Band Of The Week

Band Of The Week: Digicide

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The resurgence of the “space rock” genre is ever growing and full of very talented bands. Florida’s Digicide is part of that pack. Having been included on a recent Hum tribute album, their debut album Far From Home stretches past their influences of Hum, Failure but also Deftones, Quicksand and Autolux. Jonathan Whittaker’s voice has the same charm as Ken Andrews, while at the same time a voice all his own. Larry Suglio does a tremendous job on the music. The riffs, are heavy yet full of melody and fits the space rock mold perfectly. Songs like “Anchors & Astronauts,” “Confines,” “Gated,” and “Hypothesis” are epic in nature. Currently they are putting the pieces together for a live band.

 

 

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Machines Learning

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The 90’s sound of quiet to loud has always played a large role in rock music. The ability to take a delicate melodic part and transition it to a loud and heavy part takes the right amount of patience and creativity. Machines Learning have honed their craft of being able to do just that. Hailing from San Diego, California, this three piece band has taken their influences of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Hum, and Sunny Day Real Estate and blended them into a powerful sound. Singer/Guitarist Paul William Balmer has a very subtle yet very textured voice that compliments the loud dirty guitars. The bass sound that Bradley Botbyl has borders on the 90’s sound and the more modern sludge of heavier bands. The drums are thunderous when it needs to be and understated when those softer parts come in. Machines Learning have released 2 exquisite EP’s, and from the sound of them , they are surely headed on the right path.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/machineslearning

http://machineslearning.bandcamp.com/

 

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Spirit In The Room

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The use of electronics has become very prominent in music as of late. Some bands have really been able to utilize it in in a great way. One of those bands is Spirit In The Room. Dennis Sanders who has also been involved with Wes Borland’s Black Light Burns leads this collective. The use of electronics doesn’t hinder from the actual music, if anything it adds an extra element of darkness to the music. There are elements of rock, post-punk, synth pop, and a goth vibe similar to the music of The Cure. Dennis has a voice that shows the vulnerable side of himself all the while being uninhibited. Spirit In The Room opened up for Crosses on their Southern California dates. They also just released their debut EP The Holy Phobia part 1. From the looks of the live videos their live show looks very entertaining.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/spiritintheroomsounds

https://soundcloud.com/spirit-in-the-room

 

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Dekades

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Shoe gaze, Psychedelia, loud bombastic art rock, these are just a few of the ways to describe the sound of Dekades. This awesome foursome have combined all the above into something driving and pulsating. Fronted by Arden Fisher, her hypnotic voice invokes quite a range of emotions in the lyrics she sings. The guitar work provides lush soundscapes before erupting into melodic rumbling. The rhythm section is extremely tight. The bass lines thump in such a lovely way with the beat of the drums. Their most recent release features 4 songs of sheer enjoyment. Dekades are fast becoming a talked about band in the Los Angeles music scene and it’s very well deserved.

 

 

http://dekadesofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Dekadesofficial

http://dekades.bandcamp.com/

 

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Big Jesus

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So many bands try to capture the true essence of their sound on record. Not too many can achieve that without studio tricks. One of the exceptions to the myth is Atlanta, Georgia’s Big Jesus. This four piece has a knack for big melodies, large walls of sound, and silky vocals. Their debut full length ONE, has all the above and then some. The first track on the album “Cold Fire” has a rhythmic heaviness that has a Cave In feel to it. The song “Again” has a chunkiness that is almost sludgy. “Shrimp” is a more mellow mid tempo jam that has shows off the more delicate side of the band. Closing out their album is “Heaviest Heart,” a song that has a sort of Deftones feel to it’s approach. Their all together sound is deeply rooted in the great alternative bands of the 90’s. Lyrically all the songs are deep and meaningful. This band is truly on the right track and have the material to take on the masses.

