BAHMM!

A new band that's hitting the ska scene recently is the band known as Beebs and Her Money Makers. The ska genre today can be described as an upbeat mix of punk rock and reggae that uses all the traditional rock instruments, as well as brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones. What sets BaHMM apart from many of the current popular ska bands is the way that they incorporate funk and blues into their songs. The kazoo tooting Beebs and her super hero band is definitely on the rise in the ska industry.

If you like bands such as No Doubt, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Reel Big Fish then this group is for you. They made their first splash in 2012, the year in which they were first discovered. With the release of their EP "Welcome to Barter Town" they had multiple record companies looking to sign them for a record deal. The most popular songs of the EP are "Handout," "Ms. Captain Kangaroo,"  and "In This Love." The first one is a great example of the band's funk influence. Beebs uses her signature kazoo to give the song an upbeat feel, and the bass lines and low pitch vocals add the funk. The next song, "Ms. Captain Kangaroo," is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest song the band has released thus far. The song's verses have a very "bluesy" vibe about them using very low bass, vocals, and guitar to do so. Then the song does a complete 180 in the chorus which reverts right back to the upbeat ska sound, and higher vocals. The last song mentioned is my personal favorite. It is extremely upbeat, and sounds very much like the heavily reggae influenced classic ska. It's a song that gives even the shyest people the urge to start dancing. The best part about the track is how Beebs uses slow, low pitch vocals, but the band still manages to keep the song's upbeat sound. You can listen to the entire EP here: https://myspace.com/beebsandhermoneymakers/music/songs

Despite their success, and the countless record companies striving for their signatures, BaHMM decided to remain unsigned and produced their own album. This is an act that any ska band as well as ska fans would deeply appreciate. This past May they put out their first studio album named "No Sleep Tonight." This album's most popular tracks to date are "Jumpin'," and "Master Plan." The first of the two is slower and more blues oriented, as well as involving funk and of course ska. The second is the more upbeat of the two sticking to their trademark ska-funk vibe their fans know and love. The band also recently released a cover of Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" via YouTube which better than the original in my opinion (and I actually love the original). With their recent and impending success there's no telling where they will end up. They are currently touring with two of the biggest ska bands of all time, Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger. BaHMM are known to be extremely friendly and interactive with their fans. Every show Beebs pulls up a group of fans onto the stage to dance with her and the rest of the band. After most shows they meet and greet with the fans too, and have no problem giving out autographs and hugs, as well as having long talks with fans. I can attest for both these things because I have seen the band perform twice, and they did each both times. BaHMM is also working on a self-titled comic book in which they are super heroes if anyone is interested in comics. For those of you who are interested in the band, there tour dates are here: http://www.beebsandhermoneymakers.com/tour_calendar Thanks for reading, keep on rockin'.

-TR

Fifth Harmony

 

Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen, Camila Cabello, and Laren Jauregui are talented artist in the American Girl group called Fifth Harmony.

They sing Pop music and dance as well.  The girl group was discovered on the second season of “The X Factor.”  They actually started off on the show by performing indivually.  Simon Cowell, a judge on “The X Factor” formed the group.   They are signed with popular records labels Syco Music and Epic Records.

                In 2013 the group was voted the “next pop superstars,” by Popdust Magazine.  The group does not only sing their songs in Spanish they also sing their songs in Spanish.  There first single “Me and My Girls” was released to Radio Disney and the group preformed that song on the Today show.

                The group started off playing in shopping malls across the United States and is now touring. 

 

HALF MOON RUN - Band & "Dark Eyes" LP Review

Devon Portielje: Vocals, guitars, drums

Conner Molander: Vocals, guitars, keyboard

Dylan Phillips: Vocals, drums, keyboard

In the past two weeks, I reviewed two artists, Paul McCartney and Arcade Fire, who are in the spotlight of today’s popular music. However, this week I will be discussing an artist who isn’t exactly recognized by the mainstream audience, but has created buzz on several continents. The artist is Half Moon Run, a Canadian rock trio that formed in April 2010. Originating from Montreal, the three members transformed from three young Canadian men with time constraints and little money to a rock trio that’s spreading their name and touring in several parts of the world. The band has been recognized after opening for artists like Metric, Of Monsters & Men, and Mumford & Sons on their tours. Half Moon Run’s music is a mixture of pop, indie rock, progressive rock, and folk rock, with impressive harmonies, use of electronics, and “delicate guitar sounds” (“Half Moon Run”). In July 2013, Half Moon Run released their debut LP, “Dark Eyes”, in the United States, which I listened to recently. 

