CD and DVD reviews
Bloomington, Indiana-based singer/songwriter Chris “Harry” Doran, aka Blind Uncle Harry, has in recent years proven himself as one of the most talented purveyors of modern folk rock. Sometimes his songwriting has a topical bent, yes, but it reaches a level of timelessness thanks to Doran’s penchant for universality. His new single “Courage to Love”, however,…
If you’re into finger-snappin’, toe-tappin’ songs with super strong melodies & harmonies, then ‘Collamer Circle’ by Justin Levinson is your ticket! Justin Levinson is a Vermont-based singer/songwriter and Billboard Song Contest winner and has just released his fifth, full-length album. ‘Collamer Circle’ has Levinson joining forces with fellow Vermont singer/songwriter Ben Patton. Levinson and Patton…
Evan Charles is a talented singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Austin, Texas. He has recently released his debut, full-length album titled ‘Between Two Worlds’ that is a smashing success! The new record was co-produced by Evan Charles and Scott Davis (Bruce Robison, Band of Heathens), mixed and mastered by Jonas Wilson, engineered by Xavier Juarez…
Tom Sykes is a visionary of sorts paving his own path into the future by way of music that speaks truth and connects on a higher level. Sykes believes in the power of music and how it can unite people from all walks of life. ‘A Long Hard Road’ is the latest release by Tom…
Rev Peter Unger goes right for the heartstrings on the soulful “I Will Still Be Missing You.” The fleshed-out sound feels beautiful. The many different instruments that interplay throughout the arrangement help to give it that extra sense of community. His guitar playing has a crystal-clear acoustic, allowing the thing to sing. Bass goes for…
WonderCurrent is a musical collaboration featuring the talents of J.J. Beson and Dave Dvorak. It is a mostly acoustic collection of folk songs, which hearken back to the folk music revival of the ‘60s. It features strong singing and strong songs, which should create a nice, nostalgic buzz for those who fondly recall that era.…
Callehan is a group comprised of four key members all based in Nova Scotia. “The Four Winds (Featuring Ashley MacIsaac) is the latest release for Callehan and what a joy this one is. Here are some words from Callehan’s webpage that pretty much sums up the whole vibe and mission: “To share a moment and…
Southern California-native, Honolulu, HI-based singer-songwriter Bryn Ryan-Van Dyke isn’t just letting life pass her by. Stepping into a second life, Bryn is living her dream and flexing her talent of writing songs that touch our hearts and speak to human experience. Drawing inspiration from powerhouse storytelling artists of the past like Alanis Morisette, Stevie Nicks,…
“Super Boom” from The New Occupants and Mr MooQ is a slice of ‘50s b-movie-inspired ScFi music. It’s a collaboration between The New Occupants and Mr MooQ, and it sounds like what an intentionally corny cinematic throwback looks like. The New Occupants is a synth-driven quartet, while Mr MooQ is an equally synth-loving performer. However,…
Gorgeous patterns emerging from the acoustic guitar give Marcelo Maccagnan’s “Long Ago (feat. Danielle Cormier)” a sense of eternity. The riffs have an emotional cadence, with their layering feeling Byzantine. Her calm, reassuring voice allows an eye in the storm. With this view, the listener can hear everything. Lyrics go for a surrealistic gleam. Nods…
Irina Imme expresses anxiety with a thoughtful sensibility in “Globe.” The arrangement has a restraint that gives it a stately sheen. Her voice grows in strength with each verse. Word choice matters as she charts through her mental state, one shared by millions of people worldwide. The piece gains strength and power that feels lovely…
JuiceThaBlackBeethoven – ‘Dancin’ with Dracula’ – JuiceThaBlackBeethoven goes for a 50s nostalgic kick on “Dancin’ with Dracula.” Volume is a given because the whole track should be played at a party. There’s a community sensibility, the joy of coming together for the spookiest time of the year. Best of all, his voice fits the general…
If you’ve ever been taken in by a timeshare ‘scam,’ you will readily relate to this song from California (featuring Les Fradkin). Invariably, these offers promise more than they deliver. Buyer beware, of course, but there are organizations that help people get out of these deals. This song faces such vacation packages head-on, and it’s…
