CD and DVD reviews
It’s easy to forget how good this sort of music can be. We’ve lost the spirit in the marketplace that bands like Cranky George conjure – now it’s just pretty faces with a diminished appreciation for melodic variety and substantive statement. The teaming of former Pogues accordionist James Fearnley with the Mulroney Brothers, Kieran and…
The Bongo Boy Rock N’ Roll TV Show is proud to present their episode 1090 in their Rock N’ Roll TV Show series, featuring 6 talented independent international recording artists in 1 special ½ hour TV show. This Bongo Boy TV produced episode premiering in September on all channels in the Bongo Boy TV National…
Despite the fact that Circles and Squares is his debut solo effort, there’s a better than average chance you’ve heard a Seth Swirsky penned song before. Swirsky is partially responsible for the now iconic 1988 pop hit “Tell It To My Heart”, first popularized by Taylor Dane and frequently covered since then. Swirsky has written…
With a tight flow and an infectious groove J’Moris’s “Dope Life ft. Sunny BoBo” is a pure joy. Lyrics paint the picture of an entire life. Beats hit hard with the bass rumble working wonders, as the sound is almost physical in nature. Samples are woven deep into the mix giving the song a kaleidoscopic…
On “Whiskey” Sarantos sings with true longing and passion. Like a mystical swirl of sounds the piece moves at an incredibly fast pace. Tying together elements of folk, country, rock with a hint of gospel the piece simply refuses to let up. Sarantos poetic, urgently delivered lyrics serve as the heart and center of the…
The third and most recent release from The Retakes, Trash, is a four song EP continuing in the Pixies-inspired tradition of their previous releases, an August 2015 split with Gramma and 2014’s Girl. While their music might wear its love for the Pixies on its sleeve, the Minneapolis four piece shows more than enough individuality…
On “Waste Away With Me” Lee Smythe taps into a jaunty, nostalgia-tinged sound that marries the Elephant6 Collective aesthetic with vaudeville. Colorful to its very core the piece is a jovial piece, one that includes a great deal of play in its execution. Doing the work of an entire band is the warped warble of…
Seattle native and multi-discipline artist Anomie Belle’s album release Flux will likely garner her considerable attention as one of the most innovative artists on the indie music scene. Belle, likewise, demonstrates enough accessibility to suggest her stay in the indie world may be brief – despite any odd textures or arrangements she explores over the…
Thomas Charlie Pedersen, member of the three piece Danish alternative rock band Vinyl Floor, has released a debut solo effort that takes his songwriting in a distinctly different direction. The fourteen song collection favors the pop song hooks and melodies distinguishing his material with Vinyl Floor, but it’s cut in a largely acoustic mold and…
Jason Rylan sings with true power on the reassuring “Help is on the Way”. With an upbeat, giddy melody moving the song forward the rhythm is positively triumphant in tone. Vocals are poetic in nature as they highlight the comfort that people can give one another. As the song slowly unfurls what is revealed is…
The Bongo Boy Rock N’ Roll TV Show is proud to present their episode 1089 in their Rock N’ Roll TV Show series, featuring 6 talented independent international recording artists in 1 special ½ hour TV show. This Bongo Boy TV produced episode premiered in September on all channels in the Bongo Boy TV New…
Indie Award winning recording artist Monica Pasqual presents a deeply personal album with “Is Fortune a Wheel” – a vivid, daring journey into what happens when unforgettable memories are lost by a lover whose ability to recall the past is fading. These memories, still cherished by Pasqual, are explored through song as she navigates the…
Kamau is a Toronto native who first gained popularity on Youtube with a cover of “Hey Ya” by Outkast. His soulful voice and unique rap style brings a certain authenticity that is lost in today’s hip-hop scene. Kamau released his EP on July 1st, if this EP is foreshadowing for what is to come from…
Tapping into the spirit of the blues, Diana Catherine’s “Gossip in the Devil’s Radio” has a classic timeless sound. With carefully crafted stories emerging throughout the album her strong commanding voice draws the listener into a compelling world. Arrangements are pitch perfect as they effortlessly bring together elements of country, folk, rock, into a satisfying…
Tapping into a classic rock sound with a sense of play is Tumbler’s “Come to the edge”. Lyrically the songs are a true radiant joy as the vocals are sung with the utmost of passion. A nice balance between folk, rock, and pop, the songs are truly solid. Over the course of the album Tumbler…
The latest release from American born, UK based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter Jupiter in Velvet entitled The One in the Many is a vibrant ten song collection ranging across the usual wide range of influences. While there are many readily identifiable strains in Jupiter’s compositions, they are blended with such finesse and electrified with a…
New Jersey born hip hop lyricist and musical artist Zay P spent his formative years in California and cross-continental influence shows on his material. The top class production highlights writing often quite superior to many of his peers in the genre and his vocal delivery simmers with a cool confidence that never needs to beat…
With an infectious, summertime celebratory spirit is the infinitely catchy “Heart & Thunder” by FIVES. Everything simply works from the articulate lyricism to the emotional melody. Reminiscent of the best of the Postal Service, FIVES sings with a true sense of soul. Attention to detail is an absolute must as the many layers of sound…
If you have had the chance to read some of my reviews from the past, by now then you should know that I love authentic music. In a time where, in the words of The Narrator in Fight Club, everything is basically “a copy of a copy of a copy…” and for some people with…
The electro-pop duo Porcelain People, hailing from the unlikely locale of Louisiana, have written and recorded quite a memorable debut. Their first full length release, Streetlights, aims at merging melodically driven electronica and pop. They earn their pop credentials with sharp, well-crafted hooks and intelligently composed synthesizer and keyboard textures that are tastefully applied. The…
