CD and DVD reviews
Charley Young sings with a soulful swagger on the trance pop perfection of “Hold The Moon”. Electro impulses glimmer beneath the sleek polished surface. With a giddy quality Charley Young refuses to let things stay put for long. The energy that runs through the whole of the track feels outright incredible. By refusing to ever…
T.J. Doyle explores a mellowed-out long back on a life passed with “Lullaby”. With a low-key energy the song unfurls at its own gentle pace. Over the course of the track T.J. Doyle brings in acid fried country, an indie rock sensibility, with a psychedelic twang all into a vivid worldview. Full of life T.J.…
“Cloud 9” is a single taken from The Violet Nines’ EP, which is also titled Cloud 9. The group also recently covered “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” Simple Minds’ huge hit from that John Hughes teen dramady The Breakfast Club, which may tell you even more about the band than this particular song does. Know…
In his latest single and music video, the fuzz-frenzied “Are You Happy (Radio Mix),” Av Super Sunshine belts out the lyrics with an illustrious croon that has become a sort of calling card in his music, but there’s a stronger depth of emotion present in his vocal here than there is in anything else on…
Led by a fuzzy guitar and a gentle drumbeat, Mariela’s Darkness in the Garden doesn’t waste any time in getting everyone within earshot of the mammoth melodies in “Shatter the Glass” on their feet and swinging in synchronicity with the rhythm. A classy croon inserts itself at the epicenter of all the action, and before…
FACEBOOK: https://www.hughiemac.com/ The latest single from singer/balladeer Hughie Mac, “Let’s Get Away”, picks up the torch Frank Sinatra sat down many years ago and carries this classic track into the modern era with flair and panache that Ol’ Blue Eyes would have likely appreciated. The single is culled from his most recent full length release Hughie…
Bonnie Finken has titled her album Gauntlet. The term gauntlet dates to the medieval practice where a knight throwns down his gauntlet, or metal glove, as a challenge to combat. And make no mistake about it, Finken is all about being combative, both musically and lyrically. Gauntlet opens with “Down Down,” an electronic pop song…
A new fixture of the Austin, Texas music scene, Ela uprooted herself from San Francisco and moved south with skills and songwriting ambitions in tow. Despite her young age, Ela’s mix of pop and country sounds has garnered her a measure of commercial success and the adult complexities she incorporates will impress all but their…
The sway of the lightly overdriven guitars is almost paralyzing, but just as it seems we’re about to be overtaken by the powerfully melodic opening bars of “You Are There,” Matthew John comes sliding into focus with his soft voice and tender lyricism. This track comes to us on the appropriately titled The Best of…
Lonny Ziblat sculpts a timeless classic with the lush throwback sound of “Dream Hunting”. Recalling a late 60s early 70s singer-songwriter tradition, his lyricism has a profound thoughtful quality to it. With nods to everyone from the cool collected atmosphere of Paul Simon to the reflective communal spirit of James Taylor, it all comes together…
Billy Hartong’s imaginative children’s songs are expressed by his group called The Jolly Pops. Bad Bad Dinosaur opens with the album’s title track, which sounds a lot like typical kid’s music, including kid backing vocals. What separates many of the other songs on this 12-song project is the way many of these tunes adhere to…
“Made Alive” is both the single and the name of a duo featuring Brian & Katie Payton. In fact, it’s taken from the act’s EP of the same name. Based in Minnesota, these two first at during a Christmas program at Brian’s church in 2016. So, the best present they received that year was each…
The band is on the road with their Now’s The Time tour celebrating their 25th Anniversary while promoting their new release Blood. Frontman and keyboards/guitarist Ed Roland is joined by brother Dean on guitars, bassist Will Turpin, lead guitarist Jesse Triplett, and drummer Johnny Rabb. The album cover depicts what I determine to be referring…
