Dimond Saints Release First Portion of Three Part Album

Oakland, CA's Dimond Saints are set to release the first in a three part debut album series titled The Rising. The full three part album is titled Shingetsu and will be released as part of a free daily download this week, culminating with the final part being released tomorrow, February 14th.

The first single from that effort is titled "We Diamonds" and has proved to be a massive success, peaking at #4 on the Hype Machine download ranking list and the duo recently did a remix of one of Lorde's tracks that generated 150,000 plays on Soundcloud. The song is a pulsating, mystical number with distorted electronic effects paving the way for an well enhanced musical experience like no other. With electronic music impacting the mainstream right now as we speak from the likes of Daft Punk and Capital Cities, this act proves to be a tough out and is quickly gaining steam and shows no signs of slowing down.

To check out Dimond Saints for yourself, head on over to their Soundcloud page right over here and give them a quick 'Like' on their Facebook page right here if you enjoy what you hear.

Kusanagi - They WIll Come Back For You

The four piece instrumental band hailing from Liverpool, UK has just released their latest concoction titled "They Will Come Back From You". The disc is a surprising and entertaining mixture of instrumentation that is completely devoid of any vocals whatsoever, and that allows each individual musician to squarely focus on their line of work and their monumental task at hand which shouldn't be that difficult to accomplish.

"Spires" kicks off the effort with a squalling cavalcade of guitars that meld in well with the drums and bass that provide a harmonic triforce that slowly starts to build up some steam that lasts well throughout the duration of this record and instills the listener to continue listening in anticipation of what's to come later on. "What Fools These Mortals" is a short number clocking in at just under 3 minutes that gives a strong wave of guitars that has a sort of progressive rock channel attached to it that gives a hint of the meticulous nature of the gentlemen that manifests itself well throughout this well made composition. My favorite track off the album is "Rhinoceros" a melodic, leveled track that shows compounded layers of bass, guitar, and light percussion arrangements all rolled into one that will have your complete and undivided attention by the time the song has wrapped up. "Danxia" gets us ready for the close of the effort with a mellow, homely number that gives each individual musician a chance to state their case as to why you should listen to this album with a open mind and how it will impact your listening habits. The title track plays us out with a well encapsulated track that takes in musical elements we've heard in some form throughout the duration of this record that gives us an idea as to the origins of this group, what their background is, and the simple and dignified nature of their music that is unlike any current musical dynamic and allows them to blend in with their mates in England.

All in all, an impressive and well constructed effort from Kusanagi, a band that is relatively unknown here in the States, but are looking to foray and greatly affect the traditional music listener and get them to experience a little of what's outside the box.

                                                                                                                                EP Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Spires
2. What Fools These Mortals
3. Rhinoceros
4. Danxia
5. One Day, They Will Come Back For You...

MLB Spring Training Team Music Preview

That phrase you love hearing every year, "Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training" signifies only one thing, that baseball season is around the corner and warmer weather is in our midst relatively sometime soon!

Over the course of the next several weeks heading into the beginning of the regular season here on the site, we'll spotlight a few teams and their personal playlists to get a better understanding of the musical makeup of each team and spotlight a few role players in the process who can help their team get off to a fast start. Here is a rundown of the teams that I'll be covering over the course of the next month or so:

Oakland Athletics
Kansas City Royals
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals
Pittsburgh Pirates
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres

This is an exciting and thrilling opportunity for me to bring together the two things I'm most passionate about: music and sports and bring everybody together to experience in one thrilling and unique fashion that I'm sure you'll enjoy immensely! The first installment will be posted on Monday featuring the Oakland A's and will continue sporadically heading right into the beginning of the MLB regular season, so get ready to experience music and sports together in one neat little package.

Bad Things Premiere Music Video For "Caught Inside"

Get More: 

www.mtvu.com

While Shaun White didn't take home the Gold in the Snowboarding Halfpipe competition at The Olympics in Sochi earlier this afternoon, he can take solace and comfort in knowing that he is a pretty damn good musician! His band Bad Things, who have been covered numerous times here on the site, just released their music video earlier today for their song titled "Caught Inside" from their self-titled debut LP that came out a few weeks ago. The song is one of the more downtempo tunes found on the record, and presents the group in a much different light than what they're portrayed on the record and demonstrates all the musical depth and talent emanating from everyone in the band, especially Shaun.

