CD and DVD reviews
There’s a line in the song “Forgiver” from the alt rock band Dendrons that says “consumes”. For many, the act of forgiving and wanting forgiveness can be a relentless need. Filling every thought, every action, Dendrons’ newest release is a choreographed wall of sound that protects the vulnerability of forgiving. It’s a rock/punk-laced track that…
When Art Tawanghar refers to “she” as “everything,” he is referring to a mother, specifically Mother Earth. It’s his musical response to “the cracking sound of suffering bees smelling the burning fires of the beautiful rainforests.” It’s also a call to action. “Let’s all come together and raise our vibrations. Help mother EARTH the only…
A sense of community defines the cheery optimism of Wayne Olivieri’s “We’re In This Together”. Sung with such passion and honestly, the whole of the work has a defiant hopeful quality. Classic rock to its very core there is a timelessness to it. His voice has a warm, reassuring presence to it which is featured…
No Small Matter calls itself an alternative rock band from the South Shore of Massachusetts. Its single, “Eyes Open,” opens with a weird sounding vocal intro that sounds a little bit like The Cars’ “Hello Again” opening salvo. However, this is where the group’s comparison to that other Massachusetts band begins and ends. Whereas The…
Bray Gurnari, leader of San Francisco’s Bray & The Dens, has been described as one who creates music with “Bowie-esque hooks.” However, “I Guess I’m Changin’,” a single from his act’s forthcoming Stingray album, doesn’t put off too many Thin White Duke-lique vibes. Instead, it’s a relatively straight forward pop tune. The track begins gently…
“I feel cold without your bliss / Feelings lost, feelings cost a lot” sings Sébastien Lacombe in the company of a surreal string harmony in the foreground of his new single “Gold in Your Soul,” out everywhere indie music is sold and streamed this spring, and with his words comes a flood of emotional subtext…
There’s a music competition every other year and each one gives one participant a chance to change their lives and make music for a larger audience. Lukas Rossi found his chance in the CBS Television reality show called Rock Star: Supernova. The audition led to Lukas becoming the face of the Rock Star Supernova Band.…
As a solely instrumental track, Church Music is a wild ride. It starts off simple enough with a tame tempo. This, I think, reflects effortlessly on the title. Church is something quiet, understanding, and calm. But as the song continues, you can feel the energy heighten as the music speeds up and becomes much more…
Motel Room is a high energy jam. Kiss the Tiger’s vocals have a similar style to another band called the Regrettes and I am all for it. There are not nearly enough groups or singers who venture into this kind of territory. While it isn’t an intense track, it doesn’t need to be. It’s fun…
Italian singer/songwriter Claudio Conti weaves together his unique stamp of 60s psychedelia with modern electronica in the 11-track album Frail Boats. Supposing these songs are about his time spent in Chicago, Los Angeles and London, the culmination of Conti’s life journey is certainly ripe with his observances on human nature and more. Conti’s nurturing vocals…
Tomorrow is a somber tune. It reeks of a simple kind of maturity that can really resonate through the vocals and lyrics. The tempo is steady and builds slightly, only to be returned by Sophie Dorsten’s powerful voice. She truly has an amazing talent. It’s filled to the brim with emotion and that adds so…
Gestalt is an act that creates instrumental music. Just what style of music this group creates, however, is up for a debate. This is because a bevy of styles get thrown together, and Gestalt can be many different groups, depending upon which particular track you’re listening to. With that said, though, no matter the flavor,…
Optimism and faith come to the forefront on Peace Spirits’ soothing “Oh God”. Everything about it shimmers and shines. Production goes for a glowing, angelic hue. Instrumentally rich the satisfying drones wash over the listener. Elements of pop inform the dreamlike world that takes shape. Nods to Beach House appear through, for like that group,…
