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Light Up the Town from Austria release lyric video for Dance

Posted: November 11, 2014 in Band, Concerts, Interview, music, Pop, Pop Punk, rock
Tags: Austria, Band, Interview, Lyric Video, music, Pop, Pop Punk, Pop Rock, Rock

We recently told you about an awesome band from Austria, Light Up The Town which really have caught our attention.

Who is Light Up The Town? Check out their members and brief self description of each:

Jakob Schied (Jake) Guitar/backing Vocals – The ,,son of the darkness”. His word is law!
Thomas Kern (Kerni)- Bass The band always keeps making bass jokes at his charge- but we all know that he’s the best man for this job! (He’s the guy, whos hairstyle always fit!)
Thomas Meier (Meier)- Guitar The sunny boy of the band- and the youngest member. Always prepared for a good joke as well ^^
Leo (Letschi) Seewald- Drums The god on the Drumset! good mood of the band and our personal producer aswell 😉
Esther Hütter (Estherhasi)-Vocals Jokes about small people, dwarves or gnomes? she probably already heard all of them 😉
the only hen at a men party ^^

Light Up The Town have released another lyric video, this time it is for their first song, Dance which was released in 2013. Check it out here:

I really love the music of this band and I am hoping we get them out here next year for Warped Tour. They would just really grab everyone’s attention. In case you missed our recent interview with them, we are pleased to repost it here:

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Music Junkie Press: Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press! Tell us about Light Up The Town was formed?

Light Up The Town: First Esther and Jake met at a party and spoke about making music together. So they met and decided to found a band. After a short time they met Thomas Kern and at the same evening, we could gain Thomas Meier over to join us. Last but not least our drummer Leo entered the band and we were complete!

Music Junkie Press: You are a very young band but yet so talented at your ages. At what age did you all start performing and do you remember what was the first song you ever learned in its entirety?

Thomas Kern: My first, ”performance’’ in front of an audience was, when I was 5 years old and I had a music lesson in front of other pupils with my violin (laughs). The first song that I knew by heard…puh…I’m sorry I really can’t remember!

Esther: My first performance was when I was 5 and I played the flute. I’ve been so nervous! Well the question about the song is a bit embarrassing…it was ,,I can’t help myself’’ from the Kelly Family.

Jake: I am actually not sure about my first performance. I guess I was 9 or 10 years old and it was in front of my elementary class with my keyboard, which I started to play back then.

Thomas Meier: The first performance I had was when I was about 15 with my ex band.

Leo: Guess that must have been the music lesson from studio percussion in “Moxx’’ Graz. I’ve been 9 years old!

Music Junkie Press: Wow you all started so young, no wonder you all are already so talented! We love the lyric video for your song, Tonight, can you tell us more about the inspiration behind that song?

Jake: Everybody knows this kind of situation when you feel more for somebody than friendship. This song is all about telling a person what you are actually feeling for her/him because sometimes friendship isn’t enough. It’s a song about the edge between friendship to relationship.

Music Junkie Press: A lot of our audience did not know that you are form Austria, can you tell us how the music scene is out there today and do have any favorite venues nearby?

Thomas Kern: Hard. Being a musician in Austria is a hard way to earn ones living!

One of our favorite venues is the big stage of ppc Graz (where we supported Bam Margera). The civic center would also be a great place , but that is yet a long way for us to have a gig there.

Music Junkie Press: What are three things that you wish everyone knew about your hometown or county?

Esther: Well first, Austria is not Australia and we do not have any kangaroos 😉

We do not wear our garb, such as Lederhosen or Dirdl every daytime and we do not yodel all the day (laughs)

But Austria is a very beautiful country with lots of mountains and snow, rivers and stuff like that. And come to Graz! Even though it’s a tiny city if you compare it to cities from the UK, there is always a spot to party at (:

Music Junkie Press: You are so funny because I bet many people have got Australia and Austria mixed up!!! Who are some of the most influential artists for you all?

