The future burns bright for Victoria Ivy Embers

Victoria Ivy Embers is giving us the best vibes. Somewhat new to the music industry, she has already begun to build such a fanbase, with Spotify boasting over 9,700 monthly listeners!  I checked out her track “Blue” and was hooked. The haunting undertones and melodies are emotional; it feels like love lost. I am sure […]

Appreciating every angle of The Kaleidoscope Kid

Ka·lei·do·scope/kəˈlīdəˌskōp/. Noun.  Kaleidoscope Kid /kəˈlīdəˌskōp/ kid/. Noun. Joshua Murphy, better known as The Kaleidoscope Kid, partook a rather unique journey from a creatively driven upbringing to the nationally touring musician he is today. Like many childhood hobbies, after shelving an interest for guitar after a few short weeks of practice, Josh rediscovered his initial interest […]

Rising Artist Spotlight: Indie pop band, Co-Stanza

If you ask anyone to think about a great summer memory, vivid flashes of laughter with friends and the warm glow of the summer sun will spill out to form stories that they remember fondly. Growing up in the Midwest, a lot of my fondest summer memories revolve around a lake– kayaking, hiking, boating, lake […]

Cocoa Beach native Matt Riley talks music, family & persevering

Cocoa Beach, Florida is a haven for dedicated musicians — Matt Riley being one of them. This singer-songwriter has been playing for many years, as well as a dedicated father, and someone to be inspired by. This beach reggae rocker sings all types of genres, writes his own songs as well playing everything from acoustic, […]

Rising Artist Spotlight: Bridges Ablaze

Every once and a while you are fortunate enough to meet someone who changes the entire direction of your life for the better. One moment you are completely unaware they even exist and then, suddenly, in a single unlikely meeting you are now happily stuck with a person you can’t imagine your life without. In the […]

Rising Artist Spotlight: Advents

Metalcore is one of the most common subgenres of heavy metal and it’s arguably the most popular. Combining the best elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, metalcore is brimming with aggressive breakdowns and mosh inducing hooks. Advents, a rising metalcore band from the outskirts of NYC are working tirelessly to ensure they bring innovation […]

Rising Artist Spotlight: Splitworms

Welcome music lovers to this week’s Rising Artist spotlight! Today we feature the hard rock stylings of UK upstarts Splitworms. Splitworms are one of the latest UK indie bands to catch my attention, which is not entirely surprising since I spend so much time scouring England for new and exciting bands. In my humble opinion […]

Indie Artist Spotlight: MNERVA

If you were to ask most people living outside of Nashville what type of music the city is known for, more often than not, you would hear the reply “country”. While this fact is certainly ingrained into the hearts and minds of most people living in the city, what’s lesser known about Nashville is its […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 79: Chris Duarte

On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, hosts Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos chat with Texas guitar legend Chris Duarte. Born in San Antonio, a young Duarte became interested in music after seeing Fiddler on the Roof on TV. He initially wanted to play violin and then clarinet, but circumstances led him to playing his […]

A talk with Nattali Rize on self-actualization, music & more

Today is a good day: I got the chance to talk with an Australian artist who has brought her music across the vast ocean and thousands of miles of land, who constantly pushes the envelope, along with her band, to create change and heal the world with their music. Her name is Nattali Rize. Living […]

A chat with international reggae sensation, Dub Inc.

French reggae band Dub Inc. stole the show in Solana Beach Sunday night at the Belly Up Tavern, opening for Mike Love and his backing band, The Full Circle. This was the last night in California for the seven-piece, after a full tour of California beginning in Monterey at Cali Roots on Memorial Day Weekend. […]

Five Finger Death Punch gears up to drop ‘AfterLife’ album

Starting out in 2007, Five Finger Death Punch has been set on world domination and they’ve definitely achieved it. The band’s debut album, The Way of the Fist, put them on the map with songs such as the in-your-face track “Ashes” and my personal favorite, “The Bleeding”, which is about a relationship gone bad. The […]

Meet New Wave experimental band Minimal Schlager

During my time at the SXSW music festival, I had the opportunity to interact with some of the coolest musicians from all across the globe. One of the most interesting bands came in the form of a New Wave electronic dance group called Minimal Schlager. Brother and sister Francisco and Alicia have been making music […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 70: Zarate Zaaló

On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosts Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos chat with Karate Zaaló (aka, Squiggly Finesse) — keyboardist, vocalist and mastermind of the Bourgeois Mystics. This fantastically eclectic group of intergalactic eccentrics currently reside at their 38-acre Austin-based commune (definitely, not a cult) and make outer-worldly music to inspire (or conquer?) us mere […]