Graham and The Band Upstairs is an Atlanta based Americana band led by Graham Waldrop. The band creates music in the tradition of Bob Dylan and Neil Young, combining introspective lyrics with diverse melodies that meshes the folk, blues, and rock genres to create a fully realized sonic identity for each song.
Graham and the Band Upstairs’ “Standstill Blues” is a captivating and relatable blues track that encapsulates the frustrations of everyday life, particularly the infamous Atlanta traffic. Written from Graham’s personal experience of enduring lengthy commutes, the song explores the theme of stagnation and frustration but expands it into a collection of short stories that evoke a range of emotions.
Initially conceived with a different musical structure, Graham realized that the traditional blues framework would best suit the lyrics and the intended message of the song. This decision allowed the band to tap into their innate understanding of the genre, bringing a genuine and authentic feel to the music.
The interplay between band members is notable, with Josef and Zach providing a solid rhythmic foundation on bass and drums, respectively. Jeff’s skillful lead guitar licks inject the track with energy and vitality, while Veronica’s vocals shine whenever she takes the spotlight.
“Standstill Blues” resonates with listeners on multiple levels, as it captures the universal frustration and monotony that can often accompany our daily routines. Graham and the Band Upstairs have skillfully translated this feeling into a bluesy masterpiece, utilizing their musical prowess to express emotions that many can relate to. The track’s infectious groove and memorable storytelling make it a standout piece in the band’s repertoire.
With their ability to convey the realities of everyday life through the lens of the blues, Graham and the Band Upstairs continue to captivate audiences and leave an indelible mark on the music scene.
American band Siren has released their brand new album Beyond the Rainbow.
This is an album that you can truly become immersed in; raw, authentic, contemporary metal rock. The opening track “Lawless Life” starts with a progressive metal guitar riff. The lyrical “High Wire” and “Sympathetic Response” are more laid-back rock songs, written by Mike and Rob Phillips.
Many songs on this album are unexpected, in the sense that musically it is extremely tight and well written, as well as experimenting with different musical concepts. Siren have really gone the extra mile with this new release.
¨When we began writing Beyond the Rainbow, we would write as a group with the exception of ‘High Wire.’ ‘Empty Ocean,’ and ‘Sympathetic Response,’ which Mike and I wrote. Normally Mike and I will bring the songs to the band, and let them work out their parts. A process we have gone back to for our upcoming material, as it seems to work much better for the writing process.” – Rob Phillips
When Phillips had sought to reunite the band back in 2005 with drummer/engineer Mike Cupino, and a new musical direction, the band did release their first Siren album called “Don´t Mind”. It wasn´t until much later, as three new band members joined the group, that the musical sound developed even more.
Today, Siren exists with the same lineup as previous releases, except for the lead guitarist. Todd Grubbs replaces Leo Boland as the lead guitar, and brings a guitar virtuoso which really makes the band stand out with a progressive, fusion style.
The first track on the album, “Lawless Life” was released earlier this year as a single to much critical acclaim, together with a music video produced by Nathan Mowery. With influences such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters, it is hard not to enjoy this eclectic blend of progressive rock.
Mitch Melodia is the artist and mastermind behind the jam “band” Alpha Pegasi whose sound is rock and some pop mentality with a lot of chilled out Led Zeppelin as an influence. “Alpha Pegasi has a Tame Impala-ish approach in the studio and a Phish-ish mentality for live shows,” says Mitch. “Improvisation extending songs is a staple of every show but when recording, I keep it concise. It’s fun for me to play and arrange every instrument on record, but I’m also stoked for future collaborations with other musicians in the studio.”
His recently released alternative rock single “Give Some, Get Some” has a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe with bluesy undertones. The melody is precise and method, giving the hook a permanent place in your head. Mitch started writing it in 2013 and has been tweaking and working the song ever since to finally be what it is today, a funky, danceable, and groove-filled jam song.
