Beulah and the Beat - IE Rockers Heading to Hollywood

When it comes to the glamorous allure of Southern California and its immense amount of cultural icons and influences it could be claimed that the Inland Empire doesn't have that much to offer (trust me I grew up there). However, when it comes to the local music scene the previous pessimistic perception could not be more inaccurate. I hope to shed some light on a few bands rising out of the dust cloud of the IE to make a name for themselves and I'd like to start with Beulah and the Beat.

Beulah and the Beat formed in 2010 with a prolific creative vigor that would have made Michelangelo's jaw drop in amazement. Bored with their old projects these four music veterans decided to collaborate on what has become a perfect tribute to the very core of rock 'n' roll. Sometimes their music hits hard enough to spur a full on head bang sesh while other times it feels fit to raise a pint and sing along to the southern twang of Steve's penetrable lyrics. Vocal harmonies and irresistible hooks show off the complimenting songwriting abilities of Mike and Steve while Beulah and Danny hold down the fort with a consistent and smooth rhythm section. If this wasn't enough to catch your attention then wait until you're confronted with the brass section that is Matt and Nate! The songs are too catchy to ignore and the live show has a Doc Holliday (Tombstone) atmosphere to it as the set will make you want to love, fight, and drink with friends all at the same time!

Now that you've got the 'readers digest' version of the band, let's talk about their music specifically. BATB has a crusher of a debut album with "Divebar Prophets." This album hovers somewhere between an amateur demo and the greatest hits album of a legendary rock group. Pretty good mix if you ask me. It has the raw grind of a fresh act straight out the garage with the beauty and cohesion of explicitly advanced song structure and lyrical content. One of my favorites would certainly have to be "Date with the Living Dead." 

 

This song just makes me feel like I'm walkin through Lake Elsinore with a whiskey bottle in my left hand and a cigarette in the other and then I come upon "The Hideaway" biker bar and its the only sign of life for miles. I see some ladies that I wanna f*** and their boyfriends who wanna f*** me up even more! I walk in and find a madhouse full of rowdy hoodlums looking for a good time with good people. However, this is no ordinary group of drunkards....kinda looks like this....

There are quite a few jams on the album that invoke similar feelings of debauchery drunken good times such as "Luck Song" and "White Trash Mustache." If you're feeling a little more euphoric and reflective than  try "Hollywood Freeway" and "Never Walk Alone" on for size. "Never Walk Alone" is a deep album diamond that has certainly grown on me over time. Maybe not a first listen glory boat but the lyrical sentiment of this tune will find you smiling in amazement of its relation to every one's love and the scuffles that come along with it.

If you're looking for a jam with a little more substance an exploration than please feast your ears on "Testify," "Sinners and Saints" and "Horseshoes and Hand Grenades." These songs are a bit more 3-dimensional and will take you on a journey through musical expertise and ol' western tales. 

I really can't say enough about this band's ability to write a quality, radio-ready song at the drop of a hat. Not to mention, their live show is amazing! Their sound is much larger in person due to the blast of Matt and Nate's horns and really, just the amount of people and instruments going on stage at once. Steve is a spark plug and never slows up throughout the set. It is truly refreshing to see a front man having a good time on stage rather than trying to act like Mr. Badass all the time. Now moving on to Ms. Badass....Beulah! Wife of guitar player Mike, Beulah lays down smooth bass lines with ease but also handles a lot of the artistic vision of the band as well as organizing shows, etc. When you see this group live together you cannot help but notice the consistency across all the rhythmic elements but then your hit with one of Mike's blistering guitar solos and that's it! this band has it all!

I suggest you all check them out in Hollywood on Sunday, March 25th!!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/184578518317927/ 

I have to warn everyone, I may develop an obsession with this band so I'll be delivering a lot of news about the rise of BATB!!!

Check them out for yourself!!!!

http://soundcloud.com/beulahandthebeat/sets/divebar-prophets/ 

http://www.reverbnation.com/beulahbeat 

https://www.facebook.com/beulahandthebeat 

Another Gem Out of Canada: Misguided Aggression Demands Your Attention

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this article's topic I want to pose a question to all of you that really has no definitive or objective answer: What defines the characteristics of progressive metal?

Sam Dunn, a proactive heavy metal enthusiast and researcher, attempts to answer this question on the season finale of his new metal documentary series Metal Evolution. Despite his in depth analysis and research I am still not convinced that "Progressive Metal" is simply a grotesque expansion of "Progressive Rock." I refuse to give in to the notion that Meshuggah is just a heavier re-imagining of Rush. Defining any sub-genre is a difficult and menial task and I try not to put much weight in it but I was thrown back by a recent discovery. Please come along with me and lend your eyes and ears to a band reigning terror in Ontario, Canada, Misguided Aggression!

