CD and DVD reviews
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…
Jazz and funk meet up with the blues and R&B, with some Reggae tossed in on – Ace – by the Johnny Mac Band. They feature Johnny Mac a veteran of the New York circuit. Singing guitars and fiery solos bookend soulful voices supported by the rock-solid rhythm section of Joe Roberts on keyboards,…
The bulk of Matt Hammon’s mainstream reputations rest with his tenure as drummer for Husker Du guitarist and songwriter Bob Mould, but his indie rock credentials extend much further. A little digging will turn up his time as a founding member of two well-regarded bands, Mineral and The Gloria Record, based out of Austin, Texas.…
The concept album Miranda! from Italian based quartet Altre di B serves notice that this band’s ambitions will not remain confined to the typical grab bags of songs. The ten songs are inspired by Quirico Filopanti’s nineteenth century book that proposed the first ideas about time zones while also mining the band member’s individual experiences…
It’s a testament to the enduring power that music held over Brent Daniels’ imagination that, no matter what twists and turns life laid in front of him, he eventually found his way back to one of his earliest passions. His album Every Road Has a Turn provides ample evidence of how bright the fire to…
Nick Dakota has achieved a notable degree of success on the back of his recent full length album Vision with his combination of genuine star power, musical skills, and songwriting contributions from top shelf Nashville songwriters. The Michigan based performer is gathering material for his next album, but he’s still promoting Vision with every bit…
Singer-Songwriter Ashley J is a hot up and comer based out of the East Coast as well and is definitely worth mentioning. She’s also a true musical free spirit! All this can be felt on every aspect of her music. Speaking of which, her music is steeped in a multidimensional fusion of modern and 90s…
Posterity is a cruel mistress and legacies aren’t what they used to be. The truly transformational artists, in any medium, are the ones who find a toehold with the public imagination that the years cannot wash away. Instead, these artists only make a deeper and bigger impression over time and they soon accumulate a body…
Dizzy Box Nine blend their improvised-pop rock with the styles of bands like Blink 182, The Cars, Train and Tom Petty. This can’t be bad for anyone, and they prove that on – Electric Illusion, their new 12 track full-length album. They manage to forge their own thing out of a three-minute pop song. They…
Slow Burning Car has a great name and some great music to back it up. The title of Slow Burning Car is destructive in its imagery which is exactly the feeling of relief that rock music gives to its listeners. Their song Soul Crimes will give listeners that same sense of relaxation, of cleansing that…
Brooklyn based singer Blakeley is out with a new album called Sin Cider- on it is the single, “Caffeine & Nicotine”. Blakeley is an artist that lets you know exactly who she is and what she’s about. A quick look at her website shows her personality rather clearly, but you can dig through her social…
California-based metal band Energy Alchemist is out with a new EP called Reminder, featuring a brand new track of the same name and remade versions of their songs, “Way Too Late” and “Flush”. The band is made up of Bill Hankins (guitar, vocals, programming), Julian Sterling (guitar, vocals), Erik Koski (bass), and Matt Heath (drums).…
“On Your Mind”, the new single by High Park Society, an independent studio project with music done by the mastermind of Canadian multi-instrumentalist and songwriter as well as acoustician Frank Babic. Another “one-man-does-all” type project. His indie pop style really brings it all together with such hooks, vocals, and music. High Park Society’s evoking…
Whenever religion is involved it is either good or bad. In the case of the Devil the demon of all evil according to some if not most, it means bad news. “Devil”, featuring a guest spot from Curtismith and Leanne, is on the other hand a rather interesting track by a pop act called The…
Americana how art though not what it used to be….. times of the past or good old days are long gone in today’s senses. As no one buys or believes in a time that once was then which is not here now. In the case of Americana roots rock and blues act Ten Ton Man…
JL has always been one of my favorite guys on or off the stage. In addition to being more than capable of burning through the frets on a guitar, he owns the voice to complete the package and make blues/rock happen. This release takes a more simplistic approach, going back to the roots of traditional…
