CD and DVD reviews
Los Musick and P.A.T. came up in Port Arthur, Texas and Opelousas, Louisiana respectively, but “My Friend Hip Hop” sounds like they grew up down the block from each other. Their almost-too-easy back-and-forth and complementary flows are the product of true students of Hip Hop, disciples of the Golden Age. They collaborated on the two-part…
A heartfelt slice of Americana, Larry Jay sings with such raw grit and soul on “Lottery”. The lyrics are ones of pure, unfiltered love. His storytelling has a timeless grace to it. Every single verse is weighted for maximum impact. Instrumentally vibrant the evolution of the sound draws heavily from pop, country, rock, and more…
A perfect piece of potent pop, HelsTheArtist goes for a personal take with the vulnerable “If I Were A Virgin Again”. The delicacy of the track works wonders for there is a kindness to his lyricism. Sung with the utmost of care and compassion, the way it evolves has slight yet rather sweeping gestures. Never…
A classic rock races through the entirety of the Impersonators’ timeless take of “Scarlet Hell”. Best listened to at the highest possible volume to get that true kick, there is a nervous energy that ties the whole thing together. With nods to Lower East Side of Manhattan groups like Television and the Talking Heads, it…
Marlon Boone embraces a nu jazz kick on the soulful spirit of “Dance With Me”. Here he makes the saxophone sing for there is a lushness to the overall sound. Everything here works positively glistening with a warm glow. References to Marlon’s approach abound, as he takes a page from Sam Gendel’s experimental yet highly…
There’s a lot to take in with Melanie Rogers’ latest single “Fever”. It is, first, the sound of someone breaking away from their musical past. Rogers, until recently, framed her musical art around religious concerns and making an impact in the Contemporary Christian genre. The thought of her writing, much less recording and releasing, a…
If only we knew ‘What Lies Ahead’ for us or maybe not such a good idea since I’m a firm believer in living in the present. And speaking of the here and now, I have to admit after hearing this 2015 album for the first time in 2021, I was blown away! I’m a sucker…
Italian workhorse of a producer and songwriter Gabriele Saro graves us (again) with a pair of exciting unconventional party anthems in the form of “Breathing” and “GANGSTA”. For some context, Saro is kind of a force of nature when it comes to music, having a major background in music work for film and has done plenty for both documentaries…
Coming in with the sounds of dueling trashing guitars and a guttural roar of voice, that’s how Pistols at Dawn’s new single “Voices” starts. It’s a song made of pure raw energy and emotion especially given how to lead vocals Chris Pierson imbues so much power and emotion to phrases like “erase from the start,…
Fredo Viola is perhaps one of the most intriguing artists to come onto my radar of late. His sound is innovative, imaginative and (as an aspiring musician myself) pretty inspiring. Whilst citing influences in the realms of Kate Bush, White Noise and Benjamin Britten, Fredo’s musical magic lies in the “strong focus on emotional catharsis”.…
Beyond Here is bursting onto the scene this year with their recently released debut album ‘New Dangers’. The formidable four-piece is elevating their airwaves with their astounding alt-rock sound. Beyond Here began as frontman’s Anthony Douglas’ passion project, swiftly attracting the spectacular skills of drummer Jonathon Tuckness, guitarist Jon Wisecarver and bassist Logan Hatcher. This…
Poetic value is never limited to lyrics in good hip-hop, and this narrative is fearlessly reinforced in the new single “Emotions” from JLC. Backed by Jay Bang, JLC unleashes a brutally honest and unquestionably expressive jam in “Emotions” this spring that refutes the very notion of solid rap being singularly linguistic; on the contrary, songs…
Dare we say Fate Will Come creates vintage 80s heavy metal? The title track on the band’s Heavy Heart release borrows liberally from various classic metal bands from that era, including a riff structure much like many memorable Van Halen FM radio staples. The net effect is a group that sounds a bit like a…
It doesn’t get any smoother or more vulnerable than Nathan Harrington’s new single, “Hold On Me.” Described as something of a Reggae crossover act, the 21 year old, Nathan Harrington, could possibly cater to every cliché we have come to lazily subscribe to. The thing is though, he really isn’t a prototype, at least not…
Imagine the opening montage of Rocky III without the iconic Survivor track, “Eye of the Tiger”. Imagine “The Sound of Silence” omitted from The Graduate. And imagine Romy and Michele dancing to anything but Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. The songs are seared into our brains, almost as much as the…
It’s strange how much humans are obsessed with angels. Heck, they even named a major league baseball team after one of these mystical beings. When a woman is described as being especially beautiful, she’s called ‘angelic’. Oddly enough, though, whenever the Bible mentioned angels, these were always males, never females. And you rarely, if never,…
Alex Lopez’s new album release Rising Up continues the impressive run of studio releases he has enjoyed since emerging on the scene in 2013. It is perhaps natural that newcomers, after a single listen, would draw superficial comparisons with the blues rock genre’s current commercial giant Joe Bonamassa. There are definite differences, however. Where Bonamassa’s six-string attack…
A beautiful slice of pastoral folk, Sylvie & Mandy go for a serene reflective stance on the hallowed “Broken Year”. The hushed tones of the piece command silence for they have a lovely hue about them. Such a wide array of instruments enters into the fray for they revel in a serenity of sorts. By…
Marty cut his metal chops with Cacophony followed by Megadeth, and hasn’t stopped shredding (he dislikes the term) since. Marty has resided in Japan for a while now adapting to their culture and music, and regularly appears on Japanese TV shows. If you’re looking for innovative song structure and a lot of power/speed guitar here…
You may experience a little cognitive dissonance when listening to Sylvie & Mandy’s single “Broken Year” while watching its accompanying video. That’s because its lyrics are sad. It’s highly unlikely anyone would ever describe a good year as one that’s broken, after all. “Let the judges be fair,” these two folk singers request, “this was…
