Weekend Warm-Up No. 5: Tranced
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
This one was a no-brainer. Nothing says “get the f*ck up” like the rigid structure and crescendo progression of a hard-hitting trance song, and even though these ten caught my ear this list could have been populated by one of thousands of other equally worthy tunes. Anjunabeats is well-represented – “Sushi” being one of the better progressive tracks the label has released – and I’ll defend to the death the inclusion of Basshunter on this list.
Read MoreIn Case You Missed It: Take A Trip With Vacationer’s “Gone”
–Written by Kevin Madert
The first time I heard The Starting Line was late in the summer of 2006. As a rising high school freshman, I was content with letting music do my emotional legwork, and the Philadelphia pop-punk outfit was more than capable of doing just that. When the uncertainty and confusion of adolescence inevitably faded into the uncertainty and confusion of adulthood, TSL and lead singer/wordsmith Kenny Vasoli remained cornerstones of my musical experience.
Read MoreThe Daily Frequency (8/26/14)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Today, a lot of things happened in the world of music. Here are some of them.
1. Lockn Music Festival just announced the set times for its second iteration, slated to take place September 4-7 in Arrington, VA. Rock reigns supreme, with two hour-plus sets from acts like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Allman Brothers, and Phil Lesh & Friends. Via Lockn’s official site.
Read MoreWeekend Wind-Down No. 4: Illusion of Speed
-Words and list by Michael Hogan
This was one of those concepts that sounded great in my head. When it came time to explain what I was trying to accomplish, things got a bit cloudy. This isn’t a drum ‘n’ bass playlist, and it’s not quite a downtempo playlist either. I suppose it’s a bit of both. It’s got mellow, melodic leads over drums that are consistently fast-paced and yet never once make you feel rushed. They simply provide a constant support for the track, pulling you along with it without dragging you forward.
Read MoreWeekend Warm-Up No. 4: Rad Drummers
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
Do you remember sitting in chemistry class in high school, trying to figure out a new concept, and your brain just keeps stumbling over itself? You’re reaching to understand something, and you feel like you’re so close, but it’s always just out of reach? Maybe I’m just especially terrible at chemistry (I am), but this same principle applies to these tracks, featuring some of the gnarliest drumming ever recorded.
Read MoreMeet FestEvo, The All-In-One Social App For Music Festivals
–Written by Kevin Madert
Picture it: you’re just returning from _________ music festival. You take the obligatory hour-long shower and immediately go horizontal in the most comfortable bed you’ve ever encountered for about twelve more hours. Upon waking up, you hop on your phone or your computer to reconnect with the world, and you encounter friends who just returned from the same festival – friends you had no idea were even attending. A few days after that, you’re cruising Soundcloud and you find your new favorite artist. Their tunes are amazing, you’re in love, you go to check their tour dates and realize they – much like your friends – were at the festival you just got back from. You had no idea, and now you’re kicking yourself because hey, your luck, they had a month-long visa and now they’re back in Russia to spend five years work on their ten-part concept album. These situations suck, but could they really have been avoided?
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