CD and DVD reviews
Beto Hale is a one man project that does it all. Literally upon this album, 90% of it was done by Beto alone. Beto went as far as wrote, performed, and co-produced the album, as well as provided the instruments including drums, percussion, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, keyboards, piano, and sang lead and…
After the long wait by her fans, Lynne Taylor Donovan has finally released her new single, ‘Sooner or Later.’ This is the third single track coming from the Nashville Sessions following the European hit songs ‘Strong One’ and ‘Am I Dreaming.’ The song, released on September 1st, 2017 has since begun hitting the airwaves making…
Music is an adrenaline flowing like blood in our soul. When we listen to great songs, our spirits are quickened; Brendan McMahon’s Universalist is one of such great jewels that should never be removed from your playlist. Brendan who released his last album Marker 7-58 under his band name, Satellite Gods, played a mental game…
Multi-talented singer-songwriter John Brownlow is plowing a row for himself as an independent artist in a field where having a unique and distinctive sound is becoming increasingly uncommon. His vocals blend naturally with the rich instrumentation and the songs are imbued with a classic feel reminiscent of The Bravery, They Might Be Giants and Elbow.…
The roaring twenties a time of jazz, booze, and well dressed men and ladies of that time era and period. It was a classy time and for Sweet Megg & The Wayfarers, they just want to bring it all back once more. How so, well they will be doing so, with the release of their…
“El Wire Pacifier”, by Channel Dark, a moniker to Jonathan Maxwell, who happens to be an electrical engineer by day and a perpetual insomniac by night, has found that the best way to counteract his inability to sleep at night, was to immerse his mind and self into the creation of atmospheric electronica or EDM.…
Saranatos delves into a glorious neon-hued dance track with the celebratory “Deep Inside”. Full of energy the song serves as the aural equivalent of coffee. Happiness defines it to its very core for the way that Sarantos lets the many layers of sound build-up over the course of the track portrays a giddy tenderness. Melodically…
EZLA creates a twist on pop music with the song Outcast. The song is about the struggles of fitting in. It’s also about not sacrificing who you really are to find out where you fit into the world. The twist with this song comes into play with her clever vocals, they add a layer of…
Barbara Jo Kammer, at sixty two years young, might be getting a late start on a solo career, but her release One Song at a Time is so much more than just the recording debut of a promising new singer. Kammer, involved with music throughout her life, is marking an important milestone with the release…
Ray Strickland was born and raised out in Atlanta, Georgia, growing up to become a musician, he is one singer/songwriter of sorts, that is one sleek guitar slinger and family man to boot. Thus, with 3 cords and the truth, his songs are stirring, soulful, and are sung straight from the heart. Whilst the songs…
Have you wanted something so badly that you took a long journey and you vowed not to return until your desire was in your arms? Richard Schroder’s Drivin’ brings back the memories of things I wanted, how they slipped away, how I wanted to reach out but couldn’t. I wish I chased them as Richard…
From Manhattan, New York, parents divorced at the age of 5. Relocated with grandparents in Hong Kong from age 5 to 9. Went back to New York and lived in Brooklyn with Mom and Brother til 14, mom remarried and moved out to Vancouver, Canada and lived there for a year and then moved again…
Gregg Stewart delivers a downright tender ode to the artists who passed away in 2016 with the powerful “Twenty Sixteen”. Singing with great honesty, Gregg Stewart picks from a wide variety of musical styles, going from Prince to David Bowie. By choosing such wide swath, the album reveals a great deal of variation. Things are…
Seattle based four piece Ephrata first formed in 2012 and this self-titled effort is both their first full length release and follow up to their debut EP I Scare No One. The band is centered on guitarist Brady Hall and vocalist Skadi von Reis, but this is an unit of equals who each bring unique…
Co-founder of UK’s premiere Moody Blues tribute band, Blue Onyx back in 2006 Steve Hutchinson is well versed when it comes to music and performing. Ray Thomas, retired founder member of the Moody Blues even called Steve’s voice “great” after seeing him perform. However, when that came to an end several years later, he decided…
With a sound that sounds like a country boy who learned to rock it on the guitar, Steve Meier comes through with a unique sound every time an album is dropped. Whether it be 2016’s Meier or this April’s Sorrys and Goodbyes. He’s firing on all cylinders. Taking control of everything on Sorrys and Goodbyes,…
Free Willy embraces the best of folk and Americana on the impassioned “Remember the Alamo”. Over the course of the album Free Willy prove to be exceptional storytellers, as they sing songs of love, spirituality, and dealing with the daily grind. The sound shines with impressive fiddle work, expressive harmonica, and the gorgeous vocals that…
Ricky was born in Livingston, NJ and lives now in Irvington, NJ and he has had a flair for music for a very long time. He got his first instrument as a Christmas present when he was only 1-year-old. He continued to expand his musical skills from there. He went on to study music at…
Alfredo Dias Gomes first started playing instrumental music professionally when he was 18, playing at Hermeto Pascoal’s band. He recorded the album Cérebro Magnético and performed countless shows, with highlights at the II São Paulo Jazz Festival and Rio Monterrey Festival. Alfredo has played and recorded with several important instrumental musicians, such as Márcio Montarroyos,…
Aired its premier on Tuesday August 15 on Channel 29 in Portland, OR at 10:30PM and is followed by heavy national Television rotation on 66+ TV channels. Including Nashville Channel 9, Los Angeles Channel 36 and many others. Mandy Brooks sings with soul on “People Get Ready”. With a vocal style that draws heavily from…
