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…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
@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…
The Gray Vines – ‘Obscene’
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The five song EP Obscene from New Jersey based rockers The Gray Vines manages to make the high wire act of balancing 90’s style rock with a modern sound come off easy. The effortlessness of their performances and songwriting alike doesn’t seem possible for a band that initially came together thanks to the trio meeting…
ShaQ:Muzik – ‘My One & Only Love’
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This song has an R&B style. Its sound is soft and gentle. The softness brings to mind love and that’s exactly what the song is; a romance, a serenade, a love song. The title, My One & Only Love does well in showing the potential listener what they will be listening to. The title demonstrates…
Natalie Jean and Levi Moore – ‘The Letting Go’
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The Letting Go by Natalie Jean and Levi Moore becomes an overnight sensation among its huge number of fans. Listen and Enjoy! Music has a unique power to bind identical souls who live to cherish the enlightened flame of mesmerizing melodies. Natalie Jean and Levi Moore are such singing duo who bears a deeply embedded…
Bongo Boy TV Season 7 EP 2 – Open Time of Light
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Studeo goes for a soaring sort of country rock with the rollicking “This Time”. Rather beautiful, the lovely sound positively shimmers. Lyrics emphasize a true sense of determination. With a commanding post-punk sort of presence, Shadow of Whale’s “Runaway” goes for a raw gritty style. Everything feels stripped down to the absolute essentials as they…
Ezra Vancil – “YOU”
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Ezra Vancil delves into a compassionate sound on the country-folk musings of “You”. Sung with such tenderness, Ezra Vancil’s work at times recalls the loveliness of Benoît Pioulard’s most straightforward pieces. Absolutely teeming with life, his storytelling ability helps to tie these songs together with the utmost of care. The arrangements go for a light…
Fraction & Finsta – ‘That Ain’t Me’
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“That Ain’t Me” seems an incredibly promising song hitting chartbusters from the album Thoughtwork by Fraction and Finsta. With the increasing popularity of creative music, many talented artists have taken the opportunity to come under the limelight and acquire immediate attention. Fraction and Finsta is a combined project of immensely numerous award-winner singer and producer…
Jai Johnson – “Take it From Me”
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From the beautiful soulful state of Huntington, West Virginia there is a fantastic singer /song writer Steve Jai Johnson. His style is a smooth reflection of his passion as an R&B musician with a fusion of Jazz. His easy laid back back style is hot and smooth like melted butter for the ears. Steve Jai…
Randy Lyght – Bumped Into Love
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Randy Lyght’s journey from the Canadian wilds into a place of increasingly global prominence continues with his fourth release Another Side of Me. The first single from the album, “Bumped Into Love”, recalls some of Lyght’s abiding influences while still communicating a distinctive personality that makes the material his own rather than pale imitation. Lyght…
Handsome Karnivore – ‘The Chaotic Static Between Shadow and Substance’
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New Jersey’s Handsome Karnivore has relocated their operations to the Los Angeles area since the release of their first studio album and their second recording, The Chaotic Static Between Shadow and Substance, is a thirteen song statement of purpose promising to open many doors in the band’s musical journey. The four piece outfit brings together…
Nine Beats Collective – ‘Call ‘em Out’
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Call em Out is a piece which is unique especially in the way which the lyrics are spoken throughout the piece instead of being sung. The lyrics being spoken sounds great with the instrumentals as well as the backup singers that appear later in the song, it enhances the lyrics and the message. It’s a…
Ashley Delima – ‘Stay in America’
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Ashley Delima’s “Stay in America” is a rousing single passionately advocating for the uncertain futures facing many immigrants attempting to stay in America. Make no mistake, however, that this isn’t some dry politically inspired diatribe ripped from current events. Instead, Delima’s single is a very human song led by a tremendously emotive vocalist guided by…
Randall Lee Richards – ‘While You Were Sleeping’
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Randall Lee Richards goes for an updated, crystal clear country sound with the tender “While You Were Sleeping”. Exploring the ups and downs of relationships, Randall Lee Richards proves to be a deft storyteller. Intricate arrangements adorn the entirety of the track, from the light electronics to the powerful percussion. Guitars have a lovely, soaring…
Joe Jermano – “Reaching For Clouds”
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Reaching for clouds is an innovative creation having a rare combination of melancholy and hope by Joe Jermano. Listen to the music today. Joe Jermano is a renowned singer, song composer, and guitarist who had been ruling the limelight for many years now. Drawing inspiration from the basic notes of classic rock and Jazz, Joe…
The Silver Bayonets – ‘Fake’
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The Silver Bayonets delves into a wild defiant attitude with the energetic rush of “Fake”. Full of infectious riffs and inviting grooves, the whole thing possesses a fantastic edge to it. Volume helps to further emphasize the unruly spirit that rests at the very heart of the track. With a jagged impulse that neatly merges…
Karen Mansfield – ‘Thistle + Boon’
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Karen Mansfield sings with a dreamy tenderness on the lilting gorgeous color of “Thistle + Boon”. Full of heart and soul, Karen Mansfield brings together elements of country, chamber pop, with a rock-oriented style to it. Best of all are Karen Mansfield’s thoughtful lyricism delivered with the utmost of ease. Everything is executed with such…
Delicate Marie – ‘I Don’t Belong To You’
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Delicate Maria releases her first single which shows her competence and strength as an artist. Listen and Enjoy! Sha’Diamond Marie Hamilton aka Delicate Marie is an Atlanta, Georgia, based singer who has been displaying her talents from a young age of ten. Though quite young she has a creative insight which she has skillfully used…
Universal Dice – ‘birth, love, hate, death’
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The fourth release from indie act Universal Dice is, unquestionably, their most ambitious effort yet. birth, love, hate, death harkens back to an increasingly distant time in our popular music history when composers, straining against the confines of the three minute single, aimed to marry one of our most democratic and accessible of all art…
Reina Mora – “Trouble”
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Reina Mora goes for a passionate, fiery sound with the soulful “Trouble”. Full of joy, the way the song unfurls gives it a majestic air. Multifaceted and with a wide kaleidoscopic variety of color everything comes together into a fantastic stream of sound. By far the true heart comes from the poetic lyrics that float…
Severine – ‘Down the Rivers’
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Severine’s “Down the Rivers” is a new peak for this blossoming young performer and songwriter whose American birth and European upbringing gives her a wholly unique flavor in the pop world today. Severine is a musician with massive talents and her ability to handle writing her own material while never sacrificing any of her performing…
Vessbroz fest. Kyle Davis – ‘Nothing’
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The first single from Vessbroz’s impending full length album Lost, “Nothing”, features the singular vocal and lyrical talents of Massachusetts bred Kyle Davis. Davis has aspired to be a singer and songwriter since his fifth birthday and the long years he’s put in service to perfecting his craft leave him at an astonishing stage of…
RatRod – ‘Do You Remember Rock and Roll’
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RatRod go for a wild, unhinged, manic sort of energy with the careening “Do You Remember Rock and Roll”. An attitude of defiance dominates over the course of “Do You Remember Rock and Roll”. Comparisons to AC/DC feel somewhat inevitable for they go for a visceral, full-bodied style. The tremendous swagger of the album works…
