CD and DVD reviews
In her latest single “Hey Yo,” Ghana-based pop singer Yaa Yaa blends relevant, socially conscious lyrics with a swinging, rhythmic beat to make one of the most stunning, genre-bending tracks I’ve had the opportunity to write about in 2018. While a lot of singer/songwriters are content to recycle the same themes and textures that their…
Pellé Price’s new single “G Code” continues blazing a trail for a Richmond, Virginia based singer/songwriter who confounds expectations. His stunning blend of gospel and hip hop with a distinctly commercial sound is quite unlike anything else you’ll hear in the indie world or otherwise thanks to its signature style, but retains recognizable pop song…
In a place where dreams are formed and started, there is a certain vibe that can’t be described in the music scene of New York City. However, there is a silent force beginning to showcase within the city and it is stretching across the entire world. Iconic places such as Blue Note while also the…
Right away when listening to this new release, I’m thinking back to the glory days of hip-hop without all of the fancy studio loops and auto-tune effects. Fabp aka Fabpz the Freelancer is back to basics on the 14-track album titled ‘Underground Styling Breeze’. So, for that fact alone I give Fabp props for…
The New Bardots barrel through with the brash ramshackle rhythms of “Great Balls of Fire”. Going for a sly approach, the New Bardots slow things down into a fantastic churn, one that possesses a force of nature quality to it. Guitar chug along while everything simply shines. “My Best Friend Died (And Left Me His…
Angeles starts things off with the powerful rush of “Not Here To Play”. Done expertly they are propelled forward by an unstoppable rhythm section. The guitars scream up into the sky with a feral spirit. Going for a 70s hard rock style is Cathedral Reign’s classic approach of “Gentlemens Choice”. With a significant sense of…
Kaz Bielinski sings with power on the tender “You’ll Believe”. Done with the utmost of grace and style, the western twang of the country sound rings true. Soulful and delivered with such heart, Kaz Bielinski crafts an immaculate world throughout the entire piece. By far the true highlight of the track comes from Kaz Bielinski’s…
Whenever a band goes into the studio to record anything, whether it be an extended play or a full-blown LP, there are plenty of expectations that are present for both the group and their fans. For one, if there is a rip roar stage reputation to live up to, then artists often face pressure to…
Recording artists of all backgrounds and stylistic directions strive to create music that connects with people on a different level than anything else in their lives. Singles are an opportunity to give audiences a sample sized intro to their identity as a songwriter and performer, and moreover, they are an excellent chance to display just…
In their song “Cruise,” San Diego’s The Jackstones not only effectively set the tone for their new album Love Badly, but manage to balance the ferocity of a hard rocking garage band with the all the polish and professionalism of a studio seasoned country band. Sure, country rock is hardly a new genre or concept…
Tied To A String – by Andy Notle is the debut solo album from the Austin, TX based rock artist. The album is also classified to some as progressive rock, but there really is not much rock music of any heavy nature on it to speak of. However, progressive rock can be sliced hundreds of…
Matty T’s “Sidewinder” deftly brings together blues, soul, and southern rock into a celebratory whole. Incredible guitar riffs emerge on every single track for the whole of the album works together as a singular, unified vision. Lyricism has a great variety, for Matty T incorporates a certain kind of poetry into it from stories of…
Oddnote delves into a classic alternative rock sound with the powerful “Mystified”. Nicely embodying a sort of gritty, raw style that incorporates a bit of grunge into the mix, the whole piece has a stunning quality to it. Within the song elements of Alice in Chains can be felt, courtesy of the vocalist’s tremendous delivery.…
The new EP release from award winning singer/songwriter Dirk Schwenk and his band The Truth, Along the Road, is a five song effort plumbing deep into modern American life and Schwenk’s own character. The revealing and often inspired nature of these songs are further fleshed out by the superb accompaniment Schwenk benefits from with his…
In a dizzying but genuinely mesmerizing tizzy of colors, immersive beats and soulful vocals, Micah Elloh simply stuns in his new single “Give Me More,” a song that goes a long way to establishing its songwriter as one of the premier artists to follow in 2018. The Brazilian native isn’t messing around here; “Give Me…
As a band, The Mezcaltones are like a cinematic period piece. Although they’re originally from Sydney, Australia, their hearts are many times way back in the old west. This 8-song collection opens with an instrumental medley, “For a Few Dollars More/Good the Bad and the Ugly (The Spaghetti Medley,” which is a tribute to Ennio…
The Captain Ledge Band goes for a powerful slice of Americana on the tender tone of “Rumours of the Great White Skunk”. Done with such ease, the whole of the album has a dreamy thoughtfulness to it. Highly creative, the Captain Ledge Band prove to be incredible storytellers, exploring the internal motivations of people and…
If you haven’t already heard, Brisbane’s Chasing Velvet are crashing through the Australian pop scene with bombast and stylish melodies in anticipation of their debut extended play, Replay, which ironically features a collection of tones and harmonies that are far from a recreation and instead quite promising and futuristic in structural design and presentation. In the…
Spayed Koolie goes for a soulful, bluesy take on country with the playful “Ashtray Change”. Incredible storytelling rests at the very heart of the entire album, while Spayed Koolie explores the importance of navigating relationships, finding one’s own path in life, and yearning for change. By letting all these impulses roam wild and free, there…
Steven Wheeler holds nothing back on the full-throttle rush of “Terminal Velocity”. Aptly named Steven Wheeler rushes through these three pieces in a fantastic display of color in a way that heightens tension. Layer upon layer comes into the mix in a way that simply swirls about. Feeling akin to a long-lost soundtrack, there is…
