CD and DVD reviews
It must be strange to possess one of the most recognizable voices in pop music, yet few actually recognize your name. This must be what much of Martha Wash’s career has been like until now. Hers is the voice heard on “It’s Raining Men,” and “Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” however, these songs were recorded under…
Jude Gwynaire takes the name for his single, “Heliopolis – City of the Gods,” from an actual ancient Egyptian city. This city was the capital of the 13th or Heliopolite Nome of Lower Egypt. It was also an essential religious hub. This 3:28 track has no lyrics or singing, however, so the listener must use…
Yes, Kung Fu Hippies is a band name that seems to combine a martial arts movie and the film Easy Rider. The group’s music is not so action-packed or illegal, however. Instead, this song plays out like a sonic call of nature, as ‘back to nature’ was, of course, a big part of the whole…
Stephen Jacques’ album cover for Charmed to Death features a picture of four multi-colored, sexy women. They appear – if we’re blunt – to be stripper quadruplets. That, or four lookalike Bond girls. Or, then again, a quartet of femme fatales. Who knows? Nevertheless, the project’s title track reveals Jacques’ sarcasm when he sings on…
Montreal based, Singer-Songwriter, Ishana, has dropped a new single, “Steady Eyes.” It’s from the second album of what is to be a trilogy, entitled; Old Skin. “Steady Eyes” in and of itself, is an impressive piece of work, so there is much reason to be optimistic for the trilogy. Harkening back to the songstresses of…
Johnny O’Neil’s single, “Snake In The Grass,” taken from his Truth or Dare album, begins with a chugging electric guitar riff and a “Hey, hey, hey” chant. O’Neil then puts the song’s title into use by warning us to be beware of snakes in the grass. Consider this song a warning, with teeth. O’Neil’s song…
Richard Schroder knows how to write and sing a pop-country song, exemplified by “Let’s See How Far We Can Go,” which is built upon a thumping beat. Over sparse instrumentation, this one is upbeat and optimistic. Like a lot of contemporary country music, the song is driven by positive momentum. It’s a song about looking…
A sense of defiance reigns supreme over the heartfelt hard rock ethos of skinsNbones soulful “There’s Reason (feat. Jason Kafoa). Stylistically they are heavily rooted in hard rock, with elements of country, grunge and more thrown into the fray for further emphasis. By far the highlight of the piece comes from the commanding voice, one…
The Guilty Lenses is a trio from Minnesota, and the act’s album (Somewhat Romance, Somewhat Poetry) is a collection of songs that are – in reference to its title – more romantic than poetic. At its best, the album hearkens back to some of the more memorable guitar rock music from the 80s. One called…
Jude Gwynaire embarks on a futuristic psychedelic sound with the knotted gnarled riffs of “Oracle of the Wildwood”. So many instruments yet they beautifully bounce ideas off of each other, from the lovely sound of the flute to the twists and turns of the guitar. Though rooted in psychedelic rock, there are nods to drum…
A lovely lilting chamber classical bliss ties Jude Gwynaire’s pastoral pop “Red Is the Heart of the Rose” together in a lush, luxurious way. His attention to detail is exquisite and the evolution of the sound happens with deftness. The post-modern Penguin Café Orchestra quality gives it a regal sensibility, one that has a great…
Gitit Shoval is an award-winning vocalist from Israel and she invites you to take a spiritual journey into the world of Jewish culture. By way of traditional prayers and psalms, Gitit wants listeners to be ‘Connected’ on the new record. What makes this project even more special is that the album also includes Gitit’s husband,…
Bongo Boy Rock n Roll TV Show Presents Music Videos From Around The World broadcast on Terrestrial TV channels in the USA. SEAY revels in the reason for the season with the joyous “All Around The World”. A serene sense of self takes hold while the piece washes over the listener. Gentle melodies waft on…
Winchester 7 & the Runners deliver a fuzzed-out indie rock frenzy on the infinitely catchy “Argos Holiday”. Full of tremendous heart and soul they deliver an earnest joyous experience. Stylistically they draw from a whole slew of genres, from nods to new wave to the spaced-out Zen of surf rock. Layer upon layer enters into…
