CD and DVD reviews
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…
Indianapolis based Cost of Attrition is a pop rock duo whose debut EP There You Go features three songs with a larger than life sound. The members, Wheeler Castaneda (vocals, production) and Joshua Grow (instrumentals, backing vocals, engineering, production), have quickly gathered momentum with their sound and their obvious talents have scored them opening slots…
Lyrically masterful and tapping into a sense of optimism is Rev Peter Unger’s rich “Only Grace”. The way that Rev Peter Unger paints a beautiful picture of the world feels deeply comforting. His articulate thoughtful words focus on the overwhelming beauty of the world, of how wonderful it can be. Arrangements add to this with…
With a wonderful theatrical flair is Niq Reefman’s elegant “A Selection of Musical Tastes”. The true element that ties the entirety of the album together is Niq Reefman’s sense of play. Lyrics reflect this absurdist strain of humor, with clever wordplay and sharp insights strewn across the tracks. Instrumentally, Niq Reefman proves himself to be…
Soothing and contemplative, Jennifer DeFrayne’s “Sisu” is a gentle, elegant album. The way the songs have a delicate touch to them makes them almost ethereal. By opting for such a rich luxurious sound, the songs have a way of drawing the listener into their unique worlds. Completely wordless, the songs create a series of lovely…
Catchy to its very core, Eddy Yang creates a reassuring piece on the tender “Split the Night”. Yearning defines the piece, for love and celebration. The way that the song builds up gives it a masterful feeling, from the careful layering of sound to the infectious beat that serves as the song’s heartbeat. By far…
Guitarist, vocalist, and percussionist, Carlos Santana, best known to lead the Latin rock band of the same name, simply called Santana; has not only had Carlos Santana do vocal work, but has had other vocalists come in, including Tony Lindsay. Whose frontman work for Santana has been going on for 25 years now. That said…
Bobby Rue starts the collection off right on a light and airy note with “Changes Coming”. With a spirited rhythm, the song has a classic rock sound. The true highlight are the sage-like vocals that rise above the track thanks in part to the glistening organ vamp that dominates the sound. On “Ready For The…
The third full length studio album from Indiana’s bluegrass practitioners Blue Mafia, Hanging Tree, features a dozen songs speaking to heart of a particularly American experience. Bluegrass is, likely, something only Americans can truly understand as an art form. Despite the form’s European/African roots, bluegrass speaks directly to American experience in much the same way…
Embodying the best of hard rock, Through Fire’s “Breathe” simply overpowers the senses. Riffs rage on through the album with every song build off the last. Vocals rise above the din with a commanding presence. Anchoring the colossal sound is the massive percussion which propels the whole sound forward. Layer upon layer of sound intermingles…
Monsta Kodi says “I ain’t a rapper, I’m a Monsta!!!”. Hence the namesake but the music style is indeed rap, hip hop, even some reggae mixed in there. Which is what you get after listening to his new song turned single “Concrete Jungle”. It’s a song that mixes around the genres mentioned, as well as…
Kevin Carroll embodies the DIY ethic informing the work of many indie artists today. Working in his soundproofed living room alongside his friend Joey Conception, Carroll produced his debut effort The New You and the three songs off this release highlighted on SoundCloud and Reverbnation are mightily representative of what the full work offers listeners.…
Performed with true passion is the pop perfection of Stuart Hollinger’s “Endangered Species”. Within this album Stuart Hollinger taps into a joyful 80s sound with guitars that glisten and glow. Inviting rhythms add to the overall spirit of the songs as they drive the songs forward with great determination. Akin to pop classic revivalists like…
Sung with great passionate is Ivan Beecroft’s pop perfection of “Believe”. Rather stylishly the song glides forward with great optimism even despite the obstacles that the world often places in front of people. Arrangements have a punchy amount of percussion behind them as everything simply comes together in a marvelous display of color. Melodies ties…
Sometimes a little goes a long way. The latest release from Chicago based singer/songwriter Leah Capelle is a three song EP entitled Joshua. Despite the apparent brevity of such a collection, Capelle encompasses vast musically imaginative worlds in this trio of songs thanks to two crucial factors above all others – the songwriting talent involved…
It has taken, in essence, ten years to make this release reality. Emma DeCorsey first conceived of her band, I Am the Polish Army, during her years as a college student and worked hard over the intervening years at hammering out a clear, comprehensive vision for the band’s presentation and sound. Her recent acquaintance with…
Singer/songwriter Susan Calloway’s latest single “Time For This” continues the upward trajectory of a career that has seen her find widespread success in some of the least traditional ways imaginable and reflect the changing face of the music industry. Her hit song for the Final Fantasy video game franchise, “Answers”, staked her claim as one…
The title track from James Raftery’s upcoming album will set some ears on fire. Few composers and performers use their typical array of instruments with the imagination you hear on a James Raftery recording and the song has simmering sonic energy that’s impossible to deny. Stylishness plays a big role in Raftery’s presentation as well…
Hope and optimism define the jubilant pop perfection of Roger Jaeger’s “Elevator”. Tasteful arrangements work wonders building the piece up into a wonderful energetic rhythm. Attention to detail means that the percussion has the right punch, the piano the right level of passion, and the glistening keyboards referencing a classic 70s rock sound. By far…
“Why Ask Why” shows Sarantos contemplating the way life unfolds. Strong vocals rest at the very heart of the sound with everything else revolving around them. Lyrically the song focuses on living to the absolute fullest, both as an individual and as a member of the world at large. Throughout the song, a philosophy begins…
Michael Van and the Movers do soulful country great justice on the beautiful “A Little More Country”. With thoughtful lyricism that attests to the hard times life brings, the songs show off Michael Van and the Movers ample storytelling abilities. Nicely framing these slices of life are the laid-back, almost dreamy arrangements that at times…
