CD and DVD reviews
Ajay Mathur’s “9 to 3” follows the tradition of classic rock while incorporating elements of modern life. This includes anxiety, the interesting left turns (a surf rock track called “Surfing Girl” that explores surfing the internet instead of actual surfing), and even a few delightfully smooth jazz-rock hybrids that recall Steely Dan at the height…
The veteran blues slide-player started out playing trumpet, and being influenced by the jazz greats. Sonny has played and collaborated with many of the blues heavy hitters like John Mayall and John Hiatt. He also toured with Jimmy Buffet Coral Reefer Band as well as being a regular at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festivals. Sonny likes…
Jasmine Poole sings songs that celebrate togetherness. On “Stuff We Leave Behind” Jasmine Poole’s songs express optimism as they observe the large and small events of live, from love to a party to moving forward. Throughout the album Jasmine Poole effortlessly combines elements of pop, country, folk, and even a little acappella. By exploring such…
We’re beginning to develop a semi-regular cast of characters here at the pages of sleepingbagstudios…anyone else noticing that? Mercury & The Architects first appeared on our pages with the lead single from their soon-to-be-released self-titled EP called “Philosophy Of Hope” which appears in the middle of their full set of five. With confident & solid…
This 4 member rock band Magnificent Birds of Prey recently released their latest 11 song CD entitled Kaleidoscope in 2015. From the first notes of “Sticks and Stones” trough to the final winding twists and turns of “lullaby” this release fires on all cylinders. In contrast a band like Magnificent Birds of Prey deliver an…
Ken Francis Wenzel, a singer/songwriter/saxophonist, based out of Washington, DC, has a brand new album for release, which is titled, ‘…Beneath Potomac Skies.’ Ken, who happens to hail from Champaign, Illinois, is an expert saxophone player, which he studied at the University of Illinois before graduating from UNLV in Las Vegas, NV with a degree…
Tim Houlihan sings like someone who has seen things. Often on hearing young singer-songwriters in their late teens or early twenties, critics might praise them for the imagery of their lyrics or the gritty delivery of their vocals. Houlihan skips over grittiness in favour of a pure, smooth voice. He skips over detailed imagery in…
You can tell a lot about a band by taking a look at the way they craft their sound. Autopilot, a Canadian indie rock group, has some intriguing methods that hooked me immediately. Laying of guitar effects, dynamic drum beats, and bow-played guitar are all present on their new record, ‘Desert Dreams.’ I’m compelled, because…
Can’t help but catch the vibe on the latest song from Jared Deck. The new single, “17 Miles” is a great blend of classic-rock, Americana and a slight country-twinge all coming together perfectly for good times and much volume. In short, the song rocks…but I do kinda feel like writing more than that… In a…
Duncan Foley’s “On Your Own” is a comfortable reassuring album. Lyrically the songs focuses on the idea of evolution, of trying to constantly better oneself. The pieces heavily reference 70s rock, Cat Stevens’ work in particular. For like Cat Stevens, Duncan Foley lets his lyrics serve as the guide for the rest of the song.…
Performing throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, Jodi Krangle has lent her talents on several albums including: six albums from Chris Conway, who is also featured on this debut album, three albums with Urban Tapestry, and a live album with Play it with Moxie. Jodi’s influences are classic jazz era artists such as Sarah…
Definitely a tough one to review…I gotta give Luca Bash some real credit for challenging my ears and brain for true acceptance with this new EP. On the one hand, there’s a beautifully gifted songwriter and musician…on the other is one struggling to find the perfect tones of voice to match the music. Listening to…
Ticket To Heaven recalls the halcyon days of trance pop. With neat little flourishes, SEIDS celebrates this nearly forgotten sound. Light on its feet the song has an optimism that is undeniable. Build-ups are quite satisfying as SEIDS includes small elements of funk and rock into the mix. Rather full these elements revolve around her…
I’m always a sucker for a crisp, crystal clear sound. If the production is there, then you’ve got my attention tenfold. Not Another Playne Jayne, hereafter NAPJ, is a CO-based Auroran rock band. Their specialty is “a somewhat dark, yet redemptive sound.” The music of NAPJ is a concatenation of a “variety of complimentary styles…
Lou Reed never believed rock music, the great populist art form of our age, condemned to disposability. He devoted significant time in the second half of his career to writing works of extraordinary depth like New York, Magic and Loss, and Songs for Drella with the hopes these albums combined the thematic weight of a…
Five Hundredth Year goes forth with great fury on “A Rose from Ashes EP”. Confrontational, volume-centric, and passionate, Five Hundredth Year explores darker impulses. The songs highlight the contrast between the absolute cacophonous and the quieter introspective impulses. Possessing great chops, the band is completely on point knowing when to go fully into the aural…
“Til The Wheels Fall Off” is full of heart and soul. Shane Martin’s voice leads the way with confidence and power. With each additional song comes yet another well-crafted narrative. As much a songwriter as a storyteller, his songs work together to travel across a lifetime. Best taken in as a whole, the songs work…
With a frantic energy London has Fallen explores the dramatic on “Into the Night”. Electronic effects are used to great purpose, nicely complementing the vocals that serve as the heart and soul of the songs. Volume is a must for these are songs that work best when blasted. They let the lyrics help form an…
Patrick Ames plays from the heart on “Mutually EP”. These are songs that possess raw power through Patrick Ames’s earnest vocals and the careful arrangements that pepper the collection. Fondness for the blues is apparent throughout the collection as Patrick Ames adds his own unique twist on the sound. “Do You Think That You Love…
Headshy’s triple feature EP is a sound straight from the heart. The sections work together to create an overall moody series. Dreamy textures are explored in full with their lyrics helping to convey a romantic sense, a sense that romance does not have to be loud. Here Headshy opt for the softer textures with the…
