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Read MoreREVIEW: Hazing Over – Tunnel Vision EP
Hazing Over – Tunnel Vision EP Review A few weeks ago, Pittsburgh’s own Hazing Over released their second EP entitled “Tunnel Vision”, and since my several listens yesterday, I have indeed found myself stuck in a haze of disappointment and bewilderment. However, let it be known that the source of my disillusionment comes from the fact that it took me two weeks to actually give this 6 track ripper a...
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Read MoreNew Music Report – February 24, 2023
Man, what a week. We’ve got some huge new singles from August Burns Red featuring Spencer from Underoath, new music from Bodysnatcher and Ov Sulfur and then on the other end of the spectrum, a new album from Lucero and Manchester Orchestra. So a little something for everybody with a really diverse week. Now we’re getting into some of the full lengths I’ve really been looking forward to. I know Lucero is a...
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New Music Report – February 17, 2023
This week has been kind of weird, there really haven’t been a ton of notable full-length releases, SeeYouNextTuesday put out a new album, but as far as I’ve been tracking that’s been about it. That said, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a packed week for new music in general. Again, we’re in that point in the year where new releases are still rolling in, we start seeing more big name full-length releases...
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New Music Report – February 10, 2023
What a week for good music. Everything from Paramore coming back and putting out their first album in years to absolutely huge new singles from some of the best heavy bands in the game. To start things off, the new singles from Veil of Maya and Brand of Sacrifice are exactly as good as you would expect from such legendary bands, and with new albums likely on the horizon from both of them, there’s...
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New Music Report – February 3, 2023
Yet another week of the singles being more impactful than the albums themselves. There have been a few good albums this year, don’t get me wrong, but when you have weeks like this where both Currents and Invent Animate – two of the absolute best bands in the new age of metalcore – are putting out new music and hyping up their upcoming album releases, it’s hard for much of anything to beat that. If these...
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New Music Report – January 26, 2023
Kind of a diverse set of releases we’ve had this week, it’s been nice to see. There are a few very high profile releases like new singles from Fall Out Boy and August Burns Red, and some heavy hitters from Angelmaker, Unearth, See You Next Tuesday, and so on, which have all been fantastic. I’m actually very much looking forward to the new August Burns Red release. Generally speaking, they’ve been as...
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New Music Report – January 19, 2023
Things are starting to get moving now, we’ve got a couple releases trickling in that are worth listening to. But honestly, the big story is still all the new singles, and the album release dates that come along with it. Bands like Jesus Piece, The Ocean, City & Colour, and more all put out some very promising new singles this week, with announcements for albums coming in the next 2-3 months. Full of...
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New Music Report – January 13, 2023
Honestly, there still isn’t a ton to talk about this early in the year, but there has been some exciting news for coming music, and a few interesting releases that we’ve seen already. Of course, the big news this week is the new Periphery album announcement that came along with two incredible singles. That album should be a real highlight for the year, and with two singles already out, we should get some...
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Frequencies of 2014: Bass/Beats
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
End of year “best-of” lists are a funny thing. First off, they’re entirely subjective – unless you rank based upon sales, which we all know is often the least relevant factor when considering a work’s merits. Second, they’re often far too ambitious and broad in scope. “The 50 Best Songs of The Year” looks good on the top of Rolling Stone’s website, but what the fuck does that actually mean? The editors and content compilers didn’t listen to every single release from January 1 to December 31, and even if they had there’s no way they could sort through the sheer volume of material and pick the definitive top 50. (Side note: Rolling Stone’s #2 song of the year was “Turn Down For What,” so their grasp on the definition of the word “best” is questionable.)
In my mind, a “best-of” list should mutually benefit the writer and the reader. Rather than futilely attempt to decide which songs or albums or artists were the indisputable winners, these lists should be cross-sections of the year in their respective musical spheres. I’m not here to be the pompous judge over some imagined contest that you signed yourself into appearing in solely by releasing music in the last calendar year. I’m just here – as always – to share the music I enjoyed too much to not talk about with anyone who’d like to hear it.
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Frequencies of 2014: Chill
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
End of year “best-of” lists are a funny thing. First off, they’re entirely subjective – unless you rank based upon sales, which we all know is often the least relevant factor when considering a work’s merits. Second, they’re often far too ambitious and broad in scope. “The 50 Best Songs of The Year” looks good on the top of Rolling Stone‘s website, but what the fuck does that actually mean? The editors and content compilers didn’t listen to every single release from January 1 to December 31, and even if they had there’s no way they could sort through the sheer volume of material and pick the definitive top 50. (Side note: Rolling Stone‘s #2 song of the year was “Turn Down For What,” so their grasp on the definition of the word “best” is questionable.)
In my mind, a “best-of” list should mutually benefit the writer and the reader. Rather than futilely attempt to decide which songs or albums or artists were the indisputable winners, these lists should be cross-sections of the year in their respective musical spheres. I’m not here to be the pompous judge over some imagined contest that you signed yourself into appearing in solely by releasing music in the last calendar year. I’m just here – as always – to share the music I enjoyed too much to not talk about with anyone who’d like to hear it.
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The AltFreq Guide To New Year’s Eve
–Written by Kevin Madert
The biggest – and last – night of the year is fast approaching, and in our (admittedly biased) opinion there’s nothing better to do on the 365th day of the year than take in a show. Whether you’ve already got plans, are still weighing your options, or haven’t given it a single thought, AltFreq is here to help.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 13: We (Still) Love The 90s
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
Did I not tell you we’d be taking more trips to the 90s in the near future? Admittedly many of us are better versed in the plaid-clad one-hit wonders than the more emotive and relaxed numbers, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t recognize at least a few of the songs included on this list. We start off with one of the best B-sides ever released in “Yellow Ledbetter” (your status as a great band is cemented when your outtake tracks outshine the entire catalogs of other groups) and hit a myriad of genre stops along the way. Enjoy, and we’ll surely meet you in the past again soon.
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AltFreq Weekly Planner (12/21-12/24)
–Written by Kevin Madert
The impending holidays mean it’s a quiet week in the DMV – here’s to you and yours having nothing but the best season, no matter your celebration of choice.
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Weekend Warm-Up No. 13: We Love The ’90s
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
Perhaps no decade in the last half-century is as nostalgized and obsessed over than the 1990s. Sure, we still enjoy many things from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, but the ’90s possess some inexplicable, unquantifiable hold over us. Nowhere is this more evident than in the decade’s contributions to the world of music. For me, that made constructing this playlist a hell of a task, so I made an executive decision. Rather than pick ten upbeat tunes to encapsulate my relationship with the entire decade, I picked the first ten tracks of what in my mind is a much larger list – one you’ll see more of if you continue tuning in for our Warm-Ups.
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AltFreq Weekend Planner (12/18-12/20)
–Written by Kevin Madert
It’s nearly impossible to keep track of all the events going on in the area, so we’re here to let you know what’s happening in live music over the next few days. Watch out on Sundays for our “Weekly Planner,” where we’ll cover the remaining four days of the week.
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News: World-Renowned Fabric Nightclub In Danger Of Closure Over Drug-Related Deaths
–Written by Kevin Madert
London’s decade-plus nightlife gem Fabric – the club twice voted best in the world by DJ Magazine – is facing the potential of closing its doors over four drug-related deaths, including two in the last three months. Via The Independent:
Read More“The Metropolitan police has filed papers detailing the “unacceptable number of deaths and near death incidents at the venue.” Police Constable Steven Harrington stated in the papers that “in the last three years, there have been eight incidents of patrons collapsing at the venue having taken illegal substances/drugs,” including MDMA. “Four of these incidents resulted in the near death of the victims and four have resulted, unfortunately, in the death of the victims,” he wrote.
News: In Flames, All That Remains Announce “Charming America” Tour
–Written by Kevin Madert
After announcing the release of their seventh studio effort in November – The Order Of Things, due out February 25 via Razor & Tie – Massachusetts metalcore outfit All That Remains have revealed their touring plans for the early months of 2015. They’ll be heading out on the road with Swedish metal act In Flames. Opening duties will be handled by Wovenwar (a side project featuring members of As I Lay Dying and Oh, Sleeper).
New Tune Tuesday (12/16/14)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Soohan – Made In Baltimore
DMV natives in the know are plenty familiar with the multi-genre hijinks of Soohan. He’s played more events in the area than can be counted. As the co-founder of Baltimore-based company Manifest, he’s been responsible for a steady stream of talent – from Ott to Moon Hooch and plenty in between – gracing venues in and around the city in the past few years. And this week he’s given us even more, in the form of his debut album Made In Baltimore. Labeling it is difficult, but if I had to generalize I’d call it intelligent booty bass – it’s a trappy, bouncy romp delivered with a self-aware wink. The eclecticism contained in these 11 tracks is commendable even for a man of as many talents as Soohan, and the sound design and sampling is consistently wonderful – borrowing from Mulan and Ace of Base in the same song is an instant win in my book. It’s free on Soundcloud and pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp; we encourage you to support local music and buy it if you can.
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