Long flights can be extremely boring if you don’t have someone to talk to or can’t sleep on a moving plane. But traveling is supposed to be fun, and in the age of smartphones and laptops, it shouldn’t be that hard finding something you can do. This article has got you covered if you need an instant solution. Read on for a few ideas to keep yourself entertained during a…
ADVI is able to create a laid-back R&B track that is tremendously reverent of the New Jack Swing approach, all while infusing the track with a luxurious backing beat. A clap track interlaces itself with twinkling keys and sweeping synths. Blue Gene is completed through the presence of a booming, bass beat. ADIV will keep fans out on the dance floor through soulful crooning and further harmonies added on top…
Founders has normalized a few of the variants of KBS this year around with specialty 4-packs of their Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Of course, the company is making their mainline version (12% ABV) available as well. We were fortunate and received samples of each of 2020’s version of KBS. KBS – 2020’s KBS is well-balanced, ensuring that there is a bit of a burn in the initial sip. Hints of toasted…
Anthony Lazaro’s A Minute to Midnight is an interesting effort as it has a bright, airy sound. Hiding underneath that hopeful sound, Lazaro’s incorporated some thoughtful instrumentation. Through on a glossy veneer and you have an effort that could easily compare to the corpus of Rufus Wainwright or Michael Buble. The dynamic between Anthony’s vocals and the punctual percussion push each to an entirely higher plateau, all while the light…
Ariel Bellvalaire’s Elastic is a powerful, assertive piece of pop rock that immediately showcases supersonic vocals and a very deliberate, almost “Hitchin’ A Ride”-era approach to the track’s beat. Every piece of Elastic – drums, guitars, and vox – are ratcheted up to 11. It’s that sort of bold sound (made all the more intense by a seconded set of vocals at points) that ensures that the song will tattoo…
Alix’s Golden is a delicate pop and R&B track that will get listeners jamming through Alix’s soft and sweet delivery. The laid-back instrumentation is a nod to the late 90s / early 2000s. Distinct, different, and unique her own, Golden is one of those efforts that showcases Alix’s talent. The song is an easy inclusion on a wide array of playlists. The range of approaches and styles that Alix includes…
Zachary Kibbee has so much emotion that is packed into each note on his latest track, Don’t Fade Away. Little more is needed in this performance than Kibbee and his guitar. Each note is absolutely vital here in creating something engrossing, adopting hints of blues, surf, and mid-1990s alternative. The richness of this recording really allows his honestness and earnestness to shine through. While the track ends before the four-minute…
Wiley Watson’s The Kid has a funky sound replete with guitar and booming beats. Beautiful vocals a la MGMT establish the single as something wholly distinct from the rest of the music currently cluttering playlist rotation. Watson is able to do more with his vox than merely tell a story – he’s able to bolster the backing arrangements through the infusion of another layer of harmony. The Kid is one…
Midnight Escape is an effort that showcases Barbara’s considerable vocal range. During this track, Santora does more than weave a narrative over the course of three minutes. Rather, she’s easily able to add to the overall melody established by the piano and drums. The overall spirit of Midnight Escape is one of a smoky jazz club; one could easily imagine the track being included in some middle-century detective or noir…
Sarah Christine’s new single The Choice is an eclectic blend of styles and approaches, a bouncy sort of effort that takes on 1990s dance, alternative rock, pop, and even even a bit of R&B before the song ends. The glue that unites these distinct approaches is Sarah’s charismatic voice. Where she is able to tell a story in a way to get toes tapping, there’s a great deal more nuance…
ADITI’s Glass is a hopeful sort of track. The pianos and drums that start off ADITI’s latest will draw listeners in, while the passion and charisma that goes into each and every lyric here ensures that one will stick around until the track’s final few moments. During Glass’s run time, there are nods to pop institutions like Billy Joel and Elton John. The song is infused with ADITI’s unique take…
Better Off starts off with alluring keys and a bit of brooding synths. When BankrollShell’s vocals begin, the song is able to take an entirely different vibe. The song could easily make its way onto rap or R&B rotation. The production ensures that both the lyrical and musical sides of things are able to shine on their own as well as contributing to a greater whole. BankrollShell is able to…
Sankarshan Das’s “The World Peace Formula” will immediately draw listeners in. The song links together guitar with a rich set of vocals; there’s a set of influences that are obvious here from John Mellencamp to Dave Matthews. When Das makes it to the chorus, there’s a nod back to the protest tradition of the 1960s. With the incorporation of multiple voices to the chorus, Sankarshan is able to showcase the…
Grey DeLisle’s take on O Holy Night is a very reverent take on the classic track. The considerable talent showcased here by DeLisle becomes evident in the single’s first :20. There’s the lightest trapping of instrumentation present in this version, a smart decision to allow Grey’s voice to reach considerable highs. The vocal approach adopted here brings in hints of Stevie Nicks and Dolly Parton. The cover works as Grey…
Lost Romance’s “Heart On A Wire” calls back to the mid-1980s Buffalo punk of early Goo Goo Dolls. Punchy vocals, fuzzy guitars, and a stripped-down production ensure that each lyric is buried deep into fans’ minds. The vocals link together California hardcore with a bit of hardcore/emo punk (e.g. Rise Against). The bridge between the song’s beginning and end have a bit of nice echoing, while the sizzling guitar work…
Tealand Smith’s Christmas Day In America is a smooth and softly=sang song that both showcases Tealand’s ability to sing and his ability to create something that will hopefully keep fans hopeful about the holidays to come this year. The backing instrumentation is assertive and rich without threatening to overwhelm Smith’s single. The drum beat and keys playing at the background provide a bit of highlighting to Tealand’s vocals, adding further…
Cathedral is a wonderful blending of traditional-style arrangements with emotive electronic sounds. The sweeping synths and deliberate drum beats create an immersive sound. The gradual moving away from this sound to a more solo, lonely type of keys allows Cathedral to give up the ghost gently. The Last Machine is a track that ties together jungle / electronic sounds with sweeping synths to ensure that listeners remain firmly on their…
Moonray’s When You’re Around blends together psychedelic rock with Kraftwerk meets Klaus Schulze-type of arly electronic to make something wholly unique. The video should be required viewing for anyone seeking to gain the full nuance to the track, as the visuals range from cartoon to noir and zombie flick all in the course of five minutes. This multimedia approach has largely been cast to the side in the Spotify/streaming era,…
Neff Nuffsed’s Stranger Things is a furious rap track, tying together rapid-fire rap bars with chattering percussion and absolutely evil sounding synths. Nuffsed is able to bludgeon listeners over their heads with his fury, while the contributions by Mic B and Mr L-BO during StrangeThings keeps things fresh until the last drop. This is an effort that is truly larger than life, working well not only in the hardcore rap…
Sugar, Honey, Ice Tea has Dani Stevenson call back to Destiny’s Child and Blu Cantrell. Charismatic vocals blend with infectious synths and drums to make for a track that will get listeners dancing. Smart repetition of the titular phrase will bury the song deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The raw passion and sexiness of Stevenson’s video will draw in eyes as well. Shya Lamour’s bars on Sugar,…