Hard Rock Daddy presents Music Discovery Monday – 6/22/15.
Each week, the HRD team shares songs that fly below radio’s radar, ranging from lesser-known artists to deeper cuts from both up-and-coming and established artists.
In addition to exposing the Hard Rock Daddy audience to new music that isn’t getting the attention that it deserves from radio, Music Discovery Monday also features a segment called “Hard Rock Music Time Machine,” which showcases older songs (from the 70s to today) that hard rock music fans may have missed at the time of release.
In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlists beneath each section, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles.
This week’s Music Discovery Monday features an exclusive interview with Outlaws & Moonshine lead vocalist/guitarist, Beau Vann, who discusses the fascinating inspiration for the band’s debut single, “Whiskey.”
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher, Hard Rock Daddy)
OUTLAWS & MOONSHINE – “Whiskey”
More often than not, I am drawn to new bands after hearing their music. In the case of Outlaws & Moonshine, I was intrigued by the name of the band and the logo when I was invited to like their page. One listen to “Whiskey,” and I was hooked on the sound of the band as well. A beautiful acoustic intro sets the tone for the band to hit you with their “back beat boogie woogie” infused Southern Rock sound. There is something very refreshing about a song that unapologetically embraces the party spirit of rock and roll the way that “Whiskey” does. The beauty of these Indiana rockers is that they know who they are and they wear it on their sleeve as they deliver a straight-ahead anthem with huge hooks (think AC/DC with southern sensibilities).
You might think that the inspiration for a straight-forward anthem about “Whiskey” would be obvious, but you’d be surprised…
“I was out the night before I wrote the song with a few of my friends. We were talking about some of the houses around the Indianapolis area that are kind of ancient and go back to the Prohibition days. Smugglers would come down from up towards Chicago, and they would hide some of their whiskey in these old houses. As a kid growing up, you’d hear those stories about Al Capone and the old smugglers and how they would pass the whiskey off to some our people (the southern people). They would take it and sell it to the people in the hills and the valleys. Hearing those kind of stories growing up always fascinated me, so that’s how the song came about.”
The rest of the interview with Beau will appear in the near future on Hard Rock Daddy, along with more coverage on Outlaws & Moonshine.
ROYAL BLISS – “Drown With Me”
Like Outlaws & Moonshine, Royal Bliss hails from an area (Utah) that isn’t predominantly known for Southern Rock, but you’d never know it based on the band’s latest single, “Drown With Me,” a feel-good song with the perfect amount of Lynyrd Skynyrd influence. Another modern band with “royal” in the name gets most of the hype these days, but Royal Bliss is the band that should be getting the attention. More than likely, they are still underrated because of the influences from other genres that they infuse into their music, but that is one of the things that makes them so unique. Kid Rock has proven that you can simultaneously appeal to fans from all walks of life, so hopefully, Royal Bliss will eventually get their just due. Check out “Drown With Me,” and then go back to dig into the band’s catalog. You will not be disappointed!
JON LOVELESS – HRD Music Scout
GUS G – “Burn”
A 2014 release that was among my top fifteen albums of the year had me more than a little anxious to see if guitar virtuoso, Gus G. (Firewind/Ozzy) could duplicate the magic on a forthcoming new album. If the first track released is any indication, the answer is a resounding “YES!” The tune was co-written with guest vocalist Jacob Bunton (Lynam / Adler), which definitely seems to contribute to an end product that makes room for both the vocals and the inevitable shredding solo to shine. One of the catchiest songs of 2015 so far, a press release quote sums it up perfectly…“Play it loud, bang your head & enjoy!”
STELLAR REVIVAL – “Watch You Walk Away”
In a somewhat unusual situation, Stellar Revival’s long-awaited album Love, Lust, and Bad Company is finally released, even as several members of the band have moved on to another project (the recently featured Southern Gentlemen). Regardless, the product from the album deserves notice since this track could well be described by the opening line…“Hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell.” If this turns out to be the last single (official or unofficial) from the band, it’s one heck of a sendoff.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
SYMPHONY X – “Without You”
With their new album slated for release late next month, progressive metal masters Symphony X offer up a taste with the album’s second single, “Without You.” The lustrous vocals of Russell Allen, rolling over a smoothly shifting landscape of guitar and keyboards, leave us hungry for more. There are some lighter acoustic moments, plenty of heavy chords to keep us on edge, and a stunning guitar solo.
HOUSE OF LORDS – “Another Dawn”
House of Lords have quickly followed up their 2014 release, Precious Metal, with 2015’s Indestructible. It’s another album chock full of catchy melodic rock tunes, with the vocals of frontman James Christian ably complemented by his famous-in-her-own-right wife, Robin Beck. They sound particularly wonderful together on the rocker, “Another Dawn,” which features some stylish drumming and a driving guitar solo from Jimi Bell.