Light Up The Town: Paramore, All time low, The All American- Rejects…that’s where we got our sound from!

Music Junkie Press: If Light Up The Town were to become a comic book, what would each of your superhero names and super powers be?

Jake: My name would be “beercules” and my superpower would be the ability to create ice-cold beer out of nothing. So the enemies would get drunk and we could eliminate them.

Leo: Maybe I could let my heart beat as fast as I want because I could program my heart in bpm!^^ My name would be MR. METRONOMO! That would make me very fast.

Esther: My name would be THE DWARFINATOR! I could grow as tall as a tree and shrink as tiny as a flea! And shoot with lasers coming out of a strawberry look-a-like gun!

Thomas Meier: My name would be Superbunny! I would have the power to distribute eggs of love, so the bad boys would come to the good side!

Thomas Kern: I could catch villains with my stretchy hair flip! It would wrap itself around the bad guys and capture them in an undestroyable prison of hair! My superhero name is then THE HAIRHUNTER!!

Music Junkie Press: Now that is one comic book that I want to see happen! We understand that Light Up The Town recently opened for Bam Margera, how was that for you all?

Jake: The experience, playing as support for a world-famous musician and entertainer, was really, really great and a big chance for us. We had a lot of fun and we made a lot of new experiences.

Music Junkie Press: What are you currently working on?

Esther: We are working on an album which we try to release in the springtime next year! Soon there will be a new song coming out called ,,it’s enough’’. It’s about breaking out from the everyday routine and to be in control of ones own destiny. There will be a lyric video of the song as well.

Music Junkie Press: Esther, you have amazing vocals that capture the listener. Were you professionally trained or how did you get into singing?

Esther: I’ve never had a professional trainer or vocal coaches. I started singing when I was a little child, my mother used to sing kids songs with me (and sometimes I tried to sing with the music on the radio) 😉 Sometimes people came over to me and told me that they liked my voice and that they would like to listen to me playing the guitar or piano and singing some songs. So I kept on singing and that’s what came out years later!

Music Junkie Press: If Light Up The Town could put together their dream lineup, what three other bands would you love to tour with?

Light Up The Town: Asking Alexandria, All time low, Escape the fate, Falling in reverse,…There are so many, we guess that 3 wouldn’t be enough! (:

Music Junkie Press: That woud be an awesome lineup! Are there any plans on coming to the US?

Light Up The Town: We would love to come to the US! But it’s too expensive for now. But maybe we can get that famous to one time have a gig in the USA.

Music Junkie Press: We hope you guys make it out here, I think you would blow everyone away at Warped Tour! If we could peak into your Ipod, what artist or song might we be most surprised at finding in there?

Esther: I have a lot of Lindsey Styrling on there! My favorite is her version of the phantom of the opera.

Thomas Kern: Left boy! I’ve already seen him on a festival in Austria.

Leo: the entire discography of lamb of god or maybe dope d.o.d!

Thomas Meier: Well I’ve got the soundtrack of sailor moon and Pokémon on there!

Jake: I must confess that a lot of my friends do not touch my Ipod because of their words: “girly music” 😉 Most surprising is I guess Avril Lavigne, Miranda Cosgrove and something like that.

Music Junkie Press: Those are some diverse styles of music there, I love that! Here at Music Junkie Press, we are strong believers how music can help, heal, inspire. Can you share a particular time in your life where music was most there for you?

Esther: I had a hard time when I was between 15 and 16. My parents split up and one of my friends died because of a car accident. In this time I wrote lots of songs and listened to loads of music.

Music Junkie Press: Music truly does help and thank you for sharing that story with us Esther. Lastly, is there anything else that Light Up The Town would like to share with our audience and your fans?

Light Up The Town: First: THANKS to all of you who have supported us yet that much! Don’t forget to come to our concerts and buy our band merch in the future 😉 Every concert, there are more and more people listening to us and that’s a great feeling! And also thanks to Music Junkie Press for making this interview!