“With groovy and funky verses, a more rock-heavy and catchy chorus, and a couple of firey guitar solos, ‘Give Some, Get Some’ is one of my favorites on the first EP,” shares Mitch. He has musical solos, funky versus, rock chorus’s and was made for a live setting.
Listen here:
A main financial focus for Alpha Pegasi is to donate 5% of all profits to environmental and health-orientated organizations like San Diego EarthWorks. Mitch aspires to use his music and art as a vehicle to support environmental and health-improving causes, including mental-health practices.
Natalie Fideler is the front-person of her self-titled power trio currently based in Minneapolis, MN. Having performed in several different ensembles over the years, the release of her debut album “Steak & Eggs” marks the beginning of her solo career. Her band consists of herself as the songwriter on guitar, keyboards, and lead vocals, Hailey Jacobsen on bass, and Leigh Underwood on drums.
The trio just released their newest single, “Three Man Army,” the title track of their next album of the same name. While their previous single, “Judas,” had more of an alternative rock sound and contemplated the Christian Religion and what that means to Natalie, “Three Man Army” is more fun. The song has a funk and blues element to it and is carried by Natalie’s vocals which are beautiful and passionate, giving off a softer Demi Lovato or a Hayley Williams vibe.
“Three Man Army” utilizes the trumpet, giving the melody a catchy sound that makes you want to get up and dance. The song is the first one Natalie had ever written, way back when she was 14 years old. It’s Natalie speaking to a dear friend she had just had a falling out with (and herself in a symbolic way) trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. She sings “There’s plenty of people out there just like me/messed up, broken, incomplete,” giving a sense of empowerment and inner conflict.
“I eventually retired the song when I was in college thinking it ‘sounded too young’ and I was sick of it,” shares Natalie. “But one day many years later, I was doing a pandemic livestream concert from my living room and my fiance/drummer Leigh heard me play the song for the first time. Once I had finished the tune she said to me (verbatim because the stream is archived), ‘Question. Is there a reason that we’re not playing that one full band?! What’s wrong with you?! It’s a great song, it’s funky. Why aren’t we doing it full band?!’ I thankfully decided to bring the song back.”
Angela Perry’s music shares the strength, heartache and joys of living life. Her melodies are invigorated with energy and honesty and her lyrics are beautifully crafted and meticulously written to be as open as possible. Her soulful voice takes her music to a higher lever as you can not only hear her passion for her craft, but for the meaning behind each song as well. Her songwriting gives a new perspective to the typical themes of nature and matters of the heart that we all know and love.
Angela newest folk and country rock album, 21 Dayz, boasts 9 stunning songs that showcase her Shania Twain and Bonnie Rait-esque vocals and her Joni Mitchell and James Taylor-like songwriting. She meticulously wrote each song to be as open and no-nonsense as possible. She doesn’t sugar-coat through any topics. For example, her song “Sister Cry” is about the disturbing amount of women who are murdered and go missing just for being their authentic selves. In fact, indigenous women are 10x more likely to get murdered or go missing. The lyrics of this song is juxtaposed with the more upbeat melody, implying our blind eye towards this. “’Sister Cry’ was written from the victim’s perspective as a plea to all of us ‘who look the other way.’ The word WHY in the song asks a question that can not seem to be answered not only by the victims but by us. They are crying for all who too blinded to see,” shares Angela.
Her song “Sunflower Child,” by far one of her best, is about strength, hope, and positivity. The sunflower is a resilient and adaptable flower as it can grow in any environment. She recently released the video for this song and dedicated it to the Ukrainian refugees. The song is about perseverance and standing tall against adversity, like a sunflower.
“Fallen” is another song that stands out. It’s more acoustic than the rest and represents everyone who has fallen from grace due to a decision they made. It hurts now, but time heals all wounds. The melody is both haunting and a little melancholic, though you can hear the hope in her voice as the song progresses. “The song was written underneath 150 year old cottonwood trees where the idea of time is so different from what we as humans feel,” shares Angela. “In the scheme of time, we are nothing more than just a speck and sometimes when we fail to see how things we view as significant are not. This song…reminds all of us that we are human and have human frailties and frustrations.”
