The Fireflies-The Fireflies

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Harry Shearer (lead vocals, guitars) and Luca Serino (guitars) are The Fireflies and this charming London-based duo might just represents one of pop rocks best-kept secrets. That might sound like a bold proclamation to make, but this poetic EP more then backs up that claim thanks to it's soulful take on pop rock and roll. Having first sampled the track "Silver Leaflets" (the lead off single from this delightful EP) I jumped at the chance to hear more music from this dynamite new act. Especially seeing as Harry Shearer's great voice channels the spirit of James Taylor! Needless to say I was not disappointed! With "Silver Leaflets" The Fireflies offer up a blissful take on (radio-worthy) modern day adult contemporary rock/alternative rock. Meanwhile those wonderful James Taylor-like vocals give extra charm to the number  "Leaving Home" which, besides featuring some wonderful interplay between voice and guitar, is folk-rock for today's enthusiastic youth! More folk-leanings come into play on refreshing cuts like "Rise and Fall", "She Walks" and "Stop Running" although each and every number on this EP appears as if plenty of attention was paid to pop rock sensibilities. The Fireflies excel at creating meaningful songs that are soft and sensible and if I was to make a judgement call as to what party in particular would benefit the most from this near-perfect collection I would have to point towards casual, everyday folks who enjoy great conversation and a nice glass of wine at the evening's end!

The Cheek of Her-"Write me a Letter"

Self-Released/Independent
2013

Today we look in on the quirky and fun, London-based pop rock intuitive The Cheek of Her (aka: Helen Dooley) and her single, "Write me a Letter". With a new EP due to be released on May 30th entitled "Adult Angst Anonymous" (upon which you will be able to find said single) and one acoustic solo performance for the (other) new single "Guitar Muse" having recently shown up on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW05cCQSDIw list=PLUMPTUd56RnFGmdBcO1Ig0kjG4wC3DFSf), The Cheek of Her (TCOH) is everything there is to love about avant-garde dressed up in the form of delightful, keyboard-driven pop! A world-traveled woman of many hats, what with several degrees under her belt only complimenting her wonderful skills as a keyboardist and vocalist, this delightful singer-songwriter easily wins you over with her cheeky lyrics and (in a world of overly-digitized, Top 40 garbage) freshly-baked/sugary-sweet (and thus down-right addicting!)  take on pop-rock! Music-News.com (http://www.music-news.com ) pretty much nailed it when they said that The Check of Her sounds like a "fuller and heartier version of Lilly Allen but with the added edge familiar with Marina & The Diamonds and the quirkiness of Paloma Faith" although to be fair to Helen and her natural talent as a singer-songwriter I'd suggest one picture a place where pop-punk meets pop-rock under a rainbow of never ending (pop) possibilities! Besides, I'd add in an alphabet worth of other ingredients. From a dash or two of the B-52s to a spoon full of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and some helpful points of reference along the lines of both Adele and Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer, The Cheek of Her carefully picks the finest in comfort foods so that those listening in on her delightful pop end up filling nothing if not full and content! You can read about all Helen and her work right here: http://www.thecheekofher.com/ while you can check out the goodness of "Write me a Letter" over here: http://thecheekofher.bandcamp.com/

Fred Colombo-Memoria

Self-Released via Zimbalam
2013  

Fred Colombo is a talented French-Italian composer/musician who has been a member of the bands Spheric Universe Experience and Ghostfather. Both of those acts (between whom he's recorded five albums) have allowed this veteran keyboardist to play well within the fields of hard rock and heavy metal. He's also managed to have played gigs with the likes of The Scorpions (for whom he's opened), Threshold, Uli Jon Roth, Iced Earth, Amorphis and Orphaned Land. So, when you're talking about "Memoria", Fred Colombo's new solo venture, you might look at his track record and expect it to follow a similar pattern right? Well, not so fast. This French keyboard player/producer offers up more then a few surprises on this solo album...some of which comes from way out of left field and even surprised me. That's saying something as I'm known to have everything from Slayer to the Bee Gees on stand-by! To say that there is quite a bit of variety here is an understatement. While some of this album could be loosely described as "metal" it's better to air on the side of caution and just say that "Memoria" is Fred Colombo exploring just about everything and anything but heavy metal. As I was per-warned a little about what was in store for me here (style-wise) I could easily see a fans of Fred Colombo's other bands getting this album and being stunned. Let's see what all we've got here. There's pop, indie rock, electronic, house, dance, fusion and rock. There's also so much more. Overall the album is a billion miles away from his work with Spheric Universe Experience and frankly a lot of left me with a strange look upon my face. It's different alright. The thing is I sort of dug that it so "out-there". Even though it is an album that even involves some light jazz/adult contemporary, which I would normally run screaming from, it does work as a solo release. And it's obviously that Fred Colombo is taking a risk and stepping out into the open with this solo release. I give him props for that. As variety is the spice of life I do understand his desire to so freely explore all of his loves even if I can also see this album leaving a lot of people rather confused. In the end "Memoria" is a softer approach for Fred Colombo and there is nothing wrong with such a bold move on his part. So, just as long as the listener knows what they are getting into with this new solo outing the no harm and no foul I figure.

For A Season-Lion Hearted

Self-Release/Independent
2013

Here's some Christian rock for a Sunday, wish it was Monday, because that's my fun day (as that's the day the kids go back to school after their 3 days off!). Getting serious though, or I'll try to even if it's so hard at the moment, these South Florida rockers list Jesus as their main influence. Who would I be to argue with that one? That's a more then solid influence after all and a good guy to have in your corner whether you're a new band or not! That being said and all I did think that I picked up on some Switchfoot, The Almost, Lifehouse and Snow Patrol in addition to Jesus. So you've got some alt.rock meets pop rock on this EP. These guys do try to shake things up with some occasional "guitar rock" moments. Check out "Away", a track which actually adds a little fuel to the spiritual fire these guys have burning. Otherwise this is fairly lightweight rock. With their positive message, and obvious skill level, For A Season could soon be busy writing hits for the CCM crowd. I can hear them headed that way. There's no reason to believe they won't have a bright future ahead if keep hitting all the right notes. This is a solid enough EP (even if it's not overflowing with originality) and a band that would be hard not to root for. Recommended if you are looking for something along the lines of Switchfoot or The Almost.

Mosely-With Pencils In Hand

House Of Fish
2013

I'm taking a wild stab in the dark here, but I'm guessing it's really freaking cold right now in Ottawa, Ontario. That's where this 4-piece band calls  home. With their warm & sunny take on rock and roll though this young band must be making the area all the more enjoyable, cold weather or not! For a band that was only formed back in February of 2012 they sure do seem to as if they have managed to do a lot in a relatively short span of time. The band released the 10-track album "Frailty" in April of 2012 followed by the "Don't You Dare" single this past December. "With Pencil's In Hand" is the latest release from Canada's Mosely and it finds this 4-piece band offering up 6-tracks of energetic garage rock. Now, to show that I do indeed have kids (which should be obvious as I dearly love them and try to mention them as often as possible!) the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the name Mosely was Jennifer "Moze" Mosely from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (played by the lovely Lindsey Shaw). Weird I know, but this band almost has the same sort of quirky fun to them as the show. They are not as goofy as TV show, but one of the other things they have in common is this sense of enduring charm you get from both. Now, just like the TV character "Mosely" this young band is features an equally lovely lady in the form of front-woman Dani Poisson. As she leads the band in an effortless fashion over these 6 tracks words such as "energetic", "pop-punk", "alternative rock", "sunny", "fun" and "garage pop rock and roll" come to mind. Consider those the "tags" then for this band that cites Coldplay, Thrice, Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Muse and Black Sabbath as influences. Nah, I'm just kidding about that Black Sabbath part (seeing if you all are awake on a sleepy Saturday) as these four seem more drawn to a band like Blondie then Black Sabbath! While I've thrown out the terms "pop-punk" (and even "pop-rock") this band does have more of a rock edge then those two descriptions would imply. Yes, the band can craft some pop-tinged material, but it's not like any of the songs on "With Pencils In Hand" are god awful Avril Lavigne "Sk8er Boi" pop or anything! Since they are lead by a woman with a little spunk in her voice I'm sure sooner or later (if it hasn't already happened that is) that they will get compared to Paramore. You do have to wonder how many female-fronted hard pop/rock and roll bands get compared automatically to Paramore? Probably too many to count. For some unknown reason though another band comes to mind who are, well, a little more less known. After listening to this EP I can honestly say that this is what I'd imagine a heavier Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer would sound like! (just look up the name folks). Anyway, this is something different then 99.9% of what you'd normal come across here, but I like to walk on the wild side sometimes so why not have a band like Mosely here right?


http://mosely.bandcamp.com/album/with-pencils-in-hand

Said The Whale-West Coast Christmas EP Collection

Self-Release/Independent
2012


Canada's Said The Whale, who were formed in 2007, are not the type of band we'd feature here at Heavy Metal Time Machine. As a indie pop-rock band they probably don't have all that much to offer our faithful followers, but I will say that this 10-track compilation features a nice collection of seasonal songs that the whole family can enjoy during this year's various holiday celebrations. The band has actually released a Christmas EP every December since forming and this "Pay what you want" download collects the various EPs together in one place. Assembled in chronological order, this 10-track album is a nice change of pace from the various heavy metal holiday promos that yearly flood my inbox. Find out more about this collection and the band at the link below.














http://saidthewhale.bandcamp.com/album/west-coast-christmas-ep-collection