CD and DVD reviews
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…
Channel K creates decadent pop perfection with an edge on the confident swagger of “Super Queen”. Exploring the importance of self-worth, the way the track unfolds gives it a true sense of joy. At times Channel K simply lets loose while the piece simply explodes in a brilliant burst of color. Layer upon layer works…
Kenny Fame takes creative music to new heights with his new experimental venture ‘Another Man’s Woman (I Don’t Wanna Lose This)’. A native of Harlem, New York, Kenny Fame is an international award-winning singer, poet, and songwriter, who have risen to fame with his fervent contributions in alternative R&B music. A new single EP, ‘Another…
Scott Smith delivers a blistering, bluesy take on the classic rock sound with the surefire “Igniting The Flame”. Neatly drawing from folk, country, all anchored within a careful singer-songwriter tradition the pieces linger in the mind. Riffs roll across the luxurious hyperactive pieces. Tempos rush through with a truly muscular presence. By far though the…
Stone Mob goes for a wild unhinged attitude on “Guaranteed (Betty)”. Volume deserves to be blasted for this is a sound that needs to be felt as much as heard. Guitar work feels outright insane, while the riffs have a raw quality to them, revealing an impressive degree of chops. The vocals and lyrics further…
San Diego, California based Trevor Drury has experienced considerable success in a couple of different worlds. The environment of the international modeling and musical worlds might seem, at first impression, to be distinctly different spheres, but there are similarities undoubtedly influencing Drury’s approach to both forms. His latest single “Trip to the Water” makes it…
Mama Juke’s debut album, is not your typical album release but a live album release titled “Mama Juke Live At Unit J”. So while you are getting original music by them, it is done in a live setting as opposed to a non-live atmosphere type of set up. This being not a bad thing at…
Listening to this Mixtape made me think back to the Golden Age of Rap/Hip-Hop when things were simpler and the music was hype. My very first Rap record was The Fat Boys LP from 1984 and that’s when I fell in love with this art form called Rap. Even at just five years old, I…
Shauna Burns brings back the magic of classical ballad with her new single release, ‘Scarborough Fair.’ Listen and enjoy the music. Shauna Burns, a seasoned singer, songwriter, and pianist from the high mountains of Salt Lake City, Utah, rejuvenates the charm of a classic ballad in her newly released single ‘Scarborough Fair,’ on the sixth…
SYBS’s “Motivation” positively shines with a message of inspiration and confidence. Over the course of the track SYBS neatly incorporate elements of R&B, hip-hop, pop resulting in a story that touches the very heart. Vocals have a silky-smooth quality to them, one that perfectly rides the easy-going grooves. Melodies possess a light and airy touch…
Portsmouth, England native Ben Brookes is out with a new single called “Integration (Not Segregation)”. As you can imagine, it’s a political song where Brookes basically says that he’d rather be on Mars instead of here, given how much of a mess everything else. Brookes is working on releasing his first full-length album called The…
Putting the spotlight directly on the wonderful genre of Reggae, Robert Ledesma looks to make a big impact and take the music to another level. Reggae artists and songs simply aren’t tearin’ up the U.S. charts today but Ledesma hopes to change that with his debut album titled ‘Any Moment’. The record has plenty of…
Drive On Mak opts for a classic cool on the laid-back atmospherics of the “Babylon EP”. Featuring loose and limber grooves the tracks have a freeform quality to them while they explore mellowed mood. A reflective spirit defines the entirety of the collection, shown both in the thoughtful lyricism and the glistening arrangements. Hard to…
The Commotions, given the choice between going big or staying home, choose to go big. The Ottawa based band features an extended eleven member lineup along with two lead singers, a trio of songwriters, and a five piece horn section anchored by trombone as well as baritone and tenor sax. Their influences inform the music…
The new single from California based five piece “Shake, Rattle, & Roll” is a surging, raucous guitar driven rocker that presses itself close to the listener from the start and doesn’t let them breathe. Four of the band’s five members hail from the Los Angeles area and each of the players involved earned top…
Laura Rizzotto sculpts a perfect pop track full of passion on the giddy “Red Flags”. Exploring the importance of reading the signs before beginning a relationship Laura Rizzotto opts for an energetic approach one that emphasizes the giddiness of the early stages of getting to know another person. Stylistically Laura Rizzotto anchors everything with a…
