Most critics will agree with me when I say that country music is reshaping its identity right now, and it’s partly due to the influx of alternative, folk-influenced and Canadian talent entering an arena that has traditionally been dominated by artists who are anything but. Among the more interesting newcomers that I’ve had the pleasure of coming across this month is none other than the Canadian two-piece The Promised, whose…
“Why can’t we pretend? / It’s not me… it’s them / Why did we believe? / That this would be okay” croons Sharon Lia in “Why Can’t We Pretend?,” the new single from her eponymous band’s upcoming studio album Beyond Wonderland, every word glistening with as much of a reflective nuance as the music in the background does. Lia is all heart in this single and the album from which it…
Kris Oestergaard’s Transforming Legacy Organizations is a short book brimming over with information. It has an ambitious aim. Oestergaard studies how long-standing companies with deep histories are able to compete with modern start ups if they are willing to embrace innovation, encourage a culture valuing its principles, and commit themselves towards overcoming whatever perils may obstruct their vision for future development. His examination is well rounded. There are no extended sidebars or…
The financial information pertaining to risk factors alone are what help pack Risk: Living On The Edge full of vital history in the age of mass data and tells some great stories involving the rise of it all in chapter 3, and that’s one of its more fascinating parts early on for me. The information in the stories are key to getting interested in the following chapters in the book…
Paul Jacks is back this summer with a fascinating sequel to his watershed solo debut Defractor in In Other Words, a record which is literally filled to the brim with elegant melodies that have been shaped into catchy, yet always surreal, soundscapes of the most erudite variety. Right from the start of the tracklist in “In the Late Dark,” Jacks is playing like his life depends on it, and giving up one of…
Want to sell your home quickly? Then you need to prepare for massive challenges. This is not an easy process as you may think. You need to have some experience or seek advice from previous home sellers. However, if you have never done such a transaction before then you need to be well prepared with some tips. Hence, in this article, I will give you the best property sale advice…
Ocean Blue is an effort that draws heavily on the rock of the 1960s and 1970s. The charisma of the vocals, confident guitars, and a taut instrumentation unite to make for an effort that will tattoo its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Makin’ Good Time is an effort that goes a bit further back to the halcyon era of The Beach Boys and The Animals for…
Everything, the latest single from J-Carter, is able to refresh the sound of late-1990s and early-2000s acts like Common, Nas, and Talib Kweli. Booming beats and sultry secondary vocals are able to mesh well with the pointed and intense wordplay of J-Carter. There are a number of distinct arrangements presented here that will take fans multiple plays to fully appreciate. The 1:45 mark demarcates an increase to Everything’s momentum, a…
Bad Energy is an energetic track that blends together a haunting backing beat with a rap flow that builds off of the tradition of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. The nuanced wordplay here will have listeners repeating LINKS’s latest single to hear everything that had been contained in. The chorus is able to strike out in a bold new fashion while riffing on the main backing beat. Bad Energy allows…
The one-two punch that begins the Broke Royals’s new album Saint Luxury is warm, emotional, and musically impressive. The brief introduction that washes over listeners with Ave continues into the full, confident alt-rock that issues forth with Saint Luxury . The same deep sound is fostered during the extended vocal introduction to Bad Chemicals. The Broke Royals move into bold new territory with Love & Tatters. Blending together the 1980s…
The Oddneighbourhood’s Cherry Wine is a laid-back, fuzzy track cast in the mold of 1990s alternative music. Dreamy vocals do more than merely contribute the lyrics, adding mightily to the swirling guitars. Instrumental interludes are used to great effect during Cherry Wine, allowing the vocals to punch back in with oomph. With subtle nods to 1980s acts like The Psychedelic Furs and David Byrne, The Odd Neighbourhood are able to…
Slark Moan, the pseudonym for Nashville singer/guitarist Mark Sloan, has spent plenty of time of late gigging with some of that town’s greats, serving as touring guitarist for folks like Margo Price and Erin Rae. But even with that impressive resume, it’s still remarkable just how great his latest effort, Superstition For The Consumer Romantic, manages to be. Across 10 tracks, delivered with airy, soaring vocals – steeped in…
Although Mike Jacoby offers hints of Americana and even rockabilly throughout his third solo offering, the record is still firmly planted in the world of rootsy rock and roll. Jacoby cites folk troubadour Todd Snider as an inspiration for Long Beach Calling, but it’s just as easy to pick out influences from folks like John Fogerty and The BoDeans here. The opening song, the rollicking title track with its Johnny…
Canada has been producing some really exciting talent this year, and among the brightest stars that I’ve had the pleasure of taking a look at lately is none other than Rebecca Binnendyk, the sultry singer/songwriter whose 2016 album, Some Fun Out Of Life, won the hearts of critics and fans across the country and beyond when it first debuted. 2019 sees Binnendyk returning to the spotlight once more with the release…
Caracol’s “Flooded Field” from the album Symbolism is the work of an engaged and top notch recording artist intent on providing listeners with a worthwhile listening experience and abundant entertainment alike. Caracol has enjoyed a career a little over a decade long and, rather than repeating herself with each successive release, This new single continues tilling much of the same fertile ground that has paid enormous dividends for her on previous releases,…
During Endless Seconds, FerrariLover is able to make an expansive effort of little more than atmospheric noises and a light, ethereal guitar. The resulting effort is heady and will continue to yield more as listeners strap on their headphones and focus on in. This effort is able to further a narrative without the slightest in lyrical content. The dynamics that are established during Endless Seconds will resound with listeners long…
With a mild rattle at the center of its rhythmic swing, “Give in 2 Me” is easily one of the more seductive songs for us to behold on Ronnue’s Introduction 2 Retro-Funk, but it’s not the only sexy set of bass-driven beats in this tactful funk twelve-pack. The vintage “You Tried Me (The Man’s Anthem)” and “Do It (The Remix),” the latter of which features Roc Phizzle and Soultry stepping up…
Sidewalk showcases a taut sort of alternative rock cast in the vein of acts like Weezer and Golden Smog. Sizzling guitar solos are interspersed with charismatic vocals and all-in choruses. The resulting song will have listeners’ toes tapping while Scoville Unit makes something special. Beach Song refreshes the math-rock sound of the Descendents and Pup as Scoville Unit brings in a bit of the sadness and weariness of life. Truly…
6 (Ignited) has a touch of 1980s Latin dance flair with layered vocals that will require a few spins to hear the entire scope of what’s happening. This bouncy, dense effort will continue to yield new twists and turns even after one keeps it on replay for weeks, if not months. 2 Worlds (Remember) is a traditional R&B track crafted in the vein of a Whitney Houston or Toni Braxtojn.…
Take You On A Trip is the ultimate slow-burn single. Starting with a beautiful blend of vocals and a snap / percussive-heavy backing beat, the cut is able to gradually gain momentum and sweep fans on a truly beautiful voyage. The paired vox of Luke and Graves pushes each to an entirely higher plateau; the chiaroscuro of pop and R&B makes for a sultry, sensual effort that reverberates with one…