Lonesomeville starts out DocFell & Co.’s “Dust Bowl Heart”, a rapid track that links together 1950s and 1960s country with dusty desert rock, a hint of rockabilly, and is tied together through the musical arrangements that immediately take listeners’ breaths away.
On “Visitors”, Howard Simon provides a taut, focused instrumentation and new takes on a number of earlier genres. Albion is set up as the introductory track, providing fans with a brief run-down of the styles to be experienced throughout the rest of the disc. In Her Name utilizes two sets of vocals to add further depth to the albums. I feel that the multi-layered approach that Howard Simon uses here ensures…
Natalise + The Sunset Run start their Glimpses of the Sun EP with Abandon, a genre-defying track that touches upon rock, pop-country, and alternative before concluding. Natalise’s vocals soar brightly over this introductory track, acting as a glue that unites the guitars, drums, and bass. With an unfettered success out of the gate, Natalise + The Sunset Run move into their Love Unconditional. Love Unconditional slows things down for a brief moment.…
Mark Reitenga’s Unsung begins with The Detroit Blues, an effort that blends a close and cozy sound with a set of vocals that pull from Paul Simon and Dave Matthews. There is a timeless sound to this introductory track, richly playing upon the titular genre and a bit of folk. The track is able to immerse listeners into the unique sound of Reitenga in the space of 2:30.
Wanderlilly is the first track off of Fort Collins act Race To Neptune’s Oh Contraire. The track is a bold statement, creating something wholly unique in an era of musical conformity. Passionate vocals, a ropy bass line, and a frantic pace ensure that listeners are firmly planted at the edges of their seats.
Daphne Willis begins her Freaks Like Me with a soulfully-sang effort that draws upon influences as wide as Nancy Sinatra and Elle King. A plinking piano and walking bass line make for an engrossing introduction to Freaks Like Me. Out Of The Black is a high-energy, electronic-based song in the vein of La Roux or Meghan Trainor. The bass is again a prominent effort, giving a funky infusion to a track that…
Jason Andrew Brown is able to create a sort of pop-country that will have listeners singing along after the disc’s first spin. During Shine Sun Shine, funk, surf rock, and a charismatic set of countrified vocals tattoo their melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Emptiness is Forever is an effort that anyone that has lost a loved one will be able to understand. During this single, Brown’s…
Morningblind is a duo that is comprised of Richard Hayden and Sandra Bossy Retti. The EP begins with The Spring, a track that immediately showcases the dynamic between the two. There is a rich narrative that is weaved through this introductory effort, with all of the passion and emotion of a play. The track is hard to categorize; the guitar work draws on a classical style while Sandra’s vocals build…
Many Mountains is a triad of performers from Colorado; their Lost in Love is an engrossing EP, conveying more over the course of four songs than many bands can hope to impart upon their fans in 10. I feel that this is due to the engrossing instrumentation, the ability for each member of the band to shine alone or together, and a sound that is wholly unique while able to…
Up and coming artist Pixelfox has really struck a chord, no pun intended, with his latest release “Journey Room”. The album is deep and melodic reminding listeners of 80’s pop with a modern flair. Compelling rhythm and solid production makes the album interesting and worth playing again and again. This is a very strong release for a debut album of such a young artist. The album itself is deep and…
I think we can collectively agree that 2016 was a fucking brutal year to be a music fan. The grim reaper took Prince, David Bowie, Leon Russell, Leonard Cohen, George Michael and Merle Haggard. It also took Guy Clark from us, one of the best songwriters of his generation and a wildly influential Americana-artist, a precursor to everyone from Todd Snider to Wilco and the Old 97s.
The single “I Am Love” by Montrell of 47radar is a soulful song about love in its truest form. Montrell’s voice is stirring and fervent, it perfectly complements the track allowing the sensual yet loving vibe to capture the listener.
18 year old Dallas, Texas native Colin Onderdonk’s debut album Proximity Effect has to be the single best album that I have heard in the Christian rock genre this year. His voice is powerful and projects his love for Christ while his talent is something that any fan of music can appreciate. Each song from the album is philosophical and extremely thought provoking.
Since 2007, Missouri’s favorite sons have been churning out one great alt country/indie rock album after another and 10 years later they show no signs of giving up the ghost. “Heart-Shaped Mountain,” their fifth record is just as strong as anything they have put out before. Apparently, the band was already a week into recording this album when a hardware crash deleted everything they had recorded. The crisis forced the…
“Make It Be” is a Lo-Fi/Power Pop dream team mash up. The album pairs lo-fi legend R. Stevie Moore, who has played on hundreds of albums going back to 1969, with Jason Falkner, who aside from his solo work is best known for the brilliant and short-lived early ‘90s Power Pop band Jellyfish.
There is something heartening about a kid raised in the ‘90s who doesn’t immediately track to the obvious pop punk or neo-emo clichés in making music. Ron Gallo’s New West Records debut (and second solo album), draws in from a deep well of garage rockers, psychedelic pop and classic punk and just about everything in between. The fuzz-laden guitar riffs on the first few songs sound like them came out…
Soles Of Passion’s “Turned It All Around” is a musically intense track that is interspersed with Trump sound bites. The track is able to tie together psychedelic, alternative, and progressive rock. We are big fans of the dichotomy established between the softer, dreamier vocals and the punctual, on point drums, bass, and guitars that create the backdrop for the act.
Cara-Mel’s current mixtape, Racial Profile, begins with Music Diary. This track is hard-hitting, with a particularly evil sounding backing beat setting the stage for the rest of the release. Cara-Mel is able to tie together influences including Lil Kim, T.I., and MC Lyte. The repetition used for the chorus ensures that listeners will be sitting on the edges of their seats.
AV Super Sunshine’s Spider Wedding is a progressive rock track in the vein of Jethro Tull or Pendragon. The band intelligently uses silence to provide considerable highlighting to the contemplative arrangements and rich vocals interspersed here. I see Spider Wedding as a track in the mold of a massive high fantasy tome. The guitar that rises and falls during this single adds an additional level of depth to an already-heady…
Los Angeles based Folk singer Les Bohem recently released his latest recording, Moved To Duarte, it’s quite immersive with 21 tracks. Each track provides a look into Les’ soul as he sings, this album is a lyrical confessional. My personal favorite from the recording is “When We Used To Get High”. Les’ voice is melodic and persistent; the lyrics are full of meaning and soul. When Les sings it’s reminiscent…