Red Black Red melds an intelligent singer/songwriter aesthetic with an electronic rock style to memorable effect. The artistic center of the project since its 2015 origins is veteran vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Enrico Fernando who began composing the material on his laptop before committing the songs to full fledged recordings and the insular songwriting process that…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
Lexie Rose – ‘On My Own’
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Porcelain People Recreates Their Magic With The New Single ‘Heart Thumping Like’
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Porcelain People created an unusual blend of musical saga with Heart Thumping Like from the album Shapes. Listen and Enjoy! In this era when fusion music is gaining popularity among the masses, many innovative musicians are evolving with their ingenious talent of blending musical notes of various genres that could pave the path of creating…
Fox & Coyote Presents Their New Single ‘Blue Marble’
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Blue Marble is a unique composition by Fox & Coyote from the album Scattered Shadows on a Double Bed. Listen & Enjoy! The band Fox and Coyote are based in Minneapolis and formed by a group of talented musicians who have been composing many popular tracks for the past ten years. With immense knowledge in…
Andy Michaels – ‘Revisited’
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Andy Michaels embarks on a lovely journey with the life-affirming “Revisited”. The grace of the entire album simply stuns, for Andy Michaels draws from a wide variety of styles, ranging from chamber pop to classical, with a bit of soul thrown in for good measure. By far the true highlight of the album comes from…
Dynamos – ‘Knowledge’
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The five piece Dynamos, based out of Los Angeles, made considerable waves with their last single “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” and continue to impress with their latest “Knowledge”. Lead singer/songwriter Nadia E.’s childhood musical education in opera and a lifetime passion for performance definitely influence her unique talents for the rock form and her band…
Brett Randell Releases New EP ‘Rise’
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Brett Randell rises to immediate fame with his newly released EP Rise. Listen and Enjoy! Brett Randell is a New York based talented musician who has been creating fusion music for some time now. This 28 years old young singer and songwriter, is currently living in Austin, TX and Denver, CO, where he is dedicatedly…
Ben Noble’s New Single ‘Cutting Teeth’
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Ben Noble recreates magic with his newly released single Cutting Teeth from the album Whiskey Priest. Listen and Enjoy! Ben Noble is a renowned singer and songwriter based in Minneapolis who has crafted many beautiful melodies with his immense knowledge and burning passion in music. Influenced by great artists like Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Radiohead…
Joseph Wooten – ‘Soul Of Freedom’
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Joseph Wooten sings with a fiery passion on the powerful “Soul Of Freedom”. Sounding like an instant classic, the song’s stately aura feels all-consuming. Effortlessly blending together classic rock, funk, blues, all anchored by a true sense of soul, the inspirational quality of the track feels so real. Lyrics focus on the positive, on rising…
Video Premiere: RĀI – ‘Back to Life’
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RĀI’s new single “Back to Life” marks a breakout moment for this young South Carolina based vocalist and songwriter. Despite the strong presence of Southern gospel in his musical pedigree, RĀI’s efforts here are in a much more distinctly R&B vein with focused attention paid to the groove and how best to integrate his vocal…
Rev Peter Unger – ‘Blood On Our Hands’
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Rev Peter Unger goes for a home-spun country feel on the communal spirit of “Blood On Our Hands”. Lyrics play off rhymes, fables, while providing tremendous insight on the ways of the world. Done with the utmost of taste there is a gentle spirit that guides the entirety of the piece. While a story unfolds…
King Gheno – “Plan in Motion”
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King Gheno teems with energy on the hyper-kinetic flows of “Plan In Motion”. Many layers of sound work in unison to give the song a psychedelic, trippy vibe. Speed adds to the overall mood of the piece, further emphasizing the tension that comes with waiting for a plan to fully unfold. Quite thoughtful the whole…
Claudia Norris – “Say Yes”
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Claudia Norris motivates audience with her new release, Say Yes. Listen and Enjoy! Claudia Norris is a famous singer, songwriter, composer and makeup artist from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, who has composed many popular tracks in the past couple of years that has made her an overnight sensation in the world of fusion music. Passionate about…
Dynamos – ‘Knowledge’
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Dynamos unleashes a powerhouse of energy with their latest released track Knowledge. Listen and Enjoy! The new generation music has gone through many critical retrospective paths before people could start accepting and appreciating the new style of creative music. Thus, many talented musicians have taken longer time and effort to establish their position firmly in…
