After 3 albums worth of demo’s amassed over the years, an ever changing lineup, and no sign of that all elusive record deal, finally in 2008 the band record their debut single, initially appearing only on the 272 Records Compilation – Riot on Sunset Vol 18 but finally being released as a single in its own right on iTunes in late 2010.

Their new single “50 Megaton Love” has been released earlier this year and features contributions from Craig Adams (The Mission, Sisters Of Mercy) and James Stevenson (Gen X, The Alarm, Chelsea, Gene Loves, Jezebel) with the B side “Never Gonna Fall” featuring Chris Kavanagh (Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Big Audio Dynamite II). The Mayhem Deranged core centers on Ray Mayhew and Robert Godfrey.

On these latest releases Mayhew interfuses his punk-rock roots, with pop sensibilities, creating songs that have more substance, better dynamics, are catchier, and more radio friendly than most of the other pseudo post-punk groups around today.

In a nutshell, these songs smoke! “50 Megaton Love”  is one of the most explosive, blazing records to come out of the Ray Mayhew catalog, and is superior to anything he’s done previously, with or without Sigue Sigue Sputnik. “Never Gonna Fall” serves to confirm the rule and is another great example of the band and Mayhew kicking butt. Another trait which renders Ray Mayhew so damn endearing is his stage and vocal presence. Execution and attitude are everything with this format, if you’re going to convince anybody. And Mayhew nails it every time with his snarling growl and ‘screw-everyone-else’ attitude.

The key probably is that Mayhew has stayed true to his rock and roll roots, and hasn’t tried to be something that he isn’t. Bottom line: Ray Mayhew is in top form musically and his sound deserves to make a big splash in the market.

In short, if you’re a fan of punk rock or just great rock and roll in general, and you’re still new to this band, you will not be disappointed with their latest single release, which is a solid introduction to the Mayhem Deranged sound.

“50 Megaton Love”

Vocals: Ray Mayhew
Guitar: James Stevenson
Bass: Craig Adams
Programming / Drums: Robert Godfrey
Recorded at Berry Street Studios Dec 2012 and mixed at The Animal Farm Jan 2013
Mixing: Steve Brown and Mat Leppanen
Produced by Kevin Poree.

Ray Mayhew

OFFICIAL LINKS & WEBSITES:

Mayhem Deranged Website

Reverbnation

Facebook

Youtube

Brombones explain the story-line of ‘The Sun Never Shines on the Poor’: “The video tells the tale of two opposite personalities who find redemption through a violently harrowing, yet profoundly eye-opening experience of uncontrolled lust and manipulative control. It suggests music as a major healer and unifier by breaking down barriers. In 2013 this song is as vibrant as ever and Mr. Thompson delivers the necessary perspective to shine light on our possibly lost generation.”

The original version of “The Sun Never Shines On The Poor”  was written and performed by British folk rockers Richard and Linda Thompson, in 1975 and first appeared on their album “Hokey Pokey”.  Folk-rocker and member of Fairport Convention, Trevor Lucas also slipped in a version, which can be heard on his “Live At The Toubador” album. However both these versions affronted the rather serious theme of the song in a rather ‘docile’ manner, musically, relying more on the lyrics to bring home the point at hand, as was often the case back then.

Brombones take a completely different approach on their version of “The Sun Never Shines on the Poor”, as their arrangement reflects, and is definitely more adapted to the present socio-economic conditions engulfing our planet. Brombones primarily speak through the aggressive grinding nature of the music and their snarling vocal tones. Guitars, riff, rant and scream, the Bass, stomps, rumbles and drives, while the drums produce a smart, well driven rhythm which holds it all together at the roots, allowing the vocals to navigate, meander and penetrate your mind irreversibly. The song is complex, layered and atmospheric, yet remains catchy and accessible to the average ear.

Video director, Alexx Thompson presumably had a tough task at hand, attempting to translate this complex little work of art into pictures without slipping into cliched-ridden territory. But at the end of the day he comes out with flying colors, adding yet another dimension to the music. Brilliant photography capture the intense facial close-ups and strikingly penetrating eyes of the performers. Providing added credibility to the lyrics being sung. Thompson also throws in a creative storyboard with exotic undertones; think gypsy, colorful punk and then mix in some circus and a bit of art school imagery…and you’re almost halfway there!

