In this overly saturated genera/market with a plethora of artists coming out of the woodwork, armed with nothing more than a PC, Microphone, a guitar and a crappy sounding CD — it’s nice to know there are a few bands and artist out there that can still deliver what I call good music. These new…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Prize, Surprize Box!
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Had Sophia Santulli a.k.a. “Prize” lived 500 years ago, she would have been a treasured singer of the Medici court, performing while surrounded by a troupe of adoring castrati. But ours is a far different age. Prize circa 2013 is a purveyor of electronic music, more specifically her self-described niche: “Electro Primadonna DIY Dance Music.”…
The Outer Vibe, Hoka Hey
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The Outer Vibe is a band that comes to us from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Reading from their Bio: This is a road tested band with rare business acumen that plays more than 100 shows a year, sharing stages along the way with the likes of REO Speedwagon, The Tubes, Mayday Parade, We The Kings,…
T-360, “The Futureâ€
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Philadelphia’s T-360 has maintained a lifelong fascination with and longtime involvement in the entertainment industry. Running a nightclub while in college, he later worked with Island Def Jam, before managing a rap artist. Then along came an individual known as “The Coach,” who altered T-360’s path from behind-the-scenes roles to actual performing. Taking his act…
Newsflash: THE BETTER DEATH – Day of the Death (EP)
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Introduction: Have you listed to the Radio lately? Is it me or is something horribly wrong with today’s music. Do you remember when music actually had really instruments in them with real people playing them? No kidding. How about good songwriting performed by artists that not only wrote the music but poured their heat and…
Matthew Patrick, Blue Sun
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Hayseed Reggae? For Country Rocker (usually) Matthew Patrick, all it took was some “nocturnal inspiration” and the project was born. When Patrick woke from a dream about a high school bandmate, he Googled his old friend and found he was living not even an hour away and was operating his own studio. He also found…
Holly Gentry, So Much More
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Perhaps it is the early exposure or rampant participation through developmental years; but when the musical bug bites certain people, they just can’t shake it. This rings true for singer/songwriter Holly Gentry. Having sung in church and school during her younger years, the music-making urge took her to undergrad, haunted her through law school and…
Paul Kloschinsky, Like Your Hero
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Multidimensional is a word epitomized by Vancouver resident Paul Kloschinsky. With a background in medicine and computer science, he has since ventured into poetry, photography, and, of course, musical composition — a pursuit which has garnered him several awards. The new year sees release of a new album, Like Your Hero. On the opening track,…
The Serenaders, Don’t Ever Tell Her No
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When genre borrowing is done well, the results tend to be transformative. The melding of sounds generates a “not quite this; not quite that, but both” effect for the listener and typically the songs have a breadth beyond a single-dimensional approach to music. With that in mind, I give you The Serenaders–an Atlanta-based quartet dealing…
Jeremy Dion, Golden Someday (2012)
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Intro: Jeremy Dion is a singer/songwriter who hails from the Boulder Colorado area. He has been making quite a name for himself regionally and nationally. He has received critical acclaim from many music critics thus far in his musical career and has developed a strong reputation for his impressive songwriting touch and strong singer/songwriter persona.…
Mike Colin, Earth Ocean Drift
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Mike Colin’s CD, “Earth Ocean Drift” is scheduled for release on January 31, 2013. This EP is a collection of 6 eclectic songs. Colin has something to say and he is spilling his heart out through pulse pumping beats. He has a unique sound that vibrates through your veins. It invades your thoughts and makes…
Review of Mongrel’s “Reclamation” LP
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Female fronted in your face hard music is starting to make a splash lately, and no one has a better grip on the wheel than punk/metal band Mongrel with their latest release Reclamation. Right from the start with the first track Bored To Death, Jessica Sierra jumps right in your face, and doesn’t back off…
Eric Saak, Aural Motion EP
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With a background in guitar and piano, Eric Saak has gone electro-kinetic via his EP Aural Motion. He has spoken of using electronic music as a vehicle to “experiment with many different layers of sound.” Indeed the EP evinces a creator’s fine sense of both structure and style. Though there are multiple layers, there are…
Kings of Crownsville, Waiting There for Me
