A lot can change in eight years. Two presidential elections pass. Successful television shows come and go. Sports teams wander between championship and defeat. In a way Sweetheart of the Sun, the first studio album from The Bangles in nearly eight years tested the market to see if the value for The Bangles’ music still exists. Would music lovers welcome Sweetheart of the Sun or let the album fall into obscurity? Drummer Debbi Peterson recalls her feelings leading up to the September 27th release of Sweetheart of the Sun as “excited but nervous.”

The Bangles ended up delivering big on Sweetheart of the Sun, creating an ultra-enjoyable musical experience for listeners.  Sweetheart of the Sun starts the fun right away with track one “Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun)” Between the instrumentals and the way the name “Anna Lee” is sung the title track gives off a very relaxed vibe. Holding the note “Lee” while singing the chorus makes the song float, that is if audio can float. The Bangles keep the entertainment value going with track two “Under a Cloud,” which features excellent vocals.  Anyone who has ever been in a relationship with a deadbeat significant other will enjoy the next selection “Ball N Chain.” The song celebrates deadbeat significant others with lines like “If brains were clothes, you would have nothing to wear” and “You’re a ball n chain dragging me down.”

Additionally The Bangles stimulate your ear drums by incorporating various musical elements into Sweetheart of the Sun’s 12 tracks. The song “Sweet and Tender Romance” carries a slightly faster tempo than most of the others. “Mesmerized” features a cappella-like sound. Throughout the entire album the contrasts between different instruments adds texture to the varying tracks. All in the all the various elements blend together to form an engaging musical experience. 

Talking to Debbi Peterson you will learn the fun vibe embodying Sweetheart of the Sun extended back to recording the album. While recording at Mathew Sweets’ home studio Debbi recalls Mathew’s cats taking an interest in the group’s instruments, going after the strings on the guitars and one cat even trying to take a siesta inside Debbi’s bass drum. The pets didn’t bother The Bangles though as the drummer admits “It was fun to have the animals around.”

Creativity resonated from the laidback atmosphere. Debbi reveals the group didn’t even have the album’s title track “Anna Lee” written upon entering the studio saying “We came up with the title track ‘Anna Lee’ while in studio and pretty easily too.” A catalyst for the joyful recording experience comes from a valuable lesson the three female musicians learned through motherhood “not wasting time on tiny matters.”

In conclusion if you enjoy The Bangles or the group’s influences like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, you will more than likely enjoy listening to Sweetheart of the Sun as much as Debbi and The Bangles enjoyed putting the album together. So take a deep breath and let Sweetheart of the Sun’s varying musical elements take you on a gleeful listening journey.

When you hear the words "Orange County based hip-hop group," I know what your thinking. A group of white boys with one token black guy spitting half-assed rhymes about life by the beach and their plight with suburban life.   

But one group has been banishing the negative connotation that comes with Orange County hip-hop and its spelled: Th3rd Rail.  What is a "Third Rail" is probably your next question, well to put it simply its a method of providing electrical power to a railway train- in other words they're 'electrifying the tracks.' Tracks meaning songs that  Anthony Marques A.K.A Sonny Liston produces.  

He's not just a producer though, he's also is a contributing  MC along side Chris Hooper A.K.A Naesean and Morris Wentworth A.K.A Mozilla.
 
Their influences range from Stevie Wonder and Al Green to Binary Star and A Tribe Called Quest. Their music can be broadly categorized in the underground hip-hop genre. 

If your looking for some solid soul sampling and head bobbing beats, Th3rd Rail is the gateway to some fresh talent in a sea of untalented MCs.
 
Since 2007, this trio has worked hard to send out a positive message and break away from the usual radio rap that promotes the love of material things.  
Chris Hooper (Naesean) explains what music means to Th3rd Rail: 

"When we think of music we think of being inspired or spreading a message. Nowadays music has been so far distanced from is original origins thats been derived from the true meaning of standing for something. All we hear on the radio today are songs about money, cars and partying. We (Th3rd Rail) see the power of music and how it can be a positive and motivational form of spreading a message. Therefore, our purpose for music is to spread knowledge and water the seeds so they can grow." 

