With a graceful hum that starts to resemble a yearning moan as the next few seconds go by, “Up to Us” charismatically welcomes us into the dark hue of Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man with a rather optimistic melody soon to swell from the silence. In songs like this one and the old world “Hymn for a Wanderer,” Mauri Dark – a.k.a. Mauri Kosonen – will wrap us in layers of neo-gothic…
While it would be foolish to think they’re the only element of sincere expression in the new single “Can’t Press Reset” by Francine Honey, the string arrangement in the song is perhaps reason enough to give it a close listen this season (alongside its companion video). URL: https://www.facebook.com/FrancineHoneySongs/ Creating the right kind of backdrop for a singer of Honey’s skillset can prove to be a little challenging for producers, but…
Darren Michael Boyd’s sophomore effort, Wonders Of The Invisible World, is everything as a music fan you would hope it could be. Abrasive, angry, uncompromising, wide-ranging. Part of Boyd’s craft is his ability to fuse sound with seemingly autobiographical influences. His debut solo album, aptly titled Lifting The Curse, was inspired by a life-altering accident and subsequent strenuous road to recovery. The term blood sweat and tears would not be…
Concept albums are nothing new. If you’re a fan of Green Day, you’re familiar with American Idiot. The Beach Boys’ brought us Pet Sounds. The Beatles’ masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the most famous concept albums in history. Singer/songwriter David Arn has released the incredible concept album, Traveler Tales. In his songs, he takes on the perspective of 14 different travelers, revealing much about human…
Billy Jeter has a story to tell, and “Sins Of Me” is the first single from the album coming next Spring, which is aptly entitled – Shineye Landing, and comes with a full-length set of more to tell than one song can cover, but it goes a long way to indicate what is going to be inside that package when it arrives. This song gives you enough to entice, but…
Sounding a bit like Ella Fitzgerald herself, the beautiful songbird Miss Freddye lends her voice to a song rumored to have been sung by Harriet Tubman. “Wade In The Water” is truly American – it’s words passed down generation to generation. Miss Freddye’s version is slower paced, but rapidly heartfelt. “Wade In The Water” is from Miss Freddye’s forthcoming gospel album, expected in 2021. It’s a gift to be able…
“Just Like Xmas (Love Is War)” is a vulnerable holiday song. This emotive work, from Tom Tikka & The Missing Hubcaps is uncompromising. Frosty lyrics and an exceptional music bed, the icing on the cake is Tikka’s indie-rocker vocals. He’s a born front man and this pop rock tune could just be the indie radio sleeper hit of 2020. After a few listens, the nuances and unveiling of an artist…
Wowing us with their soft touch in the title track. Brushing up with themes sourced from Britpop, American folk-rock and even outsider music in “Elsie’s Last Stand.” Allowing for crushing brawn to amalgamate with a tender melodicism in “Desolate Angel.” Confounding us with contradictions in “Seven Seconds of Summer” while adhering to the strictest of sonic rules in “A Toy for Juliette” and “Pretty Blue Gun.” They are Fitzsimon and…
What are some of the images that first come to mind to mark the holidays? For some it’s Christmas time once you see Santa waving on that very last float at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. For others, it’s the 25 Days of Christmas on Hallmark Channel or one of the other cable networks. In my house, it’s not Christmas until the radio is playing “Step Into Christmas” from Elton John…
“The saints come marching home, the holy ghost is on his knees, crushed by sticks and stones,” a serious-sounding John Vento sings in this gripping chorus. The song, “America (The Saints Come Marching Home)” is just the defiant rock and roll sound the rock pioneers had in mind when they created a new genre. Vento takes it even further and adds in that spirited Pennsylvanian workmanship to his interpretation of…
