CD and DVD reviews
The Outcome offer glimpses of dreamy glowing world with the laid-back summery vibes of “I’ll Take It EP”. Impeccably crafted, the songs embrace mellowed grooves with a slight nod towards psychedelic rock. Layer upon layer of sound comes together in a most extraordinary way, for the many tracks work in unison to delve into surreal…
Nails Hide Metal’s “Breach” goes for a gritty, early 90s indie rock spirit to it. Full of love and passion the way the songs unfold reveals their true beating heart. The fuzzed-out guitar work, the powerful percussion, and those joyous vocals all work in unison to deliver something so positively tender at times. Infinitely catchy…
Rudda’s take on Radiohead’s “Reckoner” keeps the ethereal quality of the original while transforming it into something even more ambitious in scope. Vocals swim through with a dreamy, otherworldly quality. By giving the vocals an ambient, borderline shoegaze, approach the track delves into entire new universes. The nimble rhythmic structure of the piece helps to…
Kara Stevens is appropriately called “The New Metal Queen” but it’s a distinction apart from her music, so whatever it means, it reflects little to none on – Passion, her new release with the twice Grammy- nominated veteran pianist and composer, Mark Little, to classify it as a duet album under the KARA name which…
Beth Noble’s EP – The Story Of Her Life, features her debut singles “All I Need” and “Stupid Girl.” Beth began her career singing gospel hymns and dancing at her family’s catfish restaurant in Quitman, Texas. Her affinity for music is deep-rooted and began with her great-grandfather, a renowned fiddler who played with legends such…
Austin, TX based legendary playwright made singer songwriter, Randall Wheatley, releases his debut full length album entitled – Everything Matters. Wheatley’s previous success and reputation as ‘‘the rock star of the playwright world’’ is carrying over into his newest role as a singer songwriter. Each track on the album provides pure entertainment no matter your…
Randy Steele’s “Songs from The Suck” represents the best of Americana. Folk, country, bluegrass, all of it comes together into a heartfelt whole. Everything works wonders from the passionate fiddle work to the nimble guitar strums that gently glide the songs along. The album runs the emotional gamut from the purely celebratory to more reflective,…
YYY’s “A Tribute To The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds” opts for an origami-style approach to the work, one that embraces the sunny disposition of the originals. Everything works, from the glo-fi aesthetic that appears throughout the album to the passionate vocals that rise above it all. Rhythms go for a loose approach ensuring that the…
Technically gifted singers aren’t always emotionally affecting. It isn’t enough to possess outstanding vocal range – the truly time tested singers exert their hold over listener’s imagination because they are behind every word with the sort of phrasing that makes a song’s experiences come to life for its audience. Brian Huston’s professional training as a…
Madhouse hits the perfect sound & message with their newly released album ‘The Apocalypse’. Listen and Enjoy! With the increasing growth in progressive music, Hip Hop has developed a long way into the limelight. With explicit rapping and quality musical delight, many talented musicians are evolving in this genre of musical melodies. ‘Madhouse’ is one…
Skymonk’s “Carapace” represents rock with true grit and soul. Energy pours out of every piece. The attention to stylistic flourishes gives the entire collection such a gorgeous, luxurious feeling to it. Over the course of the journey Skymonk incorporates elements of punk, indie rock, hard rock, even a little bit of jazz inflected moments. By…
Sung straight from the heart, Saycille offers a poignant take on the importance of relationships with the powerful “Wish”. Throughout “Wish” Saycille taps into a classic pop sound, featuring irresistible hooks and an infectious rhythm that help carry the track along. By far though the true soul of the piece rests with the incredible vocals…
By just previewing the bands website, you can tell that they are unique. Their website is covered by bright colors and a black accent color. There is a drawn photo of the four band member’s front and center of their website. The band members are all wearing a goofy look except for the drummer. She…
Annabelle sings straight from the heart on the propulsive pop of “Magnetic”. The sound literally pops courtesy of the powerful percussion whose physicality feels outright inviting. Right at the center of the track is Annabelle’s strong, confident voice. Her lyricism focuses upon finding one’s peace and happiness. Layers merge forming a glorious whole as the…
Ida Elena revels in the natural beauty of the world with the intimate “Native Spirit”. Her voice serves as the focal point of the piece with all else stemming from it. A tribal rhythm allows her to explore such lush terrain. Layer upon layer of sound interact in a glorious way, the way that the…
Timi Alexander proves to be an adept storyteller on his powerful self-titled debut. With clear nods to the gloriousness of 90s alternative rock and hip hop the songs possess such color. Incredible energy flows through the pieces while they reflect upon relationships, the divisiveness of the current international political climate, and the overall unease that…
The musical project known as C.E.O. (Conquering Every Opportunity) Business is a one man band, essentially, featuring the talents of creative mastermind Mike Davis Jr. and the Arkansas native makes a spectacular impression with his single “Livin’ Life”. Davis’ early influences like Michael Jackson, Dr. Dre, and P. Diddy, among others, stoked an early desire…
“On the Run” presents a track that feels truly lived in, tender in tone and revealing the Royal Turns to be true masters of a dreamy world. With a sound that feels reminiscent of a reflective moonlit night there is something quite graceful about the way they let the song unfold. Everything simply works, from…
After breaking up in 2014, South Carolina pop band Eleventyseven is back with their new album, Rad Science, that’s coming out on November 7th. Their single from the album, “Holding Out,” is a deeply relatable millenial anthem. Eleventyseven is a fun band that delivers great pop tunes with electronic undertones- classified as neon punk, they…
The two latest singles from New York City based trio Phil Varca and the SlamJammers, “Cash” and “Don’t Push Me”, are the best recordings yet capturing the gloriously raw live sound and energy this blues inspired three piece are capable of generating for a crowd. Replicating a band’s live sound and performance velocity in studio…
