Category: Music Reviews

Posted on: March 23, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Lael Summer Burden To Bear CD Review

I Need A Man has vocals from Lael Summer that blend together equal amounts of Donna Summer and Meredith Brooks. The soul / funk groove is the perfect backdrop for Summer’s vocals which will impress with their sultry fire and impressive range.  Too Much has the same laid-back approach of mid-seventies Santana or James Brown; the raw power of Summer’s vocals bubble just underneath the calm and controlled exterior that…

Posted on: March 23, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Marla Mase Half-Life CD Review

Drown in Blue is a track that touches upon the work of Joan Jett and The X-Ray Spex. The track needs little more than guitars, drums, and a sizzling set of vocals. The bounce between front-forward rock and hooky pop-laced rock makes this into a must-listen. With this high amount of energy, Mase is able to move to the titular effort, Half-Life. Half-Life has a slower and more electronic-infused approach.…

Posted on: March 16, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The Van Burens Presidential LoveFest EP

  Miss Lola Overture provides a solid introduction to the Presidential LoveFest EP, allowing listeners in less than a minute to understand where The Van Burens will ultimately go with this release. Tricky Dick will provide listeners with some background about Richard Nixon’s illegal activities (the break-in at the Watergate Hotel). The track builds off of the sounds and styles of the sixties and seventies, blending together rock and funk…

Posted on: March 13, 2014 Posted by: Yousuf Ahmed Comments: 0

Frederik Abas – Amsterdamski Review

Frederik Abas, decade long denizen of the dance scene, brings a fresh new track out to the eagerly awaiting public in his Powerhouse Music debut, Amsterdamski. Referred to as the “peak-time dance floor destroyer,” Amsterdamski is undoubtedly one of the few dance songs that have the ability to engage listeners throughout the entire song with heavy bass and electronic yet still maintain a a definitive and catchy tune. As resident…

Posted on: March 12, 2014 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

PT Walkley Shoulders CD Review

    PT Walkley may just be the missing link between Rufus Wainwright, the thoughtful jazz-inspired, sophisticated troubadour, and The Kinks, god’s gift to lovers of pop hooks and sing-along melodies everywhere. The fact that he pulls all of this off with an above-it-all indie vibe (despite still being able to shill for everyone from McDonalds to GE in TV ads) is all the more impressive.   His latest, Shoulders,…

Posted on: March 12, 2014 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Cassorla Amigos EP CD Review

How do you know your core audience is hipsters? You record a song with Aubrey Plaza. The Parks & Recreation actress, and fantasy of skinny-jeaned beardos from Williamsburg to Bushwick, “plays” alto sax on “Bona Fide” the second track on Ben Cassorla’s debut EP.

Posted on: March 11, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Gemini Wired What Now Single Review

What Now is an R&B track that would easily make it onto radio rotation for stations that would focus on Rihanna or Mariah Carey efforts. The production of What Now is stellar, allowing the instrumentation to pop even as Gemini Wired’s vocals are able to paint a stark and inspiring picture. The track ends with some hard rap bars that straddle the line between Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim. The…

Posted on: March 9, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Aron Lyrd Good Times Great Times CD Review

Come Again opens up in a warm fashion, and slides into a cool and collected bit of funky, soulful rock. The shuffling beat of the track succeeds because of the smart instrumentation and insistent vocals encountered; the instrumental interlude keeps things fresh and inspires listeners to move onto Everybody Loves an event. Everybody Loves an event has Lyrd provide considerable amounts of narration, bringing listeners along for the ride. The…

Posted on: March 9, 2014 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Monty Greig I Just Want To Dance Single

I Just Want To Dance starts out with fiery horns; Greig’s inimitable vocals kick in shortly after. The track is able to take parts of the fifties, eighties, nineties, and today; Greig has frenetic energy through all three minutes of this cut; hints of the New Jack Swing era of R’n’B  and the swinging lounge sounds of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin represent major influences to Greig on I Just…

Posted on: March 7, 2014 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Hayley Reardon Wayfindings EP Review

Once you get past how instantly enjoyable Hayley Reardon’s new EP is, your hit by the stunning news that this singer/guitarist is only 17 years-old. Her voice and lyrics (with the exception of the cover of Taj Mahal’s “Fishin’ Blues,” all the songs here are penned by Reardon) are far stronger than anything you’d expect from a teenager and bring to mind everyone from Mary Chapin Carpenter to fellow Bostonian…