CD and DVD reviews
URL: https://billabernathy.com/ Like a whistling wind cutting through long tall grass on a hot summer day, the gilded harmony that powers “Can’t Go Back” is soft and delicate on the surface but intimidatingly strong if observed from the right vantage point. The shrewd country-rock song acts as the leadoff track in Bill Abernathy’s new album Crossing…
The theatrical components of Davie Simmons’ “Angel Music Lover” are apparent from the first. It isn’t any surprise considering the song is included as one of the centerpieces for his musical screenplay Finding David, but it is wonderful to encounter a songwriting sensibility so keen, in concert with collaborators Andy Camp and Esa Lehti, to provoke our…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jademassentoff/ “Depression” by Jade Massentoff, aka Jade, the new single produced by Stephen Wrench and promoted by Musik And Film to worldwide radio, is a downright masterstroke of music which defies the static norm structures of Adult Contemporary songwriting standards. Jade is also a dancer, so her soulful R&B vocal approach goes above and…
A lush, shimmering sonic introduction leads us into the airy opening bars of Norm Adams and Julia Robertson’s “My Kinda Christmas,” when suddenly, out of nowhere, a furious drum kit comes alive and nudges us into a sultry vocal that is as fresh as a newly fallen snow. Robertson lays an opulent melody on us…
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/7JKXmUmyvfQg3OVj8QmOKA A beating kick drum pushes and shoves its way out of dim silence, resisting any attempts to smother its bold march as it grows larger than the scope of stereo audio can even capture. Voices rise from the ethers and seep through the echo of the percussion. Suddenly we collapse with the rhythm…
First thing that comes to mind when I see Zebulon Krol is that this artist has a very interstellar name & presence right off the bat. Well, beam me up Krol because your music has a sort of gravitational pull after listening to “Hate To Say”. I have to say that Zebulon is shooting for…
A well produced song and crispy clear country vocals, Ohio-based singer songwriter Richard Lynch’s latest song Pray on the Radio is commercially ready to go mainstream and appeal to a wider audience of all ages. He doesn’t shy away from talking about God and his relationship with Him through his music. The lyrics are precise…
Wayne Olivieri taps into a bluesy soulful sound with “Music Man”. By opting for a physicality of the sound via the bombastic beat and the way the song evolves gives it a unique edge. Easily the center comes from Wayne Olivieri’s fiery delivery. A great gentleness permeates the whole of ash.OK’s fragile “Holding Sand”. Incorporating…
Right Here With You by Madelyn Victoria is a for all the ages, gorgeously written and simplistically styled upbeat country tune. With a guitar reminding me of the paradise vibes of Alan Jackson’s and Jimmy Buffett’s It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere with soothing vocals like Amy Winehouse singing with a country twang, the song’s entire composition…
If Phil Collins ever made the jump into a mash of country, blues, and Americana vibes, he would sound just like James Lee Baker and his song Cowtown Blues. His vocals are strong, clear, and persistent. The lyrics keep up the playful mood of the melody. The harmonica is like Baker’s own back-up singer: You…
There is total magic in the ocean…Blissful peace, moody movement, and waves of fun…Some of the best oceanfront properties lie alone Atlantic City, New Jersey, one of the wonders of the great United States of America. Walking up the boardwalk in Atlantic City, the lights, the hustle and bustle, and the sound of laughter fill…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/skyfactor/ Through harmonic smoke rings and tender percussive clapping arises “A Thousand Sounds,” the title track and first song on Skyfactor’s latest album which serves as a foray into their blistering mixture of bucolic acoustic swing and rock viciousness. A dialogue from within the mind of our lead vocalist sends chills through our body…
With her pixie twang vocals, Heather Whitney is a breath of fresh air in her grooving country song, What Part of Life. Storytelling lyrics are a big deal in country and Whitney nails it as she sings about how life is hard but just don’t ever lose who you are no matter what part of…
Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers crafts a soothing, reassuring soulful sound with “She Moves Like A Mystery”. Akin to a long-lost classic, there is a bluesy style that at times recalls Jon Brion’s revivalist tendencies. Keyboards positively glisten as they glide by with the greatest of ease. Rhythms take their time never feeling particularly…