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH – HRD Music Scout
HELLOWEEN – “Lost In America”
Helloween still kicks ass after 40 years! Their 15th studio release is considered a ‘back-to-the-roots’ album, which is evident with “Lost in America.” The lyrics, vocals and sound bear Helloween’s unmistakable signature.
ELECTRONOMICOM – “Take Me”
Powerful, passionate and driving, Electronomicom has a thick (yet inspiring) sound, fronted by Diego Valdez’s fantastic vocals. Juan José Fornés shreds, while Owen Bryant keeps the band in time with expert precision.
SUBMISSIONS
To be considered for Music Discovery Monday, please e-mail a link to the song being submitted on YouTube and an artist bio to – submissions@MusicDiscoveryMonday.com
HARD ROCK MUSIC TIME MACHINE
ADAM WALDMAN
MOLLY HATCHET – “Flirtin’ With Disaster” (1979)
This week’s featured artist (Outlaws & Moonshine) inspired me to travel back to some of my favorite Southern Rock songs from back in the day. If you’re familiar with Molly Hatchet, then their biggest hit ever won’t be much of a discovery, but if you’re not, then this is great introduction to the band. This song always brings back a great memory for me because Molly Hatchet was (kind of) my first concert. I didn’t pay for a ticket, or plan on seeing them for that matter, but when my family and I pulled up to the gate at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, and I saw Molly Hatchet listed on the marquee, I begged my parents to go see the band. My father’s classic response…“you don’t even know who SHE is!” Moments like that bring a smile to my face when remembering my dad. They are also the moments that I miss the most. In celebration of Father’s Day, I dedicate “Flirtin’ With Disaster” – one of my favorite Southern Rock songs of all-time – to my dad in heaven.
JOHNNY VAN ZANDT – “Brickyard Road” (1990)
While “Flirtin’ With Disaster” conjures up bittersweet feelings for me personally, “Brickyard Road” is bittersweet in its own right. Written over a decade after he lost his brother Ronnie in the tragic Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, Johnny delivers one of the most inspiring tributes ever written for a loved one. “Brickyard Road” is as raw as it is touching and beautiful, and still brings tears to my eyes when I listen to it to this day. These days, Johnny is doing an admirable job as the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, doing his best to fill the enormous void that was left after Ronnie’s tragic passing.
JON LOVELESS
PALAYE ROYALE – “Get Higher” (2013)
I run across songs in the strangest ways sometimes. Such is the case when this song suddenly appeared in the Canadian Active Rock Top 50 this month (nearly two years after release, and more than a year after it helped them win a major MTV music contest). I understand how I managed to have no idea about that affair, but I’m a little more puzzled as to why I don’t seem to have ever heard their names even when they eclipsed 20 million views with a video for their first single (“Morning Light”) back in 2012. Maybe their self-identification as a “Fashion-Art Rock Band” has something to do with that. Off-putting genre description aside, there’s really a fine enough straight-up rock song here, something in the vein of Danko Jones and the like. If you haven’t heard it – or them – set aside all the other stuff and just listen, I believe it’ll pass muster.
ROB DELL’AQUILA
TAKARA – “Colors Fade” (1993)
Takara formed in the late 80s and are still making music today. This melodic rock ballad from their 1993 debut album features the prolific Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen, W.E.T.) on vocals. There are beautiful harmonies and an emphasis on keyboards in this emotional piece.
DIGNITY – “Icarus” (2008)
Dignity is a melodic metal band out of Austria. Their 2008 epic “Icarus” tells the tale from Greek Mythology of the boy who flew too close to the sun. There are soaring choruses and some intense double bass drumming. From the same album, be sure to catch their melodic metal cover of Chris de Burgh’s “Don’t Pay the Ferryman.”
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH
BEYOND REASON – “Enlightened Years Away” (1992)
Here’s a throwback from the early 90s. Beyond Reason was a local band from Westchester, NY, who were together from the late 80s to the mid-90s. “Enlightened Years Away” is a great track from a band that didn’t get airplay. Great, raw sound from a tight and talented group, with an outstanding rhythm section (Dave Kramer – Bass and John Grasso – Drums). Their work might be forgotten, except for a recent compilation released this year called New Reflection.
STRAMONIO – “Awake The Jester” (2000)
Stratamonio was prog power metal band from Italy that dates back to the early 2000s. They had a bright and crisp sound with good pace changes and synthetic arrangements. Standouts are the guitars (Nicola Balliana) and percussion (Roberto De Cesero & Cristiano Zanvettor). Although promising, they split up after 2004.
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