Author: Shannon Shumaker

Photos & Review: World Tour Featuring: Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Mallory Knox & PVRIS The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO. 1/31/15 Photos and Review by: Shannon Shumaker Full photo gallery HERE When I arrived at The Fillmore Auditorium for the Denver date of the World Tour to find a line of excited fans so long that it literally wrapped around the block, I knew I was in for an exciting night. The anticipation was palpable, and by the time the doors opened and the crowd began piling in, kids were rushing to be right up front for undoubtedly one of the most…

Review by Shannon Shumaker With every single release (no matter how close together they may seem) Mogwai always deliver. Music Industry 3 Fitness Industry 1, while only six songs in length – three of which are remixes from the band’s previous album, Rave Tapes – is dreamy, poppy and ambient all rolled into one. The EP starts off with the dreamy anthem, “Teenage Exorcists.” There’s a lot to this track, especially considering the fact that it’s the only new song on the EP with vocals. The guitar work on this track has a really pretty fuzzy tone, which meshes perfectly…

Review by Shannon Shumaker The five songs on Smoke And Mirrors are a great sample of Vital Signs’ unique sound. I say unique, because it’s definitely hard to stand out in the metalcore scene, and that’s just what Vital Signs have done with this EP. Many bands tend to sound the same, follow the same songwriting pattern, and keep it safe, but, as you’ll be able to tell by the first track on Smoke And Mirrors, Vital Signs don’t play it safe. While “Sound Of The End” begins slow and dark, the song quickly blooms into beautiful, melodic clean vocals…

Review by Shannon Shumaker Amason’s Sky City is an easy listen. From the bass heavy, airy first track, “Algen,” to the laid back final song, “Clay Birds,” Sky City is audible relaxation. The floating melodies and easy-going harmonies are incredibly strong on this record, enough to nearly lull you to sleep. When you think about it, Sky City is the perfect name for this record. The underlying vibe of each song is airy and hypnotizing, floating through the album with ease and making the transition between each song seem easy and effortless. While “Algen,” is one of the more upbeat…

Review by Shannon Shumaker Periphery’s new double releases Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega are as ambitious as they are versatile. These seventeen songs (which must be listened to consecutively, no matter how daunting that may seem) go from hard hitting and dirty to clean, jazzy guitar work straight back into complex, technical breakdowns with ease, and sometimes, within seconds of one another. While Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega definitely hold the same qualities that set Periphery apart from the pack with their past releases, these albums are also a lot more experimental, and that’s what makes them such a great…

Photos & Review: Jukebox The Ghost, Twin Forks & Secret Someones Featuring: Jukebox The Ghost, Twin Forks & Secret Someones Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO. 1/23/15 Photos and Review by: Shannon Shumaker When Secret Someones’ set started half an hour early, (8:30 instead of 9, as it was listed on the venue’s website) I was still standing in line in the cold outside of Larimer Lounge, and I was definitely a little bummed. It was going to be my first time seeing the NYC-based four piece, and I wanted to be able to have the full experience. Thankfully, I made it inside the doors by the…

With their new EP, Dangerous Questions dropping on February 24th, Chicago-based AyOH has a lot to be excited about. We had the chance to chat with vocalist Avi Dell about the welcoming Chicago music scene and the creative process behind the new EP, as well as what keeps the band moving forward. You can check out a promo video for Dangerous Questions after the interview and be sure to pick it up when it drops on 2/24! For someone who hasn’t had the chance to listen to you before, can you tell us a little bit about AyOH and yourselves?   AyOH is a Chicago…

Review by Shannon Shumaker Purple’s debut album, (409), is angry, gritty, catchy and most of all, rock-n-roll. It’s hard to come up with just one word to describe this record, however, because it’s nearly impossible to put Purple in a box. On one hand, (409) is a total grungy punk record with raw, screaming vocals and dirty guitar hooks, but the choruses are catchy and melodic (verging on poppy) with quite a bit of youthful angst and wanderlust peppered on top. Vocalist/drummer Hannah Brewer’s ability to transition from dirty screams to beautiful, melodic singing on top of some incredible guitar…

Review by Shannon Shumaker Fourteen years after their formation, Funeral For A Friend’s sound is still as strong as ever. It still packs a punch and there’s still plenty of emotion behind the music and the lyrics – something that their fans fell in love with years ago – it’s just a little bit more matured, grown up, evolved and definitely a little angrier. The first thing that stood out to me about Funeral For A Friend’s seventh studio album, Chapter And Verse was the raw energy and newer sound from the band’s last album Conduit. While the album definitely still…

Review by Shannon Shumaker There’s a reason why The Rails’ new album Fair Warning has received so much positive feedback over the past few months before its physical release in the US on January 20th. This album is the definition of folk, and I’m not talking the poppy, watered down folk music that seems to saturate the airwaves nowadays, I’m talking straight-up folk music with heritage, soul, and a story to tell. Fair Warning makes you feel something, and that’s one of the reasons why this album is so great. Right off the bat, it’s impossible not to fall in…