For more information on Bad Things, 'Like' them on Facebook here, follow on Twitter here, and check out their debut album now available for purchase on iTunes and wherever fine music products are sold.

Artist Spotlight: The Federal Hillbillies

Starting off another week with an all new installment of Artist Spotlight! Today, we head down to the beltway area of Baltimore, the homeland of crabcakes and the Orioles where we seek out the sounds of The Federal Hillbillies. The band consists of Justin Ahmanson on lead vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Josh Ahmanson on vocals and steel guitar, Dan Walker on vocals and bass, and C Thomas King on drums. The band's sound is a down home blend of Americana and folk melodies woven into the musical fabric that is reminiscent of such acts like The Avett Brothers and The Lumineers with an authentic, homespun twist that is all their own and represents their craft that they've worked so hard to create over the years that is coming to fruition right now in the present. I enjoyed these guys immediately from first listen, and appreciated how simplistic and beautiful each of their compositions were and how pure and unadulterated they were in terms of lyrical content and studio mastery where there were no frills attached whatsoever that made the songs that much more potent and noticeable from a musical perspective. A terrific under the radar act that is deserving of some exposure here on the site. Some tracks to watch out for include "Going Back Home" and "Invisible Man".

For more information on The Federal Hillbillies, head on over to their Facebook page located here and see for yourself the homegrown creations that they've made. You can follow them on Twitter as well from this location right here and find out if they plan on making their way up to the New England sometime soon for a concert appearance. Their official website is over here featuring an extensive list of in depth information, and it's where you can also stream their latest EP titled "Whiskey to Wine" before you decide to purchase it on iTunes.

Artist Spotlight: You Blew It!

Proud to present to you yet another edition of Artist Spotlight to guide you into the weekend! Today, we escape the cold confines of Boston and head down to sunny Orlando, FL where we find our musical companions in the form of You Blew It! The band consists of Tanner Jones, Andy Anaya, and Trevor O'Hare. The band's sound is a direct, bombastic sound reminiscent of such groups like American Football and The Get Up Kids with a raw, energetic sound that is honed in on affecting its listeners and eliciting a strong and positive reaction from them that will draw them into their world and become devoted fans of the group in the process as well. I was impressed with the band's dynamic when I checked out their performance on Audiotree and it really gave me a good idea of what their stage presence is like and their personalities as well which just reeked of positivity and good naturedness that I couldn't possibly ignore their charm and devotion to what they do best, playing music. A terrific talent that is traversing the country looking for more fans to draw into their wake even as we speak. Some songs recommended for listening include "Medal of Honor" and "Award of the Year Award".

To find more information on You Blew It!, check them out on Facebook right here and see what they've conjured up for you on a musical scale. The band is on Twitter from over here and see when the band will making their way up to the Boston area sometime with a concert appearance. Visit their official website located here for more in depth information regarding them, and check out their music now readily available at your disposal via their Bandcamp site here.

Artist Spotlight: DC Wonder

Starting off another week of Artist Spotlight as we cruise into the month of February! Today, we have Boston's own electronic trio known as DC Wonder taking the reigns for today. The band consists of Gene Shinozaki on lead vocals and guitar, Frank Watkoskey on bass, and Lyle Shaw on drums. The band has an energetic, pure electronic sounds that is similar to other newcomers like Capital Cities with a sharp and focused musical dynamic that is entirely their own creation, and doesn't strive to do too much either as it plays to its own strengths and relies on the collective talents of everyone gathered to make their best first impression as they can. I was impressed with what these boys brought to the table and what they had acquired musically that made them different and wholly unique, a quality that all musicians strive to acquire and one that is achieved through countless hours of practice and playing small venues in and around the Boston area to gain a following and build a buzz and aura around you that will only get stronger over time. A terrific local act deserving of a little push here on the site. Some recommended tracks to check out from them include "Just a Dream" and "Lift Me Up".

For more information on DC Wonder, head on over to their Facebook page located right here and see for yourself what makes them stand out. They can also be followed on Twitter from the link at this locale here and find out straight from the band what they have to say and info on upcoming shows. Visit their official Bandcamp site over here to listen to their album in streaming form and purchase it on iTunes at this convenient link right here.

