Imagine Dragons Do An Outstanding Job Of Walking On The Wire

The chorus that launched a thousand ships comes to us through Imagine Dragons and its hip new song "Walking On The Wire" straight from the soon to be released "Evolve" CD. The overall sound, like you would expect has epic saga written all over it. You sense this otherworldly quality, as if it emerged from some dark chasm to bring light to a troubled world. Dan Reynolds does an admirable job projecting from behind the mike. This is necessary given the emotionally charged grooves the band throws down through its lyrics which are soft like gooey white bread that's been waiting to bust diets hither and yon. The still shot shows an outer space aesthetic that speaks to an optimism not of this realm. Allow me to demonstrate..."Do you feel the same when I'm away from you? Do you know the line I'd walk for you? The chorus gives prickly heat upon first listen. Plainly implied the heart tugging message states, "We're walking the wire,love, we're walking the wire, love. We couldn't be higher, up. We're walking the wire, wire, wire. Wayne Sermon excites the senses with his stellar guitar work which fuels the drama this song is fueled by. Can't leave out Ben McKee and his mastery on keys and synths. Kind of underscores the outer space vibe that was hinted at earlier. When reaching for the cosmos that's the kind of soundscape you need to get imaginations launched. Imagine Dragons isn't a stranger to bombastic arrangements, "Radioactive" being a case in point. That jam kicked ass wherever it went. "Walking On The Wire" certainly isn't quite as wide in scope but sets a mood in motion. Imagine Dragons advocate taking each step as it comes which, come to think of it, is our main option navigating the world around us. They also have a great way with roadside imagery. My exhibit As and Bs consist of "Feel the wind in your hair. Feel the rush way up here. All this kinetic movement excites the senses on many levels all of which arouse on impact. I think "Walking On The Wire" represents a fine edition to its singles library. Not a long walk but a peppy one that merits more than a hi and bye response from listeners.

Sleeping With Sirens Pieces Together A Legendary Fist Pumper

Residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sleeping With Sirens brings out an optimistic piece called "Legends" that urges you to be anything you want because in this life that sounds like it should be your prerogative. Kellin Quinn's vocals are highly reassuring and make for a nice counterpart to drummer Gabe Barnham's steady beat. Even though Jack Fowler is listed here as lead guitarist, it's really bass player Justim Hills who gets the lion's share of the attention. And why the hell not. His sound offers the masculinity "Legends" tends to thrive on. Jack does give us some snazzy programming fills though. This song sounds like it would fit right in as part of the soundtrack to an '80s movie soundtrack. There's plenty of high drama to go around. You also are gifted with the sense that, however fleeting, you can be the master of your own domain. The tempo operates at a mid-range level, all the better to give listeners time to fully absorb and appreciate what they're listening to. Lyrically Kellin asks us to think back to our youth, when the sense of invincibility might have actually been present. "We could be wild and we could be free" he claims. Wasn't the stuff of my childhood but some thirty years later its freshness date really has come and gone. Gentle encouragement certainly boosts morale quite a bit and with Kellin leading the charge it's a message well-received. He's also playful, a nice asset to have at moments like this. The chorus isn't the type to bother you so readily that it morphs into a destructive earwig. We have all had those tunes where the bridge comes off like the worst hangover you could ever hope to obtain. In 2017 "Legend" is one song that won't have you reaching for the Excedrin. Maybe it's playing on a well-worn theme that loses i ts charm over the decades but 'ya know what...don't care.. Life doesn't play fair so at times a tune becomes necessary to keep you from writing yourself off completely, something to remind yourself that our world may appear to be heartless, shattering dreams right and left, it's all about perception. Not all is rosy but neither is it a duck and cover proposition. Sleeping With Sirens hits the mark soundly with "Legends", a song that isn't succumbing to the fury of our times.

My Silent Bravery Has Got Smoking Licks Going On

If head bobbing is your thing then you'll be quite smitten with My Silent Bravery's "Got It Going On". This has to be one of the most infectious choruses of 2017. It's Matthew Wade's gently strummed guitar that gets the action cranking in a major way. Here in Texas where fall has yet to make the scene, "Got It Going On" succeeds as a fine ice breaker for small parties and huge groups alike. True the chorus does tend to get a little repetitive but if you're going to repeat yourself why not do it with a song that makes the vitality jump right out of you. Imagine the 'cue going on full blast as you pop some cold ones with longtime buds and new pals alike. This song has a funny video presenting images of backyard fun cavorting around a nearby pool. You might even detect a little Latino flavor in that guitar, something to spice up the evening with. Matthew's the epitome of grace under pressure considering a sports injury prompted him to turn to music as somewhat of a calling and a saving grace that allowed him to pay his resurgent positive vibes forward, a mission statement of sorts going forward. Matt's not hard on the eyes as the My Silent Bravery bio proves. The remainder of the band shows off its mettle in fine fashion. Drums are solid. Bass lines work perfectly. The table is set for a nice run of success. Let's hope My Silent Bravery maintains the momentum needed to maintain its A-level work. "Got It Going On" certainly has all of that and then some.

