Artist Spotlight: Breanne Primeau

Closing out the week and heading into the weekend with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight! Today, we have a terrific emerging singer-songwriter direct from the Boston area by the name of Breanne Primeau. Breanne has a pristine, captivating voice similar to the likes of Adele and Joss Stone with a sassy, confident persona that completely evokes the type of music she set out to create while in the studio. I was totally floored the moment I first heard her voice, and was amazed at the confidence she displayed while belting out these high energy tunes that has a old soul R&B type of feel to it with a subtle jazz touch thrown in for good measure that complements her well rounded sound that only gets better as you go along listening to her music. A terrific and promising young talent that is poised to take that next leap up the musical ladder. Some great tracks for you to check out from her include "Broken Wing" and "I Shouldn't Stay".

For more information on Breanne Primeau, head on over to her Facebook page located here and see firsthand the immense talent that she has put on display here. You may follow her on Twitter as well from over here and find out if she'll be making her way through the Boston area sometime soon. Her debut album appropriately titled "Take the First Step" is now available for streaming and purchase via her Bandcamp page located here.

The Bynars Release New Single "Dancing On A Dream"

Boston's own indie/dance rock outfit The Bynars have released their brand new single titled "Dancing On A Dream". The song is a vibrant, exciting track that features the guys bringing in their energetic blend of alt-rock that is somewhat similar in vein to Foster The People, but with a more identifiable tone that is completely original and allows the band to stand out prominently among the other players in the Boston music scene right now. A terrific track that I think has the potential to be one of the most talked about songs heading into the latter half of the year.

The track previews the forthcoming album X vs. X, which will be released on September 17th. If you would like to check out the song for yourself, you can stream it from their Bandcamp site right over here.

Joe Bachman Releases "A Soldier's Memoir (PTSD Song)"

Nashville, TN based singer-songwriter Joe Bachman has just released his latest single titled "A Soldier's Memoir (PTSD Song)". The poignant ballad is a country laced tune that has simple structured country melodies layered upon riveting lyricism that touches upon the profound subject of a loved one fighting overseas and succumbing to the effects of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and witnessing the relentless and disturbing images that soldiers are exposed to while fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. It's not too often that I come across songs with a strong social message attached to them, but this one in particular really hit close to home as it touches upon a harrowing issue for families who are eager to have their loved one come home, only to come back feeling much different than before and constantly replaying the carnage inside their head that they've witnessed during their time away. A terrific track that is definitely deserving of your listening time.

If you would like to check out the track for yourself, it's available on iTunes at this link right here. For more information on Joe Bachman, head on over to his Facebook page located here, follow him on Twitter from this location here, and visit his official website over here. 

Artist Spotlight: The Gift of Ghosts

Kicking things off with an all new edition of Artist Spotlight for you! Today, we head over to Rockland County, NY and discover the intense sounds of The Gift of Ghosts. The band consists of Matt McNulty on lead vocals, Alex Kouvatsos on guitar, Jordan Curran on guitar, Rich Wagner on bass and vocals, and Michael Galgano on drums. The band has an frenetic, no holds barred sound similar to the likes of Underoath and Pierce The Veil with melodic interludes sparsed out in between to give the listener a hint of diversity and showcases a band that is on the cusp of finding their true sound that most upstart bands have extreme difficulty finding these days. You may remember Matt McNulty as one-half of the Boston based pop-rock outfit Call Me Anything, and this music is a dramatic change of pace for him that may alienate some of his fans from his other project, but those people need to understand that musicians are constantly developing and trying out new genres, and while you might not fully appreciate the new venture he's involved in, learn that he is a person after all and he's only doing what makes him happy each and every day. I've known him personally for a few years, and he is one of the most genuine, down to earth guys I've ever met who has exceptional talent that is beyond imagination. See a clip of him laying down vocals for their new song "Collapse" right here.

For more information on the guys in The Gift of Ghosts, head on over to their Facebook page located here and see firsthand the intensity that the band brings to the stage each and every time. Follow the band on Twitter here and find out when the band will be stopping by on tour in your area sometime soon. The band has a pretty sweet Tumblr page located here that allows you to interact with the guys in the band one-on-one while they're out on the road touring this summer.