The latest release from American born, UK based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter Jupiter in Velvet entitled The One in the Many is a vibrant ten song collection ranging across the usual wide range of influences. While there are many readily identifiable strains in Jupiter’s compositions, they are blended with such finesse and electrified with a…
Hailing from the Twin Cities area in Minnesota, Bob Lien’s journey from the land of Bob Dylan to the West Coast and back has deeply enriched his musical approach and obviously informed his life in a lasting, significant way. His deft and often highly finessed blend of thoughtful folk rock with quasi-classical string arrangements is…
Silky smooth and with a true sense of style, MJM’s “MJM Parables Part 1” feels positively freeing. Tying together jazz, dub, lounge, and R&B into a satisfying whole the piece is delivered with great passion. By far the heart of the sound is the expressive articulate lyricism. Vocals merge easily with the luxurious tasteful sound.…
Bone and Marrow’s “Introspectator” takes the anxiety of the Talking Heads and electrifies it. With strong, commanding vocals and taut rhythms the songs linger in the mind long after they are over. Attention to detail is impeccable as the songs are carefully woven together making the album into a tapestry of sound. Easily the highlight…
The release of Bunny Sigler’s latest single “Stand Up” brings together the greatest of the legendary singer’s talents in one compelling work. The Philadelphia native, long ago nicknamed Mr. Emotion thanks to his particularly deep feeling singing performances, retains every ounce of his much ballyhooed ability to transfix listeners, but likewise, he retains the ability…
On “Days Like These” Flight Feathers neatly tie together elements of classic rock, folk, and chamber pop into a lovely whole. Reminiscent of Grizzly Bear’s stylish thoughtful take on pop, the pieces teem with life. Layer upon layer of sound interact ever so gracefully as their playing reveals a band that listens to each other.…
Since their 2009 formation, Rogue Valley has distinguished themselves as standing among the foremost practitioners of brainy modern pop. Their sound owes a debt to an array of influences. Their conceptual preoccupations, however, recall a specific time in popular music’s history and speak to their artistic ambitions as songwriters. Few modern bands will coalesce around…
Since their 2010 formation, Spark and Whisper have established themselves as one of the foremost practioners of what is commonly referred to as roots, or Americana, music, but their work extends far beyond merely invoking rustic nostalgia. The superb playing and diverse instrumentation driving their songwriting couples itself nicely to a well-developed literary flair. The…
Jennifer Hope’s “Bring Me To Life” is a defiant triumphant song. Sounding akin to a lovely mixture of the Cocteau Twins mixed with a little metal, the song is positively dreamy. With hazy textures given a little edge, Jennifer Hope’s voice guides it the rest of the way. The slow build helps to emphasize the…
Odds Lane represents the best of the blues with its rollicking “Last Night on Cherokee”. Deserving to be played as loud as possible these are songs that grab the listener. Incorporating rock, the blues, with a little funk the songs glide by ever so effortlessly. Everything simply possesses a physicality to it from the dexterous…
As a member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame outfit Heart, Ann Wilson scarcely needs any real introduction. Her voice has been a staple of popular music for over thirty years and now occupies a secure place as one of the pre-eminent singing talents of her time. While Ann and the band she began…
Biltmore’s “Revolutions & Romantics” offers up a little slice of alt rock heaven. With a sound that feels visceral the songs are downright inviting. Sung with a sense of urgency every song plays off of the last. Lyrics are thoughtful reveling in the many nuances of relationships. Throughout it all a dreamy sensibility seems to…
Right away when you hear the band name and album title you’re probably thinking what the hell is this all about and gets you intrigued right? Well…that exact thing happened to me back in 2014 when I interviewed this Swedish-based group for the first time and got a real good sense of them after that,…
The debut EP from rising country star Cody Webb is long on talent and charisma guaranteed to propel him to the forefront of the genre’s modern vanguard. The six songs on his debut effort are the sort of forward-thinking material you encounter from performers looking to find sturdy ground to build an extensive career. While…
HEAD’s “Afraid to Sleep” offers the best in dark pleasures. With lyrics that explore the underbelly, the sleazy and the sensual, the songs possess great power. Reminiscent of Garbage’s effortless blend of the industrial with a hint of electro-clash, the songs are woven together ever so perfectly. Easily the heart and soul of the album…
The newest release from award winning Canadian songwriter Paul Kloschinsky is the latest high point in a steady artistic ascent. Kloschinsky’s biggest musical debts are obvious, even on the latest album Nobody Knows, but the ten songs compromising his latest offering are cut from an intensely personal vision superimposed over familiar arrangements and vehicles. Readers…
With a light airy feel is the optimistic “Everything Is Alright” by Neil and Adam. The sound recalls the best of 80s alternative rock. Downright charming the song builds up ever so gracefully. Summery and celebratory is the infectiousness of Destiny Malibu’s “Love Hurts”. Nice attention to detail means that elements of dubstep, pop, and…
Delivering a positive message with a ferocious beat, MsTish!’s “Get Yo Praise On!” is hip-hop at its absolute best. Their flow simply rides the beat ever so perfectly with no letup whatsoever. By letting the lyrics serve front and center the song feels strong, feels pure, and magnificent in terms of its overall execution. Sound…
Angie and the Deserters bring some rarefied goods to the scene. Her Blood Like Wine EP release plays like a juiced up hybrid of Bakersfield bred country filtered through a rawboned blues rock sensibility. The central musical force in these songs, Angie Bruyere’s voice, is deep fried Southern yowl, but a quick perusal of her…
An artist environment always influence their music. Sometimes they take what they see and translate into their lyrics or in the case of our upcoming artist, Suzan’ah Free, their music. The album’s title couldn’t be more explicit as our FL takes inspiration from the warm state and in some way pays tribute to the local…