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Band: Rob Creath (Drums), John Harris (Trombone), Ed Justice (Trumpet) Steve Johnson (Lead Vocals and Guitar), Mike McCormick (Keyboards), Peter Miller (Bass), Jim Teverner (Trombone and Trumpet) Peter Katz (Tuba). http://www.kingsofcrownsville.com/home.php Review: This CD has much to commend them. Admittedly, there is a whole lot of variety to these arrangements and performances. First: This is…
Billy Ray Deiz, Song of Joy
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The god-fearing man known as Billy Ray Deiz is back with his famous ‘Joy’ and now ‘Song of Joy’ project revisited. I had the pleasure of reviewing Billy’s ‘Joy’ EP back in July of 2012 (http://www.skopemag.com/2012/07/26/billy-ray-deiz-joy) and now his “Musical Pageant” is nearly complete! “Gimme Cracked Corn”, “Gimme Cracked Corn (Instrumental Reprise)” and…
Review of Coreena’s “The 5th Element” EP
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Coreena was born and raised on the northwest coast of America. In Seattle, precisely. Singing came to her at a very early age. Around 8 years old she began to write songs. She did a few high school musicals before going to Berklee in Boston. Her first EP was titled ‘’Emotions’’, which received good…
Graham Murray, Self-titled Album
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When someone thinks of Ireland, the last thing that probably comes to mind when we talk about music is a country band or artist. Rock, electronica, maybe hip hop or rap … But country? However, Graham Murray shows that this is possible on his self-titled EP. “Forecourt Flowers” has that vibe, that great Nashville sound,…
iamthemorning, ~
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A few days ago I had the blessing and honor of listening to a great band from Iceland. Basically, I have talked about the few bands that are still dedicated to creating music that invokes genuine feelings in people, lifts the spirit with a sound, or makes something never or barely heard before. Again, we…
Jeromy Darling, A Year Of Living
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Old lyrics come to light. Memories of hope, religious encounters, and conflicts are the main ingredients of this emotional cocktail. A Year of Living by singer/songwriter Jeromy Darling is a look at the personal life of this musician during the 2004-2005 period. In four short songs, it is an experience that the listener may identify…
Off The Grid, Love X Stereo
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What matters is not the quantity but the quality. That is something many can debate, but in the end we have to agree that this is a fact. Why spend time listening to something that is not worth it when you can, say, hear three songs that will totally blow your mind? These guys leave…
SEAN JOHNSON, Fairy Tales for Fools (2012)
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About the Artist: Kentucky based Singer/Songwriter Sean T. Johnson is clearly doing all the right things. There’s a few lines from his bio that really spoke to me: What can I say, I have always been enamored with the acoustic guitar in music and the way it can be weaved in and out thru a…
What Would Igy Do, Bloody Good Time
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From California comes a fresh band known as What Would Iggy Do who just released his latest effort Bloody Good Time (2012). Band: Dominic Kelly (Vocals, Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitar), Derek Schanche (lead guitar), Dan Naim (Keyboards). I always listen to the opening track extremely carefully. It’s the opening track the artist has selected…
Surefire, Another Take on the Same Difference 2.0 EP
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From the churning bowels of Boston’s indie scene comes Surefire, an outfit led by 22-yr-old Taiwanese expat Peter Hung. Having undergone a recent makeover, the band has emerged with an EP called Another Take on the Same Difference 2.0. This unholy trinity of raucous tracks will sure add some spike to the punch bowl. Track…
The Royal Wigs, Cosmic American Heartthrob Blues
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Cosmic American Heartthrob Blues is the recently released debut EP from The Royal Wigs, a multi-genre outfit with country leanings. Though the members hail from Michigan and Maryland, their sounds and lyrics tend to venture south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The opening track, “White Line Fever,” begins with some percussive, palm muted guitar chords.…
Review of The Hollow Glow EP
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Ben Carroll was tired of the “politics” of the music industry, the broken promises and lies and feeling like his “place” in the world was non-existent. During his band Ra’s hiatus, he made a move to Maine. But during this time, something happened, an awakening of sorts and this led to the forming of The…
JUPITER IN VELVET, Screaming the Love Behind the Stars
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Who can forget the greatest Rock n Roll party of all time? Fortunately I am old enough to remember some of it. Trust me when I say being in London in the early 60’s and late 70’s was the place to be as bands like The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Led…
Dog Society, Emerge
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New York based 4 piece Hard Rock act Dog Society just released their new CD Emerge (2012). Band members include Bruce Erik Brauer (guitar), Guerzon (Bass) and Joe Ranieri (Drums + Percussion) and Brian Schnaak (vocals). The band has been busy writing, recording and playing club dates. Dog Society has collected a vast amount…
