We Live in Sod Houses latest release “Shark for a Week” yields a dynamic, diverse collection of thirteen tracks that beautifully fuse punk and alt-rock. At the same time, they enlisted the help of some high-profile folks to round out their sound as listed below. Dustin DeBoer- Guitar& Vocals Rachel DeBoer – Vocals and Percussion…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Antone – V2.0
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Antone’s “V2.0” is dance music done right, done decadently. Opting for dance with the absolute essentials Antone strips the songs down to their absolute basics. This approach works well for him as he is able to indulge both in downright endless grooves and shorter, more experimental playful pieces that highlight the origins of electronic dance…
Nomadic Attic, Nomadic Attic EP
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Now here’s something – hear something by Nomadic Attic! On this self-titled you’ll find five songs of true atmospheric brilliance, all unique in their own right, all coming together perfectly as one on this new self-titled EP. There’s a captivating, almost hypnotic quality that can’t be mistaken on Nomadic Attic’s EP…great tunes here – turn…
The Royal Guard – “Hail the King”
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The Royal Guard are: Todd Davidson (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Andy Ascolese (Guitar, Vocals), Fred Scragg (Drums). Upon returning back home to NYC after living 5 years in Eastern Europe, Todd was ready to create, exciting music that can reach young people. First he called Fred. They worked great together but something was missing. The next…
Kimi Kent – Wayward Child EP
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Kimi Kent’s “Wayward Child EP” embodies music with true heart and soul. Songs burst forth with great energy on the EP. Everything comes together to paint the portrait of a lovely life. Little lyrical flourishes work wonders as does her powerful singular voice. Her arrangements are tasteful and concise. Nicely unfolding to reveal great beauty…
Tom Rhodes, With or Without
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Tom Rhodes “With or Without” is as warm and as real as a group of friends gathered around the campfire. Honest, sincere, and raw, “With or Without” is the sound of country music done right. Vocals drive the whole thing, as Tom Rhodes’ voice is without peer. His band is amazing as well, knowing when…
Ty Ford – Watermelon Time
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Bio: In his own words: My mother bought me my first tape recorder when I was nine. I bought a used Rhapsody 6-string in 1964 and began to play guitar. I wrote some but mostly did folk tunes and other songs I liked. I also played a lot of acoustic guitar instrumentals. Time happens but…
Tom Rhodes, With or Without
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Tom Rhodes “With or Without” is as warm and as real as a group of friends gathered around the campfire. Honest, sincere, and raw, “With or Without” is the sound of country music done right. Vocals drive the whole thing, as Tom Rhodes’ voice is without peer. His band is amazing as well, knowing when…
Gasoline Bros, FILL ‘ER UP
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The aptly named Gasoline Bros are filled up with heart and possess a keen driving rhythm. Nicely embodying the best of rock and roll, the songs possess a lot of energy. Vocals are incredibly earnest doing a great job of portraying a life and a moment in a life. A narrative sensibility helps carry these…
EB 11, Enjoy The Ride
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EB 11’s “Enjoy The Ride” is a passionate album. The songs demand to be played loud. Volume is a must. An absolute rush the songs burn through leaving their imprint in the mind long after they are gone. Remarkably talented EB 11 shows off its considerable chops: great rhythms, great guitar riffs, and thoughtful lyrics.…
Troy Lindsey & Bosaya, Cold Emotion
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Cold Emotion is an album rich in sound and rich in meaning. Inviting the songs are comfortable pieces full of soul. Lyrically Troy Lindsey & Bosaya opt for the narrative for these pieces weaving them together to give a composite on a person’s life. Details are of the utmost importance: from organ swells to the…
Voxmirage, Self-Titled
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Wicked stuff. Right off the draw I’m hearing music that reminds me of elements of some fantastic pop/rock/electro bands like Snow Patrol, MGMT…even some R.E.M. thrown in here. This two-piece band is making completely exciting music with intense grooves and fantastic songwriting. And what’s THIS? They’re from my home-away-from-home of Seattle? LOVE IT. Just an…
Sonido – Camino de los Suenos
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Having cut his teeth with multiple of stepping stone musical experiences musicians producer/songwriters Sonido featuring Arie Salma (Piano) and Rob Math (Guitar) are turning people’s heads, and ears with his latest 10 track collection entitled “Camino de los Suenos”. Quite simply these two have set his sights on creating a new style of music: a…
Laney Jones Releases “Golden Road” (2013)
