Month: August 2015

MADDY RUFF “DON’T FALL”

You’ll be anything but “over it” with the release of Maddy Ruff’s sophomore CD. From the singer-songwriter who brought you, Don’t Fall, one of The Daily Freeman’s best regional albums of 2013 comes Over It, to be released on September 15, 2015. The release will be followed by a public concert at DROM NYC (85…

SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 20, 2015

PINKISH BLACK NEW SONGS FROM BOTH RELEASES Pinkish Black have announced an October 30 release for their new album Bottom of the Morning via Relapse Records. From the gothic, horror-film organ intro of opener “Brown Rainbow” to the wistful, fuzzed-out conclusion of final track “The Master Is Away,” the 7-track opus demonstrates an unflinching capacity…

DR. MONA VAND: CONNECTION BETWEEN JOE JACKSON’S STROKE AND THREE HEART ATTACKS AFTER ALLEGEDLY TAKING VIAGRA

In light of the recent media spotlight on the Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson following a stroke and multiple heart attacks after he allegedly took three Viagra pills during his recent birthday celebration in Brazil, Dr. Mona Vand – The Modern Pharmacist discusses the safety profile of the popular drug, including interactions and adverse effects…

PAUL KALKBRENNER “FEED YOUR HEAD”

Paul Kalkbrenner’s seventh studio album, 7, has reached lofty heights all over Europe, garnering the #1 spot in 3 countries, and charting Top 15 in many others. CHART SUCCESSES #1 in Germany #1 in Switzerland #1 in Austria #4 in Belgium #5 in the Netherlands #13 in France 7 is the seventh album from the…

FRANKY RIZARDO FT. FERAL IS KINKY “RAGGA NATION”

Franky Rizardo reveals his track ‘Ragga Nation’, due for release through Chase & Status’ label MTA Records. The track will be available on Beatport form August 25. This is one of a slew of releases, with more to come through the likes of Spinnin’ Deep, MistaJams’ Speakerbox, and Azuli. This Saturday, Franky will broadcast the…

ZAKIYA HOOKER VIDEO “IN THE MOOD”

Blues legend John Lee Hooker is best remembered for his iconic hits, “Boom, Boom” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.” But perhaps his greatest legacy is found in the seductively supple vocal stylings of his daughter, the jazz-inflected, bluesy recording artist, Zakiya Hooker. Zakiya last showcased her brand of the remarkable Hooker inheritance with…

Charity – ‘Yellow’ – EP Review

Awww – how can you NOT support a beautifully-expressive artist like this? Charity is taking sweetness to an all-new level on her latest release, the Yellow EP, with jazzed-up infusions of R&B, funk & soul all written with a modern-day nod to the old-school song-writers who have helped pave the way for her generation. You…

Shane Sheib – ‘Fast Friends’ (EP)

Let’s be honest for just a second shall we. I get a lot of albums sent my way for review and I mean a lot. Most of them don’t do anything for me. They don’t always get happily placed in the CD player, but the ones that do usually get a three song stay of…

WILL CLARKE FEAT. RHEA ‘SPANDEX

Bristolian DJ and producer Will Clarke has been causing a stir with his upfront house productions influenced by the bass forward sound of his hometown. With previous releases on the likes of Dirtybird and Turbo, here he debuts on Defected with ‘Spandex’ which features the vocals of Rhea. ‘Spandex’ doesn’t take itself too seriously, and…

PICS: THE OFFICIAL FLO RIDA ‘BACK 2 SCHOOL CONCERT’

Last Saturday the kids got to join Flo Rida & special invited celebrity Friends as they come together for the official 2015 Florida Youth Football League Back 2 School Concert. Flo Rida’s free concert s a part of his annual ‘Back 2 School Fest’ weekend which also includes a private bowling event and football jamboree.…

SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 19, 2015

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM + TITLE TRACK Starting out in 2010 as a solid garage rock group, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard followed their collective muse wherever it chose to lead them. For their latest opus, Paper Mâché Dream Balloon, they initially thought it was going to be filled…

TEDDYBEARS “BROKEN HEARTBEAT”

What does one focus on when introducing an act who’s not only won a number of Grammy Awards, been a part of countless amounts of ads including the latest Peugeot and Nike TV commercials, FIFA 2015 soundtrack, as well as climbing the charts with Giorgio Moroder and Charli XCX Diamonds, co-written by yours truly? And…

JIMMY RAE GOIN’ UNDERGROUND WITH TUNSI

Tunsi is an Indie hip-hop artist from Connecticut who says hell no to Radio/mainstream but a big hell yes to a more original and energized underground scene. Growing up on the East Coast, Tunsi was cuttin’ records and breakdancing in the early 80s as the rap/hip-hop culture has been a huge part of his life.…