There music promotes motivation in pursuing their education and turning dreams into hard work and success. They are living spoke persons for this, proven by the release of their LP, "LOL: Last Ones Left"   

After 6 months of work, they celebrated by throwing an album release party at club Envy in downtown Fullerton on August 10th. The turn out was overwhelming to say the least. Its clear that these guys have already produced a large fan base and much love and support from friends and family.  

During their performance, their energy, excitement and most of all love for what they've accomplished radiated to the crowd below. These guys love their music love the support and don't take for granted the opportunities they get to share their love for music with the community. Only after performing three songs off their LP, their $5 jewel cased CDs flew off the tables.  

They've been popping up a lot in the Orange County/Los Angeles bar scene performing at Tiki Bar (Costa Mesa), Tropics Lounge (Fullerton), 2nd Street Jazz  Club (LA) Fullerton College and GCS (Santa Ana).  More shows are still waiting to be announced but in the meantime, don't waste your time and check out their LP at: www.th3rdrail.bandcamp.com 

For more info and Th3rd Rail updates check them out at:  www.th3rdrail.tumblr.com

A far-stretch from Dirty Vegas’ Grammy winning single “Days Go By,” their new album “Electric Love” is full of dirty grunge guitar riffs and vocals that ooze positivity. This trio parted ways in 2005 after the success of their 2004 album “One,” to take a breather and relieve themselves from the stresses of the music biz.

 Now, six years later, a refreshed Steve Smith, Ben Harris and Paul Harris (no relation) have embraced the uplifting optimism they found during their break, and spilled it all into this album. This fresh electro-pop album was recorded in London with Om Records, “Electric Love,” has an April 26 release date.

Their first single, “Electric Love,” has caused quite a buzz with its music video featuring actor, Jena Malone (Donnie Darko, The Soloist) rockin’ a surprising new hairdo… and profession (and I use the term “profession” very loosely).

There is also a lot of excitement for the reinvented Dirty Vegas album. Many DJs like Felix Da Housecat, DJ Ortzy, Julien Nolan & Red-Eye, Mike Monday, In Flagranti and Body Language have hopped on the remix bandwagon thus far.

All of the vocals on the album are done by Steve Smith, which gives Dirty Vegas the right to be called a band than a group of DJs/producers. Although, I am not a huge fan of the vocalist’s sound, the music behind him is worth the listen.

The mellow trance theme throughout “Today,” is reminiscent of Kaskade, but the explosion of hard-hitting bass and vocals mid-song, has Dirty Vegas in a league all their own.

“Round and Round,” is their only 100 percent instrumental track. Its head bobbing outro is four minutes of pure trance relaxation.

Their most video-game worthy tune (or possibly the song played as the credits roll for an action movie) would have to go to “21st Century.”

Besides from a few trance-pop laid back tracks, more than half of the record has a rock heart beat with synth rhythms and emotionally charged lyrics.

Their 10-track album is packed with new themes and sources of inspiration and it’s just what the electronic genre needs. The lyrical substance portrays the great care in which they created “Electric Love.” It is probably their deepest album as far as lyrical content.

It’s evident that the six-year hiatus was just what they needed to gain the ideas and motivation to nail this project.  Keep your ears perked for this album- and their remixes!

The Los Angeles based indie rockers, Golden State is set to self-release their debut full-length album titled Division on July 19th. Golden State will also have a concert at the Viper room on May 19th and on May 24th at Silverlake Lounge with more shows TBA according to a press release.

Golden State was formed from the ashes of GRUNDLER’s prior band, American Recordings’ Paloalto. After two Rick Rubin-produced albums, the industry began to change and false promises, lies and excuses quickly became the norm.  Scarred and defeated, it would take another four years for the quartet to come together with all the right players. Now all with the same direction, the music comes from a place of inspiration, a subconscious voice, a startling take on alternative rock, dazzled by horrors of the world but secure in human foundation.