Starnes & Shah, Shilling for Dreamtown
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The dynamic duo Starnes & Shah are back at it again with their full length CD, “Shilling for Dreamtown”. It is scheduled for release in the summer of 2013. Celebrating the latest single from their new project, “24 Million”, they are harmonizing and mesmerizing us into the new year. Delivering their signature sound that we…
THE CLA-ZELS, Flower of the Gold Rush
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This is the Cla-Zels third release entitled Flower of the Gold Rush (2012). Band members are: Jason Erickson (Vocals, Lead Guitar), Joanie Whittaker (Vocals Rhythm Guitar), Brian Beaverman (Drums) and Chris Barlow (Bass). Meet the Band: https://www.facebook.com/TheClaZels Flower of the Gold Rush is one release that certainly doesn’t disappoint. This is one band that brings…
Review of Tall Dark Stranger’s “There It Is” LP
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The nom de guerre “Tall Dark Stranger” evokes mystery and intrigue. You wonder if this person is a drifter, a person on the run, or a person that danger follows closely. All those elements are on display in Tall Dark Stranger’s “There it is”. The 11-song set opens with the guitar anthem “Psychic Surgery”,…
The Royal Wigs, Cosmic American Heartthrob Blues
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The Royal Wigs is a unique band in that the members all come from four different groups: Girls Like Cigarettes, Great Lakes Myth Society, Seldon Plan & Agents of the Sun. Hailing from the states of Michigan & Maryland, this super group has come together to create something that is special and that works.…
Claude Hay , I Love Hate You
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Australian native Claude Hay genuinely lives up to the phrase independent musician. Aside from being an instrumentally versatile, tech savvy one-man band, he has actually built his own instruments and studio. Hay’s guitars, constructed from kitchen bench tops and baking tins, are given such affectionate names as “Stella” and “Betty”. If he were just an…
GREAT BIG SEA, XX
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This new release covers the Newfoundland trio GBS’s 20 years in the biz, with 40 tracks (including six new ones) on two CD’s. The discs are divided in two categories, the Pop songs, and the (traditional and folk) Folk Songs. A box set with a DVD is also due to be released. …
One Son, Canvas
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While the music industry is in dismay it’s always a breath of fresh air to hear an artist that’s not afraid to take chances. With his fourth solo offering Canvas, ONE SON has surpassed what we consider as the usual rap release. From the beginning O-La-A gives you an anthem that keeps the listener on…
Review of Barley Station’s “After All” LP
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From the first lines of the album, “Thirteen steps to the gallows/These are the roads that I take” you can tell that the members of Barley Station have done some living. The album, After All, is a 12-song collection of emotions: love, loss, hope, and heartbreak. The honesty in the songwriting blends perfectly with the…
Autumn’s Mutt, Snowflakes
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From the semi-arctic region of Quebec comes the appropriately titled EP Snowflakes, brought to you by the one-man entity known as Autumn’s Mutt. Having been inspired by the burgeoning and seemingly ubiquitous indie scene, he began composing songs in 2008. Snowflakes, consisting of four tracks, is the ‘Mutt’s second EP. Though some winter imagery exists,…
L’illon, I’m In Love
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Why not ring in the New Year with the Angel Warrior herself L’illon! The diva is back after releasing her debut album ‘Warrior Angel’ back in 2009 which I had the pleasure of reviewing for Skope (http://www.skopemag.com/2009/12/08/l%E2%80%99illon-warrior-angel). I knew then that this music artist had that special something or IT factor if you…
The Perfects, Sudden Victory
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This band sounds like it comes straight from the eighties. That’s not a bad thing. Actually what comes to mind is Duran Duran but more modern and with a bit more edge. Hailing from Baltimore Maryland they started in 2008. Though they haven’t been around for that long, they have a distinctly polished sound. They…
Ozonna, “Me & You On Topâ€
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London Electronica artist, Ozonna has released “Me & You on Top.” Opening to piano and organ tandem, the track is rife with deep synthy soundscapes over a tight electronically generated beat with intermittent click and clank fills. https://soundcloud.com/ozonna/me-you-on-top The track finally crescendos into the chorus of what is a mid-tempo Electro Pop track with technically…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, JANUARY 2013
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El Perro Del Mar, Pale Fire (Memphis Industries Records) Back in 2006 my CD reviews were always looking for trouble. Any fight I could pick with slack-jawed tastemakers was an opportunity for me to add a scalp to my snark-pelt, thereby inadvertently exposing how awesome I was, which, looking back, wasn’t very. Even…
