Author Archives: Ricky Stephens

Ricky Stephens

About Ricky Stephens

Ricky Stephens is an independent musician and music reviewer from Tampa Florida.

[Tour] Of Monsters And Men American Tour + Little Talks Video

Indie/folk band Of Monsters And Men have been making a lot of headway in the past couple of years; winning Iceland’s national battle of bands known as Músíktilraunir (roughly translating to “music experiments”) in 2010 to get the ball rolling. They followed up their triumph by getting international airplay with their single “Little Talks” from their Into The Woods EP (below) and landing a deal with a major label.

To solidify their presence on the world stage, the band has chosen April 3rd 2012 as the American release date for their debut album, My Head is an Animal, which will be released on Universal Republic. In support of their release they will be hitting the road, kicking things off in Austin, TX for SXSW (full schedule below).

U.S Tour Dates:
3/21 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour^
3/22 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent^
3/24 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge^
3/25 Vancouver, Canada @ 881 Granville Street^
3/26 Seattle, WA @ The Neptune Theatre^
3/29 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe^
3/30 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean^
3/31 Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion
4/2 Washington, DC @ The Black Cat^
4/2 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts^
4/5 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg^
4/6 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom^
4/7 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall^
4/9 Rochester, NY @ Club at Water Street Music Hall^
4/10 Albany, NY @ Jillian’s^
4/11 Montreal, Canada @ La Sala Rossa^
4/12 Toronto, Canada @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club
^ w/ Lay Low

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[Indie] Antonio Paul – End Of The World EP

Australian indie pop group Antonio Paul first made a name for themselves with the Treasures EP, a collection of upbeat D.I.Y. tracks that they were able to create by slaving away on a sample pad, an iPad , and a guitar.  They’ve come a long way since then, having played Groove in’ The Moo in May of last year, opening for bands like Jinja Safari, and using organic drumming (see the video for “Sweet Wine”).

With the End Of The World EP, released on January 13th, the band hopes to maintain the momentum they found on Treasures with songs like “City Dreams”. I think they’ve done it. End of The World is an upbeat and ambitious work, blending influence of punk and american grunge with the bands already indie pop sound. Count on fast and melodic delivery, technical guitar leads, and pounding bass drums driving the EP forward.

Buy the album HERE.

Antonio Paul – Into the Night

’Into the Night.mp3′

Antonio Paul – Made in China

’Made in China MP3.mp3′

Antonio Paul – Sweet Wine

’Sweet Wine MP3.mp3′
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[Album Preview] You Won’t- Skeptic Goodbye LP

Skeptic Goodbye is the first recording project from Massachusetts band You Won’t.

The band’s clever songs touch on universal themes like time, movement, and pop culture- making references to Back To The Future, 80’s fashion, and the idea of the “American Dream” to tie their listeners to the songs and give them replay value. More than that, though, the songs are statements about  today’s ideals; set to music through melody, drumline percussion, clapping, and acoustic guitar. “It’s just an illusion babe” sings vocalist Josh Arndouse (who’s voice draws references to both Bob Dylan and The Tallest Man On Earth) on the single “Three Car Garage”. The sentiment sets the mood for the rest of the album, allowing retrospective tracks like “Who Knew” and “Television” to shine in ways they couldn’t achieve on their own.

Musically there isn’t a lot of flashy instrumentation going on. When you do hear synth/guitar leads they’re more to illustrate feeling than show off talent. It’s more likely that the songs exist to compliment the lyrical content rather than dazzle fans- but the ideas are concise and never fall short of real entertainment. Overall the album flows really well, and seems to get better with each listen.

Skeptic Goodbye will be released through Old FLame Records on February 14th 2012.

