Dynamic alternative indie band Sandman Sleeps released their evocative debut album, Crisis Actor, on March 26th, and it is simply electric.
Sandman Sleeps Debut Album - Crisis Actor
Photo Credit: Parisa Farbakhsh
Interview: Elderbrook
Makenna had the chance to talk with Elderbrook about touring, his grammy nominated songs and his experiences with songwriting. Check out our interview and grab tickets to a show near you!
What's New in Music: Album Reviews
Review by Angela Smith
Missio have just recently come off the Alt Nation Advanced Placement Tour alongside acts such as 888, Coast Modern, and Sundara Karma, and are getting ready to start their festival circuit for the summer. Austin native Missio have released their debut album, Loner, the day they start their summer tour at Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Hit up missiomusic.com to see if they play a festival near you.
The album opens really strongly with Animal, one of the songs not previously released. With such strong and different singles like Middle Fingers and Bottom Of The Deep Blue Sea I had high expectations without really knowing what to expect at all. I can now say, I was impressed. Every single song has energy even if it wasn't the upbeat rock/hip-hop mix that is found in Kdv (feat. Shug). One part of the album that I truly enjoy are the somewhat angsty f*ck the world lyrics. Whether politically driven, or otherwise I find myself truly enjoying those songs. All of the tracks on the album have a darker feel to the lyrics even with upbeat energetic movement, and I feel that this juxtaposition really works for Missio. Honestly, the only downside I see to the album at this point is the ending. It kind of just stops suddenly. However, this could actually be a positive thing as it keeps you wanting more. If you're looking for an album that's different from what you'll hear on the rest of the charts, or even just an upbeat album with some powerful lyrics give Missio's Loner a spin.
Waters released their third album, Something More! on May 19th. The followup to 2015's What's Real starts off with the lead single Hiccups which if nothing else, makes you want to keep listening. The rest of the album just kind of flows. It reminds me a lot of What's Real with just enough of a difference that you can tell the band has grown and evolved in just these last 2 years. There are some major party songs such as Molly is a Babe which has a punk sort of feel to it. The super upbeat lyrics just make you want to mosh. On the other hand there is also a ballad entitled Stand By You. Described as a tearjerker by lead singer Van Pierszalowski, Stand By You brings moral support and a sense of comfort not often found in most songs nowadays. One of the best parts of the album is the fact that it ends with Stand By You which almost motivates you to just get up and go do something productive after you finish listening knowing that someone has your back.
A R I Z O N A (the band, not the state) have just released their debut album Gallery following the release of the single Oceans Away, A R I Z O N A has an amazing album that features just enough synth to make it exciting but not so much you feel that it is overproduced. Songs such as Electric Touch and Where I Wanna Be feature hopeful lyrics with the catchy melodies consistent across the entire album. The musical interlude Not A Single Day serves as the perfect transition into Cross My Mind which conveniently is the sixth of twelve songs on the album. This kicks off the second half of the album beautifully, and while there is no real separation between the two halves other than the musical interlude it feels like something worth noting. At the end of the day, A R I Z O N A’s Gallery is a great album that is perfect for anyone looking to support an up and coming band that is not from the place of which they are named.
