Cosmic Gate & JES’ “Fall Into You” begins with a heavenly set of vocals, while the instrumentation teases listeners with more intense sections as the single continues to play. It is this rising and falling action that will have fans on the edges of their seats. Fall Into You kicks into high gear a hair before the two-minute mark. When the booming synths and huge drums kick in, the cut…
Michael Fang & Chigo Ace’s “Now” is a laid-back rap track that will impress with a smooth production and a robust backing beat that provides ample highlighting to the flow. The track is able to have both performers put forth their own unique sounds, while still coming forth with sound that will garner a good amount of radio play. Now is a track that stands up to repeat plays because…
The Rotten Mangos are able to infuse the sounds of psychedelic and pop-rock from the 960s with a current and contemporary sound. The band is able to make a fuzzy, alluring step forward with their new single “In Love with the Afternoon”. Hints of Dick Dale can be heard with the guitars, while higher register of the vocals is reminiscent of the Merseyside sound. Punchy drums and bass influenced by…
Janey Street’s “Undone” is a calm and confident piece of pop-rock that is influenced by performers like The Eagles and Neil Young. The tight instrumentation of the guitars, bass, and drums ensures that Janey’s vocals are highlighted at all the right moments. The guitar’s licks bolster Street’s lyrical content while providing the lighter side alongside the richer, fuller sound of the bass. The gradual increase in speed during Undone will…
Theo Czuk’s The Black Bottom is an impressively diverse twelve song collection that does a more than adequate job of surveying the stylistic range of jazz music. Czuk and his musical partners are obviously master musicians capable of assuming a variety of sonic and melodic voices without showing even a hint of hesitation and their playing is further served by Czuk’s near impeccable instincts for writing material in this idiom.…
Shane Palko’s “Don’t Fall In Love While Time Traveling” is a touching bit of indie rock that draws upon the American folk tradition. There is a resounding sound to this single that will stick with listeners long after the effort ceases to play. The instrumentation rises and falls, providing highlighting to Palko’s vocals. Each element – the drums, guitars, and vocals – is absolutely integral in making this single into…
Those Damn Eyes’ “Give and Take” is an intense and richly emotional hard-rock / emo / hardcore track that showcases an intense set of vocals and smart instrumentation. The brooding sound of the track is established with assertive guitars that draw upon the tradition of performers like At The Drive-In and Taking Back Sunday. The vocals here build off of the tradition of Paramore and Brand New. With a solid…
NYA’s “Mania” is a powerful pop track that will immediately draw listeners in with a strong, emphatic guitar line and an inimitable set of vocals. NYA is able to tell a story while adding to the overall harmony of the composition with each line. This radio-ready effort will interest a wide swath of fans, from those liking the traditional pop of Kelly Clarkson to even more alternative-pop performers like Elle…
Shadow of Whales’ “Runaway” is a tremendously catchy single, with nods not only to the Brit-pop of acts like Blur, but to current punk/power-pop acts like Walk The Moon and late Good Charlotte.
Jim & Me is able to craft a very alluring piece of indie rock with his The Sweet Green Dress. A pair of vocals are able to immediately draw in listeners, while nothing more than a bit of acoustic guitar is needed as the instrumentation. The sheer amount of care that is taken to weave a cogent narrative is unparalleled; listeners will be set adrift with the intelligent arrangements and…
The Seed is a tremendously inspirational effort that draws upon the style of late-nineties Santana for an initial influence. There is a much richer tradition that can be drawn back to the 1960s and 1970s. Fans of rap, Latin, soul, and pop will be able to find something that they can appreciate here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7pEaXsJTQA Le Paranoie cannot be a more different track. There is a traditional vocal/guitar sound that not only…
BRKLYN’s “I’m On Somethin’” features Jocelyn Alice and crosses over between EDM, pop, and even alternative genres of music. The beat of I’m On Something is tremendously infectious, while the sheer range of Jocelyn Alice’s vocals is the glue that unites the elements of the track. With Alice delving into the style of performers like Halsey and Ryn Weaver, BRKLYN’s inimitable sound is further varied. Slowed down / chopped vocals…
Tritonal’s Call Me has an infectious beat and assertive vocals that will burrow themselves deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The multiple layers that Tritonal lay down here stand up to repeat listens, with a rising and falling motion to the single that bolster the aforementioned vox in all of the right points. Call Me is a sunny track that will do tons to keep off the winter…
Time working alongside some of the most popular acts in music today, among them Rascal Flatts, has honed Kevin Fisher’s songwriting skills into a finely tuned instrument for delivering mainstream delights. His debut collection Beer Me seizes upon a quintessentially American topic, the virtues of beer, and serves up a 12 pack of variations on the same joke. He has a skill for twisting everyday phrases into endorsements for the…
World Void Web’s Memories in Raindrops is a tremendously emotive effort that tells a story over the course of four and three-quarters minutes. Little more is needed from World Void Web than a synth and a percussive element to get listeners engaged. The video (enclosed below the drop) provides additional context to the composition. There are distinct movements to Memories in Raindrops that keeps the momentum of the composition high.…
Kelly McGrath has enjoyed considerable and gathering commercial success in the last two years propelled by her acumen for writing and delivering songs possessing across the board appeal and genuine musical, as well as emotional weight. Her latest single “O Holy Night” expands on those qualities with a particularly affecting performance, both vocally and musically, that pushes far beyond the broad-stroked cheer and clichés typical to Yuletide themed releases. Instead,…
Liz Kennedy scores big with her latest studio release Hike Up Your Socks and enlists some major league firepower to pull it off. Taj Mahal guests on significant album cuts and adds another weapon in Kennedy’s sonic arsenal. It helps, however, that Kennedy has written her best collection of songs yet for this recording and, based on exuded confidence alone, comes off as a musical artist who entered the studio…
MkX has scored big with his newest single “Ghost” – this budding pop sensation spares no effort with a fantastic song that accomplishes the dual feat of making a personal statement with great artfulness and entertaining audiences with a highly musical and physical approach to performance. It’s a winning combination throughout. It’s been released with an accompanying video that emphasizes the intense connection MkX feels exists between his music and…
Matteo Markus Bok’s energetic new holiday song “This Christmas” is able to have a current and contemporary sound while drawing heavily on the traditional jazz sound of the middle 20th century. The vocal range that Bok reaches during This Christmas allows the track to have a much deeper and more alluring sound, as Matteo is able to add considerably to the overall melody of the composition. When there are so…
The new single “It’s Christmas” from the Phil MC EP “Epiphany” is available worldwide on major music sites including iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify and Amazon.