CD and DVD reviews
“I Love Christmas” is the title of Cassandra’s single for charity to Amnesty International, and it’s a vibrant, fabulous piece of work for which they and anyone helping-out the cause should be proud to participate in, hear and own it. That’s the consensus after hearing it on loop enough to give it the right amount…
In a bold gust of strings that will persist throughout the ten songs that follow, the opening salvo of melodies in Jeff Parker & Company’s “Southern Wind” welcomes us with open arms into the new record Time Has Made a Change and rouse the attention of just about anyone within earshot of their misty presence. “Southern Wind”…
Jesse Blank Rundle calls the track “Nomad Exquisite” an “explorer’s song.” Be that as it may, Rundle’s ability to channel the essence and spirit of Florida’s everglades is a magical thing. His beautiful tribute is a mesmerizing tune that sends ripples of polished acoustic guitar riffs and his stoic vocals reach beyond the rings. “Nomad…
“Santa Bought A Yacht” is one unexpected sleigh ride from 308 Ghost Train. Just in time for the holidays, 308 Ghost Train sings about a hipper, Ray Ban Sunglasses wearing Saint Nick. Matching the energy and spirit of a rockabilly tune from someone like Brian Setzer to the humor and fun of a National Lampoon…
Gerry Cea is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and while he may sing with a distinct accent, his music is quite Americanized. For instance, “Our Love Goes On Forever” plunks along nicely, with warm backing vocals and plunking, 50s rock piano. The handclapping “Mine” also mines – no pun intended – similar sonic territory. But there’s…
2019 has been a so-so year for independent pop artists in the United States, but the same just can’t be said for Canada’s brood. In the north, artists like Jeremy Rice have been whipping up a storm of buzz with a new breed of easy-going, always sweet pop/rock that toes the line between vintage and…
Lily Vakili’s passionate vocal bray reminds me of prime Patti Smith; she belts out the lyrics for her latest single “She Wants What” with such unmitigated go for broke energy listeners will be swept away by her possessed commitment to realizing the potential behind each line. She’s backed by an equally ferocious musical attack prioritizing…
The video for Invinceable’s “So Loaded” is not going to make prudes think any better of hip-hop music. There’s plenty of public drinking and images of scantily clad women. What makes it noteworthy, though, is the track’s sound mixture. It’s not a rap song built upon, say, and AC/DC or Led Zeppelin samples, the way…
A gorgeous jazz fusion flows through Stephanie Angelini’s “Coz Of You”. Lush tones radiate through the easy-going rhythms. With a style that has a 70s Steely Dan cadence to it the entirety of the piece’s production shimmers. Melodically vibrant the way it twists and turns pays tribute to the impressive chops of her band. Instrumentally…
Led Zeppelin, during one of its more acoustic moments, comes immediately to mind once West of Corey’s “Course of Things to Come” begins. It starts, ever so mystically, with what sounds like wind-chimes. Next comes a finger-picked guitar part, which then leads into a riffing guitar. The song is, with its moodiness and message, a…
Gregory Suarez’s “Around the World” single begins with nice, bell tone guitar notes, which introduce a happily swaying, folkish tune. ‘Happy’ is the word that comes to mind, again and again, while this song plays. Suarez doesn’t have an especially commanding voice. Instead, it’s more of a light and airy instrument. He may not be…
“Your life is a tale of what was” raps B Fhukken Have in one of the more chill-inducing lines from his new single “Babyfood,” an unfiltered juggernaut of percussive blasts and human passion that joins four other songs in the aspiring hip-hop mogul’s discography this season. “Babyfood” isn’t the first time that the energy has…
Planet Peacock’s single, “Blind Side,” has a distinctly 90s rock sound, especially with its semi-grungy electric guitar groove. From New Jersey, this fourpiece rocks hard, yet ever so melodically. This song combines riffing guitars, with fluid bass lines and adds in layered lead lines. Once the vocal kicks in, though the backing instrumental quiets down…
Scottish born and Canadian based singer/songwriter David Leask has six praised albums to his credit and multiple awards adorn his career thus far. He has toured Canada and the United Kingdom while likewise bringing live performances to unexpected locales like beteran’s care facilities and hospitals. He is an educator who works with aspiring songwriters ranging…
The band The PondHawks have released a song titled “Afraid Of Love”. The song at its core tells the story of someone who is mystifying in the way that they do not outwardly express love. Running at approximately 4 minutes and 22 seconds, there is plenty of time in the song for listeners to hear…
Perth. Australia’s four piece Scizzorman returns with Schizophonic. It’s their fourth studio release and features nine songs overall divided into two “sides” released in physical format as separate EPs. The first side “Introvert” has four songs while the second side “Outrovert” concludes the project with an additional five tracks. The conceptual trappings of the release are…
We could all use a little pick me up in these cold winter months. The days are growing shorter than the amount of time it took you to get a cold this season, and it’s constantly raining. There is nothing more uplifting and sunshine-filled, though, than the new Kate Lomas track, ‘Happy Like This’. Kate…
West of Corey is a band consisting of Corey, the group’s lead guitarist, bassist West and a female singer Janie. Slammed is an album filled with mainstream (leaning towards classic) hard rock. Corey is a rock veteran, having played in the bands 73 Paces and Slow Burning Car, with a full 30 years of experience.…
Hannan’s “Break Me” begins with a wonderfully aggressive electric guitar groove. Graham Hannan, the band’s lead singer, doesn’t waste any time getting right to his vocal. This, then, is not one of those slow build, grow on you types of songs. The band points to Def Leppard as a musical influence, and you can certainly…
Creating one album is difficult, releasing two EPs can take a toll on most bands but The Pierce Project successfully embraced the challenge and have thrived through it. The Indie-Rock trio of brothers are bringing retro rock to the mainstream once again, reminding us all of why we love that genre of rock so much.…
