Radkey Roars Out of the Gate In Perfect Sync

If brother act Radkey's "Dark Black Makeup" is any indication, there will be plenty more to say about them in the not too distant future. At least one YouTuber has wondered if Dee Radkey, the lead vocalist and guitar player for the group somehow managed to swallow Glenn Danzig. That's pretty high praise and well deserved given both vocalists share that haunted eerie quality. No lack of vigor behind "Dark Black Makeup. It has the power to make ninety year-old nursing home patients feel like the teenagers they shake a fist at. Dee's voice and guitar are equally smoky. He sings to the back row and gets heard by the folks occupying the cheap seats. Way to project, Dee. Drama classes seem united in their belief that you need to project so that the audience that doesn't hear so well can get in on the fun also. Drumming brother Solomon does more with less. No gaudy solos found here. Quite simply he's pumped out a workmanlike effort. Bassist Isaiah does his part to keep the flame burning bright. The result in "Dark Black Makeup" equals far more than the sum of the parts. Dee does an outstanding job playing out the role of curmudgeon. I mean what kid would actually say "Kids these days they want it all." That's funny coming from someone who doesn't have much life experience under his belt right now himself. However, he embraces his lines with boisterous glee. Even the implied grudge comes off as hilarious coming out of Dee's mouth. Nothing left to the imagine in the chorus lines "When the world starts waking these kids up from their games and their dark black makeup. Everywhere I just can't shake it. I'm gonna take them away." Dee's thespian antics give "Dark Black Magic" its undeniable identity, and that identity enables the brothers of Radkey to stand out in a crowded rock marketplace. In the video they're having a blast which you want in aspiring rock stars. What letdown can you possibly find in this song? "Dark Black Makeup" settles into fourth gear and doesn't miss a beat. With this release being in the dark soothes the soul like nothing else that's come before.

Hell or Highwater Gives Its All

Hell or Highwater's "I Want It All" is metal music guaranteed to put hair on your chest. I feel more masculine already. The whole song rumbles like a Texas thunderstorm. Each note rattles your rib cage profoundly. To add to that vocalist Brandon Sallers wails from the top of his macho range, a strategy that only gets the glow in the dark cell phones going as if you were at one of Hell or Highwater's live shows. If these guys keep pumping out bangers like "Hell or High Water" there will likely many shows full of ruthless, grateful, metal mavens. This outing clicks in all the ways a metal song should. Joey Bradford and Jon Hoover dual guitar assault shall leave you shaking down to your pinkie toes. They are truly marvelous things to behold. Drummer Kyle Rosa hits the right degree of menace, which means he's bashing at a Goldilocks perfectly flavored porridge level. Nobody in Hell or Highwater is going out of his way to be a big showoff, and that helps up the power ante tremendously. Each member gets his chance to either explode or put forth a brutally effective simmer. For instance Nick Maldonado's bass makes "I Want It All" growl ferociously. This is one back alley you don't want to face without a few buds handy. Nick's insanely wicked here. So what are the words behind the explosive instruments? Well. let's just say Brandon doesn't exactly consider gluttony to be a mortal sin. He wants it all, and there's nothing you can do to change his mind. If you can make it on your own it's his time. Imagine you hail from a big city, New York or Los Angeles for instance. Any and all earthly delights are hanging on your doorstep. Letting Brandon loose in such a temptation soaked atmosphere would do wonders for either city's tourism industry. So many women, so much hooch, so little time. Anyway, Brandon's voice clearly underscores his lust for taking a bite out of the pecan pie that is life. I'm not so sure what the treasure the mystery person left behind draws reference to but Brandon's beyond done with that confining lifestyle. He's out strictly to conquer, not even remotely divide. The guitar work at the bridge gives the metal community what it wants and then some. One of my favorite musical magic tricks yes, you guessed it, the chord shift set to stun, makes "I Want It All" an absolute no dietary rules need apply treat. The video makes it hard to ignore the hedonism on display. Then again, why would you want to. This genre's demise won't be on the horizon so long as Hell or Highwater's around to carry the torch. "I Want It All" gives metal fans and plain old fans of well constructed rock everything they want and more.