Angela Soffe – “Rocks”
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Angela Soffe goes for a truly inspirational message on the life-affirming folk of “Rocks”. Embarking on a great journey the way the piece unfolds gives it a sense of majesty. By relating her experience and transforming it into universal themes the song gains a tremendous power. Forgiveness, togetherness, and acceptance feature prominently over the course…
Sarah Sharp – ‘You Don’t Dare’
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Sarah Sharp’s “You Don’t Dare” dwells with a lovely bluesy take. Loose, the rhythms are imbued with a strong emotional core. Instrumentally rich, Sarah Sharp chooses to follow a path of absolute independence over the course of the track. Thoughtful lyricism reveals a true ear for the poetic, as the wordplay feels quite majestic. Guitar…
Dario Black – ‘Temporary Love EP’
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Dario Black’s “Temporary Love EP” is sonic sensuality. With a deep passion guiding the entire collection, everything comes together in a most perfect way. Pop anchors the entirety, as Dario Black incorporates R&B, EDM, and even a little bit of soul into the mix. Teeming with life, the lyrics focus upon a spirit of togetherness.…
Brit Drozda – ‘You Can’t Take It With You When You Go’
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Brit Drozda goes for a classic bluesy style with the powerful “You Can’t Take It With You When You Go”. Full of passion the way the vocals are full of a fiery spirit. Lyrics focus upon the self, on having confidence in one’s own abilities, and are delivered with a tremendous amount of energy. Done…
Forest Robots – “Supermoon Moonlight Part One”
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Forest Robots discovers a musical journey of nature with Supermoon Moonlight Part One. Listen and Enjoy! Inspiration usually comes from the most unexpected places. But when it arrives, it brings a definite change in the world. Fran Dominguez is an innovative electronic artist and a nature lover who has dedicatedly worked all his life to…
Jacnique Nina – “Wish Of The Heart”
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If you are hoping to feel a bit of spring these days, you may get there sooner with the very sultry grooves of vocalist Jacnique Nina. Her debut international single “Wish Of The Heart ” is a welcome of invigorating “feel good ” sounds. I was privy to a pre-release “to media” press release and…
Troy Lindsey – ‘Everytime’
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Troy Lindsey go for a dreamy blues-inflected country with the passionate “Everytime”. Proving to be a deft storyteller, a narrative for the underdog incorporating vocals that further emphasize this spirit. Graceful to its very core, Troy Lindsey incorporates a great deal of styles from a little western twang to a nod to honky-tonk. Best of…
Tough on Fridays – ‘Yachats’
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Mixed by respected professional Beau Burchell, the single “Yachats” from Texas bred alternative rock three piece Tough on Fridays couples a warm, nearly effervescent musical approach to the style with every bit of the sharp teeth you’d expect the song to brandish at key points. It runs a little longer than, perhaps, many listeners will…
@skopemag Premiere: Sammie Harney – ‘Problem Child’
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The title track from Nashville based Sammie Harney’s debut release Problem Child has received a lyric video treatment and stylish presentation of imagery that nicely dovetails into Harney’s songwriting. Harney is beginning her music career on the indie scene, but she definitely has material with the required writing acumen to propel her career into the…
Flow – Self-Titled
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Flow embraces a colorful, soothing sound on the ambient bliss of their self-titled effort. Done with the utmost of taste, Flow draws from jazz, folk, incorporating slight hints of dance all nicely anchored by lush waves of sound that simply wash over it all. Melodically rich the way the many elements intermingle results in a…
Forrest Hill – ‘Still Crazy Over You’
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Explore the musical journey of a romantic saga with Forrest Hill, Still Crazy Over You. Listen and Enjoy! There are various shades of music in this world. Someone uses it to soothe his broken heart, while another one utilizes its charm to instigate a positive change in this world. Forrest Hill is one of those…
J.W. Schuller – “No Mud in Joyville”
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J.W. Schuller is a indie folk rock musician based out of Boulder, CO. He is out with a brand new album called No Mud in Joyville. It is a light and introspective collection of songs that are bursting at the seams with Schuller’s heart and soul in each note and lyric. He is a jack…
Kenny Fame – ‘Deeper’
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Kenny Fame dives Deeper into the ocean of passionate love with a soulful touch of musical expressions and presents a gem of an album to remember. Kenny Fame is a multi-talented artist who has the ability to blend music with poetry and produce a mystic musical ambiance. With a unique baritone and interesting lyrics, Kenny…
