Mon, 05/09/2016 - 7:52 pm

Albert Castiglia [pronounced ka - steel - ya] was born in New York and raised in Miami since he was 5. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of 12. He found a passion for playing the guitar and has been perfecting his craft ever since.

Castiglia got his first big break when legendary harmonica player Junior Wells heard him play and sing. Castiglia was able to travel with Wells on several world tours.

Castiglia has shared the stage over the years with artist such as Larry McCray, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater, Billy Boy Arnold and many more.

With his latest album Big Dog set to release May 20, 2016 takes you on a blues ride that keeps you wanting more. Big Dog was recorded at Darkside Studio in Maurice, LA. Castiglia and his band Mike Zito (Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vocals, Percussion), Scot Sutherland (Bass Guitar), Rob Lee (Drums), Lewis Stephens (Piano, Wurlitzer, Organ), Johnny Sansone (Harmonica Tracks 8 & 9) have put together a dynamic 11 track album.

The album opens up with ‘Let The Big Dog Eat’ and Castiglia does not hold back and shows you his amazing guitar skills. This track is upbeat and before you know it your moving to the music. He keeps it going with ‘What The Hell Was I Thinking’ he sings about having a little to much to drink and making promises he can’t keep. Castiglia slows it down on a few tracks to give you that smooth blues feeling, ‘Drowning At The Bottom’ and ‘Where Did I Go Wrong’.

The album ends with ‘Somehow’ which touches on issues that happen in every day life. When he sings lines like “What is this world coming to? When kindness has become a crime.” and “What is this world coming to? When you don’t see the children smile.” You can feel the emotion in this song through his voice. This song digs deep into your soul and like he says “I know we’re going to make it somehow.”

Castiglia has put together an album that has something for everyone. When I was listening to his album I never found myself wanting to skip to the next song. Some of my favorite songs are ‘Easy Distance’ and ‘Drowning At The Bottom’. This album Big Dog is defiantly one to have in your rotation.

Check out his website http://albertcastiglia.net for tour dates.

Future Rock | 'Long Ago' | Review

Tue, 05/17/2016 - 7:48 pm

Shenae Armstrong

If you are into The Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk and haven't checked out Future Rock, it’s a must you do. Coming out of Chicago Future Rock has been creating music since 2004. Their breakout year was 2006 when they performed at some of the largest music festivals in the U.S.. Future Rock has a unique way of creating their music. They use live instrumentation with electronics and blend it together that makes some great beats that have you finding your way to the dance floor.

Future Rock is made up of Darren Heitz (drums), Mickey Kellerman (keys) and Felix Moreno (bass). Don’t let this three man band fool you; not only do they work well together but they are known to put on same great live concerts.

Future Rock has released their fifth full length album Long Ago. On this album they brought in DJ/ Singer/ Producer Tibaut Bowman and Singer/Songwriter Anna Soltys.

The first song on the album is ‘Take It Back’. It opens up with some smooth vocals that blends in when the beat drops. This track is great at building the beat up and then slowing it down and getting that futuristic sound.

Track two ‘Long Ago’ is definitely one to have in your rotation. The opening lyrics will have you feeling like your standing on the street corner listening to some amazing acapella. Just like track one the vocals and the beat go perfectly hand in hand.

Tracks three and five (Pathfinder and Clouds) show how well the band puts their creative talents to work. Mickey Kellerman has done a great job writing these songs and seeing his vision through all the way.

Track six ‘On My Own’ is another song that will have you heading to the dance floor.

Tracks four and seven (Go With It and A Better Way) are ones to check out if you’re into house beats. The hooks on these songs are placed perfect over the beat.

Future Rock is definitely on to something with how they blend electronic dance music with rock. Mickey Kellerman explains it perfectly. “With this album, there is a juxtaposition between tunes, over band name, Future Rock, and our album name, Long Ago. It symbolizes that we’re still thinking progressively with synths and electronic elements, but we’re also looking back and delving into the art of songwriting.” Some of the stand out tracks on Long Ago are Long Ago, Go With It, and A better Way.

Like I said in the beginning Long Ago is an album you definitely want to check out. You can go to FutureRock.net to download the Long Ago album for free or to streaming sites like iTunes and Spotify. The album was released on April 15, 2016. Future Rock is also touring this summer. Check out their schedule on their website and go catch an amazing show.

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