Comprised of Nic Conef & Mark Wadsworth, Mettle Music blend house with a variety of musical styles. Using samples as well as live instrumentation, they have an extremely organic sound. And most importantly, the duo has strong songwriting skills to match the skilled production. Their new CD “Moodswings” contains no bad tracks, though the standout … Read more
Throughout their 20 year history, New Model Army have never really fallen into a clearly defined musical genre. That’s one of the reasons why nothing on “Great Expectations,” their new singles collection, sounds the least bit dated. Existing just outside the mainstream, the group has consistently put out fantastic, emotionally charged rock music with highly … Read more
Though hailing from Ireland, Perry Blake initially found his major success in France and elsewhere around mainland Europe. Now, he’s finally poised to break into America with his first US release, “California.” It’s a spectacular collection of seemingly flawless, often melancholic pop songs. Balancing simplicity and sophistication, the music of Perry Blake really sounds like … Read more
Matt Zane may have first made a name for himself in the adult film industry, but these days he’s focusing on a musical career. His industrial-metal band, Society 1, recently returned with a new album, “Exit Through Fear.” Several years in the making, the disc was actually completely re-recorded in order to include a revamped … Read more
Subthunk are a California-based band who fuse electronica with elements of jazz, funk, and a variety of other styles. Improvisation is a key element, and at their live shows they firmly establish that a laptop computer can be considered a musical instrument. According to DEVO’s Mark Mothersbaugh, “The masses are asses who need subthunk glasses.” … Read more
The fusion of indie rock and electronica opens up many musical possibilities, so it’s nice to hear bands like The Burnside Project taking full advantage of this creative freedom. On their CD, ‘The Networks, The Circuits, The Streams, The Harmonies,’ the Hoboken-based trio avoids leaning too heavily in either direction and seems to effortlessly bring … Read more
“Somewhere Something,” the ninth album from UK-based electronic act Astralasia, marks their debut on Transient Records. Like it’s predecessor, “White Bird,” the disc features vocals more prominently than early Astralasia releases did. While the band has evolved and mutated quite a bit throughout their career, Astralasia remain as innovative and unique as ever. They don’t … Read more
Bringing exquisite vocal arrangements to ancient poetry and prose, the Mediaeval Baebes have crafted a unique style that draws from the past yet sounds extremely fresh. The group was founded by Miranda Sex Garden vocalist Katharine Blake and currently boasts a line-up of 9 talented singers. Any notions that the medieval angle is gimmick are … Read more
Rhys Fulber has been involved in quite a variety of musical projects over the years, ranging from being a member of Front Line Assembly/Delerium (and the various off-shoots) to producing Fear Factory. Now he’s back with Conjure One, a project that continues in the direction of the past few Delerium albums. The self-titled debut CD, … Read more
Based around the brother and sister team of Jim and Alison Shaw, Cranes are able to successfully make dark, often haunting music that is also very catchy. Their earliest work was the cassette-only FUSE (1986), but it was the 1989 mini-LP “SELF-NON-SELF” that really started getting the attention of Britain’s music press and radio. Signing … Read more