Dontae Peeps’ new single “Ordinary Love” shines not only from Dontae’s vocals but also the luxurious instrumentation that plays in the background. The booming percussion provides highlighting to his sultry and sexy lyrics while the back and forth between the vocals and arrangements pushes each into a higher plateau. There’s a deceptively deep sound that is cultivated through Ordinary Love, ensuring that listeners will be able to play the song multiple…
First off, the flow that issues forth on That’s That Girl is amazing. There’s an absolutely timeless lyrical performance that will immediately tattoo the new effort from Madoa Sankara & Sudan 6ix. There’s a whole lot of 1990s NYC rap that can be heard here, but the luxurious beat that plays in the back imbues the effort with a timeless veneer. The bit of echo that is placed on Sankara’s…
Ninebay Jakub’s “Found Love” has a touching message that is highlighted with booming bass and delicate strings. The vocals pull double duty in telling a story as well as bolstering the backing instrumentation. The production is vocal-forward but there’s a nice nod back to the work of J Dilla here. Found Love is an effort that can easily make it onto modern pop rotation while having enough depth to hold…
On “Let’s Party”, Kool & The Gang are able to create a track that will get listeners on the dance floor while staying true to their traditional style. The arrangements lay out luxuriously on the composition while the distinct lyrics are able to touch upon the work of genre colleagues like The Black Eyed Peas and Chromeo. Tying together the past to the present ensures that Let’s Party will have…
On Royalty, The Cofields are able to immediately draw attention to their track. There’s a huge beat that start things out before the hard-nosed rap flow of Calvin takes a focal point on the song. The production of the track is immaculate; each beat, sample, and arrangement is meticulously designed for the greatest impact. Keeping things at a high energy here is Kimberly, who is able to match the ground-shaking…
Major Spark’s “Birds Aren’t Real” begins with a hilarious conspiracy-laden . Hints of Dick Dale and Weird Al can be picked up here, while the composition itself enjoys a truly timeless feel to it. The dynamic established between the guitars and drums here is fun – each has a deliberate sound that can be whipped up into something greater as the vox kick back in. The song feels made for…
Mychael Gabriel’s “Sunday Afternoon” is a dreamy pop effort that is able to entice listeners through charismatic vocals and just enough fuzz to keep things cozy. The product is sharp enough to allow the distinct pieces of the single to shine, all while the vocals, drums, and guitar are able to unite into something special. There’s a bit of Lenny Kravitz, a bit of Sean Lennon, and a whole heaping…
UniversalDice’s Out of Many, One is a catchy rock effort that bends together Elvis Costello and Billy Bragg with late 1970s / early 1980s arena rock. The bit of distortion and fuzz that bubbles up at points on the single do well to join together the different sections encountered here. UniversalDice’s reverence to performances like Warren Zevon and Jackson Browne place the single into the broader corpus of rock, but…
On Everybody Wants to Be Somebody, Greg Hoy ?& The Boys are able to effortlessly link together arena rock with 1990s punk. The two styles work perfectly together. There’s a bit of a verbal sneer that bleeds through the confident guitars and splashy drums. The track is teeming with riffs and a catchy chorus that will be difficult to remove from one’s head. The guitar solo that glues the two…
On “My Favourite Time Of The Year”, Betty Beata is able to create an immersive track that will have listeners hanging on every word. The dynamioc established between the vocal and instrumental side of things pushes each to a higher plateau. There’s a sense that Betty Beata is able to craft her own unique approach to the corpus of holiday music even as she touches upon the leitmotif of the…
Sonarpilot’s Citadel is an enthralling composition that moves through an array of different dance genres to create an immersive effort. There’s tremendous narrative that is baked into each movement here, as Sonarpilot brings in drum and bass, ambient, and jungle within the course of mere seconds. There’s a laser-like focus to this track; everything that is included here as a place. Gradually moving into a more insistnet beat, Citadel is…
On I Feel, DMF Musa is able to blend together rap and R&B in a fashion that will tattoo the song deeply into the minds and hearts of listeners. The production of the track gives the lyrical flow ample opporutnity to shine, all while the booming bass and pewrcussion fills in the gaps whenever DMF Musa steps back. The effort shines, simultaneously ensuring that DMF Musa can provide his own…
Have you ever found yourself stuck in a thought pool where your only task was to develop a meaningful and intelligent business name? You are familiar with this phase if you have already established your business. However, the ones who are mulling coming up with a business of their own might need to be made aware of it. The truth is there is no easy way to name your business.…
Avinu Malkeinu, the latest recording from Jacob Agar, possesses such gravitas that listeners will not forget the performance. There is a serious demeanor that punctuates the wide range of vocal performances from Agar. Listeners will be on the edges of their seats until the final notes of Avinu Malkeinu. Of particular note during this effort has to be the high register Jacob hits during the effort’s final minute. After achieving…
The Refusers’ “Eat The Bugs” has a chunky guitar line and assertive drums. The front-forward vocals present on The Refusers’ latest whip together Lemmy with peak-1980s Alice Cooper to hammer home the lyrical content. With a strong step forward on this song, The Refusers have created a single that will be bouncing around listeners’ brains long after the song ceases to play. The guitar solo that splits the two halves…
Christian Parker’s “Dream Catcher” begins with beautiful guitar work to set the stage, allowing Parker’s dreamy vocals the opportunity to shine. The song’s two elements compliment each other, taking listeners on a journey that feels much deeper and fulfilling that one would imagine could be possible in three minutes. The ability for listeners to enjoy the composition in multiple fashions – focusing primarily on Parker’s vocals, the arrangements, or as…
Alpha Cat’s All In Your Head has a truly timeless feel to it. This song is able to build upon the framework of R.E.M. as well as Jellyfish. There’s a tremendous amount of charisma that drips off each of the lyrics, while the dynamic created between the guitar and drums makes the vox pop. The song is varied as all get out, all while Alpha Cat are able to corral…
On Forest Fires, PoopE Balboa and Burn Beno are able to craft a haunting track that links together acts as diverse as Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown. There’s even a bit of Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony here. Whether established as an homage to horrorcore rap or a something wholly new in rap music, Forest Fires is one of those songs that will stick with fans long after it ceases to play. The effort…
Big Lotion’s new song Tik Tok builds off of the work of Gucci Mane and Wiz Khalifa while adding a hefty dollop of bass into the mix. Everything’s going 100 with this track, whether it be the alluring wordplay or the perfectly produced synth and drum backdrop. Big Lotion is able to dabble in the rich repository of rap music while boldly forging through with his own inimitable approach. We’re…
The constellation of hops utilized here by Deep Ellum (Simcoe, Idaho 7 and Amarillo) establishes a unique flavor for this hazy IPA. Bountiful amounts of orange and apricot hit imbibers after the first taste hits their lips. Lemony esters build up and highlight the hoppiness of Lateral Haze. As the beer continues to warm to a temperature closer to that of a cooler fall night here in Arkansas, some of…