Modern Baseball Stream New Album "You're Gonna Miss It All" on Pitchfork

Philadelphia's own pop-punkers Modern Baseball are gearing up for the impending release of their latest album "You're Gonna Miss It All" next Tuesday, February 11th. To get fans pumped and ready for the unveiling, the band have made available their latest effort via a stream on Pitchfork that you can listen directly over here. Hearing a band's latest album days before it comes out just makes you want to purchase the album that much more, and really support honest and down to earth musicians who are trying to make a living and express their musical ambitions to the rest of the world.

The band will also be heading out on a lengthy U.S. tour starting next month in support of the new release. Here is their full tour itinerary with a stop planned nearest to us on April 15th at The Palladium in Worcester:

3/5/14 - Upstate Concert Hall - Clifton Park, NY 
3/6/14 - Chameleon Club - Lancaster, PA 
3/8/14 - Agora Ballroom - Cleveland, OH 
3/9/14 - The Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
3/11/14 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
3/12/14 - The Garage - Burnsville, MN
3/14/14 - Gio’s - Moorhead, MN
3/16/14 - The Den - Calgary, AB
3/17/14 - The Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
3/19/14 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
3/20/14 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
3/22/14 - Oakland Metro - Oakland, CA
3/23/14 - House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
3/24/14 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
3/25/14 - Soma - San Diego, CA
3/26/14 - Nile Theater - Mesa, AZ
3/28/14 - Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO
3/29/14 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
3/30/14 - The Door - Dallas, TX
3/31/14 - White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
4/1/14 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
4/2/14 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
4/4/14 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
4/5/14 - Roc Bar - Jacksonville, FL
4/6/14 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
4/7/14 - The Beacham - Orlando, FL
4/9/14 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
4/10/14 - Greene Street Club- Greensboro, NC
4/11/14 - The Norva - Norfolk, VA
4/12/14 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA
4/13/14 - Sound Stage - Baltimore, MD
4/15/14 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA
4/16/14 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON
4/17/14 - Best Buy Theater - New York, NY

Tideland - Lull

Sterling, VA's own Tideland have landed on the scene with their latest release titled Lull. The disc is a rich and elegant mixture of shoegaze rhythms mixed in with some high energy punk dynamics that go way back to their beginnings with the early formation of the group, and this effort definitely has some promise and a certain unheralded beauty to it that must be listened to at once.

We start things off with "Starblood" a mid-tempo, straightforward track that starts things off on the right foot, and presents the band's musical framework taking shape and the instrumentation does a great job of eloquently dictating the tempo at which they want to go moving forward. "Miless" amps up the melodic intensity quite a bit, and prevails in its attempt to create varying degrees of sonic wavelengths that permeate at such an angle that it creates a cavity where all the sounds rush through and shoot straight to the listener with pinpoint precision. My favorite track off the effort is "Get Lost" a rich, sonic delight with ample waves of instrumentation running aplenty at your feet and a strong musical chemistry, with a bond forming between the bandmates that lasts well throughout the duration of the album and beyond.

The second half opens up with "Desolate" that mixes in a somber, downtempo mood with some high energy punk bombast that presents the group in a much different light than before with intricate and soft-spoken rhythms that really speak to mind about the diversity of this band and their capabilities as individual musicians and what they bring to the table that contributes a great deal to the effort as a whole. "Dinosaur" takes in some elements from the preceding song and manages to bring the mood down somewhat that will illicit an emotional response from the listener and keep them tuned in all the way throughout as well.  "Edinburgh" gets us ready for the conclusion of the effort with a perfect balance of harmony and rhythm that shows what happens when musicians are completely honed in on only the task at hand to get them to where they are with regards to finishing up this album. "Way To Die" concludes matters here with some rich musical textures that takes us back to the beginning of the album, and we can quickly trace our path and see where we came from musically from that point and how the band's sound developed and flourished since then.

All in all, a sonically pleasing and fruitful effort heard here from Tideland, who have emerged as a formidable presence in the music scene and have conjured up something special for your ears that will make you believers of them in the long run moving forward.

