Like Ben said yesterday, we’re back to our regular articles, but why am I posting on a Tuesday!? Well, Ben and I are going to shake it up a bit, we’ll be focusing on one or two bands each day, and post each weekday. We’ll have some cool special features and stuff as well, and I will start writing about twitter/facebook/tumblr followers as well, so reach out to me at @therichmoses on Twitter, or here on Tumblr, or here on Facebook.

LIONIZE

The Maryland based Lionize are releasing their next album, Jetpack Soundtrack on February 18 on Weathermaker Music. Lionize’s music can be described as an eclectic blend of styles, lead singer Nate Bergman’s voice recalls Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, while he, bassist Henry Upton, and keyboardist Chris Brooks create a sound that is part stoner rock, and part reggae.

Their 2011 release, Superczar and The Vulture, is very reggae influenced. It’s a good album, a lot of notable songs, “Dr. Livingston” and “Trustafarian” being two stand-outs. Jamming on riffs that sound like they could be off of a Clutch album, but with much more of a groove-orientated backbone.

The Clutch comparison is a pretty deep one, they’re signed to Clutch’s label, Clutch guitarist Tim Sult is a part-time member of Lionize, and Clutch’s drummer, Jean-Paul Gaster co-produced the upcoming Jetpack Soundtrack. From what I’ve heard so far on Jetpack Soundtrack, the album may be a bit more rock-oriented, featuring heavy riffs and drumming, and maybe a bit more of a southern blues influence with slide guitar, but I still expect to hear a lot of the reggae and dub influence that was present on Superczar and The Vulture.

Lionize and Jean-Paul Gaster Video, from the making of Jetpack Soundtrack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txq4QdqYZ3U

Music video for “Dr. Livingston” off of Superczar and The Vulture featuring a bunch of special guests:

BENJAMIN CURTIS

This is my first post in the new year, and my first post since we lost one of my favorite musicians, Benjamin Curtis on December 29th, 2013. In February of 2013, Curtis was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and sadly the disease took his life at the all too young age of 35. In his short time here, Curtis made a huge mark on alternative music as a part of some incredible bands including the indie/shoegaze School of Seven Bells, and alt-rockers The Secret Machines. I could write a lot about Benjamin and the projects he was a part of, but I’ll let the videos below speak for the talent that Benjamin Curtis shared with us.

THE SECRET MACHINES – “NOWHERE AGAIN”