Stream: "Back In The Valley" by Skye Steele

Let's have a moment to enjoy some new music. Skye Steele, owner of many E's, has a new album being released on May 26th via the wonderful world of Bandcamp.

Listen to the song. If you dig it, preorder it HERE and catch up with Steele on FACEBOOK.

I'll leave to you to decide if those E's are superfluous. No claims are made by me.

LP Review: "Dead Ringer" by Whiskey Gentry

Dead Ringer

There's no reason in muddying the lake, so let's begin.

My favorite country artists are of the more outsidery vein, Merle Haggard, Bob Wayne, and the man, the myth, the legend himself, Johnny Cash.

My father once told me that real country had died and what was played on the radio was just 50's rock'n'roll sung with an accent. He left out the pedal steel guitars, but the idea's the same.

Fast forward two decades and country music is just bro-pop singing about how great they have it. The beauty of Hank Williams, the power of Johnny Cash, and the musicianship of Chet Atkins...

There is none of this to be found in mainstream country. It's just become a me too pile of worthless music that doesn't even deserve to be called art. Yeah, Toby Keith, I'm looking at you. Red Solo Cup isn't as deep as My Headband from Glee.

Guest Post: This Is Why To PR by Curtis Dewar

I’ve had several bands tell me that there really is no point in having a PR and that they can do it all themselves. While DIY is an admirable quality and definitely cheaper, there are some things to consider when choosing between hiring a PR and doing it yourself.

Keep these in mind:

-A PR already has a list of magazines, websites and journalists 

Interview: Dynfari, Icelandic Black Metal

Dynfari

In the not too distant past while sitting in the Glacially Musical Kyushu Prefecture Headquarters, Corridor 3, 14th floor, Room 15, an album was suggested to me by an Icelandic Black Metal band called Dynfari.

Being a somewhat newly minted Black Metal fan, it was worth checking out and it was spectacular. Certainly it this album merited getting to know the artist a little bit better.

What follows is the conversation we had. He noticed it was strange, and he was right.

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time for me today.

Dynfari: You're welcome.

Video: "Ramsvarta Tankar" by Gra

Have you worshiped your own personal Dark Lord today? Whether that be Voldemort or the big guy himself, Darth Vader, enjoy some Swedish Black Metal to go with your unholy ritual.

Catch the fellows on Facebook or order their album HERE.

LP Review: "Sacred" by The Obsessed

Sacred

Welcome to a tale of little woe.

The best fringe benefit of this endeavor is that every single day I have the opportunity to experience music by bands I'm not familiar with.

More often than not, they are brand new or on their second or third albums. In today's case, we're cranking up an old school doom band.

Funny thing about this review, I asked a friend of mine if he'd heard of The Obsessed, as I hadn't. This unleashed a torrent of his fandom that left me a bit bewildered. This...I was not prepared for.

Two hours after his floodgates had opened, he was playfully calling me out on twitter for not jumping up right then to have streamed old albums on YouTube.

I was not prepared for this at all!

Video: "Ritualistic" by NervoChaos

Legendary Brazilian Death Metal group, NervoChaos has released a 360 Degree Video for their new single, Ritualistic.

Check it out below and hit up the Brazilians on Facebook.

Make sure you play with the arrows.

Album Review: "Wick" by Royal Thunder

I had never heard of Royal Thunder until a couple of years ago when I had the opportunity to see them as the opening act for The Sword.  The outstanding feature of this performance was Mlny Parsonz’s haunting, angst filled vocals, which straddled the line between being sung and being shouted, but always in perfect key, and always with the gravitas of a tortured soul.  

I resolved at the time to investigate Royal Thunder further.  Tragically, by the time headliners The Sword had finished pummeling my brain with an onslaught of mighty riffs the openers had slipped my mind.  I failed to give them the attention they had earned.  When I saw the promotion for their latest album WICK hit my in-box, I was grateful for the chance to remedy this oversight. 

The band has made a point of noting this album is somewhat of a departure from their previous offerings, but it certainly reminds me of everything I liked about their live set.  Moody, dark and rumbling guitar tones, hypnotic drum beats and Parsonz’s spooky vocals.

Stream: "Matavitatu" by Selvans

From Italy comes an unusual band featuring a strange array of influences and melodies.

Selvans are a new brand of black metal. Check out their track below and pick up the album on CD, Cassette, or Digital at Bandcamp.

LP Review: "Lands" by Bereft

Lands

Life is a mean, mean thing that comes at you quickly when you're least expecting it.

