Author: Dave Hawkins

  It’s wild when a new band appears in the music scene and blows away the competition. That’s the case with What’s Your Damage? Generating powerful old school punk that harkens back to a classic ’70’s style. What’s Your Damage? is drawn into the top slot by the ultra talented vocalist, Quinn. Her style mirroring that of a young Debbie Harry, albeit with a trace of a flat tone, and it instantly commands attention. What’s Your Damage? self-titled debut album is brief, 8 tracks and just shy of a quarter hour, but it’s the songs that make this a big release.… Continued →

  The fan base of crust punk may be slim, but the music is significant. Returning to the studio is Sweden’s Svarteskerm. Sung entirely in Swedish, the four song EP, Illojala Till Slutet, delivers a blistering fast and aggressive look at the political and social turmoil found in their native country. But each of the song topics transcend borders. These are concerns that hit home for all of us. “Diognetus” reminds us that it’s too easy to have national pride take away our sensibilities by failing to recognize that all the countries of this earth are our home.… Continued →

  When a band includes members carrying the names, Agent 57, Colonel K, Donnie Murdo, Isambard Sinclair, and Penfold, you know their music is destined to be far from ordinary. Their Throats are Open Tombs have returned with a follow-up to their 2016 self-titled debut. Defining OF PSALMS & SNAKES is an impossibility. It’s grindcore, it’s electro, it’s punk, it’s noise, and it’s undeniably fast and chaotic. And it’s brilliant. The album gives the struggles and the triumphs encountered while living a life of faith. The delicate piano on “Nachsinnen”, the opening song of OF PSALMS & SNAKES, gives no indication of what’s to come.… Continued →

  The Tyranny of Things, the latest release from Dystopian Futures, builds on the foundation laid during the band’s debut self-titled EP, and Low Arts. This world is a dangerous place. And it’s not just the horrific scenes that appear on the evening news. The danger lies in our hands, our thoughts, and by the technology that absorbs and directs our every waking moment. The opening notes of “Dead Philosophers”, leaves the listener expecting a light pop song. Not so. The vocals build to a shout, naming philosopher after philosopher, no longer alive.… Continued →

UntilWeDie! came to my attention in 2017 when I heard “It Is Well” on a punk compilation. Horatio Spafford might turn over in his grave with the UntilWeDie! version of this famous hymn, but it won’t scare anyone else. The lyrics are straight on, the pace frenetic, and the intentions are serious. It’s glorious. That song put the band on my “I want more list”. Last week I received an advance copy of their about to be released self-titled. The band’s sound is undefinable. Unquestionably rock, but it’s got a definite punk vibe.… Continued →

  “Blessed Be The Punk” We all want relive the days of our youth. Remember being young, vibrant, forceful in our thoughts and actions? Age doesn’t necessarily take those attributes away. Praiser makes that abundantly clear in their punk music. The band’s latest album, 20 Again, doesn’t bring age as its theme, but rather a collection of twenty great songs from their past. Since 2009 the Hamburg, Germany band Praiser has continuously churned out perfect punk tracks. I don’t use the term “perfect” lightly. Praiser knows what it means to be punk.… Continued →

James Nicholls is the creative force behind the English band ISF. We met for a talk about the noise he delivers on the debut IFS release, Feel. Kill. Conceal. Reveal. Dave Hawkins: You’re a busy guy James, thanks for taking time for me. James Nicholls: No, it’s all good. My pleasure. Dave: I wonder if you might actually be the invisible man James. On the Facebook page for ISF you’re nameless and there’s not even a picture. Do you like the anonymity? James: Yeah, I don’t mind.… Continued →

When the notorious “sophomore slump” looms before them, many artists find the prospect of generating their second release to be a terrifying proposition. That slump could be myth or reality, but it had no bearing on The Restitution with Into The Dark. This follow-up to Waves (2013), Into The Dark has made it clear that The Restitution has spent the last four years wisely. Into The Dark is deftly balanced between harshness and being delicate. Michael Wright, sole member of The Restitution, acutely delivers the album theme of “the brokenness of human connection” throughout the release.… Continued →

Choirs Of Veritas is a symphonic metal project that literally means “Choirs Of Truth”, symbolizing the union between music and the spiritual truth of Jesus Christ. Those Christian themes are made abundantly clear on their debut full-length, I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. The project was birthed from the mind of Davide Scuteri, keyboardist and composer, as an offering to God and from a desire to thank God for the gift of music. The album’s purpose is to unite both the love for God and metal music.… Continued →

The music of Slow Bullet is vibrant yet vulnerable, revealing but masked, gently melodic and loud. Sam DeBurgh explains how his music can be totally contradictory and incredibly unique. Dave Hawkins: Thanks for coming for a talk Sam. Sam DeBurgh: Yeah. Thanks for having me. Dave: The name Slow Bullet is new label for you, since you used to go by Spider Mansion. It’s sort of like you moved from Halloween to The Matrix. Sam: Yes, indeed! You’re not wrong. Dave: Why the switch? Sam: I started Spider Mansion when I was 17 years old and now, putting out my first LP on a label, there was a need for a restart, a rebranding, if you want to call it that.… Continued →

