CD and DVD reviews
Nola Blue Records release guitarist Eric Johanson’s first Solo Album. Recorded “live-in-the-studio” in just three days, Eric Johanson guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, teamed up with Cody Dickinson on drums and Terence Grayson of the Victor Wainwright Band on bass guitar. The album tracks jump out of the speakers with the urgency of a bootlegger’s black…
A fiery passion races through Dana Crowe’s hard-rock tinged “Anchor In The Blue”. Her lyrics possess a sense of urgency for she delivers them with so much tremendous energy. The clipped style and the carefully balanced verses unfurl to reveal a greater story, one of defiance and perseverance. Everything works in service of her undeniably…
“My Worth” shows how good southern rock can be, with See Your Shadow kicking things up into high gear with their soulful fiery blend. A joyous mixture of elements of country, folk, all anchored within a southern rock framework makes the thing a beauty to behold. Racing forward at a breakneck pace they make sure…
The rumbling of the bassline that first greets us in the first few moments of Nocturnal Animals’ new single “LHW” is definitely as menacing an element as they come, but in all actuality, it’s far from the most carnal of components within this song. There’s a youthful rebelliousness to the very rhythm of the music…
308 Ghost Train goes for the heart and soul of rock and roll with “Bleed Over Me”. Everything about this track simply stuns. The buildup goes for a cinematic approach as the entirety of the piece constantly seems to go. By allowing the pace to increase more and more the whole work simply grows like…
Cameron Nino gets the party started on the beautiful, blissed-out vibes of “Tropical”. Everything about the track radiates pure joy, from the passionate vocals to the playful lyricism. His voice possesses so much happiness and optimism that it becomes absolutely infectious. This, mixed with the jubilant instrumentation, makes it a piece that feels simply teeming…
The band that comes immediately to mind when listening to Cyborg Asylum’s single “No Kingdom,” is Faith No More. This is most likely because of John Tumminia, the duo’s vocalist. He has a near-operatic singing voice, which many times during the track sounds a lot like Mike Patton of Faith No More. Tumminia is the…
Seven Crows’ “Two Swords” is a single drawn from the act’s album, Secrets Of Navigation. It’s an instrumental piece. Seven Crows, in fact, is a project put together by SoCal-located violinist and producer, Christopher Murphy. The album is due to come out October 2nd on the Teahouse Records label. He describes this music as the…
Nied’s Hotel Band delivers a big bold bluesy sound on the highly personal “Sacred Land”. Lyrics are written with the greatest level of deference to those who gave so much for their families and their communities. The instrumental here possesses a living, breathing quality to it further punctuating the importance of each word. Verses have…
Clara sings with a smoky, sultry voice. Her single, “Down the Drain,” is a slow, melancholy post-breakup song. It’s most certainly an appropriate showcase for her talent. The track opens with little more than Zimm’s distinctive voice, and sparse instrumentation – including a clicking percussion part, complete with finger snaps. Zimm is soon joined by…
Accidental President captures the zeitgeist on the powerful message of “Warrior Soul”. Through song, they capture the inherent exploitation of countless individuals in the name of a vaguely-understood concept of “civilization”. Rhythms chug their way through with a driving force leading the way. Lyrics truly rest at the very heart of the entire piece while…
Billy Ray Rock delivers a timeless classic funk sound on the playful “Get The Funk”. Everything about it stuns from the careful grooves that it lays down to the impeccable flows. Lyricism describes a beautiful celebratory mood done with the utmost of style. Vocals have a passionate flow to them while they incorporate a great…
Lyia Meta delves into a dark, hard rock edged fury with the intense “We Are Lords”. Volume is a must for this is a sheer physical sound. Riffs race through featuring a fiery impulse. By far though the true highlight comes from her commanding voice. Sung with so much vigor her voice rises above the…
Glad In It is clearly written from a position of faith, carrying a message that life’s ups and downs are merely tests, battles that we emerge stronger and more resolved for having fought. But it is a message which is applicable to everyone no matter what their beliefs, no matter which paths they follow. There…
There is lots of talk in music making circles about “groove.” Often it gets used to describe everything from melody to beat to rhythm to bass lines but a groove is less definable than those more tangible things. It is something which exists partly in the sonic world and partly in a spiritual one. It…
Nothing sinful at all with this latest single from Bigg Homie Sin as “Therapy” will add some bounce to your step. This may be a therapeutic release for Bigg Homie Sin & Feel Banks because they appear to be hitting on relevant topics that hit home for many. Bigg Homie Sin & Feel Banks are…
Silence may be in the name, but this debut album from West of House is anything but quiet! Crescendo of Silence is a striking new album from emerging alt rock band West of House. The band, comprising of: Erick Bieger, Kevin Huynh, Dave Roberts, Lance Bletscher, and Tommy Maras hail from Orange County, California. Their influences however,…
Trey Connor’s single, “Fear,” is drawn from his Horizons album. Connor, who is just 23, has already appeared on NBC’s The Voice in 2015, where he was a casting finals participant. He is based in the good musical breeding ground of Austin, TX. The song’s title comes along in the track’s very first line, when…
Five-piece bands have a special place in the history of rock n’ roll. Two guitars, a bass, drums and a powerhouse lead vocalist – it’s a combination that can’t be beat, and for Moon Fever, it’s the right setup to produce some of the smokiest alternative rock I’ve listened to in a long time. Their new single…
Like the cruel wee-hours of the morning shift, or calloused hands from working construction, the tale singer and songwriter, Brandyn Cross, shares in his single “If Money Talks (It Ain’t on Speakin’ Terms With Me)” co-written by Daryl Stevenett is embedded in the heart of every person earning a paycheck. A fulfilling day’s work can…
