Follow Friday: Crossfaith, July Talk, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and More

Crossfaith

Employing a kinetic blend of metalcore, dubstep and industrial, Osaka, Japan’s Crossfaith blends two worlds that are often distant from one another — leading to the creation of their unique electronicore sound. Since their 2009 debut The Artificial Theory for the Dramatic Beauty, the quintet has been known for their technical prowess and fiery live performances. The group has toured alongside powerhouses including Hatebreed, the Used, and Machine Head, and secured a spot on Warped Tour’s 2015 trek. Their 2018 record titled Ex-Machina is a dystopian take on artificial-intelligence’s authoritative rule. Check out their single “Catastrophe” off of the record above.

Crossfaith plays Beefy Slinky and Super Slinky Bass.

Listen to top tracks by Crossfaith:

 July Talk

Canadian quintet July Talk ignite gritty blues-rock with synth stabs and a fiery vocal interplay between singers Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay. In 2012, the group released their self-titled debut on Sleepless Records, which would later go on to win a Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. With a reputation for explosive shows, July Talk has found most of their following on the road, touring across the US and Canada while playing numerous festivals including Shaky Knees Music Festival, Osheaga, Isle of Wight Festival and Austin City Limits. Their sophomore album’s first single “Push + Pull” held the #1 spot on the Canadian Alternative Radio charts for 13 weeks in 2016. Listen to Touch‘s opening track “Picturing Love” above.

July Talk plays Ernie Ball Regular Slinky, Regular Cobalt Slinky and Flatwound Group II Bass strings.

Listen to top tracks by July Talk below.

Hundredth

South Carolina natives Hundredth entered the music scene in 2008 showcasing their melodic, hardcore songs to the world. Since their inception, the band released three full-length albums and even toured cross-country with Vans Warped Tour before drastically changing their sound a few years later. Making the transition from hardcore to dreamy, shoegazing indie rock, the band’s 2017 album RARE helped secure their footing in the indie rock scene. The album was included in Stereogum’s Top 50 Albums of 2017 and was praised to be “well on their way into the indie pantheon of impenetrable rock acts” by Alternative Press. Listen to their top track “Youth” off of their album above.

Hundredth plays Ernie Ball Power Slinky Cobalt, Skinny Top Heavy Bottom, Bass Six Slinky, and Regular Slinky Cobalt Bass.

Listen to top tracks by Hundredth:

Riverboat Gamblers

The Riverboat Gamblers rocked their way out of their university town of Denton, Texas, with their Jenna Is a No Show 7″ vinyl. It’s still unclear how the vinyl was able to effectively harness the sonic fury that Gamblers’ legendary UNT house show has become; nonetheless, an instant classic was born. Led by the whooping vocals of Teko (Mike Wiebe), the band’s sound pays tribute to the flailing cock-rock genre of the 1970s. Extensive touring commenced after signing with Gearhead Records in 2003, which helped them log time with MC5, Burning Brides and Flogging Molly along the way. Since their 2012 release titled The Wolf You Feed, the band has made appearances at SXSW in 2016 and Warped Tour in 2017. Listen to their track “DissDissDissKissKissKiss” off of Underneath the Owl above.

Riverboat Gamblers count on Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky.

Listen to top tracks by Riverboat Gamblers:

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Hailing from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise boasts chilling harmonies, dynamic instrumentation, and introspective lyrics. Their genre-defying sound takes influence from artists like Modest Mouse and Kings of Leon as well as Frank Ocean and Schoolboy Q. Independently, they have over 75 million streams across their digital platforms and notched over 45 sold out shows on their first US headlining tour. Their engaging and distinctive live performances have led them to stand out at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Firefly, Shaky Knees, Hangout, Sasquatch and Austin City Limits. Listen to their single “Fever Pitch” off of their 2018 release How to: Friend, Love, Freefall above.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise play Ernie Ball Regular, Power Slinky, and Beefy Slinky.

Listen to Top tracks by Rainbow Kitten Surprise below.