This Seoul, Korea trio is less a band in the usual sense than they are creators of moods, other-worldly sounds and heavy metal tapestries. Giving off a unique mixture of hard rock fused with unexpected Korean musical traditions, they make atypical twists and turns with regard to volume, tempo, atmosphere and instruments used. Songs rolling along with a biting, American industrial vibe one minute may turn into monastic soundscapes focusing…
Kate Brown is able to create a deep, detailed, and nuanced sound with the newest single, “6 Shots”. The track seems deceptively simple in that it contains Brown’s vocals and a guitar line as the focal point of the composition. However, the rich western tradition that she draws upon here acts as a backdrop separating her from other performers. Impassioned, intense, and with technical skill in droves, Brown is able to…
Nick de la Hoyde’s “Never Gonna Beg For It” is a sultry, sexy track that is an impressive blend of vocals and arrangements. The effort links together hints of Trey Songz, The Weeknd, and Miguel while allowing Nick ample opportunity to make his own unique style bubble through.
The production that opens up Mxlcxlm z’s latest album After Party will immediately draw listeners in. There is a vibrancy to the arrangements here (laid down by KFM beats)that threaten to overwhelm the lyrical flow present. The dynamic established by KFM beats is spun off into a bold, different direction during Can’t get enough and Aint fa’ me. The backing beat that is created during each is more low key…
It didn’t exactly seem so at the time, but the Dixie Chicks were more punk rock than just about any band while Bush Jr. was in the White House. Sure they seemed like just another Saccharine Southern Country band from Texas when their major label debut “Wide Open Spaces” came out in 1998, but soon after they would start to show an admirable “Screw it, we’re going to speak our…
I’m a Sweetwater Hillbilly is a timeless track that ties together guitars, drums, soulful vocals and flutes. This introductory single to the latest Sweetwater Hillbillies album, Take Me to the Mardi Gras, present fans with a brief taste of what they will experience over the following 13 tracks. Alabama Hippie is a similarly-dense track. The bouncing beat of the track calls back to the country & western of the 1970s, while…
The electronic-infused rock that begins the latest Soles of Passion album “Escape from Jurisdiction B” hearkens back to the halcyon days of the mid-1980s. The act is able to create something wholly unique through the entirety of this album, bolstered by sizzling guitar work, a chugging bass, and an emotive and alluring set of vocals. The complex arrangements that are fostered through Wheezy Hissy Fit will require listeners multiple listens to…
Deborah Henriksson has just released a haunting and beautiful cover version of Clannad’s “Harry’s Game”. Henriksson’s ability is enough to unite the instrumental and vocal sides of the composition into a cohesive entity. The rich tapestry that is weaved through the track’s three minutes will stick with listeners long after the song has ceased to play. The multimedia component of this single is completed by its video. The shots imbue each…
All That I Have is the opening effort from Bryan Deister’s Spines of the Heart, an intense track that is able to hurtle listeners to the end with a unique blend of electronic and more alternative vocal elements. Responding Well changes things up to have a more atmospheric and twinkling sound; the different tack taken here prepares listeners for In Her Eyes. In Her Eyes builds off of the trip-hop…
Give Me A Groove is an eclectic track that will immediately get up people on the dance store. Hints of funk, soul, and dance all vie for dominance. A sizzling guitar line ties the disparate elements together, establishing high momentum as listeners move into Sexy Cutie. Sexy Cutie builds on a timeless base (hints of Isaac Hayes and James Brown) while establishing a dense instrumentation replete with horns and ropy…
Ronjo V’s Ronjoism starts with Un-Friend, an impassioned piece of indie-rock that sparkles with the careful dynamic established by the vocals, guitars, and piano. A bit of fuzz links together these disparate elements, giving the track a timeless feel that will appease fans of alternative from the 1990s, oughts, and current. The progression of the track imbues the effort with considerable catchiness, ensuring that listeners will eagerly devour the opening…
Dawn to Dusk begins with Lucy, an effort that links together jazz and funk into a chill package; Judy La Rose’s vocals will immediately tattoo themselves deep into the psyche of listeners. Lewontin Campbell is an extraordinarily complex track that will require listeners multiple listens to fully understand. While there is a very easy-listening, lounge-meets-soul sound that plays at the top level of the composition, there are so many elements…
Bones immediately sets the stage for the rest of Stealin’ Thunder. This blues feels sunbaked and straight from the bayou. Soulful vocals, intelligent instrumentation, and a band that is working as a cohesive unit immediately will draw together fans of rock, country, and blues-rock.
Stop refreshes The Tubes, Van Halen, and Thin Lizzy into a chunky, funky, second coming of blues-rock bands. By pulling in other approaches (listeners can hear hints of progressive rock and acts as wide-reaching as The Black Crowes, Jane’s Addiction, and Alice in Chains), Goren is able to ensure that listeners on firmly on the edges of their seats through the entirety of the Save My Soul EP. The titular…
You Bring Me Luck is a perfectly-polished bit of pop that has a timeless feel to it; Athena is able to showcase tremendous amounts of personality with a backing instrumentation that is that the top of their game. Everything to Me has hints of alternative rock interspersed through it, with Athena’s vocals pulling double duty in both weaving the narrative as well as contributing to the lush instrumentation of the…
Space is the opening effort on Oziris’ Spore and it will immediately draw listeners in through otherworldly percussion. This initial arrangement will tattoo itself melodies deep into listeners’ minds, while a clap track provides the counterpoint for the inimitable flow of Oziris.
They may be less than two years removed from their last record, Sunswimmer, but the Athens, GA band New Madrid have grown substantially confidant in that time. Their latest, magnetkingmagnetqueen, is a far more ambitious record, more experimental and it works – most of the time. The vocals may get a little lost in the swirl of guitars, (especially on a song like the sonically brutal “Shades”) but the fact…
Bright Side of the Line is the latest release from San Diego’s Sometimes Julie; the album starts out with the polished and catchy introduction, Emily. The track does a tremendous job at inviting listeners in, while the disc’s second effort, the titular Bright Side of the Line, is an impressive effort. The impassioned vocals link up with sizzling guitar work and on-point drumming to make for something that will stick…
Bullet, the latest effort from Heiress to Atlas includes bits of Icona Pop and La Roux. The rich vocals provide a theme for the track as well as unite with the percussion and synths to create something that will tattoo its melodies deep into the psyche of listeners. The slight separation between the time signatures of the instrumentation and the vocals keeps things interesting from the beginning to the end.…
Can’t Stop Loving You, the latest single by London’s Beckwith, is a touching composition that soars due to strong vocals and a production that does tremendous work utilizing instrumentation, vocals, and the space in-between them. Touches and improves upon the framework of artists like Ed Sheeran and John Mayer, with hints of an earlier alt-rock tradition (Counting Crows, Soul Asylum) that are peppered through the single. With Can’t Stop Loving…