CD and DVD reviews
Defiant and inspirational, KP Wolfe’s “Exodus” is pop at its most passionate. Arrangements reveal a true knack for form. Beats hit so hard as they propel the songs forward with a strong sense of purpose. Volume rules over these songs as they deserve to be felt as much as heard. By opting for such an…
Coral Creek’s self-titled debut is a triumphant take on the warm inviting spirit of bluegrass music. Nicely utilizing a loose, easy-going jazz informed rhythm over the course of the album there is something so inviting about the sound. Vocals are sung with the utmost earnestness. With a gorgeous snapshot of a life fully lived, Coral…
Scott Smith’s “Down To Memphis” embodies the best of the country spirit. With a wild carefree spirit Scott Smith’s delivery has a raw heartfelt quality to it. Front and center to the sound is Scott Smith’s knack for storytelling as his songs focus on snapshots on a life lived most fully. By keeping the arrangements…
With a rollicking, rambunctious spirit, Joey Stuckey’s “Six String Soldier” is a true stunner. Over the course of the album Joey Stuckey displays his impeccable chops that define the album. Blues help to anchor the album as all else revolves around them. A communal spirit dominates the album, whether it is the grandeur, stately rhythms…
Tender and lovely, Brother Spellbinder’s “When The Earth Was Still Flat” is chamber pop at its most perfect. Possessing great warmth these songs feel timeless with their gentle spirits. Quite eclectic in their arrangements moving from nimble guitar work to jazz flute, everything simply comes together in the most perfect of ways. By far the…
Susan Aquila’s “No Where” is a delightful romp through glam and hair rock. Downright infectious in nature this song deserves to be blasted at the highest possible volume. A sense of determination dominates the piece. Rhythms are kicked out with fury, the riffs righteous, but these merely highlight the true heart of the piece: the…
On Madelyn Victoria’s debut EP she sings country with true grit. From the slide guitar to the tender fiddle work, everything comes together in such a satisfying way. Throughout it all it is her lovely inviting voice that truly serves as the EP’s heart and soul. Catchy hooks and unforgettable melodies permeate each of the…
With a blistering performance, Lucid Dream’s “The Stonehunter” is epic in scope. Guitar work soars into the sky, showing off their undeniable chops with satisfying soloing throughout. Anchoring this crazed, at times chaotic, album is the driving pulse of the rhythm section. Over the course of the album Lucid Dream crafts potent poetic lyrics that…
A much praised semi-finalist in one of the recent seasons of American Idol, Brielle Von Hugel’s single “Naked” solidifies the praise for her vocal talents and the promise she’s displayed since her first public exposure. This first taste from her forthcoming second EP builds on her aforementioned national television appearances, popular YouTube covers, and live…
The future is past and the past is our future. Our musical world might have progressed from acoustic instruments into electric guitars and multi-piece combos, punk, rap, and many others, but the traditional music preceding the modern music industry as we know it, “folk”, retains a subtle, but nonetheless deep, hold on the human subconscious…
The Gothard Sisters are truly a beautiful anomaly in our modern musical world. This Celtic music themed three piece have produced five albums of covers and original material since 2010 and their latest, Falling Snow, is one of the finest examples of well-crafted Christmas album in recent memory. The sisters are top flight musicians who…
Atlanta based singer/songwriter and performer James Patrick Morgan’s single “Expected” from the forthcoming EP Art + Work = Love reminds us all that pop music can still enliven and excite. Lodging with listeners at a little under three minutes, the song hits all of the notes that we anticipate from good pop music without ever…
The first single from the Uncle Frank Band’s album Love Lion finds Frank, one third of the popular band the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, taking his Leicester, England based five piece to new heights with a song that invokes all the best of eighties pop with some meaningful songwriter that never panders to listeners. The band…
The haunted landscape of the Deep South is the world that, in a major part, gave birth to Jordan Burchel’s need for self-expression. Life south of the Mason/Dixon line has spawned some of the most vibrant artistic explorations in American history and continues to be fertile ground for inspiring new artists. Burchel’s album Vowel Sounds…
Sung with passion and an anxiety reminiscent of the Talking Heads, Telamor’s “Good Bad Love” is a pure joy. The jerky rhythms, the 70s and 80s alt rock stylings, everything simply works. By far the heart of the album is the Tom Hauck’s clever, concise lyricism. Possessing a poetic quality to it the songs simply…
Absoloot displays an impressive mastery of flow and lyrical might on the luxurious “Man on Fire”. Effortlessly combining elements of dub, R&B, and hip-hop into a glorious whole, the song lingers in the mind long after it is over. Delivered with a sense of passion, the narrative of “Man on Fire” explores how a relationship…
Strong, spirited, and imbued with a strong sense of purpose, Chris Nauman’s “We Stand Our Ground” is a powerful unforgettable message. The arrangement is impeccable with the guitar glistening as the rhythm moves forward in a classic rock fashion. By far the heart of the song is the highly articulate, clever lyricism. Over the course…
Tali Dennerstein’s angelic voice and masterful arrangements are an absolute joy. Her ability to strike a balance between the passionate and contemplative is incredible, as she effortlessly creates a sound that simply soars. Easily the heart and soul of her work are the vocals, which display a poetic quality to them. Rather dreamy the many…
I know a lot of people who don’t even like holiday tunes. They dislike the hackneyed, clichéd invocations of emotion, the predictable revisiting of familiar tropes divorced from any sort of transforming effect, and how the lyrical content seems to boil down everything into simple-minded emotions. They object to the unrelenting romanticism and sentimentality that…
Jemima James, thanks to some unexpected turns of fate, is able to follow up her debut album At Longview Farm with its successor, When You Get Old, at the same time. The latter is a thirteen song effort that revisits a couple of tracks from At Longview Farm but, otherwise, resolutely puts its best foot…
Magic Music’s debut album comes forty years after the band first formed. The talented unit first constituted in 1969 failed to release a studio album during their seven year run and didn’t actually begin recording their first release until recent history. The original driving forces behind the project added more members, some died, and they’ve…
Charity Ekeke’s “She” radiates with hope and light. These joyous arrangements work wonders. Effortlessly bringing together tender melodies, jubilant infectious grooves the entire album is simply stunning. Vocals add to the overall celebratory spirit that dominates the proceedings. Lyrics emphasize a positivity that can help to change a life. Indeed, there is such a great…
Prodigies are always impressive to encounter. There are some who come to talent from a long process of practice and instruction. They are born with the necessary gifts, but they are talents requiring a measure of coaxing into development. Other talents, however, are seemingly born fully formed and their skill level outstrips their peers with…
Ricardo Alves’ full length ambient album Hope is an evocative fourteen track effort. Despite the fact that it is instrumental, Alves’ compositions are atmospheric but never self-indulgent. They also make excellent use of dynamics and flow nicely from assertive to more quiet passages without ever losing their way. The song titles are instructive about what…
Christine Saadé’s foray into dance pop on her new single “Get Together” features the talents of DJ/producer Twisted Dee and joins the previous recordings from Saadé as among the finest modern examples of how an artist can work serious themes into musical genres long mistaken as exclusively disposable. The aims of dance pop are, typically,…
Professor B and the Army of Love create a perfect mellow atmosphere in the chilled-out vibes of “Tough Times”. Lyrics have a strong sense of optimism as they focus on trying to create a better, sweeter world. Sometimes these lyrics emphasize on how bad things are and what can be done to create a sense…
The Milwaukee based four piece RedBelt seamlessly blends together a number of musical styles into an unique brew. Alternative rock, Americana, some pop punk leanings, and a smattering of classic rock come together over the course of the thirteen songs on their debut Beautiful Surround and fit quite nicely without any rough patches where the…
Coming off the heels of a remarkable string of recording successes, Martin X. Petz emerges again with a new release entitled Broken Man that’s sure to continue that run of artistic achievement. There’s nine songs on the new album, including one revisited from a previous effort, and the collection hangs together as an unified lyrical…
Christina Rubino’s “Godspeed and Guns” shows off her impeccable storytelling abilities. Over the course of the song she creates a stunning arrangement. With elements of Americana, indie rock, and a hint of the cinematic, the song unfurls quite elegantly. Attention to detail means that the song is filled with an unusual amount of detail, from…
With a strong sense of play, the Other Life’s “Happiness” harks back to the halcyon days of early house. Layer upon layer of sound are expertly arranged to create a vast sea of sound. Aptly named the song permeates with a sense of exploration and wonder with the world. Over the course of the track…
San Francisco based singer/songwriter Django Mack has drawn praise from virtually every quarter for his deft mix of traditional Americana music, imaginative arrangements, and powerful lyrical content. His latest release, “’Round Christmas”, paired with an accompanying B-side “Big Black Dog”, might initially strike listeners as typical Yuletide themed fare. Even a single listen will demonstrate,…
Great granddaughter of noted American spiritualist William James and great grand-niece of American novelist Henry James, Jemima James certainly has always possessed an impeccable artistic pedigree, but the story of how she has finally arrived on the scene is far more remarkable than her lineage. Team Love, a record label formed by songwriter Conor Oberst…
The first single from Kelly McGrath’s pending fourth studio release, “You and Me Today”, continues the ongoing blossoming that McGrath’s songwriting has underwent since her 2007 debut release Fingerprints. This song tackles the weightiest subject of all – death and our response to the loss of a close family member. McGrath doesn’t betray a hint…
One of the most important genre-crossing talents in the hip hop scene for some years now, Souleye has earned a much deserved reputation as one of the most forward thinking lyricists and performers working in hip-hop today. His latest single release, “Follow Your Heart”, continues building on the virtues of his earlier work without any…
Morgan Wilson’s “Fine” is poetic in its poignancy. Lyrically the song explores the sadness that can befall the end of a relationship, the small features that linger with a person long after parting. Over the course of the track Morgan Wilson reveals a true talent for form as elements of chamber pop, classical, with a…
The debut full-length release from keyboardist and songwriter John Hickman, Remnants, is an eclectic collection of twelve songs with a unity of style and sound. After a successful career as an aerospace engineer, Hickman decided to retire and pursue his long deferred passion for music in earnest. Since his 2011 emergence, Hickman has released singles…
“Crank Up the Rock n Roll” shows off the undeniable chops that Lee Williams possesses in spades. Downright physical in its approach the song has a raw, live feeling to it. Adhering to the song’s message to crank it up is in fact the best way to experience it for this is a song that…
Delivered with a sense of urgency, Fallen Asunder’s self-titled album is a cinematic sweeping work. Fallen Asunder screams out to the heavens as the vocals soar above the colossal riffs and driving rhythms. Over the course of the album they create a vast tapestry of sound one that swims through seas of guitar distortion, unstoppable…
Bongo Boy Rock n Roll TV Show Presents Indie Music Videos From Around The World Season 5 Ep1095 FALL ALL OVER IT. Valient Thorr starts the collection off on a powerful note. With a hard-rocking sound the piece moves forward with a driving rhythm. Full of energy the song’s lyrics are delivered with a shouted…
Based out of the New York City area and its surrounding environs, Leo Harmonay isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel with his second full length release The Blink of an Eye. This singer/songwriter, instead, takes apparent aim at refurbishing and strengthening traditional songwriting and musicianship with his individual experiences and skills. Despite the relative familiarity…
