To be honest there are a slew of Roy Orbison albums out there packed with “hits” and “best of” tracks, but this latest 26-track offering from Legacy is among the best to date, including his late career tracks and going all the way back to his legendary Sun Records period.
A Little More Country is the latest album from Michael Van and The Movers. Little More Country’s titular effort seamlessly blends together the easy-going rock of the seventies with a current and contemporary country style (exemplified by Florida-Georgia Line and Brad Paisley. The bubbling opening shifts into something pulling from the country and western tradition of the 1960s and 1970s, Gettin Drunk On A Monday. Coming forth with each effort built off…
We last checked in with Violet Night for the release of their I Hope You’re Well, which showcased a wide variety of styles over the course of four tracks. The band has just released a new single, North, which does well to further expand the tool set available to the band while building off of some the influences and styles that made their previous EP so memorable. North is a…
Chip Gibbons’ Billion Dollar Pill begins with the titular single, which will have listeners focused in to Gibbons’ vocals. While the instrumentation provides a deep and intricate sound to the opening point to the EP, there is much greater gravity to the discussion that is weaved by the vocals. Hints of Warren Zevon, Phil Ochs, and Neil Young can be heard alongside Gibbons’ charismatic voice. A solid production unites these two…
It was only a matter of time before The Hickoids, the definition of Texas Cow Punk, put out a covers album features tunes exclusively penned by Lone Star Staters.
Mike Watt has always been a musician’s musician. The go-to-guy who’s always namechecked in discussions on old punk rock influences. Thanks to his groundbreaking work with the Minutemen, fIREHOSE and eventual his solo stuff, he managed to built up a strong cult following as well, but he never really got much attention in the mainstream until his first solo album, the stellar Ball Hog or Tugboat in 1995.
At this point, you pretty much know what you’re getting with a NOFX record. If not, happy belated birthday! I’m assuming you were just born.
Unkle Adams’ The 90s comes forth with a rap flow that links together Macklemore, mc chris, and 3rd Bass. A laid-back song, The 90s is able to smartly bring together nostalgia with a current, contemporary sound. Unkle Adams takes listeners on a journey with this single, an effort that will have fans searching up all the events, pop-culture references, and other allusions that Unkle Adams makes here.
Uncle Frank is able to create a retro-heavy dance track in Fountains that builds off of the funk of the 1970s and the electronic music styles of the 1980s to make something fun and wholly unique. Fountains has the echoing guitars, immaculate production and oozing sexuality of an earlier era; bits of Prince, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Flock of Seagulls can all be heard here. Fountains is a sly,…
Alessandro Coli’s Flames is a powerful pop track that has just enough of an edge to stand out in bold opposition to much of the music currently garnering radio play.
Sky Katz is the rare example of a rapper that can be young and come forth with a taut flow that easily tattoos itself deep into the mind and hearts of listeners. The production of her original track Party Ain’t A Party provides ample highlighting for Katz’s confident lyrics.
The instrumental-heavy opening to “Choke” showcases the technical skill of HEIRSOUND. Stakes are raised when the back and forth of the band’s vocals interact with a deliberate arrangement to make for something dark, brooding, and tremendously emotive.
Mummy Dance by CHARACULA! is an eclectic track. Hints of Alice Cooper, Machine Head, and HIM represent the blueprint upon which CHARACULA! builds upon. Heavy chugging guitars, intense drums, and a supersonic set of vocals make for an authoritative, brutal single.
The new single by LEL Brothas, “Bad Guy”, is a tremendously hard-hitting track that will burn its way into fans’ brains. Hints of horrorcore (e.g. Tech N9ne, Gravediggaz) can be heard here, but the beauty of Bad Guy has to be the inimitable vocal styles of the act.
HEIRSOUND create an engrossing indie / alternative rock-infused track that combines twinkling instrumentation and a pensive, thoughtful feeling. A lush production allows the dual vocals, drums, synths, and guitars ample opportunity to shine singularly and as a combination of elements.
A powerful track, Nicky Romero’s Take Me utilizes the vocals of Colton Avery to tattoo a melody deep into listeners’ souls. The instrumental / vocal dynamic that is crafted here pushes each to an entirely higher plateau. Part of the beauty of Take Me has to be the diversity of approaches that Romero utilizes.
Over 16 years and across more than half a dozen albums, the Dublin-based Bell X1 has seen their numbers swell and fall – they are now a tight trio; they’ve dabbled in folk pop and synth rock and have ended up somewhere in between; and with their latest, “Arms,” they have attempted to reset all expectations and in doing so have turned in one of their most consistently satisfying albums…
Milana May’s “Crazy Boy” is a haunting effort that immediately draws fans in through a blending of atmospheric and expansive instrumentation. A pop-forward set of vocals do two distinct things over the course of the track’s duration. These vocals add considerably to the harmonies achieved with the song, along with providing a distinct counterpoint to the instrumental arrangement.
Debris is an electronic-infused pop track that links together ambient, trip-hop, and glitch into a song that both bolsters the vocals while giving music aficiandos something to sink their teeth into. The instrumentation that plays at the back of Debris is impressive, rising and falling to keep listeners firmly on the edges of their seat.
Roses for Ghosts’ “Beauty’s Sweetest Dress” is a power-pop track that builds off of the framework initially laid down by Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, and Bowling For Soup. The band spins in a bold new direction with an electronic-infused double step, giving Beauty’s Sweetest Dress a considerable boost.