The path ahead for Littlemen follows a distinctly different trajectory than previous incarnations existing under this moniker. The Nick Allen-led iteration of the band’s new single “Visions” solidifies his claim to helming one of the U.K.’s best new syntheses of English and American influences I’ve heard in quite a while. “Visions” stands as one of…
Mesa Jane is a songwriter & recording artist from Philly and she is excited to release this new single titled “All I Need”. Mesa Jane has decided to provide the listening audience with her first cover as “All I Need” is actually a Radiohead song. I’m not familiar with the original song by Radiohead, but…
Wellbeloved is the music of David Wellbeloved, and The Rusty is his first studio recording in over 25 years. ‘Rusty’ is a term we usually apply to someone who hasn’t applied a process for a long time, and just isn’t as smooth as he/she used to be while doing that process. However, Wellbeloved doesn’t come…
Les Fradkin’s epic release, Reality – The Rock Opera, is certainly ambitious. Its title track, for example, muses about the wide-ranging topic of reality, and exactly what it is (or is not). Thus, this is not your typical selection of love songs, breakup songs, and missing-my-baby songs. Instead, it actually takes on the extremely deep…
Mariami is an artist with many layers and dimensions as she digs deep to find her distinct sound. As the listener digs into Mariami’s latest single, “Foglights”, he or she will notice right away the vast amount of substance embedded here. The musical soil is rich and abundant as Mariami is turning ON “Foglights” and…
Anyone who thinks that the Arizona scene doesn’t know how to produce bold and brilliant songcraft anymore needs to make a point of listening to “To the River,” the new song by Dorsten, if for no other reason than to be educated as to how ignorant such a notion is. Dorsten has been around for…
Jackson Reed and The Silverbirds go for a powerful slice of catchy 80s neon-hued splendor with “In My Head.” Close attention is paid to the arrangement, as a great deal of instrumentation is brought into the fray. He balances the many elements effortlessly, and the sound has a lighter-than-air quality. Lyricism feels perfect, letting the…
The melody to Little King’s “Amber Waves (Goodbye)” sounds a little bit like John Cougar’s “Jack & Diane.” However, it greatly differs rhythmically, in that it’s an upbeat, acoustic guitar strummed recording. It also contrasts with Little King’s other recorded output, in that it is a romantic song of “Sweet self-indulgence,” as the band puts…
Ruby Rose Fox is an award-winning songwriter and powerful singer with an exciting, new single titled “A Carpetbagger’s Ode to Rocky”. That level of mystique surrounds Ruby Rose Fox and this new song as the listener will be entranced by the style. From start to finish, “A Carpetbagger’s Ode to Rocky” plays out like a…
Les Fradkin is a producer and composer/multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and one-man band and he is a pioneer of the MIDI guitar. Not to mention, Les is an Akademia 2023 Hall of Fame Inductee and was an original cast member of the smash hit production “Beatlemania”. Fradkin’s latest single titled “Together” is featured on the full album…
A supple percussive intro is followed by a searing vocal ala Ms. Ashley Hess as we enter “Skunks Misery Road,” King’s white-hot single performed alongside the City Blog, but these first few strands of melodic gold are only a taste of what’s about to come pouring out of the speakers over the next five minutes.…
Marc Miner’s tough-minded brand of Americana has deep country music roots, but there’s ample room for blues and rock as well. Particularly blues. There’s scorching blues guitar scattered throughout the eleven songs of his new album Last Heroes without ever pulling the collection entirely in that direction. Instead, Miner’s music and songwriting chops incorporate blues as an…
Sparrow Road is a six-song EP from Fist of Five that delves into pained emotions through hard rock grooves. The project opens with “The Dance,” a song that sounds like it is about separation from a loved one. If this song sounds familiar, it was originally a hit for Garth Brooks. Yes, this is actually…
A blues-rock harmony is waiting to come alive with passionate indie sizzle in the title track of Alex Lopez’s new album Looking for a Change, but if you think for a second that the acclaimed singer and songwriter is limiting the potent output in this record to the titular tune alone, you’re in for quite the…
