On Passion, Milky Chance are able to create an infectious groove and a bit of wry vocal delivery. The bassy beat that weaves its way through Passion glues these parts together, creating an alt-dance track that will appease fans of MGMT and Crystal Castles. The layered approach that Milky Chance use here differentiates Passion from similar fare, ensuring that listeners will continue to find new twists and turns even multiple…
Say It Back, the latest effort by Summer Colds, looks back to 1990s alternative rock for inspiration. This lo-fi track contains considerable guitar fuzz and booming drums. The raw charisma exhibited here by Nic pushes this effort into rotation-ready territory. Say It Back’s bridge gives fans a few seconds to catch their breath before moving back into the hooky, power-pop-infused sound that initiated things. This is a home run for…
“Single of the Year,” the new single from Maddye Trew (out May 23 via TLG/Virgin/Trew Blue), is a slow-burning triumph of barroom melancholy and clever lyrical craftsmanship. More than just a fun country ditty, it’s a layered and emotionally resonant track that sits comfortably at the crossroads of modern Americana and classic Nashville storytelling. WEBSITE: https://www.maddyetrew.com/ Where many artists chase the sonic trends of pop-country, Trew digs her boots deeper…
On The Gardener, D. Boone Pittman is able to making an endearing country track that will have listeners recalling their own families. The raw passion and emotion that D. Boone showcases here is nothing less than extraordinary. One can easily pick up exactly how much their grandmother meant to them. Pittman’s ability to not only tell a story but to add to the overall harmonies of the track is unmatched;…
Allbrook Station’s “Chimerical” is a song that possesses all of the things necessary for the band to garner some serious rock radio airplay. There are assertive drums, utterly charismatic vocals, and a brooding production that will draw in fans of acts like Seether and Falling in Reverse. Allbrook Station crafts something familiar but utterly their own; this is the sort of rock that works perfectly no matter whether one is working…
On Classy, A-Wax 1 Million is able to build upon the California sound refined by performers like E-40 and Too Short. The song’s production is perio-daccurate while possessing all the hooks necessary to have listeners fall in love with the single. There is a sublime confidence that is exuded by A-Wax 1 Million that further converts anyone that’s happened upon the single. The sub-2 minute run time of Classy showcases…
The remix William Odell Hughes’ “Loving You Was Easy” is an utter bop, calling back to the late 1970s funk and disco movements. The dulcet tones presented here by William are simply a sight to behold. The crispness of the instrumentation is perhaps the best side of the single, representing a pillowy surface upon which William’s vox can leisurely relax. Loving You Was Easy has enough clarity to it that…
On Follow, LNX-T.N.T. OVAPROOF is able to make a definitive statement. The strong vocals here are matched nicely by the single’s instrumentation. The bit of echo that follows each lyrical line does a good job in gluing together these two segments, making Follow a song that could easily slot in modern rap or reggae charts. The repitition of the titular phrase ensures that listeners will be singing along with the…
On “Choosing The Rubicon”, andrew reed & the liberation are able to tell a tell of assertiveness and capturing one’s goals. The rising and falling action of the track are absolutely engrosdsing. While the band can be whipped into a frenzy, there is a considerable amount of the song’s run time that showcases a more tempered, emotional side. This yin and yang results in Choosing The Rubicon being one of…
andrew reed & the liberation’s “Pulsar (I Came, I Saw, I Conquered)” starts with an insistent piano line that gradually cedes ground to taut instrumentation. The driving combination of the guitars and bass ferry the song to an arena rock style (think Styx meets Pink Floyd). Of particular note this time out has to be the intricacies established by that act. Facts need to strap on their favorite pair of…
Thunder In My Soul is an assertive rock track that blends together progressive rock, thrash metal, and psychedelic music in a fashion that will have listeners firmly sitting at the edges of their seats. Each part of the band’s latest single provides something slightly different for fans. The sizzling guitar work punctuates the single, while Andrew’s vox do well in establishing a late-1980s-infused style to Thunder In My Soul. With…
ILL Level has a hard-edged approach that will immediately get fans’ heads bopping. There’s a bit of grittiness here that feels like a mashup of Detroit and NYC styles. The intricacies of Phat Kat’s bars are nothing to sneeze at, while the hooky chorus act as a way to further highlight this approach. The distinct approaches of each side of this triad keeps ILL Level’s momentum high as it winds…
On “Play Ball”, Shaheed & DJ Supreme are able to create a very chill, laid-back track that will have fans singing along before the first play of the single concludes. The hopeful sound is generated not only from the lyrical flow, but from the keys and shuffling drums that comprises the single’s backing beats. Play Ball’s chorus is a whole other level of catchy; this is the sort of stuff…
On Too Late, The BreakBomb Project “Too Late” take listeners on a journey. The music video for Too Late is immediately able to draw in fans with brooding, emotive strings that approximate a cityscape. As additional elements enter into the frey, Too Late’s overall sound begins to shift and change. The fuzzy vocals are something for fans to pick up on, while the insistent dance beat tattoos itself deep into…
My God Is Amazing is a truly hopeful track by Mack Holland. The back and forth between the song’s chorus and Mack’s vocals pushes each to a higher level, while the song’s instrumentation is the glue that binds these two sections together. There is a timeless sound that is presented here ranging from the early 1990s R&B to a more contemporary gospel sound. The narrative that Mack presents here is…
On Motivation, Triple Blaxxx is able to defly maneuver between reggae, R&B and pop music styles. There are nods to performers like Akon and Wyclef Jean, all while the performer puts his own indelible stamp on the resulting song. The incorporation of gospel to Motivation’s periphery is smart, as it provides greater complexity to the song while bringing in fans of other musical styles. The hopeful message of Motivation will…
What an interesting effort by Jeff Schubert. His new track I’m The Quarterback! feels as if it is going all the way back to the mid-1980s with hints of the Fat Boys mixing with the Super Bowl Shuffle. The overall backing beat that plays at the bottom of I’m The Quarterback! seems to moor the cut into the bounce genre. The single’s bridge is something that comes out of left…
Medusa’s “Double Dutch” is a fun throwback rap track that builds upon the tradition of late-1990s performers like Lil Kim and Missy Elliott. The bars that listeners will encounter during Double Dutch are absolutely intense, head-bopping lyrics that both ferry the song’s narrative elements while contributing to the overall beat of the track. I particularly appreciate the different approaches that Madusa adopts here, as there are minor changes to the…
Blacq Prodigal’s For What You Have Done is an engrossing track that is very grounded in the traditional gospel sounds of the 20th century, while adding a multi-media component (see embedded video) that grants further depth to the track. As a result, these three sides (vocals, instrumentation, and emotive visual performance) will keep listeners firmly in their seats until the drums kick into higher gear. After this catalyst, Blacq Prodigal…
Tina Leon grants her audience access into her inner world of romance with the release of her debut full length album, “Push & Pull”. The title represents the emotional charge that empowers this body of work. Through her songwriting, Leon reconciles the tension between the warm affections of romantic partnerships, and the strenuous moments of disappointment that come from these same relationships. The desire to support and nurture is an…