Leo Harmonay – ‘Lharmonic’
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Leo Harmonay lives in two distinctly different worlds. His daylight gig as a New York City high rise apartment building manager seamlessly transforms into a nighttime gig as a folk singer and songwriter of growing repute. His third studio release LHarmonic finds this talented writer, never restricted to one form alone, reaching a new peak…
Kevin Keating – ‘Simple Place’
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The timelessness of Kevin Keating’s songwriting approach has the potential to torpedo his opportunities to be heard and noticed. We tend to take the singer/songwriter school, one lone pseudo-folky serving up acoustic guitar driven and lyrically ambitious numbers, for granted in this age of ever sleeker bells and whistles. Once we move past our preconceived…
C.K. and The Rising Tide – “Friends”
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C.K. & The Rising Tide prove to be deft storytellers on the celebratory Americana of “Friends”. Sung with a great warmth and tenderness, C.K. & The Rising Tide tap into the great singer-songwriter tradition, with moments that recall Bob Dylan’s thoughtful insights. Rather poetic at times, the punchy rhythms and commanding vocals lead the way…
The Twindows – ‘Valkyrie 2.0’
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The Twindows go for a raw visceral rush of punk attitude with the potent “Valkyrie 2.0”. Full of an intense energy they recall the wild unhinged spirit of Bikini Kill while they rush through at incredible speeds. Riffs have an infectious quality to them, featuring a youthful rebellious spirit. Nothing stays still for long as…
stop.drop.rewind – “I Was a Portrait”
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With an unstoppable energy, stop.drop.rewind’s “I Was a Portrait” is full of a sense of urgency. Quite playful the way the song careens uncontrollably can feel reminiscent of Car Seat Headrest’s ability to capture a youthful yearning. The song deserves to be blasted at the highest possible volumes while the whole track rushes forth in…
The Nadas – ‘One Louder’
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Aptly named, the Nadas delve into a gorgeous, passionate indie rock sound with the tasteful timelessness of “One Louder”. With soothing vocals permeating the entire album the songs possess such tremendous energy. Effortlessly drawing from classic rock with elements of classical coming into the mix, the whole album feels akin to a great story with…
Simon Lunche – ‘An Angel’s Love’
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Simon Lunche embraces a sunny, summery sound with the intimate “An Angel’s Love”. Tenderness overflows throughout the entire piece for the melodies have a great richness to them. At times Simon Lunche’s tasteful yet creative arrangements recall the similarly thoughtful work of Grizzly Bear. With a poetic form of lyricism that explores the concept of…
Sarantos – ‘Sweet As Sugar’
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Soulful to its core, Sarantos delves into the ups and downs of relationships with the powerful “Sweet As Sugar”. Everything about the track emphasizes the importance of truly building a relationship. Lyrics focus upon the strength that a relationship can bring, the problems that two people together can solve versus a single entity. By opting…
Molly Kruse – ‘Ruby’
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Molly Kruse paints an elaborate mixture of country, soul, and the blues with the life-affirming journey of “Ruby”. A highly unique take on folk the song has an ornate, nearly mystical quality. Exploration of a multitude of styles and genres flow into the mix. Quite all-encompassing everything simply stuns. The polished pop perfection works wonders,…
Mean Machine – ‘Fatty Boomba’
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Featuring an infectious groove, Mean Machine embraces a four to the floor dancefloor anthem with “Fatty Boomba”. Everything works from the nimble beats to the playful handclap. With great determination the whole track barrels forth as a virtual force of nature. Best of all are the lyrics that help to tie everything together. Volume is…
Tom Shawcroft – ‘Definitely Something’
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Tom Shawcroft crafts a perfect love letter on the inviting pop pleasures of “Definitely Something”. With a classic casual cool, Tom Shawcroft’s impressive arrangements and vocal delivery recall latter-day the Strokes. Full of careful attention to detail melodies are positively infectious, the rhythms absolutely giddy. Songs play off each other as the entire album works…
Sule – “Love Me (Country Swing)”
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“Love Me (Country Swing)” is the new single by Sule (pronounced Soo-Lay), an artist with a deep background but it’s a bit of a mystery to most of the world. He was brought up on the music of the 70s and 80s, acts like Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Police and Jimi Hendrix had a…
Sleep Machine – ‘Mother’
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The latest single from Sleep Machine, “Mother”, builds on the stunning success Alisha Zalkin and Dan Kalisher has experienced since their duo debuted with their first EP Cover Me in Gold and reaffirms the strengths we heard on that initial release. Their post-modern take on the blues brings a raw, immediate modern sound together with…
