CD and DVD reviews
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…
Numerous live appearances and working with top flight producers and songwriting talents like Mikal Blue and J.R. Richards of Dishwalla has propelled UK based Brit Royal to the forefront of promising new acts. Their debut EP made a big impression on critics and fans alike, but it’s their first full length release entitled London that…
Twenty year old Long Island, NY native Michael Plotkin, aka Spayyzee, has been actively pursuing his musical dreams since the age of fifteen when his current group Philosogy/SSP first formed. He’s prepping his debut album for an impending spring 2017 release and the second single from the forthcoming collection, “Work For It”, equals the quality…
Sung with true grit, Blue Honey does Americana great justice. Throughout the two songs Blue Honey opts for a stripped-down, straightforward approach. Vocals sound as if these are more than words, that these are experiences being conveyed to the listener with the utmost importance placed on honesty. By choosing this approach Blue Honey ensures that…
The latest single from bluesy pop vocalist Brielle Von Hugel, “Stronger”, continues the young singer’s upward trajectory as one of the most promising talents working in popular music today. Her appearance on Season 11 of American Idol propelled her into the public spotlight and she’s garnered a lot of traction from following appearances on FOX’s…
Simon J. Crawford delves into a lovely mixture of classic psychedelic rock alongside masterful storytelling on “Full Fathom Five”. Throughout the album what Simon J. Crawford explores is the life fully lived, with snapshots of life strewn out over the gorgeous finely crafted sound. Arrangements are pitch-perfect with the attention to production simply stunning. By…
There’s only one other musician, that comes to mind, who has gone out and produced, recorded, as well as written, material towards a music release, which was Joel Grind of thrash metal act Toxic Holocaust. He has been doing his thing from inside his house hold for the longest time. In fact, that’s the same…
Matthew Ellis is a singer-songwriter from Ohio who performed and produced this fourteen-track album, titled, Through Waking Eyes alongside multi-instrumentalist Cara McQuate. This album, released in early November of last year and mixed by Jim Roll of Backseat Productions, is Ellis’s second effort, following his debut album released in the summer of 2014 titled, A…
Tasteful and true, Rev Peter Unger bares his soul on the spiritual “As I Am”. Within the song, Rev Peter Unger opts for introspection, choosing to focus on exactly how one can improve through the power of love. By utilizing an intimate approach to the atmosphere every single detail of the sound can be felt…
Adventurous to its very core, Jacob Didas weaves together a wide variety of styles on the multifaceted “Lucid”. From industrial to classical to hip-hop to rock, the songs feel boundless full of endless exploration. Within this approach, the songs are strongly anchored with a catchy, pop-orientated core. Flows are incredible as Jacob Didas chooses a…
Hailing originally from the city Minsk in Belarus, Vladimir Mausiuk’s musical journey is truly international. He’s now based out of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and his guitar playing has carried him to stages in Thailand, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Oman, and Indonesia. His songwriting and studio connections extend to nations like…
Swirl is a first class hard rock/metal unit based out of Southern California who, after a number of false starts, has settled on a creative direction invoking the full range of their talents. Earlier iterations of the band focused on a much more overt commercial sound, but the release of last year’s self titled heralded…
Possessing a strong sense of humor is Tenderhooks’ dry witticisms on “Brighton Is Falling”. The carnival-like atmosphere works wonders for the song, from the glistening organ vamps to the dry delivery of the biting lyrics. Over the course of the song the way that Tenderhooks sets the tone feels masterful. Everything simply works as the…
Two Cities One World delivers a breezy beautiful 70s lounge style on the infinitely blissful “Let the Whole World Disappear”. Sunny with a light touch, the songs have a honeyed quality to them. Best taken in a single listen, Two Cities One World effortlessly blends together a wide variety of genres into a singular powerful…
Inward of Eden goes for a heavy bombastic sound on the muscular “Mind Control EP”. “Mind Control EP” deserves to be blasted as loudly as possible to obtain that maximum effect. Everything feels gripping: from the beats that blast their way through the wall of guitar sound that is integral to the sound. Vocals rise…
The songs of Dreams & Elma Reukema are the unique confluence of two generations and their distinctive approaches. Both inform the other and produce two tracks full of the passion and inspiration marking the best music. They further benefit from strong production values that render voice and instruments alike with vivid clarity. Both of the…
Kenya native and UK based multi-instrumentalist Vonji Uzele has a steadily growing discography featuring his varied talents and the latest release in his career, Ruach, is a thirteen track outing featuring the talents of guitarist Garry Millhouse, saxophonist Carmine Manfredi, and drummer Martin Donovan. Producer Mat Diamond has done an exemplary job of bringing outstanding…
Walter Hansen has made a musical life of wearing many hats. He’s a musician, recording artist, developer of new artists, and a producer. Originally hailing from the Tampa Bay area, Hansen now calls the Greater Seattle area home and has been playing music seriously since the age of four. He began with the accordion before…
Chilled out to its very core, Tripp Denom’s “The Funktional Addict E.P.” exists in a delightful haze. With a wonderful dazed delivery, the songs are luxurious, decadent even with their flawless production. Best heard with headphones for maximum effect, the songs are surreal with their spacious sounds. Flows are phenomenal nicely meshing with the mellowed…
Originally born in the rather exotic environs of Calcutta, India, Rhett May enjoyed the fruits of living in such a vibrant culture for many years and started his first band early on in life after the sounds of 1960’s music like The Beatles, Steppenwolf, The Yardbirds, and Cream migrated from the distant west into eastern…
With a true theatrical flair, Captain Of The Lost Waves displays an uncanny knack for spinning beautiful storytelling on the lovely “Hidden Gems”. Instrumentally rich the way the songs unfurl show a true talent for form. Over the course of the album the melodies shimmer in the distance as the passionate vocals take center stage.…
Don’t dare mistake this band for a gimmick. The Magnifiers are a four piece alt punk rock band from the Windy City and comprised of the Dombrowski siblings. None of the band is over twenty years old. The oldest member, lead guitarist Elliot Dombrowski, is only seventeen years while lead vocalist and second guitarist Eden…
The twelve song album from Nell Robinson and the Jim Nunally Band, Baby Let’s Take the Long Way Home, marks the first historic studio collaboration between one of the most prodigious vocal talents in Americana music today and a legend’s row of bluegrass and country musicians backing her up with an idiosyncratic musical voice. These…
With a smooth classic sound, the BeeKeepers deliver a beautiful bliss with “Songs from the Hive, Vol 1”. Quite stylish, the BeeKeeper embody the past of dreamy folk throughout the collection. Lyrics possess a poetic poignancy to them. Everything comes together in a glorious blur, from the light emotive percussion all the way to the…
