New Music: The Bribes - The Man is Good and Fine

"...it’s drenched in intrinsic bravado."

"The Man is Good and Fine is nine-songs with a clear lens of focus, yet with the limited genre mobility comes a great deal of lateral dexterity."

"They are a four piece band that’s been loitering around Chicago, for a few years now, in the most blue collar, “we’re all going to be wearing golden diapers, Bruce Dickinson magic’, mindset as possible."

"The waters are as murky as the mudslide in my mug, man."

"It really makes me giddy inside. To the point where I find myself questioning my own ethical predisposition."


Full TSE review

New Music: The Congress - The Loft Tapes EP

Over the course of my time writing for The Steam Engine, I've had the privilege of getting to know the bands I cover on many levels. This is the third piece I've done about a band called The Congress. This time around, it's focused around a cover EP, in which the Colorado jam masters went to a Masonic Temple (a loft) and laid down on tape, reel-to-reel, seven thoughtful, beautiful, and downright vivacious soul covers. 

The selections include: The Impressions, Doris Day, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison and Carole King and a little tune you might recognize titled, "Killing Them Softly?" It's really a neat masterpiece that was constructed well, but not overdone. The way music should be. Without computers or too much thought. RIGHT FROM THE GUT! Good way to kick off what should be a soul-filled festival of silly fun, summer. Let's get it! 

My full review. 

New Music: Widower, Fool Moon

I wrote this review before March Madness about a poetic, romantic, heartfelt band named Widower. This album makes me really happy. Like the cover might suggest, it emotes to me that feeling of searching for gold in the 20's, if only there were a romantic poet there to sing to me as I sifted for said gold. Ha. 

Just read up and give it a listen. Tell me this doesn't melt you a tad