             As I was listening to the first couple of tracks of "Dark Eyes", I thought the entire album was going have an experimental, soft rock sound with fast vocals. However, as I continued to listen, I was surprised to find most of the songs were musically diverse. Several critics claim the album borrows elements from artists like Radiohead, Band of Horses, and Fleet Foxes. For example, according to Andy Welch, writer of NME Magazine, the opening track, "Full Circle" is similar to Fleet Foxes due to the band's arpeggios and layered arrangements. Also, I believe the vocals, fast-paced beats, and electronics on "21 Gun Salute" and "Give Up" are similar to the sound of the Radiohead's "In Rainbows" album. On the other hand, "Call Me in the Afternoon" has a folk sound, while "Need It" has a blues sound. The third track, "No More Losing the War" sets a moody tone with lyrics that reflect frustration after losing someone. The lyrics express emotional themes such as addiction and relationship frustration. Overall, Half Moon Run's debut record is a tremendous debut, deserves more attention from music lovers, and has tracks like "She Wants to Know" that I believe may be acceptable for mainstream radio.

Written by: John Dirscherl

Works Cited:

"Half Moon Run - About" Facebook, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
                  <http://www.facebook.com/halfmoonrun/info>

 "Half Moon Run" Biography. Indica Records, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.
                  <http://halfmoonrun.indica.mu/en/biography/>

"Half Moon Run - 'Dark Eyes' Half Moon Tickets." NME.COM, n.d. Web. 09 Nov.
                  2013. <http://www.nme.com/reviews/half-moon-run/14554>

Young, Killian. "Half Moon Run Blend Voices on 'Dark Eyes' - Album Premiere."
                  Music. Rolling Stone, 16 July 2013. Web. 09 Nov. 2013
                  <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/half-moon-run-blend-voices-on-dark- eyes-album-premiere-20130716>


 

Yelawolf

Michael Wayne Atha whose sage name is Yelawolf is an American hip-hop artist.  He is from Gadsden Alabama.  Yelawolf is signed to the well-known companies Interscope Records and Shady Records. But Yelawolf is now creating his own record label called Slumerican.  Yelawolf has created four mix tapes between the years 2005 and 2010.  His one mix taped titled Trunk Muzik is what really got him recognized and a deal with Interscope Records.  In 2011 Yelawolf was signed with Shady Records and then realized his album Radioactive.  The album was #27 on the Billborad chart.  He is not working on a new album with Shady Records called Love Story,  which will be released in 2014. 

            Yelawolf was actually homeless at one point of his life he got recognized when he got a job on a boat in Washington.  He appeared on a show called “The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott,” in 2005.  This when he started releasing mix tapes and continued and is still continuing to grow.  Yelawolf has even worked with well-known artist such as Kid Rock, Here is one of Yelawolf's songs with Kid Rock.  Let's Roll

-Jessica Noren

ARCADE FIRE - "Reflektor" Album Review

          

            Since its formation in the 2000s, Arcade Fire has been one of the critically-acclaimed indie rock bands in the music business. The group was first recognized in 2004 with the release of their debut album, Funeral, which was placed on 19 different Top-10 “Best albums of the 2000s” lists by various music critics.  Although Arcade Fire has been compared to U2, David Bowie, each album Arcade Fire has released is musically diverse, despite the lyrics portraying mostly emotional themes.  The music on Funeral is cheerful and celebratory, the music on Neon Bible has a darker sound, and the music on The Suburbs is what Win Butler, an Arcade Fire member, described as a “mix of Depeche Mode and Neil Young” (Darcy). The next two albums, Neon Bible and The Suburbs, won various awards, which includes the 2011 Grammy for Album of the Year award. However, on Tuesday, October 29^th, Arcade Fire released their fourth studio album Reflektor.  According to Win Butler, Reflektor was influenced by the 1959 film Black Orpheus, an adaption of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, and his “life-changing trips to Haiti and Jamaica” (Doyle). Butler told Rolling Stone, “I was learning from what I saw and applying it to my own life, lyrically. I’m not trying to tell other people’s stories. We’re just trying to allow an experience to change you” (Doyle).

 

I enjoyed Arcade Fire’s first three albums due to their creativity, style, and talent. I was looking forward to hearing the new album. When I first heard the lead single, “Reflektor”, which was released in September, it brought me back to albums such as the recent Random Access Memories by Daft Punk and the classic Aja by Steely Dan because all three had a disco groove. After listening to this track, I assumed that this album would have a large disco influence behind it, like Random Access Memories which was a smash-hit record this year. However, after listening to the full album, some songs did have a disco groove, but it had other influences as well. Win Butler, an Arcade Fire member, claimed the album also contains Haitian rara and Jamaican influences, which can be heard in songs such as “Here Comes the Night Time”.

