We Were There: Vans Warped Tour 2016

By Peter Jones-Torregrosa The Vans Warped Tour is currently touring the United States, as it has done every summer since 1995. The traveling festival has played host to some of the largest names in the music industry, with huge acts like Sum 41, Yellowcard and Good Charlotte appearing on some dates this summer. Warped Tour… Continue reading We Were There: Vans Warped Tour 2016

#BeeTheScene: A Visit to Red Bee Honey

As some promoter in Massachusetts once said: “Support the scene.  Be the scene.” Alternative Control sure was bee-ing the scene on Sunday, as myself and some other Connecticut bloggers visited the Weston apiary Red Bee Honey.  You might wonder why a heavy metal blog is covering a bee farm.  It turns out that bees are… Continue reading #BeeTheScene: A Visit to Red Bee Honey

Show Preview: VALIENT THORR, 7/10/16 at Cafe Nine in New Haven

For about 15 years, this rag tag band of Venusians-by-way-of-North-Carolina have been laying waste to stages worldwide with their high octane brand of punk n roll, which comes off like the MC5 jamming with Thin Lizzy. In fact, lead singer Valient Himself has been named as one of the top modern metal frontmen in another… Continue reading Show Preview: VALIENT THORR, 7/10/16 at Cafe Nine in New Haven

Summer Reading: Diluted Reality, Dennis Dunaway, The Egg Cookbook, and This is Your Brain on Music

You’d think as a librarian, I’d be a very organized reader: start a book, finish it in exactly one week, and slide it back into its designated spot on my Dewey-Decimal-organized bookshelf.  But alas, that is not the case.  I’m now in the middle of reading two nonfiction books, a novel, and a cookbook! The… Continue reading Summer Reading: Diluted Reality, Dennis Dunaway, The Egg Cookbook, and This is Your Brain on Music

Singlecut Beersmiths Like Guitars, and I Like Their Beer

It's a family affair

This past weekend I hit a new personal milestone: I mowed my first lawn and performed borderline cosmetic surgery to all its botanical elements. This level of accomplishment called for a celebration, so we took a family field trip to a place I’ve been meaning to visit for awhile – Singlecut Beersmiths in Astoria, Queens.… Continue reading Singlecut Beersmiths Like Guitars, and I Like Their Beer

Album Review: Dead By Wednesday’s The Darkest of Angels (EMP Label Group)

For a band that’s been hovering between “local” and “national” for several years, Connecticut metal outfit Dead By Wednesday’s recent release The Darkest of Angels may be the album that solidifies their foothold in the national arena. Featuring thirteen guest vocalists along with full-time DBW singer Rob Roy, moving from track to track is like… Continue reading Album Review: Dead By Wednesday’s The Darkest of Angels (EMP Label Group)