Nothing More Succeeds With Its War of Words

Nothing More, a San Antonio outfit formed in 2003, does a slow burn as part of its new single "Go To War". The beat strikes me as equal parts vitriol and passion. Vocalist Jonny Hawkins penetrates listeners right down to their marrow thanks to his turbo-charged singing style. The video's bar room scenes, rife with chaos, are absolutely perfect and match Jonny's intensity to a tee. Guitarist Mark Vollelunga strums out a pretty high level of drama, no small level of goodness for a track as venomous as "Go To War" makes itself out to be. Band bassist Daniel Oliver hits all the right strides. The newest drummer Ben Anderson keeps time with fervent aplomb. On the lyric sheet Jonny lets out the most compelling side of his fiery vocal range which pierces listeners right where they live, deep in their guts. His opening salvo gets right to the point. "I don't know what you had in mind but here we stand on opposing sides. Let's go to war. Let's go to war. He then proceeds to get way more introspective with stanza number two..."We arm ourselves with the wrongs we've done. Name them off one by one. Let's go to war. Let's go to war." The chorus line is nothing but pure lyrical gold..."Screaming at the ones we love like we forgot who we can trust. Screaming at the top of our lungs on the grounds where we feel safe. Do we feel safe? The steady churn of the song makes it so very impressionable in the skull. It makes you want to grab some battle armor and climb into the hot seat with them. "Go To War" doesn't let up in the intensity department. You can see blood stains everywhere. The wounds are a pleasure to sport though chiefly because this band has mastered the fine art of wearing its heart on its sleeve, leaving no wound unexposed and ripe for being picked at. The musicianship is excellent, and Jonny can take credit for being no small part of that. Kudos to the actors in the video for ramming home the drama with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. You can tell private lives are being shredded to the bone. Loyalties get severely tested here. If a few beer glasses go flying and inadvertently take someone's eye out who'd be surprised. If you need music to get your angst out to, "Go To War" serves that purpose splendidly. Nothing More generates a winner by settling for nothing less than A-level rock chops.

Beck Crafts Yet Another Danceable Nugget In Living Color

Those of us who were around for Beck's 1990s output know that Mr. Hansen is somewhat of a wunderkind when it comes to assembling dance beats that really stick in your cranium and give you loosened inhibitions. Hell, the entire cosmic journey that was "Odelay" had peak dance hour moves crawling up the yin yang. "Where It's At" proved to be a keen '70s throwback while "Devil's Haircut" thrived on a razor sharp guitar chord that felt as sharp to the senses as a straight razor does to the face. In 2017 Beck gives us "Up All Night" a foot stomping gem from his October 13 release "Colors". This song is in fact highly colorful in how it lays down the rhythms. Beck himself again proves to be a very capable narrator, discussing how rhythm and words can make you cold and the evil inherent in the powers that be breaking the world down to the only world you know being this one. Atop the sure footed beats comes a winning chorus that ought to have plenty of peoples' heads shaking in sonic delight. Its words consist solely of "Just wanna stay up all night with you. There's nothing that I wouldn't rather do. Just wanna stay up all night with you. Hand clapping is very much recommended here. Just try not to become exuberant while getting all caught up in Beck's technicolor landscape. Even his post-chorus has definite mojo at its beck and call (Wordplay pun unintentional but, then again that's rock 'n' roll for you. plenty of twisted wordplay to be had.) The guitar work proves itself to be highly nimble and lousy with energy, skittering up and down the fret board amiably, dropping good endorphins in its wake. Beck has come a long way since his "Loser" days. For the record I never was a big fan of that song. Kind of gave off that nails on the chalkboard mentality that's hard to shake. However "Up All Night" has legs, staying power that will keep in front and center in people's minds for quite a while. That group of followers includes yours truly. "Up All Night" proves itself worthy of filling your happy place for days.

