CD and DVD reviews
Unless you’re a serious funk music aficionado, the name Felton Pilate may initially strike you as a relatively anonymous moniker. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll discover how Pilate was the lead singer of the popular band Con Funk Shun, which started way back in the mid-1970s, and recorded and performed throughout the 1980s. The group’s…
A sprawling, lush symphonic work Jude Gwynaire deftly weaves together a whole slew of influences on “King Sol and the Merwoman”. The whole of the piece has an extremely tactile quality to it for the percussion helps to give the grooves an elastic cadence, with the rhythms further emphasizing a spirit of togetherness. Melodies here…
There’s perhaps nothing worse in music than when snobbery infects the better part of an entire scene or genre, and as unfortunate as it is for me to admit personally, this is certainly true of the modern ambient style. Working against this narrative with a humble approach to hybridity that I wasn’t anticipating I’d find…
The J.O.B. adopt a hard-hitting, no-nonsense style on the emotionally wrought “Criminal”. Rhythm is everything and from the percussion all else flows flawless. With a deft attention to detail, they allow the whole of the collection to simply stun. Volume is a given for the way they make the listener experience the sound feels quite…
Heistheartist goes for a nimbleness on the aptly named “The Snake Charmer”. Mixing tradition and contemporary influences, he creates something that is distinctly his own sound. The bass hits hard going deep into the red in a way that is profoundly satisfying. Without needing to say a single word an entire narrative comes into the…
“What If” I told you that Tia McGraff is a singer-songwriter sensation that is beyond belief? I hope you would be intrigued and ask yourself “What If” he’s telling the truth and this Tia McGraff is the real deal. I can honestly and wholeheartedly confess to you that I tell no lies and that Tia…
A foot stomping piece of splendor, John Vento goes for a great, rich communal spirit on the powerful “Not Your Kinda Man”. Everything here has an immediacy to it one that feels rather righteous while the whole of the track unfurls in a splendor, full of vibrant color and texture. Melodies have their own timelessness…
Eddie Cohn embraces an urbane sense of pop on the playful percussion of “FREEDOM”. His lyricism possesses such poetry to it for each verse is balanced for maximum effect. Melodies waft on through with nimble crispness. A classic AM pop spirit rises up from the Peace Spirits Band’s “Oh God”. Bluesy to its very core…
Jeremy Parsons offers a heartfelt piece of country folk on the tender ode of “Something Other Than You Are”. Nothing here ever feels overwrought for he balances the whole of the work in a way that feels outright splendid. So many different layers intermingle resulting in something truly timeless, from the gentle hit of the…
Little Wretches offers a poignant piece of beautiful balladry on the bombastic “All My Friends”. Giddy with energy they race through the track length with gleeful abandon. Instrumentally dense they incorporate so much into the mix. Nods to groups like the Decemberists feels perhaps unavoidable for they possess that same level of skill with storytelling.…
Gabriele Saro’s achievements are impressive no matter if he is a musician or a carpenter. His academic credentials with degrees in Business Administration, neuro science, music composition for film, and violin are enough to put to rest any superficial doubts someone may harbor about his intellectual legitimacy. His press materials mention a lifelong clash between…
I want to make you dance/I want to make you smile, croons David Jensen in his new single Four Leaf Clover. The words act as a good introduction to what the entirety of the song entails, while nothing new beautifully composited through Jensen’s rough, unsentimental voice and soft, hypnotic sound mixing of a Southern-tuned electric…
If you’re looking for something unique to the bone, then look no further! Swallows is the name of the band and ‘In the Shadow of the Seven Stars’ is their latest release. There is a pronounced, dark element on this album that seems to hover over each track. Swallows brings originality to the table tenfold…
The high-energy, high-octane sound of Jude Gwynaire’s “Uzone-25 (White Light Mix)” With this singular sound he captures the energy of live electronic music in such a joyous fashion. Beats come hard and heavy over the course of this piece for it absolutely bursts at the seams. Layers filter in giving the track a futuristic form…
While American Greed may not identify as a “super group,” they might be just about as close as you can get. Boasting former projects such as Head East and Chuck Berry, as well as having shared the stage with Nickelback and Alice In Chains, the various members of AG, are highly decorated. Their experience with…
Paul Bailey goes for a classic funk style on the slinky grooves of “Olschool Jams volume 1 EP”. The twisting grooves that reign supreme over the course of the EP have a fun, playful quality to them for they unfurl with such stately presence. Layers are applied with the utmost of care for he creates…
Chrissie Romano Band brings such spirit into the singer-songwriting tradition on “Somewhere Along the Way”. Going for a heartfelt sound, the Chrissie Romano Band features incredible acoustic guitar playing. The gracious elements interplay with such perfection, for they incorporate acoustic rock, folk, and more into a singular thoughtful sound. Such a gorgeous approach they have…
Neil Jacobson’s album Sliver Park is nine song collection of mostly straight-ahead rock & roll tracks. These arrangements are built upon relatively organic arrangements of guitar, bass, and drums, with keyboards also thrown into that mix. Jacobson sings his songs with a gravelly vocal tone. This tone can be an acquired taste, at first. It’s…
Electric Peace opens its EP with the project’s title track. Brian Kild is the act’s lead singer and has led this group since the early 90s. He sings this afterlife-predicting title song with all the enthusiasm of a hellfire and brimstone revival preacher. The song’s arrangement is a surging, Doors-like hard rocker. Kild, however sounds…
