Category: REVIEWS

Sydney Australia rockers “Fly by Wire” seem to making all the right moves. Working hard, releasing music, hitting the pavement. Make no mistake about it: FlyByWire appear to be surging and becoming a household name down   in Australia. For a 4 piece band like FlybyWire it’s not about them as much it’s about launching…

Read more →

It’s not every day I encounter a lady with a Master’s degree, who can also probably beat my ass. Her name is Nkosazana Uwimana: a rap musician who goes by the stage name Nkosazana. With some 20 years of musical experience, she describes her genre as “new school rap with an old school feel.” A…

Read more →

This is Jackie Highway’s (Angie Shyr) latest release entitled ‘Solid State Sun” in 2013.   core members include only Shyr. Shyr is a classically trained Pianist and a one man band type of writer, or in this case a one woman band. Solid State Highway is one release that certainly doesn’t disappoint. This is one…

Read more →

Circus Town album for sale by Phil Celia was released Oct 08, 2013 on the CD Baby label. Recorded, Mixed, Mastered and Produced by Perry Celia featuring: Phil Celia – lead vocals. A highly anticipated third release from a singer songwriter originally from the New York area now based in LA. On Circus Town expect…

Read more →

The politically & socially-conscious unit Third International is back with their first ever live production titled ‘IDES’.   Fronted by songsmith Andrew Pearson, the new release features four songs along with an “Intro” (“Criminal Cool”) & outro theme (“Letter to a Muse”).   ‘IDES’ was filmed and recorded on March 15th, 2013 at Pearson’s newly…

Read more →

It’s easy to know how to categorize a band like Roger and Glenn. This North Carolina musical two-some consisting of Roger Brandon, Glenn Hubbard who just released their latest release entitled “Martins” 2013. “Martians” is one of the more upbeat, funny, quirky and brightly flavored rock releases I’ve heard this year. It’s not so dark…

Read more →

Storm Lake, Iowa may not sound like a rap epicenter, but there actually is a potent and growing hip hop scene. A rising figure in this scene is Chicago native Antonio Maurice Banks a.k.a. “Tony Banxx.” Mr. Banxx recently stepped up his internet presence, and he currently offers several fresh tracks for your listening enjoyment……

Read more →

Diversity really does come in all shapes and sizes. Think about the bewilderment and repulse amongst pop-country fans when Garth Brooks undertook the Chris Gaines project… or when Beck stepped away from the frantic musings of Odelay and penned the sweet and melancholy Sea Change. So too is the story of electronica maiden, XO. Once…

Read more →

If one were to gaze into Future Us’ crystal ball, one would see we are headed toward “Organic Electronic Sex-Pop” and this turns out to be a pretty apt descriptor. Combining the edgy vocals of Megan Heavlin Ochoa and the organic and electronic instrumentation wizardry of Daniel Durrett, Future Us is electronica-dominated dance tracks with…

Read more →

This latest release by Israeli based project Tuval Cain is one artists that cannot and should not be underscored of conveniently pigeonholed. Tuval Cain, led by musical mastermind (David Lawrence Kuhn) All music, lyrics, and keyboards invites the listener to sift through a multitude of progressive rock sounds, all of which congeal in a tangible…

Read more →

Intro: Luna Achiary is a Singer/Songwriter who hails from the Los Angeles area. She’s been making quite a name for herself regionally and nationally. She’s received critical acclaim for her amazing songwriting and impressive talent from many prominent music critics thus far in her musical career. As a versatile musician, she has experience and deep…

Read more →

Light Drive is a collaboration between Dennis LaFollette a.k.a. “Phoenix” and Swedish-born singer-songwriter Linda Kristina. Having years ago ventured from Scandinavia to Hollywood, Ms. Kristina worked alongside Michael Jackson’s musical director. This is the sort of gig that puts you in contact with a glamorous crew. Pretty soon, Kristina “got to work directly” with the…

