The Indie Rock Dojo

 The Great Homesickness, out of Ann Arbor, Michigan USA, brings a very energetic rock with a great genre mixture that I LOVE.  All the Wrong Questions is a banger, to say the least. I hear these genres the most... Pop Punk -> The lead vocals are very melodic with a tone that is full-force and full-speed ahead, including a lot of group unison parts.  The drums are very aggressive and have incredible life inside those beats. Hard Rock ->  The guitars are hitting heavy power chords with a strong low-end with the bass guitar.  The drums are big and high-in the mix, assisting with that hard rock power. I'm so very glad to get the opportunity to discover this band.  The band as a whole is very tight, even through all of the complicated rhythms that require a considerable amount of precision.  The mix is solid with the heavy guitars getting that audible accent by a nicely toned bass.  The drummer is spectacular, keeping the ship moving with metrono...

 "Gluttony" by Mick Combs (from Port Pirie South Australia) is definitely an alternative rock instrumental with very interesting ideas.  The part that caught my attention right away was the string keys, very high in the mix, sliding from one note up several steps, then back down to the original note.  It's not often that you hear this, as the keys took the lead, and stay high in the mix throughout. I like the crisp and snappy sound the drums have, which is on full display as soon as this jammer starts.  The bass is also jamming along rhythmically and sounding great, although I do have to say I could have used it higher in the mix! What is highlighted in this song is definitely the guitar soloing, which takes the place often filled by a lead vocalist.  There's so much melody and it consistently follows the path the melody takes in this song...and also leaves lots of room for some solo-shredding, too!  I hear some squealing and top-notch control of that ...

 James Snelling is a very impressive rock guitarist from Ontario, California.  "Villainaire" displays this with no doubts.  It brings a classic rock feel with lead guitar chops that are steady, consistent and flashy...taking care of both the rhythm guitar and lead all alone.  The vocals have a distortion on them and follow the melody already set by the guitar, and the bass guitar is a solid foundation with the drums. The guitar soloing sections of this song are what caught my attention the most.  As the lead guitar continues to pound out the riffs, guitar solos go on top with soaring squeals, nicely controlled cry-baby wah pedal effects, and shredding on the fretboard that completely takes the song to a new level. I highly recommend this guitar-focused rock song to anyone who loves Guitar Hero-esque performances.

 Luke B is a rock band out of Chorley, England who brings a rhythmic solid rock to the ears.  "Viral Vision" starts out with distorted guitars getting the beat along with the drums, then the lead vocals join continuing the melody started out by the guitar.  The chorus is led by the vocals and synth strings coming into to fill up a lot of space, giving the song more of a soul-fulfilling vibe.  Later in the song, choruses really feel like a strong build, adding power to the song.  I really like the melody throughout and the minor feel. There is very interesting songwriting to this song that is out of the ordinary.  The chorus itself seems to be structured as the area where the building of the song occurs.  In my first listen, I naturally thought we had a prechorus preparing to lead into a chorus, but after repeated listens, this doesn't seem to be the case.  The chorus has two parts that do their own building (in my mind).  They lead into the n...