* * * * *

We are really looking forward to their new music and hope you all visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.This is definitely a band to watch out for!

~ Marisol

Information & Links:

Website: http://www.lightupthetown.at/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightupthetownmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Light_uptheTown
Instagram: http://instagram.com/light_up_the_town

Me Vs. Hero release video for their hopeful, reflective track, Hang in

Posted: October 17, 2014 in Band, music, New Music, New Release, Pop Punk, Video
Tags: Band, Me Vs. Hero, music, Pop, Pop Punk, Punk, Song, Video

Pop punks Me Vs. Hero have released a music video for their song, Hang In which is off of their new album, I’m Completely Fine which was release in September and you can pick it up on iTunes here. “This songs means a lot to us” explains Thompson of the new track “It’s literally about hanging in there when times get bad. At one point when we wrote this record there was a three month period where I was homeless. I had three big bags for all my stuff and had no idea where I was sleeping most nights. The song is an accurate depiction of his life at that point. It’s something that, if you go through, you will make sure never happens again.” Check out the video here:

The song is the perfect track to get you through those challenges and struggles which we face and think that we can never overcome. Sometimes looking back at all the things you have been through, gives you right amount of strength to get over the next hurdle. Me Vs. Hero bring such a solid connection to their listeners through their emotionally driven music that is also fun spirited and vibrant.

Me Vs Hero are:

Samuel James Thompson – Vocals
Michael Booth – Bass
Bobby Pook – Guitar
Grant Berry – Guitar
Simon Smith – Drums

Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.

~ Marisol

Information & Links:

I Can Make a Mess (Ace Enders) new LP Growing In captures the truth in music

Posted: October 11, 2014 in Alternative, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, music, New Music, New Release, Pop, Pop Punk, Punk, Singer, Songwriter
Tags: Ace Enders, Alternative, I Can Make a Mess, new music, Pop, Punk, singer, songwriter

I Can Make A Mess (Ace Enders) has released a surprise digital LP, Growing In through his Bandcamp page. This LP captures the raw emotion and highlights such an honesty in the music. The natural feel of the music is so refreshing and will take you on a musical journey. Ace explains, “I was feeling a little bit stuck creatively before doing the Aaron West & The Roaring Twenties record last year. During the process it sparked something in me and while I was finalizing mixes on the last day, I had about for minuets while a track would bounce out. I was feeling very inspired so I decided to try and write a song during each bounce and at the end of the day I had the beginnings of a record. I used the voice memos from my phone as my only outline. No metronome or edits. I just made songs, didn’t apply any rules and had fun with it.”

Well whatever he did, was perfect and the raw process really carries a weight of emotion. It is when music flows freely as on this LP, that you find yourself drawn to its purity and rawness. No need to sugar coat or edit. It is as if you are sitting there in the room with Ace as he records freely. Check out the track listing:

1. caterpillar
2. get normal
3. keep moving
4. undecided
5. back whoas of lavish glass
6. i’m the man (sarcasm)
7. call me everything
8. chartreuse
9. deciduous
10. i love my wife
11. growing into what you’ll grow out of

This definitely carries a lot of weight and shouldn’t be just considered a side project for Ace. It is a stellar LP deserving of your attention. Some of my favorite tracks are Keep Moving, Call Me Everything, Deciduous and Chartreuse. He brings a blend of styles to life, everything from pop, punk, alternative and indie rock. So I hope you head over to his Bandcamp page and pick it up.

~ Marisol

Information & Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icanmakeamessofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/icanmakeamess
Bandcamp: https://icanmakeamess.bandcamp.com/album/growing-in-2

Hunter Valentine release video for Nowhere to Run to help STOMP Out Bullying!