                                                                                                                             Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Starblood
2. Miless
3. Carved In Mine
4. Get Lost
5. Desolate
6. Dinosaur
7. Edinburgh
8. Way to Die 

Friendly People To Perform With San Fermin Monday @ Brighton Music Hall

Watertown's indie-rock sensations Friendly People are set to play a big show this coming Monday 2/10 at Brighton Music Hall opening for Brooklyn's own San Fermin. Friendly People have been one of the more visible bands in the local scene these past few months, playing a string of shows including one at Fete down in Providence with Last One Out, a band whom they competed against here on the site for the Artist Spotlight of the Year award and unfortunately lost out to, but we assure you that there's no feud between them at all as they played together previously in the past and are a band that definitely enjoys being in the company of each other and playing music for the general population that have gathered before them.

For more information on Friendly People, 'Like' them on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter here. To buy tickets for the Friendly People and San Fermin show, point your browser over to Brighton Music Hall's website right here.

Brand New Announce String of U.S. Tour Dates This July

Long Island, NY natives Brand New are gearing up for a string of tour dates throughout the U.S. starting this July that will definitely make longtime fans of the band look forward immensely to the summer! For all of you in the Boston area, you'll get your chance to see them when they play the Boston Calling festival in May, so as expected no Boston stops on this tour, but you'll get your fix on them ahead of the game, and marvel over the band that you grew up listening to in high school with such marvelous albums like "Your Favorite Weapon" and of course my personal favorite and everyone else's "Deja Entendu".

Here are the dates for Brand New's tour announced earlier this morning:

July 5 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
July 6 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Egyptian Room
July 7 - Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
July 10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
July 11 - Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
July 12 - Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann
July 13 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore

Broken Bells - After The Disco

Los Angeles, CA's top notch 1-2 punch of James Mercer and Danger Mouse are back for a second time around with their collaborative effort as Broken Bells titled "After The Disco". The follow up to their 2010 self titled debut finds the collective duo putting all their musical bargaining chips on the house here with an indie/space rock hybrid that will transport you into their world where the two minds have gathered once again to create a sonic wavelength of epic proportions that is just waiting to be heard by eager ears.

We start things out on "Perfect World" a sprawling, synth heavy, 6 and a half minute opus that puts in the right frame of mind with James Mercer's comforting vocal presence adding a feeling of warmth with Danger Mouse coming up right behind to deliver the goods on this intricate and experimental track that showcases the magic that the two have conjured up together. The title track is a more upbeat and dance ready affair that has elements of dark imagery attached to it that is representative of the album's mission to deliver an otherworldly affair that breaks the plain across the musical fabric of space and manages to find a conduit directly into the path of the prospective listener with remarkable accuracy and precision. My favorite song off the disc is the first single, "Holding On For Life" Starting out with a lush acoustic arrangement, the song reaches new heights with James's vocal abilities stretching out into Barry Gibb territory and blowing it right out of the park almost on contact and is the definitive highlight for an outstanding and well told effort heard here so far. "The Changing Lights" is a frenetic, fast paced tune that features a bey of synth heavy arrangements and Danger Mouse's expertise behind the helm gives the album much depth and sophistication that makes it stand out immensely from other similar albums within the same genre. "Control" demonstrates much more of that same mentioned depth and gets us ready for the second half of the album just waiting in the wings with plenty more to be discovered.

The second half commences with "Medicine" a melodic, instrumental affair that features some light tambourine and other assorted percussion arrangements heard in the background that give the track a distinct flavor and aura that is vastly different from the other songs we've heard in succession, but showcases the duo's ability to branch out into other areas to give it some musical dexterity in the process. The album gets ready to close up for the night with "The Angel and The Fool" a somber, melancholy affair with James' vocals ushering in a feeling of closure and brings about a feeling of comfort and companionship as we get ready to close out the album in grand fashion. The album ends with "The Remains of Rock and Roll" an acoustic styled affair that gradually grows over time into a symphonic chorus that has a different feel from the prior musical arrangements, but does a terrific job of tying up the loose ends and getting everything ready as we send this album off into the sunset and into the arms of prospective listeners ready to fawn over. I was amazed when James Mercer and Danger Mouse first announced they were teaming up for a project, and my jaw totally dropped when they released their debut and was amazed that two extremely talented and creative people who came from different musical backgrounds, were able to team up and form a musical friendship and bond that goes well beyond the wide spectrum and presents music in a fashion that has never before been drawn up on a blueprint.