In terms of life and death, how often do we have Life portrayed as a menacing criminal waiting for you in the shadows?

That sort of personification is always reserved for death.

The difference is that we as people only really know life. We have experienced nothing of the afterlife. So, all hopes and joys are ascribed to life and all terrors are ascribed to death.

Today though, life threw curves at me that were highly unexpected.

In times when things are going well, I've always waited for the shoe to drop. Life is always moving and there's a yin and yang to the world and to karma.

Vinyl Review: "The Flesh Is Weak" by James Chance and the Contortions

The Flesh Is Weak

Here's something about me that many folks who read these pages may not realize...

I'm a big fan of etymology.

After having seen about what seems like a hundred broadway shows now, there's a phrase that always tends to stick out in my head, all that jazz.

(This might seem like it's totally random, but get inside my head, read the thoughts and then come back out and tell me if it's scatterbrained or totally ordered and logical.)

(HINT: It's totally number two.)

Jazz...that's something that was rebellious about 70 years before the Rolling Stones were rebellious about 50 years ago right? Well, rebellious music that's been out rebelled normally doesn't really resonate with me and both the Stones and Jazz seem like my grandfather's music at this point.

Stream: "2AM Chinatown" by Julian Jasper

Los Angeles based psych-popper, Julian Jasper is on the cusp of releasing his first EP, 2AM Chinatown on Misra Records in May.

Until then check out the first two tracks below. Make sure to check in with him on Facebook.

LP Review: "Season of the Witch" by John 5 and the Creatures

Season of the Witch

Let's ignore the elephant in the room. That elephant is an annoying hipster and will go away if drink enough American Lagers.

Being a fan of an artist, in some ways, feels like being their parent.

Personally, I'm always hoping for what's best for the folks whose records I buy, spin, review, etc. The better they do, the better the world is for their music.

It's hard to watch some of them stumble and fall while making the same mistakes they have made in the past. Fans can only stand on the side mute while the choices are made.

In the end though, for me, it's important to watch these people grow and change. Granted, I'm a bit different in that regard. There's a reason why Carnival of Souls and Music From The Elder are my favorite Kiss records and why AC/DC barely merits a notice in my music library....

Stream: ACROPHØBIA by NØMADS

It's been quite awhile since we've heard anything out of the NØMADS camp. That makes this particular release a welcome respite from the not wacky music.

They're releasing single after single leading up to their 2018 vinyl release of PHØBIAC.

Interview: War Brides

War Brides

War Brides are on the cusp of releasing the new album, Regrets via Triple Eye Industries.

Theirs is the kind of music that combines hardcore with melody. They were kind enough to stop by the International  Headquarters of Glacially Musical Bldg B in Kenosha, WI to give us some info on what's up.

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time for us today!

War Brides: No problem man. Thanks for reaching out.

GM: Let's start at the beginning. Tell me about the name War Brides and where it came from.

WB: It was Justin's idea before he was even part of the band. It was fairly recent after Tristan joined the band, and we were in need.

I think he was in a history class and the topic of war brides from the first World War -- women who'd marry these guys that would get shipped out soon after, and sometimes not come back -- was discussed. Real captivating and tragic stuff.

Video: "The Fuzz And All That They Feed" by Port Erin

Let's have ourselves a modern rock video by the lads in Port Erin. They hail all the way across the pond in the West Country of the United Kingdom.

Here's their latest single, The Fuzz And All That They Feed from their upcoming album, Ocean Grey.Hit them up on Facebook or snag some music on Bandcamp.

Don't forget to check out their tour dates, posted below.

LP Review: "The Four Days of the Mind" by Dynfari

The Four Days of the Mind

Now that your friend and humble narrator is older, it's easy to say that High School sucked.

Well as I was well read and poorly dressed in high school, it was easy then to say it sucked.  High School, mine anyway, showcased the absolute worst in American society.

Riches were prized. Attractiveness was a premium. What was nominally valued was the quality of the human being that was underneath the money and clothes.

It was easy to be above all of that during the time. Because then, like now, I wasn't attractive. There were no riches in my household.

I was also poorly dressed as my family didn't put a large premium on designer clothing. Though I hated that at the time, I don't much care for them now. Ironic isn't it? Not Darth Plagueis The Wize level irony, but still. (See why I wasn't popular?)

Interview: Transona 5 Digs Up The Past

Transona 5 (Or Transona Five)

Recently, we were lucky enough to get a copy of the long forgotten collected works of Transona 5 on vinyl via Sonic Surgery Records. (Check out the review HERE if you missed it!)

