We reviewed the lead single from VIKINGO!’s new EP, Set It on Fire, a few months back. We were quite happy to learn that the rest of the EP continues with the same care in arrangements and fire present in each lick and drum beat that is inserted within this release.
What Are You Running Away From is the first track on Simon XO’s Covering, and showcases a confident performer that has a stellar production uniting a bevy of different instruments, influences, and sounds. Simon XO has the same hopeful sound of early Oasis or Steven Curtis Chapman. Waiting For Me To Break begins with booming drums and a distinctive sound that will immediately draw listeners into the release. It’s a…
When Love Was Young is the first track on Payson Lewis’ new extended play, Take Me Apart. The bouncy beginning of this release is reminiscent of works by performers like 5 Seconds of Summer and the Jonas Brothers. Lewis puts his own tack on this genre.
You Know You Want It is a slinky rock track that succeeds due to tremendously charismatic vocals and a rich, thick bass line that allows the act to link together funk, pop rock and soul in a fashion that will immediately draw the attention fortunate enough to listen in. Sky Pines has all of the trappings of late-nineties alternative rock. Hints of Edwin McCain, The Goo Goo Dolls and Dave…
MaWayy’s “Blame” is a high-energy EDM track that will get listeners out onto the dance floor this autumn. Different tempos and approaches are utilized by MaWayy here, where a more soulful male set of vocals gradually give way to emphatic claps and a rapid increase in the tempo. By the time one gets to the chorus of Blame, the effort has transformed into a dubstep-laced effort that tweaks things into…
On “Speak Life”, HEЯITAGE creates a style that effortlessly links together pop-rock, EDM, and alternative in a fashion that makes things sparkles. A slinky instrumentation and bright focus combine to make something alluring and musically proficient. The guitar line at the 1:45 mark builds off of Californication-era Red Hot Chili Peppers, while the presence of a sizzling saxophone adds further variation and oomph to Speak Life. While dripping with late…
Jim Clements’ latest work of art A Failure might have the most deceptive title in the world, but it starts off in more honest, plain speaking tones than any other album I’ve spun in the folk genre in at least ten years’ time. “Saul’s Blood (A Dream)” acts as our foray into the monumentally euphoric eight track swan song by instantly capturing the full extent of our focus with a staggering guitar…
Of every genre in modern music, R&B is arguably the most eclectic in its body of artists. From soul crooners to the furious high tech beats of club DJs, R&B has become a blanket term for virtually every kind of music that incorporates smooth, dance-inspired rhythms with the sizzle and brooding tinge of the blues. Mikey See, a rising star in the west coast indie pop scene, has often been…
The smoldering reverse echo of a guitar rises from the ethers in the opening bars of Opposite Day’s “Day of the Triffids” as if to warn us that there’s an ocean of chaotic discord just waiting to be unleashed behind this fragile dam. A bass with the legs of a spider dexterously wanders between the strut of the riffs that are literally growing around us, and before we know it…
Becky Warren’s semi-autobiographical debut drew a lot of attention for the intriguing story of the relationship between an Iraqi War vet and his girlfriend. But, not to take away from the beauty and brutality of War Surplus, on her follow up, Warren uses a much larger canvas and turns in a wonderful, genre-stretching album for her effort.
It’s been seven years since R.E.M. officially walked away, but thankfully folks are still digging into their vaults to pull out some remarkable, unreleased music. The MTV Unplugged series last year was a nice surprise, but this latest from the BBBC is an even more impressive find.
If you’d asked me whether or not I knew who Jared Finck was just a little over a week ago, I would have had to tell you that I had never heard of him or his truly profound musical catalogue. But recently I came into contact with “New Kids (SEAWAVES remix)” while exploring for new music, and I couldn’t help but be taken by the charmingly relevant nature of both the lyrics and…
Last Chance Riders are able to call back to the hair metal of the 1980s and the southern rock of the late 1970s on their latest effort, Downright Disgusted. A special brand of female-fronted rock and roll draws from performers like Vixen and Heart during the band’s latest. The down and dirty sound of the guitars and drums during this single will have listeners bobbing their head while the band…
Kellie-Anne’s “Unlived Dreams” is truly a transformation effort. The dynamism of this single is considerable. Utilizing a slower tempo, the track is able to showcase Kellie-Anne’s vocals and piano lines equally well. The track includes hints of guitars during the lead up to the chorus, which whips into something that draws upon the rich musical tradition of Evanescence and Avril Lavigne. Unlived Dreams has a hopeful, inspiring message and backs up…
Modern Geaisha’s “Hey Hey Hey” is a hard-hitting rap track that links together performers as diverse as Princess and Nicki Minaj with a wokeness that is reminiscent of performers like Common or Kendrick. What’s most impressive about Hey Hey Hey has to be the sheer range that Modern Geaisha exhibits during this effort. Softer elements work with a vicious flow to make for something that will be playing in listeners’ minds…
Hugh James’ “My Brother’s Shoes” is an effort that ties together country & western with gospel styles. James is able to weave together an intricate narrative with a backing chorus. My Brother’s Shoes has an instrumentation that rises and falls, to provide considerable gravitas to the effort when it needs it while dropping out and allowing Hugh’s vocals ample opportunity to impress. The production allows the drums, voices, and piano…
Belle VEX’s “Something New” has a bouncy beat and nods to R&B and EDM styles. The vocals on Something New stand boldly above the chill synths and assertive dance beat. The track could easily be slotted onto pop, dance, or college radio stations and playlist. Belle VEX is able to create something familiar but is done at such a high standard that it contributes to the overall corpus of the…
Osaka Popstar’s cover of “Fish Heads” is a sea change from the original. Adding a bit of stripped-down Ramones styled punk into the mix, Osaka Popstar energize and spin the effort into something that will bury itself as deep into the minds and hearts of listeners as it did about 40 years back. The video throws a bit of John K-esque art into the mix, making for a full multimedia…
Josh Collins is able to make a heart-felt and touching effort in “Hold You Back”. The track needs little more than Josh’s vocals and guitars. There is an honest and organic feel that is cultivated during this track that gradually is spun out into a wholly engrossing bit of pop-rock. The rough-hewn approach to the track’s production makes each line and each note resound long after Hold You Back ceases.…
“Heart Shape Pill” is a funky track that brings together a jam band style with hints of funk and soul. The taut instrumentation that represents the backdrop of this single deserves one’s focus. So much is happening behind the vox; fans should strap on their favorite pair of headphones to hear everything that has been included within. “Night-Stepper” is our favorite of the pair. In this effort, the drums, bass,…