UPCOMING ALBUM RELEASE “Remora” is One MONSTER of an Album!

Coming August 8^th to the Old Crow Bar in Middletown, Ohio, To No End, will be knocking the socks off of blues, indie, and alternative rock fans as they celebrate the release of their third full-length album, Remora!

Attendees will not only get to hear some of the coolest new music coming out of the Dayton area, they will also be privy to a live performance that is not to be missed!

 

 

First though, I have to talk about this new album I had the privilege of previewing last week!   With all the earmarks of everything I’ve come to love from To No End, this 2-part album is packed with killer vocals, thought-provoking lyrics, mind-bending guitar leads, and cool beats that you’ll want busting from your speakers for weeks, if not forever!  

Remora show a wonderful consistency in To No End’s overall style, but it also shows a lot of growth as well.  As the sequel for their second album, “Peril & Paracosm” (2014), what this album does best is two-fold.  First, it demonstrates the band’s ability to appeal to a wide variety of fans. Second, it showcases their ability to put out a prolific amount of music that transitions well across time and has a forward-thinking and focused, creative force at the helm. It is divided into two distinct musical journeys titled “The  Underworld” (Side A) and “The Great Unknown” (Side B).

“The Underworld” (Side A) rocks out in To No End’s signature bluesy-alternative rock style, but as I meandered back and forth between tracks on this side, I sensed what seems to be a subtle progression of their sound to include some more psychedelic flavors. 

Thanks to a whole lot of funkiness and trippy guitars, the opening track, “The Afterlife II (The Underworld I)”, is a perfect example of this transition.  Other great examples include “Chile Please (No Return)” and “Everybody Talks”, but there are hints of this possible transition mixed throughout “The Underworld” and even heading into “The Great Unknown” with the song “Satellite”.

Don’t let that fool you though because with tracks like “Trash Day”, “Shatter”, “Play That Card”, and “Twisted Knives” “The Underworld” is a boat-load of rock steered by hungry, blues-lovin sailors on a rolling sea of emotion!

“The Great Unknown” (Side B) is a significant style departure from the first, but it’s also a refreshing change-up that highlights To No End’s ability to emote a variety of aspects of their personalities and skills without compromising their overall sound.   Adding an acoustic guitar to much of the second disc and dialing the mood back a couple of notches, the second half of this album gravitates heavily towards a mellower mix of roots, singer-songwriter, blues, folk, and spiritual-inspired pieces.

“Hinterland Empire” is a definite “Don’t Miss!”  Besides having all the kick-ass pieces of any To No End song, it has a beautifully picked guitar melody and the simplicity of having just the acoustic guitar and vocals stirs up memories of good times with great friends by many a campfire.  

“Terrace” is also another standout in the second half of the album as it blends the psychedelic and rock elements of the first half with the mellower songwriter elements of the second.  Remixes of “Twisted Knives” and “Trash Day” also help to create a real sense of continuity and cohesiveness in this monster of an album!

    

So, now you’re psyched up about it, and you want to find out how you can check it out right?

Well, whether you’re in the Dayton area or not, you can tune in for an awesome live preview of Remora on WYSO on Wednesday, August 5^th at 9PM!  Join that event HERE!  

If you’re anywhere within 50 miles of Middletown on August 8th, your best bet will be to catch them live at their CD release party at The Old Crow!   Their high-energy, stellar live show is always extremely entertaining!  All we can do is advise you to get your drinks lined up in advance because you’ll be hard-pressed to look away once they take the stage!   

Other awesome opportunities to catch them live include Wham Bam Thank U Jam on the third weekend of August as well as the Eatonic Music Festival on Labor Day Weekend!

* This fellow artist is supporting our local scene right here in and around Dayton! Go check out their music! If you would like to help support this page and our local scene, click HERE!