Austin Carson is an artist that goes by the name YYY, and Aquadungeonafterdark is an album filled with music that’s impossible to define as just one specific genre. The track on this wide-ranging 10-song collection that grabs your attention first is “Waste.” It’s a psychedelic little creation that audaciously borrows a melodic line from the…
The Queen of magnetic EDM continues to satisfy the musical palette with her latest video release titled “Take Me Higher (Craig London/Boughton Remix)”. I’ve had the pleasure to work with eM numerous times and her natural talent & strong perseverance never ceases to amaze me! I’ve always adored the three words eM stands by: “Inspiration.…
I can’t believe it’s been nearly 10 years since I first came across this guitar virtuoso! Back in 2010, I reviewed Brennan’s album, ‘Bullet Ride’ (https://skopemag.com/2010/11/25/brennan-dylan-bullet-ride) and it was at that moment I knew my ears were witnessing guitar greatness. Jumping ahead to the present, I’m thrilled to see Brennan Dylan continuing to shred away…
New Zealand singer songwriter Sam Bartells’ captures the heartfelt spirit of determination and searching for clarity and forgives in the gripping single “Blessed & Broken”. Stirring vocals like Chris Cornell, with the sincerity of Bob Seger, Bartells’ voice pierces the listener’s hearts. The strength to carry on, Bartell’s journey takes hold of the listener and…
Lola Rising opens its Moving Forward album with “More Music,” which includes the lines, “We need to write more music/We need to plant more seeds in the ground.” This is a definitively forward motion couplet, which supports the project’s simple two-word title. These words are also put to a pop-reggae beat and accented by a…
Capturing the restlessness that comes with that quarantine lifestyle, Brendan Deiz sculpts a satisfying ska sound with “Shelter in Place”. Lyrics opt for a specific playfulness. The stylistic choices, from folk punk to reggae, lend the song an additional spirit of play. Deep inside the homes of the world people are simply trying to figure…
Inches From Sin embraces a hybrid style on the playful “Enoch”. Full of a tremendous passion, the fire they sing with feels outright potent. Stylistically Inches From Sin draws from elements of country rock, the blues, gospel, folk, and a southern fried rock. By merging all of these into a singular, coherent whole Inches From…
What happens when two vastly different musical backgrounds collide? In Grifters & Shills’ case, the aftermath of such a unique collision is a masterpiece album titled Pretty Little Secrets. From the haunting harmonies to the despondent lyrics, John and Rebecca Stoll capture a folk songwriting style amidst music that is heavily grounded in rock and…
I jumped into Hillbilly Hippie Haiku Heaven completely unaware of what to expect. I’m glad I was not taking a drink because I surely would have spit it out. I don’t know if all of Blind Uncle Harry’s songs are this hilarious or blunt, but I really enjoy this one. With a title like Hillbilly…
The one place where you feel free. That line – that repeated line in the new song “Halfway House (The One Place Remix)” felt like a bulls eye after a few listens. I pondered if the artist/singer Hourstone meant it metaphorically or literally. What matters most while listening to Hourstone’s latest track is what you…
Philadelphia band, by way of South Africa, opens its Pipe Dreams EP with a bit of a Southwestern vibe on a track titled “Cartel Sage.” It features ringing electric guitars that conjure images of Spaghetti Western movies. This is one of many colors The Missing Frets reveals through this five-track project. As you can imagine…
Right off the bat, this track grabs your attention. Head in the Clouds has a catchy bass groove and it really gets under your skin, in a good way. It’s pretty mellow instrumentally but it picks up a bit when the vocalist jumps in. He has so much emotion and energy and injects it directly…
I do not have a lot of experience with reggae music. The little bit that I know comes solely from the iconic Bob Marley, which is to say I only recognize about three of his most famous songs. However, I do have a little knowledge of ska-punk and while I know they are not the…
The piano purrs with melancholic retrospection. A strum of acoustic guitar strings reaches out to comfort the keys, but it’s just not enough. For this somber energy to be satisfied, it’s going to take a voice from someone who can relate to these unspoken emotions through gorgeous, linguistic poeticisms. Dan Ashley’s “Lucky Stars” begins in…
