CD and DVD reviews
Billy Roberts and the Rough Riders offer a cinematic experiences on the grandeur of “Go By Myself”. Narratives are tied together quite wonderfully throughout the album. Songs teem with energy. Everything matters within the songs from the anxious tension that rests beneath each song to the strong vocals that rise above the din, the songs…
BIO: Andria Simone was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Her style can be described as “soul-flavoured”, but she is a lover of many genres. Her eclectic taste in music can be partly attributed to the various places she has lived, including Manchester, England and Lviv, Ukraine. Her latest 11 Track effort (Evolve) presents a…
The latest release from hip hop veteran Souleye represents a watershed moment in an already storied career. Since his emergence mid-way through the last decade, Souleye has distinguished himself as a leading lyricist in a genre too often populated with workmanlike repetition. The new album Shapeshifting isn’t merely a forum for Souleye’s lyrical inventions, however,…
South African electronic pop/jazz talent C’nky Siwela isn’t your typical aspiring pop idol. It’s a common theme in popular music – a young man or woman, seemingly lacking the formulaic gifts associated with pop stardom, nevertheless perseveres through the discouragement until someone bucks conventional wisdom and takes a chance on them. Certainly that is part…
We R The Lost is an up & coming hip-hop group from Milwaukee put together and fronted by Jon Briggz. Briggz with the help of his crew are delivering modern styled tracks with hard hitting lyrics reminiscent of some old school tracks. When it comes to speaking out this group is no stranger; in many…
Poignant in its message Sarantos unfurls a beautiful powerful piece of pop on “The Veteran”. From the carefully selected drums to the sweeping sound of the strings everything comes together. Lyrically the song is a celebration of the service given to war veterans across the world. Sarantos uses the song as a way of carefully…
Mark Claytor is back with an EP that rocks harder than ever before. Known to his fans as Mr. McShred for no other reason than his ability to shred like no other. This latest effort, Enharmonic Dissonance is cleverly titled showing what Claytor does best, takes commonality and describes it with his own musical vision.…
Nemo James taps into a deep melancholy with “The Minstrel”. Within “The Minstrel” Nemo James tells a series of stories dedicated to dreams. Every single one of these songs takes a different way, never quite taking the expected path. By letting these piece unfurl gradually they are able to give off a sense of warmth…
Galen James’ “Big Blue Mixtape” is a sophisticated, urbane album. The arrangements are tasteful and carefully arranged. At times the softened keyboards and clever lyricism show off a deep understanding of jazz/rock hybrids. From the horns to the powerful yet subtle bass work, the entirely of the album shimmers and shines. Songs are full of…
About the Artist: Highland Kites is a project started by SoCal native Marissa Lamar. After struggling with and beating a severe illness in 2013, she decided to pursue her dream of making music. In less than two years her and her band released an EP entitled SO Vicious, and a full-length album which they produced…
Canadian based band, Happenstance releases a new CD, Everything Changes. For all you Happenstance fans, this is a new adventure that proves change is a good thing. Brian Gallagher is a one man band teaming up with powerhouse vocalist Tamara Clark. Together they satisfy all you pop music lovers with hooky tunes and a positive…
Having no prior knowledge of bands is sometimes a blessing when you are writing a review. Time is at a premium in every way – it simply isn’t workable to explore to a band’s back catalog and still submit work in a timely manner. It’s often a disadvantage when writing – there’s much merit to…
You gotta hand it to 3 Geminis…there’s only a little bit of information out there in comparison to how far these songs have already traveled. From what I understand, the band is a one-man army of sorts, all stemming from the musical-mind of one Fred Carrico. If I am truly getting all this correct, then…
Mexican born Margo Rey has defied expectations from the outset and stands among the first rank of song stylists working today. Using a term like “stylist” carries loaded implications for some, but a quick perusal of Rey’s musical CV reveals a diverse education and a wide breadth of musical knowledge. She isn’t merely some attractive…
Shelita Burke has put together a wonderful, mystical set of rhythms and melodies on her latest EP, Transfixed. Right from the drop as it opens – this lady stole my heart with an absolutely inspiring performance through her vocals…jazzy in the sound…there’s a lot of style and grace here upon immediate first-impressions in listening to…
I’ve been trying to figure out what it is…and I’m thinking that all the Reggae-inspired music & artists that have recently come our way is due to the weather-change? That’s just a guess…but it seems like the colder it becomes, the more of these dudes head from the beach and back into the studio to…
The new single “Begging You Please” by viseMenn is full of earthly tones and somber backing howls that will send chills down your spine. It is no wonder that this Norwegian band has been gaining traction within the indie rock community. I expect to hear much more from viseMenn in the coming months. This is…
Most would agree most popular artists out there have something truly special to give to their fans. This goes above the typical attributes like raw talent, amazing songs, nice voice, or even a very marketable look, sound and image. There’s something truly infectious at the core of these artists that simply makes us feel good…
Ahhh…blues-infused rock, could there be a more illegitimate genre at times? I’m just saying, not defending, but if Robbie Williams can get himself and Pharrell Williams sued over “Good Times” then how the entire blues-rock industry doesn’t feed off each other in the courtroom for the licks, riffs and sounds they ALL borrow…is actually kinda…
Jordan Royale’s “Detox” is a tight album: tight rhythms and tight rhymes. Gargantuan in scope Jordan Royale’s style dominates. From the careful muscular compositions to Jordan Royale’s powerful raps, everything comes together perfectly. Made to be played as loud as possible the songs come together perfectly from the dubstep-influenced beats to the raw vocals. Indeed…
