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Sweet & Vicious – The Story of Arc & Stones

11 Jul

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In the transformative world of modern music it is always refreshing to hear a band that knows who it is and plays music that represents this group-actualization. Arc & Stones, a 4-piece classic Hard Rock/Blues outfit based out of Nashville, Tennessee, has been honing its craft since 2012, and while I am a little late to the game, I have been meaning to right about this powerful quartet for a while now.

Considering how long it usually takes bands to start seeing success, it took Arc & Stones time equivalent to an undergraduates college career to start the band, release several EPs, tour the U.S., open for Kansas on a year-long tour … you catch the drift; the band doesn’t believe in the terms “off day” or “rest.” Described on the band’s website as “an almost insane drive to expand their sonic reach,” Arc & Stones, like the music the band pumps out, is heavy-hitting, passionate, and eager to rock the ears off eager listeners. I can now hopefully count you as one of those listeners. Check out “Control” off the band’s 2014 EP As You Were. 

“Control” immediately glistens with a deep guitar distortion, almost like a nice blend of Black Keys and Kaleo, and a unique hi-hat heavy percussion rhythm that provides a nice pair to the guitar. The chorus features instruments crashing, heavy vocals from Dan Pellarin, a true wall of sound. The song is a call-back to heavy rock influences from the early 70s and more modern hard blues. There is a lot to like.

“Sweet and Vicious” is led by another bluesy Face the Promise Seger-like guitar riff that neatly follows into another crushing drum riff by Joey Doino that follows the riff effortlessly. A lingering lead by Dan Berry falls behind Pellarin’s southern rock croon, while the percussion holds strong with Doino and bassist Seth Webster at the helm. The strongest part of the song is the end, and I don’t mean that in a cheeky way; the predominant riff combines with Pellarin’s vocal and combines this head-bopping finale that crescendos like every tremendous hard rock song should.

Arc & Stones is a band you should be listening to. Check out the band’s website, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Calling America on the 4th of July

4 Jul

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It figures that on this day of American independence I would choose a song from Birmingham natives Electric Light Orchestra. No, not Birmingham, Alabama; Birmingham, England. “Calling America,” though, features the name of our great nation, although it is used in the construct of an unfaithful lover going to America to perpetuate an affair. Yeah, America! Conquering the British through lust.

The song, though, which currently resides in my brain, is a true model of the ever-reaching hand of modernity. Jeff Lynne mentions the “modern world” that is represented by the satellite allowing his phone call to go through to America. The “modern world” has changed a bit in 30 years; now a brief text would suffice, albeit that could be ignored by an unfaithful lover just as easily as a transcontinental phone call. That said, the song itself was recorded in the Bahamas and in Germany, released by Epic in the UK and CBS Associated in the US, and the music video was shot in Paris, France. An Independence Day in the modern world.

The song itself has the unique mark of a Jeff Lynne ELO track. It is upbeat, semi-classical, vocally dulcet, and lyrically dark. Lynne is uber-talented and this track is an excellent example of his ability. There are so many components to the song that he weaves together with his band to make a tight, well-structured piece. Enjoy this as you chow down on a burger! Be safe and happy 4th

Summer Schedule and Summer Tune

1 Jul

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Much kudos to Toria Munoz who has kept the Music Court afloat through the month of June. Summer pun totally intended. Summer at the Music Court has come to mean more consistent posting, and I look forward to bringing you the best of new and old music content to help line your steamy summer days. Toria will also help heat up your summer with excellent new music.

So, what can you expect during the summer?

  • Artist Profile (New)
    • There are a plethora of excellent new artists that are well deserving of praise and recognition. The Music Court plans to do just that. Stay tuned for artists that should help fill your summer playlists.
  • In The Jester’s Ear
    • Sometimes I hear a song – new or old – that I need to share with you all. This section allows me to do just that.
  • The Evolution of Song
    • Have you ever heard a song and thought to yourself where it came from? That happens to me a lot. We have already fully analyzed songs like “Goodnight Irene” and “House of the Rising Song.” There are many more songs to assess, and we will do so over the summer.
  • The Spirit in the Sky – One-Hit Wonders
    • Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” is perhaps the best example of a one-hit wonder. We will explore the wide world of one-hit wonders in this section.

Before we begin the circulation of new posts over the summer, I feel like it is necessary to help you enter July with a song that I have always associated with summer.

When Mungo Jerry laid down this track I don’t know if the band could have anticipated that it would become a summer anthem. There is something so uniquely uplifting about the song, though, that represents the carefree emotion associated with the season. The opening riff sings with an effervescence akin to a ice-cold glass of water on a 95-degree beach day. Both the vocal and lyric possess an odd, warped sweetness that is both humorous and ridiculous. That said, the song is still such an earworm that its attractiveness is undeniable. Enjoy the perfect pop piece, and I look forward to sharing some more content with you throughout the summer of 2016!

Stuck In My Head — Bear Hands

30 May

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I’ve had a chance to listen to a lot of Sirius XM radio lately, and in my listening binge I have found myself on the Alt Nation channel much of the time. On it, Bear Hands, an Indie Rock/Punk band formed in Brooklyn a decade ago, has found much play with a song called “2 a.m.” from the band’s 2016 studio album You’ll Pay for This. The song is just one in a vast library of excellent music Bear Hands has released since its first LP was introduced to the listening populace in 2010. Let’s explore two of Bear Hands’ most popular songs.

“Agora,” an ode to the phobia that shares the prefix, is a jaunty, paranoid song with fragmented guitar, pleading harmonies, and a spooky key motif. With the repetition of agora in the verse it almost sounds like the band is the music video’s protagonist’s deranged mind. Oh, and the song is pretty awesome too; a sub-3-minute ditty that hits the ears hard and sticks.

“2 a.m.” has marked differences that demonstrate the band’s multifarious skill. The song is more methodical in its pace, featuring slow keys and muffled drums. The vocals reflect the instrumentation; at times they even some strained and depressed. The song serves a wonderful contrast to “Agora” and other fast-paced Bear Hands songs, and the slowed down style is impressive. It also reflects the lyrics, which sings of getting older.

 

You can find out more about Bear Hands at the band’s website

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Sh-boom It’s The Koi Boys

17 May

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You can present a cavalcade of incredible instrumentation, and I will still say that nothing beats tradition vocal harmony. I can listen to traditional doo-wop for hours, for that 1950-60s vocal groove is so beautifully infectious. Thus, when I stumbled upon The Koi Boys audition for The Voice AU and their version of Meghan Trainor’s “All About that Bass,” I nearly fell off my couch. The Koi Boys are superstars of vocal harmonies. Don’t believe me. Listen to this.

Link to Performance of “Sh-Boom”

I’ve always been partial to “Sh-Boom” by The Chords. I wrote about the song all the way back in March of 2013, and you can check out that post here. The song is a ear-dwelling ditty, and by ear-dwelling, I mean it takes up residence in your ear and rents an extended stay room with a kitchen. “Sh-boom,” sh-booms your head. The Koi Boys put such a wonderful spin on the piece, that it is hard not to fall in love with the classic over and over again.

In what will probably surpass the 100,000 view mark (and more) before one knows it, The Koi Boys cover of Trainor’s funky piece even displays the voices in the band more. Each vocalist has a unique style, from Frank Sinatra croon to hip-hop smoothness to true vocal power. This makes for a three-headed vocal monster that can take down any room, like they took down The Voice stage during their performance.

Keep up with the Koi Boys at their webiste or follow the band on Twitter and Facebook

 

 

 

 

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