While many feel the music industry is in disarray right now it’s always a breath of fresh air to hear a new and exciting artist that’s not afraid to take chances with his music. Enter New York based rocker Frank Palangi and his latest EP musical offering: “I Am Ready” (2013). 2013 brings new…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Gaiaisi
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Born and bred in Toronto, the artist known as Gaiaisi (spelling mnemonic: Gaia-is-i, pronounced: “Gaia’s Eye”) has a seemingly inextinguishable quest to “expose the torture of dogs, cats and wild animals by the fashion industry.” Uniting this quest with his own musical vocation, he has: released music videos; contributed to documentaries; soon to appear on…
Lemon Hill, EP
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Philadelphia based 3 piece band Lemon composes in an eclectic style borrowing from Folk-Pop-Rock music, combined with an Alt-Rock aesthetic. Their lyrics share a humor/self-deprecating sensibility. As a band they write of the mundane and the complex, and probably doesn’t understand everything but questions what they already know. This latest 2 track demo entitled Lemon…
The Crawdaddies, Live From the Road
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The Crawdaddies are going to claw their way to the top by offering up one incredible groove! The catchy, Crawdaddy sound will head straight to your bones and make you shake, rattle & roll! Prepare yourself for a style of music that merges together elements of: Rock, Blues, Cajun, Zydeco, Ska, Roots, Jazz…
Erica Sunshine Lee, The South Will Rise Again
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This the 5th studio release from Lee “The South Will Rise Again” by Georgia based Erica Sunshine Lee is sure to be remembered as one of the classic female pop CD’s in recent memory. Its pure femme fatale magic the way it used to be, full of cautionary tales, passion and of course love’s…
Wayne William, The Parade
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Wayne William has a friendly yet soulful voice that stands out with depth and near perfect pitch. He’s a singer/songwriter as well as live performer whose Maltese heritage makes his appearance also stand out in a crowd. He began singing professionally at just 13. He’s also a music producer so he’s what the music biz…
David G. Cortes, Time Away But Home Again
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So across my desk slides the new 10 track CD from Houston, Texas based David G. Corrtes entitled Time Away But Home Again. During my initial research of Cortes there were a few lines from his bio that I really liked: “This is my first step in creating the music that I love so much.…
Tony DeSimone, All The Roads I Walk
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Singer/Songwriter Tony DeSimone is back with his third release titled ‘All The Roads I Walk’. I had the pleasure of reviewing Tony’s debut album, ‘The Second Time Around’, back in 2011 where I knew then that this musician was well on his way (http://www.skopemag.com/2011/05/20/tony-desimone-the-second-time-around). On the new EP, DeSimone will not disappoint as…
Daniel Grajew Trio, Manga
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About the Artist: This is Grajew’s latest release entitled Manga. Researching his bio he has an accomplished musical career thus far. With a distinctive talent for composing and improvising, pianist and composer Daniel Grajew combines styles like baião, samba, choro, and other Brazilian genres with jazz, tango and classical music. With a bachelor’s degree in…
Allen D, A Little Night Music
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If you’re in the mood for something a little different, then you’ll definitely want to check out ‘A Little Night Music’. Allen D is the artist and he is responsible for playing, mixing & recording all four tracks on his debut EP. Blending together electronic dance music and classic compositions from the Great…
Sunshine Riot, A Fresh Bottle and A Brand New Day
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Sunshine Riot is a breath of fresh for alot of us who just can’t wait for this harsh winter to be over. Maybe it’s a bit naive of me to put it like this, but the group’s mission is definitely clear. They’ve been described as Johnny Cash meets Curt Cobain and their relentless touring across…
Jacob Lathan, Midnight Train
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Who doesn’t like Singer-Songwriter music? 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 represented a close and personal artistic snapshot…
JC Seals III, It’s Just Rap
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JC Seals III is not the average rapper. In fact he is not even a rapper. He is just a regular person that can rap. And you can tell by his lyrics. If you know JC and you hear his music you know he means every word. A man of few words so peep what…
Sons of the Radio, The Delicate Machinery
