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…
Category: REVIEWS
CD and DVD reviews
HEAD – ‘Afraid to Sleep’
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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…
Paul Kloschinsky – ‘Nobody Knows’
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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…
Bongo Boy Records Compilations Volume Nine
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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…
MsTish! – ‘Get Yo Praise On!’
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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 – ‘Blood Like Wine’
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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…
Suzan’ah Free – ‘Sweet Tropical Dreams’
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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…
Angus Crown & The Family Jewels – ‘Angus Crown & The Family Jewels’
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Angus Crown & The Family Jewels effortlessly blend together the ukulele, punk, and vaudeville into a satisfying whole on their self-titled debut. With a strong sense of play the lyrics are sharp indeed, running the gamut from the gentle to the absolute biting critiques of the world. Giving the songs a sense of spaciousness, they…
Todd Apfel – ‘One Horse Town’
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Todd Apfel’s “One Horse Town” is delivered with pure passion tapping into the best of classic rock. With a sound that virtually invites a sort of sing-along, these are pieces that feel all engrossing. Attention to detail is particularly fine as the guitar work has a rollicking, unhinged feel to it with the grit displayed…
The smallest Creature – “Reboot”
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On “REBOOT” the smallest Creature creates a beautiful piece of chamber pop. By maintaining a delicate balance between the hushed whisper and the grandiose, the smallest Creature manages to perfect a glorious sort of intimacy. Imbued with a romantic sensibility the song merges elements of folk, post-rock, classical, even a hint of shoegaze into its…
Kaylee Keller – ‘Song Like that Single’
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Kaylee Keller is singer /songwriter who just released her latest single, Song Like That.” The single creates a solid sonic space for the listener to bask in. With Keller on vocals this radio friendly song delivers all of the above and will reveal all the a-typical conventions of today’s modern pop-music that so many adore.…
Clay Melton Band – EP
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You have heard it so many times from me, as time goes by, musical acts these days are in some sort of utter need of blending different genres together, and while there are times that’s good and the final product is something beyond awesome – sometime, they just get lost in the sound and can…
Dennis Sy – ‘Shine On (Featuring Natalie Jean and Darick Spears)’
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Optimistic to its very core, Dennis Sy’s “Shine On” is a song of pure hope. Featuring the undeniable talent of Natalie Jean and Darick Spears, the song’s spirit soars to the sky. Effortlessly blending together elements of rock and jazz into a poppy whole the entire song radiates warmth. By far the highlight of the…
The Spiders – ‘Election Day (Single)’
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The Spiders are led by Lead Guitarist and Vocalist, Nick DeStefano who has teamed up with John Henderson on Bass and Nestor Arcelay on Drums, both longtime veterans of the NJ club circuit, this power trio has spent the last few years developing a very loyal following, and they hope with the release of their…
Jimmy Marin – ‘Along The Way’
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With a casual cool kind of style, Jimmy Marin’s “Along The Way” ties together elements of classical rock, soul, and a little of the blues. Jimmy Marin’s vocals are impressive and his lyricism is poetic in nature. Arrangements are pitch-perfect as they have a timeless quality to them. Opting for an airy approach these are…
The Ormewoods – ‘The Bedroom Sessions’
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Tapping into folk music’s earnestness is the tender work of “The Bedroom Sessions”, displaying the undeniable talent of the Ormewoods. Arrangements are kept to the utmost essentials. Guitar work is particularly fine as the Ormewoods explore sense of true love and compassion for others. By far the heart and soul of the album comes from…
Rhett May – ‘Creatures of the Night’
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Rhett May’s “Creatures of the Night” is a perfect blend of pop and psychedelic performed with passion. Showcasing his immense talent, the guitar work is absolutely amazing as he goes from the gentle to the blistering, oftentimes within the same song. Nicely tying everything together his is affectionate lyricism heavily focused on love, lust, and…