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. -Psalm 91:11 Following the success of their first full length, Volontà Legata, Tuscany based S91 have returned with their first all English language release, Behold The Mankind. Deriving their name from “Salmo”, the Italian word for psalm, S91 formed in 2006 to realize their dream of creating progressive metal with Christian lyric content. Each release by S91 has been an extensive process. In 2012, S91 began writing Behold The Mankind in collaboration with producer Cristiano Bertocchi (Labyrinth, Vision Divine, Wind Rose) before finally entering the studio in 2015 to record.… Continued →

Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, neither should you be expecting cowboy music from Easter Teeth on Shake Hands With Danger. You can expect something oddly brilliant and challenging. Since 2009, the Eymann brothers, Josh and Tim, have been messing with peoples ears as they mix soul into hardcore. Think what would happen if Death From Above 1979 were liberally coated with the soulfulness of James Brown, with a wild assortment of sounds thrown in from a box of unusual gadgets, and you get a hint of where Easter Teeth is heading.… Continued →

Chris Jackson is known for writing songs for Cheryl Cole, Tank, Toni Braxton, and B. Smyth. During our chat, Chris reveals his own recording talents on his just released album, No Chaser. Dave Hawkins: It’s great to have you here for a talk Chris. Chris Jackson: Great to be here man. Thank you for having me. Dave: When we were setting up this interview, you told that you were in Los Angeles and wanted to wait until you were back in New York City for our talk.… Continued →

“Incredible, unstoppable, He is our God” – “Incredible” by A Festal Shout I’ve often heard that a listener will determine within a span of 7 seconds, whether they enjoy a song or not. Fortunately I hung around longer than that with my first listen to the opening track, “Power In The Blood” from A Festal Shout. The song intro brings in a traditional gospel tune “Down to the River to Pray”. Dull and boring before the sound builds, the drums come in, and the band explodes into life with Justin Palenscar picking up the chorus.… Continued →

Ospreyshire, the moniker of Illinoisan artist Curtis M., is a project that involves spoken word vocals, abstract soundscapes, and postminimalist aesthetics. His debut EP Verses Vs. Anhedonia is a brief seven poem journey. The urgency and brevity in these tracks lend itself to our attention deficit and sound byte culture. Verses Vs. Anhedonia is a mini-concept EP that revolves around the brief psychological journey of someone who is losing interest in the meaning of life before slowly becoming aware that there’s some semblance of hope in this otherwise dark world.… Continued →

Leanor Ortega Till (aka Jeff the Girl, mother of children, breaker of saxophones), joined Dave Hawkins and Indie Vision Music for a talk about how she joined forces with other  Five Iron Frenzy members to create the new synth pop band, The Fast Feeling. Dave Hawkins: It’s wonderful to have Leanor Ortega Till here with Indie Vision Music. Thanks for squeezing out some time for us Leanor. Leanor Ortega Till: Yeah, it’s great to meet with you. Dave: I’ve spoken with you a number a times about your role in Five Iron Frenzy.… Continued →

Salt Of The Sound‘s new EP centres around the theme of light, which is echoed in different ways across all of the songs, and features heavily in the Advent traditions of Nordic countries. Waiting For The Dawn combines these Scandinavian influences with an focus on natural soundscapes, as well as featuring the unique blend of electronic synths, subtle vocal harmonies, and thoughtful lyrical messages that the duo have become known for. “Hitting the spot like a cup of good hot chocolate… this album deserves to be played all year round.… Continued →

Worship music has always held a troubled place in my heart and my music collection. Looking at the genre from a spiritual level, I know that I, as a believer, should have an affinity to music created to glorify God. The reality is that I find the majority worship music to be contrived, repetitive, and failing to deliver any degree of originality. Now that my wrath has been vented I can carry on to admit that there are a limited number of artists who seek to break the stifled norms and produce quality worship songs.… Continued →

  A long time ago in a music world far, far away, a band existed. A band that took the world by storm, but sadly its energy ebbed and it became only a well loved memory. That band was D.O.C. (Disciples Of Christ). Both Grammy and GMA Dove Award nominated, the music of D.O.C. went into the history books. Now it’s time for a new beginning and a new era. D.O.C.’s founding members Alton Hood and Michael Brown return as Nimisilla Park. On their debut EP, “Welcome to Nimisilla Park”, the band members come with a revitalized energy, delivering a boldly unapologetic, and melodically infectious message. … Continued →

Matt Smith, front man of Theocracy, met with me recently for a talk about the band’s history, the acceptance of progressive power metal in North America, being a misfit, and about their outstanding new release, Ghost Ship. Dave: Indie Mission Music is joined by Theocracy frontman Matt Smith. Great to have you here, Matt. Matt: Thank you so much, Dave. It’s good to be here. Dave: Could you share about the roots of Theocracy? I’d like to hear about how you chose the band name.… Continued →