Interview w/ Friendly People

Starting off the second half of the week with another installment in my continuing interview series with local Boston area musicians! Today, we sit down for a chat with an emerging cast of players in the local scene called Friendly People. You may remember them as an Artist Spotlight feature a few weeks ago and their colorful blend of upbeat, danceable indie rock has me totally enthralled and anxious to see what the future holds for the guys. The boys were super gracious enough to devote some time to do an exclusive, sit-down interview just before they took the stage at Great Scott the other night basking in the glow of a noisy and vibrant nightlife in Allston Rock City on a picture perfect evening. Here is the transcript from that interview:

Give us your names and your roles in the band?

Colin: I'm Colin, I'm the newest addition to the band, I play keyboard.
Pat: My name is Pat and I play acoustic guitar, sing, and bass.
Davis: My name is Davis and I play drums.
Mitchell: My name is Mitch and I play guitar and bass as well.
Jeff: My name is Jeff and I play guitar and bass also.

How did you guys all meet and when did the band form?

Pat: I guess it was 2011 that winter of going into spring. I did a songwriter's circle at All Asia cafe actually in Central Square. Mitch and Davis were in the crowd and they liked my moves and my vocal style and then we decided to record some music and that's how it started.

Describe the sound of Friendly People to those who may not be familiar with you guys?

Jeff: Psychedelic baroque music? (Laughter)
Pat: That's what it would sound like if you're tripping on acid, but definitely very rhythmic at times and rock music.
Mitchell: People have said folk infused indie rock. That was certainly when we first started out and it's a pretty accurate genre title and I think it's changed alot since then.

What is your earliest recollection of being exposed to music at a young age and how has that helped shape who you are today?

Pat: What got me into playing music personally well that was definitely pop-punk stuff. I was smack dab in to the early 2000's specifically Green Day, blink-182, Weezer was huge, and it evolved into Radiohead, but definitely that sort of fun loving music was what really got me into it.
Colin: I listen to The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers on cassette cause my dad happened to have those as a kid, it was very formative, I don't think that ever went away.
Jeff: The Cranberries, that was the one my parents put on all the time.
Davis: My dad grew up on Steely Dan, I think all of us we were in a similar situation cause in Townsbury you were either an athlete or a musician. All of us kind of geared towards the music side of things.
Colin: Billy Joel was huge for me I just realized that, I took piano lessons since I was 5, by the time I got to 6th or 7th grade I'm like "What the fuck do I do with a piano?" because someone showed me Billy Joel and I was like "Oh, that's what I do with a piano!"

Can you take us behind the recording process of your latest album 'Shake" and what that whole experience was like?

Pat: The first 5 days of the recording process, we pretty much didn't shower, we did a little bit of sleeping.
Mitchell: We recorded at a non-profit studio called The Record Company where Pat used to work at, it's basically a studio run by having freelance engineers coming in and do records, and half the band studied in a recording program in Boston so we decided to go in without hiring external help, so we all engineered the record together and hibernated in this studio for a week, then after we had all the basics down, we did all the overdubs at home because we have our own home studio set up and then we mixed it as well so it was kind of all homegrown.

What are some of your favorite recordings off the album that you guys really enjoyed?

Mitchell: I really like playing "Here We Are" live in particular, it's very high energy, it's a good way to get a show going, and it gets you energized as anyone in the crowd, it's a fun one to play.
Colin: I can say someone who's come into the band late as a band member, "Speak" is one of my favorites.

Has being in a band made you guys closer or had you guys already been bonded together as friends before that point?

Pat: I would say we actually we started to become friends playing music together. We didn't really hang too much or know each other before we started playing music.
Mitchell: Before the band started, a bunch of us lived together in the same apartment and then we knew each other for years, a couple of us decided that we wanted to make an album and we thought about putting a band together for it because a number of us in the apartment were already such good friends and we all played together and that's sort of how it all formed.
Jeff: The vibe was right before, but when we started playing music we really made a connection, I came in a little bit later than these guys, but I think it seems like a cool bunch of people to hang out with.
Davis: Spending a month living in a van with 5 other guys kind of makes you a little bit closer. We took some steps, we're pretty honest, we're pretty respectful, sleepovers, bed sharing. (Laughter)

What are some things you like to do together in you spare time when not making music or playing shows?