You need to pay attention to this song. If you just let the chorus breeze past, you might think Mark Newman is speaking in favor of its point of view, but far from it. Newman’s hard and unsentimental gaze at America’s love of owning firearms isn’t just some right-minded polemic set to an non-descript or…
The new remix of Kanisha K’s “Oh Damn Yeah” is a single certain to send the young singer’s career into another, higher, gear. A successful variation of a song mix should accentuate certain aspects of the track and the bold, boisterous production driving her performance and the sound of this particular track is notable. The…
Sarantos dives headfirst into an eclectic energy with the playful pop of “GYspy JaZZ”. From the spelling to the arrangement everything wonders works. Within the entire piece Sarantos weaves together so many different styles from electro to jazz to ragtime to almost a theatrical cabaret. By far the true highlight are the creative lyrics which…
Fire in the Field fires forward with fury on the raging classic punk rock ruckus of “War Bonnet”. Riffs burn through great vast terrains as they rush through with a sense of urgency. By opting for such a timeless sound Fire in the Field ensures that their music feels akin to great art, moving yet…
Fox In Oil opts for a technicolor dream world on the pop perfection of “Madness”. Quite creative the song runs an impressive emotional gamut as lyrics focus upon a wild, free-spirited approach. Stylistically Fox In Oil draws from a wide variety of genres, going from pop to funk to R&B to a little bit of…
Country duo, Stranger Friends, combine country and rock together with a sophistication all but lost on most of today’s fans. They have an interesting background, having submitted one track for a Burt Reynolds movie which led to getting to record the entire soundtrack. Their self-titled EP kicks off with “Country Song” and it’s not your…
Flotation Toy Warning’s second full length album finds the UK based band employing their same wildly individual blend of traditional songwriting strengths and stylistic flourishes to memorable effect on The Machine That Made Us. The release’s ten songs span a gamut of sounds and utilize both standard and unusual instrumentation with gripping creativity. Vocalist, musician,…
Indie/Groove Guitar enthusiast Joe Olnick and his band are back again and continue to deliver amazing guitar instrumentals in their unique was. Joe Olnick are about to launch a new album called Downtown which would be the sixth album of the band. Living in the Philadelphia area, Joe Olnick Band have been popular around the…
I’m sure you’ve contemplated that pesky and complex question “What is the meaning of life?” over and over in your head with no clear-cut and concise manuscript provided. Well, singer/songwriter Karen Littman attempts to tackle that very tough question and many others on her debut album titled ‘The Dream of Life: Set Yourself Free’. Littman…
Everybody Move is an inspirational song about finding joy in life even if that joy is hard to find. The song is achieved in a few different ways. Their lyrics convey their message in a realistic and yet happy manner. The peppy and fun instrumentals of the song add to the message of optimism of…
Indie rock group Strange Theories from Louisiana takes their influences from such acts as Kings Of Leon, The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, and classic rock in general, covering said genre from time to time. During their time though, this summer for instance, they would take the time to write and record for an all new track…
The Jay Kipps Band go for a tried and true gritty style on the swagger of “Rotten Apple Blues”. With a raw visceral approach the Jay Kipps Band goes for a nearly physical style. From the passionately played harmonica to the jagged guitar riffs, everything feels truly lived in giving the track an honest…
With a sound that taps into the best of 70s summer jams Doug MacDonald Band’s “Lights On” truly stuns. Guitars possess a force of nature like take upon them as they soar through vast space. Lyrically the song embraces a carpe diem style as they teem with optimism. Sarah Ragsdale’s “This Kiss” opts for a…
Shauna Burns, since her 2005 debut, has set about redefining what a singer/songwriter can be capable of. The intimate, confessional lyrical style of the genre, infused with a generous blast of poetry, is a staple of the style, but Burns doesn’t limit herself to this. Instead, her music draws from the rich traditions of multiple…
Nashville is the home of country music, so it’s suiting that a country music song would be about the city. Askin shows his listeners his adventures in Nashville and what he found there besides music. His song Nashville focuses on what the city is the richness of the culture, the history, and the fun that…
Sometimes a band hits a home run when making an album, managing to create an experience that speaks to the listener and kills with each track. That’s exactly what Dallas-based rock band JIBE has done with their latest album, Epic Tales Of Human Nature, which is coming out on October 6th. JIBE first formed in…
