NYS Music 20​15

Category: Genres

  • Hearing Aide: Trey Anastasio’s ‘Paper Wheels’

    Paper Wheels is Trey Anastasio’s tenth solo album. The Phish frontman’s side project is an outlet for looser, more introspective material. The Trey Anastasio Band, TAB for short, is made up of seven members: drummer Russ Lawton, bassist Tony Markellis, keyboardist Ray Paczkowski, and a three-piece horn section with Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet, Natalie Cressman on trombone and James Casey on saxophone.

    Paper WheelsMost of the material on this album contemplates the passage of time and one’s place in life. The album’s second track, “The Song,” distills this down succintly, with a refrain of “All that’s left is the song.”

    Mixed in with the bright and melancholy pop, “Never” leaves space at the end of the track for a darker psychedelic jam. The slightly silly and lighthearted “In Rounds” stands out from the rest of the album with it’s funky bassline and shuffling drums providing a strong foundation for nice organ and horn work. “Bounce” builds to an uptempo second movement and literally commands the listener to jump around and dance.

    Paper Wheels is an intimate album that showcases Anastasio’s knack for composition, blending elements of pop, jazz, funk and classic rock with almost orchestral arrangements.

    Key Tracks: The Song, In Rounds, Bounce

  • Updated: Brick By Brick to Release ‘This World, My Enemy’

    Update (Nov. 14): Brick by Brick has released an official music video for “These Streets,” the first single off This World, My Enemy. The video was filmed at The Fuzebox in Albany, capturing the band in live performance mode.

    Original article follows below:

    Albany hardcore metal band Brick By Brick is set to release a full-length album on Friday the 13th of November. This World, My Enemy features a new vocalist, Ray Mazzola of Full Blown Chaos.

    Two tracks from the album have been premiered. “Burden of Life” was recently premiered by Metal Injection yesterday. Guitarist Michael Valente had this to say about the track:

    Burden Of Life is the anthem for every blue collar, working class individual that is always one step forward and 2 steps back. Getting brow beaten on a daily basis fuels the rage, angst, and despair witching ourselves.

    The first track off the album, “These Streets,” was premiered by Exclaim earlier this month.

    They will be playing two shows in support of This World, My Enemy. You can catch them Friday, Nov. 13 at Trickshot Billiards in Clifton Park or Saturday, Nov. 14 at Turn Hall in Adams, Massachusetts.

    This World, My Enemy track listing:

    1. These Streets
    2. In Memory
    3. Burden of Life
    4. No Regrets
    5. Prove You Wrong
    6. Last Breath
    7. Space Truckin’
    8. HateBreedsRage
    9. Final Cry
    10. Brohym

  • It’s an Upstate Halloween Throwdown at Putnam Den with Formula 5, Lucid and Mister F

    Halloween in Saratoga means the Putnam Den will be rockin’, this year with three of Upstate New York’s biggest names: Mister F, Lucid and Formula 5.

    Upstate HalloweenAll three bands have performed throughout New York and Putnam Den is one spot they call home. Formula 5’s Joe Davis: “I’ve really been looking forward to this show for a while. Putnam Den is one of my favorite venues to play in the Northeast and probably my favorite in the Capital Region. Add in Formula 5, Mister F and Lucid and it should equate to quite the rager. We have a lot of surprises in store and you know Mister F and Lucid will be pulling out all the stops.”

    When it comes to Halloween, fans can expect a special set from each of the three bands, with music getting started around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and going until early Sunday morning. Taking the stage first is Mister F, the prog-rocking quartet who recently debuted FTV Cribs. “I’m so glad we’re all on this bill together. The 518 rolls deep with incredible talent, and this is one hell of a sampler platter of that. I’m excited to see some collaborations between these bands – we’re all good friends, and it’s really gonna show on Halloween,” said Mister F keyboardist Scott Hannay.

    Lucid takes the stage after Mister F, ready for a night of costumed originals and that Northern New York sound Lucid is best known for. Lucid’s Lowell Wurster: “We are very excited to be sharing the stage with our super great friends this Halloween. These are two bands that we’ve known since their creation and couldn’t be more excited to jam with them. It will be a night filled with great music and lots of laughs.”

    Formula 5 closes out the night with a late night set for the Halloween ragers that will bring a cap a truly memorable night. More info, as well as costume contest details, can be found in the event. For fans who can’t make the show and want to tune in, ShowtheShow will be providing a free audio stream for the night.

