CD and DVD reviews
Now based out of the Los Angeles area, Amilia K. Spicer’s career trajectory and path through life inform each other in ever important ways. Her voyage began in the pastoral surroundings of rural Pennsylvania before carrying her to the hill country of eastern Texas and even excursions to the Far East. The experiences she’s picked…
Shauna Burns, since her 2005 debut, has distinguished herself as a truly unique figure working with traditional folk material. The bulk of her efforts are best characterized as being in a Celtic vein, but she balances her original compositions and covers alike with a studied consideration of stylistic demands coupled with a willingness to blaze…
With a rich timeless air, Marek Dusil Blend embarks on a psychedelic folk journey on the spirited “Raw”. Aptly named, Marek Dusil Blend sculpt an intimate world. Over the course of the album Marek Dusil Blend tells the tale of living to the absolute fullest. Reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s soulful stream of consciousness take at…
Darren Marc sings with a light and graceful spirit on the reassuring “Let It Shine”. Throughout the entire Darren Marc explores the importance of faith and how it can change a life. Effortlessly blending folk, country, with a timeless tasteful approach to storytelling the album is imbued with a strong sense of optimism. By far…
Mark Baxter taps into an eternal optimism on the gorgeous “Human Revival”. With an interesting nod to classic rock, the sound feels positively timeless. Vocals rest front and center, touching upon a joyous communal spirit. Expansive in scope, Zombie Garden Club’s “Animals” exists in a fantastic haze. Guitars soar off into the sky. Akin to…
The new Kristy Love Brooks CD – Love For The Holidays, comes just in time to recap a long year with a collection of half originals of her own and half traditional holiday classics. Kristy is a singer-songwriter and executive producer who teamed up with multi-platinum producer-arranger, Felton Pilate, for a jubilant release. The CD…
Fovea – Pencil Me In, is an extraordinary collection of songs featuring Steve Shaw on bass, guitar and vocals, along with Max Weigel on guitar and vocals, keys and electronics. And Jake DeNicola on drums, vids and foley, and singer Halley Furlong-Mitchell on vocals, keys and violin. To describe what fovea means, it’s a cone-laden…
When I hit play, right away I was thinking this is one dynamo and a real firecracker with a distinct spark and flare about her. The singer/songwriter from Chicago brings you “Docs” that has got style, charm and hard-core meaning all wrapped up into one power-packed song. Leah Capelle hits you with an edgy &…
This Pale Fire – Alchemy, is the debut full-length LP by aka Corban Koschak, with producer Levi Patel working at the helm. It’s an album not easy to define, with the New Zealand artist describing his voice as “closest maybe to Dan Smith with some of Thom York’s falsetto brilliance brushed on.” But, This Pale…
Surreal Nation delves into a masterful blend of indie rock and dream pop on the shimmering “I Know Better EP”. Vocals rest at the heart of the everything, radiating with a great warmth. Layer upon layer of sound intermingle in a perfect way. At times the lovely storytelling lyricism feels reminiscent of Beat Happening’s charming…
Guitarist and producer Ian C. Bouras, based out of the New York City area, has achieved the bulk of his acclaim thanks to his songwriting and guitar work with the New York City reggae/rock band AñaVañA. Their 2004 self-titled debut led Billboard Magazine to label him among the top songwriters in that year and 2005.…
Who says Halloween is strictly about trick-or-treating, ghoulish costumes and horror movies? How about a show centered around some of the greatest American, popular music ever created thrown into the bag as well? If you said yes, then Motown The Musical is the perfect candy that will satisfy your sweet, musical tooth. Opening night for…
Rebecca Lappa’s voice sings with fiery passion on the elegant “Spirit EP”. Lyrics focus upon the great moments in life, the ones that come to truly define a person. Vocals possess a great range, going from soaring into the heavens to more hushed, intimate moments. Throughout it all her uncanny ear for melody allows the…