This is a band whose music was released on CD way back when on small record labels that have since closed up shop. Because of that, they were kind of lost to time, but a fan who happens to own a record label, decided he was going to bring their music back to the masses.

In fact he started an entire label just to put out their music. Well, they stopped by the Glacially Musical Sponsorship Tower Sub-basement in order to set the records straight.

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time to speak to me today.

Chris Anderson: We’re very happy to do it.

Rachel Smith: Hi. Thanks for asking us.

Annika Sparkles: *waves*

GM: Tell me about the origins of the band. How did Transona Five come about?

CA: Chris Foley and I had been friends for a while sharing a deep love of music, and one time while I was visiting him where he was working for the summer in St. Mary, Montana we got to talking about putting a band together once he returned to Texas. 

LP Review: "Exorkizein" by Possession

Exorkizein

Dear Scandinavia,

I accept that you are by far the most metal region in the entire world, or at least you're peopled with the most metal musicians. Honestly, places like Detroit, Berkeley, New York City, and my hometown, St. Louis are more brutal and metal than you.

As has been said many times on here and twitter, I don't like your primary metal export. Scandinavian Black Metal...well I find it to be rather aptly named.

The breaking of the fantasy with the killings, the burnings, and whatever other crimes many of the forefathers have committed just to be metal turn me off.

It seems to me that you fellows have come up with a great, but unfinished idea. Lots of other bands have been able to take your framework for metal and turn it into a beautifully ugly serenade.

Please keep an eye on what the rest of the world has done with your art.

Double Vinyl Review: "otherworld" by eviL tripLet

otherworld

Please allow me to wax nostalgic for a moment. To most of my readers, and to my most frequent contributor Danny, Glacially Musical seems like an extremely glamorous endeavor!

Well, there was a time in the past, most likely before you ever read the words on this page when I was simply writing about the music I discovered rather than brand new music from the labels, artists, and management folks themselves.

You may notice that this year already has more posts than the first two combined and I'll top number three in a matter of weeks. As we barrel towards our 1,000th post, let me tell you a bit about what it's like to be the gatekeeper of this most prestigious and world renowned blog.

It's world renowned because I get sent stuff from literally every hemisphere. Often times not even swearwords directed at me. When this whole thing started, it was me writing about the music I purchased. So, there were very little negative things to say, because I typically vet my purchases quite well.

Video: "Bleak Prognosis" by Hemotoxin

Hemotoxin has a brand new for their track Bleak Prognosis.

Check it out below. Hit them up on Facebook or order the album HERE.

LP Review: "Black Magic" by Alastor

Black Magic

The hardest thing for a lot of people is being able to stay composed under duress.

For myself, it's kind of a super power. In less than a second, Crisis Nik can come to the fore.  Being as normally, your friend and humble narrator, is a rather silly person, it's a shock to people when they see this for the first time.

It's something that has been very, very useful over the years. My entire demeanor changes. No longer, is it possible to be distracted. My focus becomes laser focused onto the issue at hand.

This is even the case in issues regarding my family. We all have emergencies in the family from time to time. Being able to stay calm, focused, and composed is really useful. Now, what's harder is when it's about music. You may  have noticed I play a bit of guitar.

Truth be told, I'm more of a guitar owner than a player.

Interview: Dakhma

Dakhma

Lately, Black Metal seems to be seeping into the music that I review. For many years, I was adamant about not being a fan of Black Metal.

One thing about Black Metal today is the American scene has really changed it up. There's a large, in my opinion, influence from Doom Metal which makes the American Black Metal fresh, new, and more palatable to my tastes.

Recently we did a vinyl review on Dakhma's Suna Kulto. Now it's time to learn more about the band. They were good enough to shed some light on their darkness.

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time for me today.

Dakhma: Hey! Thanks for showing interest in us!

LP Review: "Anatomy of Loss" by The Crawling

Anatomy of Loss

Before I go to sleep at night, reading is typically the last thing I do. The current book is Don't Try This At Home by Dave Navarro.

There was a conversation in that book about Steve Vai.

Mr. Vai is a very divisive figure in the musical world. That's not to be meant as an insult. It's just that there are a few camps here.

Many folks, even some instrumental bands I've interviewed, have said how do you connect to Steve Vai?

The prevailing opinion amongst them is that Vai is simply flexing his muscles for 90 minutes each night.

