The Fibs come out of their corner swinging with this self titled sophomore release. “Waiting for a Train”, its title alone, recalls a vast tradition in 20th century songwriting that, despite the enormous stylistic differences, that The Fibs sustain for a modern audience. The singer and chief songwriter behind the band’s creativity, Preston Newberry, writes lyrics brimming over with a lean literary quality that makes for a notable contrast with the…
Lenny Kravitz’s 1989 debut, Let Love Rule was an impressive win for rock. Aside from, Guns ‘n Roses and a few others, radio and music charts were dominated for most of the year by mediocre R&B singers, stale soft rock holdovers like Phil Collins and Billy Joel and legitimately fake music acts like Milli Vanilli. So, when Kravitz, with his rock swagger meets hippie vibe came out with the soaring…
In the history of pop music, there have been artists who built an entire identity around a single hook or style that critics and audiences fell in love with and were never able to put down. There are others though who take their creative ethos further; they push the envelope as far as they can in hopes of not only developing their core artistic profile but also advancing the evolution…
Americana, as a genre, is having a much-deserved moment in the sun. And with it are coming some incredibly original bands that normally wouldn’t be getting a listen if not for folks like The Avett Brothers and Shovels & Rope treading a path to acceptance. Among those that deserve a listen is the brilliant Nashville, by way of LA, -based duo Freddy & Francine (Curiously, there is neither a Freddy…
It’s difficult to relay just how influential Jeff Lynne and his group Electric Light Orchestra was and remains to this day, despite release their last big hit in the early 1980s. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
There’s quite a collection of musical voices on Del Suelo’s The Musician’s Compass: A 12 Step Programme. Erik Mehlsen, working as Del Suelo, is adept at chameleon like changes in texture, dabbling in a number of styles over the course of the album’s twelve songs. It’s to his credit as a songwriter, however, that the conceptual architecture for this album, illustrative of Mehlsen’s storytelling talents, is preserved despite the stylistic diversity.…
Someone much wiser and versed in the music business than I’ll ever be once told me something that I’ll never forget; good things take time, but great things happen all at once in this industry. Time and time again I’ve found this statement to be proven true, whether it concerns an up and coming rapper or a singer/songwriter trying to break into Nashville. When they’ve got a fair amount of…
Carillon is the first track on The Wires’ new album Diligentia Quam in Suis. The song is soft and sedate, with The Wires weaving in soulful singing with contemplative instrumentation. The band is not afraid to allow for longer instrumental interludes on the album, a decision that provides ample gravitas to the vocals when they do enter into the fray. A Man on Wire draws upon the singer-songwriter style of the 1960s…
6 Ways is the first track on J Roy Champion’s new EP, Rome in a Day. The track is able to build upon the framework of Kendrick Lamar and Three Six Mafia. The screwed and chopped vocals on the track provide the perfect counterpoint to the sharper backing beat. Together, the two elements combine to make for something that will get heads bopping even as a dirty, sick groove is laced through…
If you’re one of the many country fans who has been disappointed in what you’ve heard coming out of the south in the last few years, Spayed Koolie might have made the album that you’ve been waiting for in Ashtray Change. Fitted with 11 of the most stylishly original country rock songs you’ll hear this side of the 21st century, Ashtray Change is a record that comes as a result of years of angst…
Pop music, as crazy as it might seem, is the really ultimate form of rebellion in times of oppression and division. Of course there is a place for almost every kind of non-violent protest, but music is itself a universal language that knows no boundaries of linguistics, government or social separation. Music integrates all of us into the singular human race that we are, and bands like Broken Baby are…
The fiercely cutthroat New England indie rock scene has been going through a lot of volatile changes lately, particularly near the top of its creative hierarchy. The old guard is on their way out, and in their place a new group of skilled minds are looking to fill the void with their own version of the New England sound – a version, I should mention, that is far more lustfully…
Kellie-Anne’s Not The Girl is a strong single. The track is built off of a blend of 1980s synth-pop and modern singer-songwriter sensabilities. Kellie-Anne’s inimitable vocals impress themselves on the rich backing instrumentation. With a bit of EDM trapping interlaced in Not The Girl, Kellie-Anne has made a track that can work equally well on pop, dance, or alt rock rotation. The clap/stomp breakdown that marks the three-minute mark of…
Joaquin Torres’ Desnudame is a powerful effort that draws upon the Latino musical tradition of performers like Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin. The raw passion and vocal ability of Torres on his latest single will cause anyone listening in to focus intently. Joaquin is able to pull double duty here in that he can both weave a rich and detailed narrative while adding twists and turns to the robust synths…
Cashanova (We Alike) is an effort that skillfully blends together R&B, trap, and taut rap flows into a cohesive entity that works equally well in dance clubs and on the streets. Fifcitydreams creates something in this single that has a sound that could easily slot onto playlists and radio rotation alike, but does so in a fashion that is utterly unique. The production of this single pops – listeners can…
With a swing step furiousness that can’t help but evoke imagery of soldiers marching into battle, Jupiter in Velvet’s “Can’t Get It Right” starts walking us down an ominous path from the get-go. Jupiter himself struts with a stone cold, ominous demeanor among one heart stopping guitar riff after another in a layered sonic cataclysm that pushes us to question our own definition of melody. There’s so much rock n’…
The West Coast Feed’s “August Peach” is one of those tracks that moves through distinct styles and approaches with incredible ease. There are hints of jam bands, blues, and even hints of Bob Segar and mid-1990s college rock that one can discern during this track. The vocals are a bit Hootie, a bit Cat Stevens, and it is through these impassioned lyrics that fans will be converted. The rest of…
VIKINGO!’s Set It On Fire is a powerful track that builds upon the pop-emo sound of acts like early Panic! at the Disco, My Chemical Romance, and Fall Out Boy. Assertive vocals, a chugging bass line, and angular guitars unite to make for a song that will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of fans. The guitar / vox dynamic on Set It On Fire keeps the energy…
The country rock tradition remains one of the more satisfying vehicles for me to hear thanks to its abiding quality for speaking to the listener in straight-forward, yet often affecting language. It is usually music full of universal experiences, wears its influences on its sleeve, and makes the form its own. The young Canadian country rock band Wave 21 has a rich musical lineage; Longtime member of Men Without Hats…
Anja Kotar’s “Theory of Relativity” is a powerful pop track that immediately showcases the power of the performer. The instrumentation and vox are able to push one another to a higher plateau. Theory of Relativity is an effort that brings in hints of pop, EDM, and R&B in a very timeless fashion. The bit of new age sound that is presented during the single calls back to an earlier musical…