Tunsi – “Walk With Me” – Single Review

When you picture the greatest-of-the-greats in your mind – what do you see in your mind? For me…not only do I see the incredible skills and talent of whatever people are involved, but a great many things that led them to their time in the spotlight. Combinations of atmospheres, attitudes and intense learning and perseverance…

Elessar Thiessen – ‘A Rainy Week In Paradise’

Elessar Thiessen’s “A Rainy Week In Paradise” is a collection of casual cool summer songs in the style of his fellow countrymen like Mac DeMarco and Alex Calder. Using a polished pop style Elessar Thiessen recalls Lambchop’s emphasis on group play. Vocals are smooth lyrics are articulate focusing on affection. Indeed the album is quite…

Oogee Wawa – More Sand than Money

Long Island’s Oogee Wawa serves up an interesting brand of surf n’ turf on More Sand than Money; 311 feels to be the prime influence with shades of Sublime and Everlast lingering just below the horizon. Heavier riffs play out across clean reggae melodies as the musical cornucopia serves up rap, ska, hard rock, alternative…

SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 18, 2015

“SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE” HITS THE ROAD SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, the 13-time Primetime Emmy® Award-winning show that sparked America’s fascination with dance, is set to captivate audiences again this fall – live on tour. Celebrating its momentous 12th season and its exciting new Stage v. Street format, SO YOU THINK…

IN TWILIGHT’S EMBRACE “THE GRIM MUSE”

Less than a month before the release date of ‘The Grim Muse’, Polish melodic death metal mavericks In Twilight’s Embrace reveal the title track off their new opus. If you are curious about how the eponymous song manifests itself, you definitely should check it out. The additional quality mark of that one is the mighty…

MORGAN OVENS “BACK AROUND”

American Idol Season 14 contestant Morgan Ovens releases first single off forthcoming EP, “Back Around”. Singer/songwriter Morgan Ovens blends pop, rock and country sounds together, drawing inspiration from her world travels as she toured Sweden, Canada, the United States, and China. It’s safe to say that this Season 14 American Idol contestant has come a…

TIFFANY TATUM NEW SINGLE “TESTIFY” FEAT B-TRON

World-class singer Tiffany Tatum will release a new single 2015 entitled “Testify” Distributed by Universal Music Group. The fresh new track sheds light on trust issues some people may experience in relationships today. In her newest release, Ms. Tatum uses her powerful voice to draw attention to an issue many people can relate to. In…

5 QUESTIONS WITH TEMPLE 8

On today’s episode we have the talented Temple 8. They break it down on what they are up to in 5 Questions! Skope: Where are we talking from today and how is your summer going so far? Temple 8: We’re talking from Troy, MI. Summer is going great. We just got back from a trip…

SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 17, 2015

NEW ALBUM BY AUDIO NOIR Halfway through the second decade of the 21st century, you have to hesitate some before reaching for artistic descriptions like “mysterious” or “enigmatic”. Atypical is the new typical; it’s all been said; it’s all been done before, right!? How else though do you depict an artist who, over a good…

BAEGOD “BOOTS ON THE GROUND” SINGLE

Baegod a.k.a. Maryann releases this new track “Boots On The Ground” from her upcoming project “Bedroomtrap’n Vol.1: Vampin” set to release August 23rd. The Project is a follow-up to her debut Ep “This Is What The Moon Sounds Like”, and if you were a fan of her Reggae inspired “The Long Way” on that project…

GHOST STREAMING ‘MELIORA’ IN FULL

Ghost released their second album INFESTISSUMAM on April 16th, 2013 via Loma Vista Recordings. The 10-song offering was produced by Grammy® Award winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Alice in Chains) in Nashville, TN and debuted at #1 on the iTunes Rock Album Chart. SPIN called the album, “one of…

PILLARS “YOU GOT THIS”

Fresh off the back of her second single’s whirlwind success, London-based newcomer PILLARS has now unveiled a new, brooding number in the form of ‘You Got This’. The track perfectly slots into her growing collection of ambient electronica and adds another piece to the puzzle as we gradually reveal more about the singer’s musical and…

Alex Lopez – Is It a Lie

How shall I sum up the sound of Alex Lopez for you? How about kind of ground breaking? While actually sounding like he’s not so over produced like some of the more modern sounding artists out there like John Maher, Lopez sizzles on guitar and manages to capture a sound that is old yet surprisingly…

Ron Louis Smith II – “Spank”