Whether straddling an acoustic melody coupled with electropop grooves in “Aright,” working a fuzzy beat with a controlled sense of rhythm in “Wouldn’t Be Love,” striking a balance between the tender melodies of a moderate rock riff and a formidable lead vocal all his own in the title cut of the all-new LP Out Loud, or…
Second Hand Mojo’s EP, After Midnight, is a welcome blast of Midwestern rock. Yes, the act’s style can also be described as Southern rock, but the act also has Michigan roots. Thus, the sound of these six tunes, such as the soulful organ that fills and solos on the project’s title track, gives the music…
Benjamin Thomas sings with fire and passion on the lovely “You’re With Me”. Effortlessly combining balladry alongside sophisticated jazz licks, the whole of the piece radiates. By far the heart and soul of the track comes from the steady, crystal clarity of the lyrics. Vocals opt for a celebratory response one that explores togetherness with…
Dave Sandersfeld describes his album, Somewhere in the Dark, as one that “explores moving towards the darkness and finding love within oneself and allowing one to come out the other side with a greater perspective,” and one can easily see where his single, “World On Fire,” fits into that project’s primary aims. It’s a folkish…
When you think of the phenomenal story-tellers of yesteryear like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon or James Taylor, Gordon Thomas Ward would be in that same vein for Today. This multi-dimensional artist takes listeners on a lyrical journey on his new 2 Volume set called ‘Eiderdown’. Gordon Thomas Ward is setting the gold standard for singer/songwriters…
The phrase, ‘Let your hair down,’ usually refers to an admonition to loosen-up and not be quite so uptight. For some reason, it also sounds like one of those atypical 60s phrases. Maybe this is because hair was oftentimes so much longer back then, which allowed for more of it to be let down. Such…
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the multi-talented artist, Daniel Park in the past and I feel like this particular record is perfect timing. Yes, this is a Christmas-themed album and we are in Spring, BUT with all of the confusion and worry out there today I say why not! I’ve always thought Daniel…
First the Winter has released a remastered version of “Same Old Story.” The song appears on their album “Experimental Mice”, and is a mix of soft rock and mid-tempo rock. The song starts off with promising lyrics, such as “When I met you/I was sure/That my pathway/Ahead was clear”. Despite this, the acoustic guitar was…
Ariella embodies an intimacy with her stripped-down bluesy style. Done with the utmost of affection and care, these pieces radiate a sense of tremendous lushness. Lyrics have their own poetry to them while she reflects upon all the ups and down relationships bring. Making sure to keep things to the absolute essentials Ariella’s accompaniment comes…
Corzine has released the single “Panic”. The song is featured on Corzine’s EP, “And There It Is”. It is a mid-tempo pop song that is suitable for anyone who enjoys that type of music and enjoys deep lyrics to go along with it. The song begins with the lyrics “I hear your voice in every…
C-Rod speaks truth to power on the fiery “Make Hip Hop Great Again!”. A critique of culture and politics emerges through the pointed lyricism. Mastery of his flow means that he goes for a highly intricate series of vignettes, ones that focus upon the toxicity of the world alongside personal moments. By building the two…
A jazzy beat comes into focus and is quickly adorned with kaleidoscopic melodies, the best of which originate from a staggered piano’s gentle rhythm. There are no glittery synths, no bloated basslines. Rob Alexander hasn’t even started singing, but the mood is difficult for anyone within earshot to ignore. This is “Life As We Know…
Earl Donald is bringing House-inspired, Indie dance to the forefront with this brand new song titled “Birds of Paradise”. This is the featured single off of Earl Donald’s new EP called ‘A Lighter World’ and is simply soaring. This Toronto-based artist is responsible for all of the music and lyrics while the mixing and mastering…
