Holly Elle’s newest track I’m Scared a track that stuns with its simplicity and raw vocal power. There is little more to this effort than Elle’s vocals and a piano arrangement. Together, these two elements combine to make for something as passionate as anything Rufus Wainwright or Kelly Clarkson could create.
Get Dead’s second album, Honesty Lives Elsewhere, is gritty, a little sloppy and the veneer has been completely stripped down to the primer – which is everything a punk rock album should be. Recorded in their San Francisco hometown between responsibilities to their day jobs and families, there is an urgency here not found in many of the poppier punk bands that have flooded the market over the years.
Daniel Correa creates a tremendously catchy pop-rock track that is influenced by reggae, ska, and individual acts like 311 and Magic!. The richness of Daniel’s vocals is matched only by the swirling instrumentation that is given ample opportunities to shine.
Last Kiss, the current single by Colette Kavanagh, is a touching effort that immediately draws listeners in with warm production and nuanced instrumentation. The rising and falling of Colette’s voice during Last Kiss builds upon the framework established by Sheryl Crow and Natalie Grant.
On break from doing co-lead vocal duties in the Brooklyn-based San Fermin, Allen Tate doesn’t stray far from the musical territory of that band with this solo effort Though this first go alone is less intricately orchestrated than his main band – with a focus more on the poetic lyrics than the minimalist music – Tate’s fever dream vocals are the trademark which he carries into anything he does.
For fans of disco and early dance music, the name Anita Ward will bring fond memories. Ward’s Ring My Bell was a massive hit in 1979 and still garners radio play. Not content with the fame brought by Ring My Bell (and Don’t Drop My Love after that), Ward released her Another Big Mistake. This 2016 single showcases Anita staying true to her roots with a bold, bouncy beat and inimitable…
June Is the Coldest Time is a haunting, expansive track that immediately requires listeners to focus on each movement that Alien Skin includes. This bold gambit provides listeners with some semblance of where Alien Skin is going to go on his latest release. The sound of this first single is reminiscent of Spandau Ballet and The Smiths. Hints of electronic fuzz bring a bit more ambient and techno into the…
The straight-forward, fuzzy punk music that Lexington’s Rampancy At Midnight create during Spooky and the Karoushi is tremendously catchy. The guitar work present at this early part of their current EP Late is the Hour will immediately draw listeners in, while the frantic and haunting vocals that play at the top of the track further very the track. Hints of surf, psychedelic, and desert rock all can be discerned with this opening…
Janey Street creates a tender and complex track with her latest single, (I’m Not) The Girl I Used to Know. The stripped-down instrumentation that represents the backing beat is assertive with little more than a guitar and set of drums.
Paper Pilots craft a unique form of electronic-infused alternative rock. A distinct set of vocals shine above the track, building off of the style of R.E.M. and They Might Be Giants. A bit of California rock from the sixties and the instrumental brilliance of the mid-nineties are the cornerstones of Paper Pilot’s output here.
The short-lived Scottish jangle pop band Close Lobsters never really got the recognition of some of their peers like Aztec Camera or R.E.M., but damn did they deserve it. Around just long enough to put out two proper albums in the late ‘80s, the band disappeared soon after. They reformed in 2012 to play a handful of festivals and again in 2014 to play another festival and release the two-song…
Summer Job is the latest single from Boston’s J Roy Champion, a track that immediately kicks into high gear due to the gritty flow that issues forth. Kloud Nine’s production on Summer Job is distinctive, building off of the work of J. Dilla and Dr. Dre, providing considerable highlights to J Roy Champion’s lyrics.
Good To See You, the latest effort from Berlin’s 7field, draws upon the rich tradition of The Velvet Underground and Tom Waits. The gravitas created by the brooding instrumentation and deliberate percussion is considerable, while the rich, smoky timbre of 7field’s vocals puts the cherry on top of the song’s sundae. Twinkling piano works with an atmospheric, expansive sound to merry together the two parts of Good To See You. There are…
Hotei’s Move It is a powerful hard-rock track that utilizes the inimitable vocals of Richard Z. Kruspe (Rammstein). Hotei’s ability to meld industrial rock together with a downright funky groove makes Move It into a must-listen single
The United Kingdom’s SEEP AWAY creates a powerful piece of sludge metal on Snakes that has a bit of early Deftones chugging, the guitar crunch of Black Sabbath, and the distinct vocals that tie up each section. Again, the B-side to Snakes, drops some of the outward heaviness to allow the punkier elements of the band to shine through.
Chelsea Shag brings back a bit of the disco beat with her latest track, New Perfume. Emotive guitars, thick bass lines, and sweeping synths build on top of an assertive drum. Shag’s vocals on New Perfume are strong and confident; she infuses each note with nods to The Breeders, Natalie Cole, and Adele. New Perfume’s extended instrumental interlude provide the perfect basis for Shag to enter back into the track in…
Stormy Strong’ Holiday is a rock track that has hints of pop-punk and indie-rock. The band creates a retro/looking-back sort of sound that deftly links together alternative rock, ska, punk, and indie styles.
Bjorn Ingar Pedersen instrumental electronic music that builds upon the electronic music of the early 1990s. Hints of drum n bass, Kraftwerk-like synths, and a bit of wobble on Trance Experience, the disc’s first effort, keep individuals interested and focused in on the next track, Lightning Strike. The synths that begin Lightning Strike are quickly spun out into a wide variety of styles. The starry, sleek sound that Pedersen creates during…
Imagine the metalcore-world we live in now, where Asking Alexandria is still trying to find its way back to its metalcore roots, and Bring Me The Horizon have arguably made the decision to go in a more commercialized direction with their new record. Pray tell where should we find our new Warped Tour-core messiahs now? I have found the answer: Bad Omens. They are setting the scene on fire with…
The Commuters create a touching track that ties together a strong piano line and wispy, raspy vocals. The track is pushes further with the inclusion of brilliant strings. The Commuters are able to tug on listeners’ heartstrings with You’ll Stay Right Here.