I don't want to put labels on this band (even though I'm about to do just that) but in my opinion they embrace the musicianship and technicality of "Progressive Metal" without sacrificing the necessary 'groove' aspect of metal that entices nearly all fans of heavy music. Let's talk more about this relatively new and very impressive metal act, Misguided Aggression. 

Conceived in 2004, Randy Allcock (Guitars), Ben Dobson (Guitars), Rob Demedeiros (Vocals), John Ryan Godfrey (Bass) and Ben Taylor (Drums) combined forces to unleash a high quality brand of heavy metal virtuoso. I don't believe they're reinventing anything but they are simply doing it harder and better than most acts could dream of. Consistent dedication to the music has allowed this quintet to become a staple in the Canadian metal scene and a growing name around the states. I want to take a moment to emphasize the bands' commitment to their sound as some members are handling new family lives and other entrepreneurial ventures such as Fun Fest and still prevail as enthusiastic contributors to the band. It's a long road to the top (if you wanna rock 'n' roll!) when you are trying to make it in today's music scene and to honor Misguided Aggression's tenacity I want to review and definitely promote their latest album release, Flood The Common Ground off of Year of the Sun Records.

Alright so although I'm a young buck I still prefer the traditional 'album' style of releasing music and when this album opened up with a minute long convoluted, euphoric, and politically catalyzed  "Intro" I was immediately intrigued. The political "theme" continues with "Winter Soldier" and I want to point your attention towards the break down at about 1:06. Have you ever wanted to eat a fetus? Well, I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes here,  but I'm pretty sure I just had a full serving of Kentucky Fried fetus, completely inspired by the breakdown in "Winter Soldier." Without completely dissecting the entire album I want to also highlight the instrumental virtuosity  of the third offering on the album, "Chasing Sanity." I believe this is what makes the band special and draws a lot of comparison to the likes of Meshuggah and other "math metal" type acts. Sludge base at 0:15 gives way to trance-worthy guitar riffs that are only further complimented by the overwhelming vocal assault provided by Demedeiros. For you music theorists out there please take a listen to this song and the plethora of unorthodox time signatures intertwined with brutal drum flurries and just the right amount of what I like to call 'stop-n-go's". 

Although I'm not doing a full track-by-track breakdown I must insist that Flood the Common Ground by Misguided Aggression is a great album and through listening to all the way through (at least like 20 times). Beyond reviewing this album I will certainly be keeping track of this band as they progress through the metal ranks.

Intrigued??? Go check out their sites below!

http://misguidedaggression.com/

http://yearofthesun.bandcamp.com/album/misguided-aggression-flood-the-common-ground

https://www.facebook.com/MisguidedAggression?ref=ts&sk=app_178091127385

https://www.facebook.com/RicburnMedia

Subliminal Verse #7

“Hitler’s Nightmare”

Deteriorating…boundaries of morality

Forgetting…foundations of civility

Believing…whatever the fuck you tell me to!

Do me a favor and refrain from raping the proverbial freedom of choice us romantics cling to in times of desperation

Not naive enough to buy into freedom, but God damn what else do we have to put false hope into?

Affirmative blacktion staining the capitalism and brotherhood the doctor dreamt about back in ’63.

Illegal immigration floods our tolerance of de-evolution and injures any respect that was left for the United States of Ignorance.

As if the blank pigment of western civilization wasn’t fucking it up enough on their own.

I have a dream…

I have a dream…

Wake to the buzz of mediocrity and the relentless cycle of conformity we call a culture and let God’s bravest activist cry out…

Equality is not for purpose of the feared or the scare…

But what we’ve created is no better than Hitler’s nightmare...

Nephelium: A Little Something for My Death Metal Fans Out There

A series of unfortunate events have left today’s metal scene almost completely watered down and irrelevant. New bands arising today turn up as mere ‘copycats’ of pre-existing movements or money hungry posers who grew up in Beverly Hills buying their way  into stardom. It is due to this heavy metal ‘slump’ that many of us metal heads are re-focusing our attention on traditional metal standards and more ‘pure’ forms of metal. This is an exciting trend for metal classicists out there because we’re seeing a resurgence of older more experienced bands producing material that is not only new and fresh, but raw and can only be described as ‘metal at its core.’

