Not that OurStage metal acts are dormant during any particular time of year, but summer seems to be especially lively for new releases. Metalcore seems to be the hot style of metal midway through 2012 with new music from OurStage veterans Danforth, A Wanted Awakening, and Hearts Alive. I’ve heard all three of these albums, each of them are a different style of metalcore.

Hearts Alive’s latest full length album, He Who Has the Gold Makes All the Rules came out at the end of April and, unfortunately, I’m just now getting around to hearing it (sorry, everyone). The good news is that this album is both rad and a solid effort. Mixing the heard-hitting onslaught of Disfear with the triumphant guitar work of At The Gates, fellow Swedes Hearts Alive create one fantastically aggressive metalcore album with a slight lean toward the more hardcore side of things. Fun fact: Disfear and At The Gates have the same vocalist, Tomas Lindberg, who is also featured on He Who Has the Gold Makes All the Rules. From front to back, He Who Has the Gold Makes All the Rules is a great listen, one that will surely get your limbs moving in the pit. You can buy it here, or just check it out on Spotify if you like.

Continue reading ‘Metal Monday: More New OurStage Metal Releases!’

When it comes to metal, it’s hard to argue against tried and true traditions. Heck, there are still bands emulating the godfathers of metal, Black Sabbath. Though some bands may be treated as pariahs for being unoriginal, many bands are given the exact opposite treatment, being ostracized for changing from their beloved ways (Morbid Angel, anyone?). Dying Fetus don’t really have to worry about that. For about 20 years, Dying Fetus have been putting out strong metal albums, and the metal world has been moshing right along with them. The band’s latest release, Reign Supreme, isn’t looking to change that mold in any way, but does that matter?

Continue reading ‘Metal Monday: The Supreme Reign Of Dying Fetus’

Your average music listener might assume that metal bands are all the same in the instrument department—guitar, drums, bass, maybe piano or keyboards—but what about the flute, didgeridoo, saxophone, trumpet, lute, bagpipes, fiddle, berimbau, Whamola, or hurdy gurdy? As unlikely as it seems, there are metal bands that incorporate less mainstream instruments into their sound. Apocalyptica, for example, is comprised of four cellists and a drummer. Among folk, progressive, avant garde, and experimental metal subgenres (and even some mainstream acts), listeners can find all sorts of neat uses of unusual instrumentation. We’re going to share ten of our favorite “nontraditional” metal songs with you—see if you can guess what the instruments are!

If there has been one unifying theme between all of our SoundTrax posts, we hope it is that every playlist is put together with careful thought and features music with a little more soul than your average radio hit. We’re firm believers that music should be an extension of your personality; quirky, syncopated and with a couple rough edges, which is what makes this week’s post so special for us. While there is no unifying genre for this playlist, every song is sung with emotion and style. Some feature the aesthetic of vibrant ’20s big bands, others are stuck in the sweaty gumbo swamps of Louisiana, but they all feature one unifying force; soul. Every artist understands just how much emotional power music can have, and they demonstrate their sheer prowess at manipulating these emotions in this week’s playlist.

SoundTrax: Sticky Souls from OurStage on 8tracks.

Fitz & the Tantrums kick us off with an infectious neo soul/indie pop song crossover that would feel just as at home on your mom’s oldies station as it would on your iPod. Next up, Parov Stelar and co. are back with an upbeat, punchy, jazz-pop tune featuring intricate bass lines and playful horn riffs. The late Amy Winehouse slows things down with her sultry tone and impeccable restraint. OurStage newcomer Ernest Rose has a voice that would make any woman buckle as well as the songwriting chops to back it up. The Crystal Method and Martha Reeves revive R&B and the spirit of Detroit in their track with a modern, bass-blistering level of synth work—definitely the heaviest and most funky track on the list. A quick change of pace as Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings fill your ears with Rhodes keys, shuffled jazz rhythms and gospel choirs. Mark Ronson and Erykah Badu team up on a tune soaked in southern whiskey and filled with New Orleans jubilation. And closing out this week, one of my new favorite OurStage acts, Smokey Robotic provide a slow, dubstep-influenced tune that defies classification, so let’s just chalk it up to awesome music.