Sarantos – ‘D’ja Cheat’
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Delivered with great power Sarantos “D’ja Cheat” is dedicated to all those who have been on the receiving end of a cheating partner. With a hard-hitting unrelenting beat the rushes through with great power. By opting for a hard rock style the song simply soars, showing off impressive guitar shredding. Lyrically the song creates an…
Elizabeth Geyer – ‘The Wall’
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Elizabeth Geyer’s “The Wall” is a thoughtful, highly articulate album. With a carefully crafted narrative that ties the pieces together the album has a theatrical quality to it. Her crystal clear voice serves as the heart and soul of the album. With great attention to detail her stylistic choices combine elements of jazz, pop, and…
Sir Ivan – ‘Imagine: The Remixes’
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Ivan Wilzig walked away. His two decades of working alongside his family in the banking industry enabled him to amass a personal fortune and assist his relatives in running their mutual business interests, but the blandishments of material wealth were not enough for him. It spurred him to turn his back on those trappings nearly…
CONCERT REVIEW: MARK FARNER, STREETSBORO FAMILY DAYS – 7-29-2016
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The crowd began to steadily increase early on, with good reason. The Michael Weber Show was the opener, performing a mix of classic rock, blues, and originals, with Michael managing to throw in all the guitar stunts. Great range of guitar work and vocals with an added horn section, definitely entertaining. By the time brother…
Michael Weber – ‘The Hollywood EP’
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Michael at the ripe age of 18, has been playing professionally since he was 7, opening for national acts. The Michael Weber Show features a power trio with added keys and horn section. Something impressive is the genre’s he covers from originals to blues, to rock, to horn band music, with a voice that fits…
Callie Hooper – ‘Out of the Shadows’
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Nashville based singer/songwriter Callie Hooper has established a rapidly blossoming reputation as one of the most promising talents emerging from Music City in recent years. Much like many of the female performers rising to prominence in the pop/folk genre in the last decade, Hooper’s style and influences owe much more to performers who first achieved…
Gary Hoey – ‘Dust & Bones’
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Gary is as good as creating new sounds and styles as he is reviving classic genres. Gary has revitalize rock, surf, and Christmas music, like Brian Setzer has with rockabilly, big band and Christmas music, This release features a minimalist approach in the personnel, concentrating on the tone, sound and flexibility. D&B has Gary on…
Nick Gunn – “The Day We Met feat. Sacha Mullins”
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Full of love, Nick Gunn’s “The Day We Met feat. Sacha Mullins” is a radiant neon-hued joy. With bouncing beats and cheery melodies, the song simply soars. Effortlessly merging elements of pop and dance into a bright airy sound the song is simply stunning. Attention to detail is of the utmost importance. Employing a great…
Cadence Kid
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With not a lot of data on an artist it can be easy to fall short on how to go about putting them out there, but starting somewhere is key. One thing that is for sure, Cadence Kid plays a lot of instruments, and I mean a lot. He’s done much work in his time…
Bill Wren – ‘Road To Chiang Mai’
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With a sound uniquely his own, Bill Wren creates an album that transcends genres with “Road To Chiang Mai”. A plethora of stylistic choices reveal themselves from classical to world with elements of electronica sprinkled throughout. By letting these pieces truly soar, Bill Wren allows for rich textures that teem with life. Intricately arranged layer…
Dave Diamond – ‘Trois’
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Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Jason Mraz – they are all part of this group of singer songwriters that even though they aren’t by any means what we would call “Guitar Heroes”, there’s something about the way they command on stage and their sound that people can’t help but to enjoy and be delighted to. Since…
Skyward – ‘Self Titled’
