I Ain’t Impressed has some sick flow from the onset. Coming in with a hard-hitting, head-bopping sort of lyrical content is a hard art to master, but iHateJulian is able to immediately draw listeners in during his newest track. The simply-stated backing beat rises at falls in the right places, building off of the tradition of Three 6 Mafia. The back and forth between IHJ, Starling, and Lee Cavalli ensure…
Crast brings back the early-oughts midwest emo style of Deep Elm acts with emotive vocals, tremendous instrumentation, and a wall of fuzz that wraps up the resulting composition into something sublimely compelling. Splashy and complex drums, angular guitars, and hints of influences as wide-strewn as Strike Anywhere and The Appleseed Cast ensure that fans will be tapping along to the song a few brief seconds after first turning it on.…
Get By has MAAD call back to the 1990s. There is a sense of chill and airiness that permeates the single. Pulling double duty here, MAAD is able to give fans a fun set of vocals and an additional level of harmony. There’s a bit of Pharrell, a hint of Mya, and a whole dollop of MAAD’s own singular take on pop music. The chattering, horn-infused backing beat will undoubtedly…
Golden Days is a thoughtful effort that showcases alluring vocals with atmospheric synths and guitar work. The resulting effort is able to touch upon a wide swath of alternative rock, spanning the gamut from Rufus Wainwright to Elton John. The harmonies brought here by Leo’s vox push the instrumentation to an entirely higher plateau. What results during this single is nothing less than fantastic; the skilled arrangements will stick around…
ON What You Think, Malcolm Kay is able to pop off with a fresh style while adopting some of rap’s best pieces from the better part of the last twenty years. This means that there are sirens that punctuate the backing instrumentation of the song, insistent drum hits, and a lyrical flow that has Kay deftly blend together rapid-fire bars with an ample amount of swagger. What You Think’s titular…
CodeX is an engrossing, epic sound that uses deliberate keys and percussive elements o keep listeners firmly on the edges of their seats. The different segments of Sonarpilot’s track are bolstered mightily through a visual component that blends geometry, ancient texts, and celestial bodies. There’s no way to easily categorize what the act does here; there are nods to 1970s electronic performers like Klaus Schulze and even hints of the…
Summertime in New York City is a timeless track that links together the inimitable R&B approach of Brian McKnight with the soulful, sizzling jazz of Koz. There is a complexity that is present during Koz’s latest effort that ensures that listeners will have to play back the song multiple times before being able to pick up each and every nuance that is contained within. Of particular note during “Summertime…” has…
2020 has provided us with an interesting crossroads for the punk movement in both the United States and abroad. There’s still a lot to rebel against socially, politically, culturally and financially, but more than any of that, there’s a lot to fight within the construct of the mainstream pop/rock model itself – which is precisely what singer/songwriter Warbler BC is getting at in his new record One. Equal parts a collection…
On Peace Will Come, Teddy Wender is able to immediately draw attention with his calming, surf and blues-infused instrumentation. Taking nods from performers like Huey Lewis and B.B. King, Wender is able to call forward to a hopeful future that is miles away from the current situation we find ourselves. With a secondary set of vocals lifting Teddy’s vocals up to a higher plateau, the song is able to draw…
After just a few spins of the song “Lillian” and you feel like you’ve found a new friend, a new confidant in Jeremy Parsons. He gives the impression that he’s the type of guy that is easy to strike up a conversation with, sitting next to him on a subway train, or standing behind him in line at the grocery store. He’s the type of artist that can spit out…
American Sunset is a touching track about the downfall of America. There’s a bit of a chiaroscuro between the soulful guitar work and the starkness of the lyrics that Sudano puts forth here. The vocals build upon the folk-rock tradition and carry the same gravitas of an early Bob Dylan or Phil Ochs. The urging of Bruce to bring us back to the halcyon days of the 20th century is…
On Bang Bang, McNally Waters create a song that is eminently familiar but completely unique. There are nods to swing, country & western, and blues weaved throughout with even hints of jazz present. The combined vocals are so catchy here; listeners will be falling over themselves to capture each and every word. The band’s able to make a composition that ferries along the vocals in the most delectable way possible.…
Hidden Beams call back to the work of Momus and Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) with their latest effort, the semi-titular Hidden. Dreamy vocals do double duty in providing listeners with lyrical and musical content. It is these harmonies laid down here that work so well with the rich guitar, bass, and drum lines that comprise the backing instrumentation. Of particular note here has to be the intricate drum work, which add…
Adaleigh (Run Away), the new effort from Sharon Hendrix, has a little bit of something for everyone. There are bits of 1990s performers like Madonna present in Sharon’s voice, hints of late 1990s / early 2000s dance music, and a bit of the strong narrative elements of Broadway musicals. The message that Hendrix weaves through here is one that is confident and strong, something that will stick with fans long…
Opposites Attract is an absolutely sunny effort from Paris Bennett. In a period of time where all the grey clouds seem to be piling up, the considerable vocal range achieved by Paris and the twinkling keys and clap track unite to make something simply beautiful. The keys inserted in as a counter for Bennett’s vocals push the song to an entirely higher plateau; the track is ultimately able to have…
System Machine come forth with some sick guitar licks on their new single, In Dust We Trust. The supersonic vocals laid out here match well with the hints of synths that play towards the top of the track. What results is one of the most successful blends of metal and industrial music outside KMFDM and Fear Factor. In Dust We Trust is hooky enough to ensure that it garners airplay…
WAVES has an echoing, ethereal sort of sound to it that picks pieces of musical styles as diverse as David Byrne, Bauhaus, and Stabbing Westward in the creation of an utterly unique approach. The instrumentation threatens to take over the track just as the vocals snap to form and hammer the track to a more contemplative break. While the song concludes well before the four minute mark, the song will…
The video for Glorybots’ Radiate is the perfect match for the track’s mid-2000s-influenced approach. With nods to the chugging sound of a Coal Chamber or a Deftones, the band acts as the perfect counterpoint for the Thom Yorke-meets-311 styling of the vocals. The story that Radiate’s video intimates to listeners – a story of love and passion, married to some truly otherworldly visuals – will have fans firmly planted on…
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I Love Being Black is a powerful ode from Jonathan Lykes that is able to shine with just the slightest trappings of production. The song, coming from Lykes’ heart, blends charismatic vocals with a stunning acoustic guitar line. The presence of additional vocals to Jonathan’s main line ensures that I Love Being Black will resound loudly with fans long after it ceases to play. The song’s message of pride showcases…