A springy string melody ignites a blaze of musicality that will soon overtake anyone within earshot of the title track in LaTresa & the Signal’s The Blood and the River, a ‘grassed up gospel LP that is garnering a lot of attention this season, to put it mildly. We begin in this tizzy of easygoing…
Brother Son buttresses their growing reputation as a promising four piece with their latest album release Goodies. Their indie alternative rock sound hosts an array of common reference points with a classic idiosyncratic pop guitar glow, but the individual performances stand out as much for the stylistic synthesis they achieve. It is a natural successor to…
The Jorgensens’ album The Lexington is steeped in American music history. Although this pair is from Minnesota, the couple’s second and latest offering features a whole lot of New Orleans in it. One titled “Storyville,” which Kurt Jorgensen sings, finds the singer/songwriter mentioning how he thinks he spies the ghost of Louie Armstrong while he’s…
Bryan “Dexter” Holland of the Offspring has his PhD and wrote his dissertation about molecular biology at USC. Along with Brian May (Queen) and Greg Graffin (Bad Religion), Holland is a certified scientist. We’ve become a little used to learning about our rock and rollers and their scientific sidelines. It’s far more uncommon to find…
There may be language barriers but when it comes to music there are no obstacles because music truly is the universal language. Leiva proves that here with his fourth solo album titled ‘Nuclear’ that is exploding with style & finesse. I may not be able to follow along with the lyrics but I certainly can…
Juewett Bostick, pronounced Ju wet and going by “Ju” to those in his circle, is a unique artist with a lot of jazz and blues influence to arrive at his own modern brand of music. “Sound & Rhythm–Prelude” is a track from his latest album – Shades Of Blu, a release consisting of everything that’s…
Initial Mass blazes a hard rock path on the powerful “Blending Light”. Volume is an absolute must for the album has a tremendous, all-consuming spirit to it. A sense of urgency runs through the entire journey. Guitar riffs have an intensity to them while they have a driving presence. The vocals truly serve as the…
A hypnotic trance pop defines Sofie Elezaj’s spirited “When It’s Over”. Going for a passionate, highly energetic sensibility all of it feels outright entrancing. By far the highlight comes from the fiery vocals that adorn the entirety of the piece. While deeply grounded in a unique EDM style, they incorporate elements of pop with a…
This is the second album in a row where I didn’t understand all of the words due to the songs/lyrics being in Spanish, but yet again it doesn’t matter because the music speaks for itself. Eljuri is a NYC-based singer/songwriter with Ecuadorian roots and she brings global tastes and mass appeal on the new record.…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Lifeworkmusic/ In a flurry of heavenly harmonies, we’re welcomed into the melodic paradise that is Life-Work’s all-new single, the enamoring “Dolce Far Niente (Pete Hammond Remix),” which is out now along with an extended play of the same title everywhere that independent music is sold and streamed. Right from the start of the song,…
Monique Sherrell Brown goes for a rustic gritty charm on the charming folk of “Wishing You The Best (Homestead Vol. 1)”. Everything works from the twang of the guitar to their intimate vocals. The vocals rest front and center with a bluesy quality helping to guide it through. “Can’t Stop Loving You” has an ambient…
Deep C Divers’ “My Luv” is a mid-tempo love song. It’s a song of appreciation, and one that is thankful for person that lifts him up when he’s feeling down. The track begins with a chiming electric guitar part, which is followed shortly by a thumping bass line. This “love” lifts him from the underground.…
Even though I couldn’t understand the words due to the lyrics being in Spanish, I know good music when I hear it. And No TeVaGustar offers very good-sounding music on ‘Otras Canciones’ that is professionally done and so full of life. No TeVaGustar is referred to as “the most important group in Uruguayan rock and…