Bringing the magnificence of the 80s era and the chill party vibes of the 60s into the current contemporary pop scene is Fitzsimon and Brogan and their song Girl in a Gilded Cage. The plunky, upbeat electric guitar splashes me right into vivid memories of Footloose and Beach Blanket Bingo. The whole song is a…
David Alpha goes for a fevered garage rock attitude on the defiant “Rockin’ Roulette”. A sense of true passion burns through these tracks as David Alpha’s fiery vocal delivery takes front and center stage. Piercing lyricism helps to tie the whole of the collection together, featuring just the right level of wordplay, storytelling, and humor.…
Steve Wheeler embraces a cinematic flourish on the gargantuan sound of “Stormseeker”. Epic in scope and absolutely soaring into the heavens, Steve Wheeler proves to have an uncanny hear for melody. The works work together in a grand tapestry of sound ensuring that not a moment is wasted. A wide plethora of genres comes into…
Once Too Many, Twice Not Enough by Cory M. Coons is captivating and entertaining. Sitting effortlessly between traditional country with cross-over potential into Americana, the entire song is soothing yet fun in nature. The leading guitar is reminiscent of an 80’s era electric; the reverb suits the song well. The percussive drum line is simplistic…
The PondHawks take a trip down memory lane with their beautiful nostalgia-soaked journey of “River Grove”. Keeping things to the essentials the song positively teems with life. Everything comes together in a lush, soothing fashion. Instrumentally rich the arrangement seems to unfurl at its own unique pace. By far though the true heart and soul…
Blair B, who has the day job of fronting Absinthe Junk, has released a quieter alternative to her regular gig as Luxury Eviction. Master of None, although quite modern sounding, was tracked on some vintage Abbey Road and Capitol Records gear. The result is a seven-song collection of extremely vulnerable music. Master of None can…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Darebone/ Hospitals are home to plenty of life’s most pivotal moments, but rarely are they the birthplace of songcraft. For the aptly named Fever Breakers though, any other venue simply wouldn’t have fostered their creative ethos. Comprised of Harvard-based orthopedic surgeon Gleeson Rebello and Berklee-grad John Ventura, The Fever Breakers take the concept of…
Rev Peter Unger sings a tale that feels timely on “Peddlers of Fear”. Capturing the zeitgeist, Rev Peter Unger’s lyricism cuts to the absolute truth of the world. With this message Rev Peter Unger’s voice helps to soften the journey to a large degree, through his reassuring delivery style. The arrangement further adds to the…
Clayton Morgan’s up and coming song (out November 12th), The Beat Is Calling Me, successfully fuses a Duke Dumont, eighties house vibe with off kilter melodies reminiscent of Milky Chance. Driving the momentum forward, the spacey synth lays perfectly with little overlaying pops of modulation. The build up to the drop is consistent and expected;…
A brash and bold style takes hold over the course of Straight Six’s wild journey of “Full Circle”. Harking back to early rock n’ roll when the volume was turned up all the way to 11 and the rhythms never stopped, there is a great joyous intensity within the sound. Virtually grabbing the listener by…
Julia King goes for a tender, full-hearted take on the singer-songwriter tradition with the gentle “Cannonball”. Things unfurl at their own unique pace for the piece has an introspective side to it. By far the core comes from Julia King’s bluesy vocals that rest at the very center of it all helping to tie everything…
Toronto based band Across The Board (also known as ATB) blends adult contemporary and classic rock with a subtle hint of country with their song It Shouldn’t Be This Hard. The lead singer and songwriter of this song, Jacqueline Auguste’s voice is a surprisingly unique twist. With her soothing, softer vocals and her clear tonation,…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/appalachianroadshow/ An album can often be defined by the muscularity of its master mix, and in the case of Barry Abernathy and Darrell Webb present Appalachian Road Show, the duo (plus fiddler Jim VanCleve) pull out all the stops to present the music of the Appalachian countryside to us free of any artificially-generated frills. As we…
