CD and DVD reviews
Drifters In Vellichor are back with another belter as they explode into 2021 with their latest single ‘The Shadow’. The duo is made up of Dan Black and Rich Barnett’s musical mastery, as they boast a beautifully diverse repertoire. Featuring their uniquely genre-fusing flavour is the dynamic debut EP ‘Forgotten Tracks’ that burst onto the…
Indie rock band Highland Kites released a new single, “Long Road” on April 21st, 2021. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Highland Kites is made up of Marissa Lamar on lead vocals, guitar and piano and Neil Briggs on drums. Their music creates dreamy landscapes around brutally honest and direct lyrics; interweaving themes of hope into dark…
The New Chums call their new, five-song EP Shruggin’ Off The Feelings, and then spend the whole 17 minutes of the project singing about their feelings. Then again, shrugging off feelings is much easier said than done. Without expressed feelings, there would be no pop music, after all. Objective music might please, say, mathematicians, but…
Featuring the music of independent artists that were accepted by the Recording Academy™ 1st voting ballot for consideration for the 63rd Grammy Awards®. A fiery blistering guitar solo opens up Fiction Syxx’s undeniably decadent “Bleed For The Truth”. Everything about the track possesses such urgency. Nods to Type O Negative’s industrial gothic approach dominate much…
The DK Effect is from the deep (Australian) south, which in Aussie terms, means Tasmania. However, this 8-piece band sounds as though it could just as easily be from the deep American south. Its 10-track album primarily touches upon various black music styles. “God Forgive Me,” for instance, sounds like a Sunday morning gospel choir.…
Rev Peter Unger looks for the silver lining on the contemplative “Storm Clouds In the Sky”. He sings with such grace and patience, for his lyrics are ones that have a timeless classic cadence about them. A deft mixture of folk, gospel, and country filter into the soothing lovely sound. The attention to detail means…
For most of us, this past year has put a pause on even our best-laid plans. Yet for the upcoming artist Gozie Ukaga, it’s proving to be a pivotal milestone. Gozie’s debut EP ‘Shade’, released back in 2019, is one of the most impressive debut’s I’ve been put onto. With intricately sculpted soundscapes, Gozie’s synth-oriented…
When I hear the words “Tears In Heaven” I immediately think of the MTV unplugged video from 1992 of Eric Clapton pouring his grief out on the stage. If the song doesn’t make you cry at least once, there might be something wrong. The song, written about the loss of the rock star’s young son,…
Carnal, animalistic, unfiltered sexual desire – we’ve all got it, and sometimes there’s no choice but to act on the urges it induces when presented with the right kind of partner to share the night with. In his new single, the well-titled “Instant Sex,” Rob Alexander isn’t getting hung up on what happens between the…
To say Joy Harjo is unique, would be putting it mildly. Joy Harjo is an American poet, playwright, musician, and author. Her album, I Pray for My Enemies, is filled with poetry, just as you would expect from a United States Poet Laureate. However, there is so much more than Harjo’s Native American poetry contained…
Greg Smith’s album title, “Redemption Road,” suggests a kind of musical reckoning. It may make you think of the Apostle Paul’s road to Damascus, a path where sweeping transformation takes place. Maybe this change is happening to Smith, as well. It just doesn’t ever sound nearly that epic. This is because Smith’s music is so…
Because Villains is Travis James’ solo project, with Yes, his three-song EP. In fact, Travis wrote and recorded this release. The release opens with one titled “The Feeling.” This recording kicks off with just some tasty guitar work and James’ breathy lead vocal. Lyrically, it finds Travis playing Monday morning quarterback, if you will, and…
I have never heard the term ’emo-positive’ before, yet the self-coined term by Meghan Pulles encapsulates the spirit, heart and emotion of her music perfectly. What struck me most when delving through the singer-songwriters repertoire was the unwavering authentic and honest feel that engulfs you in each song. Since the age of seventeen, Meghan Pulles…
Aint Afraid is a duo that creates positive rap music. However, they also list acting, storytelling and modeling as some of their many creative outlets. They also wear their hijabs unashamedly in performance, which reveals then to be two artists that are quite serious about their religious faith. Their album is, nevertheless, filled with plenty…
Billy Jeter’s new album Shine Eye Landing is as finely crafted as any musical release I’ve heard in recent memory and brimming with emotion. The album’s ten songs are rife with blues, folk, and country influences without ever seeming beholden to any particular instrumental voice. A large reason for this is Jeter himself. Though backing…