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Steeped in the traditions of folk, jazz, and rock and roll, Laney Jones mixes a musical cocktail with a vintage flavor that’s all her own. Honing her craft and effortlessly welcoming stage presence in coffeehouses, speakeasies, and concert venues across the United States, this scrappy Americana singer-songwriter is making a name for herself as a…
Austin Belle
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Music is moving. Sometimes it can bring one to tears and other times it can cause one to think more deeply. It can bring about feelings of rage or despondency and it can strip layers off your armor, casting you closer to the matters of the heart. And then there are times when music is…
Lanie Flowers – Live in NYC
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Who doesn’t like Singer-Songwriter music? Who doesn’t like a good live album? I’d all hands go up in the air. I mean, while Singer-Songwriter, which by the way kind of emerged in the late 60’s and 70’s with the arrival of artists like Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Elton John, Jim Croce and Billy Joel they…
JIMMY BARNES, Hindsight
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The release of this CD celebrates the Australian’s 30 years as a solo artist, and 15th studio release. The artist was formerly with the band Cold Chisel. This release features an ensemble of friends and associates including Steven Van Zandt, Joe Bonamassa, Jon Stevens, Jonathan Cain, Neil Schon, The Living End, Diesel, Baby Animals, Tina…
Heart, Heart and Friends – Home for the Holidays
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Heart is without a doubt one of the most successful bands in rock ‘n’ roll music history. The Wilson sisters have cemented a name for themselves in an industry that, as a general consensus, is perceived by many to be an all-boys club. By the time Heart’s debut album “Dreamboat Annie” was released in ’76,…
Strength and Kindness – “Somebody’ Else’s Nightmare” (2014)
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Strength and Kindness is a Jazz Project based out of San Francisco. This latest CD entitled ““Somebody’ Else’s Nightmare” (2014) is a powerful and eclectic album tells the story of a gifted player/composer with beautiful melodies, a smooth playing style, that is emotional and at times very refined sonic feel. I am talking about the…
Ashley Rivera, Danger Dreaming
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Ashley Rivera is a singer/songwriter/vocalist from Georgia who just released their latest CD entitled “Danger Dreaming.’ This impressive release is an original blender of sound mixing Adelle, Vanessa Carlton, Lisa Loeb, Paula Cole, Beth Orton, Delta Rae and The Swell Season. Visually I must admit she bares a similar resemblance to some of the more…
The Satisfactors, The Satisfactors
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The Satisfactors are balls to the wall rock and roll. Everything they do taps into the spirit of early classic rock. With a defiant, party attitude to their songs their entire album is pure fun. Lyrically the songs explore the grimy side of rock, from parties to escaping bad situations. None of the songs overstay…
Universal You, Perfect EP
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Universal You’s “Perfect EP” is pop perfection. Bursting with energy the EP virtually demands to be played loud. That way every particular nuance of the songs shines through: from the strong vocals to the infectious melodies, “Perfect EP” is exactly how pop music should be. In fact the vocals are the heart of the EP…
Vinyl Floor, Vaudeville
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“Vinyl Floor is a 3-piece rockband which hails from Copenhagen, Denmark. The band was formed in 2007 and consists of the two brothers Thomas Charlie Pedersen and Daniel Pedersen and the longtime friend and colleague Rasmus Bruun. It’s always a breath of fresh air to hear a new and exciting band that’s not afraid to…
Jason Masi, Life is Wonderful
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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…
Sarantos, “Let’s Call It Love”
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Sarantos succeeds with beauty on “Let’s Call It Love”. The style recalls that of dimly lit Bossa Nova. Luxurious and rich the sound is pristine. Jazz-influenced the vocals are reminiscent of Arto Lindsay’s graceful singing. By letting these many elements play off of each other Sarantos is able to create an atmospheric, softly sung romantic…
Charley and Jesi, With Love
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In our modern age of Rap synths and autotune it can be difficult to find the top seeds among the harvest. What makes masters The White Stripes, The Lumineers and Two Door Cinema Club so sought after? Sure they sound good, they look great, the feel is good. But above that they got something else.…
Bobby Livingston, High & Away
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Bobby Livingston’s “High & Away” displays a keen sense of storytelling. These songs play like chapters in a life. With each one representative of another phase of life they come together quite nicely to form a fully formed individual. Observations are astute. Here the band proves to be of the utmost importance helping to set…
Neil Thomas, Devadatta
