About the Artist: From France comes the musical dynamic duo known as Secret Season. Secret Season is comprised of Mark Moogalian on vocals/guitar and percussion and Isabelle Risacher on vocals, keyboards and flute. This is their second release entitled Paris Rain Dances released in 2012. I have to say I was extremely impressed with…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
The Ringflowers, Money for Music
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The genres and influences are boundless on The Ringflowers new full-length album, Money for Music. Leaning heavily on throwback sounds, the album incorporates elements ranging from funk-laced guitar, Latin American influences and bent note Blues facets. The genre bending is so rife through the tracks; the only place you’re…
Robbie Dupree, Arc of a Romance
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Robbie Dupree is certainly no newcomer to the music business. In 1970 he was playing in a band called “New World Rising” with none other than Nile Rodgers, and he’s been pursuing his music career ever since. His first solo album was released in 1980 and Arc of a…
Big Love, “Jumpâ€
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The collaborative effort by Big Love and Melanie Jade has rendered an electronica-laced demure track implementing backing electronically generated melody and percussion paired with Jade’s powerful vocal prowess. The opening synth and keys are joined by airy percussion at the background before the vocals take the foreground. [vimeo 45484455] BUY ON I-TUNES – CLICK HERE!…
Erez and the End, Silent Mountains
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The raw, organic effort shines on Silent Mountains, the new five-track EP from Erez and the End. Hallmarked by honest, melodic Rock stripped of post-production effects lends a gritty purity to the tracks. Meld that with the raspy vocal delivery of lead man Erez Eiserman and the all-analog approach…
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, OCTOBER 2012
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Bright Little Field, Treatment Bound: A Ukelele Tribute to the Replacements (Bar None Records) No, it’s not a collection of early Chinese punk rock played by armless midgets or anything weird, it actually is what it says, a bunch of old Replacements songs played on ukulele, in this case played by…
Lannie Flowers, New Songs Old Stories
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From Texas comes an amazing male artist known as Lannie Flowers who just released his latest effort “New Songs, Old Stories” (2012). Flowers is strongly established in that region and this latest released is a collection of his best material. I always listen to the opening track extremely carefully.…
JERZEY STREET BAND, BREAKING RADIO SCIENCE
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The seven piece English group has made their ambition a modified country rock based genre, complete with a pedal steel player. It’s easy to tell their influences when listening. You can hear a mixed bag of folk, country, a touch of rock ala Dylan, The Boss, Alabama…
Alan Jarvis, Forever
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Soft rock sounds, pop mentality and an easy-listening ethos are the hallmarks of Canadian crooner, Alan Jarvis. Born in London, a love of The Beatles as a teen prompted him to start playing guitar and after several years and twin stints in live bands, Jarvis is a lap top…
Nadia Ackerman, The Ocean Master
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From New York (originally from Sydney) comes a fresh female artist known as Nadia Ackerman who just released her latest release “The Ocean Master” (2012). I always listen to the opening track extremely carefully. It’s the opening track the artist has selected to hit your ears first and foremost.…
A Six-Pack of Democracy: Behold the Blurred Vision EP
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One week before the U.S. Presidential election, Toronto-based outfit Blurred Vision releases its debut EP: Democracy. Could this six-pack of tracks be a bilateral success? Quite possibly. Indeed Democracy has moments (and sometimes minutes) that could delight a listener of any political bent. The opening track, “Hammer Shaped Scar…
Et Tu Bruce, Suburban Sunshine
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NEWSFLASH: London based 4 piece band Et Tu Bruce just released their latest CD entitled “Suburban Sunshine” (2012). URL — http://www.ettubruce.com/ Review: Right from the start of the track “Dress Me up in Bruises” the music reminded me of pop starts of the past like The Beatles, Steel Wheels,…
Keychee, All
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“Theory of Everything”: hip buzzwords in contemporary science, as they pertain to the grand project of legendary physicist Stephen Hawking. “Theory of Everything” is also the first track on keychee’s fourth album All, which will be released on November 15. keychee, a multidimensional entity of music and visual expression, hails from the cultural mecca of…
Trademark Experience, Too Strange To Live, Too Rare To Die