Joywave's Trip Should Be Cancelled

If you've ever had the misfortune of sitting on a bar stool listening to some four sheets to the wind dude discuss his life philosophies with you then Joywave's "It's A Trip" represents the migraine you never asked for. Musically this New York foursome has an ingratiating playing style that gets under your skin little by little until there's nowhere to run or hide. The opening line of verse one alludes to "creepy little sneaky foreign places". This song has an established creepiness going for it as if it had been plucked from the soundtrack of a low budget film, maybe for a cheesy spaghetti western. Kudos to Sean Donnelly for ladling on enough steamy bass for everyone to share. Beyond that though "It's A Trip" isn't meant for greatness by any stretch. It's way too slow and plodding to capture anyone's attention for too long. To add to that the chorus nags about the human desire to want which is spelled out in four different yet equally annoying sentences. First we get "When you've gotten what you want (desire satisfied)". Then it's onto "There's nothing left to want (I got too greedy so now that I've consumed it all what's left?). Next we have "You don't know what you want (I'm going through an existential crisis)". Finally we come to "Just tell me what to want (Please don't force me to have to make an actual adult decision)". Too much waffling and not enough decisiveness doesn't an engaging rock song make. No amount of Benjamin Bailey's keyboards can change that. What we're getting is a boring person trying to use mood enhancer to cover up the fact that the guy next to him on the bar stool is bound to run away screaming, not because the philosopher's a physical threat but because this poor guy's losing daylight to this word barfing mouth breather. If there's a point that "It's A Trip" is trying to make, it's totally lost on me. I hope the guy renting out the studio got value for his money because otherwise he could have gotten more bang for his buck making a down payment on good blow. "It's A Trip" doesn't merit racking up frequent listener miles.

Oh Man, Is The New Killers Cut Strut Worthy

Correct me if I'm wrong but this is 2017 we're slogging through, right? So how come The Killers are living in disco era 1970s America free from apology by serving us "The Man", the opening cut from the soon to be released "Wonderful Wonderful" album. Plainly Brandon Flowers and crew have been channeling the ghost of Bee Gees past. How else can you explain this stunner of a party starter that finds its mark only to take the coolness factor up a notch at the transition from pre-chorus to chorus. I mean the chords change, the heat intensifies, the sweat accumulates. "The Man" represents the total package of aural delight. Brandon hits the mike fangs fully loaded. With Ronnie Vannuci, Jr. hammering away behind him Brandon's dripping macho animal attraction. Mark Stoermer injects smooth bass fills into the mix that only makes casual listeners want to strip down to their legal briefs even more. Brandon's decorative keyboard contributions would go well at a soiree heavy on spiked punch. Who wouldn't want to accompany Brandon to this dance given how sure of himself he is at all times. Brandon's protagonist character knows the lay of the land, and you'd be wise to let him take the lead whenever possible. He doesn't give a damn about "those other boys". Past singles like "When You Were Young" and "Smile Like You Mean It" wouldn't make anybody think The Killers had a funk snack like "The Man" stashed in their list of ingredients but the proof lies before us. Empty calories these aren't. Try listening to this song enough times and see if everything testosterone based about you men in the audience except for the promise of spiking flagging levels of testosterone gets a definite boost. Brandon Flowers has proven himself capable as both a solo artist and highly emotive front man. Usually I'm not too high on rock luminaries shining too bright a light on how great they are but in Brandon's case I'm willing to make an exception here. Brandon's truly the man here. "The Man" surely will appeal to Killers fans of both sexes.

Blondie's Time Is Once Again At Hand

Blondie, the very first band I ever developed an appreciation for and thus launched me into the passion for music that's spanned four decades, is back. New wave goddess Debbie Harry hasn't lost a single step at age 71 and frankly, there's no justice in the world if she doesn't reach 100. Still the royal presence in her New York-based outfit that blew onto the scene in the '70s, Debbie and original sidekicks guitarist Chris Stein and drummer Clem Burke have succeeded in giving us a time warp back to those late '70s halcyon days on the heels of a vibrant track taken off of the band's eleventh studio album "Pollinator". This beauty's name is "Long Time" and might I say that's an appropriate handle for the song to bear because it shall be remembered for a long time as the band's great late career stroke of genius. The keyboards you know and love are present and accounted for due to relative newbie Matt Katz-Bohen's fine work. Clem's skin bashing remains a benchmark for others in the genre to learn from. Chris Stein lends good old fashioned strumming to this after hours fete. I can wax eloquent on technical merit all day which means I starve and Ear Buzz reaches an undignified conclusion but, in all seriousness, one Deborah Harry has always been the main attraction in the Blondie circus. The video clearly demonstrates the camera still loves her 40 years on. The cinematographer deserved a big raise for capturing a night on the town where Debbie gets to be a ham to her heart's content. The lyrics captures the complexities of boy girl interaction in a high glam style that only a band like Blondie could pull off without appearing clumsy. What electric poetry stems from the boiling core of lines like "I've been running circles 'round a night that never ends. I've been chasing heartache, in a city and a friend." And with that Blondie has me in its boa constrictor clutches once again. The key difference is I don't want to break free from Blondie. The choral refrain has a soap opera drama to it that makes playing voyeur a real pleasure. "Take me, then lose me, then tell them I'm yours. Are you happy? I'm pleased to report that each note has the power to lead you back to your quite possibly carefree younger days. C'mon!! Roll the windows down and let this monster track lead you through the scorching timeframe of summer 2017. "Long Time" appears poised to enjoy a long stay in the hearts of Blondie faithful and new converts alike.

