Ozenza has been slinging its dark brand of doom/stoner metal since 2004 and they stay busy. With 2014 shaping up to include plenty of writing and touring, we quick grabbed a word with Matt Younker, guitarist and vocalists for the Friction Records-signed band.
This week's Local Track of the Week is pretty much hot off the presses. It comes from a Grand Rapids-based band called Midnight Alive. Their latest EP Forever was even released on Tooth & Nail Records, the Christian rock label that has seen such acts as Norma Jean, Underoath and Jeremy Camp on their roster. Needless to say, the whole EP is polished, tight and radio friendly.
In my humble (and often not-so-humble) opinion, Fine Fine Titans is a grossly underrated local band. At least, that was the case. This female-fronted act, which blends elements of punk, metal and hardcore, is starting to get the attention it deserves with the release of its latest album Omega.
The musical heydays of the ‘60s and ‘70s have found their way into Grand Rapids as fellow psychedelic rock bands have successfully revolutionized an era of music into something of a modern-day rising trend. The mind-altering hypnotic rhythms of guitar, vocal and organ effects has psychedelic rock grabbing a lot of attention lately.
In April of 2013, a noise-punk group out of Syracuse, NY released a demo on cassette tape. The release boasted an in-your-face sound, which was heavy in both feedback and brutal honesty. These four Roman numeral-titled tracks, quickly demanded the attention of everyone within earshot.
For a few years, of Montreal's frontman Kevin Barnes lived in Grosse Pointe Park, Mich. with his parents. Unfortunately, it wasn't a "Pure Michigan" experience for him during that time. "I didn't have a car, I wasn't going to shows. It was more like kidville, a child playing little league baseball," he said in a phone interview with REVUE.
Manchester Orchestra had its latest album, Cope, all ready to release. Except the band was missing one thing: a record label. After 2012’s Simple Math, MO was on a popularity incline and eventually, without a record label.
Los Angeles neo-soul rockers Fitz and the Tantrums have rolled through the country across airwaves, concert halls and television screens like a hurricane in recent months.
Apparently area garages can't contain some Grand Rapids garage bands. Local venues have seen their share of acts that carry this label, many of which have become mainstays in the scene. Well, we can add another up-and-comer to the mix. Just as the music scene has evolved, so has the phrase “garage band,” which is one that has become more of a representative genre label for small independent bands like The Bermudas.
In the past 10 years, over 60 professional touring acts, 65 local visual exhibits and thousands of school and community events have had the opportunity to grace the Forest Hills Fine Arts Center’s stage, in turn establishing the communal reputation it holds today.
With most of its members coming out of now-defunct Tiger! Tiger!, this Muskegon-based clan is now cruising the local music scene as Secret Grief. Much appease to their growing fan base, the crew’s consistency has remained with their musicality as an indie-punk band.
“Post Alternative Indie Experimental Rock” may be a mouthful to say, but this complex genreical label is more than just a classification for the guys of Grand Rapids-based, Velcrofibs.
Sometimes, a group of savvy, young artists like the guys of American WiFi (not to be mistaken for 90s pop punksters American Hi-Fi) is just what the local music scene needs to break up the mesh of bands that believe only reinventing a genre will lead to musical success.
Just to listen to them, you wouldn't know Seattle's folk-rock sextet The Head and the Heart have only been around since 2009. The music feels more experienced and sophisticated, with melodies that sound like they were constructed by people who have been creating together for much longer. Add an eclectic assortment of instruments and some impressive vocal harmonies, and it's no wonder why people have taken notice.