  • Luke Bryan Will Return to Syracuse on his 2016 Kill the Lights Tour

    Luke Bryan is set to top himself yet again with the announcement of his 2016 Kill The Lights Tour. He will be supporting his number-one album of the same name, Bryan’s fifth studio album, by bringing along special guests Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch.luke bryan kill the lights

    The first leg of the tour will start in mid February and will roll through the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on April 9, 2016. No official date for ticket sales have been set but, according to his website, they will start to go on sale in November.

    This tour announcement comes on the heels of his current single “Strip It Down” taking the number-one spot on the country music charts and on his two ACM Award nominations.

    Bryan’s Kick The Dust Up tour is wrapping up this week, but you can still catch him live on Thanksgiving during halftime at the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium.

  • Giant Panda, The Simpkin Project, Ocular Panther and Haewa Play the Westcott Halloween Weekend

    Friday October 30 will spotlight a collection of reggae and jam-based music, delivered by the musical intertwining of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The Simpkin Project, Ocular Panther and Haewa at the Westcott Theater on Halloween weekend. Giant Panda and The Simpkin Project fall more into the reggae and americana genre, while Ocular Panther and Haewa will be showcasing their more instrumental experimentations.

    Giant Panda, hailing from Rochester, are continuing along their Fall Steady tour spanning October 22-30. Concentrating in the lower New England area, the tour began in Washington, DC and will conclude in Syracuse. James Searl (bass/vocals), Chris O’Brian (drums/vocals), Dylan Savage (guitar/vocals), Dan Keller (guitar/vocals) and Tony Gallicchio (keys) will be pulling from their eclectic mix of reggae and a more recent divergence into the sphere of americana/folk. Their heartening brand of country-bred tunes comprise their newest album Bright Days, released May 2015.

    Indigenous Californians Phil Simpkin (vocals/guitar), Shawn Taylor (B3 organ/vocals), Sergio Sandoval (percussion) and Jules Luna (guitar/vocals) will nicely complement Giant Panda with their own reggae rhythms and folksy harmonizations.Giant Panda’s own O’brian and Searl will be providing their instrumentation to complete the ensemble and support The Simpkin Project, a band which Giant Panda has adored for years. With a noticeable Jack Johnson influence, The Simpkin Project will bring a warmth to the Westcott Theater.

    The New York natives of Ocular Panther perform as an all instrumental trio featuring Jason Gilly (bass), Collin Jones (guitar/synth/samples) and Michael Pantano (guitar). Their free-flowing jams will give listeners a chance to contemplate the universe or any last-minute Halloween costume changes they may need to manufacture. Rochester-based Haewa, also soliciting the guitar work and vocals of Collin Jones, along with Brendon Caroselli (drums/percussion) and Ben Chilbert (bass) will open the show with a splash of psychedelic funkiness. Like an old pillow case bulging with the winnings of a blood thirsty trick-or-treaters plunder, the collection of sounds at the Westcott Thursday will provide something for every taste.

    Westcott Halloween Weekend doors open at 8:00 pm, show starts at 9:00 pm. Get tickets here.

  • Welcome to Buffa-vento

    EStein_MarcoBenevento_IronWorks_102015_5It was a misty cool mid-Autumn Tuesday evening, in a quiet revitalized corner of Buffa-vento at the Iron Works. Sometime after 9 p.m., the three women of And the Kids (Hannah Mohan on guitar/ukelele, Rebecca Lasaponaro on drums and Taliana Katz on bass) came on stage and sparked up a flame. A fire of music to gather around and keep us warm.

    And the Kids are indie rock upstarts out to prove that the East Coast’s answer to Portland, OR is not Portland, ME, but Western Massachusetts. They mismatched glittery face paint with outfits of dark grays. However, the music was full of color. Mohan’s angular guitar leads were backed by driving bass and drums, while her unique and wide-ranging vocal delivery was often outlined with perfectly placed backing harmonies. The songs were short blasts of catchy yet off-kilter pop gems, each one feeling like it could be the song that catches them a big break. Original band member, keyboardist Megan Miller, was deported to Canada earlier this year. Being so close to the border, the band paid tribute to her with their song “No Countries” off of their latest Turn To Each Other. They squeezed 13 songs into their 45 minute set, pulling heavily off their newest release, including the hypnotic round-like vocals of “Neighbors,” and “Cats Were Born,” with its startling screams of “Aiyeeeee!”