Stormin’ Norman Zamcheck is a pianist and singer/songwriter. He has been writing songs since he was old enough to pick out a tune on the keyboard and write down the lyrics on his mother’s linen napkins. During the course of his four-decade career, Norm has penned over five hundred musical compositions.
A New York transplant, Norm hales from the Boston area. He has performed in venues up and down the East and West coasts as well as internationally. In the late 70’s his band, Stormin’ Norman & Suzy, was referred to by the New York Times as the “hottest act in town, ” unleashing a deluge of media attention. Since then, Norman has played Carnegie Hall (twice); recorded for the Polydor/Polygram label; written scores for several movies and off-Broadway shows, appeared on a Dick Clark TV Special and worked as composer and music director for Pilobolous Dance Theater. He also toured with the Andy Statman Klezmer Orchestra, playing to appreciative crowds in Poland, Israel and Brooklyn.
As a composer of songs, Norman Zamcheck has been praised in publications from Rolling Stone Magazine to The New York Times, which called him “exceptionally good and exceptionally original.” Early on, Norm drew writing inspiration from a rich tradition of folk music. Over the passing years he harkened to personal muses such as Mose Allison, Randy Newman and Tom Lehrer. Like them, he brilliantly fuses melody, wit, humor and irony. He sees songs in terms of “novellas” and populates his tunes with amusing characters, memorable stories and rich allusions to nature and humanity (see Music Tree page). Stormin’ Norman’s music rocks with a blues/New Orleans beat; his unique sound as a hard-driving pianist has been described as boogie woogie meets twelve tone. His primary pianistic influences include Fats Waller, Thelonious Monk and Dr. John.
To support his growing family Norm stopped performing regularly in mid-career to become an inner-city teacher and principal . Once he retired from education, he has caught up for lost time and booked himself gigs from the Shenandoah Valley in the South to the piney woods of Maine; from the Berkshires in Massachusetts to Boston; New York to Los Angeles; and across the pond in Paris. His new release, “Euphoria” blends Latin jazz with boogie and rock and roll.
The sounds of reminiscent past of smokey old piano bars laced with the happiness of yesterday we all wish we could feel again. The song “Queen of Rosebuds” really plays to a modern Broadway jazz sound that has edgy sensual notes. The song “Everything is Turning (On the Wings of Love) is a beautiful lulllaby-esque song filled with hopeful notes to create a beautiful melody. Norm does a fantastic job at creating a moving piece of music that is eclectic and yet still all speaks the same language. On this record, Norm has cultivated a pianistic style rooted in the jazz of New Orleans with shades of Latin influence. Simultaneously nostalgic, Euphoria is a totally unique sound. The album reflects the driving rhythms of the rock ensembles he toured with for years around the Northeast. Real Stormin’ Norman is an ensemble fronted by the thundering vocals of Genevieve Faivre and features a stellar group of sidemen, including rising jazz superstar Jonathan Saraga (trumpet and arrangements), Russian bass master Arthur Sadowsky and drummer Tobias Ralph, who is acclaimed as “one of the best drummers in America” by Drummers World. Real Stormin’ Norman calls New York City home and is currently touring Euphoria around the Big Apple.
Norm states “Euphoria is the perfection I’ve always wanted to do. The songs are beautiful. The singing is powerful. Tight, imaginative arrangements. This album is way more realized than the previous Real Stormin’ Norman records. We were able to perfect music that I had been working on for years.”
Listen to Euphoria here:
Additionally, Norman found time to score a long-forgotten Nicholas Ray movie that has been locked in a vault for decades called We Can’t Go Home Again. And with the urging of Ray’s widow, Susan, Norm also scored a documentary about the legendary auteur film director. Both films were screened internationally and featured several times on the Turner Cable Classic network.
Modern Mystery 