Sleigh bells ring, lights shine in the windows, and Santa laughter sounds through the night air. It’s the season when even the hardest rocking Grinch grows his heart a couple extra sizes and embraces all things cutesy cuddly. It’s time for ‘Itsy Bits & Bubbles’ from Twink.
This purely instrumental, incredibly fun sound is put together by musical mad scientist Mike Langlie, who was charmed by the off-kilter tones of a thrift store toy piano. Twink has produced five prior albums, combining toy instruments with hyperactive rhythm machines, broken music boxes, and circuit-bent electronic gizmos. Also included are kitchen drawer percussion, and the bleeps and blurps of 8-bit videogames. Strong melodies, bouncy beats and surprising arrangements make Twink a favorite for use on networks like MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. Continue reading »
Out of Nyack, New York comes a foursome with steady rock beats supporting a hint of New Wave heartache. Even their name, Regret the Hour, elicits a tinge of melancholy. Their latest release is ‘The Living Remember,’ a follow-up EP to ‘Another Lonely Year’ which garnered 40,000 YouTube views. Regret the Hour has been playing NYC venues with members, Nate McCarthy (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Ben McCarthy (lead guitar/vocals), Jesse Yanko (bass/vocals), and Anders Fleming (drums/vocals).