What an incredibly refreshing listen here as Robby Rothschild captures my attention from beginning to end. This is an artist with a true voice & vision who performs each song from the heart. Robby Rothschild invites you to take a round-trip listen taking in all of the unique chords and melodies along the way. One…
With Keep On Climbin’, West Side Joe & The Men Of Soul give us a survey of soul music’s past. Each track is just a little bit different from the others, and each approaches the genre from slightly different angles, yet all are authentic, and all are good. The album’s title track goes all the…
From the delightful swing of “I Miss My Miss in Mississippi” to the quiet march of “Dyin’ to Hold Her Again,” there isn’t much about the joy in Bridges and Backroads that doesn’t come from its incredible string play in one way or another. In his sixth album, Jerry Salley puts a lot of stock…
It’s no debate that live venues have been hit pretty hard this past year. Well our knight in shining cowboy hat, Phil Robinson, is releasing a single to help out. The New York native is releasing an acoustic version of his country crowd-pleaser ‘Transcendental Cowboy’. The singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist is releasing his first single…
Gary Pratt delivers a pitch-perfect piece full of honestly on the aptly named “A Song You Can Drink A Beer To”. The song has a playful disposition to it as it goes through all the many different life events that can be a cause for having a beer from the joyous to the sorrowful. With…
Brian Shapiro of his band of the same name has led nothing less than interesting life. Growing up the son of the attorney of Fleetwood Mac, he’s always been surrounded by music, both in the romantic sense of being able to see literal legends perform in front of him in the recording studio, but he’s…
Of the many changes the music industry has faced in the new decade, the possibility of achieving pop stardom has never been more viable and possible than in today’s modern streaming landscape; artists as monumental and well-known as Billie Eilish have done incredible things with minimal recording setups, ending up achieving all but global domination…
Lightning never strikes twice, that’s the general understanding. People often equate this with stellar debuts and performances in art, sports, and other high-standing careers within the public eye. Well, not to burst any bubbles, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is here to tell you that “actually, lightning can, and often does, strike the…
A western twang rings through and true on John Vento’s passionate “New Mexico Way”. The sound itself recalls New Mexico’s wide-open vistas and beautiful landscape. Volume is a must for this is a force of nature that cannot be tamed. Right in the very heart of the sound are John’s commanding vocals. With the rest…
“A world in which people seek the uncertainties, and possibilities, of art” is the vision of one of the most innovative ensembles to be gracing the popular music landscape right now. With the recent release of their latest album, it’s undeniable that Art Of Time Ensemble is bringing that vision to life. Led by the…
A tender quiet ode, Mauri Dark delivers something quite heartfelt on the touching “Love Will Prevail”. Never raising his voice, he explores an entire universe of compassion throughout the whole of the trac. Things are kept to the basics for he taps into the very essence of good folk – the way that the piece…
E.G. Holmes delves into a living, breathing communal sound on the bold big band spirit of “Time To Rest”. Stylistically he incorporates elements of jazz, rock, the blues, and more into the singular approach. By far the true heart of the album rests with the power of his vocals which have a fully realized power…
This April The Bongo Boy Rock n Roll TV show series new episode features 7 music videos by independent artists from around the world. The TV show can be seen on 72+ Terrestrial TV Channels in the USA and Bongo Boy TV always uploads each episode in HD to Vimeo for viewers outside of our…
Comfort Cat, who sings these twelve songs, is a vocalist that plays a guitarlele, which is a six-stringed ukulele. These friends include Jason Laney playing keyboards and providing percussion, and bassist/guitarist Dan Veksler. Originally from the west coast, Comfort Cat has played music in New York City fifteen years now. There are a wide range…
With summer looming and normal life peering on the horizon, it’s about time we found a suitable soundtrack for our sunny days. Well, I may have found it. THRILLCHASER (yes, caps every time) are offering up an alternative anthem to bring the vibes this Spring. Their upcoming single ‘Fantasy’ is the first release from the…
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”.…
