The style of rock that is created by Pockets ties together psychedelic, Iggy Pop meets Velvet Underground NYC rock, and Brit-pop in a cohesive package. A multi-layered approach to the band’s latest single Ten Different Names is enough to make listeners stand up and take note. Echoing guitars, bold vocals, and perfectly punctual drums make for something that stands up to repeat listens. The production laid down by John Tomaino…
In Your Eyes, eM’s latest single, is a true multimedia experience that expands beyond the recorded word. The single bridges the gap between pop, R&B and dance music to create something wholly unique. The rich blend of instrumental and vocal elements makes for a fulfilling track. This depth of scope ensures that fans will have to spin the single a number of times before hearing everything that eM has inserted…
Mad World is the latest single from Atlanta’s Dalicia La Fleur; the cut blends together funk, disco, R&B, and pop styles into an intense track that will have listeners getting on the dance floor. While La Fleur’s vocals are front and center for this single, other highlights on Mad World are the larger than life bass line and the interplay between the distinct elements on the song. An extended instrumental interlude acts…
Waiting For The Snowfall is a slow and emotionally intense track that builds into something beautiful. Erik’s vocals cover a tremendous amount of ground, highlighted at all the right points through a perfectly-produced arrangement.
Won’t Go With The Flow is the first track on Robert Nix’s latest release, Once in a Blue Moon. The track ties together the sounds of acts like The Cure, Psychedelic Furs and Depeche Mode. There is a complexity to the composition here that ensures that listeners will be able to pick out new twists and turns each time they play the single. The intricate instrumentation is a common thread that…
The stories told in the previous series of Downton Abbey have kept viewers on each side of the pond eagerly anticipating what will happen in the final series of the show, season 6. The episodes here have been shown over the course of the last quarter of last year, keeping the same high level of quality that other episodes have tempered viewers to expect. This time around a number of…
The Underground is a track that immediately hits listeners with a complex lyrical flow, matched with a production that links together the mid-oughts New York sound with just enough J. Dilla and Dr. Dre to keep things interesting. KenWord’s style allows for hard-hitting bars all while an erudite word choice separates KenWord from the rest of the pack. The flute sample provides highlighting to the lyrics on The Underground; the…
Barcelona’s Luis DH creates a retro-infused track in his latest, Run Away (Hometown) that inserts and infectious bass line into darkly emotive vocals. Hints of New Wave and the Minneapolis scene of the early eighties can be picked up here. Luis DH is able to make this track incredibly catchy, with enough complexity to make the effort stand up to multiple spins. A bright and sunny instrumentation ensures that listeners…
City of Dreams is an atmospheric track that has enough in the way of intensity to immediately catch the minds and hearts of listeners. The sheer depth of the composition is such that listeners will spin the effort a number of times before hearing every twist and turn that has been included here. A blend of Mariah Carey, Portishead, and Bjork makes this a wholly different single than anything else…
The Sum of Life showcases contemplative and deep guitar work, with Smith’s output influenced by folk, Americana, and singer-songwriter styles. The richness of this introductory composition is enough to invite listeners in, while songs like Blues Guitar Slinger change up the status quo by creating a Bayou-based bit of rock. A strong set of vocals provide the perfect counterpoint for the sizzling guitar work that is weaved through the track.
Jon Pattie is able to create something special when it comes to his “Pieces” single, taken from the The Home Inside My Head EP. This effort showcases a twinkling instrumentation and a richly emotive set of vocals. Taken together, these elements create a dreamy pop track that builds into a fuzzier sort of indie rock. The rising actions and otherworldly sound of the penultimate seconds of Pieces provide great gravitas…
Brand It On Me is a R&B infused effort that has Diamond tattoo his vocal melodies deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Hints of Ne*yo and Akon can be heard here, but the backing instrumentation is the most surprising effort here. 80s synths, smart sequencing, and a bit of an edge makes this into an effort that would do well in dance clubs and raunchy rap bars alike.
A Beach And You is a sunny testament to true love. The distinct elements of the tracks combine to create something utterly special; Apfel intersperses his vocals with intricately-sequenced keys. By ensconcing considerable depth in a poppy introduction, Apfel is able to go into further complexity in subsequent songs. Comin Home To You builds upon the same wistful remembrance of A Beach And You; the dual duty done by Apfel…
Ottawa’s Dead Air Republic creates a heavy, hard, and sludgy form of metal that will assault listeners from the beginning until the ending of their new release, With Extreme Prejudice Just Another Bullet is the first cut off of their latest, taking up the standards of Corrosion of Conformity, Arrested Sevenfold, and ratchets it up to ten. Taking turns in the spotlight, the constituent members of Dead Air Republic create…
New York’s Pontus starts off his latest release, the IV EP, in a very challenging way. He has front-loaded Ten, a ten-minute composition, requiring listeners to immediately strap in and experience his unique form of progressive metal. The song weaves intricate arrangements that will keep listeners on the edges of their seats; challenging popular conceptions about time signatures or complex arrays of instrumental interaction, IV’s beginning tells a tremendous story…
Whiskey is the first track off of the For Mama EP by Oklahoma’s Small Town Sound, providing fans with an intricate and soulful style that blends together equal amounts alternative, singer-songwriter, and even country styles. The act’s vibrancy kicks into high gear shortly after the track begins; Small Town Sound is able to showcase the allure of alcohol with the somber (sober) beginning and the eclectic, energy-filled second section (after…
Till Dawn is a sultry, emotive, and intense single from Aiym, which immediately strikes listeners with nods to Kelly Clarkson, Pink, and Lady Gaga. Aiym’s vocals do more than tell a story as they join with the instrumentation to push each side to an entirely higher plateau. The tempestuous instrumentation shines in the background of Till Dawn, while listeners will be impressed with the sheer range of notes that Aiym…
What’s That is a smart bit of rap that showcases a deep and detailed flow from London’s SinForCalais. The track benefits from an inventive sort of instrumentation that will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. There is a timeless sound to this flow that will please fans of late nineties, oughts, and current forms of rap music. The melodies that are achieved with this ornate vocal…
Leave the Light On is a slow and deliberate track, providing listeners with a sound that will stick with them long after this introductory effort has ceased to spin. The track represents the perfect slow dance effort, building up into a place where the sheer range of Kohr’s vocal abilities can be discerned. This backing instrumentation creates something special, providing the right amount of pizzazz for this song.
Creeper is a high-energy track that has each of the constituent elements of Bad Mary creating a charismatic and musically dense effort that will stick with fans long after the track has ceased to play. Marz Attaqx is an effort that builds off of the work of late-1990s Lookout acts while having a crispness to the composition speaks to the current state of rock music. Multi-part harmonies are used to…