Eight months in the making is “Never Giving Up”, the newest recording from singer and songwriter Brett Vogel. I always have said that musicians should take their time when making new music; there is no need to rush the creative songwriting process. The end result is well worth the wait. That is exactly what Brett…
Oddly enough, Matthew Morgan and I have something strange in common! My brother’s name is actually Mathew Morgan as well – just one less T…how bizarre is that? So, completely due to his gentle approach and a melodic acoustic pop/folk sound, I hereby dub the new Matthew Morgan my official brother-from-another-musical-mother. Stream Empathy for Inanimate…
“A Mission of the Heart” shows Sarantos at his most vulnerable. Throughout the song Sarantos shares his innermost hopes and desires. His band proves to be particularly adept at matching the sadness and hope that permeate the piece. In particular it is his soothing voice that gives the song its true power: by emphasizing the…
‘Honor By August’ in their latest album, ‘Four Sides’ explores four different varieties of tracks as they offer their latest version of rock to its audience. The band is essentially a quartet with Michael Pearsall as the lead vocalist, Evan Field on the guitar, Chris Rafetto on the bass and Brian Shanley on the drums.…
Watch out for this five-piece band from Long Island…this is a HOT EP! Get out your over-mittens and push play on this set of five songs that blaze by all-too-quickly from Sir Cadian Rhythm’s new EP – this self-titled EP is STUFFED full of tight-hooks, supreme musicianship and an entire full-length album’s worth of good…
For some of these collected singles from Byron’s page…we’re nearing the one-year anniversary of their creation. Some will say, you go out and you spend all that money on the studio and the production-dudes, that you should then be touring and supporting that very material for the next two or so years to justify the…
Ransom Scenery’s “Ear to Ear” has the same dreamy intimate quality of latter-day shoegaze acts like No Joy, Belong, and their ilk. “Ear to Ear” constantly moves closer and closer to the listener from an unknowable distance. Mysterious, beautiful, and full of shadows, these are songs that possess a great level of detail as Ransom…
“Matter of Time” is a rollicking good time. Jessica’s Theme Band pours a great deal of heart and soul into these songs. Nicely interwoven the songs build off of each other as they explore the best of classic rock. At times this gives the songs a familiar sound as if they have not only listened…
This is such a complex, amazing and dramatic album what else can I say in the end? Feels so Good by Xavier Toscano is more than amazing and dramatic, it’s also extremely invigorating and infectious. It has a very danceable and entertaining quality to it as well. The intro tracks “Feels So Good” and “Never…
The Voice, an admittedly more upscale version of its hugely successful and crass older cousin American Idol, has distinguished itself for many reasons. However, the show’s “mentoring” feature, where a celebrity participant coaches the contestant, has distinguished itself from the beginning as one of the show’s marquee gimmicks. Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine coached Kat…
This will be the fifth article I’ve done for Planetary Nights so definitely have some history with this band. I knew when I first heard Planetary Nights back in 2009 reviewing the album ‘Elliptical Motion’, (http://skopemag.com/2009/12/17/planetary-nights-elliptical-motion), that this group had something special and unique. Jump ahead six years and Planetary Nights is still rolling along…
“My Heart” is a cry out to the Heavens. Remarkably passionate Bosaya belts it out, letting her voice serve as the song’s core. From there the arrangement serves her perfectly orbiting around her power. Carefully selected and remarkably wild it shows the potential of a new Americana. Written and produced by Bosaya it shows exactly…
Marco Antonio Restrepo was born in Marietta, GA, the son of Nigerian and Panamanian immigrants. He moved throughout Atlanta during his childhood due to the separation of his parents but he was primarily raised by his mother. At age 6, Marco was exposed to several different types of music by his father, who was a…
Neon-hued, Olya’s “Utopia” is a pure pop confection. Her vocals are honeyed, the sounds are sweet cheerful elements. Together these elements create the kind of thing pop music was made for: reassurance, happiness, and finding the joy in life. Song are full of infectious hooks and the melodic sensibilities found within them are sound. Everything…
Royal Holland’s “Flamingo” shows the importance of the build. These are songs of a master craftsman. By carefully letting his songs build up into boiling cauldrons full of all the elements that began so quietly, he is able to show the true power of the gradual progression towards those glorious finishes. “The Grave” introduces the…
New Jersey-based indie rockers Y Fly 2 London provides a much needed throwback to 80’s hair bands that are rarely enjoyed since yesteryear. Clearly, the nostalgia is in just their look alone, but for the foursome – Chris Hopp on vocals, Nick DeStefano on lead guitar, Bill McCloskey on percussion, and Rob Beaupre on bass…
A good friend of mine passed on this single of Naomi K, mentioning that we might have a potential hit-song on our hands here in this review of her new song “Take Me Home.” I suppose I’m mentioning this as to make sure you all suffer the same spoiler as I did, pre-listening. I remain…
Sightlines a six song EP from Steve Benjamins that really pushes the envelope with his creation of making music. This is Steve’s third EP and was released on May 15 2015. I really enjoyed listening to his creation and the way he put this together. I know that Steve plays almost all of the instruments…
Tod Hughes’ website describes his music as real songs coming from the heart and full of the joy, wonderment, excitement, and disappointments we experience in our lives. These aren’t modest aims and are often misunderstood. Real songs coming from the heart means rendering life as it is rather than as we’d like it. The songs…
As nostalgia for twentieth century songwriting and rock and roll builds throughout a new generation, a new style of music is rising from shadows of the past. ‘Modern retro’ music, or contemporary music with vintage influence, is becoming increasingly popular, especially among young, indie bands. Mirage Box, a collaboration between songwriter Nick Coppola and instrumentalist…