At first indication of PYRM’s track “Flames and Games”, off their EP “First Light” released this summer, so many acts popped into my head. Ranging from Paramore, The Nearly Deads, Icon For Hire, Stars In Stereo, Stitched Up Heart, Courage My Love, Eyes Set To Kill, and New Years Day. If any of these seems…
Massachusetts-bred band The Sighs compose in an eclectic style borrowing from Power Pop music, combined with an Alt-Rock aesthetic. They write of the mundane and the complex things on life and relationships, and probably doesn’t understand everything but in some way question what they already know. On this his latest entitled “Wait Another Day” it…
Cyborg Asylum is a post-industrial alternative rock duo out of New York City. They’re out with their new single, “My Metallic Dream.” With dark electronic sounds, they take you to a post-apocalyptic world. There’s dreariness and a lingering sense of danger in their music that takes you there. The duo is made up of David…
XD Out is a Christian rock band featuring two brothers, Chris and Josh Haynes. The album art features a man walking away from the camera through an underpass. The viewer can only see the outline of him because the shadows in the photo are strong. This type of photo places the focus in this picture…
Paris Tompkins is the singer and songwriter in the musical trio, The Riot. Love Makes Me Crazy is one of the song on the band’s superb EP titled Tonight We’re Alive. Tompkins has a unique voice that fits perfectly in the rock genre in the old speaker-pounding type of rock way. His voice is mature…
You might be inclined, given the twang in his voice, to think Marc Daniels is a southerner, but the Spokane, Washington native is actually a superbly talented singer whose voice is apparently capable of inhabiting any musical landscape. His performance on the single “Summer Song” definitely has a retro quality, but the production and forceful…
Seventy six years young Bunny Sigler, a key piece of the “Philly” sound and renowned for his extensive work with producers Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble, isn’t yet done despite selling millions of records over his long career and garnering multiple Grammy nods. His latest single, “Angel Eyes”, is a song first popularized by Ol’…
This outside the box project conceived by the trio of renowned actor/musician Steven Bauer, producer/songwriter Jim Petersen, and multi-instrumentalist/producer John Burke highlighted by American singer Gabriella Kreuz and a revolving cast of additional female vocalists. The theory behind this design is keeping the project’s audience on their toes and never allowing things to grow stale.…
Multi-facet singer and songwriter Jacob Acosta and DJ Conrad Sasinski have teamed up for what can be easily considered one of the most intriguing and interesting acts of the last decade, HYTS. One comes from the fine desert in Tucson, AZ while the other have been making some waves in the Bay Area and beyond.…
Unlikely collaborations often bear the tastiest fruits. The self-titled debut release from Weatherboy brings the talents of Los Angeles based restaurateur and artist John Walquist with those of Iceland native and multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Rosinkranz in a ten song collection invoking recognizable sounds from the past while still firmly planting flags in the present. Their penchant…
The expression about cream rising to the top holds true here and doesn’t smack of cliché. Trevor Drury’s “I Know You From the 70’s” deserves every bit of the mainstream attention it has so far garnered as a supreme example of the stylistic prowess modern music can still manifest in the right hands. Drury’s surprising…
“Warfare”, was just released and is the second single out of the series of new singles coming from Dublin’s own Anton Cullen. A multi-instrumentalist and producer of sorts, who has this single as well as a previous single titled “Breaking Through”. Both that single and this single ” Warfare”, expose the ability of what one…
Following a European tour behind his new album, Land Of Doubt, Sam Baker is turning his attention to creative projects in 2017: Opening his first-ever exhibition as a visual artist, staging an original play and filming a documentary. As you may know, Sam has limited hearing after being on a bus that exploded during a…
Through The Dog’s Eyes by bd. Gottfried is an eclectic album with a lot of influences drawn from those he has worked around over the years which reads pretty impressive. This is an album he’s obviously proud of, and the moods it swings through tell all about that. As a veteran musician, he’s seasoned beyond…
After keeping everyone waiting for the past three years, finally Seconds Before Landing makes a compelling comeback with their third album, “Now That I Have Your Attention”. Pittsburgh based John Crispino, the talented composer and vocalist have recreated the magic similar to what their first critically acclaimed album, “The Great Deception”, has retained all these…
Sweden based singer/songwriter Deborah Henriksson is coming out with her new album, Near and Far, on the 25th of August. Henriksson’s music is a mix of Celtic, folk, and country. You can even hear some pop influences if you pay attention. With a rich and distinct sound, Henriksson stays true to her roots in her…
It’s been a little over seven years since I last worked with Steven Bryan and reviewed his album ‘One Way’ back in 2009, – https://skopemag.com/2010/06/22/steven-bryan-one-way. I said then that “You haven’t seen nothing yet from the man they call Steven Bryan; just get ready and prepare yourself because it’s gonna be HUGE!” And man does…
Californian Nicc Angeles is a musician like many other artists within the music scene, making something of themselves in the ways of the art that is music. But of course Nicc’s music is an accessible language of its very own. It is comprised of the elements that go of bring out the true and unapologetic…
Have you come to notice that whatever your age, class, the profession is, there is always a song that appeals to you? No matter how stressed you are or how busy you are or occupied you might be; whenever that tone of music comes to your hearing you enjoy every line of the song. For…
“Stolen Moments” is the eighth solo album for Rick Shaffer, as it would have it, he was inspired by the concept that there is no guarantee’s or promise’s in life, and every minute he has spent writing and recording is his precious time. That said, this album takes 10-tracks of pure rock n’ roll mixed…
