Category: Music Reviews

Posted on: March 22, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

MC YOGI – Heaven Is Here (feat. Matisyahu)

MC YOGI has just released a new video for his single Heaven Is Here. The effort, which features Matisyahu, is tremendously effecting. The use of repetition is smart here, with Matisyahu’s inimitable vocals tattooing themselves deep into listeners’ minds. The instrumentation on Heaven Is Here is robust, with guitars and strings continually keeping listeners on their toes. Timeless, hard-hitting, soulful, and intricate, Heaven Is Here is an effort that is…

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Posted on: March 22, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Thy Unknowns – Demos

Tears Won’t Fall immediately draws in listeners with an emotive guitar line. The intensity of the vocals is similar to Antichrist Superstar-era Marilyn Manson. The two elements are all that is present on this effort, but they provide something much more cohesive and comprehensive when they are melded together.

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Posted on: March 22, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

AKoVA “You Can Have Anything”

AKoVA’s “You Can Have Anything” is a bouncy bit of pop rock that ties together the jam band style of acts like Jane’s Addiction and Soul Asylum with a contemporary rock style (Of Mice and Men, Mumford & Sons). The vocals that issue forth above the track are matched masterfully with a guitar and a booming drum beat. There’s an organic sound to You Can Have Anything that just feels…

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Posted on: March 22, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Ignatius “All The Things”

Ignatius’ “All The Things” is a touching track that draws upon the R&B approach of the Jackson Five while adding a hint of modern R&B and rap styles. Ignatius’ wordplay during this single is intricate, requiring listeners to play the single multiple times before hearing every nuance that has been placed within. The emotional intensity of All The Things will be understood well by anyone that has went through troubling…

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Posted on: March 22, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

The Suburbs “When We Were Young”

The Suburbs “When We Were Young” is a perfectly-polished piece of dark synth-pop and goth stylings replete with jangly guitars and a deliberate bass line. Haunting vocals play at the top of the track; the nearly five-minute run time of When We Were Young allows the act ample time to expand upon the theme. Listeners are kept on the edges of their seat as The Suburbs continue to add more…

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Posted on: March 21, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Tysu “Valley Girl” and “1,2,3 Time”

Tysu’s “Valley Girl” is an EDM track that has the levity of the islands while having a poppy demeanor that builds upon the vibe of performers like Sean Kingston and Jason Derulo. A synth line and snack laid down at the mid-point of the track refreshes things and ensures that listeners are ready to devour the second half of the track.

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Posted on: March 21, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 1

Mr Vegas “Follah Da Leadah”

Mr Vegas’ “Follah Da Leadah” is a high energy reggae-infused track that will get listeners out on the dance floor. The backing instrumentation is hard-hitting and provides highlighting for Mr. Vegas’ vocals, while the dichotomy of darker and lighter elements make for a track that can stand up to multiple plays. The track could easily slot into radio rotation on reggae, while the second-half (Nothing Wild) is a fun and…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Nick Lamb – Gettin’ High Off Of You / Simple Man

Nick Lamb is able to make a frontward-facing, stripped down rock track in Gettin’ High Off Of You that has a good amount of the punk of early Goo Goo Dolls, The Descendants, and the Replacements. With little more needed than a guitar, drums, and Nick’s vocals, this effort is able to make an indelible mark on anyone listening in. The sizzling guitar work that is inserted into this single…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Little Stranger – Sing It High

Little Stranger’s Sing It High is a reggae-infused track that has nods to funk and ska. With the instrumentation and vocal flow popping throughout, listeners will be locked to their seat. Listeners will be surprised at how rapid-fire LS’s flow gets during this single. Each segment of Sing It High has a different approach, but the act’s ability to make a cogent statement with this effort should not be sold…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

We Are The West – The Golden Shore Review

Siren is the introductory track on We Are The West’s The Golden Shore, setting the stage for a fantastically immersive and deep album. The instrumentation and the raw passion of the band’s vocals unite to make something effecting from the get go. Hints of indie, 1970s singer-songwriters, and even bits of of 1960s Dylan can be discerned during he early stages of this release. The titular effort on the album ramps…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Sheldon Universe – “Pretty Woman”