With a relaxed swing that isn’t lacking in swagger by any stretch of imagination, we find the sexy beats that will form a rhythm in Lexi Todd’s new single and music video “Window Shopping,” but these grooves are just a taste of what’s about to come out of the speakers in the next few minutes…
The Dallas String Quartet present a breathtaking collection of classic Christmas ballads in their latest release, A Very Merry Christmas with Dallas String Quartet, and while it contains ten songs that most of us know by heart, it’s elegant treatment of the iconic material is as unique as a glowing winter sunset. The record begins with…
There’s a lot happening in country music right now, and amidst all of the hype that the Nashville underground has been receiving, independent singer/songwriter Casey Ahern has been getting her fair share of the limelight and then some – but not without just cause. Though I was convinced that it just wasn’t possible, her vocal…
URL: https://www.flymypretties.com/ Out of New Zealand and into the studio for the first time, prolific live band Fly My Pretties recruited a community of musicians and vocalists to perform on the welcomed distraction The Studio Recordings, Part One. This band has never recorded an actual album in the studio, rather they’ve only released live recordings…
One (of many great) quotes from the movie Office Space happens when the Peter Gibbons character says “Let me ask you something. When you come in on Monday and you’re not feeling real well, does anyone ever say to you, “Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays?” However, Pistol for Ringo speaks of…
There aren’t a lot of indie artists getting the kind of buzz that MkX is this summer, but it doesn’t come without just cause. His latest single, the acrylic “right place, at the right time,” does a lot of experimenting in its tri-tiered suite of supple beats and illicit melodies, and for the current climate…
The Keymakers are two brothers, Rederic and Rome Alexander, originally hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Their new single “California in the Sun” provides listeners an illustrative example of the pop oriented songwriting and performing chops that has garnered them a growing following. It underlines, as well, why the duo scores more…
Bobbo Byrnes’ “Mrs. What’s His Name” starts off ever so nicely, with a jangly guitar intro. Once Byrnes’ singing begins, he’s immediately joined by an organ-augmented full band. He begins by admitting, “All I’ve got, to my name/A few guitars and a little fame.” Therefore, it’s obvious from the outset this isn’t 99% of male…
Alisa Chirco performs an impressive balancing act with her single “Norma Jeane.” It’s a dance song that sounds deeper than mere dance music. The track begins with a sparse melodic groove, combined with finger snaps and equally sparse cymbals. Shortly therein, though, Chirco’s strong voice kicks in – a little like Stevie Nicks’ singing on…
With a gallop of the drums, Dan Ashley’s “What Really Matters” kicks into gear on the back of an electrifying string melody that is as glowing as it is effervescent. The rhythm is relaxed, but there’s an underlying sense of urgency in the music pouring out of our speakers so seamlessly. In this colorful, guitar-powered…
The Cold Stares draw from a bevy of influences to inform their songwriting and the latest studio release from this duo, Ways, is their best recording yet. Chris Tapp and Brian Mullins are longtime musical collaborators and their years working together has helped them establish the necessary musical rapport to make the impact they leave on…
Hard rock is such a specific genre that the lovers know exactly what they like even in the midst of a lot of cacophonous sounds. Hannan is a refreshing sound that you can’t help but embrace at the first listen. The band is made up of Louisville KY natives that remind you of the iconic…
Farrah Frostt is one diligent woman but all work and no play makes Farrah a monotonous girl. “Work Hard, Play Harder” Featuring Mateo: is the perfect solution offering up plenty of harmless fun & entertainment. Farrah Frostt is letting her hair down in the new video and enters into a world that is equipped with…
One thing is for certain and that is whoever this “Lizzy White” is, she doesn’t giving a flying f!?k about conventional music. Norwood is an eccentric band that doesn’t play by the rules and defies the odds, which I dig. I wish more bands would take risks musically these days, so hat’s off to Norwood…
American Pleasure Dome — although from Minnesota — nevertheless has a name that sounds like the Americanization of a Frankie Goes To Hollywood album title. The act’s self-titled album is comprised of relatively straightforward rock & roll. Maybe this is due to the Midwestern musical values instilled in ‘em. The track (among this strong album’s…
Gregory Suarez’s “Blue Sky Kiss” opens with a wonderfully, jangly electric guitar intro, before going into a subdued pop-rock arrangement. This single is taken from Suarez’s album Around the World. In fact, its electric guitar/organ intro is so good, one wishes it would have continued throughout the whole song. Suarez’s singing is light and airy,…
Heathcote Hill draws the name for its single, “Promised Land,” from the Old Testament story about a homeland God promised to Abraham and his descendants. This was a region described as a land that stretched from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates river. In modern terminology, however, this promised land came to be known…
Released by Lugnut Brand Records, The Railroad Ave. Bullies’ single “Alligator Shoes” and accompanying b-side “She Ready” are more than glorified vehicles for Austin, Texas six-string ace Nick Diaz. The track has an outstanding pedigree deriving inspiration from the legendary Stax label and Chicago electric blues and never wearies you despite being instrumentals. The press…
Adrian Sutherland’s “Politician Man” boasts the complete package. This is a first rate composition and band performance enhanced even further by an accompanying video dramatizing its concerns in a visually arresting manner. It is Canadian born Sutherland’s debut single as a solo artist and birthed by his passion for following the often fraught relationship between…
The old joke goes, ‘I like both kinds of music: country and western.’ Once upon a time, you didn’t see ‘country’ when it wasn’t immediately followed by the word ‘western.’ That’s because country music was all about the west. In other words, these were cowboy songs about the cowboy lifestyle. As Ken Burns’ wonderful documentary…