Well this is something that a goodly number of metal bands do each night. There's the constant blast beats that run concurrently with the unchanging demonic vocals. Distort the bass from note one and what we have is a preening tosser on the beach.

Guest Post: Heavy Metal Manifesto by Jordan Smith of Drude

It's hard to say what actually first got me interested in heavy music. I luckily had several positive influences as a young kid who guided me to at least scratch the surface of the genre.

However, the first metal album I ever purchased with my own money is still one that I revisit from time to time. That album is The Bleeding by Cannibal Corpse.

It was early 2001 and I was 12 years old. Up until this point GWAR and Metallica were the only heavier bands I had ever delved into and even that was limited to a couple burned CDs (that)I had gotten from my brother and a VHS copy of GWAR's Phallus in Wonderland. 

Two or three years prior, while on vacation, I had convinced my parents to buy me a copy of ...And Justice For All that was for sale at a truck stop along the road between Illinois and West Virginia. 

I listened to that album religiously for the better part of two years and couldn't get enough. That was the first album I chose to ask for. As far as the first album I purchased with my own money, I have no one to thank other than Jim Carrey. 

Album Review: "Eternal Oblivion" by Moonlight Prophecy

Yngwie Malmsteen may have popularized the genre of the neoclassical guitar shred fest, but he wasn't the last guitarist to ascend to such lofty heights.
Malmsteen was Swedish, which should come as a surprise no one familiar with that country's uncanny ability to produce legendary rock musicians.  However, the latest in the line of six string wizard's is Philadelphia's own Lawrence Wallace.  Wallace's latest project is one man band Moonlight Prophecy.
Wallace seamlessly blends classical music inspired guitar playing with the aggressive melodies of modern thrash metal with stunning results. This is what I imagine it would sound like if Dragonforce's Herman Li joined Testament. Blazing melodic solos over aggressive thrash metal riffs.

LP Review: "Alternatum" by Monsterworks

Alternatum

Whenever you feel sad, just go to the record store and visit with your friends.

Whatever you may feel about Cameron Crowe, that man can really write a line when he's ready.

Well, I wouldn't say that Monsterworks are my friends per se, but this is their seventh time being written about in this little website here.

They are a band that 25 years ago would have been touring with Metallica and possibly ruling the world by now.

None of that changes the fact that even after THIRTEEN studio albums, they have the gall, the stones, and the inspiration to release number FOURTEEN.

Double Vinyl Review: Eponymous by Transona Five

Transona 5

As of this post, we have written a metric ton of posts about music of all stripes and statures.

The whole purpose of this blog and what make it run, is the idea that new music doesn't suck and that there is plenty of great music out there being written, recorded, and released by new bands, by new labels, and that these new voices are just as valid as the old ones.

In fact, I have pontificated countless times that we are living in the golden age of music and that this is literally the best time to be alive in terms of music.

You don't agree? Well, it's just like watching TV. We're in the best era for TV too. This is because of all the specialization. We no longer are beholden to values of 20 years ago. We are no longer having to watch just the most sanitized tv or listen to the most sanitized music.

Stream: "Vision" by SX

SX is known for being Belgium's most avant-garde pop outfit. Stefanie’s raw, ethereal vocals matched with Benjamin’s primal percussion and futuristic digital elements take you into an exotic realm. The duo is also responsible for directing and styling all of their visual elements. They went to Paris to shoot “Vision” and worked with their friends from Sankofa Unit, a Parisian Urban Gospel Choir, to create the video. 

SX burst onto the scene in 2011 with their exotic track, “Black Video.” The single kick-started an international tour, as they opened for bands like Yeasayer, Vampire Weekend, Ariel Pink, and Polica. Their debut album Arche went gold record status in Belgium and included hits “Gold,” Graffiti,” and “The Future.” Stefanie and Benjamin have also worked on exciting collaborations in other fields, such as their partnership with high fashion designer Dries Van Noten for his FW 2016 collection and an eyewear collection for Hoet: Cabrio SX. 

LP Review: Self Titled by Obituary

Obituary

There are times when I absolutely love a band. Many times during my life, when this has happened, I've torn through albums only to burn myself out for a time.

The ebbs and flows of life are a wonderful thing that will always confuse me.

American Death Metal and by extension, Obituary, was something that I did burn out on. There was a period of years where I didn't listen to anything extreme.

Upon my musical reawakening, I sought out Blues, modern rock, and scoured the classical aisle for anything I missed.