All in, a fantastic second effort from Broken Bells, and shows that the musical partnership of James and Danger is at full strength and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. One of the more undiscovered musical treasures you'll find so far this year.

                                                                                                                             Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Perfect World
2. After The Disco
3. Holding On For Life
4. Leave It Alone
5. The Changing Lights
6. Control
7. Lazy Wonderland
8. Medicine
9. No Matter What You're Told
10. The Angel and the Fool
11. The Remains of Rock and Roll  

U.S. Winter Olympic Athletes Playlists

With the 2014 Winter Olympics set to begin in Sochi, Russia on February 7th, I thought it would be a cool idea to meld together the worlds of sports and music in one unique package with my U.S. Winter Olympics Playlist. We'll take a look at some of the athletes competing and peruse their individual playlists to get an idea of what they're listening to as they're warming up to take part in their respective events. This will also help better understand their musical tastes and what their individual personalities are like as well. Here is the list of those athletes and what their playlists contain along with links to purchase the songs on iTunes and Amazon MP3:

Shaun White, snowboarding

Jay-Z -- My 1st Song (iTunes | Amazon)

Black Lips -- Bad Kids (iTunes | Amazon)

David Bowie -- Moonage Daydream (iTunes | Amazon)

Bad Things -- Caught Inside (iTunes | Amazon)

Phantogram -- Fall In Love (iTunes | Amazon)

Gracie Gold, figure skating 
Passenger -- "Let Her Go" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Bonnie McKee -- "American Girl" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Imagine Dragons -- "Demons" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Ellie Goulding -- "Burn" (iTunes | Amazon) 

J.R. Celski, speed skating 
Kendrick Lamar -- "Rigamortis" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Radiohead -- "Separator" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Erykah Badu -- "Didn’t Cha Know" (iTunes | Amazon) 
J Dilla -- "So Far To Go" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Blu & Exile -- "Simply Amazin’" (iTunes | Amazon) 

Julie Chu, women’s ice hockey 
Lumineers -- "Ho Hey" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Phillip Phillips -- "Home" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Fun -- "Some Nights" (iTunes | Amazon) 
"Perfect Pitch" soundtrack -- "Pool Mash Up" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Of Monsters and Men -- "Little Talks" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Katy Perry -- "Roar" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Avicii -- "Wake Me Up" (iTunes | Amazon) 

Ted Ligety, Alpine skiing 
The Cars -- "Just What I Needed" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Dr. Dre -- "What’s the Difference?" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Imagine Dragons -- "Radioactive" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -- "Thrift Shop" (iTunes | Amazon) 
TV on the Radio -- "Wolf Like Me" (iTunes | Amazon) 

Ross Miner, figure skating 
Third Eye Blind -- "Semi-Charmed Life" (iTunes | Amazon) 
The Strokes -- "Someday" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Phoenix -- "Long Distance Call" (iTunes | Amazon) 
U2 -- "Where The Streets Have No Name" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Vampire Weekend -- "Walcott" (iTunes | Amazon) 
Bruce Springsteen -- "New York City Serenade" (iTunes | Amazon)

Seattle Dominance In Both Football And Music

With the total ass whooping the Seattle Seahawks delivered to the Denver Broncos last night in the Super Bowl, Seattle assured its clear dominance in two main areas near and dear to the city: football and music. You may remember the Super Bowl comparison I did last week comparing both Denver and Seattle in terms of popular musicians to emanate from the two areas, and Seattle's was by and far superior in all facets of the musical game against Denver, almost identical to the way they played last night in the big game.

If you need a reminder as to the popular musicians to reside out of Seattle, here they are again:

Alice in Chains
Band of Horses
Death Cab For Cutie
Fleet Foxes
Jimi Hendrix
Macklemore
Minus The Bear
Nirvana
Pearl Jam

While I've never had the opportunity to visit Seattle in person, I eagerly anticipate to visit there sometime down the road as the city has a rich, cultural history in music that has united the fabric of the town and allowed the citizens to jump behind their football team as well, and that is something that I strive to merge here on the site over the course of the year and beyond as I bring together the worlds of football and music and bring together what drives my passions personally each and every day, and what keeps me happy and motivated to do my best each and every day. So, for the city of Seattle, I tip my cap to you and congrats to your Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks on a well deserved victory, you did the 12th man loud and proud!