Read more →

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…

Read more →

Fresh off her debut album “Love Is,” Valentina Keys — the current London songwriter who began singing at age six and views music as mankind’s ultimate mode of expression — now releases her new single “Believe.” The intro is heavily tweaked out and grabs the listener with its sheer distortion. Some thirty seconds in, the…

Read more →

Just in time for Christmas, Lynne Taylor Donovan delivers to us “Dear Santa”.   The song is definitely festive in nature however this track is not your conventional Christmas tune.   Reason being is because Lynne uses Jolly St. Nick as background in order to get a crucial message across.   That important memo is…

Read more →

While it is true many feel the music industry is in disarray it’s always a breath of fresh air to hear a new band or artist that’s not afraid to take chances with their musical expression. With 4 piece band from Springfield. MO. Make Rocket Go’s latest self titled musical offering Circus, it’s clear to…

Read more →

Los Angeles Singer/Songwriter Margo Rey just released her latest Christmas EP entitled “This Holiday Night” (2013). This Holiday Night” was co-written by Margo Rey and Barrett Yeretsian (co-writer and producer of Christina Perri’s Jar of Hearts) and is an original composition with the feel of a traditional holiday classic. The other two songs on the…

Read more →

Megan Hook of Te Bright Forever just released her latest collection of Christmas Songs called “Star of Wonder” Hook is no new comer to the Music Business. She is clearly a seasoned vocal performer and is classical trained vocalist in her own right enticing fans with appealing material, impeccable vocals and elaborate imagery. With a…

Read more →

Hailing from an unspecified “great city on the sea,” current Londoner Valentina Keys launched her musical quest at the wee age of 6. Through her early and extensive exposure to piano and singing, she came to regard music as its own language — and not just any old language, but “the greatest language ever given…

Read more →

Given his musical influences the likes of Rush, Faith No More and Tool, there was never any speculation whether or not John Tokarczyk’s outfit PepperDome was going to be anything but eclectic. And their latest outing doesn’t disappoint their eclectic-expecting fan base. Through the heavy progressive-tinged tracks, facets of myriad genre influence emerge. Opening with…

Read more →

Heady and emotive, the lyrical matter on Deborah Crooks’ new album Little Bird is the stuff of pertinent social issues, self-awareness and personal experience. Meanwhile the musicality is a fusion of multiple genre facets and styles, ranging from straightforward rock to funk sentimentality to contemplative folk elements. The 11-track LP wears all these facets on…

Read more →

Eric Michot has an alter ego called “Mr. Kito.” And this Mr. Kito: “represents a person who became aware of his ego and through acceptance is aware of his inner self.” Michot a.k.a. Mr. Kito is a South African resident of French heritage who, having “played extensively” in the local music scene, began producing his…

Read more →

3 member DC based band “The Love Load” just dropped their latest 4 track EP entitled “Oh Be Joyful” in 2013. Band consists of: Ted Watts, bass, vox, Ben Azzara, drummer and Blaine Misner, guitar, backing vox. Straight away I discovered The Love Load to have a powerful yet sensational, eccentric sound. I really like…

Read more →

The talent has come at a perfect time in music. ‘Pretty Momma’ is such a flawless composition. The chorus introduces a sweeping orchestration that effectively builds throughout the song as the emotional anguish in the lyrics deepens. Such a touchy song which is remixed nicely. This is the razing of a soul set to incredibly…

Read more →

Formed in 2010, The Clan — a name given in honor of front man Craig McDonald’s Celtic heritage — is a three-piece band from Wirral in the UK. Finding inspiration from the NWOBHM, some shock rock and cock rock, these blokes have been plying their hard rock craft for decades. McDonald, who has shared stages…

Read more →

This is such a complex, amazing and dramatic album what else can I say in the end? Dirge by Cedar & Soil (George Abi-Hanna ) is more than amazing and dramatic, it’s also extremely suspenseful and somewhat comical. It has a very quirky-dark quality to it as well The intro track “Here Comes the Sound”…

