Despite being a Connecticut resident all my life, I had no idea there was so much to do in Hartford. I’ve lived mostly in the southwestern end aside from some brief stints in Hamden, and the Nutmeg State’s capitol city has been off my radar since the Webster Underground shows of yore. (I know the… Continue reading Cat Lady Book Reviews: 100 Things to Do in Hartford Before You Die
Author: Jessie May
EP Review: The Long Dark Road (Self-Titled)
Ontario band The Long Dark Road takes a unique approach to to the adjective “blackened” on their self-titled EP, which is scheduled for release on April 8th. Teaser track “Tragedy of the Commons” starts off sounding like blackened Gaslight Anthem, then veers into heavier, angular riffs about halfway through the song — which then lead… Continue reading EP Review: The Long Dark Road (Self-Titled)
Album Review: Electric Ray and The Shockers’ California Torpedo
Proving the universality of music, Austrian band Electric Ray and The Shockers has released a slice of punky surf rock that sounds like it was hewn from San Diego’s Sunset Cliffs. California Torpedo is funky and irreverent enough to stand out in a familiar genre. Check out their video for “T.R.O.U.B.L.E.”: If the balloon-bathroom-acid-trip doesn’t sell… Continue reading Album Review: Electric Ray and The Shockers’ California Torpedo
EP Review: Downward Spiral
My buddy Marco G has been sending Alternative Control albums to review for a couple years, and Downward Spiral’s self-titled debut EP is my favorite so far. It builds on the musical ideas from his previous group Stikpin and the production is radio-ready. Marco plays guitar in the current incarnation, joined by Stikpin vocalist Chris… Continue reading EP Review: Downward Spiral
Album Review: Phat Astronaut Live
In a world that’s recorded to a click track and run through autotune… Where the sound of instruments is replaced with electronic imitations of the sound of instruments… One local band had the courage…. To release… A LIVE ALBUM… Recorded… At their FIRST SHOW. Okay, end movie trailer voice. Seriously though, who does that? Great… Continue reading Album Review: Phat Astronaut Live
An Interview with Manuel Gagneux, the Artist Behind Zeal & Ardor
From the first notes of eponymous opening track “Devil is Fine” — harmonized call and response vocals punctuated by the clink of chains — you know that Zeal & Ardor is a different kind of metal. The brainchild of Swiss-American musician Manuel Gagneux, this project melds Delta blues and black metal in a way that Robert… Continue reading An Interview with Manuel Gagneux, the Artist Behind Zeal & Ardor
Album Review: Marty McKay’s New York City Dreams
In his upcoming album New York City Dreams, Zurich-based rock artist Marty McKay presents a “Lifetime Original” vision of what could be across the Atlantic. His Big Apple is an expected path of standard song structures, lyrics, and vocal arrangements that will be at home on soft contemporary radio, but probably won’t inspire much passion… Continue reading Album Review: Marty McKay’s New York City Dreams