Music Life Now

Fever!

“Fever” is the latest single by Wake Up Paradise. This explosive pop-punk anthem absolutely makes a statement from the electro tinged opener through the incendiary shout chorus. “Fever” is a song that leaves a visceral impression and a crick in your neck from rocking so hard.

The emotional vocals delivered by singer-songwriter Tim Montalvo provide the gasoline soaked rag that ignites this bonfire of a track. The lyrics and performance are both personal and relatable with a mixture of rage and shared experience. The track features aggressive drumming and stacks of electric guitars that complete the pop-punk feel. Not quite nostalgic, the song feels fresh and perfect for a hot night at the club. A “Fever” builds on these layers and explodes into the chorus revealing the powerful beating heart of this track.

The lyric “Breathing, just keep breathing” sums up the ethos of this hard working band. You can feel it in every note and drum hit, this is a band that has something to say. “Fever” will pull you in with its seductive intro that quickly moves you into the inferno of the verses and super catchy chorus. The musical intensity only builds as the song’s supremely precise and driving rhythm section creates waves of aggressive riffs that deliver all the way to the closing note.

Check out the single now on your favorite streaming platform and make sure to follow Wake Up Paradise on Facebook and Instagram for more music and live shows.

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Check back soon for the Music Life Now interview with band leader Tim Montalvo!

ASH ACID

Rock has a new heroine in the form of Ash Acid. From the first crack of the snare drum to the last chug of the guitars “Waiting with the Sun” delivers the goods, pure face-melting rock. The song’s psychedelic surf cover art sets a tone of wonder that perfectly invites you to hit play on this savage rocker. Acid delivers sharp edged lyrics with a masterful sneer that reflects her dominant prowess as a long time drummer unafraid to take the spotlight on lead vocals. “I got a pink limousine and I don’t give a fuck about your self esteem, I wait with the sun.” opens the song and grabs your attention with it’s honesty and passion. As the song progresses Acid delivers satisfying riffs and vocals that come together forming the magic element forcing you to react with a visceral head bounce or full on house shaking dance party.

You can hear the confidence and seasonned attitude in every syllable Acid speaks. Waiting with the Sun was produced by Ash Acid and Ricki Rae with Engineer Chris Blancato, and you can feel the years of experience packed into every note the track delivers. Comparisons to other great rock artists like Queens of the Stone Age and Liz Phair only begin to reflect this sage new voice of rock-n-roll. We can’t wait to hear more from Australian rocker, Ash Acid as she releases new singles and hopefully a full album this year. Make sure to follow her on Spotify and Instagram for news and fresh releases.

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The Shoos

The Shoos latest single “Distance” is a moody, ethereal rock anthem! The song features evocative vocals surrounded by rich chiming spaced out guitars that break free into razor sharp power chords and driving drums. The epic shout chorus is perfectly complemented by personal verse lyrics like “Many times I’ve tried to trace your heart on mine and I’m always left asking… can we go the distance?”. The band has a deep discography that is a treasure trove of indie rock however we are truly loving the new album “Rescue Room” as it has a maturity and seasoned musicianship that is often missing in modern rock. Definitely check it out now on all platforms and dig the great video for “Distance” on YouTube!

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Where Are You?

The powerful indie rockers Sometimes Julie return with a triumphant new album for 2021. “Where Are You?” opens with the thunderous track “She Can’t Kiss You” that brings the heat fueled by hard rocking guitar fire and explosive drums then captures you with the sensational lead vocals of Monica Sorenson. The song reminds us that rock-n-roll will never die especially with a bittersweet edge like this! Sometimes Julie are socal natives and that heritage is beautifully displayed on the track “Knew It All Along” that delivers both a hint of their California roots as well as Sorenson’s singer-songwriter depth. As the tune’s sonic mist clears we are greeted by a beautiful chorus “Where are you? You know I’m all in”. Other tunes like “Own Kind of Savior”, “If Only” and “Quiet” provide a vibe that harkens back to bands like The Beatles, Pretenders and U2 blending soulful rock with upfront personal vocals. The influences on this album are staggering from hard rock to emotional pop, as well as the top-shelf musicianship. The tune “Arachne’s Pride/Minerva” opens with a stellar nylon/flamenco style that has us dreaming of a desert sunrise before sliding into a pop-friendly rock anthem and awesome lyrics like, “I want to hold love and hate in the same hand” need we say more? The album closes on a perfect pop-rock note with “Counting My Lucky Stars” which focuses on love and positivity as Sorenson’s vocals again take us by the hand and burn the emotion and soul of the music directly into our heart. Our favorite tune of many makes its appearance about half-way through the album “Walk Among the Dead” opens with a bombastic drum groove as the song reveals itself as a minor key anthem with dark lyrics like “live like no tomorrows, no yesterdays, eyes open, heart empty, ‘cause empty hearts don’t break” are enveloped by hard driving lead guitars. The song delivers the emotional yet tough edge that this band has made their trademark. If you want to rock or love a singer-songwriter, or just want to hear a stunningly powerful female vocalist, definitely start listening now! Check the band’s website to buy the album and check for upcoming shows in and around the San Diego area. The album poses the question, “Where are you?” well luckily we found this group and we are right here for the long haul.