Sheldon Universe’s “Pretty Woman” is a sexy and sultry track that has a chill R&B, funk, and EDM-infused beat. SU’s vocals during this singles are unparalleled, reaching high and low points with absolute ease. The insistent beat, building off of the work of RAM-era Daft Punk, ensures that it can easily be slotted in to many a DJ’s set. With just a hint of a Latin flare that is weaved…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Mollys Reech – Rollin

Rollin is a brooding, deep effort that will stick around with listeners long after the effort ceases to play. The band takes the standards of performers like 311, Sublime, and Linkin Park to make something wholly unique. Rollin has intense vocals, strong instrumentation, and a sound that refreshes the hard rock style of the late 1990s and early 2000s in an alluring way. The vocals stand out but only because…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

SK Quinn – Polo

Polo is the latest single by SK Quinn, an effort that immediately will draw listeners in with a sexy, sultry sound and an infectious beat. The heavier hammering of the percussive elements and the more twinkling side of the production unite to create a backdrop upon which SK Quinn’s vocals can be highlighted. Fans of Jason Derulo, early Chris Brown or Trey Songz will find something in Polo, while the…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Markus Druery Comments: 0

Keith Morris & the Crooked Numbers – Psychopaths & Sycophants

Keith Morris’ teaming with the band Crooked Numbers has produced an indelible musical work embodying the Trump era of American history with Psychopaths & Sycophants. The ten song collection, however, has the lasting effect of music for all time, rather than limited to its historical context, and Morris’ superior talents as a songwriting allow him to bring something profound of himself to bear on the outcomes for these tracks. The…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: Markus Druery Comments: 0

Mark Rogers – Rearranged

“Rearranged” – the debut EP by Mark Rogers was recorded and mastered at Master Sound in Virginia Beach, VA by Bob Ulsh and produced by Mark Rogers himself, Bob Ulsh and Larry Berwald, with Mark’s “dream team” of Tidewater, VA players, which they’re called by many. His music is acoustic guitar-based featuring well-crafted hooks, nice vocal harmonies, thoughtful lyrics, a bit of folk rock jangle and a pinch of bossa…

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Posted on: March 20, 2018 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Professor And The Madman – Disintegrate Me (CD)

We may just be a few months into the new year, but it’s safe to say Professor And The Madman are the best punk rock supergroup we’ll hear all year. Fronted by Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four), the rest of the band is filled out with members of The Damned, past and present – Rat Scabies on drums and Paul Gray on bass.

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Posted on: March 19, 2018 Posted by: Markus Druery Comments: 0

Noble Son – Joy in Violence

The nine song collection from Noble Son entitled Joy in Violence is an outgrowth of an episode with mental illness that the creative mastermind behind the project, Adam Kirschner, recently experienced. He sat down and composed eight songs in fourteen days and followed that up with likely six intense days recording the album with Joel Hamilton and a small coterie of musicians in South Carolina. The result is a full…

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Posted on: March 17, 2018 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

The Breeders – All Nerve

There’s always a sense of hesitation when a universally adored, classic band puts out new music after years away. The Pixies are probably one of the best examples. “Indie Cindy,” the 2014 post-reunion album that came after two decades of silence was… well, underwhelming. Expectations are just too high for most bands to meet. The Breeders, coincidentally made up of former Pixies bassist Kim Deal, may be one of the…

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Posted on: March 16, 2018 Posted by: Sargeant Comments: 0

Chris Hillman – The Asylum Years

As co-founder of the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers and dependable solo artist, it’s reassuring to see Chris Hillman get his due with the re-release of two of his earliest going-it-alone records.

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Posted on: March 16, 2018 Posted by: Markus Druery Comments: 0

Robin Kelly – Orewa Heartbeat

Physician and author Robin Kelly has pursued a musical career for some time now and continues achieving startling results with each new release. His fifth studio recording Orewa Heartbeat is an outstanding collection of songs aiming to delve deep into the reality of our experiences while avoiding any self-indulgence common to less artful practitioners of the form. Much of Kelly’s Eastern influenced belief system works its way into attitudes in…

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