Green Day's Revolution Pulsates With Energy

The pop punk colossus that is Green Day continues to chug along fiercely. "Revolution Radio", the title track lifted from the current project, contains all the focused firepower you've come to expect from Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool. Theirs is a supercharged voyage that doesn't waste a drop of energy on frivolous navel gazing. They've managed to come a long way since the days of "Dookie" but haven't lost the hunger that put them on the musical map in the first place. As usual there's this certain societal intelligence adorning their latest work. Lines like "We are revolution radio operation no control sound like the utterances of a guy who knows his actual ability to influence change doesn't extend very far. His vocals continue to brazenly cut through the artificial clutter of present day life. Tre Cool finds his electric sweet spot behind the drums. The video shows off how completely in the moment they are. As you recall from gems like the appropriately labeled "American Idiot", appropriate meaning ideal for the Trump era slogging we're being forced to live through, this threesome knows how to propel its messages into fourth gear in short order. Billie gets an astute dig in at our moron saturated social media era which is more and more resembling the backdrop of communication for Lord of the Flies except that, in this not so brave new world, everybody who thinks they have something profound to say holds the conch of attention getting. "Revolution Radio" throws a spotlight on what Green Day does best... fire off salvos of brief yet weighty material that can make you think and chortle simultaneously. What lofty heights haven't this music dynamo missed out on. If Green Day hasn't managed to figure out that they've arrived at this juncture in its career then the parade of respect and adulation must have crept past them without their even bothering to notice. For this reviewer "Revolution Radio" fires one hell of a mighty shot off the port bow.

Stone Sour Sounds Fresh As Ever Throughout Song #3

All I can say to metal juggernaut Stone Sour is welcome back. Corey Taylor, you endearing devil, how in the hell are you? The vocalist's crystal clear vocals and room to spare forward momentum are on full display in "Song #3" Let the superlative adjectives fly. On top of Taylor's talents we get Christian Martucci's searing guitar work at the bridge which should make the metal community exhale a collective sigh of satisfaction. Then you have to give drummer Roy Mayorga his due. His sticks cover both fast and technically adept ground. The chord shifts are heavenly. "Song #3" takes us along a winding road too compelling to pass up. The melody couldn't be any tighter if you tried. Its tempo provides an ideal backdrop for a fulfilling night of drinking beer and shooting the breeze. Corey is one of those rock souls who possess a combination of humor and articulateness that I find worth crowing about. He's not afraid to laugh at himself. Check out the accompanying video and you'll get some idea how charming he can be. The plot appears to wrap around his being unable to locate a suitable outfit for the video shoot. Can't be any more organic than that. Lyrically Corey's heart's firmly clinging to his sleeve. With no whiff of self-consciousness about him he boldly declares: "I was gone until I finally saw your face. Now Corey can get away from this ill-conceived notion that he's wasted half his life because since apparently adding a sweetheart to the mix he's got a direction in life. Toward the end of the video Corey finally settles on an outfit and joins his associates to rock out. "Song #3" may be Stone Sour's most accessible track since "Through Glass", and that's a really good thing. That may just earn the five of them new fans and do so without alienating its core aficionados. In short "Song #3" earns the right to be #1 on your iPod shuffle.

Foo Fighters Run Wild And The Results Are Singularly Captivating

Not only is Foo Fighter leader Dave Grohl considered the nicest dude in rock he just might be able to add clown prince to that resume. The brand new single "Run" demonstrates how easily the band can go from subdued yet melodic to what has to be the closest they've come to outright heavy metal face melting. If the accompanying video doesn't have you holding your sides trying to contain the rib ache provoking laughter you're holding back on then you need either a girlfriend to loosen you up, an operation to install a funny bone, or a therapist to slap you around. The Foos go bonkers in an old folks home to impressive results. The opening bars don't prepare you for the psychotic eruption which transpires moments later. Pat Smear's guitar playing throws off any sign of restraint which works perfectly. Bassist Nate Mendel's work shines through the further along the drama gets. Taylor Hawkins blows away his peers in the drumming world. He'S lapping up the campy setting, elder beard and all. So now that you're acquainted with how the rhythms are bopping along what can we say about the lyrics Dave is weaving his way through? You get this undiluted urgency from lines like "Before the time runs out there's somewhere to run." Given the average age of the people in the video making hay while the sun shines sounds like a great idea. Dave insists "You can run with me if you wanted to." Hearing the band effortlessly go from one tempo to another in rapid succession reminds us all why Foo Fighters remains on the short list of bands necessary to keep the rock universe spinning around and around. I respect the pride with which Dave dives into his work. I also like the fact YouTube has a clip of his breaking up a fight in the crowd at one of his shows and subsequently kicks said person out. He's very approachable it would appear. So long as he and his bandmates keep lobbing juicy fruit like "Run" over our port bow there's little reason to think Foo Fighters won't command the rock population for years to come. Simply put "Run" builds up a head of steam that doesn't let up until the last note. It's the first praiseworthy jam of summer 2017.