The Relentless Rapper, The Hip-Hop Assassin, The Rap Ninja is back for more with a new release titled ‘From My Brain To You’. His name is Flippin’ Gothic Fabp and don’t forget it! I’ve had the chance to work with this NYC-based artist many times now and he never disappoints! I’m always amazed by the…
At the intersection of Georgia sweetheart and Nashville rock-star, you’ll find Hannah Anders. The powerhouse vocalist and clever songwriter catapults her listeners from backwoods party anthems to soul-filled serenades in her new album Evolution. Anders’s up-coming full-length album is a rock-meets-country composition that salutes those brave enough to navigate break-ups, make-ups, and the ambiguous in…
There are wordy songwriters, which have included at times, Bob Dylan, and early Bruce Springsteen. It was almost as though they just couldn’t squeeze nearly enough words into each lyrical phrase. Then again, there are those of few words. Gabriel Douglas falls into this latter category. His album is one that could only be made…
Blake Wharton’s “Sweetest Love” opens with the sweetest acoustic guitar strum backing. Wharton then joyfully sings its lyric. It is folk-ish, but not merely folk. It’s more of just an acoustic arrangement of a love song. Oh, and it’s an auditory delight. Although Wharton sings the lead vocal, he also harmonizes with himself, even though…
Saying that it’s hard to follow-up on a record everyone calls an instant classic isn’t easy just isn’t doing the task at hand justice – it’s just about impossible, and historically speaking, a quick glance at post-hit performances from the legends of pop will immediately clue you in to what I’m talking about. While this…
“Let’s Have A Rockin Christmas” sets the tone for the album with a powerful punchy sound courtesy of the Doughboys and Jack Kringle & the Elves. Here they imbue a Pixies-like punk rock spirit into the sound. Tempos are pushed far past the regular Christmas far for a fun, speed-driven swing. Italian Cowboy Harry James…
Rory D’Lasnow’s single “Happy” is a relatively simple, acoustic guitar-accompanied folky song. D’Lasnow is a New Jersey-based singer/songwriter that has built up a strong, loyal audience on the East Coast. This particular song is notable for Phil Robinson’s strong presence. He adds vocal harmonies, and especially incorporates his harmonica stylings to the song, which give…
R&B, funk, and soul filter into Edward W. Sealey’s intensely personal ode of “Here For You (ft. Kendrick Washington)”. Nicely updating that classic soul sound, it has a neo-soul sort of spirit to it with the elastic funk grooves further adding to its inherent lush quality. The arrangement feels pitch perfect with every element in…
I’ve had the pleasure to write a number of articles now on this super-talented singer/songwriter from the Phoenix, Arizona area and she never ceases to amaze me with her natural abilities. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again while shouting to the Heavens and that is that this girl can SING! Every time…
A palindrome is a word, phrase or sequence that reads the same backwards, as it does forwards. For many singers and artists, the way they arrange their album tracks often tells a broader story, or acts as chapters in a narrative. Singer/songwriter Casely, well, he throws the rule book out the window and creates a…
Get ready to dive into the wild world of digital media through the eyes & minds of real life artists. “InstaBAND—Surviving The Streaming Revolution” is an exciting, new music documentary that focuses on the good & bad associated with this digital age of music we are now in. The viewers will get valuable feedback from…
Surprisingly enough, quality music hasn’t been hard to come by in 2020 – and that’s taking into account the fact that just about everything else has been missing from shelves altogether. Francine Honey has been busy in quarantine working on new music, and in her new single and music video “Can’t Press Reset,” we get…
Calhuis, we’re led to believe, is a duo based upon the picture accompanying the act’s new single, “XO.” In this picture, both men are pictured with their eyes blacked out, sort of like they’re criminals or something. The song’s artwork even has one of those black and white parental advisory warnings in the lower left-hand…
