CD and DVD reviews
Phantom Phunk is bringin’ the Phunky, Fresh noise and living “Day By Day” on their latest single. Phantom Phunk is a creative bunch from Tampa, Florida where they create super original music out of their Harmonic Factory studio. Phantom Phunk is most certainly not your typical band of today as they push musical boundaries and…
She calls Cape Cod, MA home and Kathleen Healy is dubbed the “Saltwater Songwriter” for good reason. Much of her inspiration is drawn from the cool waters of Cape Cod where the salty sea consumes Kathleen’s soul. The music exhibits heavy oceanic elements with a splash of Americana and good ‘ol fashioned folk as Kathleen…
Robert Thies & Damjan Krajacic’s “Blue Landscapes III: Frontiers is presented by a group that calls itself THE “mindfulness music leader” Real Music aka myndstream. This ‘mindfulness’ connection is important because it presents music as something more than mere easy listening stuff. Psychology Today calls mindfulness “a state of active, open attention to the present.…
Rock and metal went through some pretty tumultuous times as the 2010’s came to an end, but despite the chaos in their scene, Kings County are rising from the ashes of that era with blistering sound all their own. Formed in New York and now doing business out of the sunshine state in the shadow…
As you might expect, “Morning Dew,” featuring Negar Nick on Persian Kamanche, is a quiet, gentle piece of music. In addition to Nick’s Kamanche, this piece also prominently features piano. It’s a pretty and meditative recording of music. Dew itself is – as we all know – water that appears as droplets, which are usually…
Rev Peter Unger has released the song “Selah” off the EP of the same name. As described on his ReverbNation profile (https://www.reverbnation.com/revpeterunger), he makes Christian music with the styles of folk and country music. The song is calming, guitar-drive, and Christian-themed. By taking a stripped-down approach to the song, “Selah” comes across as well-produced with…
Sonomaris is a hard-hitting act from Los Angeles, California and they are pushing full steam ahead with their latest single, “Million”. Just as “The Wall of Sound” was created long ago, Sonomaris has their own blast of audio that will blow you away. This band combines elements of hard rock and progressive rock and the…
If you’re assuming that this band is a bunch of pompous, ego-maniacs who think they are beyond brilliant and that there music is superior then THINK again my friends! Just like you should never judge a book by its cover, much of the same applies here with The Brilliance. This NY-based outfit offers a break-out…
The Brilliance has titled its album Suite No 2 World Keeps Spinning: An Antidote to Modern Anxiety, and no song addresses anxiety more squarely than “Just Be.” Built around mainly just a vocal and a piano backing, before strings enter the mix, it’s a little like a modern-day lullaby. In fact, it’s the sort of…
There aren’t many artists in the underground right now that are getting the kind of hype that Ronnue is, and if you’ve heard any of the new mixes for his single “Be Your Freak” (from the acclaimed and award-winning album Introduction 2 Retro-Funk), you know exactly why. Ronnue lets the beats come undone in “The…
Sonomaris, a hard rock band from Los Angeles, CA, points to many grunge-associated acts as influences, and one can pick up on inspirations from Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and the like while listening to Initium. A track like “Fallen,” which begins with melodic bell notes, includes a spoken word counter vocal running through it in…
The 2010s, especially as they drew to a close, proved to be a great time for vocal-driven pop music, and among the brighter stars to emerge from the underground in this aspect is Rob Alexander, whose new single “Friend of Mine (Elton’s Epic)” (the second from the 2019 LP Being Myself) has been raising eyebrows…
Jerf, the song notes tell us means “endless depth.” “Love is an ocean of endless depth,” Art Tawanghar expands upon that definition. “You are not a drop in an ocean, but the entire ocean in a drop,” he continues. Yes, this is heavy stuff. Music, for Tawanghar is just one more way to extend a…
Whether it be the grinding grooves of “Solace Unexpected,” an anxious melody of “The Turnaround,” a relaxed swing in “Caught You in Love” or the patient harmonies of “Mother’s Son,” This Time are always doing something unique to stir up a response from listeners in their latest record, the moderate Two, which was released this year…
The Artist from Down Under is back and better than ever with her latest released titled ‘Nothing Ventured’. I have had the pleasure to work with eM many times over the years and I have yet to be disappointed. eM is a very talented vocalist/producer who seems to know exactly what works every single time…
Love Me In The Dark has released their debut album of the same name. The group consists of two people: Steve McCormick and Heather Donavon, who vocals complement each other excellently. The duo combines elements of Americana, folk, and country music to make a well-produced album full of standout songs. “Old Soul” can best be…
Art Tawanghar’s “Perennial Wisdom 432Hz” begins with just a few piano chords, which almost sound like the intro to The Mamas & the Papa’s “California Dreamin’.” However, only moments into the track, multiple mystical notes step in. Surprisingly, a finger snap rhythm is also added the track. An odd juxtaposition of old-world music and contemporary…
Rachael Sage has a lot of history to call upon. Her career, spanning fifteen album releases over many years, but with this latest release, she is heading all the way back to the beginning, to her very first tour. Putting Sage on tour with Ani DiFranco was a stroke of genius (hats off to whoever…
Rio Trio is, much like its name suggests, a group of three that creates jazz music with Brazilian flavor. Drawn from the Straight to the Top album, this instrumental track is driven by a soulful flute part. The groove is a swaying, insistent one that grabs your attention and won’t let go. Unlike too much…
David Allen’s music is described as “No bullshit, just straight up good music out of the heart and through a glass of whiskey and a cigarette.” Such a description may not exactly be politically correct, but it’s likely music to the ears of real country music fans. He sings roots music, and unlike Bruce Springsteen…
