There is a timeless sound to Nikia’s Maybe I single, which is versed in the soul and funk of the seventies, the post-disco 1980s, and the rich female-led R&B of the 1990s. The production of this track allows the instrumental and vocal sides of the composition to shine on their own and together, creating something that will resound with listeners long after the song has ceased playing. Nikia’s vocals are strong enough…
In a few sentences, can you give us the specific points in your life that brought you into rapping? I always would ride with my older brother in his regal with the 12s” knocking just soaking up game from all the different artist he would play artists such as E40, AZ, Nas, Jay-Z, Notorious Big just a name a few. I remember as a kid in the 90s sneaking listening…
John Roy Zat has been based in San Francisco, but the sheer amount of influences that are showcased on his latest album Who Zat (released on Flyin Bayou) represent a road map through some of America’s most memorable musical cities. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Zat is that the specific array of sounds and styles that are broached during each of the compositions on Who Zat are modified based…
There is a sultry and richly emotive sound to Holly Elle’s vocals during the beginning of Mirage that will ensure that listeners are firmly ensconced in the single. The track builds upon the framework of artists like Sia, Madonna, and Rihanna.
Immortality is Saranac Brewing’s imperial amber ale, and it pours with a mahogany to ruby red coloration and a small amount of white head that lays on top of the beer. The beer has a small amount of malt and hop nose initially, and one’s first experience with the beer will yield small amounts of dark fruits, a light alcohol bite, and a good amount of wheat, cereal, and malt…
Sweet As Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing’s newest effort, is a beer that a wide swath of imbibers can appreciate. The beer pours with a maple syrup/cider coloration and a small amount of whitish head that laces its way down a beer glass. The beer has a nose that feels equally balanced between straw, grass, and hops, while an initial sip yields tangerine and orange flavors with hints of more tart…
There is a sultry and slinky sound to Mercy’s vocals on her latest track, Breath. There are hints present here of Shakira, Christina Aguilera, and Megan Trainor, but the cut succeeds on the unique twists and turns that Mercy does here.
Only On Tuesdays have released the Darling Dearest single from their Break Free EP. The track sits at the juncture of pop, country, and mid-nineties alternative rock, succeeding due to smart instrumentation, lush production, and a set of vocals that are awe-inspiring, strong while ageless.
Ghost Lit Kingdom’s You Don’t Know Me is led by ethereal vocals and a haunting composition that echoes and twinkles throughout. The vocals are fresh and interesting while still having some special quality which listeners can love.
There is a bouncy sound that works well for Smoke, which has weareTheBigBang blend together pop, EDM, emo and rock into something that is fresh, fun, and interesting from beginning to end. The production allows the rich bass, guitar, vocals, drums, and synth into something unitary without losing out the passion or the intricate arrangements that lead Smoke to the mountaintop.
We are speaking with Jason Griggs this morning. Hello, Jason. How has your week been? It has been a great week both personally and professionally. My oldest daughter went to her senior prom and my company MaxOut Strength Studios began working with the U.S. Military to help provide a training solution for their elite forces – both very exciting!
Prefunk, Worthy Brewing’s latest beer possesses a nose that is fairly hop-heavy with a slightly sweet upside. The beer pours with a cider brown coloration and a creamy head that is fairly tenacious as it laces itself down the glass. There is a lightness to this beer that belies the heavier hop presence (Prefunk is pegged at 50 IBU) that makes the beer go down incredibly easy. In fact, the…
Destihl Brewery (Bloomington, IL) has crafted another beer for their Wild Sour Series, a Berliner Weisse that they have dubbed Counter Clockweisse. This sour effort possesses a nose that is equal amounts tart and wheat and pours with a hazy light-brown coloration and nothing in the way of head. The delicate blend of sour and sweet makes for a refreshing experience, one that would pair perfectly with fish, chicken, and…
It’s a little surprising to hear that Faith Healer is actually the alias for Canadian folkie Jessica Jalbert. Her first solo album, Cosmic Troubles is under this new moniker, while still having a softness thanks to Jalbert’s light as air vocals, is complimented nicely with a strong psychedelic pop vibe.
Simple Minds’ sixth studio album, Sparkle in the Rain, was released in 1984, a full year before the band would permanently be wedded to The Breakfast Club movie, a feat that defines the band in the country to this day. But the album was still an impressive collection on its own.
Babe that Boasts is the first track on Velvet Lane’s latest album, Sitting on the Fence. The track ties together the psychedelic rock of the late sixties and early seventies with mid-nineties alternative (Happy Mondays, Oasis); what results is a track that is tremendously infectious.
Whorrifick creates a flow in his “l.o.l.” single that is more beat poetry and Gil Scott-Heron than it represents current sorts of rap music. The instrumentation utilized in this track ties together electronic and industrial styles, intruding just enough to highlight specific lines and phrases.
Inspekta’s Jump Jump is a track that touches upon the trap and electrified-rap style of Juicy J; Inspekta’s flow here is dark, dingy, and dirty. This means that there are hints of Gravediggaz and Bone Thugs n Harmony that can be discerned, but with a cleanness to the arrangement that will garner radio play for the track.
Nothing’s Out Of Reach is the first track on Matthew Charles’ Roam and it ties together Crimpshrine, Defiance, Ohio and hints of Against Me! into a frenetic track that straddles the line between folk and punk. While this introductory track is only a hair above two minutes, there simply is a lot of material for listeners to digest. As a result, the energy that listeners have when they move into Reliance…
Girl From California is a feel-good sort of pop-rock that takes equal parts seventies rock, funk, soul, and an easy-going sound and makes them something that will work on current radio stations. The infectious harmonies created by Ian and the Dream will stick with listeners long after their album has ceased; this is one of the first albums that we have heard in 2015 that makes it seem as if…