But, for Christmas, I purchased for myself, the Roadrunner Obituary Boxset. It was a lot cheaper then....and it had been so long since I'd heard from my old friends in Florida that they were a refreshing change.

Stream: "Codependent" by Mercy Brown

Spokane alt-metal band MERCY BROWN are pleased to reveal that they will be embarking on a tour of the west coast of the USA this week. The tour will consist of 14 dates from March 10th to the 25th. 

Mercy Brown spring 2017 tour dates

 

Fri 10 | The Hang Out | Moses Lake, WA

Sat 11 | The Shakedown | Bellingham, WA

Sun 12 | The Charleston | Bremerton, WA

Mon 13 | The Kraken | Seattle, WA

Tue 14 | Obsidian | Olympia, WA

Wed 15 | Real Art Tacoma | Tacoma, WA

Thu 16 | The Campbell Club | Eugene, OR

Sat 18 | The Alibi | Arcata, CA

Sun 19 | The Stork Club | Oakland, CA

Mon 20 | Characters | Pomona, CA

Tue 21 | The Tower Bar | San Diego, CA

Thu 23 | Club X | Salt Lake City, UT

Fri 24 | Treefort Music Fest | Boise, ID

Sat 25 | The Bakery | Pullman, WA
 

 Mercy Brown are:

Josh Schultz - Bass

Lunden Herndon - Drums

Chris Tanaka Canwell - Guitars
Sera Hatchett - Vocals

Interview: Druids "We've Known Each Other For 60 Odd Years"

Druids

Every so often there comes around a band that's so big and bold, that you know they're going to be huge.

It's not clear if Druids are that band, but our new shirtless friend tells of their secrets and speaks often about removing bits of clothing.

He's got a great beard and has a certain, shall we say, bias for bass players.

Just remember, all I did was ask the questions....

And without further ado, Big Shirtless Rod of Druids... Wait, I mean, Jay Goodrich.

Glacially Musical: Thanks for taking some time for us today.

Druids: The pleasure is all ours - no problem at all. It's funny you should mention time though... Time is track 4 on our album. It's really fizzy and it mentions flowers and spring time and speed.

GM: You guys seem to be a bit on the young side, what brought you to the seedy underbelly of rock, 80's glam metal?

Video: "I'm The Lucky One" by Mike Adams At His Honest Weight

In the not too distant past, I was introduced via Joyful Noise Recordings to Mike Adams At His Honest Weight. Whimsical band names will always catch my attention and therefore my ear.

They played St. Louis last year on the night of Bruce Franks Jr.'s redo victory in a terrible rainstorm. That night, I bought the vinyl from the man himself.

Today they've released a video from my favorite song from the record and they're about to go on tour again.

3/10 - Columbus, OH - Big Room
3/13 - Boston, MA - O'Brien's
3/14 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right
3/15 - New Haven, CT - BAR
3/16 - Roanoke, VA - The Spot
3/17 - Philadelphia, PA - The Sound Hole
3/18 - Youngstown, OH - Historian Recording Co
3/21 - Bloomington, IN - The Void

Tickets and other info at: www.mikeadams.info/tour

LP Review: "Among The Ruins" by Altar of Betelgeuze

Among The Ruins

Years ago after the fall of terrestrial radio, we're talking the mid to late Nineties, it became very hard to find out about new acts. As someone who worked in retail at the time and years after that, spending money wasn't something I had a whole lot of to go buy albums by bands I'd never heard of.

One band name that was bandied about frequently was Fear Factory. Their name was basically everywhere, but again, it's not like there was all this cash in my checking account to go spend on their record.

When they were on the Ozzfest bill, I was elated because their music would finally reach my ears. Remember, this was before YouTube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and all the other streaming services. After hours of patiently waiting to hear their dulcet tones, their music did less than move me. As someone who cares little for vocals, as long as they're inoffensive, their singer was what put me off.

Stream: "Destiny" by Kim Free

So, this email showed up from an artist who plays violin. In the past little while, I've learned quite a bit more about the instrument, but more than that, I still recall listening to The Suede Chain and their string section singing about the Mississippi River or lines from jump rope songs.

(Do the kids still do that?)

It was decided that Destiny was going to be the track to bring to my readers. Check this out and you won't be disappointed.

Hit up Kim Free on Facebook and pick up some tunes on Bandcamp.

Album Review: "The Immortal Wars" by Ex Deo

No other genre of music has sub-genres like heavy metal does. Not only are there dozens of sub-genres which explain the sonic qualities of a band, but there are sub-genres which are purely thematic which reflect the band’s lyrical content and stage appearance. 