Colin: I like brewing beer and running, video games are a huge outlet for me, and TV, I love TV, I watch so much TV and movies.
Mitchell: I go to see shows.
Davis: Mitch and I recently moved to New York and the music scene in New York is super inspiring and there's always great shows to go out and see, spend alot of time soaking it in.

What do you guys have coming up next down the pipe, planning to play any more shows this summer?

Pat: We have a few more shows. We're doing a show on George's Island which will be really fun, that will be on August 24th. We have a Cafe 939 Red Room show, but that's not until November. But before then, we're going to do another tour in October going out to Chicago. This time, it's going to be a week off instead of a whole month off. We'll be going out to Chicago and do a little Midwest run, and hopefully have some CMJ shows coming up after that.

Any last words to your fans who may be reading this interview?

Pat: Thanks for coming out to shows and listening to music, it really means alot.
Jeff: Keep bringing your friends, keep showing them the tracks, we really look forward to meeting more people at the shows.

Thanks once again to Pat, Colin, Mitch, Jeff, and Davis for being such sweet and generous people for taking some time out to do this interview. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with them and seeing firsthand what they're capable of achieving, and they are definitely on their way to doing something special and are a band you should be checking out in concert! Visit them on Facebook here, follow them on Twitter here, and check out their music via Bandcamp here.

Artist Spotlight: Save Ends

All fired up and rearing to go with another edition of Artist Spotlight to start out your Tuesday! Today, we have a terrific Boston based act to take a look act by the name of Save Ends. The band consists of Brendan on lead vocals and piano, Burton on drums, Sam on bass, Tom on guitar, and Stan on guitar and vocals. The band has an interesting hybrid mixture of indie rock rhythms and pop-punk melodies mixed in with deep and poignant lyricism that you can relate to and feel the sincerity emanating almost immediately the moment you first hear their music. I stumbled across these guys randomly while searching the Internet, and I was enthralled with the group's dynamic and their ability to craft music in a honest, heartfelt manner that you just don't see enough of these days in young, startup acts and it's quite refreshing to hear the band's take on the world as we know it and see how well they communicate with their listening audience. A terrific local act that is slowly making their way upstream in the local scene. Some terrific songs to have a listen at include "Time And Tarnish" and "Sweet Defeat".

For more information on the guys in Save Ends, head on over to their Facebook page here and give them a quick 'Like' if you enjoyed listening to their music as much as I did. The band is also available to be followed on Twitter here and communicate directly with the band on a one-on-one basis and find out when they'll be stopping by the Boston area again with a concert appearance. The band's latest EP titled Strength vs. Will is now available for listening consumption on their Bandcamp site located directly over here.

Lonesound Releases Free Download Of "A Place For Everyone"

British bred singer-songwriter James Ewers, who also goes by the stage name of Lonesound, is making available to his listeners a free download of his newest track, "A Place For Everyone". The Reading born, Hackney based musician has been making a name for himself in his native country, and he is hoping that the same success that found him in the U.K. will translate well for his prospective American listeners as well. His music is a blend of tightly focused and melodic folk arrangements that will take ahold of you almost immediately, and is a great way to be introduced to him and see what his music is all about.

For more information on Lonesound, head on over to his Facebook page here and follow him on Twitter here to get a better understanding of his musical insights. His official website located here contains more far reaching information, and to check out that free download of "A Place For Everyone", click on this link here that will ask you for your e-mail address where a link will be sent to download the track, and you can hear for yourself what this talented musician has composed for the general public.

Julia Easterlin Performs Live For Break Thru Radio

Boston based singer-songwriter Julia Easterlin recently performed for the fine folks over at the NYC based Break Thru Radio studios. Julia took her immense talents to the masses with an exquisite performance that really showcased all her unique skills and abilities that come through brilliantly in this well put together clip that also spotlights the members of the band that ensure that her artistic vision is well represented in this well put together vid.

For more information on Julia Easterlin, head on over to her Facebook page located here and follow her on Twitter from this location here. Her music is available for listening consumption on her Bandcamp site located right over here.

