CD and DVD reviews
2016 was perhaps one of the deadliest years I can remember. There was a sense of dreadfulness surrounding many of us. In the music world, we kicked it off by losing one of the most inventive and greatest artists the scene ever had: David Bowie. Throughout the year, we lost others like Prince and Leonard…
Humphrey-McKeown have been pushing themselves since early 2016, where writing began to unfold, followed by a recording process that took place that late summer into the fall of around May through December time frame. During this time the album came together as 12-tracks, going on to be titled “Tapestry of Shadows”. But what does this…
Adding a little experimentation to bluegrass’s tender tones is Scroggins & Rose’s spirited “Grana”. Reminiscent of the similar unique approach to bluegrass taken by Henry Flynt, the songs simply stun. While including a great deal of classical methods alongside an improvised approach, the pieces teem with life. Over the course of the album the duo…
Bands and individual music artists often, six albums into their career, can rightly be accused of coasting. The Gift are not one of those bands. One release after another, this alt-pop quartet is setting the bar higher and higher for themselves. This is impressive, but more impressive is how they consistently match their past achievements…
Pat Simmons Jr. just released his debut solo CD entitled “This Mountain” in January 2017. Pat Simmons Jr. is the son of legendary guitarist and Doobie Brothers founder Pat Simmons. For the record – I am going to write this review like I have no prior knowledge of this fact. The CD gently lifts off…
The latest full length from Amilia K. Spicer, Wow and Flutter will likely mark her discography as one of the most substantial achievements in an already impressive career. Spicer has wisely chosen a number of top flight production and musical talents to help make the album’s dozen songs glow with as much quality as possible.…
Threefifty is the musical vision of duo Brett Parnell and Geremy Schulick how just released their latest effort entitled Gently Among the Coals (2017). OFFICIAL URL: http://www.threefiftymusic.com/ Stocked full of hooks and a jovial playing style that never lets it’s guard down, to melodies which linger long after the playing has passed, Gently Among the…
About the Artist: Tow’rs is a 5 member band hailing from Flagstaff Arizona featuring the husband and wife vocal team of Kyle and Gretta Miller. Their latest LP “Grey’s Fidelity” has received critical acclaim from many music critics around the world thus far. Genera: Alternative Rock/Pop. BANDCAMP: – https://towrs.bandcamp.com/album/grey-fidelity We have all been exposed to…
What is a name, the dictionary defines it as a word or set of words by which a person, place, or thing is known, addressed or referred to. That said, with artists that are up-and-coming with such namesakes as FKA twigs, Björk, or even Sevdaliza, it’s hard to tell who’s who within the music scene…
Out of all of the genres in existence this one may be a first for me, as it has never come across me before. This one is known in short as AC but stands for Adult Contemporary Music, which means that it is a form of music played on the radio, that tends to be…
Trio acts are hard to come by at times. When one does come out of nowhere it is usually a good thing. In the case of Death Saddle Syndicate, whose line-up consists of singing drummer Michael Davis-Penta, virtuoso bassist Jedd Chlebowski, and John Leonard, this trio have got a rock hard sound, that can reach…
With a clear nod to 70s arena rock, Death Saddle Syndicate create a sound that embodies what rock should be with “You Whisper Loud”. Deserving to be blasted as loudly as possible, the song drives forward with great purpose. Bluesy with a powerful physicality to it, the song feels alive. Everything works in perfect unison…
The work place with family and friends could be set up for a good situation or likely a bad situation it all depends, upon the individual in question of course. In the case of producer Exodus with his fellow producers Sweet and Sour he has gone as far as remixing up-and-coming artist Brielle’s newest song…
New TV episode Bongo Boy TV Episode 5 The Mystic Hangs Around The Heart – Bongo Boy Rock n Roll TV Show premiered in Portland OR on 4.18.17 and followed by heavy National Television rotation on 66+ TV channels till 5.21.17. Also added in rotation on Television in JUNE 2017 in Philadelphia, PA Comcast Cable…
If you have not heard of the band by the name of The Misfits or another act called Danzig then you do not exist case and point. The Misfits is a horror punk band that was founded back in the late 70’s from the state of New Jersey, it’s original line up being such a…
The Windy City has been called home by a variety of first class artists and musical acts over the years. Songwriters Heather Humphrey and Tom McKeown demonstrate on their fifth album, Tapestry of Shadows, that they deserve inclusion with those names. The dozen songs on this new release show the same penchant for risk-taking that…
Rugby Road neatly embody a laid-back indie rock vibe alongside a slightly bluesy sound with “Rugby Road III”. With a strong emotional core, the vocals have a soulful tender quality to them. Over the course of the collection Rugby Road show off their impressive storytelling, letting every song represent yet another snapshot of a life…
Revisiting an artist more than once, can have its ups or downs it all varies really. In the case of Jonathan Cavier, we have heard his music before with his previous single for the song “Comes a Moment”. That track was consistent with the pop genre, it turning out to be good enough. This time…
Out of the variety of artists and bands within the music scene today, a lot of them have the strangest names, to the weirdest names, down to the dumbest names, if not some other variation of a name. In the case of this particular artist who uses r&b and soul as his genre choice, he…
Matty Marz has an EP “Child Of The Wild” in the works, but for the time being, has released its first single off it called “Slow Motion”. While this track and his style in general tosses together, quite a bit of genre choices, ranging from pop, house, EDM, and industrial rock, he takes these to…
