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AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SHAMAN’S HARVEST/REBELATOR
Formed in Jefferson City, Missouri in 1996, Shaman’s Harvest is a hard rock band that blends Post-Grunge, Metal, Southern Rock, and Alternative Rock into a heady brew topped off with melodic hooks and memorable guitar riffs. Originally founded by vocalist Nathan ‘Drake’ Hunt, guitarist Josh Hamler, and bassist Matt Fisher, the group has undergone several line-up changes over the course of their 26-year career – only Spinal Tap has had more drummers – but the [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: SABATON/THE WAR TO END ALL WARS
Formed in Sweden in 1999, Sabaton has been considered one of Power Metal’s finest bands for over two decades. Rooted in classic Heavy Metal, the group redefined the way that hard, edgy Metal could be played and, in the process, became a leader in the Power Metal movement. The group’s career began like most bands – rehearse, write songs, and head into the studio to lay some demos down. However, instead of having to chase [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL/ALL THE TRUTH THAT I CAN TELL
Founded in Boca Raton, Florida in 1999, Dashboard Confessional was originally the side project for Further Seems Forever member Chris Carrabba. Armed with a stack of songs that he felt were too personal for FSF, Carrabba recorded an album entitled THE SWISS ARMY ROMANCE, which he chose to release in 2000 under the group name Dashboard Confessional. Still a member of FSF, he went into the studio in 2001 with the band to record their [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BEACH HOUSE/ONCE TWICE MELODY
You don’t have to be and indie music fan to realize that the group Beach House is something special. Whether their name is whispered in hushed tones or shouted from the rooftops, Beach House has built a devoted fanbase that continues to grow with each release. Founded in 2004 by vocalist/keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally, the group’s commercial profile has never been higher. While their releases have earned them critical raves over the [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: AMOS LEE/DREAMLAND
Singer, songwriter, and musician Amos Lee – born Ryan Massaro in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – spent his early years as a second-grade teacher and bartender before fame came calling. Blending folk, rock, blues, and soul into his unique musical gumbo, Amos Lee was showing promise long before he came to prominence in 2005 when he released his debut album. In his early days, he performed any chance he got in local venues and bars. However, his [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: MITSKI/LAUREL HELL
Born Mitsuki Laycock in Japan in 1990, the singer, songwriter and musician is better known by her stage name Mitski. Although born in Japan, her father’s job with the United States Department of State meant that she lived in several countries - Turkey, China, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – while growing up. Finally settling in New York, she attended several music schools – including the SUNY Purchase College’s [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: EELS/EXTREME WITCHCRAFT
Although alt-rock group Eels released their debut album in 1996, singer, songwriter, and Eels leader E (Mark Everett) had already been releasing music as a solo artist. His debut album, A MAN CALLED E, was released in 1992. With songs like “Hello Cruel World” and “Looking Out The Window With A Blue Hat On”, the album was whole-heartedly embraced by lovers of Indie Pop and Power Pop. While not as successful as expected, E was [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE WHITMORE SISTERS/GHOST STORIES
While not all music-making siblings get along – for example: Ray and Dave Davies, Noel and Liam Gallagher, and Phil and Don Everly – they nearly always make wonderful music together. More specifically, their voices blend together and create a sound that is pure magic. No matter what genre they are performing, when siblings create music, it always comes layered with deep emotion. These are people who grew up together, bathed in the same influences [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: THE LUMINEERS/BRIGHTSIDE
Founded in 2005, The Lumineers has become one of the most respected Americana/Folk-Rock bands of their generation. Comprised of singer/guitarist Wesley Schultz and multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Fraites, the duo began performing in 2002 in New York City under a variety of names before finally settling on The Lumineers in 2005. The band struggled to balance their day jobs and musical career, but after several years, they left the hustle and bustle of NYC and settled in [...]
AMPED™ FEATURED ALBUM OF THE WEEK: TARU ALEXANDER/ECHOES OF THE MASTER
The son of post-bop jazz saxophonist Roland Alexander, Taru Alexander began playing drums at the age of seven. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was surrounded by his dad’s friends and bandmates including Freddie Hubbard, Reggie Workman, and others. Taru’s first professional gigs came at the age of 13 as a member of his father’s quintet. His first recording came when he worked with Fred Houn and the Afro-Asian Music Ensemble on the 1985 [...]