Boy George was way ahead of his time. A band fronted by a male who performed in full make up and androgynous clothes was groundbreaking in the early 1980s, when gay were almost unheard of at the time. The fact that Cultural Club had remarkably catchy songs certainly helped prove that the band and Boy George were more than just a gimmick. In fact, their music is right up there…
VAYA’s titular single is a slinky piece of hard rock that will tattoo its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The act is able to call back to the halycon days of the 1980s and 1990s while keeping things current and contemporary. The vocals both tell a story and add to the overall harmonies of the effort. ELEPHANTUS, the other new track from VAYA, slows things down…
Stoutella is Knee Deep Brewing Company’s (Auburn, CA) chocolate hazelnut milk stout. The beer pours with a dark brown coloration and a fairly small head that dissipates fairly quickly. The presence of the hazelnuts in Stoutella calms down the tendency of milk stouts to be on the sweeter side of things through the presence of a fair amount of bitterness. There is a diverse set of flavors that are presented throughout…
The Reason is the first effort on Ryan Zimmerman’s new EP, Ephemeral as a Kiss. The track showcases a nice blend of styles, with hints of acts as broad as Soundgarden and John Mayer. The specific array of styles that listeners can pick up after their first listen to Zimmerman’s Ephemeral as a Kiss EP is pretty substantial. Beyond his own unique approach to things, it is the fact that…
Feels Like a Holiday is the first track on Caroline Ferrante’s new EP, SKY. The track is confident, fun, and showcases a blend of straight-forward pop, island rock, and even the styling of performers like The Carpenters and Sheryl Crow. The production on Feels Like A Holiday is amazing, allowing each element ample opportunity to shine on its own or to contribute to this very cohesive and coherent opening. The…
All This Time We Wait is the new single from Boston’s Pale Monsters; the track comes from the act’s new release, Are You Feeling Alive?. The band come forth with an indie/alternative sound with a hint of 1960s rock. The vocals on All This Time We Wait build off of the work of performers like Rivers Cuomo and John Rzeznik. The distorted guitar on this introductory track calls back to…
JES’s “Get Me Through The Night” is a tremendously emotive EDM track that has both the instrumental arrangement and JES’s vocals pushing each other to a high level. The assertive beat that dominates the track is a great counterpoint to the much more human and emotionally affecting vocals laid down. What happens during Get Me Through The Night is that fans will be thinking about what JES is singing as their…
Tiny Fighter’s “New Century” is a complex track that deftly takes up a number of different genres in its sound. Hints of nineties alternative, the singer-songwriter tradition, and even hints of pop can all be discerned here. The thoughtful guitars, chunky bass lines, and on-point drums unite to make for a solid backdrop upon which Therese’s vocals can stretch their arms. A laid-back tempo allows alt-country and 1980s-era Cure influences to…
WOLVES’ “Animal” will immediately draw listeners in with an emphatic beat and a charismatic, sultry set of vocals. A bit of call and response to a choir of voices transforms this from a fun track to something that could easily be rocketing up the chart. With each piston hitting perfectly, it’s no surprise that Animal’s melodies will be bouncing around listeners’ minds long after the song ceases to play. WOLVES…
The Winter Sounds’ “Earth After a Thunderstorm” is a wonderful effort. The passion of the vocals, the effortless call backs to mid-1980s synth pop like Depeche Mode, Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys, and the twinkling instrumentation distinguishes this single from the rest of the music being played on the radio.
