The Beatdown’s self-titled album starts with the refrain Bob Marley taught us: “It’s Alright.”  It’s evident from this album that these boys from Montreal know their history and they spend the whole album showing that they’ve studied up. As I’ve pointed out in my review of their EP, it’s clear that they’re comfortable (and enjoyable) [...]

It’s clear from the first track of Coast to Coast, the second album of Long Island’s Royal City Riot, that they’re a live band. “Rhythm” and many of the following tracks build in the choruses and shouts that make an audience want to sing along. Though they’re worked in on the album sounding a bit [...]

The Beatdown knows how to make an entrance. Starting off their self-titled EP with the track “One Night” – you wouldn’t know by the first few folk-rock bars that this was a ska song, but once the upbeat kicks in you’re in for a treat. “One Night” morphs into a style reminiscent of the Hepcat’s [...]