Author: Shannon Shumaker

Review by Shannon Shumaker Within the first few strums of the acoustic guitar on Drew Thomson’s self-titled EP, I was hooked. I wasn’t exactly sure what I expected from these two songs, considering that Thomson’s other band, Single Mothers is definitely more punk and this EP would be classified as Indie/Folk, but whatever expectations I had, this record absolutely blew them away. The first of the two tracks on this EP is “Saturday Night/Sunday Morning” and while this track is mellow and slow, there’s definitely nothing boring about it. Drew’s vocals are spot on and the storytelling in his lyrics…

Review by Shannon Shumaker I’m not going to lie, usually when someone tells me that a band “sounds like Passion Pit” when pitching them to me, I’m quick to write them off. It’s not that I don’t like Passion Pit, but I feel that a band can only sound so similar to them without sounding exactly like them – it’s a hard genre of music to stand out in. That being said, this is not a review on Passion Pit, this is a review on SPEAK’s new album Pedals, and I must say, I’m incredibly glad that I decided to give this album…

Review by Shannon Shumaker I should start this off by saying that while I’m a sucker for acoustic and folk music, I’m picky when it comes to listening to new artists that I haven’t heard of yet. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that with a lot of acoustic, folk and solo acts, there’s really only so much that an artist can do to make themselves stand out from the pack or sound unique. That being said, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I decided to give David Rosales’ new EP Along The Way a listen. To be…

Review by Shannon Shumaker If there is one word that can easily describe Wolves At The Gate’s sophomore album, VxV it would be epic. From the explosive beginning of the second song on the album, “Wake Up” to slower songs like “East To West” all the way to memorable final track “The Father’s Bargain,” VxV grabs you tight and doesn’t let go. To put it simply, this album is a journey. In a music scene where most bands are either all doing the same thing or trying too hard to be different, it seems that Wolves At The Gate are…

Review by Shannon Shumaker I’m not going to lie, I went into listening to Rescuer’s newest album, Anxiety Answering not expecting much. It’s not that I don’t like Rescuer, but it’s mostly because I’ve been listening to a lot of bands that sound similar to them lately, such as La Dispute and Being as an Ocean, and I half-expected this album to just be another one to add to list of similar sounding post-hardcore records that have come out this year. That being said, Anxiety Answering sounds nothing like any of those bands, and I was very pleasantly surprised by this…

Review by Shannon Shumaker Within the first few seconds of the opening song on Artifex Pereo’s newest album, Time In Place, it was clear that this was an album that would be hard to forget. The first thing that really stands out are the vocals, which seem to tell a story not only as the song, but as the album progresses, and it’s obvious that this is a band full of musicians who really know what they’re doing and what they want to accomplish. This album isn’t an experiment, that’s for sure. No, Time In Place is consistent, well written,…

Review by Shannon Shumaker It’s a pretty great feeling when a song just seems to speak to you; when you hear the lyrics and they just click with you and it makes you say, “oh my god.” That being said, it wasn’t until the third song (“Like High School”) on Matt Duke’s newest album, singer/songwriter that I had that moment, but it was totally worth the wait. It’s a relatively simple song and there’s not a whole lot to it, but the lyrics really speak to the listener, and I’m certain that they’re something that we’ve all thought at one point…

Having been part of the music scene for over a decade, it’s no surprise that Chiodos seem to be more self aware and on top of their game than they’ve ever been. With the release of their newest album, Devil as well as Craig Owens fronting the band again, they’re making a point to reconnect with old fans, as well as forming bonds with new ones. And the best part about it? Unlike most bands that have been through splits, member changes and the occasional drama, they’re willing to address it, even making a point to thank their fans halfway…

Having been part of the music scene for over a decade, it’s no surprise that Chiodos seem to be more self aware and on top of their game than they’ve ever been. With the release of their newest album, Devil as well as Craig Owens fronting the band again, they’re making a point to reconnect with old fans, as well as forming bonds with new ones. And the best part about it? Unlike most bands that have been through splits, member changes and the occasional drama, they’re willing to address it, even making a point to thank their fans halfway through their emotional…

So, for anyone who hasn’t had the chance to listen to Love Crushed Velvet yet, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How would you describe your sound? We’re a rock band that likes to weave different influences into our sound. There are elements of postpunk, classic rock and modern rock, as well as a bit of alternative. For your Delusions EP, did you have any specific influences or a certain sound that you were going for? One of our goals was to create a body of work that was a departure from our debut album without completely shooting off…