CD and DVD reviews
Some musical artists are content releasing products and cashing checks. They may be good at what they do, even talented, but their work never rises above a certain level of engagement – for them or their audience. Other artists, however, aim for more. They aren’t looking to remake the musical wheel, per se, but they…
With a distant echo that allows for a cold sustain of the rushing guitar strings to linger in the air well into the song, Rob Alexander begins “The Soul or the Skin,” his latest single, with a stamina that is deceptively muted and representative of only a glimpse into what the next few minutes will…
There are moments when Harry Hochman sounds like a cross between James McMurtry and Gordon Lightfoot. His songs come off as serious singer/songwriter stuff, much like these aforementioned artists. His eleven songs are hard, lyrically, but much softer sonically. In other words, they’re lot like a lot of folk music. Stylistically, however, these songs can…
Brian Douscette’s single begins quietly with an acoustic piano intro. You might think this is going to be a tender ballad. It’s not. After about twenty seconds of lovely piano, Doucette’s vocal comes in. And it comes in like a bull in a China shop, too, with full force. Here begins Doucette’s drinking song. Doucette’s…
Dusty Highway, the 2023 LP from David Gelman, begins out humbly with an easygoing, melody-led beat in “Lay Me Down” that, while only offering us a glimpse into the majestic melodies that await in the next ten songs, is enough to set the stage for everything we’re soon to encounter. The moodiness of the harmonies…
Bill Abernathy’s latest album, “More,” is a compelling and diverse exploration of the roots rock genre that takes listeners on a heartfelt journey through a range of emotions. Laden with personal anecdotes and a mixture of folk and rock styles, this album stands as a testament to Abernathy’s artistry and his ability to create a…
Hitting us with a lot of tonality that most bands would be too intimidated to work with, The One Eighties’ “Dead Star Light” doesn’t let us get comfortable with its forward strut before unleashing a complicated deluge of warmth that can seemingly destroy that gets in its path. In this track, and all of those…
Saul Ayotte embraces a classic slice of Americana on the soulful stereo sound of “Meant for You.” This is the sort of song played in a moment of reflection, driving through wide-open spaces thinking about those moments long since passed. A nostalgic pining permeates the track. Lyrics emphasize a lovelorn, tender tenor that helps to…
Canadian singer/songwriter and roots rock artist Vili V serves up a delightful musical ride with his latest single. He steeps “Tupelo Rhythm” in the blues and summons up the sights and smells prevalent south of the Mason-Dixon line with off-handed ease. It belies the hard work necessary for such magic to take hold. It’s another…
It follows that Mark Adams stocks his California Bound-titled album with plenty of California-related sounds, whether these be the Byrds-y guitar jangle that appears and then disappears on opener, “She Was Crying,” or some of the more California-esque country music that follows on this satisfying 10-song release. You’ll find sonic pleasure wherever you land on…
New York City native Leo Sawikin’s new single “The Same Mistakes” continues in the same intelligent and introspective vein defining his 2021 debut album Row Me Away. It represents a rekindling of his creative energies, as well, after dipping in the aftermath of the pandemic. He’s working with Seattle-based producer Phil Ek, a gifted sound…
“Honeymoon,” the title track to Brynn Andre’s album, is applied differently from the way we normally use the popular term. In the marital tradition, a ‘honeymoon’ is a sort of one-time event, celebrated after the wedding ceremony and the start of a marriage. It’s that space where a couple can finally get away from all…
‘It’s Been A Long, Long Time’ is a fitting title for this new album by June Bisantz & Gordon Morrell because it’s commemorating a 50th anniversary. Back in 1971, June and Gordon met for the first time kicking off a newfound friendship and musical partnership that has now surpassed 50 years. To celebrate this special…
Tim Foley is a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist who runs the gamut when it comes to musical styles. With elements of blues, jazz, folk, classical and funk, Tim Foley is not pigeonholed to one specific genre or category. Tim is original to the bone, and he proves it on the new release titled ‘Stop Along…
