by Jane Lambert

The “One Man Punk Band” Gunnar Gill Shares His Cathartic Punk Rock Song “Who’s the Real Coward”

“I always had anger issues growing up, and I never found a healthy way to let things out until I discovered the drums and writing my own music,” says punk rock artist Gunnar Gill, also known as the “One Man Punk Band.” “I like aggressiveness; I like things hardcore; and I like making high-energy music that makes people want to jump around.”

Gunnar Gill cuts a striking image, flaunting a high-rise mohawk, and clad in a tank top and well-worn jeans. The 19 year old West Palm Beach, Florida-based singer, songwriter, drummer, and multi-instrumentalist is punk’s newest raging rebel rocker. Gunnar is a singular talent who combines 21st-century attitude with a throwback lo-fi classic punk sound.

His newest punk rock single, “Who’s the Real Coward,” is a cathartic release of anger through the aggressive sound of punk rock. The song was inspired by an old ex-bandmate of Gunnar who talked about Gunnar behind his back. Essentially, he was using Gunnar for his musical abilities. The betrayal permeates the music with the barked vocals and a dizzying display of blast-beat drumming

Gunnar’s music melds the anthemic pop-punk of artists such as Blink 182 and Green Day with the stoned poetics and, sometimes, vulgarities of rapper Mac Miller. “I like to sneak in lyrics that make people turn their heads, and go ‘what did he just say?!’,” Gunnar says laughing. He travels the state of Florida performing as a “one man punk band,” dazzling audiences with his showmanship as he jumps from guitar to drums. Gunnar has also enlisted a motley assortment of his musical partners in crime for the Gunnar Gill Band. Gunnar fans are highly-engaged online, and many of his videos have reached 10,000 views and beyond.

Connect with Gunnar Gill

Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

11.07.22

by Jane Lambert

Florida Based Rock Band Displace Reveal Their Funky New Alternative Rock Single “Scarecrow”

Tampa, Florida based band “Displace” have released their new single “Scarecrow” out now.

Displace is a saxophone and electric violin driven funk fusion ensemble who are well known for their improvisation on stage as well as a diverse sound. Displace is a four piece group, with previous album release “Eureka!” back in 2015, their new single “Scarecrow” showcases their introspective alternative rock pop sound blended with complex jazz progressions and funk grooves.

“They say time heals all wounds, but you are inextricably addicted to a memory that only gets more distant each day. Like a lonesome scarecrow hopelessly looking to the sky longing for the very thing your nature seems designed to repel, you reflect on a past that you will never again be present for, with a bleak outlook on the prospects of a future you´d do anything to escape.”

The scarecrow then is a symbol of a fading memory; something you once longed for which is now sinking more and more into the past.

Displace originally formed back in 2012, as a strictly experimental improvisation act and the band enjoyed several live performances which led on to their 2015 release, “Eureka!”. Their sequel album, “Undertow” covers new ground in terms of continuing on the musical fusion but with a much more polished and well produced format. Instrumental melodies are richer, and there is a full woodwind section and percussion sound.

Displace current line-up includes saxophone, electric violin and six keyboards as well as percussion. They have been included in the lineup of several prominent music festivals in the United States, including Gasparilla Music Festival, Blackwater Music Festival, Aura Festival and the Great Outdoors Jam.

You don´t want to miss them live, as they really put on a show!

Stay current with Displace on their Website and social media, Instagram , Facebook and Twitter
Stream music on YouTube , Spotify and Soundcloud

11.02.22

by Jane Lambert

The Progressive Rock Fusion Band Siren Share Their New Album ‘Beyond the Rainbow’

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.

Stay current on Siren´s Website and social media channels Instagram and Facebook. Stream music on YouTube , Spotify and Soundcloud

11.01.22

by Jane Lambert

Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions Release First Two Singles From Their Upcoming Album

Gary Dranow & the Manic Emotions is a Park City, Utah-based classic rock band making music for the square pegs. After creating successful business endeavors in the world of outdoor sports, bandleader Gary Dranow turned to music to help him cope with bipolar disorder and the effects of a stroke. The result is a genre-defying collection of songs that provide comfort to those who are also walking a difficult path.

The band just released two singles from their upcoming album, Destiny Road, and album 25 years in the making.

The first is the pop rock single “Fool Outta Me,” a song with a Bon Jovi meets Pink Floyd 80’s inspired sound. The melody grabs your attention and demands your ears with it’s catchy hook and masterful songwriting. The song is about a one sided dysfunctional and unrequited love, the subject of the song has had enough and is calling it quits. “The lyrics were inspired by one of my own failed relationships where my emotions and effort were not returned,” shares Gary.

