Kickback is the latest single (and EP) by NIK:11. The track immediately hits listeners with an intense drum beat that gradually opens up into a Miami-infused sort of groove. There are nods here to performers as wide-ranging as Gigi D’Agostino and Benny Benassi. When the vocals kick in, the song takes a whole different path with a bit mid-1990s Madonna that can be heard here as well as a passing…
Better Day, the latest release from DownTown Mystic, contains a number of tracks that further expand the range of approaches and styles that the band can draw from. The Wish comes forth with a one-two vocal/guitar dynamic and a hopeful set of vocals. While the song draws from the 1970s rock of acts like The Eagles and John Denver, there’s a bit of Dave Grohl’s supersonic vocal approach scattered through…
Cover Your Eyes has a very timeless sound to its opening, with a bit of 1970s easy listening baked into the guitars. Forier’s vocals are emotive, passionate, and establish a closeness with listeners that few voices can achieve. The dynamic between the guitars and vocals are solid enough during the single’s first minute, but the later inclusions (synths and bass) provide an allure that is hard to deny. Cover Your…
Lifeline is a pop track that could easily be released in the late-1990s / early-2000s. The hopeful vocals, light guitar work, and booming sequenced beat are tremendously reverent of this tried and true style. Thompson’s vocals are hopeful and true; where they come forth here as soft, they provide a smoothing of the boldness of the backing beat. Together, these vocals and instrumentation combine to make for an effort that…
John Paciga and Lexi Peppas are able to create a timeless track that could easily work in the 1970s as it does today. There’s a robust production that allows for the rising and falling of John’s pianos; the paired vocals feel honest and earnestly sung. No One Else is the perfect sort of track for a couple that truly, madly, and deeply loves one another. By imbuing this composition with…
Gravity is an emphatic track that has Secret Social Club establishing themselves as a radio-friendly act, blending together a bit of modern rock (think Imagine Dragons meets AWOLNATION) with charismatic vocals. The dynamic arrangements during Gravity considerably boost the replay value of the track; the band is able to switch up their tempo and influences on a dime. Intense drum rolls are the stand-out element of the track, but the…
ZZEERRO is a fascinating blend of punk styles from BLXPLTN. There’s all of the immediacy of the early-1980s hardcore scene, a bit of the Rites of Spring-styled emo, and even hints of Refused’s 2000-ish revisiting of punk music. The haunting vocals feel as if they were pulled from a mid-1980s new wave track, while the absolutely furious instrumentation creates a wall of sound that Phil Spector would adore. Even with…
Chloe Tang has released a new single, Fanning The Flame. The track straddles the line between pop and R&B. The vocal ability of Tang is considerable, both providing a cogent lyrical statement while providing additional context to the percussion and synth lines. What results with Tang’s latest is something that shines because it works in a contemporary radio context while staying honest to the musical approaches of the 2000s and…
Legacy is a powerful track that needs little more to succeed than Kellie-Anne’s impressive vocal range and piano. The song is able to slot easily enough into pop rotation, but there’s a more wide-reaching appeal present here. It’s no surprise that Kellie-Anne’s vocals are able to pull double duty – more than just going and telling a story, her voice is able to bolster and add considerable depth to the…
On Lust, Trav Torch is able to refresh the sound of R. Kelly and T. Pain, adding considerable emotional quality to a sultry, sexy R&B effort. The instrumental side of Lust sets up an emphatic backdrop upon which the confident and inimitable style of TT can shine. The multiple vocal layers that are included in the song’s chorus keep things fresh and energetic; an increase in the effort’s momentum will…
F$O Dinero has a laid back style on Talk To Me that showcases considerable finesse. While the backing beat rises and falls in all of the right spaces, F$O Dinero’s vox are what really make the effort. Skillful usage of multiple vocal layers give the song a deeper, more fulfilling approach. With a fun dynamic between the aforementioned vox and keys leading out Talk To Me, there’s no doubt in…
On The Mountain, Bruce Sudano is able to build upon the tradition of performers like Warren Zevon and Tom Petty. A powerful narrative is presented here as contained here, bolstered through smart piano lines, Jackson Browne-infused guitars, and an ear for the single’s overall arrangement that is unparalleled. The Mountain spins off in a bold new direction at the 2 minute mark. Everything – Bruce’s vocals, the bass, and guitars…
All That I Am links together 1970s funk with mid-1990s Tori Amos to make something raucous and alluring. A bit of guitar fuzz calls out the pop-rock of the 1970s. The multiple layers that exist during Sunny Ozell’s latest single make for a much more complete sort of track; fans will delight in dissecting each taut bass liune, horns, and haunting choral element that the track has to offer. The…
Love Is The Weapon has a fun blend of styles from more middle eastern / Indian to reggae and even bits of rap. Elephant Heart’s new composition is confident and assertive in its sound, inserting itself quite nicely into listeners’ brains with an inimitable backing beat. An extended instrumental section provides a distinct middle to the single; when the vocals start back in, there’s a considerable boost to the momentum.…
What changes have occurred in your life since we last sat down? Not that much, mostly a lot of learning and experimenting with new gear and music ideas! You’ve had a busy 2019; what sort of events do you have planned for 2020? With the exception of some gigs, I would love to get 2-3 singles out with their own videos and maybe do one as well for Surrounding Me…
Malou Beauvoir’s Papa Damballah draws upon considerable tradition in its overall sound and subject material. Key to the song’s success has to be the crystal-clear vox contributed by Beauvoir. The focused drums and guitars imbue the composition with a classic sound that fans of modern jazz and flamenco will appreciate. Stunning visuals add a further layer of complexity to the composition. Fans ought to strap on a pair of headphones…
Grown Bones is a furious, eclectic track that showcases a performer in Lila Blue that has no parallel. With rapid shifts through vocal stylings, emotional states, and a set of continually shifting musical influences, Blue’s latest defies convention. There are some seriously head instrumental arrangements that build off the gnarly riffs of early Tool, while the vocals traipse from Bjork to Ani DiFranco and Janis Joplin. No two seconds of…
It has been a moment since we last checked in on Justina Valentine, but we were floored when Strawberry Soda crossed our desk. The thick, bass synths immediately draw in fans, while Valentine’s vocals refresh the time-tried approach of performers like Trina and Lil Kim. The unity of Justina’s bars and the hypnotic backing beat separates this cut from the rest of songs charting on the Billboard rap parts. The…
On The Moon, Natalie Major is able to weave an honest and earnest narrative with some of the most impressive vocals we’ve heard so far in 2020. Standing at the intersection of pop and the timeless singer-songwriter tradition, Major will have listeners firmly on the edges of their seat by the time that the first minute concludes. The dynamic established between the piano and the aforementioned vox is fantastic, pushing…
Benjamin Went Fishing, the latest track from Frogbelly and Symphony, has some of the most interesting time signatures we’ve heard this years. There is a fascinating pacing of the vocals that provides a more contemplative, introspective flair on the laid-back 1970s California folk rock sound. Multiple vocals included into the mix at points during Benjamin Went Fishing add further complexity to an already heady effort. The dynamic established between the…