James Kevin O’Connor’s titular opening to Gratitude is an inspirational, narrative-heavy effort that rises and falls well. Hints of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Steven Curtis Chapman can all be discerned in this first effort, but there is a unique style that is purely O’Connor’s on his release.
Soar is the first effort on Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches’s Get Us Out of Fearland, immediately bringing listeners in to a modern take on bluegrass with confident vocals, careful instrumentation, and a bouncy melody that will stick with listeners long after the effort ceases to play.
“One, The World Over” has a video that showcases the wide variety of experiences that one can have through the world. One tends to see the world within four walls of an office or an apartment, but what the World Void Web does is showcasse that there are a million (if not more) distinct paths that one can take each and every day. The orchestration of One, The World Over is…
Intend is the first track on The Good Night, the new EP from Minneapolis’s own TRITA. The amount of raw passion and fury that begins this album is unmatched. Furious guitar work combines with splashy drums to make for an intensity and a brooding sound that brings together Machine Head, Fear Factory, and even a bit of early Korn. The tempestuous sound of this first salvo will continue to yield…
Walkin’ In the Sunshine is a bouncy, fun track that immediately showcases the talent and pleasant attitude of In-A-Chord. A strong production allows the act to come forth and shine effortlessly. The retro is made new with this act, as there are hints of Carole King and The Carpenters here in the male/female dichotomy here. With nods to both classic Christian music as well as the easy-listening rock of the…
On Right Love, Wrong Time, Erin Bloomer’s debut track, listeners are provided with a timeless instrumentation that builds off of the work of the 1990s and 2000s. Erin’s vocals stretch out over the track, working well within the singer-songwriter tradition. The ability of Erin to both tell a story with her voice and to provide further depth to the composition is unparalleled with current performers. The rapid shifts through sounds…
Idealism is able to craft an alluring electronic / chill track with their Fire Low. The track is able to immediately draw listeners in with a pair of vocals and a complex instrumentation. This instrumentation works to bolster the aforementioned vox, but is complex enough to stand up to repeat plays. With nods to trip-hop, industrial, and drum and bass, Idealism is able to make something wholly unique with their…
Over the course of four records, Oklahoma native Parker Millsap has managed to deliver four distinctly remarkable albums without retreading much on his own musical ground.
It’s pretty apt that the San Francisco Indie rock band Hi Lo Ha decided to borrow the name of Dylan’s Woodstock, New York home for their moniker. The group manages to draw deep inspiration from Dylan’s onetime backing musicians The Band for their Ain’t Gone Tonight EP. But far from being just another band stuck in the ‘60s, they also bring in some modern influences to round out their sound –…
Monsieur Job’s Chow Chow Eyyy Pow Pow skillfully blends reggae, EDM, and pop music in a fashion that will get listeners of all stripes out on the dance floor. The production of the track (featuring No Mercy) is robust, crisp, and clear – one could easily see this garnering major airplay. The drum and bass represents the cornerstone of the track, but the vocals pull double duty in including listeners…
Andromeda is the new album by New Jersey’s Undercover Rabbis (we previously covered their 2015 disc Electric Sand and their 2014 work Empires). The first thing that listeners should know is that Andromeda is one of those albums that are considerably better if you’re able to just sit back with a pair of headphones on. There are so many things occurring during each second of the album that even losing…
K-Syran’s “Shake That Booty” is given a retro sort of feel with the remix that Stonebridge & Damien Hall have created. The track is able to shine because of K-Syran’s inimitable vocals, but the backing instrumentation is surprisingly deep. The different percussive and synth elements that are weaved through this track link together the disco of the 1970s with Madonna’s 1990s work. The shining production of Shake That Booty ensures…
“Home” is the current single by John Tracy, and its hopeful sound is prersent through the soaring vocals, the on-point drums, and the chunky bass line that is weaved throughout the composition. A secondary chorus provides a robustness to Home, while anyone that has ever had something to come home to will find something to appreciate with this sound. John Tracy’s work here adopts equal amounts of alternative, indie rock,…
Beauty In The Breakdown’s “Thinkin Bout You” is a high-energy track that will get listeners out on the dance floor. Skillfully blending equal parts pop and dance music, the act is able to keep an insistent percussion percolating as strong synths and delicate vocals comprise the top part of the single. Thinkin Bout You succeeds because it builds upon the framework of late 1990s and 2000s female popstars while putting…
Sometime in the past few years, someone made the decision that modern rock bands were free to add liberal amounts of funk, soul and creativity to their sound and (thankfully) the floodgates seem to have finally opened. On the heels of some of the great eclectic Americana, folk and R&B musicians that seem to have surfaced from nowhere – folks like Nathaniel Rateliff, The Wood Brothers and Shovels & Rope…
Antherius’ take on Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas” is an interesting take on the classic. The number of twists and turns that listeners will encounter is impressive. Hints of progressive, synth-pop, and AOR can be discerned in the track. No matter how expansive the song may seem, there is a cohesive element that links each section together. Antherius’ steady hand makes this an effort that is reverent to the original while…
Justina Valentine has just released a new single, a reframing of the Eminem single “Stan”. This single, “JUST”, is able to continue the same heavy emotional content of the original while providing listeners with a tremendously introspective look into Justina Valentine. The original backing track is held over from Stan, but the rapidity of Valentine’s flow will amaze and keep fans firmly planted on the edges of their seats. The…
David Haerle’s “Finding Natalie” is a rock track in the vein of Dire Straits and Elvis Costello. The dynamic between the guitars, bass, and strings ensures that the tracks 6-plus-minute run time goes by quickly, while Haerle’s narration on the single will have listeners clamoring for more after the songs concludes. The chorus of the single will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The guitar work that…
“In the Fall” is the latest single from Natalise + the Sunset Run. This track immediately kicks into high gear and deftly maneuvers between rock, EDM, and pop genres over the course of its run time. Of course, Natalise is able to immediately capture listeners’ attentions with her unsurpassed vocals, but the punchy drums, sweeping synths and masterful usage of volume. In the Fall is the best track we’ve heard from Natalise…
Lady Moon & The Eclipse’s “Star Gazing” is a wonderful blend of classical and modern forms of R&B. This means that there are lush, funk/jazz-infused bass and drums, a bright and sunny set of vocals, and taut playing that ensures that the resulting effort is appeasing to all fans. On Star Gazing, Lady Moon is able to build upon the style of India.Arie, Corinne Bailey Rae and Mary Mary. Star…