MUSIC DISCOVERY MONDAY – 7/3/17
Music Discovery Monday shines a light on artists that are not getting the radio attention that they deserve, while also showcasing new singles by established bands that are likely to get airplay in the future.
In addition to appearing on the embedded YouTube playlist below, all songs featured on Music Discovery Monday can be listened to individually by clicking on the hyper-linked song titles above each review.
ADAM WALDMAN – (Publisher/Editor, Hard Rock Daddy)
THE WILD! – “Livin’ Free”
With the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary this week, it seemed like the perfect time to feature some outstanding Canadian musicians.
One of the bands coming out of Canada that I’m most excited about is The Wild! It just so happens that the single that they’re promoting at the moment is called “Livin’ Free,” so this feature is timely (to say the least).
Since the launch of Hard Rock Daddy, I have discovered numerous bands in a variety of ways, but none as interestingly as The Wild! As I stood on the black carpet of the Epiphone Revolver Music Awards this past December, one of my longtime friends in the industry walked in with Dylan Kirouac (aka Dylan Villain), the band’s singer/guitarist. My friend described The Wild! as a band that needed their own category. Needless to say, I was intrigued.
Much later on that evening (actually early the next morning), I ran into Kirouac at a pizza place in the East Village of NYC. As he told me the story of the band blowing up their tour bus in the video for “Ready To Roll,” I was instantly hooked without ever hearing a note.
The swagger that once defined rock stars of the ‘70s and ‘80s is in short supply these days, so when you find it in someone like Kirouac, you gravitate towards it (at least I do). Lest anyone think that The Wild! is some sort of throwback novelty act though. This band rocks as hard as any band out there. With music that is rooted in the past, these Canadian rockers bridge the gap between yesterday and today.
“Livin’ Free” is everything that you want from a larger-than-life arena rock song. The shuffling bluesy rhythm provides a rock solid foundation to build upon. With huge hooks and melodies, and just enough swagger, “Livin’ Free” proves that this emerging band would have been just as relevant during the glory days of hard rock. Make sure that The Wild! is on your radar.
DANKO JONES – “My Little RnR”
Keeping with the Canadian artist theme this week, “My Little RnR” is an energetic, charismatic rock and roll tune that brings to mind a mixture of distinctly different artists in a truly unique way. The southern/stoner vibe of the song is reminiscent of fellow Canadian rockers, Monster Truck. The smooth (almost spoken word) vocal delivery of Jones conjures up memories of Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy). And the melodic gang vocals are in the same wheelhouse as classic Cheap Trick.
I must admit that Danko Jones flew under my radar until a few years ago when I heard the music being played on SiriusXM’s Octane. Sadly, some really talented Canadian artists with lengthy careers and a following in their home country don’t get the exposure that they deserve in America.
This year, Jones has garnered some well-deserved attention by providing guest vocals on Volbeat’s recent #1 hit, “Black Rose.” Hopefully, rock fans will use that collaboration as inspiration to check out more of what the band has to offer.
With a career that dates back over 20 years, there is certainly plenty of music to go back and discover. “My Little RnR” is an excellent place to get started.
ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout
GOATWHORE – “Mankind Will Have No Mercy”
There’s nothing like a tasty riff to start up a song with heavy muted cymbals as the gutteral scream starts and the double bass rattles off like machine gun fire. The new single “Mankind Will Have No Mercy” from Goatwhore’s latest album, Vengeful Ascension, is chock-full of heavy riffs, breakdowns, death metal screams, and fast-tempo double bass thrash drumming. This New Orleans band continues their aural assault with their seventh album as they spew tunes about witchcraft and the end of the world. Fans of blackened death metal will not be disappointed.
DYING FETUS – “Wrong One To Fuck With”
Grindcore has had a long history that started with bands like Napalm Death. Fast forward to 2017. Bands such as Maryland’s Dying Fetus continues to hold the torch for this genre of music. Despite the difficult to understand vocals, one cannot deny the intricate musicianship of this type of metal. The composition of their songs and the production value on their new album is topnotch. The guitars are fat and heavy; the blast beats and overall drumming are all clean sounding and tight; and the music as a whole is brutal and skull crushingly heavy. Since 1996, the band has released eight albums, and is still going strong with their latest album, Wrong One To Fuck With.
ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout
TAZ TAYLOR BAND – “Secrets You Got Over Me”
In 1997, Taz Taylor came to America from the UK, and began driving a big rig cross country to pay the bills. He practiced his guitar every chance he got, and by 2004 landed a record deal for an instrumental album. His work deeply impressed none other than Graham Bonnet, the famed vocalist who had played with the likes of Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Vai. The newly formed Taz Taylor Band would put out one album with Bonnet in 2006, another with vocalist Keith Slack (ex-MSG), and would then return to its instrumental roots for the next two albums. The band returns in 2017 with Pressure and Time, featuring the talented Chandler Mogul (Punky Meadows, Outloud) on vocals.
ALTAIR – “Flame Of Knowledge”
Italian power metal band Altair returns with their sophomore album, Descending – A Devilish Comedy. A concept album based around Dante’s Inferno, it sees the band mature from the simpler, straightforward power metal of its debut to more complex arrangements with progressive influences.
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
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