MuzikMan's Reviews And News: Alt-Rock

Showing posts with label Alt-Rock. Show all posts

6/15/2023

L.A. Alt-Rock Band Make Believe Friends Release Cover of Blondie’s Classic “RAPTURE”

Final Mix and ATMOS Mix by Legendary Producer Ed Stasium

Make Believe Friends drops their latest video and single, a cover of Blondie’s iconic and timeless song “Rapture” on Friday, June 16, 2023. “Rapture” is an American classic rock/rap/alt-rock song written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie. The hit song was released in 1981 on Blondie’s fifth studio album “Autoamerican”.

Mindy Milburn and Laura Espinoza (the core members of Make Believe Friends) wanted to create a bit more haunting updated version, but without changing the structure, integrity or major elements of this classic song.

To make this happen, Mindy (lead vocals) and Laura (guitar, keyboards) enlisted the talents of some of the best musicians and producers in music today including: Bass: Phil Soussan (Ozzy, Last in Line); Synth: Michael Bluestein (Foreigner); Drums: Logan Miles Nix (John 5, Heart of Blonde); Michaela Metiver (Heart of Blonde); & Enrique Garcia (Heart of Blonde).

Bernie Godwin III (whose father Dito Godwin produced No Doubt), co-produced and co-mixed the single, then legendary Producer Ed Stasium (Ramones, Talking Heads, Smithereens) produced the final mix and the ATMOS mix.

“I just watched and listened to this great new version of ‘Rapture.’ Wow! There's a lot going on, and the slightly darker edge timed close to the recent release of "Haunt Me" makes sense. I love it! It is hard to believe that it has already been over 40 years since Blondie's No. 1 gold single. Congratulations to everyone, especially Mindy pulling off the singing and rapping.” - Warren Kurtz - Goldmine Music Magazine

Watch Rapture video here: https://youtu.be/KYqAGjAcyPY

About Mindy Milburn:
Mindy has a passion for all performing arts- starting out as a ballet dancer and actress, & eventually finding her voice and passion for songwriting and music. She is also the lead vocalist for the Blondie Tribute Band “Heart of Blonde”. Originally from Cleveland Ohio, she has performed in numerous musical theater productions & indie films and was also a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Dance Team. Mindy made the move to southern California to follow her dream of becoming a recording artist and feels very blessed by the opportunities that have come her way.

About Laura Espinoza:
Laura is a songwriter/guitarist, playwright, and TV producer. She has performed on stage with Luis Maldonado (Train), Terri Nunn (Berlin), Dale Bozzio (Missing Persons) & Prescott Niles (The Knack) and started her career with Matt Sorum (Guns n' Roses). She has recorded at Capitol Records, Hollywood, Abbey Road, UK and is the host of “The Rock Radio Show” on KBU-FM, Malibu. Laura is also the recipient of 3 Emmy Awards.

Make Believe Friends headlines the legendary VIPER ROOM, Hollywood on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Tickets available at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/make-believe-friends-headlines-the-viper-room-tickets-645023321117

To purchase/listen to the music of Make Believe Friends:
https://makebelievefriendsband.com

For more information:
www.MakeBelieveFriendsBand.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makebelievefriendsband
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MakeBelieveFriends
Instagram: @Makebelievefriendsband

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

6/05/2023

Los Angeles Alt-Rock Band “Make Believe Friends” Release New Single and Video: “HAUNT ME”

Make Believe Friends drops their latest video and single called “Haunt Me” on Friday, June 9, 2023. Mindy Milburn and Laura Espinoza are the primary songwriters of Make Believe Friends (aka Lunden Reign), an alt rock band in Los Angeles, California.

“Wow! The keyboards (in Haunt Me) are appropriately haunting. (Laura’s) guitar part before the chorus is outstanding and it is great to hear (Enrique’s) wah-wah later on. (Michaela’s) chorus harmonies are strong. With Mindy's voice and the band, I think it is up there with Evanescence! (Also) The video perfectly matches the song …. (Mindy’s) delivery is emotional and gave me chills.” - Warren Kurtz - Goldmine Music Magazine

Watch video here: https://youtu.be/Zs8iR-1KKlQ

About “Haunt Me” (Lyrics by Mindy Milburn)
“Haunt Me” is about the loss of a loved one too soon, and in the despair of missing that person, how one might ask to be haunted, to be given a sign or an omen that the person on the other side is somehow still with them.

Taken far too early, stolen from this life too soon
So suddenly left all alone, I’m nothing without you
Don’t leave me, Haunt me
Whisper to me through the trees
Don’t leave me, Haunt me
Whatever you do, don’t go quietly

The idea came to me when I heard of a tragic loss, a young mother dying during childbirth, and how the husband could go on after suffering such a tremendous loss like this. I couldn't stop thinking about it, what he would be feeling and how do you cope. It just seemed so impossible to me, but somehow, when tragedy strikes, the world does keep moving on. So this song is an expression of what someone in that situation might be wishing and praying for at all costs- a glimpse of a memory in a dream, a whisper through the trees, a phone that rings suspiciously or sudden static on a screen. Any potential sign to grasp onto to feel comforted that that loved one is still somehow present and nearby, and to never want to let them go.

About the production:
“Haunt Me” was written by Mindy Milburn (lyrics); music by Laura Espinoza & Enrique Garcia and produced by Bernie Godwin. They are joined by Michaela Metivier, Logan Miles Nix, Chris Eisenberg and Loris Eisaeian.

“Haunt Me” lyrics:
We had only just begun, you should be here with me
I stare at your photo for hours, will you set me free?

Taken far too early, stolen from this life too soon
So suddenly left all alone, I’m nothing without you

Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whisper to me through the trees
Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whatever you do, don’t go quietly
Show me that your still here
Be the static on the screen
Fill me with light when I’ve gone dark
The curious phone that rings

Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whisper to me, through the trees
Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whatever you do, don’t go quietly.

So stay with me always
Hold on forever lock and key
So stay with me always
Hold on forever, never let me be…

They tell me time will heal
That my shattered world will mend
Her towering tree grows strongest
Against a storm’s relentless wind

Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whisper to me, through the trees
Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whatever you do, don’t go quietly

Don’t leave me, haunt me
I believe you’re here with me
Don’t leave me, haunt me
Whatever you do, don’t go quietly

To purchase/listen to the music of Make Believe Friends:
https://makebelievefriendsband.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

9/26/2020

Psychedelic Rock Review: The Flaming Lips - American Head

Release Date: September 11, 2020

Label: Bella Union

Website

After a decade of dabbling in the wayward experimental, prodigal psycho-proggers, The Flaming Lips have returned home with the modern-day jewel, American Head. After the garage-acid college radio days of the '80s and '90, the band created the triumphant triumvirate, The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and At War with the Mystics - three of the finest albums any band has ever recorded in succession. They closed out the 2000s with the brilliant Embryonic, a supercharged experimental onslaught which would carve an even stranger path into the 2010s.

Chalk it up to creative differences, ill-advised flights of fancy or indifference, but the 2010s were a decade that tried even the most ardent Flaming Lips fans. The terror of The Terror, the lethargy of Oczy Mlody, and the inanity of King's Mouth made most fans drift toward disinterest. The savvy stylings of the early 2020 collaboration with Deap Vally gave fans a sign that a return to form was imminent. Now, with the real American Dream in complete chaos, the Lips provide their own, a sonic roadmap through the sadness, steering listeners across the landscape of loss with profundity and hope.

Elegant and layered, the opening track "Will You Return/When You Come Down" is a piano and acoustic guitar-ladened masterwork. The initial refrain carries the doleful tune into an acoustic chord shift that drives the mood deeper. "Now, all your friends are dead. And their ghosts. Floating around your bed. Hear it said. Now all your friends are dead." In remembrance of all the death that fell before him over the years, Wayne Coyne laments the fact that he will not reunite with his fallen brethren in heaven or Valhalla. They are gone forever, and the weight of this realization crashes upon him in the song's crescendo. Underneath it all lies a cutting rhythm and gentleness reminiscent of Yoshimi and the Pink Robots.

Thus lies the central theme of American Dream. It is a protocol on how to live one's life years after misspending one's youth. Do not fret, because a hopeful theme undercuts these songs. The pain of these remembrances is less sharp and even hopeful with those you love by your side. In an ocean of death, "You and me Selling Weed" and "My Religion is You" offer the illusion of salvation. On "Dinosaurs on the Mountain," Coyne brings to light the memory of traveling in his family's station wagon as a kid. Pretending the trees on the mountain are dinosaurs, he laments a time when one could simply imagine and create things in one's mind without repercussions of reality, which creeps in as adults.

