Hard Rock Daddy presents Music Discovery Monday – 1/18/16.
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.
Sadly, just like the first Music Discovery Monday of 2016, the second one also features a special tribute to a fallen rock legend, David Bowie.
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher, Hard Rock Daddy)
DAVID BOWIE – “Lazurus”
David Bowie was an artist who created masterpieces. Because of his penchant for imagery and theatrics, the video for “Lazurus” would likely have been accepted at face value, if not for his subsequent passing three days after its release. The song itself (like much of Bowie’s work), wouldn’t be classified as “hard rock,” but the influence that he had on so many artists in the genre is the reason for a tribute in this forum.
Bowie transcended genres, radio formats and classification of any kind. His work blazed trails for others to travel. Countless artists cite him as an influence. None ever came close to being called “the next Bowie.” There was no such thing. He truly was one-of-a-kind.
The music and lyrics of “Lazurus” are brought intensely to life by Bowie in the video for the song. It is mesmerizing and disturbingly real on its own. Knowing now that the song was foreshadowing his impending death – and offered as a parting gift to his fans – makes watching it painfully bittersweet, but also makes you appreciative of his passion to be a creative force until his dying day.
Bowie could have spent his limited time left on earth with the ones that he loved. He had already given the fans a lifetime of memories. He owed us nothing, but gave more just the same. Listen to the lyrics as you watch the video. It is not art imitating life. It is life and art intertwined. None did it better than Bowie.
Please see the Hard Rock Music Time Machine segment (below) for a continuation of the tribute to the timeless work of David Bowie…
JON LOVELESS – HRD Music Scout
WE ARE HARLOT – “One More Night”
Rowdy tune, with influences all over the place. I first thought of Motley Crue, then felt more Faster Pussycat…and then, the short burst of scream/growl vocal kicked in out of nowhere. Thankfully, that wasn’t overdone and they ended up with an energetic track that seems like something that would fare even better live.
VANILLA FUDGE – “I’m A Believer”
Yes, it’s THAT Vanilla Fudge. Yes, it’s THAT “I’m A Believer.” Yes, it’s new. Somehow, it all seems to work. Having three quarters of the original lineup surely helps keep the sound on point and tightly knit. Think of it as “new old-school” or whatever works for you. The band did a fine job on this unexpected track.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
DARK SARAH – “Hunting The Dreamer”
After leaving symphonic metal band Amberian Dawn in 2012, Finnish lyric soprano Heidi Parviainen moved on to her own solo project, Dark Sarah. The band’s debut album, Behind The Black Veil, is a concept album about a woman whose darker half awakens after she is abandoned at the altar. On this track, driving bass and playful rhythms are set off brilliantly against the band’s orchestral elements. Elsewhere, watch for guest appearances by Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Inga Scharf (Van Canto), and Manuela Kraller (Xandria).
DARKYRA BLACK – “Of Fools And Gold”
From Australia, Darkyra Black delivers stunning vocals against a symphonic, often progressive, metal backdrop. The songs on this newly released sophomore album are beautifully orchestrated, boasting full string and woodwind sections. They consistently opt for authentic (sometimes ancient) instruments, over synthesized knockoffs. There is a superficial comparison to be made to other metal bands fronted by females with operatic prowess (Nightwish, Within Temptation), but the compositions here are decidedly different.
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH – HRD Music Scout
DIVINER – “Kingdom Come”
Diviner is a Greek metal band that formed in 2011. “Kingdom Come” comes from the band’s debut album (Fallen Empires), which was released last year. This track has an old school, lower tech sound that will grab you from the first notes. It’s reminiscent of “Holy Diver” by DIO, whose influence you can hear in Yiannis Papanikolaou’s vocals, as well as the guitar work of George Maroulees and Thimios Krikos.
ELDRITCH – “The Face I Wear”
Italy’s Eldritch has been around since 1991. They are a progressive/power metal outfit named after Watchtower’s “The Eldritch” (which was among their favorites songs at the time). “The Face I Wear” is really well done, with a thick rhythm and riffs leading up to a terrific bridge and the dramatic chorus (which is the crux of the song). All-around great performances on this track.
