Category Archives: Music Abroad

2021, Music, Music Abroad, Samuel Stevens, Single Reviews

One Way Out – Black Lungs (and a Broken Heart) – Single

January 12, 2021 Reasonably Late Leave a comment

By Samuel Stevens

Release Date: January 1, 2021

Genre: Rock

Label: Independent

The Washington, D.C. five-piece rock act One Way Out have shared their latest single, “Black Lungs (and a Broken Heart).” The five, young rockers continue directly where their 2019 debut album, Cosmic Beat, and their 2020 single, “Black Walls,” left off. Cosmic Beat was an album inspired by narrative-driven concept albums such as David Bowie’s 1972 classic, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, all the way to King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s 2017 album, Murder of the Universe. The new single is the product of an entire year off with only songwriting and recording to occupy the members of One Way Out. “Black Lungs (and a Broken Heart)” has plenty enough grit to please any fan of rock ‘n’ roll, while still being able to hook its listeners with a chorus that rings inside your brain that you just simply never forget it.

Continue reading →

2020, Album Reviews, Music, Music Abroad, Samuel Stevens

Bayside – Acoustic Volume Three

December 8, 2020 Reasonably Late Leave a comment

By Samuel Stevens

Release Date: December 11, 2020

Genre: Acoustic Rock

Label: Hopeless Records

Originally, this year would’ve seen Bayside, the distinguished punk rock, pop-punk, and alternative rock band from Queens, New York, commemorate their twentieth anniversary of being a band. Alternatively, Bayside took to the recording studio earlier this year during their newfound time off in a way to keep their creative minds rolling. The band conjured up the third installment to their Acoustic series of releases. Their brand new EP, Acoustic Volume Three, features five songs. The first is a brand new track, while the remaining four tracks on the EP are acoustic reimagined versions of beloved fan favourites from their impressive, storied twenty years to date as a band.

Continue reading →

2020, Album Reviews, Music, Music Abroad, Samuel Stevens

Mollo Rilla – Viva El Camino

December 2, 2020 Reasonably Late Leave a comment

By Samuel Stevens

Release Date: December 4, 2020

Genre: Alternative Rock

Label: Seeing Red Records

Ohio alternative rock quartet Mollo Rilla is set to release their sophomore album Viva El Camino, the follow-up to their impressive 2019 self-titled debut album. Mollo Rilla’s core mission is one of musical freedom that effortlessly combines a large-ranging list of musical elements all the way from Latin to rockabilly, surf to hip-hop, and even all the way to the genre of disco. The band’s lyrical themes also focus on a large-ranging list of topics such as their feelings, their thoughts/beliefs on freedom, fantasy, faith, and love. The band’s brand new album was recorded at the Hobby Shop Recording Studio West in Los Angeles that lead them to enlist producer Andrew Murdock, who has some credits with Godsmack and Powerman 5000 to name a few, as well as renowned music engineer Bil Lane, who has worked with major hitters in the industry like Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne.

Continue reading →

2020, Album Reviews, Music, Music Abroad, Samuel Stevens

VRSTY – Cloud City EP

December 1, 2020 Reasonably Late Leave a comment

By Samuel Stevens

Release Date: December 4, 2020

Genre: Post-Hardcore, R&B, Pop

Label: Spinefarm Records

Every once in a while, an artist or band comes along that obliterates the mold, and New York City’s post-hardcore quartet VRSTY (pronounced Var-Si-Ty) is doing just that with their brand new EP, Cloud City. VRSTY made up of vocalist Joey Varela, bassist Javy Dorrejo, drummer Chris Cody, and guitarist Paul Gregory blend the stylings of R&B, pop, and metal into an exhilarating and unique mix. Unlike their previous releases, the six tracks -seven if you count the bonus remix track- on Cloud City don’t all appear on the surface as full-on post-hardcore anthems. However, the band’s love of pop and R&B are incorporated more blatantly than ever before. The band delved into its creative possibilities and reached for the highest potential they could achieve with the brand new EP. The songwriting evolution that is on display on Cloud City is unlike anything of their previous sets of work. Additionally, unlike their previous two EPs that were self-produced, Cloud City was produced by Andrew Baylis. Whose notably known for his work with Bad Omens and Sylar.

Continue reading →

2020, Interviews, Music, Music Abroad, Samuel Stevens

Interview With Barbar’O’Rhum’s Capitaine Barbedrut

November 30, 2020 Reasonably Late Leave a comment

By Samuel Stevens

Earlier this fall, on October 30th specifically, the French ten-person folk metal/Celtic punk outfit Barbar’O’Rhum released their second full-length album, Journal de B’O’R, via Mannequin Vanity Records. Shortly following the release of their new album, which has an ample amount of history of pirates both musically and lyrically intertwined into it, I was given the pleasure to talk to the band’s mastermind Capitaine Barbedrut about everything from his and the band’s influences/inspirations all the way to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the band’s ten members this turbulent year.

Continue reading →