“It’s that journey you have to take to redefine yourself,” explains GRUNDLER. “You go back to your roots and find that place you were before you started making music that was so exciting and organic. I lost my way and started believing what everyone else was telling me rather than just trusting what I do. I feel so much more confident in the music that I’m writing and the place we are because we’re making our own timeline and making the process happen. This time it is all sparked by the inspiration.”

One single off the album, All Roads Lead Home, has been featured as the title track for Luke Wilson's 2008 film, Henry Poole Is Here, on the trailer for "All Roads Lead Home", a movie with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd and has been aired on an episode of the Discovery Channel's show, Deadliest Catch"

We are happy to say that another single off the new album, World on Fire, is being offered as a free download direct from us. To download the track just click the box below to either stream, or right click and save target as.

SoCal pop/punk rockers Unwritten Law are back with a brand new album, their first in six years...entitled SWAN.  Released on the Burbank independent label Suburban Noise Records, SWAN features eleven new tracks performed by guitarist Steve Morris, drummer Dylan Howard, bassist Pat Kim, and singer/guitarist Scott Russo.  The songs touch on themes of love, drugs, power, and the price of excessive hedonism. 

On the cover is a white background featuring the band’s name, with a dead fly laying on its back, flush right, just above the album’s title.  This unusual design was made by a fan named Raymond Brown...who won a “”Album Cover Design Contest” on Unwritten Law’s website last year.  Not sure what this particular artwork symbolizes, or if it symbolizes anything at all for that matter.  Yet in a way, it somehow works on its own terms...

The collection opens up strong with the first single from SWAN: the catchy and bouncy “Starships &  Apocalypse.”  The song tells the story of a woman who likes to party like its her last day on Earth, and relishes the opportunity to escape from what waits for her tomorrow (if there is a tomorrow at all).  With a nod to David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Russo sings before every chorus “Ground control to Major Tom, and here comes the story so sing along yo...”

“Nevermind” is another strong track, with a memorable pop melody and chorus.  The song tells of a man full of desire, yet completely incapable of getting what, or who he wants.  He shouts out explicitly in the chorus “I never get what I want when I want to.  I never do what I need when I need to.  I never say what I mean when I see you.”  Then he follows this with the sad resolve of “I guess you’re never gonna know, so never mind.”  Despite the heartbreaking failure expressed in the lyrics, you can’t help but bounce your head up and down and sing along.

“Dark Dayz” has a punk/rockabilly feel to it.  The song is very uplifting, yet seems to allude to the highs and lows of drug use.  Russo sings “She’ll get you up, get you down, get you all around” and later belts out “I need a little more what you got for me.”  Though the drug in question could be anything from cocaine, to the love of a dark and dangerous  woman.  A similar tale is told in “Last Chance,” a pulsing, and danceable number that sounds like an interesting mixture of The Clash and Duran Duran.  The song tells of a man in love with a woman who “wrecks his world.”  His love for her is matched by her feeling that love “ain’t nothing but a word in a song.”

Switching gears, “Sing” is a gentle acoustic number that grabs you with an infectious chorus of “Take me home.  Take me again and again.”  The message in this song is sweet and simple, with Russo singing about being deeply in love, and not feeling whole unless he is with the one he loves.  Perhaps to counter this, the next track on SWAN is a balls to the wall rocker called “Superbad.”  Featuring wailing Steve Morris guitar, the song sings about a bad boy with a ferocious appetite for power and rebellion.  He wants “the whole world wrapped around his middle finger.”

“Let You Go” is another song about power.  The music has a mid-tempo march, and an army of a chorus reminiscent of something Mutt Lang used to create in the records he made with AC/DC and Def Leppard.  The lyrics tell of a man who wants to remind his lover who is boss, and lays down the law.  He wants her, yet only on his terms...singing “If you promise not to be a little thorn in my side, then every little thing is going top be alright”

The next track is an amped up number called “Chicken (Ready to go).”  It features Del The Funky Homosapien on guest rap vocals that perfectly compliment Scott Russo’s melodic vocal styling.  “On My Own” comes next, a mid-tempo pop/dance song about having to come to terms with a relationship’s end.

