CD and DVD reviews
Barrett Martin Group and the new release, ‘Songs Of The Firebird’, are soaring high with the band and album hitting all the right notes. This is a double album that contains 20 incredible instrumentals and also serves as a direct soundtrack to Barrett Martin’s new book, “The Way Of The Zen Cowboy”. The book is…
The single “And the Walls Have Ears” is best described as something Tom Waits-esque, and Tom Waits-esque is not an adjective used all that much when it comes to describing music. Waits is a unique artist, with a gravelly voice and a novelist’s eye for saturating his lyrics with vividly cinematic word pictures. Therefore, to…
From the very beginning, “Stomp On” sets the tone for a much-anticipated classic modern country song. On this track, Matt Westin showcases his deep vocal tones in the verses, while the choruses highlight his raspy and energetic tones. The meat of the song lies within the chorus, as it features a great catchy and memorable…
This band is truly something spectacular transcending mundane mainstream music and creating a musical montage that is both rich in substance & texture. Esthema is comprised of five members: Andy Milas on guitar, Onur Dilisen on violin, Mac Ritchey on oud & bouzouki, Tom Martin on bass and George Lernis on drums & percussion. This…
We’re no more than a couple of seconds into “Endless,” the new single from Still G & Slapy, and the chills are already running rampant via the undercurrent of melodic notes flooding the background. Without warning, an elegant vocal harmony enters the frame, and starts to illustrate a gorgeous opening verse that will set the…
In a simple but swaggering strum, acoustic guitars stoke the flames of a folky melody at the starting point in “Paris,” the latest single from acclaimed singer/songwriter Whitebeard released earlier this month to a modest reception from critics and fans. They’re not the only evocative instrument that’s vying for our affections in the inaugural bars…
Gary Burk III is a native of Western Pennsylvania and has started his musical career since he was nine; following an encounter he had while riding along with his father to their family camp. The experience affected Gary in a way that changed his life forever. Gary draws inspirations from people like Alabama, Jason Aldean,…
Painted Into Things taps into a hypnotic lush beauty with “Something Beautiful Won’t Come Out”. Tapping into “The Bends” era Radiohead, the track has a majestic grace to it. Indie rock, ambient, with a hint of the orchestral filter into the mix lending it a tremendous spirit of life. By opting for this tact, the…
John Vento is a Pittsburgh – stationed artist who is referred to as a Chameleon in the music scene due to the inability of being placed in a specific musical genre. Vento who says he started his musical career late has not gotten to the peak of his career. Vento who spent time as the…
Within the first few seconds, I knew I was going to love this song. The energetic vocals certainly had a bold and powerful entrance, which helps make this song stand out. Also, the infectious groove and upbeat rhythm this song has makes me want to get up and party with my friends. I could definitely…
An expressive, emotionally charged look at domestic life emerges on Big Time Grain Company’s “Sunday Morning”. The track’s highly detailed articulate storytelling unfurls in such a careful patient way. Vocals have a reassuring aura to them with the deep register possessing such a soothing quality while the rest of the piece supports this with a…
Brady Novotny is a child prodigy who started his music career very early in life. Learning how to play the guitar from a young age meant that he displays a high level of creativity that is unmatched by many of today’s artists. You can tell from his musical compositions that he is indeed a special…
To start, I want to say I thoroughly enjoy the theme and creative story of this country song, as it is very unique and it stands out from other country songs in the industry. Majority of the country songs out there talk about the same topics such as beer, trucks, and women. But I like…
A warm melodic drawl awakens a provocative set of strings in “Nothing Between Us,” the first track in Sour Bridges’ Neon Headed Fool, and quickly takes us into a cascading groove that is as exotic as it is tempered in a familiar bluegrass sway. The rhythm is righteous and the harmonies heaven-sent, and as the…
There’s an old Jethro Tull song, which includes the refrain, “Skating away, in the thin ice of a new day.” There’s something foreboding about discussing thin ice. It’s the realization that something bad can and (likely) will happen. With “Thin Ice,” unstable frozenness “is what we’re walking on.” Bad things just might happen. The track…
If you love good music, you would have heard about Bill Abernathy. If you haven’t, you’re in luck. Bill Abernathy is a traditional folk singer who has been receiving critical acclaim for several of his songs that are currently enjoying generous airplay. Despite being a returnee to the music scene after a long hiatus, Bill…
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/davidgelmanmusic A wandering soul searches a desolate urban environment, haggard and homeless, adrift in an American landscape that has become all too difficult for the masses to survive in. In the background, David Gelman belts out a homespun harmony alongside some striking acoustic guitar play and a fleeting fiddle melody, and we’re instantly enveloped…
A lone drumbeat awakens a sleepy acoustic guitar with a soft rhythm that will slowly but surely evolve into an intoxicating groove in “So Far Away,” the new single from Croatia’s Jas Frank & the Intoits. Amid the fragile beats, Frank starts to sing with a restrained passion that begs for us to listen closely…
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/mati_lyons If you’ve been following the underground beat lately, you’ve possibly heard a little about Mati Lyons, the up and coming pop singer whose new single “Practice 4 Me” has got critics around the country abuzz at the moment. “Practice 4 Me” is a multilayered R&B song that possesses the heart of a jazz…
URL: https://francinehoney.com/ There’s nothing like a blues-clad slice of Americana to put a little zest in a spring playlist, and in Francine Honey’s “Stay,” listeners find a quaint singer/songwriter tune that is brimming with warm harmonies that are as sprawling in style as they are simple in design. Here, kaleidoscopic piano keys draw us ever…
The need to ask, ‘Are we good?,’ is not a place anybody wants to get to in a relationship. If a relationship is in fact good, there’s no need to ask that question, right? And yet, that’s exactly what’s on Mr MooQ’s mind here. The track begins with acoustic piano, before going into an electronic…
The Two’s, a duo comprised of Ruby Rendrag and Suki Kuehn, create unusual, but unusually beautiful, pop music. Rendrag sings and plays guitar, while Kuehn contributes cello. “Lullaby” is a single that deftly combines these unusual elements into a memorable tune. Kuehn’s cello provides this tracks rhythm. No, there’s no thumping bass, nor shuffling drum…
URL: https://www.alexiskeegan.com/instagram The pianist runs his hands across a keyboard with an unwavering confidence as his fellow players take their places. The spotlight turns to Alexis Keegan, who stands before the microphone with a look of cool confidence as she starts to sing the first couple of lines in her new song “What Am I…
A pulsating synth’s percussive wallop slowly comes churning into focus as we take in the first few seconds of “Tailwhip,” the second track in the 11-song opus that is Woongi’s all-new album Rip’s Cuts, currently out everywhere that independent music is sold and streamed. Bearing a relentless, electropop rhythm and flanking its signature synthesizer with…
A Picture Made’s Heal Soothes Aches of Age and Satisfies Hunger for 80’s and 90’s Era Americana. The mid 2000’s to the present day have been a virtual drought, for a generation who grooved to the zenith of the then modern Americana/Jam Band era Wilco, The Wallflowers, Lenny Kravitz, and Phish in the 90’s; the…
Be courageous. Be Honest. Be Compassionate. Most importantly be yourself. This has to be Love Stallion’s mantra; their unique passion and drive exudes vividly in the band’s latest single, “Valentine.” A guitar driven feel good track, drenched in classic rock tones; from the beautifully melodic vocal presence to the energetic drum cadence which is only…
There’s a subtle but beautiful elegance in the music of Fitzsimon and Brogan (FAB), which sometimes takes their authentic tunes to unexpected places while remaining firmly in the wheelhouse of their chosen genre. Their track, “This Is Love,” is a poignant song in which the duo guides the listener through an enjoyable journey of love.…
Upon first listen, “Memory’s A Ghost” by Phantom Phunk sounds like a rapper hanging out with a jam band. However, in publicity photos, Phantom Phunk looks like a group of white hipsters. The lead vocal on the song is very black sounding. Nevertheless, Phantom Phunk is what it is, a Florida trio. The track begins…
“In Your Shoes (For Daisy)” begins with just piano and Katy Vernon’s vulnerable vocal. This is followed by a guitar backing, underneath Vernon’s singing. Next, the pace is picked up, and Vernon sings it happily. Vernon sings with joy, but the song has a deeper purpose than merely expressing happiness. The lyric is also about…
There’s music and then there’s music; sounds that make your day better, soundtracks that turn to life changing records and the artists that make those soundtracks, are the epitome of vulnerable beauty. “Wild Ones,” by Across the Board is the definitive of greatness. The soundscape is not only a fresh and superbly performed track, it’s…
Jose Calarco goes for a blissful ambient ballad with “Love”. Simple and understated the song radiates warmth. By far the heart and soul comes from the reassuring vocals that rest in the very center of it all. “If You Were With Me” goes for a sweeping symphonic quality as Ann M. Wolf opts for a…
Angus Crowne and the Family Jewels utilizes a wry observational humor with “Unobservant Idiot”. With a dreamy woozy disposition, the whole of the album has a surreal blurred beauty to it reminiscent of Lambchop’s tender output. Warm and inviting while maintaining a clear punk attitude, the album could be best described as a twee polite…
Lyrics can be one of the most powerful art forms on the planet when they come directly from the heart and are free of any external corruption or influence, but to say that their ability to rouse our emotional senses is restricted to the strength of their rhyme alone is simply ludicrous. Lyrics are complicated,…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Jon-Dowling-123571992875/ Jon Dowling is no stranger to success as an independent artist, but he’s raising the bar for himself and his scene with the debut of his latest single, “Don’t Wanna Own the World,” which is out now everywhere that adult contemporary is sold and streamed. One of the cornerstone tracks of his new…
Doug Collins’ reception range goes all the way back to the pioneering birth of rock & roll because his Good Sad News album is a complete throwback to a much more innocent time in pop music. When, for example, was the last time you heard an artist sing about having a crush on a girl?…
As soon as I hit Play on this track, I was immediately overtaken with infectious audio penetrating my eardrums. Hailing from Sin City, Rockie Brown was named as “one of the city’s most promising artists” by Las Vegas Sun. I can understand why because this artist is a real firecracker lighting up The Las Vegas…
Many different descriptors have been applied to Shadowfields’ music. These have included Americana, neo-gypsy and swamp-grass. However, the pairing of multi-instrumentalist Tom McKeown and singer Heather Humphrey’s “Never Again” is nothing quite so exotic. It is, instead, a fairly straight forward ballad. The song is also a sad, post-relationship song. The only elements that point…
Woven Green’s “Lift It Up” is an anthemic call to action. It’s no individualistic prompt, however. Rather, this is a song imagining every heart beating as one. It’s expressly universalist in nature. This plan is “the only way we’re going to save this ship from sinking,” the male/female dup sing. It’s a hopeful song, not…
Percussive palm-muted strums start a blaze that’s tough to put out in the opening bars of So Much Beyond Us’ title track, which boasts a bucolic string harmony from Brooks Forsyth that will become par for the course as we advance our way through the tracklist of this latest album from the rising indie icon.…
A pure sense of joy runs through the whole of Macaco’s “Bailo La Pena”. Full of a sunny optimism, the whole of the track stuns with its positive energy. Lyrics focus upon overcoming sadness to embrace the grand celebration that is life. Rooted within a deep tradition of pop, the song has a nimbleness to…
