midnight-bandwidth:

Who: Icon For Hire

Song: Make A Move

What They Sound Like: Epic Rock in the way the good Lord intended it to be. All the best elements of modern rock perfected through the trials of fighting to make music that matters.

Written By - Montana

Why You’ll Love Them: I am so sick of hearing the crap people say. It goes something like this, “The band (insert name here) has talent but sounds too much like (insert mainstream act title) so you shouldn’t listen to them.” You know what I’m saying here? I’m talking to you music reviewers and your holier-than-thou hegemonic hating of people with legitimately mind-blowing music skill. It’s freaking absurd! So what if a band sounds similar to other acts, that’s a bad thing? Come the heck on here! Icon For Hire is the latest brilliant band to be hampered by outrageous reviewing snobbery.

Combining elements of Paramore, Flyeaf, Anberlin, Skillet, and Fireflight (how epic does that sound?!) Icon for Hire is the latest powerhouse of symphonic rock n roll to sign with metalheads Tooth & Nail records. Hailing from Decatur, Illinois this female-fronted band is nothing short awesome. The word “Awesome” is often thrown around far too much (I’m responsible for over-usage myself) but these Midwest rockers are more than worthy of the title. The music produced by Icon is ear-rattling, life-changing and a welcome addition because as we know ladies, you can never have enough chick-fronted rock.

Fronted by the gorgeous badass Ariel Bloomer, Icon For Hire is worth adding to your ipod playlists simply for her power-packed vocal acrobatics. With a sweeter than honey upper register and funkadelic bite in her phrasing she sounds like Dawn Richardson at her hardcore. What really upsets me is how critical people have been about her voice, comparing her to a poor man’s Hayley Williams wannabe. I hate to break it to you Hayley lovers, as good as Paramore is, even they never rocked this hard. Bloomer’s voice is unique and downright flies at times ala’ Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale. Ariel’s command of the modern rock melody is as good as anyone on the scene today - Lacey Sturm included.

Supporting bandmates are pretty legit in and of themselves. Guitarist Shawn Jump plays like a man on fire. God I love his interludes, if he soloed more we’d be comparing him to J.B. Brubaker, the boy is that damn good. Adam Kronshagen takes care of the drum work in what seems like a concentrated effort to break your earbuds if you push the decibels too far. He plays the beats with wild abandon, his arms flail like each stick hit could be his very last. Of course you can’t forget about Josh Kincheloe on bass who serves as the facemelting harmonizing back-up for Jump’s axe and Bloomer’s soaring vocals.

I don’t know where people get off saying that music this good is anything less than spectacular. This is how all rock should be, unapologetic and unrelenting. Don’t let anyone tell you that Icon for Hire is anything short of amazing. They’re a young band with the world ahead of them. Look for them on the Warped Tour soon and don’t make the mistake of passing them by. Don’t take the word of people who hate on awesome music just because they have some supposed title; think for yourself. To those want to keep on hammering these guys, it’s not your fault for being so ignorant. As Ariel and the boys might say, “Dare not preach what you don’t understand.”

Watch the official music video for “Make A Move” HERE
Hear more from Icon For Hire HERE
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