SWAN ends with a pair of songs that perfectly capture the conflicting themes of the album.  “Love Love Love” is a romantic love song...positive, gentle and sweet.  Yet the final track, “Swan Song,”  is a rocker that deals with the complexities of one’s mortality.  While the former sings about the the joys and pleasures of love, the later sings about death, and the desire for immortality.

The sound of SWAN is not too far removed from Unwritten Law’s previous release, 2005’s HERE’S TO THE MOURNING.  It’s as if no time has passed between the two albums.  Like its predecessor, there is a big sonic texture to all of the songs.  In other words, all of the music feels large and loud...to the point where you feel as if the only appropriate venues to hear the songs are large festivals, sports arenas, and stadiums.  This is not a bad thing.  Yet if I were to have one criticism for SWAN, is that it is (like many records made in the 21st century) mixed too loud.  Steve Morris, Pat Kim, and Dylan Howard are all fine musicians...yet their playing often gets lost in the mix, and the sound loses its dynamic tension as a result.  That said, it’s great to have Unwritten Law back in the game again.  These new tracks will sound great on the Vans Warped Tour this summer.  Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another six years for their next release...

Dropkick Murphys fans rejoice! The band, probably best known for supplying the Boston Red Sox the song “Tessie” for the 2004 season, released their seventh studio album, Going Out in Style, on Tuesday, March 1st. Dropkick Murphys fans met the release of Going Out in Style with much anticipation as the album is the group’s first new studio record in three years. The bulk of the 13 tracks on Going Out in Style will leave you wanting to call your friends, grab some beers, and celebrate life.  

Going Out in Style is a concept album which follows a fictional character named Cornelius Larkin through his life’s journey. Cornelius Larkin combines characteristics from all seven band members and their families’ histories. Interestingly enough, the Cornelius Larkin character didn’t really draw me in. The album, however, still did. Perhaps I just have an overactive imagination but I found many of the songs able to stand on their own merits. These merits range from partying to political issues.

On first listen many of the songs stimulate the party vibe due to their upbeat tempos and cheerful vocal tones. The title track “Going Out in Style” garners a complete party vibe with the song’s lyrics. The chorus line “I couldn’t really give a shit, I’m going out in style!” acts as the perfect motto for anyone who wants to forget his worries and have some fun.

The Dropkick Murphys dig into the issue of meaningful relationships with tracks like “Sunday Hardcore Matinee” and “1953.” The chorus “Whoa, we have each other. Whoa, things are different today. Whoa, we still got each other and the glory never fades away. The glory never fades away!” from “Sunday Hardcore Matinee” reminds you how irreplaceable quality friends are. “1953” dives into the topic of love. The harmonious 26 second instrumental intro to “1953” acts as a perfect prelude to the song’s romantic theme. The words “When I was lost you carried on, when I was weak you kept us strong” serves as one example of how “1953” describes ideal love.

Two other tracks worth mentioning include “Climbing a Chair to Bed” and “Take ‘Em Down.” The chorus to “Climbing a Chair to Bed,” “Are you too afraid of living to make a man’s mistakes? Too afraid of dying because you fear what lies in wait. Too sad to see the truth never knowing what it takes. Are you too afraid of dying because you fear what lies in wait,” gives insight to how someone who fails a suicide attempt might have felt during the attempt. While the song’s subject matter seems rather depressing, the upbeat tempo and cheerful vocal tone gives the track a happy vibe.

The timing for Going Out in Style’s release couldn’t have been any better in regards to the song “Take ‘Em Down.” Collective bargaining and unions have become hot topics in the news. “Take ‘Em Down” offers support for unions. Lines like “When the boss comes calling don’t believe their lies” and “When the boss comes calling we got to organize” demonstrates distrust for management. The song’s message can be summed up with the lyric “We got to take the bastards down.”

Overall the Dropkick Murphys’ Going Out in Style album has a lot to offer. If you like upbeat tempo music, Going Out in Style will be a must have for you. If you enjoy the authentic Irish sound of the Dropkick Murphys, you will also want get your own copy of Going Out in Style.  

Before the fourth annual Musink Festival in Costa Mesa was under way, I got to catch up with Teppei and Riley from Thrice for an interview.

