I had the opportunity to see a ton of great performances by incredible talent at Launch Music Conference in Lancaster last weekend. However, the one that I keep coming back to is The Stonewall Vessels’ performance at Binn’s Park during the Fest Friday portion of the weekend.
Thursday marked the 2016 conclusion of The Originals Music Series, and the Fyre & Ice Show-sponsored showcase went out with a (head)bang, featuring Next to None and Another Day Dawns on a night of high-energy, aggressive tunes.
It’s time to give thanks for the wonders that our music scene beholds for all who will listen, any time of year.
You’ll hear all about just how thankful we are when good ol’ Turkey Day arrives. For now, get ready to hear some great tunes after reading this installment of…
Alien Black has invaded with a new, original video for their progressive grind, “Into World,” using archived public domain footage to tell a story.
The official start of fall is less than a week away, and it’s a good time to make a new run. For The Originals Music Series, they did so by inviting Carefree Constant and Julius out for the first show of the season.
Carefree Constant took the stage first. The Whitehall-based foursome have put a progressive spin on the reggae rock genre, which lends a heavier edge to the band’s sounds and provides good contrast and variety from the group’s more laid back tunes.
Next up was Julius, who always brings a fun energy to the Club Gravity stage. The singer-songwriter reliably rocked setlist staples like “Sunlit Day” and “Better Life,” while mixing in new and unreleased tracks.
Want more rock? Starting Thursday, September 29, The Originals Music Series will return to a weekly schedule at Club Gravity inside Chicago Restaurant. Keep tabs on the Series’ Facebook page for details!
Artist: The Dark Matter Trio
Album: The Puzzle With No Pieces (LISTEN)
Released: September 2015
Genre: Fusion
It’s hard to nail The Dark Matter Trio down to a particular genre. The improvisation and rhythm of jazz is ever-present on the Harrisburg-based instrumental outfit’s latest release, “The Puzzle with No Pieces,” but there are heavy progressive rock and jam influences also at play.
Perhaps it is this unexpected, yet seamless meshing of styles that makes “The Puzzle with No Pieces” so interesting. You never quite know where the record is going, causing you to keep your ears tuned in and your mind at work. The band often visits several different ideas as movements in a single song. Take the triple-named Brenda Lea/Myrtle Likes to Swing/All Hallows Eve for example, which starts as an acoustic rocker with a bass and guitar double melody before heading into a folk/bluegrass movement.
Another example of the band’s versatility is the nine-minute closing title track. This jazz-inspired tune progresses gradually into a headbanging rock outro to conclude the listening journey.
In the end, The Dark Matter Trio has chosen an appropriate name for “The Puzzle with No Pieces.” Each of these ten tracks takes on a different shape in the form of varying soundscapes. Yet, it is these individual parts that comprise a complete work of art.
Track listing:
7 4 2
Sketchbook of a Melancholy Fisherman
Not About Time
Funny Little Bird
Chronologiscope
Big Red Truck
Brenda Lea / Myrtle Likes to Swing / All Hallows Eve
Slow Motion Fight Scene
Imaginautical
The Puzzle With No Pieces
If you’re in the Philadelphia area, catch D.S. Bradford’s “Elemental Evolution” EP release show this Friday, Aug. 5 at the Dockside Bar at Dave & Buster’s.
Artist: D.S. Bradford
Album: Elemental Evolution EP (PRE-ORDER)
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2016
Genre: Alternative Rock
Philadelphia singer-songwriter D.S. Bradford describes his new “Elemental Evolution” EP as being “about evolving into a form of ourselves that is conscious of peace and embraces love.”
While that theme is ever present throughout the effort, there is another “evolution” at play – that of D.S. Bradford into a versatile musician who seamlessly intermingles alternative rock with the progressive and psychedelic.
Perhaps the track that best blends all of those styles together is the album closer, “A Call to the Stars II – A Home in the Sky.” The EP’s longest track, clocking in at just over seven minutes, is a dreamy epic that moves between ideas that represent themselves as movements. “A Call to the Stars II” temporarily forfeits its dreaminess about halfway through, picking up the pace with some killer guitar work, before returning to its roots and transitioning into a tender piano outro that brings about the conclusion of our galactic transmission.
For fans of straightforward alt-rock, you need look no further than “Oceans,” a fun, up-tempo tune, and the crisp, highly accessible title track, “Elemental Evolution.” Both songs contain great hooks and are radio-ready.
Track listing:
A Call to the Stars – Ascend the Lost
The Rise
Oceans
The Seasons
Elemental Evolution
The Move
A Call to the Stars II – A Home in the Sky
In case there was any doubt left, Saturday night at Rivals Sports Bar & Restaurant proved once again that Easton Rocks.
The stage at Rivals was graced by the presence of Acoustic Kitty Project, fronted by Carter Lansing, and Roi & the Secret People, who are currently competing in a MusicBrackets.com music video contest for a $5,000 cash prize.
Both acts performed brilliantly, with Acoustic Kitty Project setting a country rock tone during their hour-plus set. Roi & the Secret People then followed with another trademark performance that blended sounds from the rock, pop, and progressive spheres.
Hats off to both bands for another enjoyable night of music (and for the stylish hats of each band’s frontman). Enjoy the photos!
Artist: Slumlord Radio
Album: Too Pretty for Tijuana (LISTEN)
Released: Sept. 11, 2015
Genre: Punk/Action Rock
Slumlord Radio comes to us from all the way in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a brand of music they call “high-energy, dirty action rock.” Their latest effort, “Too Pretty for Tijuana,” delivers on that promise with tracks that are in-your-face as they are progressive.
Lead single “Bullwhip” starts the album off with a bang, featuring a catchy opening riff and gang vocals reminiscent of KISS, all while staying true to the band’s underground punk vibe (true to form, its music video is banned in China!). Another track of note is “Tycoon,” a gritty, instantly-recognizable headbanger with a chorus containing the album’s title (and which you just may have heard somewhere before)…
“Too Pretty for Tijuana” is raw and unapologetic, and that is exactly what it needs to be. Slumlord Radio has captured the essence of who they are as a band, and it rocks with no questions asked.
Last night was our first night out on the scene (or at least, actively covering a show) since Allentown JazzFest. Certainly, it’s been a busy couple of weeks, but not too busy to get back to The Originals Music Series.
While we were there, we caught a few songs from — and snapped a few photos of — The Secret System. We look forward to hearing more from the Lehigh Valley natives as time goes on.
