CD and DVD reviews
Some pretty inventive stuff coming out of the speakers this morning due to the dark-art & mischevious-music of Rockford, Illionois’ industrial/goth/electro/rock band Shadows & Mirrors. A set of rhythmic-grooves that pulse wildly like the beginning spurts of a jugular-stabbing; the music still has a ton of life to it thrashing out. It is very difficult…
Jaunty and joyful, Billy Crain’s “Family Matters” celebrates the importance of togetherness. Throughout “Family Matters” Billy Crain shows off his impressive guitar skills and masterful lyrics. With a fully formed sound and powerful vocals the entire thing follows a clear concise narrative. A sense of purpose pervades the entirety of the album as the songs…
Camp Dark is a new MPLS band featuring singer/songwriter Adam Svec & producer/drummer Graham O’Brien, featuring contributions from: Dan Choma, Matt Friesen, deVon Gray, John Keston, Matt Leavitt, Robert Mulrennan, Casey O’Brien, Chris Salter. Camp Dark’s first offering, Nightmare In A Day, (or Beware the Night) started as a song skeletons composed by Adam Svec…
Marchan Noelle is approaching the music scene rapidly with a gypsy spirit and raspy tone. This indie artist is bringing the late 60s to early 70s vibe back to music. Which has quite frankly been missing for far too long. Her new track “Time Zone” is reminiscent of the Janis Joplin era with flowing instrumentals…
The former NY “Mountain” man has put together a new release with help from his friends guitarists Peter Frampton and Brian May, keyboardists Bobby Whitlock and Max Middleton, bassists Jack Bruce, Rev Jones, and David Hood, drums Joe Franco, and vocal help from Bonnie Bramlett. A few originals, and some unique covers of some classics.…
The R&B singer/guitarist has a career going back to the 60’s playing with guys like Lightning Hopkins (who once threw him off the stage), B.B. King, and James Cotton, and has released 24 albums. He’s won four Blues Music Awards, including the 2010 Album Of The Year Award for Between A Rock And A Hard…
Just coming off liver transplant surgery and the agony of waiting for it to finally happen, Walter didn’t waste any time getting back on the road and in the studio. This album, his 42nd, reflects his recent afflictions and a newly inspired blues journey. Walter just started a global tour with his current lineup of…
Flying Colors is made up of talented veterans Steve Morse on guitar, Mike Portnoy on drums, Dave LaRue on bass, Neal Morse on keys and vocals, and Casey McPherson on vocals. The release is set to be in multiple versions, including 2-CD’s and a DVD. The release is also done in various unique ways. The…
Hmmm…you know what I have got a hankering for? Some world-music…some tunes that come from another continent other than my own for a moment or two… …oh hey look – it’s Nashaat Salman – from Zurich! Right here, right now? I mean…that seems awfully convenient at the moment…but yeah – I’ll take it! Let’s have…
The former NY “Mountain” man has put together a new release with help from his friends guitarists Peter Frampton and Brian May, keyboardists Bobby Whitlock and Max Middleton, bassists Jack Bruce, Rev Jones, and David Hood, drums Joe Franco, and vocal help from Bonnie Bramlett. A few originals, and some unique covers of some classics.…
May Devun does it all and does it right on “Penumbra Lounge” from deeply felt R&B to powerful pop. Her undeniably strong voice serves as the heart of the album. Soulful in tone the songs revolve around her passionate delivery. Thematically the songs deal with the universal difficulties of love. At times full of joy,…
Apologies Wasted is a pulsating pop hit, with pumping bass and electric sound. With over 400 subscribers on his YouTube Vevo account Xavier Toscano is making moves with his Top 40 inspired tracks. In the Apologies Wasted music video his thumping beats are accompanied by nicely choreographed dance numbers. This song is family friendly and…
Rebecca Hosking is making strides in the country music world. Based in Nashville, she has been paying her dues for some years now. Becoming more and more known throughout her years she is becoming a very popular indie country star in the music community of Nashville. She even has had 5 songs in the top…
Brash, beautiful, and bold, Anne Marie Bush’s “UnZipped” points to the future of pop music. With a commanding voice she rises above the intricate arrangements. Smoky and silky smooth the songs are full of love and optimism. Lyrically the songs explore the concept of relationships, of trying to find that perfect kind of balance. Everything…
“Back In Da Day (Da Jan Ken Po)” is a sweet and sincere song. With a sense of community the whole of Uncle Tadashi & Da Boyz comes together to engage in perfect choruses. From the steady rhythm to the gentle ukulele playing the entire thing simply works. Lyrically the piece harks back to earlier…
Tim Hort is a male indie-rock artist based out of Chicago. This locale might just be the perfect location to explore the unpredictable realm of musical expression. His latest album “Radio Power” is a somewhat dark-witty-melancholy but truthful collection of melodic rock that reveals all the a-typical conventions of vintage alt-rock, creating a solid yet…
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…