Ron Louis Smith II might be the son and, as the title of his first album The Prince of Sunshine alludes, heir apparent to KC and the Sunshine Band’s memorable blend of disco and light funk, but that doesn’t mean he lacks his own voice. Instead of immersing himself in the past, the younger Smith…

Alex Lopez – Is It a Lie

How shall I sum up the sound of Alex Lopez for you? How about kind of ground breaking? While actually sounding like he’s not so over produced like some of the more modern sounding artists out there like John Maher, Lopez sizzles on guitar and manages to capture a sound that is old yet surprisingly…

FIND-BRIDE.COM ASSURES EASY REACH TO LOVELY RUSSIAN MAIL ORDER BRIDES

Are you fascinated by Russian beauties and would love to have a Balkan bride? Well, the Slovak damsels have always commanded enormous attention given their mesmerizing beauty and homely demeanor. No wonder, the Russian ladies tops the chart effortlessly when it comes to the most desired mail order brides. When you are looking for a…

SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 13, 2015

BALTHAZAR VIDEO “NIGHTCLUB” Preceding the upcoming release of their third album Thin Walls on September 25th via Play It Again Sam, Balthazar have debuted a captivating video for the track ‘Nightclub’ on Brooklyn Vegan. Along with the video comes news of a spread of US and Canadian tour dates that will kick off this October…

CHRIS CORNELL “NEARLY FORGOT MY BROKEN HEART”

Multiple Grammy® Award-winning, Golden Globe Nominated and acclaimed singer and songwriter Chris Cornell will release his fifth studio album Higher Truth on Friday, September 18, 2015 via Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). Starting today fans can pre-order the deluxe version of the highly anticipated album HERE, which contains four bonus tracks. Produced by Brendan O’Brien (Bruce…

JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW NEW SINGLE

James Vincent McMorrow shared the track “How to Waste a Moment” via Soundcloud. The new song hints at a continued evolution for James adding more beats to his layered, production and soulful vocals. McMorrow has been hard at work on the follow up to 2014’s Post Tropical and the track is a pivot from the…

Aradia – ‘Citizen of Earth’

Aradia’s “Citizen of Earth” points towards a gleaming future of pop. Embodying the best of a dreamy yet gritty urban vision Aradia’s work is a unique creature with clever reflective lyrics. At times Aradia sounds akin to The Sneaker Pimps, Portishead and other pioneers of Trip-Hop. With elements of ambient that enter the fray the…

MK “BRING ME TO LIFE”

Over the last two years MK has become one of the elite in the Shazam charts with a plethora of remixes including Lana Del Rey, Sam Smith, Rudimental, Kant, and Pharrell to name but a few. With his Area10 brand hosting stages at We Are FSTVL, Parklife, Creamfields and Tomorrowland as well as his summer…

“INSIDE FERGUSON” BY DEVIN S. JAMES

Despite angry protests and national outcry after the police killing of unarmed Michael Brown, Jr., a year ago Aug. 9, the police shootings of Black citizens and ensuing uprisings continue to occur across the country. Diversity expert and author, Devin S. James, warns the tragedies and conflict will continue until government leaders make a real…

SKOPE NEWS FOR AUGUST 12, 2015

MICHAEL DOUGLAS VIDEO GAME Film legend, Michael Douglas, was pleasantly surprised when Norwegian journalist, Kjersti Flaa of TV2, revealed the news that funkstress, Maya Vik, had released a music video in his honor titled, “Y.M.D. (Young Michael Douglas.)” The music video which features a Michael Douglas character catching “Pussy cats” from the sky, premiered on…

MAJICAL CLOUDZ LISTEN TO NEW SONG “SILVER CAR CRASH”

In 2013, the Canadian musical-performance art project Majical Cloudz released Impersonator via touchstone indie label Matador, garnering praise from tastemaker and mainstream media as one of the year’s best and most notable albums. Since then, principle writer and vocalist Devon Welsh has been fastidiously crafting the band’s second studio album, while simultaneously touring the world…

Agent13 – ‘Cloak and Dagger’

Agent 13’s demands to be played loud, very loud. Blasting forth with great energy they work in the tradition of great, fast, classic and punk rock. With this unstoppable force they simply burn through their track lengths on “Cloak and Dagger”. Yet these are exactly the kinds of things that get stuck in the mind…

JIMMY RAE & MR. RAY PUSH FOR A BULLY-FREE ZONE

mr. Ray is an accomplished musician who has been successful in the area of Kid’s music for 20 years now. Standing by his motto that it’s “music for the kid in all of us”. mr. Ray is young at heart, so this is the perfect platform for he and his young, family-oriented audience. With his…