Ask Doc Hammer what they are about, and they will tell you, “Doc Hammer likes to party. You like to party. Let's get together and make normal situations weird.” The San Diego punks have been playing hardcore party rock up and down the west coast since their explosive debut, the 2019 album Neon Devil. Their follow-up album, the 2021 EP Final Form featured the heavy-hitting single, “Firewalker” with its hilarious music video, highlighting the band’s irreverent sense of humor. Their latest EP is titled, Paradise, which is an appropriate title for a hardcore album by a band that enjoys wearing Aloha shirts as they rage out in the mosh pit. The album dropped on April 1st, but don’t be fooled. Doc Hammer takes their music seriously. 

Fans of dark music may manage to crack a rare smile upon hearing the news that Kooper Kain has released a new album titled, Dose Dredge. This is one of the latest releases from the vampiric Canadian goth rocker. Kain self-produced Dose Dredge at his S/N RATIo studio in Vancouver, British Columbia which has been putting out music and animation projects that embraces darker aesthetics in art.

On Saturday, June 25th, I had the pleasure of attending Music of Curiosities Coney Island Presents "QVEEN OF ATLANTIS MUSIC FESTIVAL" in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY at this amazing place known as Freak Bar. The venue of choice is a staple for the neighborhood and is famously known for its very own Circus Sideshow By The Seashore. For this special event, some very dear and close friends of mine both hosted and starred in the show.

Today, NJ/NYC based metallic hardcore band Court Order is BACK with a brand new single “Göz Taşı” off their soon to be released album Kingdom Gone which will be available everywhere on August 12th. This is only a small taste of what is to come and I have to say, the world isn’t ready.

The latest video from German thrash metal innovators Kreator delves into the shadowy world of folk horror. The third single from the band’s newest album, Hate Über Alles, is the song “Midnight Sun.” The lyrics explore ancient rites and death cults. Visually the video takes its cues from the most recent horror film trends.

Pennsylvanian hard rockers Crobot celebrated the release of their fifth album, Feel This, at the Mercury Lounge in New York City on June 2nd, 2022. The explosive set began with frontman Brandon Yeagley launching himself out of an Audrey II-esque plant as the band kicked off the night with the first track on the record, “Electrified”. The air in the room certainly felt electric from the first second, the raucous performance resting only for a booming voice telling a story of fantasy and heroics. Midway through the show, Yeagley stunned the crowd by yanking his mighty sword from a stone, a la King Arthur, ready to slay any unwanted beings that might cross his path. While launching Feel This, Crobot also mixed in some older favorites, to the delight of the crowd. The set was powerful and cohesive, the band was in great spirits, and the number of mic tricks? 37.

Let’s start from the beginning. How did the band form? 

Well, most of us are either related or have known each other for over a decade (or two). The band slowly came to shape in 2017 as we morphed into Further North from another band we were all in. It was a natural progression because we all knew each other in different capacities. Those close relationships have helped us to stay focused and dedicated through the difficulties of the past few years.

On Friday, May 27th, 2022 the progressive indie, metal, rock band from Texas known as Nothing More headlined a show at the Wellmont Theater in NJ alongside Atreyu and Ava Under Fire without their other touring mates of Asking Alexandria.

What’s the general writing process with 10-19 & The Number Men? Does one person come to the table with an idea and you build off of it? Does someone come with everything and fine-tune it? Tell us about it!

The process is pretty organic. We share a lot of ideas, demos, and recordings with one another so most songs develop through our regular exchanges.

The Velveteers are a hard-rocking group hailing from Boulder, Colorado. Formed in 2014 by then fifteen-year-old Demi Demitro and her fourteen-year-old cousin Baby Pottersmith, The Velveteers played the Colorado club scene for years until coming up with their signature sound that shows influences from indie rock, glam, avant-garde, and classic rock. Performers as divergent as T.Rex, Elvis Presley, Stevie Nicks, and St. Vincent are cited by the band as inspirations.

While most bands had to halt their careers when Covid-19 first stuck an unsuspecting world, Nashville band Lydia’s Castle was forged right in the raging fire of the pandemic. Lydia’s Castle was founded in 2020 by the husband and wife team Cody Denton and Tonya LeeAnne. With a passion for hard rock and metal, the couple sought to create new music that expressed the issues that they were currently dealing with.

Opposition to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is growing the world over, including within Mother Russia herself. Mysterious electronic metal musicians IC3PEAK have never shied away from voicing their grievances against the government. This video is further proof of their iconoclastic worldview. The video for “Dead But Pretty” is a protest against the current war. The duo directed and edited the video themselves showing how invested they are in its message.

Post-punk group Weimar has been rocking the Manchester club scene with their music heavily influenced by various genres such as art-rock, cabaret, prog, goth, and jazz. The band proudly proclaims that their latest single “The Girl of LA” shows influence from Violent Femmes, Pylon, The B-52s, Wall of Voodoo, The Divine Comedy, The Velvet Underground, The Fall, The Buzzcocks, and Iggy Pop.

Notagami is an alternative urban artist based in Queens, NY who has been making a name for herself in the underground Latin music scene. As a DJ, producer, singer, and songwriter, Notagami has combined influences from hip-hop, Latin, rock, and trap music into her fiery, sexually charged performances at various hip loft parties and secret events in New York City. Notagami is now trying to emerge from the underground scene with her first EP Maldita Nota which she self-produced.

“The name “The Carousel Predicament” comes from the way I was contemplating getting back into music.”

Back in February, metalcore band Promises Unsaid from Binghampton, NY released a new single “Mind Play” off their second album. This latest release shows off their influences in creating an incredible unique multi-genre single. “Touching on the subject of doubting yourself and your own mind, "Mind Play" is for those who need that uplifting message that they aren't alone in their struggles.” This single comes as a follow-up to the band's debut LP Growing Pains which was released independently late last year.

“I love nothing more than bringing the songs to life and performing them live.”

On Friday, February 25, 2022, Atlanta, GA, nu-deathcore powerhouse Left to Suffer released their latest music video for single, "Overwhelming Power".

On December 1st, small band MRBLHOUS released a single titled “Honors Student”, following their first release “November”. With a comforting and nostalgic sound, but with fresh faces in the music industry, it’s a great single full of feeling - that “gifted-kid burnout” ideal that oozes into every aspect of your life.  

The hard-rocking rap duo of Twiztid (Jamie Madrox and Monoxide Child) is back curating the fifth edition of Michigan’s own award-winning convention Astronomicon. This year’s edition, referred to as Astronomicon 5, is set to take place in Burton Manor, Livonia, MI on the weekend of April 22nd to 24th, 2022. This major pop culture event will include a vast array of guests representing all corners of the entertainment world.