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Home Thru Hell

Deap Lips is a collaboration between Deap Vally and members of The Flaming Lips.

Psychedelic singer-songwriter garage rock? Yes please! We were thrilled to hear the collaboration of Deap Vally (duo) and impasarios of sound, The Flaming Lips, on this new set of material as the supergroup “Deap Lips”. The song we gravitated to “Home Thru Hell” features the vocals of Deap Vally (Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards) on a track that is heavily lipped. The lyrics and vocals keep the track rooted and substantial as the constantly evolving music tries desperately to veer off into space. Such a pleasurable track that offers so much that binge loop listening may be required. When they managed to slip in the lyric “flaming lips of youth” I almost fell out of my chair. If you love rock and long for artistic integrity, definitely check out this album now!

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The Virus

Atmospheric guitars and drums lure you into this alternative metal rocker by alt-rock trio, The Finite Beings. As “The Virus” builds the clean and clear vocal of Michael Nicholas speak directly to the listener “This enemy is alive, it comes to us and our humanity” as chorused guitar and bass tones give way to dark heavy slabs of burning energy that fuel the fire of this incendiary track. The wall of snarling guitars creates a perfect foundation as Nicholas asks “I wash my hands clean of this, am I in this alone?” speaking with responsive care about the global pandemic in a way that adds perspective and solace. The track continues to evolve and build until it reaches a full explosive peak with a stratospheric guitar solo that finally releases you back to earth. Comparisons to bands like Tool and Black Sabbath are worthy, but fall short, of describing the depth of this fresh New Jersey indie rock trio. Definitely check out “The Virus” and another track we really dig “Spirit Driven” on the band’s Spotify artist page.

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Foes Time

The new single by The Foes of Fern offers up an effervescent indie rocker that explodes out of the speakers! The song “Time Management” features soaring vocals and a teetering groove that threatens to rock right off the rails but instead delivers the listener home with lush horns, group vocals and an attitude that is perfect for this moment in time. Lyrics like “I was sleeping in the afternoon because my alarm clock, she loves to snooze” are both funny and relatable. The Foes larger than life sound contains shadows of The Beatles, Polyphonic Spree and Arcade Fire while burning a new torch that shines a blistering bright light all it’s own. Definitely check “Time Management” and also go back and mine the band’s back catalog for many more gems, you won’t be disappointed!

Listen Now: SPOTIFY INSTA

Shark Attack!

Jersey Shore jam outfit Waiting on Mongo sounds the alarm on their latest funky pop-infused single “Shark Attack”. The song opens with a spanky guitar groove that quickly gives way to the band’s trademark horn section raising the sound ever higher with power and soul. The lyric hook repeats “These sharks are swimming in the high tide, watchout, these sharks are feeding in the night time” what does it mean? We’ll never know and it really doesn’t matter. The cut just rips, checking every live band box: killer jam, funky groove, amazing horns, fist pumping fun, all checked! All that is missing is a crowd of people getting down with this one-of-a-kind live band! Listen now on Spotify and make sure to follow them on Insta for the latest live events.

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Poppin’ Bottles

The band Lake Champagne fronted by vocalist Alix Gagliastro have released their first single on Telegraph Hill Records a sparkling indie pop tune “Leave Me Alone”. The song features driving guitar and drums that compliment the intense and personal vocals by Gagliastro. Lyrics like “Wrap yourself around my neck until I suffocate, then you say ‘Baby it’s not you, it’s me’” bring the sweet heat as the band switches gears into a swinging chorus and finally a middle eight that is guaranteed to make you feel. The song has a break-up theme that provides a triumphant sense of closure and makes us excited to hear what new opportunities this duo will provide on their upcoming EP. Check out Alix and Ryan Doyle’s new music on Spotify and watch out for the new collection of songs due out in 2021.

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2020 Live Spafford

2020 was beyond difficult for people and families. Among the many hard hit groups were musicians especially those that earn a living by playing live shows. One of the inventive ways these artists have been able to keep the music alive is with social distancing shows which give fans the chance to dance the night away with a sense of safety and community. The band Spafford was able to record one of those shows and released it as “Live at the Drive-in”. This epic album spanning 12 songs and over two and a half hours of music is a living representation of the classic showbiz ethos “The show must go on”.

The album is a stellar recording featuring top notch musicianship and a plethora of genre melting songs and extended jams. Featuring the over the top guitar playing that is a staple of the jam band sound Spafford also manages to infuse their songs with heartfelt lyrics and vocals. “Be Strange” is a great example of how Spafford manages to bring the elements of jam to a place of soulful transcendence. “The Salamander Song” gives the listener an island vibe tune featuring the ultimate vocalization sing along that is always a standout moment at live concerts, when the audience and band become one.

Spafford provides epic songs that take the listener across vast landscapes culminating in hill climbing lead guitar and keyboard solos. “The Postman” is one such adventure that treks across music styles with interplay of light and dark that keeps this 20 + minute jam feeling fresh and exciting as it unfolds. The Spaffod style is reminiscent of early Phish (jazzy/calypso/screaming guitar) and builds on that archetype into something unique and fresh. This album offers a remarkable show and provides a bright spotlight in the surrounding year of struggle for musicians and music lovers. Long live Spafford!

LISTEN NOW: SPOTIFY Spafford.net