Mike Derek went from being raised on a farm in Ontario, Canada singing in church choirs, to a singing competition in Nashville and was selected as one of two people who auditioned to record with famed Producer Richard Donahue. Richard set up a 3-song demo at Landshark Studios in Nashville and the rest is history.…
Jupiter In Velvet runs the gamut with an explosion of sound that is like no other. This one-man, wrecking crew & chameleon of sorts brings a wide array of musical elements, styles and tastes to his new album titled ‘In2 the Arms of Love’. I’m no stranger to Jupiter In Velvet and his eclectic act…
Walter has staged a remarkable comeback from some serious health issues, and is sounding and playing as good (if not better) as ever. This guy could play air guitar riffs in his sleep and wake people up. He’s enlisted a lot of blues/rock talent to complete this latest offering. He has an influential guest appear…
Sung with true heart and grit, Divining Rod’s “Hemlock Blues/Love Come Tumbling” represents folk’s glorious future. The energy that drives these two piece alongside is truly spellbinding, with the impressive guitar work giving it a sense of life. By far the true soul of the sound comes from the reassuring, warm vocals that tie the…
Supersonic Blues Machine is made up of Fabrizio Grossi on bass, Lance Lopez on guitar/vocals, and Mr. Energy himself, Kenny Aronoff on drums. SBM did much of the songwriting on this. This well connected trio has enlisted some of their cohorts to lend their talents to this release. Guests Billy Gibbons, Robben Ford, Eric Gales,…
The latest single from young songwriting prodigy Lexie Rose offers us a prime example of how talent informed by passion and discipline can produce amazing results early in an artist’s career. “20 Weeks” shows off the talents of a singer/songwriter/musician who is already working at or near the first of what promises to be a…
MicFreeze is a blossoming talent in the hip-hop/rap world whose Detroit upbringing informs his songwriting with a sense of hard won wisdom. He’s a young performer, so the layers of experience that come through in his songs have surprised many listeners and remain in full evidence on his latest single “Cousin Skeeter”. His talents are…
Out of Minneapolis, Minnasota comes enigmatic artist Austin Carson, better known as YYY, with a new spin on one of the most iconic albums of all time- The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. It is YYY’s first full length album, that features a number of Minneapolis-based artists that are just as eccentric as Carson himself. The…
Flatt Lonesome’s fourth album Silence in These Walls continues the winning streak for this six piece Americana act specializing in bluegrass and country music. Their songwriting mood is never limited, veering from despair to moments of genuine exaltation, and the depth of each collection from this critically lauded outfit continues to deepen with each new…
Brutal in its aural assault on the senses, Boy Eats Girl takes an intensely emotionally style with the powerful “Zugszwang”. Downright chaotic the multi-faceted, multi-layered approach work in unison to capture a plethora of doom-laden effects. By far the true heart and soul rests with the vocals, whose dexterity works wonders within the epic expanse.…
Kevin Fisher a multi-talented Multi-Platinum rock / country artist and pure genius or shall we say Guinness has pulled out all the stops and delivered a piece of musical perfection. He seems to have discovered the secret equation to a sure fire hit. One part music plus one part beer equals a whole lot…
Lee Roy is the Texas music legend associated with country music that grew up playing rock and roll. This release has a lot of everything including a blues vibe to it. Lee Roy collaborated on all of the songwriting with Greg Barnhill. Lee Roy plays all of the various guitar parts. electric, acoustic, slide, etc.,…
Monsieur Job’s first release; “Chow Chow Eyyy Pow Pow” is a project created and led by Basswalk Latino’s executive head; Jose Fernando Holguin. Written by Toby Holguin & Stan Kolev, that features Martin Cintron the singer and guitar player from the recognized nineties band; “No Mercy.” Also featuring a long list including; Kiño, Luis Carlos…
This release is a blues tribute of sorts, covering classic blues tunes originally delivered by Willie Dixon, Leon Russell, Booker T. Jones, and Muddy Waters. The Kentucky band does a really good job of resurrecting these blues classics. Built For Comfort is a good version, having a nice slow building presence. Champagne And Reefer is…
Running is a song that begins soft and gradually picks up. In this way the song itself seems to be running. Why the running is occurring doesn’t seem to be specified however they are definitely creating that feeling you get on a jog. Creating a feeling in a song is something which is difficult and…
The twelve songs on Gina Clowes’ solo debut True Colors testify to her talents within the bluegrass realm as well as her ability to transform it into something wholly her own. Rather than being beholden to the genre’s traditional subject matter, Clowes wields the music as a worthy vehicle for self-expression covering a gamut of…
Donna Ulisse’s new release from Mountain Home Music Company, Breakin’ Easy, features a dozen songs from the reigning IBMA Songwriter of the Year and brings a new found synthesis to her long standing style of mixing modern and traditional bluegrass music tropes with gospel and country. The songs come across as intensely personal statements Ulisse…
Magnificent Man is a wildly inventive, wacky musical circus. Hailing from small town Midwestern America, his story is almost archetypically American. His youth is the story of a young imagination responding to the allure of Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson and making his own homemade music videos as another avenue of self expression. He pursued…
Russell Lee represents the power of country music on the classic “Meant to Be”. With a warm, welcoming message that feels universal. Quite tasteful, the way the song builds up swinging feels particularly satisfying. Over the course of the track a sense of finding oneself becomes the true theme of the entire piece. A journey…
Willy and the Planks plays with a psychedelic bluesy grit with their heartfelt self-titled effort. Sung with such fury, the songs work as meditations on a life lived most fully. Neatly referencing the blues greats while still incorporating their own style, Willy and the Planks crafts carefully laid out stories, mere snapshots of what it…