Posted: October 3, 2014 in Band, Concerts, Interview, music, New Music, Pop Punk, Punk, Punk Rock, rock, Tour
Tags: Anti-Bullying, Band, Bullying Prevention, Hunter Valentine, Interview, Kiyomi, Laura Petracca, Linda Perry, Linda Perry Project, music, New Single, Tour, Vh1

October is Anti Bullying month where we try to bring attention and STOMP Out Bullying. Sadly, it was only two years ago this month where we brought you the tragic story of Amanda Todd’s suicide due to bullying. Many artists and musicians are doing what they can to raise awareness to bullying and help to eradicate it!

One of my favorite new bands, Hunter Valentine have released a music video for their song, Nowhere to Run as they teamed together with STOMP Out Bullying in an effort to raise awareness this October. The video is stellar and the song is truly touching and provides hope to those who struggle or are facing any challenges. It is an amazing track and is soon to be one of my favorite songs on my playlist. Check out the video here:

I hope you do your part this month in an effort to put an end to bullying. Reach out to someone who you think might need to talk or are battling with bullying. If you witness or see someone being bullied speak up, you just might be the voice to put an end to their suffering. On October 6th you can put on a BLUE shirt for BLUE SHIRT DAY World Day Of Bullying Prevention. We can show our support and as STOMP Out says, “help to put an end to bullying, cyberbullying, other digital abuse, hatred, racism and homophobia and STOMP Out Bullying everywhere! In schools, communities, at work, & on social media pages“. People may ask, “What does wearing a blue shirt do?” What it does is show your solidarity to this cause, people may ask about why so many are wearing blue which opens discussion about the cause. It is a way to educate people about how devastating bullying can be and how we can work together in saving lives.

We recently did an interview with Hunter Valentine drummer, Laura Petracca and are pleased to repost here:

* * * * * *

Music Junkie Press: Thank you very much for taking the time out to talk with us here at Music Junkie Press! First, we have to say, LOVING THE NEW SINGLE, “Burn With It.” The passion and honesty in that song shines through, was it an emotional process when you were writing it, especially being under the microscope of a TV show LP Project?

Laura: Kiyomi and Linda wrote this song and it sounded like an intense process. I saw Kiyomi writing and rewriting the lyrics, ripping pages out of her book. I came in to add drums and backing vocals. At that point the structure had been set, just needed arranging and swagger. That’s what drummers are the best at.

Music Junkie Press: When I saw Hunter Valentine on the first episode, I was blown away by your sound and quite upset that I didn’t know about you sooner! What I really loved by the end of the show, is the dedication and passion that you two, Kiyoimi and Laura have for your music and you truly are making the exact music you want to. You stand your ground for what you believe in. What advice could you give to other young artists who are struggling with that battle?

Laura: The most important part of being an artist is to stay true to who you are and what you believe. Your gut will always know what is right.

Music Junkie Press: You recently played at Shedonism in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago, how was that for you all?

Laura: I love Shedonism! We played the pool party a couple years ago and had a blast. This year we were booked to play the closing party in a really cool downtown Las Vegas bar. The fans that came out were singing all the words to the songs. That’s one of the most amazing experiences, that’s how you know you’ve made it.

Music Junkie Press: Hunter Valentine are about to embark in the Ladykillers Tour which kick off at the end of September. Are you looking forward to getting back out on the road?

Laura: I can’t wait to get back out on the road and especially with our friends Sick Of Sarah. We are doing the second round of the Lady Killer Tour. The first time we went out was a major success. Also one of the funnest tours hahaha! Everyone, be prepared for the time of your life.

Music Junkie Press: What is something that you like to do when you first arrive in to a new town on tour?

Laura: The band loves to eat. So naturally the first thing we like to do is eat what is popular in that city, even if it’s fried pickles dipped in vinegar or pig ears baked with cheese.

Music Junkie Press: With your dedicated fanbase, who love to show their appreciation for your gift of music, what is something that they can bring to you when you are out on the road?

Laura: What I want the most from the fans is a rowdy crowd dancing and enjoying the music. If you’re meaning materialistic, then whatever they want. We have received some amazing artwork and also some great care packages with food and drinks. We love our fans/friends and who they are so I’ll leave it to their imagination.

