Jim Waneka’s “I’m Coming Home” is a track that builds upon the proud 1990s country tradition laid out by Randy Travis and Travis Tritt. There’s considerable vocal range brought here by Jim, while the honky tonk backing instrumentation of the guitars and drums impart further legitimacy to the composition. The tautness of the vox and music working together mark for a track that could easily have made it onto CMT’s…
On Outta Town, Bruce Lii is able to \immediately draw attention with his rapid-fire flow and a supreme sense of confidence that separates his single from the rest of the music cluttering rap radio. The booming bass beats that play in the background of Outta Town provide a solid jumping-off point for Lii’s lyrics. The two sections combine to make a track that even the most weathered rap heads can…
Rap is no longer on the alternative end of the spectrum – truth be told, it’s the definition of mainstream in 2021. Even with this being the case, there’s still a lot of artistic credibility to be found in the underground pulse hip-hop has always prided itself on; take for instance the emerging talent of one Vikki Sota, whose new EP Genesis is making noise before sharing a single note…
When he’s crooning in songs like the title cut of his new album Philadelphia, singer/songwriter Eric Colville isn’t cutting lyrics that sound like they’re coming from someone else’s heart. He doesn’t want to tell the stories of the past, and his romanticism for the folk/rock genre ends at the line between influence and impersonation, and considering the depth of originality there is to behold in Philadelphia, it’s a wonder why…
Real Life is a hopeful track that adopts hints of Pop Smoke and Akon in creating something that is eminently playable on rap rotations. Fans of performers like Sean Kingston and Fat Joe will be able to sink their teeth into Real Life. The piano that plays as the backing instrumentation is given further highlighting with booming bass beats and an on-point snap track. Star 2 has the confidence necessary…
Love Again has a funky, alt-pop vibe to it that will work equally well no matter whether it garners airtime on indie playlists or pop radio stations. The driving beat that plays at the background of Love Again will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners, while Milky Chance are solid enough hands to keep things interesting from the first note until the last gasp of the…
On The Dirty Moogs’ latest single “Hot Moms”, the band lies down a funky, electro-infused groove that will firmly bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The driving beat that pushes the song along is spun off into a different sound entirely as distinct vocals enter into the equation. Fans will be unable to stop their toes from tapping during Hot Moms. While the song is a…
JidScan “On Fire” has a tremendous back and forth between the harder flow that represents the main body of the single and the more soulful, touching voice that enters into the equation when listeners make it to the chorus. JidScan tells an autobiographical story here of self determination that is honest and earnest. There’s a bit of humanity that comes into focus during the single’s chorus. While there’s a ton…
The Veer Union are able to imbue the Mendes / Bieber track Monster with their own unique flair. There’s a larger than life rock sound that bubbles up into something ferocious during the song’s chorus. The brooding instrumentation works to lift up the vocals well, while the intense drum beats that fill the back of the track deserve some serious attention. Sizzling guitar licks come to the fore next, giving…
Candlebox make a tremendously emotional plea with the acoustic version of their Riptide. Thoughtful guitar work meshes nicely with softly-sang vocals. Ample layers ensure that fans will continue to find news twists and turns during the performance. There’s such an allure to Riptide that fans of Candlebox or of alternative rock generally will be able to find continual reasons to keep spinning the track. We’re in love with the guitar…
Dre’Co’s “Way Up” (featuring Asia Major) is precisely what modern rap and R&B stations need to include. The high-energy track has a considerable amount of depth to the composition. While the song is full of booming beats and confident bars, the production of the single ensures that one will continue to dig up new twists and turns even five or ten plays in. The pair fo vocals here further increase…
The Parcels’ Famous has luxurious funk that drips off each section. With multiple vocal layers calling back to acts like Earth, Wind and Fire as well as The Bee Gees, Parcels ensure that fans will be immediately enamored with their newest single. The tautness of Parcels’ instrumentation is hard to march; each guitar line, bass note, and drum beat combine to make something that will draw listeners out onto the…
Alexi Dotsenko, Brad Metz, and Jack Ringca have worked at DigDog for a long time but their newest release Homeless Theatre is a different sort of album for the trio. They are attempting to reinvent their sound and approach for longtime listeners and newcomers alike; both camps are on equal footing when dealing with this nine song studio album. It veers wildly in terms of subject matter between moments of hyper realism…
With a screeching howl that verges on retro in tone a couple of times, the blazing fretwork Winchester Revival intends on dishing out in their new single “Reborn, Reformed, Revived” is nothing short of a magnetizing treasure for this track. Although it’s true that all good rock n’ roll relies on a certain level of melodic charisma sourced directly from the guitar and the guitar alone, there’s something to be…
There’s a heck of a big difference between the emo of the mid-2000s and the emo of present day, and from my perspective, the new wave has a lot more going for it than the previous gen of pop-punkers did. Case in point, the brilliant new single “Used Me (all along)” from Darro – though slamming us with the same poetic reach that we heard some fifteen years ago from…
There’s so much division in America right now that it’s easy to forget that we’re one nation rather than a collection of countries trying to fit inside of one cultural narrative, and I have a feeling this was what the aptly-named Staunch Moderates were thinking about when they made the new single/video combo “Bill Maher.” While the music video for this track is definitely one of the most eccentric and…
Heavy rock is nothing without big guitars crashing into each other, and when Sin for Saints were constructing their new single “Death Eater,” they weren’t looking to produce something cheap and flimsy. The only thing stronger than the emotional ache of the lyrics in this track is the attack of the fretwork, especially as it bears down on the chorus and leaves our vocalist almost no room to scream his…
A lot of outsider influence has been penetrating a typically insular American country music underground in the past couple of years, but that isn’t stopping the likes of Mr. Jim Waneka from giving up an old guard melody like no one else can this December in the form of his new single/video combo “Two Angels.” Where everyone else is trying to experiment with the parameters of the traditional country music…
Kulikovsky’s “Burning Up” is a release that incorporates both EDM and pop elements. With a set of vocals that are inspired by The Weeknd and Trey Songz, Burning Up seems like a no-brainer to include on a DJ’s set. The dynamism of Burning Up ensures that fans can continue to play the track for months all while finding new twists and turns during each spin. We’d love to see more…
It takes a lot of talent to go forth and create your own holiday standard. That is precisely what Alicia G does on her new track “You’re My Favorite Holiday”. There’s a chill, mid-century modern sort of tack taken here as Alicia G calls back to her favorite jazz performers. With her vocals front and center during this cut, Alicia G is able to showcase considerable skill all while making…