The second is the more classic and heavy rock single “Twisted Minds,” a song with an Ozzy Osbourne meets The Rolling Stones melodies and rock structure. This song is alive with wailing guitars, lyrical poetry, and emotional intensity. The song is an energetic and cathartic song about the insanity of loving someone with an unhinged mind. Lyrics like “Infatuation takes the blame, what does it matter, when your living in lies, you lose the game” sets the table for a fare of emotional angst and once again the trauma of dysfunctional relationships, of which Dranow has had many in his 50 years of trying to find lasting love.

Influenced by the musical work of icons Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, Gary Dranow and The Manic Emotions are set to soar to new heights, as they send ripples through the Blues and Rock music scene. They are a force to be reckoned with and are bound to be on your playlists.

Connect with Gary Dranow and the Manic Emotions

Website // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Soundcloud

10.13.22

by Jane Lambert

Video Voyager: Happy For No Reason’s “Canaries (Hot Summer Night)”

Happy For No Reason is a band that is the antithesis of their name. The band based out of Portland Oregon celebrate every single one of life’s precious moments as two of their members are literally happy to be alive. Comprising of Jo Alexis (vocals and percussion), Neil Goldstein (guitar), and Mark Pritchard (flute), the founding members of Happy For No Reason navigate the rich waters of Jazzy Folk with a pinch of rock, a dash of soul, and even a touch of Bossa Nova.

Their jazzy folk rock single “Canaries (Hot Summer Night)” was revived from Neil and Jo’s early music careers. Neil wrote this chord progression with a jazz band in 1974 and Jo wrote the lyrics in 1991. They put them together one night in 2015 to make the song we hear now. It’s an example of how many of their songs came together.

“The lyrics are about my boyfriend who was working in Harlem at the time and I went to visit him knowing we might break up,” says Jo. “Breaking up when you are still in love is painful but the song has turned into a raucous uptempo sing-along, like the rat pack with a female lead!”

They finished recording, mixing, and making the music video during the pandemic. A friend of Jo’s told suggested the lead vocals were initially too aggressive. So, Jo bought a new microphone and redid her parts, also learning how to use Logic, the DAW (digital audio work station) and spent many hours comping the flute and piano solos.

Their video for “Canaries(Hot Summer Night)” depicts the band on a steampunk style ship, captained by Jo. They are on a mission to catch a canary. The ship and crew are eventually wrecked and never catch the canary. It’s a metaphor for self-destruction, you want something so bad that you’re willing to ignore red flags.

We spoke with Jo Alexis about the video:

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

We didn’t actually choose it but trusted the animator to come up with something fabulous! I saw one of his videos on YouTube and looked him up. He does a combination of live action and animation and I thought it would be amazing for this song!

What was the inspiration behind this video?

Honestly, we gave Christian Bolorinos, our director/animator/producer complete creative freedom on this so all of the ideas were his and we showed up in costume and followed direction. He is SUCH a joy to work with and has an incredible sense of humor! I was delighted with the result and so was the wonder world. The video has acquired 136k views on Facebook and is also a favorite on my YouTube channel.

What was the process of making this video?

The process was so much fun! We rented a studio in Portland and showed up in steampunk outfits(during the pandemic so we wore masks except when shooting!). We shot the music video in Portland but our director, animator and script writer, Christian Bolorinos, was in Barcelona. So we FaceTimed with him during the shoot which actually worked out really well! He directed us from Spain and we just followed his directions. I rented boat props like a steering wheel and a nautical telescope and of course, ropes. We used a fan to make it look as if we were in a terrible storm. Here are some cool pics of our shoot with the band in steampunk costumes.

Connect with Happy For No Reason via:
Website / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify

08.29.22

by Jane Lambert

Video Voyager: The Speaker Wars “It Ain’t Easy”

Hall of Fame drummer Stan Lynch and singer-songwriter Jon Christopher Davis have come together to create the music they want on their own terms; they are The Speaker Wars. Their music has a vintage classic rock vibe with a contemporary spin. Their video for their latest single “It Ain’t Easy” is simple yet effective. It’s all in black and white and depicts the band playing in the studio. The song itself if about aging in any industry, but specifically the music industry for Stan and Jon. Getting older doesn’t have to be a negative thing and this video shows their grace and acceptance of it. Just them playing music is all they need to share this message.

We spoke with Jon Christopher Davis about the video. Let’s dive in:

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically in this way?

“It Ain’t Easy”‘ is about finding a renewed sense of purpose while learning how to age gracefully. I think it speaks to the confrontation of aging in any industry.

What was the inspiration behind this video?

To simply show that mojo doesn’t have an expiration date unless you let it. Getting older and wiser is cool. It’s a privilege and it’s liberating. Life gets mighty precious when there’s less of it to waste.

What was the process of making this video?

We shot our scenes separately during the middle of the pandemic. Stan was in Florida, and I was in Texas. It’s always a challenge whenever you can’t be in the same room, but it turned out great thanks to our director, Brad Osborne. It’s simple and soulful, and that’s what The Speaker Wars are all about.

Watch here: