CD and DVD reviews
Tim Foley is a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist who runs the gamut when it comes to musical styles. With elements of blues, jazz, folk, classical and funk, Tim Foley is not pigeonholed to one specific genre or category. Tim is original to the bone, and he proves it on the new release titled ‘Stop Along…
Listening to Mae Simpson’s soulful singing voice, it’s nearly impossible to believe this Minneapolis, MN artist is originally from that Midwestern state. Turns out, she’s not. She’s originally from South Carolina, which makes a whole lot more sense, and she’s sure one talented bluesy singer. The are parts of her single “Chandelier & Bloom” where…
Esphyr is from Ukraine, but you might not catch this fact while listening to her bright new single, “Fighter.” It begins with sweet electric guitar chords, before its danceable percussion kicks in. What follows is just under three minutes of extremely sugary pop. Granted, the song is titled “Fighter.” However, this lyric has more to…
Charu Suri is a highly distinguished pianist/composer AND award-winning journalist who is originally from South India. Charu’s latest release is titled ‘RAGS & RAGAS’ and she is literally revolutionizing music. This quite possibly could be the very first album to combine Indian ragas and New Orleans-style jazz. Charu is no stranger to thinking outside the…
Listening to “Jangleholic,” the opening track to Les Fradkin’s Arist Kit Sampler, may find you responding with, ‘Guilty as charged.’ Some of us are just suckers for that jangling electric guitar sound. On it, Fradkin does his best Roger McGuinn-fronting-the-Byrds impression. This is a sound that just hits all the right pleasure points, and Fradkin…
CatsMelvin’s album, America’s Beautiful Waltz, is a rather cynical look at contemporary America, from the perspective of a Lincoln, Nebraska band. With a warbly lead vocal, CatsMelvin provides Americana-y commentary on our modern world. Two songs in, they sing how “All We Have Is Fear.” The line is repeated over and over, in order to…
If you’re expecting to hear native American rain dance music from Invinceable (featuring Too $hort and Roman Musiq), you may be disappointed. This could show you might not be entirely up on strip club lingo because this song is about throwing dollar bills at exotic dancers, and the rain that’s falling is American currency. The…
ACTHEKiDFROMSPACE goes for a wild, party-like atmosphere in “Don’t Talk to Me (feat. Rhaffy).” Cleverly they bring together hip-hop, dance, reggaeton, and more into this swirling colossal mix. Production goes for a nimbleness perfectly in-sync with the vocals. Multiple aspects of the sound swirl together into this drunken cadence. Beats have a careful cadence with…
Chris Beland’s “Return To Pooh” is a cover of a Kenny Loggins song. It’s a song inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh, a story about a honey-loving, lovable bear. Loggins has said this story took on an even deeper meaning once he had children of his own. It is Beland’s contribution to the Santa Barbara Records compilation, CaliAmericana,…
Regal Anton-Chavez Francis Bragg recorded under the name Regal the Rare, and his single “Blue Goo” was recorded with his stepfather, Jellybean Johnson. Johnson is most famous for his role in the Minneapolis band The Time, which also included producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Of course, all of these musicians were also a part…
If you’re anything like me, you’ll likely need to look up the title to Jack Nolan’s album, Jindabyne. If you haven’t done so, I’ll save you some trouble. ‘Jindabyne’ is a town in southeast New South Wales, Australia. It overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the snowy mountains. It’s said to be a fine holiday spot, particularly…
Well, the odds of seeing all the animals named in Stacy Gabel’s single, “At the Zoo-oo-oo” are good because she’s asking kids if they see these various critters at a zoo. Kids that spot any of these on a city street, however, might get a whole lot more credit. Then again, Gabel is extolling all…
One big key to creating a successful single is to say something in a way it hasn’t been heard before. With “For Better,” Sydney Hansen sings about a broken heart. That’s not unusual. Many songs cry about having a broken heart. However, Hansen sings about how a man didn’t break her heart for good. No,…
Self-confidence seems fleeting in the younger generation in a way that almost certainly leaves the majority of us feeling a little worried about what the future is going to look like, but if there’s one pop singer/songwriter committed to instilling swagger in kids aged zero to one hundred in 2023, it’s undeniably Taylor Jules. Her…
Rev Peter Unger – ‘Be Not Afraid’ https://www.reverbnation.com/revpeterunger/song/34064685-be-not-afraid-7-14 Strength through a powerful belief system command “Be Not Afraid 7-14” presents Rev Peter Unger as a thoughtful storyteller. Everything within the sound features an origami-like structure. He implores the listener to gaze up upon the savior, as this delicacy feels doubly refreshing. Not an instruction; for…
Scott & Sabrina slide into a classic Americana in the dreamy “Home.” The verses rest right in the soul of the sound. Rhythms have a laid-back mellowness, allowing every gesture to radiate in the vast space. Letting the instruments gradually enter the fray has this fantastic, beautiful bountiful style. Much of the work goes for…
Samsara crafts a lovely atmosphere in the poetic “Invisible.” Verses have a quiet majesty. The arrangement keeps things to the essentials allowing her voice to soar to the heavens. Guitar work goes right for the restrained, and the keyboard chords have this soothing wash. Rhythms embrace the pastoral, for her lyricism has this contemplative tenor.…
Anthony Sobak’s band bears his last name and there’s no question when listening to his new release A Little More Time that Sobak stamps every shred of his personality on the songs. The album’s ten songs largely swear allegiance to a hard rock sound, but Sobak and his collaborators vary the approach enough that no one can…
Starting with the outcry of the guitars to the sensuous purr of the lead vocal, you could say that Cedars’ new single “Empire” has all the parts of a classic alternative rock track and be entirely right. That said, what separates this release from the countless tributes to the legacy of iconic alternative rock and…
Kentucky native and Curb Records artist Hannah Ellis continues her ascent in Country Music with new release “Wine Country”. This new foray into an ever-brighter spotlight couples inspired strands of traditional country with spirited rock influences that mix in fresh and energetic ways. Few artists enjoying success today claim the same disciplined pedigree that Ellis…
There’s an inherent catchiness to Dark Below’s new single “Make Believe” that bolsters the heaviness in the band’s presentation. The three piece of Joshua Campbell, Josh Grove, and Quin Koldan likewise play with a tightness that belies their years. The power trio format has made a resurgence in recent years, particularly in heavy music, and the energy…
The song “Surviving,” off Cullen Wade and The Waters’ self-titled debut album, takes on new meaning as he sings about a girl that wants to live, not just survive. That was too true for all of us, after approximately two years of pandemic life. At first, yes, as the body bags were piling up outside…
Lavender Blues engages in a ritualistic rhythm on the infectious “The Kreyòl Song.” Vocals have a melodic quality as they unfurl in a joyous, colorful way. Percussion embraces the tactile, and the song feels alive. A driving classic rock sound races through as the NEW Bardots display a sense of urgency as “Policy of Truth”…
Mainstream country just can’t seem to keep up with what the indie scene is producing in 2023, and if you ask me, artists like Kaitlyn Kohler are the reason why. It’s not that a commercially-savvy country doesn’t have its upside, but let’s face it – this June, listeners aren’t as intrigued by the familiar as…
THUNDERCLAP’s Strange Songs for Strange Times album features the speaking voice of George Noory in multiple places. Noory is the host of the radio program Coast to Coast AM. If you’ve ever heard this late-night show, you already know about the kinds of people featured on this wild radio program. If there is a UFO…
With the advent of digital music distribution, albums just seem to be getting longer and longer all the time. Take Anthology by Joe Boris, for example. His release contains 30 songs and lasts two hours and 38 minutes. There are Hollywood movies that clock in with shorter lengths than that. Thus, just listening all the…