    After a short break, with the flames cooling down, Marco Benevento and his bandmates, Dave Dreiwitz on bass and Andy Borger on drums, came out to throw some more wood on the fire. Wearing a top hat and pink sunglasses, Benevento was clearly ready to get the party started with some color of his own.

    Benevento’s unique take on muEStein_MarcoBenevento_IronWorks_102015_3sic has grown to be wholly unique and more than a little difficult to describe. It borrows from rock, jazz, funk, classical, pop, techno etc., without ever residing within any one of those. Most impressively, a Benevento song can be a singalong with lyrics or without.

    His customized upright piano makes ample use of effects pedals to become his own personalized synthesizer keyboard. When he wants that pure sound of hammers hitting strings, it’s right there waiting for him. No synthesized piano sound, no matter how expensive, can ever capture that. He also has the luxury of reaching inside and holding down the strings, creating a cool staccato effect, as he did during a long intro solo for This Is How It Goes.

    After a couple of Beatles teases (“Norwegian Wood”, “Eleanor Rigby”) early on in the set, it was pure Benevento from then on out. Though there were hints of Steve Winwood’s playing here and a flourish reminiscent of Bernie Worrell there. He took many an opportunity to ham it up with the crowd as well, carrying a small keyboard out front and dancing around like a quasi rock star. Later, on “Limbs of a Pine,” it would be more of the same, this time singing at the front of the stage while capturing it all with some selfie GoPro filming. In the middle of the soundtrack-esque “Fireworks,” Benevento broke into a rambunctious barrelhouse blues number that appeared to be completely improvised. The man is playing by his own rules, on his own whims, and his band is right there every step of the way, never missing a beat.

    The most thrilling moments however, came when the Dreiwitz and Borger weren’t following, but right in the thick of it. On “Escape Horse,” Dreiwitz opened with a mean slide bass solo before channeling the late Allen Woody with some monsterous bass blasts, while Borger slammed away on the skins producing one of the more rocking moments of the night.

    Late in the set, they played a couple of new tunes off an album due out next April. “Follow the Arrow” was a funky number, with some elements reminiscent of “Thriller” thrown in. Another new one, “Dropkick,” will be released on a special 45 in November for Record Store Day.

    The show closed with a one-two punch off of Swift. “Witches of Ulster” had Benevento performing a mid-set wardrobe change as he swapped the top hat for a seasonally-appropriate witches wig and hat. Then they finished off with “At the Show,” ensuring that all in attendance would have the impossibly infectious song stuck in their heads for the rest of the week. Benevento had once again made his own unique mark on Buffalo. Welcome to Buffa-vento.EStein_MarcoBenevento_IronWorks_102015_1

  • Misfits and She Demons Manifested Mayhem at Water Street Music Hall

    Misfits fiends and She Demons devotees got plenty of attitude thrown in their faces Tuesday Oct. 20 at Water Street Music Hall. The two bands stopped in Rochester as part of the Misfits ‘Static Age’ Revisted tour during which they played through the entirety of the 1977 album along with some newer material. A gravelly “Rochester, how the hell are ya tonight?” uttered by She Demons’ Priya Panda (bass/lead vocals) set the stage for an evening bleeding with playful hostility.

    Panda leading the all-female group, was joined by Constance Day (guitar), Kiki Wongo (guitar), Alicia Vigil (bass) and Jessica Goodwin. Formed by Misfits frontman Jerry Only, the femme fatales assembled on stage and began their set under the cover of darkness. Stage lights soon illuminated their presence, driving back the shadows that briefly bathed their opening song in mystery.

    If there had been a level of authenticity to their performance, it was lost as soon as the lighting exposed their overdone facial expressions. Panda’s growly tone with the crowd seemed forced to the point that she could actually have made herself hoarse from the strain. Though very obviously contrived, maybe even a little eye-roll worthy, their personas fit the bill for a band concocted by the creative hand of Only, who thrives in that fabricated ghoulish environment.

    Panda’s comfort level on stage was probably the most genuine aspect of the performance, shamelessly rocking the glam punk rock facade. The swivel of her hips on stage flaunted an undeniable sex appeal. Her hollered vocals were at times strong but more often crept into the realm of cheesy musical status. She redeemed the performance ever so slightly during the last song with a quick acrobatic bend backwards, kicking one leg toward the ceiling, before righting herself in a frenzied hair flip.

