I thought I listened to doom… And then I heard Soma, an upcoming release from Virginia band Windhand. From the opening notes of the first track, “Orchard,” I was taken in. The downtuned sludge was too much for my car’s one broken speaker, but I had to crank it anyways. The album is united by… Continue reading Windhand: Did Someone Say Doom Metal?
Author: Jessie May
Mindsnap is Back!
Two years ago, Alternative Control described Mindsnap Music’s Metal-Rock Mania as “fun, free, and flowing with cheap beer,” a relaxed bi-weekly event that welcomed bands from many genres. But shortly after we wrote that article, the bar that hosted the event closed down and the all the metal-mania was put on hold… Until now. Christian… Continue reading Mindsnap is Back!
Here It Comes… The Last Week of Summer
Aside from the summers off, er, the joy of molding young minds, the best thing about working in education is the opportunity for a fresh start every year. I feel lucky to have a defined time in my professional life to trash what doesn’t work and build on what does. But summer ain’t over for… Continue reading Here It Comes… The Last Week of Summer
Smokehouse Sausage Goes Italian
The best thing about Alternative Control? One minute we’re writing about local metal and the next minute we’re writing about sausages! Broccoli rabe and sausage is one of my all-time favorite meals — so when my husband and I picked up some rabbit and elk sausages (yes, you read that right) on a visit to… Continue reading Smokehouse Sausage Goes Italian
Working Together: The Drummers Weigh In
A reader posed an interesting question to Alternative Control last week: what should the role of successful, established bands be in guiding younger bands that are coming onto the scene? And honestly, I didn’t know how to answer. First, what makes a band “successful” or “established”? Success for my own bands means that our friends… Continue reading Working Together: The Drummers Weigh In
Public Service Announcement: Good, Cheap Beer on Fridays
Hear ye, hear ye, drinkers rich and poor: on Fridays this summer, Half Full Brewery of Stamford-Shire-Fording-Ham purveys jugs of the finest ale for just a tuppence! Okay, the announcement is belated, and by tuppence, I mean five dollars. Johnny Pluckman and I have known about this for weeks, but we wanted to keep… Continue reading Public Service Announcement: Good, Cheap Beer on Fridays
Guilty Pleasures: No One Puts Baby in a Corner!
I’m unapologetic about my musical tastes, so most of my guilty pleasures are fashion-related. And TACKY. My first guilty pleasure is shopping at thrift stores and consignment shops. Yes, there’s the money-saving aspect, but I’m really in it for the hunt. When I went to the Darien Community Association Thrift Store the other day… Continue reading Guilty Pleasures: No One Puts Baby in a Corner!