OCR: So this is your guys first time performing at the Musink Festival, did you guys get a chance to check it out yesterday?
Riley and Teppei: No. Haha
Riley: Were hoping maybe later this afternoon we'll have a chance to check it out or tomrrow because our friends Hot Water Music are playing, so maybe we'll check it out then.

OCR: Are you guys planning in getting any tattoos today?
Teppei: No I'm not
Riley: No, I don't function well after I get tattoed, all I wanna do is eat and sleep, so having to play a show is not something I wanna do after I get a tattoo.

OCR: Are you guys going to enter any of the tattoo contests today?
Riley: If I wanna lose, ya haha.

OCR: What were your guys most meaningful tattoos, and what was your most 'What the fuck was I thinking?' tattoos?
Teppei: This is like, basically my wedding ring. (He said as he showed me a small red heart tatted on his ring finger.) Playing my guitar and whatever I take my ring off like everynight, I didn't want to lose it, so I got it tattooed on me.

OCR: Do you still have your ring?
Teppei: Ya I still have it... Somewhere.
Riley: My most meaningful tattoo, its probably the one on the inside of my arm. The "Radiohead" tattoo with, (the lyrics) "I'm not here, this isn't happening." I got it when I was having a difficult time being on the road and touring. I actually read something not too long ago, that the lyrics for that were inspired by Michael Stipe from "R.E.M" who said to Thom Yorke of "Radiohead" and it was about the pressures of touring.

OCR: Oh wow.
Riley: So now it means even more than it did back then.
My 'What the fuck?' tattoo is uhh... I got a tattoo when I was 19 with my girlfriend.

OCR: Are you still with her?
Riley: No, she is no longer my girlfriend and hasn't  been for like, a decade or more.
Since then I've been trying to cover it up and coving it up poorly, and its just turned into a giant mass of ink and waste of money spent. So, its a lesson to myself and to others not make bad decisions with ink. 

OCR: Ya, I heard that its a curse. If you you get your girlfriend or boyfriends name tattooed, your bound to break up.
Riley: Well I'm so stupid that I did it again.

OCR: Haha, you did? Are you still with her though?
Riley: Yes, and its probably gonna be something made official soon...

OCR: Oh, planning on proposing?

Riley takes a glance at Teppei.

Riley: Probably soon, ya.
Teppei: Oh ya??
Riley: Ya haha.

OCR: Any tattoos you'd like to get removed?
Teppei: No, I don't have that many really. I have this one piece on my arm. (He points to his sleeve on his left arm.)
And I have my wifes name, (he said as he pointed to his collarbone)
but I'm married, so that's very different from a girlfriend.

OCR: Right, right. So what can we expect from your new album as far as your musical style? 
Riley: I think it'll be like the, uh, least drastic shift between records. Like "Vhessiu" was drastically different from "Artist in the Ambulence," "Alchemy Index"obviously, was all over the place and because "Alchemy Index" was all over the place people didn't really know what we were gonna do. And I think "Beggers" was a pretty good indicator of like where our heads were creatively and collaborativley- if that's even a word.

OCR: Haha.
Riley: So the next record will be a more logical move on from "Beggers."
Its hard to describe.

OCR: So, when are expecting its release? Any certain month?
Riley: Hopefully late summer, early fall.
Teppei: It depends on like, when we book studio time and how long it takes to finish.

OCR: Have you guys came up with a title yet?
Riley: No, but I'm sure Dustin is thinking about it.

OCR: Where is Dustin by the way?
Riley: I think he's is at a memorial service.

OCR: Oh, ouch.
Riley: I dont know who for though.
Teppei: Ya, I don't know who for either.

OCR: So you guys are from Irvine, do you plan on staying a couple days, maybe chill with the fam?
Riley: Well,Teppei lives in Washington, he just moved out there, so he's staying for a couple days. I live in Orange, Ed lives in Orange, Dustin still lives in Irvine. So, this is like twenty minutes for home.

