Sell Out Records - A Music Review Blog

Best Album Art of 2015! As far as creative bands are concerned, The Bloody Jug Band just hit my radar with full force. This type of alternative rock music is one of the reasons why I love music in the first place. With their release of “Rope Burn”, they truly put down a record that is going to be on my top 10 records of 2015. It starts off a bit slow with “Volfkiller”, then it spirals out of control with some amazing elements. Mixing strong guitar driven melodies, interesting narratives in the lyrics, and strong vocals, this is a record that opens up like a horror movie and comes through with grindhouse precision, only a bit more polished. There’s a “country” vibe that you get from some of the tracks, but it seems to be more in the way the lyrics are delivered. Strong and story filled, you are going to want to close your eyes and pay attention to the words. There’s a lot going on here, a story that is very easy to follow with each hand. A strong blues and country mix with strong ...

Ok, it’s not that aggressive, they are not the second coming of Pantera. But what they offer is something that flows right in with the best in alternative music. The power that made their first EP one of my favorites of last year, comes through again with even more eclectic influences. From the first track, “Gazed Out”, you are taken to another place. If you close your eyes, you can feel an ethereal musical landscape come through. The band does so much to propel you into a new wave of attention that by the time you get to “Cryer”, you are prepared for one hell of a record. There are moments that are purely rocking here, and some that are subtle and quiet. There’s a balancing act that is here that reminds me of Silversun Pickups and even a little Jesus and Mary Chain. However, the band puts together a sound on their own with a focus on guitar driven melodies and strong alternative rock leanings. It’s hard to put these guys in one box, as they rise towards several genres as they go thr...

Touted as being a real ghost that is singing songs of past, present, and future, The Ghost of Brooklyn will catch you off guard. The guitar driven music is pleasant, and mixes various genres. From a bit of pop to a little reggae and ska, you are going to be astonished by what you hear in the mix. While those genres may seem like stretches, all you need to hear is “One Love”, and you’ll understand the measure of the artists soulful tunes. It’s not just one track that will capture the soul of the musical experience of The Ghost of Brooklyn. Listening to the tracks that are available now, you are going to immediately feel a kinship with the artist. There’s something simple about the music, and the lyrics, which paint a picture for you. “Beautiful Day” for instance, takes you on a simple journey to enjoy things a bit more. A smile on your face will appear as you listen to the song and lyrics that illustrate a bit of joy. There’s a certain rock sensibility to the music pushed forward h...

Download Here I’ve met a lot of Sublime fans in my day. Lots of them know of Sublime’s self-titled, and when I mention these guys, they stare at me with a blank face. I then recommend that they put down the Sublime box set, and pick up this band’s 2001 effort. “Wonders of the World” finds the group putting out their best record , in my opinion. It was the last one, so it's not like I have a long list of options to compare. For those that aren’t aware of this band, you have to go back to 1996. The band was put together after Brad Nowell died of a drug overdose. The band put out a record in 1999, but this is their 2001 release. With this release, the group would put together a lot of mixes from reggae, dub, to sonic ska. The ska sounds were mixed through a lot of members putting their spin on what made Sublime great.  THIS IS NOT SUBLIME! Well, it kind of is. The members of Sublime, before they found Rome, put this band together and they put together some great tracks on this...

The neighbor downstairs likes to blast a lot of trendy, terrible music. I ask her once a week to turn it down, and it makes me feel way older than I am. Today, I won. I got to blast Cikatris as loud as humanly possible, shaking my cat’s sleeping box (she sleeps under my desk) and vibrating through the floor with a sub-woofer that made my neighbor ask me to turn down the music. I said no, and slammed the door in her face. That’s what she gets right?!? I felt bad. But the point of this story is simple, this band rocks hard and they take no prisoners with their music. The band has a way of mixing noise, punk, and pop sensibilities to create a serious garage punk style that you are not going to find with many bands. As you listen to their latest double 7” record, you are completely enthralled with the silky smooth vocals and frenetic pacing of the guitar, drums, and bass. Oh, let’s not forget the keytar which is used prominently here. The record pushes through a lot of great nose and fuz...

In Seattle I worked for a snowboard company, and my coworker would always play electronic music. He was a dj and he was working on all sorts of different tracks, remixes, and ideas for beats while working on tech there in our small offices. Back then he introduced me to a lot of electronic music, and a love for the genre started to blossom. Fast forward to today, and I hear a lot of music on a regular basis, and the one genre that always has a way of introducing me to new melody, musical notation, and creativity is electronic. Suffice to say Worldwide Groove Corporation's release of “Standard Chill” does an absolute grand thing to pull my heart strings and those of anyone that likes electronic, digital, and ambient music. This record brings together tracks from a variety of musical genres but with an electronic feel, and it’s every bit iconic. Every track has something new to offer, and it’s not all digital, it’s got some amazing elements of jazz, rock, and more. The vocals fea...