Listening to Mae Simpson’s soulful singing voice, it’s nearly impossible to believe this Minneapolis, MN artist is originally from that Midwestern state. Turns out, she’s not. She’s originally from South Carolina, which makes a whole lot more sense, and she’s sure one talented bluesy singer. The are parts of her single “Chandelier & Bloom” where…
Esphyr is from Ukraine, but you might not catch this fact while listening to her bright new single, “Fighter.” It begins with sweet electric guitar chords, before its danceable percussion kicks in. What follows is just under three minutes of extremely sugary pop. Granted, the song is titled “Fighter.” However, this lyric has more to…
Charu Suri is a highly distinguished pianist/composer AND award-winning journalist who is originally from South India. Charu’s latest release is titled ‘RAGS & RAGAS’ and she is literally revolutionizing music. This quite possibly could be the very first album to combine Indian ragas and New Orleans-style jazz. Charu is no stranger to thinking outside the…
Listening to “Jangleholic,” the opening track to Les Fradkin’s Arist Kit Sampler, may find you responding with, ‘Guilty as charged.’ Some of us are just suckers for that jangling electric guitar sound. On it, Fradkin does his best Roger McGuinn-fronting-the-Byrds impression. This is a sound that just hits all the right pleasure points, and Fradkin…
CatsMelvin’s album, America’s Beautiful Waltz, is a rather cynical look at contemporary America, from the perspective of a Lincoln, Nebraska band. With a warbly lead vocal, CatsMelvin provides Americana-y commentary on our modern world. Two songs in, they sing how “All We Have Is Fear.” The line is repeated over and over, in order to…
If you’re expecting to hear native American rain dance music from Invinceable (featuring Too $hort and Roman Musiq), you may be disappointed. This could show you might not be entirely up on strip club lingo because this song is about throwing dollar bills at exotic dancers, and the rain that’s falling is American currency. The…
ACTHEKiDFROMSPACE goes for a wild, party-like atmosphere in “Don’t Talk to Me (feat. Rhaffy).” Cleverly they bring together hip-hop, dance, reggaeton, and more into this swirling colossal mix. Production goes for a nimbleness perfectly in-sync with the vocals. Multiple aspects of the sound swirl together into this drunken cadence. Beats have a careful cadence with…
Chris Beland’s “Return To Pooh” is a cover of a Kenny Loggins song. It’s a song inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh, a story about a honey-loving, lovable bear. Loggins has said this story took on an even deeper meaning once he had children of his own. It is Beland’s contribution to the Santa Barbara Records compilation, CaliAmericana,…
Regal Anton-Chavez Francis Bragg recorded under the name Regal the Rare, and his single “Blue Goo” was recorded with his stepfather, Jellybean Johnson. Johnson is most famous for his role in the Minneapolis band The Time, which also included producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Of course, all of these musicians were also a part…
If you’re anything like me, you’ll likely need to look up the title to Jack Nolan’s album, Jindabyne. If you haven’t done so, I’ll save you some trouble. ‘Jindabyne’ is a town in southeast New South Wales, Australia. It overlooks Lake Jindabyne near the snowy mountains. It’s said to be a fine holiday spot, particularly…
Well, the odds of seeing all the animals named in Stacy Gabel’s single, “At the Zoo-oo-oo” are good because she’s asking kids if they see these various critters at a zoo. Kids that spot any of these on a city street, however, might get a whole lot more credit. Then again, Gabel is extolling all…
One big key to creating a successful single is to say something in a way it hasn’t been heard before. With “For Better,” Sydney Hansen sings about a broken heart. That’s not unusual. Many songs cry about having a broken heart. However, Hansen sings about how a man didn’t break her heart for good. No,…
Self-confidence seems fleeting in the younger generation in a way that almost certainly leaves the majority of us feeling a little worried about what the future is going to look like, but if there’s one pop singer/songwriter committed to instilling swagger in kids aged zero to one hundred in 2023, it’s undeniably Taylor Jules. Her…