OCR: Any more dates for you guys?
Teppei: Were doing "Bamboozle" festival in New Jersey, that's in like late April. Um, and nothing really, were gonna finish writing and recording the record. And obviously once that comes out were gonna do a couple tours and definately play here again.

OCR: Well thank you guys so much for your time, and good luck with the proposal!
Riley: Ahh thank you!

Keep an eye out for that new record Thrice fans, and be weary of girlfriend tattoos, they'll last longer than the brief good-times by which they came.

Get ready to blast that stereo at your next house party because Dirtball (David Alexander) from the Kottonmouth Kings will give you party music galore when his upcoming solo album Nervous System drops Tuesday, March 1st. Dirtball cemented his spot in the underground hip hop scene with his intense and energetic performances. The artist experienced mainstream hip hop exposure when he guest appeared on TechN9ne’s 2008 album Killer, along with notorious hip hop names like Ice Cube and Paul Wall. Killer proved highly successful, reaching the 12th slot on the Billboard 200 charts. Nervous System will offer Dirtball the chance to bust through and establish himself as a force in the mainstream hip hop world.

Dirtball wastes no time setting the album’s theme- partying. “I Came to Party,” “Bang Loud,” and “Let Em Roll” are just a few of the tracks which might become commonplace on party soundtracks. “I Came to Party” has a fun vibe. The way Dirtball delivers the chorus line “I came to party” reminds me of Eminem’s “Just Lose It.” “Bang Loud” will serve as the perfect “up yours” response for your whiny neighbors. Turn up the speakers and let the repetitious “Bang Loud” lyric piss your neighbors off into dimensions they didn’t even realize existed. “Let Em Roll” will keep a party’s positive vibes flowing with the words “Let the good times roll.”

Along with the partying theme come songs about drug use. For instance, “Let’s Do It” and “Mushrooms.” “Overdose” balances out these tracks though with a reminder of how dangerous drugs can be. The warning exists in the lines “I’m zooming and blooming and tracing the sky. Above all the clouds I am flying too high. The impressions are upon me to give one more try. I know if I do I may never survive.” This warning proves vital as deaths related to accidental overdoses have increased, according to a recent study done by Richard Miech, Steve Koester, and Brook Dorsey-Holliman.

Besides the partying theme, Nervous System offers self-empowering messages. You’ll listen to tracks like “Move Back” and “Own It,” finding your self-esteem rise. If you have ever had a hard day and grew tired of your detractors, you will find yourself empathizing with the line “I’ve had a very long day. I demand respect” from “Move Back.” “Own It” increases your confidence with the positive reinforcement “I said it once and I’ll say it again, I’m out here and I’m here to win. I own it. I own it!” Dirtball encourages self empowerment even more with the album’s midpoint “Fuck Off skit.” “Fuck off skit” tells you to tell your critics to, well you can figure it out.

Beyond the album’s lyrics, Nervous System showcases Dirtball’s music composition talents. He uses sounds to help build track progression. For example, Dirtball uses ice cream truck music and telephone sounds to set a haunting tone for the eerie “I Smell Hell.” “Party Parade,” on the other hand, demonstrates Dirtball’s instrumental comprehension. He creates a notable song with “Party Parade” using horn instruments to uniquely combine the jazz and hip hop genres.

Overall, Nervous System puts on display Dirtball’s multi-dimensional musical talents. If you like Kottonmouth Kings and/or Dirtball’s previous solo work, Nervous System will serve as a must have when the album drops Tuesday, March 1st.    

The world renowned Yanni drops his latest album, Truth of Touch, Tuesday, February 8th. I had the good fortune to receive an advance Truth of Touch copy to review. For casual music fans, people use to the standard vocals, guitar riffs, and drum beats commonly found in mainstream music, Truth of Touch leaves you asking “What is music?” Yanni explores music, as if an untouched piece of land, through mainly instrumental compositions using different instruments and varying musical elements.