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With catchy beats and synthesized rhythm, Trademark Experience offers a great dance club album with Too Strange To Live, Too Rare To Die. The first of three studio albums by solo artist Thomas Mulherin that offers elements of funk, pop, hip-hop and a splattering of many other genres of music including some disco vibes. On…
Lionel Ziblat, Songs from the Drawer
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Born in Argentina, raised in Israel, Lionel Ziblat now lives in The Netherlands. His eclectic tastes and versatile compositions are befitting of such a heterogeneous background. This background is also strongly musical. Ziblat’s father was an Argentine rocker; his mother, a classically-trained pianist. Both genres are found on his album, Songs from the Drawer. There…
Cryptic Calling, Debut EP
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There has been a recent trend lately in the realm of hard rock music in the USA lately. That being that it has found it’s way, and made a home in the capitol of country music. Yes, Nashville has seen a rise in great music, and banjo’s have nothing to do with it. This is…
Mayhem Deranged, Here I Go Again
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This time “Here I Go Again” is not the Whitesnake monster ballad but the single from Mayhem Deranged, a band that is sure capable of evoking the sleaze and splendor of 80s metal. “Here I Go Again” is good ol’ dirty, guitar-driven rock with crunchy riffs that make one think of Slash circa 1987. About…
Oxford Train, Mister Oxford Train
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This Oxford Train from Rochester, NY has so many tricks under their sleeves it’s not even funny! What do I mean by this you ask; well I’ll tell you! This band incorporates so many different styles & genres within their music that there is no way you could categorize them. Everything from Pop, Jazz &…
Amanda Kind, Hello Heartache
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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 & image. There’s something truly infectious at the core of these artists…
Industrial Rhapsody: Halovox, Everybody Lies
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With their second album Everybody Lies, halovox brings the seductive sound of urban risk and venture. Somewhat reminiscent of Depeche Mode, most of these heavily electronic tracks waste no time in gathering energy. Despite the heaviness of the actual music, the vocals are clear; every lyric is accessible. And…
D. Gookin, Prey on the Prize
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This time “Here I Go Again” is not the Whitesnake monster ballad but the single from Mayhem Deranged, a band that is sure capable of evoking the sleaze and splendor of 80s metal. “Here I Go Again” is good ol’ dirty, guitar-driven rock with crunchy riffs that make one think of Slash circa 1987. About…
The Love Load, Three On A Match
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The D.C. band The Love Load is back for more with their brand new EP titled ‘Three On A Match’. They are following up their debut release ‘The Human Resourceful’ with four energizing tracks. The Love Load is made up of three members: Ted Watts on bass & vocals, Blaine Misner on guitar…
These Curious Thoughts, What is it, and how did it get in there?
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The songwriting duo known as These Curious Thoughts is a Trans-Atlantic collaboration between Sean Dunlop and Jamie Radford from Detroit and London, respectively. The two met through a musician’s web site and the nature of their international friendship and work together began in earnest. Radford pens lyrics, which are…
Nico Rivers, To The Bone
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Deconstruction has seen its place in music since, well… forever. It makes sense that as soon as an artist lays down a “final” track he or she could very easily return to the same track and strip it down to its base. Such was the case when singer/songwriter took an inventory of some of the…
Miles Jones, The Jones Act (Part III)
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On the heels of his five-track EP release, Act So Strange, Toronto Hip Hop artist Miles Jones has expanded upon his newfound sound with The Jones Act (Part III). The full-length follow-up is 12-tracks of effects-laden Rap, raw beats and with a healthy dose of electronica nuances. The style and flow of the albums bring…
BLACKLIST UNION, Til’ Death do us Part
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Los Angeles based band Blacklist Union is back with a brand new body of work and a brand new attitude to boot. Their 3rd full length CD is their best body of work to date and is a virtual who’s who of rock from beginning to end. From the first and title track “Til Death…
Doug Prescott, Hot Night in November (2012)
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About the Artist: Doug Prescott is an artist that comes to us from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Prescott is one artist that is making quite a name for themselves regionally and internationally. He have received critical acclaim from many music critics and webzines around the globe thus far in his musical career…
Science!, Science!
