Straight out of the Brooklyn electronic music scene, Bryce Hackford and Frank Lyon make up the band Pearl Necklace. Pearl Necklace immediately draws attention to themselves with the blatant innuendo in their name, along with the title of their first album, “Soft Opening.” These naturally creative Brooklyn boys recently signed with the Norwegian label Smalltown Supersound, and their debut album is set to be released on January 29th.
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Review: Lydia – “Acoustics ’12”
It is rare for a band to produce two albums in less than two years, but Lydia hates to disappoint. So, to keep their fans at bay before the release of their fifth full-length album in February 2013, they released Acoustics ’12, a small EP that packs a soft but reassuring punch.
Continue readingReview: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the first in a new trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 “Lord of the Rings” prequel of the same name and directed by Peter Jackson. Starring British television favorite and “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” star Martin Freeman as a young Bilbo Baggins (relative of Frodo Baggins from “LOTR” and previously played by Ian Holm.)
Continue readingReview: David Leonard – “To and From”
Leonard’s 2011 debut album, consisting of pleasant classical guitar noodling, is something you listen to after the end of a long day to unwind. Anyone can rock out or get their thrash on, but sometimes it’s nice to just listen to something calming, and that’s what Leonard’s pickings are.
Continue readingReview: Juvenile – “Juvie Tuesday”
“Juvie Tuesday” is the first mixtape or album release since June for the 37-year-old rapper from New Orleans, Juvenile. What makes it so unique is that it features members from Cash Money’s group Hot Boys, such as Lil Wayne and Birdman, who have not rapped together in years.
Continue readingBOTB: Squid Kids
The Squid Kids have been around the block a few times when it comes to playing shows in Greeley. Moving up a spot from fourth to third from last year’s Battle of the Bands, these Greeley natives continue to elevate themselves musically with each show.
Continue readingGun Control in Colorado
The latter half of 2012 was marked by a series of deadly shootings, including one right here in Colorado. The mass shootings in Aurora, CO and Newtown, CT were just two of sixteen that happened last year, with a total of at least 88 casualties and many more wounded. These shootings, especially the highly-publicized ones in Aurora and Newtown, have reinvigorated the call for stricter gun controls.
Continue readingBOTB: Grits & Gravy
Grits & Gravy stand apart from other hip-hop acts. The duo of Neal Titus, providing the instrumentals, and Marcus Steward, aka GiovanniRaps, on vocals, are both classically trained musicians and bring a unique perspective to the rap scene. What has typically been a street-driven and trained art form has grown to the tipping point, becoming an art that can be studied and composed academically.
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