Reina Mora’s first single from her debut album Bird’s Eye View is the invigorating “Trouble”. She wisely doesn’t aim for remaking the musical wheel with her first single release, but Mora does prove herself quite skillful at pouring old wine into new bottles with her mix of light atmospherics, an evocative performance both vocally and from the supporting musicians, and a definite rock attitude coming through the song.
Today, we are speaking with Miami-based artist Tony Valor. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? Well I’ve been into music since I was a little kid. I would always observe my father when he was working on his projects as early as 3 Years old. I Tried to observe the most I could before getting into the practice of music.…
Today, we are speaking with Lyrikha (Erica Leonard). Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? I was told I sang before I talked. My mother was a great inspiration for me. She sang at home and church played the piano. Her voice was so power I remember how it radiate our home. I connected with music at a young…
Today, we are speaking with Nipun from NOOP. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? Well I guess my tryst with music started at the age of 6, when i found myself plonking keys on a family friend’s piano. Apparently I was making music, much the the awe of my parents. They saw the spark in me, and put me into…
Throughout his musical career, Luther Russell has been many things, but predictable is not one of them. Since going solo in the late 1990s (after leaving the Freewheelers), he has flirted with funk and soul music, power pop, punk rock and even hints of blues. The proof of this eclectic resume is all over the stunning two-disc anthology “Selective Memories.” The set also includes Russell’s work with the Freewheelers and…
Sounding as if they collectively woke up from a decades-long coma, Seattle’s Dirty Sidewalks play as if they stopped listening to music even before The Jesus & Mary Chain’s first break up in 1999.
Today, we are speaking with Collins and Streiss. Can you give us a little background information about yourself? How did you get into music? From early childhood, we both loved music and wanted to play and sing. For both of us, at the age of eight, Anton started on piano and Mark got his first guitar. Anton was encouraged to take lessons because of his natural musical ability. Mark heard…
Today, we are speaking with Robert from DownTown Mystic. Can you give us a little background information about the band? DownTown Mystic started about 20 years ago as a side project for myself. I was managing a few artists at the time and working with them in the studio. I had started as a writer/musician/artist and put it all aside when I started my company Sha-La Music, Inc. in 1987.…
Morena me Llaman is a powerful track that draws upon a rich musical tradition. Edery’s vocals are punctuated here Maria Krupoves, adding a number of distinct twists and turns that listeners will continue to discover after numerous plays. The interaction is provided additional depth through the robust instrumentation on Morena me Llaman. There are more jangly and orderly elements to this composition that multiply the complexity to a degree that…
Boy George was way ahead of his time. A band fronted by a male who performed in full make up and androgynous clothes was groundbreaking in the early 1980s, when gay were almost unheard of at the time. The fact that Cultural Club had remarkably catchy songs certainly helped prove that the band and Boy George were more than just a gimmick. In fact, their music is right up there…
VAYA’s titular single is a slinky piece of hard rock that will tattoo its melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The act is able to call back to the halycon days of the 1980s and 1990s while keeping things current and contemporary. The vocals both tell a story and add to the overall harmonies of the effort. ELEPHANTUS, the other new track from VAYA, slows things down…
Stoutella is Knee Deep Brewing Company’s (Auburn, CA) chocolate hazelnut milk stout. The beer pours with a dark brown coloration and a fairly small head that dissipates fairly quickly. The presence of the hazelnuts in Stoutella calms down the tendency of milk stouts to be on the sweeter side of things through the presence of a fair amount of bitterness. There is a diverse set of flavors that are presented throughout…
The Reason is the first effort on Ryan Zimmerman’s new EP, Ephemeral as a Kiss. The track showcases a nice blend of styles, with hints of acts as broad as Soundgarden and John Mayer. The specific array of styles that listeners can pick up after their first listen to Zimmerman’s Ephemeral as a Kiss EP is pretty substantial. Beyond his own unique approach to things, it is the fact that…
Feels Like a Holiday is the first track on Caroline Ferrante’s new EP, SKY. The track is confident, fun, and showcases a blend of straight-forward pop, island rock, and even the styling of performers like The Carpenters and Sheryl Crow. The production on Feels Like A Holiday is amazing, allowing each element ample opportunity to shine on its own or to contribute to this very cohesive and coherent opening. The…
All This Time We Wait is the new single from Boston’s Pale Monsters; the track comes from the act’s new release, Are You Feeling Alive?. The band come forth with an indie/alternative sound with a hint of 1960s rock. The vocals on All This Time We Wait build off of the work of performers like Rivers Cuomo and John Rzeznik. The distorted guitar on this introductory track calls back to…
JES’s “Get Me Through The Night” is a tremendously emotive EDM track that has both the instrumental arrangement and JES’s vocals pushing each other to a high level. The assertive beat that dominates the track is a great counterpoint to the much more human and emotionally affecting vocals laid down. What happens during Get Me Through The Night is that fans will be thinking about what JES is singing as their…
Tiny Fighter’s “New Century” is a complex track that deftly takes up a number of different genres in its sound. Hints of nineties alternative, the singer-songwriter tradition, and even hints of pop can all be discerned here. The thoughtful guitars, chunky bass lines, and on-point drums unite to make for a solid backdrop upon which Therese’s vocals can stretch their arms. A laid-back tempo allows alt-country and 1980s-era Cure influences to…
WOLVES’ “Animal” will immediately draw listeners in with an emphatic beat and a charismatic, sultry set of vocals. A bit of call and response to a choir of voices transforms this from a fun track to something that could easily be rocketing up the chart. With each piston hitting perfectly, it’s no surprise that Animal’s melodies will be bouncing around listeners’ minds long after the song ceases to play. WOLVES…
The Winter Sounds’ “Earth After a Thunderstorm” is a wonderful effort. The passion of the vocals, the effortless call backs to mid-1980s synth pop like Depeche Mode, Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys, and the twinkling instrumentation distinguishes this single from the rest of the music being played on the radio.
The Chicago Vin Coalition’s Silence is Golden is an effort that effortlessly ties together the rock of the 1960s and 1970s, all while putting out vocals that are reminiscent of early Dylan or Tom Waits. The backing instrumentation provides the perfect backdrop for these vocals but do deserve their own time in the spotlight. The percussion, fuzzy vocals, and vocals unite to make for a track that simultaneously is radio-friendly…