I’m no EDM luddite, nor an adherent, but I believe I’ve heard enough music to know quality when I hear it. Nik:11’s new single “Pillow Talk” shines. The reasons are numerous. The Detroit native begins, however, with the song’s foundation. She plucked Sylvia Robinson’s 1973 R&B classic “Pillow Talk” from the past and refurbished it with producer Chicco Bennett. The results produce unfettered musical magic. She further displays her creativity…
Harvard Law Professor, and veteran comic book artist Will Rosado are a formidable team. Together, they’re much like Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins, and their pivotal work on Watchmen. Their latest work,1/6: The Graphic Novel, is probably the literal equivalent for Jenkins, Golan, and Rosado – something pretty darn seminal to the times we’re in, and may be in if we’re not careful. This week marks a significant milestone for the trio,…
I’m betting that nearly everyone who hears and enjoys James Robert Webb’s new song “I Just Wanna Be Your Santa Claus” will agree its big payoff moment arrives with the track’s chorus. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native has proven his mettle for crafting memorable refrains and I’m certain that, when we’re looking back on Webb’s musical output, his propensity for such hook-laden moments will shine especially bright when replaying this track.…
“Alone on Christmas Day” is the new single from New York City’s The High Plains Drifters and it’s a winner. This charming, unassuming tune brims with compelling melodic strengths and a sleek arrangement that never bites off more than it can chew. It comes across as the result of a band who began recording the song knowing exactly what aims they looked to achieve and sounds like they tossed off…
Pastoral guitar strings are ready and willing to wash a bit of optimism over anything within earshot as we listen to the opening bars of “Good Kind of Tired,” the first song in Josephson’s new EP Live & Let Live. Slowly but surely, an electric melody creeps out from behind the strumming and imparts a thunderous emotional power chord that will reappear later on in the song in a much more…
Adrian Sutherland, the indie rocker hailing from Canada’s Far North, emerges as a formidable force in the musical landscape, and his latest singles, “Precious” and “Diamonds,” provide a captivating glimpse into his upcoming album, “Precious Diamonds.” What sets Sutherland apart is not only his musical prowess but also his distinct identity as an Indigenous artist, a facet that draws intriguing parallels with other established Native American musical luminaries. Sutherland’s journey…
Cody Coyote is blazing his own trail through the modern music landscape and there’s no signs of slowing down. His new single “There Tonight” proves that Coyote continues gaining momentum with each new release. “There Tonight” comes off as aggressive, yet controlled, intelligent and serious, yet wildly entertaining. It likewise illustrates how Coyote is likely capable of tackling any sort of material. “There Tonight” makes his mastery of contemporary pop…
Philadelphia’s Peter Gural is the primary author of one of the year’s best releases with his collection Birdy’s World. The Berklee School of Music graduate has chops galore, that’s obvious, but his technical skills never undercut the immediate authenticity of his songwriting art. The unabashed autobiographical nature of Gural’s writing never limits its ability to connect with a wide swath of the Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter’s target audience. The bright bounce of the…
Alternative rock – despite the irony of the name in present times – is hardy dead, and if you’re looking for hard evidence of this, I seriously recommend giving Blueburst a listen sometime. In their rookie album Significance, this band comprised of Craig Douglas Miller and Marty Willson-Piper of All About Eve/Noctorum/The Church fame, doesn’t just try their hand at the modern alternative rock model; they try to redefine the…
How does the city of Vienna speak to you in your creative musical pursuits? Cobblestone streets echo whispers from the big history of a former empire. The timeless morbid flair of Vienna forms the typical Viennese with his grumpy mood, pessimism and cynicism. But there is also another side of Vienna. Eat Schnitzel and cake and dance waltz – likely at a funeral party. Who knows, maybe tomorrow we are…
When Leo Sawikin hits that gorgeous high note during the eric chorus for “Don’t Pass It By”, it seals the song’s status as an indisputable winner. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leosawikin/ The song already won my favor. Sawikin’s sure songwriting hand orchestrates a skillful buildup to the song’s payoff moment, its chorus, and he takes his time maximizing the impact of that moment. There’s nothing about this single that’s rushed. Sawikin sounds to…
The making of “Who Can It Be Now (Reimagined)” was an interesting process for sure! The song and video went through a few iterations before the version that you guys are able to hear today. Initially the song had completely different music production and a different music video, which had a more formal vibe. After feeling it wasn’t rock n roll enough and didn’t quite reach its potential, my team…
Rolling out of the speakers with an angelic ease that is indebted as much to college radio indie rock as it is the bucolic balladry of an old school hipster folk movement in the American underground, the central harmony in Dorsten’s “To the River” is reason enough to pick up this new track from the acclaimed crossover duo this fall. Blending Americana with strong pop/rock aesthetics and a talent for…
What was behind the scenes like for “Hell 2 Pay”? Exciting! Fun for all. Watching actors act and being able to take control of the story line was really the coolest. How do your personal experiences shape your songs? By a few bad break-ps. Seems like writing about them tends to make me feel better. What are your favorite topics to write about? Breakups and also issue songs in regards…
Who are your musical influences? Andrew X: For my new record, I was really influenced by the late ‘80s work of Steve Winwood, Bruce Hornsby, Tracy Chapman, Don Henley, Peter Gabriel, and a lot of late ‘80s and early ‘90s pop and adult contemporary music. What or who inspires you? AX: When it comes to my songwriting, my biggest inspirations are usually situations around personal relationships, romantic relationships, and stories of people…
Though presented against a backdrop as vibrant as the summer sun can be, the vocal harmony in “Be Where,” one of the new songs on Wastelander’s What is Left of Me LP, is as much of a sonic centerpiece as listeners could have hoped for in this latest release from the acclaimed indie singer/songwriter Cooper Formant, and truth be told, it tends to be the cornerstone component of every powerful moment this…
Marc Miner does what he does out of love. He’s not destined to be country music’s next Chris Stapleton and doesn’t want to be. He’s following his own songwriting and musical path. There is an avenue open for him into the mainstream spotlight thanks to his wont for big-time choruses, perhaps but Miner will never back off telling his stories in a way he sees fit rather than tailoring his…
Vili V has been on the edges of my musical radar for several years as one of the most artful practitioners of roots rock working today. The Canadian performer is prepping for the release of his latest studio album In Daddy’s Arms Again and the single “Tupelo Rhythm” from that collection is ample evidence that he’s still keeping the same prodigious creativity that he has since the late 1990s. “Tupelo Rhythm” is…
Long Beach, CA based Rockers OF LIMBO have released their controversial and provocative new single “California Demon”. The heavy and sinister groove-laden track explores the concept of making a Mephistophelian bargain for diabolical favors to achieve your Hollywood dreams. The song was recorded at Fab Factory Studios and produced by Mike Pepe (Taking Back Sunday, Plain White T’s), withmixing and mastering done by Grammy Winner Jett Galindo. The song features wicked & sinewy dark guitar…
Nate Smith’s style is as reverent as it gets, spanning a creative spectrum inside of a single track if necessary to get a specific point across to his audience, and under the Saint Pacific moniker, we’ve got to hear some of his very best work to date. Saint Pacific’s new album, Blue, doesn’t sport an ironic title by any means, but instead, one that tells us exactly what we’re getting into…