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Having known each other since their childhoods in New York, Justin Stang and Jim Elenteny find themselves thousands of miles from home and reunited as the two-man outfit, Science! The move and collaboration has rendered their first self-titled EP–7-tracks of guitar driven rock that ebbs and flows between Country-tinged riff work to bent note Blues…
Maxdmyz, “Allâ€
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Having reverberated around the much-damaged walls of London’s industrial metal block, Maxdmyz is back to unleash another round of abuse, this time in the form of their single “All.” The track beings ominously enough with a synthetic pulsation that conjures up images of Trent Reznor with a defibrillator. Then comes an inhuman answering message…
J.J. Crowne, Another Day of Love
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The one-man band J.J. Crowne is at it again with an exciting, new EP out titled ‘Another Day Of Love’. The first time I came across J.J. and heard his music for the first time was last year when I did a Review + for his album called ‘Songs Of Innocence And Experience’ (http://skopemag.com/2011/07/22/j-j-crowne-songs-of-innocence-and-experience).…
Hosts of Heav3n, Self-titled
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Fledgling artist, Richard Fendler is making a name for himself not only behind the turntables as DJ Heavenly but has now stepped into production and has released a series of electronica tracks under the name Hosts of Heav3n. The eight tracks are trancey, house tunes rife with layered soundscapes, electronic instrumentation and catchy transitions. This…
Heidi Breyer, Beyond The Turning
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Fans of composition should find themselves lost in the aural landscape of Heidi Breyer’s latest release, Beyond The Turning. The 14-track album is naturally piano led tunes with 12 weighing in at pure instrumental that play out like an “aural novel” of Breyer’s life. From track to track, moods and feelings are instrumentally conveyed, but…
Hooyoosay, My Obsession w/Pain in My Heart
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So okay I love when this happens where I discover new music by way of research for a review! This is exactly what happened here with Hooyoosay’s “My Obsession” and “Pain in my Heart”. First up is a cover of the 1967 track “My Obsession” off of the ‘Between the Buttons’ record by…
DEAD MODERN VILLAINS, Wisconsin Blues
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Deep from the depths of the Green Bay, Wisconsin arises the 3 headed beast known as Dead Modern Villains who released their last album entitled “Wisconsin Blues ” in 2011. I always listen to the opening track extremely carefully. It’s the opening track the band or artists has selected to hit your ears first and…
The Wandering Bards, Party Hat (EP)
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Members/Instruments: Kenny Allen: Vocals, harmonica, jaw harp, accordion and melodica Ron Baumann: Upright Bass and background vocals Mike Cardone: Cajon, tambourine, maracas, guiro and cymbals Ray Fyhr: Violin, Colin McKay: Vocals, acoustic guitar and djembe. URL: http://www.wanderingbards.com SONICBIDS http://www.sonicbids.com/2/EPK/?epk_id=63700 CD BABY http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheWanderingBards About the Artist: This is the latest release from New York 5 piece…
Step Daddy, Love
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Bio: This is Step Daddy’s latest CD entitled Love released in 2012. The Band’s been around for about 9 years now. In their own words: “Step Daddy is the collaboration of 4 Seattle veterans, each having more than 10 years of experience in the Seattle music scene. It’s members have played in such acts as…
The Jardines, Someone’s Stolen Tuesday
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When Cherelle Jardine was set to release another album, she asked her daughter, Ajaye, about a collaboration project. From that, their self-titled LP was released. The project worked so well, mother and daughter team is set to release their sophomore full-length, Someone’s Stolen Tuesday–11-tracks of their pop nuanced Alt Country. Assuming dual writing and tandem…
Black Vendetta, Draconian Backlash
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After leaving his hometown of Harrogate, UK singer/songwriter, Nathan Virica trekked South to the bustle of London to taking his band name with him and his career in another direction. Now with some time and adjustment under his belt, the fledgling artist has released his first album, Draconian Backlash–8-tracks of varied guitar work and slight…
My Secret Island, I Miss the Day Maxi-Single
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Time to find out what’s hiding out in this so-called “Secret Island” so let’s start digging! My Secret Island is a very secretive bunch made up of Mark Van Merm and his Top-Secret Band. They are currently promoting their two-track single which includes “I Miss The Day” and “Sheila”. One thing is…
Roxie Randle, Little Victory
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Though it may still be the heart and soul of Country Music, Roxie Randle’s latest EP is proof that Nashville is a singer/songwriter town. Little Victory is a five-track album of deep, heartfelt lyrical matter, strong melody and vocal tandems and tight technical production. Appropriately named, the album is the result of a crossroads Randle…
