East coast friends, we hope you’re all safe! I think it’s pointless for me to mention the amount of damage that this hurricane caused simply because it’s everywhere: on the radio, on television, everywhere online, and even outside our own doors. I was fortunate enough to not lose any power or have any flooding or major house damage, but others aren’t as lucky. 

School has been closed for the past 3 days and there’s a possibility that it’ll be closed again tomorrow. I was told not to go to work because power lines are down, so I’ve been stuck inside my house since I last worked on Sunday. Getting a little cabin fever, but trying to make the best of this time off. Unfortunately, a few of my professors have assigned homework because class has been canceled, but finding the effort to do it has been tough ha.

In other news, we’re hoping to get back to our normal updating since we now have a bit of downtime to catch up. Last weekend we posted 2 reviews, sent out 2 interviews, and emailed about 3 shows for our photographer to shoot. We were hoping to have some great shots from the Mayday Parade/The Maine Boston show, but unfortunately our photographer’s train got cancelled that day, so that didn’t happen. But we’re hoping to make up for it! A note to all our followers: we hope you guys haven’t given up on us just yet. We’re only getting started on making Lucy Out Loud even bigger and better! :)

Anywho, just wanted to give you all a quick update. East coast friends, hang in there! <3

There’s something to be said about consistency for bands that have been around for a while. Some bands drop off, while some age gracefully. For Toronto’s synth-goth six-piece The Birthday Massacre, they fall into the latter category. On their fifth record, Hide and Seek, the group delivers a half-hour story full of darkness and eeriness which fits perfectly with the season.

From the opening lines, there’s a bit of an odd feeling. The fading lead-in of “Leaving Tonight” could easily have been recorded in the 80’s, giving not only a sense of nostalgia, but delivering something that’s rarely given to listeners nowadays – something creative and new. The track itself is an upbeat synth-pop head-nodder, packed with a catchy chorus driven. However, the calm doesn’t last for long, as “Down” chugs its way on its coattails. The hardest song on the record shows an impressive range for the pocket-sized Chibi, mixing smooth, almost angelic clean vocals with heavy, gritty shouts.

Clinking chimes and wind accompany a building electronic sample and drums into the haunting “Play With Fire,” which is filled to the brim with innocent vocals and dark lyrics. “Need,” as odd as this comparison may sound, is the synthesized cousin of a Demi Lovato track. The vocals are very similar, both stylistically and talent-wise, providing for a genre-crossing song that pop fans of any age or scene can sing to.

Read More →

I’ve always been a sucker for mixed-gender vocals. The Forecast, 1997, The Hush Sound, Straylight Run, I could go on, all of these groups hold the highest spots on my playlists for most listens. The point I’m making is this – the dynamic between successfully combining a male and a female vocalist is something that can make a band stand out, or can make them irrelevant if done improperly. Luckily, Back to Normal avoided sounding forced, resulting in some very catchy pop-punk.

The short introduction shows us a peak into Orion Burke’s impressive drumming skills before melting directly into the group’s lead single “The Letdown.” Lead vocalist Sarah Camden’s voice is aggressive and sharp, delivering each lyric with precision. A slowing in the tempo halfway through repeats “We can’t be friends, no we can’t / because it never works in the end / but I’m trying, I’m trying,” looped continuously between Camden and her male counterpart, guest vocalist KJ Jones.

Read More →