Since forming in 2012, All Them Witches has been bringing their awesome brand of psychedelic/stoner rock via prolific studio time and live performances. They have four full-length studio albums available – with their recently reviewed self-titled LP just released – plus multiple EP’s, live albums, and singles for fans to check out. Their sound often has a retro quality and rawness that allows the music to breathe organically without the filter of flashy studio polish. Continue reading
The 7th annual Monster Energy Aftershock Festival returns to Sacramento’s Discovery Park this October 13th and 14th featuring live performances by System of a Down, Deftones, Alice in Chains, Godsmack, Incubus and many more! In addition to the massive lineup of 39 amazing bands, festival-goers can check out a wide selection of artisan street foods, Caduceus Wine Garden, Belching Beaver Bar, contests, and many more unique and interactive experiences. For cannabis-enthusiasts, Heavy Grass (the loudest weed brand in the world) will be offering premium weed products and merchandise. For a peek behind the scenes at all of the elements that are involved in recording a professional record, fans can visit The Music Experience which also features autograph signings and artist interaction throughout the day. Continue reading
*This is part of our “Aftershock Festival 2018 Spotlight” where we branch out and focus on some of the up-and-coming bands that fans can see at this year’s Aftershock Festival on October 13th & 14th. This week, we’re checking out PLAGUE VENDOR.*
One of my personal philosophies is that if your music is difficult to categorize, you must be doing something right. Such is definitely the case with Whitier, California quartet Plague Vendor who fittingly classify themselves as “voodoo punk” to describe their style of dark and abrasive, yet often dance-able form of punk rock. At times emerging through are hints of Dead Kennedys, Nirvana, and Raw Power-era The Stooges, but never to an overwhelming degree that overshadows the band’s own uniqueness. Lead singer Brandon Blaine is like a pissed off Jack White with an aggressive and dissonant vocal attack that never fails to add a striking element of chaos or danger to every song. Plague Vendor’s combination of raw simplicity, aggression, and catchiness will have you tapping your foot, nodding your head, and humming along while at the same time feeling a horror movie-like tension pulling you into its sonic madness. This is music that refuses to be confined by a label – and thankfully so. Continue reading
Photo Credit: KaspaFótos
*This is part of our “Aftershock Festival 2018 Spotlight” where we branch out and focus on some of the up-and-coming bands that fans can see at this year’s Aftershock Festival on October 13th & 14th. This week, we’re checking out VIZA.*
Appearing along with such heavyweight headliners as System of a Down, Deftones, Alice in Chains, and Incubus at this year’s Aftershock Festival is L.A. international rock sextet, Viza. Since forming in 2000, they’ve managed to create quite an extensive catalogue of music, along with Volume I and II of ‘The Unorthodox Revival’ EP being released this year. Vocally, lead singer K’noup has a bit of a David Bowie quality to his tone and often incorporates lush vocal harmonies reminiscent of SOAD into the mix. Instrumentally, it’s a rich fusion of classic and alternative rock paired with Middle Eastern and Latin influences with a few splashes of metal to kick things up a notch. Having toured extensively with Serj Tankian in recent years, the man himself became quite impressed with their live performances, commenting, “Viza is one of the most unique and interesting bands I have ever encountered. Their live shows are energetic and fun.” Continue reading
*This is part of our “Aftershock Festival 2018 Spotlight” where we branch out and focus on some of the up-and-coming bands that fans can see at this year’s Aftershock Festival on October 13th & 14th. This week, we’re checking out Slothrust.*
Earning a slot on the impressive roster for this year’s Aftershock Festival is Boston indie rock trio, Slothrust. Since the band’s formation in 2010, Leah Wellbaum (vocals/guitar), Kyle Bann (bass), and Will Gorin (drums) have been busy writing, recording, and playing their captivating brand of rock that also includes a 2017 EP (‘Show Me How You Want it to Be’) of wildly inventive cover versions of some well-known hits of the past. Be sure to check out their take on The Turtles “Happy Together” with its awesomely maniacal twist. Their original material is equally impressive on tracks like the brand-new single, “Peach.” The sound harkens back to a time of great female-fronted alt-rock of the nineties such as The Breeders and Veruca Salt. Continue reading
All those “stand by” posts and teasers have finally been laid to grave today, as Monster Energy AFTERSHOCK FESTIVAL 2018 finally takes those curtains off the festival’s line-up. California’s biggest rock festival AFTERSHOCK 2018, returns for another year at the famous Discovery Park near downtown Sacramento, CA to be held this year on October 13th and 14th, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. With the fest posting a lot of teasers on their social media pages, fans put their thinking caps on and a lot of predictions were made. Some were right and some went wrong. Those who vouched in on their favourite bands give yourself a pat on your back as this year’s edition will be headlined by none other than SYSTEM OF A DOWN, who will be returning to the States after three years, as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of their landmark self-titled first album.
Just announced – The Monster Energy Aftershock Festival 2018 will be held Saturday, October 13th and Sunday, October 14th. The complete 2018 lineup is scheduled to be announced on April 9th, 2018, however, there is a strong indication that System of a Down will be amongst this year’s surprise headliners, due to the placement of a sound clip of their track, “Prison Song” in the teaser video seen below. Continue reading