Tom Ciurczak is originally a New Yorker who relocated to the West Coast in his early twenties. Now in Los Angeles, California, Tom has music running through his veins. Tom has been writing songs since the young age of 12 and even played in numerous rock bands back in his New York days. Tom Ciurczak…
CIENFUE’s “Eyes Wide Open Remix of “Open Her Eyes,” begins slowly and traditionally with what sounds like pan flute accompaniment. Once the vocal comes in, the track is transformed into an easygoing reggae tune. It prominently features a clacking rhythm part, as well. Furthermore, it includes a tropical-sounding electric guitar counter melody. The best term…
Soft vocals, a searing pair of guitars, a poetically melodic piano and subtle bassline are all churning together in a vortex of harmonies inside of Pretty Awkward’s new single “Misfits,” but while this latest release is perhaps the band’s most complicated by design, it’s also their smoothest in finish. URL: https://www.prettyawkwardband.com/ SMART URL: https://orcd.co/misfits From…
The PondHawks, as one of the country’s leading indie bands has just released “Invisible Stranger”, a chorale or chant for these challenging and unpresidential times. A warning and inspired hope, the song brings to light the fragrance of issues surrounding the pandemic in a musical soliloquy. The PondHawks have a unique harmonic sound like no…
Los Musick/P.A.T. Louisiana’s Finest delivers a timeless confident sound on the fantastically funky “Inside The People: The Sequel”. A true joy to behold they jump genres with gleeful abandon. The stylistically tour-de-force races from classic rock to G-Funk to hip-hop. Within a singular song they manage completely defy listener expectations for their ear for melody…
Really big things are happening in the pop music genre right now thanks to the advent of studio technology in recent times, but some artists – like Taylor Colson, for example – are keeping their aesthetical approach to the craft rather simple and subsequently yielding a substance of riches in their work. Colson’s new single,…
Lace describes its music as the combination of “four eclectic musicians” that incorporate elements of “neo-soul, Konnakol inspired grooves and jazz harmony to form” a unique sound. We all know what neo-soul and jazz are, but what the heck is Konnakol? Konnakol, which is sometimes spelled ‘Konokol’ or Konakkol,’ has been defined as the art…
Two hungry rappers hailing from Texas and Louisiana are excited to release their new record titled ‘Inside The People- The Sequel’. Los Musick & P.A.T. Louisiana’s Finest certainly have southern roots but before you jump the gun and think “Dirty South” style…FREEZE! Hold up, stop, wait and forget it when it comes to that predetermined…
Bruce Wayne Carl is known as Warbler BC, and his album, Warbler BC One, is a short – but by no means sweet – six-song set. He’s been described as a tortured musical soul. Well, the tortured soul label fits, that’s for sure. The music he creates is consistently sad, so don’t select this release…
This MC from New York is just simply relentless! Flippin’ Gothic Fabp consistently churns out track after track with no end in sight! I’ve been fortunate enough to listen to many of Fabp’s songs over the years and review the material. What I can honestly tell you is that Flippin’ Gothic Fabp is constantly evolving…
The 2010s were a transformative time for CCM, and if you were following some of the genre’s more noteworthy scenes during any part of the decade, you know that the best talent came out of the underground and, for the most part, remained there. Take Lavendine for example – years after the initial release of…
Opening with a mournful acoustic piano part, Paul Karcz’s single “Home” builds into an emotional power ballad. The song’s artwork is just as dramatic. It features ghost-like figures heading to an old house right around evening time. Home is usually such a comforting concept. However, this song leaves anything but a comforting feeling within the…
Ella Blue is unapologetically herself, something female artists are often discouraged from being. But not Blue – she has forged a music career centred on one premise – wearing your heart on your sleeve makes you strong, not weak. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, with addiction at its core, Blue writes from the pain…
At the core of Ohio trio Coldswell are two brothers; Evan (guitar, vox) and Brandon Krise (drums). They are joined by talented bassist Ian Hudson, whom Evan met studying Music Technology at Kent State University. The story goes that Evan filled in on drums for Ian’s music theory composition project when the drummer initially set…
The life of Des Cox is an interesting one to say the least, and it would take a lot of space to cover it all but the five tracks presented so far for a future double album can be covered along with some of it. This is no ordinary artist, Des Cox is well known…
A silky-smooth voice rests in the very center of Sangeeta Kaur’s ethereal “Illuminance”. Her breathy vocals have an angelic quality to them while they unfurl at their own pace. Quite operatic in their cadence the ambient classical bliss works wonders in creating a fully soothing sound. So reassuring the way the action ebbs and flows…
For the past 13 years, songwriter Jason Perrillo has been crafting music from his NY studio. A producer and multi-instrumentalist to boot, Perrillo has all the skills. His music is a kaleidoscope of colourful sound; melodies and textures interwoven much like a beautiful watercolour. Now, for his new album ‘Halcyon’ (being released in September 2020),…
A big, brash and bold swinging sound defines the Brokys On Band’s “Las Vegas Experience”. Energetic to its very core the whole group appears to be quite game. Nimble instrumentals and smooth vocals lead the way. The timeless take on these standards feels outright joyous. Virtually bursting at the seams, the sheer amount of versatility…
The man behind Seven Crows is violinist, composer & band leader Chris Murphy and get ready for an electric wonderland full of different moods & soundscapes. “Secrets of Navigation” is the title track on the full album by Seven Crows and I have to say that this track is smooth sailing at its finest. This…
You may be thrown for a loop while listening to the bluegrass-y (meaning, plenty of bluegrass instrumental elements) on “Early to Bed, Early to Rise” off Liam Moore’s second album, Visions of a Perfect life. This is because Moore spends much of his day job time writing classical music for choirs and chamber ensembles. The…
