CD and DVD reviews
American expatriate, songwriter, musician. These are three identities that Jupiter in Velvet wears, but none define him. There are parts of a greater whole finding its expression in a musical career that began at age ten and has carried him to his fourth album, The World Didn’t Start With U. The twelve song collection features…
Awww – how can you NOT support a beautifully-expressive artist like this? Charity is taking sweetness to an all-new level on her latest release, the Yellow EP, with jazzed-up infusions of R&B, funk & soul all written with a modern-day nod to the old-school song-writers who have helped pave the way for her generation. You…
Let’s be honest for just a second shall we. I get a lot of albums sent my way for review and I mean a lot. Most of them don’t do anything for me. They don’t always get happily placed in the CD player, but the ones that do usually get a three song stay of…
When you picture the greatest-of-the-greats in your mind – what do you see in your mind? For me…not only do I see the incredible skills and talent of whatever people are involved, but a great many things that led them to their time in the spotlight. Combinations of atmospheres, attitudes and intense learning and perseverance…
Elessar Thiessen’s “A Rainy Week In Paradise” is a collection of casual cool summer songs in the style of his fellow countrymen like Mac DeMarco and Alex Calder. Using a polished pop style Elessar Thiessen recalls Lambchop’s emphasis on group play. Vocals are smooth lyrics are articulate focusing on affection. Indeed the album is quite…
Long Island’s Oogee Wawa serves up an interesting brand of surf n’ turf on More Sand than Money; 311 feels to be the prime influence with shades of Sublime and Everlast lingering just below the horizon. Heavier riffs play out across clean reggae melodies as the musical cornucopia serves up rap, ska, hard rock, alternative…
How shall I sum up the sound of Alex Lopez for you? How about kind of ground breaking? While actually sounding like he’s not so over produced like some of the more modern sounding artists out there like John Maher, Lopez sizzles on guitar and manages to capture a sound that is old yet surprisingly…
Ron Louis Smith II might be the son and, as the title of his first album The Prince of Sunshine alludes, heir apparent to KC and the Sunshine Band’s memorable blend of disco and light funk, but that doesn’t mean he lacks his own voice. Instead of immersing himself in the past, the younger Smith…
How shall I sum up the sound of Alex Lopez for you? How about kind of ground breaking? While actually sounding like he’s not so over produced like some of the more modern sounding artists out there like John Maher, Lopez sizzles on guitar and manages to capture a sound that is old yet surprisingly…
Aradia’s “Citizen of Earth” points towards a gleaming future of pop. Embodying the best of a dreamy yet gritty urban vision Aradia’s work is a unique creature with clever reflective lyrics. At times Aradia sounds akin to The Sneaker Pimps, Portishead and other pioneers of Trip-Hop. With elements of ambient that enter the fray the…
Agent 13’s demands to be played loud, very loud. Blasting forth with great energy they work in the tradition of great, fast, classic and punk rock. With this unstoppable force they simply burn through their track lengths on “Cloak and Dagger”. Yet these are exactly the kinds of things that get stuck in the mind…
In their short time together as a band, South Africa’s Crimson Chrysalis has earned a reputation as some of the best new purveyors of art rock working today. Their sophomore album Enraptured features eleven songs primarily in the art rock vein, but Chrysalis show inclinations for branching out unexpectedly. The five musicians and vocalist share…
Bri Ingram’s “I Am” EP is masterful pop confection weaving together elements of country, rock, and the blues. With such a wide range Bri Ingram is able to convey quite a variety of emotions from the triumphant to the downtrodden. Even in the darkest corners of the EP Bri Ingram’s voice provides the light required.…
Starting the show off strong is Shayna Leign’s infinitely catchy “Last Criminal”. A perfectly composed piece of pop it hits all the right emotional notes as it dwells on the challenges of relationships. With a melodic progression that grows in intensity it is a beautiful work of art. Lunden Reign’s “Love In Free Fall” follows…
Mesa, Arizona born singer/songwriter Sydney Alese’s release Time might initially appear to be yet another entry in the Blonde Female Pop Singer Sweepstakes, but even the briefest listen to the album will dispel such notions. Her young age is no deterrent to writing songs reverberating with the experience and observations of an unusually perceptive and…
With careful attention to detail Tumbler’s “You Said” is an articulate lush take on chamber pop. At times reminiscent of Grizzly Bear’s restraint and good take, the album works best when taken in as a whole. Distinctive vocals and creative arrangements the songs have a dreamy, surreal quality to them. Separate little stories rise out…
David Sinclair Four’s “4” does the blues justice. This is the heart and soul of rock and roll. While plenty of bands have moved away or watered down the blues, David Sinclair lives it. Lyrically the pieces emphasize this exhaustion. Behind him is a band particularly adept at highlighting this sort of malaise with life.…
Can’t help but almost be slightly amused by the music-industry and its fickle nature when listening to this new EP from Impending Lies; back in my Jurassic-day, a band like this would have been snapped-up instantly by major labels all bearing the vicious fruit of the post-grunge era. Oddly enough…many of those suits’n’ties are still…
With some of the most warm & inviting sounds you’ll hear this year, Gabe Close opens his new EP with comforting tones of home, with lyrics and sentiment that’s relatable and easy to take in on “Weary Mind.” With a slight twinge of Tom Petty-ish style, this opening melody is fantastically realized and starts off…
Ya gotta love this…definitely the sound of a man that knows what he’s doing here on The Way by Bud Summers. With a solid groove established in jazz/blues-infused rock, his rhythms on this album sound natural, honest & professional all at the same time. It’s outside of my normal genres…but nothing I’d shy away from…