First thing that I noticed when I hit play on ‘The Blue Sky Sessions’ was the stellar guitar playing by KD Bantz. KD isn’t just a super-talented guitarist but he also adds in vocals, dobro and harmonica on the new album. ‘The Blue Sky Sessions’ also includes: Tim Beeler on bass, Will Brown on percussion,…
Onism E is putting the indie rock realms to rights with their recent album ‘Survivors’. The four-piece outfit is embarking on an adventure of astounding audio experience, with ‘Survivors’ pushing the envelope on what indie-rock means to us. Furthering the canon of fantastic female forces, Eline Chavez fronts the group with all the passion and…
WRYT definitively has one of the more exciting alt rock sounds to come out in some time. The new two-song self-titled EP is just a glimpse of songwriting cued up for the times, with modern undercurrents. Where other bands and artists rely on floundering, aggressive rage, WRYT delivers an equally combustible punch with enlightened lyrics…
It’s no wonder that Chris St. John titled his debut album I’m Dreaming. These songs, a long time in the making, always seemed to take a back burner to a successful law practice. I’m Dreaming features 10 solid tracks that run the gamut of country, Americana and classical sonic journeys. St. John’s dreams certainly become a reality and…
Junior Burke embraces a warm, pastoral sound on the tender tones of “Nothin’ But”. Lyrics here are taken directly from a life lived to the absolute fullest. His storytelling truly serves as the very beating heart of the sound. This is not to say that the rest of the band are slouches, no, they perfectly…
Slinky and slightly ominous in style, the menacing guitar part in Jeremy Rice’s “Underneath the Ground” is definitely the song’s biggest mood-setter, and you needn’t listen to the track more than once to understand what I mean. Rice is a very moody singer/songwriter, and I think this latest release might be the most forward of…
Can night be a feeling? It can, suggests Jude Gwynaire with his single, “Feel Nocturno”. Similarly, darkness is a feeling. An eerie feeling, that is. It’s like those days where there is scant evidence of sun. Or rainy days, when the sun is seemingly washed away, or overly cloudy days, where the sun is obscured.…
Brad Byrd is the enticing artist piloting out playlists this Spring with the recent release of his fresh single ‘State Line’. The L.A based artist skilfully weaves a sea of sonic influences as he sculpts a self-professed soulful cinematic sound. His recent single ‘State Line’ is a stellar example of this summery soulful soundscape. Brad…
There’s no denying your fate; if you do, someone else will make sure not to let the moment pass for you. For Kristina Murrell, that person is her step-dad, the man who reached out to music producer Sonny King on her behalf to ensure her talent does not get wasted. After relocating to the United…
Indian singer and songwriter Vineet’s latest single “Jab the World” is topical, but Vineet has uncovered a way to keep the track from sounding dated. Rather than confining his subject matter to the pandemic alone, he widened his songwriting lens and uses the COVID-19 global emergency as a jumping off point of sorts towards a…
Steven Ryan’s single is titled “Miracle of Love.” Love itself is a miracle when you come to think of it. Just watch the news any night for a few minutes, and you’ll witness plenty of stories (most stories?) that are about hate. Whether it’s hatred for a racial group, hate for the opposite political party…
Eye’z is the up and coming singing sensation soaring to new heights with her latest single ‘Go For It’. The San Fransisco based star is making waves worldwide with her vibrant vocals and ever-evolving online presence. This latest single comes off the back of Eye’z recent release ‘Lovely’ — a completely catchy tune showcasing the…
Jude Gwynaire’s “Big Sky Ocean” is very much an electronic sonic exercise. It features big swashes of synthesized keyboards over a percolating percussion track. The track’s title conjures up images of flying through the endless blue sky over the seemingly endless ocean. The track’s melody is minimal. It’s almost as though the rhythm and melody…
Stephen Winston’s new album, One True Story, is about a decade and a half in the making. The interesting thing is that he didn’t know he wanted it to be an album, until recently. The songs that comprise One True Story, are a collection of tracks that were mostly composed and recorded between 2003 and…
“Dear Jesus” is one more reason to keep listening to Raquel Kiaraa. Last year Kiaraa took the indie music world by surprise with the dashing “Scorpio”, this ballad is equally mesmerizing. A gifted singer and a talented lyricist, Kiaraa’s beaming presence in “Dear Jesus” is something to be admired. Not only has this female singer…
If you are going to call yourself, Intelligent Diva, you had certainly better embody all the key traits to such a moniker. Luckily for the woman, herself, she has shown enough range to earn her stage name. A Singer, Actress, Model, and Entrepreneur, Intelligent Diva seems to have all the corners of the Entertainment Industry…
Flying solo can mean a few different things. In one positive way, it can mean personal freedom. They say that the one who travels alone, travels fastest. Being solo suggests there’s nobody to drag you down or slow your progress. Flying solo can also refer to literally flying without a flight instructor. This, too, is…
Steve Ryan is blessing our sound systems with his upcoming single this April. With his music rooted in a masterful mix of pop, rock and R&B, Steve Ryan’s sound has been soaring to new heights in recent years and we’re lucky to be along for the ride. Having been in the game since 2010, Steve…
The hip-hop scene is blooming bigger and better than it ever has before. Partly this is due to the fact that technology and music-making apps make it easier than it’s ever been before and with that, it’s never been a better time for new voices to breakthrough and makes themselves known. A lot of Hip-Hop…
Ramona + the Riot are kicking our year off right with their sensationally sultry, aptly named, single ‘2020’. Fusing fundamentals of pop, soul, rock and R&B, Ramona + the Riot are expanding on a canon of formidable female forces carving a space in the popular music landscape. This group are no rookie to that landscape…