Music Junkie Press: Will you be adding more dates to the tour, (hint, California!!) or is there another leg of the tour planned?

Laura: We are possibly adding a few more east coast dates but unfortunately for the rest of this year, we won’t be coming back west. Our plan is to get in the studio ASAP so that we can give you new music to rock out to. We will be out on a second leg out west, early next year.

Music Junkie Press: You really bring a great vibrant energy when you perform on stage, do you have any preshow rituals to harness that energy?

Laura: Well I like to jump around to loosen up my body and limbs. Also I like to warm up on a drum pad. And then the full band does vocal warm ups, a lot of alleluia and bumble bees. And sometimes the odd whiskey will appear pre show.

Music Junkie Press: Here at Music Junkie Press, we are strong believers of how music helps, heals, inspires, and so much more. Is there a song or an artist that you can remember that helped you through a particular time and can you share a bit about that?

Laura: When I was a kid, I used to listen to all different types of music. One of my inspirations when growing up was Queen. I was a clever little girl and set up a sound system in my room, at the age of 8, and would crank Killer Queen or Stone Cold Crazy. Queen used to make me feel like I could do anything. This is one moment where I knew I wanted to be a star and no one was going to stop me.

Music Junkie Press: I know that many of your new fans are familiar with you Kiyomi and Laura, can you introduce us to the rest of the band that will be out on tour with you?

Laura: We are lucky to have two amazing musicians blessing the stage with us. Leanne Bowes (bass, backing vocals) has been playing with us the last year and a half. Leanne is a sweetheart and also a bad ass bass player. Lisa Bianco (lead guitar and keys) is the newest member. She’s a fire cracker and I can’t wait for fans to meet her. I have a fellow Italian on the road now, that only means trouble… In a good way of course!

Music Junkie Press: If I could peak into your Ipod, what artist or song might I be most surprised at finding in there?

Laura: Miley Cyrus.

Music Junkie Press: With Halloween coming up, what is your favorite childhood costume you wore?

Laura: Ernie from Sesame Street. Wore it two years in a row.

Music Junkie Press: Lastly, what would you like to share with our audience and your fans?

Laura: We have a new online store, with a lot of new items added for the fall/winter that can be purchased world wide in our website www.huntervalentine.com Also our single Burn With It is available on iTunes. And of course! Come check out our dates on the Lady Killer Tour with Sick Of Sarah!

Music Junkie Press: We really appreciate your time and look forward to catching you out on the road. We encourage everyone to pick up Burn With It and visit your social media sites! Thank you.

* * * * * *

Make sure to catch them out on tour, Check out the tour dates below and see if they will be coming to a venue near you:

Oct. 3 – Tampa, FL – G Bar
Oct. 4 – Orlando, FL – Southern Nights
Oct. 7 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Oct. 8 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Oct. 9 – Austin, TX – Spider House Ballroom
Oct. 10 – San Antonio, TX – Jacks Bar
Oct. 12 – Kansas City, MO – The Scene Rock Bar
Oct. 13 – St. Louis, MO – The Firebird
Oct. 15 – Chicago, IL – Township
Oct. 16 – Pontiac, MI – Pike Room
Oct. 19 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

Be sure to visit iTunes and pick up their new single, Burn With It. The single is available on the EP The Linda Perry Project Season 1. You can check out review of the full EP here: The Linda Perry Project EP.

Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.

