin

Hey everyone!

Back with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight for this week! Today, we're showcasing an artist from Ardmore, PA just outside of Philadelphia named Brian Medlin. If the name rings a bell for you, Brian is also the drummer of Person L, an artist we featured as an Artist Spotlight here on the blog a couple of years back. Brian has a solo project he's been working on the side, and the music that he's been working on is totally different than what he's been experimenting with in Person L, with influences of Bob Dylan and Radiohead mixed in to create something totally unique and groundbreaking. Brian has a very smooth and mellow voice that melds in together beautifully with the ambient instrumentation and smooth melodies that are omnipresent throughout his music. I had known about his side project for awhile now, but I didn't get the chance to check out his music until a short time ago, and I'm so glad that I did because it's truly different and is just as groundbreaking as his other side project is and also shows off his versatility as a musician and his ability to branch out into more of a performing role. Definitely an artist worth checking out! Some recommended tracks for you to check out from him include: "Nightmares (Nightness)" and "When Madness Strikes (Haunting)".

To check out the music of Brian Medlin and for more information on him, head on over to his Facebook music page at www.facebook.com/medlinmusic  His music is also available free of charge on his website at www.brianmedlinmusic.com where you can download his latest EP "Nightmares" and his debut EP "In Bedlam" that he released just last year.

The Black Keys, Radiohead & At The Drive In Performing At Coachella!

Hey everyone!

While all that warm weather is still months away, we're already thinking about the upcoming concert season that is looming upon us! Just a short time ago, the full lineup for this year's Coachella music festival was revealed, and alot of established acts have been added to the bill, plus the reuniting of a band back after a 10 year hiatus! Leading the list of headliners for the shows taking place on April 13th & 20th will be: The Black Keys, the return of Refused, Arctic Monkeys, Cat Power, M. Ward, and Dear Hunter. Headlining the shows on April 14th & 21st are: Radiohead, Bon Iver, The Shins, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Feist, St. Vincent, AWOLNation, and Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. And rounding out the star studded lineup on April 15th and 22nd will be: Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, the much anticipated return of At the Drive In, Justice, La Roux, Girl Talk, Santigold, and Sleeper Agent.

For the full lineup of all the acts performing at this year's Coachella Music & Arts Festival, check out the poster below and head on over to their website at www.coachella.com  to get more information on how to purchase tickets! The festival will begin on April 13th in warm and sunny Indio, California!

Interview w/ Bomb Pilot

Hey everyone!

I'm bringing back a popular feature on the blog that I hope to have on a regular basis from now on. This week for you guys, I have an interview with an up and coming band right out of Boston, MA called Bomb Pilot. These guys played their first show ever at Copperfield's just a few months ago, and have slowly been making their way through the reins of the local scene, playing shows in and around the Boston area and exposing their sound to as many people as possible. I recently had the opportunity to interview these guys just a couple of weeks ago to get to know a little more about them and how they're different from all the other bands popping up out there in the Boston music scene. Without further ado, here is the transcript from that interview: 

Give me your names and what you do in the band?

Alex: I'm Alex Le, I play bass, and I'm a dick.

Tony: My names Tony DiBlase, I'm handsome, and my job is giving the songs identity.

Dave: I'm Dave, I like long walks on the beach and I play guitar.

Chris: I'm Chris Cucinotto and I groove it in your face.

How did you come up with the name Bomb Pilot for your band?

Tony: I thought explosive and something that could steer modern music in the right direction.

How did all you guys meet to ultimately form the band?

Alex: We were all best friends and worked in music projects before but, we decided that this would be the most fulfilling project for us.

What themes and/or subject matter does your music cover?

Tony: Social stigmas, global adversity, media influences, drinking, alcohol influences on society, and substances.

What genre of music do you consider yourselves to fall under?

Chris: Badass Contemporary Rock. Tony comes from a classic rock, rock opera, early metal background. Dave comes from a alternative rock/pop background. Alex comes from a punk metal background. And I come from an alternative rock/indie rock, hip-hop, classic rock, funk background. So we really have an interesting mesh of styles coming together all at once.

Take us behind the songwriting process and how you guys create your music?

Alex: That's really top-secret at the moment. But we make most of the magic happen in our jam spot, Hogwartz.

What are some of your favorite songs that you've written as a band?

Dave: It'd probably have to be "Outdone by the Sun", which is our latest jam, "Whiskey God", "Evil Breed", and "Double Blind".

When you guys aren't making music together, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Tony: We're all pretty tight friends so we do spend a lot of time together doing what most friends do. Hanging out, doing some experimental recordings aside from the band. Dave has a small studio in his basement and he writes a lot of music so we do a lot of recording down there. Other than that we love the city life, and N64, haha.

What's next for the band? Do you guys plan to perform more shows soon or release an EP of some sort?

Chris: What's next? Well we plan on recording at Studio Metronome this month to prepare our first full length album which we're very excited about. We have a competition in February that unRegular Radio is holding. We will be competing in that on Feb. 17th at McGann's so be sure to come and check that out. And we also plan on doing a small summer tour which will include playing some festivals. We're really just trying to spread our music as much as possible.

What is the one thing that you hope people take away from your music?

Tony: We hope that all our fans and listeners enjoy the music and feel as though their part of the music and the experience. Something that takes you to a different place, take them away from their mundane lives, get them lost in the music.

Thanks once again to Alex, Tony, Dave, and Chris for taking some time of their ever busy schedules to do this interview. Keep an eye out for their debut full length album which should be out sometime later on this year.

BREAKING NEWS! At the Drive-In To Reunite!

Hey everyone!

Breaking news just received mere minutes ago. Alternative Press has confirmed that seminal 90's-early 00's post-punk band At the Drive-In will be officially reuniting after disbanding back in 2000. The band have launched a brand new website at www.atdimusic.com with a banner on top of the page that reads: "Attention! To whom it may concern: At the Drive-In will be breaking their 11 year silence. This station is... Now... Operational". The band also have a brand new Twitter account set up at www.twitter.com/atthedrivein The group broke up in early 2001, shortly after the release of 2000's "Relationship of Command". More information on this story will be forthcoming as soon as it comes in.

The Roots - Undun

Philadelphia's finest hip-hop group, The Roots are back with their first concept album titled Undun. The follow up to last year's How I Got Over finds the group trying a musical endeavour that they have never before accomplished and hope to add some notoriety that will bolster their resume as one of the most creative hip-hop groups in music today.

The album starts off strong with "Sleep", a low-key, fluid hip-hop track that features the melodic vocals of lead vocalist Black Thought whose voice adds a certain distinct element that can be heard in all of the songs that they've created up until this point. "Make My" features a guest appearance by Big K.R.I.T. and Dice Raw that picks up the overall aura just a little bit, but still retains a distinct sense of melancholy that first penetrated the album upon first listen. My personal favorite song off this album is "Kool On", which features some throwback, old-school rhythms that hearken back to the early days of hip-hop when people would carry boomboxes over their shoulders and parade it throughout the neighborhood so that people could hear all the glaring beats and groove along to them in the process. "The OtherSide" features the masterful drumwork of Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Black Thought's raw and gritty vocal abilities bring the overall emotional impact of the album to the forefront and right in front of the listeners eyes and ears.

We head into the disc's second half with "Lighthouse", which sees Big K.R.I.T. and Dice Raw returning once again to add their distinct talents to a raw and gritty track that captures the overall emotional intensity of the album perfectly. "I Remember" is an extremely downtempo number that we don't encounter with such intensity on this album, but it provides for a more than adequate tune to lay it all out for the listener to make its own dissertation of what the song means to them. "Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pippou)" features a guest appearance from Sufjan Stevens, who adds a distinct musical presence to this instrumental track that enables the song to be kept short and sweet in order to get its point across quickly to the listener. The disc's final three songs are also instrumental tracks that close out the album much like the same way it came in, downtempo and melancholy which also best encapsulates the emotional impact of the album to the listener. The Roots have always been one of my favorite hip-hop groups because they're not afraid to cross boundaries and be able to do something that they otherwise wouldn't have done earlier on in their careers. Their music has also inspired their listeners to take charge of their own lives and to have a course of action in their everyday lives to make an impact on the world and inspire others out of darkness.

Overall, a surprising and well thought concept album from The Roots, who have dared to dream once again to create an off course album that has shown off their versatility as musicians and their willingness to try something new to better increase their visibility as one of the most creative and inspiring hip-hop groups in music today.

                                                                                                                         Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Dun
2. Sleep
3. Make My (f/ Big K.R.I.T. & Dice Raw)
4. One Time (f/ Phonte & Dice Raw)
5. Kool On (f/ Greg Porn & Truck North)
6. The OtherSide (f/ Bilal & Greg Porn)
7. Stomp (f/ Greg Porn & Just Blaze)
8. Lighthouse (f/ Dice Raw)
9. I Remember
10. Tip the Scale (f/ Dice Raw)
11. Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)
12. Possbility (2nd Movement)
13. Will to Power (3rd Movement)
14. Finality (4th Movement)

Artist Spotlight: mewithoutYou

Hey everyone!

Back after the long holiday break with the first Artist Spotlight feature of 2012! This week for you guys, we have a band from the birthplace of cheesesteaks and the Phillies, otherwise known as Philadelphia, PA called mewithoutYou. The band consists of Aaron Weiss on lead vocals, his brother Michael Weiss on guitar, Greg Jehanian on bass, and Richard Mazzotta on drums. The band has been around since 2000, but I only just discovered them recently after seeing them open for Thursday last week at Royale in Boston. The band has a strong, acoustic based mentality to them and also make heavy use of spoken word vocals throughout their music that makes them so unique and unlike any of the other bands out there in the scene today. While it's not explicitly stated in their music, the band's music can almost be classified as falling under the Christian rock tag, but the band has insisted that they don't consider to fall under that category and I agree with them wholeheartedly. The band has their own unique, individual sense of style that it doesn't feel the need to fall under any specific genre, which has sometimes become difficult for other bands to classify themselves. Some of my favorite songs from these guys include "Bullet to Binary (Part Two)" and "In A Sweater Poorly Knit".

To check out even more music from these talented folks, head on over to the group's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mewithoutyou where you also can get all the latest tour dates from the group as well. The band is also on Twitter and you can follow them by going to www.twitter.com/mewithoutyou and see what the band have got going on lately!