Bruce Mountain Band begin their “Another Day Lost” with Shine On, a track that blends together psychedelic and hard rock. The vocals take influence from Motorhead and AC/DC, while the sizzling guitar work and on-point drumming allow this track to immediately ensnare listeners. Namaste has the band bring forth a tremendous amount of emotion in little more than an instrumental opening. When the vocals enter into the equation, the track is…
Ori is the introductory effort on Floxy Bee’s Gbangba Lasata, and it does a tremendous job in uniting a traditional sort of music with hints of jazz, gospel, and soul. The tremendous power of Floxy Bee’s vocals will keep listeners on the edges of their seats, while the multiple harmonies that become commonplace during the track imbue the early part of the album with great depth. Iba succeeds because of…
It turns out all the handwringing about the death of guitar bands was a little premature. On their fourth effort, Gleasons Drift prove riff-heavy barroom rock is still alive and thriving. Based out of the coal region of Northeast Pennsylvania, just a little north of Philly, Gleasons Drift play straight forward rock, reminiscent of everyone from The Replacements to Springsteen in his less moody periods. It’s seems pretty appropriate that…
SPEX’s latest effort “The Calling” is a skillful blend of EDM, rap, reggae, and pop. The high energy that the track possesses will keep listeners on the edges of their seats from the beginning to the end of the track, while SPEX tattoos the melodies of the single deep into listeners’ minds.
The titular effort on Time Slow Down has a hopeful demeanor, drawing heavily upon the folk style of the middle part of the twentieth century. Smart instrumentation keeps on time as Hughes is able to weave a rich narrative. One of a Kind has an intense, sizzling guitar line that works masterfully with the splashy percussion and Neil Young-infused vocals.
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…