U2 Does The Best Job It Can With a Dance/Rock Hybrid

Does it seem to anyone out there that at this juncture in time U2 has been around since the Earth cooled? Some songs have been brilliant ("Sunday Bloody Sunday") while others have been a little strange to say the least ("Lemon" "Discotheque"). I'm pleased to report that their brand new effort "You're The Best Thing About Me" brilliantly straddles the line between the power chords U2 has been known for over the years and the flirtations with dance pop that reveal U2 still knows what it's like to have its showmanship on full display. The warm chord progression at the chorus is in stark contrast to the heart on the sleeve confessional loops Bono applies at the outset. There's a boyish glee to what Bono's expounding upom here. He tells his female companion that, because she looks so good, the pain in her face doesn't show. What a heartstring puller he is, the devil! He gets deep when he declares "You're the best thing about me, the best thing that ever happened a boy. I'm the kind of trouble that you enjoy." So, foreplay will be on the table tonight with confessions such as this. I sure am excited at the level of energy the band can put out at this point in its career. The Edge has his guitar armed for bear. Adam Clayton has his well-tuned bass coaxing out the oohs and aahs from the faithful. Larry Mullen Jr. remains a force on drums. You can find this single on the "Songs of Experience" album. I declare it's a fine single. The bridge doesn't skimp on playful harmonies to the delight of those who have been devotees since the beginning of this ride back in 1976. I'm impressed the lineup hasn't changed one iota. In the rock 'n' roll universe where many bands tend to operate on a revolving door policy that's saying something. Not only does your musical acumen have to stand the test of time, but you have to really like and/or respect who you're playing with. That's a 41 year marriage of critical acclaim and convenience folks. Some burly roadie will likely have to carry the band off stage because I don't envision its collective final breath taking place anywhere other than a rock 'n' roll stage, presumably of an arena nature. U2's technique hasn't lost a step low these many decades. Maybe Bono isn't yelling out charged political statements like he did in the days of "War" but this kinder, gentler version should not be denied the credit it deserves. "You're The Best Thing About Me" is the best example of how U2 can keep core followers while reaching out to newbie millennials who haven't been schooled in the finer details of what makes it an essential band.

I Prevail Won't Forge A Career On The Strength Of "Alone"

It's no wonder rock critics grow jaded over time. Same message about girl walking out of boy's life is such a tired cliche that it doesn't need Sominex to help it fall asleep. Yet here we are in 2017 being served the same tripe once again, this time courtesy of I Prevail, a band formed in 2014 that apparently didn't get the memo. Nothing about "Alone" convinces me that I should somehow care about the plight of Brian Burkheiser who doesn't croon so much as bellyache. You can't detect the whining but trust me, it's not that well hidden. The first stanza comes straight from the cliche Hall of Fame. It was the two of them against the world at the start and then...she left him all alone, knowing that she wasn't coming home. So much pining for so little reward. Later we get around to how she's locked him out of her world, the selfish little tramp. Could there be a line any more cringe worthy than "Feels like eternity, and I can't believe I let you in, you left me out. Eternity is one of those words that kind of gives me the heebie jeebies simply because I don't know how long that unit of time might be. That kind of word gives me relatively the same headache as hearing about the latest mind blowing high Powerball jackpot. I just don't have a use for 370 million dollars and the like. I'd have to live to be 800 to spend all of it or divide it between the many charity causes I support. What I'm saying is Brian's guilty of pathos overkill and there doesn't appear to be an apology coming from the I Prevail camp. Steve Menoian phones in the lead guitar work for reasons that must lie somewhere in the wheelhouse of "Even I know this song's lame and I'm the one who'll ultimately have to go on tour to promote it. Lucky me, huh. Dylan Bowman's rhythm guitar doesn't light up the night sky with fireworks either. The prevailing chord merely reinforces the fact that the last drop of anything resembling musical artistry is going, going, gone. In addition don't you just hate those dreams you wake up and can't recall. It's like that melon on top of your neck is taunting you. Brian offers that nugget in the name of human to human insight. He also points out that this particular dream featuring his now apparently ex lover plays in his mind on repeat. That's gotta either suck, smart, or a little bit of both. Over and over we're drawn back to "I let you in, you left me out. It grows to migraine inducing status until you want to end the torture by knocking yourself out cold with a blunt instrument. If you do regain consciousness maybe you'll have enough memory loss to forget "Alone" ever existed. "Alone" doesn't have the mettle to encourage repeated listenings. You're better off finding a crowd of buds to hang with instead.

The Sky's The Limit For The Latest Foo Fighters Lid Lifter

Okay, Ear Buzz buddies. Since it's Labor Day weekend I'm going to labor over this twofer special. That's right. For the first time in this blog's short (and hopefully conversation starting) history it's with great pleasure and a gentle helping of humility that I present you with 2 blog posts in one day. If somehow my weather worn hands come unattached and I have to go through the rest of my intense life sporting off-putting bloody stumps well...that's the small price I paid for a bit of minor league Internet celebrity. Anyway, onto what Price Is Right legend Bob Barker would call the bonus prize. Yes, that reference proves I came from the Pleistocene Era. What of it? I just want to fawn over Foo Fighters for a spell. Their body of work ranks as one of the best in music today. "Concrete and Gold" streets on the 17th. The second single from that project is "The Sky Is A Neighborhood". It's different from the majority of their past efforts based on the fact that Taylor Hawkins military wallop drumming takes center stage. It has you squarely in its sights and hopes you're wetting your pants as we speak. Dave Grohl's rasp fortified voice is, as you might expect, the main attraction. His posse's highly gifted but from word one this has been Dave's baby, a way to make something positive come out of Kurt Cobain's tragic death. 23 years later I'd say he made the right move personally and professionally. "The Sky Is A Neighborhood" doesn't take long to shed its drum intro. The entire bunch comes into full blossom. Aren't enough superlatives to describe how demonic the chorus becomes. Nate Mendel gives great value on bass. Chris Shiflett nails 'em out of the park on lead guitar. The chord progressions deftly swing from major to minor at the drop of a hat. The Foos' harmonies are in tip top shape. That becomes deliciously obvious as the song wends its way along. The vortex has you surrounded. Resistance is futile. Save your dignity while you still can. It adds up to yet another heart stopping grade-A performance from a band that doesn't know how to suck. "The Sky Is A Neighborhood" makes my list of summer closing great places to visit. With Dave Grohl once again at the helm how could you refuse.

Nashville's Moon Taxi Blends Smooth and Scratchy Quite Capably

When the initial notes of Moon Taxi's "Too High" come fluttering in you're thinking: "How suave. This is the sort of tune that would sound fabulous while I'm nursing a vodka tonic at the local bar/pub." That's an easy conclusion to draw based on the power of vocalist/guitarist Trevor Terndrup's fine riff spinning alone. You can already see the lipstick smudge on the female patron's napkin. Would that a young stud was around to make kiss history. Trevor goes to the lyrical hall of cliches just a bit with sentiments such as "We can walk together with our hands up in the sky." Reference gets made to the world spinning out of control and needing someone to help you feel all warm inside. Heard it but as Moon Taxi offers up its interpretation I'm convinced it was worthy of adding to the pile that already has served this war cry up. "Two High" isn't entirely trying to woo you into its satin sheet endowed bed. There's a crunchy side to this well played edible. Programmer Spencer Thomson and keyboardist Wes Bailey deserve the lion's share of the credit for that truism. Pure beef blasting from those instruments. Really feisty and difficult to resist. In the studio I suspect a lot of polish went into making sure the finished product ended up gleaming like a fresh cut gem. Trevor's words calm even the most angst-riddled disposition. You sense that light at the end of the tunnel really isn't some torturous myth conjured up to bring false hope to the emotionally desperate. "Too High" comes across as an ideal selection for a winter's night curled up by a warm fire. Trevor's voice and guitar match beautifully in this scenario. Drummer Tyler Ritter has a nice accompanying presence that slides across the melody like Stubb's BBQ sauce slathered across a brisket plate. Whether in plugged in gritty mode or light as angel food cake. Trevor easily sets a mood no woman could refuse. Moon Taxi makes "Too High" look too easy, and that's not a condemnation on my part. Moon Taxi's tight teamwork carries the day. High fives all around for "Too High". That's what's called making studio time count for something.

Man!!! Is This New Killers Joint a Dance Hall Delight!!

The Killers' lead singer Brandon Flowers has charisma in spades, and he puts it to good use throughout the band's sweat commanding new single "The Man". Get a load of the video if proof is what you need. It's his world and we're privileged to live in it. Up and down the track swagger power drives this baby. The entire crew kicks into fifth gear and what results is a danceable confection that leaves you with a luscious mouth feel that lasts for days, weeks, even months. Brandon's liberal sprinkling of keyboard fill gives the song the megawatt boost that sends it into legendary status. Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. gives his drum kit a mighty healthy workout, thus offering background machismo for Brandon to feed off of. Dave Keuning's guitar leaps off the page and sends visions of Trojan condoms dancing in the listener's head. Bassist Mark Stoermer is no slouch in the randiness department either. The puzzle pieces fit triumphantly but...this puzzle needs someone to start tinkering with it to give it the curiosity factor a quality rock song demands. One needs only take a peek at the lyrics to get some idea how good Brandon Flowers is at horsing around. He doesn't give a damn about those other boys and why should he since he wears the crown while his imitators have to settle for kissing the ring. Brandon unloads the textbook definition of player by crowing about he has gas in the tank and money in the bank. Wouldn't you just kill to be him, the him the video plays up as master of his domain? Don't try to teach Brandon anything 'cause he's too gifted for words. Ladies, here's some USDA certified lean meat the local Publix doesn't have in its display case. Who wouldn't enjoy the company of a man who feels no pain. "The Man" has to be the first time in history where the lyric "I got skin in the game" was included. In short "The Man" owns its rock moment. The Bee Gees, both living and dead are likely smiling at the page The Killers stole from their playbook. It's channeling all sorts of libido, pushes itself to the limit energy wise and is flat out a damn huge amount of fun. These man pants are a thrill to wear even if we get the invitation vicariously. https://youtu.be/3VsHqbyRz5c