For his 10th studio album, Seth Walker dug deep inside for inspiration and managed to turn in one of his most personally vulnerable efforts to date. Covering both love and loss, lyrically he covers some of the most honest territory yet in his two-decade long career. The album kicks off with two soulful tracks, “Giving It All Away and the more funked up “Inside,” both solid tracks, but not nearly…
Need It Tonight is a robust track that shows the raw passion and charisma of Ron Louis Smith. On his latest single, Smith is able to pull double duty in adding further complexity to the instrumentation while setting up the story of close comfort that is told here. We’re in love with the layered approach that is taken on Smith’s current cut, which ensures that listeners will be able to…
Although it took Jonny Polonsky more than two decades to put out five records, the LA, by way of Chicago, cult pop artist apparently harbored a bunch of songs none of us were ever privy to. As a follow up to last year’s Fresh Flesh, Polonsky is offering up 21 rarities for his patient fans and it appears the wait was worth it. This set spans the full 22 years…
Pezzettino – Resin, is an artistic album by an equally artistic trio of musicians led by Margret Stutt (who goes by Pezzettino). Resin in the 11th album by this interesting group now based out of Oakland, CA, but came from as far as NY and Wisconsin to ultimately bring it to the west coast. Stutt plays classical piano, sings and plays accordion, with Carly Bond (guitars, synth, clarinet, vocals), and…
On Clayt’s new single Things I Gotta Say, a bassy, intricate instrumentation creates a proper backdrop for the flow. Clayt is able to whip in hints of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar while whipping in bits of B.O.B.; Things I Gotta Say is able to reach the next higher plateau through a confident flow and charismatic lines that resound loudly with listeners long after the single ceases to play. We’ll…
Given that Deer Tick turned in two full albums in late 2017, it’s a little surprising just a month in the new year that they already have another LP ready to send out into the world (even if this recent, sudden gift of music was preceded by a four-year absence). But be thankful for small miracles. Mayonnaise, the band’s eight full length is another amazing collection of rock-tinged Americana, made…
Florida native Michael McArthur credits isolation, among other things, for the tone of many of the songs off of Ever Green, Ever Rain, his debut LP. That loneliness can heard throughout each and every track here as McArthur turns in a vulnerable, haunting collection of modern folk that brings to mind everyone from Bon Iver to Iron & Wine. There is an openness to many of these songs, like the…
Colossal Boss are able to create a modern taske on traditional hair metal. This means that on Thinkin’ And Drinkin’, the act is able to blend together equal parts Black Crowes, Jackyl, and the Scorporions in a way that will stick with listeners long after the track ceases to play. The track is taken into a higher gear with the sizzling guitar work that begins at around the two-minute work.…
On Growing Pains, Ashalei Nickole is able to deftly link together rap, pop, and rhythm and blues styles. Ashalei’s alluring vocals and considerable charisma are what will draw fans in, while the backing beat is able to rise and fall at all the right points. Listeners will be able to find something that they can identify with on Nickole’s latest. Growing Pains is able to refresh trap and 1990s R&B…
Ryn Scott is able to create an engrossing flow and a laid-back sound for his latest single, Let It Go. Scott’s approach builds off of the framework of Wiz Khalifa and Chance The Rapper. A bit of rapid-fire bars interspersed through Let It Go is a nod to Twista and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. With a backing sound that has lush synths and a bit of 1990s R&B, Let It Go will…
Man, it must get lonely behind that drum kit. The list of musicians who put down their sticks to take center stage seems to grow every year: Dave Grohl, Phil Collins, Grant Hart, Don Henley and on and on and on… Hunt Sales, go-to sideman for Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Todd Rundgren, is just carrying on a tradition with his debut, “Get Your Shit Together.” The album is a…
Wlady & T.N.Y. compile vicious beats and supple grooves in a titanic new dance track titled “Beatrice,” allowing singer Iossa to convey love’s endearing spirit through a collection of lyrics that bond with the musical backdrop elegantly. “Beatrice” isn’t the first time that Wlady & T.N.Y. have made beautiful music together, but it could be considered their most prolific single to date in terms of sonic virtuosity. In this song,…
A metallic revival of a 1980’s classic rock staple that is as vocally brooding as it is rife with brutal riffing, Black 9’s rendition of the Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty song “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (originally released on the required 1981 LP Bella Donna) is a juggernaut of a cover and a fine new single from the acclaimed trio. Black 9 play a style of melodic heavy metal that owes as…
Records that have a concept behind them, whether musical or poetic in nature, tend to be sprawling, drawn out affairs that have a hard time remaining contained in the space afforded to them, no matter the size. While this can be said of Protovulcan’s Life is Twigs/Psychic Pinball, it shouldn’t be said without asterisking that for as over the top-jarring as this extended play is, the band couldn’t have rendered much…
While not quite in Ryan Adams/Willie Nelson territory when it comes to prolific visits to the recording studio, Graham Smith’s Kleenex Wonder Girl is certainly on a role. “White Lacuna,” was his second full length in 2018, and sixth in less than 10 years. And far from sounding like a collection of cast-offs and B-Sides, the tracks that make up this latest effort can stand strong against any of his…
R&B has been celebrating its third great renaissance of the last 70 years recently, and perhaps no one captures the essence of the genre’s new generation of performers and their worship of the old school better than Seattle’s Ronnue does. Popping his new single “Something About U (The Retro-Funk Mix)” and its accompanying remix into your CD player will result in taking a step back in time to the golden…
A pendulous bell is warning us that the clock has struck midnight. As if awakening from a horrid nightmare, we hear a gasp cut through the abrasive wails of the bell. A bittersweet vocal clings to a tempered guitar part that slowly skulks about in the distance. A softly spoken prayer joins it, followed by an electrified guitar that seems to emerge out of the ethers like some sort of…
Jordan Astra released his All Blessings single late in 2018, and we were immediately floored by the catchiness of the hook. With hints of Eminem and Kendrick Lamar weaved into Astra’s unique vocal flow, All Blessing is pushed into high gear with luscious synth lines and snaps / tribal drums entered into the mix. A heavier, more wobble-focused approach ensures that listeners are as amped up as they were when…
On See You Later, Stewe is able to skillfully tie together rap and R&B styles in a fashion that will get listeners out on the dance floor as well as nodding their heads. A bit of passion and sex appeal is weaved into each and every line on Stewe’s latest. The backing beat is full of booming drums, acting as a perfect counterpoint for the more nuanced and intricate vocal…
Last month Ska Brewing and Proximity Malt collaborated on a Dark Rye Saison, Green Silo Saison, to recognize their partnership. Named for Ska Brewing’s new green silo filled with Proximity Malt, this beer was available in limited 12-ounce canned 6-packs beginning on January 11. Ska Brewing supports Proximity Malt’s commitment to shorten supply chains by providing local, sustainable, and consistently malted barley, so much so that they added a large…