Jessica Zambri -known in musical circles by her band name, Solvey- is a woman with “otherworldly” sensibilities. The first track, “Solvey” from her latest record of the same name starts off in a “dreamy” yet accessible sound that hints at the more haunting, meditative songs which follow. Zambri’s unique, almost subconscious-sounding-voice falls somewhere between a more enigmatic version of Sara Mclachlan and Miki Berenyi, the singer of a great nineties…
Minneapolis has one of the most consistently brilliant, yet somehow overlooked music scenes out there. From Prince and Morris Day to The Replacements and Soul Asylum, this Midwest musical hub too often gets glossed over when people start ticking off the list of great U.S. scenes. Rank Strangers are just further proof that the City of Lakes can still pull its weight musically.
The Sweetwater Hillbillies have released their first single off of their latest album, On the Road. “Backwater Slap Jar Soul Sauce” is a bouncy blues-tinged track that operates at the juncture of blues, bluegrass, country, and southern rock. The effort allows each element of the band to shine, with particular high notes reached by the vocals, guitars, and fiddle. The track crackles with an honest, down-home approach and a production that guarantees…
Love Me Hardcore, SellinA Lc’s latest single, is a track that captures tremendous emotion with delicate instrumentation to create an effort that sticks with listeners long after the track has ceased. The instrumental and vocal elements combine to establish an effort that is greater than the sum of its constituent parts. The dynamic between the guitars and SellinA Lc’s softly-sang vocals is close, cozy, and will immerse listeners fully into…
Portland, Oregon’s Cedar Teeth begin their Hoot with Locks, a track that showcases a blues-laden take on indie rock. The blend of harmonica, guitar, walking bass, and punchy drums will immediately draw listeners in as the vocals call comparisons to Neil Young. Boots is a close and cozy track, with introspective arrangements bolstering the effecting vocals. The production of Hoot allows these two disparate elements the ability to join together…
“Holographic Violence,” the latest record from Seattle’s Grave Babies rides the waves between traditional cold, monochromatic goth music and later forms of the genre which incorporate sonicly brighter and -dare I say- catchier sound elements.
Isostasy is a performer and producer located in the eastern Pennsylvania (USA) area that looks to increase the boundaries of the EDM / IDM genres into including something more varied and intimate than what is currently garnering attention.
Don’t Quit Yer Day Job is an intricate track that links together guitar, bass, and drums to create a dense effort that tells more through the instrumental interactions than many bands can do with vocals and a full backing band. The path that Elmo takes fans on during this introductory track will ensure that one stays on the edges of their seat until the album finishes, especially as he takes…
To the End of Time is the latest effort by the Celso Salim Band, and the titular track is a tremendously soulful composition. This introductory element ties together blues, soul, and seventies and eighties pop-rock (Randy Newman, Elton John) into something that is memorable, well-played, and stands up to a number of replays.
Kristin Moura’s Once Called Home single ties together pop, EDM, and new age music into something that is approachable by a wide variety of fans. The production allows the distinct elements of the song – Kristin’s vocals, the percussive elements, and an atmospheric gravity – to shine alone and as a cohesive element. The deliberate beat of Once Called Home will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of…
What You Wanted is a track that is destined for rock radio, beginning London Has Fallen’s “Into The Night” digi-deluxe EP. The track is a tempestuous composition replete with intense instrumentation and impassioned singing that is reminiscent of Paramore and Skillet. The lead vocals come forth as more honest and earnest than other artists in the field, with an overall larger register of notes achieved than radio fare. Taken together, this track will create a number…
Master Drone is the current cut by Canada’s The Unravelling, unveiled on July 8th. The track links together Marilyn Manson, Tool, and Fear Factory into a driven and dedicated hard rock / metal / industrial and gothic mélange. Steve Moore’s vocals cut to the bone, while the dark soundscapes crafted by the guitars and drums during Master Drone will completely immerse listeners. The track shifts and changes over the course…
Time Will Tell is the new album from Toronto’s Jodi Krangle, and features the Chris Conway Trio. I’ll Be Seeing You opens up the release and will immediately draw fans in. There is a robust warmth to Krangle’s voice that feels steeped in the early 20th century, lifted to a higher plateau to emotive and punchy piano work and on-point percussion. The production of this track is rich and life-like,…
Everything You’ve Always Wanted is a sedate opening to Piece of the Past that has Ian C. Bouras bring listeners through a wide variety of styles and genres. There is a narrative that is created through these disparate sounds and approaches, but the cohesiveness of this initial composition is such that listeners will be taken along for the ride.
The sheer vocal ability of Ane Monsrud on her latest track Mysterious Connections will immediately draw listeners in. The track is able to straddle the line between pop and the singer-songwriter tradition but represents a considerable change from the status quo. This is due not only to Ane’s vocals, but the rich instrumentation that is present.
Fleur de bossa is a tremendously intricate composition that touches upon modern jazz and Latin music to make a lively effort. The guitar work (Jim Cohen) and accordion (Jacques Pellarin) are highlights to the track, telling more with plucking of strings than artists can hope to tell with an entire lyric book.
Dreamy Clouds Of Glass is a tremendously emotive track that is able to tell a story even despite the instrumental focus of the opening minutes. There is a twinkling sound created that will bring listeners on a journey, with Curioustin changing the overall focus to provide listeners with considerable variation. The harsher, more instrumental-themed side of this track provides further tools for Curioustin as well as increasing the overall momentum…
The recent inexplicable emo revival has reminded us that there was a lot wrong with music in the early-aughts. But for every band like Simple Plan and New Found Glory, aimed at heartbroken teens clutching lyric journals filled with 7th grade poetry, there were far better bands that knew how to write solid, complex songs of angst and confusion that never really got the accolades they truly deserved – bands…
Fresh is a track that looks to refresh the electronic music of the late nineties and early 2000s into something that an entirely new audience can appreciate. There are hints of Underworld, Plastikman, and Massive Attack rubbing elbows with jungle, house, and current (dubstep / trap) genres. Vocal elements work to imbue the composition with a human element as well as further increase the palette that is available to CLOVR.
Vegard Skrede has a high-energy opening to Dans, baby! that will immediately draw listeners in to the composition. The track will elicit comparisons to Hot Hot Heat and Franz Ferdinand, as Skrede’s vocals build off of the works of Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco to establish something that could easily make it onto pop and rock rotation. The production of Dans, baby! is stellar, allowing the disparate…