All-round “The Sun Never Shines on the Poor” by Brombones reeks of a totally new and explosive creation. From its original and honorable, but meeker ancestor, it has inherited the lyrics and chord structure, but that’s where all similarities end. Brombones are Jeremy Crabtree, Elias Crabtree, Andrew Anderson and Adam Farley.

Alexx Thompson

VIDEO “The Sun Never Shines on the Poor”

Crew:
Director/Camera: Alexx Thompson
Editor: Christophe Bryant
Set P.A Olga Vanessa Aristodemou
Still Photographer Amy Shen
Mark Rodriguez
Hair & Makeup: Johaina Gabriel/ Xotchilt Alcantar
P.A/grip: Andrew Anderson

Cast:
Band: Jeremy & Eli Crabtree
Rich guy: Elias Crabtree
Poor guy: Jeremy Crabtree
Pimp: Mark Herod
Dancer: Johaina Gabriel
Baby 1: Vianna viola Crabtree
Baby 2: Madeleine Weidener
Reggie Crabtree – Dog

Brombones

OFFICIAL LINKS & WEBSITES:

Brombones Website

Facebook Page

SoundCloud

Alexx Thompson Website  

It’s been said that her lyrics are without a doubt one of the strongest components of the album. Her writings tackle feelings of self-consciousness and she turns that negativity into positive encouragement. Miracle is surely an uplifting piece of musical art and deserves to be viewed in such a way.

The music video, Miracle, was produced by JNP Productions. It’s a fun and upbeat film that will have to you wondering: What would your miracle be?
Watch the brand new video “Miracle”
Listen to her album on iTunes 

Sumika grew up on Maui, Hawaii where she learned to sing and write songs when she was still a young child. As her passion for music grew, she learned to play ukulele and soon went on to perform at music competitions, playing her own original music. It was obvious that the young Ms. Forbes had a special musical talent and she began attracting students of her own.

As a teenager, Forbes joined R&B girl group Lo-Boy in Maui where she continued to develop all aspects of her musical abilities. She polished her skills in the studio, honed her songwriting technique, and her stage performances blossomed, as she displayed her talents at numerous public events. She moved to Southern California where she cultivated her own brand of pop music with a sound that’s been compared to Rihanna, Pink and Selena Gomez.

Listen to Sumika Forbes debut album, “Miracle,” available on iTunes and Amazon today.
Watch Sumika Forbes Video on YouTube
Listen to Sumika Forbes on iTunes  
Visit Sumika Forbes at Reverbnation  
Contact [SumikaForbesinfo@Gmail.com] for more information.

Amy Ann Steele has this to say about the trio’s music: “Our song writing style is to leave things open to interpretation, with an emphasis on evoking feeling and visualizations even when addressing specific issues.” There obviously couldn’t be a better way to address creative musical processes, and in this the band expresses an artistic maturity well beyond their years of playing experience.

If there’s one thing I always hope to achieve through music reviews, it’s to bring people’s attention to some recordings that they might not otherwise hear. And this may just be one such unfairly neglected album. Once you’ve digested Animalythical you will wonder, where have I been? Their sound is gritty, scuffed, slightly detuned, and never obvious. Each listen will reveal melodies kind of floating just underneath the surface. On this album Old Lava crafts a set of clever pop songs which soon reveal themselves as surprisingly complex compositions, justifying every blast of unconventional sound or melody present in the mix.

Animalythical is a strange album in that it is at once embracing, abrasive and soft, absurd and totally sublime. The band has managed to take their already strong songwriting capabilities to new heights by using the studio as a creative tool. The resulting recording is one that has increased the band’s depth hundred fold compared to their previous album. This CD is ‘classic’ sounding in every sense: it’s varied, it demands multiple listens, and it challenges the listener with a wide array of sounds and styles.