Artist Spotlight: Modern Baseball

Rounding out the week and heading into the weekend with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight! Today, we head to the City of Brotherly Love otherwise known as Philadelphia, PA and uncover the sounds of Modern Baseball. The group largely consists of Brendan Lukens, Jacob Ewald, Ian Farmer, and Sean Huber. The band's music is an inventive mixture of indie rock influences mixed in with a slight punk-rock sensibility reminiscent of Say Anything that puts them in a class all their own and gives them clout and user accessibility to fans of both genres. I was impressed with the vocals that had a spoken word like dexterity to them that was a little unusual at first, but totally made sense as you delved into the music further and explored the vivacious melodies and homegrown instrumentation that runs rampant throughout their music. An amazing upstart band that deserves some love from the Boston area. Some great songs to check out from the guys include "Re-do" and "Tears Over Beers".

For more information on the guys in Modern Baseball, head on over to their Facebook page located here and 'Like' it so that you can stay in tune with everything that is going on in their world. The band is also on Twitter as well over here and communicate with the guys directly to find out if they'll be venturing up to the Beantown area sometime with a concert appearance. The band's latest album appropriately titled "Sports" is now available for streaming and purchase on their Bandcamp site located over here for your listening pleasure.

Artist Spotlight: Rebuilder

Cool off from the sweltering heat with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight! Today, we have an emerging Boston based band by the name of Rebuilder. The group consists of Sal Ellington on lead vocals and guitar, Craig Stanton on guitar and vocals, Daniel Carsbad on bass, Brandon Phillips on drums and guitar, and Rick Smith on keys. The band has a fast paced, high energy punk sound that is faintly reminiscent of New Found Glory with indelible hooks and ear piercing melodies that will have you immediately sold on the guys from the word go. What I loved most about these guys was their ability to move along at a fast and furious pace, but not too fast so that listeners just joining in can catch up to all the action and be a part of the magic going on right in front of them. A terrific upstart band that has plenty of potential to get even better in the time laying ahead. Some great tracks to have a listen at include "Everything That I Hate" and "Exhaustion".

For more information on the gents in Rebuilder, head on over to their Facebook page located here and see what the boys are all about and what they can do for you musically. You can follow the guys on Twitter as well over here and find out when the band will be stopping by the Boston area again with a concert performance. Find out more info about the band via Refuse Rethink Rebuild, their record label's website right here and check out their self-titled debut EP via their Bandcamp site here.

Commentary: Reaction to the Controversial Rolling Stone Cover Featuring Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

A tidal wave of controversy erupted early this morning when it was revealed that the Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev would be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone for their August issue. Mostly having a reputation for being a music magazine, this decision to feature this cruel monster on the cover and glorify him like a 70's teen idol is wrong and morally reprehensible on all counts.

I've actually never been a fan of Rolling Stone to begin with, and I think it's completely gutless for the editorial staff of Rolling Stone to decide in their morning meeting that the mastermind of the Marathon Bombings would be granted prime real estate square on the cover of a magazine usually reserved for musicians, actors, and prominent figures in the entertainment industry. How anyone could defend putting this monster on the cover is beyond comprehension, and I must respectfully disagree with one Hilary Hughes, writer for Vanyaland who says that putting him on the cover elevates awareness of what happened on April 15th on a national level, but doesn't everyone know what happened on that day and do we need a visual reminder of the mastermind behind this senseless bombing? How a magazine largely known for putting musicians on the cover decided to put a killer on the cover and make him look like Jim Morrison is gutless and disrespectful to all of the victim's families and everyone that was injured on that horrific day.

Rolling Stone is going to get some serious heat over this cover choice that's for sure, and I think they really need to reconsider their edgy cover choice and think about the people that were affected greatly by this tragedy, Bostonians like myself who are proud, passionate, and all have different points of view when it relates to certain topics, but for subjects like this we can all agree that is definitely not a way to promote awareness about a calamity in which innocent people were killed.

Port Orchards - River Songs

Washington DC's own Port Orchards return with their all new studio release titled River Songs. The follow up to the recently released Luna Grande finds the collective building upon the buzz of their last release, and maintaining their ambient melodies and delicate lyrics to create a simple structured album that has a completely unfiltered quality to it.

