Today’s song is She’s Running Away by New York alternative rock band, OPTICAL ILLUSION.
Started by brothers Keith and Wayne Cousin, OPTICAL ILLUSION sure made their mark on indie rock, by infusing sounds from their musical influences THE CARS, PINK FLOYD and a little of THE BEATLES. Hard to imagine? Well have a bash at the heart-racing She’s Running Away…and if this track gets you going there’s plenty more where that came from. Head over to iTunes or Amazon…once you get there, may I suggest you listen to Too Hot for Humans? Absolutely wicked!
Today’s song is Here and There by indie rocker RUSHIL. The track is coming from his debut album, Oscillations, released in January.
Indian-born RUSHIL always had an unflappable passion for music, hailing THE FRAYS, JAMES MORRISON, BOB DYLAN and ERIC CLAPTON as his biggest influence. From the age of 14, he formed a band with his friends and at that point he had the burning desire to become a credible artist. Fate was on his side when a producer spotted his raw talent and under his guidance, RUSHIL started producing his own material which led to his standout debut album.
If you haven’t heard of RUSHIL, the easy-cruising Hereand There is the perfect introduction, as you get to experience his smooth and slightly-husky-typically-rock vocals – absolutely stunning!
If you love the sound of Here and There, take a trip to iTunes, where you can check out the album Oscillations. For now, check out his equally cool but hard-hitting video to Here and There – brilliant!
1. UFO
2. A Stage with your own Fears
3. Roadtrippin’
4. Nostalgic
5. Stand Alone (ft. Stuart Carroll)
6. Survived Unpromised Souls
7. You Never Said Anything
8. Living on the Edge
9. Plasticland
10. Superhero
11. Beware: Beckon Angels
12. A Story of a Wall
13. All the Time
WULLAE WRIGHT should not be taken likely – I realised that the second I heard his soothing effort All The Time which was featured on NEW LEASE MUSIC last month. All The Time makes up one of his latest 13-track-album, The Orange Line.
Now I have the pleasure of reviewing the entire album – and I have to say it took me by surprise as I anticipated that classic mellow rock throughout the self-recorded production. In fact, The Orange Line features the wonderfully bitter/sweet creations, demonstrated in UFO, Roadtrippin’ and You Never Said Anything. These tracks are completed by this Scottish rocker’s cry-for-help vocals.
The album just displays that WULLAE WRIGHT is aworthwhile producer: Stand Alone (ft Stuart Carroll), Plasticland, Beware: Beckon Angels and A Story of a Wall features that delightfully-awkward blend of different instruments that sticks in the mind hours (or even longer) after listening. Each of these incomparable singles are very different from each other, and this artist’s vocals perfectly adapt to these productions.
Overall, The Orange Line pushes the boundaries of indie rock to the absolute limit, making it a very intriguing listening. If you want to experience a fresh spin on indie rock, The Orange Line to the best place to start – welcome to the world of WULLAE WRIGHT…
1. Borderline
2. Capture and Release
3. Disguise
4. Interstate
5. Projection
6. Razor Thin
7. Starts Again
8. The Minute
9. Two Flights
10. Winds of Change
In early 2008, Steve Mroozian (vocals and guitar), Ehsan Ahmad (lead guitar) and Sebastian Weiss (drums) came together, forming the alternative rock band DAYSEAM. Bringing their trademark sound of melodic rock to the table, the Philadelphia-based act made quite an impression – not just with true lovers of indie rock but also with music critics. Since they came into existence, it’s been full speed for the indie rockers: they’ve been booked up for live shows at well-known venues in Philadelphia, including The Hard Rock Café and The Northstar Bar. They even manage to find the time to make their Nature Sessions videos – this is where they put their own spin on chart-topping songs. The trio covered Rihanna’s Stay and more recently Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors – check it out!
Now they are on the verge of releasing their studio album, Winds of Change. The ten track album features some full on, high energy rock demonstrated in Borderline, Capture and Release and Interstate. These tracksdidn’t leave a lasting impression and left me wondering whether this band has got what it takes to stand out from the crowd. Then there’s a softer and more mellow side to Winds Of Change, featured in Disguise, Projection, Starts Again and Two Flights. In these tracks, the raging guitars meet that sweet and dreamy undertone, topped off by Mroozian’s pleasantly soothing vocals – simply stunning. In Projection and Two Flights, there are some amazing guitar fiddling well executed by Ahmad and Mroozian. Listening to the soothing side of the album has firmly pushed away the thought that the trio are not some run-of-the-mill rock band.
Overall Winds of Change isdefinitely an album to look out for as their signature sound makes interesting listening (imagine a softer PEARL JAM and maybe chuck in a little bit of KINGS OF LEON). These guys are widely regarded as a ‘hugely underrated band’ but with tracks like Disguise, Projection and Starts Again, this might be a breakthrough year for DAYSEAM.
New Lease Music 