Marlo Schorr-Kon

  Album review - Pearl Jam ‘ Ten’ (1991) Ten is the debut studio album by Pearl Jam. The album was released on August 27, 1991. Often seen as one of the greatest albums of all time, the album skyrocketed Pearl Jam into stardom as one of rock’s biggest bands. The album reached number two on the Billboard 200 by the end of 1992, and has earned its place on many other top album lists, such as number one on Rolling Stone ’s “10 Greatest Debut Albums”, and Q ’s “100 Greatest Albums Ever”, on which it ranked at 42.  Music  Despite being a quintessential grunge record, the music on Ten draws a heavy influence from 60s and 70s rock acts like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. There are some anthems on this album. ANTHEMS. The album opens with an anticipation building interlude, ‘Master’ which lasts for about 20 seconds,  before a piercing distorted guitar riff sending the listeners full-swing into ‘Once’. This song proves as a great introduction to the sound of Pearl...

  SHOW: Alien Weaponry w/ Seas Of Conflict DATE: 5 December 2020 VENUE: The Powerstation             It was a quiet, sunny December evening as I pulled up to the footpath outside The Powerstation, one of Auckland’s most iconic venues. With a history running over 30 years deep, The Powerstation has hosted some of the biggest names in music, including Ramones, Soundgarden, Beastie Boys, and Radiohead. Though it wasn’t Alien Weaponry’s first time playing The Powerstation, the first time being supporting Shihad in 2015, tonight they would headline The Powerstation for the first time. Everyone, including the band, was ecstatic.  The evening had been made extra special for me thanks to Alien Weaponry’s guitar tech, and my good mate, Matt Holden, who had offered to hook me up with a backstage and dressing room pass. I entered The Powerstation, and, due to this being an All Ages show, with the upstairs bar closed, it was awesome to see...

  Alien Weaponry 'Buried Underground' single + video review Introduction  Alien Weaponry have returned with a vengeance yet again with ‘Buried Underground’, the second single from their upcoming sophomore album, Tangaroa, which is due out on September 17th, 2021. ‘Buried Underground’ has unsurprisingly electrified the excitement building around the band, and their new album. Its contrast, musically, to the previous single released from the album is exciting, and shows that Alien Weaponry are continuing to push their own musical boundaries and develop their sound.  Song In contrast to ‘Tangaroa’, the album’s lead single and title track, ‘Buried Underground’ avoids the long intro section, and gets straight to the point. The higher tempo and massive sounding drums relentlessly propel the song forward like a train speeding off the rails. The intro is looped twice (Why, you ask? Because it’s cool) before breaking down into a blasting, tom-heavy drum beat played by drummer, Hen...

  White Noise Mafia 'The Divide' single + video review Introduction  It’s July of 2020, and the world is suffering in the midst of a globe-scaring pandemic, the likes of which most of us thought we would never experience in our lifetimes. Amidst this chaos, four young musicians in Auckland, New Zealand get together, to write and rehearse some original songs. A year later, in July 2021, those four musicians have become White Noise Mafia. They are one of the most prominent bands of Auckland's local rock scene, they have won the 2020 Ding Dong Lounge band competition, and their debut single & music video, ‘The Divide’ is out for the world to hear on all streaming platforms. Song I believe that ‘The Divide' was a great choice of a debut single for White Noise Mafia. It is wonderfully written, and a perfect summary of their sound. The song opens with an awesome riff played by guitarist Matt Holden, who was clearly born to play music and be in a rock band. The rest of the...