Basement Forges A Delivered Promise To Rock Hard

Hailing from Ipswich, England,Basement packs an impressive wallop in just 2:33 with "Promise Everything". Right from the start these guys lay down some incredible guitar thunder and in tantalizing chord change-ups no less. Whoever brought the contraband Jolt Cola to that side of the pond deserves both a little something extra in the pay envelope. Alex Henery tears into his guitar parts and you know he's completely caught up in his band's magic moment. Likewise drummer James Fisher has the vim of a first grader getting into the swing of recess. The percussive patterns he pounds out have you rooting for his band's future prospects. One of the genres Basement happens to be filed under is punk rock. That makes perfect sense to me because pioneer punk rockers The Ramones got a lot communicated in short spans of time. Not only that but Basement has much of the same tightly wound energy synonymous with the genre. It's impressive how the genre has thrived on its say your peace and get out ethos. Flipping over to the lyric sheet there's naughty mischief afoot. Lead vocalist Andrew Fisher knows the lady of his dreams can win him over with a smile and burn him with her eyes simultaneously. He loves her but she tries to kill him every time, not literally of course but the sting of spurned love hurts just the same. At the loosely constructed bridge Duncan Stewart flexes his ample bass muscle. You might call his efforts somewhat of a palate cleanser, a chance to rest following Alex and co-conspirator Ronan Crix's guitar-based frontal assault on the senses. "Promise Everything" comes as close as possible to an abbreviated workout, sweat included. If the promise was to excite audiences via hard driving technical mastery with a dash of romantic intrigue thrown in then Basement kept it in spades.

Muse Doesn't Dig Deep Enough To Impress

Muse often incorporates annihilation and distrust of political leaders in its music. During "Dig Down" vocalist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Christopher Wolstenhome and drummer Dominic Howard return to those topics but their usual bouncing off the ceiling cosmic energy proves itself to be greatly lacking. You get a lot of fuzzy keyboards and inoffensive drumming but not enough intensity to make me say that the song belongs in the same breath as true classics as "Knights of Cydonia or "Hysteria". I shudder to say that this sounds like something the band phoned in and in so doing opted to rest on its laurels after a decade of fairly consistent quality work. I confess Muse is one of the only bands walking the face of the Earth that could get away with coasting a bit but still you like to think a Muse song generally poses an invitation to be the voyeur for an unabashed production number that explores the outer limits of what can be done to broaden the parameters of rock artistry. "Dig Down" shuffles on through like it knows what message it's trying to convey and is willing to take its time getting to the point. Essentially Muse tries to rally us troop members in the name of not allowing the darkness to overpower the light even after hope and love have disintegrated into funereal ash. Vocally Matt maintains his strong yet sinister take on the world he sees around him. However nestled deep in the lyric sheet there is an insistence on trying to find a way to stay strong that proves Matthew hasn't surrendered to impending doom. Especially touching are these words in verse one. "We must find a way. Face the firing squad. Against all the odds you will find a way." Matt's the kind of friend I want hanging around me during my darkest moments. He's both a realist and a guarded optimist. He has his doubts about whether humanity as a collective will pull through but he doesn't rain on anyone's potential parade either. I hate to say this but Matt's teased up synths don't really add a whole lot to the potential heft "Dig Down" could've had if he had allowed them to spread their wings just a bit. With other Muse tracks I usually get treated to some defining adjective that allows me to see up close and personal what the band's mindset might have been. For instance "Hysteria" might be referred to as panic stricken. "Stockholm Syndrome" suggests a person broken into a million pieces who's trying desperately to atone for previous sins. As for "Knights of Cydonia" that shouts gunslinger in an outer space frontier. Pretty huge declarations compared to "Dig Down" which comes off like the neighbor who doesn't want to overstay his welcome. Some idle pleasantries and then it's back to the old homestead. For "Dig Down" Muse brought plenty of prog rock grit but didn't bring along a large enough shovel.