Mr. Showbiz’ Showbiz Christmas is a high-energy track that hits on a variety of Christmas tropes while forging forth in a bold new direction. The track’s bells, hooky chorus, and smart repetition makes this into an earworm that will stick with listeners long after the season has came and went.
Freeways of Time is a standout single from Morgan Washam’s latest album, Blood Moon. This track has a timeless feel to it that ensures that fans of the 1970s pop-country of John Denver and John Berry can appreciate.
Hobbsy have just released a single for their latest single, I Am. The track is a gritty, hard-edged rock track that has enough vocal harmony to keep listeners on the edges of their seats. The dynamic between the vocals and the drums, guitars and bass make for something that stands up to repeat listens.
The shuffling, intense sound of the latest Bondurant (San Diego) single Crazy People will tattoo the track upon listeners’ minds. The falsetto that is weaved through this cut is catchy, building off of the trend of artists like Eric Nally (Foxy Shazam) and Adam Levine (Maroon 5). A clap-track and fuzzy guitar work give Crazy People a timeless sheen.
The Fourth Messenger is a musical written by Tanya Shaffer (lyrics) and performed by Vienna Teng (music). The rich rising and falling that begin The Human Experience ensures that listeners take notice, while the harmonies reached by the vocals and instrumentation are complex and completely rewarding. The deliberate beat of Bois Riche provide a backdrop that the vocal side thrives on; the back and forth between the male and female…
Raman Diamond has just released his latest single High Note, a track that skillfully ties together R&B and EDM in a fashion that will get listeners on the dance floor. Diamond is able to build off of the tradition crafted by Ne*Yo, Omarion, and Flo Rida.
Skeleton is the latest effort from California’s Jasmine Crowe, and the track does tremendously in blending together pop, indie, and EDM into a hard-hitting track. The harmonies of Crowe during Skeleton are fantastic, ensuring that listeners will be singing along after a few listens. Where many tracks merely use instrumentation as a backdrop for the vocals, there is a robustness to the arrangement here that pushes Crowe’s voice to the…
Mike Gale has opened the flood gates. ‘Slows to Go’ marks the third album in two years for Co-Pilgrim’s front man, not to mention two solo efforts he has already released this year. But far from a sloppy, thrown together effort, the latest from the UK Indie pop band is a surprisingly expansive set of dreamy pop that skirts the line between low-fi and clean, airy pop.
Leave it to a Canadian to come out with one of the year’s best alt country albums. On ‘Things That Can’t be Undone,’ Alberta native Corb Lund has managed to streamline his sound over the past two decades,
Now is a straightforward rock track that sizzles with passion and intensity. The band is able to create something that is confident and strong even as the act takes their own tack on psychedelic, Brit-pop and alternative music. Live Without Warning is a tender track that is provided further depth through the wide range of guitar sounds that issue forth. Whether it is a soft and sedate side or something…
Over the course of the last year, we have been fortunate to sit down with Dena and give her last album, Lullabies, a review.
Sasha Leonov has just finished up recording sessions in London, completing work on his latest single, “Seek Out Your Happiness”. An upbeat and energetic track. Seek Out Your Happiness provides listeners with a Leonov that is more mature and showcases considerably different influences than were present during his two most recent albums, Skies Change and Towards Mirages.
It’s not clear yet whether Aloke, a new group featuring Grouplove singer Christian Zucconi, is a one-off side project or a full-fledged band with a future beyond this debut. But, if Zucconi opts for the latter, Aloke could give Grouplove a run for its money.
The instrumental dynamic that is created at the beginning of the current New Mayans single Universe sets the stage for a haunting set of vocals.
Nashaat Salman begins his Universal Melodies, Vol. 1 with Summer Night Joy , a track that builds off of the classical (Spanish) guitar tradition. With overtures made to the grandiose dance music of the late seventies, Salman is able to create a light and airy composition with this initial effort that will immediately draw in listeners to this EP. The goodwill created by Summer Night Joy is continued with the…
Dreamer on the Run is the first track on Nemo James’ The Minstrel, and this emotive, intense track is built off of the singer-songwriter tradition. Hints of James Taylor and Neil Young can be heard here, while the guitar provides a further fleshing out of the narrative weaved by Nemo’s voice. The titular track on The Minstrel balances the instrumental and lyrical sides of the composition perfectly. While the effort…
The Mantles paradoxically take somewhat tired musical genres and give them their own spin to make them fresh again. Walking that line is something many bands try to do, without success. With blends of new wave, neo-folk and other classic musical tones, singer Michael Oliveras wears his influences not just on his sleeve, but boldly emblazoned across his shirt.
Jump Out of the World is the first introduction that listeners will have to London’s Noisemate, and the band is able to create something that bridges the gap between punk, rock, and alt-rock. The insistence of the vocals and spot-on guitars and drums make for a track that is ready for radio rotation. Each side of Noisemate – the lyrics, instrumentation, and production – makes for something that will bounce…
You Wanna Make Me Fly (I Know You Belong To A Dream) is a track that possesses a retrospective sound that seems perfectly ensconced in the 1980s. To keep things current and contemporary, there are hints present here of EDM; the uniting element here has to be Nick Festari’s inimitable vocals.
It’s Over (featuring Stiffler) is a track that skillfully blends trap, rap, and an R&B hook that showcases that Coraezy Hitz comes forth in a unique and eclectic fashion. Hints of Tech N9ne, Hopsin, and Tyler The Creator can be discerned here, but the sharp and pointed flow during this track is uniquely Coraezy Hitz’s own. With hints of Drake and Bun B playing at the periphery of the track,…