CD and DVD reviews
So, it turns out that Georgia is not just about peaches and Bulldogs, but also caters to kick-ass rock and roll bands like Last Chance Riders. This five-piece band is comprised of the following members: Jessie Albright on vocals, Shane Denmark on drums, DeWitt Thompson on guitar, John Woods on guitar and Jim Martin on…
I had the pleasure of reviewing Victoria Celestine’s single, “Good Heart to Hide”, last month and knew she wasn’t your ordinary, average Pop Princess of Today, (https://skopemag.com/2018/09/11/victoria-celestine-releases-good-heart-to-hide). This still stands true as Victoria releases another featured track titled “Alive” from her EP, ‘Wasted Tears’. The name of the song fits because the overall sound is…
It’s that time of year again: Fall! Where the leaves start changing to various oranges, yellows, or where the temperatures start getting low enough where getting out of bed is more a habit than a dream—It’s still THAT time of year! Fall is the particular time where stores start getting us ready for Halloween, then…
Phantom Phunk started off in 2014 when old time friends who also liked to write songs came together to brainstorm about ideas that they had for songs. When they began recording in band member Hector Fontanet’s house studio, Sasha Cheine reached out to other musicians to play their songs and also record. Another old friend,…
STUDEO’s “These Are Our Days” radiates warmth and tenderness. Nicely bringing together neon-hued soulful balladry along with a soft rock emphasis, the whole of the album resembles a grand journey. Cinematic flourishes add such an epic scope to the mix. By far the highlight of the album comes from the intensely felt vocals. Lyricism has…
WHOAA embraces a cool 80s pop funk style with the gorgeous “Candy Love”. Aptly named, the sweetness of the sound works wonders. By incorporating a great deal of playfulness, the track becomes all-encompassing. Over the course of the piece WHOAA’s style and delivery recall Neon Indian’s later work yet remains distinctly its own thing. Layer…
The Circle is Sammy’s new circle of friends. Sammy naturally handles the lead vocals and shares rhythm and lead guitar. He’s joined by Van Halen/Chickenfoot bandmate Michael Anthony on bass, Jason Bonham (needs no introduction) on drums, and Vic Johnson (BusBoys & Waboritas) on guitar. The keyboards were as expected, programmed, ala Van Halen. It’s…
The Swedish Sensations known as Gibrish are back with two, fresh new cuts that are simply appetizing to the musical palette. I was first introduced to Gibrish back in 2014 and my last article on the band was in 2016, (https://skopemag.com/2016/08/25/gibrish-gangster-tango). The group has evolved and grown tremendously since then and adds even more depth…
Have you ever taken a good old fashioned ride down South in one of America’s greatest Southern beloved cities, Atlanta, Georgia? Where the Peach is known to be sweet and the southern hospitality is even greater, there is a place just for you somewhere tucked away in that great spot. Where the Atlanta Falcons ride…
Angeles goes for a wild, rambunctious rock n’roll spirit with “Time of Truth”. Tapping into the colossal riffs of Van Halen and AC/DC, the songs rush forward in brilliant bursts of color. Rhythms have a force of nature quality to them, while they ensure that the whole of the album burns through without delay. By…
Taking its name from a Ray LaMontagne song, this duo comprised of Jenny Pagliaro and Angela Petrilli has created a compelling six-song EP titled Acoustic Sessions. An act that comes to mind when listening to Roses and Cigarettes is Heart, which is also a duo (only in their case, siblings), Ann and Nancy Wilson. Like…
URL: http://www.dayeaterband.com/ Dayeater’s self-titled album arrives like the sheriff/savior riding into to town, bringing justice to the land and joy to the townspeople. Okay, maybe that description pours on the hyperbole a little thick. However, if you’ve been listening to a little too much repetitive trap music, without even the hint of an electric guitar…
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/patmband Autumn is upon us, and with the change in seasons comes a whole new batch of music to suit the bright colors and shortened daylight that it brings. Warming us up just in time for the cool drop in temperature is Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite, whose new album Canyon Diablo is being heralded as a…
