For the past 5 years Makes My Blood Dance have been reminding us that genres are fluid, especially these days; metal can’t be put in a box, nor can pop, dance, or RnB. ‘Together Apart’, while form the more fierce end of their sound range, nonetheless is a song of beauty and grace, with a hereby for them unprecedented symphony of metal, pop, disco, and classic rock sounds. It sounds like it should be cacophonous, but in the hands of Makes My Blood Dance, it works, a seamless harmonious blend.
Singer Evan Russell Saffer (who was our interviewee), and guitarist John Polimeni are the not so secret weapon to MMBD’s power; they are experts at crafting a fine melody, and utter architects of composition. With ‘Together Apart’, Saffer’s vocal and Polimeni’s guitar create a dialogue between them – the bridge of the melody becomes the foundation of a soaring guitar solo.
Saying this, it should come as no surprise that the video for the song is full of surprises as well. With footage of the band in action, bringing heat and power to their performance, there is also interspersed scenes where they are serenading the viewer from portraits on the wall of a room. Here we see young women dancing in a finely tuned choreography, sometimes joined by Saffer, who shows he could well be a contender for the next season of ‘Dancing With The Stars’.
You can watch the video for ‘Together Apart’ below, and find out more about Makes My Blood Dance, and their music, online on their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Continuing with their wonderful run of songs that are equally appropriate for kids as well as adults, The Roughhousers’ latest single, ‘Baby Brother’, is their take on the rockabilly classic by Bill Carter & The Rovin Gamblers, originally released back in 1959. We’re excited to premiere the fantastic new music video, which accompanies the single.
The music video for ‘Baby Brother’ sees Grey DeLisle singing from the point of view of an older sibling, about their new baby brother who doesn’t seem to be interested in doing things like everyone else. In fact, they are incredibly different – baby brother in learning to crawl, chooses to do it on the kitchen wall rather than ambulate across the floor; he’s also fond of swimming in the fishbowl, which is okay, so long as he doesn’t eat the fish. It’s easy to think that this might stem from some resentment of the attention that baby brother is getting, until you hear that the family originally found him on the front porch in a “crazy little basket”…and his hair is blue…but they think the “otherworld” of him.
It seems that we may have a clue to the origins of the baby brother, when in the final verse, the sibling,
“bought my baby brother a toy balloon / he let it get away, and it floated toward the moon / instead of crying he climbed up on the fence / started flapping his arms and we ain’t seen him since”
It’s a bittersweet end to the song but the child rationalises it in their own lovely way, with the line, “although you’re out in outer spaces I can still see your faces”. What happened to the baby brother? Perhaps we’ll find out one day!
The Roughhousers are not just known for their great music but also the wonderful videos that accompany their releases, and ‘Baby Brother’ is certainly no exception, with a fantastic animated clip, that sees Grey DeLisle floating in space on a small satellite not much bigger than her, as a tiny rocket takes off, presumably with Baby Brother inside. The clip illustrates the lyrics in a brightly coloured retro style, and Roughhousers guitarist Eddie Clendening pops up as the baby brother himself in the “crazy basket” – complete with blue hair. It’s a great song and a fab video and will keep both kids and adults alike well and truly entertained!
The Roughhousers Full Band – photo credit: Neuman Mannas
Grey and Eddie are joined by their bandmates, Deke Dickerson, pianist Carl Sonny Leland, bassist Murry Hammond of The Old 97s, and X’s drummer DJ Bonebrake on their mission to create unique tunes, and ‘Baby Brother’ is a fun and very welcome addition to their rapidly increasing repertoire, which also includes previous releases, ‘Princess Mike‘ ‘Azucar‘, and ‘Toenail Soup’.
Watch the fab video for ‘Baby Brother’ below and follow The Roughhousers online on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Don’t forget to also check out more about Grey DeLisle on her website too!
Foundry Town Survivors return with their latest single, ‘Blue Sky’. The track is the latest release from the band’s self-titled EP, and features a music video that’s an homage to the very first music video: Bob Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’.
And just like the Dylan classic, which drew attention to the burgeoning war in Vietnam, as well as the civil rights movement, this latest track serves as a protest song, simply putting forward by way of hand drawn lyric cards the consequences of what happens when society is left to remain ignorant. “No information” which leads to “No expectation”, leading in turn to “No conversation”, and “No transformation”. Furthermore, “No education” leads to “No inspiration”, and “No exploration”, and “No innovation”. Ignorance leaves us vulnerable and open to exploitation by unscrupulous hucksters; it’s a sobering thought, and could well be applied to a number of situations over the past few years, where the ignorant and under-educated left themselves open to the ideas of those who had only their own interests at heart.
Shot in black and white, on location in Pasadena in front of the loading dock of Mission Tile West, the video is as simple as the song itself, and of course, it doesn’t need to be complicated: it’s a message that can be put across with without too much elaboration.
The clip shows band members Tommy Johnsmiller and Mark Tomorsky alternately showing the lyric placards, while standing front of a tall roller door which serves as a green screen for images such as the band’s logo, and photos of the pair themselves. We’re also treated to images of Foundry Town Survivors’ performances, and, preceded by a card reading, “guitar solo”, a clip of the band playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Speaking of ‘Blue Sky’, the band said,
“Here are the warning signs of things going to hell on a sled and how you can fight to make it a better place.”
It’s a simple warning, but it packs a hard punch, and we’d better take heed, if we want our blue skies to stay blue.
Watch the video for ‘Blue Sky’ below, and check out more about Foundry Town Survivors online on their official website, where you can also read about the making of the video for ‘Blue Sky‘. You can also find them online on Spotify, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
‘It’s A Vibe’ is the latest hit single to come from LA-based pop-star RIP Youth. Having already broken into the top 10 on the iTunes Australian Dance chart, the new single has now been reworked into an energy-filled dance-floor anthem as R3HAB works his magic, creating the hit of a lifetime.
The Australian-born singer is supporting this year’s Pride Month with a single that has been masterfully crafted, and fit for any high-intensity situation. Adding in some heavy electro-house grooves, perfect for the dark alluring dance floors, or really getting a sweat on in your next spinning class.
Multi-platinum producer R3HAB has been partnered with the fitness fanatics over at Peloton, creating ‘It’s A Vibe’ into a work-out-fuelled hit. The single was premiered by Cody Rigsby and Peloton’s DJ John Michael during their ‘Pride Live DJ Ride’.
Talking about his experience and love for R3HAB, RIP Youth has stated,
“I’ve always been a fan of R3HAB since we worked together a while back so when I suggested to Peloton we reach out, we were so glad he answered the call. I’ve loved seeing him take this song in an exciting new direction and reinvent an exclusive remix of ‘It’s A Vibe’ to help Peloton kick off Pride Month. I’m obsessed with Peloton and how they’ve raised a community movement like no other.”
