WPNR 90.7 FM's music blog! Located in the Mohawk Valley in Central New York, WPNR-FM is Utica College's student operated radio station! Here you can find album reviews and information about artists from a variety of different music genres! Please feel free to comment and let us know your thoughts!
October 31, 2013
Artist: Arctic Monkeys
Genre:Indie Rock
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band that formed in 2002. The band consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, lead/rhythm guitar), Jamie Cook (rhythm/lead guitar), Nick O’Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, backing vocals).
The band has released five studio albums, as well as one live album
The band's debut album became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history. Arctic Monkeys were heralded as one of the first group of acts to come to the public attention via the web The band are also regarded as one of the most prominent bands to be part of the post-punk revival in the UK, after achieving commercial success and spawning two number one singles with their debut album.
This week Arctic Monkeys are at #1 on the CMJ Top 200 Chart with their newest album “AM” which was released in early september. Arctic Monkeys are definitely a group to look out for.
Dubbed as the “hip-hop” supergroup, Deltron 3030 is made up of 3 super talented men; Deltron Zero (Del Tha Funkee Homosapien), the Cantankerous Captain Aptos (Producer/Remixer Dan “The Automator” Nakamura) and Skiznod the Boy Wonder (turntablist Kid Koala).
With what seems to be a very psychedelic, futuristic, yet unheard of flow--Deltron has made it to #1 this week on CMJ’s Hip-Hop Chart with their second album Event II.
Strangely, it’s been legit 13-years since their debut self titled album: Deltron 3030 hit the stands. So why the wait? According to Dan “The Autmator” in an interview with Exclaim.ca, “....... there were a number of reasons, but the primary reason was that we just had to be in the right place at the right time to do it.” Listening to both albums side to side, there is definitely a noticeable difference in how the music has been placed and the albums primary focus. With 16 tracks on Events II, you will be sure to dive head first into this Deltron Galaxy. The underground movement is now surfacing, DEFINITELY, Check these guys out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMWFrmwP62U - PAY THE PRICE BY DELTRON 3030 Sounds Like: #GORRILLAZ #AESOP-ROCK #VAST-AIRE #CHALI-2NA #HEIRUSPECS ....Oh, and If you don’t have a great imagination, stray away. #TwerkersKEEPOUT
The Album features one live track which quickly became my personal favorite track off the EP. The song is called "Goddamit Julia". It features high pitch catchy singing and riffs that will find you singing along soon after a listen. So lend your ears and give a listen below.
The latest
release from the Portland, Oregon thrashers, Toxic Holocaust, is as thrashy and
mean as it gets. As you know, Toxic Holocaust is one of the best at making old
school thrash. And Chemistry of Consciousness sounds like good ‘ol Toxic
Holocaust from 10 years ago with its viscous riffs and speedy riffs. This
record shows that Toxic Holocaust is not going to change and will forever make
thrashy, scummy, mean music for a while (I hope). As the old folktale goes, “If
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Toxic Holocaust’s fourth upcoming album,
Chemistry of Consciousness is just what you expected. Pick this gem up on
October 29th. You can order it and listen to the full album online here. Toxic Holocaust is going on tour with Ramming Speed and In Defence in
November.
This band has created some great Indie/Alternative tracks. Formed from the ashes of a few bands, they spent their first few months in a pink trailer, deep in the heart of Southern Maryland. U.S. Royalty is currently unsigned and released their debut album "MIRRORS" on January 25, 2011. After playing festivals CMJ, SXSW, and opening for Third Eye Blind for the majority of 2011, the band is currently in the studio working on a
follow up to MIRRORS.
Here are some of their best tracks.
- J~Dawg
U.S. Royalty Logo
October 16, 2013
Everyone Loves a New Album (or several)
It's been a big couple months for alternative/indie. The much anticipated B-Room from Dr. Dog came out October 1st (and didn't disappoint), as well as the late September releases of Man Man's softer On Oni Pond and Deer Tick's introspective Negativity. And that's only the start.
Pearl Jam's Lightning Bolt came out Oct. 11th with the same grit Eddie Vedder and company have consistently played since they're first album, Ten, released in 1991. No Pearl Jam fan will be disappointed with this 10th album of vigor and no apologies. That being said, I advise you to get the whole album.