 There is the much celebrated and beloved Viking Metal, Pirate Metal, Teutonic Metal, Egyptian Metal, Pagan Metal and at least a dozen more which are not occurring to me right now. Besides maybe Vikings, there is probably nothing more metal than an armor clad legionnaire charging into combat with the name of Caesar on his lips and the might of Jupiter at his back. So it stands to reason it was only a matter of time before the need for Roman Metal was necessarily met.

I cannot imagine a band could execute it more capably than Ex Deo. The glory of Ancient Rome has never been so appropriately displayed as when Ex Deo storms the stage in garb fit for an invasion of Gaul, whilst performing symphonic death metal.

Video: "Play The Devil's Piano" by Invasion

Check out the latest video from Indiana's Invasion, Play The Devil's Piano.

If you dig it, buy the disc HERE and send them a message on FACEBOOK to tell them what you think of it!

Invasion's new album was released on February 2, 2017 on Abyss Records.

LP Review: "Remnant Light" by Vaiya

Remnant Light

In the grand scheme of life, what do you think the purpose of music is?

Of course it's to paint a picture, to convey an emotion, but what is the end game of a song, an album, or a career?

We listen to the blues when we feel sad in order to feel better. We listen to metal when we're angry and seek relief. We listen to techno or EDM when we want to dance.

This train of thought can continue, but you have the idea don't you?

In the end, music seeks to inspire. When it's all broken down and rooted out. I feel like all songs are there saying, "Hey, Nik. This bad day, it's not the end of your life. No matter what happens, we'll be here to push you forward."

Split LP Review: "Split" by Grim Van Doom and Cult of Occult

Split

My daughter, who's been a bit spoiled over the years being not just an only child; but also the only grandchild on both sides of the family, has a hard time making choices.

When she's asked do you want to get this or that, her most common response is BOTH!

It's something that's grown a tad tiresome over the years if we're being completely honest about this situation.

It's clear that my little one wants to have her cake and eat it too. Is this really such a bad thing? Well, only when you're trying to teach her about life I suppose.

Lots of us, especially those of us in the Western World, abhor choice and prefer to just get it all. Normally this isn't really an acceptable option and we have to make that decision that we'd frankly prefer not to.

Artist Playlist: The Riven

Here are some of our favorites.

Enjoy!



Here’s a classic one! Sgt. Peppers had just been released two days before and Jimi decided to play that song before jumping on stage. McCartney was in the audience and you can imagine his face! After the crazy solo at the end Hendrix had to ask Clapton (who also happened to be in the audience!) to help him tune up the guitar.

Interview: Marc Bourgon of Cancelled (Greber...and more)

Marc Bourgon

How many of us travel for work?

Until about three years ago, all of my travel was for pleasure. Before that, I wished that business travel was part of my life.

Then having done it, it sucks.

Touring Bands, literally their whole life is business travel. It absolutely drives me insane to be gone and away from my family and the comfortable life I've created for myself.

Last year, I went to six cities in six weeks in four time zones, the farthest one west being seven hours behind the farthest one east. Naturally, I do my best to occupy my time when I'm on the road, but Marc Bourgon of Cancelled (Greber, etc) has got me beat.

Stream/Music Giveaway: St. Louis's Own, Spacetrucker

It's rare that I get to talk about my home and native land, The City of St. Louis, MO.

Though we're called villagers by the bigger places. Our scrappy something is still great, but let's have a beer, eat a provel topped pizza, and dip those toasted ravs.

Now, here's some music.

Check out this TWEET to win free tunes.

EP Review: "Tenebrific" by Cancelled

Tenebrific

A recurring theme in my reviews is considering an artist's home as their main influence. There are a great many examples of the home turf changing the landscape of music.

Sanktuary, from The Yukon Territory, have a running sound that almost screams so people don't lose them.  Sabbatory, hailing from the coldest city in the world, Winnipeg, also sound affected by the brutal cold of their hometown.

What makes today's reviewee interesting is that his hometown is not what influenced the music we're hearing today. This project is a solo effort from Marc Bourgon of Cambridge, Ontario.

He's a member of other bands as well. The songs on Tenebrific were written and somewhat recorded while riding in the tour van.

As someone who's made the journey from Buffalo, NY to Sarnia, Ontario, I can tell you there's large swaths of that trek where the Royal Highways look like backwoods State Roads here.