"Assassins of Youth" is as brilliant a Flaming Lips song that's been created in the last twenty years. A galloping pop jaunt through the tenets of rock and rhythm, there's a touch of Zeppelin and, to Coyne's admission, a touch of ABBA as well. "Mother, please Don't Be Sad" is another - a Bohemian Rhapsody-esque gem polished with soulful lyrics and other-worldly interludes.

In American Head, the Flaming Lips have not quite come full circle as no journey of enlightenment ever truly ends at its source. Their journey is more like a spiral, and they've swooped by and tipped their caps to their former selves as they glide inward with a touching collection of songs ranking right up there with the best albums of 2020.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

6/26/2020

THE WALK-A-BOUT Release Music Video for the New Single "TIMELESS" From Their Full-Length LP 20/20

Long Island, New York – Aussie-American alternative rock quintet THE WALK-A-BOUT hail from the artistic East End of Long Island, New York. THE WALK-A-BOUT released their new full-length LP 20/20 worldwide in stores and online on June 5th, 2020. The album’s first official music video, featuring the new single “TIMELESS” will premiere online at Skylight Webzine on Friday, June 26th.

20/20 has been receiving a great response from fans, media, and radio airplay across the country. Exclusive Magazine writes that 20/20 “features ten wondrous new tracks that lovingly embrace such different musical styles as funk, rock, world, Latin, folk, prog and even a dash of psychedelia, whilst maintaining a pop sensibility within each song structure,” and that it is “Destined to be a classic.” AntiMusic.com writes that, “there is a real kinship here with bands like the Dave Matthews Band, whose fans will really dig cuts like ‘Date Nut Porridge’ and ‘Tale of the Vibe Rider.’”

The video was directed by George Panagakos of 525 Media, the same company that created the album art and promotional assets for 20/20.

Produced by Andrew Michael Bertrand and mastered by Roger Lian, 20/20 is an incredibly diverse record that explores many genres, expanding the scope of the band’s classic sound. There is something on the album for everyone. Whether it’s alternative rock, world music, funk, or the influence of prog rock, THE WALK-A-BOUT’s music is visceral, emotional, fun and socially conscious.

THE WALK-A-BOUT began writing the material for 20/20 in March of 2019, right at the time when the band began to achieve massive radio success with their album THINGS ARE LOOKING UP, which consistently landed in Top 20 charts alongside such artists as Paul McCartney, Jeff Tweedy, Mumford & Sons and Death Cab for Cutie. The album reached #4 on Roots Music Radio Report, while the singles “Consequences,” “By My Side,” and “That’s Just The Way It Goes” ranked simultaneously in the Top 5 of the alternative rock singles chart. The album was also ranked #24 on Roots Music Radio Report’s “Best of 2019” chart. The video for “That’s Just The Way It Goes” had an online premiere hosted by Skope Entertainment and continuous play on over 75 broadcast outlets throughout the summer and early fall of 2018. THE WALK-A-BOUT also released a limited edition 180-Gram Red Splatter Vinyl of THINGS ARE LOOKING UP available exclusively through their website.

Band members Darren “Sully” Sullivan, Kevin Anderson, Drew Bertrand, and Dave Christian were joined by bass player Keenan Zach for the writing and recording of 20/20, and their collective vision has allowed THE WALK-A-BOUT to explore the outer reaches of music, soul and spirit. This dynamic new collection maintains the band’s depth and introspection, delivering a deep and entertaining album with pop appeal. 20/20 was recorded on 14 reels of two-inch tape, a recording method that is reflected in the dynamic sound of this extraordinary release, which is destined to be a classic.

THE WALK-A-BOUT has toured along the East and West Coasts throughout 2018 and 2019 and are currently preparing a world tour in support of their new album release 20/20.

To watch the official music video for “TIMELESS” from 20/20 please visit:

To purchase or stream the new full-length album 20/20 on digital services please visit: www.walkaboutband.com/2020

For more information including tour dates or booking inquiries please visit: www.walkaboutband.com

For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR: (828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com

For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective: jerome@independentdistro.com

THE WALK-A-BOUT Release Music Video for the New Single "TIMELESS" From Their Full-Length LP 20/20

4/17/2020

Folk Rock Review: M. Ward - Migration Stories

Release Date: April 10, 2020

Label: Anti-Records

Web Site

On Migration Stories, M. Ward rides the elusive suffusion, which intertwines the conscious and unconscious mind. Someone tried to label it long ago as ‘Mellow Gold,’ but like all labels, it is superficial and, like an abstract of an abstract, fails to capture any depth. The sonic essence of this record feels like the springtime sun smacking your face after a long, cold winter. It warms you to the point of epiphany and a realization that better times are ahead of us.

