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M.J. explores the relationship between an artist and their music, and also the point where one should disassociate an artist with their music.

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Watching the evolution of a band’s sound and style throughout the years is one of the most exciting parts of being a fan. For a couple years you can love what they are doing, then for the next few you might hate their new sound. 

Emma has launched a new series of features where she looks at the debut work of a band versus their latest album. She starts with My Chemical Romance.

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I have noticed that I often stress it when a band is from South Africa, mainly because I have not adjusted to the fact that South Africa is now producing acts which are capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their international counterparts. There is an even stronger need to stress it when talking about South Africa’s metal scene – especially when it comes to the post-hardcore bands. Metal is not a genre that is particularly popular in South Africa. This means that the local scene is relatively underground obscure with a lot of the bands leaning to the heavier persuasions of metal. It is a rare occasion to come across bands that play into a more mainstream, radio-friendly sound – or at least a radio-friendly sound that would earn them playlisting on radio stations like BBC Radio 1. 

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If there are two things I like: they are adorable indie bands and equally adorable songs created by indie bands – although I like a lot of things so maybe this entire introduction is redundant. Either way, I have an enormous soft spot for Shout Hey! This is probably due to the fact that they treat their fans like a small family, or they’re one of those South African bands that manage to tug at my heartstrings due to their outgoing and fun-loving nature. Shout Hey! Gained my attention during a time when I was looking to fill the void that the demise of the legendary Dance, You’re On Fire left in my heart when they broke up.  They deliver a similar blend of irresistible and upbeat indie pop which puts an enormous smile on your face when you listen to it. 

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Staff writer Craig Roxburgh recently had the chance to chat with Friday, the frontman of alt-electro newcomers This Burning Age. They discuss the history of the band, the influence behind the alt-electro sound, the future of music and the debate around the legitimacy of electronic artists.

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Tim Lambesis' plot to murder his ex-wife was (thankfully) an abject failure. He only succeeded in destroying a great band. The legacy of As I Lay Dying, the band once known as the Gods of Metalcore, had been defiled by the actions of one man, and as such the remaining (and wholly innocent) members wisely chose to distance themselves from all that as much as possible. The problem, however, was where to go next. As I Lay Dying's 2012 Awakened album was a stagnant metalcore dirge that offered nothing new. It was about as captivating as a dead bee on a windowsill, and everyone knew it. The answer was the leave the As I Lay Dying sound behind and do something different, but familiar. Wovenwar is the most perfect direction that Messrs Mancino, Hipa, Sgrosso and Gilbert could have headed in. Gone are the copious breakdowns, guttural growls and ear-splitting shrieks.

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When your oldest band member is 20 and you’re already drawing comparisons to ambitious, well-respected groups like Balance and Composure, you must be doing something right. As the punk scene continues to saturate with small, self-made bands that have garnered rabid fan bases, it is harder and harder to stand out as a young group. Reward’s latest EP is a prime example of the value of great music standing a head above all other factors. There is nothing dispassionate about Painted Desperation – nothing detached or uninvolved. From start to back the band’s five-track EP is stacked with emotional highs and lows, channeled through dynamic instrumental changes and Rob Blackwell’s shout to sweet vocal change-ups. 

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It is always intriguing to find country musicians in areas that are not known for their country music scene, especially in the case of Katie Garibaldi. Katie is a San Francisco based artist with the heart and voice of a born and bred Tennessean, not a very notable quality in a lot of San Francisco based artists, but Katie works it like no other. 

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Filled with reverberated guitar riffs and smooth vocals, producer/singer Astronomyy demonstrates sheer quality with his latest EP, There For U. Having gained a following for his innovative mixes of beats and synths, whilst blended with smooth chops on the guitar, the talented songwriter pushes the boundaries even further as he throws in an array of sonic textures to keep things fresh on his most recent outing. Astronomyy’s skills on the six-string definitely count for a significant portion of his music arsenal, and it’s no surprise that it comes across as the highlight of the four-track collection. It’s one thing to hit out slick riffs on the guitar, but it’s a whole other game when you try to blend it in with electronic sounds and there's no denying that he does quite a remarkable job at that. W

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If you're looking for a pseudo-classic rock meets dirty grunge act to rock your face off to, then Fozzy is definitely someone for you to check out. Led by WWE superstar Chris Jericho and ex-Stuck Mojo guitarist Rich Ward, it's no surprise that their music has accumulated praise from the likes of Slipknot's Corey Taylor and Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides. They've seriously got the chops to be the next great American rock band. Do You Wanna Start A War? begins with its anthem-like, stadium-rocking title track and prepares the listener for some old time rock n' roll with elemental hints of Buckcherry, Fuel and Shinedown. I

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MEB staffer Norman Brian Galang recently had the honor of interviewing Macy Kate from ABC’s hit TV-show Rising Star. The young 16-year-old singer was able to chat about her current state of mind, being the youngest artist on the show, how she picks which songs to perform, her new "Macy Kate Monday” vlog series, the best advice she ever got, how she met Sean Kingston, and much more! 

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A final tribute to Anberlin - and a beautiful one too.

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This tribute will have you in stitches. 

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Yet another stunning tribute to Anberlin.

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One of four brilliant tributes to Anberlin written by lovely guest writers who won the competition we ran. Stay tuned for me.

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There is something about power pop that I absolutely love. The eclectic combination of catchy guitar chords, an upbeat tempo, adorable lyrics and a sense of stark raving mad energy just appeals to me in a way that I cannot explain. Throw in an overtone of straight-up indie rock and you have recipe for creating music that will get me on my feet and grooving. If that was Allison Weiss’s goal with her brand new EP Remember When then she has achieved it. She delivers an eccentric blend of upbeat pop catchiness and indie rock sensibility which you cannot help but to find addictive to listen to her. There may be nothing incredibly unique about her music, it is straight-up female fronted indie power pop – but that doesn’t matter. She captures your heart and soul by having stunning vocals served with a tasty side dish of acoustic guitar and kick and snare drums. 

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The Homeless Gospel Choir is rather like the Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan of the modern age. Armed with an acoustic guitar, he launches into scathing commentary on the pre-apocalypse and post-hope world that we live in. His arsenal is stocked full of devastatingly hard truths, witty humour and a world view that is quite unique. His music packs a punch like a tactical nuke. He’ll blow your views of the world wide open and leave you feeling emotionally violated. There is nothing incredibly unique about his music. It is quite simply that punchy combination of folk music and punk music: folk-punk.