    As the stage transformed for Misfits to take over, mic stands wrapped in a tangle of plastic skeletal arms and skulls were brought forth. Other skull accouterments accumulated, and before long it looked like a Halloween store had exploded on stage. All that was missing was a healthy tangle of acrylic spider webbing dangling from the light fixtures above.

    Once assembled, Misfits, featuring Only (bass/lead vocals), along with son Jerry Caiafa (guitar) and Eric Arce (drums), bulldozed their way through the seventeen song Static Age album. The quick changeover between the collection of short-lived songs (many only last a minute and a half) transmitted a feverish hysteria through the crowd, driving the front mid section to burst into fits of moshing for nearly every tune. One audience member, adorned in a sky-high, well-manicured deep purple mohawk actively engaged in the raucousness, no doubt leaving some to wonder how the hair would survive the experience.

    While on the subject of fashion, though some moshers may have been jeopardizing their own aesthetic, those sporting studded leather jackets seemed rather threatening to their thrashing comrades. In the flurry of shouldering and body slamming, there must have been a good handful of people walking out of the venue, sweaty foreheads imprinted with a distinctive pattern of metal shoulder embellishments.

    Of course fashion can’t be discussed without mentioning the Misfits’ attire. Father and son both featured the trademark slender spiked proboscises neatly glued to the center of their foreheads. The bulkiness of Only’s structurally intricate black and red vest adorned with a smattering of spikes, straps and a skull on the back collar was mildly reminiscent of a first grader’s over-stuffed backpack on the first day of school.

    Not at all restricted, Only strutted around stage, frequently switching sides with Caiafa and leaving no opportunity for their stage presence to stagnate. Underneath the guise of overly styled hair and ghostly makeup was a trio of musicians seeking to provide an authentic punk rock experience to their rambunctious crew of fans. When a gentleman in the crowd pumped his fist to emphasize his enthusiasm, Only smiled, giving a subtle but gracious nod in gratitude.
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  • String Cheese Incident Brings It To F Shed

    I have always liked cheese, whether it’s a nice Brie, Jarlsberg, smoked Gouda, or even NY Cheddar; after all who doesn’t love cheese.  Only made sense I would like a band named String Cheese Incident.  Thought to myself, “wonder where that ‘incident’ part came from?”.  Guess I would quickly learn, as off I went to my first String Cheese Incident show at Syracuse’s F-Shed, Oct. 21.

    String Cheese - 20151021_195946 copy

    Normally covering rock, country, and bluegrass genres mainly, I was a little apprehensive if I would be able to do a review justice.  After all these guys have been around for 22 years and have a huge following.  Come on, selling out Red Rocks numerous times, who wouldn’t be a little bit nervous?  I’m sure journalists over the years have written extensive bios, talked about recent releases highlighting just the right musical points, and critiqued their shows with expertise.  If that’s they type of review you’re expecting, let me apologize now.  This is a review through the eyes of a newcomer.  These random thoughts and observations often go unnoticed to those that have been desensitized to their surroundings.  So let me share with you, what this country gal noticed throughout the night at her first incident.