Back in the 60’s through the early 70’s, most guitarists starting bands couldn’t afford the primitive “Fuzz” pedals just coming into the market. Guitarists were in heaven when finding a cheap electric guitar with a straight neck and an amp that only slightly buzzed. This period encouraged the need to improvise with the guitar itself,…
Chris ‘Harry’ Doran performs under the stage name Blind Uncle Harry, and “Christmas Day in Australia” is his new seasonal song. The track begins with the sound of a droning digeridoo, which gives way to acoustic guitar. Doran then begins singing the song, along with slide guitar accompaniment, in a distinctly Dylan-esque vocal tone. Less…
Jasper “The Jazzmaster” Meyers offers a refreshing update on a classic jazz sound with the soulful “Harmonious”. Stylistically there is a late-night noir flavor to these silky rhythms. Keyboards here positively shimmer with such lush, luxurious cadences. Instrumentally rich the whole of the album has a radiant glow to it. Layer upon layer wafts up…
Irina Imme sings with grace and passion on the powerful “U & Me”. Exploring the inherent messiness of relationships her lyricism has a poetry to it. Words are chosen with the utmost of care for she lets the songs roam. Arrangements play to her strengths for they have a chamber pop hue to them. Quite…
Get ready for a blazing, hot new single titled “Bad Bad” that is SO SO Fresh! Young E Class is the man on the mic and the track also features vocalist Jazz Anderson. Both artists are keeping it real and bringing the heat on “Bad Bad”. You can tell that hip-hop means a lot to…
One might think that with a title like ‘Here Comes The End Of The World’ that the material will be all grim and dreary. But quite the contrary my good people because this new release from Balkun Brothers is everything but dismal. ‘Here Comes The End Of The World’ doesn’t sound so bad after all…
The very first thing that comes to mind when I hit play on this new record by Joe Hodgson is that he’s not too shabby at all on guitar. Actually, Joe is one hell of a guitarist who is able to capture your attention simply by strumming those strings. I’m shocked that this is a…
Angus Crowne is the self-described Godfather of Uke-Billy-Punk-Rock, and the songs on Let’s Fly supports this assertion. The album is filled with quirky post-punk music. Crowne doesn’t so much sing, as talk-sing these eleven songs. The album’s title track, for instance, is a slightly funky, somewhat world music influenced piece. As Crowne monologues his way…
Jude Gwynaire embraces a powerful postmodern pop on the joyous “Midnight in Cincinnati”. Sounding akin to a long-lost Stereolab instrumental, the way the song unfurls has an elegance to it. The journey of the piece works wonders for his ear for melody is keen, as the melody is constantly transforming in beautiful, unexpected ways. A…
In his new single “Streets,” up and coming pop singer/songwriter Blake Langdale makes a point of setting the pace for himself early on in the track almost as a means of demonstrating his efficiency through execution, and what follows is nothing short of spectacular. While not quite as reliant on the hook here as some…
PS The ReBels goes for a spirit of togetherness on the celebratory “Bumaye (ft. Kajad)”. Lyrics explore the history of oppression showing the importance of rising above that harsh environment. Vocals further emphasize the suffering inflicted as well as the undeniable struggle that continues to this very day. Beats hit hardd with an emotionally resonance…
Mimah is the up and coming rapper-singer hybrid bursting onto the scene this year with her recent EP ‘Panacea.’ Named after the Greek goddess of universal remedy, Mimah’s EP is setting out to be the antidote to all our mid-pandemic blues. Based in London, Mimah’s unrelenting attitude and self-assured nature is both infectious and inspiring,…
With a powerful and buoyant vocal harmony to lead the way, Ava Maybee’s debut single “Lay Low” starts to unfold before us steeped in the sort of lush melodicism a lot of pop lovers will instantly recognize as being far more progressive and artsy than what the mainstream has been able to handle in past…