Surging Cincinnati based 4 piece rock band The Cla-Zels just released a ground breaking new 12 song CD entitled “Set Your Ray To Stun” Exploring all facets of love, from the thrill of the strong emotion to questioning the definition of love and the downsides of loss and walking away, on “Stun” dives head first…
One-man revolution, Ben Lorentzen, has just released the America EP into the world for all to hear. We’re Canadian-based…so we’ll see if we can simply hide under the umbrella of North America and see if we can relate to Ben’s music here today as we review his latest tunes. I certainly love the way this…
I had to look this one up despite being sure I hadn’t heard the music of The Fox & The Hounds…I wasn’t entirely sure we hadn’t come across them in the past somehow… As it turns out, I did look it up…and no, we haven’t reviewed The Fox & The Hounds before – how silly…
New Mexico five-piece Drastic Andrew’s new album Live Without Warning is a wonderfully apt title for the collection. While there is an arch traditionalist quality informing each song, Drastic Andrew’s high gloss production invests the collection with a contemporary sound that nevertheless remains faithful to their essentially purist vision. The band’s particular brand of Americana…
A significant populace might be wondering who this new kid on the block is. You might have heard some of his music, and you probably like it too, but you did not have any idea who the artist is. It happens at sometimes. I am a victim of that too. Jerad Finck is an American…
Mleo’s “Sunken City” has a California cool to it. The songs are sun-drenched. With low-slung grooves that are distinctly their own they embody the mellow comfort of early summer when the warmth is welcome. For throughout the album Mleo creates approachable indie rock, no mean feat for a genre that is often defined by its…
It is 1964, mom and dad have loaded all of us kids into our modern 1960 Ford Station Wagon, we are Oceanside bound for a day of salty fun. Mom packed a picnic basket full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, our favorite bag of crunchy delicious crisps are included, and a jug of icy-cold…
A rad dose of the ultra-cool from the electro-world of Raelism. Meeting somewhere in the land between videogame themes and modern-day electro, this innovative glitchologist has created some pretty intense compositions here on Back To The Battlefield, an EP chockfull of innovative beats, smart samples and music that has tight grooves & clever beats. “Slightly…
Here’s the thing…I’m just going to toss this warning out there to the entire independent community towards the end of October, which seems entirely too early for me to be doing so, yet the situation has already reared its carolling-head towards me…so I shall continue; make that Christmas music you’re planning on sending AMAZING…lest ye…
The first song is entitled “If You Want It.” While I’d prefer it without the retro affects (organ and horn section), you can’t really argue with smoking hot blues like this. The vocals bring some great blues and soul on “Even the Bad Times Are Good.” I’m not all that sold on the old school…
Run Downhill is here again with another successful outing from musician/writer T.J. Troy a Grammy award winner in the Best Classical Compendium category. Similarly to the first issue, SPURS #2.2/Midnight Road Trip has a couple of components that is comic drawn by Chris McFann; written by Troy and an EP recorded by Troy’s band. Another…
The word legend means nothing here. Bantering that word around and slapping it on artists often means well, but frequently looks more like memorializing or pinning butterflies under glass. Ann Wilson, longtime lead singer and songwriter in the rock band Heart, has lent her considerable talents to four plus decades of memorable pop and rock…
The new song ‘Jesus I Adore You’ which is also the title of the upcoming debut EP by Rachel is a true testimony of her journey into the gospel music scene and salvation as a whole. The song is a fusion of her previously successful musical prowess as well as the integration of the unique…
Didi DLicious’s self-titled debut is an album of glowing optimism. These songs display the difficulty but ultimately the joy of finding self fulfillment. Stylistically the songs range from gentle folk-tinged work to dance-rock. What ties these songs together is the narrative that Didi DLicious uses in forwarding the careful narrative that emerges from the songs…
It doesn’t even take a minute into the first song “My Kind Of Love” before you can hear the professional, confident approach to music that Kimia Penton has. On her new EP, she examines the Lessons From Life And Love among beautiful rhythms and fantastic melodies from her violin playing. It’s a combination I’m always…
Hailing from Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, the five members of Shotgun Holler are well versed in bluegrass and country music. Even a cursory listen to their debut album Loaded drives that point home. Their music goes a step beyond the traditional poses associated with the form and actively seeks to open up its relevance for…
“The Fourth Messenger” is the soundtrack of a new musical with book and lyrics by Tanya Shaffer and music and additional lyrics by Vienna Teng. Loosely inspired by the Buddha legend, it features Vienna Teng in the role of Mama Sid, a world-renowned spiritual teacher with a hidden past. Possessing a strong sense of pacing,…
The Soundcloud write-up for this song is actually pretty interesting when you break it all down. The first thing you might notice is the outright confidence in this laid-back adult-contemporary track’s statement “FYC – “Jessica” will appear in the best “Arrangement, Instruments & Vocals” category.” Look out Grammy’s – cause the statement makes no claim…
San Francisco’s J Burn has one of those off-kilter combinations of Americana/Folk/Indie/Country/Rock that’s bound to throw you a little even despite their smooth-sound. As the Burnt Blue EP began, it was almost set for an all-ages type-feel…something about “Freight Train” made me feel as if I was about to pull into Shining Time Station to…
Bad Mary are a four-piece punk rock band hailing from Long Island, New York. Starting out as a covers band, they changed their name from Madame X in 2012 and Bad Mary was born. Their music is particularly inspired by the NYC punk movement of the late 1970’s and I would describe their music as…