Read more →

Ah, the siren call effect that Nashville has on artists…it’s almost as if the record industry allure of Los Angeles and the “If I can make it here…” New York attitude paired in a north central city in Tennessee. That also happens to claim country music headquarters and may be one of the bigger singer/songwriter…

Read more →

The Flips are a rock quintet from Chicago. Formed five years ago, this band — headed by Nick Sintos — has undergone many lineup changes on its way to achieving a distinctive sound, described as “an entrancing mix of simmering calm and blistering, abrasive frustration.” The Flips released an EP in 2011, and this year…

Read more →

Enter Andreas 5 member Canadian rock band that just released their latest CD entitled ”Extended Play” in 2013. On the upside, you can expect 5 semi-experienced musicians who champion a high intensity sound against the classic rock sounding backdrop. Band members: Brian Dahl, Jason Brandow, Jennifer Lockman, Mike Medhurst, Adam Payne. With this EP expect…

Read more →

They’re back at it. These former high school classmates from Chicago who go by the name Class Reunion have released another album called No Drums Allowed. The album’s title is also its concept, a concept which came from people telling the band that they “should create music without drums or any drum machines to see…

Read more →

Miami pop singer Carmen Skyy’s new single “I Dream About You” is the quintsential club track, with that big Miami bass and combination of hiphop and electro house. Carmen’s followup to her successful debut mixtape “Backstage”, “I Dream About You” is destined to become a staple not only in South Florida, but possibly around the…

Read more →

Kenny Fame — the stage name of Levi Wise Kenneth Catoe, Jr. — is a Paterson NJ native who moved to NYC the day after graduating high school. He has since become a fixture on the city’s spoken-word poetry scene. These poetic pursuits led to him writing lyrics, which in turn led to the composition…

Read more →

A native of Toronto, Canada, Matthew Genovese 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. His latest EP entitled “Chasing the Sun” captures…

Read more →

Mad the Martian is a band consisting of brothers Bob & Jack Marsh and their trusty producer Anthony Resta. These guys locked themselves up in a studio north of Boston, where they poured a reported 1300 hours into generating the album Blast Off: “13 tracks of fresh future/classic rock n’ roll tunes.” “C’mon, C’mon, C’mon”…

Read more →

Butterfly Suicide is an act commanded by Ohioan Eliot Hosenfeld, a co-owner of a recording studio who had a few highly skilled band-mates swing by to give some of the instruments “a more mature sound.” “love, melodies, pain” is the name of the latest Butterfly Suicide album, and it’s largely about the turbulent world of…

Read more →

Between being the progeny of a highly musical family and being named for legendary songwriter James Taylor, it seems for singer/songwriter Taylor Alexander music isn’t as much a pursuit as it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. After all, at age 15 years old he told his father he was going to record an album called Art,…

Read more →

Ryan Cassata has quite a story to tell. Not only is he a 19-year-old outspoken transgender but a motivational speaker on the topic of equality, but an accomplished singer/songwriter who addresses real-life topics with socially-charged lyrical matter through anecdotal acoustic tracks. On the cusp of his teens, he has released his third volume of songs…

Read more →

When Lana Antropova’s husband decided to disband their musical duo in lieu of another project, the usual emotions welled up. Loss and abandonment took the place of the creative outlet she had enjoyed alongside her significant other, but instead of wallowing in any defeat, she opted to revisit an old love: the synthy beats of…

Read more →

January Blu is a California based singer-songwriter who just released her latest single entitled “Trip to the Moon” (2013). Her sound is a hybrid of contemporary pop fused with better touches of Maroon 5/The Cardigans-esque instrumentation. First a bit about Blue. In her own words: I was born in January on the sand of surf…

Read more →

Holly Elle, a Canadian classically trained singer with a passion for pop, brings to the U.S. a unique twist on modern mainstream music. Her latest 5 song EP entitled “Leopardess” was released in 2013. Leopardess is a carefully crafted collection of catchy songs showcasing the best in modern day pop artisanship that creates a solid…

Read more →