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There’s a real sense of cathartic musical independence here via this latest work from Baltimore based musical four-some Sons of the Radio lead by front man Matt Gomez. While everything here on this latest CD is shall I say exceptionally entertaining it also manages to cover a pretty wide range of musical styles as well.…
ABM, Go Down (Rumba Samba)
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ABM is a dancehall reggae artist. A native of Trinidad, he obtained an engineering degree from Grambling University, which he attended on a track scholarship. After college, he was seeking a more congenial climate and relocated to the West Coast, where he launched his musical vocation — first as a producer, and then as a…
Matthew Mirliani, February EP
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This is such a complex, amazing and dramatic EP what else can I say in the end? February EP by Virginia based Matthew Mirliani is both simplistic, amazing and dramatic. It’s also extremely suspenseful and somewhat melancholy and sad. It has a very quirky-dark quality to it as well. The intro track “Versailles Diamonds” gives…
Les Fradkin, Ticket To A Remix Universe
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The King of MIDI Guitars is back with a Beatles dance party explosion on ‘Ticket To A Remix Universe’! You will hear Beatles classics like you have never heard them before! And Les Fradkin is no stranger to The Beatles scene as he actually played the late, great George Harrison in the Broadway…
Voice in the Attic, Tear
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If you hear any strange ‘n’ weird Voices in the Attic in the middle of the night, don’t fret because it’s only the Bogeyman and his haunting sound. Voice in the Attic is none other than multi-talented singer/songwriter, BC Bogey and he is giving one emotional performance on the new video “Tear”. The…
Edo Castro – Sacred Graffiti
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This CD occupies the territory between fusion and progressive rock. However you slice it, though, this is quite a strong disc. Edo Castro plays bass, so one might expect this to be a bass heavy release. That’s not really true. Sure, the bass does shine on several pieces, but it’s more of a group thing,…
David Park, Until I’m Done
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Swedish singer/songwriter David Park is a hot up and comer based primary in the Swedish midlands. His unique music is steeped in Rock, Blues, Bluegrass to Rockabilly. His latest CD “Until I’m Done” embraces the rich heritage of all of the above genres, while holding his own within his deep and versatile voice and exuberant…
OZON, “Gone Byâ€
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From the land of Belarus comes a band called OZON, heavily influenced by U2. Established back in 2001, OZON consists of stage-tested veterans, some of whom have played at “major rock festivals” and have extensive formal music training. With three albums and as many singles under its belt, the band now releases its latest effort,…
The Animation, Dance Into The Unknown
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The Animation is an indie/alternative four piece hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, that formed in September of 2006. Their full-length debut album, entitled “Dance Into The Unknown”, was released primarily in western Europe in early 2012 and comes in at 51:54. The band consists of Johan Hasselblom at the helm on guitar and lead vocals, Robert…
Henrietta Defreitas, “Weekenders”
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Singer and performer Henrietta Defrietas’ hot new club single “Weekenders [Keep The Record On]” is making waves and upon first listen, it’s easy to hear why. The single, which is part of her upcoming release “Soul Shift” has all the trappings of a hit dance track, with it’s keyboard driven hooks and disco infected guitars,…
Cathy Hung, Watercolors
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Intro: Cathy Hung who plays classical Piano has been making quite a name for herself musically. Behind every great album is a great story. First: This album comprises of 15 piano original composition music. It is a musical journal traveling through time and space. To note a few, “Autumn breeze falling leaves” was inspired by…
Steve McNaughton, Eagles Aloft
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“Cross Country” is the first track from the new album by Steve McNaughton titled Eagles Aloft. Bluegrass is the first thing that comes to mind, Americana with roots in Country. The players are top notch and the production is perfect for jukeboxes in pubs all across the beltway. “One More Shot” steps things up a…
Breaking Southwest
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Over the years we’ve seen rock, pop, and even hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish and highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” and I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs…
