Music Discovery Monday – 9/25/17

MUSIC DISCOVERY MONDAY – 9/25/17

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)

PUNKY MEADOWS (f. Frank Dimino & Felix Robinson) – “Lost And Lonely”

They were big, but they should have been much bigger.  The story of Angel feels like something out of a movie.  Discovered by Gene Simmons in a club, they were eventually signed to KISS’ label, Casablanca Records.

Dressed in all white, they were the yin to the yang that was KISS (who wore all black).  Even though Simmons and company are the ones known for wearing makeup, Angel were the androgynous ones.

To get the full appreciation of the Hollywood feel to the band’s story, make sure to watch the video when listening to “Lost And Lonely.”  Knowing the backstory, it feels like the end of a movie where the band finally reaches their potential decades after their breakup.

To be clear, this is NOT and Angel song.  It’s merely a reunion of key members of the band back together for a glorious moment in time.  Meadows’ guitar work is everything that you love about the good old days when guitar heroes where all the rage.  Frank Dimino’s vocals sound like they are frozen in time (in a good way).  Four decades after their pinnacle, Dimino’s vocals make it feel like this could be an unreleased Angel song from the vault.

Even if you’re not familiar with Angel, make sure to check this song out if you’re a fan of bands like Journey and other ‘70s/‘80s AOR artists.
 

 
DIRTY THRILLS – “I’ll Be With You”

Dirty Thrills is a London blues rock quartet, but their connection to the blues goes deeper than that. The band is fronted by Louis James (son of ex-Moody Blues singer, Nicky James).  There’s no denying the incredibly positive influence that classic rock has had on this band.  The Led Zeppelin vibe of the music provides the foundation, however, what makes the band interesting is the influence of a more recent act that was also inspired by Zep…Rival Sons.

While their influences are obvious, Dirty Thrills stands on their own with a powerful sound and soaring vocals.  Not only does “I’ll Be With You” showcase heavy blues rock, but it also shows how dynamic these up-and-comers can be as they seamlessly transition between tempos and moods.

If a band like Greta Van Fleet can rise to the top of the Active Rock radio chart, I see no reason why Dirty Thrills couldn’t do the same.  Personally speaking, there can never be enough Zep-inspired bands enjoying success, so long as they have great songs (which Dirty Thrills has here without a doubt).
 

 

 

ANDY CHEUNG – HRD Music Scout

TOOTHGRINDER – “The Shadow”

This relatively new band from New Jersey is about to release their second full-length album, Phantom Amour.  Their first album, Nocturnal Masquerade, was impressive (even for metalcore standards).  Their new single, “The Shadow,” seems to be a continuation of the Toothgrinder sound…heavy groove metal with some good, catchy melodies, hardcore yelling mixed with some clean vocals.  It is also pretty progressive.  Maybe Periphery will guest perform on this new album too.  Looking forward to hearing the rest of the album.  Also, catch them on tour with Between the Buried and Me.

 

MOONSPELL – “Todos Os Santos”

One of my favorite goth/melodic death metal bands of all times is Portugal’s Moonspell.  Needless to say, I was excited to hear of their upcoming album release, 1755.  The new concept album is about the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, with the band tying in events back then to modern political times.  The video for the song is brutal and disturbing (which is our unfortunate reality in this day and age).  The band does a good job of capturing this nihilistic view in their music.  The album will be sung entirely in Portuguese, so anyone interested in learning a new language should check this out.
 

 

 

ROB DELL’AQUILA – HRD Music Scout

DAYDREAM XI – “Painted Smile”

This progressive power metal band out of Brazil just made their first appearance in North America at ProgPower USA in Atlanta.  This song comes from their newly released sophomore album, The Circus of the Tattered and Torn.  It’s a concept album that, in the band’s words, expresses how “we are drawn to each other more by our weaknesses and our flaws than our strengths and virtues.” Deep stuff and deep music.

 

MARTINA EDOFF – “Face The Mirror”

Sweden’s Martina Edoff delivers some powerful melodic rock with her new album, We Will Align.  She had some impressive help writing the material, with contributions from Jona Tee (H.E.A.T.), Jonas Törnqvist (Deathriders, Bleed The Hunger), Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse, W.E.T.), Benny Jansson (Ride The Sky), and Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Winery Dogs).

 

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