I want to direct your attention to a specific band I’ve stumbled upon recently thanks to some friends in the Toronto scene, and that is of course, Nephelium. Nephelium first made their marks on the metal world back in the 90s when they participated as a major factor in the emerging metal movement in the Middle East. Hailing from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Nephelium’s back-story is enough to intrigue any metal fan. However, I am not easily impressed by demographic (or I guess geographic in this case) miracles and upheavals unless there is something concrete to admire in the music. Well…it turns out Nephelium’s music is literally a chunk of concrete slammed into your ears. Okay, that was corny and cheap…allow me to make up for it. Nephelium’s music is the perfect synthesis of excessively brutal death metal, sludgy riffs and vocals, and a surprising sense of music and instrumental virtuosity. They have more recently relocated to Toronto, Canada in order to reach new audiences with their merciless message, and while personnel changes are a challenge for any band, Nephelium is back stronger than ever!!!

I’ve given you a little bit of background, only so I can tell you about Nephelium’s upcoming release “Coils of Entropy.” The album will be released on February 7^th and judging by the reviews that it’s getting it is going to do just fine. Positive reviews are rolling in by the masses from the likes of MetalUnderground.com and even members of the almighty King Diamond. I have been lucky enough to have heard the new 6-track album and all I can say is that I’m impressed. I am not afraid to admit that I am NOT an expert on death metal and I might even be overlooking some of the subtle splash points on the album, but what I can tell you is that this album does exactly what I would want a death metal album to do. Right out the gates with “Burial Ground” I felt as though I was struck in the balls with the raw obtrusiveness of Thor’s hammer!!! The second track “Merciless Annihilation” is a six minute masterpiece that, to me, sums up the purpose and core competencies of Nephelium. Thick crunchy riffs that give way to muddy grind beats combine with Devlin Anderson’s growling vocals to create an overwhelmingly intense musical experience.

Without boring you with technical details I can only praise the real musicianship that is displayed in all the album’s songs. A lot of metal bands today tend to forget about the groove and the melodic aspects of the guitar in favor of 100% thrashing riffs. Now, don’t get me wrong, the tempo and mood of the music is hard, heavy and fast all the way, but if you really listen to the intricate notes being played you will understand the appeal of this Arabian death metal quintet. I also want to point out the powerful high pitched scream delivered in the last minute of “Malediction.” Something about that was just fucking epic! As a casual listener of Death Metal I love the album and believe that Nephelium certainly has a place to shine in the metal industry.

I encourage everyone to check out their music and get to know Nephelium at the following sites:

 https://www.facebook.com/nephelium?sk=app_2405167945

http://www.reverbnation.com/nephelium

http://ashermediarelations.com/

POLL: Vote for "Who is the greatest dubstep artist?"

What? Where? When? and Who the fuck is Dubstep?

Is Dubstep a genre? a sub genre? a cultural phenomena? a lifestyle? a dance?

I suppose the answer to these questions would depend on who you ask, but in my personal opinion Dubstep is NOT a new genre, but a cultural re-imagining of electronic music and its impact on youthful rebellions and belief systems. This might sound a bit over-analyzed and academically exhaustive and well....it is haha. My explanation is first based on the obvious fact that electronic music is NOTHING NEW!!! It has been around for decades and even when narrowing the spectrum to 'high-intensity', 'bass heavy' , 'dance' music...we're talking 90s alternative bands like The Prodigy. So I refuse to recognize it as a new genre but I will admit that there is something fresh about the Dubstep movement. I believe this 'fresh' or 'exciting' vibe stems from the combination of the dynamic range of sounds possible in electronic music and the youthful rebellion embodied in the scene. for more information on my perception of this movement feel free to check out my article here: http://gettoknowthesource.blogspot.com/2011/04/lovely-la-magazine-spring-2011.html

Alright, now that I have completely alienated my audience with by dejecting Dubstep as a genre and going on to even justify my outlandish claim it is time to get to my point. 

Who is the greatest Dubstep artist around?

I propose this question because I want to understand the elements of music and/or artistry that are regarded as special or remarkable in the eyes of the general population. So through some basic understanding of who is popular as well as some web research (cough cough Wikipedia cough) I've gathered a reasonable list of artists who could possibly hold the throne. Regardless of whether or not these artists represent a group, band, DJ, or anything else, please do not let that affect your vote. 

I simply want to know which entity represents the greatest achievements a midst the Dubstep phenomena. Combine your knowledge of each artists catalog, live performance, popularity, record sales, word-of-mouth, etc. Also, I am NOT a Dubstep expert and admit that I may even be completely ass backwards in all of my judgments so please feel free to leave your comments below! Also, if you want to do your own research or need a quick refresher on the artists you can simply click their names below to go to their respective websites.

The Official pole is being tracked on the right---------------------------------->

Here are the following candidates that I have nominated for this pole:

RUSKO

BASSNECTAR

NERO

SKRILLEX

FLUX PAVILION

ZEDS DEAD

DEADMAU5

FEED ME

EXCISION

NOISIA

The Official pole is being tracked on the right---------------------------------->

Skrillex: Bangarang EP, Voltage LP, and RE:Generation Film

Keeping up with the dubstep world has become overwhelming these days with millions of Djs trying to make a name for themselves and of course the massive amount of  electronic adaptation attempts by traditional artists and established stars. However, if there is only one DJ that you keep up with in 2012 than it might as well be Skrillex.

So what has the prince of dubstep been up to?

BANGARANG EP

Released: December 23rd, 2011

If you haven't heard it yet than you must be walking around with your fingers stuck in your fuckin ears because the seven songs that make up Skrillex's fourth EP release are bangin! Surely you've heard the title track "Bangarang" as it has made its way onto nearly every radio playlist in the country and even got some love on the billboard charts (who the fuck checks billboard these days?). 

As you have surely figured out, I am a huge Skrillex fan! So, it is no surprise that I love the new tracks, and while I've enjoyed the live teasers and leaked clips of the recent past, this crisp clean studio recording is the best way to embrace the tunes. The name of the game for this album is definitely 'exploration.' For old school fans of Skrillex (uhhh like 2 years old??) there is certainly a lot to get excited about. In fact, the first track on the album, "Right In" relishes in what I would declare Skrillex's core competencies: Diluted vocal atmospheres laying over top building electro-house until a brief pause and.....DROP! Lather, Rinse, Repeat. 

The album takes a sharp turn into experimentation starting on "Bangarang" and really takes off into the unknown after that. "Bangarang" is exactly what the dubstep world asked for. A mainstream radio hit that is accessible to the masses and still unique and intriguing enough to appeal to the die-hard, more technical fans of Skrillex and electronic music in general. This track also introduces us to some samples of Sirah, an up and coming female rap/pop talent from Los Angeles. Sirah truly shines on "Kyoto" where she is able to lay down some full bars and present her ambitious delivery style. 

"Bangarang"

My favorite song from the EP, and by far the most experimental, is "Breakn' a Sweat" featuring the surviving members of The Doors, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. The track is part of a project knows as Re: Generation. The idea was to take modern DJs/producers/artists and attempt to mix their creative styles with those from entirely different genres and time periods. Skrillex of course, is Sonny Moore who used to front the post-hardcore band  From First to Last. Because of this experience with traditional song writing and structure Skrillex has become a master of collaboration with notable recordings with metal band Korn. Manzarek and Moore hit it off immediately and all interviewers and insiders point to a very smooth and effective collaboration. Well.....it sounds like it! The track opens up with an eastern cultured keyboard riff by Manzarek and when the drums roll in it instantly becomes very dance-able. Great start....then.....Krieger's wandering guitar is warped into the mix and soon enough you're eyes light up by the surprising sound of the almighty Jim Morrison as he is sampled in. Now, the only thing missing from this epic concoction is thhhhh---DROP!!! 


One of the best examples of two genres, and furthermore two distant time periods, collaborating together to create something amazing. It is certainly an electronic song, but Manzarek's keyboards and Krieger's guitar licks are admirable for their acclimation and breadth. I think even Jim Morrison wouldn't mind putting his name on this one.

"I like to say this is the first new Doors track of the 21st century," Ray Manzarek tells Rolling Stone

"Breakn' a Sweat" from Re:Generation

Banagarang gets an A+ from me and The Source and I encourage all of you (electronic fans AND electronic haters) to buy this album (yes...with money and everything) and open your mind to experience new musical horizons.

I also wanted to allude to the upcoming LP Voltage. It was talked about heavily a few months ago but it appears to have lost some steam recently. I wonder if Voltage sort of morphed and dwarfed its way in being Bangarang. Perhaps the rumors of A-list collaborations like Pretty Lights and Nero are holding up the creative process. Maybe he is just taking his time in order to make sure his first full length cut is a fuckin banger! Or the more likely chance that Hollywood politics (Holla-tics!) are slowing down the release of the records just to figure out more ways to make money off the deal. Either way I'll be on the look out!

Until next time friends!

http://www.skrillex.com/

http://www.regenerationmusicproject.com/