Disconnected Genius taps into an early 90s shaggy dog indie rock with the insightful “Nirvikalpa Meow”. Sung with such tenderness, the lyrics have a sharp wit about them while they offer reflections on the current state of affairs. These stories range from the personal to more wide-scope thoughts. Arrangements go for an intimacy of sorts,…
Chris Murphy is a renowned multi-talented violinist, singer, and writer who have been enlightening the music world with his engaging performances and brilliant song recordings for the past twenty-five years. He has used his expert skills to bring back the magic of age-old musical styles but with an innovative fusion of his own modern and…
Amilia K Spicer is a renowned American singer and songwriter from the early nineties, who has enchanted her audience with her amazing writing and singing skills. A native of Pennsylvania, Spicer is a well-trained pianist who had moved away from home to Los Angeles CA to seek her dream of becoming a film director. Later…
Originally hailing from Northern California, Jonathan Cavier is a renowned singer and song composer who has been producing creative pop music for quite a long time now. Cavier merges the various styles of pop and rock music to create a unique quality melody of his own. His new album ‘Blue Room’ released in 2017 brings…
Sarah Morris sings with true heart and soul on the gentle folk journey of “Hearts In Need Of Repair”. The loveliness of the entire album cannot be overstated – Sarah Morris knows exactly the right level of accompaniment her voice requires. Never overdone, she keeps the arrangements thoughtful, stylish, and with a true sense of…
The latest single from Nashville based singer/songwriter Kelly McGrath, “O Holy Night”, takes some of its inspiration from Jeff Buckley’s famous rendition of “Hallelujah”. Instead of subjecting listeners to the customary approach to Christmas themed music, bloated arrangements replete with strings and whole host of other clichéd elements, McGrath strips this spiritually minded tune down…
Sammi Rae Murciano sings with passion on the sophisticated pop perfection of “Reflection”. Keeping things to the absolute essentials works quite well, for Sammi Rae Murciano’s voice radiates with a great feeling of yearning. With this caring, almost caressing delivery, Sammi Rae Murciano allows the track to possess a meditative quality. Throughout the entirety of…
Nothing But You, Nicky sings with fire and passionate on the sweeping beauty of “On My Own”. With powerful vocals leading the way, Nothing But You, Nicky serves as the very heart of the track as her voices rises up towards the heavens. Poetic lyricism defines the entirety of the piece while it unfurls in…
Ryan Zimmerman sings with soul on the down-to-earth style of “Ephemeral as a Kiss”. A loose, laid-back vibe informs the entirety of the collection. The way the entire collection comes in and out of focus lends it a dreamy aura. Lyrics further emphasize this spacey quality, as the vocals have an intimacy to them. Easily…
Ali B offers a fresh bold take on the ballad with the neon-hued “Strangers In Love”. With a neat mixture of dub, electro, house and pop the song offers an infectious energy. The optimistic quality of the track feels undeniable while Ali B’s lyricism describes the lust that allows relationships to truly blossom. Her voice…
Thoughtful and delicate, Asha Pieper crafts a mysterious, mystical world on the gracious style of “History”. Chamber pop anchors the piece while Asha Pieper draws from jazz and folk to deliver a fully-formed whole. Framing the entire piece in a slightly theatrical context, Asha Pieper lets the piece evolve with such deliberate pacing. How Asha…
Chris Sullivan sings about a little slice of Americana with the joyous celebration of “By The Light Of The Radio”. By letting country, the blues, and classic rock come together the track has a communal, all-consuming spirit to it. What truly ties the song together is the passion and fire of the vocals which gives…
In a generation of evolving talents, many new artists are gradually hitting the limelight with their innovative thoughts and ideas. ‘Band of the Hawk’ is a group of some of the best-talented souls that have evolved with time with their innovative style of Hip Hop music creations. They have recently released their first single, ‘Black…
When I pushed Play on “Circles”, I was instantly attracted to the glorious sound coming through. Blue Apollo is firing off a Hit Song here that is sure to take off and make a successful landing. This four-piece band from Dallas, Texas has created a sound that is insanely compelling. “Circles” is a bonus track…