    • Merchandise sales begin in the parking lot.  Bowls and pins, something for everyone. How enterprising.
    • String Cheese 20151021_194959 copyMy first friend I met inside was holding a stuffed cat named Kathy B.  Really?  (my maiden name was Kathy B!) #karmic
    • Lots of beards – ahhh.. not so different than country and bluegrass shows.
    • Lots of headbands – I like headbands.  I should buy more headbands.  I could pull off headbands.
    • Hey, I could have worn my glow in the dark devil ears too. #hindsight
    • I really should have worn pajama bottoms and my poncho – little overdressed in my dress slacks and work blazer.
    • Oh wow, a pink cowboy hat – feel at home now for sure.
    • Hey, there’s Jake the Dog from Adventure Time! Seriously, a guy is wearing a Jake the Dog costume – sweet – now I’m really overdressed.  Hope he doesn’t have to pee half way through the show as he’s standing right by me.
    • Okay, any band that starts off with a fiddle solo is okay in my book – Love them already.
    • Holy shit they can pick and fiddle.
    • Okay, they have framed photos of their wife and kids on the amp – really love these guys even more now.
    • Light Show is amazing!!! Good thing lights don’t bother me or cause seizures of any kind. #dontchangeathing
    • Shit…reggae mannn!  I want my flip-flops and a Corona now.
    • Bongos too?  Be still my heart.
    • Fiddle players must all wear Bob Marley shirts!! I’m making it a law.String Cheese - IMG_1277 copy
    • Did I mention he could really pick?
    • Oh hell yeah, 70’s funk is still cool.
    • Drums Baby.
    • Wow, thank you so much for putting both drum kits up on platforms.  Photographers want to photograph you too.
    • Wow everyone behind me is jumping, should I be jumping? I would probably hurt myself if I jumped.  #notcoordinatedenough
    • Every instrument is as strong as the other, nothing overpowers the other.  Sweet.  These musicians rock baby.
    • Okay, these lights that look like snow are as much snow as I want any time soon. #supercoolthough
    • Random cobweb making rounds in the crowd.  Hope I don’t get caught in it.  I am blonde you know.
    • Boy does Kyle look like my first boyfriend! Nah, couldn’t be.
    • I swear I just saw Russell Brand taking photos at this show.  Wait, is Russell Brand now a photographer?
    • Tiny triangles make beautiful music.
    • Wonder what the crowd looks like from up on stage jumping up and down?
    • Sick guitar riff…wow. #mindblown
    • Slide Whistle?….OMG that was awesome. I could take up that instrument.
    • Never heard such smooth seamless transitions between genres in my life.  Beautifully done guys.
    • Even sound board dude is jamming. Love when soundboard guys jam too.
    • Hey that one song has a Richie Vallens vibe.
    • New random friend “J” from north country – I was not taking dinner orders with my notepad but I will definitely have to try fries with mayo now.
    • Oh hell yeah you definitely pulled off those bell bottoms Mike Kang. #crushing
    • And I like that belt too.
    • I now want a Bob Marley playing soccer shirt.
    • Yeah, red and purple lights suck even worse when trying to take cell phone photos.
    • Hard rock riffs too?  Heavenly guys.
    • Yep that synth sound was totally back to the futur-ish. Nice.
    • Uni pod for photos?  Wonder if they are worth it to get those crowd shots?
    • Glow in the dark devil ears man playing a mean air guitar.  Should have dressed up in devil glow-in-the-dark ears too.  Wonder where he got them, as I really don’t have a pair.
    • Hats are in.  Why don’t I wear hats more?
    • Kathy B. the cat is dancing so much.
    • I don’t care how blonde I am, I’m dancing.
    • Love how Kyle mimics each note he plays – makes me smile.
    • Yeah, bongos always make me dance – yeah total turn on.
    • So glad your first concert was Santana in Syracuse because all these years later, we got to see you.
    • I have been Incident-ed.

    So I understand the ‘incident’ now. Incident means; likely to happen because of; resulting from.  It is very likely that I once again will see another String Cheese show, causing many more ‘incidents’ to occur.  Resulting from my first show, I will happily enjoy this band from this point further.  Such a happy incident. Note to self, must find glow-in-dark devil ears and Bob Marley shirt before the next incident.

    Set 1: Valley of the Jig, Eye Know Why, San Jose’*, Doin’ My Time > Chameleon, Love Is Like A Train > On The Road

    Set 2: Colorado Bluebird Sky, Rhythm of the Road > Blackberry Blossom#, Stay Through, Joyful Sound, Colliding, Rollover

    Encore: Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms

    * = last time played 8/2/13 (88 Incidents)
    # = featuring “Back to the Future” Jam
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  • Smashed Face: Cannibal Corpse Collaborates on Craft Beer Release

    If pop-culture critic Chuck Klosterman taught us anything from his memoir Fargo Rock City, it’s that Midwesterners love their metal. And one Munster, Indiana, company has been making new noise for the hard-fast-and-heavy genre by crafting special-release beers in concert with favorite metal groups.

    Smashed FaceThree Floyds Brewing Company, whose coveted Citra-forward American Pale Ale Zombie Dust holds a steady Top 20 Beer Advocate rating, started hosting its annual beer-and-metal festival 12 years ago to showcase rising bands and release its “demonic” Russian imperial stout bearing the same moniker as the once-a-year event, Dark Lord Day. And in 2010, the metal-friendly brewery began collaborating with groups like Pelican (The Creeper Doppelbock), Pig Destroyer (Permanent Funeral Pale Ale) and Municipal Waste (Toxic Revolution Stout) to create limited-batch brews; Three Floyds‘ latest victim is Buffalo-spawned death metal vets Cannibal Corpse.