Rev Peter Unger sings of compassion on the thoughtful “Goodbye My Love”. Done with the utmost of care, the whole of the work feels so soothing. Featuring a rather expressive vocal, Rev Peter Unger explores the importance of faith in life. By lending his message such passion everything has a rustic, timeless quality to it.…
On their self-titled debut album, Static and Surrender embody the best of indie rock. Intense emotion pours through these concise, carefully crafted tracks. Best taken in as a singular whole, Static and Surrender’s talents are countless. Riffs are infinitely memorable, the rhythms pitch perfect, and by far the most important, their lyrics recall a life…
Right away when I Hit Play on this new EP, I was thinking to myself that Few Miles South is bringing back that classic, country sound and honky-tonk atmosphere and way of life. What a refreshing taste going away from the constant Pop County realm that is heavily saturating Today’s country music market. This is…
“Sex”, the succinctly titled new single from New York City based indie alt-pop trio kingkween, builds on the considerable success experienced by the last single “Wild One” and points the way to the outfit’s bright future. kingkween was initially conceived in 2011 by collaborators lead vocalist KT Mulholland and producer/musician Captain Hitz. Drummer Rob Steadman…
Troy Lindsey & Shane Foote go for a soulful, heartfelt classic rock blues with the powerful “It Ain’t Freedom”. Elements of the song have an epic scale to it, accurately capturing the wild journey the two have embarked upon. Long ago, the two worked together in their very first band in high school back in…
Cinematic and delivered with such passion, Arash Behzadi creates a true masterpiece with the powerful “The Last Sigh”. Representing the absolute best of modern classical, every note feels deliberate and carefully considered. Melodies shine through while Arash Behzadi creates a natural rhythm that helps to frame the entirety of the proceedings. By opting for such…
Ezra Jordan brings the summer jams with the tropical, sun-drenched pop stylings of “10 Miles a Minute”. Absolutely silky smooth, his soothing voice rests front and center of it all. The flirtatious tenor of his delivery helps set the mood for the whole thing. Keeping things bright and airy, Ezra Jordan makes sure that this…
Gordon Thomas Ward offers a delightful take on folk and country with the tender “Providence EP”. Proving to be a deft storyteller, Gordon Thomas Ward sings with such crystal clarity. Over the course of the EP guitar playing possesses tremendous strength, whether it is the emotive acoustic take or the dreamier, spacious scope of the…
Playful to its very core, the Innocent Bystanders explore a celebratory sound with “Attractive Nuisance”. Saxophones have a swinging style to them helping to give the whole proceedings a bit of a ska flavor to them. Vocals go for something a bit untamed, wild as they roam through the impeccable tracks. Everything has such a…
Music plays a much bigger role in our daily lives than we often acknowledge. For most of us, it’s a pretty rare occasion to have a day go by where we don’t have some exposure to some sort of melodic sounds synchronized together in a catchy harmony, whether it be in a commercial jingle or…
Swinging with a bucolic, freewheeling positive energy, “Baby Put a Dress On,” the latest single from critically acclaimed roots rocker Frank Migliorelli, kicks off with a fiery start that remains consistently hot throughout the song, much like Migliorelli’s explosive, burgeoning career has been lately. “C’mon get ready, it’s Friday night,” he tells us with a…
Few Miles South’s “On Down the Road” does the traditional country music fan’s heart good. Heck, they’re unashamed fans of Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton, the two near-saviors of contemporary country music. But good taste alone won’t win fans; the music must also be good, and Few Miles South has the goods. The song begins…
Laura Cheadle is not one to just kick back and do nothing but rather she is a fierce, go-getter with a pedal-to-the-metal-type attitude. But, Laura Cheadle decided to ease off the accelerator and slow things down a bit on her latest release, ‘Chill’. The title of the record matches the mood & tone of the…
In his new single “La Bikina” from the forthcoming album Piano Meets Mariachi, Esteban Alvarez presents us with the duality that exists within the parameters of contemporary Latin ambient music. On the one hand, we have a scene that is feverishly attached to its roots and preserving the rich textures that they’ve provided us with…
Terry Derosier’s “Thunderin’ Down the Road” is a single built upon a simple arrangement. It begins with a chugging acoustic guitar rhythm, where organ fills enter the mix before Derosier’s vocal. At about the track’s midpoint, however, the song slows down to a crawl before rolling faster again with an organ solo, which is followed…
Have you ever been to St. Louis, Missouri? Known ironically as the “Show Me” State, there are tons of things to do like Sweety Pies Restaurant, Six Flags, but move along to Nashville, Tennessee right to Music City and you would understand the importance of these two places as they have a lot to do…
Sister Speak goes for an angelic hue with the luxurious beauty of “The Stand EP”. With vocals that soar into the heavens, Sister Speak proves to have a deft, flexible voice, one that sits at the very heart of the entire collection. The tracks have a cinematic fervor to them while they unfold with an…
The Hills and the Rivers dive headfirst into a lush timeless folk with “The Fool & the Magician”. Keeping things to the essentials, the Hills and the Rivers allow their acoustic instruments to sing up into the sky. Doing everything with the utmost of care and taste, their carefully-considered arrangements recall the ambitious togetherness of…
Okay, first of all: THADEUS GONZALEZ! Secondly, SILVER INSIDE! I mean…I really wish that’s all I can say, but it isn’t. Matter of fact, I don’t think I can put it into words just how much of an artistic genius Thadeus is. This is one of those times, where it isn’t just about his voice…
Hailing from northwestern Minnesota, Terry Derosier’s journey into the professional music world began in 2014 when he fell off ten foot high scaffolding and landed on his head. The severe brain trauma experienced as a result of that fault ended his successful career heading a large construction company, but another door opened. Derosier soon began…