We start things off with "The Ghost That You Died To Be", a steady and breezy rocker that features a terrific guitar melody that melds in wonderfully with the lightly tuned percussion arrangements that make this track easily enjoyable. "I Want Everything" is another toned down tune that features many of the same musical characteristics as the prior track, but with a more prominent guitar track to give the listener a little bit more variety in the process. "Togetherness" is an upbeat, bombastic track that features wildly inventive melodies that immediately put you in a positive frame of mind with its colorful vocals adding a bit more dexterity to an well received album so far. My favorite track off the album is "Back On The Beam", a truly beautiful track that strikes a perfect harmony between the instrumentation that is deeply intertwined within the lyrics that provide for a strong boost as you enjoy the rest of the day in front of you.

The second half of the disc features "Roomsitter" a midtempo, enjoyable track that features terrific vocal syncopation that shows the harmonizing between the members of the group and the connection that all the members of the group feel when playing together. We begin to wrap things up with "The King of Putt" a melancholy, relaxing rocker that features neatly arranged instrumentation and a positive outlook ahead as we forge towards the conclusion of the album. "Your Favorite Song" ends things here with an encapsulated tune that brings in all the musical elements we've heard in succession one after another on the album, and gives us an overview of sorts as we look back on everything we've listened to and how we got to this point. One thing that I enjoy about these guys is their overall simplicity when creating music, and making everything seem beautiful and pristine as you listen to their songs and it really makes you appreciate the time and energy that they expunged on this album to create something that they knew from the get go people would appreciate greatly upon first listen.

In summary, a terrific and well executed second effort here from Port Orchards, who have made an album that is on par with their debut, and gives us a peek inside as to how these songs are conceived in the first place and the time and energy spent creating them.

                                                                                                                                Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. The Ghost That You Died To Be
2. I Want Everything
3. Sunday Bed Love Song
4. Togetherness
5. Back on the Beam
6. New Acropolis
7. Roomsitter
8. Lilt
9. The King of Putt
10. Your Favorite Song

Artist Spotlight: The Offseason

Starting off the scorching hot week with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight for you! Today, we have a terrific Boston based band that goes by the name of The Offseason. The band consists of Ian Bergeson, Joe Broderick, Mike Wolfenden, and Craig Bray. The band has a fast paced, intense hardcore sound that sounds like a cross between New Found Glory and Four Year Strong with a blasting, soaring melodic output that punches you in the face the moment you first hear it and allows you to get into the groove quite easily from first listen. I'm not much of a hardcore punk fan, but there was something to enjoy from these local fellows, and that is their ability to inject passion and enthusiasm into their music which is something that has been noticeably absent for quite some time and it's gratifying to see these local guys putting a stamp of credibility for hardcore punk and making it more user accessible to the general public. A great local band that I would like to see more of going forward. Recommended tracks to take a listen at include "Can't Sleep" and "'98".

For more information on the guys in The Offseason, head on over to their Facebook page here and find out what the band have got going on from a musical perspective. You may follow the band on Twitter as well from this location here and find out when the band will be stopping by the local area again with a concert appearance. The band's music is available on their Bandcamp site located right here where you can find their latest EP "Pasttimes" available for streaming and/or purchase.

MusicBoxPete Podcast To Launch September 16th!

Details are currently being ironed out for the much anticipated rollout of the MusicBoxPete podcast, now slated to officially launch on September 16th! The once a week show will air every Monday from 5:00PM-5:30PM. For the duration of the half-hour, you'll hear songs from some of Boston's fastest rising acts, and it will also feature the same content you're accustomed to seeing on the blog every week, including my Artist Spotlight feature of the week showcasing a local act from the area who I think has the potential to make it big, and a featured album review each week highlighting a prominent album recently released that is definitely deserving of checking out.

There will also be some fun in-depth segments, including in-house interviews with local artists so that you can get to know them a little better, plus handcrafted curated playlists featuring songs ranging from various genres and related to certain topics as well. There will also be periodic news updates giving you the latest as to what's going on in the ever changing music world that we live in. The episodes will be available for download on iTunes immediately after they air, so get ready to experience the MusicBoxPete blog in a whole new way and get excited for what's about to come! Stay tuned to the blog for further updates as the premiere date draws closer.