Sarah Burtan may be from Toronto, Canada, but her album 64 Magic Queens sure shows how she’s settled into her adopted home of Austin, TX. Her musical style falls under the large umbrella of Americana. Although “How To Run” features the sort of electric guitar solo one might hear in a country song, it wouldn’t…
A Gobstopper is a hard candy that is better known in the U.S. and Canada as a jawbreaker. Candy witha a name that describes breaking a body part, sounds dangerous. However, the kids love ‘em. They seemingly take forever to eat, too. This song is, indeed, ear candy for rock music fans. The New Zealand…
If you like pop music, you’re probably already aware that there hasn’t been a generation of up-and-coming players like the emerging one in quite a long time if ever in history before now. Artists like the unmatched upstart indie player Lucas Jay are changing the game for pop music and removing creative control of the…
Slow Burning Car’s album, Vicarious Disclosures, closes with two songs so different from the ones that come before it, you may be tempted to check your streaming service to see if it might have continued with a different artist without you even knowing it. The band is listed as post punk, stylistically, but edgy progressive…
Kenny Loggins has lived many musical lives, which range from his gentle side (“Return to Pooh”), to the rocker heard on “Danger Zone,” from the film Top Gun. For the most part, though, this Santa Barbara Records tribute to the man’s musical career, leans decidedly to his folkier sonic side. However, even some of Loggins’…
Coming to life like the rays of the sun in the early morning, Tim Raybon Band’s I Could Get Used To This hits us in the face with a blistering beat courtesy of “Leaving Cleveland” that instantly makes any melody-lover want to move. In this opening cut, Raybon’s voice is cushioned by a velvety harmony…
Jude Gwynaires offers a fluid take on its electronic tenor with “The Mechanics of Moth Light.” The cryptic title describes the music contained within quite well. Mysterious to its utter core, the songs feel alive. Rhythms forgo prominent percussive elements for a subtler hue. By letting the looping effects and slow evolution take the place…
Arise Together – Children of the World is an epic charity album designed to assist children throughout the world and encourage the practice of inclusion, recognizing the particular gifts of the disabled youth among us, and bolstering recognition of diversity as well. The album’s organizers have recruited marquee talent from across the globe to contribute to…
This live jazz album from Sylvia Brooks was made with help from pianist Christian Jacob, who is also her musical director. It’s an album of mostly familiar vocal standards and features Brooks strong singing voice. While Brooks shines on these many times well known songs, her live group also covers Jacobs’ composition “The Red Pig…
Tom Ciurczak titles his album I Ain’t Every Growing Up, Vol. 1, so with at least more volume still on the way, Ciurczak is clearly serious about avoiding adulthood. With that said, though, this eight-song part one is very much a mature set of rock and roll tunes. https://tomciurczak.bandcamp.com/album/i-aint-ever-growing-up-volume-i Ciurczak also enjoys creating videos to…
I haven’t heard many bands in recent memory that are as ready for mainstream success as PRETTY AWKWARD. Anchored by the creative partnership between Austin Held and Nicholas Wiggins, they have a ready-made sound for the 2023 musical landscape that announces itself with a bold attitude and enormous skillfulness. Their bandmates complement their vision for…
Becky Wiles opens her Free Kind of Love album with the spunky bluegrass workout, “Call Me Crazy.” However, if you think this is an indicator of what the rest of this album sounds like, well, you would have guessed incorrectly. Instead, this 13-track release is quite a ballad-heavy affair. Fortunately, Wiles is as adept at…
Australian-born brothers Jake and Luke Davies have lived in the United States, specifically Southern California, for more than ten years and are thoroughly Americanized. Their American journey, however, began in Boston when Beantown’s famed Berklee School of Music accepted Luke and he went there to study. Jake moved to the U.S. and settled in Long Beach, California. Luke…