However, when listening to the album, I admired the impressive drumbeats, bass lines, backing vocals, and synthesizer use performed on many of the tracks. The members that make up Arcade Fire are extremely talented and know how to compile a variety of influences into their own, creative work. Win Butler and Regime Chassagne (Butler’s wife and band partner) sing very well together on many tracks, but I believe they have the best chemistry on “It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus)”. Next, the beat at the beginning of “Joan of Arc” reminded me of Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”, but then the song carried a U2 musical influence and used strong choruses to back up Win Butler’s lead vocals. My only complaints for the album are that the 11-minute final track goes on too long and wasn’t anything special, and the track “Normal Person” sounded too bloated with instruments. Also, I was disappointed that Regime Chassagne did not sing lead vocals on any of the tracks. Chassagne provided lead vocals on a few tracks, such as “In the Backseat”, and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”, on the band’s previous albums.

Written by: John Dirscherl

Works cited:

Darcy, Patrick. "New Arcade Fire: 'Depeche Mode Meets Neil Young'" SPIN Magazine, 9 July 2010. Web. 02 Nov. 2013.

<http://www.spin.com/#articles/new-arcade-fire-depeche-mode-meets-neil-young/>

Dietz, Jason. "Best Albums of the Decade: A Roundup of Critic Lists." Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc., 15 Dec. 2009. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. <http://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-albums-of-the-decade-a-roundup-of-critic-lists>

Doyle, Patrick. "Win Butler Reveals Secret Influences Behind Arcade Fire's 'Reflektor'" Music. Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/win-butler-reveals-secret-influences-behind-arcade-fires-reflektor-20131022>

Payne, Chris. "Arcade Fire, 'Reflektor': Track-By-Track Review." Billboard, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. <http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5770596/arcade-fire-reflektor-track-by-track-review>

 

Olly Murs is a 29 year old, English singer-songwriter.  His music genre is Pop and he can also play the guitar and piano.  Olly Murs started to rise to fame when he was on the sixth series of the show The X Factor in 2009.  He did not win but was runner-up.  He became popular in the United States with his single, “Trouble Maker,” Song by him and featured Hip Hop artist Flo Rida. His second most popular song is called “Please Don’t Let Me Go” which hit number one in the UK Singles Chart.  This song received a gold certification.  He has been signed with Epic Records that is located in the United Kingdom, and Columbia Records in the United States. He continues to rise to fame.

            Here is a link to two of his song that brought him to fame -> Trouble Maker

Please Don't Let Me Go

Paul McCartney - "NEW" Album Review

          

 

            For the past two weeks, I have been promoting small, local musicians (Allies, The Ceremonies) aiming to hit it big. However, this week, I am doing something different. I present to you my review of a recent album made by one of the most iconic, well-respected musicians, Sir Paul McCartney. I don’t think I need to explain who the man is and what he has done because if you don’t know him, you are have been living under a rock. The 71-year-old legend released his twenty-fourth studio album, “New” last week. Paul worked with four producers, Paul Epworth, Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns, and Giles Martin on the record. In addition, Paul claims the inspiration behind the record is both recent events in his life and memories of his pre-Beatle days.

The album kicks off with the song, “Save Me”, an aggressive, hard rock influence with distorted guitars. Next, “On The Way To Work”, a Beatles-like tune, contains lyrics similar to Paul’s lyrics on the Sgt. Pepper album track, “A Day in the Life”, in which both songs contain Paul’s narrative as a town commuter. “Queenie Eye”, which has a glam-rock influence, is the most energetic moment on the record. I can see die-hard fans of this record and audience members at one of Paul’s future shows doing a huge sing-along to this. The music video for the song features several famous celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Meryl Streep, and Jude Law. “Early Days” is an acoustic track that reflects McCartney’s nostalgia over his early Beatle days when he was becoming an accomplished musician and songwriter. The titled track, a catchy tune, generates sounds similar to those on the Beatle albums Revolver and Sgt. Pepper, and “Appreciate” has unique vocals and an appealing groove. The only major setback to the album is “Looking at Her”, which involves Paul’s use of electronics falling flat. Also, I think “Everybody Out There”, which does contain almost as much energy as “Queenie Eye”, is more of a tune that should be played live only, and not recorded in the studio. Finally, the last song “Road” is a fair indie rock-influenced track that I feel missed its shot on being more of an “epic” conclusion to the album. However, Paul makes up for his missed opportunity by presenting a hidden track, a beautiful and emotional piano ballad, on the last track. 

            Even though it took me two listens to really appreciate it, “New” is an enjoyable record. The first half of the album was an excellent effort; the end of the album was good enough despite a few setbacks. I applaud Paul for his effort for creating new, consistent material after completing such a long list of material on his discography and all the success he has achieved. He may be over age 70, but his motivation and energy is still there in the studio and on stage.

Written by: John Dirscherl

Works cited:

Hermes, Will. "Paul McCartney, 'New'" Reviews. Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/new-20131015>.

"Music Review: Paul McCartney - 'New'" Seattlepi.com. Hearst Seattle Media, LLC, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-   Paul-McCartney-New-4909401.php.>