BELLA MUERTE
Bella Muerte are no strangers to this blog. Check out their newest acoustic release below!
FACE THE KING
Another band that has frequented the site quite a bit, check out Face the King's newest single below. Download the single below for a minimum of one dollar!
DIET
Wonderful punk/grunge. Diet's easily one of my favorite local bands! Listen to their new single, "I Can't Sit Still" below.
THE NAYO
Looking for some free awesome hip-hop? Well look no further, this is Shameless Plug of the Yes yesy Yall's side project. Listen below.
FREESTYLE FAM
No explanation necessary. Just watch....
Showing posts with label Face The King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Face The King. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2014
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Face the King Album Review of 'The Sound EP'
Face the King is a New York based indie/alternative band who released The Sound EP on July 13 as a preview of their up and coming full length.
The EP opens with pulsing drums in a rhythmic almost march with "You, Me, & the Sound." Very catchy and a great opener. The piano and light guitars in the background are killer, and really fill the song up nicely. Musically mixed and layered well. Excellent start.
"All the Pretty Things," starts off very melodically, and has more of an upbeat punkier 30 Seconds to Mars feel about it. I can't put my finger on what exactly I am hearing here to make me feel that way, all I know is that two songs in, I hear two tracks that would be great singles.
Next up is "The Stage." This is the ballad of the album. I really love what they did musically in this song. The bass work, the light synth, and almost haunting guitar chords before the song picks up more than half way through are beautiful. The dual vocals and harmonies along with the aggressive instrumentals to close out the song are killer.
"The Science Apart," is a mid tempo offering that sounds like what it is, the closing song of the album. It's a solid sendoff that mixes some elements of the previous three tracks into it. It sort of ends the story of the EP, and brings closure to "The Sound."
The Sound EP is a meticulously recorded four song record that plays great start to finish. The singer has a great tonal quality to his voice, and the music is on point the whole way through. My favorite is the superb work on the keys, that really brighten and fill out all of the songs. Each song has a standout moment for the whole band. The first song is the drums, the vocals in the second track, and the guitar work in the last track.
It is hard to categorize Face the King because they blend so many different sounds together. My guess would be they fall more on the progressive/experimental side. To compare them, I get hints of Moving Mountains, Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, and vocally Red Jumpsuit Apparatus...as you can see, a wide range, but that's just me! Overall great EP, one of the best I've reviewed this year! Can't wait to hear more.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Face the King to Play NAMM Convention in Anaheim
An official statement from the band has confirmed their involvement in the NAMM convention in California. They told me, "Face The King
was just selected to play the NAMM Convention in Anaheim, CA on January 19th at
the Marriott Center Stage at 7pm. We are attending the convention as artists of
KORG USA, Spector, Blackstar, and VOX."
More details can be found on their page below
The band is also working on their EP and recently began tracking the drums and bass tracks on Dec. 10th at the Factory Underground in Norwalk, Connecticut.
"The rest of the tracks (guitar, vocals, keyboard, etc.) will be
self recorded in our newly homegrown portable studio! No release date as
of yet. We are promising much more energy and hooky vocal
melodies/lines than the previous EP," the band said.
For now you can catch the band at these following locations:
Dec. 23rd at The Room in Brookfield, CT Doors open at 5:30 Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.ticketstorm.
Jan. 12th at Mulchay's in Wantagh, we will be headlining. Roughly between 9 and 10pm, the official time is TBA. http://www.reverbnation.
Jan. 19th at the 2012 NAMM Convention in Anaheim, CA
For my full interview with the band click here
Check the band out at any of these locations
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Face The King Interview
Face The King is a rapidly growing rock band from Long Island that is making waves with a slew of big shows and the release of their latest EP, The Burning & The Falling Down.
The band is entering the studio again this month to bring forth their new musical venture to the masses and are very excited to do so.
The band recently became involved in the "I95: Rumble At The Room" contest, where they are competed for supremacy over some of their peers at the Room in Brookfield, CT and won. A&R judges from EMI Records will be judged the bands and they received free recording time at the Factory Underground.
So be sure to check out the alternative/indie sounds of Face The King and get to know them right before they blow up.
INTERVIEW
Where'd you guys get the name from?
It was a dark and stormy night when a single bolt of lightning struck the
ground and left the words Face The King burned in the ground. How
dramatic is that!!! We got the band name from a song that I wrote for a previous
band. The idea comes from that time when you feel you need to answer to
a higher power for the life you have led. More specifically it is the
time before that - when you have to face yourself before you answer to anyone
else. I still like the lightning story.
I think we are a alternative rock band at the core of it. The music we
write is very theatrical and dramatic. It takes you somewhere from start
to finish. We understand that the music is as important as the
lyrics. But what makes us stand out the most is where we all are rooted
as musicians. Each one of us individually is comfortable with a different
style of music. The end result of combining all those styles is Face The
King. We have heard from bands that we play the music they want to play but
they don't because they play what they think will make them famous. We
stand out because we play the music we want to play - getting famous would be a
bonus.
I hear many different influences in your music, how do you feel the "modern" up and coming rock band within your genre is evolving?
I think that the modern up and coming rock band is being pushed into the unique
blend of a produced and raw sound. Studio magic is great for some bands -
but there are bands that are coming around that are better live than in the
studio. I think we are on the verge on seeing the opposite of what has
happened to music. So many bands sounded great in the studio these past
years. Then you see them live and they let you down. It is an
illusion. Now - there are bands that sound great on record and understand
that they need to be better live. The modern rock band is learning what
it takes to put on a show.
