On Cold Country, Rob Bellamy & The Rebel Hearts are able to tie together 2000s country with a bit of rock instrumentation to craft something that speaks to a wide audience. The passion in which Bellamy is able to imbue each lyric on this single is impressive, showcasing a fire that in unable to be quenched during the work’s run time. The arrangement here is similarly strong. Splashy drums and…
On Hometown, Ben E. Davis is able to craft some seriously catchy music. Blending equal amounts 1990s R&B with pop, his charisma will convert anyone fortunate enough to listen along. The song’s cohesion is impressive as both the backing instrumentation and Ben’s vocal melodies combine seamlessly. Hometown is an earworm, an effort that will stick around in listeners’ brains long after the song ceases to play. Give the video a…
On “Sigmund Freud’s Girlfriend”, Michael Gilas is able to make a soulful, pop-infused track that calls back to the easy listening style of the 1970s and early 1980s. Michael’s magnificent voice shines brightest here, but the bass and drums combine here to make for a tremendous palette upon which they can reside. The back and forth between Michael and the single’s backing female vocals add further depth to the track.…
Slow Burn Drifters’ The Divide is an emotionally intense effort that whips in Queens of the Stone Age and Wolfmother as influences, all while the dark charisma of the vocals here are reminiscent of The Tea Party and The Doors. The production of The Divide allows for the wind-swept guitars and jangly instrumentation to provide considerable depth to these vox. The insistent guitar work that bisects The Divide acts as…
Circus Mind’s “Viking Princess” is a bouncy rock track that calls back to the more sultry 1970s brand of rock music. Interspersing sizzling guitar work with vocals that run the gamut between Alice Cooper and James Hetfield, Circus Mind are able to establish something utterly unique. Each of the elements that fans will hear on Viking Princess are playing their heart out, contributing to a composition that will stick with…
Rev It Up is one of those hard-rocking track that fits perfectly alongside Van Halen or 38 Special. Divergent builds out this track with killer guitar riffs, Whitesnake-infused vocals, and a devil may care attitude. Incorporating an extended instrumental bridge to Rev It Up, Divergent is able to keep fans frothing at the mouth until they kick back into their main gear. Rev It Up has an eminently singable chorus,…
Coffeeshop x Ty Taylor’s “Hear The Call” is a super-sonic effort that straddles the line between rock and country. There is an intense guitar line that is matched well with a supersonic set of vocals. When the two elements combine at the single’s chorus, Hear The Call reaches new heights. The song is one of those that will have listeners singing along after their first listen. As the old adage…
M. Spano’s “Something Different” is a fun, engrossing effort that shines because of the performer’s unique style. To be sure, there are clear nods to emo and EDM music here, but the resulting track is able to transcend genre boundaries. I feel a bit of John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) in M. Spano’s vocal styling, further mooring Something Different into a deeper musical tradition. The overall arrangement is quite deep,…
Born Outta Step is one hell of a work. The latest track from The Infamous HER is able to incorporate a number of different musical styles. Of course, the song feels like a drinking shanty that Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys would release, but there’s also a bit of glam metal that plays at the periphery here. The bit of fuzz that encapsulates the single calls out to early-nineties…
Hole, the latest work by Denise Marsa, is a wonderful mash-up of 1980s mall pop and electronic music. Fans of acts as wide-ranging as Blondie, Devo, and Kylie Minogue will be able to find something to sink their teeth into with this work. The tremendous charisma that is exuded on this single is hard to deny; one need only play the song at a local watering hole to see people…
The Tennessee Werewolves’ “Rise Up” is a ferocious track that will get people out into the mosh pit. The act is able to incorporate hints of Motionless in White and Korn to bring in a wider array of listeners. The guitars and drums that comprise the low end of Rise Up keep fans firmly on the edges of their seats. The song’s run time is fairly short (it concludes before the…
On Abused, Liyah Bey is able to show tremendous emotional content with some of the most impactful vocals that we have heard. Building upon the trends of performers like Lorde and Stevie Nicks, Liyah establishes the narrative on her latest single while building up the melodies. Taken together with the keys and drums, what results in Abused is something that works perfectly on modern pop playlists while having enough substance…
On Super-Hi and Luke Spiller’s version of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know, there are subtle nods to the original source material while the backing instrumentation ends up exploring bold new areas. While the song still sonically resides in the pop genre, there are bits of EDM and expansive indie sprinkled throughout its run time. The song feels fresh and new, destined to be picked up by an entirely…
Nuke The Soup’s Lost On You is an emotive, rich composition that showcases tremendous engagement with the song’s subject matter. The act needs little at the song’s onset besides the vocals and guitars. When the drums and bass kick in at around the minute mark, Lost On You shifts to a blend of 1970s rock and 1990s alternative music. The driving beat will tattoo itself deep into the minds of…
D-Shot’s “Take A Shot is a braggadocious effort showcasing all the style and swagger of D-Shot. There’s a good amount of E-40 and the Yin Yang Twins that can be heard here, while the tight lyrical content experienced here showcases D-Shot’s own unique take on the rap genre. There’s a high replay value to this single because of the depth of these aforementioned compositions as well as the sheer amount…
On Keep The Feel In, Michelle Galas is able to create a high-energy dance track that will bury itself deep into the hearts and minds and listeners. Whether it is through booming beats, sizzling sex music, or charismatic vocals, there is something that everyone can find and appreciate in this single. While one can discern how much Michelle loves 1990s dance music, there is enough experimentation and engagement with different…
When We Two Parted starts off Liz Luceris’ new EP, Liz Luceris – Hommage à Byron, immediately bringing listeners in with a delicate set of vocals. These vocals are paired nicely with strings, something that will continue onward with the next few tracks, I Speak Not and So We’ll Go No More A Roving. So We’ll Go No More A Roving is a more deliberate, classical-infused composition that is spiced…
On Let’s Find Out, Alyson Faith is able to create a timless pop track that has something for the widest array of listeners. The deliberate instrumentation here provides a solid backdrop upon which Alyson’s inimitable vocals can shine. Tying together rock, 1990s country, and even hints of alternative ensures that Let’s Find Out stands out boldly from the rest of the music currently residing on the top of the charts.…
Not Dead Yet is the latest work from Ron Brunk. The song shines with Ron’s inimitable style as well as the guest vocals that act as the counter-point for Ron’s vox. The song’s walking bass line adds a bit of blues to Ron’s rock approach. There’s a timeless feeling to Not Dead Yet that will appease fans of all sorts of music from the late 20th century all the way…
Flavor is the next track up for A-Wax 1 Million. The track shines with snaps and keys that feel influenced by the mid-1990s California scene. The intricacies of A-Wax 1 Million’s flow will have listeners rewinding the single to hear everything that has been worked in. Flavor’s chorus is a true head-bopper, something that will be welcomed whenever the song comes up on a playlist. Flavor ends at around the…