There is a strong mix of emotions on Joseph Pagano’s latest EP Time And Colors, his second release of the year to be exact, following February’s release of the Graveyard Of Dreams EP. This is our first introduction to this indie/alternative-rock artist and his tender, sincere approach to his music; at times it has edge,…
Girl On The Run’s “Get Out Of My Life” rejects the negativity that can influence a life and embraces positivity. Such things can be difficult to do. Oftentimes the negativity of life can feel all-encompassing as if there is no escape. Ultimately however it is up to each individual to find their own happiness in…
The Left Ready are a three piece rock band from Montana and their latest release, Ghost, is a five song EP looking to build on the success of 2014’s self-titled debut. Their first release enjoyed considerable success with college radio outlets and help earn them high profile performances at the 2015 SXSW event in Austin,…
I was relieved to see that looking into the posting of this single to Troy Lindsey’s social-media/Facebook page yielded the answers to the questions I had about this new song “Outlaw Love” he’s put out. Some of you out there are already aware of my status in terms of musical knowledge – it’s all out…
Well! So there’s this… Deedub and KLB have put together a good-time collaboration through their new single “Pure Love,” an infusion of reggae and rap that certainly depicts a lot of imagery that helps you imagine the fantastic life they must be living right now in their music career. So…with that being said…it MIGHT be…
Displaying a wide variety of stylistic twists and turns, PLVNET’s “Mvke BeLIEve” shows off a band with its own unique voice. Their exploration of dynamics from the full-on aural assaults to the quiet reflective moments helps to give the band a sense of surprise and wonder. Melodically rich and texturally dense these are songs to…
Chris Norwood’s “Year of the Bear” is a heartfelt album. With poetic lyrics that recall the earnest vocal delivery of the Mountain Goats, the album is a passionate pared back series of pieces. Every song feels akin to a short story with each story building off of the last. Arrangements are full of warm flourishes,…
Okay…wait…whaaaaaaaaat? This bearded-chin of mine isn’t supposed to give in so easily to the electronic-pop & R&B genres – but I’m honestly loving this new single from Airy Jeanine. I feel like the rock-side of my personality should be putting up much more of a fight than it seems to be right now – or…
Les Fradkin is taking Surf Rock to a whole new level! With Fradkin’s classical backdrops and one-of-a-kind Squier by Fender, Vintage Modified Jaguar in cool Surf Green on lead guitar parts, Les is making a big splash! His new tracks are “Crashing Waves” & Disintegration” and he is venturing back to his ocean rock sound.…
It’s impossible to talk about AB Clyde’s new album, Muscle Beach, without talking about the role of humor in music. There are few songs on this album played strictly for laughs, so ditch any notions you have about Clyde not qualifying as a serious songwriter. However, having said that, there are perhaps three songs that…
“I Sing” embodies dance perfection. Incredibly catchy Sarantos serves as the heart and soul of the song. Here his voice sounds strong, confident, and assured. Lyrically the song is quite playful as he uses the perception others have of him to inform the song. While from the outside it may seem that things are moving…
Easy-going, melodic Americana sounds started out my experience in listening to the latest singles from Marshfieldz; I chose to begin with “Windows” and found the resulting sounds to be an inviting & pleasant, gentle welcome into the music and style of Marshfieldz. Currently ranked #44 on the indie-charts in the fictional musical graveyard-to-be that is…
From his ancestral home in Ghana, early years in London, and coming of age in New Jersey, the briefest reading of Kwame Binea’s biography hints at the diversity of his music. His debut EP Kwame Binea Shakedown is an attempt to fuse a variety of disparate, though complimentary, musical forms into a distinctively personal voice.…
Shauna Burns debuted in 2005 with the full-length effort Every Thought and has, from there, built herself a sturdy career as a purveyor of some unique hybrid between piano pop and folk music. Her latest music, the single “Hazel”, has echoes of her longtime sound resounding through every bar, but also hints that Burns isn’t…
RC Budaka’s “Right Here Right Now” taps into the heart and spirit of rock n’ roll. With an impressive display of chops these are the kinds of songs that prove that expertise is key. Throughout the album RC Budaka possesses a true swagger that is evident throughout the album. Lyrically the songs are spritely neatly…
Betty Chrys “Dis-Moi” opens up the collection with a dramatic flair. A well-constructed, deeply moving piece it opens up the Bongo Boy Rock n’ Roll TV Show with style and grace. Paula Boggs Band goes for the heart-felt folk on “Carnival of Miracles”. At times the work’s delicate nature recalls an idyllic world, with the…
Strong stuff from Izzy Malik here…for someone who’s kind of questioning her abilities somewhat in the lyrics of the opening track “Beautiful Mistake,” she sure comes out confidently on this new EP, Fire. Have you ever run into that ultra-confident person that just KNOWS they’re awesome? Right – we all have. Izzy Malik isn’t that…
When you look up San Diego, CA’s folk-rock band The Liquorsmiths on their social media pages, you’ll see they make ‘music for listeners,’ how cool is that right? I don’t know if The Liquorsmiths happen to know this or anything else about me…but I’m one of those! I listen! Pick me! Pick me coach! I…
The creation of Call Security’s debut EP, To Whom It May Concern, is unusual enough to be worth noting. The five-piece alt-rock band from upstate New York entered the Saratoga Performing Arts Center 2013 Battle of the Bands competition and named a Judge’s Choice winner from a field of 48 other bands. Call Security wisely…
Losing faith in pop music isn’t hard. Label heads, impresarios, and moguls learned long ago that formulas are what they are because they make money. They gear the star-making machinery to spit out pure product for generations, tidily packaged song-and-dance entertainers pandering to a plummeting common denominator. Occasionally, like a bank error in your favor,…
