A quirky mixture of styles has always been King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s claim to fame, and they have done alright for themselves doing just that. Fishing For Fishies (seen/heard here) is the title track to the band’s latest (April 2019) long-player, and as always, the band does not disappoint. If you are looking for a group that takes themselves seriously, then you would be off the mark here, but the group is very accessible and fun and that’s the best part of…
Read MoreNot exactly “new” but fresh faces on the music scene, The Blue Stones, released their first debut long-player, Black Holes, this past year (2018). Prior to that, they have been honing a blues-rock persona via seven years of hard work and an EP. At their grungiest, they can be equated with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, but they have tapped into the quieter moments of blues-rock as well, delving into the spiritual essence of Muddy Waters and B. B. King, and the raw…
Read MoreVodka picked Israeli band Ouzo Bazooka, not for its spot-on vocals or the production quality of its videos, but because of the totality in the lack of each, while embracing a rock, progressive rock, vibe that is in itself different from anything else you will find in music today. In essence, Ouzo Bazooka does not take itself too seriously, while still putting together interesting music that defies simple categories. They fit neatly in the Vodka mantra: “Music that isn’t the same old thing…mostly.” Ouzo Bazooka creates a melding of Middle…
Read MoreVodka seldom posts straight-up instrumentals, but there are exceptions, and East from Lydian Collective is an exception well worth the spotlight. East is from their debut long-player Adventure (March 2018), and the band may seem to have burst onto the music scene as some sort of a “where have these musicians been?!” moment. That isn’t the case. The collective made up of Aaron Wheeler (keyboards), Todd Baker (guitar), Ida Hollis (bass), and Sophie Alloway (drums), all have individual success stories before forming Lydian Collective. The composition duties fall generally to…
Read MoreSister Speak is essentially singer/songwriter, Sherri Anne (vocals/guitar) and an ever-changing group of solid musicians, which at the moment includes Sarven Manguiat (electric guitar) and Avli Avliav (keyboards, Moog bass, and programming). The sound is a delicious blend of indie-pop, folk, and electronica that is immediately pleasing to the ear. The title track of the six-song EP by the same name, The Stand (seen/heard here) is about taking a stand on issues, particularly social issues, but never ends up too preachy or self-important. Sherri Anne’s vocals lend perfect inflection…
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