URL: http://www.thecoldstares.com/ With a bombastic crunch, “The Great Unknown” blasts open a portal to the blues rock gods in track one of The Cold Stares’ Mountain, which is out now everywhere indie music is sold and streamed. The introductory riff is as thick as molten lava, cooled only by the sensitively echoing drums. The mix is…
URL: http://www.stephenwinstonmusic.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/stephenwinstonmusic/ Stephen Winston’s fifth studio album Unresolved is the most personal effort yet from a musical artist who has thus far staked his career on a level of aching vulnerability we don’t often hear from any songwriter and musician. The sensitivity underlying this release is apparent from the first. “Sun on the…
Hailing from Sydney Australia with an alt-rock vibe reminiscent of Smash Mouth, Molly and The Krells’ new song Hate Yourself is a refreshing jab at how the singer already knew that someone may look great on the outside, but secretly hates themselves and thus drives away others over time because of it. The simplistic electric…
Curtis Newart has been a musical genius since the early part of his life with several music projects and other art projects. His first album titled “Exploits in A modern World” was released in July 2006 and was on the top charts for a while. He continues his music career with this new single “Superhuman”…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/capishmusic1/ Based out of the San Francisco, California area, Cap, a pseudonym for Michael Capshaw, has steadily carved out a niche for himself as one of hip hop’s most prodigious lyrical talents. The first of the two singles, “Worth It”, draws deeply from Cap’s personal experiences and emotions to draw listeners in and utilizes…
Kurt Reifler possesses a nimble, garage rock swagger on “Year Of”. Full of defiance with a strong sense of independence, the songs at times recall the stripped-down, intimate style of the White Stripes. Done with just the right attitude the whole of the collection works together as a unified, satisfying whole. Guitar riffs and rhythms…
URL: http://kazyak.com/release/reflection/ The quintet Kazyak offers listeners, with their third release Reflection, a musical kaleidoscope. Impressionistic songwriting and playing defines this eight song collection and its wide ranging influences shape the results in satisfying, familiar, yet somehow alien ways. It’s a collection of outtakes, b-sides, and demos amassed over the band’s brief history, but don’t mistake…
Steve Wheeler embraces a cinematic flourish on the gargantuan sound of “Stormseeker”. Epic in scope and absolutely soaring into the heavens, Steve Wheeler proves to have an uncanny hear for melody. The works work together in a grand tapestry of sound ensuring that not a moment is wasted. A wide plethora of genres comes into…
Curtis Newart sings with a voice like Conor Oberst. While Oberst’s music leans toward the Americana end of the musical spectrum, though, Newart is more comfortable with danceable rhythms. He may not always rock the jukebox, but he sure knows how to get chandeliers swaying. All these ten songs are originals, save for “Man on…
LoungeZotica 3000 goes for a timeless sort of cool with the sophisticated jazz-pop musings of “Martian 9”. Sly grooves reign supreme as the whole of the album has a swinging, retro vibe to it. The dry delivery works wonders for the collection, as they conjure up imagery of Dick Dale, Bossa Nova, and a bit…
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Due%C3%B1os-de-Aqu%C3%AD/dp/B07D69WFJ9 Labán, a rising star in the Mexican R&B scene, unleashes pure, relatable grooves in his new single “Dueños de Aquí,” but they aren’t steeped in the commercial gloss that has become all too common in modern Latin pop. Perhaps it’s his educational background in humanism that gives him a unique perspective on the…
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/olivertwisted2018/ “Wrath of a Winner” will definitely surprise people. The self-billed hip hop performer Oliver Twisted mixes both rap and straight forward vocals during this song while relying on a fully realized arrangement far more dependent on traditional instrumentation – guitar, bass, drums – than a pre-programmed drum track and ornamental synthesizer lines. There…
Atlanta, Georgia has produced many famous bands in history and Russ Still & The Moonshiners are well on their way to becoming the next generation of musical goodness from the state. The band is an authentic country rock band that is fast gathering serious followers for their old school sound delivered in a vibrant and…