    On Oct. 14, the brewing company announced through its Facebook page that Amber Smashed Face—a play on the band’s Hammer Smashed Face (1993) album—would soon be released. The brewery describes the beer as “an aggressively hopped American Amber Ale sure to crush your skull and liquefy your brain.” Sounds like every metalhead and beer nerd’s wet-hopped dream.

    Smashed FaceFor a brewery that aims to cook up “intense” beer labeled with Vince Locke’s gore-obsessed artwork and a band whose graphic lyrics of blood and carnage spill across its 27-year catalog, one can only believe it’s the perfect pairing—plus, it’s fun to fantasize about the grotesque tasting notes if life were to truly imitate art. Think: a malty base of crushed bone and blood broth with juicy notes of worm and maggot pulp that finishes with a heavy mouth feel and the nose smells a bit of dead flesh, like a “Rotting Head,” a “brain turned to soup, ears are dripping goop” for fans—err, zombies—to drink up.

    Vince Locke gave fans a sneak peak of the label art on his Instagram account:

    Cannibal Corpse is currently on tour in support of A Skeletal Domain—the bands’ lucky-number-13 studio release—with one nearby stop in Pittsburgh on Nov. 3. The 12-track album, produced by Mark Lewis (The Black Dahlia Murder, DevilDriver) at Audio Hammer Studios in Florida, where Cannibal Corpse is now based, debuted at number 32 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart during its first week, and ASD remains as the band’s highest-charting record to date. We’ll raise our skull chalice to that.

  • Hearing Aide: The Heard’s Self Titled Debut

    11224602_952818128090633_3993829749958183188_oThere aren’t many bands that can immediately hop into the festival circuit and put together a decent following without an album, but somehow The Heard has accomplished just that. The funky Chicago-based seven-piece formed about five years ago when guitarist Taras Horalewskyj moved back home after finishing up his schooling at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Fast forward to today and the band has finally released their debut, self-titled album and it is even better than one would expect who’s either seen them live or stumbled upon some of the amazing clips on YouTube.

    The talented cast hit the studio with Orgone’s Sergio Rios producing. They wound up with an 11-song debut that is stellar from start to finish by any measurement. Upon talking with the group, they explained that Sergio had the band track the rhythm section (guitars, keys, drums, and bass) together, live in one room and recorded it to tape. The album reflects not only that spontaneous interplay, but more so than anything a sound that walks a perfect line between the raw energy of a live show and the clarity of a studio recording. You hear each member’s individual contributions, but it’s blended and delivered in a way that feels like you’re front row at their show and can feel their energy.

    The album creeps in with a song appropriately titled “The Weight,” featuring a heavy bass line and provides a quick glance as to how these guys can lay down a solid groove. It’s apparent from the start how talented this group is as a whole with a stirring organ solo, rhythmic syncopation between the guitar and drums, and colorful horn melodies.

    As the album progresses, we get a chance to hear how the band sounds with vocals added to the mix on the track “Gimme Gimme.” Even though this is the only song with vocals throughout, it doesn’t feel out-of-place. If anything, it’s one of the best on the album and fans can look forward to (hopefully) more since the male voice heard is none other than new keyboardist, Cole DeGenova. We’re also treated to the sweet background harmonies of Orgone’s Adryon DeLeón.

    Heard+Live

    Another standout on the album is “Knight Life.” The groove and intensity slowly builds over the course of the song, before things turn dark around the halfway point. The transition to the heavy bass focus is backed by an eerie organ and a stumbling drum part that pushes the track to a climax before its abrupt ending.

    While all but one track are mostly instrumental, the band does a great job at giving songs their proper structure. On “Safari Time” you can feel the verse transition to a pre-chorus before diving into one of the best choruses on the album. The momentum and power it creates is balanced and intensified by the other riffs in the song. The bluesy piano solo is reminiscent of the group’s Chicago heritage and blends beautifully with the funk groove.

    For a band’s debut album, one could easily mistake the chemistry and energy The Heard put forth with a seasoned group’s veteran release. The production quality captured and the band’s natural knack for putting together monster groove will leave you with a feeling of hope of where this kind of trajectory will take them. Only time will tell, but for those unlucky folks who haven’t Heard, run over to their SoundCloud page now and stream the album in its entirety.

    Key Tracks: Gimme Gimme, Knight Life, Safari Time