Rock Band Mindwalk Blvd.’s “Crimson Sunset” Named April “Best Song Of The Month”

Mindwalk Blvd.
Mindwalk Blvd.

Mindwalk Blvd., a promising, young rock trio based in Boston, MA, has won the SongwriterUniverse ‘Best Song Of The Month’ Contest for April, for their song ‘Crimson Sunset.’ This song is included on the group’s first EP  Paint The Seconds, which they released independently in 2008. Mindwalk Blvd. has also recently released a second EP, called The Art Crime.

‘Crimson Sunset’ is a contemporary pop/rock ballad, which is more melodic and understated than the group’s harder-edged rock cuts. This song starts with an acoustic guitar-based intro & verse, then builds to a very hooky, memorable chorus section, highlighted by the group’s rich, three-part vocal harmonies. “Crimson Sunset” was expertly produced by John Ellis (who has worked with American Hi-Fi and Godsmack), and features an appealing string arrangement by Anthony J. Resta (Duran Duran).

Mindwalk Blvd. consist of three members – Jordan Ferrera, 18, lead vocals & guitar; Mike Avakian, 18, bass, keyboards, guitar & backing vocals; and Tyler Hudson, 15, drums & backing vocals. The trio grew up in the Boston area, and they formed the band about five years ago. The group cites Tool, King’s X, and the Mike Marshall Experience as three of their main influences. Notably, Mindwalk Blvd. in 2009 was voted “Best Unsigned Band In Boston” by fans who voted online in the Pick The Band contest.

Winning the Pick The Band contest led to the group working in the studio with L.A-based producer Mudrock (Godsmack and Avenged Sevenfold). Mindwalk Blvd. also caught the attention of Pick The Bank founder Roie Avin, who subsequently signed the band to his indie Pick The Band label. “We’re excited to be rhe first band signed to the Pick The Band label,” said Avakian.

During the past couple years, the group has steadily built a fanbase by playing several clubs in the Boston area, and touring throughout New England. “We play a lot of shows locally, such as Harper’s Ferry, the Hard Rock Cafe, The Church, and the Sad Cafe in New Hampshire,” said Avakian. “We’ve also played a showcase at a music festival in Miami, and we played at the ASCAP Expo in Los Angeles last year. And later this montj we’re playing a show at the Webster Theatre in New York City.”

Mindwalk Blvd. has also received extensive exposure via YouTube – their video for “Crimson Sunset” has received several hundred-thousand views. In addition, group also had a song featured on a CMJ compilation CD, and “Crimson Sunset” has received significant radio airplay. Lastly, “Crimson Sunset” was selected by a panel of VH1 judges (including Yes leader Jon Anderson) to be one of the the three finalists in their “Your Move With Yes” competition.

Top Five Songs Of The Month
Here are the Top Five Songs which were submitted for this month's contest, with the songwriter credits, plus their e-mail and website links. You can listen to the winning songs by clicking the music players below.
"Best Song Of The Month" Winner

Song Title:

"Crimson Sunset."

Written by:

Mindwalk Blvd. (Jordan Ferrera, Mike Avakian, Tyler Hudson) of Boston, MA.
More Best Songs Of The Month

Song Title:

"Don't Wait." (AC/pop).

Written by:

Lindsay Vinarsky & Keith Varon of Los Angeles, CA. Performed by Lindsay Vinarsky.
Lindsay Vinarsky

Song Title:

"As I Am" (pop/rock).

Written by:

Chris & Evan Brown of Kotadama, from Wyee, NSW, Australia. Performed by Kotadama.
Kotadama

Song Title:

"Mamma Says" (country/pop).

Written by:

Linda M and Lindsay Broughton. Performed by Linda M.
Linda M

Song Title:

"Be A Humanitarian" (soul/world).

Written by:

Ricardo Derose (aka Ricky Derose). Performed by Ricky Derose and Various Indie Artists in NYC.
To enter the next "Best Song Of The Month" Contest (the deadline is the last day of each month), please Click Here
Dale Kawashima is the Head of SongwriterUniverse and a music journalist. He’s also a music publishing exec who has represented the song catalogs of Michael Jackson, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Motown Records.
Dale Kawashima