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‘Devadatta’ is the follow up album to 2010’s ‘A Century of Lullabies’. Much like it’s predecessor, it’s another concept album (with more than a nod to the progressive rock genre) mixing stark imagery, social commentary and humanist philosophy to create a tapestry of vivid soul-searching and storytelling. There is immensely detailed substance to this album,…
Patrick Ames, Oakville Ontology
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Patrick Ames sings directly from the heart. “Oakville Ontology” possesses a pure spirit. The songs are deeply felt. Ruminating on loss while looking for hope, the songs offer moments of quiet reflection. Arrangements are simple and effective. With a low key approach these are songs that have been worked on many times until they were…
Heart & Soul Radio, thieves
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Heart & Soul Radio “thieves” is an indomitable force. Bursting forth with great energy it is infinitely optimistic. Elements of it hark back to the halcyon days of alternative rock movement: of Dashboard Confessional, 30 Seconds to Mars, even Blink 182. Yes their songs are unforgettable. The choruses invite the listener to sing along. They…
Astrobleed, Astrobleed
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A lot of rock bands forget the debt they owe the blues. Astrobleed is not one of those bands. Barreling through with powerful pieces that display true grit and soul, Astrobleed shows that it can say more without saying a word. Instrumental rock rarely sounds this unrestrained. The album virtually begs to be played loud…
Joseph Eid Releases “Human”
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Joseph Eid composes in an eclectic style borrowing from Folk-Pop music, combined with an Alt-Rock aesthetic. His lyrics share a black humor/self-deprecating sensibility. He writes of the mundane and the complex, and probably doesn’t understand everything but questions what he already knows. On this his latest entitled “Human” it seems to captures the spirit of…
Buffalo Huddleston Band, Sunrise
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Buffalo Huddleston Band’s “Sunrise” is a tapestry of sound effortlessly weaving together hip-hop, reggae, folk, and classical into a colorful whole. “Sunrise” Tasteful and refined they are a unique beast in the musical kingdom. No other band quite sounds like Buffalo Huddleston. Their vision is entirely their own. With a sound that remains playful yet…
Tan, A Summer To Remember
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“A Summer To Remember”, released March 6th of this year, is the debut EP of Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Tan. Born and raised in Malaysia, Tan always had a passion for music, contradictory to his upbringing and the established norms of success through traditional college education. Tan began his musical career as a child and…
Les Fradkin, Baroque Rocks!
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The man of a million sounds and King of the Ztar produced a piece of work that is simply revolutionary, creative genius! The title of the record is ‘Baroque Rocks!” and it showcases Fradkin’s deep love for classical, Baroque-style music with 12 compositions that are pure as gold. Les pays homage to many of the…
ARJUN, Core (2014)
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ARJUN, the three-piece instrumental band from New York, has been trailblazing their own hybrid of rock and improvisational jazz since 2003. Made up of Eddie Arjun Peters (guitar), Lamar Myers (drums), and Andre Lyles (bass), ARJUN fuses the power of rock with improvisational alternative jazz, resulting in a delicate balance of intricately crafted melodies backed…
Jude Gwynaire, New York Ghosts
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Jude Gwynaire’s music is other worldly, fascinating, engaging, challenging, and altogether mysterious. Time to get lost in space… Track URL: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/judegwynaire67 On ‘New York Ghosts’, Jude Gwynaire has created a sublime soundscape which is peppered with infectious drum beats, nervous sounding guitar riffs, and sliced up vocal samples that create a strange mixture of anxiety…
Solveig & Stevie, Fire and Other Playthings
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Solveig & Stevie’s “Fire and Other Playthings” harks back to a more innocent time in pop music. With a mellow sound they are able to accomplish quite a bit from the playful to the dramatic. The songs display Solveig’s power as a singer as well as Stevie’s adept restrained playing. A clear love of pop…
Sarah Donner, That is a Pegasus
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It’s funny how music can change. It’s so malleable; you could hear it in one setting and hate it, vowing to never again let such filth invade your eardrums again. I’m referring to mainly pop by the way. Then, you could hear it at a different time, in a different situation, a different artist…
My Silent Bravery, Diamond from Coal
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“Diamond from Coal” is an album full of hope. The sound shines with cautious optimism about the future. Vocals are earnest. At times the songs embody the joy of “The Polyphonic Spree” with its giddy sensibilities. Synthesizers are prominently displayed throughout the album helping to emphasize the gleeful nature of the work. The many different…
