Kathleen Brooks is a bright example of an artist who follows her Muse wherever it leads her. She’s shown considerable talents as a recording artist, actress, director, playwright, and even an educator, but she’s also shown the unique confidence to make an equal go of these pursuits thanks to her willingness to take chances and the needed confidence to make them pay off. Her qualities in this area are in…
Massachusetts native Albert Cummings returns to his hometown Williamstown as a conquering king with the blistering live set Live at the ’62 Center. His twelve song concert album blasts through an assortment of takes on blues rockers, slow blues, funkafied blues, all supported with colorful organ and occasional electric piano fills. Cummings’ guitar work is very forceful, but there are many melodic touches making their presence felt during this concert…
Julian Morgan’s Company is laid-back R&B track that will introduce listeners to Morgan’s sexy, sultry voice. Morgan is able to do more than tell a story with his voice, adding a good amount of harmony to the backing instrumentation. This means that the chill beat is given additional depth with each rising and falling motion of Julian’s voice. The track is produced masterfully, make this a shoo-in for radio rotation.…
Chad Rubin’s “Alone AF” is an effort that is tremendously catchy. Strong vocals are able to work alongside a robust production that builds off of performers like Nico & Vinz and Ed Sheeran. Rubin’s lyrical content will be understood by anyone who is between significant others, while any sort of stress or sadness that one has will be countered by the tremendous vocal chops of Rubin. The hooky style of…
While I feel it is a bit contentious, we’ve not had much luck in the past with fruited tripels. When we used to go to Pittsburgh fairly regularly, a local brewery had an effort in that vein that was pretty well thought-of, and I felt that it was incredibly middle of the road. That was particularly sad because a good tripel is one of those brews that I can get…
Christian American Pop Star is a great opening to Will Loomis’ Clean LP due to the innovative approach that he takes. Loomis’ vocals ties together Neil Young, Bad Religion, and Monster Magnet into a sharp, critical rock track that is musically intense and utterly engrossing.
Shaniah Paige’s Last Year EP contains four tracks; Mysterious Boy, Be Somebody, Darlin Karlen, and Alice in Wonderland. Together, these compositions provide listeners with a deep and detailed story about a new and exciting performer.
Small Compromise is a richly emotive composition that elicits comparisons to performers like Sean Lennon and Rufus Wainwright. The pianos and drums provide a counterpoint to these vocals, establishing a secondary narrative that listeners can follow. The strings on Small Compromise are beautiful, playing well with the piano and bass. The depth of this cut is considerable and listeners will continue to find new twists and turns to the composition…
We were lucky enough to experience Je M’enfuis last month and are happy to see that a copy of the act’s new EP, Y.Ni.Te, has just dropped down for us to consider. We’ll be focusing on the remaining four tracks on the release – Ne Plus Me Voir, Present Passe, Superhero, and Again & Again. Ne Plus Me Voir is straight-forward rock in the vein of Bloc Party and Wolfmother with…
G.B.H. was one of those UK82 punk bands that I never really got into. There were a lot of those bands, like D.O.A. and The Varukers, and I never got into them because they are passed over a lot of times for those 77 punk bands that are just a little more famous (Sex Pistols et al). The band starts out chaotic as hell, which is good, but there are…
It had been a number of years since the last time I was in the New Orleans area,,but we were on the same road (Veterans Boulevard) that the wife and I ate for our honeymoon about a decade ago. Tonight, we were visiting the Metairie location of Mooyah Burgers and Fries. We were immediately greeting in line and were helped through our order, since we were novices to the chain.…
SuriLee’s Never Understood is an effort which draws on the rich songwriter tradition of performers like Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, and Bjork. Little more is needed during this track than a set of vocals, piano, and a bit of a percussive element. The dynamic that is crafted with these units makes for a single that resounds with listeners long after the effort has ceased to play. The track is able…
Mike Cook’s Reasons is an engrossing track that succeeds due to Mike’s impassioned and intimate vocals, along with an instrumentation that provides a stellar backdrop for these vox. Cook is able to build off of the tradition of performers like Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake, while imbuing each second of Reasons with his own unique sound. The production of this single is immaculate, ensuring that the track can hang with…
The Jewell Thieves make a very compelling track in Today Not Fade Away. This single begins with a very intense drum/bass collaboration that is matched well through the presence of a charismatic set of vocals. With multiple vocal layers on the track, The Jewell Thieves are able to make a psychedelic, trippy sound that add together influences as wide as Blur, James, Nirvana, and even Jane’s Addiction. The collision of…
Dhanya’s Lesson is a tremendously effecting track. Fans will immediately be drawn in through the strong vocals of Dhanya, which are bolstered through a nod to trip-hop performers like Massive Attack and Portishead. The vocals laid down on Lesson do more than simply tell a story; they add considerably to the instrumentation of the single. The dynamic between the human and electronic side makes the track twinkle brightly whenever one…
On Track is the lead single from DJ NoMis’s upcoming EP, Back To You. The effort blends together electronic and rap style in a track that will clubber listeners over their head. DJ NoMis’s flow here impresses with its depth while adding considerably to the overall harmonies achieved by the backing arrangements.
Simon XO’s new single “How Do I Fight It” is an electronic-infused pop effort. The supersonic vocals, bouncy backing beat, and polish to the single combine to make something that will get listeners out on the dance floor. The vocals are able to more than contribute to the lyric content; they act as a bridge between the instrumental and voice sections of How Do I Fight It, further increasing the…
The tension that begins No No Yeah Okay’s Make Believe is fantastic; listeners will be focused in to the single by the time that the vocals begin. The dynamic between the vocals and the instrumentation is fantastic. Hints of MGMT and Franz Ferdinand can be heard here. There is a unique sound that is weaved through Make Believe that distinguishes No No Yeah Okay from the rest of the pack. Particular…
Car Seat Headrest’s new song “Nervous Young Inhumans” refreshes the alt rock of the mid-1990s. The song whips up guitars, synths, and drums to make for a track that will have heads bopping and feet tapping. While the song could easily make it onto alternative radio stations, I find that arrangements are deep and will require quite a few spins to fully parse. A tremendous introduction to Car Seat Headrest,…
Be, Natalise + The Sunset Run’s latest single, is a tremendously positive song that immediately showcases Natalise’s vocal acumen. The rising and falling action of the instrumentation provides highlighting at all the right points. Building off of the tradition of performers like Natalie Cole and Avril Lavigne, Natalise + The Sunset are able to make a pop song with an instrumentation and arrangements that will have listeners coming back for…