Mention indie, progressive, pop and alt-rock in the same sentence and you’ll make a lot of people run away screaming. But Old Lava’s formula embraces all these genres and it works with amazing effectiveness on this album. Amy Ann Steele stirs the mix with her measured and nuanced vocal notes, while Scott Steele drives the rhythms with his sometimes dirty and dauntless riffs. The effect is startlingly original and harmonious, even in the music’s most discordant moments.

There are many standout tracks on this 14-track album, but for me a couple stand head and shoulders above the rest, like “Down That Road”, “Salvation Is A Name”, “Back Home Charlie” and “Casualties”. These four songs embrace an unparalleled sonic intensity and beauty, rarely found in modern day recordings.

The amazing thing is that for now, you can listen to Old Lava’s music for free. They have 2 full length albums under their current incarnation, Animalythical and Home Is Where Your Shell Is.

Give this band a listen!

OFFICIAL LINKS & WEBSITES:

Artist Website

Bandcamp

Facebook

Youtube

At the same time, Hassan continued to write and compose his own original songs for his debut Album “NOSTALGIA”.  Hassan The Composer’s style is an innovative mixture of Eastern music, European Classical and World music.

He says of his latest single release: “LIGHT OF MY HEART,  is my perception of the love of a conquered heart, loving and seducing every day despite the distance and believes that Love is the creative power which cannot be removed by force! “

Hassan The Composer’s scores reaches out and grabs one’s soul at the first listening; this is instrumental music that soars even without having the benefit of voices or any film imagery to support it – this is the craft of a master-composer at work.

With his songs, Hassan The Composer crafts scores that capture the spirit of his place of birth and of the world that constantly surrounds him; the orchestrations are so very rich and sweepingly beautiful when describing the passionate love of “Light Of My Heart”, including the use of ethnically melodic ideas throughout the score. The lush string transitions provide the listener with cues that puts him or her right into the ever-increasing intensity of Hassan’s personal perception of ‘a conquered heart’. His steady rhythms and piano runs shatter the ominous stillness, though he never travels too far away from the beautiful string textures that really characterize this work, as we are able to savor the triumphant spirit of it all.

Most of Hassan The Composer’s works are purely beautiful, simply stirring music that soars from the sound source directly into your soul; and you are definitely exposed to his passion and love for humanity and his native land, which runs subtly through all of his releases, not least, “In My Heart” which forges hypnotic Arabic melodies over a splendidly modern arrangement.

There are moments of enthusiasm, commotion, beauty and tenderness such as I have not heard in years. This is music that would perfectly suit movie soundtracks, as it is stirring and almost graphic in its expression. Hassan also has a new album coming up for release soon. It is entitled “This Is Me”.

Hassan The Composer’s scores are for people who love powerfully suggestive music with an exotic flavor. This is sincerely passionate and soulful compositions which everyone should treat themselves to.

OFFICIAL LINKS:

Artist Website

Facebook

Twitter

Youtube

Cassius K’s new official single “WATCH” produced by H.D. dropped April 2013. “WATCH” already has a buzz growing in the streets and on the popular social networking platform Twitter, and a few others. Cassius has a versatile delivery and isn’t afraid to express how he feels in lyric, beat and melody. “I adjust my voice to however the beat makes me feel” is what he tells sources. 

Cassius has been building his name and brand in part, by putting his vocals on mixtape tracks produced by Just Blaze, DJ Mr Rogers, Heavy D, Stunt N Dozier, Watts Productions, H.D., 80s Babies, CJ BEATS and was also featured on DJ Merk’s (Official Dj for Dorrough Music) Outbreak VoL1 in 2007 and various projects across the globe.

Cassius’ first solo mixtape project “PAGE 1” is scheduled to be released Summer 2013, and his first album release date is being discussed with P.HE. Cassius is a Graduate of Prairie View A&M University receiving a BS and MS in 2007 and 2009.

In the spring of 2006 Cassius K was initiated in the Eta Gamma of Alpha Phi.  Alpha Fraternity Inc., and in the Winter of 2008 he was initiated into The Insane Alpha of Nu Gamma Phi Fraternity Inc., a community service organization established in Waller County.