Today, Dahlia Sleeps release their new single ‘Settle Down’ – the second cut to be lifted from new EP ‘Love, Lost’ – set for release at the end of the year. Recorded and produced in the band’s own basement studio in South London, the track follows the release of previous EP single, ‘Storm’. Written by…
Uncle Tadashi & Da Boyz offer the sweet summery sounds of optimism with the joyful “The Tribute Song”. Highly playful, the arrangement has a breezy air to it while everything rushes forward with a peppy rhythm. Vocals rest at the heart of it all giving the song a great deal of soulfulness. Lyricism opts for…
Sarantos sings the blues with heart and soul on the powerful “Who Am I To Fight The Universe”. An epic, sprawling ode that taps into the zeitgeist, the lyricism focuses upon the journey of life. Done with the utmost of taste and care, the song’s message feels quite universal. Layer upon layer of sound comes…
Matt Massey’s “Built” is a blast of punk rock energy. Its chorus states, “I’m built with broken pieces,” which is a unique manner of describing damaged goods. “Just like brand new,” Massey then concludes. Massey sings the song with a gruff, rocker voice. He also sounds to have a bit of a chip on his…
URL: https://danielbennett.net/we-are-the-orchestra Daniel Bennett’s “We Are the Orchestra” is an 8-song EP of “Avant-Pop” compositions and arrangements of opera themes by 19th century composer Giuseppe Verdi. I wouldn’t know of any such opera composers, so the traditional arrangements can’t get any opinion of me other than to say it is worth noting that it can…
URL: http://www.garydouglasband.com/ The iron and steel of the American heartland comes alive under the brilliant command of singer/songwriter Gary Douglas and his self-titled band in their new album Deep in the Water, which is quickly becoming one of the most hyped country releases of 2018. I’ve been following the Gary Douglas Band for a couple…
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Eres-Fuerza-Toby-Holguin-Carlos/dp/B07HHKYPXM Columbian composer Jose Holguin has teamed up with the equally talented Luis Carlos Toro for “Eres Mi Fuerza,” the most exciting and thought provoking entry into the Latin gospel discography of 2018. Fusing lush Latin pop and traditional gospel lyrics, Holguin and Toro unite the most ethereal attributes of both styles in a…
Have you ever been to New York or New York City? A sky covered with the world’s Most eclectic skyscrapers, or even a place once attacked in one of the most remembered days in the entire world’s eyes—September 11…No, although no one will ever forget that day, it is nice to have pleasant movement coming…
BANDCAMP: https://ajaymathur.bandcamp.com/track/forget-about-yesterday While the human race has developed countless ways of communicating with each other, it’s inarguable that music is one of the only universal mediums that all of us can understand effortlessly. Every culture on the planet has their own musical identity, and though no two are exactly the same, they all share the…
Zombie Garden Club starts things up on a riotous note with the physicality of “Judgement Blues”. Tapping into rock n’ roll’s bluesy roots, the piece has a communal, cathartic presence. Vocals float through the stomp rhythms in a hazy, dazed fashion. Things move into a slower speed on Bobby Rue’s “Before Our Eyes”. Such a…
Matt Kjeldsen’s Last Days opens with “Closer to Texas,” a kind of love song to the Lone Star state. One imagines a singer/songwriter can’t truly be from Texas unless he/she love that large Southern state. Kjeldsen looks like a wayward hippie in pictures. His singing voice, however, is sometimes gentler than one might imagine. He’s…
Rev Peter Unger taps into a unique exploration of faith’s soothing, comforting presence with the crystal clarity of “Two Seekers”. The production values feel absolutely flawless while everything comes together in a way that has a tender spirit to it. While the work at first has a deceptively simple quality, there is great ornate detail…
URL: https://freightrainband.com/ Outside Ourselves, a nine song studio effort from Robert “Freightrain” Parker and his band, solidifies Parker’s status as one of the pre-eminent figures in American roots music. The band has one previous release under their belt, Freightrain Live, illustrating the band’s kick ass stage presentation, but Outside Ourselves spotlights Parker’s songwriting and the unit’s talents in…