 

http://bigjesus.bandcamp.com/album/one

https://www.facebook.com/bigassjesus

http://www.thebigjesus.com/

 

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: New Cathedral

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Melody and rhythm are the driving forces of music. When done properly the combination of the two brings out something special. Tampa, Florida’s New Cathedral have managed to do just that. Their new E.P. entitled Ghost has the right amount of melody and passion behind it’s songs. This four piece has a sweet blend of sweeping clean guitars, heavy crunchy bass and subtle thumping drums. Vocally they are able to capture the passion of the lyrics. The conviction in which they play with is undeniable. Songs like “Holy Ghost,” “Emerald Eyes,” and “Wolves” have a more hard rock vibe to them while “Stay” shows the more delicate nature of the band without taking away from their hard edge.

New Cathedral have what it takes to make an impact on many people. Their sound is accessible yet still maintains the integrity of what melodic hard rock should be. A lot of the radio rock bands that are out there should take a page from New Cathedral and play with honesty and heart.

 

 

http://newcathedralband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NewCathedralFL

 

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Destroy Judas

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Creating something epic is no easy task. The dedication it takes to create music with so many moving parts and to be able to connect the lyrics to match is over whelming at times. Luckily there are a few bands that have been able to do that and make it look easy, Neurosis and Isis for example. Destroy Judas is one of those bands. Combining their influences of doom metal, ambient noise, and crust punk, they have created a very deep and thought evoking band. Their debut Wake is full of just what I described. At times it might be construed as depressing but in the most positive of ways. There is a connection between the music and lyrics that really sits well beneath your skin. The drums and bass create a rhythmic foundation that sways and can be earth shattering. The guitars can go from the most subtle sounds to pummeling. The ambient touches really add a dark element that is mixed in perfectly. Vocally the prowess of the growls and soft cleans help guide along the epic nature. The four tracks on the album are all in that vein and unrelenting. The journey that Destroy Judas takes you on is powerful and epic.

 

http://destroyjudas.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/destroyjudas

Band Of The Week: City Of Ships

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In this quiet resurgence of artistic rock that we are currently in, a lot of previous overlooked bands (Failure, Hum, Shiner, etc) are finally getting their due and have influenced countless new bands. Now enter City Of Ships into the fold. Having been around awhile and making a mark for themselves, their blend of hard rock and post hardcore is undeniable and captivating. As a three piece that packs this much of a punch is spectacular. Their last album Minor World (released by Translation Loss) is 10 songs deep of nothing but raw emotion, and well thought out melodies. Songs like “Clotilde” “Low Countries” and “Chainman” are heavy and have melody running through it constantly. Currently City of Ships are working on their new album to be released in 2014.

https://www.facebook.com/cityofships

http://cityofships.bandcamp.com/

By: Brian Lacy

Band Of The Week: Hidden Amongst Us

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Los Angeles has a rich history of bringing together musicians and forging a bond musically that many strive for. Hidden Amongst Us is one of the more recent stories. Brought together by their love of bands like Soundgarden, Black Sabbath & Alice In Chains and a common bond in their outlook on life and society, New Yorker’s Michael Grgas on guitar & Ken Colosa on bass, vocalist/SoCal native Evan Michael Mentone and Kentucky-bred drummer Joseph Yabao formed Hidden Amongst Us to rectify those issues.

HIdden Amongst Us has recently completed mixing & mastering 2 debut EP’s with Matt Hyde (Monster Magnet, ASG, Deftones, Slayer). Their first of the 2 EP’s Echo, is full of heavy melodic rock. The first track “Disappear” is full of chunky riffs mixed with a very tight solid rhythm section and powerful vocals make this a great lead in track. The rest of the EP is relentless in its groove and heaviness.

This group are on to something, and their use of melody really helps to tie it all together. Especially when lots of bands seemed to have lost that touch.

 

http://hiddenamongstus.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HiddenAmongstUs

http://hiddenamongstus.bandcamp.com/

By: Brian Lacy