URL: http://www.bridalpartytheband.com/ “Every time I catch the flu / I dream of how many pounds I might lose” sings a sultry, angelic female vocal from the other side of our stereo speakers in the intro to “Too Much,” Bridal Party’s latest single and the first to be cut from their forthcoming record of the same…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/DaneMaxwell/ “Where I’m Seen,” the newly-minted single from Iowan Dane Maxwell, doesn’t start with a pitter-patter of the drums. We don’t jump right into some theatrical opening verse celebrating the subject at hand. There isn’t an electrifying guitar solo, and we aren’t sucker-punched with a bulging bassline. We begin with an acoustic string salvo…
Rockie Brown is from Las Vegas. However, her single “Hero,” taken from her Mad World EP, doesn’t sound like a song about her Sin City hometown. She begins by admitting she’s a slave to the 9 to 5. However, the last thing most people aim to do when in Vegas is slave at a 9…
The Stifftones delves into a classic Americana on the soulful “Midwestern Town”. With a poetic sense of storytelling, the whole of the piece feels alive. Folk, country with a sense of pastoral beauty unfurls with such grace. A gritty intimate spirit ties it all together. Keeping things on a thoughtful graceful note, the piece at…
The first artist you may think of when initially hearing Josh Christina’s “Lets Get Woke” for the first time, is Elton John. John, whose music is now featured in now featured in the biopic movie “Rocketman,” may have been the last of the great, piano-pounding rock & rollers. The song “Lets Get Woke” most resembles…
Nothing tricky about it, Fingertrick is breakin’ through with their latest single “Thin Ice”. This song slides along at a consistently comfortable pace with Fingertrick giving a record-shattering performance on “Thin Ice”. This track is featured on the band’s album titled ‘If Requiems Were Record Deals’ and showcases a young & hungry trio from Memphis…
Katy Vernon is a true songbird coming to light on this latest single, “In Your Shoes (For Daisy)”. This new song is featured on her album, ‘Suit Of Hearts’ and is a real gem of a tune. The track is actually inspired by Daisy Vanderwood’s Mother’s Day card to Katy several years ago. With plenty…
No matter what you may think of Ranzel X Kendrick’s performance on his new single, “Crazy Love,” you must give him props for covering the great Van Morrison’s song. Van Morrison is not just an iconic performer, but “Crazy Love” is also one of his most iconic songs. In fact, it’s one of his (many)…
Microcosms explore the darkness with light on the powerful “Forget Us”. Neatly capturing the zeitgeist, they explore the fear that seems to permeate every single element of daily life around the world. With the greatest of care, they tap into a post-punk sort of darkness, brooding and contemplative. Over the course of the journey their…
There is almost no describing Ryne Ziemba’s new Cataclysmos LP without going in depth about the songs, as it comes recommended for its twelve very well crafted synth pop tunes which nail it in every department Ryne Ziemba’s is good for, guitar, vocals, keyboards, effects and production being a lot to handle for one artist.…
A mysterious bassline comes slicing through the silence in “Skylights,” the first of eleven tracks that will wrap their warm sonic arms around us in Lauren Crosby’s I Said Take Me to the Water, the third official album from the Maine-born singer/songwriter. There’s no pomp, nor any excess, in this introductory string-led serenade, and as…
Nobody can provide verifiable, photographic proof of love. Science can track many (most?) particles, but love – one of the necessities of life — is invisible to the naked eye. ReLove, with its single “Shining Through,” speaks to how love can be miraculously reflected by another individual. When looking at a loved one, one can…
One picks up traces of the band Interpol, and their primary influence, Joy Division, on Troy Petty’s moody, dark album, Director’s Cut. In Hollywood, the term “director’s cut” usually refers to a movie presented exactly how the director wants it. It’s oftentimes longer than the regular theatrical version, which has likely been edited down to…
Lucid Illusions is a rock trio from Houston, TX, which creates punkish hard rock. “No Directions” is a complicated new single from the group’s self-titled album. Jordan Lane sings and plays guitar for the outfit. He asks, “How am I supposed to feel, when nothing in this life feels real?” The song title suggests no…