Stream only: You Won’t- Three Car Garage

’ Three Car Garage.mp3′

Stream only: You Won’t- Who Knew

’ Who Knew.mp3′
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Die Antwoord – Ten$ion [Album P/review] + ‘I Fink U Freeky’ Video

South African hip hop trio Die Antwoord (Afrikaans for “The Answer”) first appeared on the scene in 2009 with their debut album $O$. They became a viral phenomenon after the release of the video for the album’s first single “Enter The Ninja”, teaming up with cinematographer Rob Malpage. With the first video the band introduced themselves, their music, and their Zef style to the masses… and got so many  hits to the Die Antwoord website that the host couldn’t handle it and the site was shut down. The band became a sensational internet meme that boosted their sales and got them signed to Interscope records. It’s been about two years since they’ve released anything new and the world can’t help but wonder what they’ve been up to.

Ten$ion is the answer.

Recently the band has left Interscope records after refusing to succumb to a more generic sound and release anything “wack”. Die Antwoord’s sophomore effort is set for release February 7th on the band’s own Zef Imprint, which begs the question: what could they have been doing that even Lady Gaga‘s label (Interscope) couldn’t handle it? I have had the opportunity to preview the album, and am actually really happy that the band stayed true to their roots. Instead of transforming their sound into something more marketable to the American hip hop market, Ten$ion feels almost like a continuation of $O$ with only minor changes.

As the album starts it is immediately clear that the group has put enormous effort in maintaining the energy and momentum they found through $O$ while simultaneously maturing their sound. Each song moves flawlessly from track to track, skits included, and never falters in delivery. The band has elected to include nine actual songs on this record, which means that every song earned its placement in the track listing, and every one is as over the top as its predecessor. Songs like “I Fink U Freeky” and “U Make A Ninja Wanna Fuck” are prime candidates for singles and make this record shine like Ninja’s jewelry. Considering DJ Hi-Tek’s hard hitting beats, Yo-Landi Vi$$er’s creepy vocal melodies, and Ninja’s incredible flow, Ten$ion is unforgettable… and damn catchy.

Die Antwoord ‘Fok Julle Naaiers’ Music Video from Ross Garrett on Vimeo.

Ten$ion is out 2/7 on ZEF Records.

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[New] Anthony Green ft. Nate Ruess- Only Love

Indie favorites Anthony Green (Circa Survive) and Nate Ruess (Fun.) have teamed up for  collaboration that was long overdue. The talents meet in harmonious union on “Only Love” from Green’s new solo album Beautiful Things. “I never wanted to be your only love” sings Green in the song’s hook, summarizing the general tone of both vocal parts in a way that is undeniably catchy. The song is more electronic than anything I’ve heard from either Nate or Anthony, so it’s kind of cool to see their versatility.

Beautiful Things released January 17th 2012 from Photo Finish records. Stream it HERE.

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[Folk] The Careful Ones- Moths, Flames, Etc.


The Careful Ones are a relatively new indie/folk band from Lakeland Florida that has been attracting attention with their soulful melodies and ambient tones. The music is driven by acoustic guitars, heavy vocal harmonies, and light percussion (guitar slapping, stomping, heavy strumming, occasional bass hits).

The lyrics are introspective and presented in a voice that’s somewhere between Bahamas and Sleeping At Last. Their debut Moths, Flames, Etc. is a lonesome collection of well written songs, with each instrument focusing on what’s best for the music rather than how they can show off. Vocal parts fall to a hum during intimate guitar melodies, sitting atop pulsing bass hits that beat inside your chest and tug at your heart strings. The careful ones are a force to be reckoned with because they have learned how to capture mood, and feeling, through their music. From their down tempos and repetitive chorus lines to their employ of orchestral strings they just seem like they really get it.

The album is not for car rides or exciting beach vacations though, it’s really relaxed and mellow. It’s a much better soundtrack for a quiet evening than a sword fight.

Watch for the bands new release, due out in Spring of 2012, HERE.

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[Ambient] Submerse – Tears

“Crisp. Elegant. Percussive.”

The relationship between a person and electronic music is much like the relationship between two people… Three words can mean everything.With “Tears” Submerse has embodied the good vibes attributed to those words from beginning to end- and have been gaining quite a following because of it

The vocal sample pushes the song forward and makes it memorable, the organic tones fill out blank spaces, and the beat is vocal in its own right. Overall the track just feels good to listen to and is the perfect way to soundtrack a Monday morning.

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