Category: Features

Posted on: February 19, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Flutist Patricia Lazzara’s releases Radiance LP

Patricia Lazzara’s flute duels with Kristin Johnson Dabaghian’s piano in “Woodland Sonatine.” It harmonizes with the alto melodies distributed by Steve Markoff in “Reflections of Radiance.” Lazzara finds the perfect vocal partner for “Ave Maria” and “Oblivion” in soprano Jessica Davila, while in “Serenata,” not even the most vibrant of instrumental backdrops could distract us from her exquisite play in the center of the mix. Contrasting in tone and yet…

Posted on: February 17, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Cliffs release 13 track LP “Panic Attack”

What is it about three-piece bands hold our attention? How do they slam all that sound into their music? In the grand tradition of Cream, Green Day, Motorhead, Nirvana, The Police and ZZ Top – to name a few – Dallas, Texas, has unleashed another wall-of-sound trio in the band, Clifffs. Out now via State Fair Records is the brutally tight Panic Attack. Panic Attack has 13 tracks, starting with…

Posted on: February 17, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Mike Donello & the New Essentials release eponymous debut EP

Eclectic elements are practically everywhere you look and listen in modern pop music, and Mike Donello & the New Essentials are a perfect example. Donello and his band blend together influences from R&B, indie rock and classic pop in their eponymous debut EP, and though their first record only clocks in at about 19 minutes in total length, it doesn’t come off as limiting nor a scattered effort from a…

Posted on: February 16, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 1

Merlin releases “Love”

Imagine growing up on the other side of the world and discovering Michael Jackson or Tina Tuner? Imagine using the CDS from your parents music collection to learn English? Merlin, who grew up in Albania and Germany, moved to Boston when she was seven. Her passion for music and instant rapport with her listener is transported in the exciting debut single, “Love”. While her EP is anticipated later in 2020,…

Posted on: February 15, 2020 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

White Sun – Behold the Light

Behold the Light brings together world music with hints of reggae and the singer-songwriter tradition. The beautiful vocals which listeners encounter shortly after the song’s beginning reverberate long after the song ceases to play. A male / female dichotomy pushes each side to a tremendous high, while the touching guitars do the same for the vocal / instrumental duality. Fans can strap on a pair of headphones and enjoy Behold…

Posted on: February 15, 2020 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Cracker with Camper Van Beethoven (Philadelphia, PA, 1/27)

Four stars Springsteen’s got nothing on David Lowery… well, at the very least, Lowery would have no problems keeping up with Bruce’s legendary reputation for on stage stamina. Lowery played two complete sets to a full capacity crowd at Philadelphia World Café Live recently, first playing a career-spanning set from Camper Van Beethoven and then taking the stage with an almost entirely different line up about 20 minutes later for…

Posted on: February 14, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Gabriele Saro releases new single “Skippin’”

You have to applaud any musician and songwriting who, in 2020, can stake out individual territory in the increasingly recycled world of pop music. Gabriele Saro accomplishes just that. His single “Skippin’” reflects his grounding in classical music while exhibiting the skills necessary for writing and performing memorable pop songs. He brings these seemingly ill-fitting elements together without the single ever coming off as disjointed or half baked. Instead, it…

Posted on: February 13, 2020 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Robert Vincent – In This Town You’re Owned (CD)

Flaunting the wide reach of Americana in 2020, the latest, next best shot at growing the genre into a much deservedly wider following is based in Liverpool. On his third album, Robert Vincent puts forth a collection of songs that would make Guy Clark proud. Thankfully ignoring the advice that musicians should avoid politics, In This Town Your Owned is 10 deeply personal songs reacting to everything from the state…

Posted on: February 13, 2020 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

The Drowns – Under Tension (Vinyl)

The Seattle-based four-piece punk band The Drowns manage to somehow sound both assuredly nostalgic and contemporary at the same time. On their latest LP, Under Tension, the band brings to mind everyone from The Street Dogs and the first few Dropkick Murphys albums (sans bagpipes) to Swingin’ Utters. The fact that Ted Hutt, one of the best punk producers to come around in decades, oversaw this latest probably didn’t hurt. But…

Posted on: February 13, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Darren Michael Boyd releases instrumental LP Lifting the Curse”

Echoing into the ethers for what feels like an eternity, the opening chords of the aptly-titled “Notational Witchery” might not seem like the most elaborate of any you’ll hear on the new record from Darren Michael Boyd, the instrumental Lifting the Curse,” but they turn out one of the more captivating melodies on this incredible LP just the same. In Lifting the Curse, Boyd pushes the limits of rock n’ roll guitar…