Larry Jay proves to be a playful storyteller on the tongue in cheek journey of “2 New Girlfriends”. By far the true show stealer comes from the fantastic lyrics that gleefully incorporate so much exquisite detail that feels truly powerful. His delivery too has a commanding presence to it for he sings from a life…
Trace The Sun embodies everything that the sun is by spreading warm sunshine to all who stop and listen. The music speaks for itself with BIG, bright notes hitting you from all directions on the new EP fittingly titled ‘Trace The Sun’. This group claims that they “create music to make you smile, move your…
The answer is undetermined, but the question is; is the world ready for the dynamo, known as Dici? The answer won’t remain unclear for much longer, as Dici’s self titled EP is about to be unleashed upon us. Where do we begin with Dici? He is Italian born, and Miami raised, and somewhere in between,…
Heistheartist does Minnie Riperton’s classic such justice on the soothing spirit of “Lovin’ You (Cover)”. Every gesture is carefully considered for they strip things down to the absolute essentials – a mere guitar and voice. Yet with these two elements they deliver something that is truly heartfelt and full of a tremendous amount of soul.…
Jude Gwynaire delves into a blissful interstellar beat on the bright brilliant burst of “Inanna, Queen of Heaven (Nibiru Mix)”. While he references a great deal of early 90s house energy, his approach has a more futuristic cadence to it. The tribal beats and the hypnotic loops at times recalls a little bit of jazz’s…
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…
Ten Penny Gypsy goes for a laid-back, carefree style with the classic Americana spirit of “Making Headway”. Vocals have a tremendous degree of affection behind them for they sing with such soul and spirit. Beyond the undeniable roots in country and folk, they add just the right degree of the blues to give a nice…
Rob Alexander is a healer in all aspects of his life, from his dedication to medicine to the studio he dominates with his decadent lead vocal, and never has this been any clearer than it is in the new single “A Song to Get Us Through.” Stylized as an old fashioned power ballad with a…
With her newest EP “Tears,” Devmo taps into the growing generational fears and anxieties of an indifferent world. One would think the TikTok star who’s gained more than 4 Billion views would lean into the advantages of being your own brand thanks to platforms like Instagram, and the aforementioned TikTok, but her album paints a…
The Little Wretches go for a big, bombastic classic rock flair with “Ballad Of Johnny Blowtorch – Ambridge Version”. Everything about the sound is truly massive, from the sheer infectious quality of the guitar riffs to the riotous rhythms that underpin the whole thing. With clear nods to the Who’s best works, they leave the…
Although Breanne Marie began as a solo artist, Juniper is an album with her six-piece band, The Front Porch Sinners. While this is a band effort, it nevertheless features the same sort of introspective songwriting as found on Marie’s band-less recordings. The act plays what’s called ‘Great Lakes country music,’ which has been described as…
Ramshackle and truly rambunctious, John Vento’s classic cadence of “No One Wears A Watch Anymore” stuns with its tremendous force of nature quality. John mixes the blues, country, and rock into a swaggering, singular whole. By far the heart of the track comes from his powerful commanding voice that serves as the true focal point.…
It might be a bit of an oversimplification to call Shimmer Johnson’s new single, “Priceless” a breakup song. The dynamics of the relationship in focus, seem to transcend shared intimacy, but there is little question that the subject is a former lover. What could be a run of the mill piece about heartbreak and the…
FaB (Fitzsimon and Brogan) deliver a fantastic piece of alt rock on the celebratory “Persuasion”. With an energy that recalls Blur at the peak of their powers, there is a hazy, dazed quality to the way the many elements intermingle. Parts of the sound feel akin to a dead ringer for Blur’s “Parklife” as there…
Roaring into place like heavy machinery starting up, “Dreamin’ out Loud,” the latest single by rising star Vineet, doesn’t leave us wondering what sort of a song it’s going to be by the time its brief instrumental introduction has concluded. There’s urgency in the beat, to the point where the melody it frames feels like…
Davy Williamson proves to be a deft storyteller on the raging hard rock of “Thin Disguise”. An exceptional guitarist he makes the thing sing, as the riffs are absolutely wild yet infinitely infectious. Rarely has hard rock sounded this good but rarely does it match up the lyricism and the sound with such perfection. The…
Electric Peace’s “Dinah Might” has a title that sounds like, perhaps, an easy woman. That is, of course, until you say it out loud. It comes out as ‘dynamite.’ Then again, this word might also describe the very same woman. Whatever the case, this is rhythmic, rockin’ song. After opening with a guitar riff that…
Cody Lee’s Woodpecker Crisis album is a good example of minimalist rock music. It’s the opposite, in many respects, to headphone music. Headphone music involves recordings where the mixes are busy – an everything but the kitchen sink approach – where sounds bounce back and forth, from right to left and left to right, creating…
It’s only January and I’m beginning to see the larger musical aesthetic 2021 seems to be sliding towards. There’s an apparent rejection of the traditional pop noises that we’ve become used to, even with Pop music becoming more sophisticated with the rise and inclusion of indie artists blending their honest lyrics and perspectives with flashy…
Brian Cooney delivers a song of pure devotion on the powerful “Nothing Greater”. The lush arrangement recalls an updated chamber pop spirit one that feels good for the soul. With nods to Grizzly Bear’s baroque take on folk, for the sheer amount of instrumentation results in a vast tapestry of sound. Every single little flourish…
In her new EP, titled Reborn, the wonderfully melodic Caterina J adds color to the sound she introduced us to in 2016’s I Confess LP, and for me personally, she sets a new standard for herself and her scene. 2020 was a lost year for a good ninety percent of the music industry, but even with a pandemic…