Out of Truth of Touch’s 15 tracks, only five have any kind of vocals. From these five songs, only three have full blown lyrics throughout their tracks. One of the three, “O Luce Che Brilla Nell’Oscurita,” isn’t even in English. “O Luce Che Brilla Nell’Oscurita,” which I believe to be Italian, features tenor vocals, giving the track an opera-like sound. “Can’t Wait,” the second track with complete vocals, is a seductive love song. The words “Surround me, completely, lost somewhere in your arms” echoes the passion Yanni creates with the song’s instrumentals. “Secret,” the third and final track with full blown vocals, completes Truth of Touch. The vocal tone in “Secret” gives the song a haunting feeling.

Through the overall large absence of vocals on Truth of Touch Yanni gives listeners a greater appreciation for instrumentals. One way Yanni does this involves implementing instruments not found in mainstream music. For instance, violins and trumpets can both be heard on Truth of Touch. You can hear a violin on the album’s fourth track “Voyage” and trumpets on the jazzy “Yanni & Arturo.” Hearing these instruments outside of traditional string quartets and marching bands is a pretty cool experience.

Outside of the piece’s trumpet use, “Yanni & Arturo” proves notable for the song’s musical progression. The track nears six minutes in length and provides an ample example of how the right musical sequence can attract the listener’s attention. The song begins with a short three second piano solo before a trumpet joins in, creating an instrumental duet. Around the 1:30 mark, the song builds by increasing bass. Then at the 2:10 mark, vocal “Oohs” add another dimension to the track. As the piece progresses Yanni keeps your interest with intriguing piano, trumpet, and vocal note combinations. “Yanni & Arturo” ends with a slow 10 second fade out.

Once Yanni captures your attention with his musical compositions, you will find your imagination stimulated. A big reason for this is, for the most part, you have no lyrics to tell you what a song is about. Take the track “Flash of Color” for instance. I envision a thriving jungle filled with birds, monkeys, and elephants when listening to “Flash of Color.” You could however interpret “color” from the track’s title as a reference to the color wheel and imagine different colors working together in harmony to create aesthetically pleasing color schemes. 

While Truth of Touch enables different song interpretations, there’s no debating Yanni’s newest album will appeal to multiple demographics. Yanni fans, especially ones who favor his earlier works, should love Truth of Touch. Anyone looking for relaxing background music when studying or working will enjoy the album too. Finally, pure music enthusiasts will find Yanni’s Truth of Touch enticing for Yanni’s ability to get listeners to appreciate musical elements.

With a new EP that is sure to bring pleasure to the ears, Iration has another great group of songs under their belts. The 5 song EP titled, Fresh Grounds, stays true to their mastered soft- rock reggae style, but also adds a touch of ska rhythm to the first track “Can’t Wait.”

This song is brutally catchy, and on the verge of being stuck in my head, even while I sleep! (Did Justin Bieber’s songwriters get on this EP?)

Probably the most interesting song as far as synth’s go, is “All This Time.”  This track comes on strong with a heavy guitar lick, (with heavy distortion of course) and somehow morphs into an airy synth tune, worthy of a spot on an Owl City album. The transitions are flawless and connect the distorted guitar with the delicate synth in a delightful way. It was a nice surprise, and it doesn’t throw off the song, in fact, it makes the song.

Acoustic guitar picking leads the listener into a story of what everyone dreads, getting dumped. But this song isn’t just about getting dumped, but about getting dumped without any notice. “No Letter,” is the title and is also what the singer is lacking. Deep confusion plays as the theme for the song. It asks the question so many have in the past, “Why does someone leave when you’ve treated them so well?” The search for that answer might be out of our reach, but identifying with this song definitely isn’t.

Now, there are two more songs that are definitely worth listening to, but I’ll leave that up to you. Go and check out the new EP, it’s worth the couple bucks, and more. Here’s why:

This EP has picked apart the best pieces you would find in a full-length album, without condensing any talent. The heartfelt acoustic song, upbeat catchy and inspirational tune, the heavier rock tracks are in a perfect marriage in the Fresh Grounds EP. The boys if Iration did a spectacular job at fitting all those different moods in a simple melody of tracks. If you don’t believe me, listen for yourself, it just might have you singing “Can’t Wait,” before you’re full awake.

Now, what about a full-length album guys? Don’t leave the fans hangin’!

Yours truly,

Melissa