“Forgiveness” DeepC Divers begins with a gentle piano intro, followed by an equally gentle lead vocal. It all has many earmarks from 70s soft-rock. It’s sensitive and melodic, like much of the popular adult contemporary music from that era. Sonically, the track’s piano-backed arrangement is later joined by violin. The sound is pop; albeit with…
It’s hard to try and describe the effect this group has had on music for over 60 years, but Don Wilson’s writer/producer/director daughter Staci Layne Wilson has done a great job of successfully pulling it all together. In 1959 Don Wilson met Bob Bogle while working at his dad’s used car lot. After Bob convinced…
A harmonica adorns the soft waves of an acoustic guitar melody. The strings play on as the harmonica fades away, but they aren’t alone in their strut for very long. A prideful voice belonging to none other than Jonathan Emile joins the guitar only moments later, exuding a gorgeous harmony against the backdrop of the…
Big Bone Daddy goes for a southern fried swagger on the effortlessly cool “Got It”. A playful sensibility informs the entirety of the album. The exploration of an entire way of life comes to define the work. Group play dominates the whole of the album for every instrument bounces off each other resulting a communal…
The gnaw of a simple melody awakens chill-inducing textures as we sift through the sonic soil of “Wrinkle.” In “Improvisation,” this same melody has been modified to resemble the swell of an ocean wave, while in “Ad-Lib,” it’s a ghost in the night, almost translucent to the average onlooker. There is no escaping the effervescent…
The Dutch rock/jazz guitarist is probably best known for his being a founder of the prog rock group Focus. The European Guitar Award winner has gone on to do session work with numerous top artists in addition to releasing solo recordings. On this release he is accompanied by Marijin van der Berg on drums, David…
I’m thrilled to get a chance to listen to and review this recent album titled ‘The Bending of Light’ by Belle of the Fall. I have had the opportunity to interview Belle of the Fall, (https://skopemag.com/2019/01/03/jimmy-rae-ringing-in-2019-with-belle-of-the-fall), and review a classic cover by the Connecticut-based duo, (https://skopemag.com/2018/11/21/belle-of-the-fall-release-scarborough-fair). If brilliant harmonies and acoustic folk are your thing,…
The Pink Dust’s new EP “Fathom”, with a release date of January 10th, 2020, is a four-song effort that showcases the versatility of the band. Alongside the title track, it contains the songs “I’m Gone”, “Things That Matter Most”, and “Lonely Still”. Fans of alternative rock should be pleased. The EP is best listened to…
Self taught Kenyan born musician, songwriter and performer Vonj relocated to the United Kingdom long ago and has made a mark with previous independent releases but his latest release, an EP entitled Unity is Power, illustrates the success Vonj has experienced developing his performing and songwriting talents in recent years. He works with a first class…
I had the pleasure to review Sophie Dorsten’s single, “Roses”, last year and knew that I had come across a one-of-a-kind artist, (http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=207319). This Phoenix-based singer/songwriter may be a teenager still in high school, but Sophie sings and performs like a seasoned pro. Sophie Dorsten is a true talent with star potential and you will…
Charles Daza and The Revenants virtually blow out their amps on the insane guitar athletics of “Old Camaro”. Done with a classic cool, the gnarled guitar riffs work wonders. Vocals have an unhinged quality as the rhythm rushes through. A swinging sound ties together the Jersey Swamp Cats’ playful “Dance All Night”. Instrumentally vibrant the…
In their new single “#2020,” family band Avni Vir Vineet blend surreal pop with sleek R&B grooves to conceive a bittersweet slow jam as indebted to Caribbean swing as it is a traditional Indian melodicism becoming increasingly popular among western listeners. “#2020,” as its name implies, is an anthem of peace and togetherness created in…
To say that it isn’t easy to capture the energy of a vintage bluegrass song would be too huge an understatement for any journalist to make, and yet for Irene Kelley, the challenge isn’t too big to undertake (as we learn in her new studio album Benny’s TV Repair). The imagistic and highly textured tracks, which…
The Hardest Part, the new extended play from Oliver James, opens with its title-bearing composition, and through a mist of strings that create our foray into the track, we get a taste of the magic in store for us in the next 20 minutes of play. James’ lyric finds its way to the forefront of…
What comes to your mind when you see a perfectly built home? Have you ever stopped to wonder what it took the owner to make that house to what it is? Building a house from scratch is not an easy thing to do. It takes a lot of planning, time and patience to successfully build…
Scottish-born singer/songwriter, Hugh Morrison, indugles fans from all over the world with Scottish music unlike any other with his latest album release, The Other Side. The 12-track album features rock solid Scottish ballad anthems that follows the release of Prison Ballads in 2016. The Other Side offers a unique collection of songs fit for listeners…
The Irrational Library has released the album “EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES AND ALL THINGS AT ONCE”. The album consists of 13 songs, split between the six-song “Side A” and seven-song “Side B”. The album takes rock and alternative sounds and combines them with politically-charged lyrics. When it comes to the instrumentation, the album largely consists…
This was the second time seeing this wonderful production, but this marks the first time reviewing Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. I am honored to get a chance to witness this amazing spectacle and to provide a thoughtful & precise critique of this one-of-a-kind event. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was dubbed as…
Griffin Holtby’s voyage from birth in Ukraine, adoption into a loving American family, personal turmoil as he reached adulthood, culminate in this single “Overgrown”. His journey is, of course, far from complete, but I think this single represents the end of one chapter in the young performer’s life and the beginning of a whole phase…
Lynne Taylor is showing off her ‘Shades of Blue’ in all its glory on the brand new release. This Massachusetts-based artist has come out with an album that is like a musical buffet of enticing melodies, notes, lyrics & vocals. Lynne Taylor is an accomplished vocalist & pianist who writes & sings straight from the…