The former athlete turned artist says music has always been in him, though he felt football was his passion, but injuries put that goal on hold. His mother is a singer, and his father plays trumpet, while his grandmother, Rev. Maxine L. Barksdale was a piano teacher. PUNCHLINES are never his intent but they may happen. “My goal is to MAKE people across the earth feel me” #PHE, he says.

OFFICIAL LINKS:

iTunes

Twitter

The Artwork is by the American artist, Barrett Clark. The e.p. will be out this summer with two tracks by Yousuke Watanabe and two by Barclay & Ichinose.

OFFICIAL LINKS:

Barclay & Ichinose Official Website
Yousuke Watanabe Official Website

Donrique comes from a finger-style guitar background, studying Tommy Emmanuel for 5 years before joining The Pilot Kids. At 15, he was designing t-shirts for bands such as Taking Back Sunday and a slew of Drive-Thru Records artists. He also designed for Atticus Clothing and his own brand, KillThePilot Aesthetics. In college, Donrique decided he wanted to merge his musical and visual influences together and began designing album art for finger-style guitarists. He graduated from The University of The Arts in 2012 with a degree in fine art.

Jonny first began music at 6 with piano lessons, later studying clarinet and drums. He also taught himself the bass guitar and electric guitar and has been playing for about 4 years each. At 10, Jonny started rapping and producing beats. Once high school came, however, he concentrated more heavily on musical theater and athletics. This changed when college began and he focused on acting and writing, joining popular NYC sketch comedy group DeadPanda Comedy (www.youtube.com/deadpandacomedy). He graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of The Arts in 2012 with a degree in film.

OFFICIAL LINKS:

Artist Website

Facebook

Twitter

iTunes

The Pilot Kids – “Million Bucks” [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Directed by RAB
http://www.rabfilm.com

Produced by Airebedd
http://www.airebedd.com

Like all great pop-punk bands, Split The D’s formula is simple enough; equal parts humor, angst and rebellion combined with infectious guitar hooks that just beg for the stereo to be cranked up. On the latest single (and especially on the video) “Legacies”, where the band pays homage to “anyone who has passed away too young”, they have connected their music with something emotional. And it rocks.

The song starts like an electric charge suspended in limbo, then explodes into a blisteringly hard rhythm, showcasing some awesome pure rock riffs. The drumming on “Legacies” is also noteworthy. Kevin’s beat is always steady as a rock, with perfect fills and little touches that increase the song’s effectiveness tenfold.

Originally a mathematics term for dividing the difference, Split The D is considered to be a sports term for breaking through the defensive line. And that’s exactly what members Joey Bones – Vocals, Jason Guitar/Vocals, Steve – Guitar, Casey – Bass/Vocals, and Kevin – Drums are attempting to do, as they launch their musical attack with “Legacies”.

If this is an indication of the direction Split The D is going to be taking. Emotional, powerful, and at the same time maintaining their fun side, they may just hit the musical jackpot, finding a sound clearly recognizable as their own.

OFFICIAL LINKS:

Reverbnation

Facebook

His infectious brand of radio Pop Rock has already been quickly snapped up and supported by local community and student FM stations in his home country New Zealand, and is now gaining solid International radio airplay interest and rotation on internet radio stations, FM radio stations and podcasts around the world.

Releasing his first commercial Pop rock single ‘Flying High’ to radio stations though out New Zealand and internationally, Carwyn is the first ever Kiwi independent Pop/Rock artist known to release 4 radio singles during New Zealand’s annual original music celebration, ‘NZ Music Month’, and the first Kiwi artist to release the same 4 singles internationally during the NZ Music Month event, held in May 2013.

Ballsy and ambitious, this New Zealand artist is doing it ‘Kiwi Styles’. His music reflects the voice of people on the street like you and me, with simple deep cutting lyrics covering topics such as shocking historical events, offering positive hope and inspiration, uniting and uprising, and sending strong messages of peace to the world.

OFFICIAL WEBSITES

Artist Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Soundcloud