M. Ward’s 10th studio album starts slow and then grows gradually like a flower garden surrounding the listener in a bed of color. Migration Stories’ wavelength is similar to Ray Lamontagne’s super mellow vibe in Oroboros, Beck’s wistful mellowness in Sea Change, and the sun-drenched exaltation of the Beach Boys. Weave all this together with a thread of Nat King Cole, and you have a sonic experience unlike any other.

Some of the more memorable moments include “Heaven’s Nail and Hammer,” where M. discovers heaven through the holes in the sky. “Independent Man” rides a slow fuzzy groove in and out of reality toward an uneven proclamation of unrequited obsession. “Real Silence” build on itself orchestrally to produce one of the finest tracks while the infectious “Torch” repeats the line “heartbeats in rhythm to its own, ba, ba, bahhhh” is likely to create an earworm in your brain for days. Lyrically, whether traveling through the “Unreal City” or “Along the Santa Fe Trail,” they paint a picture throughout of souls lost or in transition.

There’s a lesson to be learned as we sit on the sand and listen to the tide gently caress the shoreline, and that is, the slower you go, the more you’ll know. Turning down the volume on our lives and moving at a more careful and deliberate pace allows us to take in more of the world around us. This, in turn, fills us with wonder and hope for a brighter future. When an E chord is introduced after three minutes of a C, G & A progression, that E chord hits your ears like a clapper hitting a church bell.

So, take a lesson from Migration Stories and let it take you from one place to another. During these uneasy times, sometimes it’s best to let go and like swallows heading south, ride the wind and surrender yourself to nature, trusting that eventually, we will all arrive at a better place.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

4/10/2020

Make Believe Friends Featuring Members of Lunden Reign Release New Single "Thank the Academy"

Los Angeles - Make Believe Friends is a new band name for Laura Espinoza and Mindy Milburn who are also the core members of the critically acclaimed band Lunden Reign. Laura and Mindy wanted a second group so they could explore creating other styles of music. Matt Denis (bass) and Noel Jasso (drums), also from Lunden Reign, and Miranda Miller (from Hey Violet!) will also be a part of the new lineup for Make Believe Friends. However, this new version will feature a more contemporary sound.

Their new single “Thank the Academy” is a driving, upbeat song with music by Laura Espinoza (primary songwriter for Lunden Reign) and lyrics by Mindy Milburn. Produced by Geoff Pearlman, the song reflects on someone driven by their own fame, ego and insecurity to the point of where social accolades are more important than anyone else in their life.

“Already a living legend, you think you have no flaws, when you look in the mirror, can you hear the applause?”

Mindy Milburn (lead singer) & Laura Espinoza (guitarist/songwriter) are the core members of Make Believe Friends (and also Lunden Reign), an all original alt rock band based out of West Hills, California. Laura & Mindy have already released 4 singles with “Follow Me to the Sun” picked as the #1 song of 2019 by Warren Kurtz of Goldmine Music Magazine.

About Laura Espinoza:

Laura is a songwriter/guitarist, playwright, and TV producer. Laura recently won a NARAS songwriting contest, exclusive to Grammy voting members where she participated in a private songwriting workshop with Busby, Rodney Jerkins, and Sarah Hudson. She has performed on stage with Luis Maldonado (Train), Terri Nunn (Berlin), Dale Bozzio (Missing Persons) & Prescott Niles (The Knack) and started her career with Matt Sorum (Guns n' Roses). She has recorded at Capitol Records, Hollywood, Abbey Road, UK and is the host of “The Rock Radio Show” on KBU-FM, Malibu. Laura is also the recipient of 3 Emmy Awards.

About Mindy Milburn:

Mindy has a passion for singing and music. Originally from Cleveland Ohio, Mindy also sings for other bands when not performing with Make Believe Friends and Lunden Reign including both No Doubt and Madonna tribute bands. Mindy is now living in Los Angeles after moving from Ohio and is the proud parent of two wonderful children.

The band is currently working on a video for “Thanks the Academy” and will resume live performances after the CoronaVirus pandemic restrictions are lifted.