What was it like working with Steve Haigler and why do you feel the album is the band's big break?
Working with Steve can be summed up in a great saying that he repeated time and
time again in the studio. Steve pushed us to the point of tears. I
honestly think I saw Joey curled up in the fetal position in the corner -
rocking back and forth - wishing he had never stepped into the studio.
Steve would say to us "Let's piss on some trees." This
translates to - leave your mark. Once your music is released - it can not
be taken back. I think that Steve helped us all learn that concept.
As for the big break part - I don't think we go in thinking that this album is
going to make us huge. We go in to make the best record. You hope
at the end that you feel as though the music has a shot of being the band's big
break. If you don't get that feeling - you should be working harder in
the studio and go and higher Steve.
How does the song writing process work, and what goes into perfecting and mastering the song?
We have a formula for song writing:
Eric + Dan x Anthony + Joey - Ego = Song
How great would that be if that worked? Honestly, the song writing experience starts like a good conversation. Someone starts and you hope everyone is interested enough to contribute. Dan says that the songs come together faster and easier in this band than in any other he has played. I agree with that. When the song begins to take shape - that is when we break it down. We make it as great as we possibly can. Sometimes we over think it and go back to the start. Sometimes we just let come out and never question it. The rule of thumb is that the song is never done until it goes to tape. And even after that - things can change for the live show.
Eric + Dan x Anthony + Joey - Ego = Song
How great would that be if that worked? Honestly, the song writing experience starts like a good conversation. Someone starts and you hope everyone is interested enough to contribute. Dan says that the songs come together faster and easier in this band than in any other he has played. I agree with that. When the song begins to take shape - that is when we break it down. We make it as great as we possibly can. Sometimes we over think it and go back to the start. Sometimes we just let come out and never question it. The rule of thumb is that the song is never done until it goes to tape. And even after that - things can change for the live show.
It is pretty mediocre at best.
Actually the thing I am most proud of is our live show. We sound good on record because we sound great live. We put our all into every show. Each show is the most important show we are going to play. We bring the audience on stage to sing. We talk to the crowd as if we were sitting around the dinner table. Somewhere in between we play music for our fans. Face The King believes in the show - from the moment we get on stage - until the last note. At the end of the show we want you to want to see and hear more. The comment that we hear a lot is that your sound is too big for this venue. You should be playing arenas. Someday I think that will happen - but we are definitely enjoying the ride.
Actually the thing I am most proud of is our live show. We sound good on record because we sound great live. We put our all into every show. Each show is the most important show we are going to play. We bring the audience on stage to sing. We talk to the crowd as if we were sitting around the dinner table. Somewhere in between we play music for our fans. Face The King believes in the show - from the moment we get on stage - until the last note. At the end of the show we want you to want to see and hear more. The comment that we hear a lot is that your sound is too big for this venue. You should be playing arenas. Someday I think that will happen - but we are definitely enjoying the ride.
Tell me about the z100 contest and what does it mean for the band if successful?
The Z100 Hometown Hero contest is where bands and solo artists compete against one another to play a slot at this year’s Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden. The performance takes place in the garden’s Coca Cola Access Lounge. There is an A list panel of judges including the program director of Z100, and the presidents of both Universal Republic and RCA Records. The top acts are determined by the listeners/fans. Our main goal with entering the contest was to enter the top 25, since it allows us gain great exposure. It also ensures that high-end people in the business will be reviewing our music. Due to the immense and much appreciated support from our fans, we successfully made the top 25, placing 11th out of 400 competitors. Now we play the waiting game, where they will choose 5 finalists from the top 25 to enter a final round of voting. If a rock band such as us were chosen to play for a pop contest, I would be shocked for words. It would only mean greater things for the band if successful. Wish us luck!
What's the band's biggest rockstar moment/biggest failure?
The biggest rock star moment hands down was when Anthony dove into the crowd
naked. That never happened. I would have to say that the moment
that made us feel like we were on the right path was the first time we saw the
crowd filled with fans - not friends - singing the words to all of our
songs. You never think about that - and when it happens - you can't stop
thinking about it.
As for the biggest failure - I would have to say not quitting our old bands sooner - so we could have started Face The King earlier.
As for the biggest failure - I would have to say not quitting our old bands sooner - so we could have started Face The King earlier.
What are the future goals for the band and what can we expect next?
Right now we are working on the next EP. It has to be bigger and better
than everything before it. To be blunt though - we would all like to play
music full time. That is our goal - to support ourselves with our music.
Also - to use the WaWa coupons that were sent to us by WaWa's corporate office for the poem I wrote on our website. This might also be up there for the biggest rockstar moment. If you think that is strange - it means you have never been to a WaWa.
Also - to use the WaWa coupons that were sent to us by WaWa's corporate office for the poem I wrote on our website. This might also be up there for the biggest rockstar moment. If you think that is strange - it means you have never been to a WaWa.
Anything you would like to add?
One last thing - this next EP is being written by Face The King and by
fans. What I mean is that the lyrics are being inspired or are being
written from the words of our fans. If you have a story or a poem that
you think would be a great song - send it to us. We have told our story
and now we want to tell yours. You can send it to our email: facethekingmusic@gmail.com.
LINKS:
Official Website
http://www.facethekingband.com
http://www.facebook.com/
http://www.twitter.com/
Reverbnation
http://www.reverbnation.com/
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/
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