~ Marisol

Information & Links:

Website: http://www.huntervalentine.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntervalentine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HunterValentine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kiyomance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraPetracca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leannekbowes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaBianco

New Found Glory premiere new song Stubborn featuring Anthony Raneri of Bayside

Posted: September 29, 2014 in Band, Concerts, music, Pop Punk, Tour
Tags: Band, Concert, New Found Glory, Tour, Video

New Found Glory have premiered a new song, Stubborn which is off the upcoming album, Resurrection. The song features Anthony Raneri of Bayside. Bassist Ian Grushka commented about the song, “In life, some of the hardest things to do are to admit when you are wrong, accept responsibility for your own actions, and to grow up and mature. This is what this song is about.” He continued, “it’s my favorite song on the new album, and the one that means the most to me personally.” Check out the new song here:

Also, they recently released their music video for their new song, Ready and Willing which is also off the new album which will be released on October 7th through Hopeless Records. Check out the video here:

Preorder Packages + VIP Ticket Bundles available here: http://hopelessrecords.com/resurrection and you can Preorder ‘Resurrection’ from iTunes and receive an instant grat download of this song http://smarturl.it/NFGresurrection. They will also be doing special in store signings and acoustic performances at the following locations:

Oct. 3rd @ 5:30 PM M-Theory Music – 2720 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014
Oct. 4th @ 6:30 PM Fingerprints Music – 420 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA
Oct. 5th @ 5:00 PM Zia Records – 3201 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ
Oct. 10th @ 6:30 PM Park Ave CD’s – 2916 Corrine Dr, Orlando, FL
Oct. 11th @ 5:30 PM F.Y.E. Sawgrass Mill Mall – 12801 W Sunrise Blvd Ste 743, Sunrise, FL
Oct. 12th @ 5:00 PM Criminal Records Atlanta – 1154 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA
Oct. 14th @ 5:00 PM The Sound Garden – 1616 Thames St, Baltimore, MD
Oct. 15th @ 5:00 PM FYE – 100 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 18th @ 5:30 PM Vintage Vinyl Records – 51 Lafayette Rd, Fords, NJ
Oct. 19th @ 1:00 PM Looney Tunes Cds – 31 Brookvale Ave, West Babylon, NY 11704

New Found Glory will be headlining the 5th Annual Glamour Kills Tour. The tour is set to kick off on October 3rd in San Diego and run until November 8th in Santa Cruz. The lineup includes We Are The In Crowd and Fireworks, along with rotating openers Candy Hearts, Red City Radio, and Better Off. Tickets can be purchased at http://theglamourkillstour.com. You can also get your presale tickets here: http://ticketspin.com/new-found-glory.

Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news.

~ Marisol

Information & Links:

Tour Dates:

Oct 3 House of Blues San Diego, CA

Oct 4 House of Blues Los Angeles, CA

Oct 5 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ

Oct 7 Emo’s Austin, TX

Oct 9 Orpheum Tampa, FL

Oct 10 House of Blues Orlando, FL

Oct 11 Revolution Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Oct 12 Masquerade Atlanta, GA