Artist: Rich Homie Quan
Born: DeQuantes Lamar on Oct. 4th 1989
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Twitter: @RichHomieQuan
Rapper
Rich Homie Quan came in kicking $#% and taking names-- with his summer banger
“Some Type of Way”. One of the biggest artist in the game right now, Drake, has
even gone to the extent of crowning “Some Type of Way” as being one of the
hottest songs in Hip Hop for Summer 2013---adding that he “wish he came up with
the concept first.” (Now, that’s how you do it)
Rich Homie Quan made it into the hot seat with his dope flow and fresh talent.
He has chosen to rap about substance, things he’s gone through and what he can
imagine his fan base going through.Quan is Not into fabricating stories about
cars/money/drugs, ‘Quan is more positive than that. He didn’t come in the game
name bashing boasting about being
“better than so and so” which can sometimes land you your hit record, if you
build the buzz well enough. Rich Homie Quan is building his own buzz by just
being a RAW artist--rapping about real things, something rare and contained in
this generation’s Hip-Hop scene.
With a promising start and backing from his label, Def Jam Recording; Rich
Homie Quan has however had his share of mishaps and downs, as he was recently
released from jail in 2011 and his Mentor passed just shortly before his
mixtape release.
Rich Homie Quan is however, certain that he won’t fall victim to his
circumstances and that he’s on a quest to manifest positivity in every thing
that he does. He believes this outlook is what’s going to keep him in the
running for the top spot and differentiated from the in crowd.
Rich Homie Quan’s career is not only rumored to---but backed by his positive
spirit and impeccable work ethic, that it is most certainly about to blow. His
mixtape Where Were You is scheduled to be released later on this year. Until
then, be on the look out for his features!
It has been A while and there's much to be said !!
Upcoming !!
Skeletonwitch
Serpents Unleashed will come out on October 29 in North America.
“I am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)”
The black-thrashers, Skeletonwitch, of Athens, Ohio have recently released a couple of tracks off of their highly anticipated album Serpents Unleashed. The more recent release is “I am of Death (Hell has Arrived)” and this song came with a video that is just as badass as the title. This song begins like “Follow the Reaper” by Children of Bodom with some old dude saying creepy stuff and with no hesitation, the whole band starts riffing in-sync. Nate and Scott don’t really shred technical stuff like they used to but they evolved into kickass guitarists that shred nasty riffs that just pull any metal head in. The band really shows their progression as music writers by sending chills with the closest thing to a melodic chorus Skeletonwitch can write. Even though this part doesn’t sound like black-thrash like Skeletonwitch is known for, it is still metal as the terminator thanks to Chance and his bad to the bone lyrics like “I rip through bone and flesh” and “I am of carnage, I am the dark one, Killer of man, I am of death”. They make evil sound groovy. This song just rules and Skeletonwitch is going to be bigger than ever expected with this new record that comes out October 29th.
“I am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)” give it a listen
-Author Jamie McNamara
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
- Aristotle
And WOW !! the old bastard was right. The British death metal pioneers "Carcass"released their sixth full-length album on September 17th in the U.S. and North America. This album is so impressive it was leaked a month before it's release. You might ask yourself why the quote from Aristotle is the headline to this note. Well that is part of what makes this album so impressive. Carcass has not released an studio album since 1996 when original band members, Ken Owen, and Michael Amott were in the picture. Why so long to write again? After the bands departure in 1996 it was a questionable whether they would ever reunite after Owen suffered cerebral hemorrhage in 1999. However, rehearsal started in 2007 when talk of a reunion tour emerged. Then the tracks began to flow again with new members, Daniel Erlandsson on drums, and Ben Ash on guitar. The band then signed with Nuclear Blast records in May of 2013 and the masterpiece "Surgical Steel" was created. This album is one of the heaviest of 2013 with everything from thrashing licks to heavy riffs. Carcass' "Surgical Steel" is currently topping the number #1 spot on the WPNR Loud Rock charts and for good reason. The Brits are back and better than ever just give it a listen and try not to shed tears of blood and joy.
