People Like You’s “Why Say Why?” is surprisingly deep track that builds off of the alternative tradition, moving through the 1990s (Blur, Dishwalla), 2000’s Panic at the Disco to the current era (Of Monsters and Men). The raw passion and charisma exuded by the vocals are matched well through the dense instrumental of the single. Fans will have to play the track multiple times before being able to appreciate every…
Sweet Sweet’s “Roam” is a bouncy track that draws heavily from the rock of the 1960s. Dreamy vocals, utilitarian guitars, and a bouncy beat ensure that Roam is ultimately memorable. The song is very organic, as listeners can easily imagine listening to the constituent elements of the bands playing the single in tight quarters. The final minute of Roam has Sweet Sweet moving into a more instrumental-heavy section that provides a…
Duncan Morley has just released Find You Now, a track which features the inimitable vocals of Rick Ross. The soulful vocals of Morley reach out over the track, while an EDM-infused backing beat ties together the work of Diplo and Avicii. The track’s rhythms will get listeners out on the dance floor, but the bit of introspection that Morley includes in this effort will be understood by anyone that has…
Herb Alpert’s take on the classic “What A Wonderful World” is able to hit all of the highs of the original while infusing the track with a very cosmopolitan sound. With nods to Native American and Indian styles, the myriad of styles here will keep listeners on the edges of their seats as they discern what’s going on. Alpert’s playing is (as always) impeccable, working perfectly in each format in…
Dave Sereny’s “Talk To Me” is an electrified, funky sort of track that calls back to the halcyon days of Cameo and Zapp & Roger. Emotive guitar riffs, a thick and chunky bass line, and soulful singing are all that is needed to make Talk To Me a must-listen. Dave Sereny’s musicianship on this effort is fantastic, with each element contributing to the overall sound as well as sparkling brilliantly on…
David Olney’s “Situation” is an unique track that has David expertly tell a story. To add further complexity, a brooding, rich, and dark instrumentation is included. Situation succeeds because each element organically builds upon the others. A driving, insistent beat inexorably leads listeners to Situation’s conclusion. The track weaves together traditional country and western wth hints of psychedelic and folk elements. David Olney gets listeners interested; make sure to pick up…
In his first single “My One & Only Love,” ShaQ:Muzik gave us an incredibly intimate and wildly sonic love song that got R&B and electronica fans very intrigued with his unique blend of slick, stylish grooves. The track shimmered with what seemed like a million different colors colliding into one another like a reckless but loving embrace. It was a feast for our ears, and he made sure to keep…
GV’s “Lil Min” is an impressive track. The effort is able to bring together the style of rappers as disparate as I-20 and Kevin Gates while even touching upon the UK grime scene. With other nuances (Gorilla Zoe, Jim Jones and Chamillionaire) that are interspersed through this track, GV makes something gritty, intense, and ultimately catchy as all get out. The speed that GV gets to during Lil Min is…
Daniel Correa’s “Take A Chance” is an upbeat track that works perfectly for the rapidly-warming late spring. Bouncy island-infused rhythms are matched perfectly with Daniel’s vocals, which elicit comparisons to Ne*yo and Shawn Mendes. Take A Chance will have listeners singing along after one’s first play, while having a sterling production that allows each and every element ample opportunity to shine. Correa has evolved with each and every single we’ve…
Scott Gray’s “Maybe It’s You” is a very traditional effort that draws upon the rich musical tradition of performers like Chicago or Billy Joel. With a robust instrumentation and soulful lyrics, Maybe It’s You is a rare example of a modern single that can stand up to repeat plays. Scott Gray is able to include bass, guitars, drums, and a sizzling horn section into the musical backdrop, establishing a voluminous…
18th & Addison’s “Time Bomb” is a punchy and assertive track that builds upon the framework of acts like Coheed and Cambria and Alkaline Trio. With vocals drawing influence from Yellowcard and Taking Back Sunday, 18th & Addison are able to make a track that will bury its melodies deep into listeners’ minds. The guitar and fulfilling bass line establishes a hooky instrumentation that is further punctuated through some spot-on…
My Silent Bravery’s “18” is a sublimely catchy sound. The track is able to have an emotional sound drawing off of the style of acts like the Goo Goo Dolls and Ryan Adams.The production of 18 is perfect, allowing the instrumentation and the vocals to shine alone as well as contribute to something substantially greater than the sum of their parts. This is an easy-going track that shines on the…
Markus Schulz & Emma Hewitt’s “Safe From Harm” is a wonderful melange of emotional vocals and thoughtful instrumentation. These elements flirt with one another throughout the beginning of Safe From Harm, before an insistent synth line gets listeners on the dance floor. There is a refreshing of the late 1990s / early 2000s electronic style here, while Hewitt’s vocals call back to “Ray of Light”-era Madonna. The rising and falling…
Hop Along’s”How Simple” is a contemplative piece of indie rock that draws on the tradition of 1990s alternative for instrumentation. The dynamic between the guitars, bass, drums and vocals pushes each into an entirely higher plateau. The vocals are able to pull double duty; they provide the narration for How Simple just as they add further complexity to the instrumentation. The tautness of this single ensures that fans will be…
At the Gates did a lot for metal music, giving a melodic edge to the oft-brash death metal genre, birthing melodic death metal, a genre now as established as any other, and Light This City are back after a decade long hiatus to rekindle our love for the band and genre with their newest record Terminal Bloom.
Conor Gains has earned a well deserved reputation as a singer/songwriter on the rise thanks to his work with the Conor Gains Band, but his first solo release Compass is a ten song collection representing how his expanding ability for realizing his musical and lyrical vision has taken a quantum leap forward. The process of assembling Compass has been a lengthy one and Gains pared down nearly a hundred songs…
Forget the Super Bowl, if you can figure out a way to predict who is going to dominate Top 40 radio in the next decade, you’re going to be one incredibly rich individual. It’s true, there is perhaps no other facet of pop culture as totally and unreliably volatile as popular music. Society’s taste in music changes a lot faster than its taste in politicians or trite sitcoms, and when…
Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) had only been in the public eye for about a year in 2012 when the mayor of Austin proclaimed February 9th, “Shakey Graves Day.” A hell of an achievement so soon out of the gate, but six years and several albums later, Garcia is still living up to the hype.
Kuwaisiana’s, Chapter 1, is an awesomely interesting release by an equally intriguing band from New Orleans with bridges to Kuwait who combine the vernacular of topics between there and the US southern region. They cross bread everything from Cajun to Pop music in their combination of styles that never leave out the two areas in which they’re grounded, yet they have a universal appeal in the process. Chapter 1 wins…
Few artists are able to provide listeners with a full sense of whom they are with just a single song, but Sweetness, the latest effort from Mauve, does a tremendous job in showcasing a bevy of styles and approaches used by the performer. What we were most impressed by with Mauve’s new single is how effortlessly that this Toronto performer is able to go and blend together a number of…