CD and DVD reviews
The guitar crunch powering Jonathon Zemek’s “Everything Will Change” may be unexpected out of the traditionally country rock enclave of Austin, Texas, but the days when Waylon, Willie, and the boys solely dominated the city’s musical landscape is a myth. The city has always harbored a wide breadth of talented folks and Zemek’s guitar and…
Brian Grilli, a name you probably know from opening for bands like Florida Georgia Line, Styx, Thomas Rhett, and Cheap Trick. The new summer album Deep South Symphony from Grilli which was released by the Spectra Music Group, is a fantastic blend of classic and modern country with the powerful guitar that gives a feeling…
A churning sensation. Ribbons of sound envelop us in their stringy saturation. We’re staring deep into the darkness and it feels like the darkness is staring right back at us. Ethan Gold’s new album Expanses (Teenage Synthstrumentals) isn’t music for the faint of heart. It requires focus and intellectual open-mindedness. But if you’re the kind…
Leon Robinson, actor best known for his role as the late singer David Ruffin, from the TV Movie series titled the Temptations, releases a new album, as the forefront of the reggae group The Peoples titled “Love is a Beautiful Thing.” Robinson is also critically acclaimed for his depiction in singing roles such as; Little…
Mr. Envi’ goes for a flawless flow offering stories of a life lived to the fullest on “Tha 40oz (EP)”. The narrative he creates throughout the whole of the EP shows off a true compassion for others, the way to maintain relationships, tying the many pieces together in a fantastic fashion. Stylistically, while the pieces…
A truly spellbinding procession takes shape on Peter Calandra’s lovely “Carpe Noctem”. Existing as if purely in a dream the way the songs evolve have an uncanny sense of grace. With a true ear for melody the songs feel nicely cinematic, conjuring up images of vast beauty. The pastoral quality of the pieces comes from…
The first song that comes to mind, once Mr. MooQ’s “Dreaming in Color” starts playing, is Hall & Oates’ “One on One.” It’s a similar quiet, gentle groove that floats like a puffy cloud in the sky. The guitar part is a jazzy, soulful electric strum. The bass line is also sweetly unhurried. It’s all…
Reviewing Fabp aka Fabz the Freelancer’s Dirty Little Communications, is a challenge. This is because positive criticism doesn’t come easy. This artist is a rapper with a Jamaican patois in his voice. And normally, rappers don’t really need to concern themselves with singing on key, musically speaking. However, Fabp sort of sings and raps at…
On her single “You’re in My Head,” Naomi K sings, “To you I say don’t stop belivin’,” which suggests that – in addition to Fleetwood Mac, Sheryl Crow and other influences she’s admitted to – this female singer/songwriter has also listened to her share of Journey. The song is a midtempo rocker describing a romantic…
Earnestness is defined as seriousness in intention, purpose or effort, and such depth and sincerity of feeling comes through loud and clear throughout Sundodger’s full-length album, Bigger Waves. The band is from Seattle and is led by Dan Engel. Although Seattle gained a reputation for being the grunge music capital many years ago, you won’t…
What are the wonderful perks of St. Louis, Missouri? Although it is perfectly known as the “Show Me” State, iconic places that cross the mind include one of the famous Ikettes’ Restaurant , Sweetie Pie’s brings thousands of supporters worldwide; along with Six Flags of St. Louis, but amazingly there are a few other hidden…
Brown Kid goes for an intimate, rustic approach with the carefully crafted narratives of “Rusty Strings”. Careful arrangements add to the overall spirit of the piece. While clearly grounded in a laid-back folk approach, Brown Kid brings a whole slew of different styles into the mix from hip-hop to reggae to a summery sort of…
1. Angeles – Not Here To Play Angeles embraces a classic 80s hair metal sound with the blast from the past style of “Not Here To Play”. Guitar soar up into the sky, as the group lets the piece careen wildly. By far though the true heart comes from the undeniably powerful vocals that rest…
Taylor James explores a soulful, optimistic R&B with the lovely “Insane”. Production feels flawless for the whole of the sound positively shines with light. Melodies have a richness to them that help to tie the whole of the work together. Funk, classic rock, pop, with a soulful style, the whole of the album simply works.…
Sydney Jaffe goes for a gorgeous mixture of pop, EDM, R&B, and soul with the spacious “You Know Me EP”. Done with the utmost of care, her tender vocals are full of love. Rhythms have a great nimbleness to them for the way she plays with the groove feels outright joyful. The playfulness adds to…
Mark Huff goes for a raw, rustic slice of Americana with the riotous rock n’ roll of “Stars For Eyes”. Done with the utmost of care, Mark ensures that the arrangements virtually burst at the seams with countless flourishes added for additional emphasis. By choosing such a style the whole of the album rushes forward…
Arun Shenoy & The Maverick Express go for an intimate approach with the tender “The Unplugged Songwriter Sessions”. Keeping things to the absolute essentials, the whole collection shines with an uncanny sense of life. Lyrically masterful, the whole of the collection explores the innermost desires that help to weave whole lives teller. The collection proves…
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…
