Category: FEATURES

Feature stories and artist interviews

SHANNON STEPHEN’S OFFERS MP3 “CATCH THE MORNING LINE”

This July 20, Asthmatic Kitty Records is proud to present the re-press of Shannon’s self-titled debut (2000). Produced by Stephens and her former Marzuki bandmates Sufjan Stevens and Matthew Haseltine, this superb collection of Shannon’s own songs includes contributions by Marzuki cellist Jamie Kempkers, Kenny Hutson (Vigilantes of Love) on pedal steel guitar, Mews and…

MOUSE FIRE OFFERS MP3 OF “TRUE I HAVE LOST IT”

Florida trio Mouse Fire release their sophomore album Big Emotion on Lujo Records, which is already garnering praise for its blend of catchy dance rock the Oklahoma Gazette describes as “a resolutely dance-floor-ready sound combining bristling funk backbeat, shimmying synth lines and big, harmonic vocal hooks that hark back to Hall & Oates, Air Supply…

STOLI IS THE FIRST TO WELCOME TWO CHOICES TO THE USA

I have decided as the mastermind behind the “Skoped Out” column that we will be running two features per week from now on. To be honest, one just did not seem to be enough so be sure to check us out on Monday & Friday weekly. I am really excited about this next band coming…

NO SURRENDER OFFER “GODDA GET IT” MP3

No stranger to the New York underground scene, No Surrender is gearing up to release their intricate sophomore effort Medicine Babies (ZerOKilled Music, Fall 2010). Blending hip-hop, electro, soul, synth-pop, and indie-rock, No Surrender’s spanning sound is genre-bending.

MELIGROVE BAND RELEASE “HALFLIGHT” MP3

Last Gang Records is pleased to announce the US release of the latest full-length from Toronto’s Meligrove Band. Shimmering Lights, out September 21, is the highly anticipated follow up to the band’s critically-acclaimed 2006 album, Planets Conspire. The band will release the first single from the record, “Halflight,” as a free digital download.

JEREMY WEINGLASS RELEASES MP3 FOR “JUNE”

Ten years in the making but released this month, ODYSSEY: A TWELVE-MONTH REVOLUTION is an epic musical exploration of the passing of days, changing of seasons and the journey though the year. Prodigious pianist Jeremy Weinglass, accompanied by virtuoso violinist Chris Woods, has captured the powerful and the subtle in the cycle of life with…

NAUGHTY BY NATURE “I GOTTA LOTTA” VIDEO

Grammy award-winning group Naughty By Nature premieres the video for the new single “I Gotta Lotta” from the forthcoming album Anthem Inc. (Illtown Records). Directed by The Wonder TwinZ & Jessica Ardito, the street single features Treach’s signature flow over the classic boom bap style with the late Sonny Black on the hook.

THE WAILERS: NO END TO THIS MUSIC

It is undeniable that the Wailers’ legacy is inspirational and renowned, indelible and profound; in essence, the stuff that dreams are made of. The Wailers are the blueprint of reggae, the very foundation upon which reggae was built; and to this day, over 40 years after their origin, they continue to carry the torch. And…

COLOUR REVOLT OFFER “OUR NAMES” MP3 FROM ‘THE CRADLE’

The album comes galloping out of the gates with opener “8 Years,” where Coppenbarger expels the lyrics detailing the band’s history as though he may run out of time as guitars churn around him, culminating in the larynx shredding howl of “there is nothing more gorgeous or covered I have found than the western part…

KINETIX OFFER A TASTE OF NEW ALBUM ‘LET ME IN’

Denver, Colorado rockers Kinetix continue to build upon their DIY success of the previous five years, having spent 2009 logging more than 10,000+ miles criss-crossing the country setting concert hall and music festival audiences on fire with their soul-powered rock and roll.

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

You would think a built, tattooed, and statuesque 6’2” cat from the streets of Memphis would be just another hip hop artist. Well, you can’t quite judge this book by his cover, as Eddie “Gypsy” Stokes is quite the opposite.                  

CALLmeKAT VIDEO FOR “MY SEA”

Having recently returned to the states after a European tour, Copenhagen-via-NYC musician CALLmeKAT will be performing several dates in June, including a set of dates at NXNE in Toronto.  

HOT HOT HEAT RELEASE “20@12” VIDEO

Hot Hot Heat have unleashed the official video for their anthem “21@12,” off their new album Future Breeds, which hits stores this Tuesday June 8th on Dangerbird Records.   The clip features a cast of eccentric, real life characters including a pro-wrestler and a neighborhood grandmother, who were found in Edmonton, Alberta — where it…

SKOPE GIVEAWAY: 1 PAIR OF TIX FOR BAMBOOZLE – LONG ISLAND

The Bamboozle Roadshow is making its way across the country. One lucky Skope Magazine reader will be given two tickets to the June 26th concert at the Nassau Coliseum. The   Lineup includes All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, Cartel, Forever The Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte and Hanson.

AN INTERVIEW WITH BLUE OCTOBER

Unless you’ve been living in an Amish commune for the last few years, there is no way that you haven’t heard Blue October’s infectiously catchy brand of mood rock. The massive radio singles “Hate Me“, and “Into The Ocean”, (off of their multi-platinum breakthrough album Foiled) have cemented their place in today’s modern rock landscape,…

ROONEY NEW VIDEO “I CAN’T GET ENOUGH”

EUREKA is the follow up to the band’s two critically acclaimed albums, ‘ROONEY & CALLING THE WORLD’ which saw the quartet tour the world with artists like Weezer and The Strokes, perform on The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, among many more, impact modern rock & alternative radio stations and infiltrate video…

THE TIME CAPSULE, VOLUME 1

Normally I’m not keen on the idea of nostalgia but I think it is okay nowadays concerning music because the music industry is as stable as Courtney Love‘s mental status. As I mentioned in my earlier post, the recent demise of record stores and the popularity of downloading songs from the internet has made the…

TROUBLE ANDREW RELEASES “CADILLAC” MUSIC VIDEO

Off the heels of the critically acclaimed Trouble Gang Mixtape, Trevor “Trouble” Andrew returns with the first video from the record for the bangin track “Cadillac”. The video features collaborators Jofo & Stunnaman who also appear on the track.

JUNE 2010 SONICBIDS “ARTISTS 2 WATCH”

Welcome to another amazing month of music from the incredible musicians that make up the Sonicbids.com community. We have chose a select group of amazing musicians that will be speaking directly to the Skope readers. As always we encourage readers to dig deeper and check out their EPK’s.

WOULD YOUR BAND LIKE TO OPEN FOR KISS?

Continuing its ongoing support of aspiring artists, Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, today announced that it has teamed up with rock and roll icons KISS, and leading digital media company for entertainment, Eventful, for a revolutionary music program: Guitar Center On-Stage, a competition that provides unsigned bands and artists the career-altering opportunity…

CROSSFADE NEW VIDEO “KILLING ME INSIDE”

Crossfade debuted the video for their brand new single “Killing Me Inside.” Last month the band posted a brief instrumental sample of the track as the first taste of new material from their album due out later this year.  

BRUCE KAPHAN FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD OF “GLEAMING TOWERS”

San Francisco Bay Area musician, composer, engineer and producer Bruce Kaphan has been professionally involved in the Music Scene since the mid-’70s. His skills and talents have made their mark on hundreds of projects, and thousands of performances given around the world. On June 1st Bruce will be releasing his long-awaited sophomore full-length album, Hybrid,…