Country singer and songwriter, Richard Schroder, is out with his latest album, Drive. A meticulously crafted set of songs that have quintessential country elements with Schroder’s own unique spin on them. Schroder put his heart and soul (not to mention countless hours) into Drive, and it shows. He is especially known for working and reworking…
This young singer/songwriter, Severine, is of French extraction, born in the United States, and later raised in her ancestral homeland. Her musical education began early with a love for Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone, those influences firing her passion for music to life, but she later chose another course in the name of practicality and…
Curious Mortal Minds is an EP by The Harper Conspiracy. Its tracks are filled with melody and rocking rhythms that make it a complete danceable rock package. It’s time to fill the air around you with an addictive danceable rock. Let yourself free from the complexities of the world and indulge in the beauty of…
Better Off is a song about lost love and also about moving o. It’s about turning away from that negativity in order to allow more positive experiences into your life. This song has been done as a sort of team up between Leah Capelle and Hayley Brownell. The song is a very emotional one which…
SixTwoSeven is a rock band out of Gig Harbor, Washington. They’re out with a new EP called Some Other’s Day. SixTwoSeven compares themselves right off the bat with stellar bands such as the Foo Fighters, Muse, Weezer, and Radiohead- a tall order, to say the least. The band is made up of illfunk (vocals), Dave…
Mocean by Breeze is a creatively done hip-hop style song that captivates listener’s attention with its appealing and harmonic rhythm and vocals. If you are a hip-hop lover and you love to let loose yourself on the hippy tracks then “Mocean” by Breeze will definitely find its way in your playlist. Mickey Breeze or Breeze,…
Italiano Andrea Chiapparo whose 16 year old stature won’t deny his singing abilities and or skills, for he will release his debut EP “Love” in 2018. But before that happens he has gone on to write and record a song he calls “All I Need Is Love”, whose title of wording may be familiar to…
Wayland is not exactly a new band. The band was originally signed to a record label that was owned by Keifer Sutherland, called Iron Works. The current release is their first full length release with Mighty Loud / InGrooves. Mighty Loud label is owned by Jesse James Dupree. First off, Wayland is a rock and roll…
As the saying goes “Sometimes the littlest things mean the most”. Or another expression of a saying “It’s the thought that counts”. Either of these words of expression can be taken into account varying on the matter in question. For the first expression this just so happens to fit the matter of a song titled…
There is transcendence in MkX’s music. It shares mutuality with The Weekend and August Alsina. DJ Khalid dances around the flames, but MkX has the fire. His lyrics reek of excessive confidence and bold expression, just as he claims that the X represent these qualities. While I read the lyrics of his song, ‘The Look,’…
Repko makes enjoyable sounds with a mixture of influences to make his song. His lyrics are also a large driving force in what creates Thnx For The Ride. As well as the varying instrumentals that keep the listener engaged in the picture that is being painted by the words. Thnx For The Ride is…
“Changes” has been making the buzz with its duo vocalists and instrumental tone straight out of the 1980’s that comes from an act who takes the word “social” to another reality of meaning. This Social Circle with their song and accompanying video for “Changes”. “Changes”, as a song is very much like it belongs in…
Writing, it is something that all, if not most of us have attempted in some shape or form. For many writing has become a lifestyle and not left their lives as it would have it. Andrea Desmond is one of those writers. For it is her music, that she has written so purposely about,…
Hence The Noise is a NY based modern metal band which consists of Chandler Mogel on vocals, Rob Russo & Eddie Vandenko on guitars, and featuring Robbie Russo, who is a 13 yr old inspirational prodigy on drums. Rob Russo & Eddie Vandenko have a long history together. They have been collaborating in various bands…
Textures Of Emotions by Tamara’s Class Of Soul – is a soothing journey that takes you for a ride she brings with the best of intentions, carrying loads of heart and soul in her songs with great messages. It goes through pop to soul, R&B and spoken word that has a world class appeal. It’s…