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Hailing from the mountains surrounding Harrisonburg, Virginia, the four members of alternative rock outfit Skyward initially met during their tenure at James Madison University united by a common artistic vision seeking to combine enormous rock and roll guitar with melodic and electronic influenced pop. The added factor in this mix, keyboardist and vocalist Anna Breeding,…
Mike Comfort – ‘Pretty Sweet Stuff’
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With a true sense of emotional honesty is the heartfelt work of Mike Comfort’s “Pretty Sweet Stuff”. Mike Comfort taps into the sweet sound of 90s alternative rock throughout “Pretty Sweet Stuff”. From the fuzzed out guitar to the powerful rhythm section to the strong vocals, everything works. At times Mike Comfort touches upon the…
Bongo Boy Rock N’ Roll TV Show Ep1086
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Gabi Sklar’s “LA Changes You” has a haunting melody that guides the song along. With lyrics that emphasize what happens with a move to LA, the difficultly and the difference that a city can make, the song is beautifully executed. By keeping the song to the absolute essentials its message is power. Watch: https://vimeo.com/173795303 Wasting…
Gene Pritsker, ‘Groove Possessed’
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Are you ready for a game-changing, trend-setting record that doesn’t play by conventional rules or standards? If you said yes, then ‘Groove Possessed’ by Gene Pritsker is your ultimate destination as Gene is your musical wizard with plenty of tricks under his sleeve. I was introduced to Gene’s eclectic nature back in 2014 when I…
Danielle French Presents Miss Scarlet and The Madmen – ‘Dark Love Songs’
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The high brow musical theater musings of Danielle French aren’t so far removed from the common listeners’ experience that they are inaccessible. This is a crucial component in the success of her release Dark Love Songs. She accomplishes this by holding tight to her melodic virtues and never lapsing too deeply into self-indulgence. There is…
Hot Date – ‘Three Sides To The Story’
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Hot Date’s “Three Sides To The Story” is indie rock done right. With a sound reminiscent of much of DFA’s roster, the collection simply gleams brightly. Arrangements feel pitch perfect as they range from a slight dance rock vibe to a more classic rock approach. Throughout it all their attention to detail with their thoughtful…
Michael Good Luck – ‘Scripts and Scraps’
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Michael Good Luck creates a careful inviting narrative on “Scripts and Scraps”. With nimble guitar work, full arrangements, and a deep layered sound the album creates a teeming ecosystem. Clever the result is something truly unique as Michael Good Luck displays remarkable talent and proves he is a truly accomplished musician taking another approach at…
EsQuille featuring Bruno Alexander – “Dancing on the Sun”
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Esquille is a multitalented musician as a DJ, songwriter, producer, remixing and engineer with 30 years in the entertainment business. Over the years he has learned the formula of creating hit music. His single, Dancing on the Sun, featuring, Bruno Alexander is his latest creation that is dancing its way through the EDM musical world.…
The Invisible World – ‘Color/Echo’
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A four piece hailing from the Kansas City, Missouri area, The Invisible World are an alternative rock outfit whose second EP, Color / Echo, is certain to catapult them to a higher rung of visibility. The six songs on their latest release are strong on muscular guitar work, but they are likewise condensed musical experiences,…
Angie and the Deserters – “Country Radio”
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Angie Bruyere is another Indie artist that is showing the world no one can promote you better than yourself. She is a headstrong go getter that will not rest until she has made her mark on the world and she has done that with her latest single, Country Radio. Angie and the Deserters are ripping…
Bongo Boy Records Awesome Big Hair Bands Volume One
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With a true sense of 80s flair is Gar Francis’s indomitable work of “Cool Cool Baby”. Commanding vocals take center stage as the song’s gigantic, bombastic style works wonders. Lush riffs lead the way as the driving rhythm helps give the song a strong energetic presence. Lisa Coppola’s “Now That You’re Gone” whose soulful delivery…
Sweet Sweet – ‘In Tandem’
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Sweet Sweet’s “In Tandem” celebratory spirit is an absolute joy as it explores the communal sensibility that informs the best kind of folk music. Full of hope the songs recall the similar pop-folk sensibilities of Grizzly Bear and the Fleet Foxes. Melodies are downright beautiful as they incorporate strong rhythms, many layers of sound courtesy…