Jerad Finck’s self-titled 2009 debut heralded the arrival of an important young musical voice and his trajectory has been trending upward ever since. Talent, naturally, plays a crucial role in that equation, but there’s a more important quality serving Jerad in good stead during the intervening years between 2009 and now – work ethic. This…
A colossal chaotic din defines A Killer’s Confession’s bombastic brutality of “Unbroken”. The sound is akin to that of a force of nature. Letting loose, the song has a Darwinian approach, with the survival of the fittest running through the sound’s veins. By opting for such a take-no-prisoners style, the best thing for the listener…
UK based electronic musician and writer Nat Berhanu is a multi-instrumentalist who has music deeply woven within his soul. Berhanu’s creativity gets a free ranging workout on his full length release Incredulous and, over the course of its eighteen songs, he explores different emotions and textures through his music. This is an largely instrumental album…
The band name is a bit of a misnomer. LA Littlebear Band is the result of one man’s efforts, Leo Auciello, and the resulting sixteen song opus never tries listener’s patience despite its sprawling reach. Auciello hails from the Sydney, Australia area and this 2016 album shows him to be a musician and songwriter of…
High thoughtful, articulate lyricism adorns Tipsy in Chelsea’s compelling “Gaslighter”. Tapping into a light jazz-inflected singer-songwriter style, the songs drift by with an airy aura. Instrumentally diverse, Tipsy in Chelsea incorporates such a wide array of approaches throughout the collection, from an almost bossa-nova style to a full-on classic rock sound. By letting this diversity…
Summer Franklin’s musical story is an always timely reminder about how music can redefine lives. Visiting the home of country music icon Randy Travis inspired this young performer to pursue her musical dreams, but this sixteen year old performer and writer began from a place of strength few artists can share. Texan by birth, Franklin…
Originally hailing from the wilds of rural Pennsylvania, Amilia K. Spicer’s personal and musical journey has taken her from those early roots to heated Texas landscapes, Southern California sunshine, and all points in between. The same diversity of experience is reflected in her music – one might find noir suggestiveness bumping up against pastoral eloquence…
Bongo Boy TV Season 6 Ep4NAT RED LOVE premiered in Portland OR on 3.21.17 followed by heavy National Television rotation on 66+ TV channels till 4.21.17. Also rotation on Television in MAY 2017 in Philadelphia, PA Comcast Cable 66 / 966HD / 967 or Verizon Fios 29 / 30 BongoBoyTVNo39 | Ep4 Season 6 Bongo…
Sultry and seductive, Toya Nash’s “Paradise” explores a truly sensual sound. Over the course of the song the true heart and soul comes from Toya Nash’s expressive passionate vocals. By opting for a rich vibrant sound the song absolutely immerses the listener into a glorious sea of sound. The arrangement works to further emphasize this…
Hard to believe that it’s been nearly 8 years since I first heard Katie Garibaldi for the first time and reviewed her album ‘Next Ride Out’ for Skope (https://skopemag.com/2009/11/19/katie-garibaldi-next-ride-out). I knew then that this artist had something truly unique and the raw talent to go far in the music industry. That’s why I am so…
Hip hop music has never been to my liking, while it may consist of some artists and songs that were a thing to me, in my past lifetime, as of right now hip hop, rap, as well as r&b has never been a thing of mine to be into. In the case of hip hop…
JRS3’s previous track “3 Cars 3 Bitches”, was one that needed some touch ups to make it really bounce out. For this other track of his he calls “Thank You”, this song really stands out, not even having it sound anything like JRS3 at all. The genre choice is still there which is hip hop…
When it comes to a song, having a run time of around 1 minute to 2 minutes in length, you usually think of a punk band whether that would be plain old punk, punk rock, horror punk, hardcore punk, the sub genre listing for the genre that is punk is endless really. But in this…
The happiness and joy of infatuation is captured with great care by Sarantos on “First 5 Seconds”. With a catchy melody and laid-back groove the song works wonders. Sunny to its very core the light of the song is undeniable. Representing a classic take on the pop sound Sarantos incorporates a strong sense of play…
There’s a rich lineage of Americana music informing Gwyneth Moreland’s release Cider. The influence of artists like Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Joan Baez, Gillian Welch, and Bob Dylan run through the album’s entirety while she’s accompanied by stellar players like pedal steel guitarist Gene Parsons whose list of credits includes The Byrds and The…
Some people make art of their lives and mediums like music are just a manifestation of that. Sarah Donner is such a person. This independent singer/songwriter initiated the recording of the album Black Hole Heart on the backs of $14,000 plus in donation she received from fans willing to place faith in her vision. The…
Phrases come in an assorted amount of shapes, sizes, and sayings of course. For one that tends to be quite popular is one that goes a little like this, “Third time’s a charm”. The belief that the third time, it takes to do something is more than likely to succeed than the previous attempts. Hence…
With a light and airy sound, Sara Ontaneda’s “Entre Espacios y Colores” is a timeless tasteful piece of pop. Effortlessly blending catchy melodies with a nimble jazzy quality, the pieces are arranged with the greatest of grace. The album works best when taken in together, for every song builds off the last. A narrative starts…
Duets can either be good or bad, depending on the performers in question, for instance the take on “Beauty and the Beast”, both remake of the film and it’s timeless classic of the same name, done by Ariana Grande and John Legend. Now their duet sounded very reminisce to the classic animated version of the…
Jazz, like other genres among it, jazz has its own assortment of genres, ranging from the pop rock styling’s of jazz meets rock of Jamie Cullum, down to the jazz smoothness of Kenny G, right down to up-and-comers such as Fernando Harkless with his song “Light Up Your Love”. The song being tossed out by…