Rastafarian Anthems (Fresh From Babylon, Mon) from OurStage on 8tracks.

Summer is a little ways down the road, but we can still pretend. This funky playlist is just what we needed to feel the sand between our toes and the ocean breeze on our skin. OurStage artists Caracas Sunset from Venezuela and Zebulun from New Jersey bring their beats to the table, sharing the playlist with Slightly Stoopid from California and French group Dub Incorporation. Spread the love with this mix, and there’s sure to be good vibes all around.

At OurStage, we believe that music does not always need to fall in a key, or have explicit rhythms to be “good”. Music that offers listeners a soundscape of textures and gestures can make for an incredibly relaxing and thought-provoking experience. This week at SoundTrax, we’ve dug deep into the Ambient/Chill Channel to cultivate a playlist of some of the best sound collages, atonal masterpieces and spooky-horror-film-soundtracks for your listening pleasure.

SoundTrax: Ambient Thoughts from OurStage on 8tracks.

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This week at SoundTrax, we’ve curated a playlist that sounds like sunsets, shimmers like the ’80s and warms you up like a summer bonfire. Every artist featured here borrows heavily from the dance vernacular but also have a clear affinity for fuzzy, jangly, indie pop. What emerges from these two influences is a sound that is steeped in nostalgia but remarkably fresh. Maybe it is this aspect of retro-futurism; straddling the sounds of the past and future with such dexterity, that make the style stand out so well in the present landscape of recycled pop music. Think of it as the sonic equivalent to Instagram. This is the perfect playlist for the end of a long night with friends, when you still don’t want the party to end, but the ringing in your ears leaves you no choice. There’s equal parts guitar and synth work, just as much kit thrashing as button pressing and enough disco swagger to bring the genre back from the grave.

SoundTrax: Sunsets and Regrets from OurStage on 8tracks.

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Here at OurStage, we’re always on the lookout for new music across all possible genres, from hip-hop to metal to indie rock to dubstep. That’s why Jordan has created his very own adrenaline-pumping mix of only the most exciting music out there. Metal? Check, Kylesa and Rooks, are crushing it. Hip-hop? Check, we’ve got Will Brennan and The Notorious B.I.G. Indie? Check, The Ascetic Junkies are holding it down. Electronic? Check, Nero is in the mix. There would be a whole lot more, but let’s not get out of hand here…

The hard-hitting wompage of American style EDM has become the life force of the growing genre, so instead of trying to work against it (even though we really want to) we’ve decided to highlight some of the artists who we think are using this new sonic field in an interesting way. The genre, best described as electro house or complextro, takes the grit and grime from American dubstep but drops the half-time rhythm in favor of the uptempo house style of four-on-the-floor. What it creates is a driving, pulsing, rhythmic genre with more than enough ear candy to hold the attention span of any frat boy. In typical SoundTrax fashion, this playlist is versatile and could hold up equally as well on a dance floor as it could in a mosh pit. But we think its best suited for running on the open pavement. Not cramped in some dark, sweaty room on a treadmill, but outside on a bright, crisp day. So pick your favorite trail, download the 8tracks app to your phone, plug in your headphones, tie your laces and hit the road.

SoundTrax: Pounding Pavement from OurStage on 8tracks.

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Down the Rabbit Hole from OurStage on 8tracks.

This Friday we’re following Alice and her cohorts down the rabbit hole with this psychedelic mix. Intern Frankie shares a collection of post rock, electro pop and forest rock artists that are sure to let your imagination run free. Make magic with OurStage artists Sinopsys, Pomplamoose and DASSI, or dream to the sounds of Jónsi, NewVillager and Jinja Safari. Are you ready to dive in?