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
DAVID BOWIE – “Heroes” (1977)
Back when MTV first launched, it was as revolutionary to members of Generation X as social media is to today’s younger generations. For the most part, the videos that appeared on MTV were reflective of the times…colorful, upbeat, and often-times, kind of campy. And then, there was David Bowie’s “Heroes,” a hauntingly beautiful song that used lyrics and melody to paint a mental picture with a video that simply featured the emotive rock icon passionately delivering the song as only he could. Its beauty lied in its simplicity. It’s hard to say if this was the song that turned me on to Bowie, but it was the one that left the most indelible mark on me. It wasn’t until his recent passing that I realized just what a hero Bowie was to so many people from such different walks of life. His influence will last well beyond his time on earth.
DAVID BOWIE – “Ziggy Stardust” (1972)
It’s not an exaggeration to say that without David Bowie, glam rock may never have existed, or even “hair bands” for that matter. What eventually killed the glam/hair movement was a cultural change happening around the same time that a number of bands focused more on style than substance. The final nail in the coffin was when a good portion of the genre morphed into a parody of itself.
Bowie did glam with substance and a flair for theatrics. Perhaps there is no better example than the alter ego that he created in the form of Ziggy Stardust, which was much more than a classic song from a concept album. Bowie became Ziggy Stardust, and not only made gender-bending and androgyny acceptable; he made it cool.
If you’re a fan of glam rock and ‘80s hair metal, you owe a debt of gratitude to Bowie / Ziggy Stardust for paving the way for numerous bands.
DAVID BOWIE – “Space Oddity” (1969)
With a plethora of hits and lesser-known tracks to choose from, the decision to include “Space Oddity” was made easy after seeing a throng of Bowie fans singing the song in its entirety at a tribute in the streets of New York City after learning of their hero’s passing. The video does more justice than words describing it ever could (click here to view). There were some in the crowd that weren’t even born when the song was released, and many more who were too young to have appreciated it at the time. It’s hard to think of many songs in rock history that are capable of creating such powerful theater of the mind. That was the brilliance of Bowie. He was more than a singer or songwriter. He was an artist with a unique ability to tell stories and make you feel things in a visceral way. There will never be another one like him.
RIP David Bowie! Thank you for sharing your creativity with the world, and serving as a tremendous inspiration for so many.
JON LOVELESS
SIXX A.M. – “Deadlihood” (2011)
A song that just, well, “sounds like Sixx A.M.” to me. Tempo and intensity changes weave you through the story. With a new album (or is it albums, plural?) reportedly being mixed this month, it should be sometime later this year that we’ll find out if this is still what the band sounds like. I lean toward hoping that it is.
CONEY HATCH – “Blown Away” (2013)
An under-hyped reunion album that brought the original lineup together for the first time in nearly 30 years. Coney Hatch is a band that could probably be referred to as under-appreciated (both the first time around AND the second as well).
ROB DELL’AQUILA
SOLAR FRAGMENT – “Inside The Circle” (2011)
With roots in the German power metal underground, Solar Fragment stormed the international scene in 2011 with In Our Hands. On this hard hitting track, vocalist Robert Leger, who has often been compared to Hansi Kursch, is actually joined by the Blind Guardian vocalist, for a tour de force of bombastic harmonies.
NEVERLAND – “To Lose The Sun” (2008)
There are a dozen bands, past and present, called Neverland. This favorite began as a collaboration between Turkish melodic metal band Dreamtone, and Greek vocalist Iris Mavraki. Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kursch appeared as a guest vocalist on their debut album in 2008, and crushes all hope on this powerful, heartbreaking track.
CHRIS HERZEGOVITCH
MORIFADE – “The Enemy Within” (2002)
Morifade is a Swedish prog/power metal band with mystical themes. The band has been around since the late ‘90s. “The Enemy Within” is from their 2002 release, Imaginarium. It features tight, competent musicianship all around, with a really good melodic refrain and chorus. Standouts are Kristian Wallin’s vocals and the dualing/harmonic guitar work of Robin Arnell and Mathias Kamijo.
DARKWATER – “Why I Bleed” (2010)
Darkwater takes you on an epic prog metal trip with “Why I Bleed.” True to the genre, complex time changes and various styles abound in expert fashion behind the outstanding vocals of Henrik Båth. Together since 2003, this track is from their 2010 album, Where Stories End.
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