Posted on: February 12, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 1

REVILUTION Interview

Welcome! I would love to talk about all things songwriting! But first – I would love to hear from each of you something that most people would be surprised to learn about you. Marie B, vocals: Hello! Okay, most people would be surprised to learn about me that my first field of study is printing and publishing. I grew up working the family business, collating books and craft patterns, and…

Posted on: February 10, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Terry Ohms delivers new album Cold Cold Shoulder

With a scooped EQ and overdrive as heavy as a pile of cinderblocks, Terry Ohms lays into the opening riff of “King of The Mountain,” the first sounds we’ll hear in his new album Cold Cold Shoulder, and while this deluge of distortion and evocative noise is about as stirring a first few bars as any indie rock fan could ask to hear in a new record this February, they’re only…

Posted on: February 10, 2020 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Megadeth and Lamb Of God Release Summer 2020 Tour Dates

Two of the biggest bands in heavy metal – Megadeth and LAMB OF GOD – will be joining forces on a co-headline tour across North America this year, presented by SiriusXM. And to add to the firepower of this already formidable tour, Trivium and In Flames are joining, making this THE must-see heavy music package of the year. Tickets will go on general sale Friday, February 14 from Livenation. Megadeth, fueled by…

Posted on: February 9, 2020 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Meridian Vanilla Stout (Ecliptic Brewing)

Meridian begins with hints of wheat and toasted malt on its nose, with a fair amount of tannish head and considerable lacing as one starts into their first sip. The toastiness of this malt expands as one takes that first quaff, with subsequent pulls bringing a bit more bitterness into the mix. There is a rich body and a thicker mouthfeel to Meridian than other similar dry / irish stouts…

Posted on: February 7, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 1

Meghan FitzGerald releases Ascending Davos

Health care is one of the forever burning issues in our modern American life and, despite the efforts of many intelligent and talented men and women, the strides that have been made are often under assault and many are still pining away for effective care. Meghan FitzGerald has been on the front lines of that battle in her service as a nurse, but she continues to fight for a better…

Posted on: February 7, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Rebekah Bastian’s Blaze Your Own Trail: An Interactive Guide to Navigating Life with Confidence, Solidarity, and Compassion

If you are looking for a book about life that’s different from the usual account and non-fiction, I think you can scarcely do better than Rebekah Bastian’s Blaze Your Own Trail: An Interactive Guide to Navigating Life with Confidence, Solidarity, and Compassion. I think the word solidarity in the title is unquestionably important. She tailors this book to speak to women’s experience in modern life, particularly American life, though the book reaches…

Posted on: February 6, 2020 Posted by: Kim Muncie Comments: 0

Chris Mardini Releases Sleepless

In a gust of a verse that will set the tone for all of the kaleidoscopic harmonies soon to follow, Chris Mardini begins our journey into his heart amidst the opening bars of “Sleepless,” his third single currently out everywhere that quality independent pop is sold and streamed. There’s a bit of melancholy in his voice, but it’s nowhere near as strong as the optimism that drives the words cascading…

Posted on: February 6, 2020 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Dustbowl Revival – Is It You, Is It Me (CD)

California-based Dustbowl Revival have always been a little hard to pin down musically. There is definitely an Americana vibe to their music, but there are also hefty elements of jazz, swing and pop. Their latest, Is It You, Is It Me does little to dispel that confusion. Across a baker’s dozen of new songs, the band relies just as heavily on their horn section as they do their acoustic guitars…

Posted on: February 4, 2020 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Simple Minds – 40: The Best Of 1979 – 2019

Simple Minds may best be remembered in this country for the outro song that gets played during the final shot of The Breakfast Club – a track that has almost become shorthand for Generation X rebellion, played at school reunions to this day. But as many in Europe and elsewhere outside of the U.S. realized decades ago, the Scottish band has an exhaustively large cannon of music that pre-and post-dates that…

Posted on: February 2, 2020 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Olya K – Hollywood

On Hollywood, Olya K is able to create a robust dance track with an infectious beat. The song does well in refreshing dance music from the 1970s onwards. The bit of pop that bubbles through with Olya K’s vocals ensures that the single can garner replay value. Synths and insistent percussion will draw listeners out to the dance floor, while the song’s chorus will reside in one’s brains for months,…