Kenny Frame’s single, “Puzzle,” is unusual in the best possible ways. It begins with a jazzy guitar part, before Fame begins talk-singing its lyrics. It’s the story of an outcast, and it’s told introspectively. It’s also effective in getting its serious message across. The track’s instrumentation is sparse, which is both intentional and a wise…
Anyone who knows their music will have spotted the wonderful Springsteen reference that was last year’s album title, Last Chance Power Drive. And while I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Elephants and Stars are plowing a similar musical furrow as The Boss, there is certainly something in the scale of their music,…
Colors, tonal simplicity, and a sense of comradery that isn’t promoted in pop culture nearly as much as it should be; indeed, the backdrop for the new music video “Don’t Want the Phone to Ring” from Ajay Mathur is nothing to scoff at, but when attached with the melodic command of this singer/songwriter’s vocal it…
At first glance, the song title to Joe Boris’ single “Set Me Free” reads like a cry for release some oppression or other. It’s a demand for immediate change, one might gather. Perhaps, even a command for the same. Then when the music starts, with its loping reggae groove, you (the listener) are set up…
While there is a lot of originality in the music that Greg Hoy makes, it is worth pointing at bands such as Radiohead or Guided By Voices to give you, dear reader, an idea of where he comes from musically. It’s not so much the sound or the styles that he uses that draw such…
You might think “Ms Mystery” is just another song about an enigmatic girl. And you’d probably at least be half right. This acoustic track is, indeed, about a kind of girl. However, when Alias Wayne sings about ‘mystery Babylon,’ it’s immediately clear there is much more going on. This is also a song that references…
Tony Adams goes for a celebratory, swinging sound on the genteel “Praize Hiz Name (feat. Eddie Scarlett).” Pure positivity overflows from the sound. Fanfare frequently bursts through, adding to the sheer power of the performance. Lyrics genuinely serve as the heart of the entire thing as he passionately explores the concept of faith. The arrangement…
If you are looking for a neat slice of fun and frantic pop with plenty of low-slung rock and roll attitude and punk swagger lashings, then look no further than the infectious new single from The Underbites. A short, sharp, shockingly good sonic blast that takes in raw, rhythmic guitars, punchy, sing-a-long lyrics, and salvos…
“Late in the Morning” begins with a quiet yet jangling electric guitar part. Obviously, this guy is a late sleeper. He even mentions how someone (his girl?) calls him a stoner. From the look of it in the live music video for the song, where the singer is wearing sunglasses – at night – well,…
ACTHEKiDFROMSPACE presents a wild, unhinged party atmosphere on the chaotic flows of “EARTHQUAKE (feat. Pupe Tee & Rhaffy).” The lyrics rest right in front of the whole thing. Nods to reggaeton, dance, hip-hop, and more enter the equation resulting in the ultra-saturated spirit. Word choice recalls the aftermath of an animalistic experience, a kind where…
The ongoing evolution of alternative music has been spurred forth by the underground experimentalists before everyone else – and this especially includes the fusion players like those in the surging star Rob Alexander, whose facilitation of a proper pop revival has brought forth an exciting wave of music out of his south Florida scene for…
Step into room, and you will see Henri Cainglet’s work. The Filipino native has an undeniable, visual aesthetic that inspires both delightful bewilderment, and a sense of all-encompassing, wild-eyed immersion. There’s something refreshingly modern about his style, whilst simultaneously displaying a kind of timelessness. Mr. Cainglet’s mixture of his cultural roots with elements of key…
The outer realms of heavy music are known more for muscle than melody, for power rather than poise; it is both rock and a hard place. A very hard place indeed. But veteran NYC bassist Doug Berns, with his twin loves of, on the one hand, funk, jazz, and afro-beat, on the other pummelling metal,…
A certain sound has evolved only in the last musical generation, a blend of 60’s folk and 21st-century poise, rootsy structures with added electronica, its edges and corners softened with an ambient vibe. Cosmic folk? Ambient roots music? Call it what you will, but you certainly have that sound echoing in the likes of Fleet…