Patient 108, Preacher’s Got The Gun
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Over the years we’ve seen rock, pop, and even hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish and highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” and I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs…
Michal Rudas, Changing
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Polish artist and songwriter Michal Rudas is something of an enigma. The type of music is anything but typical of today’s disposable pop. Filled with soaring baritone vocals and Indian [India, the country] melodies infused with soothing new age and electronica world music is only a vague way to describe it Michal’s music. His 2nd…
Christina Rubino, Alive from the Scrapheap
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Usually when someone’s life changes in seven seconds, it’s something bad, like a horrific accident. Not so for Brooklyn native Christina Rubino, a former teenage couch-loafer and TV addict, whose destiny was forever altered when she observed a “seven-second snippet of music.” This particular snippet belonged to Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” which played…
Stefan Albert, Mäander
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Get ready for some acoustic guitar playing at its finest on Stefan Albert’s new release titled ‘Mäander’. Albert will show you how it’s supposed to be done when making a fine-tuned, instrumental record. The album plays out like a bio chronicling Stefan’s long career as a music teacher, musician & performer. Referred…
Theo Czuk, Too Many Shadows
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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…
Nagmah, Diva Mortis
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From the Costa Rican capital of San José comes a metal band called Nagmah. Formed in 2003, these guys have played all over Central America, including some rather intimidating-sounding events, such as the Metal Mutilation Fest in Nicaragua. They have an album out, and it’s called Diva Mortis. Not sure about the exact translation, but…
Sharp Practise, Steal With Pride
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Formed in 1999, Sharp Practise is a rock band from the U.K. that has been around the global block, appearing on TV screens from Australia to Canada, along with providing music for such bigwig companies as Fila. Viewing their studio as an instrument in its own right, Sharp Practise takes a rather scientific approach to…
Vacant Party, Myths
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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…
Tomorrows, The Code Duello (Preview)
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Formerly known as The Jim Ivins Band, I had the pleasure of reviewing their last two EP’s but that was then and this is now. Actually, it’s Tomorrows and don’t forget it! Made up of brothers Jim & Jack Ivins, Tomorrows are trying to breathe new life into Rock music that they feel…
Paul Meadow, Frozen Christmas Radio Train
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Paul Meadow is one of those singular composers band out of Brooklyn, New York who just released his latest EP entitled Frozen Christmas Radio Train in late 2013. Meadow presents an original blender of sound mixing bands like Psychedelic Furs, Love and Rockets, R.E.M, Brian Eno, David Sylvian and Divine Fits. On this EP expect…
Andrea Desmond, Open Spaces EP
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Open Spaces is an eclectic yet unique pop offering from Seattle based singer/songwriter Andrea Desmond (Spectra Records). Her music is hard to put in a generalized category or genre, but she does manage to incorporate elements of indie, rock, jazz, folk, and even pop parallel to the 90’s. Desmond received training in songwriting under…
Rob Larkin & the Wayward Ones, Dogwood Roots
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Enter Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Rob Larkin & The Wayward Ones who just released his latest 10 track CD entitled “Dogwood Roots” (2013). On the upside, you can expect 10 vintage pieces that champion high quality poppy folk and topics canvassed against an alt-rock backdrop. Some songs have an almost earthy sound to them while…
Brandon White, In My Younger Dreams (2013)
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This CD “In My Younger Dreams” by Arkansas’ own Brandon White is sure to one day be remembered as one of the classic good timing Americana-Alt Rock CD’s of recent time. Its pure rocking Americana magic the way it used to be, full of cautionary tales, and a passion for life and life on the…
Magic Punches
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Based in Portland OR, Magic Punches is a pop rock duo consisting of Lee Barbara and Bobby Seus. Musically, they’re both very well educated: Mr. Barbara went to Univ. of Oregon on a jazz scholarship, while Mr. Seus obtained a degree in Music Theory from Notre Dame. The band has three EPs out, two of…
