John Paciga and Charlotte MacMurray’s cover of the Bocelli/Dion performance “The Prayer” is a sight to behold. The duet is able to stand boldly alone and as a cohesive element, with each pushing the other to an entirely higher plateau. The back and forth between John and Charlotte will make listeners feel that they’ve known each other their entire lives. While the effort just makes it to the four minute…
Who We Are’s “Memory” adds Kevin Thrasher from Escape the Fate to the mix. The track immediately strikes listeners with brutal guitars, intricate drum lines, and a luscious set of vocals bringing brightness to the track. Hints of hardcore, metal, and emocore can all be picked up here, but what Who We Are do here goes far beyond that. By building upon these influences to make their own music, Who…
Eryn’s “Hallelujah You’re Gone” is a powerful song that will be appreciated by anyone that has a toxic force in their life. Eryn’s vocal style touches upon performers as distinct as Amy Winehouse, Meghan Trainor, and Elle King. Hallelujah You’re Gone refreshes the Detroit soul sound of the 1960s with solid instrumentation and a production that is immaculate. With the keys / vocals dynamic pushing each to an entirely higher…
On The Dead Daisies’s latest effort, “Rise Up”, the act is able to intertwine chugging guitars, supersonic vocals, and sizzling solos into a track that bridges the gap between late 1990s hard rock and today. The vocals will have fans singing along while one will have to play the single multiple times before hearing each riff, note, and drum beat. It’s surprising exactly how far that The Dead Daisies have…
Juno Reactor’s “Let’s Turn On” is an assertive electronic dance track that is able to refresh the sound that the act cultivated during the late 1990s into the current era of EDM. A driving beat, quick tempo, and a bit of vocals are all that’s needed to get listeners out on the dance floor. Sweeping synths and otherworldly vocals are layered on top of this intense beat to make a track…
BUNNIES’ “The Deep State of Strawberry Tart” is one of those immersive efforts that fans would do best by strapping a pair of headphones on and focusing in. Taking on bits of Trans-era Neil Young, The Velvet Underground, and the 1980s efforts of Kraftwerk and Devo, BUNNIES ensure that listeners will have to play this track multiple times before hearing each and every note and interaction secreted within. The chiaroscuro…
Matt Tarka’s “Vision Hazy” is a thoughtful piece of alternative rock that draws upon Tom Petty and the Avett Brothers. With a robust instrumentation that allows the guitars, bass, and drums to shine at all the right points, this track possesses a polish that would allow Vision Hazy great ease in sliding into radio or playlist rotation. Tarka’s vocals build upon the style of Perry Ferrell and Wayne Coyne. We…
Ben Bostick’s “No Show Blues” is a fascinating track in that it blends together traditional country and western music with hints of mid-1990s Dave Matthews. No Show Blues is able to link together a very close and comfy production with tremendous charisma and instrumentation that will have listeners’ toes a-tapping. Bostick’s able to craft something familiar while boldly forging through with his own unique take on one of America’s most…
Cat Called, the latest single from Witchsister, has the same immediacy of early Dead Kennedy. The taut instrumentation of this single will immediately be present to listeners as the band draws upon the tradition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the technical metal of Primus and Fear Factory. When the vocals enter into the mix, the single shifts into a totally unique effort. The vox are able to both…
It’s been more than 35 years since the Dave Wakeling-fronted group, The English Beat (known outside of Canada and the U.S. as simply The Beat) last put out a record of new music. Maybe it’s the fact that the band has been touring fairly frequently for the better part of the last decade – and still putting on an amazing show, by the way – but it’s hard to believe…
In 1994, Liz Phair was coming off of one of the most critically-lauded debuts of the decade. With expectations set incredibly high, she put out the follow up, Whip-Smart, just 15 months later and while she could never escape the comparisons to Exile in Guyville, decades later, that second album still remains a gem. UMe, alongside Capitol is finally re-releasing a trio of Phair records from her time with Capitol.…
“I’m so proud of my dogs, I don’t care if I’m not what you thought” Mike Ra announces in his single “Dogs,” out now courtesy of the masterminds behind DXB Studios. In a slowly unfolding chapter play of verses that swing and slide along the lines of Desiigner without the glaze of neo-G overproduction. I hear a lot of Future and early Young Thug when I listen to Mike Ra,…
Although I just recently became familiar with her work, I must say that singer/songwriter Cat Dail’s discography has been becoming a bit of a regular in my playlist lately. Her sixth studio album Fight For Love grabbed my attention immediately the first time that I gave it a spin as an indie pop/rock record easily in contention for album of the summer, and for good reason. Its excellent fusion of…
There are a number of themes that are promoted prominently through Simpler Days, the new album from Chapel Hill (North Carolina)’s McCauliffe Brothers Band. Nosedive, the album’s first track, is a perfectly-polished piece of alternative rock. There is a good amount of mid-to-late nineties rock threaded through, with a set of vocals put at a focal point as introspective guitars, bass, and drums create a supportive backdrop. Light of Day comes…
We were fortunate to check out Les’ last song Arctic Mistress back at the beginning of 2017. Stroud has released a new single, How Long, and are impressed with the robust sound contained within. The bit of piano, on-point drumming, and guitars that resound with hints of The Who. A bold chorus will have listeners singing along long after the effort concludes. Stroud’s message rings out clearly through the entirety…
“Fool”, Man Made Time’s new single, is an effort that whips together EDM, alternative, and indie rock in a fashion that is wholly distinct from other performers. Rising and falling in tempo, Fool is an effort that keeps fans at the edges of their seats through alluring vocals, larger than life distortion, and a backing beat that keeps everything neat and tidy. Man Made Time are able to create an…
Rick Trevino’s “I Am A Mexican” (featuring the accordion work of Flaco Jimenez) refreshes the classic country sound of performers like Hank Williams and George Jones. By bringing in the authenticity of Latino music style, Trevino is able to imbue his latest single with a timelessness. Furthermore, the simplicity of I Am A Mexican allows fans to focus in on each element – the vocals, guitars, and aforementioned accordion) to see…
MoZaic’s “Damaged” is Mary J. Blige, building upon a rich and deep nineties R&B style. The backing instrumentation acts as the perfect counterpoint for MoZaic’s unique approach. The most interesting thing about Damaged has to be the fact that one can focus on any one element – the vocals, the percussion, or the twinkling synths – and hear something considerably different each time. Damaged is a great way to put…
Christopher Shayne’s “Burn Me Down” is a perfect blend of modern country and rock, drawing upon the style of Chris Cornell and later-era Kid Rock. However, where Shayne adds to the corpus of popular music has to be the intense passion he inserts into his latest single. Couple this bold approach with sizzling guitar work and production that makes everything else pop, and one has in Burn Me Down a…
Haley Reinhart’s “Last Kiss Goodbye” is a sunny effort that mixes reggae and modern jazz with softly-sung vocals in the vein of Corinna Bailey Rae and india.arie. Little more is needed for Last Kiss Goodbye than a bit of guitars and the lightest of percussion. The bit of echo that enters into the vocals at the 1:35-ish mark adds another level to Last Kiss Goodbye. Haley Reinhart is able to…