Theft of the Sky is a slinky rock track that links together the electro-pop of acts like INXS with bits of 1990s acts like Stabbing Westward and Savage Garden. By making something old and frayed new and alluring, what Texture & Light do on their Inner Space Odyssey is immediately impacting and appeasing to a wide swath of fans. Pictures to Burn builds upon the same electro-infused style to make something hauntingly…
The third studio record from Sacramento-based Tesla, may not have offered a chart-topping ballad like 1989s “Great Radio Controversy” (“Love Song” was a staple of just about every high school mix tape for years on) or gotten the MTV love that Five Man Acoustical Jam warranted a year later, but song for song, “Psychotic Supper” is the band’s best record. Packaged by their label at the time as yet another…
Sara Watkins has called “Young in All the Wrong Ways” a break up album with herself. “I looked around and realized that in many ways I wasn’t who or where I wanted to be. It’s been a process of letting go and leaving behind patterns and relationships and in some cases how I’ve considered myself.”
Everpresent’s Hyponotic is a track that skillfully blends electronic and pop music styles from the 1980s, 1990s, and more contemporary sounds. This means that this introductory track is able to call forth comparisons to INXS, Peter Gabriel, Savage Garden and Linkin Park all in the space of three minutes. Dreamscape is a refreshing of the mid-1990s Pet Shop BOys and drum n bass styles into something brilliant; the strong female…
Bankewitz creates a track so infectious with his latest, Push it. Shake it. Feel it., that fans will be singing the hook through autumn. The momentum that is accumulated here keeps listeners on the dance floor. Bankewitz’s output works well in EDM and pop genres; the instrumental/vocal dichotomy established here pushes each side to an entirely higher plateau.
The Mute Gods, the band from the mind of renowned bassist, chapman stick player & vocalist Nick Beggs alongside Roger King (Steve Hackett) & Marco Minnemann, released their debut album ‘do nothing till you hear from me’ earlier this year to much acclaim. The band were recently nominated in two categories at the Progressive Music Awards 2016; Vanguard and Anthem for the track ‘Praying To A Mute God’. They have now revealed a…
Steel’s Good Vibes starts with an infectious synth beat and ties together hints of 1990s dance with hints of reggae and pop. The arrangements rise and fall during Good Vibes, allowing the vocals of Steel and Nychaela Symone ample opportunity to shine.
Diana Ebe’s Bold begins with a powerful vocal/synth opening before ratcheting up the intensity and going for an electronic/organic dichotomy. What ultimately results with Bold is a haunting, atmospheric sort of composition that works equally well in the EDM and pop genres.
Kate Brown is able to create a timeless track with her latest, Cartwheel, that ties together artists like Melissa Etheridge and Linda Perry. Cartwheel is a crossover track that will please fans of pop, the singer-songwriter tradition, and country music. A talented instrumentation ties together these disparate elements together and increases the replay value of the single considerably.
Rod Melancon starts off Lights of Carencro with a spoken-word styling similar to the Drive-By Truckers classic, Three Great Alabama Icons as well as late-career Johnny Cash tracks. Where Melancon innovates comes in an intricate, deep instrumentation that brings a wave of distortion at all of the right points.
Who I Am is the introductory track on Southern California’s Killing Tyranny’s latest, Martyr. The single ties together furious guitar work, supersonic vocals, and complex drums and bass that will have listeners on the edges of their seats. Caged continues this high momentum with growled vocals and pointed drum fills.
What The Dead Daisies do on their latest single “Long Way To Go” is create something that will raise heart rates; the cut sizzles with the fury of a thousand suns. “Long Way To Go” is down and dirty hard rock with plenty of riffs that build off of the work of Guns ‘N Roses and Megadeth.
Julia Kahn creates a hooky bit of pop-rock that ties together the singer-songwriter style of artists like Sheryl Crow with an impressive instrumentation that takes on hints of surf and psychedelic music. Together, these two elements combine to create something that is bouncy, fun, and stands up to repeat plays.
The Quality Of Mercury begin their new album Transmission with Deep Space, a microcosm of the styles and approaches that will come into greater focus on later cuts. Breathe in Stereo is a powerful track that ranges from emotive rock (e.g. Death Cab For Cutie, The Appleseed Cast) and progressive rock. There are so many twists and turns that listeners will experience during their time with Breathe in Stereo that the much…
ALEXANDRA’S Criminal is a wholly unique entry into pop music, succeeding through a tremendous blend of hard rock, supersonic vocals, and a fury that is unparalleled in current music. The production of the track allows all of the distinct drums, guitars, and vocals to shine on their own and as a coherent entity.
GoldKay’s Celebrate is an infectious track that links together the best parts of Flo Rida, Akon, and T-Pain. Hints of reggae, pop, and EDM can all be heard here. A robust drum beat and thick, ropy bass snakes its way through Celebrate, providing considerable depth to a sunny summer single.
Disoriented, from New York City’s K., immediately ramps up the momentum. Hard dance beats and ethereal vocals do a tremendous job in uniting 1990s and current forms of dance music, all while crafting a track in Disoriented (Close Your Eyes) that will get listeners out on the dance floor.
Belong is the opening effort on Shelita Burke’s latest EP, Five. The track ties together 1990s dance, drum and bass, trip-hop, and pop into something that will immediately capture listeners’ attentions. Together is a trap-infused track that perfectly matches together bassy and deep instrumentation with a set of vocals that build off of the framework established by Bjork, Jess Glynne, and Ingrid Michaelson. The two distinct sides of Together create…
Beautiful Machines’s Million Miles is an electronic-heavy rock linking together industrial bands with Stabbing Westward and Orgy. A hard-hitting drum sequence is weaved through the track, allowing Beautiful Machines the ability to cross over into EDM formats. The sheer range of the band is presented here, as an instrumental interlude is twisted and turned into something wholly different as the band resumes the main body of the sound. The instrumentation…
Fire To The Stars’ “Made Of Fire” is a powerful vocal-led track that shines not only from the sheer range achieved, but the dark, richly emotive arrangements that play in the background of the single.