Oct 14 Rams Head Live Baltimore, MD

Oct 15 Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia, PA

Oct 16 House of Blues Boston, MA

Oct 17 Toad’s Place New Haven, CT

Oct 18 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ

Oct 19 Best Buy Theater New York, NY

Oct 21 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY

Oct 22 Altar Bar Pittsburgh, PA

Oct 23 House of Blues Cleveland, OH

Oct 24 Majestic Theatre Detroit, MI

Oct 26 The Ready Room St Louis, MO

Oct 28 Bourbon Theater Lincoln, NE

Oct 29 Summit Music Hall Denver, CO

Oct 30 Sunshine Theater Albuquerque, NM

Oct 31 Hard Rock Live Las Vegas, NV

Nov 1 House of Blues Anaheim, CA

Nov 2 Ace of Spades Sacramento, CA

Nov 4 Showbox Seattle, WA

Nov 5 Hawthrone Theater Portland, OR

Nov 7 Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA

Nov 8 The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA

Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour UK

*w/ The Story So Far, State Champs, Candy Hearts & Only Rivals

Nov 12	Academy	Dublin
Nov 13	Limelight	Belfast
*Nov 15	Institute	Birmingham
*Nov 16	O2 Academy	Newcastle
*Nov 17	ABC	Glasgow
*Nov 18	Rock City	Nottingham
*Nov 20	O2 Academy	Liverpool
*Nov 21	Academy 1	Manchester
*Nov 22	O2 Academy	Leeds
*Nov 23	Solus	Cardiff
*Nov 25	O2 Academy 1	Bristol
*Nov 26	Pyramid	Portsmouth
*Nov 28	Forum	London
*Nov 29	Forum	London
Nov 30	Divan du Monde	Paris
Dec 1	Trix Hall	Belgium
Dec 2	Tivoli	Utrecht, Holland
Dec 3	Knust	Hamburg, Germany
Dec 4	Luxor	Cologne, Germany
Dec 6	Magazzini Generali	Milan
Dec 8	Razz2	Barcelona, Spain
Dec 10	Penelope	Madrid, Spain

The Funeral Portrait new EP tops my list for Best EPs of 2014

Posted: September 23, 2014 in Alternative Rock, Band, Entertainment, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, music, New Music, New Release, Pop Punk, Review, rock
Tags: Band, Metal, music, new EP, Pop, Pop Punk, Rock, The Funeral Portrait

Today The Funeral Portrait have released their EP For The Dearly Departed through Revival Records and it is quite a a musical gem. It has a very fresh new sound that blends elements of metal, rock and roll, power pop, and theatrical rock. It makes me think of what Queen would be like if they were a band debuting in today’s blended genre music scene. The intensity of each song captures such emotion and then takes you an melodic theatrical ride amid fierce guitars, powerful vocals, striking drums, dramatic synth and so much more. The band describes the EP as,

“For the Dearly Departed is a short concept album revolving around a single character who endures the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance, The first song is the event that triggers the process, and the following songs represent each of the five stages. I’m not going to tell anyone how to listen to our music, but it helps to keep this concept in mind to understand the product as a whole. As far as new sounds or ideas to listen for, we enjoyed writing more ‘call and response’ vocal parts to utilize the dual vocalist dynamic. We also worked very hard to organize the momentum of each song and the EP as a whole so that the songs accurately represented the emotions that coincide with the five stages of grief.”

What an incredible concept and they truly did an amazing job on this explosive EP. It leaves me satisfied yet wanting so much more new music and hopefully their own tour very soon. For The Dearly Departed tops my list for Best EPs of 2014! Make sure to pick up the EP on iTunes here. These guys have a bright future ahead and they are currently finishing up the “Chaos Is A Ladder Tour” with Alesana, Megosh, and The Things They Carried. Check the dates below and make sure you get yourself to a show.

9/23 Greensboro, NC-Green Street Club
9/24 Raleigh, NC-Southland
9/25 Springfield, VA-Empire
9/26 Providence, RI-Simons 677
9/27 New York, NY-Webster Hall

Make sure to visit their social media sites and stay up to date on their latest news. You are going to be hearing a lot from these guys and hopefully we can bring you an interview with them soon.

~ Marisol

Information & Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFuneralPortrait
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TFP_tweets
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/for-the-dearly-departed-ep/id917466996

Interview with Laura Petracca of Hunter Valentine and catch her out on the Ladykillers Tour!

Posted: September 17, 2014 in Band, Concerts, Interview, music, New Music, Pop Punk, Punk, Punk Rock, rock, Tour
Tags: Band, Hunter Valentine, Interview, Kiyomi, Laura Petracca, Linda Perry, Linda Perry Project, music, New Single, Tour, Vh1

Like many others, I was first introduced to the music of Hunter Valentine through Linda Perry Project, Make Or Break on Vh1. From the first episode, I was enamored with their style and music. It was wonderful to watch them grown throughout the show and to hear their new song, Burn With It. Don’t mistake them for a new band,they have been pounding the pavement for 10 years and have a very dedicated fanbase. Once you take a listen, you will immediately fall in love with their music. I wish I had only heard of them sooner. This is one hard working band and when you see them perform, they bring out such a raw electric energy that will heighten all your senses

Hunter Valentine are setting out on their LadyKiller Tour and we had the chance to do a Q &A with drummer Laura Petracca. We are pleased to bring it to you here: