ShaneN – Page 9 – Music Bank

Inventions – Shadows

I dig the intro, very upbeat with some killer guitar work. The vocals are pretty damn tight as well! It’s got just a touch of a dark vibe kicking off which works well with that speedy tempo. It’s almost tense the way the keep the beat up but not quite to a blazing speed. Then there is this break with a kick your ass guitar solo backed by super sweet drum work. There at the end there is a brilliant run of staccato breaks that works as a brilliant emphasis on the song as a whole.

I liked this one a lot. I thought it had some great elements that came together to help form a damn near perfect tune. I would like to put this on a list with Sick Puppies as I think the music would mesh really well. Just for fun I would also mix up some of my Red stuff in here. Maybe to highlight some of the heavier aspects of the song I might throw something really heavy from a band like Five Finger Death Punch on the same list. I’m considering downloading this track right now and putting that list together to see how it works!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/150521702″ params=”color=b5db40&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Who They Are:
Inventions are an alternative rock band based in Melbourne, Australia. Freshly formed in late 2013, they are completely independent and have decided to take on the industry on their own terms.

Recorded with producer Dave Petrovic (Tonight Alive, Heroes For Hire, Punk Goes Pop), their debut EP is a strong 5 track pulling together hard rock tones and pop-punk energy into a powerful melodic bundle.

Members hailing from all parts of Australia and New Zealand, they have a good background in songwriting and live performance, and are passionate and excited about being part of the Australian music scene.

The Band is:
Jake
William
Ryan
Sean
Hayden

Where You Can Get It:

Harmony of Silence – Standing on the Edge

Once again luck has struck and this song seems to be fitting my mood perfectly. I really love the clean female vocals especially when they are backed with those dirty male vocals! It gives this song a beautifully layered effect. The temp is just a bit upbeat, I mean you aren’t going to be shaking your ass to it, but it’s also not such a slow temp all you can do is sway to the music. So we will call it mid tempo pacing. There is some really great guitar work going on that tends to take my attention away from the vocals at times. I think that’s ok because the spots I noticed my attention switching to the guitar the vocals were mostly background. Nice drum line, it’s almost a classic rock style bit. Again, not too fast and not too slow.

I liked this track quite a bit. Certainly enough I would check out their other offerings. I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out exactly who I would pair this song with and I keep coming back to bands like Lacuna Coil and Flyleaf. I think all three bands share some similarities with the female vocals and awesome guitar work. To me this is the kind of track that will appeal to just about any one. Though it does have some rock elements it’s a slow enough tempo that it wouldn’t alienate those who are not into rock much. Overall I gotta say it’s well worth checking out!

Learn how to get your song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

The Band is:

Lead Guitar – Rudie du Plooy
Drums, Vocals – Erick du Plooy
Rhythm Guitar – Wesley Heyman
Lead Vocals – Sonja Van Jaarsveld
Bass Guitar – Stefan Smit

Facebook

Twitter

Where You Can Get It:

Countess – City Of Satan

Well this is a new kind of music for me! It’s not like anything else I listen to which makes it a lot of fun out of the box. The music is really well done and it sounds like they have a stringed instrument somewhere in the mix, but I’m hard pressed to say which one. The guitar work is tight as hell with some interesting riffs. There are some keyboard elements that work to make the song just a touch more sinister than it already was. I had a hard time making out the vocals but the style in a bizarre 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon reminds me of old Halford. Not that this guy can wail like him or anything it’s more about the key he sings in. The drum line is pretty upbeat and verges on relentless most of the time. I’ve found that a lot of drum lines aren’t necessarily blazing fast but I would still classify them as relentless as they just never slow down. I loved the guitar work and the most excellent riffs the guitarist pulled off.

As I said this is a new style of music for me. It’s a nice hodgepodge of styles that I like with some cool vocal nummies for your ears. I would like to have it on my server so I could play around with it on some playlists. I have some old 80’s metal with some Priest, Maiden and Metallica that I would put this with to see how it flows. I think I want to investigate this band and others like them.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/143841004″ params=”color=b5db40&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

[bctt tweet=”There are some keyboard elements that work to make the song just a touch more sinister than it already was.”]

Who They Are:
Countess’ unique and harsh style of metal, characterized by an uncompromising loyalty to the old Heavy Metal and Black Metal traditions but by no means unoriginal, has certainly gone through changes over the years, but its essence has always remained the same.

The Band is:
Orlok – Vocals & Bass;
Zagan – Guitars;
Wolfram – Drums;
Herjann – Keyboards

Where You Can Get It:

Are You Ready for Fans, Reviews and Promo?

I’ve been doing reviews here on Music Bank for about 6 months now. And while I enjoy what I do immensely, there are some things that drive me nuts. What is sad about this is that there is no reason for me to be crazy, so let me explain. I’m not sure how other reviewer/promoters work but I have a process when I review music. I start with Twitter and look for Facebook, Soundcloud and Reverbnation links. I hit Facebook for your band information, you know your band’s bio and line up. If I can’t find that information there I will hit the other two sites looking for it.

This is where knowing what your fans and even us reviewers will be looking for when you hit our radar. Now I understand not all fans, reviewers or promoters want the same thing but there are things that we will want to see. A solid band profile is one of them. I would like to break this all down from the perspective of each “user” so you can see why this info is important.

The Fan
I don’t consider myself to be a super fan. For instance I’m in musical lust with Slipknot and I can name the members of the band because it matters, though I can’t give you birthdays and other such info. However when I’m lost in conversation with a friend about their music I want to be able to properly illustrate points. Like “Taylors vocals in this track rock ass” or “Shawn’s percussion here is just insane”. See what I did there? As a fan even if I don’t know your birthday I do wanna know who plays what. I gotta think I’m not the only one! And as I said before, I’m not even a super fan. You have to remember when you are setting up your web properties that these are for the fans. Give the fans what they are looking for which include the links to all the sites your listed on. That way they can check out your music on their favorite website be it Reverbnation, Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify or Bandcamp. Plus your fans hitting these sites will raise your profile on said sites. That is always a good thing. Your fans love you, let them help promote your music!

The Reviewer
You’ll have to pardon me if I sound like I’m soapboxing here, but this situation with some band pages has really become a thorn in my side. As a reviewer there are things I am always looking for and to make it easy here’s the list:

Music – If you don’t have music out where it can be listened to your already on the losing end of a reviewers attention. For example, I’m rocking a solid 90+ bands waiting for reviews in my queue. Some of those bands don’t have music up on any websites. This puts me at a severe disadvantage as well as the musician. I’m going to waste a lot of time looking for something that doesn’t exist. It’s not fair to the other bands in my queue because I’m spending time looking for mystery music. I try to keep these bands in mind and check back but with as many submissions as the site gets a day it’s become all but impossible. And I’m a small potatoes website! I can’t imagine how bigger review sites deal with this time sink.
Sharability (ok, so that’s not a word but hey!) – Post your stuff everywhere you can. I see lot of bands that have reverbnation sites but not soundcloud. Everyone has a preference of music sites. I happen to prefer Soundcloud because that’s where I started building my playlist. By not being available on that site I can’t get you on the playlist and some people may never find you. We reviewers can be fickle creatures and I’ll own that. I always get a bit cranky when I go to Soundcloud and can’t find a band. I could be alone in this thought process but do you want to risk losing a potential avenue for promotion because you didn’t want to set up another account?
Band Profile – The best way to respect any reviewers process is make sure they have what they need. Some of us like to list your bands bio and line up. There are lots of reasons for us to do this, from general interest of the type of fans our sites get to SEO there is a method to our madness. Another thing that really grates my cheese is a lack of links. All the sites I’ve mentioned give you space to put links to all the sites you’re listed on. Why on earth would you not use that to promote all your sites? Let us reviewers know where to find your stuff and allow us to use the places we like. You are far more likely to get a kinder review if we aren’t cranky when we go to write it up.

So maybe not all reviewers feel this way but if just a handful of us do then you are on the losing end of a review before you even submit for one. This is definitely a lowest common denominator situation. Some reviewers are far more motivated then others and will do the leg work to find all your links and band info along with your music. However for your smaller up and coming reviewers they are one man bands (so to speak) and anything you can do to make their work easier is always appreciated. They will also be a lot more willing to promote you.

The Promoter
So to be fair, I’m not a promoter though I dabble in promo a bit. I don’t feel like I’m qualified to really get into things from a hardcore promoter point of view. What I can say is it just makes sense to give your promoter as much ammunition as you can when it comes to promotion.

The short and skinny is no matter what role we play we want you to succeed. We want to see you and your band up in lights, headlining a tour. It’s our most ardent wish that all of the bands we love/review/promote be as big as possible. And while I know some of my rant came off on the crabby side understand it comes from love. I wasn’t gifted with the ability to make music, but I can love my music so much I share with my friends or I can review these songs and work to get them in front of new eyes, or promote your band to get you into new venues or hooking you up with the right A&R people. It’s all about you, embrace that chaos and give us what we need to help you reach your goals.

Evenfall – Sacrifice

If you aren’t impressed by the guitar work right up front, you may wanna check your pulse. The guitar work alone is enough to want this song. The vocals just make you want it that much more. It has a slow burn intro that bends into a rhythmic tempo of pure bliss. I’m pretty sure this is what Godsmack wants to sound like. The drum line is pretty muted but provides the perfect anchor for the rest of the players to kind of float on. From time to time you can catch the bass line, which seems to blend the guitars, vocals and drums into an amalgamation of eargasmic sounds. The mid song guitar solo is worth of a Golden God award. The dirty vocals just there towards the end of the song are so unexpected but brilliant it defies explanation.

I can’t believe I’m not listening to them on the radio. I want this song on my server and on my phone and I want it right the hell now. It’s not the blazing fast type music that I’ve come to love so much, this is that slower (but not slow) burn that gets into your brain and won’t let go. Trust me when I say you will be singing this song to yourself days after you listen to it. You are going to end up downloading this track just like me. Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to hear more of Evenfall’s music!

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

[bctt tweet=”If you aren’t impressed by the guitar work right up front, you may wanna check your pulse.”]

Who They Are:
Evenfall started out as Broken Halo and Fate’s Reflection. They came together after vocalist Chad Ellis started singing for Fate’s Reflection for a side project. Broken Halo was in need of a Bassist, a Drummer, and a Lead Guitarist. After torturous amounts of discussion and debate, they finally decided to combine the two bands and become Evenfall.

The Band is:
Chad Ellis – Vocals
Afrim Kosovrasti – Lead Guitar
Dan Coleman & Dave Hochstadt – Bass & Rhythm Guitar
Mikey Rebel – Drums and Percussion

Facebook

Twitter

Youtube

Where You Can Get It:

Gringo Soul – Ghost Party

What we have here is a rich layering of sounds. There is a lot going on with this piece which is driving by this deep bass thump. I bet you could bump the hell outta this song in a car. It’s a really inventive piece that I think would be perfectly at home at a rave. You could spend time bouncing to hit. Then the vocals kick in and it’s a whole new ballgame. It really picked up for me as soon as that vocalist started doing his thing. This is really a fun song to listen to. It does have a really creepy vibe to it with some of those sound effects and the guys vocal style.

I think this would be a great Halloween song! It’s just the right amount of upbeat and creepy to get people dancing and still set a great mood. I kinda wish I had this song last year at my party. It’s just fun to put on and listen to. I can’t really give you a playlist recommendation on this on because this one is going to be up to the listener as to where you put it.

Sell music on Amazon at ReverbNation.com

Who They Are:

Gringo Soul is a “one man show with a full band sound” fronted by Brandon Giannasi of Dallas TX. He was born in ’84 and some of his first inspirations were Salt n Pepa, Ace of Base, Warren G, and Billy Joel. As an adolescent he listened to rock & grunge. During his early twenties he explored hip hop, oldies, & classic rock.

Growing up, his father was often in “constant song” singing or humming an unfamiliar tune during their interaction. These songs became more familiar and attractive throughout the years. Early on, his mother partnered with a live music venue owner in West Chicago IL, where national acts played regularly. Leon Russell, Waylon Jennings, Cheap Trick, John Entwistle, and Lonnie Brooks were just a handful of the performers Giannasi was exposed to. A few months of guitar lessons has led to a lifelong pursuit of mastering the 6 stringed instrument. As a young musician attending a small traditional Lutheran church, Giannasi would often skip out a little early to a back room which boasted a vintage organ with a built in drum machine.

Around the age of 21, Giannasi became passionate about writing songs. Starting with what sounded best to himself, he began to play it live for other people. Seven years and four albums later, he continues to earn the ear of those who are listening. These days you might hear Gringo Soul playing in the corner of a neighborhood tavern. Combining guitar, bass, rhythm, keys, and the occasional tin whistle to wave out his music that is said to be “uniquely creative.”

Albums:
Art Official, 2009, 13 songs including “Nomad, The City, and Coming Up”
Scrappin, 2011, 7 songs including “City of the Heartless, Fall in Chicago, and Drinkin With Dean”
The World We Live In, 2012, 5 songs including “Bottomfeeder and Deep Within the Woods.”
Ghost Party, 2013, 10 songs including “Ghost Party, Music From the Heart, & Held Me Dear.”

The Band is:
B. Giannasi

Facebook

Youtube

Where You Can Get It:

Sugar Bear Trio – Skeletons and Bones

There is something about this song that makes me want to go out and grab the nearest copy of ‘Brother Where Art Thou?’ To me that is a good thing. It’s kinda that style of music that makes you just have to listen. That voice it absolutely perfect for this song. It’s a bit raspy and a touch ragged and all around perfect all things considered. I’m pretty sure there is a banjo in there somewhere and how awesome is that? Hell I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a washboard used in the band along with that swinging harmonica!

If you’re into something a little different then you have to check this one out. I would love to have it on my server though the only song I can readily think to pair it with is the song I reviewed by Drought. Even that is only because Drought uses a banjo in their songs. Oh, yeah I would also put this with ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’ cause that would just be awesome! I have to say it helped to turn my frown upside down as I was having a stressful day. Thanks guys for giving me this awesome tune to review!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/184399370″ params=”color=b5db40&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

[bctt tweet=”There is something about this song that makes me want to go out and grab the nearest copy of ‘Brother Where Art Thou?’ “]

Who They Are:

Sugar Bear Trio is a gene pool.
Sugar Bear and brother Ronzo were born in St. Louis Mo. and transplanted to L.A. Mom sang with Buck Owens, Jim Reeves,many others. Dad played in Danny Kays Orchestra and honky tonks.Uncle Andy and Uncle Royce were The hosts of ‘The California Hayride'{pre Hew Hah} signed to Decca records as The Austin Brothers. Uncle Andy became a successful songwriter in Nashville and Uncle Royce and his daughter Jeanie became ‘The Kendalls’ winning 4 Grammys and Jeanie sang on Ringo Stars first solo album ‘Beaucoups of Blues’.
Sugar Bear played and recorded in N-Sync as guitar player. That was like Stevie Ray bein’ with David Bowe.He quit the band and began playing with brother Ronzo and son Kort ,14 at the time and started.
Sugar Bear Trio.
Now!
12 discography
8 ABC Radio Effigy awards, toured USA and 8 countries and heard on the airwaves in 154.
Enjoying touring with national acts and headlining.We have developed a love for the studio also.
Sugar Bear Trio is a gene pool. Listen for us in your town or city!
Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn. http://lnkd.in/xB4-ah

Marvin Lee, INDEPENDENT MUSIC PROFESSIONAL, USAF “Sugar Bear is as fine an Artist and Repertoire representative as you are likely to find in today’s evolving music business model. Knowledgeable and personable while maintaining transparent communications, these are highly skilled and strictly ethical professionals. Highly recommended. Marvin Lee A&R, Dead Sea Records CEO, No Victor Music” November
“This is a very exciting and provocative group. This group is quite reliable and will delight any audience with it’s one of a kind appeal. Expect great things from the Sugar Bear Trio – they deliver today and for tomorrow with the best harmony, the best great songs and a style that is uniquely Sugar Bear.” August 10, 2009 DJ FEMMIE Jackson ,CEO, OWNER, MUSIC REVIEWER, DJ MUSIC REVIEWS, , SIERRA DONNAENTERTAINMENT

The Band is:
Sugar Bear – Guitar, Guitar, vocals, harmonica, mandolin
Ronzo – Bass, Guitar, vocals, mandolin
Kort Elsworth – Drums

Facebook

Twitter

Youtube

Where You Can Get It:

Akrazia Project – Public Love Clash

This is a rather interesting song. I like a lot of the sound effects they are using to create this oddly abstract piece of music. It comes off to me as an ambient work, on that would be really good in the morning as you’re getting your coffee and chilling before starting the rat race. As with all the ambient tunes I’ve reviewed there are no lyrics though there are “soundbytes” laced throughout the track. It’s got a lot of peaks and valleys during its run time, so if you like a song with good modulation this one is for you.

While I would never try to claim I am an expert when it comes to ambient music so take this with a grain of salt, this was not my favorite ambient tune ever. Personally I thought it repeated some of the sound effects a bit too much. I think that there is definetly some talent behind this track but I would really like to see Akrazia work with a couple of the rappers I’ve worked with. I imagine that the combination of this group and a rap veteran would produce an amazing song. I would love to hear some feedback from fans of this genre. Perhaps I’m viewing it in the wrong light and this would be considered more electronic than ambient. Though classification really doesn’t much change the review.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/155254539″ params=”color=b5db40&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

I wasn’t able to find any information about the band nor could I find more than one song. I have reached out to the group to see if I can get more info or links to more music. I will update this review as soon as I hear some thing!

Devilstrip – She Said

This is a great one for the playlists if you ask me. I like the lyrics a lot, mostly because I think I’ve lived this story a time or two. The vocals are just a bit rough or maybe ragged is more the word I’m looking for. And even that is only on occasion in the song, so there is a mix with the clean vocal style. The music is pretty minimal for the most part. Not that it’s done badly but just that the emphasis is mostly on the vocals, with moments of heavy guitar power cords and a heavier rock style drum beat. I like the way they composed this. Having the simpler musical line in the verses and handing us a heavier sound in the chorus keeps interest up.

I really liked this track and it was more than enough to have me asking for more of their music. I can certainly see why they have such a rabid fanbase, this band deserves it. In some ways it makes me think back to bands like Live and Cold. This is not the happiest of songs ever but it’s beautifully done which makes it awesome in my book. I can see having it on one of my playlists no problem. I have a list that to be fair is heavily 90’s influenced and I would love to stick this on it. It would revitalize an old playlist and make it sound all new and fresh again.##

Learn how to get your music heard at ReverbNation.com

[bctt tweet=”I can certainly see why they have such a rabid fanbase, this band deserves it.”]

Who They Are:
Hailing from Akron, Ohio, Devilstrip epitomizes the “power trio” moniker. Melodic, heavy grooves dominate their newly-released debut album, “Rise.” With a classic hard-rock soul and alternative rock sensibilities, the band delivers passionate and hard-driving performances in both the studio and on stage. The members of Devilstrip are fully committed to the mantra of “100% or nothing” in all that bears their name. This has earned them an ever-growing, rabid regional fan base and now international recognition in the United Kingdom and beyond. A tour is being planned to support Rise, which is now available at CD baby, www.devilstriprocks.com and soon on iTunes and Amazon.

The Band is:
Marc Wasmund – Lead vocals, guitar
Jimmy Gray – Drums, vocals
Graig Lindgren – Bass, vocals

Where You Can Get It:

We Are Leo – Supernova Sunrise

Where has this song been all my life? That is my question. I can see tons of teenage girls falling all over themselves over these guys. Hell I may even be one of them! There is something about the slow burn yet constant guitar work that always gets my attention. The drum line is well done, nice tight and keeps a good pace for the song. Nothing here is overly intrusive, which is nice because you can hear all the players. The vocals are a nice mid-range with just a touch of auto tune (not everywhere cause it’s not necessary. I’m talking to you Rihanna). The players here are working it with those instruments.

My first thought when the song started was, “Hello! Have you met Yellowcard?”. Only because I think those two bands would fit well together at least based on this song. I’m not a huge fan of auto tune because it’s become a crutch for singers who can’t really sing (see comment in above paragraph) but these guys only use it to add a bit of spice to the song. That I can live with, even like. While this song doesn’t pack the immediate gut punch of some songs it’s going to be one your thoughts keep returning to. I liked it well enough I would download it and put it on my server so I could move it to my phone. Honestly you could also match this song up with some Maroon 5 or Neon Trees.

[vsw id=”h7Gxvze4fBE” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

[bctt tweet=” I can see tons of teenage girls falling all over themselves over these guys. Hell I may even be one of them!”]

Who They Are:
Strong and steady like a lion, We Are Leo has grown tenaciously after saying “Hello” with their premier album in 2011. Pulsing with an electric energy and a vibrant sound, their spirited shows nurture a fiercely loyal fan base that rose to the occasion in 2013 when the artists called on them to fund their Kickstarter project. Now, We Are Leo continues to build on that momentum as they come roaring back into the national music scene with their sophomore release “Fightback Soundtrack”. Fusing together a blend of heartfelt emotion, love-charged lyrics, and relentless faith, “Fightback Soundtrack” is a declaration of the undying passion the band has for their fans, their art, and their message.

We Are Leo’s singer, David Duffield, says, “What we are aspiring to do is write and sing songs that will express a real sense of Love to our fans and friends… songs that will become anthems of faith, hope and new life. I want to make music that grabs people’s attention; that is relevant to them musically and spiritually.” He goes on to say, “Our band name, We Are Leo, is about being bold and courageous like the lion (leo being the Greek word for Lion), and also that we aspire to shine like stars: like the constellation Leo.”

The Band is:
David Duffield
Jonny Duffield
Doug Weier
Andrew Alojipan

Where You Can Get It:

American Island – I’m Down

Oh lordy, it’s like they know me. If this was a Facebook quiz, this would be my jam! I’m down but I’m not giving up. Needless to say I’m quite taken with the lyrics to this song. I think that the vocalist has done a great job in connecting with this story and he sell’s it well. Nice falsetto by the way. I was equally impressed with the musical composition. It’s just a bit wistful in its poppy upbeat tempo. It comes off as a very classic style pop rock beat. The overall guitar riff also helps keep this song light on it’s feet. I think it really does come off as a pick me up song.

I love songs that I can connect with lyrically. For me it opens the whole rest of the song up. This was like a ray of sunshine after a long week in the dead of winter. Could be the mood I’m in today, but I’d wager I would feel the same any other day of the week. The music was just upbeat enough that it keeps the lyrics from becoming too heavy and I appreciate that. I have a handful of songs that speak to me in the same way from bands like Foo Fighters, Drought and Filter.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/133791035″ params=”color=b5db40&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Who They Are:
The official facebook page of American Island, rock and roll/indie pop band based out of Seattle, WA. Be sure to follow us across all our various social media and to check out our website:

http://www.american-island.com/

The official home of all things American Island, if you enjoy the songs please feel free to share them with your friends and leave us a comment letting us know what you think!

The Band is:
Spencer Mertel
Chris Paxton
Rory Menteer
Chip Burgess
Spencer Phillips (AKA Booker)

Where You Can Get It:

Trophy Lives – Icebergs, Pt. II

There is something about this song that is matching my mood right now. I little melancholy for some reason. Actually it’s reminding me a lot of HIM. This guy has the same vocal style that Ville Valo rocks. Personally I love HIM and it’s really exciting to find a band that matches their vibe this way. The harmonies and vocal background echo effects is a perfect match to the musical composition to the song. The guitarist has a great solo that really shows off what he is capable of. The drum work is nice and tight keeping great time for the rest of the players. The bass line is a bit hidden, but every once in a while I’m able to make it out. The bass is like the glue in a band, often you don’t hear it but without it the songs sound flat.

I really liked this particular track. Like I said, I’m a HIM fan so finding something new to go on my HIM list is awesome. Even though they have a similar sound I wouldn’t say that Trophy Lives is a sound alike band. They have some awesome things in common but this band stands all on their own.

[vsw id=”m6EKJ8CAuD4″ source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

Moderne – Colorblind

This song is a lot of fun to listen to. It starts out slow with just a vocal track, which I thought as rather cool. When the music kicks in it’s a pretty upbeat tempo, it’s kind of a jolt after the intro. Just a little bit of “hey, here I am!”. I love the rock rhythm laid out by the drummer. It’s keeping up a great pace that the guitarists is almost chasing. Almost like a game of tag. The lyrics are tight and I like the story behind the lyrics quite a bit. It all fits the vocalist like a glove. I would love to see these guys play this song live.

I would love to hear more from this band. I like the vocalists sound a lot and the players are very good at what they do. They have a really tight sound and I get the impression from the music they like what they do and that the guys really enjoy playing with each other. I would put this on a playlist with some of my Red, Chevelle and then kick it up with some Fall Out Boy or maybe some Panic at the Disco.

[vsw id=”nH5Hv0iytdY” source=”youtube” width=”425″ height=”344″ autoplay=”no”]

The Band is:

Devin Perkins
Sam Macdonald
Ira George
Spencer Baldwin

Where You Can Get It:

FOREVER STILL INTERVIEW W/ MAJA SCHØNNING

Back in August I was introduced to Forever Still. They were actually amongst the first bands that I reviewed for musicbank. I was immediately entranced with their sound. Now they have some new material coming out that they are releasing in 3 parts with a physical CD due out in the spring of 2015. I got the opportunity to ask Maja Schønning (their totally bad ass lead singer) some questions that had been rolling around in my head for a while. Check out my questions and her answers below.

MB: The new EP is called Scars. What made you give it that name? Is there a story there?

MS: Scars is part 1 of a concept album in which the overarching plot follows the protagonist struggling through depression, anxiety and worthlessness trying to find one self. You get your wounds when you’ve been ripped apart by society, stigmatized by the people surrounding you and the general feeling of loneliness and not belonging anywhere. But with wounds come healing, and the scars they leave behind come to shape us permanently and make us who we are today. In the very end you will come out stronger than you ever were.

MB: Tell me about one of songs specifically.

MS: I would like to tell you about “Miss Madness” since a few days ago, a fan of ours mentioned that she dislikes how it romanticizes suicide. Suicide is a really dark topic, and there isn’t always a happy ending.. The very reason the character Miss Madness was created, was to be able to project it onto someone else, someone fictional, to make me forget what it was really about. Suicide isn’t romantic, but sometimes you can be in such a bad place that it feels like the only solution, which is what we wanted to illustrate with this song. But we’re all still here today, writing this song, proving that suicide is not the solution. That it does get better.

MB: This set of songs feels so much more personal to me than what I reviewed a few months ago. Did something happen in the band or with one of the band members?

MS: We did change some of our lineup, which has of course brought some new elements to the songs, but the songwriters remain the same. What we did change was the whole vibe of the EP, and the way we went about it. We wanted everything to be completely honest and bold, and being 100% in charge of everything ourselves, we were able to do that. We went all out and decided not to be afraid of being completely vulnerable and push each other and ourselves to the limit.

MB: After listening to all three songs I agree with the comments I’ve read about how raw and emotional these songs are. Is there a complete story here, maybe told in 3 acts?

MS: The songs are all very raw, emotional and somewhat imperfect, because we wanted it to sound like someone falling apart and trying to put the pieces back together. We really wanted the sound to compliment the concept of the album and have everything come together in a bigger picture. The story will be continued on the upcoming EP and the final pieces of the puzzle will be revealed on the full album.

MB: What made you decide to release three digital EP’s then produce a physical CD?

MS: We wanted to be able to make it an ongoing story and divide it into chapters that people can experience as different parts as well as a full story. Also, we thought our fans would appreciate getting new music more frequently instead of BAM, here’s the album, see you in a year or two! We know that a lot of our fans love physical cd’s, so we wanted to give them the chance to add that to their collection in the form of a full album this spring.

MB: What is your favorite Forever Still song?

MS: That’s like choosing between your children, you know I can do that! Honestly, it completely depends on my mood… These days I’m a bigger fan of the title track, Scars. Maybe because I’ve spent the most recent time on lyric videos for the other two songs, I can kinda do without them for a few weeks, haha!

MB: Why?

MS: I guess the vibe just fits my mood these days! It’s aggressive yet extremely melodic, almost schizophrenic, and I really enjoy the rapid changes. It was a song I needed to write, and a song a lot of people needed to hear.. The guys and I are extremely pleased with the reception!

MB: What bands would you most like to tour with?

MS: Wow I don’t even know, there are so many good ones to choose from. I would love to tour with a band like Nine Inch Nails they’ve got the most amazing high energy show and their stage production is absolutely amazing. But basically we love to tour as much as possible and with new, cool people every time!

MB: If you could do a duet with any current vocalist, who would you choose?

MS: I’d definitely go for a male vocalist, just because I like the dynamics of mixing male and female vocals. Someone who likes to mix melodic vocals with some really raw emotion.. Maynard from Tool wouldn’t be a bad choice! Pete from Chevelle would make a really cool mix as well.. Or a more recent vocal crush, Jonny from Nothing More, though he could probably reach higher notes than me!

MB: Who influenced you and why did you choose to make music?

MS: All influences are very subconscious… We listen to a lot of different music, but we write from our own experiences, which is why I believe the music comes out as very honest and personal. I didn’t choose music, music chose me. It was the only thing that made me truly happy to do, and I catch myself singing all the time – on my bike, while grocery shopping, in the middle of the night.. I think it was just supposed to be. And I needed it to heal. Seeing it heal others is an even greater gift.

MB: When you are not touring, what do you like to do for fun?

MS: We honestly don’t have time for anything else but the music. Music is our work and our fun. We spend several hours daily on our social media, and we do absolutely everything ourselves – writing, recording, mixing, videos, design, booking, managing, you name it! So it doesn’t leave us much time to do anything else, but we like it that way.

New to Forever Still? Check out my review of their song The Key