Unforgettable Ride with mid-tempo melodic rocker “Slow Release”. Hart has an once or twice in a generation yowl ideally suited for this style and his straightforward singing reveals lung strength and vocal control among the best that we’ve heard from a hard rock band in some time. This is fun music, without a doubt, and raids the treasure trove of tropes and familiar turns that’s defined this popular form, but…
Inner Call has released a new single, Times Change. The single effortlessly blends EDM with a haunting rock style. The Drooid Remix of the song ramps up the energy nicely, while listeners will be amazed at the passion and range of the vocals. The track is able to reach an entirely new plateau when it hits the 2:30 mark, as the energy and dynamic between the vocals and synths are…
Stay With Me, the latest single from the ‘Mark Ian Rocket Man’ Project features Sabrina Purdy. The single is able to successfully build upon the pop and rock styles of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Purdy’s vocals are the perfect counterpoint for the guitar / drum dynamic. The crispness of the composition ensures that each element is able to shine alone or as a greater entity. Engrossing, engaging, and…
IBRU’s “War and Violence” is a touching effort that showcases the reality of life in the world. It showcases what actually happens when someone in the formative years of their life passes on or decides to join a gang. While IBRU’s vocals are beautiful and War and Violence is catchy enough to imprint its melodies deep into the minds of listeners, the message here may be the most important takeaway.…
A.Def begins their new single OP8 of the Masses with intricate word flow influenced by Tech N9ne, The Lonely Island and Twiztid. The intensity of the rap is paralleled nicely with the sultry vocals of Ava Del Cielo and a set of strings and booming drums that play behind the vox. OP8 of the Masses is a banger that stands up to repeat plays. The lyrical content works in the content of…
Couch Jackets’ “Don’t Think Just Breathe” is a very dense and detailed effort. This means that at any moment during the band’s new single, there are a number of threads that a listener can focus on. For example, there is a dreamy sort of pop that the guitars and vocals further, while hints of psychedelic, 1960s pop, and psychedelic can all be picked out. Complex time signature and a penchant…
Mary Bue’s “The Shit I Left In Duluth” is a favorite for us this month, as the track is able to refresh the alternative rock of the 1980s and 1990s. There are nods here to The Replacements, The Breeders, and Blondie. Dreamy vocals are matched perfectly with confident guitar riffs and a ropy, intense bass line. The narrative of Mary Bue will have listeners focusing on in, while subsequent listens will…
MkX’s “One Sided Love” is a track that draws upon the rich pop vocal tradition of performers like Justin Timberlake and Niall Horan while working in hints of 5 Seconds of Summer and Jason Derulo. The backing beat that represents the canvas upon which MkX can shine is utilitarian, rising and falling in opposition to the vocals. Taken together, these elements make One Sided Love a hooky effort that fans…
Gitty’s Karaoke is an exquisite track replete with a soulful backing beat and smooth females laid down by Rose Gold. The addition of Trinidad James to the track is fun as his flow straddles the illuminated styles of the 1990s with a current and contemporary sound. Where much has been made of the electrofunk of performers like Chromeo, I think the blending of passionate vocals with intricate guitar works represents…
Wai Lana’s “Colors” is a track that builds upon the pop genre of the early 1980s. A bouncy beat and sunny sound works perfectly with the soft vocals of Wai Lana. A secondary (male) set of vox ensures that the track stays fresh from its initial note to concluding second. A bit of horns are interspersed through Colors that match perfectly through a bold bass and booming drums. With so…
S.J. Armstrong’s “Some Restful Day” is a piece of dreamy atmospheric indie rock that will stick with listeners long after the single ceases to play. There is a very deliberate approach that is taken during the song that gradually builds to something intense. Wholly engrossing from the onset, it is not a surprise that the track’s four-plus minute run time goes by quickly. Coming forth with a new tack on…
Les Stroud’s cover of “Big Yellow Taxi” is punctuated with a soulful blend of harmonica and country-tinged guitar work. The passion and charisma laid down by Stroud here is unparalleled. A crystal-clear production ensures that each constituent element is able to shine alone or in tandem with the rest of the contributing elements on Big Yellow Taxi. The brooding instrumentation that plays in the backdrop stands in for the unquenchable…
Kyla Imani’s “Sitting Up In My Room” is a track that has roots in the powerful R&B singer style of the 1990s. The arrangement playing in the background pulls a bit from trap and EDM style, making for a fun new effort that will have listeners sitting on the edges of their seats. The presence of Jay Critch in Sitting Up In My Room keeps things vibrant while spinning the…
The Dead Daisies’s new single “Dead and Gone” may just be the hardest effort that we have heard from the band. The act is able to build upon the hair metal tradition with nods to Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and Motorhead. Sizzling guitar lines at points build upon AC/DC and Slash, while there is a raw passion to the vocals that would make this an easy inclusion on any hard rock…
Big Sam’s Funky Nation’s “Pokechop” is a track that is dripping with the spirit of the blues, mid-1970s, drill, and hip-hop styles. This varied approach is able to cull together the styles of the last fifty years into something that will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. With nods to DJ Jimi and a bit of Flashlight interspersed throughout Pokechop, the unique flair of the act…
Jackie Greene’s “Crazy Comes Easy” is a soulful, easy going track that contains a fulfilling backing instrumentation. Greene’s vocals come out of the Black Crowes tradition, while the bass and guitar dynamic is utterly timeless. We’re particular fans of the 1:45-2:15 section which allows the instrumental side of things ample time to shine. The two distinct parts of Crazy Comes Easy combine to provide fans with a solid introduction to…
Featuring the talents of The Howling Tongues in tow, Beau + Luci’s new release Live from Aggie Theatre is a powerful audio document testifying to the strong literary qualities, spirit, and bluesy atmospherics at the tandem’s disposal. Their highly individual brand of Americana/roots music has enchanted national audiences, but their performance from Aggie Theatre brings the duo and their musical style “back home”, so to speak, and plays well for an appreciative…
Over the years, the music documentary genre has become fairly predictable. There’s the childhood background story, the rise and ultimate fall of the musician or band (usually a result of drugs, inter-band squabbles or changing musical trends), followed by the relaunch after years of soul searching, all told though interviews with those close to the band. VH1 set up the template years ago with Behind the Music and a whole…
Margo Timmins is one of just a handful of singers, alongside Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and the late Leonard Cohen, who consistently manage to take vulnerability and emotional rawness and translate it into powerfully moving records time and time again. “All That Reckoning,” the Canadian band’s latest, is certainly no exception. John B. Moorewww.neufutur.com
Steve Wheeler’s EP release Terminal Velocity marks a divergent point for this talented composer when he affords himself the opportunity to step away from his “day job” as a media composer for major network sporting events and video games in favor of a more personal project. The instrumental EP is brief, only three songs and running less than ten minutes, but Wheeler’s writing makes the sort of impact music tailored to accentuate…