URL: https://sarahparkermusic.com/ Produced and arranged by her husband and award winning blues musician Robert “Freight Train” Parker, Sarah Parker’s debut collection Strawberry Moon establishes this Florida native as a major singing and songwriting force in the Americana scene. Her classic country influences are strong over the course of the album’s fourteen cuts, but deeming her an exclusively…
Recording artists, Faith and Harry might be only children at ages 13 and 11, however their sound is all grown-up, and filled with talent, sophistication and poise. Playing instruments since age 3, and now multi-instrumentalist, the British/American brother/sister duo have the ability to pack a venue and bring down the house. They command an audience…
Have you ever been to Fayetteville, Arkansas? Structured in the Southeast, a place where diamonds were discovered in 1906 by John W. Huddleston, or even where 102 different varieties of minerals exist, Arkansas has a lot to offer toward the history of the United States. Even more, there is something brewing in the musical scenes…
Rock singles in the 21st century seldom possess the punch and immediacy we hear with The Danbees’ “Down at the Bar”. This opening salvo from the New York City quartet’s second studio release, an EP entitled The Veggie Tapes, has a meat and potatoes approach to rock music that’s been missing from the scene quite…
Making it in pop music in 2018 has little, if anything, to do with selling catchy hooks anymore. For today’s sophisticated audience, it’s about capturing the moment, the vibe, the raw emotion of a culture that is rife with creative thinking that goes well beyond that of generations who came before. Making it in pop…
Angeles tackles that perennial Halloween favorite “Monster Mash” with the utmost of grace and style. Embracing the garage rock soul of the original, they have a playful swinging style of the piece. From the choir to the surf rock guitar inflections, it all comes together in a great way. “Kickin’ It At The Crypt” goes…
While some jazz artists of the modern generation have been fine toting around the same rhythms of musicians who occupied years gone past, extreme flutist Bill McBirnie and Bernie Senensky are determined to push the genre forward into the next decade with their new collaborative LP The Silent Wish. Methodically arranged and produced with the upmost…
2018 has been a big year for singer/songwriters, but no one has been getting more buzz than James Lee Baker, a Midwestern folk singer with a country bend whose new album Home Again has taken the world by storm. Home Again isn’t your average collection of roots rock songs – it’s a larger than life…
Aptly named, Jason Rylan’s “Strong” proves to be a truly inspirational piece of work. Representing the best of what pop has to offer, Jason Rylan’s powerful, deep vocals add to the song’s undeniable emotional core. Everything comes together in a pitch-perfect sort of way. His understanding of how to build a song up has a…
Singer/songwriter Monica Uhm goes by the name Trio Of Awesuhm. Her album, a collaboration with fellow New York musicians, is a folkish collection of sincere songs. Many of these compositions lean toward progressive social messages, best exemplified by the determination expressed with “Nevertheless.” The album’s overall sonic vibe might remind you of Natalie Merchant and…
World music and culture are heard and seen throughout the entire globe daily…When people travel from one part of the world to the next, some of the memories that follow through the mind always trickle back down to the music that was experienced while traveling. When people hear something that intrigues them even for a…
The chime of Abby Zotz’ acoustic guitar guides us into the temperateness of “Stability,” the opening track of her new album Local Honey, like a cool breeze blowing through tall grass on a hot summer’s day. Dispatched at the pace of beating heart but with a sensitive, loving melody to cushion its delivery, “Stability” welcomes us…
This is the third time reviewing Fabp going back to July 2018 as he seems to have quite a hefty catalogue of music. The Freelancer is able to whip up lyrics & beats at the drop of a hat! Fabp offers listeners a whopping 39 tracks on this Mixtape titled ‘From Then Til’ Now 2011-2015′.…
With a countrified guitar lick serving as her salutation, Sarah Clanton pulls us into her orbit with the song “I Can See You,” the opening track of her incredible new album Here We Are. Over the next three minutes we listen to Clanton dispatch the most enchanting melody of 2018 like she’s reading us a recipe…