Rev Peter Unger – ‘Be Not Afraid’ https://www.reverbnation.com/revpeterunger/song/34064685-be-not-afraid-7-14 Strength through a powerful belief system command “Be Not Afraid 7-14” presents Rev Peter Unger as a thoughtful storyteller. Everything within the sound features an origami-like structure. He implores the listener to gaze up upon the savior, as this delicacy feels doubly refreshing. Not an instruction; for…
Scott & Sabrina slide into a classic Americana in the dreamy “Home.” The verses rest right in the soul of the sound. Rhythms have a laid-back mellowness, allowing every gesture to radiate in the vast space. Letting the instruments gradually enter the fray has this fantastic, beautiful bountiful style. Much of the work goes for…
Samsara crafts a lovely atmosphere in the poetic “Invisible.” Verses have a quiet majesty. The arrangement keeps things to the essentials allowing her voice to soar to the heavens. Guitar work goes right for the restrained, and the keyboard chords have this soothing wash. Rhythms embrace the pastoral, for her lyricism has this contemplative tenor.…
Anthony Sobak’s band bears his last name and there’s no question when listening to his new release A Little More Time that Sobak stamps every shred of his personality on the songs. The album’s ten songs largely swear allegiance to a hard rock sound, but Sobak and his collaborators vary the approach enough that no one can…
Starting with the outcry of the guitars to the sensuous purr of the lead vocal, you could say that Cedars’ new single “Empire” has all the parts of a classic alternative rock track and be entirely right. That said, what separates this release from the countless tributes to the legacy of iconic alternative rock and…
Kentucky native and Curb Records artist Hannah Ellis continues her ascent in Country Music with new release “Wine Country”. This new foray into an ever-brighter spotlight couples inspired strands of traditional country with spirited rock influences that mix in fresh and energetic ways. Few artists enjoying success today claim the same disciplined pedigree that Ellis…
There’s an inherent catchiness to Dark Below’s new single “Make Believe” that bolsters the heaviness in the band’s presentation. The three piece of Joshua Campbell, Josh Grove, and Quin Koldan likewise play with a tightness that belies their years. The power trio format has made a resurgence in recent years, particularly in heavy music, and the energy…
The song “Surviving,” off Cullen Wade and The Waters’ self-titled debut album, takes on new meaning as he sings about a girl that wants to live, not just survive. That was too true for all of us, after approximately two years of pandemic life. At first, yes, as the body bags were piling up outside…
Lavender Blues engages in a ritualistic rhythm on the infectious “The Kreyòl Song.” Vocals have a melodic quality as they unfurl in a joyous, colorful way. Percussion embraces the tactile, and the song feels alive. A driving classic rock sound races through as the NEW Bardots display a sense of urgency as “Policy of Truth”…
Mainstream country just can’t seem to keep up with what the indie scene is producing in 2023, and if you ask me, artists like Kaitlyn Kohler are the reason why. It’s not that a commercially-savvy country doesn’t have its upside, but let’s face it – this June, listeners aren’t as intrigued by the familiar as…
THUNDERCLAP’s Strange Songs for Strange Times album features the speaking voice of George Noory in multiple places. Noory is the host of the radio program Coast to Coast AM. If you’ve ever heard this late-night show, you already know about the kinds of people featured on this wild radio program. If there is a UFO…
With the advent of digital music distribution, albums just seem to be getting longer and longer all the time. Take Anthology by Joe Boris, for example. His release contains 30 songs and lasts two hours and 38 minutes. There are Hollywood movies that clock in with shorter lengths than that. Thus, just listening all the…
Kenny Frame’s single, “Puzzle,” is unusual in the best possible ways. It begins with a jazzy guitar part, before Fame begins talk-singing its lyrics. It’s the story of an outcast, and it’s told introspectively. It’s also effective in getting its serious message across. The track’s instrumentation is sparse, which is both intentional and a wise…