To purchase:
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/makebelievefriends/thank-the-academy-feat-lunden-reign

For more information:
www.MakeBelieveFriendsBand.com
www.lundenreign.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

3/28/2020

Alt-Rock Review: Morrissey - I am Not a Dog on a Chain

Release Date: March 20, 2020

Label: BMG

Website

Moz is back with his 13th studio album, I am not a Dog on a Chain. Typical of the tortured man, proudly standing his modest piece of ground, the title perfectly matches the sentiment within. Brutal honesty and spilling of one's guts to the point where the listener, for fear of crying, can't help but laugh.

Other than the atmospheric, eight-minute petulant grouch-fest, "The Secret of Music," there isn't much to draw my interest beyond the tried and true intro/verse/chorus/verse/solo/chorus pop-punk progression. Beginning with The Smiths whose sound defined 1980's British Indie Rock, this formula has served Morrisey well, and the musicianship on this album is solid. Yet, it serves primarily as a foundation for the grouchy vegetarian's sulky bitch-fest, ripe with warning shots of impending doom and hell-to-pay for anyone attempting daring to approach his fragile ego.

Somewhere within this ridiculous self-indulgence lies the sublime. Worthy moments beckon the disaffected and marginalized and shine a light forward. On the title track, Moz bellows, "open up your nervous mouth and feel the words come streaming out… For otherwise, you'll never know who you are or all that you can do. If you want to" On "Knockabout World," Morrisey belts in his lush, dramatic tone, "Congratulations, you're still okay. I'd kiss your lips off any day." There is no shortage of sage advice from the aging prima donna either, "Time will mold you and craft you. But soon, when you're looking away. It will slide up and shaft you."

As we've come to know about Morrisey, things can turn dark in a hurry. On "Jim Jim Falls," he encourages a poor indecisive soul to commit suicide. "If you're going to jump, then jump. If you're going to run home and cry, then don't waste my time. If you're going to kill yourself, then to save face, get on with it." There is no shortage of paranoia either, "Time will come, but it hasn't yet. "Someone's out to get me."

All in all, Morrisey continues to play the victim on this slightly different spin of the same-old, same-old. He has failed to find any new ground, and instead of taking his profound lyrical instincts to blaze a new path forward, he insists on standing his ground, shouting like a disgruntled diva into the void while the world collapses around him.

- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

3/16/2020

Alt-Rock Review: Deap Lips - Deap Lips

Release Date: March 13, 2020

Label: Cooking Vinyl Limited

Website

In their latest attempt to throw their arms around the world, The Flaming Lips have teamed up with the bluesy LA duo, Deap Valley, to create a curiously satisfying collaboration. Flaming Lips vocalist Wayne Coyne and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Drozd join Deap Vally guitar/vocalist Lindsey Troy and drummer/vocalist Julie Edwards in this psycho-blues-robot-alien-pop rock experiment.

Since their triad of masterworks at the turn of the century, The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots & At War with the Mystics, The Flaming Lips' trajectory has been crooked and confounding at best. While 2009's Embryonic gave fans hope for the band's evolution into an impassioned psycho-prog sound, 2013's The Terror steered their fans into another confounding direction. 2017's Oczy Mlody and 2019's King's Mouth attempted to blend elements of this newfound psycho-terror with the aforementioned triad of masterworks, striking chords in spots, yet missing the beat as a whole.
What has truly kept The Flaming Lips compelling and viable over the past 15 years has been their work with other bands and artists. Arguably, their best album over this period has been 2012's The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwiends.  Ambitious cover albums of Sgt. Pepper and Dark Side of the Moon assembled even more "fwiends." This current collaboration with Deap Vally follows suit by layering soulful vocals over more complex, yet lighter tracks.  "Home Thru Hell" is a standout that exemplifies this strange fusion, even adding some playful pokes. "taking all my wisdom from the Flaming Lips of youth."
More intriguing elements of the Flaming Lips such as robotic blurps, churchbells, and descension into divine, jangling netherworlds are peppered throughout the collection. "Hope Held High" and "Love is Mind Control" are superb tracks reminiscent of some of the Flaming Lips' best psycho-pop-acoustic work. Lindsey Troy's vocals on these and other songs add an Amy Winehouse-style nofucksgiven nihilist bent to the atmosphere.
Most satisfying is hearing Deap Vally's aggressive garage sound soften amidst The Flaming Lips psycho-prog vibe. Alternately, The Flaming Lips become sharp and soulful within Deap Vally's electrified boundaries.
All in all, The Flaming Lips skillfully harnessing Deap Vally's raw strength makes for one of the most pleasant surprises of 2020. There's enough here to please fans of both bands and then some.
- Tom Endyke | Guitar & Pen

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