From its title to its final hollow tunes, Black Water is a track that haunts and seduces listeners into relating to its singer. The first track in Thomas Abban’s album A Sheik’s Legacy, Black Water has a legacy of its own. The first word that comes to mind with the opening notes from Black Water…
Caroline Ferrante sings with a sunny optimism on the fantastic thoughtful pop of “SKY”. With such an incredible fervor, Caroline Ferrante shows off her considerable chops. Over the course of the collection Caroline Ferrante draws upon twee, country, classical, jazz, all brought together through carefully woven stories. Attention to detail works wonders as she incorporates…
The U.S. American deliver defiance on the rebellious spirit of “Greatest Hits”. Jagged guitar riffs, shouted lyrics, and infectious rhythms, everything about it views the U.S. through a critical lens. Consumerism, lack of geographical knowledge, yet they have a patriotic edge as displayed on “FCK THE KGB” as to be a true patriot means to…
Robbing Johnny delivers a stylistic tour-de-force on the powerful “Cold March”. Neatly merging folk, indie rock, rap, and the singer-songwriter tradition into a potent whole, Robbing Johnny proves to be a deft storyteller. Over the course of the album Robbing Johnny focuses upon the unique worlds that come together to make up New York City.…
A Killer’s Confession pummels the listener with an all-engrossing sound on “Angel on the Outside”. Effortlessly merging metal and hard rock into a satisfying whole, the track barrels through with such bombast. Volume is an absolute must for “Angel on the Outside” deserves to be felt as much as heard, packed with a tremendous amount…
Christian Rock finds its roots back in 1960 when some Christian metal artist bands started gaining commercial success. ‘’Here and Now Don’t Stop” is a new rock band based in Hillsboro, Ohio, who has recreated the magic of Christian rock with their very first released single track ‘Battle Cry’ with Thermal Entertainment, from their first…
Thomas Abban proves to be a singer-songwriter of the highest caliber on the bluesy rock of “A Sheik’s Legacy”. Quite versatile, Thomas Abban creates an entire journey over the course of the album, allowing things to get real wild. Nimble and quick on his feet, Thomas Abban ensures that things veer through with an unquenchable…
Employing almost fifty musicians to help realize his musical aims, singer/songwriter Cameron Blake’s second release Fear Not aspires to the same level of achievement as his previous album 2015’s Alone on the World Stage and surpasses it in many respects. No one can sanely accuse Blake of keeping his goals modest. The dozen songs included…
We should, in these increasingly homogenized times, appreciate unique musical acts when they come along. Most are genre hybrids and Toronto’s FXRRVST (pronounced as forest) is no exception. The duo of Matthew Fuentes and Holly Forrest are close onstage and off and demonstrate a remarkably sympathetic musical point of view for a musical act that…
It’s refreshing to hear traditional sounds finding new expression in 2017 and showing continued relevancy. You have to measure relevancy by more than just sales and commercial standing. Relevancy means that this song, cloaked in a combination of guitar, steady percussion, and organ, speaks as directly to listeners as the combination did when it first…
Sung with such tenderness, Ron Hamrick’s “I Saw the Sign” has a perfect autumnal quality to it. The intimate approach works well as Ron Hamrick keeps things to the absolute essentials. With only a synthesizer, piano, and guitar leading the way, the arrangement has a warmth to it. By far the true highlight comes from…
Sung with great soul, Larry Kolker offers a refreshing additional to the great singer-songwriter tradition with the powerful “Dog Year”. With a great ear for melody the arrangements feel positively energetic. Attention to detail means that these narratives feel akin to seeing a glimpse of a life being lived to the absolute fullest. Instrumentally rich…
Hunter deBlanc’s “Back 4 More” offers a triumphant optimism, one that revels in its pop perfection, with hooks aplenty and a fiery spirit. With a strong adherence to a neon-hued electro approach, the way the song builds up feels majestic. Layer upon layer comes into the mix giving the entire track a kaleidoscopic vibe. Easily…
